Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 07-05-2022

saturday 7th may, 2022

No.106715

Actionable framework developed –– to guide cooperation, advancement PAGE between Guyana and Brazil –– infrastructure, agriculture and trade, 03 energy and security primary areas of focus

President, Dr Irfaan Ali and President of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro following the signing of agreements on Friday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre to enhance cooperation between the two nations (Adrian Narine photo)

Minister Mustapha: Climate ripe for regional 'agri' investments 11 PAGE

World food 11 commodity prices decrease in April PAGE

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Guyana, Brazil strengthen legal co-operation in civil, criminal matters –– with signing of two treaties

By Navendra Seoraj

THE signing of two treaties between Guyana and Brazil has paved the way for enhanced legal co-operation between the two countries in civil and criminal matters.

Guyana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, Hugh Todd and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brazil, Carlos França, signed both treaties during a simple ceremony at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, on Friday.

The modalities for the milestone agreements were finalised by teams led by Guyana’s President, Dr. Irfaan Ali and President of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, who visited Guyana at the invitation of his Guyanese counterpart.

Guyana and Brazil established diplomatic relations in August 1968 and enjoy strong ties of friendship and co-operation. The two countries share a broad bilateral agenda covering issues such as infrastructure development, energy co-opMinister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, Hugh Todd and his Brazilian counterpart, Carlos França, hold one of two treaties that were signed to bolster legal co-operation between the two South American nations. The process was observed by the President of Guyana, Dr. Irfaan Ali and Brazil’s President, Jair Bolsonaro (Adrian Narine photo) eration, trade and investment, health, agriculture and defence, and security co-operation.

To expand this list, there will now be full legal co-operation in civil matters which involve civil, corporate, labour and administrative law as well as criminal sentences which seek compensation for damages in the civil courts.

Further, through the second treaty, both countries agreed to provide mutual assistance in connection with investigations or prosecution of criminal offences including restraint, seizure or confiscation as well as disposal and return of

assets.

Permanent Secretary within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, Elisabeth Harper, said the central authorities for executing the provisions of both treaties are the Attorney General’s Chambers and Ministry of Legal Affairs in Guyana and Brazil’s Ministry of Justice and Public Security.

In the area of security, which is related to law and justice, Presidents Ali and Bolsonaro agreed to explore the possibility of negotiating specific projects related to the use of remote sensing images as an effective co-operation tool to prevent

and combat transnational organised crime in their territories.

According to a joint statement, President Ali also welcomed the invitation extended by Brazil for Guyanese police officers to participate in training activities and in joint operations promoted by the International Police Co-operation Centre, which is maintained by the Federal Police of Brazil.

Also on security, the two countries will soon sign a treaty on transfer of sentenced persons between Guyana and Brazil; an interinstitutional co-operation agreement between the Guyana Police Force and the Federal Police of Brazil; an interinstitutional co-operation agreement between the Guyana Police Force and the Federal Highway Police of Brazil and a co-operation agreement for the exchange of information on public security, prevention and fight against organised crime.

guyana CHRONICLE saturday, may 7, 2022

Actionable framework developed

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–– to guide cooperation, advancement between Guyana and Brazil

–– infrastructure, agriculture and trade, energy and security primary areas of focus

By Navendra Seoraj FUTURE cooperation and advancement between Guyana and Brazil will be driven by an actionable framework which was agreed by the Presidents of both South American nations.

The strategic framework which focuses on four key areas: Agriculture and trade, energy, energy security and infrastructure and security was developed following extensive discussions which, in some cases, even preceded the visit by President of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, to Guyana on Friday.

Guyana and Brazil established diplomatic relations on August 26, 1968, and the two nations have since been co-operating on areas such as trade, health, agriculture, transport and security matters.

“We had the opportunity to further elaborate on and concretise an action plan, moving forward in four areas,” President, Dr. Irfaan Ali said in a statement at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre following his engagement with President Bolsonaro.

He went on to say: “We have agreed on an actionable framework in moving forward in all of these areas.”

In outlining the specific plans, President Ali said that in the area of infrastructure, there are plans for the establishment of a deep-water port, the road link between Linden and Lethem, which would essentially connect Guyana to Brazil, fibre-optic connectivity, an energy corridor and a Free Zone.

Those projects, altogether, will now be examined collectively instead of individually, and a timeframe for advancement in this area would be determined by a team comprising investors and authorities from Brazil and Guyana.

President Bolsonaro also expressed optimism when he spoke of the plans to establish this joint working group.

NATURAL GAS STRATEGY Further, in the area of energy, both countries plan to work together on a natural gas strategy that will guide how resources from Guyana and Brazil could be integrated and utilised for mutual benefits. Plans for a similar strategy between Guyana and Suriname are also in the pipeline.

Resources in the Guyana-Suriname Basin are estimated to be well over 10 billion barrels of oil equivalent, and more than 30 trillion cubic feet of gas, while Brazil is a renowned player in the global oiland-gas industry.

Outside of oil and gas, President Ali said the governments of Guyana and Brazil will also be examining the potential for hydropower projects, which would form part of a holistic framework for energy production.

The overarching plan, which includes Suriname, is to create an energy corridor, which is expected to see the countries teaming up to share power, based on a collective understanding of their needs and ability to supply.

This and other topics were discussed in January when President Ali met with President Bolsonaro and Suriname’s Head of State Chandrikapersad Santokhi in Suriname.

Agriculture, which was another topic that was examined by the three Presidents, also forms part of the framework for development between Guyana and Brazil.

“A team is expected to work out an aggressive plan on the expansion of markets, the removal of barriers, how to deploy

President of Guyana, Dr. Irfaan Ali and Brazil’s Head of State, Jair Bolsonaro share a light moment following engagements on Friday (Adrian Narine photo) new technology, the process flow, institutional arrangements, the creation of a hub for processing and transshipment of agri-produce and products also to CARICOM,” President Ali said.

This, he said, is all linked to trade agreements and arrangements, which were thoroughly discussed by both Presidents.

Part of enhancing economic cooperation is intensifying security, and, cognisant of this, Presidents Ali and Bolsonaro discussed areas of hardware and software technology, and the strengthening of

human resource capacity.

“On hardware and software technology, there is intelligence sharing; a security masterplan will be developed to support the architecture of both countries, and share responsibilities and challenges… We will also look at deploying technology in a joint way to secure our borders,” President Ali said.

INCENTIVES With enhanced security, there will be more confidence for direct trade and investments.

And, to supplement this

effort and motivate investors in Brazil to invest in Guyana, President Bolsonaro said he will be offering special incentives to the business community there.

The Brazilian President said to further support development in Guyana, the nation’s oil company, Petrobras, stands ready to offer technical support.

“Guyana has a bright and promising future ahead, given oil and gas, but also because your government has fostered closer relationships with us. I am certain fruits will be reaped because of this meeting today,” President Ali said

on Friday.

It was reported that returns from the sector are expected to catapult Guyana to the ranks of wealthiest countries in the Western Hemisphere, thereby increasing the government’s fiscal space to invest in initiatives geared at expanding the economy, and improving the overall welfare of citizens.

“Guyana is now poised to be one of the wealthiest countries in the hemisphere; we intend to employ the gains from exploiting these deposits into initiatives geared at expanding the economy, improving competitiveness, giving people the best social services, increasing productivity, enhancing food production, and building new sectors,” President Ali had said in his keynote address during a virtual faculty workshop on the microeconomics of competitiveness hosted by the Harvard Business School.

In painting a vivid image of what is expected of the oil-and-gas sector in the near term, Dr. Ali said that by 2025, operating cash flow, based on total investment, is expected to reach US$3.5 billion.

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GKMS donates to Step-by-Step Foundation

GRACEKENNEDY Money Services Limited (GKMS), on Friday, donated money to the Step-by-Step Foundation To support children living with autism.

The foundation is a registered organisation that helps autistic children in Guyana achieve their fullest potential, a mission that GKMS proudly embraces.

According to a press release, the donation will assist the foundation in its education and outreach initiatives to elevate the public’s understanding of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) – a neurodevelopmental condition characterised by impairments in social interaction, communication and behavior.

“Autism spectrum disorder is a much-misunderstood condition and

therefore creating awareness is a top priority. We applaud Step-by-Step Foundation championing this cause with limited resources, and encourage others to join the mission via financial and other support,” Troy Williams, Country Manager of GMKS said.

GKMS remains committed to ongoing community investment in areas where it can positively impact citizens.

In 2021, the company supported a range of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such as the Guyana Cancer Foundation to aid in the fight against breast cancer; South Rupununi Conservation Society (SRCS) to further their mission to protect the environment; and Dream for Kids to spread Christmas cheer among children.

