Guyana_Chronicle_Epaper_03_07_2022

MONDAY 7th March, 2022

No.106655

More jobs as Enmore Packaging Plant moves to Albion

Competitiveness of sugar industry to be enhanced

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President Dr Irfaan Ali

–– Guatemala to support development of palm oil & coffee industries 02

‘Our women must be trained, Two women mentored & educated’ 12 ‘busted’ with PAGE

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cocaine 09 ‘laced’ in mats PAGE

Akata Makeba

First Lady, Mrs Arya Ali (centre), along with British High Commissioner, Jane Miller; China’s Ambassador, Guo Haiyan; United States (US) Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch and Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues, leading the International Women’s Day march on Sunday (Elvin Croker photo)

Malika Scott

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 7, 2022

Competitiveness of sugar industry to be enhanced –– Guatemala to support development of palm oil & coffee industries –– bilateral visit from Guatemala soon

By Tamica Garnett GUYANA is in the process of finalising a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Guatemala, and setting the agenda for a bilateral visit, which will see Guatemala assisting this country with its current revitalisation of the sugar industry, as well as looking at collaborating in the area of palm oil a high value commodity - and coffee production.

This was announced by the President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, on Sunday, during a press conference held at State House where the President noted that there is only a broad overview of the agreement thus far with the specifics expected to be worked out over the next two weeks. “[We will] focus immediately on palm oil and sugar to work out technical investment and management structure required, most important-

ly the twinning of best practices. We are also looking at coffee…within two weeks to have full refinement of the MoU,” President Ali said as he responded to questions from the press on the arrangement between the two countries.

The plans for the MoU are among several developments that came out of the recently held Fourth CARICOM SICA Summit which was held in Belize. During the summit, President Ali held bilateral meetings and began discussions with Guatemala’s President, Alejandro Giammattei Falla.

The two Presidents agreed on the importance of a strong partnership in agriculture, and shared the aspirations of both countries to develop broad and effective cooperation for mutual benefit, including in the areas of security, climate change, agriculture, and food security.

With an import value in the Caribbean region of US$143 million, palm oil has been identified as one among a number of high value commodities with potential for development in Caribbean countries and President Ali highlighted Guyana’s potential to tap into that industry.

The agreement will also hold a lot of potential for the development of Guyana’s sugar industry, given the fact that Guatemala is currently the fourth largest exporter of sugar worldwide, and the second largest exporter in Latin America.

And so, this relationship will mean a lot for the development of Guyana’s sugar industry, which the government has been working assiduously over the past two years to revive, given its economic and social benefits.

The President pointed out that Guatemala’s sugar industry generates over US$1 billion in export earnings, along with creating 80, 000 direct jobs and another 410,000 indirect jobs. He also noted that agriculture overall contributes 23 per cent of Guatemala’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), 75 per cent of its export earnings and 50 per cent of the country’s local labour force.

“Why am I giving these statistics from Guatemala? It is for us to have an understanding.

Understand the potential power house that we can collaborate and cooperate with in terms of food security with the sugar industry,” President Ali noted.

He added that: “Not only technical support, [but] twinning of opportunities. You look at best practices and twin it. The end result is sustainable

President, Dr Irfaan Ali (left) and President of Guatemala, Alejandro Giammattei Falla met during the recent CARICOM meeting in Belize (Office of the President photo) job creation, economic expansion and viability of the industry that is the main output that we are looking at.”

The President also noted that Guatemala is 108, 000 sq kilometres, and has 11 sugar mills along with a cultivation area of 251, 000 hectares which yields some 10.7 metric tonnes per hectare, while Guyana is 215,000 sq km with 49, 000 hectares for sugar and a current yield of about four to five tonnes per hectare.

Meanwhile, the President highlighted that collaborations between the Caribbean region and Central American can play a major role in advancing the CARICOM’s target of growing more of its own foods, and reducing the region’s agriculture import bill by 25 per cent by 2025 (25 by 25).

“We have not been looking at Central America and the opportunities they present for us.

During the summit, I [held] discussions with Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica. If you look at Central America as a whole, agriculture contributes half of the total regional exports,” he said.

The President named sugar, coffee, pineapple, banana as just a few of the key crops exported by Central America.

He noted that, in many of the Central American countries, agriculture makes up a significant portion of the GDP and employment.

“This is the value and power of agriculture and food production in these countries,” President Ali noted.

The Fourth CARICOM SICA Summit fol-

lowed just days after the Thirty-Third Inter-Sessional Meeting of Heads of Government of the CARICOM, where regional food security was one of the main areas that was high on the agenda of discussions.

During the Inter-sessional meeting, President Dr. Irfaan Ali, who holds the responsibility for Agriculture, Agricultural Diversification and Food Security in CARICOM, outlined the action-oriented and solution-based proposal, aimed at reducing the region’s food import bill by 25 per cent by 2025.

President Dr. Irfaan Ali has received praise from the various CARICOM heads of State for his efforts and plans to transform agriculture in the region.

More jobs as Enmore packaging plant moves to Albion GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 7, 2022

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– President Ali says gov’t not ‘selling out’ assets

By Tamica Garnett

MORE jobs and greater economic development will now be possible through consolidation of the Enmore Packaging Plant on the East Coast of Demerara, with the Albion packaging facility in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

This is according to President Dr Irfaan Ali, who during a press conference at State House on Sunday morning addressed concerns about the leasing of the Enmore Packaging Plant and an accompanying 55 acres of land to Guysons K+B Industries (GKB).

Guysons K+B Industries (GKB) is set to carry out a US$35 million development project that will see the creation of a modern oilfield service centre and manufacturing facility which is slated to create 500 jobs over the next five years.

This investment will simply be consolidated with the one at Albion, which will create even more jobs in that area and on the East Coast of Demerara.

“The Enmore Packaging Plant is not closed, not sold, it is being used to create jobs and expand opportunities for the East Coast corridor.

“No jobs will be lost, that is a fanciful argument. The packaging plant is not closed; the packaging plant is moving to Albion, which will create new jobs. Two extra lines will be placed there now, [we’re] consolidating investment,” the Head of State emphasised.

He added: “It is winning on both sides of the coin; sustaining and creating new jobs on the East Coast corridor, [while] creating new jobs in Regions Five and Six by taking the packaging lines there. We are consoli-

President Dr Irfaan Ali during Sunday’s press conference (Elvin Croker photo) dating our assets to have efficiency and competitiveness.”

Though 500 jobs will be created over the next five years, Guysons K+B Industries (GKB) has committed to immediately employing 150 persons this year, with an initial

investment of US$7.5 million for the creation of a processing facility.

The new venture will retain all of the employees already at the Enmore facility, alleviating initial concerns about what would have happened to them. The company has

already started the process of capacity building for its local workforce, including training of staff at facilities in the USA and Trinidad and Tobago.

“We are not selling out any assets, we are capitalising the assets.

If I was [sic] running a private corporation, the Board of Directors would have given us an incentive, creating more jobs, more revenue stream[s],” the President said.

Dr Ali stressed that the leasing of the Enmore facility to create more job is in no way indicative that the government does not believe in the potential of the development of the sugar industry.

He reiterated his government’s commitment to restoring the industry, noting that the country is days away from signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Guatemala for assistance with revitalisation of the sugar industry.

“We believe if you examine the social, economic and financial aspects in totality, sugar plays a vital role. That is why Guatemala is coming in to help us. Sugar is viable,” the President said.

But even as the government looks at revamping the sugar industry, President Ali noted that focus must be placed on the wider picture of the holistic development of the country, and that, he said, requires the maximisation of resources.

“The plan is about expanding and sustaining jobs and creating sustainability for the industry.

“I’m not living a fanciful dream. I am here elected as President to deliver on what we promise and, believe you me, no stumbling block will deny the people of this country what we have committed to.

“I cannot be clearer on this issue. This is the society we live in.”

Teen’s condition worsens after medical procedure delays transplant surgery IF someone had told Ulex Semple that her jolly 16-year-old daughter, Adaicia Semple, would today be curled up in pain battling with a terminal illness, she would not have believed them.

However, this is the reality for this mother as her daughter’s condition has worsened since her lupus diagnosis in 2020 and kidney failure diagnosis in 2021.

Lupus is a disease that occurs when your body’s immune system attacks your own tissues and organs (autoimmune disease). Inflammation caused by lupus can affect many different body systems, including your joints, skin, kidneys and other vital organs.

The teen was set to have a kidney transplant in January of this year; however, this has since been delayed and has seen the teen’s condition worsening.

Ulex, during an interview with the Guyana Chronicle on Sunday, said that funds were raised through fund-raisers and from generous donors to offset the cost of a cross-match test with a donor so the teen can go forward with the transplant surgery. The teen’s father will be donating one of his kidneys.

Adaicia had gotten a blood transfusion a few months back and according to the worried mother, the surgery has been delayed since the cross-matching test is required to ensure the teen’s blood is fully compatible with the donor’s. Unfortunately, the blood transfusion that was recently done can alter the results.

Adaicia, who was a star athlete and a bright student with big plans in mind, is now unable to do much as her illness is now attacking her bones.

“She’s not doing well at all; her condition is

worse, she can barely do anything on her own,” the teen’s mother said adding: “She’s on dialysis and it’s hard to get transportation. Everywhere she has to go we have to catch taxi. She can’t walk too far; she can barely sit. I had to buy a cushion for her to sit when she has to go for dialysis.”

Ulex said that it pains her greatly to see her daughter suffering from such agonizing pain. However, she is remaining optimistic as the teen is scheduled to meet with her doctors in the coming days.

The woman noted that she has been praying and will continue to pray and is anticipating some good news as to how soon the teen will be able to get the transplant and other treatments for her lupus.

The woman described her daughter as a humble and bright child, who always completes a task given to her.

Adaicia and her mother, Ulex Semple

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 7, 2022

Search for missing fishermen –– Minister will not be called off now Indar THE search for three fishermen who went missing over two weeks ago will continue as there are no plans for it to be called off at the moment.

This is according to Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, who told the Guyana Chronicle on Sunday that there are no discussions underway to halt the search. He indicated that the families of the men are all distraught and want answers and as such, the search will continue.

“We’re not even discussing that right now, what we are doing is making sure that we continue to search,” Minister Indar said.

The three men, Harold Anthony Damon, 45; Ronald Burton, 78 and Winston Sam 46 are missing and presumed dead after the vessel that they were in reportedly capsized on February 19, 2022, some 26 miles from the Mahaica River.

When contacted on Sunday, Captain John Flores, Director of the Maritime

Administration Department (MARAD), told this newspaper that they encountered issues with the computer system on the main vessel which is leading the search.

