Guyana chronicle e paper 09 04 2017 by Guyana Chronicle

St Cuthbert’s prepares for grand heritage Day Page 8

‘Smallie’ still in Linden No. 105025

MONDAY,SEPTEMBER 4, 2017

Price: $80

(VAT Inclusive)

–police believe escapee trapped in mining town

Storm uproots utility poles, topples trees at Soesdyke

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790 Guyanese doctors trained in Cuba Pag e 9

Teen brutally beaten by businessman Page 3

WCB opening up 900 acres of farmlands

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A freak storm roared through the Soesdyke-Linden Highway on Sunday uprooting utility poles and toppling and cracking trees in its path. (Samuel Maughn photo)

Revitalised villages will create economic empowerment

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, September 4, 2017

Vendors schooled on food safety

REGION Five school vendors were among several food handlers in the region who were sensitised about safe preparation of food produced for human consumption at a one-day seminar on food safety last Tuesday The seminar was organised by the Region Five Environmental Health Department. School vendors in particular were advised by the organisers about the timeliness of the training exercise, given the imminence of the new school term. Officials said the de-

partment wanted to ensure that foods that are prepared by vendors and sold to children are properly cooked. The seminar was attended by 35 food handlers throughout the region. Other participants at the event which was held at the head office at Bush Lot Village, West Coast Berbice, included itinerant food vendors, snackette owners, restaurant owners and butchers. Environment Department officials disclosed that butchers were specially targeted be-

cause there were concerns about the conditions under which meat was cut, stored and offered for sale by some. Resource persons at the seminar stressed the importance of cleaning and sanitising in the food-making process. They recommended the use of cleaning agents that can reduce the amount of micro-organisms on food contact surfaces, personal hygiene and good manufacturing practices designed to eliminate risks involved in food production. The participants were also

Some of the participants at the food safety seminar held recently in Region Five

provided checklists for pest control monitoring and cleaning waste. The butchers were told of ante-mortem and post-mortem inspections of animals being slaughtered for sale and the hazards associated with raw and cooked meat. They were also briefed on the food safety regulations of Guyana. Last week’s event was part of an ongoing programme to sensitise food handlers in the regions of safe and healthy preparation of food.

Nand Persaud cops another international award THE Nand Persaud Group of Companies Inc continues to set new standards of excellence, becoming the first Guyanese company to receive The 2017 Silver ADDY award, (The American Advertising Award) from Caribbean partners, the Caribbean Advertising Federation (CAF). The company earned the accolade for its social campaign of new brand ‘Pure Acreage Rice.’ At a simple ceremony in the company’s boardroom, Number 36 Village, East Berbice, Corentyne, G & A Communications Inc director Devin Griffith praised Nand Persaud for beating out over 100 competitors to gain the prestigious award. Griffith, in handing over the award, said it is a “major achievement for the company,” which has established a track record for excellence. The Barbados-based G & A Communications Inc has been working with Nand Persaud Group of Companies for the past year in helping it to re-brand, tap into new markets and become a force to be reckoned with on the global market. Griffith said a lot of research was done, including training of the staff and rebranding of the company’s numerous products, starting first with the corporate brand. “Kudos to Nand Persaud

Devesh Persaud of the Nand Persaud Group of Companies receives the award from G & A Communications Inc Managing-Director, Devin Griffith

for finding innovative ways, vision and courage to be creative and we partnered with them to develop a very progressive campaign; so successful was the campaign we recommended it be entered into an international award programme and that programme is done under the American Advertising Federation,of which my company G& A Communications is a member. There is a Caribbean Chapter of the ADDY and through that we were able to enter, being that a regional competition it means that Nand Persaud’s Campaign was very successful.” Nand Persaud Group of

Companies Managing-Director Mohindra Persaud, was happy that the company has again excelled in the international arena. “This will add to the other awards received over the past years. This is something that the company worked for. Our company tries to do things differently, be creative, bearing in mind we are also showcasing Guyana – this is something we will continue to do for Guyana and our company. I always believe if we work on building something, it can build you and I want to put my focus on building Guyana,” Persaud stressed.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, September 4, 2017

Teen allegedly brutalised by businessman

-- police reportedly paid to cover up matter THE parents of a 16-yearold Aishalton teenager plans to leave no stone unturned following the savage “torture” of their son which they allege was done by a Lethem businessman and his employees last Wednesday at the Marudi Mountains backdam. Reports are that the boy was beaten into an unconscious state by the businessman and two associates last Wednesday morning in the Marudi Mountains mining fields in the Rupununi, after the men accused the former Richard Ishmael Secondary School student of theft. According to the young man’s stepfather, Stanly Young, his son works in the backdam where the family has a mining claim. He said on Tuesday night of last week, his stepson along with friends went and partied at a popular spot in the area which he noted is next door to the businessman’s shop. Young, a former police sergeant, said his stepson went to the businessman’s shop while under the influ-

ence of alcohol and asked for some food during the night as he partied with his friends. Reports from the area are that the young man left the shop and slept the night in a truck, which was parked some 100 metres from the shop. According to a resident of Aishalton, on Wednesday morning, the businessman and two employees went to the truck, pulled the sleeping teenager out of the vehicle and accused him of stealing from his shop. Reports are that the businessman, who is well-connected in the Rupununi , placed his boot on the teenager’s throat as he inflicted a sound thrashing with a piece of hose which is used in mining pits. BROKEN TEETH According to an eyewitness, as two men held the lad, the businessman asked for a piece of metal and when provided with the instrument, he continued to beat the teen, breaking two of his teeth in the process. The teen was left lying

on the roadway following the ordeal as he groaned in pain. Young said that while he is not defending his stepson for the accusation of theft levelled against him, he is upset at the manner in which the incident was treated by police ranks who went to investigate it. He said he was told about the incident several hours after it had occurred, noting that his stepson was taken to the Romanex Mining operations in the Marudi area where a medex tended to the injured lad. “They said he was in and out of consciousness,” the concerned man noted. Young said when he arrived at the medical centre at the mining operations, he was told that his stepson’s condition was dire, and as such, he was rushed out from the area on an all-terrain vehicle to Aishalton, some 30 miles away. Young said as he prepared to leave the mining fields for Aishalton, he encountered two young police ranks and he alleged that the officers informed him

that there was nothing they could have done, since the businessman had offered to “settle the matter.” He said he grew angry at the ranks’ statement, noting that as a former policeman, he understands that no one “can take the law into his own hands and get away with it.” He said when he visited his stepson at the Aishalton Hospital on Thursday, the young man refused to say anything, since he was offered a sum of $300,000 by the businessman to remain quiet. He said later in the day, his stepson discharged himself from the hospital and managed to travel back into the backdam to the family’s mining operations. FEARFUL The stepfather said that when he enquired of his wife about his stepson’s condition, she told him that the teen was fearful of two police ranks whom he alleged were after their “cut” of the $300,000 bribe which the businessman had offered.

Marks on the body of the teen following the beating he received Wednesday last

Young said he visited the police station at Aishalton and an officer told him that they had no transportation, and as such, they could not arrest the businessman. “How can they have no transportation to arrest this man, yet two of them were in the backdam the day of the incident speaking with the same businessman?” Young asked. He said that he will me making a formal report on the matter to the Lethem

Police Station today, since he had no trust in the ranks at the Aishalton Police Station, whom he believes are attempting to cover up the matter. He said the businessman’s actions amounts to torture and he plans to ensure that the matter is not swept under the carpet. Repeated calls by this publication to the number of the businessman for a comment on Sunday night proved futile.

Storm uproots utility poles, Bartica youths benefit from topples trees at Soesdyke empowerment programme A FREAK storm roared through the Soesdyke-Linden Highway on Sunday uprooting utility poles and toppling and cracking trees in its path. The occurrence happened even though the hydromet website had forecasted only scattered showers for Sunday. At Splashmins, a Toyota motorcar was damaged as a utility pole crashed onto the windscreen and bonnet. With the aid of an electric saw, the damaged utility pole was cut at the base and removed from the bonnet of the vehicle. Benabs were also damaged and overturned into the creek. The electrical wiring which ran through the water of the creek did not deter patrons from enjoying the water as children and adults continued to splash. “This thing was like a small cyclone that lasted two minutes and just pass through

SOME 115 children from five communities in Bartica, Region Seven have benefited from a one-week youth empowerment programme recently hosted by the police in collaboration with the business community. The programme was held under the theme “Producing skills through creative initiatives” and featured a mini-exhibition and cultural presentation at the Bartica Community Centre on the

works of the children. Commander of ‘F’ Division, Senior Superintendent Ravindradat Budhram said he will continue to provide a safe environment for youths, have programmes and activities that reduce youth crime and keep them fully engaged. “Our strategic direction will be about continuing to expand our mission in the area of crime prevention and ensure that getting young people active in life means

more than just physical health but also mental health, life skills, cultural development and expanding services to the community by giving youth a place to belong,” the senior superintendent added. Budhram commended the youth participants for their behaviour and work displayed at the exhibition. He also encouraged them to be disciplined and lead productive lives.

This utility pole that crashed onto the vehicle was removed with the use of an electric saw

the area quickly,” an eyewitness said. Throughout the highway, trees and vegetation were damaged or uprooted as a result of the storm. In an indication of the strength of the storm, vegetation in some parts faced one direction while scores of uprooted trees and shrubs lined the pathways. Residents of the Soes-

dyke-Linden Highway explained that the storm is an annual phenomenon, but this is the first time it had passed through Splashmins. Last August, another freak storm on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway flattened a house, toppled trees and ripped roofs off buildings, leaving residents, including some with young children, traumatised.

Commander Budhram (seated) with Regional Chairman, Gordon Bradford, and the participants

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, September 4, 2017

U.S. energy industry claws back after Harvey, but gas prices elevated SEVERAL key refineries began restarting over the weekend after Hurricane Harvey slammed into the U.S. Gulf Coast energy hub and crippled their operations, but gasoline prices remained near two-year highs amid fears of shortages. The storm took down a quarter of U.S. oil refining capacity and lifted average gasoline prices by more than 17.5 cents since Aug. 23. On Saturday, ExxonMobil Corp began restarting the country’s second-largest oil refinery, the 560,500 barrels per day (bpd) Baytown, Texas, unit, while Phillips

Clouds from Hurricane Harvey are seen in the background as smoke rises from a burn off at an oil refinery in Corpus Christi, Texas, U.S. August 26, 2017. REUTERS/Adrees Latif/File Photo

66 said it was working to resume operations at its 247,000 bpd Sweeny refinery and at its Beaumont oil and fuels terminal. The restarts followed an announcement from Valero Energy Corp on Friday that it was increasing production at its Corpus Christi, Texas-area refineries. The hurricane battered Texas before weakening to a tropical storm and inundated the region with torrential rains and flooding. Some pipelines also restarted over the weekend, assuaging worries over the ability of refineries to get the crude oil they need to

operate. Magellan Midstream Partners said it had resumed operations on Friday on its BridgeTex and Longhorn crude oil pipelines, which transport around 675,000 bpd of West Texas crude to East Houston. Still, the majority of Texas ports remained closed to large vessels, limiting discharge of imported crude, and the Colonial Pipeline, which hauls more than 3 million bpd of refined products including gasoline, diesel and jet fuel from the Gulf Coast to the populous U.S. Northeast was also partially closed. (Reuters)

Obrador’s message is that corruption is keeping Mexicans poor. “People are fed up with corruption,” Lopez Obrador said. “This is the cancer that we are going to end with our movement.”

sector, that were “transforming” Mexico or “a model from the past that has failed.” Lopez Obrador was the runner-up in Mexico’s past two presidential contests. A victory by him could mark a leftward shift in Latin America’s second-largest economy, where centrist technocrats have held sway for decades, and further complicate relations with top trade partner the United States. Maduro’s government has been criticized by Washington, the United Nations and major Latin American nations for cracking down on protests and failing to allow the entry of foreign humanitarian aid to ease a severe economic crisis. Critics of Lopez Obrador have long sought to depict him as an economic liability, likening him to Maduro’s fiery, late predecessor, Hugo Chavez, in previous runs for the presidency. “Pena Nieto told pure lies. He says all these things, but it’s all corruption,” said 71-year-old Ana Maria Hurtado as she stood among the crowd at the Lopez Obrador rally. (Reuters)

Mexico presidential hopeful rejects comparisons to Venezuela THE current front-runner for Mexico’s 2018 presidential election on Sunday rejected comparisons of his leftist party to Venezuela’s socialist government, saying his movement was a Mexican-made revolution against rampant corruption. Former Mexico City Mayor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has led early opinion polls for the 2018 election, supported by frustration with rising crime and corruption scandals that have battered the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). Just last week, President Enrique Pena Nieto compared the 63-year-old to Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro, suggesting Lopez Obrador could unleash economic chaos if he wins office. “(They are) saying that if MORENA wins Mexico, it’s going to be like Venezuela. That’s a lie!” Lopez Obrador told a crowd of thousands of supporters who rallied at a monument in the nation’s capital. “We’re not taking inspiration from any foreign govern-

DATE: Saturday, September 2, 2017 A

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Saturday, September 2, 2017

ment ... Neither Maduro, nor Donald Trump.” Earlier this year, Pena Nieto’s PRI sought to brand Lopez Obrador’s National Regeneration Movement (MORENA) an ally of Venezuela.

