Guyana_Chronicle_Epaper_04_21_2021

WEDNESDAY 21st April , 2021

’ No. 106337

Nearly 6,000 vaccinated in 24 hrs PAGE

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$174M online 11 learning initiative launched PAGE

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand

Bassoo resigns, Auditor General to investigate 03 GuyOil ‘fuel scandal' PAGE

Trevor Bassoo

AG appeals CJ’s Chauvin 04 judgement on convicted Parliamentary of murder in 12 Secretaries Floyd case Chase around City ends in suspected drug bust PAGE

Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, S.C,

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, April 21, 2021

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, April 21, 2021

Auditor General to investigate GuyOil ‘fuel scandal’ –– interim sub-committee appointed to manage company’s daily operations as GM resigns

SENIOR Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, has requested that the Auditor General’s Office be called in to conduct an urgent investigation of an issue related to the Guyana Oil Company Limited (GuyOil)’s purchase of fuel from a company called Aaron Realty Inc. (ARI).

According to reports, the proprietor of ARI, a fuel dealer, has claimed that he is now left with a large quantity of fuel on hand after alleged commitments from senior GuyOil officials that the company would buy it. The dealer claims that he has evidence of the commitments by officials of the company to purchase his fuel.

After reports of the scandal appeared in the sections of the media on Tuesday,

Trevor Bassoo

General Manager of GuyOil, Trevor Bassoo, tendered his resignation to the company’s Board of Directors, forcing them to appoint an interim sub-committee to manage its day-to-day operations.

In recognising the situation at GuyOil, Dr. Singh summoned the company’s Board of Directors, Chaired by Paul Cheong, to an urgent meeting at his Main Street office.

During this meeting, the Board of Directors said that there is no contract with Aaron Realty Inc. to supply fuel to GuyOil. The board also outlined to the minister the procedures which are followed by the company with respect to the procurement of fuel.

In a separate statement following the meeting with Dr. Singh, GuyOil listed the pre-requisite procedures in place and in practice, which are followed by the company in the procurement of fuel from any company.

Those pre-requisites include competitive procurement, due diligence of the supplying company, purchase order/ contract, nominated quantity sent to the supplier with expected date of delivery, certificate of quality/conformity with technical specification, proforma invoice which is necessary for the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) to authorise the offloading of any fuel from the supplier’s vessel, and a certificate of origin/ signed declaration that the product was not sourced from an embargoed country.

Also, among the pre-requisites are details of the vessel to be used, the Q88 document; a detailed report by an independent inspector on the loading of the vessel; bill of lading for the loaded vessel and updates from the vessel on its

estimated time of arrival.

“GuyOil wishes to categorically state that whilst ARI was one of a number of companies which GuyOil had discussions on the possible supply of fuel, GuyOil has not, at any time, entered into a contract with ARI,” the company related.

Although the company is affirming its innocence, Dr. Singh requested that the Auditor General’s Office be invited to conduct an urgent investigation into the matter, which is the subject of allegations.

Minister Singh, during the meeting, emphasised the need for the company to act in compliance with the established laws and procedures in line with good governance, accountability and transSenior Minister in the Office of the parency.

He reinforced the point that a Board President with responsibility for of Directors is appointed to protect the Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh interest of the Government and people of Guyana and it is what he expects of all not be misguided by ‘propaganda.’

Prior to official reports of him reState entities. On this note, he reiterated that his government will not tolerate any signing, reports were circulating on social media about Bassoo being sent on type of unlawful practices.

While not directly responding to the administrative leave in light of alleged minister, the Board of Directors of Guy- corruption at GuyOil. “I wish to state that is INCORRECT. Oil, ahead of the probe into the recent allegations, assured the public that at all I also wish to advise that I have chosen times, the company will act in compliance to and have submitted my resignation to with the Laws of Guyana and best practic- the Chairman and Board of Directors,” es as it relates to conducting its business. he said.

Further, the former General Manager It is for this reason that the company has appointed a sub-committee added: “I intend to solicit legal advice of the board to oversee its day-to-day after which I will provide more inforoperations and lead the search for a new mation.”

Bassoo was appointed to the post General Manager.

Although Bassoo resigned from the of General Manager of GuyOil in Ocpost, he said, in a Facebook post, that his tober 2020, replacing Renatha Exeter, friends, family and well-wishers should who had resigned from the company.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, April 21, 2021

Minneapolis ex-policeman Chauvin convicted of murder in Floyd case

FORMER Minneapolis policeman, Derek Chauvin, was convicted of murder, on Tuesday, in the arrest of George Floyd, a milestone in the fraught racial history of the United States and a rebuke of law enforcement’s treatment of Black Americans.

The 12-member jury found Chauvin, 45, guilty of all charges including second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter after considering three weeks of testimony from 45 witnesses, including bystanders, police officials and medical experts. Deliberations began on Monday and lasted just over 10 hours.

In a confrontation captured on video, Chauvin, who is white, pushed his knee into the neck of Floyd, a 46-year-

old Black man in handcuffs, for more than nine minutes on May 25, 2020, as he and three fellow officers arrested Floyd, who was accused of using a fake $20 bill to buy cigarettes at a grocery store.

Chauvin, wearing a gray suit with a blue tie and white shirt as well as a light-blue pandemic-related face mask, nodded and stood quickly when the judge ruled that his bail was revoked after the verdict was read.

He was taken out of the courtroom in handcuffs and placed in the custody of the Hennepin County Sheriff.

Outside the courthouse, a crowd of several hundred people erupted in cheers when the verdict was announced. Cars honked and chants of “George Floyd” and “All three counts” broke out.

Wednesday April 21, 2021 – 01:00hrs - 02:30hrs-

tencing guidelines, Chauvin faces 12-1/2 years in prison for his murder conviction as a first-time criminal offender. Prosecutors could, however, seek a longer sentence up to the maximum of 40 years if Hennepin County District Judge, Peter Cahill, who presided over the trial, determines that there were “aggravating factors”.

Former Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, is led away in handcuffs after a jury found him guilty of all charges in his trial for second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. April 20, 2021 in a still image from video (Pool via REUTERS) Chris Dixon, a 41-year law enforcement and sends old Black Minneapolis resi- a clear message we hope is dent, had tears rolling down heard clearly in every city his face. and every state.”

“I was hoping that we Chauvin had pleaded not would get justice and it looks guilty to the charges of seclike we did,” he said. “I’m ond-degree unintentional just very proud of where I murder involving “intentionlive right now.” al infliction of bodily harm” At George Floyd square third-degree unintentional in Minneapolis, the intersec- “depraved mind” murder tion where Floyd was killed involving an “act eminently and is now named after him, dangerous to others,” and people screamed, applauded second-degree manslaughter and some threw dollar bills involving a death caused by in the air in celebration. The “culpable negligence”. site has since become a ralWhile the US criminal lying point for racial justice justice system and juries protests. have long given leeway and “Justice for Black Ameri- some legal protection to poca is justice for all of Ameri- lice officers who use violence ca,” the Floyd family’s attor- to subdue civilians, the jurors ney, Benjamin Crump, said in this case found that Chauin a statement. “This case is vin had crossed the line and a turning point in American used excessive force. history for accountability of Under Minnesota sen-

NO PREVIOUS CRIMINAL CONVICTIONS In Minnesota, convicted criminals generally leave prison on supervised release after completing two thirds of their sentence.

Chauvin had no previous criminal convictions.

The jury included four white women, two white men, three Black men, one Black woman and two multiracial women, according to court records.

Earlier on Tuesday, U.S. President Joe Biden said he had spoken by phone with members of Floyd’s family.

“They’re a good family, and they’re calling for peace and tranquility, no matter what that verdict is. I’m praying the verdict is the right verdict, which is - I think it’s overwhelming in my view. I wouldn’t say that unless the jury was sequestered now, (would) not hear me say that,” Biden told reporters at the White House.

The intersection of race and law enforcement has long been contentious in the United States, underscored by a series of deadly incidents involving white police officers and Black people in a number of American cities in recent years.

Floyd’s death prompted protests against racism and police brutality in many cities in the United States and around the world last year.

The Minneapolis Police Department fired Chauvin and three other officers the day after Floyd’s arrest.

The three others are due to face trial later this year on aiding-and-abetting charges in Floyd’s death.

MEDICAL EXPERTS A cardiologist, a pulmonologist, a toxicologist and

a forensic pathologist were medical experts called by prosecutors to testify that videos and autopsy results confirmed that Chauvin killed Floyd by compressing his body into the street in a way that starved him of oxygen.

The defence argued that Chauvin behaved as any “reasonable police officer” would have under these circumstances, and sought to raise doubts about the cause of Floyd’s death, saying heart disease or even the exhaust fumes from the nearby police car may have been factors.

Darnella Frazier, a teenager who told the jury she was taking her nine-year-old cousin to the Cup Foods grocery store that evening to get snacks, was among the witnesses called by prosecutors after jurors began hearing testimony on March 29.

Frazier had used her cellphone to make a video depicting Floyd’s excruciating ordeal, images that catalysed the subsequent protests. Floyd can be heard on the video crying out for his mother and telling officers he could not breathe.

Eventually, Chauvin lifted his knee to allow paramedics to place Floyd’s limp body onto a stretcher.

Other eyewitnesses described the horror and lingering trauma of watching Floyd die in front of them.

Courteney Ross, Floyd’s girlfriend of nearly three years, recalled their first kiss and their shared struggle with opioid addiction.

Minneapolis Police Chief, Medaria Arradondo, appeared as a prosecution witness to testify that Chauvin’s actions during the arrest represented an egregious breach of his training.

Throughout the trial, Chauvin wore a suit and took notes on yellow legal pads while sitting alongside defence attorney, Eric Nelson. Members of Floyd’s family took turns attending the trial, though some tried to avert their gaze when video of Floyd’s death, recorded from multiple angles, was replayed to jurors.

The judge ordered the jurors to be sequestered after they began deliberations. (Reuters)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, April 21, 2021

Room for private sector investment in region’s resilience building (Barbados Today): Natural disaster clauses and growth and resilience bonds are two of the proposals that the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is being asked to consider as leaders in the region seek to build resilience against natural disasters.

The CARICOM Commission Report on the Economy points to the need for the region to speed up private sector investment in resilience by creating new requirements for households and enabling the issuance of a new asset class of bonds that would fund it.

Speaking on this recommendation during a recent online discussion forum hosted by the UWI Cave Hill Campus and the Sagicor Cave Hill School of Business and Management, Chairman of the CARICOM Commission on the Economy, Avinash Persaud, said this was critical to safeguarding the region’s gross domestic product (GDP) during these disasters.

Recalling the massive loss of GDP in several islands due to hurricanes over the years, Persaud said it was being proposed that every debt agreed from the public sector and private sector should have natural disaster clauses in them.