April 27, 2022

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Dennis Heywood and Tina Seabra-Gibson, Marketing Assistants of GKMS hand over the cheque to members of the Step-by-Step Foundation, Dennise Ann Reid and Hollis London (Delano Williams photo)

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Rattan Lal and IICA team up with Conscious Planet – to raise global awareness of the importance of soil health

CONSCIOUS Planet, the organisation led by Sadhguru (who also spearheads India’s soil health movement), and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) will join forces to create a global agenda recognising the importance of restoring soil health for food security and the fight against climate change.

The agreement was reached in a virtual meeting

by Sadhguru, whose Save Soil initiative has inspired millions of people around the world; Rattan Lal, Director of the Center for Carbon Management and Sequestration (C-MASC) at The Ohio State University; and Manuel Otero, Director General of IICA.

Lal and IICA launched “Living Soils of the Americas” in December 2020. To date, the initiative has made significant progress in coordinating public and private efforts in the fight against soil degradation, a phenomenon that threatens to undermine the capacity of countries to sustainably meet the food demand.

“We must work to promote public policies and farmer initiatives to ensure a minimum soil organic matter of between three and six per cent. Not one country in the world has this today,” explained Sadhguru, who for three decades has raised awareness in different international forums on the consequences of soil degradation

and was awarded India’s highest environmental award, the Indira Gandhi Paryavaran Puraskar, in 2010.

Sadhguru clarified that, from his point of view, this objective should be separate to fertiliser and pesticide use reduction goals, which cannot be uniform across regions and agricultural production.

“In my experience,” he said, “the need for fertilisers and pesticides to obtain a good harvest is not always alike; and so, this point should be very specific. Instead, we should create incentives for farmers to ensure a minimum organic content in their soils.”

The leader of Conscious Planet, who asserts that abandoning the soil is abandoning

Manuel Otero, Director General of IICA; and Rattan Lal, Director of the Center for Carbon Management and Sequestration (C-MASC) at The Ohio State University.

Bottom: Jorge Werthein, Special Advisor to the Director General of IICA; and Sadhguru, leader of the Save Soil initiative and the organisation Conscious Planet (IICA photo)

the planet, explained that “not even two per cent of farmers in India want their children to continue on as farmers, which likely means hard times are coming for food production. We must create incentives for farmers and it is also important to simplify the carbon market”.

“This alliance between the Save Soil and Living Soils of the Americas initiatives is especially important in times like these, when the world is threatened by three

simultaneous crises: climate change, the war in Eastern Europe and COVID-19. All three of these problems can be addressed by prioritising soil health and transforming scientific knowledge into action, which is what IICA works for constantly,” said Rattan Lal. In turn, Manuel Otero stated that: “We have 16.5 million small-scale farmers and 60 million people living in rural areas; but perhaps our greatest challenge is creating

expectations to engage the new generations in food production and persuading them of the importance of restoring soil health.”

“We’re ready”, concluded the Director-General of IICA, “to join forces and we know we cannot waste more time. Our priority must be to convince the youth of the importance of soil health for the future of food production and of humanity in general”.

(IICA)

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SURVEILLANCE THE legal and ethical arguments when discussing surveillance, especially in the post 9/11 world, are still the subject of academic thinkers, industry practitioners, and knowledgeable citizen activists.

The idea of being watched can be unsettling. But how avoidable is it when the global lean-in to technology, the Internet of Things (IoT), and social media have been intense?

Governments have long maintained the need for surveillance as a national security measure, lest the world witness repeats of heinous terrorism acts causing the deaths of thousands of people. Surveillance can appear as a necessary evil, insofar as it protects the population from harm. The extent to which state-supported surveillance is required, however, is debatable. Revelations of state institutions in the United States spying on their citizens, as revealed by whistle-blower, Edward Snowden, a former intelligence contractor against the US government’s National Security Agency (NSA), still leave many concerned.

In 2016, Business Insider documented Snowden’s leaks between 2013 and 2014.

The report said the NSA had not only collected phone records of Americans, and accessed data for companies such as Goo-

gle and Facebook, but also that 38 foreign missions and embassies were being spied on, and former President Obama ordered intelligence officials to assemble lists of foreign targets for cyberattacks.

These revelations, along with the explosive revelations of the British consulting firm, Cambridge Analytica, which syphoned personal data from millions of Facebook users and weaponised it to sway democratic processes, have forced many in academia, industry, and activism to rethink how data is shared. Privacy feels more and more unreachable with the advancement of the IoT as micro computing devices are embedded into everyday objects such as refrigerators, vacuum cleaners, microwaves, stoves, watches and more, allowing them to send and receive data to allow the users with the technology doing the heavy lifting.

Discourse on surveillance, as occurred during the World Press Freedom Day observance at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre in Greater Georgetown, must be contextualised within the broader understanding of how surveillance has been transformed to the point where technology users willingly release their data through their social media accounts and smart devices.

On what constitutes “data,” Nick Coul-

dry and Ulises Mejias in “The Costs of Connection,” explain: “If a shopping list is scribbled on a piece of paper, we don’t mean that. But if the list is entered on a mobile phone, perhaps on Google’s Keep app, then we do mean that. Furthermore, if we consider the algorithms that collect information across all users of Keep to see what people are making lists of, we definitely mean that.”

In Washington, D.C., London, and Strasbourg, parliaments are taking a closer look at how big tech companies such as Google, Twitter, Meta (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp), Amazon and the like not only capture data, but also how that data is used to make profit, sometimes to the peril of democracies and economic systems, as was revealed in the Cambridge Analytica scandal in the 2016 election of former US President Donald Trump; and even in the historic Brexit vote that saw the United Kingdom breaking away from the European Union (EU).

“Journalism Under Digital Siege” was the global theme for Press Freedom Day 2022. It recognised, according to UNESCO’s website, “how recent developments in technological means of monitoring and surveillance impact journalism and freedom of expression. In fact, freedom

of expression and the right to privacy are among the human rights most impacted by the digital transformation.”

The UNESCO website further read: “Under this year’s theme, the celebration will also discuss how these developments impact the rights to freedom of expression, access to information, data protection and privacy, by looking into big, data-related issues such as the transparency of Internet companies, digital footprints, data retention and artificial intelligence.”

Much of what UNESCO explored as the challenges facing journalism in a digital world related more to the role of big tech companies with monopolies on internet-based conversation, always-changing algorithms which affect the visibility of the news and information, foster misinformation and disinformation including from “Twitter bots,” and create other artificial intelligence-related developments which muddy the waters of healthy discourse by inserting machine-operated accounts feeding on, learning from, and prioritising discord. With the recent purchase of Twitter by billionaire Elon Musk, CNN reports Musk wants to “authenticate all real humans” on the platform.

The focus on whether the President, Dr Irfaan Ali-led administration will spy on Guyanese felt misplaced.

For what it’s worth, however, His Excellency committed that his government will do no such thing.

That aside, the conversation on the future of discourse in Guyana, with a sizable population present on a borderless, still-regulating social media, is still to be had.

Remembering the struggle of labour against the dictatorship Dear Editor, AT last Sunday’s labour rally, there was little reflection on the role of the labour movement in the struggle for the restoration of democracy.

It must be noted that democracy was neither a gift to Guyanese bestowed by imperial Britain nor by the dictators who succeeded the British. The west closed its eyes to the transformation of Guyana into a dictatorship and the erosion of the rights of the working class, post-independence. The right to political freedom was consistently and brazenly demanded by labour leaders during the anti-dictatorial struggle.

Today, workers and labour unions enjoy collective bargaining and are free to rally, protest, bargain for improved working conditions and higher wages; support political parties of their choice, as well as enjoy so many other rights and privileges. It was not always so, certainly not under British rule or during the dictatorship. All these rights have been made possible since the restoration of democracy in 1992 and the rise to power of Dr Cheddi Jagan after 26 years of authoritarian anti-working class oppression. The labour rights movement of Cheddi, Janet Jagan, Dr Nanda Gopaul, Ashton Chase, Desmond Moffett and Tommy Howell of the bauxite union, and that of other labour leaders fought for several basic rights for workers, including equal pay for women, guaranteed pensions, NIS, rights of pregnant women, etc. The labour movement, unions such as GAWU, NAACIE, and a few other anti-dictatorial unions played critical roles

against the dictatorship.

