Guyana Chronicle E-paper 6-14-2019

FRIDAY 14th June, 2019

Countering Transnational Threats … President

No.105668

urges new military pact with Brazil … says this is key to preventing narco-trafficking, weapon smuggling 03

President David Granger presents a gift to Brazil’s Military General, Paulo Sergio Nogueira De Oliveira, following their meeting at the Ministry of the Presidency on Thursday (Ministry of the Presidency photo)

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‘No confidence Jagdeo, Ali link to 08 Dr. Roger 10 in Dazzell’ 10 ‘giveaway oil blocks’ Luncheon PAGE

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…GECOM chair writes legal officer expressing loss of confidence in her ability

… dismiss claims as ‘nonsense’, urge int’l probe

hospitalised

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 14, 2019

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 14, 2019

Countering transnational …

President urges new military pact with Brazil threats … says this is key to preventing ‘narco’-trafficking, weapon smuggling

GOVERNMENT of Guyana is seeking a new military cooperation agreement with Brazil and President David Granger noted that there is a need for the Joint Communiqué to be reviewed to determine its applicability to present-day circumstances.

He said the agreement should be reviewed to place some emphasis on a holistic rather than a piecemeal approach to cooperation. This issue was emphasised when President Granger, on Thursday, met with General Paulo Sergio Nogueira De Oliveira of the Brazilian Army at the Ministry of the Presidency, where they discussed matters of mutual interest.

The Brazilian Army General was accompanied by Brazilian Ambassador to Guyana, Mr. Lineu Pupo de Paula and Brazilian Military Attaché to Guyana, Colonel Emerson Deni da Silva.

During the meeting, President Granger noted that Brazil and Guyana have enjoyed fruitful relations and have shared strong and friendly ties for decades. The Head of State said he welcomes efforts to strengthen relations between Guyana and Brazil particularly in the areas of defence, security, engineering and capacity building.

“I am happy to explore ways in which we can further cooperate with Brazil. As I have said before, you can choose your friends but you cannot choose your neighbours. However, you can be

President David Granger with General Paulo Sergio Nogueira De Oliveira of the Brazilian Army at the Ministry of the Presidency friends with your neighbours ity,” President Granger was President noted that there is and we have no choice but to quoted in a Ministry of the a need for the Joint Comcoexist and to do so peace- Presidency release as saying. muniqué to be reviewed to fully. We have no interest President Granger and determine its applicability to in conflict or disorder in this General Nogueira De Ol- present day circumstances. hemisphere. Our policy is iveira discussed reviewing To this end, General that the continent should be the 2012 Joint Communi- Nogueira De Oliveira coma zone of peace and Brazil is qué between the two South mitted to engage the Brazilian an important factor in main- American states with a view Minister of Defence to detertaining this peace and stabil- to strengthening same. The mine how the Joint Commu-

nique can be revisited and altered to reflect the changing circumstances. Additionally, President Granger thanked the Government of Brazil and the Brazilian Army’s Sixth Battalion Engineering Corps (BEC), which drilled eight wells in the South Rupununi, Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo (Region Nine) in 2018 to reduce the effects of the El Nino (dry) season.

The project had followed President David Granger’s State visit to Brazil in December 2017, where the Complementary Agreement to the Basic Agreement on Technical Cooperation between the Government of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana and the Federative Republic of Brazil for the implementation of the project technologies to reduce the effects of the drought in Region Nine was inked.

Guyana and Brazil’s military cooperation also encompasses the training of defence personnel in Brazilian military academies and schools and Brazilian army instructors in Guyana’s military schools. He noted that defence cooperation with Brazil is essential to preventing and interdicting transnational threats such as trafficking in persons, trafficking in narcotics, trafficking in illegal weapons and transnational terrorism while noting that Guyana looks forward to intensifying its cooperation with Brazil in this regard.

Last year, President Granger conferred Guy-

ana’s third highest national award, the Cacique’s Crown of Honour (CCH) on Brazilian Minister of Defence, Mr. Raul Belens Jungmann Pinto, who was in Guyana for bilateral talks between the two countries.

At the Investiture Ceremony, the President said the conferral of the award represents Guyana’s gratitude not only to the minister for his personal diligence in the strengthening of ties between the two countries, but his nation’s show of commitment to the preservation of South America and the Caribbean as a zone of peace; the promotion of respect for international law and the inviolability of treaties; international peace-keeping, humanitarian and disaster relief and the consolidation of defence cooperation with Guyana.

The conferral of the CCH on the Brazilian Defence Minister, the President said, symbolises Guyana’s regard for Minister Jungmann and the acknowledgement of the defence cooperation, which has existed between Guyana and Brazil for nearly 50 years, at the time. Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Mr. Joseph Harmon, and Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Brigadier Patrick West, also attended the meeting.

Guyana and Brazil established diplomatic relations on December 18, 1968.

Guyana to host Port State Control Meeting GUYANA is set to be the host of the 24th annual Caribbean Memorandum of Understanding (CMOU) Port State Control Committee meeting which will be held from June 19-21, 2019, at the Marriott Hotel.

The meeting will come under the leadership of Guyana’s Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) and will see discussions on

how the living and working conditions of seafarers in the Caribbean can be improved.

In a release from MARAD on Thursday, the Department stated that the committee meets annually to collectively discuss how to set standards to abide with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) conventions.

The CMOU is also work-

ing to harmonise measures of member states with special emphasis placed on training, certification, manning guidelines, inspections, and guidelines for surveyors. “It is expected that attendance to this meeting will include the CARICOM Member States along with Aruba, Bermuda, Cuba, Curacao, the Netherlands, and France, as well as representatives

from Intra-Governmental organizations such as the Paris MOU [Memorandum of Understanding], the IMO and the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and a few commercial shipping interest,” the release stated.

According to MARAD, Guyana is a founding member of the CMOU for Port State Control in the Caribbean Region since its forma-

tion on February 9, 1996, in Barbados.

Other founding members include Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, the Netherland Antilles, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.

The membership has since increased to eighteen states with the addition of Aruba, Bahamas, Belize, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Cuba,

France, St. Kitts & Nevis, and St. Lucia. In addition, St. Vincent and the Grenadines has joined as an associate member state.

Other observer states have indicated their willingness to become members, and it is hoped that the membership of the CMOU will continue to grow over the next few years.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday June 14, 2019

Johnson ahead in Tory race to Number 10 LONDON (Reuters) - Boris Johnson, who has pledged to deliver Brexit on Oct. 31, surged closer to power on Thursday, winning by far the most support from Conservative lawmakers in the first round of the contest to replace Prime Minister Theresa May. Three years since voting 52%-48% to leave the European Union, the United Kingdom is heading toward a possible crisis over Brexit, as most of the candidates vying to succeed May are prepared to leave on Oct. 31 without

a deal.

While parliament has indicated it will try to stop a no-deal Brexit, which investors warn would hurt financial markets and the world economy, some of those running say it may be the only way for Britain to leave the bloc without further delay.

Johnson, the face of the official campaign to leave the European Union in the 2016 referendum, won the support of 114 Conservative lawmakers in the first round of the contest to replace May. A total of 313 lawmakers voted.

“Thank you to my friends and colleagues in the Conservative & Unionist Party for your support. I am delighted to win the first ballot, but we have a long way to go,” Johnson said on Twitter.

His closest rivals were: Jeremy Hunt, the foreign minister, who won 43 votes; Michael Gove, environment minister, with 37 votes; and Dominic Raab, former Brexit minister, on 27 votes.

Sajid Javid, interior minister, came fifth with 23

votes. Matt Hancock won 20 votes, and Rory Stewart 19.

Three were knocked out: Former leader of the House of Commons Andrea Leadsom, Mark Harper, and Esther McVey. Betting markets give Johnson, who has a long record of scandals and gaffes, a 70% probability of winning the top job.

Johnson, a former London mayor and foreign minister, has spent weeks wooing Conservative lawmakers,

staying out of the spotlight with a low-key campaign at odds with his flamboyant publicity stunts of the past.

But his spokesman, while celebrating a higher-than-expected number of supporters, said there was still “a long way to go in the contest, and you have to hold the numbers to go into the next rounds and that’s the challenge”.

The second round is due on June 18, with further ballots planned for June 19 and June 20 until there are just

two candidates. A postal ballot of the wider Conservative Party membership will then be held to pick a leader.

A new prime minister should be chosen by the end of July. There had been speculation that the contest could be accelerated due to Johnson’s strong lead, but there was no immediate sign of rivals bowing out of the race.

Some were quick to make veiled warnings about the frontrunner. (BBC)

U.S. blames Iran for attacks in ‘the Gulf’ DUBAI/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has blamed Iran for attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday that drove up oil prices and raised concerns about a new U.S.-Iranian confrontation.

Iran “categorically rejects the U.S. unfounded claim with regard to the June 13 oil tanker

incidents, and condemns it in the strongest possible terms,” the Iranian mission to the United Nations said in a statement on Thursday evening.

It was not immediately clear what befell the Norwegian-owned Front Altair or the Japanese-owned Kokuka Courageous, which both experienced explosions, forcing crews

Friday, June 14, 2019 - 03:00 hrs & 14:30 hrs

--Iran says claim ‘unfounded’

to abandon ship and leave the vessels adrift in waters between Gulf Arab states and Iran.

One source said the blast on the Front Altair, which caught fire and sent a huge plume of smoke into the air, may have been caused by a magnetic mine.The firm that chartered the Kokuka Courageous tanker said it was hit by a suspected torpedo, but a person with knowledge of the matter said torpedoes were not used.

An unexploded device, believed to be a limpet mine, was spotted on the side of the Japanese tanker, a U.S. official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. If confirmed, the next steps might be to deactivate or detonate the device.

Crude oil prices spiked

more than 4% after the attacks near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping artery for Saudi Arabia and other Gulf energy producers. Prices later settled at about 2% higher.

The United States, which has accused Iran or its proxies of carrying out a May 12 attack on four tankers off the United Arab Emirates’ coast as well as a May 14 drone strikes on two Saudi oil-pumping stations, squarely blamed Iran for Thursday’s attacks.

“It is the assessment of the United States government that the Islamic Republic of Iran is responsible for the attacks that occurred in the Gulf of Oman today,” U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday June 14, 2019

Pres. Moise refutes corruption claims

PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti, CMC – President Jovenel Moïse, insisting that he will not allow “anyone to put chaos and disorder in the country under any pretext,” said Wednesday he was not corrupt, even as opposition forces announced plans for more street protests later this week to force him out of office.

“I am going to look you right in the eyes to tell you today, your President, the one you voted, is not involved in corruption. Your President was never in corruption. The justice system needs to do its job and carry out an investigation,” Moïse said as he addressed the 24th Anniversary of the founding of the Haiti National Police.

“Persons who wrongly managed or used the government’s money will have to respond to justice in a process that is just, balanced and without political prosecution and without bias,” he said.

Moïse has been facing mounting pressure to step down after the report of the Superior Court of Accounts and Administrative Litigation (CSA/CA) into programmes and projects funded by PetroCaribe, an oil alliance of many Caribbean States with Venezuela to purchase oil on conditions of preferential payment, was released.

Earlier this week, the State filed a complaint with the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Port-au-Prince against those persons implicated

in the PetroCaribe scandal, based on the CSA/CA report.

The CSC/CA audit found that significant shortcomings have been associated with the planning and implementation of development programmes and projects funded by the PetroCaribe Fund during the administration of former president, Michel Martelly.

The Court made it clear that, overall, relevant documents were missing in most of the projects and contracts reviewed, and as a result, it was impossible to conduct a comprehensive audit of several projects.

For example, the 610page report found that in 2014, for the same project to rehabilitate the Borgne-Petit Bourg de Borgne Road section, the State signed two

identical contracts worth more than Gourdes39M (One Gourde=US$0.01 cents) with two separate companies.

Moïse, before he came to power in 2017, headed a company which received more than Gourdes 33M to do the road work, though the company, in principle, did nothing but grow bananas.

Moïse said when he was running the company he was neither president, a government employee nor a presidential candidate.

The company, in a statement earlier this week, reacted to the report pointing to errors and requested that the authorities “make the necessary corrections in order to dispel any doubts and misinterpretations that could harm the image of the company”.

The company, AGRITRANS SA, said that it also wanted to note “that the contract for this project, signed on October 15, 2014, was regularly obtained, seen and approved by the CSC/CA after submission of the technical file prepared by the Civil Engineering Unit of the company and all other related documents.

During his address, Moïse, who described himself as a child of a farmer, said he was being targeted because he declared corruption to be a problem in Haiti.

“When the President says that the biggest problem of the country is corruption they attack the morality of the President so that he doesn’t speak about corruption,” he said, adding that there was

a need for Haiti to lift itself “out of its black hole”.

But in an immediate response, attorney-at- law Andre Michel, a leading opposition figure, tweeted that Moïse’s speech was “a provocation”.

“The population needs to continue to mobilise until Jovenel Moïse gives his resignation, so that we can do the judicial process for PetroCaribe and a national (dialogue) conference.”

The opposition forces have announced plans for street demonstrations on Thursday and Friday, even as the capital showed signs of coming to life after the transportation strike that left it paralysed.

TORTOLA, British Virgin Islands, CMC – Over US$6M will be spent on improving border security across this British Overseas territory.

Immigration Minister Vincent Wheatley says the move shows that the current administration is serious about advancing the territory.

“For as long as I can re-

call, there have been complaints and heavy criticism levied against Labour and Immigration departments.

That is why Cabinet recently approved the sum of $6.4M for the purchase of a new state-of-the-art immigration border management system,” Wheatley said.

This comes several months after Governor Augustus announced that trav-

ellers arriving and departing the BVI will be subject to heightened security measures, among them the implementation of an Advance Passenger Information (API) System.

Meanwhile, Wheatley said he intends to give support to the Departments of Labour and Immigration, by introducing policies and legislation to help reform and

improve them.

Concerning plans for the Online amalgamation of the Labour and Immigration departments, Wheatley, who is also Labour Minister, says this has already started.

“It’s currently undergo-

ing testing; we are using a test group of 32 different businesses, which will soon be open to the wider public,” he said, adding that the undertaking is scheduled to be ready for the broader public

by July.

“It is only the beginning; later on this month, we will be launching a few more initiatives within that department starting with a name change,” Minister Wheatley said.

BVI to beef up border security

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday June 14, 2019

Public education on the Constitution RECENT events of the No-Confidence motion and the aftermath, as well as the appointment of the chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission, raised serious questions about the need for more robust education of citizens about our Constitution.

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo only recently spoke of this need and acknowledged that even Members of Parliament “didn’t understand what it takes to remove a government, whether it should be a confidence motion or No-Confidence Motion, whether it should be 33 votes or 32 votes, whether it should be a simple majority or an absolute majority, and we sit there as the fathers and mothers of the national assembly and we didn’t know this.”

The Guyana Constitution is the instrument that has to

be used in determining and guiding governance, and how we, as citizens, interact with and treat each other. The constitution is the nation’s supreme law, made explicit in Article 8, which expressly states: “This Constitution is the supreme law of Guyana and, if any other law is inconsistent with it, that other law, to the extent of its inconsistency, (is to) be (made) void”. It is for this reason that citizens are required to acquaint themselves with what lies within the Guyana Constitution.

There is a notion that a constitution is for lawyers.

This perception couldn’t be further from the truth. A constitution guides the dayto-day behaviour and life of every government and citizen. It is written in a manner the average person can understand in order that she/he can conform to its requirements,

challenge any who seeks to deny him/her their constitutional rights, or depart from what is constitutionally enshrined.

There is a section in the constitution identified as Title 1, which speaks to the “Protection of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms of the Individual”. Among its provisions are the right to life, personal property and freedom of expression. Being conscious of these rights, it is important that citizens seek to have them respected and protected. If one is unaware of his/her rights and freedoms, then one can subject himself/herself to accept being treated with contempt, or can easily be denied.