“What they do is that they make the fact that when you have a natural disaster of a certain size, automatically

without you having to ask, that two years of interest payment and debt payment shift to the end of the loan agreement. So, you have two years of interest and principal payments free to basically give you space in order to deal with the crisis,” Persaud explained.

As part of its debt restructuring two years ago, Barbados had included a natural disaster clause in the restructuring agreement with bondholders, currently making the island the largest issuer of sovereign debt with such a clause.

This is expected to free up some seven per cent of GDP should the island experience a natural disaster and need to put a hold on debt repayment.

Persaud said this effort was still ongoing as Barbados sought to put this in all debt contracts all over the world.

He said with climate change being an uninsurable event, it was critical for the region to build in a more resilient way, adding that this did not always mean building more expensively but building smarter.

It is for this reason that the CARICOM Commission on the Economy is proposing that a focus be placed on speeding up private sector investment in resilience building.

“The commission reckons for that amount of build-

ing we need US$20 billion at a minimum. The governments can’t afford that. We are the most indebted region in the world,” Persaud said.

“For example, let’s say we underground all of the utilities, therefore when a hurricane hits, we don’t need to spend a big chunk of GDP rewiring the country.

Undergrounding is really expensive, but maybe if we underground the electricity cables with the telephone cables, separately next door in conduits running parallel, water, gas and all these other things and rebuilding the gas at the same time, maybe we can make it cheaper, make costs savings.

Therefore, the private sector will be prepared to invest in this and get a return, and that is the way we might be able to spend US$20 billion, making ourselves the first climate-resilient region in the world,” he explained.

In relation to the growth and resilience bonds, Persaud said it was about time that the over US$50 billion in the region’s banking system be put to use in helping to build resilience.

“We are trying to plan a new asset class, the first in the world, called growth and resilience bonds. These growth and resilience bonds will be fund managers who sign up to only invest in things that will move the needle on resilience and we will have independent asses-

sors on whether this is really sustainable and resilient and they will sign up to do this and we, as savers, can put our money into these funds,” he explained.

“The fund managers will find good investment opportunities that hit resilience, put our money to work and we will get more than we are currently getting in the banking sector because of the returns to be had from building more resilience, whether that is returns from cost savings or returns from generating more revenue,” he added.

He further pointed out that the plan was to have the monies raised from the issued bonds be spent only on approved projects that make the region more resilient to climate change and other natural disasters.

Persaud suggested that a rating agency could be established to rate the sustainability of projects, adding that this would allow fund managers to invest in projects with a certain rating and this could attract further investment.

It is also being proposed that the planned CARICOM Procurement Act be urgently put in place to allow a member state to open up

bidding to firms throughout the region.

“We also need to make sure that the private sector is not expected to live off great government contracts.

So, we need to minimize some of those government

contracts, minimize the rate of return, and so to push the private sector back into focusing on making money from being competitive rather than from lobbying governments,” added Persaud.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, April 21, 2021

Towards cheaper energy

OIL and gas are finite resources, meaning that they are non-renewable and there will come a time when they will no longer be available to be extracted.

This is, however, estimated to be not until the next 20-30 years. Even though the sector might not be long-term, it is vital for the stimulation of global economic growth and social development, aiding in vast improvements to standards of living.

The 17 Sustainable Development goals (SDGs) governing major world challenges were established by the United Nations (UN) in 2015. These challenges govern standards of living and include poverty, hunger, health, education, clean water, and affordable energy. The World Energy Outlook (2018) purports that 53 per cent of the world’s demand for energy used primarily for transportation, chemicals and manufacturing are supplied by oil and gas. This is not expected to change drastically anytime through 2040, but the demand for oil and gas is expected to increase. The current position of the world’s economy is that oil and gas are necessities and in great demand. Guyana has been blessed with the opportunity to provide this resource to international markets and would be able to benefit immensely from the returns. Opportunities such as these are crucial, especially for developing countries such as Guyana.

While there is recognition that the process needs vast improvement, like the other sectors, with time these challenges

will be overcome with guidance from relevant professionals and authorities.

ExxonMobil has been recently called out by pressure groups, who are trying to transition to safer energy practices and who are trying to enter Guyana’s oil industry. However, the relationship between Guyana and ExxonMobil remains intact and Exxon will use their investment returns to fund their energy-transition strategy. The gas-to-shore project is a trending topic in Guyana. This project is proposed to be set up at Wales, where the sugar estate was once in operation and which sourced income for thousands of employees over the years until 2017 when all operations were halted. This project has drawn attention locally, regionally and internationally with mixed reviews on whether this route should be taken or not. However, this project is in line with the government’s plans in attaining cheaper energy for Guyanese, along with adopting the sustainable development goals set forth by the UN. In the gas-to-shore project, the natural gas will be used for generating electricity along with producing liquified petroleum gas (LPG). LPG is a safe and clean gas which helps to reduce the carbon emissions. In Europe, LPG offers 15 per cent lower greenhouse gas emissions than heating with fuel oil. This indicates that Guyana is on the right track in sustaining the environment. It has been noted how costly it is for GPL to supply electricity throughout the country and the cost of

maintaining and upgrading the systems.

This challenge could have long been minimised if the Amaila Falls Hydro Project were in full operation at this time.

Based on an analysis carried out by Chief Financial Analyst, Joel Bhagwandin, of JB Consultancy & Associates, on the gas-to-shore project, initial investment is estimated at US$400 million which will be funded equally by both ExxonMobil and the Government of Guyana. Two scenarios are given below for reference to indicate the expected operating profits, along with energy demand for a 10-year period from 20212030. Scenario One: if one million MWs of electricity is generated annually, expected revenue is US$125,000 million, LPG revenue is estimated at US$20,000 million with an operating cost (40 per cent) to be US$58,000 million, giving a net operating profit of US$87,000 million. Scenario Two: if 2,190,000 million MWs of electricity is generated annually, expected revenue is US$273,750 million, LPG revenue is estimated at US$26,000 million, with an operating cost (40 per cent) to be US$119,900 million, giving a net operating profit of US$179,850 million. Energy demand forecasted for scenario one is expected to increase by 55.13 per cent to 1,491,912 MWH, while in scenario two demand is expected to increase by 182.20 per cent to 2,662,238 MWH. However, in a recent press conference by the vice-president, he reported that the project is estimated to be around

US$500 million to US$800 million, and that the actual cost will be known when the government goes to tender following completion of the requisite studies.

The analysis conducted by the analyst shows that even if the project is US$500 – US$800 million, the benefits will outweigh the costs and thus is still a feasible project and is much needed. The implementation of this project can result in 50 per cent savings on fuel imports which is currently over US$500 million. Energy costs for manufacturing firms is currently 40-50 per cent of their operating costs; this can be reduced drastically with the project in operation. The gas-to-shore project is expected to create thousands of jobs for many persons, especially in the vicinity of Wales, thereby starting back economic activity flow. This investment will also result in development projects such as homes being constructed, which will have a spin-off effect mainly on the banking and construction sectors. Public and private investments are expected to increase on an average of 52 per cent annually, or GYD$345 billion over the next decade. This project will aid in Guyana achieving affordable energy, conquering poverty and hunger (agro-processing will be commissioned) along with families being able to send their children back to school.

In the end, billions of dollars will be pumped back into the economy and the cycle will continue with further investments.

Shipping rather than piping LNG to shore can fast track GPL to generate 46 MW of green power Dear Editor, IN a letter written by Mr. Deo Phagoo, P. Eng. on the April 5, 2021, entitled “Using Floating vessels for Liquidified Petroleum Gas could be better choice than pipeline,” proposes the option of transporting the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) to shore by using LNG tankers as a more feasible and flexible solution compared to a fixed pipeline.

As highlighted in Mr. Phagoo’s letter, a comprehensive cost analysis should be

done to evaluate the economics of using chartered LNG carriers as compared to the fixed pipeline.

However, other than the economics, there are other intangibles that make this proposal an attractive alternative, namely: • Shipping LNG will spawn a complete new maritime industry that can feature a lot of local content. This venture of shipping the gas to shore to generate 200 MW of electricity will require at least two to three small LNG Tankers of about 5,000 -7,000 deadweight tonnes due to

our draft limitations, especially to a site such as Wales. Our local entrepreneurs in partnership with owners of LNG tankers in Qatar, which by the way are the number one country in LNG tanker trades, can do the chartering and ship management of these vessels. The new maritime training school in Friendship, EBD, will now have the opportunity to provide the specialist training to our seamen for the different positions on these highly-pressurised and technical vessels thus creating more high income employment. Additionally,

the proposed fixed high span Demerara River Bridge will allow for unrestricted movement of vessels eliminating delays now caused by the retractable bridge.

• As was pointed out by Mr. Phagoo, what happens to the pipeline after depletion of the gas in Liza One. Obviously it becomes redundant and will have a decommissioning cost.

On the other hand, using the LNG tankers affords you the flexibility due See page 7

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, April 21, 2021

Lord Rama signifies the victory of goodness over evil Dear Editor,

DEVOTEES throughout the world, including Guyana, are culminating the celebration of Chaitra or Vasant Navratri, after observing nine nights/ days of prayers to Mata Parvati, Lakshmi and Sarasvati with reverence to the Trinity form of Durga Ma. She established nine different forms of her manifestation in order to conquer evil and restore good.

Ram Navami, appropriately demarcates the conclusion of the auspiciousness of the period and obeisance is paid to the Sun Deity, Surya Bhagwan, as the progenitor Lord Rama’s Dynasty have descended from the Raghukul. The importance of the Sun was much more in the higher latitudes from the place through which the Aryans have migrated into India. Ram Navami marks the appearance of Lord Rama in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Ram Navami falls on the ninth day, the tithi of Shukla Paksha of Chaitra, in March or April as per the English Calendar. This year, April 21 is the date for this spring festival and the

celebration takes place at noon. Maryada Purshottam Ram is particularly important to the Vaishnavism tradition in Hinduism.

His manifestation is sung in the divine story of the time in the Ramayana, giving us the message of the life and teachings of Lord Rama, the word literally means, “One who is divinely blissful and who gives joy to others and one in whom the sages rejoice.”

The ocean of mercy and compassion, Lord Rama signifies the victory of goodness over evil and the establishment of the Dharma to beat Adharma. He represents the epitome of perfection for fulfilling all his duties towards both family and subjects. King Dasarath, the King of Ayodhya in the county of Kosal, situated on the banks of the river Sharayu, was childless and he performed a sacrifice known as “Ashvamedh,” conducted by Rishi Rishyashring. He was eventually blessed with Shri Ram from Queen Kausalya and grew up to be a powerful Prince who married Sita Ma. His story unleashed a destined saga, reflecting the portrayal of compassion, gentleness, kindness, rightness and integrity. Lord Rama encountered an adventure of var-

Shipping rather than piping LNG to shore ...

