Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 04-01-2022

TUESDAY 4th JANUARY, 2022

No. 106594

Over 750 informal settlers regularised, 59 relocated in 2021

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Guyana could become gas-export hub - Co-Director of Energy Practice at Americas Market Intelligence

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$48M in gratuity payments for former procurement commissioners SEE PAGE

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President Ali: ‘Racism, discrimination and violence must have no place in Guyana’ Health Minister suspects Omicron variant is here SEE PAGE

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Tutorial High School students sanitising their hands at a facility in the school’s compound before entering their respective classrooms on Monday (Adrian Narine photo)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE

Tuesday, January 4, 2022

ment has names,” Seeraj insisted.

Meanwhile, Minister Teixeira raised the question of whether the change in leadership of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R) would mean changes in the opposition’s pick of the eight shortlisted candidates, since the PNC/R accounts for the majority of the APNU+AFC opposition.

It must be noted that while Aubrey Norton now heads the PNC/R, the seat of the Leader of the Opposition is occupied by Joseph Harmon, who has insisted that he will not be stepping down. The PAC chairman was quick to cast aside Teixeira’s question, asking that she not “concern

herself” with those matters.

Figueira also assured the PAC that there has been “no change in the status quo” and that the opposition is also ready for establishment of the new PPC. Although both sides have acknowledged the importance of the commission, neither has stated definitively when the final names will be presented to the PAC. Once the PPC members were sworn in by President David Granger, they would function for a period of three years, after which the life of the commission will end, and the process to constitute a new commission will once more be undertaken from the start.

$48M in gratuity payments for former procurement commissioners

THE five persons who functioned as commissioners of the now expired Public Procurement Commission (PPC) are expected to receive a long overdue gratuity payout totalling GY$48 million, according to disclosures made during Monday’s meeting of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

The monies are being paid two years after the life of the commission ended, and will cover three years’ worth of payments to Carol Corbin, who served as Chairperson of the Commission; her deputy, and former People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Labour Minister, Dr Nanda Gopaul, as well as commissioners Emily Dodson, Ivor Burnette English and Sukrishnalall Pasha, who is currently the Finance Secretary in the Ministry of Finance.

Gratuity, which accounts for approximately 22 per cent of a person’s salary, is paid every six months. In this case, the commissioners are being paid for their three years of service. More specifically, for the years 2016 to 2017, 2017 to 2018, and 2018 to 2019.

Previous media reports show that Corbin’s salary as chairperson was approximately $1.3 million plus the cost of security, while Dr Gopaul as deputy was receiving a salary of approximately $1.1 million, plus telephone allowances. The other commissioners were earning at least $900,000 per month.

It was noted that the commissioners were also entitled to duty-free concessions, entertainment allowances and a telephone allowance of about $10,000 each. The Guyana Chronicle was reliably informed that while the salaries and allowances were discussed, authorities failed to factor in the added cost of gratuities.

Additionally, although the Procurement Commission was sworn in by then President David Granger in 2016, it was not functioning in 2017. At that time, Cabi-

Monday’s meeting of the Public Accounts Committee net Secretary and Minister of State Joseph Harmon had said that the non-functioning of the PPC was largely due to the lack of staff.

Nonetheless, it was during the latter part of 2021 that the PAC agreed to have gratuities to the PPC members be paid. When the matter came up for discussion on Monday, PAC Chairman Jermaine Figueira expressed disappointment that monies were not paid to the former commissioners in time for the Christmas holiday season.

Asked whether the monies were available to make the payments, Finance Secretary Pasha responded in the positive, saying that all he needs is a written correspondence from the

PAC, indicating that the payments were approved.

Those payments are expected to be paid within the coming weeks.

NO PROCUREMENT COMMISSION But, in the meantime, the country remains without an active Public Procurement Commission. As a matter of fact, as she joined the meeting virtually, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira, lamented the fact that the former PPC “died in October 2019.”

The Procurement Commission is a critical body which is constitutionally responsible for oversight of the public procurement of all goods and services, along with the monitoring

of infrastructural works to ensure that they conform to the relevant laws and guidelines.

As it is, the establishment of a new PPC relies on finalisation of the list of commissioners as agreed by both the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government and the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change.

The process to constitute the PPC requires two thirds majority agreement of the three candidates proposed by the government and the two proposed by the parliamentary opposition.

PAC government member, Dharamkumar Seeraj, has insisted that the government is ready to proceed with the process. “Govern-

Insurance Association lauds new Local Content Act

THE Insurance Association of Guyana has praised the Government of Guyana for passing the landmark local content legislation in Parliament. The bill has since received the assent of President Dr Irfaan Ali and as such, it is now law.

The passage of this historic legislation has demonstrated a remarkable determination and commitment on the part of the government to uphold and defend the interests of Guyanese industry, the

association said in a release.

According to the association, the consultative process has resulted in the local content allotment of 100 per cent being accorded to the nation’s insurance sector, providing an unprecedented opportunity for the growth and prosperity of the sector and allowing the industry to fully concentrate its 155 years of global-placement experience, expertise and global synergies and networks on the provision of all required insurance services

to the oil and energy sector.

“The industry is particularly pleased with the extra efforts of the government to appreciate the capacity and experience of the industry and notes the conformity of the new act with existing insurance legislation. The industry employs a substantial work force and it is noteworthy that the trickle-down effects of the legislation is [sic] certain to produce incalculable economic benefits to many local communities,”

the release said.

The association’s model of unified indigenous companies, the association said produces a broad-based approach that accommodates investments of the NIS, corporate investors and the general Guyanese public.

“The association looks forward to meeting all of the needs of the oil and energy sector, our government and the people of Guyana by the application of risk quantification and

management techniques to ensure that all exposures to Guyana including liability arising out of environmental disasters are insured or otherwise mitigated and in the process, reducing cost oil to the Guyanese taxpayer,” the release noted.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, January 4, 2022

Potential exists for Guyana to become gas-export hub

OWING to major discoveries of oil offshore Guyana, the country is not only on course to becoming a major producer of this lucrative resource, but it is also set to become a major export hub for gas -- an accompanying resource discovered while drilling wells.

Already, the nation which is nestled at the edge of South America, has earned over US$534 million in direct revenue from its burgeoning oil and gas sector. And based on preliminary assessments of the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana, the producer, ExxonMobil, believes that there is scope for 10 projects, which could generate billions of U.S. dollars in revenue for Guyana over the coming years.

The Stabroek Block is 6.6 million acres (26,800 square kilometres), with current discovered recoverable resources estimated at more than 10 billion oilequivalent barrels.

As reported by OilNOW, large volumes of gas at the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana pave the way for the nation to become an export hub.

The local resource centre quoted Co-Director of Energy Practice at Americas Market Intelligence, Arthur

Deakin, as saying: “The total, projected reserves are estimated to be double that [10 billion oil equivalent barrels] and around 20 per cent of this will be gas.

But we’ve even heard from our sources that the actual amount of gas is likely to be much more than what has been revealed so far.”

He added: “So, honestly, I think that the gas is going to be a tremendous monetisation opportunity in Guyana, and we see it becoming a gas-exporting hub for CARICOM.” In addition to the financial benefits of natural gas, oil giant Shell Global reported that it is the cleanest-burning hydrocarbon, producing around half the carbon dioxide (CO2) and just one tenth of the air pollutants of coal when burnt to generate electricity. There is enormous potential to reduce near-term CO2 emissions and air pollution by using gas instead of coal.

“It is versatile. A gasfired power station takes much less time to start and stop than a coal-fired plant.

This flexibility makes it a good partner to renewable sources of energy such as solar and wind, which are only available when the sun shines and the wind blows,” the company said.

Cognisant of the benefits of this resource, the Government of Guyana has already incorporated the use of natural gas into some of its plans, which will be operationalised soon.

There are already plans on stream to develop a gasto-energy project at Wales, West Bank Demerara.

The project is expected to reduce the cost of power by 50 per cent, put more disposable income into the pockets of ordinary families and improve the ease of doing business.

Both President Dr Irfaan Ali and Vice-President Bharrat Jagdeo have said that even though Guyana has every intention to extract and market its oil resources, the operations will be done in a manner that minimises environmental harm.

The government has said that it will be utilising the country’s oil revenues to execute a number of developmental projects, including those that serve to advance the fight against climate change.

In that fight, achieving at least 75 per cent renewable energy is paramount, and will be driven largely by an energy mix which will utilise hydro, solar, wind and natural gas.

The gas-to-shore project

Preliminary artist’s impression of Natural Gas Plant (Source: EEPGL) aside, the government is also moving aggressively to realise the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project which was unjustifiably quashed under the David Grangerled government. Also in the pipeline is the establishment of a number of mini hydropower plants and solar farms.

Vice-President Jagdeo had previously made it clear that even though Guyana will be developing its oil resources, it will still fulfil its global responsibilities in the fight to achieve net zero carbon emission targets by 2050.

There have been concerns that, in an emissionsfree world, Guyana will

have to pump the brake on its oil production; however, Jagdeo has maintained that his government has no intention to do so.

On the contrary, the former President said that the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) government will be positioning Guyana to become a long-term oil producer, since there will be a daily global demand of 24 million barrels of oil, even in an emissions-free world.

Moving ahead, considering the immense direct and indirect benefits that will accrue to Guyana from the oil and gas sector, President Ali had said key initiatives like [sic] the Natural Resources Fund Act and

Local Content Legislation will be used to manage the sector.

“Resources will be used to enhance the traditional economy and create a pathway to build sustainable and diversified sectors to bring long-term prosperity,” Dr. Ali said.

The overarching plan, as outlined by the Head of State, is to build an equitable society, in which every Guyanese, irrespective of the region in which they live, irrespective of their ethnic or religious backgrounds, would have an equal opportunity and stake in the development of the country.

23 customers win big cash prizes in GTT’s $30M Christmas promo

TELEPHONE giant G u y a n a Te l e p h o n e and Telegraph Com-

pany (GTT) continues to spread its $30 million reasons Christmas

cheer with its customers as 23 persons to-date have won close to $3

million in cash prizes through the company’s live draw at its retail stores across Guyana.

According to a release, GTT’s Chief Operations Office of Mobile Service, Richard Stanton said the company has been ecstatic about its giveback to its valued customers over the past weeks.

“We have seen the joy in our customers’ faces, we have heard their excitement through the calls, and we could not have been happier as a company,” he said.