While it is the individual’s responsibility to know what is enshrined in the constitution, there is a corresponding responsibility of the State to make sure

that citizens are knowledgeable of /educated on what is in this instrument, and have access to a copy. Prior to independence, “British Constitution” was taught as a subject in schools, even though Britain does not have a written constitution. This knowledge/access was an opportunity for persons coming through the school system to be conscious of the Westminster system of government; understand their rights and freedoms, roles and responsibility as part of the acculturation process to being ‘good’ British subjects.

With post-republican status, Guyana, in 1980, promulgated its own constitution, in which there are a number of indigenous articles pertinent to the nation’s geography, diversity, political realities and aspirations. Unfortunately, citizens of this nation have never been given the oppor-

tunity to acquire knowledge of the constitution through open, frank and honest discourse. Instead, constitutional conversation continues to be dominated by selective calls for enforcement simultaneously with condemnations from both influential and rank-and-file persons. If truth be told, much has not been done as a matter of national policy to educate citizens on the constitution, which would create awareness of rights and responsibilities that would allow for holding oneself and others so accountable.

Further, the State shoulders a responsibility to facilitate every citizen in his/her quest to acquire education and information. The best place to start would be in the classroom, by having the Constitution become part of the nation’s education curriculum as a subject and/or text.

The conversations on good governance as a perquisite to development would be enhanced when the constitution is factored in from a position of knowledge, since it would add substance to the discourse.

Such an approach would inform any decision-making on whether to maintain, amend and/ or discard the constitution in whole or part. It should be said that Guyana is not singular in calling for constitutional reform, yet it becomes important to recognise the life of a constitution is determined when it is being applied or put to work, and of which knowledge judicious application and adherence are pivotal.

The contractors should be charged for the electrocution of these men Dear Editor, I believe that notwithstanding the millions of lives lost in military and civil conflicts for centuries by purported civilised nations, the sanctity of life remains pre-eminent. It follows, therefore, that the responsibility of every civilized society is to put in place rules and regulations to ensure that all of its citizens, as far as possible, are protected and given the opportunity to live a full life.

I read this week with some concern that two young men were electrocuted on the East Bank of Demerara, with others hospitalised. I don’t know if things have changed, but certainly when I had ministerial responsibilities, it was insisted and we ensured that workers everywhere were equipped with appropriate safety gear. Depending on where they were asked to function - helmets, gloves, boots, overalls, goggles etc.

were provided.

I believe the ILO Conventions subscribe to by our government sets out very clearly the requirements and obligations of employer and employee. I recall two separate incidents, one, where a worker refused to complete an assignment because he was not given the appropriate protective gear; he was threatened by the supervisor.

I had the Supervisor disciplined.

In another case, the worker claimed that the boots given to him and the helmet were uncomfortable and was seen working wearing neither. I told the supervisor his duty was to ensure the worker have his protective gears on at all times.

I assume the above will be noted by the TUC and the Minister responsible for Labour. I expect them to take swift action.

It is reasonable to believe that contractors are obliged to ensure

The mini bus predators

Dear Editor Over the years, there have been many cases brought before the courts with regards to teenaged schoolgirls being sexually abused and raped by minibus drivers and conductors. Only recently, there have been at least two cases in which charges were laid against the perpetrators, one of them in which the victim was twelve years old.

However, The Caribbean Voice is aware of many cases that never made the courts or

media. Often times, threats or payoffs or both are used to silent victims and their parents.

Occasionally, the relationship between perpetrator and victim is allowed to continue by parents who receive a regular ‘fee’ in return.

The vulnerability of young girls as a result of an absent parent in a household is one factor at play. When a child is brought up in a single parent home, there is a great possibility that the parent wouldn’t have the time to devote to the child as the

parent may very well be the sole provider. Thus, the child will respond to any attention she gets outside of the home.

Also, poverty plays an integral part, as perpetrators are able to lure these unsuspecting victims with gifts and even money that they cannot get otherwise. Then there is the even more startling offer of being in a “shine ride” or sitting next to the minibus driver, which often seems appealing to the budding young woman. Often too, the offer of drugs and alcohol helps to

eliminate or minimize victim’s inhibitions.

Regardless of the reasons, the fact remains that teenaged females need protecting as they aren’t mature enough to recognize the dangers in getting involved in relationships that they clearly aren’t prepared to deal with and that can have dire consequences for them. Parents need to become more in

that all of their workers have protective/safety gear.

In those circumstances, the contractors should be hauled before the Courts to answer for this dereliction of duty. Unless we are serious, no one will treat us as a caring, concerned government. What with foreign companies and the likes operating in Guyana?

Emerson left us this riddle, which we can no more than ponder – “Life is a succession

of lessons, which must be lived to be understood. All is riddle, and the key to a riddle is another riddle.” Ministers, Members of the Cabinet, procrastination is something the nation can ill afford. Let us not lose another precious life by failing to take swift action.

Best regards, Hamilton Green

PSC saddened at passing of Kim Kissoon IT is with great sadness that the Private Sector Commission has learned of the passing of Mr. Alston ‘Kim’ Kissoon.

Kim was a champion of the private sector in the days of the transitioning to a free market in Guyana and the re-emergence of a private sector. He was a fearless fighter who truly believed in the new economic system of the late eighties and became the President of what was then a young Guyana Manufacturing Association.

As President of the GMA, he contributed significantly to the new Economic Recovery Programme and will be remembered for his ability to always think outside of the box.

Kim will be sadly missed by his private sector colleagues. The Private Sector Commission extends deep condolences to his family and the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday June 14, 2019

What has Vice Chancellor (VC) Griffith done that so riled up the unions?

Dear Editor, PLEASE permit me the use of your media to ventilate.

Only in Guyana will people badmouth someone for successfully negotiating a good employment package. Only in Guyana will keen sense of dressing be ridiculed. Only in Guyana the smarts (intelligent) are seen as threats to be defeated. Only in Guyana people envy instead of understudy. These are my thoughts reading what has been happening with Professor Ivelaw Griffith at the University of Guyana (UG).

In the age of Trumpian politics and alternative facts (euphemism for lies) Guyana is fast becoming consumed.

Veteran trade unionist, Mr. Lincoln Lewis, known for his straight-shooting style and consistency, is in a fight for his life to defend his uprightness. He is coming up against former lecturer, Mr. Frederick Kissoon, who is known to be fast and loose with the

facts. Only in Guyana so my ugliness become the standard of public acceptance. But I digress. I have blogged on UG and think it necessary to come to the Letters column.

I need answers and think I speak for many alma maters of UG. I need answers to questions like1. What has Vice Chancellor (VC) Griffith done that so riled up the unions?

2. Is it fair to ask the VC to be evaluated at the end of his contract? If his employment conditions did not include an evaluation competence, should the rage be directed at him. Shouldn’t he be credited for agreeing to an evaluation at the end of his contract even though none was there at the beginning?

3. Is it true lecturers are still not marking students’ papers on time and the VC has been trying to put a break on their delinquency?

4. The VC came to UG with a plan called “Project Renaissance.” How much of this was achieved? The university is 50 years old and

has more than its fair share of challenges. Isn’t it a realistic gauge of performance to judge him on his plan?

5. Have lecturers worked with the management team to develop a plan to improve their performance or their interest is only in the VC’s performance?

6. Is it true the university unions can decide who should be appointed VC? I get this impression reading their statements.

7. When last the university unions negotiated benefit and compensation package for the staff?

8. Could not the unions’ accusations that the VC was on a spending spree be proven at the completion of the audit. The Ministry of Education said it was going to do the audit. Why didn’t the unions wait for the findings to prove or disprove wasteful spending. As scholars, is this not what they know and taught us?

9. How much does it cost to run a 21st century university of UG size? How much

is this from students’ fees, government subvention and private grants? Cost includes physical maintenance, salary, providing for the student population, courses, stateof-the-art libraries and classrooms, sanitation supplies, stationary supplies, utility bills, etc.?

10. How much it costs to invest in UG to bring it respectability and improve its image internationally via direct and indirect spending?

What did the VC achieve that lifted the image of the university and help the students that his predecessors did not do or left outstanding?

11. I read the VC brought millions in investment to UG via new programmes, grant funding, private partnership, exchange programmes, guest lecturers from reputable international university. Isn’t a dollar value being put to this and can a breakdown be provided?

12. The VC has an extensive record of scholarship, achievements and published work. How much

of UG lecturers have similar accolade? Could they speak up?

13. Is the VC’s vision for the university too progressive for the lectures?

Was he way ahead of his time and place in a Third World society, with third rated lecturers and a third rated university? Was he too demanding and expecting more from a team who may not have his energy, zeal and interest?

14. What does the Student Society think about the VC and what he has been doing for the university? Do their views matter?

15. What is the opinion of the Council members? Do they agree the VC was not performing, wasting money and his contract should not be renewed?

16. UG is state owned.

It would be good to hear the thoughts of the APNU+AFC government. Can we hear from President David Granger or Minister of Education, Nicolette Henry.

17. UG has about 1000

Oil talks since then Dear Editor, A couple of days ago, I was doing some research for the year 1972 and as I was turning the pages of some old newspapers, I stumbled

on this press report and kept looking at the headline for a while. I find it very interesting, especially that OIL is the current topic of Guyana.

Why did it take Guyana so many years

before we actually started to explore knowing that the Russians were here or had an interest?

Regards Trevor Pemberton

staff, approximately 400 lecturers. Was a scientific survey done to determine the percentage of approval and disapproval? Who of the VC’s job or union leaders Dr. Jewel Thomas and Bruce Haynes speak for the majority?

It is rumoured some think the VC is class driven and has an attitude speaking with people. This is not a handicap to management and performance. Some businesses see these as positive qualities and would gladly hire him.

Answering these questions is important to having an objective take [on] what is happening at UG. The lecturers who taught me would have expected me to think this way.

Another thing before I take my leave. Management is a tier system. Someone is always the head. Has the UG Council given any thought to this when it appointed a three-man management team to do the work a VC should be doing?

Regards Dennis Paul

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 14, 2019

Jagdeo, Ali link to ‘giveaway oil blocks’

LEADER of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, and People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Presidential Candidate, Irfaan Ali, have been linked to the controversial companies that are at the centre of an investigation over the manner in which they were awarded oil blocks in the dying days of the former government.

The Guyana Chronicle was told that both men allegedly have interests in the companies – a claim they both vehemently denied on Thursday.

“We’ve not received a single cent from any oil company,” Jagdeo stated on Thursday during the question and answer segment of his weekly press conference.

He later added, when questioned whether these were received by his party through the Party’s Former Minister of Natural Resources, Robert Persaud: “I’m not aware of that. I’m not aware of that.

Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo I’m not aware of it.” He now joins former President, Donald Ramotar, who is accused of issuing Petroleum Prospecting Licenses for key oil blocks to inexperienced operators just days before the 2015 General and Regional Elections, in denying any form of incriminating involvement.

At the press conference,

Jagdeo was also questioned whether he or any other party member has shares or interest in the oil companies which he denied on behalf of himself.

“You’re asking me now if I have an interest in oil and gas [or] any of the companies.

The answer is no; the answer is no, not any interest whatsoever,” he said, referring to the question as “loaded”.

The local State Assets Recovery Agency (SARA) is currently looking into the questionable award of oil blocks to “junior” companies by the former PPP administration just days before the 2015 Elections.

Ratio Guyana, which holds 25 per cent in the Kaieteur Block; JHI Associates Inc. (JHI) which holds 17.5 per cent in the Canje Block and Mid Atlantic Oil & Gas Inc. (MOGI) which holds 12.5 per cent in the same, have been labelled as “inexperienced” in deep water exploration by oil and gas

experts.

International news agencies such as Bloomberg and others have individually noted that “rights to drill the area were awarded during the final days of Ramotar’s term” and “nine days after the Kaieteur lease was signed, the government announced that Exxon had struck oil in a well called Liza-1”.

On the other end, members of the Guyanese public, though non-specialists in the oil and gas sector, are questioning whether they have indeed been shortchanged by the administration.

Oil and Gas Consultant, Dr. Jan Mangal, believes that the President should rescind the awards of the Kaieteur and Canje Blocks. Posed the same question as Jagdeo, Ali told the newspaper on Thursday that he too has no ties to the oil companies. “Absolute nonsense and ridiculous; I have no interest, no shares nothing,” he said.

…dismiss claims as ‘nonsense’, urge int’l probe

PPP/C Presidential Candidate, Irfaan, Ali He also told this newspaper that he has not been contacted by any investigative agency in this regard. Earlier in the month, Romotar had claimed that the process involved in the awarding of the oil blocks in 2015 utilised “full transparency”.

Meanwhile, Persaud

distanced himself from the ongoing investigations by defending himself as above board. “The PPP/C’s achievements and unwavering determination in laying the foundations for Guyana to be an oil-producing nation has been both stellar and transparent, as well as in full conformity with all relevant laws and regulations,” he contended.

They have all called for an independent investigation into the matter as opposed to SARA’s investigation. Jagdeo also stated on Thursday that should such conditions be met, the PPP will accept whatever the findings are.

“The party’s position on this matter is if there is a need for an independent investigation, we will support it. Two, an independent investigation cannot be done

by SARA and whatever the consequences and findings are, we [will] live with the findings,” he stated.

Prisoners complete anger management course UNDER the theme ‘Revitalising a purpose-driven organisation’ the Georgetown Prison has graduated eight inmates in anger management training in the third batch of an ongoing course.

The graduates are Alex Higgins, Colin Grant, Lennox Roberts, Affiba Yenkana, James Hunte, Tyrel Peters, Trevor Williams and Mohamed Ali. Director of Prisons (ag) Gladwin Samuels, during the graduation ceremony on Wednesday, said inmates need to develop their ability to exercises self-control through anger management techniques.

“The prison is an environment with which if you don’t exercise self-control you can, in layman’s terms, ‘involve yourself’, because for various reasons people can provoke unnecessary situations,” the director explained.

He added: “A little situation can be blown out

From left, front row: Officer-in-Charge of the Georgetown Prisons, Nicklon Elliot; Director of Prisons, Gladwin Samuels; and facilitators Denise McKenzie and Hubert Jack with six of the eight graduates of the anger management course (Adrian Narine photo) of proportion quite easily, especially if persons do not develop the ability to effectively cope with the

challenges they will face while being incarcerated.”

Samuels made it clear that rehabilitation of prison-

ers is an ongoing process.

“We are adequately preparing them, whether it is with skill or educational

training so that when they are released back into society, they are productive citizens. We have many

persons who would have left these walls, and they are now gainfully employed as a result of the skills they would have acquired.”

He explained that many persons who were once deemed the ‘bad eggs’ are now advocates for other prisoners to conduct themselves in a respectable manner.

The prisons director noted that the prison environment is one in which control of anger is key for survival and it “could be the thin line between life and death or the thin line between freedom and continued imprisonment”.

Samuels indicated that one of the reasons for the lack of larger batches is due to space constraints and not the lack of funds.

Nevertheless, he said the prison directorate remains confident that as the prison infrastructure continues to improve, more prisoners will benefit from such rehabilitative training.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 14, 2019

Ecstasy sale, use in schools worrying

By Rabindra Rooplall

THE sale and use of ecstasy in schools continue to affect the education system and there is need for all stakeholders, including students, teachers and parents to be educated about the dangers of such drug use.

This is according to Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) Deputy Head, Leslie Ramlall, during remarks on Thursday at the opening of newly-constructed building at CANU Headquarters, Homestretch Avenue, Georgetown.

Ecstasy is a stimulant drug that can cause hallucinations. It is known as a designer drug because it was created for the purpose of making someone feel high. The drug

is popular with teens and young adults who go to clubs, concerts, or “rave” parties.