From page 6

to its mobility to source the gas when Liza One runs dry from other developing wells or in Suriname or Trinidad and there is no infrastructure to decommission.

This is especially crucial given the lackluster performance of Exxon in the ongoing drama with their ephemeral saga of the unconquerable compressor, which raises the concern of their reliability as the sole supplier of the natural gas to the 200 MW plant project.

• Routing a fixed pipeline through the mouth of the Demerara River is risky business especially in light of the GPL experience with their undersea cable that is repeatedly being damaged by vessels at Anchorage. Given that there are projections for increasing maritime traffic on the Demerara River, this in turn definitely increases the possibility of a vessel damaging the pipeline which can be very catastrophic.

•Constructing the gas pipeline

will definitely cause ecological and environmental problems to the fishing industry whereas most of the LNG tankers are powered by natural gas which will be far more environmentally friendly.

• The clincher for using LNG tankers is that the new engines for the GPL 46MW plant presently under construction at Garden of Eden are all dual-powered in design and operates on fuel oil or LNG. This is the ideal opportunity as a pilot project to operationalise the 46 MW plant using tankers to transport the natural gas.

All that will be required will be the installation of the requisite storage and processing plant for the gas at Garden of Eden and almost immediately, the journey of producing 46 MW of ‘green’ power can commence.

Yours Sincerely, Reggie Bhagwandin

ious tests for his love for His siblings, challenges for the removal of demons and competition with Rawan’s rivalry for abducting Sita Ma. His 14 years exile in the forest (Vanvaas), accompanied

by Sita Ma and his brother Lachman, was filled with a variety of significant incidents and situations, allowing Him to fulfill his promises of freeing the world of evil forces and doers. There, he met his ardent and humble devotee, Shri Hanuman and he also visited the pious Shabri.

Seeking the blessings of Durga Ma, Lord Rama was able to truncate the evil King of Lanka, Rawan and one of his brothers, Kumbakharna. The kingdom was restored to the righteous brother, Vivishana, who was able to rule prosperously and peacefully, much to the joy of all the citizens.

His return to Ayodhya at the end of his stay in the forest is celebrated on the festive day of “Diwali”.

Although Lord Rama had all the power in the world, he still was peaceful and gentle. Through careful examination of his life, we learn how to be a perfect son, a perfect brother, a perfect husband and most important, the perfect king, administering with the reign of perfect governance. So many lessons can be learnt from His lifestyle and they are all applicable to the political, economic and social situations unfolding in Guyana. The Divine Sage Narad, related to Sage Valmiki, the scribe, “Shri Ram is an embodiment of all noble merits, (qualities and virtues), who betters the happiness of his mother Kausalya, in profundity. He is an unfathomable ocean, and in fortitude, he is firm and

unalterable, like the kingly Himalayan Mountain”. The day of Ram Navami is spent in cleansing the body, heart and mind, fasting, praying, chanting the name of Shri Ram, reading Ram Katha, visiting the Mandirs, giving charity in the form of food, clothe and money and exchange of visits to friends and relatives with the giving of gifts and sweets.

It is said that the repetition of his name (Rama Nama) is the surest, fastest and easiest way to attain purity, peace, wisdom, understanding, joy, prosperity and ultimately liberation. Lord Rama Himself said that “Repetition of My name is equal to the repeating of one thousand names of God and Goddess or repeating of mantras one thousand times.” Lord Rama was the perfect person who embodied divinity on Earth and taught us how to live our lives in accordance to dharma and divine principles.

Guyanese and other West Indians are thankful to their fore-parents for bringing such a rich culture, preserved in principles and practices for people to live a way of life as influenced by the Ramayana and Gita, the holy books which they so carefully wrapped and brought with them as part of their luggage. Mahatma Gandhi’s favourite bhajan was, “Raghu pati raghav raja Ram, Patita pavan Sitaram.” When he died, his last word was, “Ram.” May the blessings of Lord Rama be upon each and every Guyanese with peace and bliss.

Happy Ram Navami.

Respectfully, Jai Lall

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, April 21, 2021

Nearly 6,000 vaccinated in 24 hrs –– COVID-19 hotspots at Diamond, Eccles, Lusignan, Success and Tuschen

By Vishani Ragobeer A TOTAL of 5,809 individuals were vaccinated on Monday, taking the number of people vaccinated across Guyana since February to 92,410, according to

Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony.

During his daily COVID-19 update on Tuesday, the minister noted that 92,410 people have been vaccinated with their first dose as of Monday. On Monday, the

number of people vaccinated stood at 86,601, and as such, 5,809 people had been vaccinated over the 24-hour period.

“The response has been good over the last couple of days,” Dr. Anthony said, adding: “On

Nurse Tamika Threlfall administers a shot of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine to a senior citizen on Sunday at the Ministry of Health secretariat on Brickdam (Elvin Croker photo) average, we’ve been getting about 6,000 people coming out daily, and we are hoping that we could get more people vaccinated faster.”

He also assured members of the public that the second vaccine dose that all vaccinated persons are required to take has been properly stored, and will be made available to each individual.

Addressing concerns over the period at which people should abstain from alcohol, the Health Minister also noted that there is no scientific rationale why people should abstain for that prolonged period.

“However, like with all vaccines, we will prefer people not to drink when we come for vaccines, and immediately after to abstain,” he said, adding: “The reason being is that if we are going to observe and see

whether or not someone has side-effects from the vaccine, then we need that person to be sober.”

As such, he said that the local health authorities are advising individuals who are coming for their vaccines not to consume any alcohol 24 hours before and 24 hours after, so that they could effectively monitor for any adverse reactions to the vaccine.

While the vaccination rollout has increased significantly over the past few weeks, moreso over the past weekend since all people 18 years and older are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccines locally, there has been a surge of COVID-19 cases locally.

“We have seen an increase in cases in Region Four and Region Three.

We have also, in Region Seven, seen a number of cases as well,” the minister said on Monday. He

noted that the local health authorities are monitoring these areas.

In Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), there has been a specific surge in cases observed in Diamond and Eccles on the East Bank Demerara (EBD), and in Lusignan and Success, on the East Coast Demerara (ECD).

“There are pockets where we are seeing more cases, but, generally, when we look across the East Coast or Georgetown or East Bank, almost every village there are one or two cases,” the Health Minister said.

He said that the same holds true for Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), where, in every village, there would be one or two cases.

He, however, noted that a few were recorded in Tuschen, on the East Bank Essequibo.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, April 21, 2021

Chase around City ends in suspected drug bust –– two held by CANU

AFTER careful surveillance and an intense chase around Georgetown, officers of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) intercepted two alleged drug traffickers on Vlissingen Road and subsequently uncovered a quantity of suspected cannabis and cocaine at Stone Avenue Campbellville.

According to information from CANU, 25-year-old Daquan Wills, the driver of the Nissan Juke, PVV 6706, which was intercepted on Tuesday, and 39-year-old Joel Fung-AFat, the other occupant of the vehicle, are in custody after they led officers to the location where suspected drugs were found.

Based on information from CANU, officers were conducting an operation around Georgetown on Tuesday afternoon, when they observed several targets, including the vehicle driven by Wills.

“When ranks attempted to interdict the

said vehicle, it sped away and CANU gave chase and intercepted same at Lance Gibbs Street and Vlissingen Road Georgetown.

During the chase a brick of suspected cocaine was thrown from the vehicle and same was retrieved by CANU ranks,” the unit said, adding that the suspected cocaine brick, thrown from the car, weighed 1.054 kilograms.

As a result of the inception, the two suspects, who were the lone occupants of the vehicle, led officers to what appeared to be an abandoned range house at Stone Avenue, Campbellville, where another brick of suspected cocaine and a bag containing bulk parcels of suspected cannabis were found, hidden among garbage.

The suspected cocaine brick weighed 1.048 kilograms, while the suspected cannabis weighed 17.956 kilograms. Investigations into this matter are ongoing.

39-year-old Joel Fung-A-Fat

The parcels and bricks of suspected drugs which were uncovered by officers of CANU

25-year-old Daquan Wills

10

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, April 21, 2021

City businesses turned into COVID-19 vaccination sites WITH an increasing number of persons willing to get vaccinated against coronavirus (COVID-19), several businesses in the city have offered the use of their premises as vaccination sites.

These businesses include Muneshwers Limited and the Roraima Duke Lodge.

On Monday, Muneshwers at its Water Street location facilitated the vaccination of 100 adults with the Sputnik V vaccine.

Trained medical professionals were present from 09:00hrs to 15:00hrs.

A similar arrangement was in place on Tuesday at the Roraima Duke Lodge, Lot 94 95 Duke Street, Kingston.

Since the February 11, 2021 commencement of the vaccination exercise, over 79,000 individuals have been vaccinated. The COVID-19 vaccines being distributed in Guyana are the Oxford-AstraZeneca, Sinopharm and Sputnik V. Recently, Adviser to the Ministry of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, highlighted that the Ministry of Health’s goal is to reach 100,000 first-dose vaccina-

A man receiving his COVID-19 'JAB' at the Roraima Duke Lodge (Ministry of Natural Resources Photo) tions sometime this week.

On Saturday, in an effort to increase vaccination, several outreach activities were conducted across the country.

The vaccines being used in Guyana are all two-dose vaccines with various dosing schedules. The second dose of the Chinese-made Sinopharm vaccine is given after about 21 days, and the second dose of the Russian

Sputnik V is given after about 28 days.

Meanwhile, the second dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is given at eight to 12 weeks after the first.

On Monday, President Irfaan Ali, announced that Guyana received 83,000 doses of the Sputnik V vaccine at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.

Persons at Muneshwers Limited waiting to get the vaccine (Muneshwers Limited Photo)

11

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, April 21, 2021

$174M online learning initiative launched –– to train 1,000 teachers, equip them with technological devices

By Telesha Ramnarine ENHANCED virtual education is expected soon, as the Ministry of Education has convened training for 1,000 teachers and procured over 1,000 devices to supplement this effort.

The initiative, which costs $174M, is being executed through a collaborative effort among the ministry, the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

The launch of this latest project was streamed live from the Ministry of Education’s Facebook page, on Tuesday.

Of the 1,022 devices purchased by the ministry, 1,000 will go towards Grade Seven teachers for the benefit of enhanced engagement with their students, and the other 22 are expected to be given to education officers so they could monitor the project. Sixty of those teachers will be ‘master’ trainers who will, in turn, teach the rest.

The services of UKbased Tablet Academy International have been secured through an open bidding process, according to Education Minister, Priya Manickchand, and the acquisition of laptops for teachers has also been done in the same process.

The ‘Tablet Academy’, an internationally recognized independent company, which offers consultancy, teacher-training, and student engagement services to the education sector, will be providing training to the teachers locally.