“And this is just the cash prizes, over the past weeks we have dispersed [sic] quite a number of shopping vouchers, top ups and MMG credit through our media partners; we have also given quite a significant number of new customers free Internet and installation when they sign up for our GTT Fibre service,” Stanton added.

With its Christmas campaign still ongoing, Stanton said the company still has many prizes left to be won, including its $300,000, $400,000

and $500,000 cash prizes that will be done live in store.

Customers can still enter the draw by simply topping up with $1,000 or more, signing up for GTT’s Fibre service, registering for MMG, purchasing handsets, or paying their GTT bills on time and in full.

GTT’s Christmas promotion runs until January 8, however the company will host its last live draw on January 11 at its 55 Brickdam Retail Store, the release said.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE

Tuesday, January 4, 2022

South Africa Parliament fire flares up again

A devastating fire which swept through South Africa’s Parliament in Cape Town reignited just hours after it was said to be under control.

Flames were seen billowing from the building’s roof on Monday, as firefighters tried to douse the blaze.

The fire first broke out on Sunday and completely destroyed the National Assembly, or lower chamber.

Police have arrested a suspect who will appear in court on Tuesday on charges of arson, housebreaking and theft.

Authorities had warned that flare-ups would be possible because of carpets and wooden floors in the building, with parliamentary spokesman Moloto Mathapo telling South Africa’s TimesLive some firefighters had “worked throughout the night” to try and prevent further blazes.

But just 12 firefighters were on site when the wind reignited wood above the National Assembly on Monday, according to news agency AFP. Despite reinforcements being sent, flames could still be seen emerging from the building as

BBC/AFP photograph

night fell.

An update from the city council at 22:00 local time (20:00 GMT) said the building’s fourth and fifth floors had been completely destroyed. It was not immediately clear if the blaze had been extinguished.

On Sunday, President

Cyril Ramaphosa - who admitted the building’s sprinkler system had not functioned properly praised firefighters for responding to the “terrible and devastating event” in minutes.

Government minister Patricia de Lille separately admitted that CCTV cam-

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eras were not being monitored at the time the initial fire started.

Ms de Lille said Sunday’s fire had led to the “complete burning down” of the National Assembly chamber. Other areas of the parliamentary complex -- parts of which date back to 1884 -- were also

badly damaged.

The Parliament is not currently in session because of the holidays, and no-one was injured.

The building is home to thousands of treasures including historic books, photographs and important works of art, which officials said had been saved.

There had been particular concern that the valuable Keiskamma Tapestry, which is 120m (394ft) long and documents South Africa’s history, may have been damaged or destroyed.

The Houses of Parliament in Cape Town are made up of three sections, with the oldest dating back to 1884. The newer sections built in the 1920s and 1980s house the National Assembly.

The government is based

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in Pretoria.

Ramaphosa on Sunday spoke of his sadness at “this destruction of the home of our democracy”.

Parliament said “all efforts” would be made to limit any disruption to its work, but it is expected to be many months before the building can be used again.

Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said the city’s council chamber would be made available as an alternative place for Parliament to meet.

It was the second fire at the Parliament in under a year. In March there was a fire caused by an electrical fault.

Last year, a wildfire ravaged part of the University of Cape Town’s library, which was home to a unique collection of African archives. (BBC)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, January 4, 2022

Haiti Prime Minister survives Brazil’s Bolsonaro in hospital assassination attempt with intestinal blockage

Gunmen tried to kill Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry during an event on Saturday to mark the anniversary of the country’s independence, officials say.

The incident happened as Henry took part in the ceremony at a church in the northern city of Gonaïves.

Video posted online showed the Prime Minister and his entourage scrambling toward their cars amid intense gunfire.

The security situation has deteriorated significantly since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse last July.

Henry has pledged to crack down on powerful gangs that are blamed for a wave of kidnappings and for seizing control of much of the gas distribution around the country, causing severe fuel shortages.

The Prime Minister’s office said “bandits and terrorists” were behind the assassination attempt, and that arrest warrants had been issued for the suspects.

The office accused the group of hiding behind walls to attack the convoy and of threatening the

Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry bishop by surrounding the church, according to the Associated Press.

One person was killed and two others were injured in the gunfight between the armed men and security forces, local media reported.

The attack is another blow to the fragile administration led by Henry, who became Haiti’s acting head of state two weeks after Moïse was killed. The circumstances of the assassination, believed to have been carried out by a group of mercenaries, are still un-

clear.

No date has been announced for a vote to elect a new President.

The rise in violence and a dire economic situation, made worse by several natural disasters in recent years, have led to a growing number of Haitians seeking opportunities in other countries. (BBC)

Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro has been hospitalised with an intestinal blockage after falling ill on holiday.

The President posted a photo from his hospital bed on Twitter, saying doctors had inserted a nasogastric tube and were evaluating potential surgery.

Doctors said on Monday that his condition was improving.

Bolsonaro, 66, has been admitted to hospital several times since being stabbed in the abdomen during his 2018 presidential campaign.

In his tweet, the President said he had started feeling unwell on Sunday afternoon after lunch. He was flown from the southern state of Santa Catarina, where he was vacationing, to urgently be admitted to the Vila Nova Star hospital in São Paulo.

Te l e v i s i o n i m a g e s showed the President walking down the stairs of the presidential plane after landing in the early hours of Monday.

Bolsonaro said that the

Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro (BBC/ Reuters photo)

symptoms were the same ones that had led to a fourday hospitalisation in July, saying the stabbing was the root cause of his health problems. Bolsonaro was seriously wounded in the attack and has had at least four operations since.

In a statement reported

by Reuters later on Monday, doctors said his condition was improving but it was not yet known if he would need further surgery.

The far-right President, who took office in 2019, plans to run for re-election

in a vote scheduled to take place in October. His popularity has plummeted in recent months, amid his government’s widely criticised response to the pandemic and the country’s economic downturn.

Last month the President came under criticism for not interrupting his beach vacation while floods swept through the northeastern state of Bahia, killing at least 25 people. He posted videos of himself jetskiing through crowds of cheering supporters. (BBC)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE

Tuesday, January 4, 2022

One Guyana

IN his New Year message to the nation, President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali re-assured Guyanese of the new and exciting prospects that lie ahead of us.

He also took the opportunity to highlight some of the progress made during the course of the last year and some of the challenges the country faced and continue to face as we enter the new year of 2022.

It was a message of hope and confidence. The President was passionate in his desire to see a Guyana where the spirit of unity, cohesiveness and oneness will be the defining characteristics, fully cognisant of the fact that there are challenges that have to be overcome. The road to a harmonious and prosperous Guyana is not one without its challenges, but the President is optimistic that with genuine commitment and real resolve to put in place the necessary programmes and policies, it could happen. According to President Ali, “I agreed to seek the presidency of our One Na-

tion because, to the marrow in every bone in my body, I wanted to help fashion and implement policies that would benefit every person in Guyana, regardless of race, colour or creed.”

These are indeed profound words coming from someone who in the early stages of his professional and political life sought to change society in deeply profound and fundamental ways. His contributions to the housing sector, to water and policy formulation and implementation were evident even before he was elected to the presidency of Guyana. Now that he is in the driver’s seat, that desire and passion to improve the quality of life of the Guyanese people in a more holistic and comprehensive manner is further energised.

Guyana is a plural and diverse society, one in which there is no privileged race or ethnicity. Guyana belongs to all Guyanese in equal measure, regardless of ethnicity or political affiliation. Whatever developments or economic and social progress the country

has made or will make in the coming period ahead must redound to the good of the entire society. Political power, for the President and his PPP/C administration, is not an end in itself, but the means to a much greater end, namely to create the conditions for a better Guyana, one in which there is peace, progress and prosperity for all.

This is why every ounce of energy and resource of the President and his PPP/C administration is expended with only one objective in mind, namely to advance the quality of life of the Guyanese people. This is reflected both at the policy and programmatic levels in almost every facet of life that matters to the Guyanese people. It is in the above context that the government has aggressively confronted COVID-19 to a point where Guyana is ahead of several countries in the Region in terms of its vaccination programme against the deadly virus.

Over 441, 000 persons have already received their first doses of the vaccine and

more than 317,000 have already been fully vaccinated. This is ahead of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) projected global target, a clear indication of the effort made by the administration in the interest of the health and well-being of the Guyanese people.

In addition to the vaccination programme, over $7.5 billion worth of COVID-19 relief cash grants to households across all 10 regions of Guyana have been disbursed, which provided a lifeline to countless families, while at the same time injecting critical liquidity into the economy. The same could be said for the several other cash interventions such as billions spent in flood relief to farmers and a one-off cash payment to retrenched sugar workers.

These and several other policy interventions have impacted positively on the quality of life of the Guyanese people, especially the more disadvantaged groups in our society.

The benefits to the nation since the PPP/C

administration took office in August 2020 are substantial, but it is only the beginning of bigger things to come, both from a material and cultural standpoint. The face of the country is changing, thanks to the several megaprojects, some of which have already commenced and some which are soon to commence. But the developments we are experiencing go way beyond improvements such as the development of new roads, housing projects, bridges, harbours and ports. It is also about the consolidation of our democracy and the institutionalisation of a culture of transparency and accountability. It is about the rule of law and the creation of a society in which fear does not permeate the minds of law-abiding citizens.

But it is the idea of a ‘One Guyana,’ the brainchild of President Ali that is the philosophical cornerstone of our new Guyana, one characterised by mutual love and respect, one in which there is equality of

opportunity and a pathway to higher levels of prosperity. In the words of President Ali, not a ‘rich Guyana of poor people.’ Guyana, he said, ‘must be rich so that never again should we be among the poorest countries in the world; never again should our poor have to be nomads, seeking survival in other parts of the world; never again must we be subjected to insults and contempt.’

The wealth of Guyana belongs to all Guyanese and it must be shared in a fair and equitable manner. This is a right and not a favour.

It has been earned by virtue of being citizens of Guyana, the vast majority of whom are off-spring of slaves and indentured labourers, who toiled and made sacrifices for the cause of a better, dignified and cohesive Guyana.

That is essentially the thinking behind the idea of the President’s vision of a ‘One Guyana.’

There cannot be a nobler and more profound idea, whose time has clearly come.

Vending at Suddie Market needs to be regularised Dear Editor, THE Riverstown/Annandale Neighbourhood Democratic Council in Region Number Two, under which the Suddie Market falls, is operating in a state of disarray and needs to be regularised during the two-day a week vending on Sundays being much

brighter and better than the other day being on Wednesdays.