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, leader of the National Regeneration Movement (MORENA), delivers a speech during his rally at Mexican revolution monument in Mexico City, Mexico September 3, 2017.

Analysts have compared Lopez Obrador’s populist appeal to that of Trump. While Trump blamed immigrants and free trade deals for declining incomes among working-class Americans, Lopez

In his annual state of the nation address on Saturday, Pena Nieto did not directly attack Lopez Obrador but he said Mexico faced the choice between backing his reforms, like the opening of the energy

Saturday, September 2, 2017

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, September 4, 2017

AMID deep concerns that United States President Donald J. Trump could end an Obama-era policy of protecting young, illegal Caribbean and other immigrants, top U.S. executives at a number of companies, business groups and academic institutions have collaborated in voicing support for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). In an open letter, more than 350 executives and other organization leaders have urged Trump and congressional leaders to preserve DACA, a five-year-old programme that offers a reprieve from deportation to nearly 800,000 people brought to the U.S. as children, known as “Dreamers,” according to the Wall Street Journal. “Dreamers are vital to the future of our companies and our economy,” the letter says. “They are part of why we will continue to have a global competitive advantage.” The letter was signed by top executives at dozens of tech firms, including Apple, Amazon and Google as well as the chief executives of General Motors and Starbucks as well as leaders of trade groups, nonprofit groups and investors, including Warren Buffett, the Journal said. It said the effort was coordinated by FWD.us, a pro-immigration lobbying group co-founded by Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg, who also signed the letter. The business executives said that denying Dreamers work authorization could result in the loss of US$460.3 billion from the US economy and US$24.6 billion in Social Security and Medicare tax contributions. The White House has also faced pressure to end DACA from critics of the programme who complain that it wasn’t authorized by Congress and is an overreach of executive authority, the Journal said, adding that a group of conservative states have threatened to sue the administration if it doesn’t act to end the programme by September 5. During the presidential

campaign, Trump called the programme an “unconstitutional executive amnesty,” but softened his stance after he took office, according to the Journal. On Friday, Trump said he would announce a decision by Tuesday on whether he will

ried, Trump did not respond directly but expressed sympathy. “We love the Dreamers, we love everybody,” Trump said in the Oval Office, flanked by faith leaders after signing a proclamation of a day of prayer for those

end DACA, declaring, “We love the Dreamers,” even as his White House grappled with how to wind down their legal status, according to the New York Times. It said Trump has agonized publicly over the fate of immigrants who were brought to the United States without authorization as children, and who are now protected from deportation and allowed to work under the programme. In recent days, White House officials have recommended that the president end DACA. Several administration officials said that Trump is likely to phase out the programme, but his advisers have engaged in a vigorous behind-the-scenes debate over precisely how to do so, the Times said, noting that officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because no decision was final, also cautioned that the president was conflicted about the issue and could suddenly change his mind. Asked on Friday whether “Dreamers” should be wor-

affected by Hurricane Harvey. “We think the Dreamers are terrific.” In recent days, US Attorney General Jeff Sessions and White House Counsel Donald F. McGahn II have privately made it clear to Trump that they could not defend the programme in court, and a group of state attorneys general led by Ken Paxton in Texas have threatened to mount a legal challenge if the president did not act to end it by Tuesday, the Times said. But asked Friday whether the Dreamers impacted by the storm in Texas and Louisiana were weighing on Trump as he contemplated the fate of the programme, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, said: “The decision itself is weighing on him, certainly.” As the White House struggled to get its rollout in place, pressure was building from a diverse coalition of supporters, including immigration advocacy groups, business executives and some elected Republican officials,

for Trump to keep the programme. “I actually don’t think he should do that,” Speaker Paul D. Ryan said of ending DACA, speaking on a radio station in his home state of Wisconsin. “I believe that this is something Congress

has to fix.” Senator Orrin G. Hatch of Utah, the longest-serving Republican, said in a statement: “I’ve urged the president not to rescind DACA.” He called for a permanent legislative solution to address recipients’ legal status.

The Republican Governor of Florida, Rick Scott, said: “I do not favor punishing children for the actions of their parents. “These kids must be allowed to pursue the American dream,” he said, adding: “Congress must act on this immediately.” Pro-immigration activists said it would be particularly cold-hearted for Trump to end DACA as Texas is struggles to recover from Hurricane Harvey, according to the Times. “If DACA were to be repealed, they’re going to be going after many young immigrants and families that have been affected by Harvey, that have been trying to keep their lives together,” said Efrén C. Olivares, the racial and economic justice director at the Texas Civil Rights Project. “Considering a repeal of DACA would be just shocking for anyone who claims to care about Texas and its communities,” he added. (CMC)

Editorial Sustaining the Indigenous culture

THIS month is designated Indigenous Peoples Heritage Month. President Cheddi Jagan in 1995 had so declared the month to honour the contributions of the nation’s First Peoples, given its specific significance. On 10th September, 1957, Stephen Campbell was elected to the National Assembly, making him the first Amerindian to be a Member of Parliament. This year’s observance is being held under the theme, “Guyana’s First Peoples Sustaining a rich cultural environment” and Minister of Indigenous Peoples Affairs, Sydney Allicock, told the opening last Friday that this year’s theme is timely, as it is in keeping with the government’s approach of a ‘green’ economy. He said that the indigenous peoples have learned from their forbearers, the value of adherence to the virtues of nature; the people have learned that living as one with nature is the most important lesson if they are to survive, be comfortable with themselves and others, while providing a universal guarantee that the natural

environment remains intact for posterity. Allicock said the younger generations must seek out with enthusiasm those older, wiser ones from their midst and make maximum use of their wisdom and teachings. He urged them to use the products of the electronic age to record, for those to follow, the practices, that will help them to realise the true meaning of this year’s heritage theme. Minister Allicock emphasised that every Guyanese has a role “in bringing to life the culturally valuable teachings which can serve not only to inspire, but also to realise the green economy.” He noted that Guyanese must be proud to celebrate and tell the world with great pride that the rainforest of Guyana is an invaluable resource which supports life. Heritage Month provides numerous opportunities for our diverse society to know more about the Indigenous community, and ways in which our common interests can be pursued to the collective growth and development of all the people and the nation.

For it is only through understanding, appreciation and respect for the other, accompanied by requisite institutional protection, can people in a multicultural society co-exist in peace and harmony. This month’s event, coming on the heels of the just-concluded National Toshaos Conference, presents an additional opportunity to shine the spotlight on the equal importance of this group to nation-building and their contributions thus far. Whereas the Toshaos conference allowed the leaders to meet among themselves and interact with the government to craft a course of action for their development, Heritage Month allows national and expansive participation in the unique culture of our First Peoples. To this country’s credit and that of its various administrations there remains continuous efforts on the part of Government to ensure the Indigenous Peoples’ culture gets its deserving space and respect in the national culture. Such augurs well for our national motto, “One People, One Nation, One Destiny”.

Though this community came to these shores through the Bering Strait of their own volition, the foundation of this society as we know it was laid on exploitation and discrimination, and ensnared the group as the first casualty. Thus today, this oneness of experience - though groups have been affected to varying degrees - requires of us seeking understanding of the heritage of the other, to do so with open, enquiring and receptive minds. It is to this nation’s benefit to learn how this community, who primarily occupy the hinterland regions, have been able to co-exist with nature through the centuries. Also, when the world is also looking at alternative medicine, foods and other merchandise, including those organically grown and preserved, lessons can be learnt and economic and employment opportunities obtained from and within this community. Where emphases are placed on Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, which entail good environmental practices and the use and proper management of indigenous

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, September 4, 2017

resources, those on the coastland can be empowered with knowledge from their hinterland counterparts. With the fascination and fierce loyalty to modern technology, it should be borne in mind that over the ages this would have evolved from earliest man’s intuition and wisdom in understanding the environment and developing the tools to enhance his well-being. In architecture, persons can witness the marvel of the ingenuity of the Wai Wai tribe in the construction of the Umana Yana ( a Wai Wai term meaning “meeting place of the people”) without nails in 1972 during the Forbes Burnham administration for Guyana’s hosting of the Non-Aligned Foreign Ministers Conference. The building was used as the VIP Lounge and recreation centre for the dignitaries and has retained its pre-eminence for hosting events. Moreover, evidence can readily be seen in the country’s name, Guyana ( i.e. land of many

waters) the national flag (the Golden Arrowhead, which pays homage to the potency of the arrow), the national honours (Cacique Crown of Honour and Arrow of Achievement) and coat of arms (the crest is an Amerindian head-dress). In foods, there are the renowned pepper-pot and cassava bread, the airport (Timehri), and for relaxation the hammock, to name some. Our Indigenous brothers and sisters have contributed to every facet of this nation’s growth and development and space will not allow the recounting of every aspect. Neither will one month suffice in recounting this proud heritage. And though the children of independent Guyana have had the benefit of learning of the Indigenous Peoples’ heritage to varying degrees, creating more opportunities for deeper knowledge can only work to the holistic development of all Guyanese.