According to the company’s Chairman and Co-founder, Steve Molyneux, who was present at the launch yesterday, the firm trains over 36,000 teachers each year, supports over 1,500 schools

Director of NCERD, Quenita Walrond and provides learners with STEM enrichment workshops, all delivered remotely.

In delivering remarks, Manickchand noted that improving Information Communications Technology (ICT) became one of the government’s biggest priorities after it took office and with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

“COVID-19 showed us in Guyana that using technology in the classroom to deliver education was a growing trend that would become important; it showed us how unprepared we were to meet anything else but the traditional method of delivering education,” she said.

Further, she added: “Regardless of how much had been invested, the fact that we had not prepared for the type of school where we would have to deliver education with most of our children and teachers being outside of the classroom in their living rooms; COVID-19 showed us how very unprepared we were.”

The ministry has since looked at every possible way of delivering edu-

cation in an untraditional way to the country’s student population of 170,000, and has taken giant steps in refashioning the learning channel, using the radio, and writing, printing and distributing worksheets in record time.

“The process of writing usually takes months, sometimes years and we did it in a few weeks,” she reasoned.

She was keen to point out that not just any teacher will be able to receive the devices, but only those who meet a strict criterion that is in place. She said that the introduction of technology will not stop when COVID-19 is finished, but that it will be fully incorporated into the system so that the education sector can be more effective at every level.

Director of the National Centre of Educational Resources Development (NCERD), Quenita Walrond, was also present at the launch, along with Deputy Chief Education Officer, Volika Jaikishun.

“We take a further leap towards a holistic approach to technological innovation, utility and support in the sector.

Utilising the technology, teachers can collaborate with each other, their students, their departments and even central ministry at a few clicks,” Walrond said of the project, adding: “Today signifies a departure from the sole reliance on the movement and collection of paper for knowledge-building and information sharing.”

Walrond offered that this online platform will utilise Microsoft Office 365 for education and that this initiative is a component of the COVID-19 Accelerated Funding Project (AFP), which seeks to support the continuity of learn-

ing for children across Guyana.

“The COVID AFP across its components seeks to provide the hardware, infrastructure, and supporting education through capacity building that will enable educators to deliver to and for their students, quality education inputs and experiences that are in sync with modernised

delivery modes and the ability to better communicate with students,” she related.

She said that this project seeks to allow for the provision of an integrated online platform for teachers, principally for delivery of the curriculum, but with many other capabilities and applications.

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand

12

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, April 21, 2021

AG appeals CJ's judgement on Parliamentary Secretaries

By Richard Bhainie

SUBSEQUENT to a ruling by Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George in the Demerara High Court on Tuesday that the appointment of Sarah Brown and Vikash Ramkissoon as Parliamentary Secretaries is unlawful, Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, S.C, has filed an appeal against it.

In the matter, Opposition Chief Whip, Christopher Jones filed a FixedDate Application challenging the legality of the appointment of Sarah Brown and Vikash Ramkissoon, Parliamentary Secretaries

Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George of the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs and the

Ministry of Agriculture, respectively, as members of the National Assembly.

Jones is contending that Brown and Ramkissoon cannot be appointed as non-elected Members of Parliament (MPs), since they were named on the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C)’s List of Candidates for the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections.

Subsequent to the PPP/C being allocated the majority of 32 seats in the National Assembly, based on the number of votes cast in their favour, Brown and Ramkissoon were not extracted from the list of candidates to become members

of the National Assembly.

They were appointed Members of the Twelfth Parliament of Guyana on September 15, 2020 by virtue of Article 186 of the Constitution, which provides that Parliamentary Secretaries may be appointed from among persons who are elected members of the National Assembly, or are qualified to be elected as such members.

Jones, through his attorney-at-law Roysdale Forde, S.C, relied heavily on the decision in Desmond Morian v Attorney-General et anor, in which Nandlall had successfully argued that then Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, Keith Scott, and Minister of Citizenship Winston Felix were unlawful members of the National Assembly.

The Attorney-General, in his written submissions to the court, argued that based on the language used by the framers of Article 186 (1) and 186 (3) of the Constitution, it is pellucid that Parliamentary Secretaries can come from among persons who are elected; that is, extracted from the list of candidates put up by a political party for elections, as well as persons who are qualified to have been so elected.

Further, he had submitted that there is no reasoned judgement that dealt with the merits of the Morian case, and because only a procedural point was argued before the Court of Appeal in that matter, the High Court is permitted to disagree with the decision in Morian, and was not bound by the decision of the Court of Appeal.

BOUND The Chief Justice rejected this argument, based on the Doctrine of Precedent which mandates that lower courts are bound by those courts higher in the hierarchy, even when they do not agree with the higher courts.

“It is not for this court to decide, because the Court of Appeal did not give reasons for upholding the decision of Chief Justice Chang in Morian, or that

Sarah Brown (left) and Vikash Ramkissoon the merits of the case were tional Assembly, which not argued in the Court of the case of Morian deals Appeal, that this court can with, and it is also factutherefore hold that the deci- ally similar to the case at sion is therefore wrong, and hand.

As Chief Justice George decline to follow. The lack of reasons would be similar was at pains to explain, to giving reasons that are a member of the Nationnot accepted to be correct,” al Assembly who cannot Chief Justice George said. vote is, by that very fact, a Attorney-at-law Manoj non-elected member, and Narayan, representing the can only have a seat or be Speaker of the National a member by virtue of his Assembly in the matter, or her appointment as a and the Attorney-General technocratic minister, or as had also argued that the a parliamentary secretary, decision in Morian is irrel- while an elected member evant to this matter, since becomes a member by beit deals with the appoint- ing extracted from the list ment of Ministers and not of candidates.

In the circumstances, Parliamentary Secretaries, two substantially unique she ruled that seeing that positions. However, the Brown and Ramkissoon Chief Justice rejected this were not extracted from the argument, noting that it is list of candidates, they cannot become members of the without merit.

In addressing the issue National Assembly, other of whether having been than by being appointed as elected through their names non-elected Ministers, or being on the list of can- Parliamentary Secretaries, didates, Brown and Ram- and they cannot be elected kissoon can, in effect, also and non-elected members hold positions as persons at the same time.

“The end result is that who are qualified to be elected, that is, as non-elect- the facts of this case, as in ed members by being Par- Morian, the third and fourth liamentary Secretaries, the respondents are now both elected and non-elected memChief Justice disagreed.

“This is to say that bers of the National Assemcan the third [Brown] bly- and this cannot be. Thus, and fourth [Ramkissoon] I have concluded that the respondents be members third and fourth respondents of the National Assem- are not lawful members of the bly, despite being elected National Assembly; it would non-extracted members, follow that their appointments I think not,” the Chief are unlawful,” she held.

The Attorney-General Justice held in her ruling. and Minister of Legal Affairs has since filed a NoSTRICTLY tice of Appeal in the Court MEMBERSHIP She noted that in her of Appeal against the deciview, the issue in the sion, on the grounds that matter does not pertain the Chief Justice misconto holding seats in the strued and misinterpreted National Assembly, but the law, seeking that the rather surrounds strictly judgement be set aside, membership of the Na- reversed and/or varied.

13

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, April 21, 2021

Dams, canals at ‘Helena’ to be cleaned, fixed

–– Minister Mustapha assures farmers

DEPLORABLE dams and canals at Helena, Mahaica, will be cleaned and fixed, Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, has assured farmers of the community, who have complained of the impediments created by the conditions of the agriculture infrastructure.

The minister made this commitment during a visit with other officials of the ministry, to the community on Tuesday.

The visit was as a result of a request made by a group of farmers for the minister to visit the area to get a firsthand look at some of the challenges they face in the area.

Basil Jagasar, also known as Bassan, a farmer, said many of the dams need to be fixed. He also said that the canals needed to be cleared.

“We need help. We are happy that you are here today. The trench is blocked up and water going into our farms. Minister look at this dam. Can farmers bring out produce on dams like this?

It is worse at the back,” the farmer said.

Other farmers expressed similar sentiments about the need for urgent rehabilitative works to be done on other dams in the community.

Farmers present at the meeting, also expressed dissatisfaction with the way a

recently constructed bridge was done.

They said that the machines used to transport their produce from their farms were not able to cross the bridge because the rails were too narrow.

After listening to the farmers, Minister Mustapha said that a comprehensive assessment of the area will be conducted over the next few days, in order to determine the amount of work needed.

The minister also visited the location where the bridge in question was constructed.

After examining the works, he said that some amount of revetment works would have to be carried out on the structure to accommodate the farmers in the area.

“Farmers here reached out to me last week and I decided to come and see what can be done to assist them because they expressed that they are facing several challenges in terms of infrastructure. I’ve since instructed our regional engineer to come back to the area tomorrow and work with the farmers.

“I’ve also asked that a comprehensive report on works needed in the area be done. I should have that report by Friday so that we can prioritise the works and commence as soon as possible. Also, there’s a bridge that was constructed last year as part of NDIA’s capital

programme and I think that we’ll have to carry out some remedial works on it,” Minister Mustapha said.

Further, he added: “I’ve asked NDIA to make the bill of quantities available so that we can closely examine the scope of the works. When we are undertaking works of this nature, we have to ensure the stakeholders are involved in these projects at some level because they are the ultimate beneficiaries.”

Minister Mustapha also said that it was disappointing that farmers had to bring the issue of substandard projects to his attention when engineers are tasked with monitoring these projects.

“I am in the process of revamping the engineering department of the NDIA to ensure the agency is more responsive and proactive.

We cannot continue to do things in a haphazard way.

We have to ensure that when these projects are done, they are done in a way that we can have value for the monies spent.

“These projects cost a lot of money and they have to be done according to the contractual specifications.

We’ll also be focusing on the way these contractors are working.

Works have to be verified by our engineers before payments are made,” Minister Mustapha said.

Scientist: Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine 97.6 per cent effective in real-world study RUSSIAN scientist, Denis Logunov, a lead developer of the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, said on Friday that the shot had proven itself 97.6 per cent effective against COVID-19 in a real-world assessment, based on data from 3.8 million people.

The new effectiveness rate is higher than the 91.6 per cent rate outlined in results from a large-scale trial of Sputnik V and published in The Lancet Medical Jour-

nal earlier this year.

Using a database of people who received both doses of the vaccine, scientists at Moscow’s Gamaleya Institute, which developed it,

calculated a real-world effectiveness rate of 97.6 per cent, Logunov said during a presentation for the Russian Academy of Sciences.

(Reuters)

Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha and other officials of the ministry engaging a farmer at the meeting on Tuesday

14

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, April 21, 2021

It was like ‘black-and-white film’ –– says Guyanese farmers facing volcano, living in ‘orange’ zone; not leaving animals behind

By Vishani Ragobeer

LIVING through a volcanic eruption is not an experience many people have or would want to have, but it is a reality for citizens of St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), who have been facing constant eruptions of the La Soufrière volcano since April 9.