“We have seen from our investigations conducted thus far, that when you look at the videos of some of the school children, especially young girls – 13, 14 and 15 yearolds and their behaviour after consuming ecstasy, it is really worrying and frightening,” he said.

Ramlall said CANU is working with the Ministry of Education to educate students, parents and teachers about the dangers of ecstasy.

On many occasions, he said, schools would contact CANU directly when students are caught with ecstasy but the agency recommends that schools make the re-

port through the Education Ministry since the students involved are minors and not adults.

“We don’t believe that we should run into a school like that without the ministry being aware of it, so we are

working through the Ministry of Education whenever an investigation has to be launched into a school,’’ Ramlall said.

In February last, Police in ‘D’ Division (West Demerara and East Bank Essequibo)

Assets of drug lords will be seized

– says CANU; wants students, parents, teachers in fight against the drug

uncovered an organised ring whose players were engaged in trafficking of the daterape drug, ecstasy, utilising school-aged girls in the trade.

Reports are that the lawmen uncovered the ring as they searched for a Stewartville Secondary School student, aged 14, who was reported missing by her parents.

Reports are that two young men, one who goes by the alias “Scooby Dew” and another by the alias “Alex” are reportedly part of the smuggling ring.

Alex was the boyfriend of the Mae’s Secondary student who recently committed suicide after the drug was found in her bag.

A female teacher, who

teaches at a Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo private school, was also identified as being a part of the gang.

After the missing teenager was found, she detailed the activities of the gang, including who are the leaders, who supply the drugs to the gang, and the names of several top secondary schools involved.

The young lady expressed fear for her life, and according to her mother, the gang members threatened to kill her if she disclosed their activities. Her parents noted too that a medical report indicated that the girl was sexually assaulted.

Investigators at the Leonora Police Station have taken over the case from their colleagues at Parika.

–– Minister Ramjattan says

PUBLIC Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan, said local law enforcement will be provided support to seize the assets of drug lords as government moves to dismantle the drug trade.

Ramjattan was, at the time, speaking at the commissioning of the Customs

Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) $41M administrative building at the agency’s Homestretch Avenue, Georgetown headquarters on Thursday.

The construction work on the building began on April, 2018 and was completed by Royal Contracting Services.

Minister Ramjattan said

over the past three years, the government has made strenuous efforts to ensure funding is available for the development, infrastructure, maintenance and workforce of CANU. Ramjattan said more funds will be injected into the law enforcement activities of

the agency.

“We would expect more interdictions, more successful prosecutions, especially those at the upper level of the drug trade; that is where we want prosecutions to come from,” he said.

The minister said persons need to work under proper conditions and the infrastructure needs to be made available in order to boost workers’ productivity.

He explained that CANU has increased its strength by 140 per cent and has boosted its investigative capacity.

Minister Ramjattan explained that with revenue from the oil and gas sector, more funds will be pumped into CANU’s development.

Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) Deputy Head, Leslie Ramlall, said

Minister Khemraj Ramjattan cuts the ceremonial ribbon to commission the new CANU building in the presence of Deputy Head, Leslie Ramlall, and National Anti-Narcotics Agency Head, Michael Atherly the unit’s success could not have been possible without the unwavering support of the Public Security Ministry and by extension, the Government of Guyana.

“Not only has the government committed to ensuring that the unit’s performance continues to improve

through budgetary allocations, but also through the promulgation of various legislations which have afforded all other stakeholders to be equipped with the tools necessary to combat narco-trafficking and its related crimes,” he said.

Main Water Pipeline Damaged on Mandela Avenue

The new building that was commissioned by CANU

THERE is a temporary disruption of the Guyana Water Inc. (GWI) service in the vicinity of North Ruimveldt Multilateral Secondary School on Mandela Avenue due to construction works on the Sheriff Mandela Road

Project.

The contractor, Sinohydro, along with their subcontractor, Kares Engineering, is working assiduously to restore service, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure has said.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 14, 2019

‘Weed out the thugs’

ALLIANCE For Change (AFC) Executive Member, Imran Khan, says that he and his wife have received threats against their involvement in the Party from a “hooligan” and “thug” empowered by another AFC Executive.

On Thursday in a statement to the media, Khan, also the government’s Director of Public Information (DPI), stated that “criminals and misfits are infiltrating the AFC with a view to changing its character”.

Recently, things have been heating up in the camps of the AFC as delegates prepare for the Party’s National Conference which will elect new leaders and determine the party’s general strategy.

Khan described the AFC as “Guyana’s leading liberal and progressive political party” expressing his confidence that it will continue to grow in membership and stature following the weekend’s con-

–– Imran Khan urges AFC after he, wife threatened

ference.

However, he revealed that recent internal party “skirmishes” have caused him to become concerned that some in the party place self-interest and personal entitlement above their party, the coalition and the country at large. In the statement he detailed the specific reasons behind his concerns.

“During the PPP regime, when I lived and worked in Antigua, and engaged in political activism against the PPP government, it was reported to me that a former PPP President had vowed that as long as he was in charge I would never work in Guyana again,” Khan began.

“Now, a well-known hooligan, thug and convicted felon who is being cuddled, sheltered and protected by a very senior executive of

my own political party has threatened me and my wife that when his benefactor attains a certain political office my wife and I will be ‘chased back to Antigua’. This senior party executive is fuelling this thug and his co-conspirators with alcohol and political promises to camp outside the party headquarters on a daily basis and abuse and intimidate persons who are considered not to be supportive of their cause.”

He stated that the development is one which ought to be of serious concerns to party members and the wider public. This is on the basis that many have placed their trust in the AFC to represent their interest and not in the personal motives of a “small band of self-serving, entitled persons”.

Khan stated that another

“political thug”, a known supporter of the said “high official”, has attempted to have his name removed from the delegates list and promised not to rest until this is achieved.

He further relayed that “agents and collaborators of this high executive” have also conspired to have his wife, Secretary of Women For Change (WFC), removed as a WFC delegate at the very last minute.

“A battle had to be waged for her to be restored as a delegate,” Khan said.

Meanwhile, speaking on efforts to remove him as a delegate, he added: “So far he has not been successful. I shall not be prevented from fulfilling my duties as a delegate to the National Conference this weekend.”

Khan said in the statement

‘No confidence in Dazzell’ …GECOM chair writes legal officer expressing loss of confidence in her ability

By Lisa Hamilton

THE Guyana Chronicle has been reliably informed that Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairman, Justice (Ret’d) James Patterson, has written the Commission’s Legal Officer, Attorney-at-Law, Excellence Dazzell, expressing a loss of confidence in her capacity.

On Thursday, Dazzell told the newspaper that she is not yet ready to comment on the letter received.

Recently, the legal officer has been in hot water after it was revealed that she reportedly misinformed the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) on the commission’s position in the consolidated appeals to the Court of Appeal’s decision to invalidate the no-confidence motion brought against government last December.

Dazzell is also under fire for providing legal opinion on the state of Official List of Voters – now expired – without sanctioning from the commission.

This led to calls from GECOM commissioners for Dazzell to be investigated for what one commissioner termed as an “act of deceit”.

Since the matter of the no-confidence motion against the government made its way to the CCJ, President of the Court, Justice Adrian Saunders, had instructed that GECOM be added as a party in the appeals. In April, during the pre-trial hearing of the consolidated appeals, Dazzell informed the CCJ that the Elections Commission will respect its decision and, as such, no submissions would be made.

However, commissioners told the media in May that this was not the instruction given to Dazzell. They stated that GECOM’s attorney in the matter, Senior Counsel Stanley Marcus, had advised Dazzell to inform the CCJ that a lawyer was appointed on the commission’s behalf and submissions would be made; Dazzell did the opposite.

As such, in Trinidad and Tobago, during the hearing of the consolidated appeals at the CCJ, Senior Counsel Marcus told the Guyana Chronicle that he subsequently wrote to the CCJ requesting permission to make oral submissions. It was on that basis that GECOM was given an opportunity to state its position on its pre-

paredness for General and Regional Elections.

Marcus informed the court that the Elections Commission could only facilitate General and Regional Elections after October, 2019.

He stated that the Elections Commission unanimously voted to revise the Official List of Voters through the conduct of national registration and, with the list reaching its expiration on April 30, 2019, the process of House-to-House registration becomes even more critical.

Added to this, Opposition People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC)-nominated commissioner, Bibi Shadick, had requested legal advice on the matter of the Official List of Voters and on whether fresh registrations were necessary. On May 13, 2019 the legal officer, in offering her advice during a statutory meeting, indicated that there could be an alternative to House-toHouse Registration for the generation of a list in an effort to have earlier elections.

Government-nominated commissioners maintained that Dazzell needed the approval of the commission and not on the request of a single commis-

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Legal Officer, Attorney-at-Law, Excellence Dazzell sioner, to offer legal advice on the now-expired List of Voters. Questioned by the newspaper on whether she wished to give her input on the accounts given on the matter, Dazzell declined. Regarding the letter penned by the GECOM Chair expressing a loss of confidence, she stated: “I don’t have any responses at this time…I’m not going to give a response to that at this time, but if I do have to I will do so.”

that the unusual form of politics showcased is “the politics of stench and destruction” which the AFC must rid itself of least it infects the entire party.

He expressed the hope that the “good people” who make up the membership of the AFC will understand the occurrences and act to thwart the plans of such individuals who aim to cause division and destruction within the party.

“It is indeed bewildering that someone who played a central role in birthing, nurturing and building a political movement could be so eager to destroy and endanger that very movement in the pursuit of naked ambition on the basis purely of entitlement. Dangerously, criminals and misfits are infiltrating the AFC with a view to changing its character and direction and the party

Alliance For Change (AFC) Executive Member, Imran Khan must take decisive and condign action to weed them out with haste,” Khan said.

At the National Conference on Saturday, June 15, 2019, AFC delegates will elect a party leader, chairman, vice-chair, general secretary and 12 national executive members.

Dr. Roger Luncheon hospitalised FORMER Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon has been admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Dr Luncheon, who has been ailing for some time, was admitted to the hospital around 08:00hrs on Thursday.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo said he spoke to Dr Luncheon’s family, who confirmed that he was hospitalised.

“Roger has been to the hospital a few times before but we are hoping that everything goes well and he goes back Former Cabinet Secretary, Dr Roger Luncheon home,” said Jagdeo during a press briefing at his Church Street office on Thursday.

An official of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) had said that Dr Luncheon was in the hospital for a routine checkup and heart test.

The former Cabinet Secretary had confirmed that he was suffering from gastrointestinal cancer, which had spread to parts of his lungs.

Dr Luncheon was last seen in public at the annual commemorative event for PPP founder-former President, Dr Cheddi Jagan-- at Babu John, earlier this year.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 14, 2019

NBTS observes International Blood Donation Day

IN observance of International Blood Donation Day, the National Blood Transfusion Service is expected to receive 12,000 units of blood from volunteers across Guyana.

This is according to Director of the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) Dr. Pedro Lewis who said that 80 percent or 9,600 units of blood will be given by volunteers residing in Demerara/Mahaica (Region Four).

This International Blood Donation Day is observed under the theme, ‘Safe blood for all’, in the global bid to raise awareness of the worldwide need for safe blood in the provision of health care, and the important role of voluntary donations in achieving the goal of worldwide health coverage.

Lewis indicated that the theme was also chosen to “encourage more people around the world to become donors and to make regular donations, actions that are the cornerstone to create a solid base on which to establish a sustainable blood supply at the national level that will allow the transfusion needs of all patients.”

Lewis added that the NBTS is in a very fortunate situation, especially in the Caribbean, since the country maintains “an excellent 100 percent

establishing a Trauma Centre at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Lewis posited, “We will need more blood to sustain a Trauma Unit,” as he made his pitch for a spike in grassroots support for the NBTS. He applauded the 450 collaborators who would have helped organise the year-round, nation-wide blood donation drive necessary to maintain a sufficient blood supply and achieve worldwide and welltimed access to safe blood transfusions in the nation’s health system.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), a stable base of regular voluntary, unpaid blood donors can assure an adequate and Director of the National Blood reliable supply of safe blood. “These Transfusion Service Dr. Pedro donors are also the safest group of donors as the prevalence of bloodLewis borne infections is lowest among record of voluntary donation.”

The NBTS Director attributed this group,” WHO added.

In addition, World Health Asthis to the strong sense of empathy sembly (WHA) is urging “all memamong Guyanese. ber states to develop national blood “It’s a cultural thing,” Dr Lewis systems based on voluntary unpaid said explaining the endurance of donations and to work towards the volunteerism among the thousands goal of self-sufficiency.” of annual voluntary donors who WHO has been at the forefront back the country’s ongoing blood to improve blood safety and availdonation drives. ability with the aim of ensuring Lewis is calling for “more comuniversal access to safe blood and munity involvement” in the process blood products since the country is moving towards

$160M contract signed to bolster Mahaicony sea defence –– 329 metres of rip-rap structure to be constructed

GOVERNMENT has awarded a contract valued $160M to enhance the structural integrity of the sea defence in the village of Prospect, Mahaicony.

This project will facilitate the construction of 329 metres of rip-rap sea defences along the shoreline. It is also a major project under the Infrastructure Ministry’s work programme for 2019 in which almost $2Billion has been allotted for sea defences.

Construction is estimated to be completed in six months from its commencement. Upon completion, the rip-rap sea defence is expected to reduce significantly, the threats of flooding in Prospect and surrounding villages. During

spring tide, which occurs after a new moon or the alignment of the full moon with the earth and sun, wave heights are higher than usual. This can cause flooding in areas with weak or insufficient sea defences. Therefore, the critical rip-rap sea defence project is destined to be a significant asset to the Prospect community.

Resilience to climate change has been a major thrust of the government since 2015. From then to now, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure has spearheaded several projects aimed at strengthening sea defence throughout the nation.

In 2016, Guyana benefitted from nearly $7Billion allotted

under the Caribbean Development Bank’s (CDB) Sea and River Defence Project. That transformational project has led to the reconstruction and improvement of eight sites in Regions Two, Three, Four and Six. The $160M sea defence project falls in line with the government’s commitment to working towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #13, which urges countries to take urgent action to combat climate change and its impact.

One of the targets of SDG 13 is to strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. (DPI)

11

Improved health facilities for residents of West Demerara THE operations of the health centre at Leonora, on the West Coast of Demerara, have been relocated to a new building, which was constructed in 2016 at the cost of $10M, located in the compound of the Leonora Comprehensive Diagnostic and Treatment Centre (LCD&TC). The building had been unused due to an issue regarding the supply of electricity.

The problem has been resolved and maternal and child services, inclusive of pre and post-natal, vaccination and advice to mothers seeking birth prevention are being offered there, according to Regional Health Officer (RHO), Ms Kathlene Armstrong.

The new building is sited behind the new maternity wing that is currently being established.

The RHO explained that, the now unoccupied building has been earmarked to house extended rehabilitative services being conducted at the main West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH) at Best Village.

The initiative will greatly benefit residents of Leonora and its catchment areas, as well as those from the East Bank Essequibo, the Essequibo islands and other riverine areas, who can now visit the clinic at Leonora to access the same physiotherapy services as is obtained at the WDRH, Ms. Armstrong said, adding, that it will also greatly reduce the workload at the main facility.

Meanwhile, a previous wooden bridge leading into the institution has been replaced with a concrete structure costing $10M, while a car park, costing a similar amount, that was constructed for the benefit of patients and visitors to LCD&TC, has been put into use.

Other developments include, the completion of a structure to house a kitchen to cater for in-patients from the new maternity wing and two theatres (a large and a small), all of which at different stages of completion since all the equipment are not in place as yet.