This led to a pause in search operations.

But giving more details on this issue was Minister Indar, who explained that the issue is really with the scanning system on the MARAD vessel.

“The sonar that we are using got wet and it caused us not to go out yesterday [Saturday], so we’re trying to get it repaired so we can resume [the search],” Minister Indar said.

The sonar system on vessels is a technique for detecting and determining the distance and direction of objects underwater through the use of soundwaves. Minister Indar stated that the vessel was offshore when that happened.

The fishermen were on board the Noble House Seafoods vessel when the incident occurred.

According to information provided by Vincent Dazzell – the only fisherman who survived the ordeal and was rescued by a passing vessel -- the seabob trawler capsized and sank some 26 miles from the Mahaica River. He said his colleagues may be trapped underneath the overturned vessel.

Dazzell had told relatives of the missing men and the police that he and his colleagues had noticed that the vessel was taking in water in the engine room and elsewhere, but there was nothing they could do to stop the leaks at the time.

He said the captain had

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tried to make contact with ‘Noble House’ to relate what had happened, but the radio transmission became distorted. Dazzell said the captain was searching for his cellphone when the vessel capsized, causing everyone to leap overboard.

Dazzell further related that the captain and others began shouting and it was a nearby fishing vessel that heard their calls and rushed to help. However, he was the only one who was found.

In a statement released days after the incident, ‘Noble House’ said it was deeply saddened by the incident involving the fourman crew and motor vessel WorldFriends 307, and that it is concerned about the disappearance of the three crew members.

Meanwhile, Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn recently told the media that contrary to reports, ‘Noble House’ had not informed the relevant authorities that the vessel was in distress.

He said that the first report was made 24 hours after the vessel had sunk.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 7, 2022

Fighting traps residents in Mariupol; Putin calls on Ukraine to surrender UKRAINE (Reuters) Fighting stopped about 200,000 people from evacuating the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol for a second day in a row on Sunday, as Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to press ahead with his invasion unless Kyiv surrendered.

Most people trapped in the port city are sleeping underground to escape more than six days of near-constant shelling by encircling Russian forces that has cut off food, water, power and heating supplies, according to the Ukrainian authorities.

In a phone call with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Putin told Erdogan he was ready for dialogue to end the fighting but that any attempt to draw out talks would fail, according to the Kremlin.

The suspension of what Moscow describes as a special operation “is only possible if Kyiv stops military operations and carries out wellknown Russian demands,” the Kremlin said in a readout of the call.

The civilian death toll from hostilities across Ukraine since Moscow launched its invasion on Feb. 24 stood at 364, including more than 20 children, the United Nations said on Sunday, adding hundreds more were injured.

The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said most civilian casualties were caused by the use of “explosive weapons with a wide impact area, including shelling from heavy artillery and multi-launch rocket systems, and missile and air strikes.”

Russia has launched about 600 missiles so far, according to a senior U.S. defense official.

The general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said late on Sunday that the Russians were “beginning to accumulate resources for the storming of Kyiv”. Moscow has repeatedly denied attacking civilian areas.

In Irpin, a town some 25 km (16 miles) northwest of the capital Kyiv, men, women and children trying to escape heavy fighting in the area were forced to take cover when missiles struck nearby, according to Reuters witnesses.

Soldiers and fellow residents helped the elderly hurry to a bus filled with frightened people, some cowering as they waited to be driven to safety.

The invasion has drawn almost universal condemnation around the world, sent more than 1.5 million Ukrainians fleeing from the country, and triggered sweeping Western sanctions against Russia aimed at crippling its economy. The Biden administration said on Sunday it was exploring banning Russian oil imports.

“War is madness, please stop,” Pope Francis said in his weekly address to crowds in St Peter’s Square, adding that “rivers of blood and tears” were flowing in Ukraine’s war. read more Russian media said Putin also spoke by phone for almost two hours with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Macron told Putin he was concerned about a possible amphibious attack on Ukraine’s historic port city of Odessa, Macron’s office said.

The United States does not believe such an attack is imminent, the senior U.S. defense official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

‘NO TO WAR’ Anti-war protests took place around the world including in Russia itself, where police detained more than 4,600 people, an independent protest monitoring group said.

The interior ministry said 3,500 demonstrators had been held, included 1,700 people in Moscow and 750 in St Petersburg. read more Thousands of protesters chanted “No to war!” and “Shame on you!”, according to videos posted on social media by opposition activists and bloggers. Reuters was unable to independently verify the footage and photographs.

Demonstrations also took place in Western capitals as well as in India and Kazakhstan, after jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny called for worldwide protests against the war.

In the besieged city of Mariupol, authorities had said on Sunday they would make a second attempt to

An elderly woman is helped while crossing a destroyed bridge as she tries to leave the city of Irpin, in the Kyiv region, Ukraine evacuate some of the 400,000 residents. But the ceasefire plan collapsed, as it had on Saturday, with each side blaming the other.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said the failed attempt to evacuate 200,000 people had underscored “the absence of a detailed and functioning agreement between the parties to the conflict.” “They’re destroying us,” Mariupol mayor Vadym Boychenko told Reuters in a video call, describing the city’s plight before the latest evacuation effort failed. “They will not even give us an opportunity to count the wounded and the killed because the shelling does not stop.”

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States has seen credible reports of deliberate attacks on civilians in Ukraine, adding that Washington was documenting them to support a potential war crimes investigation. read more Moscow says it has no plans to occupy Ukraine. A huge Russian convoy north of Kyiv appears to have made limited progress in recent days, although Russia’s defence ministry released footage on Sunday showing some tracked military vehicles on the move.

The U.S. defense official estimated that Russia has deployed about 95% of the

combat forces it had staged outside Ukraine.

In the capital, Ukrainian soldiers bolstered defences by digging trenches, blocking roads and liaising with civil defence units as Russian forces bombarded areas nearby.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russian rockets had destroyed the civilian airport of the central-western region capital of Vinnytsia. Troops who committed atrocities against civilians would ultimately face punishment, he said.

“For you there will be no peaceful place on this earth, except for the grave,” he said in a televised evening address.

Russian forces opened fire at a protest against their occupation of the southern Ukrainian city of Nova Kakhovka on Sunday, wounding five people, Ukrainian news agency Interfax Ukraine said, citing eyewitnesses. read more PLEA FOR MORE WEAPONS Kyiv renewed its appeal to the West to toughen sanctions and also requested more weapons, including Russian-made planes.

Speaking on a trip to neighbouring Moldova, Blinken said Washington was considering how it could

backfill aircraft for Poland if Warsaw decided to supply its warplanes to Ukraine.

Putin says he wants a “demilitarised”, “denazified” and neutral Ukraine, and on Saturday likened Western sanctions “to a declaration of war”.

The West, which calls Putin’s reasons for invading baseless, has expanded efforts to rearm Ukraine, sending in items from Stinger missiles to anti-tank weapons. But Washington and its NATO allies have resisted Ukraine’s plea for a no-fly zone, saying it would escalate the conflict beyond Ukraine’s borders.

Ukrainians continued to pour into Poland, Romania, Slovakia and elsewhere. The United Nations said over 1.5 million had fled in Europe’s fastest growing refugee crisis since World War Two. Western sanctions have pushed many companies to exit investments in Russia, while some Russian banks have been shut out of a global financial payment systems, driving down the rouble and forcing Moscow to jack up interest rates.

On Sunday, more companies announced their departure from Russia: American Express Co (AXP.N), Netflix Inc. and video sharing app TikTok. Speaking on NBC’s “Meet the Press” show, Blinken said the United States and European partners are exploring banning Russian oil imports. The West has so far refrained from direct measures on Russian energy exports after oil soared to multi-year highs.

Ukraine’s military said more than 11,000 Russian troops had been killed so far and 88 Russian aircraft shot down since the start of the invasion. Reuters could not corroborate the claim. Russia has not given regular updates on its death toll.

Tass news agency cited Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov as saying virtually the entire Ukrainian air force had been destroyed.

In the last 36 hours alone, he said, Ukraine had lost 11 combat aircraft and two helicopters. Reuters had no way of corroborating the claim.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 7, 2022

Remembering Cheddi Jagan

MARCH 6 marks 25 years since the passing of former President and Founder-Leader of the People’s Progressive Party, Dr Cheddi Jagan.

He died at the Walter Reed Medical Centre in Washington DC on the morning of March 6, 1997, three weeks after he suffered a heart attack. It was one of the darkest moments in the life of the Guyanese nation as tens of thousands of Guyanese from all walks of life paid homage to the passing of someone who is widely regarded as the ‘Father of the Nation’; someone who dedicated his entire life to the cause of the Guyanese people, especially the poor and the marginalised.

The true test of character and respect is seen at the time of death of an individual. Never before in the history of Guyana was there such a mass outpouring of sympathy, not only from among the Guyanese people, but also from the international community. Even some of those who might not have seen eye to eye with him on his political ideology and his world view could not help but shower praise on him for his passion and dedication towards a more humane society and a socially just society. At Babu John, Port Mourant,where his physical remains were cremated, there was what one reporter described as a ‘tsunami of humanity’ never seen before in the country.

Cheddi Jagan was a dominant po-

litical figure not only in Guyana, but in the CARICOM Region as well.

Former CARICOM Secretary-General Dr Edwin Carrington, in paying tribute on his passing, described Dr Jagan as “a visionary whose work and struggle for the Region’s social and economic development will live on. There was no problem too large for him to tackle, and no issue too small for him to pay attention to....We have lost one of our most determined fighters for Caribbean development -- a man who was not afraid to come to grips with the peculiar problems of the Region and approaches which respond to these peculiarities. We may well find that in death he would achieve what he may not have achieved in life -that is, in reflection, the proposals which he have [sic] put forward in a number of community [sic] and regional life [sic] may well be those which guide us in the immediate future.”

Similar sentiments were expressed by former Jamaican President P J Patterson, who described Dr Jagan as a “ towering figure in Caribbean politics whose remarkable career began in the fight against colonial oppression and ended in his efforts as Head of State and government to achieve the full development of his people and the abundant resources of his sovereign country.”

It is not possible to do justice in this editorial to the enormous and multi-faceted contributions made by Dr Jagan in

'Election 2020'

By Nikhil Sankar

“Come here children, Let me tell you a story, Let me tell you a story , In this land, A tale of chaos, A tale of power, The heart of a nation, Near devoured, This is the tale of near disaster, Election 2020…..hell’s wrath unbounded, Where were we all, That indelible moment,

When the news shredded all calm?