Before now, the last time La Soufrière erupted was in 1979. Guyanese living in St. Vincent, Joylyn Dennis Lampkin, reasoned that not many people who experienced that eruption are still around. She certainly did

not experience that. But, contending with this year’s eruptions have, nevertheless, been an experience for her.

She and her husband live in the “orange” zone on the island, which is the second highest hazard zone, given its proximity to the active volcano. Here, the couple manages a substantial acreage of farmlands and rear livestock, which has allowed them to be self-sufficient. And, the couple opted not to evacuate to the “green” or low hazard zones, after La Soufrière began erupting.

“Because of the love of our animals, we didn’t

move,” Lampkin told the Guyana Chronicle in a recent interview. “We asked for systems to be put in place to move the animals but no response and eventually, other farmers had to move.”

Though about 90 per cent of the population in the orange zone evacuated, the Lampkins and a few other farmers stayed behind to tend to their animals instead of leaving them to fend for themselves.

“It is sad to see the animals just roaming about and they are dying. This is people’s livelihood... they don’t have anything else and (the The Lampkins’ farm close to their home before the volcano erupted animals) don’t have grass to eat,” Lampkin emphasised.

This orange zone, though relatively close to the volcano, is a hilly place. Lampkin explained that she lives at one of the higher points of the island, nearby to the Belmont Observatory which is manned 24 hours by staff of the UWI Seismic Research Centre, who are monitoring the volcano.

“We are not alone, we

are surrounded by a network of people -- mostly farmers -- we support each other and we supply water to other people,” Lampkin explained.

Explaining the situation, Lampkin noted that the local authorities cut the water supply to this area in a bid to encourage people in this area to evacuate to safety. Due to the Lampkins’ proximity to the observatory, however, they were able to benefit from

an uninterrupted supply of water that is supplied to the researchers there.

And in turn, the Lampkins have been able to supply water to the farmers who remained there but have been without water.

‘NOT FIRE AND BRIMSTONE’ Though she, her husband see page 15

The Lampkins’ farm close to their home after the volcano erupted

15

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, April 21, 2021

It was like ‘black-and-white...

From page 14

and dozens of farmers decided to stay behind and take care of their livestock, Lampkin assured this newspaper that she is safe and sound, and well taken care of.

“This kinda thing that I anticipated would get us to move -- the heat and fire and brimstone, we’re not getting that kind of impact,” Lampkin posited, adding: “People think we are in danger (but) it’s nothing like that. It’s just the ash… ash is falling down on you all the time but if you are indoors, you can protect yourself.”

The abundance of ash fall

to the volcano], they had to leave but those of us on the heights, we don’t really have to leave,” the woman said too.

This abundance of ash fall was highlighted by another Guyanese living on the island, Clifton Pollard. He lives in Belair, in the “green” or low hazard zone which is located at the southern end of the island.

“Green zone is supposed to have light impact, but because this eruption was so big, the green zone wasn’t really looking like a green zone,” Pollard said.

On April 9, when the

Guyanese living in St. Vincent, Clifton Pollard, as he worked through the ash fall has been a bugbear, forcing the Lampkins to constantly clean their premises and even wear special breathing masks at times. Still, Lampkin emphasised that she and her husband prefer to stay in their own homes where they have food, water and constant electricity due to their solar power system.

“It’s not that bad for us here. Those in the ‘red’ zone [the high hazard area, closest

volcano erupted, Pollard noted that he did not realise that the volcano erupted. In fact, he was only informed of the eruption after he saw the news and checked social media.

Subsequently, however, he peered outside and saw a thick, black smoke -- that appeared to be a nuclear explosion -- spreading across the sky.

SEEMED LIKE A MOVIE “It seemed like a movie because you only see these things in a movie,” Pollard highlighted.

As the explosions continued, Pollard was part of a team tasked with ensuring communication equipment in the Red zone was well-maintained and not damaged by the volcanic eruption, so that there would be no communication interruption.

Pollard highlighted that the experience was fascinating, not scary. “The only se-

vere things that were happening were stones falling from the sky and a heavy ash fall,” he said, adding: “Imagine it was 10:30 in the morning and the place is just dark. It’s like an old time black and white film, or a grey vintage look.”

The ash eventually covered buildings and surfaces across the island. It spread to the island of Barbados and went across the continent of Africa, with some substances getting as far as India. On SVG, the depth of the ash fall varied.

With the ash fall, thick

dust is omnipresent, Pollard related, adding that this can cause severe discomfort and respiratory constraints.

It is for this reason, he said, citizens were advised to stay indoors and keep their windows closed. Initially, this was difficult, since intermittent power outages meant that the place was heated. With the eventual return of regular power, however, this situation was remedied.

Meanwhile, all across the green zone, Pollard said that shelters have been set up to

host evacuated people. Nowadays, however, Pollard said that there is some semblance of normalcy within the green zone, even as the eruptions continue. But, the people wait with bated breaths since it is unknown what other disaster may befall.

News 784, in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, reported that Geologist and Professor, Richard Robertson, who is stationed at the Belmont Observatory, noted that the eruptions could last for weeks, if not months.

16

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, April 21, 2021

Renowned cardiac surgeon visits President

PRESIDENT Irfaan Ali, on Tuesday, received a courtesy visit from members of the Novick Cardiac Alliance (NCA) at the Office of the President on Shiv Chanderpaul Drive.

Dr William Novick and Smith Sean, Co-Founder and Care Consultant of NCA, respectively, along with Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC)’s Paediatric Surgeon, Dr Marisa Seepersaud, and Head of Medical Services and Cardiology, Dr Mahendra

Carpen, discussed a range of issues with President Ali, including capacity building at the medical institution.

Over the years, Dr Novick has worked with local teams to build and sustain paediatric heart surgery services in the developing world. His altruistic nature has led him to 46 cities in 32 countries over the last two decades, where he and his team have provided 7,411 children with operations and medical care.

NCA is hoping to start

(from left) Paediatric Surgeon at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), Dr Marisa Seepersaud; the hospital’s Head of Medical Services and Cardiology, Dr Mahendra Carpen; President Irfaan Ali; co-founder of NCA, Dr William Novick, and Care Consultant of NCA, Smith Sean, at the Office of the President a similar programme in Guyana, since, according to Dr Carpen, “heart disease in children is indeed a major issue” in our country.

The Novick Cardiac

Alliance is committed to bringing sustainable health care solutions to children with cardiac disease in the developing world.

They are dedicated

to improving the skills, knowledge, technology and experience of local health-care providers in regions of the world without access to quality paediatric cardiac care.

17

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, April 21, 2021

Care, protection of boys central in new ChildLinK campaign LOCAL child rights organisation, ChildLinK Guyana, on April 16, launched a localized Blue Umbrella Day (BUD) as part of its two-year public education campaign focussing on the care and protection of boys.

The BUD campaign has been initiated by Family for Every Child (a global network) and launched in several member countries including India, Philippines and Paraguay. It is aimed at raising awareness on how to better care for boys and protect them from sexual violence.

The findings from the Caring for Boys research conducted by Family For Every Child indicated that “sexual violence affecting boys remains largely unknown, unacknowl-

edged and not responded to, across a wide range of contexts and cultures, mostly as a result of gendered social norms, which influence perceptions of boys’ vulnerability. These also pose an obstacle to disclosure by boys, identification and acceptance by others, recognition of harm caused, and recognition of the support needed to recover”.

Sexual violence against boys is often an unexplored issue, resulting in lack of awareness and support for those who are survivors of abuse. Given the urgent need for focussed care for boys, ChildLinK incorporated BUD into its existing One Thousand Boys (OTB) initiative.

The OTB action commenced in July 2020

and has been widening collaboration, while increasing target groups and delivering services in regions where no services currently exist. It places greater emphasis on men

and boys, both as victims and perpetrators, but more critically, as advocates for preventing Child Sexual Abuse (CSA).

“It is an inverted gender issue to speak about

the abuse of boys, because it touches on so many taboos.

I am happy that the EU can support an initiative that not only promotes discussions but also are

actively working on the issue.

Boys are often neglected victims and I am glad that we can search See page 20

18

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, April 21, 2021

Digicel contributes $2M to relief efforts for St. Vincent DIGICEL Guyana has donated $2 million to the Civil Defence Commis-

sion (CDC) as part of its contribution to relief efforts for St. Vincent and

the Grenadines, which is grappling with the effects of the volcano, La Soufrière, eruptions.

Thousands of people have so far been evacuated from the red zone (danger zone) and housed in shelters, as a result of ashfall from the explosive eruptions of the volcano.

Those eruptions have affected the entire island and the situation continues to be difficult for residents.

“Digicel is committed to working with the Government of Guyana on national and regional emergencies and commends the CDC for their management of the relief efforts. We are confident that our donation will be put to good use in meeting some of the immediate needs of the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines,” Digicel Guyana said in a press statement,

Digicel’s Head of Commercial, Simone Pierre, hands over a ceremonial cheque to Director-General of the CDC, Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig, on Monday at the CDC’s head office, Thomas Lands issued on Tuesday.

At a simple handing-over ceremony, Digicel’s Head of Commercial, Simone Pierre, said: “Digicel is honoured to be part of this collaborative effort initiated by the CDC in providing relief to the people of St Vincent and the Grenadines.

We would like the Vincentians to know that our hearts and prayers are with

them during these difficult times.”

The Digicel Group has also shown its commitment to helping the Vincentians rebuild by donating US$500,000 worth of much-needed items to the Government of St Vincent and the Grenadines, last week.

Commenting on the assistance, Digicel Group Chairman, Denis O’Brien,

said: “With our priorities being helping to keep people safe and keeping them connected, it’s at times like these that our natural instinct is to want to do everything we can to help.

“As a company, as a team and as the Digicel family, we are here for the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and ready to help in a meaningful way.”

19

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, April 21, 2021

Flood relief for Pomeroon farmers –– over 100 bags of fertiliser donated by NAREI

OVER 100 farmers, operating in the Lower Pomeroon, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) area, received much-needed support to fast-track their recovery from the dire effects of flooding, which occurred earlier this year.

Farming is the main economic activity in the Pomeroon area. The main crops grown there are coconuts, avocado, citrus and vegetables. In January 2021, Lower and Upper Pomeroon experienced flooding for many weeks and, as a result, the ability of farmers to earn was reduced significantly.

Following a commitment

by Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, to assist persons affected by flooding, some 255 farmers of Up-

per Pomeroon received fertilisers to restore nutrients to the soil. This, by extension, allowed farmers to re-cultivate their lands, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), Jagnarine Singh said.

“Today (Monday), we sent 100 bags of 12-12-172 fertiliser and 300 packs of ant bait to the Regional Democratic Council for distribution. The fertiliser will be distributed to farmers of Martindale and neighbouring communities. And, the Acoushi ant bait will be distributed to every Amerindian community in Region Two,” Singh said.

