8
GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday February 8, 2017
Women soldiers decorated –– as WAC celebrates Golden Jubilee By Zena Henry
FIRST Lady, Mrs Sandra Granger, and wife of the Prime Minister, Mrs Sita Nagamootoo, were on Tuesday honoured for their sterling contribution to the empowerment of women here, and the pivotal role they play in today’s society. For such an achievement, they were presented with 50th Anniversary medals commemorating the Golden Jubilee of the Women’s Army Corp (WAC) during a cocktail reception at the Guyana Defence Force (GDF)’s Officer’s Club and Auditorium. The event followed the conferral earlier in the day of similar tokens of achievement on 31 other ranks and one
officer during a special event on the Drill Square of Base Camp Ayanganna. Both conferrals were done by Prime Minister Mr Moses Nagamootoo, in his capacity as Acting President while the Head of State is abroad on official business. The military women who were honoured were drawn from the revitalised People’s Militia, the Coast Guard and various Army Base Camps. It was said that the medals were granted “To honour all female Officers, Warrant Officers, Non-commissioned Officers and soldiers who are on active duty in the Guyana Defence Force as at February 6.”
COMPOSITION The medal is made of nickel, circular in shape, and measures 35milimeters in diameter. On the obverse side of the medal is the insignia of the GDF, which is an eight-sided star with the Canje Pheasant inset at the centre. This is encircled by the inscription, “Guyana Defence Force Military Commemoration Medal”. On the reverse side of the medal is the Victoria Regia Lily, supported by two crossed rifles at the centre, with the words “Fiftieth Anniversary Women’s Army Corps” enscribed. The AWC’s anniversary is being celebrated under the theme, “Celebrating our Women: Empowering them
Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo inspects a guard of honour during the Women’s Army Corps 50th Anniversary Medal Presentation Parade held at the Drill Square, base Camp Ayanganna Tuesday (Samuel Maughn photo)
Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo and Chief-of-Staff of the GDF, Patrick West pose with First Lady, Mrs Sandra Granger and Mrs Sita Nagamootoo for Total Defence”. Week-long activities are being held by the army, with the most recent being a Thanksgiving Service held at the National Cultural Centre, where the First Lady was the guest speaker. SPECIAL INVITEE The army also sent a special invitation to US Navy Rear Admiral, Martha Herb to come and share in celebrating the milestone. Herb was specially selected because of the work she continues to do throughout the Caribbean and the Americas in relation to women’s integration. Women were integrated into the GDF on January 30, 1967 to function as a reserve unit. The WAC
Phillip Mozart Thomas wanted for fraud CIVIL Society activist Dr Phillip Mozart Thomas, who sued former President Donald Ramotar and others for $2.5 billion for libel and slander is now wanted by the Guyana Police Force for questioning in relation to fraud which occurred between 2016-02-04 and 2016-05-20. It is unclear what is the nature of the investigations. Thomas who was the Chairman of the Guyana National Council on Public Policy, Inc. (GNCPP) and the Guyana National Civil Society, Inc. Council (GNCSC), in December 2014 was accused of hosting a two day summit at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre and owed the state-owned
WANTED: Phillip Mozart Thomas Conference Centre GYD$4 million for use of the facility at Liliendaal. Thomas had said that the Conference Centre was
booked for the 17th -19th of December, 2014 and that documents requiring conflicting amounts, one billing him $5million and the other billing him $4.2million were sent to him. Neither is accurate, he had said, as they had billed him for a three-day usage and other services he did not use since he ended up using the Centre on the 17th alone. However, the Conference Centre in a statement had offered a different story stating that its initial bill was approximately $6.6million for the three days, of which he was required to make a 50%down-payment and pay the remaining amount 15:00hrs on the 17th. The Management of the con-
ference centre had noted that Thomas’ initial bill was eventually lowered to$4.2 million after factoring in several concessions. The Conference Centre reportedly said that the GNCPP must pay the full cost since Thomas did not give official notice that he was no longer using the facility on the 18th and 19th and therefore breached his contract. Anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of Thomas is asked to contact the police on telephone numbers 227-2128, 226-1389, 226-7065, 2256411, 225-2227, 225-0575, 911 or the nearest police station. All information will be treated with the strictest confidence.
was, however, formed to complement the number of men in the Force at a time when neighbouring Venezuela seized the Ankoko Islands on the Corentyne River. Captain Joan Granger and Officer Cadets Brenda Aaron, Clarissa Hookumchand and Hyacinth
King of the first company of Women’s Volunteer Corps had undergone training for the newly developed arm. They were later joined by 56 women recruits. The army women were well received on Tuesday as they paraded to a cheering crowd of supporters.
US-based Guyanese jailed for gun smuggling A NATIVE of Guyana, who lives in Georgia, has been sentenced to five years in federal prison after pleading guilty to smuggling dozens of guns to the South American country. Federal prosecutors in Atlanta say 39-year-old Jermine Prosper, who lived in Conyers, legally purchased about 50 guns in Atlanta and smuggled them in shipping barrels to Guyana, where they were sold on the streets. Prosecutors say the legal permanent resident bought the guns between October 2013 and November 2015. They included 34 9 mm pistols, eight .380-caliber pistols and six .25- caliber pistols. He was sentenced last week. (Associated Press)