Where were we all, When confusion bloomed, And old scars redecorated our land scape?

Figure by figure, Botched numbers by inflation, Trumpeted to still breaths, By a noble foot soldier, Doing his bidding while the strings pulled taut, Doing his bidding while the world watched on, And the patriotic Pharisees slept, While a nation plunged,

his long and illustrious political career, but Dr Jagan during the course of his life had to endure several challenges, including being jailed for six months by the British colonial administration and being kept in the political wilderness for 28 years by the PNC regime which rigged its way to power after being catapulted to power in 1964 with the help of western vested interests, in collaboration with local reactionary groups. However, he stood his ground and never abandoned his principles and values, which eventually culminated in his election to the office as the first democratically elected Executive President in Guyana on October 5, 1992.

It is no secret that the United States turned a blind eye to electoral fraud in Guyana, due mainly to ideological and geo-political considerations, but that did not in any way prevent then United States President Bill Clinton from expressing his ‘deep regret on learning of his passing and describing him as a “champion of the poor, who devoted himself to alleviating poverty in his country and throughout the Caribbean.”

Dr Jagan touched the lives of a countless number of Guyanese in deeply profound ways, but even more significantly, he had nurtured and influenced the thinking of those in the membership and leadership of the PPP which has continued to carry on his legacy of a peaceful, progressive and prosperous

Plunged, and plunged….

Auras of anxiety and anguish, Flooding the air, Into homes to out all hope, As grandchildren reel from the horror stories Told to them but now see them, They/And now feel them, 2020 decaying to 1973, Democracy chipping, chipping away for five months, That familiar iron grip once lost in ‘85, Once more holding the nation hostage, O almighty Kabaka!

Immortality flowing through his disciples, Those were the days when the nation stood still, Tension and Insecurity form gospel, As Chants of Slo Fyah Moh Fyah,

Guyana. His advocacy for a New Global Human Order has been adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, an indication of the high esteem in which he is being held by the international community.

President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali in his speech on the Annual Cheddi Jagan Commemorative Lecture, hailed Dr Jagan as the country’s ‘greatest citizen’ and said that his contributions to the fight for democracy will forever be enshrined in the annals of Guyana’s history. “Dr Jagan’s ideas and ideals are engraved in the psyche of our party and its leaders.

They have become part of the PPP’s DNA. His examples and contributions continue to inspire us, especially in the face of the attempts which were made to derail our elections and to destroy our democracy.”

As observed by President Ali, Dr. Jagan remains Guyana’s foremost democrat, who possessed unfaltering faith in democracy. Democracy for him went beyond the country’s political system; it encompassed the very substance of the society which was being fashioned.

It was not only about elections and respecting human rights, but it was also about realising the full capabilities of our people.’

As we move further away from Dr Jagan’s passing, the more relevant are his ideas to contemporary times.

By hyenas in fringes, Trying to pit us like animals, Trying to defile our souls, But with each new day, The lamps of hope kept (On) burning, For Brother Jagan (Ramessar), For Brother Bholanauth, For Brother Walter, Their blood shed, for us to rise to the mantle, Their blood shed, for us to be free, I see the heavenly sun on the horizon, The morning after, Breathing life into the new chapter, I see a fractured nation, Worn thin, bonds broken, But I see a beautiful people, Rising from this hurt, Achieving that elusive unity, For as long as we are around, There is hope, Always...”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 7, 2022

Pause for a cause at Leonora

Dear Editor,

CONGRATULATIONS to Sheriff Medical for opening a private hospital at Leonora and planning another opening at South Ruimveldt.

This service is required and the public will enjoy its convenience. Leonora is quickly becoming a town with most urban amenities. Leonora, the famous village on the West Coast of Demerara in Region Three, is endowed with the birthright of Guyana’s current President, the dynamic Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali. Situated some 10 miles on the western end of Vreed-en-Hoop and also 10 miles on the eastern end of Parika, it is encrypted with golden memories and encoded in silver tears, while being sea sprayed with the daunting question of whether it has lost its glamour. Dust covered with the burning ashes of sugar cane and comforted with the cool breeze of the Atlantic Ocean on the northern end, Leonora permeates its resplendence over five square miles of circumvented friendly ambience, stretching afar to the south by the West Demerara Water Conservancy. Sandwiched between Edinburgh as its eastern neighbour where Guyana’s first synthetic track and field ground can be found, and, Stewartville on the west, where the ingenious Forrester Lumber Yard and Building Complex is located, employing many youths. Leonora also bosoms Groenveldt, Pasture, Para Field, Seafield and Sea Spray as her sub-divisions, blossoming over 5,000 multi-ethnic residents. A privileged place of Dutch origin since the 18th century and named after two children, Leo, a boy and Nora, a girl, this village is

a buzzing flock of Hindus, Muslims and Christians who know not the difference of religion nor ethnicity. Its extravagant and overcrowded Saturday market reflects the unity from diversity and molds the wish of a nation.

Leonora was once the prestigious home of the Leonora Sugar Factory until the former PNC Government in 1986 spitefully dismantled a thriving estate which had provided bread and butter for hundreds of families. A callous PNC Government meant to break the back of sugar workers when they went on to close other estates. Leonora was also the proud owner of the best-kept cricket ground…. of course, next to Bourda, fielding a much feared cricket team, and, a park which had provided many exciting and memorable events and games and thrilling fairs and shows, now discarded and isolated in the ruins of regrets. The passion for cricket flows in the blood of every youth in Leonora, but now there is a flood of disdained alacrity.

A generation of vacuum has filled a gap of disconcerted interest. The tears of pleas for a cricket park continue to fall on painful shoulders but cushioned on untroubled conscience. Will Leonorians once again ever enjoy the resounding excitement of lovely cricket? The flame has been rekindled to flare a fiery resilience with an undaunted spirit and the President and Sports Minister are urged to fan this inferno. A main railway train station had occupied the centre of Leonora alongside the popular Roxy cinema, both now lying in the annals of history. Again, a means of transportation still relevant to the current

needs of society, the then PNC Government in hindsight, lacked the vision of foresight to modernise an industry which is still being maintained throughout the world. Thousands of frustrated Leonorians joined the bandwagon of migrants to evade the wrath of hardship, carved, crafted and executed by the idiosyncrasy of the PNC administration.

Will Leonora be considered for township? Currently, the village boasts a police Divisional Headquarters, a magistrate’s court, a post office, a NIS office, a fire station, a Cottage Hospital with an ambulance service, a travel service, various supermarkets, a furniture and electrical appliance store, mechanic shops, an Internet service , pharmacies, rum shops, modern bars, other business entities offering various services, a concrete block business, an immigration consultant, a lawyer’s office, nursery, primary and secondary schools, a technical institute, an accounting school, a synthetic athletic ground, four mandirs, a mosque, two churches, a Ministry of Works compound, various taxi services, an office to pay utility bills, barber shops, hair salons, a Saturday market, daily vegetable, fruit and fish stalls, a Chicken Burger shop, etc. A huge shopping mall is under construction,which which will provide various services including a cinema, entertainment spots, diners, a gym, shopping plaza etc.

A bank will also be opened opposite the mall. New housing schemes are in progress. A recreational park with a computer station was recently opened by the President in memory of Kowsilla’s

sacrifice for freedom and Sakina’s contribution to democracy. While a number of houses are being reconstructed and modernised, there are quite a handful of dilapidated buildings left unattended and rundown. These buildings hold sentimental value for mostly villagers who have permanently migrated overseas and abandoned their once beautiful homes.

But now, these empty houses are occupied by vagrants, drug addicts and loafers.

The Honourable Minister within the Ministry of Works, Mr Deodat Indar, paid a visit two Saturdays ago to the market and observed the despicable condition of the uncomfortable environment, muddy roads, traffic congestion, inconvenient stalls and the deplorable infrastructure, leaving a sour note in the mouth.

It’s an outright shame and disgrace to reflect on the atrocities displayed in front the Leonora Hindu Temple as a result. He promised to begin repairing the roads having perceived impatience, animosity and frustration while engaging aggrieved interaction. But Leonora needs a modern market to facilitate housing all the vendors under one shelved roof with the ambience of compatibility for comfort and convenience. Market vendors should not be selling on the public road, on the bridge, nor on the old railway line pathway. How gruesome, gross and grotesque is this eye sore! Let’s not put the horse before the cart.

A moment of pause, reconsideration and application is requested for practicality.

differently.” I couldn’t agree more.

Women profess their love many times a day, while men see love as the three Ps- Protect, Profess and Provide.

Profess-He will tell everyone you’re his woman and introduce you. If you haven’t met his family and friends, then you’re not there to stay long.

Provide-The more a man can provide the more he feels like a man. If he can’t provide he does not feel like a man .Only a poor man runs away from their fatherly duties. Moving stuff and solving problems are ways of providing too.

Protect-If he loves you he’ll protect you.

He would even fight for you if he has to.

The mindset of a man is indeed different. In the chapter, Sport fish vs Keeper, men divide women into two (2) categories:the disposable and the keeper.

He will decide if you’re disposable or a keeper or how your personality traits are.

We all want to be a keeper. To be a keeper you will need to set the bar higher by being a high-quality woman i.e., you will need to have standards. Having strong culture and an education helps mark your identity of being someone.

Men are simple and they all think in similar ways. While women tend to think more with emotions.

The male and female brains are wired differently long before birth.

The surge of hormones --testosterone for men, estrogen for women (although we each get some of both hormones) that floods our developing foetal brains leads to marked differences in brain development and neural connections.

Yours respectfully, Jai Lall

Why men and women argue ?

Dear Editor,

I’M writing this article to discuss why men and women argue. The book ‘Act like a lady Think like a man’ by author Steve Harvey suggests that women should keep their cookie in the cookie jar for a probationary period of 90, causing men to have to prove themselves, work and earn the benefits.

Instead of giving the cookie, I suggest we all follow traditions since this is not America. In his book he goes on to say, “A man and a woman views [sic] love

Yours sincerely, Avi Persaud

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 7, 2022

Oil & Gas Wealth – Putting People First!

By Earl Bousquet IT is impossible to plan Guyana’s future in Oil & Gas outside a global context – not yesterday, not today, not ever -- since every oil-producing country, whether a member of OPEC (Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries), is part of a worldwide energy movement.

In that sense, everything that affects the industry elsewhere has implications for Guyana, including the current situation in Europe regarding Russia and Ukraine.

Germany, last week, tactically suspended accreditation of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline from Russia, re-

sulting in world oil prices sky-rocketing to near US $100 per barrel.

With its prices between five and seven times less than European or American competitors, Russia provides most of Europe’s crude oil and natural gas needs.