It is through the leadership of the above figures and the role of a handful of other freedom fighters that we enjoy democratic rights such as the right to vote and freedom of the press in Guyana, as well as the right to belong to unions. It is recalled that Burnham crushed the working class and sugar workers in particular like the cane that was crushed for the juice that made sugar. There was modern-day slavery in the cane fields during the dictatorship. Profits in the sugar industry were creamed off to fatten the national budget to benefit other workers and fund national service. The sugar levy on profits denied sugar workers of profit-sharing based on a formula that was enshrined in a collective-bargaining agreement. This was a huge deprivation of wages, with the money used to fund the oppressive national service and other projects through the Ministry of National Development. The non-payment of wage increases in 1979 and withdrawal of increments to sugar workers led to a bitter legal challenge

by NAACIE through its leader and lawyer Ashton Chase via union member Seeram Teemal; it was a historic case that was won at the High court and the Court of Appeal. Burnham sought to reverse the rulings through passage of the 1984 Labour amendment Act. That was challenged by Chase through another union member Mohamed Ali. Nanda Gopaul was General-Secretary of NAACIE and he was instrumental in getting scores of other workers to join in the legal battles against Burnham and Hoyte in the courts, winning them all. For the first time in the history of independent Guyana, the courts knocked

down a legislation as being ‘colourable’ and unconstitutional. The Labour Amendment Act sought to remove wages as property and today the Teemal and Mohammed Ali cases are celebrated as hallmark legal decisions. The importance of NAACIE and Chase’s struggles for nearly a decade from 1979 onwards revived hopes in workers and brought a fresh wave of workers’ militancy in both the sugar and bauxite industries.

Since that time, sugar workers have been perennially underpaid; their incomes have remained way below those of others who worked at state agencies. Most sugar workers are earning below subsistence level. There is need for an increase in their wage, in fact of minimum wage for all workers.

Sugar workers gave birth to the PPP; they were the cradle of the growth and development of the PPP. It is because of them that the PPP was restored to office in August 2020. They deserve an increase in wages and other benefits including the granting of land to former workers who lost their jobs during the tenure of the PNC-led Coalition. GuySuCo should offer them incentives.

The labour movement in Guyana relentlessly fought the dictatorship, but was not alone. It received much assistance from the diaspora to empower the working class. From exile, a few of us, a loose coalition of anti-dictatorial exiles, mostly students and former political activists, joined the anti-dictatorial struggle. We lobbied western governments to help shape their anti-dictatorial relations with Guyana’s fascist dictatorship. In addition, we networked with Guyanese labour leaders, workers, journalists, and politicians in expos-

ing the atrocities of and denouncing the dictatorship. During our breaks from studies, we quietly slipped into Guyana amidst great risks to our safety to organise workers or joined various expeditions against the dictatorship.

We worked closely with labour leaders with whom we were familiar, such as Cheddi and Nankishore Gopaul. The role of Cheddi is well known but few are familiar with the role of Gopaul in the labour movement and in the anti-dictatorial struggle. Gopaul played a significant role in the anti-dictatorial movement. I know of Dr Gopaul’s role since the 1980s as a NAACIE trade unionist and his leadership of GUARD. Gopaul and I held a lot of discussions at the backyard of NAACIE during the 1980s when I visited Guyana during teaching breaks; I can’t reveal the nature of the talks but they were revolutionary in nature. Incidentally, that backyard hosted Jimmy Carter and Robert Pastor and their team when they first came to Guyana to investigate conditions for free and fair elections. Several other dialogues were held there. And it hosted a birthday party for Jagan at which Rohan Kanhai was present. There are aspects of Gopaul’s role in the freedom struggle that I know that I can’t pen on paper; aspects that I was also involved with.

I will always hold enormous respect for decent labour leaders and political activists in Guyana and in the diaspora. We must never forget the role they played to restore democratic governance in Guyana.

Yours sincerely, Dr Vishnu Bisram

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Press Freedom in 2022

Covering the Caribbean in World News Beyond Regional Barriers, Borders, Boundaries and Blockades

CARIBBEAN reporters and journalists today, like everywhere, have access to the widest sources of information available to humankind -- and ditto everyone else with the devices for ready access to the Internet (which varies per country), resulting in the ultimate aim of reporters being not necessarily repeating what everyone else might have seen, but being the first to report something new.

But it all depends on the individual levels of interest, driven by where reporters stand on the issues, how far they’ll go to cover the big story -- or just ignore it completely.

The big issues facing the Caribbean today aren’t the favourite topics of the region’s mainstream and social media.

Inescapable issues such as the Ukraine War, COVID-19, climate change, environment and energy still get much more coverage across the Caribbean than issues commanding global attention, such as CARICOM’s call for reparations from Europe for Slavery and Native Genocide.

Or the race by one side in the Ukraine conflict to deepen the CARICOM split from within by tilting the seven-seven vote at the last United Nations General Assembly to one where one side can claim it has CARICOM support by virtue of the simple majority.

The unprecedented move by 14 independent CARICOM nations eight years ago to jointly call for reparations and to establish a CARICOM Reparations Commission (CRC) have had ripple effects of tidal wave dimensions on both sides of The Atlantic.

The 2013 CARICOM move encouraged the birth two years later of the National African American Reparations Commission (NAARC), itself born out of the first US Summit on Reparations in 2015 and attended by the likes of HR40 champion Congressman John Conyers, and fellow veteran civil rights campaigner Rev Jesse Jackson and celebrated black actor Danny Glover.

The HR-40 Bill had advanced in the US Congress like never before and the reparations issue became

such a hot topic among African Americans ahead of the 2016 presidential elections that every Democratic Party candidate vying to be the nominee for the presidency had to spell-out their position on reparations.

George Floyd’s murder and the resulting Black Lives Matter movement further boosted the US reparations movement to unimaginable proportions and is today continuing the struggle of the Black Power movement that got its name from Trinidad & Tobago’s Stokely Carmichael in the late 1960s and led in great part too by Malcolm X, whose mother was Grenadian.

That movement further grew into the felling of statues of figures associated with slavery across the US and across the Atlantic in the UK, as well as in Barbados, where Lord Nelson’s statue was laid down after standing in the middle of Bridgetown for over 200 years, despite him never having set foot on the island.

Less than a year later Barbados – ‘Little England’ which had a British Parliament before Westminster – kicked the British monarchy and became a republic, starting a movement that’s seen leaders of at least six other CARICOM member-states indicating they’re ready or willing to join Dominica, Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago and Barbados.

The Black Vote continues to be key in US elections and with the midterm polls only six months away, President Biden has appointed the first Black White House Press Secretary, a Caribbean woman born in Martinique,

Chronicles of a Chronic Guyana Chronicler

By Earl Bousquet

who’s been Deputy Press Secretary since he took office, but the American press presented on Thursday as “the first openly gay and LBGTQ person to hold the post.”

From Bill Clinton’s Attorney-General, William Holder (of Barbadian descent) to Tony Blair’s Attorney- General Dame Patricia Scotland (of Dominican parentage), Caribbean roots have helped shape American and British societies, just like Bermuda’s Alexander Hamilton did in the USA, Saint Lucia’s Sir Arthur Lewis did in Ghana (under Kwame Nkrumah) and Dominica’s Sir Telford Georges became the first Chief Justice of Tanzania.

Likewise, Sidney Poitier was born in The Bahamas and Cicely Tyson’s parents were from Anguilla, but that much was not well-known across the region about the two great American actors until old age led to their news stories being about sickness or death.

Unfortunately, such information just isn’t generally known by today’s generation of reporters anywhere and

the generational effect isn’t only a Caribbean thing.

It’s the same in The Philippines, where the majority of voters were born after President Ferdinand Marcos and his wife Imelda were forced into exile and social media have successfully sanitised their son and make him the next President, with the daughter of outgoing President Duterte as Vice-President, facilitating the electoral marriage of two of the most powerful Filipino families to access, regain and retain absolute political power – by the ballot box.

Likewise in Sri Lanka, where members of the powerful Rajapaksa family were elected as President and

Prime Minister and are now being pressured to resign over declined economic circumstances.

But the majority of Filipino voters today say they weren’t around when the Marcos’ committed their crimes; and Sri Lankans opposed to the Rajapaksas refuse to hear anything about external factors causing their internal economic problems.

Same in France a fortnight ago, where the enduring right-wing Le Pen family has contested for the presidency in the last three elections and came out stronger than ever in the last April 24 race because of the level of opposition to President

Macron’s policies.

Same in the UK, where the local government election results earlier this week didn’t smell like a bed of roses for Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Tory party.

In all these cases, as with President Biden’s decision this week to give his voice a Black Caribbean face, journalists cover these events only insofar as their interests (in the issues) drive them.

But, as always, it all has to do with the extent to which the new crop of journalists and reporters everywhere in the world today are prepared to follow issues beyond national borders and boundaries.

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Parris and Kanhai should be recognised in a meaningful way Dear Editor, I AM writing in support of Mr Freddie Kissoon’s call (KN/ 6/5/2022) for both Michael Parris and Rohan Kanhai to be recognised in a meaningful way.

In Freddie’s words “name something after these men.”

In Parris’ case, he has been our lone medalist at the Olympics, something that we have not repeated in 40 years.

