Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 22-11-2021

MONDAY 22nd November, 2021

' No.106553

A progressive step in crime-fighting PAGE

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UG Lecturer, Wil Campbell

–– psychologist, ex-offender hail ‘confidential programme’ to reform lives of criminals

Pastor, Wendell Jeffrey

Over 3,000 Guyanese students studying online at Indian universities 09 PAGE

Ranks questioned –– Eve Leary fire reportedly started in police living quarters, cause still unknown

Girl who lost sight at 10 05 months excels at CSEC PAGE

PAGES

11&13

Whirlpool 08 warehouse opens in Ogle PAGE

500 house lots for Lethem residents PAGE

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 22, 2021

THE Government of Guyana is pursuing the reconstruction of the Ogle Fire Station, at an estimated cost of $85.6 million.

Last Friday, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued an invitation for contractors to bid for the project.

According to the public notice, electronic bidding for the project will not be permitted and contractors have until Tuesday, December 7, 2021 to submit their proposals.

The reconstruction of the Ogle Fire Station

ment of the area was also a factor that led to the decision to relocate the fire station.

Ogle Fire Station to be reconstructed to tune of $ 85.6M forms part of the government’s $22.2 billion security budget, which has seen the Guyana Fire Service receiving $1.9 billion from the overall $383.1 billion national budget for 2021.

Included in the sum are monies for the construction of a new fire station at Eccles, East Bank Demerara, and the procurement of six water tenders and two ambulances to function as part of the country’s Emergency Medical Service.

Added to that, $648

Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn million has been allocated towards the relocation of the Central Fire Station from its heavily congested Stabroek Market location, to D’Urban Park.

Work on this particular project is expected to commence before the end of 2021, according to Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn.

It was only recently that the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board disclosed that 12 companies submitted bids to undertake the project. “We already have some money for ground preparation and this bidding now is for the entirety of the building and the facility,” the Home Affairs Minister stated.

Earlier this year, he had

disclosed plans to have the headquarters relocated to the Homestretch Avenue, Georgetown venue, in an effort to promote easier access as well as to accommodate a series of new firefighting resources procured by government.

The new fire station will be built on three and a half acres of land as the ministry recognises the shortcomings of the current location.

The relocation of the Central Fire Station has been a topic of discussion for some years now. It has been recognised that the Stabroek Market area had been radically transformed since the station was constructed, particularly as it relates to the congestion.

The future develop-

ONE PLACE Not only will the Central Fire Station be relocated but Minister Benn disclosed that the maintenance sections for the fire tenders will also be moved to that location from the West Ruimveldt Fire Station so that the main activities of the fire service will be in one place.

“There were congestion issues at Stabroek and the government has been bringing in new assets, new fire trucks and so on. There are also the emergency management system and the ambulances, so we know that there is need for more space.

Also, there is a consideration that the city itself has been expanding eastwards and southwards, so the location at Durban Park will help to provide a better balance in terms of being able to reach some locations,” Minister Benn said previously.

With regards to the expansion of the fire service’s human resource capacity, Minister Benn indicated that the possibility has not yet been explored. He noted that at

the moment the plan is to improve the service of the current firefighters.

According to Benn, the plan was to ensure adequate training and capacity-building exercises come on stream so that a higher quality of service is provided to the Guyanese people.

Following the recent fire that destroyed 80 per cent of the Brickdam Police Station, President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, disclosed the plans government has for improving the performance of the ranks attached to the fire service.

Acknowledging the shortcomings within the Guyana Fire Service, the Head of State noted that plans are underway to find Guyanese living in the diaspora, who once served in the capacity of Fire Chief, to provide training locally as part of efforts to improve the operations of the fire service.

President Ali noted that several firefighters have negated their training and were unprepared for the emergency that required their best performance.

He emphasised that significant retraining and new initiatives need to be in place to better equip the ranks to react to situations of national security.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 22, 2021

‘Confidential programme’ to tackle crime a step in the right direction –– say psychologist, ex-offender turned rehabilitation expert

By Richard Bhainie WITH the government advancing its agenda to tackle crime, President Dr. Irfaan Ali has recently announced that his administration is pursuing a novel concept which would effectively offer criminals an opportunity to turn their lives around and live a “decent life.”

“Once you want to change your life, we want a discussion with you. We want to talk to you to give you an alternative pathway to earning an income and living a decent life,” the President announced during an address to the nation on November 12, 2021.

Highlighting that “the life of crime is short-lived,” the Head of State made it clear that his administration is desirous of working with persons engaged in crime to provide them with “a better option at life” and will be pursuing a “confidential” programme to “directly interact with those persons.”

For context, the term criminal is most commonly used to describe a person who has been legally convicted of a crime, or generally, to describe someone who has committed a crime and has not been caught. Therefore, a programme of this nature will have to take both cases into consideration.

The reforming of criminals often targets prisoners and ex-offenders through their participation in various programmes to foster their rehabilitation and reintegration into society; targeting persons who have not yet been charged and convicted, but who are engaged in criminal activity would be fairly new to the country.

Speaking to the Guyana Chronicle, Pastor Wendell Jeffery, an ex-offender and founder and president of the Practical Christianity Ministries and University of Guyana (UG) Lecturer and Psychologist, Wil Campbell, shared an upbeat view of the novel programme mentioned by the President.

Practical Christianity Ministries is registered in Indiana, USA and Guyana and provides social services to

ex-offenders and recovering addicts The consensus among Jeffrey and Campbell is, if properly executed, the programme can tackle crime at its roots and achieve the desired results of significantly reducing the country’s crime rate.

institutionalised.

To address that, he highlighted that in some developed countries there are “half-way houses or transitional houses” where ex-offenders can go to become “climatised,” and are able to wean themselves back into society.

ENCAPSULATES DUAL APPROACH Jeffrey, who has been working with ex-offenders for over 20 years, explained that crime-fighting must be tackled through a dual approach -- preventative measures and rehabilitative measures -- and opined that the President’s proposed programme seems to encapsulate both, which would lead to success.

He explained that in establishing such a programme, the specifics must be thoroughly contemplated and should involve competent personnel with the requisite expertise who have been involved in the field of work to be able to evaluate the participants of the programme, before specific action is taken to render assistance.

“A lot of these guys [criminals] might think they want to work, but if they are addicts, they’re going to use the money they get from work to buy more drugs and then you create more problems. We need to know, are you addicted? Do you have a learning problem? Do you have a mental issue?” he said.

Jeffrey opined that a programme of such nature could involve persons calling a confidential hotline which would direct them to a relevant authority that would seek to assess what crimes they have been involved in, their characters and social situations and to figure out what is necessary to render assistance.

“I could tell you, if a mother knew that there is a programme that she could send her 14,15,16,17 years old son to because she saw that he’s smoking weed and he’s buying things but not getting the money through legal means, the mother would call and say I have a son and say I suspect, a sister would call,”

NON-TRADITIONAL APPROACHES Campbell shared similar comments. He related that he is “excited to learn” that Guyana is looking to implement non-traditional approaches to crime prevention and crime reduction, a move away from the orthodox method currently being used, that is, the prison system.

“If we have a programme that is aimed at reforming people and helping them modify their behaviour, then that I think would be much more effective than the system we currently have,” he said.

“A lot of ‘criminals’ would do things differently, would live different lives, if they felt like they knew a different way. A lot of times we assume that people know what is right, and people know how to do what is right, and so any programme that would want to make people aware of what is right, and to teach them how to do that would be helpful,” he added Like Jeffrey, Campbell also emphasised that such a programme should he “holistic” and encapsulate “the whole man”, namely his spirituality, social setting, mental state and educational background.

“All of the studies have found that when criminals receive an education, whether it be vocational or academic, they don’t return to crime. The recidivism rate among those who are educated after conviction is almost zero,” he added.

UG Lecturer Wil Campbell he said.

Jeffrey through his organisation has been helping to reform ex-offenders through vocational training, housing, education, substance abuse and spiritual formation (VHESS).

CRIMINOGENIC NEEDS “Those are what we call criminogenic needs and in a nutshell this programme should be set up to deal with those criminogenic needs, because what we find is if you answer those questions for the individual is what we called a holistic approach and that person is less likely to offend,” he said.

He highlighted that housing, especially, plays a major role in crime, noting that environments directly contribute to a person’s involvement in criminal activity; in these regards, his organisation, Practical Christianity Ministries, has been working to set up living accommodation in Guyana.

“Persons could call and say I don’t have anywhere to live, I’m living in an area that is prone to crime and I want to change, do you have any temporary place that I can go? So, we’re doing this transitional housing with the blessing of the government,” he said.

Speaking to ‘criminals’ who have been released from prison, Pastor Jeffrey explained that those ‘criminals’ would have been “institutionalised” while behind bars, noting that if those persons are thrown into the world, they would not be able to function as persons who have not been

SKILLED PEOPLE In setting up such a programme, he advised that “skilled people” should be engaged, especially professionals who understand the criminology and psychology of human behaviour.