Guyanese continue to be harassed in Barbados Dear Editor,

NUMEROUS complaints have been made against a sister CARICOM country, Barbados, for its brutality and hostility against Guyanese citizens, who are also citizens of the Caribbean. Guyanese who have experienced the hostility over many years, are of the view that past and current Governments have not done enough to halt this state of affairs. The following comments below were written to the Barbados newspaper, BARBADOS TODAY. “I am writing as a GUYANESE JOURNALIST and a CARICOM CITIZEN, concerning the treatment of Guyanese citizens who may have

committed acts that could be considered illegal, but are harshly treated, which is a serious breach of their Rights. We often forget that we are supposed to be CITIZENS OF THE CARIBBEAN. Guyanese citizens, who have had to leave Guyana over the last 30 years or more have lived in Barbados -observing the LAWS and RULES of the Barbadian society. They have grown to be part of that society, but yet treated by a SECTION of the law-enforcement body, as criminals before keeping a fair hearing by the judicial system. There are Guyanese -- a minority -- who have abused the hospitality of the host country. They should be dealt

with, accordingly, for breaking the law and for bringing the Guyanese people into disrespect and disrepute. Guyanese, who indulge in the drug trade must be incarcerated when found guilty, but must be given fair trials. Justice delayed is justice denied. Prisoners are held in the remand for a long period, without trial, which causes much anguish for the imprisoned and their relatives. Reports emanating from relatives reveal that the arrested persons are normally brutally beaten by the interrogating police officers, to extract vital information, contrary to the constitution of Barbados and the UN Convention on Human Rights. This inhumane action by the police leads to self-confession

-- forced admission. The absolute truth is, CARICOM is not working and is led by the kind of leadership that seems not to know what to do, as an integrated COMMUNITY. Citizens of the Caribbean have led the way on true integration -through inter-marriages and business partnerships in the respective countries -- but the governments have not taken that into account and have not brought our economies closer to functioning in our interest. Rice and other products that Guyanese produce are not given the fixed trade relationship that are required by the CARICOM agreements. Integration has no meaning to its citizens, due to the non-functioning of the

INTEGRATION PROCESS. Our leaders talk and talk, but very little gets done. The Guyanese who run away to find employment in other neighbouring countries can produce food to supply the entire Caribbean, but our AGRICULTURAL POLICIES that would allow us to meet the FOOD DEMANDS of our people are not being implemented. Our Government in Guyana talks about AGRO-INDUSTRY, but there is no real effort to achieve these goals. The people of Guyana are left on their own to achieve the goals set by our governments. IMMIGRATION has remained a sore issue, which has never been addressed by Guyanese governments,

the past and the present. The depressed economies of the Caribbean are not addressed in a manner that suits the needs of our people. Haiti, the most economically backward country in the region, has some of the most hardworking and peace-loving people, but are not allowed to travel and live in Guyana and other territories of the Caribbean, without a work permit. The policy of FREE MOVEMENT OF LABOUR AND CAPITAL, the protocol under the CARICOM agreement, has become meaningless, and our politicians are afraid of their own shadows. Regards, JINNAH RAHMAN

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, September 4, 2017

The love of many has waxed cold Dear Editor, THERE are many sad stories daily in our country. First, I start with the rise in crime on a daily basis. A few days ago, a young man who tried to rob a woman was shot dead by a security guard and yesterday one of the prison escapees was shot dead; both of whom were former policemen or attached to the police force. I also recalled the recent bank robbery executed by a young agronomist who was also shot and killed. The rest of his young, educated colleagues are now in prison. I wish to appeal to our young men and women of this country to work hard to achieve their goals and don’t follow a life of crime; life is about choices and many of our young Guyanese men are following a life of crime to get rich quickly, they do not wish to work hard to earn a living; they blame government, they make bad

choices to get easy money by robbing people that bring them to their deaths at very young ages by the police and security men. It’s very sad when these very young, educated and talented men are cut off very early in life because they made bad choices in life. Our bad economy and unemployment are other significant factors in crimes and social problems. The foundation of crime begins with bad parents and family background. Too many “live home” lifestyles and “child mother” and “child father” business, but NO MARRIAGE, where mother and father will be responsible for bringing up their children in the fear of God. In Guyana today, most criminals never knew their parents, they grew up with grandparents, aunts, uncles and even in the streets and many ghetto areas most of these young candidates of heinous crimes lack parental guidance and love, thus

they barely attend school or are completely illiterate. The educated criminals may come from good family backgrounds but made bad choices to get rich quickly and they learn about crime by associating with street criminals and lived away from their families. Drugs and alcohol abuse and dance hall music are also contributing factors to crime. I made a call on our Government once to ban all Dance Hall immoral music, for example, Alkaline sing songs in whch he smokes dope and has lots of nude women dancing around him; our young men want to emulate that same lifestyle from these evil,and wicked singers, thus following a path of easy money. I am calling again on our Government our President the Hon.David Granger to ban all Alkaline, Mavado, Vibez Kartel, Konshens, Popcaan, Lady Saw etc. all these guys’ songs are loaded with cuss words and pornography that are destroy-

ing our young people here in Guyana. Today I read of a young couple who slammed into a car with their motor bike and died, an 18-month-old girl was flung out of a window and then buried alive by her ex-convict uncle, who then covered the shallow grave with several pieces of wood to hide his tracks early yesterday. Then a few weeks ago a house fell on a 12-year- old girl and killed her; a few days later, a 15year-old boy who was in love with her committed suicide. Next, a seven-year-old girl child went missing in the Atlantic Ocean while her dad was fishing and she is yet to be found. Many of our young people are dying and I call on all parents to be more careful with their children. These are very sad stories today in our country. A lot of young people are dying in road accidents and it seems as if it doesn’t bother anyone in authority. Then

Dear Editor, THE economic slowdown in the country has impacted every entity in Guyana, causing most businesses to make tough but necessary personnel decisions in all of their operations, including layoffs and redundancies. Is it not time for the bankrupt Georgetown municipality to do the same and consider reducing overtime; freezing hiring; salary freezes; downsizing and layoffs; salary reductions; furloughs; tempo-

rary shutdowns of some of its sections; work-sharing arrangements; shortened work week or workdays; and eliminating training programmes, especially overseas ones?. On a visit to any of the Council’s offices, one would see sections such as the Public Relations Section that has a large strength of cameramen, administrative and support staff, who idle all day long; or the Internal Audit Department with many persons just twiddling their thumbs as they say.

Let us face it, why does a purportedly cashstrapped municipality that is doing nothing positive for the citizens, need a public relations department? To write an occasional letter to the press and to host an insipid weekly television programme? The citizens don’t need a green washing tool, to just carry out acts of window dressing, they need a clean and healthy city. And having a large audit department in a municipality that has

not had its accounts audited, qualified or presented to the citizenry for decades, is nothing short of a sick joke. Maybe these staff members of the Audit Department should be reclassified and sent after delinquent ratepayers. Rather than crying out each day and harassing persons each day for more revenue, the Council needs to simply cut its expenditure.

City Hall wage bill still very high

Regards, MATEO PHELEPE

M&CC should recruit more constables to patrol city Dear Editor, WITNESSING the Mayor of Georgetown receive 30 bicycles from the U.S. Embassy in Georgetown to augment the capability of the City Constabulary in the press recently, filled me with hope that it will change that ragtag law-enforcement agency into one that can be regarded as: intense, versatile, professional, and one that can cover almost every known aspect of crime prevention or law enforcement

in Georgetown. One can only hope that they would now employ 60 fresh, intelligent, qualified, honest and capable recruits (not friends, family members and church pals) to work a two-shift patrol in each ward of the city to significantly reduce the current high crime rate. They should also not recycle the old tainted constables that are accustomed to harassing persons, and shaking down vendors, better known as the ‘black bag phenomenon by the sardine

police’ for the job as a bike patrol officer. Bike squads all over the world have allowed for faster officer response times, and in a city as congested as Georgetown, it will allow Constabulary members to quickly transition from their traditional law-enforcement duties to more service-oriented work and because bike patrols run on human power rather than gas, their carbon footprint will be much smaller than the patrol vans they are known for chasing vendors

around in. But the thought also struck me that maybe the ‘Fantastic Four’ could borrow a few of their bicycles and use it for their bodyguards, their personal assistants and themselves to commute around Georgetown, so as push their ‘green’ city agenda, to save the municipality thousands of dollars each day in gas and get them into shape physically. Regards, JERMAIN JOHNSON

we have the deaths of young pilots flying defective planes or they hardly can fly these planes that crashed killing them. I ask a question here, why these planes don’t have parachutes to save the lives of these pilots and passengers in a time of difficulty? I believe the pilots should be prepared at all times for these emergencies. Suicide has now become a way of life for young people, so this tells me that religious education should be taught in our schools and university to let young people know that God created them with a plan and purpose in this life; we must have dreams, goals and visions. All of this evil comes from a great family breakdown in our nation. All this evil I see here is also a spiritual, moral, and demonic problem. We need a spiritual revival in this nation, and our citizens will have the fear of God in their hearts and love for our fellow brothers

and sisters. People can go party late at nights and go back home drunk that cost them their lives, but refused to attend a church service that will last for two hours. Human selfishness caused so many innocent young women to be killed the love of God died long ago from our hearts. Jesus said: ‘’And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. ’‘Matthew 24:12 This simply means because of our increased wickedness, the love of God in our hearts for each other will become cold. It’s time all our political leaders come together for a month of fasting and prayer and introduce religious studies into all our academic institutions. We are a Nation too young to die from lawlessness and immorality WE NEED TO ARREST IT NOW.

Regards, REV. GIDEON CECIL

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, September 4, 2017

Grand Heritage Day celebrations this weekend By Alva Solomon

A LIFEGUARD team has been activated at St Cuthbert’s Mission off the Soesdyke-Linden Highway for Heritage Day activities on the weekend of September 9-10 as part of Indigenous Month celebrations. The Arawak village has been designated the official village by the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs for this year’s celebrations and Toshao Lenox Shuman told this newspaper that preparations are ongoing for this weekend’s event . This year for the first time, the village has held auditions for persons who wish to perform at the heritage celebrations. Shuman told the Guyana Chronicle during a visit to the village on Sunday that the Village Council is working to ensure that high-quality activities are showcased to visitors this coming weekend. In addition to the formal ceremony and games, other activities carded for the weekend are arrow and spear-throwing, “tocuma bursting” and straw-related activities. He said the lifeguarding initiative has been in the works over the past

year. “Immediately after an incident last year, we as a council put together a lifeguard course,” he said, noting that a Peace Corps volunteer has been assisting locals in that regard. “We are expecting a good turnout for the 9th,” he said. Persons who wish to overnight are encouraged to bring their hammocks. “We don’t have shortage of hammock space,” he said with a smile, noting that residents would not be mindful to accommodate visitors who wish to sling their hammocks while overnighting. Shuman offered a tour of the new benab which is under construction and which should be ready by

Handicraft on display at the village office

mid-week. He said a stage has been added to the round structure and residents have been working overtime to prepare the facility for the celebrations.

The village is working towards re-energising its culture and the council has set aside part of its budget for the cultural activities. A Heritage Committee

Female teams participate in a game of volleyball at St Cuthbert’s Mission on Sunday afternoon. The sport is among several which will be on the cards at the celebrations next weekend

The benab will be the host venue for the formal ceremony at the village

has been planning the event over the past several months and Shuman said the council has encouraged its sub-committees to be empowered to carry out their respective

mandates. “From my side and from the council’s side, it is to empower the committee to do the work, so that at the end of the day you don’t have to depend on someone to be empowered,” he said. Annually, thousands of persons would flock the village. The entrance fee for vehicles to the village this year varies. For pick-ups and cars, the fee is $1000, for minibuses $1500 and for trucks the fee is $2000. Signage to this effect will be placed at the entrance of the village and the funds generated from the fees will be utilised to cover the cost of preparations for this year’s celebrations.

This villager was eager to showcase her “fly” wine, which will be on sale next weekend

A sign along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway indicates the entrance to the village

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, September 4, 2017

790 Guyanese doctors trained in Cuba By Rabindra Rooplall MORE than 100 Guyanese will be graduating in the field of medicine next year, adding up to a total of 790 to have graduated in Cuba and Cuban Ambassador Julio César González Marchante said Guyana will benefit from more scholarships. The Cuban envoy said Cuban physicians, other health professionals and those in other spheres are a reflection of the solidarity and internationalism the Cuban people and Government practice. He said there are more

than 50,000 Cuban collaborators in 70 countries. “Here in Guyana, we have 202 health collaborators deployed in seven regions of the 10 in the country, who today continue more than 41 years of uninterrupted Cuban health collaboration in Guyana. Among them, special recognition today goes to the 74 professors and other persons linked to the undergraduate teaching for the excellent work they have done,” the Cuban ambassador said. Solidarity uplifts human beings, González Marchante noted, adding that the

Cuban Revolution and its leaders, Fidel and Raul Castro, together with the Cuban

sonable ideas triumph. He noted that hundreds of thousands of Cubans have

Cuban Ambassador Julio César González Marchante

people have promoted and multiplied this, convinced of its value to make their rea-

fulfilled internationalist missions in different sectors like education, construction

and health with its ‘Army of White Coats’ that contribute to saving lives daily and help in elevating the quality of life and expectancy around the world. Cuba cooperates in making doctors available at the international level, and they have elevated the sanitary indicators in the world. “We are training thousands of physicians, nurses, dentists, technicians and technologists in all the specialties,” the diplomat underscored. Further, the Cuban envoy said the Latin American School of Medicine, created

in 1999, is an example of Cuba’s cooperation in the health sector. A programme of scholarships for foreign students has graduated around 49,000 health professionals from 135 countries and from them more than 28,000 have graduated from the Latin American School of Medicine. On Wednesday last, 38 medical doctors who have spent the last six years in Cuba studying, graduated at a ceremony hosted by the Department of Public Service, Ministry of the Presidency, at the National Cultural Centre.