There may be more than a few indictments to go around if an analysis were to be done for our less-than-spectacular showing at the Olympics.

Many small islands have done much better than us. However, that is a story for another day. In this letter, I wish to deal with Rohan Kanhai if only because of two conversations I had this week.

During this week I came across an article from the Warwickshire County Cricket Club which I reproduce below.

“It is the opinion of no less a judge than the great MJK Smith that Rohan Kanhai is up there with Brian Lara as the greatest batter ever to play for War-

wickshire.

Both were touched by genius and one factor with which Lara did not have to deal, which Kanhai did throughout his Bears career (1968-77), was uncovered pitches.

Wet wickets made batting significantly more difficult, offering bowlers all sorts of help and requiring the greatest skill from batters.

These were conditions that brought the best out of Kanhai, some of whose greatest innings were played when batting was at its most testing.

The Bears’ championship visit to Old Trafford to face Lancashire in 1972 was a classic example.

There had been, unusually for Manchester, rain around and the pitch was damp and green.

Batting was tricky, as the Red Rose discovered when they went in first and scored 181. Kanhai then made 199 – one of the finest individual innings ever played for Warwickshire. A strong Lancashire batting side, including Clive Lloyd.

David Lloyd, Barry Wood and

Farokh Engineer, was bowled out in 62.

1 overs as Steve Rouse took five for 47 (his maiden five-for) and Norman McVicker three for 48.

The ball was doing plenty, as John Whitehouse soon discovered when Ken Shuttleworth sent it on to his stumps.

That brought Kanhai to the crease and the masterclass began.

Shuttleworth, Peter Lever and Peter Lee were a strong pace trio, backed up by the medium-paced bananas of Wood and the wily spin of Jack Simmons and David Hughes. All came alike to the great West Indian.

The Bears were 50 for three when Kanhai was joined at the crease by his countryman Alvin Kallicharran.

They added 152 and, after Kalli fell lbw to Simmons for 50, Kanhai climbed into even more spectacular attack.

The ball was swinging and seaming but he defended with impeccable judgment and drove, cut and pulled with brutal power.

Kanhai was just a single short of a scintillating double century when he edged ‘Leapy’ Lee to wicketkeeper

Engineer.

He was on 199 out of his team’s 347 for six. His genius lifted the Bears to 371 for seven declared, after which the Red Rose were bowled out for 149 (David Brown (five for 49, McVicker three for 35), leaving the Bears victorious by an innings and 41 runs.”

I sent this article to two friends, one a former diplomat who represented this country at the Under-19 level and the other a highly accomplished medical doctor in Florida, who has also set up practice here.

I share their responses.

“MJK Smith should have put it the other way around: Brian Lara is up there with the greatest batter to ever play for Warwickshire, Rohan Kanhai.

He should be honoured in an impressive way before he dies.” Kanhai has been our forgotten genius.

Time is not on our side. He really should be honoured in an impressive way.

Yours sincerely, Bish Panday

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No adverse effects of J&J vaccine found locally – FDA’s restriction is just a precaution, says Health Minister

THE United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday issued a new update limiting the authorised use of the Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, but Guyana’s Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony has since said there is no reason for worry among locals.

Dr. Anthony spoke about this recent development during his COVID-19 update on Friday, saying that the update came about after the US recorded a few cases where persons died from complications after being inoculated with the vaccine.

He said that the FDA had noticed that with the J&J vaccine, there were a number of cases of blood clotting, which was first detected in 2021, and as a result of that, they had

placed a pause on the use of the vaccine in April 2021, which was subsequently lifted.

He then stated, “But I think what prompted their decision now is that they have recorded in the United States at least nine persons who have died in the first quarter of this year after receiving the J&J vaccine, and those persons had complications of thrombocytopenia.”

According to the Mayo Clinic, thrombocytopenia is a condition in which persons have a low blood platelet count. Platelets are blood cells that help blood clot and stop bleeding by forming plugs in blood vessel injuries.

To this end, he noted that this condition, after being vaccinated is a very rare occurrence that happens in about 3.25 cases

Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony for every one million doses administered.

He added: “It’s very rare, nevertheless, the FDA in the USA has decided to take these precautions, because they have other vaccines available, namely, the Pfizer mRNA vaccine and the Moderna vaccine, so that’s why they have

Woman found guilty of attempting to extort $10M from ex-lover A 20-year-old woman, was, on Friday, found guilty of threatening to accuse her ex-boyfriend of attempted rape, in a bid to extort $10 million from him.

Princess Williams, of Providence, East Bank Demerara, was on trial before Magistrate Rhondel Weever. She was out on $100,000 bail.

Princess Williams On Friday, Magistrate Weever found Williams guilty of the offence and remanded her to prison until June 6, for sentencing. A probation report is expected to be presented during her sentencing hearing.

In February 2021, Williams made her first court appearance and pleaded guilty to the charge. However, she later changed her mind and pleaded not guilty.

The charge stated that between Monday January 4, 2021 and Thursday, January 7, 2021, at Georgetown, Williams, with intent to extort money from Kenrick Thomas, specifically $10 million, threat-

ened to accuse him of attempting to rape her.

The court was informed that Williams and Thomas were in a sexual relationship for approximately four months, during which time he would invite her to his home to hang out and have dinner.

But on January 4, 2021, when he invited her to his home as per usual, he changed strategy and asked that they have sex as soon as she arrived, and, surprisingly, she consented.

But then, as they were about to get into the act, an argument ensued between the two, and he told her to get dressed, and proceeded to take her home.

The following day, Thomas reportedly ended the relationship with Williams, but she, not wanting to take no for an answer, still tried to get the relationship back on even keel, but he refused to have anything to do with her.

Then one day, in a fit of rage at being spurned, she sent him a video message via WhatsApp. She said that having tried to rape her, he’d have to either pay her $10 million or she’d go to the police with the evidence.

After receiving the threatening message, Thomas immediately reported the matter to the police, and an investigation was launched.

During the course of the investigation, Williams reportedly admitted to the police that she’d sent the message to scare Thomas into giving her the money, as he’d faithfully promised that he’d give it to her for her birthday.

changed their recommendations.”

Meanwhile, in the case of Guyana, the health minister reported that while the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been used here, there were no reported cases of the condition, and as such authorities have still been using it.

The minister reiterated that there has been no adverse effect, and persons who have received the vaccines should not panic.

“If you have received the vaccine and you had no complications, then you wouldn’t have any complications now. Generally, after vaccination, you would see thrombocytopenia developing in about a week, two weeks after the vaccination, so, if you have had the vaccine and nothing happened, then you are not in danger,” Dr Anthony

said, while adding that this is just a precautionary recommendation that has been made in the United States.

In the FDA’s news release that was issued on Thursday, it stated that the administration has limited the use of the vaccine to individuals 18 years of age and older for whom other authorised or approved COVID-19 vaccines are not accessible or clinically appropriate.

The report further stated that after conducting evaluations and investigations of reported cases, it has determined that the risk of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (a rare syndrome where blood clots in combination with low levels of blood platelets, occur simultaneously) occur one to two weeks following the administration of the J&J

vaccine.

However, the administration has determined that the known potential benefits of the vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19 outweigh the known and potential risks for individuals 18 years of age and older.

The news release quoted the Director for FDA’s Centre for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Dr Peter Marks as saying, “We recognise that the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine still has a role in the current pandemic response in the United States and across the global community.

Our action reflects our updated analysis of the risk of TTS following administration of this vaccine, and limits the use of the vaccine to certain individuals.”

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Corentyne businessman dies in accident

A FORTY-ONE-year-old man lost his life after a driver who was allegedly under the influence of alcohol collided with his motorcycle on the Nigg Public Road early Friday morning.

Dead is Rajendra Khadaroo called ‘Andy’, a businessman of 4B Albion Front and co-proprietor of ‘Sharon’s Halaal Snackette and Catering Service’.

According to the man’s cousin, Sadeeka Hamid Khan, he was returning home from the Rose Hall Town Masjid when the accident occurred.

At the time Khadaroo was observing an additional six day fast following the end Ramadan and would go to the mosque every day for the morning prayer.

The accident occurred at around 05:00 hours. According to the police, a motorcar bearing registration number HB 9593 and driven by a

Rajendra Khadaroo called ‘Andy’

female identified as Khamwattie Mangar, 35, was proceeding east along the Nigg Public Road at a normal rate

Bandits beat, rob soldier in Linden

TWO gunmen invaded and attacked a 24-year-old soldier of South Amelia’s Ward, Linden, Region 10 in his home Thursday evening.

Enquires disclosed that the victim resides in a blue and white flat concrete structure in a fully fenced yard.