Pastor Wendell Jeffrey “Make sure that you have the right people for the job, make sure that if people are skilled in things like behaviour modification, dealing with deviance, that kind of thing… because these are your normal group of people you’re working with here now,” he said.

He added: “You’re not teaching people in school here; you’re teaching people who would get up and snap your neck if you get it wrong.

So, you have to have people who are properly equipped with the proper skills to deal with this population, this is not your usual schoolchild.”

The psychologist related that the programme will require behaviour modification and even trauma therapy, as most ‘criminals’ have witnessed much cruel and devastating events during their lives and would need to unlearn those behaviours and to help themselves cope.

Speaking to the aspect of persons who have not been charged and convicted but are labelled criminals, Campbell noted that one cannot be sentenced without due process.

However, if caught commit-

ting a crime, he explained that options should be extended to persons whereby they can be involved in a rehabilitation programme.

He noted that persons walking off the street and submitting themselves to such a programme is “a little dreamy,” unless there is a strong motivational system.

“Because to label yourself a criminal, that stigma, that is not something even career criminals want to walk around saying. So, I don’t know how effective that would be, but I know it can very well work for people who have passed through the system,” he said.

He recommended an “immersive approach” such as a “live-in system,” so that persons would not return to their environment after a day of learning how to unlearn their ‘criminal behaviour’.

“If you could immerse somebody in something for like nine months, as a minimum … you go through a system of behaviour modification, learning, spiritual formation and then when you are released, you’re released into an environment that supports the new behaviours that you’ve learned; I see it, as being more effective,” he said.

The Government of Guyana has been steadfast in its efforts to introduce rehabilitative approaches to tackle the country’s crime and recidivism rate.

In September, 2021, Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, announced that his ministry is currently devising a programme titled, ‘A Fresh Start’ aimed at rehabilitating prisoners and to provide them with the requisite skills for their reintegration into society when they leave prison.

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Chinese Embassy rubbishes Kaieteur News ‘slanderous’ article

THE privately owned Kaieteur newspaper could find itself in even more legal trouble, should the Chinese Embassy here in Guyana activate its right to take action against the company for publication of what it said is a false report published by the daily on November 19, 2021.

In the article, Kaieteur News once again alleged that “the Chinese Embassy in Guyana was used to bring in containers of goods for its nationals who are operating businesses here through its diplomatic Owner of Kaieteur channels in 2017.”

News, Glenn Lall In a short, but stern statement issued on Sunday, the embassy said that it has always been fulfilling its obligations strictly in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, and that it has never used, “and will never use its diplomatic status to practise any commercial activities for personal profit.”

The embassy said that the article and allegations published by the local newspaper are not only slanderous rumours, but are also purely malicious.

“The Embassy urges the Kaieteur News to respect facts, comply with the ethics of journalism, correct its mistakes and apologise to the Embassy.

The Embassy reserves the rights to take legal actions,” the statement concluded.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 22, 2021

Taliban bans women from TV dramas in Afghanistan

WOMEN have been banned from appearing in television dramas in Afghanistan under new rules imposed by the Taliban Government.

Female journalists and presenters have also been ordered to wear headscarves on screen, although the guidelines do not say which type of covering to use.

Reporters say some of the rules are vague and subject to interpretation.

The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in mid-August and many fear they are gradually imposing harsh restrictions.

The militant Islamist group, which took control following the departure of US and allied forces, almost immediately instructed girls and young women to stay home from school.

During their previous rule in the 1990s, women were barred from education and the workplace.

The latest set of Taliban guidelines, which have been

issued to Afghan television channels, features eight new rules.

They include the banning of films considered against the principles of Sharia - or Islamic - law and Afghan values, while footage of men exposing intimate parts of the body is prohibited.

Comedy and entertainment shows that insult religion or may be considered offensive to Afghans are also forbidden.

The Taliban have insisted that foreign films promoting foreign cultural values should not be broadcast.

Afghan television channels show mostly foreign dramas with lead female characters.

A member of an organisation that represents journalists in Afghanistan, Hujjatullah Mujaddedi, said the announcement of new restrictions was unexpected.

He told the BBC that some of the rules were not

New guidelines set out by the Taliban prohibit female presenters from appearing on TV without headscarves (BBC/GETTY IMAGES) practical and that if implemented, broadcasters may be forced to close.

The Taliban’s earlier decision to order girls and young women to stay home from school made Afghanistan the only country in the world to bar half its population from getting an education.

The mayor of the capi-

tal, Kabul, also told female municipal employees to stay home unless their jobs could not be filled by a man.

The Taliban claim that their restrictions on women working and girls studying are “temporary” and only in place to ensure all workplaces and learning environments are “safe” for them. (BBC)

Monday, 22 November 04:00hrs

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 22, 2021

Girl who lost sight at 10 months excels at CSEC

VISUALLY-impaired student, Mekyla Belgrave, 17, has yet again risen above the limitations of her disability, securing passes in three subjects she wrote at the 2021 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations.

Though only a Grade 10 student at the time, Mekyla wrote English A, Human and Social Biology and Social Studies, through the Visually Impaired Resource Unit of the Ministry of Education.

She obtained a grade one and two grade twos.

Belgrave decided to write the subjects on the encouragement of her teachers, who were confident that she will do well. Though apprehensive, she decided to go ahead and is now happy that she did not limit herself.

“When one of my teachers suggested I write CSEC, I was so nervous and unsure but then I felt so good and happy about my performance,” the North Georgetown Secondary School student told the Guyana Chronicle.

Mekyla was able to write the exam through the use of a scribe and a reader, along with other measures put in place to accommodate her disability. Like other students, her preparation for the examinations involved a lot of virtual classes due to the closure of school as a result of COVID-19.

Now that she is in Grade 11, Mekyla plans to write three more subjects at the 2022 CSEC. She is hoping to become either a social worker or a psychologist. .

Her mother, Celeste Belgrave, could not contain her excitement over her daughter’s performance.

“I felt overwhelmed, joyful, and happy. It was very emotional. It is all praise to God and I was just thanking him when I saw the results,” Celeste expressed.

Mekyla’s results are indicative of how much she continues to stand out as an inspiration to other visually- impaired persons -- that living a normal life is still possible for them.

Over the years, society would have learnt about Mekyla through many media articles. She had lost her sight when still just an infant.

In 2016, Mekyla was a standout performer at the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA), where she rose above her disability and scored enough marks to gain a place at the North Georgetown Secondary School.

Mekyla is one of six visually-impaired students who attend the school.

At just three months old, Mekyla was diagnosed with bilateral advanced retinoblastoma, a cancerous tumor that affected her eye sight.

To treat the disease, at 10 months old, she had both of her eyes removed and underwent six months of chemotherapy at a hospital in Trinidad and Tobago.

GREAT SUPPORT SYSTEM “It was very sad and very emotional.

I cried a lot but I tried to be positive. My family mem-

However, afterwards she did worry about the kind of life her daughter would lead, and at times she can still be overprotective of Mekyla.

Celeste said there has been no limitations for Mekyla, who has a remarkable level of independence and who assists in helping to take care of her three other siblings and can even do some amount of cooking on her own.

“She can take care of herself. Dress herself, make up her bed, go to the stove, fry things. My sister was teaching her the other day to

Mekyla Belgrave (centre) with her mom, Celeste Belgrave (right) and her other siblings bers, and her father’s family members were really there for us though, we had a good support system,” Celeste shared.

Celeste said at that time she did not have time to worry about what quality of life her daughter would lead as a blind person because all she wanted was for her child to survive this disease.

“My hope and purpose was just to get my daughter back to Guyana alive and not a dead child. I prayed and trusted God for a live child even though she is blind. I don’t have a problem with that,” Celeste told this publication.

clap roti. Even with her little sister she would dress her and put on her clothes, and do it good,” Celeste shared.

Celeste explained that she grew more confident about Mekyla’s ability to be independent after being inspired by the other visually-impaired persons working at the blind institute.

“I have the support of her teachers, some of whom are blind, some are visually-impaired. I see what they can do so I know my daughter can do great in the future,” the mother said.

Notwithstanding the success, it has not been all smooth sailing, and Celeste

and her family still have to face their share of challenges as Mekyla navigates the school system as a special needs child.

DIFFICULT AT TIMES “Sometimes it’s difficult, it’s like you have to fight for everything and it could be difficult.

The teachers at the school don’t always understand how to teach the children or how to relate to the children [who are visually-impaired]. How to deal with them, or how they will get their notes,” she explained.

She added: “A teacher from the unit is also supposed to be with them but one year a particular teacher was always not there when she was supposed to be. She would come to sign in her time and that was it. I complain but nothing was ever done. These children are blind, anything could happen to them. Somebody could trouble them, they could fall down, people could interfere with them and the teachers have to be there to prevent that from happening. Eventually, I decided I

Mekyla Belgrave is a student of North Georgetown Secondary School could not take it on and I sent behind them. And she is my child by the grace of God focused on continuing to see knowing that anything could her daughter live life as norhappen to my child.” mal as possible.