For some time now, many vendors who were selling in and around the fenced compound area have abandoned their spots and moved to do business on the outside roadside parapets.

On both sides of the

small road leading from the main public road to the market it is always jam packed with traffic congestion and difficult to traverse.

A similar situation is evidently outside of the parapet of the main road which continues to increase with the passing of each day.

Police have to direct traffic

at times.

From my own estimation, there are more vendors plying their trade outside of the market square while not being answerable to anyone.

The vendors seem to be the bosses and not the council.

Any item you can get in the market is available by

the roadside so the purchase becomes much easier on the whole. It is being said that the roadside vending is much more lucrative.

The inside vendors are crying foul and unfair to them but what can they do?

A cursory link will see six meat vendors by the road parapet, one inside; one beef

vendor by the roadside and another outside. Fish and shrimp are being sold in and out.

There will be a better market appearance with regularisation and it will be better and easy for customers.

Yours sincerely, Baliram Persaud

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, January 4, 2022

The Mace, Parliament and law-making

Dear Editor, THERE is a claim by opposition Members of Parliament that the recently passed bill relating to the National Resource Fund (NRF) and assented to by the President was not properly legislated because the Mace was missing when the vote was taken. The Mace has nothing to do with passage of laws. It has to do with the functioning of Parliament.

I studied and taught comparative and international politics. I also studied and taught American politics.

In all of the many courses I took in political science and countless readings on legislative procedures in several countries and American constitutional law while studying

for the doctorate, legislatures have a Mace. But the Mace has nothing to do with voting and legal passage of legislation. The mace refers to the authority of the Speaker. It is a symbol of power and respect to the Speaker and is usually placed at the rostrum in front of the Speaker, signalling his or her authority.

Members of legislatures rarely defy the Speaker because of the respect they display for the Mace. What took place in Parliament in Guyana on December 29 was shameful and disrespectful to the authority of the Speaker, especially by the attempt to grab and remove the Mace from the chamber. The Speaker said the Mace in the chamber was a duplicate and that it was present when the vote

was taken for the NRF bill.

Whether the Mace is original or a copy and whether it was in the chamber or outside is immaterial to voting and passage of legislation.

Even if the Mace is required for passage of a bill or for its presence when legislation is being debated and or passed, its absence from a proceeding does not make voting void or passage of a law unconstitutional if the Mace is deliberately removed from the assembly. If the preceding were the case, then all that a MP had to do to prevent a legislation from passing is to grab the Mace and leave the House with it. No court would support such an act or rule against passage of a law under such circumstances and declare it

Dear Editor, THERE had been calls by the opposition and other sources for the PPP/C government to delay enactment of the NRF Bill to allow for more engagement with stakeholders. The government believes that there have been enough consultations and further contends that these calls for delay have been designed to impede their development priorities that they had set out in their manifesto, and which forms part of their covenant with the Guyanese people. They need access to NRF finance to fund vital physical and social infrastructural projects, including those that address the green economy, and to incorporate such funding into the 2022 budget that would be tabled soon in Parliament. Delaying further the passage of the NRF Bill would have frustrated the government’s development agenda and violated their covenant with the people.

Being aware that the government was determined to pass the NRF Bill, the parliamentary opposition in collaboration with a media house staged a demonstration outside Parliament on Wednesday, December 29, 2021, to press for a delay in the passage of the NRF Bill. Their call for thousands of Guyanese to come out and support their demonstration was a bitter dis-

appointment for them. There were fewer than 40 people there. That sent a signal to the parliamentary opposition that national support for them in their cause was lacking.

Their next move was to derail passage of the NRF Bill in Parliament by disrupting the parliamentary session with heckling, whistle-blowing, and a brazen attempt to seize the Speaker’s mace, which is a symbol of Parliament’s authority. If the mace is not there, no Bill could be passed. However, that problem was rectified and the NRF Bill was passed.

The PPP/C’s NRF Bill builds upon the APNU+AFC NRF Bill. It was not the case where the PPP/C government discarded the provisions of the APNU+AFC NRF Bill.

Structurally, in terms of layout, there are more similarities than differences in the provisions of the APNU+AFC and the PPP/C NRF Bills. Both draw heavily from the Santiago Principles in formulating their legal, governance, institutional, investment, and financial frameworks to achieve transparency, accountability, and a fiscally sustainable NRF. Both Bills set out the Bank of Guyana as being responsible for operational management of the NRF. And their reporting requirements on the disposition of natural resource funds are equally strong (deposits to be made into the Consolidated Fund), while they share a

similar view on the purpose and use (for development and natural disasters) of the NRF. An analysis shows that over 70 per cent of the APNU+AFC NRF Bill has been retained or incorporated into the PPPC’s NRF Bill.

And the APNU+AFC’s NRF Bill/Act was in the public domain for three years and it involved extensive consultations. Thus, Guyanese would have been acquainted with its provisions. What some stakeholders have been asking therefore was for more time to focus on the other 30 per cent of the PPPC’s NRF provisions that cover broadly the following areas: governance model, institutional framework, and NRF withdrawal formula.

How the NRF is managed, and its funds are withdrawn plus the amount, are what produce differences. The PPP/C does not want a government minister to manage the NRF. In the APNU+ARC model the minister is vested with the power to manage the funds.

Under the PPP/C government, the NRF would be managed by a Board of Directors (BoD) comprising three to five members, appointed by the President (with at least one member appointed from the National Assembly and one from the private sector). It is argued that this BoD would theoretically be more influenced by professionalism than by political considerations. President

unconstitutional. There was a deliberate attitude of members of the opposition ignoring parliamentary practices and traditions and majority rule. The opposition deliberately sought to disrupt the proceedings of the House and when that failed, members tried to remove the Mace as they believe that without a Mace, no law can be voted upon. There is nothing further from fact.

When I was a clerk in the Bronx Supreme Court in the early 1980s while a university student, I was privy to a case in which the judge ruled against a petitioner who challenged approval of decision in an organisation. The petitioner frequently walked out of the organisation’s meetings just before voting

when he was opposed to a policy. He claimed that decisions made in his absence were illegal. The judge ruled against him, saying deliberate absence from voting and attempts to prevent a quorum of meetings through his walkouts of meetings does not void a decision taken by the majority of the rest of the members in attendance.

His absence from proceedings was self-serving and against the interests of the majority of the members of the organisation. Thus, the absence of an original Mace deliberately removed, or the use of its duplicate during passage of a bill in an assembly does not make a law unconstitutional. It would take more than a procedural vote to render a law uncon-

stitutional.

It should not be forgotten that the NRF that was passed by the then ruling Coalition was not debated by the then opposition PPP. That vote was also taken after the government had lost a confidence motion, making it illegal.

Once a government loses a no-confidence motion, the life of the Parliament ends.

No bill can be debated or discussed. Any bill passed into law would have been successfully challenged in court by the public or an opposing party (PPP).

Challenging the current NRF bill over the Mace argument won’t get anywhere.

Yours sincerely, Dr Vishnu Bisram

ability and Oversight Committee (PAOC),” to be drawn from among religious bodies, the private sector, organised labour, the professions, and the National Assembly. The APNU+AFC NRF Bill requires a 22-member PAOC, representing a broad crosssection of the population, including geographic regions, to perform oversight functions. The PPP/C argues that a 22-member is too unwieldly.

How would further engagement expand this level of representation? Who would have the final say in the PAOC composition?

The five-member APNU+AFC’s Macroeconomic Committee (MAC) has responsibility for determining what is the ‘fiscally sustainable amount’ that could be withdrawn from the NRF. The PPP/C removes this layer and

assigns this task to the Board of Directors. The APNU+AFC Investment Committee (INVC) that would advise on the investment mandate comprises six members, compared with the PPPC’s INVC which comprises seven persons. It is difficult to envisage, therefore, what could change here and elsewhere by protracted consultations. Who decides what level of consultation is adequate?

The reporting protocols will help Guyanese to learn how efficient is the working of the PPP/C’s NRF Act. Any lapses and deviation from rules and protocols would have negative consequences at the next national and regional polls. Guyanese are watching! And so is the world!

Yours sincerely, Dr Tara Singh

Passage of the NRF Bill and looking ahead Irfaan Ali has given the assurance that the BoD would be politically neutral. The BoD is responsible for managing the fund, including review and approval of policies, as well as reviewing what is a fiscally sustainable amount that could be withdrawn for physical and social infrastructural projects, inclusive of other projects related to the green economy.

Another area of concern is to determine an appropriate funding formula to tap into the Natural Resource Fund.

The APNU+AFC developed a complex formula which is hard to decipher, and which is not amenable to any rational calculus. How the APNU+AFC minister arrives at a fiscally sustainable amount is enigmatic. The PPP/C has developed a simple model which, they say, anyone could understand. The government could draw down 100 per cent on the first $(US) 500 million; 75 per cent on the second $(US) 500 million; 50 per cent on the third $(US) 500 million; 25 per cent on the fourth $(US) 500 million; five per cent on the fifth $(US) 500 million; and three per cent of any amount in excess of the first $(US) 2.5 billion. How would further stakeholder engagement alter this funding configuration?

With regard to the governance and institutional frameworks, the PPP/C’s NRF Bill caters for a ninemember “Public Account-

I thought my house would have gone up in flames

Dear Editor, ON December 31, 2021, myself and companion could not sleep due to the fire crackers which were thrown at our house. We were afraid, because the house which is a wooden structure shook and at one time we felt the building would have gone up in flames. We are both disabled and we are kindly asking the relevant authorities to look into this matter.

Yours sincerely, Laurie Greenidge (MS) Diamond Housing Scheme 216 2957

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Tuesday, January 4, 2022

planade. During 2020, the contract which was initially given to Cevon’s Management concluded.

Thereafter, a new contract ($49,000,000) for maintaining the site was issued to Valz Construction during the earlier months of 2021.

“The contractor had commenced work, but as the year progressed to the end, the Mayor and Town Council was informed that the machinery had malfunctioned. The site was then closed without any information being forwarded to the relevant authorities. “ We a r e c u r r e n t l y working with the Sanitation Unit of the Ministry of Local Government with regards to the current

contractor on the way forward. We apologise for the inconveniences incurred during the festive season. It is beyond the council. We await word from the Ministry of Local Government,” the Town Clerk told reporters.

That aside, the Guyana Chronicle was reliably informed that the original contract was sub-contracted to a company, and due to a falling out over payment, the sub-contractor downed tools.

Meanwhile, Environmental Health Assistant Salima Outar, while noting that the facility had been inaccessible since December 27, 2021, expressed regret to the residents.