Regional Chairwoman of the Region Two RDC,

Vilma DaSilva, expressed gratitude for the intervention by the minister and NAREI. She related that the flood had affected the livelihoods of farmers and the effects are still being experienced owing to reduced productivity.

“Since the relief effort started, farmers of Jacklow UPR, Marlborough LPR, Cozier Canal LPR have already benefitted. This assistance will greatly help farmers to restart production as well as reduce production cost. We want our farmers to produce and earn,” DaSilva said.

NAREI is also helping to combat Acoushi ants in the region. A total of 300 packs of acoushi ant bait will be distributed in the Pomeroon and Amerindian communities.

Supplies being loaded for distribution (Photo courtesy of DPI) This would be done through a collaboration between NAREI and the communities. Some com-

munities that will receive bait this week are Wakapoa, Akawini, Karawab, St. Monica and Kabaka-

buri. Additionally, fogging exercises will be done in the various communities.

(DPI)

20

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, April 21, 2021

Care, protection of boys central in new ChildLinK ...

From page 17 for the truth with this project,” Head of Cooperation, EU Delegation of the European Union, Karel Lizerot highlighted, at the launch of the research-backed campaign.

The EU has provided ChildLinK with a three-year grant that covers 90% of the OTB initiative that centres on the care of boys. Lizerot said that, through the EU’s efforts to promote positive values, it has been working with governments and civil society organisations (CSOs) in partner countries.

“ChildLinK is a very successful implementing partner. They are very responsible, accountable and a true civil society leader in Guyana. This is not an isolated project as it works as part of a

holistic dialogue with the government. It is a sustainable approach that is owned by Guyana,” Lizerot stated.

Lead Researcher on the One Thousand Boys research, Dr Paulette Henry, explained that there are many social norms and practices that contribute towards CSA. The research will address the deeper societal and cultural complexities of CSA and identify the harmful social norms that drive CSA so as to increase the responsibility on adults in protecting children.

She detailed that harmful sexual behaviours are often taught to boys and girls through their parents’ actions or inactions, and further noted that harmful family structures, lack of enforcement of child protection laws, absence in reporting from family members, and insuffi-

cient protection for survivors of abuse all contribute towards the prevalence of CSA. “There is a great underreporting of sexual assault of boys. It is believed to be far more common than is currently thought, with boys being just as vulnerable as girls, but shame and guilt often inhibit reporting,” Henry added.

Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr Vindhya Persaud, in delivering the feature address at the launch, underscored the importance of placing the spotlight on violence against boys.

“This partnership that exists between government and CSOs is integral to seriously tackle and bring about the main outcome of having safer children. I would like to commend and congratulate ChildLinK for their passionate advocacy, their

creative approaches and especially this one that focuses on one thousand teen boys and also partnering with hundreds of men so that they can become advocates for the awareness campaign and end stigma as it relates to reporting and intervention,” she stated.

The OTB initiative will expand the Child Advocacy Centre (CAC) services to children who report child sexual abuse.

ChildLinK is currently operating CACs in Regions Three, Four, Five and Six. Support gained from the Spotlight Initiative Guyana was instrumental in operationalizing the CAC in Region Six. Under the OTB, new CACs services will be made available in Regions Eight and Nine.

The aim is to ensure that children in all regions in Guyana have access to the CAC services.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, April 21, 2021

Two die of COVID-19 TWO more persons have died from COVID-19, taking Guyana’s overall death toll to 273, the Ministry of Health has said.

The latest fatalities are two men, a 60-year-old from Region Six (East Berbice- Corentyne) and a 56year- old man from Region Ten (Upper Demerara-Berbice), who both died while receiving care at a medical facility on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, there are currently 1,394 active COVID-19 cases in Guyana, following the addition of 71 new cases on April 20, 2021. This is according to the health ministry’s COVID-19 dashboard.

Even as new cases were recorded, 51 persons were

reported to have recovered from the virus, bringing the total number of recoveries to 10,297.

The 71 newly confirmed cases were recorded in Regions Two, Three, Four, Six, Nine and Ten. Forty-four of the newly confirmed cases were females and 27 were males.

Region Four accounted for 47 of the new cases, while Region Two recorded two new cases; Region Three recorded five new cases; Region Six recorded three new cases; Region Nine recorded six new cases and Region Ten recorded eight.

It was reported that the 71 new cases were recorded from a total of 676 tests.

The country has now recorded a total of 11,972 confirmed cases since the first COVID-19 case was reported in March 2020.

There are currently 1,394 active cases, 13 of which are being kept at the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the National Infectious Diseases Hospital at Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown.

Currently, there are 77 persons in institutional isolation, 1,294 in home isolation and ten 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 from April 1, 2021, until April 30, 2021. 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, however, all persons are required to wear face masks when leaving their homes. Physical distancing and adequate sanitisation are also important.

The current curfew time is 22:30h to 04:00h.

Persons with symptoms of COVID-19 are asked to call the COVID-19 hotline numbers: 231-1166; 226-7480; or 180/181 for assistance.

Woman charged for humiliating aunt, cousin on Facebook MARRISA Waterman who is accused of using social media to humiliate her aunt and cousin, appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, on Monday, and was granted $20,000 bail by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.

Waterman of Craig Street, Campbellville, denied that she, between January 30 and 31, 2021, at Kitty, used a computer system to publish or transmit electronic data of Dionne James that was obscene, vulgar, profane, lewd, lascivious or indecent with intent to humiliate, harass or cause substantial emotional distress to James.

Waterman also denied that she, between the said period and at the same location, did the same thing to Latoya Cameron-Hintzen.

According to the prosecution, Hintzen, who is James’ daughter and Waterman’s cousin served Waterman’s mother notices to vacate her premises. That matter is currently in court.

This situation led to Waterman allegedly publishing derogatory writings of James and her daughter with their names attached. As a result, both victims felt humiliated and reported the matter to the police. Waterman was arrested and later charged for the offence.

Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan ordered that Waterman be placed on $10,000 bail for each charge.

The matter was adjourned to May 24, 2021.

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Gabba set for $1B upgrade with Olympic bid win

Brisbane’s iconic venue could get a huge upgrade should the IOC hand the 2032 summer games to the Queensland capital.

THE Gabba, an iconic Australian cricket venue, will undergo a major redevelopment worth more than $1 billion should Brisbane win the hosting rights of the 2032 Summer Olympics.

Queensland Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, announced today the venue, where Australia has lost one Test match in the past 33 years, would be “essentially demolished” if the city wins Olympics hosting rights.

A rebuilt Gabba would hold an increased capacity of 50 000 seats, becoming a state-of-theart stadium with a pedestrian plaza linking the venue to the Cross River Rail station.

“We’ve hosted the AFL here, we’ve hosted cricket here, but for the Olympics, this is front and centre – opening and closing ceremonies - athletics, you name it, it’s going to be the best,” she told Nine’s Today programme.

The Gabba was built in 1895 and has undergone two substantial renovations and refurbishments since 1993.

The last major redevelopment was completed in 2005 when a 24-bay grandstand was built for $128 million.

The Gabba’s public, corporate and media facilities also received a $35 million upgrade in 2020.

Cricket, although not (yet) an Olympic sport, will benefit from the redevelopment, with the 2029-30 Ashes Test potentially the last fixture held at the ground before the upgrade begins.

Australia has lost just one Test match at the Gabba since 1988 – this year’s defeat to India that clinched the series for the tourists – and traditionally produces a fast, bouncy pitch.

The Gabba is set to protect its pitch and not move to dropin pitches, and no detail on timeframes for the work were made available.

Nick Hockley, Cricket Australia’s Interim CEO, welcomed the redevelopment plans.

“The Gabba is one of the most important, iconic and historic cricket grounds in Austra-

lia and we are delighted that the Queensland Government has agreed to a major redevelopment should Brisbane win the right to host the 2032 Olympic Games,” Hockley said.

“Just as the 2000 Olympics bestowed upon cricket the dual legacies of Stadium Australia and the Sydney Showground – both of which became international cricket venues – so, too, would the 2032 Brisbane Games equip the Gabba with state-of-the-art facilities to rival any stadium in the world.

“Australian Cricket is fortunate to have had many of its major venues undergo upgrades in recent years and it would be wonderful to see the Gabba joining that list.”

Queensland Cricket chief Terry Svenson added: “That cricket’s heritage and particular requirements will be considered in this process as a legacy from the Games is exceptional.”

A new-look Gabba would also be a boost for the Brisbane Heat, who boast a parochial fan base in the KFC BBL.

“There is nothing like playing at the Gabba when it’s full,” said Heat captain Chris Lynn.

“The noise from the crowd is as loud as anything I have played in front of around the world.

“The support we receive from our fans makes these upgrades all the more important.

“Hopefully a better stadium experience will bring more fans into the ground and will help us to keep growing cricket and the Big Bash League.

“Everyone at Brisbane Heat is excited by what the future holds with a new and improved Gabba stadium.

The International Olympics Committee named Brisbane as its preferred host city in February.

But a final decision rests on detailed discussions with Games chiefs and key commitments from the federal government.

Australian Olympics Committee president John Coates addressed cabinet on Monday, where MPs formally endorsed Brisbane’s candidacy.

“This is still contingent on guarantees that need to be received from the federal government,” Ms Palaszczuk stressed on Monday.

She has had a discussion with Prime Minister Scott Morrison and more talks will occur in the coming weeks.

“We are basically doing years and months of work in a very short time frame to meet the deadlines the IOC has set us,” she said.

But Brisbane is not without rivals.

Earlier this month, South Korea said Seoul had submitted a proposal to host the 2032 games, despite Brisbane’s frontrunner status.

(AAP & Cricket Network)

Kerr hails Stephen Curry scoring streak after win over 76ers GOLDEN State Warriors coach Steve Kerr described Stephen Curry as “just amazing to watch” after he extended his scoring streak on Monday.

Curry hit 49 points as his side beat the Philadelphia 76ers 107-96.

It was the 11th game in a row the 33-year-old has scored 30 points or more.

“I don’t know what else to say,” said Kerr. “It’s the same thing after every game - utter amazement at this guy’s skill level, heart, mind and focus.

Just amazing to watch!”

Curry’s total included 10 three-pointers - five of them in the final quarter - against the

Stephen Curry hits in 49 points for Golden State Warriors.

Eastern Conference leaders.

It is the 21st time in his career he has hit 10 or more three-pointers in a single game and leaves him as the

favourite for this season’s NBA Most Valuable Player award.

“Kobe Bryant earlier in his career had a stretch, and obviously Michael Jordan had some stretches where he scored like crazy,” Kerr added.

“But nobody’s ever shot the ball like this in the history of the game. And even by Steph’s own lofty standards, this is above and beyond.”