However, with Meky“I forgot to say that I la now in her final year at am very proud of her and secondary school, Celeste always will be,” Celeste is hoping that the worst is said.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday November 22, 2021

The Jonestown Massacre

NOVEMBER 18, 2021, marked 43 years since the Jonestown massacre in which 918 died, including a United States Congressman Leo Ryan. Few people at the time knew of a settlement established by the notorious Jim Jones at Port Kaituma, Region One. Permission to establish the settlement was granted by the then PNC regime; the settlement was administered by the People's Temple, a San Francisco-based religious cult under the leadership of Jim Jones.

Dubbed the 'People's Temple Agricultural Project', the settlement grabbed the international spotlight when in November 1978 a total of 918 persons perished from cyanide poisoning, which has gone down in history

as one of the largest mass murders/suicides to have taken place in the world.

Guyana was catapulted in the international limelight for reasons that were at best, bizarre. It became a story of lies, deception and human degradation that had become the plot of movies and bestseller thriller novels.

The question that still remains unanswered was why a decision to open a scheme by an overseas cultist group was concealed from the public by the then PNC regime, despite several attempts by the then opposition to have answers provided. Questions posed by the PPP in Parliament were blatantly ignored by the PNC regime until the issue of Jonestown hit the international community.

The regime tried its best to hide the matter from the

Guyanese public and international community. However, given the high-profile murder of a United States Congressman and the sheer numbers of those killed, it was not possible to do so. Instead, it attempted to project a narrative of 'mass suicide' on the part of those who perished. It was not until the true situation unfolded that it became known that an overwhelming majority of those killed were either forced to consume that deadly cyanide-laced drink or were duped into so doing. It was not something that was done voluntarily as the public was led to believe. Indeed, it was pathetic to watch images of the hundreds of men, women and children, many still clinging to each other even in death.

The Jonestown massacre

remains until this day a reminder of a dark past when the constitutional rights of the Guyanese people were trampled upon with immunity and in the most flagrant manner. Among those were the right to elect a government of one's choice, the right to free speech and the right to know, as happened in the case of the Jonestown tragedy. It was only after that massacre that Guyanese became aware that a community in the deep jungle of Guyana existed and that it was home to one of the most notorious cults under the leadership of Jim Jones.

In some respects, Jonestown was a microcosm of what was taking place at the national level which was characterised by dictatorial rule, violations of fundamental human rights, a cul-

ture of fear and a climate of repression which permeated the wider society. The latter part of the 1970s was particularly known for its political turbulence which saw in its wake the brutal murder of Jesuit priest Father Darke at the hands of the dreaded House of Israel cult which, like the Jonestown cult, was closely affiliated with the leadership of the then PNC regime. It was during that period also that world-renowned historian and revolutionary Dr. Water Rodney was assassinated, along with several other opposition figures. Not to be forgotten too was the shooting to death of two young men in 1973 whose only crime was to protect ballot boxes from being carted off by the military to some unknown destination.

The PNC, as a party in government at the time of the Jonestown massacre, cannot escape responsibility for what transpired. There is evidence that the leadership of the PNC were not only instrumental in the establishment of Jonestown, but also played a facilitating role in a commune led by someone now regarded as one of the most fanatical and cruel in modern history.

Fittingly, and no doubt as a reminder to the Guyanese people, was the slogan at the entrance of that disgraced community: 'Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it.'

The best thing that we can do as a society as we reflect on the Jonestown massacre is to ensure that there is no return to such a sordid past.

Public servants seven per cent better this Christmas

Dear Editor, I AM not one to dabble in politics or anything of the sort but I feel compelled to write this letter to you to share my view on the recently announced seven per cent salary increase for public servants. I will keep this as short as possible and get straight to the point.

At a time like this when everyone is faced with challenges that were brought about by the pandemic, there is a growing need for more disposable income to reach the people. People need more

money so that they can survive at a time when prices are rising. We examine the situation in our neighbouring countries or even CARICOM countries and we see how people are crying out for help. It is not just something that is confined to Guyana.

Everyone needs help and even a seven per cent increase in salary will help in some way or the other.

I did some research on salary increases in other CARICOM countries and what I found is something that I am sure will never see the light of day from the opposition’s end. In

Antigua, the government has been struggling to pay salary increases to its workers. In fact, an article that was published by Nation News on September 7, 2021 outlined the challenges the government has been facing with paying the increase. The main issue was the pandemic and the impact on the country, especially with lockdowns and so forth. Shifting focus to Jamaica, we see that they also had a struggle with salary increases because of the pandemic.

Reports from the Jamaican government as well as the Jamaica Gleaner publica-

tion outlined that workers will receive a four per cent salary increase come 2022 but they will be getting retroactive payment from April 1, 2021. Looking at these figures, it is clear that Guyana has done better by offering a seven per cent increase and retroactive salary from January 1, 2021. If this does not put into perspective how good we are getting in Guyana, allow me to point out the situation in Dominica. The Dominica News Online publication reported early in March 2021 that public officers will be getting a 1.25 per

cent increase. This is far less than what Guyana’s public officials are getting in addition to it being retroactive.

I think it is very important for people to consider all the facts before launching on social media to criticise the government. I saw that many of the opposition members like Duncan, Jones and McDonald to name a few, were using the comparisons put out by the PPP/C to say that even though those countries received lower increases than Guyana, they pay higher wag-

es and as such the people have more spending power. Even though that may be true, every single country struggled to settle at a specific percentage because of the pandemic. They could not give their workers anything sizable and many could not make it retroactive. Guyana has given seven per cent retroactive across the board which, in the context of Guyana, is noteworthy especially with the pandemic still in full swing.

Sincerely, Alvin Hamilton

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 22, 2021

Coalition heavily taxed citizenry then awarded salaries that were net losses Dear Editor, I WRITE this letter to you today to express my views on the recently announced seven per cent salary increase for public servants.

Since the announcement was made, I observed the opposition lashing out at the government on social media for giving the workers seven per cent as their increase.

I found many viewpoints from the opposition members to be riddled with inaccuracies, all with the intent of attacking the government.

I make reference to posts from Juretha Fernandes, Aubrey Norton and the APNU+AFC Facebook page, along with other MPs such as

Sherod Duncan and Coretta McDonald to say that these people are not serving in the best interest of their constituents. Allow me to explain.

The entire opposition has been criticising the seven per cent increase, saying that the government is cruel to the public servants as they deserved a higher percentage increase. They continue to divert all their efforts into comparing this seven per cent increase against that which they gave during their tenure. Some of these very MPs even went further to say that the APNU+AFC not only gave sizeable increases, but also increased the minimum wage. However, I am not seeing a single one of these individuals high-

light the fact that during their tenure, they were not dealing with the economic challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. They are also very silent on the fact that even though they gave salary increases higher than seven per cent, they also implemented hundreds of tax-increase measures which placed additional pressure on the Guyanese people. The reality was that during their tenure, even though the minimum wage was increased and salary increases were given, only a small number of the Guyanese people benefited, as the majority of us were taxed to death by all the tax measures that were rolled out. The APNU+AFC placed VAT on electricity, water,

education, health services and so much more and for this and other reasons, they were voted out of office.

In just over a year of the PPP/C Government being in office, measures were rolled out in every single area that you can think of, so as to bring relief to the people.

This was all done, even though the government was dealing with the negative effects of the pandemic on the country. I think it is important for people to be aware that the government has reversed most of the harsh tax measures that the Coalition rolled out between 2015 to 2020. In fact, Guyanese are now benefitting from taxfree water and electricity, one-off cash grants and even

increases in old-age pension, public assistance, and the Because We Care grant.

What the APNU+AFC is trying to do is get people to ignore these things and just focus on the seven per cent increase. Their stance is that a higher increase should be given so that public servants would have greater monetary gains. However, I want to ask the Coalition this: would you have preferred that the government offer a double-digit increase and leave the tax measures such as VAT on water, electricity, healthcare, education and so forth, unchanged?

Would that have given you the satisfaction you’re looking for, or would you have then sought to criticise the

government for offering the double-digit increase and not addressing the high taxes and not offering assistance in the other areas such as education and healthcare?

This seven per cent salary increase should not be looked at in isolation.

Instead, it must be examined alongside all the other measures which the government rolled out to reduce the burden on citizens and offer them more disposable income.

I urge my fellow Guyanese to look at the bigger picture and not fall prey to APNU+AFC misdirection.

in August 2020 and distract Guyanese from the economic mess they left behind for the new government to clean up.

The reasonableness of the salary increase must not be viewed in isolation, but within the context of the election impasse and COVID-19 pandemic that constrained the government from addressing the salary of public servants since last year. Had the APNU respected the people’s will and conceded since its defeat at the March 2020 elections, the new government would have had almost nine months instead of three months to include a salary

increase in its first budget in 2020. The economic uncertainty generated by the political impasse, which added to the uncertainty created by the COVID-19 pandemic, also made it difficult for the new government to effectively plan for salary increases in the first two budgets.