New Amsterdam landfill site reopened after garbage piles up on roadways

NA Town Clerk Sharon Alexander A WEEK after the gates to the New Amsterdam landfill site were closed, the con-

tractor has given a commitment to have it reopened, Town Clerk Sharon Alexander told

reporters in Berbice on Monday.

This commitment came after a telephone call was made by the Town Clerk on Monday morning to the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development.

Two hours later, the gates were reopened, and vehicles were awaiting their turn to dump garbage from their overflowing trailers.

E a r l i e r, g a r b a g e was piled just beyond the gate, making it difficult to access the site on foot.

Residents of New Amsterdam wantonly dump their waste, creating several illegal dumping sites along the main thoroughfares and within Mount Sinai, commonly referred to as Angoy’s Avenue.

Piles of garbage could also be seen in designated areas along the roadway

and other illegal dumping sites as Municipal Environment Health staffers grapple with ways to dispose the mountainous waste synonymous with festive cleanings.

The scheduled collection of garbage from residents, and the daily clearing of ‘skip’ bins were stalled, as there was no alternative disposal method which could have been adapted. To this end, there was an increase in telephone calls to the Environmental Health Department, as residents needed answers to address the potential health hazard.

“The Council wishes to inform the citizenry of development regarding the landfill site at Es-

Commercial vehicles awaiting their turn to dump garbage at the reopened site

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, January 4, 2022

President Ali congratulates Baroness Amos on her receiving prestigious Order

PRESIDENT Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali has congratulated Baroness Valerie Amos, on her appointment as a member of the Order of the Garter, England’s oldest and most senior order of chivalry, becoming the first Black person, in 700 years, to receive the honour.

President Ali said that the appointment was well deserved as it was recognition of her distinguished public service career to the UK and the Commonwealth.

All Guyanese should be proud of the recogni-

Baroness Valerie Amos tion, the Head of State noted.

Baroness Amos, who hails from the island of Wakenaam, is a former Labour Cabinet minister.

Donkey reportedly causes businessman to crash into utility pole

Vick Sooragpaul’s vehicle following the accident P O P U L A R E s s e q u i b o say, that it caused the utility businessman Vick Soorag- post to topple, and the busipaul and his wife, Seromini nessman’s vehicle to sustain Choomanlall, narrowly extensive damage. Luckily, escaped death last Sunday however, the occupants of night. He swerved his car the vehicle managed to esto avoid hitting a donkey cape with minor injuries. and crashed into a utility Residents who heard the post at La Belle Alliance loud impact caused by the Public Road, on the Esse- hit rushed out and quickly quibo Coast. took the couple to the Suddie The accident reportedly Public Hospital, where they occurred around 23:00 hours, were admitted but were later and according to reports, discharged. the donkey veered into the Residents and mempath of the driver. The busi- bers of the business comnessman and his wife were munity are calling on the reportedly returning home at Region Two (Pomeroonthe time of the accident.

Supenaam) Administration Such was the force of to get rid of the stray cattle the impact, eyewitnesses on the roadways.

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dren within the 12 to 17 age group “need to up” the vaccination rate for both first and second doses.

Approximately 30, 410 or 41.7 per cent of that age cohort took the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine with 21, 740 or 29.8 per cent receiving both doses.

Additionally, the minister noted that the number of hospitalised cases has increased over the last few days. He said 40 persons are currently hospitalised, with two persons being below the age of 18.

“In terms of hospitalisation, the numbers have gone up over the recent couple of days, so we are now at 40 persons in hospital with 24 of them at the Ocean View

hospital and we have six of those persons in the ICU. At Ocean View we have two persons who are below the age of 18,” Dr. Anthony said.

The Health Minister said Guyana is also considering acquiring booster shots for persons 16 years and older.

“They have considered [in the United States] that persons 16 years and older can get the booster dose so that’s something that is active, under active consideration here in Guyana.” The minister continues to urge students to follow all COVID-19 guidelines and to get fully vaccinated in order to protect themselves on their return to school. (DPI)

Low vaccination rate among children 12-17 HEALTH MINISTER, Dr. Frank Anthony, is calling on parents and teachers to encourage children between the ages of 12 and 17 years to get vaccinated as there continues to be a low vaccination rate among this age cohort.

The minister made the call during his daily COVID-19 update on Monday.

“We have been administering the Pfizer vaccine for the 12 to 17 age group and, again, we seem to have hit a peak. I think parents, teachers, everybody need to encourage students to get vaccinated, get both doses of the vaccine. Later on, we will introduce the booster for them,” the minister said.

Dr. Anthony said chil-

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GPHC in forward planning for Omicron variant

HEALTH Minister Dr. Frank Anthony on Sunday met with the senior management staff of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) to discuss additional measures to be taken to protect both patients and staff from the Omicron variant.

“I had a meeting with the Heads of Department of the GPHC to discuss the Omicron wave, and what additional measures should be taken to ensure staff and patients’ safety,” Minister Anthony said.

These additional measures will be in place soon.

On November 26, 2021, the World Health Organisation (WHO) designated the variant, B.1.1.529, a variant of concern named Omicron, on the advice of the WHO’s Technical Advisory Group on Virus Evolution (TAG-VE).

This decision was based on the evidence presented to the

Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony at the meeting with senior management staff of the GPHC (DPI photo)

TAG-VE that Omicron has several mutations, and that it is transmissible in the same way as those before it.

In an earlier interview, Minister Anthony had urged persons to adhere to the basic COVID-19 measures, as the

WHO had announced that the variant was already present in more than 67 countries.

Dr. Anthony also stated that while there was no reported case of the Omicron variant in Guyana, it could reach these shores eventu-

ally.

Among those present at Sunday’s meeting were Chief Medical Officer Dr. Narine Singh. and Director of Medical and Professional Services at GPHC, Dr. Fawcett Jeffrey. (DPI)

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Teen, taxi driver charged for murder of East La Penitence man

MORE than a week after 28-year-old Deon Charles called ‘Zip’ was executed while standing on James Street, Albouystown, two men, on Monday, appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’

Court charged for the crime and were both remanded to prison.

E z e k i e l H a w k e r, a l s o known as ‘Alpha’, 19, of Forshaw Street, Queenstown, Georgetown and Mikhel Forde,

a 31-year-old taxi driver of Critchlow Street, Tucville, were not required to plead to the charge which was read to them by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.

It is alleged that, on Decem-

ber 24, 2021, they murdered Charles of East La Penitence.

The Chief Magistrate remanded the men to prison until January 27, 2022.

According to the police, investigations revealed that Charles was standing on the southern side on James Street when a white Axio motorcar with an unknown registration number, allegedly driven by Forde, came from an easterly direction and stopped in front of him.

Hawker approached Charles and a loud explosion suspected to be that of a gunshot was heard.

Charles fell to the ground

GUYANA CHRONICLE

Tuesday, January 4, 2022

Dead: Deon Charles, called ‘Zip’ and Hawker immediately reentered the car which drove off.

Charles was picked up by public-spirited citizens and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation where he was seen and examined by a doctor who pronounced him dead on arrival,” the police said.

Investigators, after reviewing footage from nearby closedcircuit television (CCTV) cam-

Ezekiel Hawker, called ‘Alpha’ eras, issued a wanted bulletin for Hawker. He was arrested three days later in Suriname and was later handed over to local authorities.

Forde was arrested at his home by police on December 26.

It is alleged that under caution, Hawker admitted to shooting Charles over an old feud.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, January 4, 2022

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Racism, discrimination and violence - must have no place in Guyana, says President Ali

By Richard Bhainie SINCE assuming office in August 2020, President Dr Irfaan Ali has disseminated a message of unity, promoting a ‘One Guyana’ initiative whereby he desires every Guyanese to come together to end racial discrimination and work to develop Guyana under a common love for country.

“An essential part of my government is inclusion. Stop being defined by race; stop being defined by politics. Start being defined by our one nationality and by our common love for our one country. Let us lift it up together and by doing so, let us lift each other and ourselves, One people, One nation, One destiny,” President Ali said during his inaugural address to the 12th Parliament in February, 2021.

The Head of State reiterated similar sentiments throughout the year of 2021, and in his 2022 New Year address to the nation on Friday last, when he stated: “I repeat what I have stated from the very first minute of my presidency, racism and racial discrimination have no

place in a One Guyana nation.”

During his address, President Ali was adamant that Guyana cannot develop as a country nor can the livelihoods of citizens improve unless it is done together, as one people.

He reminded that over the years, Guyanese cheered in unity for their countrymen, such as Lance Gibbs, Rohan Kanhai, Clive Lloyd, Alvin Kallicharran, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Carl Hooper, all cricketers, who represented the country on the international stage.

COMMON BOND, SHARED ASPIRATIONS “In our cheering and support, we cheered for our own, paying no attention to their race, and every attention to the national pride they represented.

That symbolised, in the most telling and compelling way, that we have one common bond and shared aspirations,” he said.

“We all want to move in the same direction – towards a better future for ourselves, our children and our grandchildren. I believe with all my heart and soul that this is what the people

of our One Guyana want, and it is what your government and me, personally, are committed to delivering,” he added.

The Head of State noted that whenever “old, outdated and outmoded expressions of racism and division raise their ugly heads,” the youth of Guyana must renew his hope and strengthens his resolve as young people have different and more productive attitudes and beliefs.

MEETING WILL BE HELD In these regards, President Ali announced that it is his intention to hold meetings with individual, organised groups of young people, including the youth arms of all the political parties to hear their views and understand how the youth population believes the future of a One Guyana should look like.

“When I look at my little son, in all his innocence, I want the best Guyana for him; one that is free of racism, discrimination and violence; one that is firmly set on the path of harmonious relations and equity for all Guyanese.

I know that every parent wants the same thing for

President Dr Irfaan Ali and Prime Minister Brigadier (retired) Mark Phillips posing for a photograph at the Guyana Defence Force Officers’ Club cocktail reception and fireworks display at Base Camp Ayanganna, while ushering in the new year (Office of the President photo) their children,” the President said.

President Ali took

Over 750 informal settlers regularised, 59 relocated in 2021

– Minister Croal THE Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) regularised over 750 informal settlers residing in Regions Four and Five last year, while 59 persons squatting on government reserves were relocated.

This is according to Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal during a recent interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI).

“This is an ongoing exercise. There are a number of variables that we have to look at; first of all, we have to decide on what is going to be the usage of the area, and after that we make the

determination on whether to relocate or regularise,” Minister Croal explained.