The refurbished maternity wing will be state-ofthe-art with 25 beds, 10 for pre-natal cases and 15 for post-natal, while the C-Section cases will be catered when the theatres become operational. Other upgrades will be recovery and scrub rooms, nurses’ station, a ramp, a chute to convey dirty linen, a laboratory, along with a spacious drugs bond and a records department.

The upgrading of the maternity ward is the brainchild of President David Granger, who, having undertaken a visit to the maternity ward of the GPHC in 2015, expressed concern about the pregnant women there. He urged the then Minister of Health, Dr George Norton, to conduct an upgrade of the Leonora facility, which previously was a cottage hospital and had a maternity section that was subsequently condemned, resulting in all maternity cases being referred to the WDRH. Alluding to developments at the WDRH, where her office is located, Armstrong said that work was completed in establishing four cubicles at the Out-patients Department, thus affording greater doctor/patient privacy. Each cubicle is equipped with an examination bed.

The RHO added that rehabilitative works that included re-painting, changing of windows and the replacing of defective toilets, were executed at the Male Surgical Ward. An extended structure was added to the Orthopaedic Department, and minor operations are being conducted at that room, she added.

Other upgrades were done in the patient’s washroom and to some of the equipment in the WDRH theatre, she said, adding that, shortly, works to rehabilitate the ablution area in the paediatric ward will commence. Additionally, the security and drivers’ huts were repaired and road markings and parking lots were established at the car park, in an effort to ‘correct’ the haphazard parking that previously existed, the REO noted.

Giving an update on the mortuary, Armstrong said that the facility is up and running with minor problems surfacing due to unstable electricity. She added that procurement and installation of an eight-compartment freezer, an upgrade from the open-door type currently in use, is still to be pursued.

Meanwhile, monthly visits by a medical team continue to be a feature to catchment and riverine areas, the RHO said, noting that as recent as earlier this week, Hague Settlement was visited.

She added that, during the visits, the common ailments treated include hypertension and diabetes.

She said that personnel from the LCD&TC have now been included as part of the team.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 14, 2019

Drug mule bargaining system could be strengthened – says CANU THE Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) is asking the Public Security Ministry to speed up the application process for convicted drug mules who are willing to give testimony against their suppliers, in exchange for a reduction in their sentences.

This is according to CANU’s Deputy Head, Leslie Ramlall, who was delivering remarks on Thursday, at the opening of newly-constructed building at CANU Headquarters, Homestretch Avenue, Georgetown.

“We are seeing the arrest of several mules, the challenge we are being confronted with, is, while the mules are willing to give information, they are not willing to testify in court against persons who recruited them,” he said He said CANU will be lobbying the Public Security Ministry to reduce the sentences of drug mules, in exchange for their testimony.

“We tried this before but the timeframe it took was really long, so when it was approved, the persons would have already served their time in prison. We need to explore options for mules to testify against those who would have re-

CANU Deputy Head, Leslie Ramlall cruited them,” Ramlall said.

Noting a recent case, Ramlall said when CANU issued a wanted bulletin for Winston Carto called “Chief Mike”, the mule caught with drugs refused to give testimony against him.

Chief Mike was wanted in connection with the drug bust of 55-year-old Sandra Angela Profitt of West Ruimveldt, Georgetown, who was found at the airport with 3.378 kilograms (7.4 lbs) of cocaine.

The woman was sitting in the departure area waiting to board a LIAT flight destined for Barbados when she was intercepted by ranks of the CANU. Sandra Angela Profitt

was subsequently sentenced to four years jail with a fine of $9.1M. “She (Profitt) was not the only person but several other mules that we would have arrested within the last two years. We have encountered that challenge where they are not prepared to testify against the accused,” said CANU’s Deputy Head, Leslie Ramlall.

According to the National Drug Strategy Master Plan (NDSMP) 2016-2020, the national policies will guide the operational plans of the government departments and other entities involved in the reduction of demand, supply reduction, control measures, institutional strengthening, international cooperation and all other aspects of the national fight against drug abuse and its associated ills.

Because of the transnational nature of the drug trade, combined with the porous nature of Guyana’s borders, Guyana suffers from the effects of the drug problem.

While Guyana is using its limited economic and other resources to counter the drug problem, it has also entered into international and bilateral agreements for assistance.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 14, 2019

President Granger hails Guyana-Russia relations

By Vishani Ragobeer PRESIDENT David Granger said Guyana and Russia will continue to collaborate in areas of mutual interest as the two countries look to strengthen ties, ahead of the commemoration of 50 years of bilateral relations next year.

“Russia’s contributions to science and its economic and social achievements – straddling all spheres of human endeavour – have benefitted developing countries, including Guyana,” President Granger said, while adding that Russia’s role within the international community remains an important one.

He expressed these re-

development.

Russian Ambassador to Guyana, Alexander Kurmaz told the gathering that some 200 Guyanese have graduated from the Soviet and Russia’s higher education institutions.

“We are still continuing this tradition today, providing State and non-governmental scholarships for Guyanese citizens,” Kurmaz noted.

Russia and Guyana have enjoyed cordial relations unofficially for about a century until they formally established diplomatic relations in 1970. Next year will commemorate 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

relating to investments and the mutual recognition of educational qualifications.

“Guyana will continue to collaborate at the multilateral level with Russia in pursuing our common interests, including action to combat the threats of transnational crime, the adverse effects of climate change and the securing of global peace and security,” the President affirmed.

With this 50th milestone approaching, the Russian ambassador noted that the Russian Government would like to strengthen the “cordial, open, friendly, and very fruitful relations” with Guyana “We share common approaches to a number of

Russian Ambassador to Guyana, Alexander Kurmaz, welcomes President Granger to the Russia Day reception at the Russian Embassy on Wednesday night (Adrian Narine photo) marks at a Russia Day reception held at the Russian Embassy on Wednesday evening.

Guyana and Russia have enjoyed excellent formal and informal relations for over 50 years and have worked to maintain regional peace and security.

“Guyana and Russia have collaborated in the fields of culture, education, the economy, security and science,” the President said, adding that Guyana remains appreciative to Russia for debt and disaster relief.

Guyanese have also benefitted from training in Russia in a number of areas and have returned home, and are contributing to national

And over the years, President Granger related, too, that bilateral relations have also been enhanced through a number of bilat-eral agreements.

These include the Treaty on Basic Relations between the two governments; the agreement for the Waiver of Visa Requirements; an agreement geared at combating Illicit Trade of Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and their Precursors; and work of the Joint Working Group in the Field of Geology and Subsoil Management.

President Granger highlighted that Guyana looks forward to strengthening relations with Russia, particularly, to the successful conclusion of agreements

issues on a number of issues on the global agenda, and we are looking forward to expanding our cooperation not only on the bilateral level, but also within international mechanisms,” Kurmaz said.

Russia Day is the national holiday of the Russian Federation. It is celebrated annually and commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR) on June 12, 1990.

The occasion also marks the adoption of the new Russian Constitution, a new national flag, national anthem and emblem and new name for the country -- the Russian Federation.

President David Granger shares a toast with Russian Ambassador to Guyana, Alexander Kurmaz, at the Russia Day reception on Wednesday night (Adrian Narine photo)

14

Iwokrama medical service centre almost complete

A medical service centre of the Iwokrama International Centre for Rain Forest Conservation and Development which will serve Linden to Lethem Road users is 95 per cent complete.

The construction of the centre comes through a US$89,900 grant from Japan for major Grassroots Human Security Projects.

On Tuesday, Iwokrama’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dane Gobin, said the centre should be completed within a month, noting that only electrical works on the building are to be done.

Iwokrama is situated in the centre of Guyana. The former small health facility was the closest medical centre between Linden and Annai.

The Iwokrama Inter-

national Centre is located some 400 kilometers in the interior of Guyana which still makes the construction process a challenging one when coupled with the rainy weather.

Nonetheless, the new centre is to be fully serviced with two full-time medical personnel, two examination rooms, dispensary, hospital beds, ramps catering for trolleys and stretchers, a consultation room and more.

The building will utilise solar energy as well as generators for 24/7 power.

Speaking of the need for such a facility, Gobin told Guyana Chronicle: “We provide a valuable service; we provide it to road users, guests, tourists, volunteers, interns and the Fairview community which has about 300 people.”

Fairview is the only

community within Iwokrama but there are scores of other persons residing in the area.

“We had a medical facility [previously], a small dispensary… but we didn’t have the space; it wasn’t safe with medical information because if you’re doing an interview with a patient that is confidential you need a lot of privacy. Now we have a dedicated building so we’ve actually closed the very small, 100 square feet building to a whole new stand-alone building,” Gobin stated.

Meanwhile, Gobin expects the upgrade of the Linden to Lethem Road will lead to an increase in traffic which will lead to an increase in the need for medical attention.

“Once that road becomes more usable, we’ll see more

road users, increased access, less expensive transport and more people. So, I’m not even sure -- once that road [is completed] -- if we will be able [to handle the amount of patients]. The government might have to look at a full-fledge hospital,” he said.

Prior to receiving the funding, the Iwokrama International Centre for Rain Forest Conservation and Development compiled a project proposal which it sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which was later picked up by Japan.

It was one of three projects which received funding from Japan back in February 2018. The St. Francis Community Developers, a Non-Government Organisation (NGO) received funding to the tune of US$90, 797 for the construction of a skills training resource centre at Corentyne, Berbice.

Special Needs for Life, another NGO received US$89,813 for the construction of a multi-purpose centre in Kuma Village in the Rupununi area which will serve as a hub for the provision of social services to 1,200 residents of the area.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 14, 2019

Child with cyst on kidney needs help THE Saving Hands Emergency Aid Inc. (SHEA) is calling for donations to assist 11-year-old Joel Bedessie, who was diagnosed with a large mass (cyst) on his right kidney.

Kidney cysts are round pouches of fluid that form on or in the kidneys. They can be associated with serious disorders that may impair kidney function.

“We have received a heart wrenching plea for help from the mother of 11-year-old Joel Bedessie.

Joel has a large mass (cyst) which is resting on his right kidney. As a result, Joel is in debilitating pain. He is unable to eat or sleep and no amount of medication brings him relief,” said SHEA in a Facebook post.

The surgery to remove this mass can be done in Guyana at a cost of approximately $1,000,000 ($5,000 USD).

Bedessie has been suffering for two months because his family cannot afford the cost of the surgery.

“No child should have to suffer as Joel is suffering; please help us help him by making a donation today,” said the foundation.

The organisation gave the assurance that the family does not need money for personal use. The family has since requested that persons donate directly to SHEA so that the organisation can pay for child’s treatment as soon as possible.

Persons who are interested in donation can follow SHEA on Facebook or visit them online at http://savinghandsemergencyaid.org/take-action.

SHEA is a publicly funded 501(c) 3 nonprofit organisation, which is managed by volunteers.

All donations go towards patient care.

Jobs for Lindeners

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 14, 2019

–– as efforts being made to renovate Kara Kara Call Centre

By Vanessa Braithwaite THE bill of quantities for the renovation of the Kara Kara Call Centre, which formerly housed the Toucan Connection Call Centre, is currently being completed. The procurement process will then be engaged in.

This is according to Telecommunications Minister Catherine Hughes, who, last December, included in her ministry’s $4.4 B 2019 budget, $60 M to fund extensive renovation of the building, in an effort to create jobs for Lindeners.

Hughes said her government, being cognisant of the employment situation in Linden, will be funding the renovation of the building, making it ready for investors, who will, in turn, man the facility.

“Already we have about three avenues of possibilities that we think we can get started... we have three different partners that we are working with to put that call centre back in operation,” she said.

Included in the three is LinDev, a small call centre owned by two Linden brothers, Kirk and Collis Limerick and is operating in proximity of the Kara Kara Call Centre.

In addition to LinDev, Hughes said her ministry is in conversation with an

Telecommunications Minister, Catherine Hughes overseas- based investor who has expressed serious interest in also establishing a call centre at the location.

Hughes said she had about four engagements with the management of LinDev and is appreciative of the constraints they are facing, relative to space and Internet connectivity and is excited to provide this opportunity for them to expand.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of LinDev, Collis Limerick related that the company has 13 employees and is servicing one contract. While there are avenues for more contracts and clients, the current facility can only accommodate 22 agents per shift.

LinDev is optimistic of the transition over to the newly-renovated call centre which can house

approximately 144 agents per shift.

“With stable scalable contracts we would transition our operations to that facility, providing greater returns for our clients in the process,” LinDev related. The company’s goal is to deliver and develop through excellence, ideas and innovation by making it a vehicle for development for its clients, employees and community, thus becoming a large stable employer in the mining town of Linden.

The Toucan Connection Call Centre was abruptly closed in 2015, leaving about 90 employees out of a job. The St Kitts-based call centre

shut its doors, within no prior notification and many of the workers, up to this day, have not received severance pay. At least one of these workers is still unemployed and while she tried to commence her own cosmetology business, she believes that those who were laid off should get first preference when it is time for the new companies to commence operations.

Speaking under anonymity, she said, “I am still interested in working, because I still have my training, I am a trained agent and I know many of my friends are still unemployed too.

I started by own business but it is not as

bright as I wanted it to be, so when they start up again, I would want to be employed,” she said.

BRIGHT FUTURE Minister Hughes believes that there is a bright future for call centre operations in Guyana and her ministry will continue to support this business.

“Guyana has a tremendous advantage in expanding the call centre business; we actually have 5,000 seats right now in about four call centres... because we speak English, because we are on the same time zone as the US, there is tremendous opportunity to expand the business,”

she said.

The minister recently attended a Business Process Outsourcing Conference in Curacao where she engaged with several companies in the same business and is excited about the prospects for Guyana and more particularly in Linden, since many of the youths already possess the skills needed to be a call centre agent.

Scores of Linden youths have been benefiting from Information Communication Technology training from the Board of Industrial Training in collaboration with the Office of the First Lady, Sandra Granger.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 14, 2019

Poultry safe to consume, says GLDA –– believes egg, duckling smuggling likely cause of Duck Hepatitis

By Navendra Seoraj

IF Duck Viral Hepatitis (DVH) is confirmed by laboratory tests, the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) believes that the disease could have been introduced through illegal importation of hatching eggs or ducklings.

GLDA, in a notice, said illegal importation of livestock and livestock products into Guyana poses serious risks to the health of humans and animals since it reduces the authority’s ability to ensure that whatever is imported is free from diseases.

“Apart from our suspicions of the smuggling of

hatching eggs and ducklings, we have encountered too many cases of the smuggling of dogs and birds into Guyana,” the authority said.

Dogs are affected by numerous diseases such as rabies and leptospirosis which are both detrimental to humans and animals, while birds can be affected by

avian influenza, among other diseases.

In light of this, the public was encouraged to partner with GLDA to safeguard the health of the nation by reporting all instances of illegal animal import (smuggling) to the GLDA or nearest police station.

Having received reports

Some of the imported ducklings of high mortality of ducklings, an investigation was conducted by GLDA on the affected farms where Duck Viral Hepatitis (DVH) was viewed as the suspected primary cause of death.

Suspected DVH was detected in Regions Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Four (Demerara-Mahaica) and Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

Samples were collected, processed and shipped to the Cornell University Duck Research Laboratory for confirmation.

The disease has not manifested itself in the other poultry sectors such as chicken, turkey and Guinea bird, and was only observed in the Muscovy ducklings.

While this suspected disease is not treatable, Guyana awaits a response from the laboratory to guide its future course of action to safeguard animal health.

CONTAINED “We wish to further indicate that, to date, only the six private farms are affected by this disease outbreak and we have successfully been able to contain it, mainly as a result of our actions to close our hatchery, quarantine the affected farms and restrict the movements of ducklings.

To date, the GLDA’s duck unit at Mon Repos has not been affected nor has shown any signs or symptoms of this diseases,” said

the GLDA. The authority is convinced that this outbreak has affected only the six quarantined farms.