The salary increase must also be viewed against the background of all the tax measures and targeted interventions that benefitted public servants, teachers, members of the disciplined services, and citizens, generally. Unlike the APNU, which handed public servants salary increase with

one hand and took back more in the form of taxes with another, the new government has given tax reliefs, cash grants, and salary increases simultaneously. Therefore, public servants have enjoyed a net gain from the new government’s initiative, rather than the net loss they suffered under the APNU government which took more from Guyanese in the form of taxes than it paid out in higher wages. Based on the Bank of Guyana’s Statistical Bulletin, the average increase in emoluments between 2015 and 2020 was 9.3 per cent, compared with the increase in PAYE of 12

per cent for the corresponding period.

The government also granted the increase against the background of the recent flood that resulted in significant losses to the key economic sector. To return these sectors that were already harmed by the political impasse and COVID-19 pandemic, on the road toward recovery, the new government approved a supplementary appropriation of G$10 billion.

In my humble view, the seven per cent increase is reasonable and laudable, given the background of uncertainty created by the polit-

ical impasse and COVID-19 pandemic, which has made economic planning and wage negotiation difficult. Most countries, even those in Europe, have postponed salary negotiations since the COVID-19 pandemic and instead focused on measures to preserve salary levels and safeguard the well-being of citizens.

Our new government must be commended for its progressive approach in dealing with these matters.

Respectfully yours, Brian Azore

‘Making noise’ is the only activity APNU can execute with perfection

Dear Editor,

THE main opposition has been making a lot of noise about the announced seven per cent across-the-board increase in salary for public servants, teachers, pensioners, and staff of constitutional agencies.

This was expected, since ‘making noise’ is the only activity the opposition APNU can be relied on to execute with perfection. Importantly, APNU is hoping that the noise about the salary increase will drown out all the progress made by the government since it assumed office

Yours sincerely, Withhold name and address

Subletting of leased lands in Region Five Dear Editor,

PLEASE permit space in the letter column of your newspaper to once again highlight my concern as to the above. Over the years I have been writing pertaining to the same in Guyana and I will clearly say that in Region Five, subletting of government’s leased lands has been a profitable business over the years for some land-lease holders.

In 2016, I wrote about the same and also had a conversation with the then minister of agriculture, but nothing was done to stop this nonsense that is happening in subletting of lease lands by the legal lease holders.

In Region Five, thousands of acres of land are being given by the Mahaica Mahaicony Abary- Agriculture Development Authority (MMAADA) through legal leases to persons who claim to be or want to be rice farmers.

Farmers who are planting rice and want to expand would normally apply to the MMA-

ADA for more land through the legal way which is by lease, and sometimes they are being told that lands are not available.

I must thank MMA-ADA for ensuring that lands are being given through the legal means, so that rice farmers can continue to make our region proud and being the best and most productive rice-producing region in Guyana.

Lands are also being given through lease to cattle farmers

by MMA-ADA, so that those large cattle farmers can have their cattle away from the housing areas and farmlands.

I also know that many are also very concerned when the “real rice farmers” are crying out for developmental works to be done in the areas for better access dams, drainage and irrigation. Many of us will join with those very “real rice farmers” to echo their calls for development, but little do we know that those very farmers are subletting government lease lands from the legal lessees. (I won’t blame the farmers for doing

such because they want to invest more into the sector).

There are scores of persons who have tens of acres of farm lands through the legal means of a lease from MMAADA and are in the business of subletting those lands to the “real rice farmers ‘’. Many of those very lease-land holders are also in the U.S. and are making money off those very lands that they are subletting to others.

We all know that subletting of government lease land is “illegal” and MMA-ADA makes it clear before handing those leases to the applicants.

So they are very much aware that when they sublet those lands it is “illegal business” that they are into, but they don’t care because they are making more money per acre on rental fees than MMAADA. The lessee of those lease lands would charge\rent to the farmers for somewhere around $15,000 to $20,000 per acre of rice land. While MMA-ADA charges $7,500 per acre of rice lands (present

fee charge per acre). Under the APNU (PNC) government, that very land was subletting\renting around $25,000 to $35,000 per acre because Noel Holder found it wise to raise the land-rental fee to $15,000 per acre. I won’t say why he had to ensure it was raised, but I believe it has a lot to do with the subletting business.

Guyanese brothers and sisters, those very legal leaseland holders that are subletting and collecting those high rental fees are the ones whom I believe are not paying MMA-ADA their lease-land rental fees per acre. I am very much saying this because I know that if management of MMA-ADA goes public on who are the persons in arrears to the authority, you would hear “well, I am not planting lands anymore, my uncle or friend planting it for me”, “my son or grandchildren planting the lands”, etc.

Those legal land-lease holders are the ones who are making the “real rice farmers” face hardship at times, espe-

cially when infrastructural works have to be done, so that farmers can have better access to their farmlands.

Recently, in Region Two, I saw farmers protesting against the legal owner of the rice lands they are renting and saying a lot of negative things about the owner of those lands.

But the owner came out and made it clear that the legal lease owners are subletting his lands and making thousands more of what he charges them to lease his lands, and yet they don’t want to pay their legal land charges.

So, those legal lease-land owners are not only taking advantage of the government by subletting the lease land at a higher rate, but are also taking the said advantage on private land owners who are renting\ leasing lands to farmers.

Most of us should know that it is clear that once you are the legal lease owner of farm lands that are leased by the MMA-ADA and you sublet, it’s “Illegal”; therefore, the entity can withdraw those very lands from the

original lease-land owners because they went beyond and breached the legal agreement.

With much to do in developing the MMA-ADA at this time because nothing was done under the previous government to improve the dams, drainage or irrigation in the scheme, those legal land-lease owners need to pay their dues.

I am calling on the board of directors and management of the MMA-ADA to take quick action against those who are subletting lands and moreover to take them away and give them to the farmers who are presently planting the land.

Don’t only take the lands away from those who are subletting, but also ensure that they pay all of their dues owed to MMA-ADA because over the years they were in the subletting business and making money, but they did not want to fulfil their obligations to the entity by paying their fees.

Yours sincerely, Abel Seetaram

Whirlpool warehouse opens in Ogle 8

SENIOR Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance Dr Ashni Singh, on Saturday lauded the formation of a new

partnership that will see products of the worldclass Whirlpool company distributed in Guyana.

BPI Guyana, one of the country’s leading

BPI Guyana Inc CEO, Natasha Dass

wholesale distributors of consumer products, has collaborated with the home-appliances company to manage the distribution of its products across the country. The warehouse is at Ogle Airstrip Road, East Coast Demerara.

Dr Singh said the establishment of top-quality brands in Guyana forms an integral part of government’s vision for the modernisation and transformation of the society. “… to us as a government, quality of service is an extremely important part of the transformation that is underway,” Dr. Singh said during the launch at BPI’s warehouse at Ogle.

The minister said the initiative coincides perfectly with the government’s new housing proj-

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 22, 2021

ect that has seen almost 10,000 house lots being distributed to citizens countrywide.

With the introduction of Whirlpool appliances in Guyana, Minister Singh noted that the days of inconvenience due to inaccessibility to maintenance and repairs of products will be over.

“Anybody who has had to face the inconvenience of having an appliance in their home, and… having it encounter some problem and having to wait weeks, having somebody to import it or order it online, having somebody who you believe is competent enough to fix it without causing greater damage… will understand how much of a convenience it is to be able to say my appliance is under warranty, please let the distributor and retailer sort it out for me’…. We must never underestimate what those things mean for quality of life,” Dr Singh explained.

Further, Dr Singh reminded attendees that even the move by Whirlpool to have its products sold and distributed in Guyana shows their understanding that Guyana’s market will continue to expand and make room for profit for such a business venture.

Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility of Finance, Dr Ashni Singh “The mere fact that Whirlpool sees it worthwhile to establish a distributorship in Guyana recognises Whirlpool’s understanding of the potential of Guyana’s market. They’re not going to establish a distributorship where they think they’re gonna be selling one or two appliances. They recognise quite clearly the vast potential of the Guyanese market and they clearly see that this is a growth market,” Dr Singh pointed out.

The minister urged BPI Guyana Inc. and all other business entities to continue pursuing partnerships such as these, as it pushes forward the PPP/C Government’s agenda of improving every citizen’s standard of living.

In a brief address, Chief Executive Officer of BPI Guyana Inc. Natasha Dass reiterated her company’s commitment to ensuring that the products and services offered

by BPI Guyana are of the highest quality available.

“We pride ourselves in the relationships we have built with some of the world’s top international brands, and we stand committed to our customers to offer high-quality service at a competitively priced product portfolio,” she said.

Noting Whirlpool’s recent landmark of 110 years of service, Dass said that the company has been named the number one manufacturer of home appliances in the world.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 22, 2021

Over 3,000 Guyanese students studying online at Indian universities

HIGH Commissioner of India, Dr. K.J. Srinivasa delivered a speech as the special guest of honour at the Inauguration and Orientation Programme of Jain “Deemed To Be” University, Bangalore last Tuesday.

The event was Guyana Orientation of the Academic Programmes (UG/PG) and welcoming around 3,000 Guyanese learners for the academic year 2021 batch. Education Minister, Priya Manickchand; Public Service Minister, Sonia Parag; Special Adviser at Jain University, Dr. Vijay Jolly; officials of the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) and a number of students participated in the event.