Germany’s Nord Stream 2 project is key to pumping more Russian oil supplies to the rest of Europe, likewise a similar pipeline from Russia through Ukraine.

But with oil as a commodity that also fuels wars, Washington targeted the Nord Stream 2 pipeline very early and threatened to kill it “If Russia invades Ukraine” – leading to the Germans opting instead for the earlier

technical stop to delay (not cancel) its start.

Washington has, for years, been trying to wean nations depending on fossil fuels (like crude oil) off traditional suppliers and towards US natural gas -- a costly venture for shifting from fuel to gas isn’t as easy as pressing a button.

Political analysts on both sides of The Atlantic agree that security of Europe’s oil supplies will not be guaranteed any better if dependence is shifted from Russian to American suppliers.

As a result, some industry analysts are suggesting Europe’s only sure independent alternative is replacing both fossil fuels and natural gas with nuclear energy for

domestic uses.

Some also suggest nonaligned oil producers in untapped and uninvolved regions, like Guyana, can benefit if Europe’s supplies from Russia get choked, as affected European nations and energy-dependent enterprises will be forced to look beyond traditional suppliers for new sources.

Analysts with extended vision keep one eye on predictions that Guyana will be producing one million barrels per day in the next decade and the other on current prices hovering around the US $100 and US $120 per barrel range.

Likewise, the big oil companies, with their eons of experience in shaping

and/or influencing global prices and policies, will naturally wish to and create the mechanisms to continue fuelling their profitable returns on investments.

Ditto those Guyanese who, after six decades of independence and 52 years living on the peripheral borders of poverty, are understandably anxious to start to feel the royalties and returns from Oil & Gas revenues in their pockets, as well as new and better-paying jobs, better education facilities for their children and best health and housing opportunities for themselves and families in the new national economic dispensation.

As one Guyanese mused with more serious meaning: “Nobody wants to drink the oil, but we all want a taste…”

But it’s not funny at all, as one of the worst mistakes too many planners in countries with new-found oil wealth have made historically is planning how to spend the new wealth without ensuring the most-needy are among the first to directly taste the benefit of Oil & Gas earnings and royalties.

In the past three decades, some OPEC nations that boasted having “more oil than sand” have been forced to introduce taxation and others have been left unable to access all their oilfields due to the after-effects of war– and still others have remained oil-rich and dirt-poor nations thanks to bad management – and corruption.

Earlier radical efforts from within to reduce Caribbean and Latin American dependence on big oil were torpedoed by political sanctions serving extra-regional economic interests.

But Guyana and neighbouring oil-producing nations are cooperating without threatening the traditional dominant big players, as in the case of trilateral efforts between Guyana, Suriname and Brazil started in January 2021.

No sooner had Guyana’s three-day Energy Conference ended on February 20, it was announced that a French company had discovered yet another oil

deposit in neighboring Suriname.

It’s crystal clear, from all indications, that The Guiana Shield is the new world oil frontier, leading to the normal goldrush that follows by big oil.

It’s clear too, that Guyana is making best use of available experiences and lessons from other oil-producing nations to chart its present and future.

Indeed, the Energy Conference was a progressive mechanism to share information and perspectives related to the future of oil and gas, not only for the Guiana Shield, but also other nations joining the global energy club.

As such, while looking inward and over neighbouring fences, as the latest new player on the global oil bloc, Guyana’s government is also evidently looking beyond its continental and marine borders as it plans for the long haul.

But the government is not-at-all taking eyes off the people’s legitimate shortand-medium-term expectations, convinced as it is that it simply has to meet the expectations of a people who were earlier promised loads of fry cash in their pockets before one liquid ounce of Guyana oil was sold.

But the conference also opened new areas of interest and concern offering new perspectives on old challenges and innovative solutions to old and new problems, with other oil-producing nations sharing a global platform in the middle of the Guiana Shield.

With eons of experience exporting natural resources over which it never had any price control, Guyana’s accumulated wealth of related knowledge, applied appropriately in the new era, will lay the basis for another new beginning with old ways giving way to new waves of innovative ideas purposefully marrying nature, science and technology to generate wealth to better the nation’s interests, starting with Putting People First.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 7, 2022

Consultations begin for spending of $5B to cushion rising cost of living

THE government has commenced consultations to determine what measures will be used to expend the GY$5 billion that was set aside in the 2022 budget to mitigate the effects of the global rising cost of living, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the Russian invasion of Ukraine expected to exacerbate the rising cost of living across the globe, the spending of the $5 billion will form part of the government’s strategy to address the issue and create initiatives at the import, consumer and market levels.

Since the war began on February 24, the world is already feeling the effects with the rising cost of fuel, transportation and logistics, given several sanctions and restrictions

to the use of airspace.

Guyana is not expected to be immune from these economic effects, and on Sunday, during a press conference at State House, President Dr Irfaan Ali faced questions from the press about what the government will be doing to protect Guyanese against these global issues.

In response, the Head of State noted that he has been keeping an eye on the rising cost of fuel, and is cognisant that this will mean a rise of costs in many other areas.

“That affects everything. Cost of fertilizer, cost of shipping, input cost for production, even the cost to take the product to the market, every single thing is affected.

So, an already volatile situation is even more

critically affected.

“There are a number of things we are doing in Guyana. One is that we set aside $5 billion in the budget for cost-of-living programmes. The consultation has started on that, and two, we have to find a way in terms of economies of scale,” President Ali reasoned.

However, the President noted that Guyana faces the additional, unique issue of low water level in the Demerara River, which will also affect the supply chain, and consequently supply costs.

“One of the other major problem [sic] we have is the draught of the Demerara River. Instead of one 30,000-tonne ship coming in, you can only have 7,000 tonnes, because the draught does not

Two women ‘busted’ with cocaine ‘laced’ in mats RANKS of the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) have arrested two women in connection with the discovery of GY$5.6 million worth of cocaine ‘laced’ in mats.

The CANU, in a statement, noted that the discovery was made on Saturday at the Eugene F. Correia International Airport, Ogle, East Coast Demerara.

It was noted that 22-yearold Akata Makeba Garnett of

‘C’ Field Sophia squatting area was arrested at the airport when she was about to board a flight destined for Barbados.

According to CANU, officers found five mats laced with suspected cocaine during a secondary search of her luggage; it weighed 5.274kgs (almost 12 pounds).

Further investigations led to the arrest of Malika Scott, 32, of Grove, East Bank Demerara.

Akata Makeba

Malika Scott

Some of the mats found ‘laced’ with cocaine (CANU photo)

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President Dr Irfaan Ali (left) with Foreign Affairs Minister Hugh Todd at Sunday’s press conference held at State House (Latchman Singh photo) allow the 30,000 tonnes.

So, we have an added problem in terms of transportation. With what is happening in Ukraine, logistics issues would even get worst,” Dr Ali posited.

He noted that the government is taking all of this into consideration as it strategises to deal with the situation.

“We are working on a strategy on how we ad-

dress the import cost and support initiatives at the import level, and then at the consumer level and the market level.

So you attack it from all three ends,” he noted.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 7, 2022

Getting it right for children

OVER the years, we have encouraged parents to share morals and values with children.

Authentic role modelling by adults, however, is the most effective way for children to pick up good qualities.

People of high integrity, honesty and good character (in a child’s life) are worth their weight in gold - they cannot be bought nor sold. But what are morals, and when should parents start teaching them to children?

We can describe morals as the concept of right and wrong or the code of conduct

instilled in us as children. Everyone needs a moral compass, a place within them to judge right from wrong - justice and truth.

A place where we evaluate and make decisions. Children should be introduced to morals in a child-appropriate manner as soon as they are old enough to understand right from wrong. Morals are an essential component in shaping their behaviour, attitude and character.

When toddlers play together, they need to learn how to share and empathise with others. Helping children take turns and teaching them that other children

have feelings sounds simple, but some adults do not know that ethics (the acceptable way of doing things) are not inherent; parents must teach them to children.

If children are not directed correctly by adults, they could develop bullying tactics early on and have no reaction or care toward the despair of another child.

These unpleasant traits may be harder to correct as the child grows. The earlier children learn that the world does not revolve around them, and others must be considered at all times, the better.

As children grow and develop a better scope of the world they inhabit, and their place therein, opportunities will arise for parents to teach more profound qualities that will enhance personality and promote sound character in children. Around 2 to 3 years old, when children learn how to tell lies, adults must encourage them to tell the truth, regardless of the consequences.

Young children will not understand the significance of honesty, but parents can explain it as they grow - honesty is the best policy. Children should be accustomed to telling the truth naturally and feel good for doing so. Telling the truth is soul–gratifying. Encouraging a child to be honest, does not mean the child will never tell a white lie or twist the truth to suit.

But when he strays from the truth, the child is aware; it provokes his moral compass. Hopefully, common sense will prevail and steer him back to correctness.

Likewise, when a child steals something, regardless of what it is or how small, if possible, the item must be returned by the child. Parents must explain to children why stealing is wrong. There is no rewarding feeling associated with theft.

Taking another person’s property can never be justified.

If children grow among a succession of unappealing, dishonest people, it is harder for them to learn the essence of honesty and apply the same to their lives.

They should establish a thirst for the truth early, to recognise how it enhances character and life chances. Children are a work in progress, constantly evolving, and as their minds expand, they must learn to be true to themselves first. Taking the time to think, evaluate and conclude is fair, sincere and honest. Opinions should never be influenced by others or formed at face value.

Loyalty is a value that is rarely taught or explained to children, although it is crucial for building their stability and

resolve. Commitment to a project, person or cause helps children embrace a sense of purpose and cultivate good decision– making skills for the future. When teaching loyalty to young children, parents can explain ‘it is the forming and keeping of promises we make’. The contract may be to ourselves or others.

It may mean standing by someone through thick and thin or speaking out on their behalf. Loyalty may involve compromise or putting someone’s needs before their own. But parents must remember that positive and negative experiences build character in children.

Unfortunately, some adults are not trustworthy; they are disloyal, unfaithful and bad at making decisions. They may impulsively decide to do or complete something and then look for a ‘get-outeasy’ clause at the first hurdle or sign of a rocky road, with little consideration of how their actions affect others.

Teaching children to respect their fellowmen will help their social-emotional development. Human beings are equal; they enter and leave earth in the same way. While we are here, we should show respect, regardless of age, colour, creed, religion, culture or (lack of) wealth.

Children should not look down on others. Adults should explain that people do not choose to be born into unpleasant, long-suffering situations. And most people do not foresee dilemmas that befall them in life. A kind word and a please, thank you or show of courtesy is not hard to extend to anyone; it should come naturally.