According to the victim, he went home with his motorcycle, CL 2521, and parked it in his yard, then went into his home and secured his jewellery. He then went outside to relax on his verandah.

While sitting in his verandah, he was confronted by the two perpetrators, who jumped over onto his verandah and hit him in the head with their firearms, causing him to receive injuries.

They then took his iPhone 13 cell phone and his motorcycle key out of his hand. One of the suspects, who was wearing a blue shirt, discharged a shot in the air.

They both made good their escape on foot in an eastern direction.

The matter was reported to the police and one suspected .32 spent shell was recovered in the verandah where it was lodged.

The soldier sought medical treatment and was sent away as investigations continue.

of speed and while trying to negotiate a turn on the road, ended up in the path of the now dead motorcyclist.

The motorcyclist was not wearing a safety helmet.

Due to the impact of the crash, Khadaroo, a father of one, was flung from of the motorcycle onto the vehicle windshield and subsequently fell onto the roadway where he obtained injuries to the head and about the body.

He was left on the roadway for some time before being taken for medical attention.

Khan told the Guyana Chronicle it only after passersby recognised him, they informed relatives who rushed to the scene where they found his motionless body on the roadway and transported him to the Port Mourant Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Khan said Andy was an avid biker and lover of bikes

The scene of the accident on the Nigg Public Road on Friday morning

and is known to be cautious whenever he is riding.

“Whenever he’s riding with the crew, he would say he’s the father of the group.

He would be the one riding at the back to ensure all the guys are ahead and are ok,” the release noted.

The family is in a state of

disbelief, she said.

Khadaroo is described as hardworking, caring, kind and always one to give good advice.

His wife, Sharon was unable to speak with the media due to her emotional state. The couple has been operating the snackette and mobile food unit for close to

10 years. eanwhile, the driver remains in police custody assisting with investigation.

A post mortem was performed on Khadaroo on Friday by Dr.Vivekanand Bridegmohan at the Port Mourant Hospital; the cause of death was given as due to multiple injuries.

Lodge hunter ‘Bora’ gets Maria dies from multiple six years for gunshot wounds killing teen LETHEM businessman, Junior France, called ‘Bora’, was, on Friday, sentenced to six years’ imprisonment for the 2020 fatal shooting of a 17-year-old gold miner.

France was sentenced by Justice Jo-Ann Barlow at the Essequibo High Court.

In March, France was tried before a 12-member jury for the capital offence of murder. However, the jury found him guilty of the lesser count of manslaughter.

The judge took into consideration the aggravating factors

THE autopsy conducted on 54-year-old Suresh Dyal has revealed that he died from shock and haemorrhage due to multiple gunshot wounds he received. The post-mortem was conducted on Friday by government pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh at the Suddie Funeral Home.

The two persons currently in custody are the ones who discovered the body. The men claimed they heard the gunshot sounds and then rushed to the location. They usually accompany Dyal to hunt.

Dyal’s 81-year-old mother had related that her son would usually go hunt and fish in the backlands regularly. She received the tragic news Monday afternoon and still cannot come to grips with it.

“My son was everything, he use to catch things and bring and share. It was something he did and he love and I didn’t know that would be my son last time,” the mother related.

The mother is calling for a thorough investigation into her son’s death. The deceased was living with his parents and was never married. The police are continuing their investigation.

Junior France (left) and the late Dane Jerrick

of the case, including the loss of a life, and the weapon used during the commission of the crime.

She also took into consideration the compensation France gave to the victim’s family for their loss.

After announcing the six-year sentence, the judge ordered prison authorities to deduct the time he had spent on remand.

Prosecutor Tiffini Lyken presented the state’s case while attorneys-at-law Nigel Hughes and Ronald Daniels represented France.

According to reports, on May 17, 2020, Dane Jerrick was shot by the licensed firearm holder after he was observed loitering in front of France’s shop located at Puruni Landing, Mazaruni River.

Dead: Suresh Dyal

Climate ripe for regional ‘agri’ investments

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— Minister Mustapha

CARICOM countries are ready for investments in the agricultural sector, Guyana’s Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha advised regional stakeholders on Wednesday.

Mustapha was joined by CARICOM Assistant Secretary-General in Trade and Economic Integration, Joseph Cox, in a virtual discussion on an upcoming agriculture expo in Guyana. The virtual meeting was convened by the Global Business Leadership Forum.

Guyana will host an AgriFood Investment Forum and Expo at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre from May 19-21 under the theme, Investing in Vision 25 by 2025.

Mustapha said if the region is looking to reduce its food-importation bill by 25 per cent by 2025, there must be political and private-sector willingness and partnerships.

Annually, the region’s food-importation bill was about US$6 billion which was only expected to increase in the future, he pointed out.

Mustapha highlighted the poultry industry, corn and soya as main sectors that have the potential to expand regionally.

“We have to woo investors to come to the Caribbean. Almost 98 per cent of poultry meats and products are being imported into the Caribbean. We have places like [sic] Guyana, Suriname, Belize, T&T, Jamaica and Barbados that can satisfy the needs of poultry demands in the Caribbean.

“Corn and soya are linked directly to the poultry industry in producing protein and feed and there is where we can start production. In the Caribbean, we already have a market for this important crop,” he said.

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha

Mustapha said in Guyana and other countries there was a lot of land space and fresh water and a conducive climate for production.

He said there were already proposals and at the expo they will be looking to match capital investments with assets and partnerships.

He said there were 200 interested participants from

the US, Canada, Geneva, Ghana, Cameroon and China.

“Investors can come and set up shop by themselves and as long as the laws permit. We also have a lot of incentives for investments such as agriculture [sic] machinery, no taxes or value-added tax on agriculture inputs.

“I don’t think we have problems with labour. We

have enough labour to satisfy the job market in the Caribbean, both skilled and unskilled,” Mustapha said.

He added that CARICOM was seeking ways to make doing business easier, removing trade barriers and updating certain standards for effective operations that meet sanitary and phytosanitary requirements.

Cox said while the goal was to reduce the food-importation bill, other targets included development of the agricultural sector, increasing private-sector involvement and improving the value chain.

To address these concerns, he said there must be a collaborative effort among CARICOM states in areas of transport and ease of doing business for progress to take place.

“Inter-island transportation has been a long-stand-

ing challenge, but we are far advanced in the establishment of a fast ferry [service] to really treat with the movement of products across the island chain, especially the southern islands. There is some element of hope.

“There is a great need for agricultural insurance.

The primary production is important, but we also need the support mechanism.”

Reducing food imports in the region has been a main objective of CARICOM and several heads of government have taken up the initiative as a personal task. Leading the initiative was Guyana’s President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, who was also Head of Government with responsibility for agriculture in the CARICOM quasi-Cabinet. (Trinidad and Tobago Newsday)

World food commodity prices decrease in April WORLD food commodity prices decreased in April after a large jump the previous month, led by modest declines in the prices of vegetable oils and cereals, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) reported on Friday.

The FAO Food Price Index averaged 158.5 points in April 2022, down 0.8 per cent from the all-time high reached in March. The Index, which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of a basket of commonly-traded food commodities, remained 29.8 per cent higher than in April 2021.

The FAO Vegetable Oil Price Index decreased by 5.7 per cent in April, shedding almost a third of the increase registered in March, as demand rationing pushed down prices for palm, sunflower and soy oils. Uncertainties about export availabilities out of Indonesia, the world’s leading palm oil exporter, contained further declines in international prices.

“The small decrease in the index is a welcome relief, particularly for low-income food-deficit countries, but still food prices remain close to their recent highs, reflecting persistent market

tightness and posing a challenge to global food security for the most vulnerable,” said FAO Chief Economist Máximo Torero Cullen.

The FAO Cereal Price Index declined by 0.7 points in April, nudged down by a 3.0 per cent decline in world maize prices. International wheat prices, strongly affected by continued blockage of ports in Ukraine and concerns over crop conditions in the United States of America but tempered by larger shipments from India and higher-than-expected exports from the Russian Federation, increased by 0.2 per cent. International rice prices increased by 2.3 per cent from their March levels, buoyed by strong demand from China and the Near East.

Meanwhile, the FAO Sugar Price Index increased by 3.3 per cent, buoyed by higher ethanol prices and concerns over the slow start of the 2022 harvest in Brazil, the world’s largest sugar exporter.

The FAO Meat Price Index increased by 2.2 per cent from the previous month, setting a new record high, as prices rose for poultry, big and bovine meat. Poultry meat prices were affected by

Chickens in Italy (FAO photo)

disruptions to exports from Ukraine and rising avian influenza outbreaks in the Northern hemisphere. By contrast, ovine meat prices averaged marginally lower.