Gov’t freezes assets of former MP, other 200 from Victory Valley benefit from medical outreach

IN what can be described as a historic move, the government has ordered that the assets of former Member of Parliament (MP), Adul Kadir, and his accomplice Abdel Nur be frozen years after they were found guilty of terrorist-related charges.

nancing of Terrorism Act. The UN Security Resolution calls for the freezing of funds and other financial assets or economic resources without delay belonging to persons who commit or attempt to commit terrorist acts or participate in or facilitate the commission of terrorist acts, of entities owned or controlled directly or indirectly by such persons.

Convicted: Adul Kadir

Minister within the Ministry of Finance, Jaipaul Sharma, acting on behalf of the substantive Finance Minister Winston Jordan, on August 29, 2017, issued a Targeted Financial Sanctions Order against Kadir and Nur in keeping with the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act. The minister, in issuing the order, explained that the sanctions are also in keeping with the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1373 referred to in section 2(2)(1)(A) of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Fi-

Convicted: Abdel Nur

In December 2010, Kadir, who is also known as Aubrey Michael Seaforth, was sentenced to life in prison for plotting to blow up fuel tanks at the John F. Kennedy International Airport back in 2007. He was sentenced to life at a time when he continuously pleaded his innocence. “At no time did I have any intention or believe in bringing any harm to

the people of this country by the terrorist acts I happened to be identified with,” Kadir told a judge in federal court in Brooklyn. But the U.S. District Court Judge Dora Irizarry, in response, told Kadir that there was ample evidence to suggest that he was a key player in “a plan that would have caused devastation unimaginable.” Kadir and Russell Defreitas, a former JFK cargo handler, were arrested and charged with multiple counts of conspiracy in 2007 after an informant infiltrated the plot and recorded them discussing it. Meanwhile, the United States Government had contended that Kadir and Nur were associated with the Trinidad-based Jamaat al Muslimeen, a militant Muslim group. Kadir was arrested in Trinidad and Tobago and was extradited to the U.S. On August 2, 2010, Kadir – along with Russell Defreitas – was convicted in a jury trial for the JFK airport bomb plot. According to U.S. court documents, Kadir was the disciple of Mohsen Rabbani, an Iranian diplomat accused of being one of the masterminds behind the 1994 AMIA bombing in Buenos Aires. Nur had pleaded guilty before the trial and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

By Naomi Marshall

THE Healthy Living Health Club hosted yet another outreach on Saturday, targeting the residents of Victory Valley, Wismar, Linden. Some 200 residents of the Victory Valley community benefited from the back to school/ medical outreach. The residents received medical services such as blood glucose and blood pressure testing, resulting in many persons being referred to the Linden Hospital Complex. In addition, school supplies such as books, pencils, water bottles and bags were also given to children of the community. Chairman of the Community Development Council (CDC) group in Victory Valley, An-

Residents of Victory Valley at the outreach

thony Roberts, said Saturday’s event was exceptional and he is pleased with what the Healthy Living Health Club has done for his community. “My people benefited. Once my people happy, I’m happy because my duty is to make my people life as easy as possible,” Roberts said.

Founder of Healthy Living Health Club, Colwyn Allen, with one of the beneficiaries and her guardian

The residents of the community expressed their gratitude to the medical team. “I must commend the organisation and who organise it. It is a good thing because I’m certain that there are persons who benefited from it, especially the school children,” said John Griffith, a Victory Valley resident. The Healthy Living Health Club has had eight outreaches in the past with the first being held in August of 2016 in the Bamia community. The club has 35 members, consisting of medical students, nurses, housewives and teachers, among others. According to founder of the club, Colwyn Allen, attention will next be placed on Rockstone, Blueberry Hill and Oruro. The outreach was sponsored by Snook’s Variety Store, Levi’s Variety Store, Shanghai, S&S Little Corner, Banks DIH (Linden Branch), Nurse Mariam of the One Mile Health Centre and her husband, Mohabir’s Variety Store, Corwin Brian, Dairy Treat and Green Money Entertainment.

Storm delays opening of Kako Primary THE Kako Primary School, Region Seven, will not be opened today for the new academic year following Saturday’s storm which damaged sections of the school and 16 other buildings while flattening two houses in the process. Regional Chairman Gordon Bradford said the school records have been

soaked and most would not be recoverable. In a late-night interview with the Guyana Chronicle on Sunday, Regional Executive Officer (REO) Roderick Edinboro said the damage to the school was severe, pointing out that zincs were ripped from the roof and records and books were destroyed. A regional team is in

the community making an assessment to begin repairs to ensure the school can reopen as soon as possible. According to Edinboro, it is not likely that the school will be closed for more than a week. Reports coming out of Kako indicate that some 16 buildings suffered damage, six were completely destroyed.

“Two houses were completely flattened,” the REO told the Guyana Chronicle. However, he said a total of 13 families have been displaced due to the damage done. The displaced families, he posited, are being accommodated at a guest- house in the community with supplies being provided by the Regional Democratic Council (RDC)

with support from the Civil Defence Commission (CDC). Additionally, Edinboro said that residents with the backing of the RDC have already commenced restoration. Already, one house is being rebuilt while remedial works are being done on others. A severe thunderstorm accompanied by strong

winds caused damage to the buildings on Saturday night. Deputy Director-General of the CDC, Major Kester Craig, confirmed that there were no reports of deaths or serious injury. Major Craig had said that based on reports, some of the houses lost roofs in the process. Kamarang, also in Region Seven, was affected.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, September 4, 2017

SEPARATING CHILDREN FROM PARENTS MANY single mothers and fathers do a very good job at bringing up their children: whether they are boys or girls, these parents do what they can because they

want the best for their children. On occasions however, when a separation is far from amicable, children are prevented from seeing their estranged parents.

Some adults believe it is better for parents to part and go their separate ways, than stay together for the sake of the children, only to argue, fight and go through ‘grown-

up issues’ and ‘meltdowns’ in front of them. Of course, these are not ingredients for a healthy family life, so parting seems the more sensible option. When a break-up

happens, it is somewhat traumatic for the parents, but what they sometimes fail to realise is that it can be as equally, if not more traumatic, for the children involved. Children learn to trust and bond during their formative years and they form special relationships with their parents. These relationships are deep, because children are a part of both parents, not just one. That’s why they need both parents in their lives: having both parents gives them balance and stability and helps them to stay focused and feel confident about themselves. It is a well-known and proven fact that, whatever type of mother or father a child has, whether they are a drunken alcoholic, a drug addict, a ‘total loser’, or even if it is someone who has deserted them, the child will always want to know them. Even if it is just to see them, touch them, talk with them and compare themselves to them in gesture, features or ways. All children need to know who their parents are. Even if after they have met them, they then decide never to see them again, at least they would always have the satisfaction of knowing from whom they came. It is natural for a child to want to know his/her parents and it is natural for children to want to live with or spend time with both parents if possible. No parent should deny a child from seeing and being with his/ her estranged mother or father, unless there is a risk of danger or abuse

towards the child, or the estranged parent is totally unfit to be around the child for mental or other dysfunctional reasons. When things go wrong between adults, it really is not the fault of the children and they should not be made to suffer because of their parents’ shortcomings. Instead, decisions pertaining to children should be made between separated parents in order to cause as little disruption and anguish to their children’s lives as possible. Most parents claim to love their children, yet in some cases they ‘use them’ directly or indirectly to get back at their former partner or to hurt him/her in some way and as usual, when adults play their games, it is the children who suffer. Even though it may not seem apparent, children suffer a lot of pain through their parents’ actions: They are bound to a sense of loyalty towards their parents (and adult carers) even when the adult is doing something that is not sensible or totally wrong. Children really do not need to be dragged through the mire of a failed adult relationship; they just need space, love and time to grow t o t h e i r f u l l e s t p o t e ntial with no baggage attached. As adults and parents, we at least owe them that. If you are concerned about the welfare of a child you can ring the CPA hotline 227 0979 or email chilcaregy@ gmail.co A Message from the Childcare and Protection Agency, Ministry of Social Protection

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, September 4, 2017

Region Five emergency works moving apace

SEVERAL Region Five Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) emergency projects funded and executed by the regional administration are currently ongoing and were about 70 per cent complete last week. The works being done are supplementary to the works approved by government subvention and are being funded by the regional administration from its 2017 budget, Regional Executive Officer Ovid Morrison said. The NDCs throughout the region are benefitting from improved environmental

sanitation and reduced instances of flooding as a result of the works done, including cleaning of hundreds of rods of canals and internal drains in each one. Morrison said the NDCs which have benefited from emergency works to date include the NDCs of Bath/ Woodley Park, Blairmont/Gelderland, Woodlands/Farm, Rosignol-Zee Lust, Union /Naarstigheid, Bel/Air Woodlands, Hamlet/ Chance, Tempie/Seafield and Profitt/Rising Sun. Morrison said the original intention of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) was to

hand over maintenance of the cleared networks to the NDCs for manual maintenance. He noted, however, that many of these bodies were cash-strapped and therefore the administration would have to assist them in the maintenance of their networks to ensure that the residential drains and canals do not deteriorate once more due to neglect. He said further that the RDC intends to complete the outstanding NDC emergency works by mid-September and will then make arrangements for manual mainte nance afterwards.

Emergency works at Bath/Woodley Park NDC

‘Smallie’ still in Linden –police believe escapee still trapped in mining town By Vanessa Braithwaite POLICE Public Relations Officer Jairam Ramlakhan is of the belief that death row prison escapee Royden Williams is still in Linden, even though the Joint Services which have launched an extensive manhunt to recapture him, have not received a breakthrough thus far. On Thursday, Williams reportedly narrowly escaped ranks who pounced on him and another escapee Uree Varswyck, who was shot dead in a Central Amelia’s Ward shack where they were hiding out. Police have since taken

the owner of the shack, 52-year-old Linden Orin Gordon known as “Priest,” as well as another person into custody for questioning. Ramlakhan said the two should be charged this week for harbouring the escapees, if the investigation that is ongoing proves that they were. Meanwhile, acting Commander of ‘E’ Division Superintendent Anthony Vanderhydren confirmed that family members of Uree Varswyck have positively identified him and his body is still at the Wismar Hospital Mortuary. There continues to be

heavy police presence in Amelia’s Ward and the Soesdyke/ Linden Highway and residents of Linden are encouraged to report any sign of Williams to the police. On Thursday evening, Varswyck was shot in a yard in Central Amelia’s Ward, located 10 lots away from the Amelia’s Ward outpost. Neighbours told the Guyana Chronicle that they had spotted Williams up to a week ago, but did not take it for anything, since the yard is often filled with Rastafarians smoking marijuana. The Guyana Chronicle was reliably informed that the escapees had been hid-

Wanted man: Royden Williams

ing out in Linden for a few weeks. The police retrieved from the house a 9mm pistol with 40 live rounds, bags of pastries, beverages, medication, a tear gas mask, ropes, army clothing and toiletries, among other items.