Jain “Deemed To Be” University, along with the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has been selected by the Ministry of Education under GOAL to provide online scholarships to Guyanese.

According to a release from the Indian High Commission in Georgetown, out of the 6,225 on-line scholarships being offered by the Government of Guyana this year, 2,689 will be from Jain “Deemed To Be”

Education Minister Priya Manickchand University and 1,672 from IGNOU. In addition, Sherlock Institute of India will offer 215 on-line scholarships this year.

Thus, 73.5 per cent of the online scholarships being offered by the Government of Guyana will be provided by Indian universities/institution. These two Indian universities are also working through the GOAL initiative to offer PhD and other programmes in Guyana.

The Indira Gandhi National Open Uni-

versity also organised an online Staff Development Programme (SDP) for functionaries of the Guyana Online Academy of Learning two Mondays ago.

Dr. K.J. Srinivasa gave the inaugural address as chief guest at the event. The Indira Gandhi National Open University is launching a series of short-term courses (six to eight weeks) covering various aspects of open and distance learning.

These courses are on management of open and distance education and developing self- learning material. The event was attended by a number of participants from Guyana including senior officials of the Ministry of Education, GOAL and Vice-Chancellor, head of departments and senior professors of The Indira Gandhi National Open University.

The Indira Gandhi Open University had signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Education, on October 1, 2021. Through the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) initiative, the Indira Gandhi Open University also held a virtual orientation on October1, 2021 for approximately 922 Guyanese students who will be

attending the university.

The Indira Gandhi Open University is also working towards offering PhD and other programmes in Guyana through the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), “Study in India” programme, the release concluded.

High Commissioner of India, Dr. K.J. Srinivasa

Men and mental health

By Vanessa Cort

THE stereotype has long been established of men as the strong, silent types – not talking too much, not inclined to ‘flights of fancy’, not given to ‘wearing their hearts on their sleeves’ and generally not emotionally demonstrative.

Although this ‘picture’ has been modified somewhat over the years, the notion still exists and boys are still taught that men must be physically and psychologically resilient. Men are the protectors and boys don’t cry.

So young men grow up with the idea that they should always keep, as the English say, ‘a stiff upper lip’, not displaying emotion that will cause them to be seen as ‘soft’ and not talking about their feelings.

This issue was discussed last Thursday at the International Men’s Day Forum, hosted by Sonia Noel Page, with one of the guests, DJ Avalanche, acknowledging the influence he has over young people and emphatically urging young men to let their feelings be known.

Two of my sons have also been ‘sounding boards’ for me on this topic, both bemoaning the fact that not enough attention is given to men’s mental health. They lay the blame firmly on a society still rooted in gender-specific roles.

Indeed, in this country mothers tend to place their sons in fixed ‘male’ roles while fathers watch out to ensure that their boys follow ‘masculine’ pursuits.

Both parents therefore help to feed the belief that ‘boys must be boys’ and this inevitably means that any display of what is seen as ‘feminine’ emotion is actively discouraged.

After years of keeping their feelings bottled up it then becomes very difficult for these boys, now grown men, to reveal any emotional difficulties they may be experiencing, particularly in a climate where health issues are still taboo.

As Leah Campbell, writing for Healthline reminds us “We’re ignoring the stigma surrounding mental health that stops many men from seeking help when they need it most – and it’s literally killing them.”

Healthline reported that men are dying in greater numbers than women from alcohol abuse and are ‘two to three times more likely to misuse drugs than women’.

However, while suicide, caused by depression and anxiety are ranked as a ‘leading cause of death among men, it was found that men were far less likely to seek mental health treatment than women.

And the statistics are alarming, as those

Photo courtesy of chicagorealtor.com at the forum noted, with a US study stating that men account for 3.5 times the number of suicides as women. A worldwide study has also revealed that “men everywhere find it difficult to ‘open up’ about mental health, though they are significantly more at risk of attempting suicide than women”.

Psychotherapist, Shane Tull, in a recent interview talked about men having “a safe space” to discuss their problems and I feel that, in the first instance, this should be the home, where parents need to create the kind of environment that encourages young men to talk about their emotional problems. This

would certainly make it easier for them to do so as they grow older.

We need to dispel the myth that depression and other forms of mental illness are a sign of weakness, what a Michigan doctor referred to as “this macho thing”, preventing men from admitting their emotional distress.

The doctor declared that this kind of thinking is outdated and goes back to a time when there was limited understanding about the nature of mental illness.

However, while this may be true of the medical profession, it is clear that many men out there still consider mental health to be ‘something personal’ and remain reluctant to seek help.

As another doctor said: “Too many men think they are supposed to be strong and macho all the time -- even when in pain. For many it would be unimaginable, intolerable for anyone to know they were battling anxiety, depression, or were bogged down by their emotions.”

Given all of this, it is patently obvious that we mothers, fathers and society at large need to encourage our menfolk to talk about their mental health issues and seek help.

For, as Medical News Today puts it, “mental illness among men is a public health concern that begs attention.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 22, 2021

Teenage daughters and a single mum ... a mother recalls WHEN my daughters were 13 and 15 years old, while we walked in town, I couldn’t believe the amount of attention they received from men.

Both well-developed girls dressed modestly; I did not allow them to wear halter-backs, midriff tops or short skirts. However, men would call out remarks or ‘size them up’, checking out their shape. This type of behaviour upset me so much there was a time I shouted at one man angrily. ‘She’s just a child! What’s wrong with you?’ He replied, ‘I might be old, but it’s young chicken I like to fry’. My innocent daughter, who was embarking on womanhood, was nothing more than a sexual object to this bleary-eyed creepy man.

The youngest one came home and relayed an incident with the shopkeeper in the scheme. He grabbed her hand whilst giving her the change and asked. ‘How old are you?’. Not wanting to be rude, she replied, ‘I’m nearly 14’. He gave her the change and retorted, ‘You’re too young; come back when you reach 16’. When she told me, I thought, Come back for what? I marched right down to that shop without missing a beat and asked him to explain what she is too young for and why she must come back when she is 16?

He got flustered and said

he meant nothing bad; he was joking around. I made sure all the customers heard me as I put him to his place.

I told him to save his jokes for his women friends and don’t mess with my child.

Furthermore, he was not to touch her hand, foot or any part of her anatomy when I send her to purchase goods. It felt liberating, defending my girls from sex fiends. What is this world coming to when young girls cannot go about their daily lives in peace? I’m sure these men wouldn’t like their female family members pestered as they went about their business? Don’t they know it is punishable by law for young girls and women to be sexually harassed on the streets?

I realised I was fighting a losing battle after a few more incidents. When an inappropriate gesture or pass is made, I wouldn’t always be present, and if I kept jumping to their defence, there was a chance my girls would be embarrassed and refrain from confiding in me. I wanted them to feel safe in our home and community; it was my responsibility to protect them.

They should not be burdened with protecting themselves.

The best thing to do, I decided, was to arm them with knowledge. I had to empower them with a first line of defence against abuse. Choosing an appropriate time when they were relaxing I sat down

with them to explain. I can’t remember what I said word for word, but it went something like this - ‘You girls are growing up and getting a lot of attention from boys and men, I guess it is only natural.

Likewise, you might notice a boy and think he is cute.

You don’t have to hide from me, it is the law of attraction, certain faces appeal to certain people, and personalities are drawn to each other.

But now is not the time to be thinking about boyfriends and relationships; all that will come when you’re older.

Teenage years is the time to take in your education and broaden your mind. In broadening your mind, you will broaden your horizons and opportunities. You can dream big and achieve your goals; you can make something of yourself and your life.

Some people say it’s part of our culture for boys and men to ‘trouble’ you when they see you, or they say they just ‘playing’ with you when you pass. But believe me, if you only give them an opening, they would take it further. You can imagine how many teenage girls allowed that attention to get to their head; and falling prey to their jibe, ended up pregnant.

Especially girls who receive little attention at home and have no one to sit and talk to them like I am talking to you now.

I want you to carry your-

self with self-respect every time you leave this house while going to and from school. Don’t take on any boy or man who tries to distract you or get your attention. You are attractive looking girls, but physical attraction is not all you need to get by in life. You need to uphold the morals and standards taught in this house from me, your mother’.

I remember the older one saying, ‘but mummy; I ignore them, you know, I just cut my eye, suck my teeth and walk away’. The younger one said, ‘I tell myself, any boy

or man who behaves like that, has no respect for himself or the girl he’s troubling’.

We had a deep discussion that day, and I realised my daughters were more aware and informed than I had credited them; they’d learnt a lot from observing how I handle things, and both held positive outlooks.

Over the years, I have had the pleasure of watching them grow into responsible women. They sailed through their teenage years confidently with minor disruptions, and each achieved commendable exam results.

As a single mother, there is only so much you can do, but respectfully talking to children and explaining the pitfalls in life can help them make informed choices and aim for sustainable goals.