Further, in order for GLDA to continue providing quality breeding material to the duck farming community, it has imported 1,400 breeding ducklings, which will assist in the rebuilding of the sector.

“These ducklings were imported from the US and they were declared free of any infectious or contagious disease such as Duck Virus Hepatitis, Duck Virus Enteritis, Cholera, Salmonella and other such diseases by the US Department of Agriculture. The hatchings from this importation would be sold to the farming community for rearing for meat production,” said GLDA Chief Executive Officer, Nigel Cumberbatch.

The Muscovy ducks are used primarily for meat production as the meat is less greasy and contains less fat than the other breeds of ducks. Additionally, male Muscovy ducks can attain as much as 5.5 kg within 12 weeks once proper animal husbandry is practised.

GLDA has the responsibility to promote a vibrant livestock industry which provides safe food for the population and generates income for rural and urban households, all while making optimal use of available resources and competing with producers beyond local borders.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 14, 2019

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 14, 2019

Mark and Chatterpaul charged Linden student brain dead after fall for conspiracy to commit murder

THE owner of Mark Interior Communication Inc. and an alleged hit-man, who was arrested by police for conspiring to execute a Lethem businessman, were on Thursday, June 13, 2019, remanded to prison

by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.

Mark Grimmond, the owner of the communication service, along with Mark’s Pool Side and Fun Park located at Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara, was charged alongside Chatterpaul Singh called Kevin.

The men were not required to plead to the charge which alleged that, between April 1, 2018, and June 7, 2019, at Georgetown, they conspired with persons known and unknown to murder Dwayne Grant.

Attorney-at-law Bernard DaSilva and Mark Waldron represented Grimmond while Singh was unrepresented.

DaSilva told the court that his client was 57 years old, the father of 11 kids and also managed Rockies Bar and

Hotel in Georgetown.

Chatterpaul, who is no stranger to the court and was recently charged for attempted murder and fraud told the

Mansfield, Grant, is a businessman who lives in Lethem and had received a ‘tip-off’ that Grimmond had hired someone to execute him.

possession.

The prosecution is contending that Singh, while in custody, told the police that he was hired by Grimmond to kill Grant. The police arrested Grimmond and the police found telephone records be-

Chatterpaul Singh called Kevin

Mark Grimmond

court that he was a 36-yearold miner from Cummings lodge, East Coast Demerara.

According to the evidence presented in court by Police Prosecutor, Inspector Gordon

The businessman became fearful for his life and reported the matter to the police, who went to a Hotel in Lethem and found Singh with an illegal firearm in his

tween the men.

Mansfield had strongly opposed to the men being released on bail citing the seriousness of the charge.

The Chief Magistrate upheld the prosecution’s objection and remanded the duo to prison until June 18, 2019.

Brazilian charged for allegedly attempting to kill cop AFTER being on the run from the police for almost two weeks, a 54-year-old Brazillian national was, on Thursday, finally arraigned before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on an attempted murder charge after he had allegedly discharged a loaded firearm at a police officer and shot him in the chest.

Francisco Lima De Aguiar, of Bourda, Georgetown appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court and was not required to plead to the charge which alleged that, on May 26, 2019, at Aranka Backdam, Cuyuni River, he discharged a loaded firearm at Police Constable Anthony Weekes with intent to commit murder.

De Aguiar, who spoke t h r o u g h a n i n t e r p r e t e r,

was represented by attorneys-at-law Mark Waldron and Trenton Lake. Waldron, during an application for bail, told the court that his client is the owner of a dredge op-

Francisco Lima De Aguiar

eration which is located at Aranka Backdam. The attorney argued that his client, who is now a citizen of Guyana, was not in that area on the day in question. According to the police case presented by Police Prosecutor, Inspector Gordon Mansfield, ranks had received information that the defendant was in possession of illegal firearms at his Aranka minging camp. A party of police ranks, which included constable Weekes, went to De Aguiar’s mining camp and identified themselves to him.

It is alleged that the defendant pulled out a handgun and discharged four rounds in the direction of the lawmen.

One of the rounds hit Weekes’ to his chest which caused the police to retreat and seek medical attention for the injured

officer.

However, De Aguiar, who was on the run from the police, on June 10, 2019, turned himself over to ranks at ‘F’ Division while in the company of his lawyer. The injured police officer, who was in court, told the Chief Magistrate that although he was shot in the chest the bullet went through into his arm and lodged. Mansfield had strongly opposed the defendant being released on bail, citing the seriousness of the charge. The Chief Magistrate upheld the prosecution’s objection and remanded De Aguiar to prison on the grounds that he posed a flight risk. The matter was transferred to the Bartica Magistrate’s Court for June 20, 2019.

Mechanic gets bail on rape charge CHIEF Magistrate Ann McLennan, on Thursday, released a 46-year-old mechanic on $250,000 bail when he appeared before her charged for allegedly raping a woman at Imbaimadai Landing, Upper Mazaruni River.

Odingo Emmanuel, called ‘Dingo’, appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court and was not required to plead to the charge which read that on August 11, 2018, at Imbaimadai Landing, Emmanuel engaged in sexual penetration with the 36-year-old

woman, without her consent.

The matter was heard in-camera and Emmanuel was released on bail. The matter was transferred to the Kamarang Magistrate’s Court for June 25, 2019.

According to reports, on the day in question, the victim came home and found Emmanuel in her house. She was thrown on the ground and raped by the accused. However, the victim’s reputed husband came home and pulled the man off of her.

Emmanuel managed to escape and was recently arrested.

Odingo Emmanuel called ‘Dingo’

June Alexander, 10, on life support at the GPHC

By Vanessa Braithwaite POLICE at Linden have launched an investigation into an incident which occurred on Monday which left a 10- year-old pupil of Regma Primary School brain dead and on life support at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

The child, June Alexander, was rushed to the Linden Hospital Complex (LHC) on Monday at around 13:00hrs, but had to be immediately transferred to the GPHC as she was in an unconscious state.

Commander of ‘E’ Division, Linden Lord said police are investigating the matter but information from statements received thus far, related that the child fell and injured herself.

“We received statements from students, teachers, cleaners and we are presently putting a file together to send to the DPP,” Lord said.

The child’s aunt, Gail Hamilton, is however contending that the child was allegedly pushed as the report from the doctor revealed that her injuries are consisted with someone being pushed from a height or beaten.

“The report shows she was beaten and pushed from a height, the teachers at Regma Primary School saying she run and she lace tangled she up and she fall and knock she head on a sand,” she said on a facebook live post.

Gail, in tears, contented that her niece left for school in good health and now is brain dead at the hospital. She also said the child does not wear laced shoes to school.

“The girl go to school, now she lie down in the hospital with a dead brains since Monday,” she said. She said the teachers are not giving a proper report of what transpired and often treats her nieces as outcast.

“The school teachers have nothing to say, they are holding one head… they don’t like me niece[s] at the school, they does treat them like outcast,” she said.

Hamilton is also contending that the teachers wasted time trying to revive the child, rather than to rush her immediately to the hospital. After she started having seizures, then she was reportedly rushed to the hospital, in a taxi. The aunt is calling for a proper investigation to be launched into the matter.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 14, 2019

Gov’t, UNFPA in pact to strengthen social services to Venezuelan migrants

Some of the participants at the workshop

THE Ministry of Social Protection, through its Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Policy Unit and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), are partnering to generate a referral pathway for the Venezuelan survivors of Gender-Based Violence (GBV).

The partners, on Thursday, met with stakeholders to identify key service providers, the types of services offered to GBV survivors, and to generate a map of services with key contact information. Gender-Based Violence Specialist, UNFPA, Ms. Karly Bennett, revealed that due to the political and economic crisis in Venezuela, there are currently 177,000 migrants in the Caribbean and an estimated 30,000 in Guyana.

Therefore, UNFPA, along with the government, and other UN agencies including the International Organisation for Migration, recently conducted an inter-agency rapid gender-based violence assessment in Regions One, Four and Seven.

“What came out of the report is that some of the major concerns are around trafficking, sexual violence, survival sex, sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment and IPV or domestic violence. We see this a lot in emergencies, this kind

Manager of the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Policy Unit, Ms. Akilah Dorris, makes a presentation at the workshop, while Gender-Based Violence Specialist, UNFPA, Ms. Karly Bennett looks on

of convergence of sexual violence, trafficking and survival sex, that means there is a combination of people trafficked for sexual servitude,” Ms. Bennett explained.

In light of the findings, the GBV specialist recommended that the first step to address this issue is service mapping.

During this step, the aim is to bring together key players in each region and map the services available for GBV survivors.

The next step highlighted by Ms. Bennett is to make a referral pathway including brochures or leaflets with all the requisite information to distribute to victims. Ms. Bennett recommended the training of frontline providers including immigration, police officers and social workers, to strengthen their referral systems.

Manager of the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Policy Unit, Ms. Akilah Dorris, presented on the national response to gender-based violence in Guyana. She explained that her unit does not have access to readily-available information on GBV in Guyana and relies on reports shared by the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and very few partners.

She explained that her unit is governed by the 1996 Domestic Violence Act and the 2010 Sexual Offences Act,

which were both amended. Both acts provide basic provisions for persons who were identified as victims of sexual violence, GBV or domestic violence; as well as the mechanisms to hold perpetrators accountable for their actions.

According to the manager, the recently drafted national plan of action which focusses on the protection of victims, prevention of GBV, sexual and domestic violence, prosecutions, rehabilitation of victims, among others, will soon be approved for implementation.

In the interim, the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Policy Unit has developed protocols for police officers, medical practitioners and prosecutors to address sexual violence related matters. With support from the UNFPA, a consultancy that will see the development and implementation of an Essential Services Package for survivors of gender-based violence, is being undertaken.

Representatives from Women Across Differences, International Office of Migration, Counter Trafficking Unit, Blossom Inc., Childlink, Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association, Ministries of Communities and Public Health, Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Sex Worker Association, were present at the workshop.

Teen found dead on Charity Public Road THE community of Charity, Essequibo Coast, Region Two is mourning the death of an 18-year-old labourer whose body was discovered lying in a pool of blood on Wednesday night. Dead is Ronalzo Rayanzo of Lot 700 Charity Extension Scheme.

According to information received, the event suspected to have caused the teen’s death reportedly occurred at around 10:00hrs on Wednesday night. The aunt of the deceased, Evon Adams, told Guyana Chronicle that her nephew left his grandmother’s home at around 19:30hrs on Wednesday night to visit a friend at New Road, a village away from Charity.

The tearful aunt related that on Wednesday night she received a call saying that her nephew was hospitalised.

“When I went, he had a set of injuries around his body, his head had a huge cut; my nephew was murdered. It appears like someone hit him and then put him in the middle of the road to die,” Adams related.

She said the teen lived with his grandmother and would usually assist in the home financially. Meanwhile, Charity residents noticed the teenager’s body lying in the middle of the road and alerted the police, then the ambulance. The ambulance visited the scene and took the teen’s body to the

Charity Oscar Joseph Hospital. He was then transferred to the Suddie Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Several persons say they heard an impact earlier but were not sure what it was.

An officer at the Charity Police Station said an investigation is currently ongoing but it appears that the teenager had suffered injuries from a hit-and-run accident.

A post-mortem performed on the remains of Rayanzo on Thursday revealed that he died as a result of ‘crushed injuries’.

The post mortem was conducted by Dr. Nehaul Singh at the Suddie Hospital mortuary.

The teen lying motionless in the middle of the Charity Public Road

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 14, 2019

Former PM not taking sides in party leadership race KINGSTON, Jamaica, Jun. 13, CMC – Former Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller has told members of the main opposition People’s National Party (PNP) that she will not be taking sides in the challenge for leadership within the organisation.

Simpson Miller, who stepped down as leader of the party in 2017 made the comment following posts of social media which suggested that she has thrown her support behind a particular candidate. The pending leadership race will be between opposition leader Dr. Peter

Phillips and the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Central Manchester, Peter Bunting, an investment banker.

Last weekend Bunting – a former National Security Minister declared that he would challenge Phillips for the top job, a move that has been condemned by some party members and supporters. However, Simpson Miller, in a statement issued on social media, has distanced herself from both camps. “It has come to my attention that images of me are being circulated, giving the impression that I have taken sides in the

upcoming PNP leadership race. I have not and will not take a side. I ask that my name and image are not used in the campaign,” Simpson Miller said.

The former Prime Minister has also called for a “clean and respectful” campaign, noting that the work of the party must continue when the contest ends. “I encourage Comrades to campaign vigorously for their candidate, always mindful that after the internal contest we must continue our preparation for general elections.

Keep the campaign clean and respectful. My first loy-

alty and duty will always be to the People’s National Party,” said Simpson Miller. Meanwhile, Phillips has urged members of the party to focus on defeating the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).

He made the plea on Wednesday on his social media page. “Your support to me throughout these last two years have been invaluable and my source of strength and inspiration,” the opposition leader said. “Our movement was founded and rooted in the principles of democracy to give all Jamaicans an avenue to make their voices heard and an oppor-

tunity to serve at all levels.

As we proceed to test our Party’s internal democratic pillars we must concentrate our efforts, energies and resources to defeating the JLP, not each other.”

Bunting, in his recent announcement, said he is running for the presidency to give the PNP a better chance at winning the next general election. He said although Phillips has made an outstanding contribution to the party and the country in various positions in the past three decades, he has not been a transformational PNP president.

“Since becoming president,

he has not implemented a single transformational initiative within the party and is just not seen as the right person for this time,” Bunting said in the statement announcing his candidacy. Bunting’s leadership challenge is the first since 2008 when Phillips himself challenged Simpson Miller.

He lost that election. Prior to that Simpson Miller outlasted Phillips by 200 votes when both were among four candidates who sought to replace then party president P J Patterson. A date for the upcoming contest for leadership, is yet to be announced.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 14, 2019

Feel what you’re seeing!

Cashier at the universal games 7D theatre, Cassy Hall

T

HE 7D cinema at Giftland Mall has been upgraded to offer patrons a better experience and is now located besides Caribbean Cinemas on the second floor.

Previously located at the Mall’s arcade, the space was limited and customers had to wait long periods before getting in.

“We will now get a little more space, and customers will be able to enjoy the ride a bit more,” cashier at the universal games 7D theatre, Cassy Hall, told the Buzz lately. “At the Arcade,” she said, “it would get really full, and customers would not be able to hold, so we needed to move, so we can get more space. It’s a better experience over here; we have been getting a lot of feedback from customers.”

The 7D theatre makes patrons feel they’re actually on the rides, and makes them feel special effects like lightning, the blowers, the falls, fire, and bubbles for small kids, among others.

The various types of

@ Giftland’s 7D cinema

rides include rollercoasters; horror, sports, kids and family rides, and every age limit

is able to enjoy it.

The roller coaster rides include the desert tour, the

treasure quest, rock-melting valley, and through the iceberg. The horror rides

The 7D theatre at the Giftland Mall

include zombie land, hell band, evil spirits into the abyss, the haunted castle, ghost castle, and the rise of the mummy.

Some of the sports rides include off-road racing, driving without licence, rage racer breakneck speed, orbit drive, and go fast.

The kids rides include the flower valley, Avatar, the sea chase, the turtle trip, flying dog, small dinosaur, dragon in the day, animal wonders, and flying centipede, while the family rides include iceberg adventures, enchanted valley, abandoned ice factory, beat the huge worm, dinosaur ages, starship, through birth and death, the ice snow monster, and chase the sea monster.

Ms. Hall explained that this theatre is open every day, except for Good Friday and Christmas Day from 12 noon to as late as 23 11h00.