Search launched for missing fisherman POLICE in the North West District have launched a search for Edward O’Neal, 25, a Venezuela-based Guyanese fisherman who went missing in the Barima River in the wee hours of Sunday morning. The man who is feared drowned, went missing while on the way to his girlfriend’s home. The Barima River is a tributary of the Orinoco River, entering six kilometres from the Atlantic Ocean. It originates in Guyana, flowing for approximately 340 kilometres before entering Venezuela about 80 kilometres from its mouth Police said initial reports indicate that O’Neal,

along with 19-year-old Kamal Hosea of Aruka River, North West District, left the Kumaka landing intoxicated in a boat powered by a 75hp engine. It is alleged that the boat hit a wood and veered into nearby bushes. Kamal told police that he then looked around but did not see O’Neal. He called for help and a nearby resident came out with torchlights and they both began searching for O’Neal, but did not find him. The resident then took Kamal to Mabaruma Hospital where he is recovering from minor injuries, while the search is ongoing for O’Neal.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, September 4, 2017

‘Queh-Queh-Nite’ lights up Guyana Folk Festival

LAST Friday evening, the auditorium of the St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church in Brooklyn, New York was transformed into a grand Queh queh, as one of the main events planned for this year’s Guyana Folk Festival. Both the local and Guyanese communities gathered to participate in this African- Guyanese tradition, which has been an annual event of the fest. The Queh queh is a celebration the night before the marriage ceremony of a couple and involves the singing of traditional songs, dancing, eating and drinking. The festivity allows the two families the opportunity to become acquainted whilst they share marriage advice to the potential bride and groom. Friday night’s Queh queh kicked off with ‘a

ganda’ where the celebrants sprinkled rum on the floor, to invite the spirits of the dead to come and be part of the celebration. This was followed by the greeting song – “Good Night Ay, then by the general invitation to all the visitors attending – “Come to My Queh queh.” The buying of the bridegroom followed with much laughter and banter as advice on matrimonial matters was dispensed, and a demand for a demonstration of the couple’s sexual skill as the song “Show Me Yuh Science” was chanted. The evening closed with the departure song “Las Wan, Las Wan”. Friday evening’s festivities saw persons of all ethnic backgrounds participating, including the Karao indigenous troupe who graced the occasion

with a cultural dance as they encouraged persons to embrace Guyana’s diverse cultures. “Culture is the framework that defines… it is the framework for history,” remarked New York State Senator, Kevin Parker, who took time out to attend the function. While Queh queh celebrations are not as popular as they once were, the hosting of a Queh queh night as part of this year’s fest serves as a reminder of Guyana’s rich African cultural roots and traditions. It is the aim of the Guyana Cultural Association of New York to encourage Guyanese at home and abroad to make Queh queh, with its distinctive music and dance, part of their educational and cultural experience. (GINA/DPI)

A large turnout for Queh Queh night at the St Stephens Lutheran Church, Brooklyn, New York

Persons playing traditional drums, creating the festive beat for Queh Queh songs

A woman dances at the Queh Queh celebration

Big boost for Ithaca farmers -- some 900 acres of land soon to be opened up for farming By Clifford Stanley THE Rural Agricultural Infrastructure Development project (RAID) which will open up 900 acres of hitherto unproductive lands at Ithaca, West Bank Berbice, for agricultural purposes has advanced closer to commencement. Residents recently approved the proposed Drainage and Irrigation (D&I) layout submitted by the design consultants SRKN’ gineering. A Ministry of Agriculture source said as part of the design consultants deliverables for Ithaca, the company was required to propose a suitable layout for the 900 acres of

lands. Meetings were held on August 8 and 11 at Ithaca Primary School with members of the Ithaca Agriculture Land Development Association (IALDA) and various departments of the Ministry of Agriculture, where SRKN’ gineering presented the proposed D&I layout. The villagers commented on and approved the layout and with the incorporation of their comments and acceptance of the proposed designs, the consultants last week were finalising the cost estimate and tender documents for the procurement of contractors for the first phase of the project. Some of the proposed

works to be undertaken are land-clearing, construction of secondary drainage and irrigation system (canals, drains, control structures etc), rehabilitation of access dams and establishment of pasture lands and farms plots (2- 15 acre plots). The source said it was anticipated that the award of contract for the execution of the works will be given by mid-November 2017. The opening up of unused fertile lands aback Ithaca is being made possible under a loan granted to the Government of Guyana by the CARICOM Development Fund (CDF). For land-clearing, the Government of Guyana will be

buying all the equipment to ensure that this aspect of the project proceeds as planned. It will purchase a longboom excavator and a D6 bulldozer to be assigned for land-clearing. Tractors and other equipment will also be purchased to assist the farmers with land preparation for the various crops they may elect to grow. The equipment will be kept by the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) and under RAID, the farmers will be able to access them on formal request to the NDIA. The National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) and the Guyana Livestock Development Au-

thority (GLDA) will be tasked with offering technical advice to the beneficiaries on what to grow and what to rear. The Ministry of Agriculture is currently designing a model farm to show the farmers at Ithaca how to achieve optimal levels of production and productivity. “They will be advised to diversify their crops, so that they can satisfy bulk markets and avoid gluts, because everybody [is] doing the same produce,” the official explained. The CDF was established under Article 158 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas for the purpose of providing financial or technical assistance to disadvantaged countries, regions and sectors. It is the centre-piece of the

regime to address the disparities among member states of CARICOM which may result from the implementation of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME). The agreement relating to the Operations of the Fund was signed in July 2008 and the CDF began operating on August 24, 2009. The CDF recently disclosed that Guyana would be the first member state to benefit from a new Country Assistance Programme (CAP) under its 2015-2020 funding cycle. Guyana has qualified to receive further support, having paid up its full, assessed contribution to the organisation, a recent media release from the CDF stated.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, September 4, 2017

Revitalised villages will create economic empowerment

-- President tells Pan-African Movement Conference PRESIDENT David Granger has called on the Guyana branch of the Pan-African Movement to take up the mantle of helping to restore villages to being incubators of entrepreneurial zeal, where small businesses, especially in the area of agriculture, can thrive and provide gainful means of employment for residents. The President was at the time delivering the featured address at the opening ceremony of the 29th Anniversary Conference of the Pan-African Movement of Guyana, which was held at the Critchlow Labour College on Saturday. President Granger told those gathered that the empowerment of African communities will originate out of the revitalisation of villages across the country and called on residents to embrace entrepreneurship as an economic engine. “Programmes for the economic empowerment of Guyanese people of African descent could well originate in our villages, which famously became the cradle of African economic empowerment after Emancipation in 1838. The freed Africans pooled their resources and invested their savings to buy abandoned plantations. They converted those plantations into human settlements. Villages are vital centres of human settlement and economic enterprise. Two out of every three Guyanese still live in villages. Villagers are repositories of accumulated knowledge and expertise,” the president said. The head of state said villages should never have become dormitories and must return to being

power houses of food production. “Villages must be revitalised to provide the bases for small and medium-sized enterprises, including cottage industries, to be established to provide employment and generate wealth. They have the potential for increased agricultural, agro-processing and value-added production. Villages, also, can expand the range of services, which they presently provide for residents. Given the skills of our people, I have no doubt that we can produce to satisfy our needs and the export market. If we start supporting our communities and villages, then we can empower housewives and families in the

Decade for People of African Descent, President Granger said the opportunity to empower and reclaim dignity for these peoples must not be wasted. “People’s right to a life of dignity and equality can be fulfilled only if their economic rights are respected. Organisations must mobilise for the task of economic empowerment, beginning in the villages. There needs to be a purposeful movement. The Pan-African Movement (Guyana Branch) has a place in this country and a role to play in the economy in order to develop initiatives to re-energise our villages, one enterprise at a time,” he said.

and descendants of slavery with a better life. In this regard, he spoke of the importance of Pan-Africanism, which he said has its roots deeply embedded in two historical events. These are the Trans-Atlantic Trade and the Scramble for Africa, which resulted in the invasion, occupation, division and colonisation of most of Africa’s territory from the late 19th Century. HAS WORK TO DO “It is not a closed chapter, because the wounds are still bleeding and as long as they bleed, Pan-Africanism has work to do. Enslavement and imperialism, the

A section of the audience at the opening ceremony

villages. We have the power in our villages,” the president said. RECLAIM DIGNITY As the country joins with other states to observe the International

Meanwhile, President Granger praised the organisation for its consistent advocacy for a better life for Afro-Guyanese, but said there is still more which needs to be done to provide every citizen

twin evils were based, broadly, on the domination of Africans by Europeans and were predicated, consequently, on the notion of racial superiority. The Pan-African Movement has been a clear and

President David Granger shares a light moment with President of the Pan-African Movement Guyana Branch, Clement Duncan at the opening ceremony of the 29th Anniversary Conference

consistent voice for three decades calling for respect for the rights, the recognition of the condition and the retention of African-Guyanese culture. The movement has been toiling, sometimes quietly, to improve the conditions and to promote greater consciousness of African culture in Guyana,” the president said. President Granger said Pan-Africanism is inseparable from Guyanese nationalism as it has, at its heart, the struggle for human dignity and equality. It is both an ideology or a set of ideas, and an institution which is based on the organisation and mobilisation of persons to support its ideas, he said. The president said Pan-Africanism is an important means for mobilising public opinion at the personal, national, regional and international levels in the cause of ‘reparative justice’ for the crimes

committed during the period of slavery. Dr. Joycelynne Loncke, Secretary of the Pan-African Movement of Guyana, in an invited comment, said the Movement has heard the president’s charge and will now discuss among its membership how they can advance that call to action. “We are overjoyed and particularly privileged to have him with us and to listen to his charge. We take his charge very seriously. We are a very quiet organisation, but we will implement as far as we can, some of the suggestions that he has made and we will ensure that during our workshops, we will be discussing agricultural initiatives particularly for women. We hope that we can contribute greatly to the growth and development of the country,” she said. (Ministry of the Presidency)

Decentralise Agriculture Ministry -- Central Corentyne Chamber of Commerce urges Gov’t By Nafeeza Yahya PRESIDENT of the Central Corentyne Chamber of Commerce (CCCC), Mohamed Raffik, has called for the establishment of a mini-Ministry of Agriculture headquarters in Berbice since the county is the breadbasket of the country. He made the call during his recent address at the CCCC annual dinner and award ceremony held at the CCCC headquarters at Williamsburg, Corentyne, Berbice. “The Ministry of Agriculture should be the foremost movement in this country; it should be working more closely with NAREI [National Agricultural Research and Extension

Institute] and helping to identify which variety of crops are better suited in each area. We need to be more serious about agriculture. If you look at New Amsterdam, the Ministry of Agriculture building is old and shabby; the same can be said for the building at No. 63 [Village]. It is high time we get serious and have a mini-Ministry of Agriculture headquarters right here in Berbice,” he told the gathering of mostly businesspersons to a thunderous round of applause. Raffik said the chamber would like to see in the 2018 budget more resources directed towards non-traditional agriculture crops and products to promote diversification and food security, given that the sugar industry is failing miserably.

The dinner and awards ceremony was held under the theme “Ensuring Food Security and Economic Growth through Agricultural Development,” which the chamber president said was carefully chosen because Berbice, which traditionally depended on sugar, needs to diversify to remain economically viable. He also used the opportunity to reiterate the chamber’s call for a delay in closure of the Rose Hall Estate until mid-2018, contending that more time is needed for the 2400 plus workers to find other avenues to earn incomes. Raffik also suggested that local businesses with a successful track record should be given an opportunity to run the estates if they expressed an interest.