Adults who respect themselves and each other are good role models for children – they teach them manners and desist from name-calling, shouting, swearing and cursing each other. They do not feign respect for others; it is inherent; they understand we are all one fundamentally.

Respecting others is being sensitive to someone’s feelings and showing you care. Help children respect people, their property, opinions, and differences.

Teach them to be thoughtful of others and to exercise qualities such as patience and grace.

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

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 7, 2022

March 13 is final GOAL application deadline

THE Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) 2022 scholarship programme has extended its March 05, 2022 deadline to 23:45hours on March 13, 2022.

With on overwhelmingly large number of persons applying to the programme, which opened on January 17, GOAL had initially extended its February 19, 2022, application deadline to March 05, 2022, prior to the new deadline.

According to GOAL, as at February 20, 2022, some 7,000 prospective students had already applied for the over 187 programmes, a number which continued to see an upward trajectory over the weeks that followed.

On Saturday, Sonia Parag, Minister of Public Service, journeyed to the Cinderella County of Essequibo, Region

As the deadline approaches, two prospective students of Region Two turn in the necessary applications for the GOAL 2022 scholarship initiative (Ministry of Public Service photos) Two (Pomeroon – Supernaam) where she met with dozens of potential GOAL applicants to provide guidance and give clarity on matters relating to the government’s landmark 20,000 online scholarships initiative.

Minister Parag and her team also facilitated several on-the-spot registrations of persons eager to enroll into the GOAL 2022 scholarship programme from the communities of Charity, Anna Regina and Huis’t Dieren in Region Two. In the government’s milestone $552.9 billion budget for this year, a sum of $1.3 billion was approved for GOAL.

opment; Agile Methodologies and Digital Transformation; Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energies; Geotechnical Engineering and Foundations & Disaster Risk Management and Climate Governance.

Meanwhile, it was announced that the PhDs being introduced this year are Philosophy; Education; Business Ad-

Sonia Parag, Minister of Public Service, assisting a prospective student from the Cinderella County of Essequibo fill forms to apply for the GOAL 2022 scholarship initiative This initiative paves the way for Guyanese learners to have access to several internationally recognised institutions, such as the University of the West Indies Open Campus, the University of the Southern Caribbean, the University of Applied Sciences in Germany, as well as the Indira Gandhi National Open University, the JAIN University, and the Sherlock Institute of India.

At no cost to them, Guyanese applicants had the opportunity to choose from over 104 available programmes.

As part of the GOAL platform, 20,000 online scholarships will be awarded over the next five years, while another 4,500 students are expected to benefit from online scholarships in 2022.

As the ground-breaking programme continues to gain momentum, the Government of Guyana has successfully added several names to the list of international universities to which Guyanese can have access.

As it is, GOAL has partnered with eight new institutions to meet the challenges and demands of various sectors in Guyana, including oil and gas, engineering and construction, as well as information security.

For this year alone, GOAL is set to offer in excess of 187 programmes that can be accessed from 15 reputable academic institutions across the world, including India, Africa, the United Kingdom and Germany, among others.

The programmes, which are being financed by the Government of Guyana, range from certificate level, all the way to PhDs. Among the new master degree programmes available are Criminology & Social Policy; Web Design and Devel-

ministration, Management, and Public Health.

Currently, GOAL has a comprehensive list that guides applicants on the essential documents required to successfully complete the application process on its social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, as well as the GOAL website.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 7, 2022

‘Our women must be trained, mentored & educated’ - First Lady says at massive women’s day march

The massive turn out at the #breakthebias Women’s Day march on Sunday (Elvin Croker photo)

By Jared Liddell IN recognition of International Women’s Day, a march organised by Guyana’s First Lady, Mrs. Arya Ali, attracted massive support on Sunday aimed at recognising the invaluable contributions of women and girls across the globe.

The march, which was held under the theme “break the bias”, saw hundreds of women and men from all walks of life lining Main Street in Georgetown from 06:00hrs as the procession made its way to the Kingston Bandstand where it culminated.

“Impactful” was the word Shaquana Chisholm used to described the march.

She noted that while it was her first march in observance of women’s day, it gave her a sense of strength to witness how many persons joined their hands to

show support to women.

“I feel it was a great initiative, it was my first time at the march and it was a great experience. I don’t usually come to things like this but I know what my presence out here means not just to me and the other women here, but to my younger sister and nieces.

“I was out here for myself and for them. They didn’t come with me today but definitely next year I’ll bring them, because seeing this type of solidarity is good for any woman or girl,” Chisholm told the Guyana Chronicle.

Hashim Ali, one of the many men who supported the event, said the initiative is an invaluable one, noting that it serves to not only strengthen women but to bring them together, and encourage their persistence, innovation, and determination to be game changers in today’s world.

“I feel initiatives such as these do a great impact to engender movement in a whole. I feel that women, just like men, should be celebrated. They should have that space that they need to take off. I feel initiatives like this give women an opportunity to be seen. I feel they should be seen every day, all day and I think international women’s day should be every day because our women are so strong, so powerful and do so much.”

Ali has been an avid advocate for women’s rights and equality. He, along with his wife, Melicia PartabAli, are holders of the Miss India Guyana Franchise - a pageant franchise that was recently created as a way to not just connect Guyanese women with their Indian heritage, but to also equip persons with the necessary training, skills, and platform to achieve their varied goals.

Some of the older women who joined the march (Elvin Croker photo)

The couple’s pageant has trained several young women, and allowed them a platform to pursue their dreams, in addition to creating various opportunities.

In this regard, Ali commended the men who turned up on Sunday, noting that they play a crucial role in providing love, support, and appreciation to women.

Meanwhile, First Lady Mrs. Arya Ali, in her address to the gathering at the Kingston Bandstand, said that there was a great need for initiatives that support women and their rights.

She said women need to be equipped with the necessary tools to take advantage of opportunities in Guyana’s massive transformation.

“With our country experiencing unprecedented growth and rapid transformation, it is incumbent upon us – particularly leaders and officials – to ensure that women and girls are not excluded from these exciting opportunities that are life-changing.

“Our women and girls require the tools that are necessary to ensure that they are able to fully participate in every sector of our economy and every sphere of life. They must be educated, trained, mentored, financed, and supported in every possible way to guarantee their advancement,” Mrs. Ali said.

The First Lady has been playing an instrumental role in reducing the gender disparity locally. In 2021, she launched the Menstrual Hygiene Initiative - aimed at ending period poverty,

which contributes to the school dropout rate.

In the 2022 budget, $50 million was approved for that programme under the Ministry of Health.

Also keeping with her vision of breaching the disparity faced by women, the First Lady, in February 2022, secured 100 scholar-

had been in talks ahead of the recently-concluded International Energy Conference and Expo.

The 100 scholarships will be awarded through the Office of the First Lady over a four-year period and will benefit Indigenous women from Regions One, Two, Seven, Eight, and Nine.

It is intended to provide technical training to support Guyana’s rapidly expanding oil and gas sector.

Meanwhile, Ambassador of the United States (US) to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch, who also joined Sunday’s march, noted that it is pivotal for women to be at the decision-making table.

“The experience and perspectives of women, [although different], are equally important [to those] that men bring to the table, and our countries all deserve to benefit from the leadership of women and the innovative spark women

It was the first time Shaquana Chisholm attended a women’s day march (Elvin Croker photo) ships for Indigenous wom- add to prosperity,” the U.S en in the hinterland to be diplomat said. trained in the maritime and Sentiments similar to offshore industry through both the First lady’s and a local maritime training Ambassador Lynch’s were school. echoed by British High Atlantic Alliance (AA) Commissioner, Jane MillMaritime & Offshore Train- er and Chinese Ambassaing School is a 100 per cent dor Guo Haiyan, who also Guyanese-owned company took part in the march on with which the First Lady Sunday.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 7, 2022

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Scenes from women’s day march Elvin Croker captured some of the scenes from the march to observe International Women’s Day hosted by First Lady Mrs Arya Ali on Sunday

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 7, 2022

Baracara farmers, fisherfolk still reeling from aftermath of 2021 flood

By Naomi Parris

ALMOST a year after Baracara was hit by severe flooding, the farmers and fisherfolk of the Region Six riverine community are still struggling to recover from the disaster that had destroyed their livelihoods and upturned their lives.

During a recent visit to the community, the Guyana Chronicle was informed that many have not been able to quite get back on their feet.

According to the Chairman of the Community Development Council (CDC), Marshall Thompson, it has been particularly hard for residents since they depend solely on agriculture and logging for an income.

“Last year [the flood] was extreme…I’ve never seen that excessive amount of water. Some of our fruit trees die out, 80 per cent of our animals die out, all of our farms drowned,” he said adding that it was the worst flood in 42 years.

Thompson emphasised that the fisherfolk in the

Baracara cash crop farmer, Nicleta Amsterdam (Carl Croker photo) community also felt the “squeeze” and, today, they are still unable to get large catches.

He told this publication that they would usually benefit from a seasonal catch during the dry season. However, the residents have not been catching the large number of fishes that they usually do in the last few months.

“That flood really destroyed us, “Thompson said.

Meanwhile, Nicleta

Amsterdam, a cash crop farmer, told this publication that her farm and her livestock were completely destroyed.

“All the plants die out [and] all the animals die out…we suffered a lot with the flood,” she said.

Amsterdam stated that extension officers from the Ministry of Agriculture had visited the community shortly after the flood waters had receded and rendered some assistance in the form of cash crop seeds and some farming equipment. However, much more assistance is still needed, she added.

“Nothing has not really recovered from this flood as yet. We are just trying to make life in here,” the woman said, adding: “The flood affects us a lot. In my life I’ve never seen so much water.

That was the highest flood I ever saw. If we had to move, we had to move in a boat.”

Another cash crop farmer who identified herself as “Aunty Euette”, related that she too had been trying to make ends meet as she was currently replanting

‘Aunty Euette’ with some citrus plants that she plans to replant on her farm (Carl Croker photo) her farm.

She noted that “things” were still slow as the little fruits and vegetables she had been able to reap from her farm, since the floods, had not given her much profit.

“In Baracara we used to get a lot of fruits, but, in 2021, the flood kill a lot of fruits, a lot of cherry trees and mango tress, those died out,” she said.

According to the farmer, pineapples and plantains were among the main crops planted up until the floods came. “The 2021 water destroyed our crop a lot.

Right now, we don’t have plantain like before and the pineapples are just catching back themselves.”

In an invited comment on the plight of the farmers, Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, stated that his ministry had been in contact with them and assistance had been given.