If you are concerned about the welfare of a child, call the CPA hotline on 227 0979 or write to us at childcaregy@gmail.com A MESSAGE FROM THE CHILDCARE AND PROTECTION AGENCY, MINISTRY OF HUMAN SERVICES AND SOCIAL SECURITY

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 22, 2021

Fire reportedly started in police living quarters

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– minor water damage to office of DPP WHILE police and fire officials have started their investigation into the massive fire that gutted the Kingston building that houses two key offices in the justice system, the fire department disclosed, today, that Saturday’s fire started in the living quarters of police ranks.

“The fire is reported to have begun on the top floor

of the western side of the building, in an area which is used as the living quarters for ranks of the Guyana Police Force”, the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) said in a statement yesterday.

The police Office for Professional Responsibility (OPR) received the brunt of the damage while the authorities say the Office of the Director of Public

Prosecution (DPP), which is also located there, only received minor water damages.

A joint effort by on and off-duty members of the disciplined services saw many of the files and equipment in the DPP office saved.

According to the statement, the firefighters received the alert at 13:50

Fire consumes a section of the building at the GPF’s Eve Leary headquarters. hrs from someone at the location. Water Tenders were mobilized and dispatched from the Central, Alberttown, West Ruimveldt, and Campbellville Fire Stations.

The fire quickly spread through the wooden building located just at the Kingston Seawall in full

Firefighters wrestle to contain the November 20 blaze. (Delano Williams photo)

exposure to the Atlantic breeze. The GFS blamed the quick spread of the blaze on “the age and combustibility of the structure and its contents.”

Aside from the OPR, the Construction Department and Stores were completely destroyed, the fire department confirmed. In-

vestigations are ongoing.

This is the second major fire at a major office of the justice system.

The Brickdam Police Station, which housed a number of police operations for Region 4 (Demerara-Mahaica) was razed by arson just a few weeks ago.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 22, 2021

500 house lots for Lethem resid

THE Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) will be dis-

tributing 500 house lots to residents of Lethem, Region Nine, during its

‘Dream Realised’ housing drive today.

The planned distribu-

tion exercise will see residents receiving house lots in Track ‘CH&PA’ hous-

ing scheme in the vicinity of ‘Poke’ Bridge, Lethem.

Minister of Housing

Housing and Water M and Water, Collin Croal, MP, said house lots have been assigned to low, moderate, and middle-income applicants. Residential/commercial applicants will be allocated subsequently.

He said the distribution exercise will see a reduction in the backlog of applications at Lethem, which stands at 925.

The exercise, Minister Croal said, also forms part of CH&PA’s national housing programme which will see the government delivering on its promise of distributing 50,000 house lots --

All is set for the CH&P programme at Lethem

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 22, 2021

dents

Minister Collin Croal 10,000 annually within five years.

Apart from the allocation exercise, interviews and surveys will also be conducted. Residents will also have an opportunity to have one-on-one interactions with Minister Croal and Minister within the Ministry, Susan Rodrigues.

The government has so far distributed some 9,000 house lots to Guyanese. This brings the administration closer to reaching its target of distributing 10,000 house lots during its first year in office. (DPI)

PA’s “Dream Realised”

GFS questions police ranks about Eve Leary fire –– cause still unknown

EVEN as the probe continues into the cause of Saturday’s fire that completely destroyed the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) at Police Headquarters, Eve Leary, several ranks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) are currently being questioned.

This is according to Fire Chief Kalamadeen Edoo, who told the Guyana Chronicle on Sunday that the ranks reside in the police barracks situated close to the fire scene.

He said that while the cause of the fire has not yet been determined, all of the ranks who reside in the barracks are being questioned, since the fire started in the western side of that building.

“We’re just questioning police ranks who were around and who were occupying those quarters, and we’re questioning them because so far we know it’s upstairs the fire started,” said Edoo.

The fire is the second major disaster for the force as a few weeks ago, 80 per cent of the Brickdam Police Station was destroyed following an act of arson.

Quick action by the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) on Saturday saved the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

Although ranks were able to save important documents from the DPP’s Chambers, Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, noted that the entire operation there will remain in complete disarray for the next few weeks.

In a bid to save files from the massive blaze, staff of the DPP Chambers, as well as ranks of the GPF and firefighters, removed drawers from file cabinets and piled them into police vehicles.

The files were then transported to a secure location.

Documents were also thrown through windows from the top floor of the building in an effort to save them from the fire which was inching closer to that section.

Minister Benn noted that the operations of the DPP’s office have been halted as a result of the fire.

“It puts the operations of the OPR in disarray. The operations of the DPP Chambers are also in disarray and [in] some confusion. The files and documents would have to be taken to somewhere, where they would have to be [sorted] and put in a condition where they could be accessed properly.”

Benn further added: “Basically, the operations remaining to this building are completely perturbated and [there will be] confusion from now on.

They’ll have to spend the next week or two putting files and things properly together and to get the computer systems and so back online, to be able to access files which are online.”

The massive fire at Police Headquarters, Eve Leary (Delano Williams photo)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 22, 2021

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 22, 2021

Chattergoon did her family, school proud at CSEC AMONG this year’s excellent performers in the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) is young Angelita Chattergoon.

The young lady secured 15 grade ones and four grade twos at the examinations.

Chattergoon attributed her success to the visionary guidance and the consistent efforts of her parents, Annie and Adi Chattergoon, teachers and everyone else who invested their time and energy in her development.

Wishing to give herself a wide scope and diverse opportunities, young Chattergoon opted not to focus on one area of studies but rather chose to perform in a rounded sense, that is, pursuing studies in the arts, social sciences and business subjects as well as the humanities.

She was very pleased with her grades.

Chattergoon sees herself as setting the trend for the future in Essequibo where students would not stick in one corner but would broaden their horizons Angelita Chattergoon by adding subjects, giving them greater and wider career choices.

But it was not just in high school or when she was preparing for CSEC examinations that she began pushing her abilities, but rather since in primary school, at Hampton Court Primary School, which she attended.

She was motivated to climb the academic ladder, turning in an exceptional performance at the National Grade Six Assessment examinations. She obtained a place at Bishops’ High School. It was not just academics for Chattergoon, who loved drawing and reading and taking part in art and debating competitions. She is also involved in a number of community and social activities at the church she attends.

Though delighted at the opportunity to attend one of the country’s top secondary schools in Georgetown and aware of the superior resources that she would have benefited from such an educational institution, she chose instead to attend Anna Regina Secondary School, where she would be closer to home and to her family including her younger brother, Alex.

There, she wanted to break the glass ceiling and prove that girls from Essequibo can do as much and be just as empowered as those from any other part of Guyana. Chattergoon enjoyed attending Anna Regina Secondary School where she was helped by very approachable, patient and knowledgeable teachers who surmounted the obstacles presented by COVID-19.

She cherishes the years she spent there and the way the school prepared her for the future.

She is now actively pursuing possibilities for a future in the legal profession as an Attorney-at-Law and is hoping to secure a scholarship to undertake studies for the degree in Law, after which she plans to give back to her small community of Devonsire Castle in Essequibo by continuing to live there and provide her legal services to the residents.

Her encouragement to youths in Guyana is to be focused, to be disciplined, and that nothing is impossible with God.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 22, 2021

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 22, 2021

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday November 22, 2021

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday November 22, 2021

Conte secures first Tottenham win had to cheer about in a significantly below-par display in the first half.

Meslier was untroubled in the Leeds goal as Tottenham's wait for a shot on target in the Premier League passed the four-hour mark. Captain Kane, fresh from scoring seven goals in two international appearances, never looked like adding to his

Sergio Reguilon scored the winner to give Antonio Conte his first Premier League victory as Spurs’ boss (BBB) - Antonio Conte The equaliser arrived secured his first Premier just before the hour mark League win in charge when Pierre-Emile Hoof Tottenham as Spurs jbjerg curled into the far staged an impressive sec- corner after good work by ond-half comeback to Lucas Moura. beat struggling Leeds.

Tottenham kept up The hosts failed to the pressure and the turnmanage a single shot on around was complete in or off target in a lacklustre the 69th minute when Eric opening 45 minutes with Dier's free-kick deflected the determined visitors by off the wall and onto the far the better side. post, but Sergio Reguilon Kalvin Phillips had an was there to poke in the early free kick saved by rebound and score his first Hugo Lloris and Adam Premier League goal for Forshaw drove just wide Spurs. before Leeds opened the The home side then scoring as half time ap- closed out the game to proached when Daniel secure a win that moves James stabbed in Jack them up to seventh, four Harrison's excellent cross. points off the top four.

There were some boos Leeds, meanwhile, refrom the home fans as Tot- main 17th and just two tenham left the pitch for points above the relegathe break, but Conte's side tion zone. were much improved after the restart, twice hitting A tale of two contrastthe woodwork early on. ing halves First, Harry Kane When Conte emerged anonymous in the first from the tunnel before half - broke clear of the the start of the game there defence and his powerful was applause from the low effort squirmed under home fans as they greeted Illan Meslier and hit the their new manager for his base of the upright before first game in the league Song Heung-min's heavi- at the Tottenham Hotspur ly-deflected strike hit the Stadium. crossbar.

But that was all they

solitary Premier League goal as he again struggled to make an impact at club level.