“We say to the government, open up the monopoly and give businessmen like Nand Persaud the opportunity to run the estates. We know those who are managing it has failed, it is not profitable but give these businessmen a chance to see if they can make it profitable as a last-ditch effort and see if they can make it happen then we know for sure it can’t work,” he told the gathering. Also speaking at the event was Captain Gerald Gouveia, who spoke on behalf of the Private Sector Commission. He called for greater partnership between government and the private sector, noting that both need to work together in order to create jobs and help

young people to stay, invest, live and develop Guyana. “I say to you the single greatest challenge facing Guyana is job creation. We need to create proper paying jobs for our young people where they can live their lives, buy house, car etc. But who will create those jobs? The government don’t create jobs, the private sector does. All we are asking is that the government create the right environment and move out of the way. We don’t want a government to pressure the people or the private sector where we can’t be certain about tomorrow,” Gouveia said. He also called for more serious marketing and allocation of more money to the tourism

sector, pointing out that the more the word spread about the beauty of Guyana, the more visitors will be attracted to this country. The awards ceremony and dinner was brought to a close with the presentation of awards to businessmen Poonai Bhigroog, Imran Hamid and Tejpaul Adjodea of the CCCC for their sterling contributions to the economic development of the region. Director of the University of Guyana Berbice Campus, Dr. Gomathinayagam Subramanian, was also awarded for his contribution towards agricultural development in the region. Certificates were also distributed to members of the business community for their contributions to the business sector in the region.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, September 4, 2017

‘Green’ agenda synonymous with Indigenous culture By Synieka Thorne GUYANESE of different ethnicities and religious backgrounds flocked the Heritage Village at the Sophia Exhibition Centre to witness the official launch of Indigenous Heritage Month, 2017. This year’s observance is being celebrated under the theme, “Guyana’s first peoples -- Sustaining a rich cultural environment.” Among those attending the event were, First Lady Sandra Granger; Minister of Indigenous Peoples Affairs, Sydney Allicock and Minister within the Ministry, Valerie Garrido-Lowe; Ministers within the Ministries of Finance and Education and Minister of Public Affairs, Dawn Hastings-Williams, Chairman of the National Toshaos Council (NTC) Joel Fredericks, members of the diplomatic corps and representatives of the various indigenous organisations. Minister Allicock, during his featured address, noted that this year’s theme is timely, as it is in keeping with the government’s approach of a ‘green’ economy. He said the indigenous peoples have learned from their forebearers, the value of adherence to the virtues of nature; the people have learned that living as one with nature is the most important lesson if they are to survive, be comfortable with themselves and others, while providing a universal guarantee that the natural

environment remains intact for posterity. The younger generation, Allicock said, must seek out with enthusiasm those older, wiser ones from their midst and make maximum use of their wisdom and teachings. He urged them to use the products of the electronic age to record, for those to follow, the practices that will help them to realise the true meaning of this year’s heritage theme. Just like the indigenous peoples, who have been living the ‘green way’, Minister Allicock emphasised that every Guyanese has a role “in bringing to life the culturally valuable teachings which can serve not only to inspire, but also to realise

the green economy.” He noted that Guyanese must be proud to celebrate and tell the world with great pride that the rainforest of Guyana is an invaluable resource which supports life. The minister said Guyanese must be proud that Guyana is a signatory to the Paris Agreement. “Such is our government’s commitment to developing a green pathway; such is our government’s commitment to national development, while ensuring the protection of our natural environment.” DEAD WRONG On the issue of land, Minister Allicock said “To those who suggest that the

Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock, addressing the launch of Indigenous Heritage Month at the Sophia Heritage Village

Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock; Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr George Norton; First Lady Sandra Granger; and Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Valerie Garrido-Lowe, at the event

A cultural group performing at the launch

Presidential Commission of Inquiry into land matters will divide us, are dead wrong”. Government, he said, is however committed to resolving such issues. He urged the people to utilise the forest, lands and other resources in a responsible manner, so as not to lose sight of who we are as a people. Minister Valerie Garrido-Lowe remarked that as the indigenous people celebrate this auspicious annual celebration, they must reflect on how far they have come and where they hope to go in the future. Speaking of the unique culture of the indigenous peoples, she noted that they have much to share with the rest of Guyana, especially regarding the natural environment and the ecosystem.

The minister addressed the need for the people to work together for the betterment of their communities and by extension, the country. Meanwhile, NTC chairman Joel Fredericks, mentioned that the history of Guyana’s first people is a great testimony to the world and Guyanese must be proud of that. “If you look at the theme, it says sustaining, and our ancestors have been sustaining the rich, green forest we have today,” he said. Fredericks said the Indigenous peoples have a major role to play in the ‘green economy’ agenda and so, it is very important that the land issues that have been pending for decades, be resolved in a timely manner. Those attending the launch were entertained with dances and songs from various indigenous cultural groups and students at the Amerindian dormitory facility. The celebration continues at the Heritage Village, with a cultural extravaganza from September 1 to 5; dances, songs, food, craft, and an art exhibition will be on display. Also scheduled is the heritage pageant, sports, a fund-raising event and reflections on the life of Stephen Campbell. The National Heritage Village is Pakuri Village. St Cuthbert’s Mission will host its village events on September 9. (GINA/DPI)

This group performed a beautiful cultural item

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, September 4, 2017

GUYANA CHRONICLE, MONDAY, September 4, 2017

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, MONDAY, September 4, 2017

Kohli century leads India to 5-0 sweep of Sri Lanka SCOREBOARD

SRI LANKA Innings Niroshan Dickwella c&b B. Kumar 2 Upul Tharanga c Dhoni b Bumrah 48 Dilshan Munaweera c Kohli b B. Kumar 4 Lahiru Thirimanne b B. Kumar 67 Angelo Mathews c Dhoni b K. Yadav 55 Milinda Siriwardana c Thakur b B. Kumar 18 Wanidu Hasaranga run out (Dhoni, Chahal) 9 Akila Dananjaya st Dhoni b Chahal 4 Malinda Pushpakumar b Bumrah 8 Vishwa Fernando not out 7 Lasith Malinga c sub b B. Kumar 2 Extras (b-4 lb-3 nb-1 w-6) 14 Total (all out, 49.4 overs) 238 Fall of wickets: 1-14 N. Dickwella,2-40 D. Munaweera,3-63 U. Tharanga,4-185 L. Thirimanne,5-194 A. Mathews,6-205 W. Hasaranga,7-212 A. Dananjaya,8-228 M. Pushpakumara,9-228 M. Siriwardana,10-238 L. Malinga Bowling: B. Kumar 9.4 - 0 - 42 – 5, S. Thakur 6 - 0 - 48 - 0(w-2), J. Bumrah 10 - 0 - 45 - 2(nb-1 w-3), K. Yadav 10 - 0 - 40 – 1, K. Jadhav 4 - 0 - 20 - 0(w-1) Y. Chahal 10 - 0 - 36 - 1 India Innings Ro. Sharma c Pushpakumara b V. Fernando 16 A. Rahane c Munaweera b Malinga 5 V. Kohli not out 110 M. Pandey c Tharanga b Pushpakumara 36 K. Jadhav c Dickwella b Hasaranga 63 M. Dhoni not out 1 Extras (lb-4 nb-1 w-3) 8 Total (for 4 wickets, 46.3 overs) 239 Fall of wickets: 1-17 A. Rahane,2-29 Ro. Sharma,3-128 M. Pandey,4-237 K. Jadhav Did not bat: B. Kumar, K. Yadav, J. Bumrah, Y. Chahal, S. Thakur Bowling: Lasith Malinga 8 - 1 - 35 - 1(w-1), Vishwa Fernando 7 - 0 - 40 - 1(nb-1 w-1), Akila Dananjaya 10 - 0 - 49 – 0, Angelo Mathews 3 - 0 - 14 – 0, Malinda Pushpakumara 10 - 0 - 40 - 1, Milinda Siriwardana 4 - 0 - 28 - 0(w-1),Wanidu Hasaranga 4.3 - 0 - 29 - 1

Virat Kohli waltzed to his 30th ODI ton, equalling former Australia captain Ricky Ponting’s tally, and guided India to a six-wicket victory.

(REUTERS) - Skipper Virat Kohli scored his 30th oneday international century to lead India to victory in the fifth and final one-day match on Sunday as the visitors won by six wickets to complete a 5-0 whitewash of Sri Lanka in Colombo. Sri Lanka elected to bat and were going steady at 185-4, with Angelo Mathews and Lahiru Thirimanne notching up half-centuries, but they collapsed in the final 11 overs as they lost six wickets for 53 runs. Indian pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who was named man of the match, marked his maiden ODI five-wicket haul as powerful performances from him and spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah limited the hosts to 238 all out. India’s opening batsmen Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma fell early to leave India at 29-2 but impressive play from Kohli, who scored

110 off 116 balls, and Kedar Jadhav, who scored 63 off 73 balls, led them to victory. Kohli’s second consecutive century of the series moved him level with former Australian captain Ricky Ponting for the most ODI centuries. The duo are joint second with 30 centuries each while Indian ace Sachin Tendulkar holds the record with 49. Former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni became the first wicketkeeper to collect 100 ODI stumpings, surpassing Sri Lanka’s retired captain Kumar Sangakkara. India whitewashed the hosts 3-0 in the preceding test series, prompting the entire selection panel to resign. Sri Lanka’s 2019 World Cup participation is now uncertain as they failed to get the number of victories required for automatic qualification. The two teams will play a Twenty20 international on Wednesday at the same venue.

Propper double boosts Dutch World Cup qualifying hopes AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Netherlands’ Davy Propper scored twice and Arjen Robben also got on the scoresheet in a 3-1 home win over Bulgaria on Sunday to boost their country’s hopes of qualifying for the World Cup. The Dutch are up to third in Group A on 13 points, a point above Bulgaria and three behind Sweden, who won 4-0 in Belarus, and France, who host Luxembourg later on Sunday. Propper, a surprise inclusion in place of playmaker Wesley Sneijder, scored his first international goal after seven minutes in a bright start for the hosts, who had not

won in their previous seven matches at the Amsterdam Arena. Brighton & Hove Albion signing Propper secured a halftime lead when he tucked home a cross from Daley Blind who provided a similar square ball for Robben to net the second goal after 67. Bulgaria pulled one back within two minutes with Georgi Kostadinov claiming the final touch after a curling free kick by captain Ivelin Popov went straight through the defence. The Dutch restored a two-goal advantage in the 80th minute when Propper headed home Quincy Promes’ cross.

Netherlands’ Arjen Robben celebrates scoring their second goal with Quincy Promes REUTERS/Michael Kooren

The Netherlands, thrashed 4-0 by France on Thursday, face Belarus away and Sweden at home in their last two qualifiers next month and can still finish in the top two.

The winners of the nine European groups qualify directly for the 2-10 finals in Russia while the best eight of the second-placed teams take part in two-leg playoffs for four more places.

Prince steals the show (By Stephan Sookram in Barbados compliments of B.M. Soat, Mohamed’s Enterprise & John Fernandes Limited) BRICE Prince secured his first Caribbean Motor Racing super stock Championship in fine style this weekend by riding circles around his competitors at the Bushy Park Raceway in Barbados. Price, riding for the Mohamed’s Enterprise team, swept all three of the rounds in the four leg series thus far, achieving maximum points, (225). Additionally, the 2017 incumbent champion has also managed to pick up the lap record at the Bushy Park raceway (1:01.910) to dethrone the 2015 champion, Elliot Vieira. Speaking exclusively with Chronicle Sport, Prince said, “We had a great time this weekend and in the championship thus far. We came into this weekend knowing that a clean sweep would give us the championship, so we did that to relieve some pressure.” Kristian Jeffrey was also outstanding in the SR3 Rad-

icals with two first and one third place finishes. He said, “All in all it was a wonderful weekend. I think that the sessions in England really helped me because I jumped back into these radicals without setup and shaved seven-tenths off the time.” In the Group Three class, Rameez Mohammed finished sixth in the first race but suffered a ten-second penalty after for jumping the start, leaving him eighth. He bettered that position in the second race, finishing sixth adding “we had brake problems all day but we still went out to try to bring home as much points as possible.” In the group-four 2WD, Mohamed picked up a third, a fourth and a second in races one, two and three, respectively. In the group four-AWD, Andrew King picked up a third and two 1st place finishes. King said, “We had some issues this weekend but we still had two podium finishes and I think that’s good for Guyana.” The team returns home today or tomorrow.