The Housing Minister emphasised that the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government has embarked on a national housing plan that caters for the housing needs of all Guyanese, and, therefore, there is absolutely no need for persons to engage in illegal land occupation.

“There is no benefit from that, because you will not be able to benefit from basic utilities in a formal way, and no infrastructure works will be done. And there is also the issue of hygiene,” the minister noted.

Last year, the Housing Ministry launched the Guy-

ana Strategy for Informal Settlements Upgrading and Prevention, a programme which seeks to address, and, ultimately, eliminate squatting across the country.

The programme is being executed in partnership with the UN-Habitat, the European Union (EU) and the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP).

Minister Croal explained that the programme will result in squatting being dealt with in a more structured way, taking into consideration the increased number of squatter settlements across the country, given the influx of migrants into the country.

According to statistics compiled by the CH&PA last year, 15 per cent of

Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal the Guyanese population, the equivalent of just over 110,000 people, are living in informal settlement communities, while another 27,500 households are known to be residing on State lands in 231 informal settlement communities.

steps to promote building a single Guyanese identity and to end the division caused by race and politics in the country as soon as he assumed office.

During his inaugural address to the 12th Parliament, the Head of State announced the formation of a ‘One Guyana Commission’ to be headed by Prime Minister Brigadier (retired) Mark Phillips. That commission, he said, would be tasked with fostering one nationality and a common love for country.

In February, 2021, during an outreach to several communities along the East Coast of Demerara corridor, President Ali also shared his intention of creating a ‘One Guyana’ where he noted that Lusignan, Enterprise, Buxton, Foulis and Golden Grove will form a ‘Corridor of Unity.’

“These villages will be part of a pilot programme that we’re referring to as

a Corridor of Unity and Oneness; that oneness will be stretched all across our country as we build a future that is sustained on unity and respect for all,” he told residents.

Further, in September 2021, during a meeting with Region Two residents at the Supenaam stelling, the President shared that there is a need for citizens to transition from “I to we” thinking and to see each other as just Guyanese.

“All I want us to be is just Guyanese. We must be proud of our heritage, it is part of us. But we are part of a society that is blended together and is referred to as a society of Guyanese. The greatest accomplishment that I look forward to is for our people to come together under the umbrella of One Guyana and embrace the opportunities that will come your way under One Guyana,” he said.

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Health Minister suspects Omicron variant is here

WITH the steady increase in positive COVID-19 cases in the past few weeks, Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony, has expressed the belief that this may indicate that the Omicron variant is in Guyana.

He made this disclosure during the COVID-19 update, on Monday, where he noted that there has been a consistent and drastic rise in the number of cases recorded. A whopping 284 cases were recorded on January 2, 2021.

According to the minster, as at December 28, 2021, just 32 COVID-19 cases were recorded, but the number rose to 87 the following day. According to the updates from the ministry, by December 31, 2021, it had increased to 206.

He noted that, over the past 24 hours, an additional 98 new cases were recorded from 1,204 tests administered.

“Again, we suspect that we might have the Omicron variant that is in circulation, in Guyana, because, based on these numbers we know that in other countries with Omicron it is highly contagious so the numbers would keep multiplying.

Every two to four days you would have an increase in these numbers.

With the way that this has rapidly progressed in the last couple of days from an epidemiological point of view it is Omicron that is in circulation here,” said Minster Anthony.

Minister Anthony said that, while there is currently no cure for the virus, persons are urged to take necessary precautions to minimise the spread of the virus, which include wearing of face masks, sanitising, social distancing and getting vaccinated.

He said that one of the fastest spreaders of COVID-19 are persons who do not wear masks. The virus, he added, is most easily transmitted when persons leave their mouths and noses exposed.

The Health Minster

further said that many persons are in possession of masks, but do not wear them properly, thus increasing their risks of contracting the virus.

“So, we need to be extra vigilant, the same public health measures that we are talking about, they hold true, but we need to practice them. They’re not going to protect you if you are not practicing them, so keeping safe distances, we need to practice that.

Wearing masks, we need to do that as well,” Health Minister said He further advised that the best protection against COVID-19 is a combination of social distancing, wearing masks and frequent sanitisation.

VACCINATION According to the latest COVID-19 statistics, some 411,269 adults and 30,410 adolescents have received their first dose of one of the COVID-19 vaccines available in Guyana.

Those numbers, when broken down, mean that 80.2 per cent of the country’s adult population and 41.7 per cent of its adolescent population have received their first shot of a COVID-19 “jab”.

In terms of second doses, statistics show that 57.6 per cent of the adult population is fully vaccinated, representing some 295,696 persons, while 21,740 adolescents or 29.8 per cent of that grouping has received the second shot.

“In terms of boosters, we’ve had 11,986 persons who got their booster doses and this is again just a small percentage of our population,” Dr. Anthony said.

With the exception of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, for persons to be considered fully vaccinated with the available vaccines, namely, AstraZeneca, Sinopharm, Sputnik V and Pfizer, they must get both doses.

ISOLATE Minister Anthony highlighted that a pivotal part in the fight against COVID-19 is isolation so as to prevent the spread of the

virus. He stated that, in many cases, persons who have tested positive but have mild symptoms have made the unwise decision of continuing to interact with others thus further spreading the virus.

“If you test positive, you also need to isolate.

There are people who are testing positive, and,

because they have mild symptoms, they are going back into the workplace and what they are doing is that they will infect a whole host of other people. So if you test positive you need to isolate,” said Minister Anthony.

He reminded that while the ministry recommends isolation, per-

Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony sons should only isolate if they have actually contracted the virus. He added that many per-

sons have been found to have falsified their results in an effort to evade work.

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‘Flamboyant’ designer Dorian Obermuller graduates from UTT

- plans to expand Adriano Braga clothing line

By Tamica Garnett WELL-KNOWN Guyanese designer, Dorian Obermuller, celebrated a big step in his career when he

graduated Magna Cum Laude in fine arts-fashion design from the Caribbean Academy of Fashion Design (CAFD) at the University of

Pieces from the Adriano Braga line

Man charged, remanded for 2016 fatal accident

AFTER being on the run for five years, Delon Moore was on Monday charged for causing death by dangerous driving.

Moore, 27, of Corriverton, Corentyne, Berbice, appeared before Magistrate Peter Hugh at the Blairmont Magistrate’s Court for causing the death of 32-year-old Adrian Gomez by dangerous driving and was remanded to prison.

He will make his next court appearance on January 14, 2022.

According to a police release, Moore had evaded capture after being involved in the fatal accident Delon Moore which occurred on August 9, 2016, on the Chester Public Gomez was a passenger.

Ranks of the SpringRoad, West Coast Berbice.

At the time he was the driver lands Police Station arrestof motorcar PTT 9233 and ed him on January 2, 2022.

Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) in December 2021.

The accomplishment marked a successful end to a trying four years for the founder of the Adriano Braga clothing line. He said his pursuit of the bachelor’s degree programme was “not walk in the park.”

“I remember failing all my courses one semester due to the stress and anxiety of both school work and outside-of-school matters. I swore I was going to give up then, but with the push from God and my support force I was able to pull through. My belief in God was the number one factor of my success. He placed the right people and opportunities in my life,” the 33 year old shared in a recent interview with the Guyana Chronicle.

Always one to stand out rather than fit in, most Guyanese would remember Obermuller from his performance in the 2013 GTT Song and Jingle competition. His voice and outfits made him a crowd favourite. He made it to the semi-final round of the competition.

He may also be remembered for copping the “Best Stylist” title in fashion icon, Sonia Noel’s Model Search/ Designer Portfolio/Stylist competition in 2009.

Obermuller’s dressing style as well as his work as a costume designer and illustrator has caused him to stand out. He has done several pieces for Guyana’s Mashramani celebration and carnival in Brazil.

With most of his work over the years revolving around costume designing and illustrating, it was his desire to branch into clothing designing and to sharpen his skills that led him to UTT. “The need to be a better craftsman at what I loved to do was always one of the driving forces behind qualifying myself,” he explained He told this publication that: “Studying in Trinidad, however, was not a plan. I actually went there for vacation and met people who were very much interested in supporting my ambition to qualify myself, after they were exposed to my work in Trinidad during Carnival 2015.”

Of a multiracial ethnicity,

which includes Amerindian and Afro-Guyanese, the former Annandale Secondary School student said his multicultural background is one of the biggest inspirations for his designs.

“I am very driven by my cultural make up. I come from a multicultural, multi-ethnic background, so there were always much differences and yet similarities to celebrate, and I have heritage from these different countries. I have relatives in Trinidad, Brazil, Venezuela, South Africa, Barbados, and in Germany as well. So, I have this vast scope for inspiration to play with,” he added.

It was his background that got him involved in fashion in the first place. While visiting relatives in Brazil at the age of 10, he fell in love with the designs that he saw at the carnival.

When he returned home, he began testing his creative skills by drawing illustrations.

He would later develop those skills while in secondary school by helping to design costumes for Mashramani.

His family has also been an eternal source of support. His sisters allowed him to design outfits for them to wear and his parents have embraced his flamboyance.

“I wasn’t always appreciated outside of my home for my talent and I was always different from the other children on every weird level, but my mother, especially, encouraged me to be myself,” he shared.

Obermuller spent most of his childhood days with his parents and five siblings at Melanie, East Coast Demerara.

“We were not rich, and didn’t always have the best of everything, but my parents were and still are very hard working. They made magic happen for their children by the sweat of their brows,” he recalled.

The financial and mental support received from his family gave Obermuller the drive he needed to never give up on his dreams to finish his degree and to be a designer.

For his final year project, he decided to pay homage to his family and culture by designing a collection called “Black Renaissance.”

“It is a collection of six

Guyanese designer, Dorian Obermuller garments and [it] is called ibbean and African markets ‘Black Renaissance,’ which with his Adriano Braga brand. delves into specific aspects “I’m not one to count of South African - Zulu tradi- my chickens before they tions and royal characters. hatch but I do want to esThe use of Zulu colours can tablish myself as a qualified be seen throughout the col- designer, doing garments. I lection, and prints of the zebra still love costumes but it’s which is traditionally my not my priority. I’m more animal spirit,” he noted. focused on quality garment Now that he has com- production, garments that pleted his studies, his African can be a limited edition heritage will influence how that people will not see a he moves forward with his lot of other people weardesigning career. He has ma- ing.” he told the Guyana jor hopes to tap into the Car- Chronicle.