The minister noted that seeds, farming equipment and fertilizers were recently distributed to the farmers and talks have begun to make provision for river transportation to help them transport their produce from their farmlands to markets.

“I’m looking now to see how we can help them with transportation so that they can bring out their produce to the market…Baracara has been getting their fair share of help,” he said.

Additionally, the minister disclosed that he intended to visit the community as a part of his countrywide farmers’ outreach to hear, firsthand, their concerns.

“I have been ensuring that these far-flung areas are getting these benefits that other communities are getting. I plan myself to go up there to continue my outreaches,” he said.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 7, 2022

AG calls for prosecution of litter bugs

ATTORNEY General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall, SC, is not pleased with the actions of litter bugs in villages on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD), hence his call for such persons to be prosecuted.

During a clean-up exercise on Sunday, he stated; “It is the residents who are doing this, they have made this embankment of the canal, a public garbage heap, and we cannot continue like this, that is why the police and the relevant NDC of the locality are being encouraged to institute criminal charges against those who are littering. It is a criminal offence.”

Minister Nandlall, who was also present during the clean-up on the ECD on Saturday, noted that the garbage

eventually ends up in the canal, which blocks the drainage system and causes flooding. At Enterprise village, the minister observed the extent of the garbage situation there. He said garbage receptacles are important at the household level, noting that some will be placed at strategic locations.

“What you are seeing here, obviously, is the height of recklessness, callousness and irresponsibility. They dump this and now these young people volunteering, got to pick up their garbage, that’s not fair, at no level is that fair.

This type of behaviour will not be tolerated and persons are going to be put before the courts for littering, and I hope that the courts will impose appropriate penalties, because that is the only way that we will begin a deterrence against this type of irresponsibility.”

Minister Nandlall expresses dissatisfaction with the garbage situation at Enterprise

Meanwhile, persons who participated in the clean-up exercise are also calling for an end to littering.

“It would be an ongoing exercise until the community is completely clean, but while we are doing that, we are also going to advise the community that we want them to help we keep this place in the manner that we are going to leave it after we finish, we don’t want them to litter,” said Lokendra Persaud of Enterprise.

“We are here to do a clean-up campaign, to keep our place clean and we are asking everyone to keep this piece [sic], let this stop, we have something, through it in the garbage and let we have a beautiful Guyana,” said Shakila Haniff, another volunteer.

Ayube Mohammed noted that the clean-up effort will continue in the various communities on the East Coast.

“This is a continuous drive, it’s not gonna be a oneoff something, it’s gonna be something that is continuous and it has to be maintained by the citizens with assistance from the NDC and other agencies. We are on a push to ensure that our communities are clean and healthy and the environment is conducive to healthy living.”

Minister Nandlall met volunteers at Better Hope, Success, Annandale, Enterprise, and Golden Grove.

The clean-up exercise is part of a national clean- up initiative by government. (DPI)

PPP/C remembers Dr Cheddi Jagan

Executive Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) and Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, along with other members on Sunday paid tribute to PPP founder Dr Cheddi Jagan, during a wreath-laying ceremony to observe his 25th death anniversary, at Babu Jaan, Corentyne. Minister Mustapha said Dr Jagan’s teachings will live on and continue to be relevant.

He underscored that lessons from the late President have made significant contributions to democracy.

Attorney General Anil Nandlall helps with the clean-up exercise at Golden Grove

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 7, 2022

Dialysis patients persevere despite lifestyle changes, costly treatment

By Shamar Meusa

AS the world observes Kidney Awareness Month, several dialysis patients and those who have received kidney transplants have said that they have encountered many difficulties, including changes to their lifestyle and the high cost of treatment.

At a press conference held on Friday at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), some of these patients shared their experiences as

part of the hospital’s awareness efforts.

Twenty-six-year-old Malika Dey, who received her transplant two years ago, recalled that she found out that she had issues with her kidney in August 2018.

She said after being diagnosed with kidney failure she didn’t immediately start dialysis treatment.

“When I did make up my mind it was too late.

According to my family, I had a seizure. I end up at accident and emergency.

I got admitted and I had to start emergency dialy-

sis,” she said, adding that this occurred some months later.

After she regained consciousness, Dey stated that she was then informed that she would need to be on dialysis until such time that she could have a transplant done. Her father was her donor and she underwent the transplant procedure in September 2019.

She said since then, she has been healthy and strong with no complications. To this end, she noted that she had to make drastic lifestyle changes, especially to her

Kiran Hardyal diet.

“Well stuff changed a lot like with your diet. I don’t know about the other transplant patients, but I don’t do a lot of stuff that I used to do before. I take care of my health because being on dialysis isn’t anything easy,” she said.

Meanwhile, 33-yearold Kiran Hardyal who was the hospital’s first kidney-transplant patient, having undergone the surgery in 2015, said he is doing well.

He told members of the media that he found out that he had kidney failure in 2014 and at that time doctors tried to see what could have possibly been done to reverse the kidney failure.

As a result, he started dialysis in January 2015.

He too stated that being on dialysis was not an easy journey and as such, he encouraged patients who are currently on dialysis to keep their heads up.

“There is light at the end of the tunnel and the transplant is possibly the only reason you could get a better health, so there’s no point in giving up when you go through so much dialysis,” he said.

Hardyal added that he had to adhere to the doctors’ orders as it relates to certain lifestyle changes in order to stay healthy after receiving the new kidney.

He emphasised that the most important thing would be to have a positive mindset when one has reached the stage where there is need for a kidney transplant.

At the conference, there were also two other patients who have not yet had kidney transplants, but are currently on dialysis.

Sixteen-year-old Adaicia Semple started

Malika Dey

Adaicia Semple

dialysis in August 2021, and noted that her life has not changed much, as previously she had issues with another illness, lupus.

The teen revealed that symptoms of kidney failure are similar to those associated with lupus.

“Basically, it’s the same symptoms that I was having before that I’m having now.

It’s just that the symptoms increased, for example, the headaches; they’re worse now and the bad feelings and the weakness,” she said.

Semple revealed that dialysis is difficult and further it is quite costly as she and her mom have to travel frequently from their West Coast Berbice home for her to receive the treatment.

Her mom, Ulex Semple, said that they have a meeting with the doctors coming up and as such, she hopes that there is a positive outcome as they have been waiting for quite some time for a kidney transplant.

“We’re waiting long to get her transplant to do because it’s not easy every day with her,” she said, adding that her daughter keeps complaining about different issues with her bones.

Additionally, 39-yearold Gilian Bahadur began dialysis in November 2021.

She said that at first the process was not that bad, but it is now affecting her physically.

The mother of three stated that in January 2020 she noticed that her body was swelling, which prompted her to visit the hospital for a checkup. It was then that she discovered that her kidney was inflamed.

Bahadur added that the dialysis treatment is very costly and as she is currently unemployed, she

needs assistance to pay for it. She noted that she gets the dialysis treatment done in New Amsterdam three times a week.

She called on government to assist dialysis patients to cover the cost of their treatment.

“The dialysis is really expensive and you know [when] you not working, you need assistance and I think the government should at least give it to us free. I don’t see but I talk to patients at our centre in Berbice that[sic] say it’s really expensive for them and they’re not working.

I’m not talking on my behalf alone but in general, it’s really expensive to do dialysis,” she said.

It is expected that dialysis patients will soon benefit from the $180M that was approved by the National Assembly in February. “…Even as these investments are being advanced, this country currently has hundreds of persons undergoing ongoing treatment for life-threatening conditions.

A prime example is the number of persons currently receiving dialysis treatment, many of whom are young people still in the prime of their lives, but oftentimes struggling to meet the cost of their treatment. To this end, we will introduce a Dialysis Support Programme, under which we will finance up to $600,000 per annum worth of dialysis treatment for each and every dialysis patient in Guyana.

This programme will provide much-needed assistance to almost 300 persons at a cost of $180 million,” Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, had said during his 2022 budget presentation.

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Fifteen more COVID-19 cases recorded

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 7, 2022

EVEN as the government continues to implement systems to tackle the deadly COVID-19 disease, 15 more persons have been tested positive, taking Guyana’s overall confirmed cases to 63,055 since the first case was recorded in March 2020.

No new COVID-19 related deaths were recorded within the last 24 hours.

There are currently 330 active COVID-19 cases here, following the 15 new cases which were recorded in Regions Three, Four, Five

and Six. Regions Three recorded four new cases; Region Four recorded seven and Regions Five and Six recorded two new cases each.

Of the active cases, three persons are in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the National Infectious Diseases Hospital, Liliendaal; 18 are in institutional isolation; 300 are in home isolation, and nine are in institutional quarantine.

Many of the persons infected with the virus are said to be asymptomatic, that

is, they are not exhibiting symptoms.

The updated COVID–19 Emergency Measures are in force until March 31, 2022.

They may be extended or amended by notice of the Minister of Health, after an assessment of the prevailing public health conditions of the pandemic.

As per the current measures, all persons are required to wear face masks when leaving their homes, and physical distancing and adequate sanitisation are recommended.

Persons with symptoms of COVID-19 are asked

to call the COVID-19 hotline numbers: 231-1166;

226-7480; or 180/181 for assistance.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 7, 2022

Jadeja helps India dismantle Sri Lanka

(ESPNCRICINFO) - it was a day of landmarks and milestones for India. Ravindra Jadeja became only the sixth man to score 150 or more and take a five-for in the same Test. R Ashwin went past Kapil Dev as the second-highest wicket-taker for India. In the process, Sri Lanka collapsed under the weight of a relentless India attack and lost 16 wickets in 67 overs to lose by an innings and 222 runs inside three days. Jadeja, who ended one wicket short of becoming the first man to score 150 or more in a Test innings and take 10 wickets in the same match, ended his third straight Mohali Test as the Playerof-the-Match.

The longest resistance Sri Lanka offered was a 17over partnership in the second innings between Angelo Mathews and Dhananjaya de Silva, followed by the 15 overs it took India to take the first wicket in the morning.

Ravindra Jadeja ripped through Sri Lanka on day three (BCCI) Six wickets fell for 13 runs in 43 balls to encourage Rohit Sharma to enforce the follow-on.

The bigger hauls might have gone to the spinners, but the fast bowlers added to their threat with their continuous interrogation of the batters, which meant the pressure was not released and spinners could get their breaks. The first wicket of the day went to pace, a bewitching slower

ball from Japsrit Bumrah, which pitched within the stumps, beat Charith Asalanka, squared him up, hit him within the stumps, and would have gone to hit the top of off.

With Pathum Nissanka fighting diligently at the other end, the rest folded in a strangely reckless manner.