“If you do two rides,” she said, “we give you a free ride. Our price range is $700 for one person, $1,200 for two persons. Two kids under age 10, we give them for $1,000. The school kids

would pay $600 for one, and if two of them come, we give them for $1,000.

For our Tuesday special, two customers would pay $1,000 for two rides.”

The facility might even flex with a child younger than seven, Hall said, and allow him or her to go on the rides with their family, providing that they understand the details of the child’s background to ensure that he or she is capable of viewing it. “If it’s not too scary, we allow younger kids to go on the rides with their families,” she said.

The rides go for three to six minutes or more, as each has a different duration.

Hall said the facility sees lots of tourists from Brazil and Venezuela each week. “They would come here every week just to try the rides, even though they don’t speak fluent English.”

Persons with back, neck or heart trouble, and expectant mothers are cautioned against going on the rides.

Patrons had nothing negative to say DIRECTOR/Producer of the much-loved ‘Nothing to Laugh About’ (NTLA) production, Lyndon ‘Jumbie’ Jones is happy that since the show’s conclusion recently, not one negative review has been forthcoming.

“I mark myself very hard,” he told ‘the Buzz’ on Thursday, and so he makes it a point each time to listen to any comments coming from those who would have seen the show. But this time around, the crowd had only good things to say.

The show was held during the period May 31 to June 3 at the National Cultural Centre (NCC) and saw huge crowds each night.

The team made an effort to begin on time each night out of respect for those patrons who arrived early and

were seated at the required time. On Saturday, though, the organisers allowed some extra time to accommodate those travelling from the East Bank that were held up as a result of the fatal accident in which the victim was a seven-year-old girl. During this time, though, ‘Jumbie’ treated the crowd to some extra comedy that made the wait easy to handle.

The first night saw the team experiencing some technical difficulties, which really put a damper on their show, but by the second night, the performers were again revved up by the crowd to put on their best. The lights at the NCC went completely dead during the opening night, but for the rest of the shows, they were fixed to a standard that was only but tolerable.

For many years, the NCC

about ‘Nothing to Laugh About’ – producer-director reports

has struggled with a poor sound system that leaves the audience at a great disadvantage. In the past, the NTLA team has even had to organise separately for additional sound systems to be installed so that their audiences could better hear what was happening on stage.

The team has since written to the Director of Culture about the issues encountered, and was reassured that a discount is being worked out.

For this, the team is especially appreciative.

“I don’t mind paying the NCC rental fees and the usher fees, but the 20 per cent on ticket sales and 14 per cent on VAT… If they take off one of those taxes from the produc-

er, I think a lot more persons will become involved in the arts,” co-producer and director Maria Benschop had told this publication.

Lyndon said the authorities can also do little things to help the producers promote such a cultural show. For one, they can air their advertisements on the government station for free, and even allow them to use the electronic billboard outside of the NCC. This year’s show featured some of the best personalities in the field of comedy and acting such as ‘Jumbie’, Michel ‘Credit’ Ignatius, Leza ‘Radica’ Singh, Mark ‘Chiney Man’ Kazim, Chris Gopaul, and Mark Luke Edwards.

Director/Producer Maria Benschop (left) with comedians Chris Gopaul (centre) and Leza ‘Radica’ Singh

22

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 14, 2019

‘50 Shades of MUA’ delivers! gives patrons more than they bargained for

Renee Chester with family members at her anniversary celebration on Sunday

LAST Sunday evening, Guyana had a taste of a Red-Carpet Gala experience in the Banquet Hall at Tower Suites on Main Street.

The event, dubbed “Fifty Shades of MUA” was hosted by renowned makeup artist Renee Chester to celebrate 10 years in the business.

Scores of people came out in their finest, strutting their stuff and striking a pose on the red carpet that was lined with the customary paparazzi.

Chester told ‘The Buzz’ that seeing that her 10th Anniversary was an important milestone for her, the celebration had to be “extra special and extraordinary”, hence the reason for the event being “so big and so loud.”

With the astonishing designs seen at this event, it can be concluded that Guyana’s fashion industry has evolved. Several designers showed up and showed off their capabilities, and the extent to which their creativity can be stretched.

The highlight of the event, however, was to celebrate makeup artistry.

Chester said that a lot of negativity surrounds makeup artistry in Guyana, and makeup artists are often underrated and seen as persons who may not have done well in school, and were forced to resort to “painting faces”.

Chester said she is very proud to put MUA behind

Renee Chester on the Red Carpet in one of her House of Pearson gowns at her 10th anniversary ‘do’ last Sunday

her name. “This is artistry; this is something we are passionate about. This is something that we love,” she said emphatically.

The room was filled with many other local se MUAs, who all applauded Chester and agreed with her sentiments.

She shared her story with attendees, from where her journey began in 2009, the many trials she faced,

Three beauties walking the Red Carpet as they headed into ‘Fifty Shades of MUA’ (Photos by Carl Croker)

and how she got to where she is today.

The audience was entertained as well as inspired, as Chester’s story is one that epitomises a strong woman.

They were then treated to giveaways and a performance from Guyanese artiste, Samuel Medas. The night ended with the usual socialising, more photo ‘ops’, and partaking in the sumptuous feast that was laid on for the occasion.

Speaking with Chester after the event wrapped up, she was almost in tears, so overwhelmed was she by the support she got.

She told ‘The Buzz’ that her journey wasn’t a smooth one, but she is thankful to have made it to where she is today. She noted too, that the planning of the event was also no easy task, as there were many hiccups along the way.

However, she profusely thanked her strong support system that kept her together, and helped steer the event to success.

Family members Keon and Michelle Howard of ‘Winedays’, Denise Andrews, Kasandi Eastman, Akosua OduYefo and Quinton Pearson are but a few of the persons Chester credited the success of the event to.

She said that while ‘Fifty Shades of MUA’ will become an annual event, the theme will take different forms every year.

C h e s t e r e x p re s s e d many thanks to everyone who supported her throughout the years, and who supported her event on Sunday.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 14, 2019

W

Personality of The Week

e have musicians, then we have musicians who are exceptional at what they do.

This week’s personality is an electrical engineering student who is fervent about music.

24-year-old Trevaun Selman is a singer, songwriter, and a self-taught musician who plays his guitar upside-down.

In an interview with ‘The Buzz’, the young man said that he aspires to stand out, and by standing out, it requires one to be different. He said many Guyanese musicians would try

took piano lessons when he was just about 11 years old, and taught himself how to play the guitar using some books he had.

Selman said he wrote his first song called “Home” when he was on the Spotlight Talent Show that was hosted

by E-Networks in late 2016, wrote this song the night before he performed it on the show and eventually won third place.

Though his career leads along the en-

but Guyana is obviously not the place for that. But I am making the best of whatever is available to me at present,” he added.

He shared that he grew up with musicians, his mom would sing in church, and his siblings played the piano and steel pan as a hobby. His inspiration, he said, comes from the reaction he gets from people who listen

to emulate the style of other musicians, but he believes that one should be themselves and set out to be different.

This is why he plays his guitar the unconventional way, upside-down. He plays like a left-hander but the guitar is stringed for a right-hander. He

gineering path, his passion lies in creating good music that captures the attention and interests of listeners. “…And just to leave behind a legacy of some sort, so that looking back years from now I can say that I had a part to play in something great,” Selman said.

“I love music; it’s part of who I am. I want this to be a full-time career

to his music, however, Selman said his main inspiration is his parents.

He admonishes others to be true to themselves, as it is the only way to genuinely achieve success.

“Just be you. Nobody can do you better than you… Don’t follow the trends, just be yourself,” the young musician advised.

Trevaun selman guitarist extraordinare

‘Just be you; nobody can do you better than you…’

I

T’S another weekend people, and time to keep you in the loop with what’s ‘buzzing’ in and around Guyana.

TODAY

♦ Set4Life Entertainment presents Escape Fridays at District Ultra Lounge.

Ladies free before 12. Heineken Specials all night. Music by Guyana’s top DJs and selectors. ♦ Head on down to the Pegasus poolside’s Ignite Bar and Grill every Friday and Saturday for fun, food, and entertainment!

TOMORROW

♦ The battle’s on for the next Guyanese Earth Warrior. It’s the Miss Earth Guyana Coronation 2019 at the National Cultural Centre from 20h00. It’s going to be the most celebrated night of pageantry in Guyana. Tickets: $2000, $3000. ♦ D Anointed Vale presents his “The Collab” Album Launch at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall. Catch the performance by award-winning Gospel Artiste, DJ Nicholas and Christafari, D Furnace, Kester D, Shawn English, Minister Seon, Lion Cub, Princess Vanessa and many more. Tickets: $2000 (pre-sold), $2500 (at the gate), and $5000 (VIP). ♦ Finesse Entertainment Official presents Launch Party 0 – 100 at Amigos Bar & Grill (Old Jerries, Waterloo Street). Music by Mix Master Tony & Don King. Come out and enjoy a positive atmosphere and merchandise giveaways. ♦ District Ultra Lounge presents “Soca-Reggae Fusion: Good Vibes Only”, featuring DJ Shizzle and Selector Diamond, live! Bottle specials on Johnnie Walker. ♦ The Vintage Lounge presents, “Brazilian and Latin Saturdays”. Enjoy food and drink specials. Music by DJ Tranquilo Santos. Doors open from 17h00. ♦ It’s always time to show off your innate talent at the Aracari Resort’s Karaoke and Dance this and every Saturday. Enjoy karaoke, dance and dinner, featuring Reyaz Rafeek and Group. **Aura Sky Lounge presents Seductive Saturdays!

Doors open at 20h00 sharp!

SUNDAY

♦ The Miss Venus Model Guyana Organisation will be holding its annual Bingo Night at 11 Vlissengen Road, Newtown, from 18h00. Special Father’s Day prizes to be won. Snacks and beverages will be on sale. Fifteen straight games. Ticket: $500 (for two bingo cards). **Marvelous Entertainment presents the relaunch of Marvelous Sundayz at its new location 592 Spot and Night Club (John and Norton Streets). Ladies free all night. Music by Stereo Sonic, Fusion and Boom DJs. ♦ G-Money, in association with Leprechaun Entertainment, present Summer Sundays at Club Privilege (Main Street, Georgetown). Free entry for first 50 ladies.

Throw-back music and finger foods. Music by One Drop of NY, DJ Denzil, Selector Dexter, and a special guest DJ and one-man band. ♦ The Vintage Wine Bar, Restaurant and Lounge presents “Dinner with 70s ad 80s music. Sundays were always meant for 70s & 80s music!

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday June 14, 2019

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday June 14, 2019

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday June 14, 2019

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 14, 2019

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Three Guyanese players ...

FROM PAGE 30 experience can be personally beneficial as well for his game.”

On the appointment of Brathwaite and Brooks as Four-Day captains, Haynes said: “As the incumbent vice-captain of the senior West Indies Test team, this will allow Kraigg to continue to get the opportunity to develop his leadership skills and he is best placed to galvanise the team during these vital games for our preparation.

“Shamarh has been captaining the A-team for some time now and as such it would be best for continuity that he gains more exposure in this role.”

On the A-Team players for the ‘Test’ series, Haynes said: “It was felt that the regular Test players who are available should play the first and second FourDay matches of this series.

This would be part of their preparation for the upcoming senior team Tests against the Indian senior team, as they would have had limited redball match practice in recent times.

“As such, the squad for the third Four-Day match will have five replacement players. This will allow the regular Test players to gain recovery time before they enter the preparation camp for the Tests against the Indian senior team.”

SQUADS: O N E - D AY – R o s ton Chase (captain), Sunil Ambris, John Campbell, Jonathan Carter, Rahkeem Cornwall, Shane Dowrich, Akeem Jordan, Kjorn Ottley, Keemo Paul, Khary Pierre, Rovman Powell, Raymon Reifer, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Devon Thomas.

1st & 2nd TESTS – Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Sunil Ambris, Jermaine Blackwood, Shamarh Brooks, John Campbell, Roston Chase, Rahkeem Cornwall, Miguel Cummins, Shane Dowrich, Chemar Holder, Shermon Lewis, Raymon Reifer, Jomel Warrican.

3rd TEST – Shamarh Brooks (captain), Sunil Ambris, Jermaine Blackwood, Miguel Cummins, A k i m F r a z e r, J a h m a r Hamilton, Montcin Hodge, Chemar Holder, Brandon King, Shermon Lewis, Raymon Reifer, Jeremy Solozano, Jomel Warrican.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 14, 2019

Champions Man City to kick off 2019-20 Ministry of Public Health joins ExxonMobil U-14 tournament Premier League season at West Ham

LONDON, England (Reuters) - Champions Manchester City will kick off their 2019-20 Premier League season with an away trip to West Ham United while Liverpool get the ball rolling with a Friday evening home clash against promoted Norwich City.

The fixtures, released at 08:00hrs GMT yesterday, also included a meaty first-weekend clash with Manchester United hosting Chelsea, who finished third last season.

Tottenham Hotspur, who completed the top-four last season, are at home to Aston Villa, who returned to the top flight via the playoffs after a three-season absence.

Arsenal travel to Newcastle United while Sheffield United, the other promoted club, start at Bournemouth.

Leicester City host Wolverhampton Wanderers, Burnley face Southampton, Crystal Palace host Everton and FA Cup runners-up Watford are at home to Brighton and Hove Albion.

The season starts on Friday, August 9.

The upcoming top flight season will be the first to include a brief mid-season break. A set of fixtures will be spread over a two-week period in February, meaning all clubs get a week off.

It will also feature the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system for the first time.

Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, who completed an unprecedented domestic

treble last season, have a relatively comfortable start to the new campaign, although they do face Tottenham, who knocked them out of last season’s Champions League in the quarter-finals, at home on the second weekend.

They then travel to Bournemouth, host Brighton, visit Norwich then take on Watford at the Etihad.

wait for the season’s first North London derby, with the sides meeting at the Emirates on August 31.

Other notable dates include Liverpool’s trip to Manchester United on October 19 and the Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium on December 7.

The season will end on May 17 when City host Norwich, Liverpool are at New-

Manchester City’s Vincent Kompany lifts the trophy as they celebrate winning the Premier League vs Brighton & Hove Albion at the American Express Community Stadium, Brighton, Britain - May 12, 2019 (REUTERS/Toby Melville)

Premier League runners-up and European champions Liverpool’s first six games feature a home match against Arsenal and an away trip to Chelsea.

The first game between last season’s title rivals takes place at Anfield on November 9.

Tottenham and Arsenal fans will not have long to

castle, Tottenham go to Crystal Palace and Chelsea host Wolverhampton Wanderers.

City are the bookmakers’ favourites to retain the title, followed by Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea.

Sheffield United, who have returned to the Premier League for the first time since 2007, are favourites for the drop.

Prince Harry, Joshua launch sports campaign to support disadvantaged young people THE Duke of Sussex has teamed up with boxing champs Anthony Joshua and Nicola Adams to launch a new initiative, which aims to support disadvantaged young people through sport.

Made by Sport, which brings together a coalition of charities, it aims to raise £40 million that will be used to provide a variety of sporting provisions in deprived areas of cities across the UK. Harry, 34, was reunited with former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua (AJ), 29, at the Black Prince Trust in Lambeth.

The pair first met two years ago when AJ offered to be Harry’s best man at his wedding to Meghan Markle, when the duke interviewed the boxer on Radio 4’s Today programme.

Harry stepped into the boxing gym at the event to

watch Anthony coach youngsters alongside flyweight fighter and double Olympic gold medallist Nicola Adams.

Funding for youth services has dropped by 40% over the last four years and young people from disadvantaged communities are half as likely to participate in sport as those from affluent backgrounds.

During his speech, the duke acknowledged how sport can positively impact people’s mental health and how it can change lives.

He said: “We have a responsibility in this campaign to ensure places that are being shut down are not being shut down and that people from all walks of society and every corner of this country are actually given the opportunity to shine, to flourish.”