Some of Dorian Obermuller’s design illustrations

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Duo remanded for Christmas Eve murder of ‘Sensei’ in Albouystown

TWO men, on Monday appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court for the Christmas Eve murder of Sensei Garfield Newton and were remanded to prison by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.

Judah Vickerie, called ‘Culture’, 24, a taxi driver of Bella Dam, Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara (WBD) and Darren Baley, called ‘Fifty’, a 25-year-old weeder of Recht-Door-Zee, La Parfaite Harmonie, WBD, were not required to plead to the indictable charge.

It is alleged that on December 24,2021, at Campbell Street, Albouystown,

during the course or furtherance of a robbery, they murdered Newton, a 40-year-old bodyguard attached to the Beharry Group of Companies The men were remanded to prison until January 26, 2022.

Newton was fatally shot during a robbery involving three unidentified males, moments after he left a goldsmith with jewellery he had taken to get cleaned. The jewellery included one silver hand band, one gold chain and two gold finger rings, the value of which is unknown.

According to the police,

Newton was walking to his car when he was allegedly approached by Baley and shot to the left side of his chest.

He escaped in a waiting motorcar, which was allegedly driven by Vickerie.

Newton was examined by EMT doctors from GPHC at the scene and was pronounced dead.

Investigators, after reviewing footage from nearby closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, arrested Vickerie and Baley and issued a wanted bulletin for the third suspect, 18-yearold Kevin Carter, called ‘Lil Boy.’

Judah Vickerie called ‘Culture’ (left) and Darren Baley, called ‘Fifty’

DEAD: Garfield Newton

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Rising stars end South African series level CMC – West Indies Under-19s produced a sterling effort to beat South Africa Under-19s by 19 runs here Monday, successfully defending a paltry 126 to tie their four-match Youth OneDay International series 2-2 at the Arnos Vale Stadium.

Fast bowler Johann Layne knocked over the first three wickets to finish with three for 34 while left-arm spinner Jaden Carmichael (3-14) and seamer McKenny Clarke (3-23) followed up with three wickets hauls to send the visitors crumbling for 107 in the 24th over.

Only last man Aphiwe Mnyanda with 20 from 21 balls managed to pass 13, and it was his knock, inspiring a 33-run, 10th wicket stand with Asakhe Tshaka (11 not out), which threatened West Indies

SCOREBOARD

WEST INDIES U19s

SOUTH AFRICA U19s

S Parris b Boast 1 M Nandu c Cunningham b Mnyanda 1 T Bishop c van Heerden b Tsaka 43 *A Auguste b Mnyanda 1 +R Clarke c Stephenson b Simelane 30 G Depeiza c Cunningham b Brevis 7 A Mahase c wkp Maree b Boast 7 J Layne c Kitime b Brevis 4 J Carmichael not out 10 M Clarke c wkp Maree b Brevis 1 I Thorne c Kitime b Brevis 0 Extras (b5, lb1, w13, nb2) 21 TOTAL (all out, 35 overs) 126

E Cunningham b Layne 3 V Kitime c Auguste b Layne 13 D Brevis c Auguste b Layne 4 +G Maree lbw b M Clarke 8 *G Van Heerden c Auguste b M Clarke 2 A Simelane b M Clarke 6 K Solomons b Mahase 3 M Boast c Bishop b Carmichael 10 J Stephenson c Depeiza b Carmichael 2 A Tsaka not out 11 A Mnyanda b Carmichael 20 Extras (b2, lb1, w21, nb1) 25 TOTAL (all out, 23.5 overs) 107

Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-12, 3-16, 4-74, 5-85, 6-104, 7-104, 8-116, 9-124, 10-126.

Bowling: Boast 9-1-41-2, Mnyanda 6-119-2, Stephenson 4-1-15-0, Simelane 6-021-1, Tsaka 6-0-13-1, Brevis 4-1-11-4.

Under-19s at the end.

With the innings tottering on 74 for nine in the 19th over, the pair came together to stage the best partnership of the run chase as the hosts struggled for the final wicket.

In the end, Carmichael bowled Mnyanda after the 17-year-old had struck three boundaries, to earn Rising Stars a share of the series.

Earlier, Teddy Bishop top-scored with 43 from 46 balls while wicketkeeper Rivaldo Clarke chipped in with 30 also from 46 deliveries as the hosts continued the trend in the series with another low total.

They were the only ones to pass 10 as leg-spinner Dewald Brevis snatched four for 11 and the new-ball fast-bowling pair of Mnyanda (2-19) and Matthew Boast (2-41) tormented the innings with two wickets apiece.

Choosing to bat, Rising Stars slumped to 16 for three in the sixth over behind Mnyanda’s two-wick-

et burst before Bishop and Clarke combined in a 58run, fourth wicket stand to repair the damage.

Bishop struck half-dozen fours and Clarke counted three but it was their dismissals, within 17 balls of each other, which triggered the slide which saw the last seven wickets tumble for 52 runs.

In reply, Layne put West Indies Under-19s in charge with the wickets of Ethan Cunningham (3) and number three Brevis (4) in the third over and South

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Africa Under-19s failed to really recover, as the next seven wickets went down for 45 runs.

McKenny Clarke was particularly destructive in the middle order, grabbing the key wicket of captain George van Heerden for two in the 12th over, as he struck in three successive overs.

West Indies will now turn their attention to the ICC Under-19 World Cup which will be played from January 14 to February 5 in Antigua and Barbuda Guyana, St Kitts and Nevis and Trinidad and Tobago.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Tuesday January 4, 2022)

COMPLIMENTS OF CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD 83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Kingston, Jamaica, 2007 (2) Brian Lara & Kyle McCallan Today’s Quiz: (1) Which WI player has scored most ODI runs against IRE to date?

(2) Which IRE batsman has compiled most ODI runs against the WI to date?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue 08:05 hrs Fire Flower 08:40 hrs Imperial Master 09:20 hrs Secret Is Ours 09:55 hrs Midnight Badger English Racing Tips Lingfield 08:30 hrs Howzak 09:00 hrs Exceling 09:30 hrs Denable 10:00 hrs Sword Exceed 10:35 hrs Twistaline 11:10 hrs Vespasian 11:40 hrs Northern Hereford 08:45 hrs Legal Rights 09:15 hrs Line Of Descent

09:45 hrs Art Of Diplomacy 10:15 hrs Red Rookie 10:50 hrs Loch Garman Arts 11:20 hrs I Spy A Diva 11:50 hrs Noete Volatus Newcastle 11:00 hrs Three Platoon 11:30 hrs Reset Button 12:00 hrs Tyrrhenian Sea 12:30 hrs Magic Gem 13:00 hrs Lightening Company 13:30 hrs Birdie Bowers 14:00 hrs Fircombe Hall 14:30 hrs Whittle Le Woods

23

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday January 4, 2022

Davies' 91st-minute equaliser underscores Derby fightback (BBC) - Curtis Davies' 91st-minute equaliser saw Derby County fight back from two goals down with five minutes left to earn a point at fellow relegation strugglers, Reading.

A wonder strike from Junior Hoilett had given Reading the lead, before the Canadian doubled the Royals' advantage early in the second half.

But Derby heaped on the pressure during the final half-hour and substitute Colin Kazim-Richards pulled one back late on to set up a nervous finale.

In the first minute of stoppage time, centre-half Davies then headed home to level the scores and extend the unbeaten run of the bottom-of-the-table Rams to four matches.

The draw moves them on to 11 points, 11 behind Reading who are just above the relegation places in 21st.

Up-for-sale Derby came into the match on a run of form that belied their position at the bottom of the table, having won their last three matches through December.

Looking to pull off what would be one of the most

spectacular relegation survivals after a 21-point deduction, they had to do without manager Wayne Rooney on the touchline at the SCL Stadium. Rooney tested negative for Covid-19 but didn't make the journey south as a precaution after coming down with cold-like symptoms.

Reading, meanwhile, had seen all three of their matches over the festive period called off because of Covid-19 cases and hadn't played since 11 December.

The home side made the better start and Andy Carroll had a golden chance to put them ahead after 17 minutes. John Swift - back in the squad after a hamstring injury - sent in a perfectly weighted cross which Carroll headed towards the inside post, but Derby keeper Ryan Allsopp dived low to palm it away.

Teenager Luke Plange's strike was the Rams' only shot on target - forcing Luke Southwood into a save - in an opening 45 minutes lacking many clearcut chances before Hoilett spectacularly broke the deadlock.

Southwood launched the ball downfield towards

Derby defender Curtis Davies has scored four goals this season

target man Carroll, who nodded it on to Hoilett. The winger's right-footed strike flew straight past Allsopp into the top-right corner.

Hoilett was making his first start for the Royals since he scored in the win over Cardiff on 2 October, having been out with a hamstring injury. He made it 2-0

not long after the restart, striking the ball between the legs of Derby keeper Allsopp from a free-kick.

Kamil Jozwiak found the net for the visitors a few minutes later but was flagged offside as Derby began dominating possession and building pressure in and around the Reading box.

Yet they were still missing that clinical final touch.

Super substitute Kazim-Richards had come off the bench to score in Derby's past two games, and after being brought on in the second half he did the same again to pull one back.

As a corner was whipped in, Southwood jumped but

missed the ball and Kazim-Richards was there to nudge it in behind him.

Then, in the 91st minute, Davies jumped highest to meet a cross from Nathan Byrne and power a header past Southwood to secure Derby what could prove a precious point.

Lukaku undermined Tuchel – Sutton (BBC) - Romelu Lukaku has let down Chelsea and undermined manager Thomas Tuchel, says former Blues striker Chris Sutton.

The Belgium striker was dropped from Chelsea's team for their 2-2 draw with Liverpool after an interview emerged where he expressed his displeasure at his progress since joining this summer.

He returned to training on Monday.

"What was the point of him doing the interview and

causing unrest in the changing room?" Sutton said on BBC Radio 5 Live.

Lukaku, 28, returned to Chelsea for a club-record £97.5m move from Inter Milan in August, having played for the club earlier in his career.

In an interview with Sky Sports Italia recorded three weeks ago, but only broadcast on New Year's Eve, he said he was "not happy with the situation" of being a bitpart player and would like to play for Inter again.

After a bright start to the season, Lukaku's scoring dried up with a mix of injuries and COVID hampering his progress, but after talks with Tuchel he had scored twice in his past two Premier League games.

But the German then dropped him because of the "noise" around the club as a result from that Italian interview.

Lukaku was due to talk with Tuchel on Monday, with the results of that conversation not yet known.