Niroshan Dickwella faced five balls from Jadeja, played three sweeps, not in control of any of them, and the final

top-edge settled with square leg placed two-thirds to the boundary. Suranga Lakmal tried an almighty slog the second ball he faced.

Lasith Embuldeniya could not cope with a nasty skiddy bouncer from Mohammed Shami. Jadeja was too good for Nos. 10 and 11. Vishwa Fernando edged to second slip, and the injured Lahiru Kumara hobbled out to find out his feet didn’t move quick enough to cover the off stump, leaving Jadeja with a five-for and a shot at a hat-trick in the second innings, which was to resume immediately thanks to a rare follow-on.

In the four overs possible before lunch, Ashwin gave India the first wicket just like in the first innings.

With this edge from Lahiru Thirimanne to second slip, the result of dip and turn, Ashwin has taken Thirimanne out seven times for 50 runs in Tests, and 14 times

for 140 runs in international cricket. Ashwin’s second, on the other side of lunch, was just as masterful, with the ball dipping on Nissanka to make him defend away from the body. The ball didn’t turn as much as the previous ones did, and the edge settled with Rishabh Pant, who continued to show how much he has improved as a wicketkeeper.

It took a special delivery to get rid of Sri Lanka’s best batter, Dimuth Karunaratne.

Shami angled it in from round the wicket, making him play, but the ball hit the seam and moved away slightly to take a soft edge that Pant took diving in front. His best grab was yet to come, though.

Mathews and de Silva now got a bit of a partnership, but Jadeja came back to separate them. de Silva got too ambitious with the driving, and Jadeja inevitably got the ball to dip and draw an aerial response for short

extra cover to take.

The flood gates opened then with the next three wickets falling at the same score of 121. The first of those was Asalanka, edging Ashwin to slip in the first over after tea, which took Ashwin to 435 Test wickets.

In the course of the match, Ashwin overtook Richard Hadlee, Rangana Herath and Kapil Dev. Dale Steyn at 439 wickets remains in his sights.

Once Jadeja got Mathews out with a ball which turned from middle and leg, it was only a matter of time. Time has been short for Lakmal, who bagged his pair with a second heave in five balls of batting.

Dickwella hung around with the tail, but Jadeja reached his ninth wicket with a lovely catch from Pant when the ball stayed low, turned less than expected and took a healthy deviation from the bat of Embuldeniya.

Australia mount strong response to Pakistan (ESPNCRICINFO) - Usman Khawaja fell agonisingly short of a century in the country of his birth, but an under-pressure Australia mustered a strong batting response on the third day of the first Test against Pakistan. In reply to Pakistan’s massive first innings of 476, Australia were 271 for 2 at stumps in their long road back into the series-opener in Rawalpindi.

Marnus Labuschagne, the No.1-ranked Test batter in the world, lived up to top billing and relished the flat pitch to be unbeaten on 69 while Steven Smith also looked untroubled on 24 not out at stumps.

Just before the close, Smith, who averaged just 30 in the Ashes at home last summer, was left startled after Shaheen Shah Afridi lost control of a full toss which was deemed a no-ball, with the left-arm quick also receiving a warning.

Play ended an hour early due to bad light for the second consecutive day, although 72 overs were bowled on a day three predicted to be impacted by rain.

After enduring almost two full days in the field

during a tough start to their first overseas tour since mid2019, Australia’s top-order responded to the challenge with gusto to claw back into the historic contest.

They showed an aggressive appetite in a contrast to Pakistan’s top three’s measured batting, as openers Khawaja and David Warner would have been left frustrated not replicating the big tons of Azhar Ali and Imamul-Haq. Recalled as opener, Khawaja, who was on the cusp of a third Test century in five innings since his comeback, was dismissed on 97 by leftarm spinner Nauman Ali after bungling a reverse-sweep which hit the glove and popped to short leg.

The originally not out decision on the field was overturned after replays showed that the ball had hit high on the glove of Khawaja, who had until then played the risky stroke to good effect throughout his 159-ball innings.

Having quickly mustered 70 in the first session, Khawaja was held in check after lunch by tighter Pakistan bowling as the hosts hit back by removing Australia’s openers during a combative

second session.

After a brisk 156-run opening partnership, where Australia’s aggression rattled an increasingly wayward Pakistan attack, Warner fell for 68 having missed a skidding delivery from offspinner Sajid Khan which smashed his middle stump. Having started slowly, Warner showcased renowned aggression as his innings wore on, but might rue backing away in an error of judgement.

But Labuschagne, who has played just seven of his 24 Tests away from Australia, looked in ominous form, mixing gorgeous drives with reverse-sweeps to negate the spinners. He had looked less comfortable at the start of his innings when he was pitted in an intriguing contest with quick Naseem Shah, who hit him with a thunderbolt on the arm during a withering spell in the second session.

Labuschagne struggled initially against left-armer Nauman, who had a disastrous spell pre-lunch, but settled and unleashed his reverse-sweep effectively against the offspin of Sajid, who had started to conjure spin off the flat pitch.

Labuschagne and Smith, who traditionally bat so well

Usman Khawaja and David Warner added 156 for the first wicket AFP/Getty Images in tandem, will be aiming to build on their blossoming 68-run partnership with Australia still needing work to do to approach Pakistan’s huge total.

But it was a patchy performance from Pakistan’s bowlers who created more opportunities than Australia’s pedestrian effort with the ball, as they mostly struggled to rein in the scoring. They will especially rue reprieving Khawaja on 22 when a luckless Afridi set him up perfectly with a full-pitched delivery, only for Fawad Alam to shell a straightforward chance at gully.

Pakistan lost their early momentum after Afridi and Naseem conjured pace, bounce and movement in a blistering start. Helped by cool and cloudy conditions, Afridi found away swing and bowled a gem of an opening over to Warner to kick-start a dangerous spell.

After a tough initiation where he scored just 11 off 45 balls, Warner cracked Naseem for consecutive boundaries through the off side to get him rolling. The fired-up quick then went around the wicket and struck Warner on the back of the shoulder with a nasty bouncer. Naseem

then went down the pitch to give him an earful only for Warner to diffuse the situation with a laugh.

The barnstorming morning session yielded 138 runs and contrasted with a dour opening two days, when an unwavering Pakistan had blunted tight bowling and batted for 162 overs.

And although Australia were unable to maintain that rapid scoring pace after both openers fell, but should be pleased with their first dominant day of the series on their first tour to Pakistan since 1998.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 7, 2022

Roach looking forward to England series

(ESPNCRICINFO) - Kemar Roach, West Indies’ veteran attack leader, believes that the “quite surprising” omissions of James Anderson and Stuart Broad from England’s Test plans give his side a slight advantage going into Tuesday’s first Test, but says that the wickets of Joe Root and Ben Stokes are his team’s truest route to victory in the coming weeks.

Roach, 33, was instrumental in West Indies’ triumph in their previous home campaign in 2019, when his five-wicket haul in the first Test in Barbados contributed to England’s catastrophic 77 all out. And given that England have just emerged from a 4-0 Ashes loss in which they failed to pass 300 in ten attempts, he recognises the frailties are once again there to be exploited.

Asked if it was simply a case of dismissing Root - who made 1708 Test runs at 66.00 to win the series, when no other batter picked for this tour passed 500 - Roach replied: “Joe Root and Ben Stokes. If we can put immense pressure on those both, I think we’re in for quite a good chance.”

Stokes, who struggled for form during the Ashes after missing most of the 2021 season with a finger injury, has conceded that he “just wasn’t me” as he struggled to 236 runs at 23.60 in the five Tests. However, West Indies witnessed Stokes at his very best on their tour of England in 2020, particularly in the second Test at Old Trafford when he made 254 runs for once out.

As for Roach, he is now closing in on 250 Test wickets -- a mark that only five all-time great West Indians have previously surpassed -- and he admits that the challenge of extending his side’s proud record of one home series loss to England since 1968 will spur him on in the course of these three Tests.

“We take the English coming to the Caribbean very seriously,” he said. “Only losing once at home in 50 years is a long time. So the onus is on us as players to have that in the back of our minds, and play the best we can on the day to keep that record intact.

“I don’t want to lose that record, so it would be great to win the series, and take that tradition and that record further and further forward. Hopefully, we can hold it for 100 years. That’d be fantastic. But this is a stepping stone as we go ahead.

“I always put my best foot forward for the West Indies,” Roach added. “For me, playing against England is definitely one of the hallmarks of your career; so it’s all about expressing yourself, being positive and taking it to the English.”

At the age of 33, and having been a part of the West Indies Test set-up for 13 years, Roach recognises that he is entering the latter years of his career. Having proved an insightful analysis during his commentary stints in the T20I series in January, he is keen to further his opportunities in the media.

However, having signed a new deal last week to play for Surrey for the start of the 2022 season, he’s in no mood to think about winding up just yet, and said that he would not have taken kindly to the sort of phone-call that Anderson and Broad received from Andrew Strauss last month, informing them that they were being omitted to give younger players a chance.

“I definitely would not have taken it too well,” Roach said. “There may have been some breaking news coming for you guys, for sure.

think it’s a slight advantage for us.”

England’s seamers toiled for penetration on a flat deck at Coolidge this week, claiming a solitary first-innings wicket between them, and though they produced a sparkier display on the final day, a back spasm for Ollie Robinson, and concerns about Mark Wood’s health, meant that there’s some uncertainty in the ranks going into the first Test.

“Obviously, those experienced players missing leaves a little bit a hole for England,” Roach said. “Robinson, Wood and [Chris] Woakes are still fantastic bowlers; we will still take them seriously, but once we get our plans right, we should be pretty good going into the series.

“There have been good battles over the years, even before myself, so it’s all about continuing that tradition and obviously keep playing good cricket against the English cricketers. Just keep putting your name out there, to be that person to win a series, or be the defining player who takes West Indies over the line.”

Following his stint at the Kia Oval last year, Roach may come up against some familiar faces

in the coming weeks, most particularly Surrey’s wicketkeeper, Ben Foakes, who is in line for a recall. Ollie Pope is set to miss out in the first Test but may feature at a later date, and while there has been much criticism of county cricket since the Ashes loss, Roach believes the competition still offers plenty of vital experience.

“I love playing for Surrey, I enjoyed a really fantastic stint last year,” Roach said, after making a lasting impression with 22 wickets at 20.54 in his five Championship appearances. “Hopefully, I can use some of those great memories in this series. “I rate county cricket very highly,” he added. “It’s quick changeovers in different conditions. Sometimes it’s sunny, sometimes it’s cold, so it can be very challenging on your body as a fast bowler.