The FAO Dairy Price Index also was up, by 0.9 per cent, on the back of persistent global supply tightness as milk output in Western Europe and Oceania continued to track below their seasonal levels. World butter prices rose the most, influenced by a surge in

demand associated with the current shortage of sunflower oil and margarine.

CEREALS TRADE EXPECTED TO DIP FAO also released a new Cereal Supply and Demand Brief with updated forecasts pointing to a likely 1.2 per cent decline in world trade in cereals in the 2021/22 marketing year compared to the previous year.

The decline is associated

with maize and other coarse grains, while trade volumes for rice are predicted to grow by 3.8 per cent and that for wheat by 1.0 per cent.

With almost all crops harvested for the 2020/21 cycle, FAO pegs the world cereal production at 2,799 million tonnes, an 0.8 per cent increase from the 2019/20 outturn.

World cereal utilisation for the 2021/22 period is projected to increase by 0.9 per cent from the previous

year to 2 785 million tonnes.

FAO’s new estimate for world cereal stocks by the close of seasons in 2022 now stands at 856 million tonnes, 2.8 per cent above opening levels, led by a build-up in maize inventories partly due to suspended exports from Ukraine. If confirmed, the global cereal stocks-to-use ratio would end the period unchanged at a “relatively comfortable supply level” of 29.9 per cent, according to FAO. FAO still predicts global wheat production to grow in 2022, to 782 million tonnes.

That forecast incorporates an expected 20 per cent decline in harvested area in Ukraine as well as drought-driven output declines in Morocco.

For coarse grains, the Brief indicates that Brazil is on course to harvest a record maize crop of 116 million tonnes in 2022, while weather conditions are likely to dent maize output in Argentina and South Africa. Initial planting surveys indicate that maize acreage in the United States of America is likely to decline by four per cent, amid concerns over the high costs of fertilizers and other inputs. (FAO)

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GDF celebrates mothers

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Some of the GDF mothers who received hampers

THE leadership of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) upheld the tradition of honouring mothers who serve.

On Friday, mothers at the various bases were presented with early Mother’s Day Hampers by their commanders in recognition of their dedication and sacrifice as mothers and service members.

The Chief of Staff, officers and ranks of the Guyana Defence Force extend Happy Mother’s Day greetings to all mothers.

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Lawyer withdraws from domestic violence case over ‘ethical’ concerns ATTORNEY-AT-LAW Bernard DaSilva has withdrawn himself from representing a city businessman, who is accused of brutally assaulting his 25-year-old daughter.

On Friday, DaSilva wrote to the clerk of her worship, Senior Magistrate Leron Daly, who sits at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court and is presiding over the two matters, which were filed under the Domestic Violence Act. The businessman is currently out on $400,000 bail for allegedly inflicting grievous bodily harm and displaying threatening behaviour towards his daughter on March 25.

The victim was granted a permanent protection order against her father.

In the letter seen by this newspaper, DaSilva said, “I respectfully request that my name be removed from the record as Defence Counsel in the said matter.”

According to DaSilva, “certain ethical and other considerations” have influenced his decision to

Attorney-at-law Bernard DaSilva

withdraw and discontinue all further involvement in the case.

The police launched an investigation following the circulation of a video on social media, where the businessman was seen assaulting his daughter at his Kitty business place. He also allegedly threatened to shoot her.

The young lady during

a video interview which was aired on Facebook, revealed that her father had been brutalising her for years. Her stepmother and other siblings who reside with him were also abused, she claimed.

The young woman related that she was forced to come forward because the latest beating was captured on CCTV cameras inside her father’s store and she was able to secure a copy.

Further, after the beating, she claimed that she was locked inside her home for two days. She was later able to call the 914 hotline, report the incident and is now in a safe place.

She added that threats have been made to her life and she is now living in fear.

As a result of the video being circulated on social media, the police said ranks visited the businessman’s home and seized his 9mm pistol and a shotgun, as well as matching ammunition.

He is a licensed firearm holder.

Man remanded for allegedly murdering miner

A 29-year-old mechanic, was, on Friday, charged for the murder of a miner, whose lifeless body was found in a shallow grave at Toroparu Backdam, Lower Puruni River in Region Seven.

Quacy Shepherd, of Nabaclis, East Coast Demerara, appeared at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Crystal Lambert and was remanded to prison.

Shepherd was not required to plead to the charge which alleged that between April 15 and 27, 2022, at Toroparu Backdam, he murdered Noel Anthony Fredericks, 27.

He will make his second court appearance on May 20, 2022.

This newspaper had previously reported that Fredericks went missing at Toroparu Backdam, on April 15, 2022 and was discovered by police ranks in a decomposed state on April 27.

According to Police Headquarters, ranks went into the Toroparu Backdam where contact was made with Shepherd, in whose presence

MURDER ACCUSED: Quacy Shepherd

Fredricks was last seen.

Based on this information, he was arrested and questioned.

According to police, Shepherd allegedly told them that on April 15, he and Fredericks were drinking alcohol at a shop in Toroparu Backdam.

He further told the police that they subsequently left the shop and he was towing

Fredericks back to his (Fredericks’) camp.

Shepherd allegedly told police that Fredericks asked him to do a sexual act and he agreed.

When they were through, an argument ensued during which he claimed he choked Fredericks while simultaneously covering his mouth and nose, resulting in his death.

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Mumbai Indians seal win after last over thriller (ESPNCRICINFO) - Almost out of the tournament, needing a lot of permutations and combinations in the rest of the tournament to stay alive, Mumbai Indians still gave their raucous home crowd something to cheer about, defending eight runs in the last over with six Gujarat Titans wickets in hand.

Titans, who have snatched wins from the jaws of defeat on a few occasions earlier in the tournament with some incredible six-hitting, took the defeat out of a victory’s grasp thanks to quick ones and twos that resulted in run-outs.

For about 33 overs between the Mumbai powerplay and the last over of the match, Titans looked on track for a win that would all but seal their qualifications to the playoffs. They restricted Mumbai to 177 despite a flying start, Rohit Sharma’s best in all IPL matches. Then both Titans openers got fifties followed by quick innings from Hardik Pandya and David Miller. However, thanks to the runouts, Titans contrived to lose on a night that Jasprit Bumrah went for 48 runs.

ROHIT SHOWS FORM Rohit began the match with an average of 17 and a strike rate of 123 this IPL, but looked in great touch. He took on Alzarri Joseph to begin with but went after every bowler in the first six overs, scoring 42, more than he has ever done inside an IPL powerplay. The smooth hitting was back on display.

Ishan Kishan was not so smooth, benefiting from an edge or three, but he too kept scoring quickly. The 63 for 0 after six overs was easily their best powerplay in a disappointing season.

RASHID STRIKES BACK Teams have decided to not give wickets to Rashid Khan and Sunil Narine even if it means playing them out at a sub-optimal run rate. Rashid came into this match with just nine wickets but at under seven an over.

Rohit, though, was looking to attack everyone because this was a good pitch and they needed a big total.

Rashid went for 13 in his

first, bowled inside the powerplay. In Rashid’s second, all it took was two dots to bring out the reverse-sweep. Rashid, though, was too accurate for that and trapped him lbw.

MIDDLE-OVERS MUDDLE Three Mumbai batters scored more than 40 runs at a strike rate higher than 150, but their eventual score was the lowest among 134 such T20 innings.

Kieron Pollard, Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav scored 38 off 41 between them to offset 132 off 78 between Rohit, Ishan Kishan and Tim David.

Pollard, especially, was a slightly strange choice to walk in during the 13th over when he was going to play out Lockie Ferguson and Rashid. He was looking to play Rashid out, but Rashid was good enough to turn a legbreak past his forward-defensive and hit the top of off.

To their credit, Titans responded well to the powerplay by mixing the pace in the rest of the innings to restrict Mumbai.

David, who took them to 177 with two sixes in the final over, was despondent at the halfway mark, saying they were well short.

THE SAHA-GILL SHOW At the start of the chase, Saha continued his excellent intent and took the pressure off Gill, who has been short of a gallop. He went after Bumrah, using his pace, taking 25 off nine balls in his first two overs, more than anyone has taken off Bumrah in a T20 powerplay.

Around the end of the powerplay, it was Gill, who took the load off Saha, who tends to slow down once the field is spread.

He took a six and a four off M. Ashwin followed by a hat-trick of fours off Daniel Sams then a six and a four off left-arm wrist-spinner Kumar Kartikeya.

Now Gill must have fancied Ashwin after his earlier success off him, but it was perhaps time for Saha to go after the bowling and for Gill to set up to bat through.

However, Gill was the first one to attack and holed out at the start of the 13th over. Saha followed in the same over, top-edging a sweep.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Saturday May 07, 2022)

COMPLIMENTS OF CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD83 Garnett street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Pragyan Ojha-21 wickets (Deccan Chargers) (2) Doug Bollinger-4/13 (CSK) Today’s Quiz: (1) How many centuries were scored in IPL 2010?