Sutton said: "He has undermined the manager publicly. Tuchel had to take action because if he didn't he would lose respect of the players.

"What was his motive?

This isn't a 19-year-old, this is a guy who has been around. I thought he would be the difference this season at Chelsea.

"It hasn't been blown up, he said he is unhappy at Chelsea and that can only cause unrest.

"It was calculated what

he did, a guy with a big ego, a big reputation. This was all unnecessary. Every action has a consequence."

Former Manchester City defender Micah Richards said it was not "so bad as people are trying to make out".

"A lot of his comments were more like when you are speaking to your mates," he said.

"If he had said it in this country, I would agree it was really bad. But he went from hero to zero in Italy when he left, so the interview was to

go out there and put the Inter fans at ease. He slipped up by trying to be honest, he has not done it deliberately.

"I agree he has done wrong and the manager has to take a stance but why should he say what the people expect him to say? He is known as an outspoken footballer, Chelsea knew that when they signed him.

"Of course a fan would be raging because at the end of the day the club is more important than any player."

24

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday January 4, 2022

Firm Bangladesh batting puts New Zealand on back foot

(ESPNCRICINFO) - Bangladesh batted with firmness and purpose to dominate New Zealand on the third day of the Mount Maunganui Test. The visitors went to stumps on 401 for 6, leading by 73 runs, the first time they have done so batting second outside Asia.

Captain Mominul Haque was the top-scorer with 88, having struck 12 fours in his 244-ball knock having stayed at the crease for over six hours. Mominul added 158 runs for the fifth wicket with Liton Das, who made 86 off 177 deliveries.

Their fifties came after Mahmudul Hasan Joy, playing just his second Test, made a diligent 78, adding 104 for the second wicket with Najmul Hossain Shan-

to, who made 64. Also, Monday was the first time each of Bangladesh top six batters faced more than 50 balls in an away Test innings.

Bangladesh's 156 overs batted is their most in a Test innings outside Asia, as the home side's bowling attack felt the full toll of the visitors' heightened discipline.

Neil Wagner and Trent Boult took three wickets each but Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee and Rachin Ravindra went wicketless in their 88 overs combined.

The foundation for Bangladesh's fine day of batting was laid in the first two sessions. After adding only 45 runs till the lunch break, they scored more freely in the second session. They added a further 87 runs in 26 overs, going wicketless. Both Mo-

Liton Das and Mominul Haque put up a century stand (Getty Images)

minul and Litton reached their fifties post lunch.

They went chanceless too, but there were uncomfortable moments when Mo-

minul was struck on the elbow and when he edged in front of Ross Taylor at third slip. It was harder for the left-hander during the

first session when he was dropped on 8 by Jamieson off his bowling, and then caught behind on 9 off a noball by Wagner.

Mominul and Mushfiqur Rahim batted 18.2 overs to add just 19 runs, the slowest partnership when the two Bangladesh batters have combined to face 100-plus balls. Earlier, Joy fell for 78 when Wagner had him caught at gully, while Boult clean bowled Mushfiqur shortly before the lunch break.

Liton freed up the situation when he struck two fours shortly after coming to the crease, and then attacked the New Zealand bowlers whenever necessary for most of the next two sessions. He used the pace well, guiding the ball with late cuts and

square-cuts as well as driven fours.

Mominul too drove the ball well, hitting four cover drives for boundaries, as well as a few flicks and clips through midwicket. He also used the pace well to hit fours behind the stumps.

Boult removed both Mominul and Litton in the space of three overs. He finally broke the fifth-wicket stand when he trapped Mominul lbw for 88. A few overs later, Litton followed him to the dressing room after he chased a wide one from Boult.

There was still no respite following that for New Zealand as Yasir Ali and Mehidy Hasan Miraz batted out the remaining 11.1 overs without much fuss.

Mohammad Hafeez retires from International Cricket (ESPNCRICINFO) - Mohammad Hafeez has announced his retirement from international cricket, ending a Pakistan career spanning more than 18 years.

"Today, I want to officially retire from the beautiful journey I started 18 years ago with Pakistan cricket," Hafeez said while announcing his retirement at a press conference in Lahore. "I represented Pakistan with great pride, and whatever I have played throughout my 18 years, I played with dignity.

And whether it's on the field or off the field, I tried to raise Pakistan's flag high. I am very happy and satisfied with my career and achievements, which were all for Pakistan.

So this is it for me."

Hafeez, 41, recently signed with Lahore Qalandars for the upcoming edition of the PSL and confirmed that he would continue to be available for franchise teams around the world "as long as I am fit and can contribute with performances".

Hafeez retired from Test

Mohammad Hafeez has missed just one T20 World Cup -- the one Pakistan ended up winning (PCB)

cricket in December 2018, with the selectors later deciding to look past him in ODIs after the 2019 World Cup, where he played his last match of the format -- against Bangladesh at Lord's.

But, after being dropped from the T20I side in 2018, he was recalled in 2020 for the home series against Bangladesh, and ended the year with a remarkable run: he was

the leading run-getter in the format that year, scoring at an average of 83 and a strike rate of 152. He also ended the year as the overall sixth-highest run-scorer across all T20s, with the third-highest average and the third-best strike rate.

While he had initially announced that the 2020 T20 World Cup would be his final assignment for Pakistan, the tournament was

pushed to 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Hafeez ended up extending his time with Pakistan.

"When you have a professional career as long as mine, you're bound to have your share of highs and lows, and it was no different for me," he said. "Results apart, I can say with conviction that I had more highs than lows, since I had the privilege of playing with and against some of the finest exponents of the bat and the ball of my era.

"While cricket has been a great learning school for me, this great sport has provided me opportunities to visit various countries, explore their cultures and make friends.

These are lifelong memories, which I will cherish every day. I want to thank my fans for standing beside me understanding my lean patch, cherishing my success."

Ramiz Raja, the PCB chairman, was one of the people who had asked Hafeez and Malik to "retire gracefully".

Asked if his decision was dictated by the PCB, Hafeez

said, "The decision is what my heart told me and not driven by any critics. For me, my critics had already started [criticising] since 2003 and people thought I wasn't a good player. I do respect their opinion and I have always respected them. I by no means wanted to turn my beautiful, positive journey into a negative one, that's why I am here, at the PCB [office, at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium], where I started my international cricket. And [am] ending it here."

Last year, Hafeez was on a collision course with the PCB because of his central contact. He rejected a Category C contract, stating he was unhappy at being offered the lowest grade. He has since played domestic cricket without a contract as he wanted to stay on as a freelancer.

Hafeez's international debut came in an ODI against Zimbabwe in 2003, with his last match turning out to be Pakistan's defeat against Australia in the T20 World Cup semi-final last November.

He played 55 Tests, 218

ODIs and 119 T20Is, amassing 12,780 runs across formats, and finished with 32 Player-of-the-Match awards, the fourth-highest among Pakistan players in all international cricket, with only Shahid Afridi (43), Wasim Akram (39) and Inzamam-ulHaq (33) above him. Hafeez also earned nine Player-ofthe-Series awards across formats.

He is the only Pakistan player to have played in all but one T20 World Cup so far - incidentally, the one they ended up winning in 2009 - and holds the Pakistan record for most T20 World Cup appearances.

As captain, Hafeez led Pakistan to the 2012 World T20 semi-final, but was also the captain when they crashed out in the group stage in the 2014 edition, the first time until then that they had failed to progress to the semi-finals of the tournament. Hafeez's overall T20I record as captain stands at 18 wins - one via a one-over eliminator - and 11 losses from 29 matches.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday January 4, 2022

Elgar, Petersen survive fighting last hour after quicks wrap up India for 202 (ESPNCRICINFO) - The difference between India and South Africa in the first Test was how well India had batted on the first day. South Africa bridged that difference with some effectiveness on the first day of the second Test, with the bowling attack tuned up and at full-strength.

India were without Virat Kohli, ruled out on the morning of what would have been his 99th Test with upper back spasms. KL Rahul won the toss the first time he walked out as Test captain, though, and chose to bat. However, a returning Duanne Olivier and a rid-of-debut-nerves Marco Jansen ensured India were bowled out for 202 midway through the first day's third session.

At stumps, South Africa had cut the deficit to 167 and lost only Aiden Markram in the bargain.

India's innings comprised two distinct phases. Rahul's masterful 50 held the top half together, even as wickets fell at the other end, and then R Ashwin's 46 led the way as the lower order pushed the score beyond 200. But none of the partnerships India strung together were allowed

to take root, chiefly due to Jansen.

Mayank Agarwal and Rahul looked like they were building another solid platform, having put on 36 runs in the first hour. Immediately after the drinks break, though, Jansen bowled one across Agarwal, tempting him to drive even though it wasn't quite a drivable length. Agarwal had been positive from the start - his first three scoring shots were all sweetly-struck boundaries - and did not let scoring opportunities go. He went for the drive, but only snicked it through to Kyle Verreynne, the wicketkeeper replacing the retired Quinton de Kock.

With Kohli absent, the onus was on Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane to steer India through. Both men came into this series under a bit of a cloud about their form and their places in the XI, but Olivier cut short any hope of a revival innings from either. Pujara got one that kicked off a length, took the shoulder of the bat and went to point. The next ball, Rahane poked at a backof-length delivery that was well outside off and became catching practice for gully.

Dean Elgar steadied the innings for South Africa after early wicket (South Africa vs India, 2nd Test, Day 1, Johannesburg, January 3, 2022 © Getty Images)

Olivier's speeds didn't even hit the mid-130s, but the bounce he got from a length played a key role.

Jansen got the same, with his height giving him additional leverage.

The Kohli-sized hole in the batting order meant Rahul and the returning Hanuma Vihari needed to rebuild.

They did that for a while and

had begun opening out when Kagiso Rabada and extra bounce did the job again. A back-of-length ball flew off the inside half of Vihari's bat as Rassie van der Dussen at short leg leapt high to his left and clung on with arm stretched out full.

The key strike came when Rahul chose the wrong ball to attack, just after reaching

fifty. Jansen had pitched it short but Rahul didn't account for the bounce perfectly, which meant his pull resulted in a top edge that was caught near the fine-leg boundary. Jansen then beautifully set up Rishabh Pant, getting the ball to leave the left-hand batter consistently before one held its line, and even came back a touch, to

take an inside edge for the wicketkeeper.