“This is about community; this is about providing

opportunity to young people all over the place to actually be part of something, something they might not be getting at home, within their own community.”

Anthony said: “Sport to me is more than competing.

It is about the discipline and regiment it teaches you.

The lifestyle of an athlete can be taken into any walk of life. It’s about how you can improve yourself as an individual.”

Prince Harry revealed in an interview with The Daily Telegraph’s Bryony Gordon in 2017 that he took up boxing because “he was on the verge of punching someone,” during his battle with grief following his mother Princess Diana’s death.

He said: “Everyone was saying boxing is good for you and it’s a really good way of letting out aggression.” (Yahoo Sport UK)

THE Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has joined forces with the Petra Organisation for the 2019 edition of the ExxonMobil Schools U-14 football tournament.

The tournament will see the Boys’ aspect beginning tomorrow at the Ministry of Education ground Carifesta Avenue while the Girls’ tournament will commence next Saturday.

Speaking during a press briefing yesterday, Petra co-Director Troy Mendonca contended that the tournament is growing from strength to strength.

“What we are doing is producing potential leaders because football is a team sport and we are doing this from the U-14 age thanks to our partners”.

Mendonca contended that with partners like the MoPH, they can ensure that the sport is played at this integral age group.

MOPH has sponsored this year under its Chronic Diseases department and Director

Dr. Kavita Singh believes that programmes like this can help to fight off non-communicable diseases.

She said, “We are happy to be on board with this tournament because we know that physical activity like football and cricket can reduce the cases of several non-communicable diseases, (NCD).

She mentioned Hypertension and Diabetes as two examples of diseases that can be controlled using sports.

Meanwhile, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the MOPH, Glendon Fogenay, reinforced Dr. Singh’s point that Guyanese need to readopt the culture of being more physically active.

The 2019 edition of the tournament opens with a March Past tomorrow.

In Boys’ competition from 12:00hrs, Christ Church Secondary will face Lodge Secondary in the opening game, with Plaisance Orphanage going up against North Ruimveldt Multilateral on the

adjacent pitch.

St Mary and Annandale clash at 12:50hrs on pitch one while New Campbellville meet Ann’s Grove on pitch two.

Carmel Secondary will also be in action from 13:40hrs against Uitvlugt Secondary with pitch two featuring President’s College and Marian Academy.

Bishops’ High School will play Golden Grove on pitch one from 14:30hrs while Kingstown will lock horns with St John’s College on pitch two.

Tutorial play East Riumveldt and Queenstown Secondary take on St Stanislaus College on pitches one and two respectively from 15:20hrs.

The day’s proceedings will end when Dolphin and Tucville clash on pitch one at 16:10hrs and Brickdam Secondary challenge Charlestown Secondary on pitch two.

The tournament is also sponsored by Demerara Distillers Limited under the Pepsi brand.

Ibetsupreme commits to GMR&SC Drag Race Championship LOCAL betting company, Ibetsupreme, is the latest entity to join the sponsorship team for the hightly anticipated Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) Drag Race meet round two.

Billed for the South Dakota Drag Strip on June 23, the event promises to be a spectacle for both fans and racer.

Representative Dustani Barrow acknowledged this, saying that the company is more than happy to support the venture.

“We’ll (Ibetsupreme) see you at the drags,” he said when handing over the company’s contribution.

Meanwhile president Rameez Mohamed told the media that he is pleased to have a company like Ibetsupreme on board with the event.

“We cannot thank these guys enough for coming on board with this venture. We want them as a sport betting company to see the potential that motorsport has in their line of work.”

“They will be up there promoting their business with brand ambassadors next Sunday but I also want to show them areas where GMR&SC and the company can work in the future.”

Sponsors for the event include Platinum Car Show,

Beresford in for ...

edition of the CONCACAF Nations League, which kicks off in September.

Guyana will contest League B with their first match on September 6 against Aruba.

Meanwhile, Beresford, who is well known to the technical staff and was included in the 40man provisional squad, submitted to CONCACAF, was called up to the team and joined on the second stage of the camp which took place in Costa Rica.

Johnson pointed out; “Brandon is someone we know very well, particularly from early on in my tenure when he came and played very well against Barbados and he’s been in other camps as well.

So we know what he is capable of. So there was an obvious standout candidate when we

knew that Warren would be struggling to come back to the camp and it was Brandon.”

According to tournament rules, “injury-related changes will be allowed to the final 23-player rosters for the Group Stage until 24 hours before each team’s first match. Any injury replacements must come from the announced preliminary 40-player rosters and must be approved by CONCACAF.” On his call-up to the 23man squad, Beresford revealed; “It’s a surreal experience still, being involved with Guyana for the past nine years. It’s had its ups and downs and I’ve seen what it’s like from the youth level, U-20, U-23 and I’m glad to experience all of that.”

He noted that being at the point where the game’s at

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Tickets for adults cost $1 000 and children $500.

FROM BACK PAGE now in Guyana is a testament to what has been taking place over the past nine years - the evolution of the game - and he is very appreciative of playing whenever he gets the opportunity to do so.

“I’m so extremely blessed to be a part of this and have been able to be a part of it for the past nine years. It’s a blessing. It’s still pretty unbelievable and I will be giving 100% plus.”

Beresford is currently playing in the USL League 2 (USA 4th Division) competition with Peachtree City Moba.

The Golden Jaguars’ first training session in Minneapolis is scheduled for this afternoon after the team took a rest day yesterday following their arrival from Costa Rica Wednesday evening.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 14, 2019

Finch ‘best captain in this Shepherd grateful for another CPL opportunity tournament so far’ - Vaughan

By Rajiv Bisnauth

FORMER England skipper Michael Vaughan has praised the tactical acumen of Aaron Finch after the Australian captain was rewarded for some bold gambles late in his side’s tense win over Pakistan in Taunton.

Australia’s victory margin of 41 runs looked comfortable enough, but in reality, the match was firmly in the balance heading into the final six overs of Pakistan’s run chase.

With Pakistan needing 44 runs to win from 35 balls and three wickets in hand, Finch persisted with spearhead Mitchell Starc, who produced two pivotal breakthroughs in the 45th over to give Australia the upper hand.

The first of those was the dismissal of a rampant Wahab Riaz, who was given out caught behind after Finch reluctantly called for a review of the umpire’s not-out decision.

With just four frontline fast bowlers to choose from, along with off-spinning all-rounder Glenn Maxwell, Finch was even forced to bowl two overs of spin himself during the innings, a move that produced the key wicket of Mohammad Hafeez, just the fourth of his ODI career.

“I have to say Aaron Finch, so far in this tournament, for me he has been the best captain tactically,” Vaughan told the BBC. “I think he manoeuvred his team against the West

Indies well to win that game.

And just over the last hour (against Pakistan), when it started to get a little bit panicky for Australia, he manoeuvred his bowling attack knowing that he had to get these overs of spin (in).

develop. I thought he was outstanding as a captain.”

With six overs remaining, Finch was unable to call on Cummins – whose 10th over was the 40th of the innings – while Starc had just two of his allotted 10 remaining.

The Aussies, led by Aaron Finch, celebrate their victory against Pakistan (Getty Images)

“He left one (over of spin) late because he wanted to go for the glory with (Pat) Cummins and Starc, and it paid off.

That’s what you have to do as a captain.

“It was his instinct to go for that review. I don’t think he felt it was out, but right at the last minute he thought ‘you know what, we have to gamble, we have to try and get Wahab Riaz out’. He gambled on the review.

“He got a lot of things right in the field in terms of squeezing at the right time, putting the catches in at the right time and then spreading them out when a partnership started to

It meant the less experienced duo of Nathan CoulterNile and Kane Richardson would have had to bowl three vital overs late in the innings, with Maxwell or even Finch himself required to bowl one as well.

Finch’s tactical gambles were rewarded with a third win from four matches to leave the Australians in second spot on the table, with five more group matches to come before the semi-finals.

Both Vaughan and 1987 World Cup winning skipper Allan Border believe Finch’s side has been well below their best so far in the tournament,

but have scope to improve for the knockout stages.

“I can’t see how they won’t be in the semi-finals,” Vaughan said.

“The good thing for Australia is they’ve won three out of four and I don’t think they’ve clicked. And the other good thing is they’ve won two quite tight matches.

“Can they win the World Cup playing to the standard they played today? I don’t think so.

“But do they have enough in the locker to improve and win when it really matters?

Absolutely” Border echoed Va u g h a n ’s s e n t i m e n t s , while he also called for Steve Smith to be given a chance with the ball later in the tournament.

“Australia aren’t playing at their best, but they are winning matches,” Border told the ICC. “They hung in there, rode out some pressure and came out with the victory.

“The bottom line is there’s room for improvement from Justin Langer’s team, and that’s a good thing that will only worry every other side.

“Finch’s low full-toss did the job in the end (by dismissing Hafeez), but I think they should look at Steve Smith having a bowl, I really do. Leg-spin takes wickets and whether it’s Adam Zampa coming back in or Smith trying a bit of his spin, that should improve the attack dramatically.”

Absences a worry, but Mexico still among Gold Cup favourites

By Andrew Downie

(REUTERS) - With all their players fit and available Mexico would be firm favourites to win their 11th Gold Cup football title, but a long list of absentees means the talk going into the tournament is as much about who is missing as who is going.

Former Barcelona and Argentina coach Gerardo Martino took the helm in January and results have been encouraging, with his team beating Chile, Paraguay, Venezuela and Ecuador in his first four games in charge, scoring 13 goals in the process.

As one of the strongest sides in the region, and especially in an expanded 16-team tournament, Mexico always expect to at least make the final.

Being drawn in a relatively easy group alongside Canada, Cuba and Martinique, the last of whom are not even a member of FIFA, will give Martino’s inexperienced side

a chance to play their way into the tournament.

Yet much of the focus leading up to this Gold Cup has been on the players who will miss the tournament rather than those who could star.

Former Barcelona and Argentina coach Gerardo Martino

Defender Miguel Layun and speedy winger Hirving Lozano are both injured while defensive stalwart Hector Moreno is also likely to be absent after being taken off

injured in their 3-2 win over Ecuador.

Other players have voluntarily withdrawn from the squad.

Carlos Vela opted to snub the national side again, Javier Hernandez is taking time off for the birth of his child and midfielder Hector Herrera, who has played in summer tournaments every year since the 2012 Olympics, is opting to take a break.

That leaves Mexico short of experience, especially up front, and a heavy burden will fall on Raul Jimenez, who scored 17 goals for Wolverhampton Wanderers this season, in their impressive run to the FA Cup semi-final and a seventh-place English Premier League finish.

Roberto Alvarado of Cruz Azul and 20-year-old Rodolfo Pizarro of Monterrey may be given creative roles behind the forwards, and much will be expected of Jonathan dos Santos,

the LA Galaxy midfielder who has scored in two of Mexico’s last three games.

Behind them, the experience of keeper Guillermo Ochoa and Andres Guardado, who have more than 250 caps between them, will be vital as Martino manages the generational change.

Anything less than a march to the final will be considered a failure for a team of Mexico’s stature but if they can keep up the high-tempo performances shown in Martino’s first four games, then Mexico may not miss their more established players.

“Mexico naturally always have to be candidates to win the Gold Cup,” Martino said after their final warm-up game against Ecuador.

“The absences haven’t modified my thinking and we need to continue in our role as candidates or one of the candidates. And so we need to play like one of the candidates.”

THE Caribbean Premier League (CPL) provides youngsters with an opportunity to rub shoulders with the very best in the cricketing fraternity and draw from their vast pools of experience.

Romario Shepherd

Since its inception in 2013, it has given a lot of youngsters the opportunity to showcase their mettle in front of a global audience, and has allowed these cricketers to make the most of their acquired skills while securing the future of those who are not fortunate enough to make it to the top.

However, for budding right-arm seamer Romario Shepherd, the opportunity to play in the seventh edition of the CPL is another great stepping stone to his promising career.

Shepherd, one of five Berbicians and eight Guyanese, was selected for the home franchise, Guyana Amazon Warriors, for the second time.

The 34-match season starts later this year, with the opening match happening on September 4 and the final on October 12.

During an exclusive interview with Chronicle Sport, the strongly-built youngster noted that the CPL provides a great platform for cricketers, and he is grateful for another opportunity.

“It’s always a great feeling to play for your home franchise, and with Guyana being one of the most respected and well supported team, I’m happy to be a part of them,” the 24-year-old said.

Shepherd played three

matches in the latter part of the 2018 tournament, and while he admits that the opportunity was limited, it was an unnerving experience.

“Too many opportunities hadn’t come my way last season, but it was a great learning curve. Obviously, I am hoping for more opportunities this time around, so I can contribute more to the team and at the same time showcase my trade to the world,” he reckoned.

Having played 21 firstclass matches, Shepherd has already grabbed 67 wickets, including two five-wicket hauls. In his ‘List A’ career, he has taken 24 wickets in 18 matches. However, Shepherd is eager to make a big impact in his T20 career.

“Once I get the opportunity, I want to take wickets ... I want to feature more in this format, a format I truly love; But having said that my ultimate goal is to play international cricket (Test and One Day) for the West Indies,” he concluded.

Guyana Amazon Warriors, one of the most consistent franchises in the CPL, are yet to win a title, despite reaching the final on four occasions.

Meanwhile, Nicholas Pooran has been signed by Guyana Amazon Warriors as their marquee player.

The Trinidadian wicketkeeper/batsman played for the Barbados Tridents last year, but in a big move for him and the franchise, he will be playing for the Guyana-based team in 2019.

Pooran has played 11 T20 Internationals for the West Indies and has become a fixture in T20 tournaments around the world. He is also a member of the West Indies squad for the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup. This is the third CPL team that Pooran will represent, having started his career with the Trinbago Knight Riders before moving to the Barbados Tridents.

The full 17-member squad reads: Shadab Khan, Nicholas Pooran, Shoaib Malik, Shimron Hetmyer, Ben Lauglin, Chris Green, Keemo Paul, Sherfane Rutherford, Brandon King, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith, Keagan Simmons, Chanderpaul Hemraj, Veerasammy, Permaul, Anthony Bramble, Clinton Pestano, and Saurab Netravalkar.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 14, 2019

Regional U-19 cricket tournament shifted from Guyana MEMBERS of Cricket West Indies (CWI), have confirmed that this year’s Regional Under-19 cricket tournament has been moved from Guyana to St Vincent and the Grenadines due to the continued legal uncertainty with the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB).

The decision was made over the weekend when directors gathered for their quarterly series of meetings at the Sandals Grande Resort in Antigua.

At the two-day Directors’ Meeting, it was noted that this year’s tournament has greater significance as it is will be used to select the squad for the ICC U-19 World Cup to

be played in South Africa in January 2020.

This year’s tournament will only feature 50-over cricket and in addition to

Ricky Skerritt

WOMEN’S WORLD CUP

Australia recover to beat Brazil 3-2 despite Marta’s landmark goal MONTPELLIER, France (Reuters) - Australia came from two goals down to defeat Brazil 3-2 in the Women’s World Cup yesterday, as an own goal from Monica capped a superb fightback and overshadowed a milestone goal for Marta.

Marta, 33, became the first player to score at five different World Cups as she put Brazil ahead from the penalty spot with a record-extending 16th World Cup goal before Cristiane doubled the lead.

Australia’s Caitlin Foord reduced the arrears on the stroke of halftime before Chloe Logarzo equalised and Monica then headed past her own keeper, with the goal given after a VAR review, to hand Australia all three points.

Marta, 33, became the first player to score at five different World Cups

Brazil and Australia both have three points in Group C as do Italy, who take on Jamaica today after beating the Matildas in their opening match.