Panthers rout GDF 17-0 to win Trophy Stall 7’s Rugby title THE Panthers Rugby Club continued their dominance of local rugby, this time playing superb rugby to claim the Trophy Stall 7’s tournament yesterday, beating the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) 17-0 at the National Park. It was their second title in the space of a week, having won the Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) 7’s Championship, and just like Sunday last, the Panthers played undefeated in the one-day tournament. Winger Ryan Dey picked up a Lance Adonis fumble and handed the Panthers a 5-0 advantage after scoring a try. Lloyd Anderson made good the conversion as the Panthers made it 7-0 and kept their paws on the

pulse of the game. A nice play between Robert Skeete and Adonis resulted in speedster Osie McKenzie taking the scores to 12-0. Just before the end of the game, Rondell McArthur, the team’s captain, scored the game’s final try and the Panthers closed off the GDF 17-0. According to McArthur, the Panthers’ aim is to participate in the November’s International Club Championship in Barbados, and as such, they’re using the domestic tournaments as much-needed practice. The Panthers captain thanked his teammates for staying committed to the game, as they focus on being Guyana’s most dominant Rugby club.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, MONDAY, September 4, 2017

Hamilton wins in Italy to take Formula One lead from Vettel By Alan Baldwin

MONZA, Italy (Reuters) - Lewis Hamilton won the Italian Grand Prix for Mercedes on Sunday with an utterly dominant drive that sent the Briton clear at the top of the Formula One world championship for the first time in a year. The triple champion, who started the last race of the European season from a record 69th career pole position, led Finnish team mate Valtteri Bottas to a runaway one-two finish at Ferrari’s home track. “I love it here in Italy and I love the passion of the fans,” Hamilton declared on the podium jutting out over a sea of red-shirted Ferrari fans, with plenty of boos coming his way amid the cheers. “We did a great job, the team did an exceptional job this weekend,” he added. “Mercedes power is definitely better than Ferrari power.” Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, who had led the standings since he won the Australian season-opener in March, finished third in the final race of the European season and 36.3 seconds behind the winner. Bottas was 4.4 adrift of Hamilton. ”It was a difficult day, a difficult start,“ said Vettel. ”My race was fairly isolated, we tried to keep as close as

Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton celebrates on the podium REUTERS/Max Rossi

possible but we simply didn’t have the pace. “You could say it’s a bad day but I know the team is on the right way... so I am in a very positive mood despite the numbers.” Hamilton is now three points clear of the German, with seven races remaining. Mercedes are 62 points clear of Ferrari in the constructors’ standings. The first driver to win two races in a row this season, with Monza following on from Belgium a week ago, Hamilton now leads Vettel 6-4 on victories in 2017. He has 238 points to Vettel’s 235. The last time Hamilton led the standings on his own was at Monza a year ago, with now-retired team mate Nico Rosberg emerging as the eventual champion.

Elbow injury rules McCullum out of CPL

hurt. “CPL over for this year, unfortunate. Been a ride with Knight Riders brothers! Many thanks to all for your support! Luck team!” McCullum said on Twitter, sharing a picture of his x-ray. McCullum scored 335 runs, including three Brendon McCullum retired hurt half-centuries, in 10 after copping a painful blow on his matches this season. He arm Ashley Allen - CPL T20 / Getty led Knight Riders’ charge with his 91 off 62 balls to BRENDON McCullum has clock up 208 in the prebeen ruled out of the re- vious match against Jamaica mainder of the Caribbean Tallawahs, the joint-highest Premier League because of score of this season’s CPL. an elbow injury. McCullum Though Knight Riders fell was batting on 26 during 16 runs short in their chase Trinbago Knight Riders’ against Tridents, they sealed chase when he was struck their semi-final berth and on the left arm by Barbados were on top of the table with Tridents’ pacer Wayne Par- eight wins from 10 matches. nell, forcing him to retire (ESPN Cricinfo).

FEW THRILLS Hamilton and four-times champion Vettel were level on points this year after China in April, with one win and one second place each. If Sunday’s race was a dull affair, there was at least plenty of sunshine in marked contrast to the steady rain that drenched fans and delayed qualifying for hours on Saturday. Hamilton pulled away cleanly from his historic pole, and fourth in a row at Monza, and was never challenged as he drove to the chequered flag with the minimum of fuss. It was his third Italian Grand Prix win in four years and 59th career victory -- only Michael Schumacher, whose pole record he beat, can boast more

-- and few have been more straightforward. Force India’s French rookie Esteban Ocon, chasing his first podium finish, grabbed second place off the line from 18-year-old Canadian Lance Stroll in the Williams but then faded and finished sixth. Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen moved up to fourth initially, to cheers from the crowd, while compatriot Bottas dropped to fifth before swiftly regaining the place. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen clashed with Brazilian Felipe Massa’s Williams in an incident that forced the Dutch teenager to pit with a puncture. Vettel meanwhile had started sixth but began to move up through the field, cheered every time by the throng of ‘tifosi’ on the 70th anniversary of founder Enzo Ferrari’s first car, before settling into the loneliness of third place. Hamilton meanwhile was relentless, pulling away from the four times champion at a rate of almost a second and lapping half the field. Australian Daniel Ricciardo took fourth place for Red Bull, with Raikkonen fifth. Stroll ended up seventh, one place ahead of Massa, with Mexican Sergio Perez ninth for Force India.

Tennis star Serena Williams gives birth to baby girl TENNIS star Serena Williams has given birth to a baby girl at a clinic in Florida.Williams, 35, whose partner is Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, was admitted to the St Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach on Wednesday. The 23-time Grand Slam winner said last month she was planning to return to ten-

your emotion.” He added: “Btw ... I wish you a speedy recovery... we have a lot of work ahead of us.” ‘Hope she doesn’t play tennis’ Serena admitted she had revealed her pregnancy to the world in April by accident, after mistakenly uploading a photograph on Snapchat.

Parents-to-be Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian in New York in May

nis for the Australian Open in January. Congratulations have been pouring in from sports stars and celebrities. Bumps, boobs and bouncing back: An athlete’s path through pregnancy News of the birth came as her sister Venus prepared to go out on court at the US Open. “Obviously I’m super-excited,” Venus said. “Words can’t describe it.” The couple are yet to confirm the birth themselves but Serena’s coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, tweeted: “I am so happy for you and I feel

She won the Australian Open title this January while newly pregnant, and in an article in Vogue last month she said she wanted to defend her title. “It’s the most outrageous plan,” she said. “I just want to put that out there. That’s, like, three months after I give birth.” In June she appeared in a nude cover photo for Vanity Fair, saying: “I don’t know what to do with a baby.”The news has delighted the tennis world, with Rafa Nadal among the first to tweet his congratulations. (BBC Sport)

Belgium becomes first European side to qualify for 2018 World Cup BELGIUM became the first European side to join hosts Russia at next summer’s World Cup finals as goals from Jan Vertonghen and Romelu Lukaku gave them victory in Greece. All three goals came in a five-minute second-half period, which began with Vertonghen firing Belgium ahead. Zeca brought Greece level soon after but Lukaku scored the final goal with a glancing header a minute later. Belgium lead Group H by eight points with two games to play.

Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku celebrates scoring their second goal REUTERS/ Alkis Konstantinidis

The Red Devils join Brazil, Mexico, Iran and Japan in qualifying for the World Cup, with Russia automatically getting a place as hosts. Bosnia-Herzegovina have moved ahead of Greece in the race to claim a play-off spot as Edin Dzeko scored twice in a 4-0 win in Gibraltar to take them up to second place.

Kenan Kodro and Senad Lulic got the other goals for Mehmed Bazdarevic’s side, who have 14 points, one more than Greece. Switzerland maintained their three-point advantage over European champions Portugal after both claimed wins on Sunday. An own goal from home keeper Andris Vanins, a

strike from Blerim Dzemaili - who had earlier missed a penalty - and a successful spot-kick from Ricardo Rodriguez gave the Swiss a 3-0 win in Latvia. Portugal took advantage of Tamas Priskin being sent off to claim a 1-0 win in Hungary, with Andre Silva scoring the goal. (BBC Sport)

GUYANA CHRONICLE, MONDAY, September 4, 2017

Sharapova knocked out of US Open by Sevastova MARIA Sharapova’s first Grand Slam tournament in 19 months ended with defeat by Anastasija Sevastova in the US Open fourth round. Latvia’s Sevastova, the 16th seed, won 5-7 6-4 6-2 to reach the quarter-finals in New York. The 27-year-old will play Sloane Stephens in the quarter-finals, after the American beat Julia Goerges. S h a r a p o v a, r a n k e d 146th after returning from a doping ban in April, was given a wildcard into the main draw. The 2006 champion had played just one match since

May coming into Flushing Meadows, with injuries forcing her out of the grasscourt season and US Open build-up. She played superbly to upset world number two Simona Halep on the first day of the tournament, and then beat Timea Babos and Sofia Kenin on her way to the last 16. Sevastova proved too strong, however, the 5ft 5in Latvian’s defensive skills and ability to create angles ultimately derailing the Russian. “The first set was very close, it could have gone either way,” said Sevastova.

Anastasija Sevastova secured victory with her fourth match point

“She played unbelievable throughout the first and

second set and I just kept fighting, running every ball,

and just stayed there.” Sharapova ended the match with 51 errors to 42 winners as she pressed too hard in trying to break down Sevastova’s brilliant defence. The Latvian went close to taking the first set after coming back from 4-1 down, but Sharapova clinched it with two magnificent forehands in game 12. The momentum had already begun to swing though, and Sevastova would level thanks to a single break at 2-1 in the second - in one rally lobbing Sharapova twice, prompting the Russian to scramble left-handed in desperation.

A six-minute bathroom break ahead of the decider apparently did not have the desired effect as Sharapova quickly fell 3-0 down. She had said after her opening match that “this girl has a lot of grit”, and it was in evidence as she cut the deficit to 3-2, but in the end Sevastova had too much. Sharapova fought off three match points before a big first serve left the five-time major winner flailing at a return that flew wide after two hours and 17 minutes. (BBC Sport)

Kaieteur/ISL retain Budh-Dave Anandjit memorial title Portugal hang on to win bruising battle with 10-man Hungary By Frederick Halley TORONTO, Canada – Two -time champions, Kaieteur Sports Club, teamed up with International Sports Club (ISL) to retain honours in the third annual Budh-Dave Anandjit memorial cricket match, played recently at the Ashtonbee ground, Scarborough. With victory very much in their sights in fading light, the Kaieteur/International side were declared winners after reaching 157 for one in 20 overs, replying to Southerners 164 for eight in the allotted 25 overs. Satyanand Sarju, the only player to be dismissed, led the way with an attacking 48, which included two sixes and four fours, while other worthwhile contributions came from Joyd Anandjit who slammed two sixes and five fours in 43, before retiring while Chinta Anandjit’s 39 (retired) was laced with two sixes and a four. The lone wicket for Southerners was claimed by skipper, Hardat Ramcharran, for 13 Runs. Southerners had earlier won the toss and opted to take first strike, reaching a challenging 164 for eight in 25 overs. Siew Deonarine hit a top-score of 54 (one six and four fours) retired and received admirable support from Neil Roopal with 28 (two fours) and Terry Mathura, who retired on 23 with three fours. Bowling for Kaieteur/ International, Ompaul Singh, Omesh Dass and Nate Anandjit claimed two wickets each. Prior to the commencement of the game, both teams and spectators observed a minute’s

silence in memory of the late Bud-Have Anandjit. The game was once again organised by Kaieteur’s Vish Jadunauth, Bay Khemraj and Omesh Dass and among those in attendance were Liz Anandjit, the late Anandjit’s wife and his elder brother, popularly known as “KP”. Budh-Dave Tewari Anandjit, the former long-standing stalwart executive and member of the Scarborough Cricket Association (SCA) passed away on July 22, 2014 at the age of 53. Anandjit, who was the broth-

Budh-Dave concentrated heavily on teaching the youths the game of cricket in the SCA and Toronto & Districts (T&D). Anandjit was also a Level Two umpire and officiated in several games in the SCA and the Ontario Softballl Cricket League (OSCL) over the years. He also played for Golden Touch in the OSCL tournaments. The late Guyanese was also credited with being the first player to hit six sixes in an over in Scarborough while his club ISL achieved the unique

Liz Anandjit, widow of the late Budh-Dave Anandjit hands over the winning trophy to Bay Khemraj, skipper of Kaieteur/ISL.

er of Davteerth Anandjit, the former president of the Guyana Cricket Umpires Council (GCUC), served the Scarborough Cricket Association (SCA) with distinction for over two decades, having joined the body in 1990. Prior to that, he was a member of the Raiders and Ramblers Cricket Clubs and a founding-member of International Sports Club (ISL) in 1988. During his sojourn in the SCA, Anandjit served in various capacities, but will be fondly remembered for his association with the development of several talented youth cricketers. As a Level Two coach,

distinction of winning three consecutive Premiere League titles. He was also part of the winning combination when Kaieteur captured the title. Born at Wash Clothes, Mahaicony Creek, East Coast Demerara, Guyana, Anandjit later moved to Courbane Park, Annandale and attended Queen’s College in Georgetown before he migrated to Canada in 1983. The union between himself and Liz Anandjit produced three children in Pretima, Jodh and Jaya Anandjit and apart from Davteerth, his other siblings are Bram, Silla, Subhas, Gyan, Monsranie, Tara, Kulwant, Chinta, Nate and ‘Chano’.