Victory sees Golden State improve their season record to 29-29 as they chase a playoff place from the Western Conference.

Elsewhere, Devin Booker’s free throw with 0.3 sec-

onds of overtime remaining helped the Phoenix Suns edge past Milwaukee Bucks 128127. The game ended in controversy, with PJ Tucker adjudged to have fouled Booker to set up the winning freethrow for Suns as a second period of overtime loomed.

Denver Nuggets needed double overtime to defeat Memphis Grizzlies 139-137, with Nikola Jokic scoring 47 points. Utah Jazz maintained their lead at the top of the Western Conference with a comfortable 111-97 win over an under-strength Los Angeles Lakers. (BBC Sport)

Marnus tipped for greatness after Sheffield Shield final epic

Marnus Labuschagne was crowned king of the Marsh Sheffield Shield final.

MARNUS Labuschagne was crowned king of the Marsh Sheffield Shield final and his Test and state teammates now believe he could become one of the “greats of the game” in the coming years.

Labuschagne’s reputation only swelled further last week after a remarkable 192 against a Test-quality New South Wales attack on a tricky Allan Border Field pitch no other batter passed 50 on. It capped a season in which he was the only man to score four Shield tons, while he was also the leading run-scorer during Australia’s Border Gavaskar Trophy series defeat to India.

Next summer’s home Ashes looms as the next major challenge for Labuschagne following his stunning rise from Steve Smith’s concussion substitute at Lord’s in 2019 to now being the third-ranked Test batter in the world.

Nathan Lyon, against whom Labuschagne won an intriguing battle during the week’s Shield decider, believes his Test teammate could scale great heights.

“There’s a fair few batters on my list (of the best he has bowled to), but Marnus is creeping up there,” Lyon said after the Bulls’ innings-and-33-run victory.

“In my eyes he’s a superstar already, but I think he’s got the potential to be one of the greats. “This is the best I’ve seen him bat – ever. It’s the most patient I’ve ever seen him. He trusts his defence, he’s able to manipulate the field wherever he wants.”

Labuschagne and Lyon were the first two players to play all four Tests and feature in every Shield game (including the final) for their states since 1975, yet the Queenslander has no plans to put his feet up just yet.

He will depart for the United Kingdom to join Glamorgan for the county season this week as he

chases yet more runs. Lyon joked that Labuschagne will “go home and bat in his garage” on Sunday after Queensland’s Shield title, such is his enjoyment of the game.

The right-hander’s last stint with the Welsh county in 2019 was the precursor to not only his breakthrough Ashes success but also a dominant stretch of run-scoring in red-ball cricket.

In the 38 first-class matches he has played since, he has scored nearly 4 000 runs at an average of 68.26, with 14 hundreds and 19 half-centuries.

His Queensland captain Usman Khawaja says Labuschagne needs to harness his current form, the likes of which he has only previously seen from Steve Smith.

“When he’s got his confidence up like he does now – and he’s a confident bloke at the best of times … all the little half-chance and halfthings go your way,” said Khawaja. “You need to make sure you hold onto it for as long as you can. “It’s been a whirlwind last six months, last few years really, he’s come out of nowhere. “The biggest thing for Marnus was that he wasn’t very good at converting when he was younger.

“I remember talking to him about it … during an ‘A’ series about, making sure he keeps the same tempo (after passing 50), because he had all the shots.

“The thing was he had to figure out when to play all the shots.

“His decision-making now is as good as any, he understands his game, he understands bowlers and what they’re trying to do. It’s just beautiful to watch.

“I saw Steve Smith do something similar, if Marnus can do half of what Steve Smith has done, he’ll be a very good cricketer.”

(CRICKET.com.au)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday April 21, 2021

Black Caps get vaccinated ahead of UK tour

Neil Wagner getting his first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. (Black Caps)

ALL of New Zealand’s home-based cricketers heading to England for a two-match Test series and the World Test Championship final have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

The New Zealand government said last month it

would allow sports people to jump the queue in the country’s vaccine rollout to allow them to participate in events of “national significance”.

The country has also started administering vaccinations to its athletes ahead of their departure for the July 23-August 8 Tokyo

Olympics.

The cricket team will travel to England for a twoTest series starting on June 2 before facing India in the ICC World Test Championship final on June 18 in Southampton.

New Zealand Cricket yesterday posted a photo

on Twitter of paceman Neil Wagner getting his injection.

“He’s the last of our New Zealand-based players to receive the first of two doses ahead of departure to England in May,” they tweeted.

ESPNCricinfo reported that New Zealand may need to “patch up” the Test side against England, as players from the IPL would require extended quarantine after Britain added India to its travel ‘red list’ on Friday.

Test players Kane Williamson, Mitchell Santner, Trent Boult and Kyle Jamieson are currently playing in the Indian Premier League.

All-rounder Colin de Grandhomme said he had returned to training following ankle surgery and would be ready to play.

“Since I’ve had the surgery the ankle has felt real good and it seems to keep getting better and it feels normal again for a change,” de Grandhomme said.

“Looks like I’m tracking well at the moment and should be ready to go for ball one if I’m needed.”

(Cricket.com.au)

BCCI proposes nine venues for men’s T20 World Cup THE BCCI has proposed to the ICC nine venues for the 2021 men’s T20 World Cup. Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Dharamsala, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow and Mumbai were part of the list finalised by the BCCI’s Apex Council, which met virtually last weekend.

The ICC, which runs the global tournaments, will take a decision on the final venues based primarily on the COVID-19 pandemic situation in India.

The 16-team tournament is scheduled to be played between October and November with November 13 being earmarked for the final, scheduled in Ahmedabad. It is understood the ICC has done recces of a few venues, but is facing the challenge of sending experts to India which currently is going through a second wave of the pandemic. An ICC team is understood to be travelling to India on April 26.

ICC and BCCI are understood to have discussed

different plans in case staging the event at multiple venues proves to be a complex issue.

ESPNcricinfo understands that ICC is closely watching the 2021 IPL which BCCI is conducting on a caravan model with the eight teams split across two venues at a time.

Geoff Allardice, the interim CEO of the ICC, had said two weeks ago that he expected the T20 World Cup to go ahead as planned in India, but the governing body had back-up plans in place

as well. Sri Lanka and the UAE are among the back-up venues for the event.

The BCCI remains confident about staging the event mainly because it believes by the time the World Cup is hosted, a healthy percentage of adults in India would have been vaccinated. On Monday, the Indian government stated that May 1 onwards, all adults over 18 years could get vaccinated. (Cricinfo)

Silverwood takes charge as Ed Smith’s role is abolished

Ed Smith (centre) played three Tests for England in 2003.

ED Smith’s role as England national selector has been abolished.

In a restructuring of the way the England men’s teams are selected, responsibility will now fall to head coach Chris Silverwood.

“The restructure is in the best interests of helping England men’s teams to be successful,” said England managing director Ashley Giles.

The former England batsman, 43, will leave the England and Wales Cricket Board at the end of the month.

Smith had held the role of national selector since 2018.

Giles, who devised the new structure, added: “The current process of selecting England teams has been in place for over 120 years.

“The new structure also makes lines of accountability much clearer, with Chris Silverwood, as head coach, taking ultimate responsibility for picking England senior

men’s squads.”

Silverwood will continue to take input from Test captain Joe Root and limited-overs skipper Eoin Morgan, along with performance director Mo Bobat and James Taylor, who takes on a new role of ‘head scout’.

The ECB says the system will be supported be a “resource that will provide intelligence from performance analysis, talent ID, scouting, medical and sports science”.

“It has been a huge privilege to work with great people trying to help England cricket and I am excited about watching England’s continued development,” said Smith.

“I wish Ashley Giles, the coaches and all support staff good fortune over the coming months. I know how hard Ashley and his team work for England cricket.

“In particular, I’d like to wish Chris Silverwood good luck and every success going forward.” (BBC Sport).

Mathews returns to Sri Lanka team for Bangladesh Tests UNCAPPED left-arm spinner Praveen Jayawickrama and left-arm quick Dilshan Madushanka have been named in Sri Lanka’s squad to play Bangladesh in the twoTest series that starts today.

Kusal Mendis was omitted again, while Kusal Perera was out through injury. The batting group, otherwise, largely comprised the players that toured the West Indies last month.

Angelo Mathews returned to the squad after having left the West Indies tour for personal reasons. Offspin-bowling all-

rounder Ramesh Mendis was picked again.

In what may be an indication of the pitches that could be expected in Pallekele, no fewer than five quicks were selected. Not among them was Dushmantha Chameera, who is on personal leave with his wife expecting a child.

Returning to the squad, though, was Lahiru Kumara, who had missed the West Indies tour after testing positive for Covid-19. Kasun Rajitha continued to be unavailable through injury.

Sri Lanka allrounder Angelo Mathews

Surprisingly for a home series, only one specialist spinner was named. Legspinner

Wanindu Hasaranga was in the squad, but left-arm wristspinner Lakshan Sandakan was not.

Ramesh Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva - who are both primarily batters - are on hand to provide support with their offspin.

Twenty-two-year-old Jayawickrama’s selection was due to the absence of Lasith Embuldeniya, who picked up a serious soft-tissue injury while fielding in the second West Indies Test. The selectors are understood to have considered two other left-arm spinners to replace him, but both were ruled out; Duvindu Tillakaratne was injured, while Prabath

Jayasuriya failed to pass a fitness test.

Madushanka, 20, meanwhile, was selected largely based on potential. He had played for Sri Lanka at Under-19 level, but has only three first-class matches on his record.

Both Tests will be played in Pallekele. When Bangladesh last visited for an assignment in the longest format, they drew the series 1-1, recording their first win on Sri Lankan soil in Colombo.

(Cricinfo)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday April 21, 2021

Man United executive vice-chairman Woodward to stand down at end of 2021

By Simon Stone MANCHESTER United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward will step down from his role at the end of 2021.

It comes amid widespread criticism of the proposed European Super League (ESL), with Manchester United, one of six Premier League clubs, to have initially signed up to the plan.

United’s rivals Manchester City withdrew from the ESL yesterday and Chelsea are also planning to do so.

Woodward, 49, had been in the role since 2013.

He was set to leave at the end of the year but the decision to announce his departure has been brought forward.

After plans for the ESL were announced on Sunday, Woodward stepped down from his role on UEFA’S

Ed Woodward has been in the role since 2013.

Professional Football Strategy Council.

Woodward had significant input into the discussions around a revamped Champions League on Friday.

Bayern move to within one win of title

Bayern Munich celebrate their victory.(Image credit: Getty Images)

Bayern Munich need one win from their remaining four league games to claim a ninth successive Bundesliga title after a comfortable victory against Bayer Leverkusen.

Former Stoke forward Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting opened the scoring when he volleyed home after Thomas Muller’s shot rebounded into his path.