“Tonight is one of the finest Australian performances I’ve seen. The players deserve all the rewards they were given tonight. I’m really delighted for them,” said Australia coach Ante Milicic.

“They never stopped believing, and the coaching staff never stopped believing. We kept on believing in our style and in our football and it’s an Australian performance to be proud of.”

Marta opened the scoring after 27 minutes, converting from the spot after Leticia Santos was fouled by Elise Kellond-Knight.

Marta had already scored at the 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015 World Cups.

“It would feel much better with a win,” she said. “It’s one more detail written in the history of women’s football. I am honoured, but there’s more to do at this tournament.”

Cristiane netted her fourth goal at these finals with a 38th-minute header to double Brazil’s tally but Foord gave Australia hope with a close-range finish.

Marta, who missed the opening game against Jamaica through injury, was replaced for the second half as coach Vadao looked to rest her, but the decision backfired as Brazil lost control.

Logarzo equalised with a long-range shot in the 58th minute, eight minutes before Monica’s own goal was confirmed by VAR.

the six matches to be played, the top 24 “future stars” will play an additional three 50-over games, ‘The Best vs The Best’, which will assist the selectors in naming the World Cup squad.

Directors had approved the previously agreed hosting

by Guyana, to 2020.

A High Court ruling recently had indicated that the executives of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) are illegal and cannot hold themselves out to be office-bearers or to do anything as it relates to the operations of the GCB because their last elections were unlawful, illegal, null, void and to no legal effect.

The matter was brought

before High Court Judge, Justice Fidela Corbin, by Attorney Arudranauth Gossai on behalf of Secretary of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB), Rabindranauth Saywack, who claimed that the GCB was operating in contravention of the Guyana Cricket Administration Act established in 2014.

He also challenged the appointment of Stephen Lewis as Cricket Ombudsman, to which the High Court also ruled that the appointment was also declared unlawful, null, void and to no legal effect.

The GCB has not had a proper constituted or what many observers have la-

belled “free and fair” elections for the past ten years.

Staging of the GCB elections was faced with a major setback with the resignation of Guyana’s first-ever Cricket Ombudsman, Dr Winston McGowan.

Dr McGowan was appointed in 2005 by then Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr Frank Anthony, and his appointment was subsequently approved by the-then Cabinet.

He was previously charged with overseeing the elections of the various county boards and the GCB, in accordance with the Cricket Administration Act which was successfully passed in

the National Assembly by the previous government in May 2014, and assented to by then President Donald Ramotar in August of that year.

The GCB has not held elections since 2009 owing to the numerous court injunctions.

To this end, the board during the meeting also received an update on the status of various legal matters concerning the GCB during a two-day visit here in May by president of Cricket West Indies (CWI) Ricky Skerritt and Chief Executive Officer Jonny Grave.

The duo met with various cricket stakeholders and Government officials.

Kohli focuses on ‘marquee’ Pakistan match after washout INDIA captain Virat Kohli’s focus turned to Pakistan immediately after his side’s match against New Zealand was abandoned without a ball being bowled yesterday.

India face Pakistan at Old Trafford on Sunday in a match which is likely to draw a global television audience of one billion.

“It’s an opportunity to create excitement,” said Kohli, 30.

“It’s a marquee event all over the world.”

The two countries rarely play outside of major tournaments, with India winning their last two meetings in the Asia Cup in 2018, while Pakistan beat their arch-rivals in the final of the Champions Trophy in England in 2017.

India have started well in the World Cup, winning their opening two matches against South Africa and Australia, before their match against New Zealand at Trent Bridge was abandoned.

Pakistan, in contrast, have struggled - beating hosts England but losing to Australia and West Indies.

set and skill.

“It’s also about going out and having game time. We are quite ready to take that game

India’s next game is against Pakistan at Old Trafford on Sunday

“We’re playing some good cricket so we’re not too worried about where we stand,” said Kohli. “Having two wins gives you that extra confidence.

“We will have a couple of practice sessions so we know where we are in terms of mind-

on.”

On coping with the pressure of such a big game, he added: “As soon you as enter the field it’s calm and relaxed.

“The frenzy around it is a bit intimidating for the guys doing it for the first time but

for us it’s about being professional as always, do the basics right and look to get a result your way.”

Yesterday’s abandonment was the fourth in the 2019 World Cup, with the previous highest number of washed out matches in a World Cup being two, in 1992 and 2003.

“Obviously you turn up hoping to compete for two points but we’ve been here for four days and not seen any sun so it’s no surprise,” reflected New Zealand captain Kane Williamson.

“We have a break now, which is interesting at this point in the tournament but it’s a good chance for guys to freshen up and look forward to our next challenge.

“This is a good opportunity for us to get away, refresh and have a couple of training sessions before that challenge against South Africa (June 19).”

(BBC Sport)

Three Guyanese players named in Windies-A One-Day squad to face India-A THE interim selection panel of Cricket West Indies (CWI) has named West Indies-A One-Day and (Four-Day) ‘Test’ squads for the India-A Tour of the West Indies, starting next month.

Three Guyanese players have been named in the Windies-A One-Day squad. They are Keemo Paul, Sherfane Rutherford and pacer Romario Shepherd.

The A-squads comprise a combination of players with international match experience - headed by the likes of Kraigg Brathwaite and Roston Chase - excellent performances in regional competitions over the last few years – and led by the irrepressible Leeward Islands Hurricanes spin-bowling all-rounder Rahkeem Cornwall.

The squads were chosen by the interim selection panel, chaired by Robert Haynes with the assistance of former West Indies opener Stuart Williams and former Barbados Pride chairman of selectors Hendy Wallace. Additional input was provided by interim West Indies head coach Floyd Reifer and captain Jason Holder.

With the series acting as a trial for a number of hopefuls for both teams and overlapping with the series duel between the senior teams of the two sides, West Indies-A will make five changes to the squad for the final ‘Test’.

Nine of the 15 players in the One-Day squad have played One-Day Internationals for the senior West Indies

team, 10 of the players in the squad for the first and second ‘Tests’ have played full international Tests for the senior side and six Test players will appear in the third match.

The selection panel has named Chase as captain to lead the One-Day side in the series of five One-Day matches, all set to be played in Antigua at the Coolidge and Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Grounds.

The captaincy of the ‘Test’ squad will be split between Test opener Brathwaite for the first two of the three ‘Tests’ and fellow Barbados Pride batsman Shamarh Brooks for the last match of the series, which will be played at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad.

Brathwaite, fellow opener John Campbell, Chase, Cornwall and wicketkeeper/batsman Shane Dowrich will leave to join the senior team’s preparation camp for the two-Test series between West Indies and India which starts on August 22 in Antigua.

On the appointment of Chase as One-Day captain, Haynes said: “The discussion was based on our desire to expose leadership in order to be able to have a wider pool of players with such experience. In our estimation, Roston is the right person to lead the team during this series as one of the players with significant international experience and we believe that the TURN TO PAGE 27

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 14, 2019

Windies backing pace attack for England clash today SOUTHAMPTON, England (CMC) – Underdogs West Indies will hope persistent rain stays away as they renew their mouth-watering rivalry with tournament favourites England here today, in a clash expected to be headlined by a battle of the quicks.

Three of the last four matches in the World Cup have been abandoned as no results due to rain – two without a ball bowled – and with showers all day here yesterday and more forecast for today, there are fears the weather could also mar the contest at the Rose Bowl.

Dealt a blow when the elements allowed only 45 balls in their fixture against South Africa on Monday here, West Indies are hoping for a full game in order to put their World Cup campaign back on track after their defeat to Australia also helped to derail the promising start.

“I think we want to cover

all three departments in terms of batting, bowling and fielding,” captain Jason Holder told media here yesterday.

“We have gone really well with the ball so far, in taking new-ball wickets and bowling two teams out in the games we have played.

“I think in terms of our fielding, we could definitely touch up there, but I think generally over the last couple of months, if you look at our fielding overall, we have improved a lot in this World Cup so far.”

He added: “And as a batting unit, we just had a plan against Australia so if we get ourselves back into that situation, we just need to take a little bit more responsibility and take the game home.”

West Indies were left with only themselves to blame after they botched what should have been a simple run chase after limiting Australia to 288, in their second game.

They were 190 for four

in the 35th over but then suffered a middle and lower order collapse, to lose by 15 runs at Trent Bridge.

Holder said the Caribbean side’s batting was one of several improvements made in recent months which needed to be sustained in the ongoing tournament.

“I think there’s always room for improvement. As I said before, we can always take responsibility as batters to see games through, bat very deep,” Holder pointed out.

“As I said before, we’ve always asked the top four batsmen to go down to the 45th over and give ourselves a chance and other guys to support them.

“And having said that, I think we have done a lot of great things over the last couple of weeks as well. Our bowling has been really good.

You have seen young Oshane Thomas come alight, Sheldon (Cottrell), and practically all our bowlers have been putting

up their hands and doing a fantastic job.”

He continued: “It is just for them to continue that, stay fit and healthy, and then for our batters to keep going. I just think it’s the situation over a long period of time with this tournament. You have to keep your form going and you have to keep hungry for success and keep churning out runs.

That is all I can ask for.”

The contest brings together some of the fastest bowlers on show at the World Cup. Jofra Archer, ironically born and raised in Barbados, will spearhead England’s attack alongside Mark Wood – both capable of consistently touching speeds of 95 miles per hour.

Rookie Thomas, meanwhile, along with Cottrell and Andre Russell have all also put their pace on show, roughing up opposing batsmen in hostile spells, to lead West Indies’ attack.

That same aggression saw

West Indies captain Jason Holder laughs during Friday’s post-match media conference (Photo courtesy CWI Media)

the Windies draw 2-2 in a tantalising five-match series in the Caribbean this year and Holder said his side intended to bring the same attacking approach today.

“I think the brand of cricket we have been playing so far in this World Cup, you know what to expect of West Indies now,” he stressed.

“For us, we are not going to back down from the challenge. Most of our guys are always up for the challenge and it is just a matter for us to be smart. And I don’t think there is anything else to be said, just be smart and play the brand of cricket we want to play.”

He continued: “We’ve been getting wickets. I think previously we haven’t been

getting wickets in the middle.

We have always got wickets with the new ball but previously we haven’t been able to get wickets in the middle overs.

“And it’s been a talking point over the last couple of months in one-day cricket and now in this tournament we have been able to get wickets in the middle overs which definitely broke the back of most teams.

“I think if we continue in that vein, we will be a force to be reckoned with but we have to take it game by game. This game against England, as I said before, is a very, very important game and we have just got to dot all of our i’s and cross our t’s.”

Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ football

Eight elimination matches to kick off Bartica Championship EIGHT elimination matches will highlight the opening night of action in the Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ Bartica Championship today at the Bartica Community Centre tarmac.

Bartica will be a hive of activity, as pulsating matches will kick-start what is expected to be an enthralling competition.

According to coordinator Alden Marslowe, high-quality action was witnessed in the playoff round on Wednesday which indicated that the respective teams are well prepared and raring to go in anticipation of securing the coveted title.

The opening matchup will pit Mighty Ruler against Itaballi from 19:00hrs, with Falmouth opposing Prison Officers in the second fixture at 19:30hrs.

In the third clash, Potaro Strikers battle derby rival, Potaro United, from 20:00hrs, while defending champions Disconnection Crew lock horns with Walking Boyz at 20:30hrs.

The fifth contest at 21:00hrs will pit Almanac Kings against Beacons, while

Goal-Raiders take aim at Ballers from 21:30hrs.

In the final two matches, Jones Avenue will tackle Police from 22:00hrs and former champions Rivers View will match skills with Man City at 22:30hrs.

The aforementioned matches were scheduled following the conclusion of the playoff round on Wednesday night at the same venue.

The respective winners

will advance to the group round on June 15, which will feature two groups of four teams.

The top two teams from each zone will then progress to the semi-final round on June 16. This will be followed by the third-place playoff and grand finale.

Meanwhile, the four teams who fail to advance from the group stage will contest the Guinness Plate Championship.

This will also be staged on the final night before the third place matchup.

Winner of the zone will collect $400 000 and the respective trophy. They will also earn an automatic place in the National Championship, which is pegged to start in August.

Meanwhile, the losing finalists will receive $150 000 and a trophy. On the other hand, the third- and fourth-

place finishers will pocket $100 000 and $75 000 respectively and the corresponding accolades.

The victors of the Guinness Plate Championship will receive $60 000. The other major sponsor of the event is Colours Boutique.

Among the dignitaries expected to be in attendance at the matches are Guinness Brand Executive Lee Baptiste and Banks DIH Outdoor Events Manager and former National player Mortimer Stewart.

DAY-1 FIXTURES: Mighty Ruler vs Itaballi 19:00hrs Falmouth vs Prison Officers - 19:30hrs Potaro Strikers vs Potaro United - 20:00hrs Disconnection Crew vs Walking Boyz - 20:30hrs Almanac Kings vs Beacon - 21:00hrs Goal Raiders vs Ballers 21:30hrs Jones Avenue vs Police 22:00hrs Rivers View vs Man City - 22:30hrs

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Friday June 14, 2019)

COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL- Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD- 83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) (1) (2) (1) (2)

Flashback: Action from last year’s edition in the Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ Bartica Championship at the Community Centre tarmac

ANSWERS TO YESTERDAY’S QUIZ: ENG & NZ Viv Richards 181 & Des Haynes 105 (WI vs SL, Karachi, 1987) TODAY’S QUIZ: Who is the first Indian player to hit a century in a World Cup game?

Which three teams played in the 2011 World Cup but not in the 2015 edition?

ANSWERS IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE

T

Beresford in for injured Creavalle as Golden Jags arrive in the USA WARREN Creavalle, an essential member of the Golden Jaguars, usually tasked with midfield responsibility, has been officially ruled out of Guyana’s historic Gold Cup encounter. He sustained an injury while training during their first stage of the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup Camp in Bermuda.

The Philadelphia Union midfielder was excited to play his part in this history-making journey for Guyana who have qualified for the first time ever.

But unfortunately he broke a bone in his foot during training and has since been replaced by fellow midfielder Brandon Beresford, who joined the team for the second leg of the camp, which took place in Costa Rica.

Guyana’s head coach Michael Johnson said that the entire team is gutted with Creavalle’s injury, as he is a key part of the team. He recalled the role Creavalle played in Guyana’s 2-1 win against Belize to qualify for

Warren Creavalle pictured with teammates, from left: Neil Danns, Matthew Briggs and Sam Cox

Three Guyanese Ibetsupreme commits to GMR&SC Drag named in Race Championship Windies-A One-Day squad to face India-A 28

the Gold Cup. “When he came on we got back the control of the game.

He is a clever player and uses the ball very, very well; puts his body into some terrific positions. We’ll miss that sort of experience with somebody who understands the MLS, playing in America as well, and going up against the Americans could have given us so much insight.

So it’s a big, big loss for us and him, because these tournaments do not come around very often for Guyana.”

Johnson noted; “Our thoughts and prayers are with him. The most important thing is that he recovers well enough and maintains his club career with the Philadelphia union.”

While he’ll miss the Gold Cup, a medical assessment has indicated that Creavalle would need between four to six weeks to recover properly so he should be ready for the 2019/2020 TURN TO PAGE 28

Ministry of Public Health joins ExxonMobil U-14 tournament Page

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Sherfane Rutherford

Keemo Paul

Ibetsupreme‘s Dustani Barrow hands over his company’s sponsorship to GMR&SC office executive, Cheryl Gonsalves

From left, Petra’s Mark Alleyne and Deputy Permanent Secretary of MoPH, Glendon Fogenay, look on as Dr Kavita Singh of the Chronic Diseases department makes a point. At extreme right is Petra’s Troy Mendonca (Adrian Narine photo)

Windies backing pace attack for England clash today

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Windies captain Jason Holder FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 2019