(2) How many four-wicket hauls were recorded in IPL 2010?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

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TTFA creditors vote unanimously in favour of debt repayment proposal

(CMC) – Creditors of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) have voted unanimously in favour of a debt repayment proposal, through the Bankruptcy Act, that will see them get between 63 cents in the dollar to 100 per cent of the moneys owed to them.

The TTFA announced that the agreement came at a meeting on Thursday at the Home of Football,

Couva, which was chaired remotely by the Supervisor of Insolvency who was in quarantine.

Creditors were invited to vote after a comprehensive 45-minute presentation by the TTFA-appointed Trustee - Maria Daniel - that gave a full illustration of how the TTFA found itself in its current state of debt and the options that were considered before arriving at utilising the restructuring

option available through the Bankruptcy Act option.

The proposal, which was developed by Daniel and her EY Team in collaboration with the TTFA’s FIFA-appointed Normalisation Committee, will be funded by an interest-free US$3.5 million instrument that the TTFA will have 10 years to repay.

Creditors owed up to TT$200,000 (US$29,497) will be paid in full and the balances above that will be

TTFA-appointed Trustee, Maria Daniel, developed the proposal

pro-rated. They will also have the option to be paid in US or TT dollars.

There were 299 creditors listed in the Trustee’s repayment proposal with a total unsecured debt of TT$84.5M (US$12.5M). Ninety-three of these submitted had claims

amounting to TT$59.3M (US$8.7M), of which 88 were validated with a value of TT$34.4M (US$5.1M) before Thursday’s meeting.

Fifty-one of them (or their proxies) registered and voted at the meeting.

Notably absent was the

VERGENOEGEN Secondary School played unbeaten to the Youth Basketball Guyana (YBG) first Mini Regional Basketball Tournament for schools on the West Coast of Demerara.

The one-day event, which was held at the Tuschen Primary School court on Thursday, was contested by four schools.

In the opener, Leonora Secondary got the better of West Demerara Secondary after a solid all-round performance from Trevaughn Parris, who finished with 8 points 9 rebounds.

Joshua Medouze added six points in the 22-13 point win.

West Demerara were a two-player show with J. Richard and B. Nurse scoring seven and six points respectively.

Vergenoegen Secondary stamped their authority early

with a 21-9 victory against Stewartville Secondary.

Quan Jackman led the winners with a double-double. He scored 10 points and pulled down 13 rebounds, while Kareem Gilkes added six points and five rebounds.

Stewartville were led by Joshua Leander with four points and seven rebounds.

Prior to the final clash, West Demerara defeated Stewartville 20-13 in a third-place battle. Richards with 11 points and seven boards and Nurse with seven points again led the attack.

Stewartville were led by Leander, who finished with 9 points 6 rebounds.

In the Championship clash, Jackman exploded with 15 points 11 rebounds as his team whipped Leonora 30-8. Support came from Gilkes, who finished with 12 points 8 rebounds.

Daniel Williams led Le-

TTFA’s largest listed creditor, Austin Jack Warner, who topped the list with a debt of TT$22.7M (US$3.3M).

Daniel advised the meeting that Warner did not submit a claim for validation.

The Trustee’s original proposal, which creditors received on April 22, was enhanced prior to the meeting – total funding was increased

by US$500,000 to US$3.5M, and instead of allocating a TT$3M (US$442,458) provision for the Board of Inland Revenue and the National Insurance Board, funds would now be set aside for outstanding payments monthly.

The meeting included representatives from the Office of the Supervisor of Insolvency; law firm Fitzwilliam, Stone, Furness-Smith & Morgan; EY; and Normalisation Committee chairman Robert Hadad and member Nicholas Gomez.

Vergenoegen Secondary win YBG Mini Regional Tournament

onora with five points.

The one-day tournament is aimed to provide those schools who have expressed interest in participating in this year’s National School Basketball Festival to test their skills locally among the schools in their region and to determine a ranking system for the National School Basketball Festival (NSBF) 2022.

The mini regional tournament format will continue as a lead-up to this year’s NSBF for schools in Linden, Berbice, East Bank Demerara, East Coast Demerara, and Georgetown.

Sponsors of the event included the National Sports Commission, ExxonMobil, G-Boat Guyana, Edward B. Beharry & Company Ltd, Fireside Grill, and Banks DIH Ltd.

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Malteenoes Sports Club scores support of cricket gear THE Malteenoes Sports Club has produced numerous talented players who have represented Guyana in both disciplines of cricket and table tennis over the years.

Apart from national duties, many have donned the ‘whites’ at the club level in heated rivalries with club cricket in the city.

Some of those players have returned to the sporting institution, based at Thomas Lands, to give back to a pillar that moulded their current character.

Tony Ramjeawan, with support from the USA-based Dereck Singh and Dr Brian Sukhai, handed over a quantity of cricket gear to the club on Thursday.

According to Ramjeawan, the club provided an opportunity for the members to grow and develop as human beings and it was important they find a way to give back and support the next generation.

Dr Sukhai stated that cricket’s immense value means it can be used as a tool to look beyond

Committee member and former national player and current youth coach, Quason Nedd (left), receives the gloves from Tony Ramjeawan in the presence of Neil Barry Sr (far left), second vice-president Steven Jacobs (second from left), Dr Brian Sukhai (second from right) and first vice-president Shawn Holder

Pooran looking to new style of leadership (CMC) – Newly appointed white-ball captain Nicholas Pooran has declared he intends to develop his own style of leadership in his new role.

The 26-year-old Trinidadian, who was named the One-Day International (ODI) and Twenty20 International (T20I) skipper to replace Kieron Pollard, who resigned suddenly from international cricket last month, said he believes he is equipped for the job.

“I’ve always seen myself as a leader, both on and off the field,” said the left-handed wicketkeeper/batter, adding that he expected to become captain although not so soon.

“I just want to be the best leader I can be. I am a very instinctive person. I think I’ve a lot of good leadership qualities as well. I don’t want to try to be something I’m not, I just want to be a natural leader and, hopefully, the guys can gel well under my leadership as well.”

Pooran, who had been Pollard’s deputy over the last year and led the Caribbean side to a T20I home series win over Australia in 2021 when his fellow Trinidadian was absent because of injury, said he believes he already has a foundation on which to build with the team.

“So far, I believe I have (the) respect of the players and I just want that relationship to keep building. I just want to be natural. I just want to be myself, I just want the players to have the respect for me and we can build that relationship,” said Pooran, who pointed out that his selection has been his biggest

West Indies captain Nicholas Pooran

achievement and the highlight of his career thus far.

He added that Pollard had been very supportive over the years, preparing him for leadership.

“He definitely invested in me. Obviously, he saw something in me that others didn’t see as well and from six years ago, he started to show me the ropes, and not only on the field.

He started to see the leadership qualities in me and he started to show me how exactly it needs to be done. Captaincy is difficult; a lot of people are with you and against you. There are a lot of fights, there are a lot of battles you have to (face).

“He has definitely taken me under his wings and has shown me the ropes and I am very thankful that he has done that and, today, I feel that as a cricketer I am performing well and I am ready for the responsibility

and I believe that I’m ready in terms of the experience and the knowledge I have gained over the years from him as well,” Pooran said.

In announcing Pooran’s appointment as captain, Cricket West Indies (CWI) Director of Cricket Jimmy Adams said selectors believed he was ready for the challenge of leading the white-ball teams, “given his experience, performances, and the respect he has within the playing group”.

“The selection panel believes that Nicholas has matured as a player and was impressed with his leadership of both teams when Kieron Pollard had been absent. The experience he has gathered playing in various franchise leagues around the world was also a factor in the decision to recommend him for the T20 captaincy,” Adams said.

Pooran has played 37 ODIs and 57 T20Is for West Indies. Of those, he led the team in eight T20Is and two ODIs. He is currently plying his trade for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League (IPL), but his first assignment as West Indies captain will be to lead the side on a three-match ODI series against The Netherlands in Amstelveen starting May 31 which forms part of the ICC World Cup Super League.

Pooran’s appointment will include the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2022 and the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in October 2023. Shai Hope has been recommended to stand as his vice-captain for the ODI team.

any barrier, and he too rolled back the years of playing cricket for Malteenoes while doing Sixth Form studies at Queen’s College.

Former national player and executive of the club, Neil Barry

Sr, indicated the support was vital as they looked to restart their vibrant youth programme, especially the Monday and Friday training sessions.

“Malteenoes is open for business for youth develop-

ment,” Barry stressed.