Leeds, in contrast, looked like the team of last season as they attacked with pace and precision and belied their injury problems to put in a dominant performance.

But the game turned on its head in the second

half as whatever Conte said at the interval worked wonders.

Spurs came out looking considerably more alert, quicker to every ball, more direct with their attacks and could have won by a bigger margin but for the woodwork. Son also sent a dipping strike just wide in the closing stages.

There is still work to

be done, most notably finding out how to get the best out of Kane.

But the manner in which Conte was able to rectify what was so wrong in the opening period bodes well for Tottenham fans' hopes of success under the Italian, who is yet to taste defeat since replacing Nuno Espirito Santo.

20

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday November 22, 2021

India sweep New Zealand 3-0 (ESPNCRICINFO) - India won the toss, opted to bat to challenge themselves against dewy conditions later, and ended up defending quite comfortably. They also ticked a fair few boxes along the way.

Their back-up opener Is-

han Kishan came good. Their lower order contributed vital runs that gave them at least 20 extra to defend. Venkatesh Iyer delivered three frugal overs as a sixth-bowling option. Axar Patel showed why he's an aggressive left-arm spin option.

Comeback man, Yuzvendra

Chahal, overcame a forgettable start by finishing strongly with the big wicket of Martin Guptill. Harshal Patel continued to take giant strides with his bag of slower variations in T20 cricket. Rishabh Pant displayed terrific agility and athleticism behind the stumps.

India swept the series 3-0, New Zealand at no stage showing any semblance of a fight. Not even when Guptill shellacked a breezy half-century.

The Mumbai Indians show

Rohit Sharma goes aerial (Getty Images) Players who generally plot and plan together were up against each other. Rohit Sharma and Kishan, coming in for the rested KL Rahul, as openers. Trent Boult and Adam Milne as new-ball bowlers. And it was India who set the tone for dominance early on as the top two got them off the blocks briskly, with a pair of fours each in the first few overs.

Rohit's trademark pull and Kishan's Jayasuriya-esque whip off his pads made an appearance. It was clear that India were mindful of heavy dew and wanted to set the tempo and sustain it through the innings. Lockie Ferguson, coming in for stand-in captain Tim Southee, struggled for rhythm - landing full tosses and short balls aplenty to concede 30 off his first 12 balls as India raced to 69 for 0 in six overs.

Santner puts the brakes on Mitchell Santner brought himself on before dew took effect and trapped Kishan two balls later when he beat the batter with the skid off the pitch to have him caught for 29. In walked Suryakumar Yadav, another true-blue Mumbai Indian, but he didn't last long either, driving one uppishly to cover to give Santner a second wicket in the over. One quiet Ish Sodhi set later, Santner had a third when he made Pant miscue a slog sweep to mid-on. New Zealand had landed a counter-punch. India went without any boundaries

between overs 6 and 10. The slowdown was well and truly on.

The Iyers get going, before Harshal-Chahar finish strongly Rohit fell for a 28-ball 55, after toe-ending a drive back to Sodhi, but Venkatesh and Shreyas set about the rebuild by milking the singles.

From overs 11.3 to 13.4 when Venkatesh broke the shackles by muscling a slog sweep over deep midwicket, the pair played out a lone dot ball.

Venkatesh showed excellent footwork in getting to the pitch of the ball and hitting towards the short straight boundaries, while Shreyas picked off a bulk of his runs through cuts and dabs behind square. The pair had added 36 before they fell in the space of three deliveries.

Venkatesh went first for 20 when he dragged a Trent Boult knuckleball to deep midwicket. Shreyas fell trying to clear long-on with Daryl Mitchell covering good ground and sliding to complete the catch.

At that point, ESPNcricinfo's Forecaster pegged India to get 172.

That they got much 12 more was courtesy their batting depth. Harshal, who opens for his state side Haryana in T20s, and Deepak Chahar contributed 39 between them to force a strong finish. It included India getting 19 off the final over bowled by Ferguson, who went for 45 off his four overs.

21

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday November 22, 2021

City get by Everton comfortably (BBC) - Manchester City claimed a comfortable victory over Everton to move back up to second in the Premier League and within touching distance of leaders, Chelsea.

Raheem Sterling's first-half effort set City on their way, marking his 300th top-flight appearance with a deft finish from Joao Cancelo's sublime outsideof-the-foot pass.

Rodri's thunderous drive extended their lead after the break and Bernardo Silva tapped in late on in a one-sided contest.

Everton, who had benefitted from a first-half video assistant referee decision to overturn the award of a penalty when Sterling fell under Michael Keane's challenge, toiled throughout.

With four key players already sidelined, Rafael Benitez's

All four of Rodri's open-play goals in the Premier League have been strikes from outside the box side rarely looked capable of for the visitors, who remain 11th Pickford made excellent saves to posing the hosts any problems in in the table, was that the margin prevent Silva and Sterling from attack and Demarai Gray added of defeat was not greater. adding to the scoreline. to their mounting injury concerns Ilkay Gundogan headed Assured City dominate deby limping off early on. against the crossbar for City pleted Everton The only crumb of comfort and Everton goalkeeper Jordan With Dominic Calvert-Lew-

(BBC) - Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says he leaves Manchester United with a "better squad" than he inherited and ready to "kick on" in the challenge for major honours.

The Norwegian boss was sacked after Saturday's 4-1 defeat at Watford and a dreadful sequence of results.

He guided the club to second and third-placed Premier League finishes in his tenure but they are currently eighth, 12 points behind leaders Chelsea.

"I look back at every single second here with pride," Solskjaer told MUTV. "I think everyone knows I've given everything for this club. I wanted us to take the next step to challenge for the league, to win trophies, but unfortunately I couldn't get the results we needed and it's time for me to step aside."

Solskjaer, 48, replaced Jose Mourinho on an interim basis in December 2018.

He was then handed the job full-time in March 2019 on a three-year contract and, in July, signed a new deal with the club until 2024.

Solskjaer was United's fourth permanent manager since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 - and lasted longer than more experienced predecessors David Moyes, Louis van Gaal and Mourinho.

However, while United finished second last season, they were a distant 12 points behind champions Manchester City and

then lost the Europa League final to Villarreal on penalties.

"We were so close in Europe," added a visibly emotional Solskjaer.

"Sometimes that's the fine margin for you, one penalty. We were close and that's something I'll always remember as well. I know the foundation is there, I know they're ready to kick on and I'm sure they will."

While the club's recruitment under the former Molde and Cardiff boss has been more in tune with the expectations of supporters - with Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane arriving at Old Trafford and Cristiano Ronaldo also returning in the summer - performances have been very poor.

Even prior to the 5-0 thrashing by Liverpool on 24 October and the shambolic 2-0 defeat by Manchester City on 6 November, a number of question marks had already surfaced around the lack of a consistent playing style and tactics.

Despite that, Solskjaer is convinced that the club can bounce back quickly.

"The board and the owners have backed me in bringing good people in, good players in, and I think, or I know, I leave this club with a better squad," he continued.

"Hopefully, the next manager comes in and I want to support him, I want him to be successful.

Hopefully I've laid the foundations for that to happen because I know I'm good at what I'm doing."

Ole sacked by Manchester United

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Manager of Manchester United acknowledges the fans following the Premier League match between Watford and Manchester United at Vicarage Road on November 20, 2021 in Watford, England (Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images) United travel to Spain to face Villarreal in a crucial Champions League fixture on Tuesday, before league games against Chelsea and Arsenal.

Darren Fletcher is staying on as the club's technical director, while Mike Phelan and Kieran McKenna - who were part of Solskjaer's coaching setup - will also remain at the club for the time being.

in, Abdoulaye Doucoure, Yerry Mina and Andre Gomes all out injured, a depleted Everton side initially did well to negotiate most of the first period on level terms.

While the hosts dominated possession, they were largely frustrated and there were audible groans of discontent from the home supporters when Sterling miscontrolled the ball inside the Everton penalty area as half-time approached.

However, seconds later that disappointment turned to elation as Sterling spun in behind the Everton defence to break the deadlock and wheel away in delight.

From there on in, City went in cruise control with Everton's response limited to a brief five-minute period after the in-

terval in which they attempted to press the hosts back. They built some pressure but could not create any realistic chances to score.

That minor nudge only served to refocus City, who recycled the ball in an assured fashion and had the look of a team that were always confident in the final outcome.

Rodri emphatically extinguished any hopes Everton had of returning to Merseyside with a point and Silva added the gloss.

There was also a nod to the future as James McAtee made his Premier League debut late on to replace fellow 19-year-old Cole Palmer, as City warmed up for Wednesday's Group A Champions League contest against Paris St-Germain with their third consecutive win in all competitions.

22

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday November 22, 2021

West Indies Vs Sri Lanka First Test…

Sri Lanka stand tall after day one in Galle

(ESPNCRICINFO) - Dimuth Karunaratne hunkered down in the difficult first session, scored more confidently in the afternoon, and then pressed home Sri Lanka's advantage in the evening, to go to stumps at 132 off 265 balls in his first Test since May. Pathum Nissanka and Dhananjaya de Silva also made contrasting fifties, to help their captain bookend the day with big stands. On a surface that is expected to dry out and take turn by day three, Sri Lanka's 267 for 3 represents a substantial advantage for the hosts.