Ashwin had decided to play his shots, and he did so with élan, finding the boundary with beautifully-timed drives and flicks. But with partners running out, he was forced to manufacture scoring options, and one mistimed slash meant Jansen had his fourth. An enterprising knock from Jasprit Bumrah meant India were not quite done, but they were never going to go too far.

India's bowlers tested South Africa's top order, as they had done throughout the first Test too, and Mohammed Shami trapped Markram in front early too.

And while Keegan Petersen got a life when he slashed at Bumrah and Pant couldn't hold on one-handed to his right, a more serious worry for India was Mohammed Siraj walking off clutching his right hamstring during his fourth over, the penultimate one of the day. Siraj had given Dean Elgar a thorough working over, and shown exemplary control. If he is unable to bowl further in this game, his loss could be a crippling blow for India.

Moutinho’s lone strike downs Manchester United (BBC) - Joao Moutinho struck the only goal eight minutes from time to give Wolves a deserved victory at Old Trafford and end Ralf Rangnick's unbeaten start as interim Manchester United manager.

It also needed a Jose Sa save in the fifth minute of stoppage time to earn Wolves their first Old Trafford win since 1980.

Sa turned away a curling free-kick from substitute Bruno Fernandes, who had earlier fired against the bar when he should have done better.

The visitors controlled the opening half-hour and were back on top by the time Moutinho struck, although the goal was unfortunate for central defender Phil Jones, who was one of United's better performers on his senior return after a near two-year

absence because of injuries.

His clearing header fell to the 35-year-old midfielder on the edge of the area and although Moutinho had not scored since February 2021, he kept his nerve to drive a shot through a packed penalty area and into the bottom corner.

The Wolves fans celebrated noisily at the final whistle but it was a crushing blow for Rangnick, with his side remaining seventh in the Premier League, a staggering 22 points behind leaders Manchester City - although they have played two games fewer.

Wolves, meanwhile, are now three points and once place behind Manchester United in eighth.

Wonderful Wolves It had been more than two weeks since Wolves last played, the home draw with

Chelsea on 19 December, and it was 6 November since they had last been involved in a game that contained more than one goal.

As the opening period inched towards its conclusion, and Jones stretched to intercept a Nelson Semedo pass intended for Ruben Neves, who was in a shooting position, Wolves boss Bruno Lage offered an animated shrug of the shoulders.

Evidently, Lage believed his team should have had something tangible to show for an opening period in which they had an incredible 15 shots, the most by a visiting team at Old Trafford in the opening 45 minutes of a Premier League game since records started being kept in the 2004-05 season.

David de Gea was forced into a string of saves, denying Semedo and Daniel Podence

Moutinho scored the winner with eight minutes to go

twice. Arguably the pick was a fingertip effort to touch over a volley from Neves, who had controlled a headed Jones clearance on the edge of the penalty area.

Wolves were forced onto the defensive more often after

half-time but even though they weathered the storm, it seemed they would have to settle for a point when Romain Saiss clipped the bar with a free-kick in his final game before heading off on Africa Cup of Nations duty

with Morocco.

Moutinho had other ideas. And while Wolves' run of games involving no more than a single goal now extends to eight, few in the visitors' camp were worried about that.

26

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday January 4, 2022

Runs, wickets and catches: Individual records at the ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup

Shikar Dhawan

THE ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup has long been a nursery for the games’ future stars and the 2022 tournament will be no different.

This month, the world’s most exciting teenagers will arrive en masse to the West Indies dreaming of runs, wickets and ultimately, glory.

However, they will have to do quite a lot to break some of the individual records that have been amassed in the previous 13 editions.

MOST RUNS There’s a familiar name at the top of the runs column but instead of plundering boundaries for England, like he does now, Eoin Morgan competed for Ireland at the ICC U19 Men’s CWC in both 2004 and 2006.

He played 13 times

Narsingh Deonarine

across the two tournaments and underlined his class by scoring 606 runs at an average of 50.50, including two centuries.

Pakistan’s Babar Azam, another global superstar, is second on the list with 585, while other familiar names in the top 10 include West Indies’ Kraigg Brathwaite (548), India’s Shikhar Dhawan (505) and Australia’s Shaun Marsh (471).

Dhawan scored all 505 of his runs in just one tournament in 2004, the most by any one batter in one competition.

HIGHEST INDIVIDUAL SCORE West Indies’ Donovan Pagon held this record for 16 years but in the space of just six days, it was broken twice.

Pagon scored 176 against Scotland in 2002 in Dunedin

and, again in New Zealand, the record fell in 2018.

First, it was home favourite Jakob Bhula who set a new highest score, as he hit 10 fours and five sixes in a 144-ball 180 against Kenya.

Kenya were back in action six days on and were again on the wrong side of history as Sri Lanka’s Hasitha Boyagoda hit 28 fours in a 152-ball 191.

MOST CENTURIES Most players only compete in a handful of ICC U-19 Men’s CWC matches in their lives, so racking up hundreds can be difficult to do.

England’s Jack Burnham and India’s Dhawan currently share the record, with three each. Burnham set his across six matches in 2016, while Dhawan’s three also came in one edition of the tournament in 2004.

HIGHEST PARTNERSHIP Burnham had a stellar campaign in 2016 and he holds another record alongside current England Test batter, Dan Lawrence.

The pair put on a mighty 303 for the second wicket in England’s match against Fiji in 2016, a game they won by 299 runs.

Lawrence was named Player-of-the-Match for his superb 174, while Burnham was not far behind by making 148.

New Zealand’s BJ Watling and Brad Wilson are second on this list, after combining for 273 against Scotland in 2004.

MOST WICKETS The leading wicket-takers list is packed with familiar names. England’s Tim Bresnan, an Ashes series winner,

took 25 wickets in 13 matches between 2002 and 2004, while South Africa’s left-arm paceman Wayne Parnell snared 23 in just nine.

But top of the order is Zimbabwe’s Wesley Madhevere, who competed in three tournaments in 2016, 2018 and the last in 2020.

The spinner has played 18 times and has 28 wickets to his name, with best figures of five for 24, but the most wickets in one tournament belongs to Bangladesh’s Enamul Haque – who took 22 in 2004.

That’s three more than Wayne Holdsworth (Australia, 1988), Mushtaq Ahmed (Pakistan, 1988), Riaz Afridi (Pakistan, 2004) and Reece Topley (England, 2012).

Afridi is also one of four players, alongside his compatriot Anwar Ali, Afghanistan's Shafiqullah Ghafari and Ireland’s Greg Thompson, to take two five-wicket hauls.

BEST BOWLING FIGURES Australia’s Lloyd Pope tore through England’s batting line-up in Queenstown in 2018, the leg-spinner taking an incredible eight for 35 from 9.4 overs.

Pope is the only player in tournament history to take eight wickets in an innings, but there are a few with seven – including current New Zealand star Trent Boult, who took seven for 20 against Malaysia in 2008.

MOST CATCHES One for the wicketkeepers, India’s Sarfaraz Khan has taken the most catches in tournament history by safely grabbing 13 in 12 matches.

That’s one more than West Indies’ Narsingh Deonarine and three more than Zimbabwe’s Sean Ervine. (ICC Media)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday January 4, 2022

Hetmyer, Paul among thirty announced

by GCB for redball 4-Day Tournament THE Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) has announced the thirty-man squad for the first match in the GCB’s Best of Best Redball 4-Day Tournament.

The first of three scheduled matches will be played at the Albion Community Centre ground from Wednesday, January 5, 2022. The scheduled hours of play per day is from 10:00 hours to 17:00 hours.

The thirty-man squad for the first match in the GCB’s Best of Best Redball 4-Day Tournament is: Leon Johnson, Kemo Paul, Shimron Hetmyer, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Vishaul Singh, Kevlon

Anderson, Veerasammy Permaul, Keon Joseph, Kevin Sinclair, Tevin Imlach, Qumar Torrington, Joshua Jones, Demitri Cameron, Sylus Tyndall, Clinton Pestano, Anthony Adams, Kevin Umroa, Ashmead Nedd, Richie Looknauth , Junior Sinclair, Quintin Sampson, Zachery Jodah, Jonathan Ramersaud, Akshaya Persaud, Raymon Perez, Kemol Savory, Marvin Dindyal, Javed Karim, Rampertab Ramnauth and Seon Glasgow The scheduled dates for the other two matches are January 12-15, 2022 and January 18-21, 2022.

GCB extends condolence on the passing of Sherlock Atwell THE President, executives and members of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) wish to express our surprise at the sudden passing of Mr. Sherlock Atwell.

Zegga, as he was familiarly known, died on Sunday, January 2, 2022.

He was a member of the Demerara Cricket Club where he played and administered the game of cricket.

He also played important roles on the Georgetown Cricket Association, Demerara Cricket Board and the Guyana Cricket Board,

including liaison officer and the management of pitch preparation works during regional tournaments held in Guyana.

Sherlock Atwell was a passionate sports’ personality who was also keen on sharing his views and insight to the conduct and development of the game.

He will be remembered for his forthright and assertive approach to the game both as a player and administrator.

The GCB hereby wishes to express sincere condolences to the wife, children

GBA Sports Academy launched THE Guyana Badminton Association (GBA), on Monday, launched its Sports Academy at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall with Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Charles Ramson Jr. deeming the event ground-breaking.

The launch witnessed Badminton following the footsteps of squash and volleyball which Kick-started their drills under the academy's umbrella last December.

Some of the participants during launching of GBA Sports Academy

During his remarks, Minister Ramson duly outlined, “This is the start of something historic that will be monitored rigidly to see how it expands.”

The minister was firm on the Academy being at the forefront of sports nationwide with a detailed plan, coupled with monetary support for athletes going forward.

Meanwhile, Director of Sport, Steve Ninvalle added

Sherlock Atwell, or Zegga as he was familiarly known

and other family members of the late Sherlock Atwell.

May his soul rest in peace.

‒ Minister Ramson hails event as historic

that emphasis on the grassroot levels is crucial, adding that within any sport the nursery stages are most important for development.

The other beats will have their coronation time in the days to come as the academy continues to unveil their plans for sports development across Guyana. (Clifton Ross)

Hetmyer, Paul among thirty announced by GCB for 27 redball 4-Day Tournament

Fast bowler Johann Layne celebrates the first wicket of Ethan Cunningham in Monday’s fourth Youth One-Day International.

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Rising stars end South African series level

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GBA Sports Academy launched ‒ Minister Ramson hails event as historic

Shimron Hetmyer

Keemo Paul

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Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson stands with some of the attendees 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

TUESDAY, JANUARY 4, 2022