Second vice-president, Steven Jacobs, revealed that the club will soon launch its youth academy over the July-August period.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 7, 2022

‘Greatest of the Streets’ Linden semifinals on tonight

Flashback - Scenes from the earlier action in the Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ Linden edition at the Silvercity hard-court

THE Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ Linden Championship will be decided tonight with the staging of the semi-final and the grand finale, as defending champions Swag Entertainment battle Silver Bullets, and DC Ballers oppose Amazings at the Christianburg hardcourt.

Swag Entertainment defeated Darkside 2-0 in their quarter-final game to move one step closer to retaining

their title. On the other hand, Silver Bullets overcame an emerging Germans’ outfit 2-1 in their quarterfinals meeting.

On the other hand, the experienced Amazings unit made light work of High Rollers, 3-1, in the previous section, while DC Ballers bested Whap-Whap 1-0 in an unlikely win.

Winners of the semi-final matches will progress to the championship match. The losers will contest the third-

place playoff. The eventual tournament victors will pocket $300 000 and the championship trophy.

They will also earn an automatic berth to the national championship. The runners-up will receive $200 000, and the corresponding accolade. The third- and the fourth-place finishers will walk away with $100 000, and $70 000 respectively.

Marquee matchups highlight Magnum Independence Cup Round-of-16

SPARTA Boss will oppose Future Stars, while North-East La Penitence will engage Back Circle in the marquee matchups this evening in the quarterfinals section of the Magnum Independence Cup at the National Park Tarmac, following Round of 16 wins yesterday.

Sparta Boss, who will match skills with Future Stars at 21:15hrs, defeated Mocha 4-1 in the previous round. Jermaine Junior bagged a double in the 7th and 21st minutes, while Ryan Hackett and Gregory Richardson netted in the 18th and 22nd minutes respectively. For Mocha, Stephon Ramsay scored in the 10th minute.

For Future Stars, their place in the quarterfinals was sealed, following a 4-3 win over Stabroek Ballers. Jamal Cozier recorded a double in the 15th and 22nd minutes, while Raushan Ritch and Keron Solomon netted in the 18th and 21st minutes respectively.

For the losers, Mark Jhalu tallied a double in the sixth and 14th minutes while Trevon Pluck scored in the third minute.

On the other hand, Back Circle defeated Alexander Village 3-0 to seal their matchup against North-East La Penitence

at 19:00hrs. Stephon McLean recorded a brace in the sixth and 19th minutes while Jermaine Beckles scored in the 17th minute.

For North East La Penitence, a 1-0 win over Beterverwagting (BV), compliments of a Carl Tudor goal in the 14th minute, sealed their spot in the final eight sections.

Meanwhile, Gold is Money will oppose Showstoppers at 19:45hrs after they defeated Tiger Bay and Agricola respectively.

Gold is Money came from 0-3 down to defeat Tiger Bay 4-3.

Randolph Wagner scored twice in the 13th and 25th minutes while Darren Benjamin and Michael Pedro netted in the 18th and 20th minute respectively.

For Tiger Bay, James Meredith, Orin Moore, and Akeem Lewis scored in the second, eighth, and 10th minutes respectively. On the other hand, Showstoppers defeated Agricola 2-0, following goals from Olvis Mitchell and Delroy Fraser in the 15th and 21st minutes.

The final match in the quarterfinals section will pit defending champions Bent Street against Melanie at 20:30hrs.

Bent Street downed Belfield 6-2. Sheldon Profitt registered

a hat-trick in the 13th, 14th, and 16th minutes, while Pernell Schultz, Cosmos DeSantos, and Daniel Wilson scored in the second, 18th, and 24th minutes respectively.

For the losers, Keyron Johnson, and Colin Richmond netted in the ninth and 21st minutes respectively. Melanie defeated East Front Road 3-1. Malachi Granum scored twice in the ninth and 14th minutes, while Teon Stewart was on target in the 17th minute.

Meshach Barrat scored for the losers in the 16th minute.

The respective quarter-final winners will advance to the semi-final round on May 14th at the same venue. The winners of the tournament will collect the package of $700 000, and the championship trophy, while the runners-up will receive $400 000 and the corresponding accolade.

The third- and fourth-place finishers will walk away with $200 000 and $100 000 respectively.

The other sponsors of the event are MVP Sport, Nigel Hinds Financial Services, Andrews Supermarket, Bold Expressions Barbershop, Fireside Grill ‘N’ Chill, Star Party Rentals, and Lucozade.

RACING TIPS

American Racing Tips Churchill Downs Race 4 Bye Bye Bobby Race 5 In Italian Race 6 South Bend Race 7 Jack Christopher Race 8 Just One Time Race 9 Sy Dog Race10 Jackie’s Warrior Race11 Public Sector Race12 Taiba (Kentucky Derby) Canadian Racing Tips Woodbine Race 1 Gunzig Stinger Race 2 Elite Princess Race 3 Duke Of Love Race 4 Hiatus Race 5 Bachelor Pad Race 6 Core Race 7 Righteous Robbie Race 8 Blue Max Race 9 Skills Test Race10 Cardio Princess

South Africa Racing Tips Greyville 08:05 hrs Smorgasbord 08:43 hrs Supreme Quest 09:23 hrs Cosmic Highway 10:03 hrs Meet At The George 10:38 hrs Cashew English Racing Tips Haydock 08:20 hrs Caesar’s Palace 08:50 hrs Glen Shield 09:25 hrs Bronson In Blue 10:00 hrs Anna Bunina 10:35 hrs Rhoscolyn 11:10 hrs Twinjets 11:45 hrs Random Harvest 12:15 hrs Aldhaja Lingfield 08:40 hrs Clitheroe 09:05 hrs Verreaux 09:40 hrs Zechariah 10:15 hrs Belt Buckle 10:50 hrs She Do

11:25 hrs Charging Thunder 12:00 hrs Smokey Malone

Ascot 08:45 hrs Boss Power 09:20 hrs Al Aasy 09:55 hrs Redemption Time 10:30 hrs Auria 11:05 hrs Fresh 11:40 hrs After The Rain 12:15 hrs Under The Twilight Irish Racing Tips Naas 08:40 hrs Little Big Bear 09:15 hrs Jupiter Express 09:50 hrs Age Of Kings 10:25 hrs Lily Pond 11;00 hrs Inuit 11:35 hrs Ezine 12:05 hrs Half Nutz 12:35 hrs Poppy Petal

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 7, 2022

Reynolds heading to Mississippi Valley State University .... National youth goalkeeper to play NCAA D1 football at HBCU institution

By Rawle Toney SEVENTEEN-year-old Ludesha Reynolds, daughter of former National goalkeeper Richard Reynolds, will be playing her collegiate football with Mississippi Valley State University.

Reynolds, a former student of St Joseph High School, recently migrated after spending her entire playing career with Georgetown Football Club (GFC). She’s a product of National goal-keeping coach, Eon DeViera, through his goalkeeping Academy.

With DeViera being Reynolds coach since she was 12 years old, the young goalkeeper has represented Guyana at the U15 and U17 levels.

Reynolds will suit up for Mississippi Valley State University, a historically black university (HBCU) that competes on the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division One circuit.

According to DeViera, Reynolds applied to several colleges upon her completion of St Joseph High School in Guyana.

He added that she was accepted at six universities.

He explained, however, that she did not apply to Mississippi Valley State University, but the institution approached the Guyanese goalkeeper after seeing her videos on social media.

DeViera said Reynolds plays mostly with the boys at his academy. She also attends the Vurlon Mills Football Academy.

DeViera noted that his academy aims to not only produce some of the country’s best goalkeepers but also produce players that can attract scholarships at some of the USA’s top colleges.

Reynolds’ father is one of the country’s most popular and accomplished goalkeepers, having played for Guyana for well over 15 years. He has played for the likes of Topp XX (Linden), Alpha United, Robinhood (Suriname), SV Nishan 42 (Suriname), Caledonia AIA (Trinidad) and Montego Bay United (Jamaica), just to name a few.

He was Guyana’s keeper when the Golden Jaguars reached the penultimate stage of the FIFA World 2014 World Cup qualifiers for the CONCACAF region.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 7, 2022

Reynolds heading to Mississippi Valley State University Story on page 31

.... National youth goalkeeper to play NCAA D1 football at HBCU institution

Ludesha Reynolds during one of her sessions at the Eon DeViera Goalkeeping Academy Inc

Ludesha Reynolds

Vergenoegen Secondary win YBG Mini Regional Tournament Story on page 28

Vergenoegen Secondary played undefeated to win the title

Mumbai Indians seal win after last over thriller

Story on page 27

The Mumbai Indians celebrate victory over the Gujarat Titans

Pooran looking to new style of leadership Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limited, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 226-3243-9 (General); Editorial: 227-5204, 227-5216. Fax:227-5208

Story on page 29

SATURDAY, MAY 7, 2022