“It’s pretty surprising to hear the comments coming in about the standard of cricket there, but I still rate it as probably one of the better first-class seasons going on around the world. It’s on the players to show the world their quality, but I have no issues with the county cricket season.”

Robinson ruled out of first Test with back injury

“It’s quite surprising,” he added. “I thought that both of them would still be involved, but the decisions have been made from that end, and I

Russian Gymnast investigated after wearing war symbol

Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak is being investigated after wearing a national war symbol on his leotard as he stood next to a Ukrainian rival on the podium in Qatar on Saturday.

The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) said it had opened disciplinary proceedings against Kuliak for his “shocking behaviour” at the Apparatus World Cup in Doha.

After earning bronze in the parallel bars final, Kuliak taped a letter ‘Z’ on to his chest and took to the podium next to gold medal winner, Illia Kovtun of Ukraine.

The letter Z has become symbolic with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and has been seen painted on the side of tanks and military vehicles, as well as being worn by pro-war politicians in Russia.

This weekend was the final opportunity for Russian and Belarusian gymnasts to compete after their countries were sanctioned by the FIG as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

From Monday, Russian and Belarusian athletes, officials and judges will not be allowed to take part in FIG competitions or FIG-sanctioned competitions.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Monday, March 07, 2022) COMPLIMENTS OF CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD -- 83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Deryck Murray – 94 dismissals (90 catches; 4 stumpings – 28 Tests) (2) Jack Russell – 52 dismissals (50 catches; 2 stumpings – 21 Tests) Today’s Quiz: (1) What is the highest partnership for any wicket by a West Indian pair against ENG in Tests to date?

(2) What is the highest partnership for any wicket by an England pair against the WI in Tests to date?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue ……………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………

Ollie Robinson has taken 39 wickets in nine Tests since making his debut against New Zealand last year (BBC) - England seam bowler, Ollie Rob- the same time, it gives people opportunities. inson, has been ruled out of the first Test “We’re trying to win games cricket here, against West Indies with a back injury. but it does give that chance to someone to Robinson, 28, left the field because potentially make their Test debut who’s been of a back spasm on the third morning of waiting in the wings for quite a while to show England’s warm-up against a Cricket West what they can can do at this level.”

Indies President’s XI in Antigua.

England dropped James Anderson and He did not return to bowl on the fourth Stuart Broad, their top two leading Test and final day on Friday and will now miss the wicket-takers, for the West Indies tour, with first Test in Antigua, which starts on Tuesday. Robinson set to be a key part of the attack in Saqib Mahmood has taken Robinson’s their absence. spot in a 12-man England squad.

Neither Anderson, 39, nor Broad, 35, England’s likely seam attack for the first are expected to join the squad if Robinson Test will be Mark Wood, Chris Woakes and is ruled out of the entire series, with WarCraig Overton, but Lancashire’s uncapped wickshire seamer Liam Norwell, 30, the first Mahmood could be chosen for the fourth reserve. bowler spot in place of Jack Leach’s leftFull squad: Joe Root (captain), Jonarm spin. ny Bairstow, Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes England’s final team will be confirmed at (wicketkeeper), Dan Lawrence, Jack the toss on Tuesday.

Leach, Alex Lees, Saqib Mahmood, Craig “He’s shown in his short Test career so Overton, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Mark far that he’s certainly got the skills and the Wood ability to do good things in the format. At

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 7, 2022

Britton and Franklin into Round of 16 at Caribbean Championships - Book places in Pan Am Championships

GUYANA’s two best male table tennis players, National champion, Christopher Franklin and 2022 Runner-up Shemar Britton, have advanced to today’s Round of 16 battle in the Singles event of the Caribbean Table Tennis Championships, which is currently taking place in Havana, Cuba.

By advancing to the event, the pair have also booked their place in the Pan Am Championships.

According to Coach of the national side, Idi Lewis, since the event is a qualifier to Pan Am, it has been extremely competitive.

“This is the toughest Caribbean Championships ever.”

After both Guyana’s Men’s and Women’s players surged to bronze medals in the teams’ events, the players looked to carve their own mark over the weekend in the singles.

Franklin opened with a 3-0 (11-8, 11-6 and 11-4) win over Haiti’s Paul Mack-

Shemar Britton was flawless in the early rounds of the Singles entoche before Britton got the better of Haitian Azor Brayon 3-0 (11-4, 11-5 and 11-9).

Franklin then lost an extremely close battle against the Dominican Republic’s Samuel Galvez 0-3 (10-12, 10-12 and 12-14).

He later claimed that it was his most difficult singles match-up of the tournament.

On Saturday evening, Britton was able to edge past Isaac Vila from the Dominican Republic 3-1 (11-5, 11-8, 6-11 and 11-8).

Their teammate, Miguel Wong, went down to Puerto Rico’s Pietri Richard 3-0 (511, 8-11 and 5-11), before losing to Kane Watson 3-0 (11-5, 11-7 and 11-4).

Fifteen-year-old rising star, Jonathan Van Lange, however, played the game of the tournament when he carried the strong Bajan player, Tyrese Knight to the brink of defeat.

The much improved Knight had defeated both Franklin (3-0) and Britton (3-1) in the Teams event, but in his first singles battle of the tournament, he was playing catch-up to Van Lange.

Lewis said that he was extremely impressed with Van Lange’s performance since he was leading by 2-0 and had match point in the fifth at 10-9.

Mohammed sets new target after milestone achievement CMC – Off-spinner Anisa Mohammed has taken fresh aim at a new mark, just days after becoming the first West Indies Women’s bowler to claim 300 international wickets.

The 33-year-old picked up two for 60 in last Friday’s shock three-run win over hosts, New Zealand, at Bay Oval, moving to 176 OneDay International scalps to add to her 125 in Twenty20 Internationals.

In the twilight of a stellar career after making her debut as a 15-year-old nearly two decades ago, Mohammed said she was still highly motivated to achieve. “[I have] quite a lot [of targets]. So the next one is one of my goals that I set since I started playing; so this one I’ve been looking at for years,” she told a media conference Saturday.

“I want to go past Cathryn Fitzpatrick. She had 180 ODI scalps and I think I am five wickets behind her, so I’m hoping to get that in this World Cup.”

She continued: “Apart from these 300 international wickets, I’ve accomplished quite a lot over the years and I still think I have little gas in the tank to go still, so I’m still looking forward to getting to those milestones and, hopefully, creating or breaking more records.”

Australian Fitzpatrick, now retired, sits second on the all-time list of wicket-takers, with Mohammed third and Indian star Jhulan Goswami, 39, top of the pile with 247 wickets.

Mohammed entered the March 4 to April 3 showpiece on the cusp of history, after taking three wickets in two outings in the four-match ODI series against South Africa in Johannesburg last month.

And she reached her landmark against New Zealand when she removed the dangerous Amy Satterthwaite for 31 in the 28th over, as the hosts crashed to 256 all out in pursuit of 260 for victory.

Mohammed also followed up with the wicket of

Lea Tahuhu, two overs later, to take her overall tally to 301 victims.

“It was a big moment for me. I was actually hoping to get to it in South Africa and come in a bit relaxed in this game but I guess what better moment to get it than the big stage at a World Cup,” the Trinidadian said.

“It was a big game for us and we needed a breakthrough and I was really happy the 300th wicket was one that the team needed.”

She added: “Everyone wants to achieve something big at the World Cup – it’s viewed all over the world.

I think if I’d gotten that [record] in South Africa, it may not have been that special.

“But to get it at the World Cup on the world stage is definitely a special moment for me and I enjoyed every moment of it.”

Mohammed will be in action again when West Indies clash with England on Wednesday at University Oval in Dunedin.

Christopher Franklin booked his place in the Round of 16 “From 0-2 Tyrese used a lot of his experience and made a few subtle adjustments that brought him back into the match and eventually he barely pulled it out.”

The close battle ended 2-3 (8-11, 11-13, 11-3, 11-1 and 13-11) in favour of Knight.

On Sunday, Van Lange lost 1-3 (7-11, 3-11, 11-7 and

11-9) to Oscar Birriel (Puerto Rico), while Wong defeated T&T’s Joshua Maxwell 3-0 (11-6, 11-9 and 12-10).

Franklin advanced with a 3-1 (7-11, 11-5, 11-8 and 11-7) win over T&T’s Aaron Wilson, while Britton stays unbeaten with a 3-0 (11-6, 11-5 and 11-5) against Jamaica’s Christopher Marsh.

None of the female play-

ers advanced to today’s Round of 16, but Chelsea Edghill and Natalie Cummings had moments of glory.

Cummings defeated Jamaica’s Tsenaye Lewis in her opener 3-0 (11-4, 1210, 11-4), while Edghill got the better of Anthonette Riley 3-0 (11-6, 11-5 and 11-6).

Table tennis Academy could create the next generation of Guyanese Olympians - Ninvalle

DIRECTOR of Sport, Steve Ninvalle, feels that the just-launched Table Tennis Academy Programme, “Guyana TT Kidz -With the Future in Mind” will produce future star players, some of whom might become Olympians.

The event, which was a collaboration between the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, the National Sports Commission and the Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA), was officially launched on Saturday at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

The nursery will target youths between the ages of 6-16 and familiarise them with the techniques of the sport at varying levels.

Ninvalle said that the programme’s structure would allow it to “bear fruit”, and is drawing regional attention to be used as a model programme.

He made mention of the strides that the sport has already taken and of the first table tennis Olympian, Chelsea Edghill, setting the stage.

“Through this programme, we may be

sitting among other Olympians in the next decade. So, these programmes are very important and I would ask all the young athletes that we have, the coaches that we have, that you give your 110 per cent effort into making this just what the minister wants it to be.”

The Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr, said that the new initiative required total participation.

He reiterated that sport is very important to the country’s overall development and critical to moulding the lives of young people.

He also charged the participants to take advantage of the opportunity.

“From our end, what really matters to us is consistency, seeing that the space that is being allocated, the time that is being allocated that it is being used at all times. Before it used to be the case that when we wanted to use these facilities, it would come with a fee. We have waived fees for the usage of our facilities for the sports academy.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 7, 2022

Roach looking forward to England series SEE PAGE

Kemar Roach has been a big part of West Indies’ run of home success against England (AFP)

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Anisa Mohamed bowls

Mohammed sets new target after milestone achievement SEE PAGE

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The tennis academy will target players from as young as six years old

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Table tennis Academy could create the next generation of Guyanese Olympians - Ninvalle Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 2 2 6- 3243-9 (General); Editorial: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216. Fax:2 2 7- 5208

MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2022