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Portugal helped their chances of qualifying directly for next year’s World Cup when Andre Silva’s goal gave them a bruising 1-0 win away to Hungary, who played for an hour with 10 men on Sunday. Silva headed in Cristiano Ronaldo’s pinpoint cross three minutes after halftime to give Portugal their seventh successive win in Group B, keeping them three points behind Switzerland who won 3-0 in Latvia to maintain their 100 percent record. Hungary’s Tamas Priskin was shown a straight red card for elbowing Pepe, one of several nasty challenges in the match. Portugal and Switzerland each have one game to play before a showdown in Lisbon on Oct. 10. The winners of the nine European groups qualify directly for next year’s World Cup in Russia and the best eight teams play off for four more places. After scoring, Portugal played much of the second half at walking pace and had an enormous scare in stoppage time when Attila Fiola got behind the defence for a header which was saved by Rui Patricio. Hungary’s chances of making the playoffs were ended after a disappointing campaign which included defeat by Andorra. EARLY CHANCES “It was a match that is difficult to describe,” said Portugal coach Fernando Santos. “We were much the better team for the first 30 minutes

until the Hungarian player was sent off and then I don’t know what happened.” “After our goal, we had control but it was always a dangerous situation. I think the players felt the responsibility of

Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after the match REUTERS/Laszlo Balogh

this game.” Portugal never got into gear although the game could have gone very differently if they had taken one of several early chances. Ronaldo had a powerful effort tipped over by Peter Gulacsi and then sent a header narrowly wide from Joao Moutin-

ho’s inswinging cross before another effort went straight at the Hungary goalkeeper. Priskin was sent off for elbowing Pepe in the face as they jumped for the ball, leaving the former Real Madrid defender with a cut above his eye. Mate Patkai had escaped with a yellow card in a similar incident with Moutinho a few minutes earlier. The dismissal seemed to affect Portugal more than the hosts as they lost their rhythm. But they broke through three minutes after halftime when a neat exchange of passes sent Ronaldo clear on the left and his perfect cross into the goalmouth was headed in by Silva from point blank range, the 21-year-old’s ninth international goal. Portugal were nearly caught napping when Patkai drove just wide and the visitors spent the rest of the match passing the ball around in midfield while Hungary sat back.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Monday September 04, 2017)

COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & the City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1)

Evin Lewis-92 (Patriots)

(2)

Today’s Quiz: (1) Who is the first Warriors player to cop the Man of the Match Award in Hero CPL 2017? (2) When and where Dwayne Smith cracked his first CPL century? Answers in tomorrow’s issue

GUYANA CHRONICLE, MONDAY, September 4, 2017

Jaguars Franchise League 3-day tournament….

Rutherford (12-59) completes stunning victory for East Bank -

Upper Corentyne edged West Berbice by two wickets

By Rajiv Bisnauth MEDIUM-pacer Sherfane Rutherford claimed his second five-wicket haul as East Bank franchise completed a 29-run win over Georgetown, inside two days yesterday at the Lusignan Community Centre ground. Rutherford followed up his first innings 7-48, and bowled within himself with a focus on hitting line and length on a deteriorating second day pitch, in another impressive bowling display in which he claimed 5-11, to finish with figures of 12-59. Set 83 to win, the City team’s second innings folded inside 26 overs, with only Sunil Singh (32) managing double figures as his team folded for 56. Rutherford, who produced an outstanding effort

Medium pacer Sherfane Rutherford finished with figures of 12-59

of consistent medium-pace bowling, was well comple-

mented by spinner Totaram Bishun (4-15), as the pair created the problems for the city batsmen. The East Bank franchise who resumed on 20-2, a run short of the first innings deficit, were quickly dismantled for 103 in 36.1 overs. Only a late resurgence from Ershad Ali (32) brought some pride to the total. Earlier, skipper Vishual Singh who resumed on six, managed to score 28. Corwin Austin (10) was the other batsman who managed double figures. It was a total bowling effort from the City side, with off-spinner Gajanan Suknanan continuing his good form, with another three-wicket haul, (3-22). Devon Lord (2-0), Qumar Torrington (2-12) and Joshua Wade (1-27), were

Totaram Bishun

the other successful bowlers who have complimented Paul Wintz (2-19). Meanwhile, Upper Corentyne edged West Berbice by two wickets in their encounter. Set 104 to win, Upper Corentyne reached 106-7.

Weather hits Windies warm-up but Holder pleased with outing

Shimron Hetmyer slammed an unbeaten 128 from 120 balls.

LEICESTER, England, (CMC) – Captain Jason Holder said he was pleased West Indies had gotten valuable batting practice in their two-day tour match against Leicestershire, even though their hopes of giving their bowlers time in the middle ahead of this week’s Lord’s Test was foiled by bad light and rain here Sunday. Only 73 deliveries were possible on the final day of the encounter at Grace Road

before fading light and rain brought a premature end to play In the 1-1/4 hours play possible, the hosts had reached 70 for one with Harry Dearden unbeaten on 42. Holder said despite the final day disappointment, however, the Windies’ first innings of 377 for seven declared meant they had accomplished much in the contest. “I would say we got what we wanted from this game.

The most important thing was for the batsmen to get some time in the middle as we look forward to Lord’s,” Holder said. “Hetmyer showed what he’s capable of with that powerful knock yesterday, and Shane (Dowrich) made the most of it by batting solidly and also scoring a hundred.” The 20-year-old Hetmyer smashed a better than runa-ball hundred to finish unbeaten on 128 from 120 balls while Dowrich fashioned a composed 108 not out. Coming on the heels of their triumph in the second Test at Headingley last week, the performance added to the Windies confidence with the third and final Test beginning at Lord’s on Thursday. Holder said the touring side were relaxed and focussed, and streamlining their preparation for the series decider. “We have stayed focused and we won’t put too much pressure on ourselves,” the all-rounder stressed. “We wanted our batsmen to get runs and prepare well

for the Lord’s Test. We will now head down to London and continue our preparation and build-up. There a lot to play for.” The 20-year-old left-handed Dearden faced 45 balls and struck seven fours and put on 61 for the first wicket with 19-year-old Sam Evans who made 18 on his first-team debut. Evans was the only wicket to fall, edging a full-length delivery from pacer Alzarri Joseph for Shai Hope to hold a low catch diving to his right at gully. Joseph came on first change, replacing speedster Shannon Gabriel, and bowled with pace and accuracy to trouble the batmen. Dearden, with just 12 first-class matches under his belt, looked solid as he gathered boundaries on both sides of the wicket. West Indies lost the opening Test at Edgbaston by an innings and 209 runs inside three days before rebounding to snatch an amazing five-wicket victory in the second match at Headingley last week

Lewis’ blazing 97 destroys Barbados Tridents by 10 wickets … Amazon Warrriors to play Tallawahs in Eliminator 1 on Wednesday A historic innings from Evin Lewis consigned the Barbados Tridents to a 10-wicket defeat in Match 30 of the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) at Kensington Oval last night. Lewis blitzed 97 off just 32 balls in an astonishing assault that saw the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots chase down 129 in only seven overs. The Patriots innings run rate of 18.48 runs per over is the highest innings run rate in the history of T20 cricket. The result means the Tridents miss out on a spot in Finals Week while the Patriots have finished second in the table and will be given two chances to reach the finals. The Patriots run-chase was over almost as soon as it had begun. The formidable opening pair of Chris Gayle and Evin Lewis wasted no time in tucking into the Tridents’ new ball bowling. Lewis hit the ball astonishingly cleanly from the very start of his innings, taking three sixes from Wayne Parnell’s first over and never looking back. Lewis scored on both sides of the wicket but predominantly the leg side, picking sixes up over square leg, heaving them over mid-wicket and clubbing them straight. He reached his fifty off just 19 balls. Gayle was left in the unfamiliar role of lending support. The Patriots Powerplay score of 105 for 0 is the equal second highest score in the first six overs in T20 history. Lewis appeared set to bring up his century with the winning runs only for Pollard to bowl a no ball with one run required, leaving him stranded on 97 not out. Earlier in the evening, after winning the toss and electing to bat first, a bright start by the Tridents was derailed when they lost both openers to the last ball of the fifth and first ball of the sixth over. First Nicholas

Pooran mis-judged the length of a ball from Mohammad Hafeez and was bowled when looking to pull. Then Dwayne Smith inside edged a pull shot off Carlos Brathwaite onto his thigh pad and into the wicket-keeper’s gloves. The Tridents scored 45 for 2 off their six Powerplay overs. After the Powerplay, Kane Williamson and Tion Webster appeared content to busily rotate the strike, picking off ones and twos in the outfield. However, the pressure of a slowly moving scoreboard began to tell after a string of tight deliveries. Eventually, it accounted for Williamson when he slog-swept Tabraiz Shamsi and was caught in the deep. Four balls later Eoin Morgan was bowled by Mohammad Nabi after playing down the wrong line as a consequence of some drift. The ball pitched and held its line, pegging back off stump. When Shamar Springer was trapped lbw by Shamsi in the following over, the Tridents were reeling at 81 for 5. Webster threatened to get going when he launched Nabi for a huge six and then delicately guided a four through third man. However, the wickets of Kieron Pollard and Webster in the same over from Carlos Brathwaite quickly extinguished hopes of a comeback as the Tridents slipped further into the mire. In the eighteenth over Brathwaite collected his fourth wicket, to finish with 4 for 15 in a spell of tight lines and back of a length bowling. In the end, the Tridents limped their way to a total of 129 for 8 from their 20 overs, a total that was surpassed in just 42 balls. Upcoming Fixtures Tuesday: Qualifier 1, Trinbago Knight Riders v St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, Tarouba, 20.00hrs Wednesday: Eliminator 1, Jamaica Tallawahs v Guyana Amazon Warriors, Tarouba, 20.00hrs.

Rutherford (12-59) completes stunning victory for East Bank

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Prince steals the show at Bushy Park -wins for KIng, Jeffrey

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Bryce Prince rode untouched to pick up his third straight sweep of the 2017 Caribbean Motor Racing Championship. He has secured the 2017 Championship with one round to go. (Stephan Sookram Photos.)

Kristian Jeffrey leads Mark Maloney in the first Suzuki Challenge series SR3.

Lewis’ blazing 97 destroys Panthers rout GDF 17-0 to win Barbados Tridents by 10 wickets Trophy Stall 7’s Rugby title … Amazon Warrriors to play Tallawahs in Eliminator 1 on Wednesday Page 20

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Evin Lewis blitzed 97 off just 32 balls

Guyana Chronicle photographer Samuel Maughn was present at the National Park yesterday to capture the action in the Trophy Stall 7’s Rugby Tournament.

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER, 4 , 2017