West Indies will rue a number of close and missed chances, none greater than the dropped catch off Karunaratne when he was on 14. Rahkeem Cornwall, who perhaps put Karunaratne through his greatest test of the innings with his first spell, got a ball to take the outside edge as the batter attempted to open the face. It flew just wide of the wicketkeeper's gloves, and at a catchable height to the right of slip. Jermaine Blackwood could not get two hands to the ball, though, and grassed it.

Off-spin was West Indies' most effective weapon on day one, with Roston Chase removing Oshada Fernando and Angelo Mathews, both for 3, after tea. Their best bowler, however, was Jason Holder, who delivered eight maiden overs in his total of 14, and troubled Mathews so consistently that it prompted the batter to take a fatal risk against Chase.

Shannon Gabriel, who was controversially preferred

over Kemar Roach for this Test, was the other bowler to take a wicket, when he had Nissanka chase a wide delivery, and nick off to first slip, roughly midway through the middle session. Gabriel was expensive, though, leaking 56 runs from his 12 overs. Both frontline spinners - Cornwall and left-armer Jomel Warrican - also delivered good spells, particularly in the morning, when the pitch had a little bite.

Karunaratne struggled in the early overs, as you might expect from a batter who has barely played any competitive cricket over the past six months. He played and missed against Gabriel and Holder, and was pinned down by Cornwall, who used the crease to vary his angle to the left-hander from around the wicket. With the benefit of that dropped catch, though, Karunaratne survived, and began to build. He went to lunch on 32 off 75 balls, and raised the tempo after the break - the conditions having settled somewhat. He used his feet to drive the spinners through midoff, and sometimes shuffled across to either lap or glance them through fine leg - his two most productive regions. The seamers he largely hit square of the wicket, often employing his favoured flick.

Karunaratne got to fifty soon after lunch, and had a second mild slice of fortune soon after, when he hit one low in the air through the legs of bowler Cornwall, who was not quick enough to get down to the possible catch. But the remainder of his innings was largely fuss-free. He used the depth of the crease to pun-

ish spinners who pitched too short, and although his first attempt at a reverse sweep had prompted a big lbw appeal, he got better with that shot through the course of the day.

Karunaratne did get stuck in the nineties for 29 balls, but that was largely the doing of Holder's impeccable line and length. The hundred, which came off 212 deliveries, was the 13th of his career, and his fourth this year -- his previous four innings having brought 66, 118, 244 and 75. Earlier in 2021, he'd also hit a second-innings hundred at The Wanderers.

Karunaratne's most fruitful stand of the day was with Nissanka, who hit 56 off 140 balls. The pair made 139 together, which is a Sri Lankan record for the first wicket against West Indies.

Although Karunaratne was reticent through the first session, Nissanka had been

Pathum Nissanka goes after the short ball, Sri Lanka vs West Indies, 1st Test, Galle, 1st day, November 21, 2021 © AFP/Getty Images even more so, having been promoted to the top of the innings due to the elected absence of Lahiru Thirimanne.

Late in the day, after West Indies' dry bowling had brought them two wickets, de Silva came in at No. 5 and livened up the place, as he often does. He creamed his fourth ball behind point for four, came down the track against the spinners and hit them aerially down the ground, swept effectively, square drove, and reached his ninth Test fifty off the 62nd ball he faced.

West Indies took the second new ball late in the day, but could not make a breakthrough before bad light stopped play two overs short of what would have constituted a full day.

SCOREBOARD

P Nissanka c Cornwall b Gabriel 56 *D Karunaratne not out 132 O Fernando c Bonner b Chase 3 A Mathews c Holder b Chase 3 D de Silva not out 56 Extras (b5, lb6, nb6) 17 TOTAL (3 wkts, 88 overs) 267 +D Chandimal, R Mendis, S Lakmal, D Chameera, L Embuldeniya, P Jayawickrama to bat.

Fall of wickets: 1-139 (Nissanka), 2-164 (Fernando), 3-170 (Mathews).

Bowling: Gabriel 12-0-561 (nb3); Holder 14-8-15-0; Cornwall 20-3-64-0; Mayers 3-0-9-0; Warrican 181-60-0 (nb3); Chase 17-242-2; Blackwood 1-0-6-0; Brathwaite 3-0-4-0.

WEST INDIES: *K Brathwaite, J Solozano, N Bonner, R Chase, K Mayers, J Blackwood, J Holder, +J da Silva, R Cornwall, J Warrican, S Gabriel.

Toss: Sri Lanka.

Umpires: K Dharmasena, R Palliyaguruge.

TV umpire: R Wimalasiri.

Match referee: R Madugalle.

Solozano to overnight in hospital after being struck while fielding CMC – West Indies newcomer, Jeremy Solozano, will spend the night in hospital for observation after he was struck on the helmet while fielding close to the bat during the first Test against Sri Lanka on Sunday.

The incident occurred a little before lunch on the first day of the match at the Galle International Stadium, and Solozano, 26, was taken off the field on a

stretcher before he was immediately whisked away in an ambulance to a hospital more than an hour away in the Sri Lanka capital, Colombo for medical scans.

“Jeremy Solozano’s scans show no structural damage,” Cricket West Indies stated on Twitter later in the day.

“He will be kept at the hospital overnight for observation. We will continue to keep you posted on any

further updates from our medical team.”

Solozano was struck on the front of the helmet near the forehead after Sri Lanka captain, Dimuth Karunaratne, pulled a short delivery from part-time off-spinner, Roston Chase, in the 24th over.

Solozano removed the helmet and spent several minutes lying on the ground, but he appeared conscious as he got medi-

cal treatment on the field, while surrounded by worried players from both sides.

It was a bitter-sweet day for Solozano after he was handed his debut cap before the start by head coach, Phil Simmons.

Solozono, the left-handed Trinidad & Tobago Red Force opening batsman, became the 327th player to play in Tests for the Windies.

Jeremy Solozano is stretchered off the field after being hit on the head, Sri Lanka vs West Indies, 1st Test, Galle, 1st day, November 21, 2021 © Getty Images

23

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday November 22, 2021

Hamilton wins in Qatar (BBC) - Lewis Hamilton took a comfortable win in the Qatar Grand Prix to close the gap on Max Verstappen in their fight for the drivers' world championship.

Verstappen fought his way

doubt.

Earlier, Perez had been poised for a close fight for third with the second Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas until the Finn suffered a puncture just after half distance.

waved yellow flag at the end of qualifying, and although Red Bull pleaded mitigating factors - that the cockpit and trackside light-warning system had been turned off - officials said they had no choice but to

Race winner Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP, Second placed Max Verstappen of Netherlands and Red Bull Racing and Third placed, Fernando Alonso of Spain, and Alpine F1 Team celebrate on the podium during the F1 Grand Prix of Qatar at Losail International Circuit on November 21, 2021 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) to second after a five-place grid penalty and took the point for fastest lap.

The win cuts the deficit to Verstappen to eight points with two races to go in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi next month.

Alpine's Fernando Alonso took a superb third, his first podium since the 2014 Hungarian Grand Prix.

Spaniard Alonso, 40, had been trying to hold off a late charge from Red Bull's Sergio Perez, but a late virtual safety car put the place beyond

And three further punctures created extra tension in the closing laps.

How did Hamilton win?

After another weekend of controversy and ill temper between the two title-contending teams, it was one of Hamilton's easiest wins of the season, and the seven-time champion appeared to have the pace to have triumphed whether Verstappen had been penalised or not.

The Dutchman was found to have not seen a double

punish him.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was even given an official warning by race stewards for claiming a "rogue marshal" had confused matters.

He later apologised.

The penalty dropped Verstappen to seventh on the grid, but he was fourth by the end of the first lap and second after five.

By that point, the Red Bull was only 3.7 seconds behind Hamilton but the Mercedes driver continued to stretch

ahead until his lead was 8.2secs by the time Verstappen made his first pit stop on lap 17.

The Briton followed him in the next time around to secure

his position and the pattern of the race was set.

They stopped a lap apart again on laps 41 and 42 and the only matter still in dispute was

the point for fastest lap.

Verstappen already had it before making a late pit stop for soft tyres to make absolutely sure.

West Indies Vs Sri Lanka First Test…

Sri Lanka stand tall after day one in Galle

Page

22

Nicholson stuns field to win South American 10k

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Tyrell repeats as female champion

MARLON Nicholson of the Guyana Defence Force produced a stunning run to upset the usual favourites and win the 19th edition of the South American 10k race on Sunday.

The 25-year-old clocked 33:27.80s to finish ahead of 2020 champion, Winston Missegher (33:38.30s) and Odwin Tudor (33:39.30s).

20-year-old Sheama Tyrell won the female title yet again, clocking 41:16.09s followed

by Aliyah Headly and Assatta Eastman.

Full details in tomorrow’s edition

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Marlon Nicholson wins the South American 10k MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2021