Midfielder Joshua Kimmich made it 2-0 when he drove into the bottom corner.

Bayern are now 10 points clear of RB Leipzig, who lost 2-1 at Cologne.

Choupo-Moting has now scored in three successive games for the second time in his career, having previously done so in March 2014 when he was at Mainz.

Bayern can win the league at Mainz on Saturday (14:30 BST) and win coach Hansi Flick his seventh trophy at the club before he leaves at the end of the season.(BBC Sport).

UEFA had hoped the new 36-team Champions League, which was agreed on Monday, would stave off any breakaway Super League, but the controversial competition was announced on Sunday.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin was critical of Woodward, saying that the United man was “very satisfied” with the reforms when they last spoke on Thursday evening.

Ceferin added that Woodward only wanted to discuss financial fair play but “obviously he already signed something else”.

Manchester United co-chairman Joel Glazer will be a vice-chairman of the Super League BBC Sport has been told the agreement between Woodward and owners the Glazer family is amicable and there has been no falling out.

The announcement was brought forward because of the prospect of leaks.

The move will sever long-standing ties between Woodward and the Glazer family.

Woodward played a major role in getting their controversial takeover completed in 2005.

However, after replacing David Gill as chief executive in 2013, he has been heavily criticised for the club’s

failure to challenge for the Premier League title and an, at times, shambolic transfer policy.

Woodward took the decision to sack David Moyes less than a year into his sixyear contract as Sir Alex Ferguson’s successor.

Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho were also dismissed for failing to match expectations.

Current manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was appointed in December 2018 and Woodward has stood by the Norwegian despite inconsistent form.

Woodward’s home in Cheshire was attacked by a group chanting that he was “going to die” in January 2020, though Woodward was not at home at the time.

(BBC Sport)

Mishra stars as Delhi Capitals trump Mumbai Indians

AMIT Mishra picked up four wickets to set up Delhi Capitals’ (DC) rare victory over Mumbai Indians (MI) in an IPL 2021 match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai yesterday. Mishra’s four for 24 kept MI to 137 for nine, which DC chased down with six wickets in hand in the final over.

Shikhar Dhawan (45), Steve Smith (33) and Lalit Yadav (22*) made decent contributions with the bat in tough conditions to help DC home. DC had lost their last five matches to Mumbai.

DC’s chase started on a wrong note with Prithvi Shaw tamely chipping a return catch to Jayant Yadav in the second over. MI nearly got Shikhar Dhawan out in the first over, with Hardik Pandya claiming a low catch. However, replays show he had grassed it. The absence of soft signal in the IPL worked in favour of the batsman.

However, DC had the perfect batsman to soak in the pressure and put up a steady partnership for chasing such low totals – Steve Smith.

Smith joined Shikhar Dhawan as the duo took DC to 39 for one in the Power Play.

The duo added 55 for the second wicket before Kieron Pollard trapped Smith lbw in

Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals players greet one another after the match.

(Image Credit: Sportzpics for BCCI)

Amit Mishra ran rings around the celebrated Mumbai Indians batting line-up.

(BCCI/IPL) BY IPL STAFF

the 10th over. With the ball spinning big, and Rahul Chahal and Jayant Yadav bowling well, Dhawan and Lalit Yadav

batted steadily to take the equation to 48 from six overs.

After the break, Dhawan hit Rahul Chahar for a six and

a four, but the leg-spinner had his revenge in the same over, Dhawan caught in the deep for 45 (42).

DC needed 37 off 30. And despite losing skipper Rishabh Pant to Bumrah, Lalith and Shimron Hetmyer (14 not out) finished the game without fuss.

Earlier, Mishra, who is playing his second game of this season, removed skipper Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya, both caught in the deep as well as Ishan Kishan, who was bowled and Kieron Pollard, who was out leg-before-wicket.

MI, who lost Quinton de Kock early to Marcus Stoinis, were looking good at one stage as Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav added 58 for the second wicket. However, Yadav’s dismissal off the bowling of Avesh Khan triggered a collapse.

Mishra then got into the act as MI lost four wickets, including three to Mishra, while adding just eight runs.

Both Sharma and Hardik fell in the space of three balls.

While Mishra took four wickets, pace bowler Avesh took two for 15 in two overs while Rabada and Lalit Yadav picked up a wicket each. (IPLsStaff with IANS inputs)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday April 21, 2021

Chelsea go fourth in draw with Brighton on dramatic night of European football CHELSEA shared a goalless draw with Brighton to climb into the Champions Leagues places on a night where the future of European football came to a dramatic head.

The fixture was almost a side note, with the news breaking before kick-off that Chelsea were preparing to pull out of the European Super League at the same time as their fans were protesting the club’s inclusion outside Stamford Bridge.

The Blues’ notice of withdrawal was followed by that of Manchester City as the controversial new competition threatened to unravel just 48 hours after the 12 clubs involved unveiled their proposals.

With the current Champions League admitting sides on merit, Chelsea will need to finish among the top four in the English top flight, or win the competition, to qualify for a spot among Europe’s elite next season.

The Blues created little but a point was enough to see Thomas Tuchel’s side take up the last of those automatic places, going above London rivals West Ham, whom they face on Saturday.

It was in fact Brighton who enjoyed the best chances late on as first substitute

Adam Lallana fired wide before Danny Welbeck struck the post from distance.

Defender Ben White was then sent off for the visitors in stoppage time for a second booking as Chelsea looked to break away.

The draw moves Graham Potter’s side seven points above the Premier League relegation zone with six games to play.

The drama started long before kick-off in west Lon-

LONDON, (CMC) – Grenada internationals Ollie Norburn and Kairo Mitchell both scored on Tuesday night, but the Spice Boys’

efforts proved in vain as their clubs slipped to narrow defeats.

Midfielder Norburn pulled a goal back in the 66th minute

Brighton players wore anti-European Super League t-shirts in the warm-up.

don as around 1 000 Chelsea fans gathered outside the stadium in protest at plans for a new European Super League that has been met with widespread condemnation.

Blues goalkeeper Petr Cech, now the club’s technical and performance adviser, could be seen pleading with the crowd to disperse so the team coaches could enter the ground, which led to the game being delayed by 15 minutes.

It was not long before

news began filtering through that Chelsea were in fact preparing documentation to withdraw from the proposed competition and that was met with cheers by those still gathered in the area.

It is reported the decision was taken by owner Roman Abramovich and the Chelsea board after witnessing negative global reaction to the Super League, rather than a direct response to the protests.

Chelsea boss Tuchel said

as Shrewsbury went down 2-1 at home at New Meadow in England’s West Midlands to Wigan Athletic in League One, while Mitchell halved Chesterfield’s deficit in the fifth-tier National League as the hosts lost 2-1 to Halifax Town at Technique Stadium in the East Midlands.

The win boosted Wigan’s survival hopes as goals in the first half from Will Keane and Callum Lang sealed the three points.

Captain Norburn, 28, volleyed the home side back into the game before Curtis Main struck the post for Shrewsbury.

Two first-half goals were enough to earn Halifax maximum points at fellow play-off hopefuls Chesterfield.

Halifax broke the deadlock in the eighth minute when Jeff King found the corner of James Montgomery’s net before Jake Hyde doubled the visitors’ lead with a 29th-minute header.

Chesterfield rallied in the second half and pulled a goal

back through 23-year-old striker Mitchell in the 71st minute.

Tyreece John-Jules, a 20-year-old striker who is eligible to represent Dominica and who is on loan from Arsenal, also ended up on the losing side as Doncaster Rovers went down 2-1 at Accrington Stanley in League One. Both teams have fallen out of the play-off picture with recent poor runs but Dion Charles scored two penalties to secure Accrington victory – the second in injury time.

The hosts were made to pay for missed chances on 76 minutes when Fejiri Okenabirhie fed substitute striker John-Jules – nephew of actor Danny John-Jules – and he fired low into the bottom of the net.

John-Jules should have doubled his tally on 82 minutes when he got the ball with only Toby Savin to beat but the goalkeeper superbly denied him.

Then, in stoppage time, goalkeeper Ellery Balcombe

beforehand it was an “annoying and frustrating” distraction for his side as they looked to build on the momentum gained by reaching the Champions League semi-finals and FA Cup final in the past week.

And there was no escaping it during the warm-up as Brighton players donned T-shirts reading “Football is for the fans” and ‘Champions League: Earn it” on them.

The off-field drama did not translate on to the pitch as sides with the two of the best recent defensive records in the Premier League struggled to pick holes in another.

A long-range Kurt Zouma effort that Robert Sanchez saved comfortably was the best Chelsea could muster before the break, while Yves Bissouma’s deflected effort that looped over the crossbar was as close as Brighton came.

Tuchel’s concerns appeared to be coming to fruition with Zouma’s attempt one of just three in the first half for the Blues, their fewest in the opening 45 minutes of a Premier League game since managing only one against Liverpool in September.

It was a similar pattern after the interval, with a disciplined Brighton keeping their shape well and stifling any

probing attacking moves from the hosts.

Tuchel introduced Callum Hudson-Odoi and Timo Werner with just over 20 minutes to go in an attempt to stretch the Seagulls, with Olivier Giroud following soon after.

But it was the visitors who enjoyed the best opportunities as first Lallana shot wide after Chelsea gave the ball away on the edge of their own box and then Welbeck whipped a superb effort against the post.

Tuchel’s changes did have some impact as Giroud turned a Hudson-Odoi cross wide and the winger was then brought down by White, as he earned a second yellow card in the 92nd minute.

It was a 15th clean sheet in Tuchel’s 20th game in charge of the Blues, who have lost only one of their 13 Premier League games since the German’s arrival Brighton, meanwhile, have won just two of their past 10 league matches, but victory at Sheffield United on Saturday would all but secure their top-flight status for another year.

Spice Boys on mark but in losing cause CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Wednesday April 21, 2021)

COMPLIMENTS OF CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1)

RCB defeated MI by 2 wickets

(2)

Harshal Patel (RCB)

Today’s Quiz: (1) Which two teams contested the opening game of IPL 2020?

(2)

Who was voted Man of the Match?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

Grenada international Ollie Norburn.

brought down Sean McConville after failing to hold onto an Adam Phillips free-kick and Charles slotted home his 20th goal of the campaign.

Meanwhile, attacking 20-year-old midfielder Tyrese Sinclair helped Mansfield Town secure their League Two safety with the final goal in a dominant 3-0 home win over Scunthorpe Town.

James Perch looked set

to to double his tally, having scored with a superb low finish from 20 yards in the 80th minute, but sliced his finish from the right, only to see the ball run invitingly for Sinclair – son of former Jamaican international Frank Sinclair – to turn it home at the far post seven minutes from time.

31

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday April 21, 2021

CIDI Blue Life Waters, GGA inks major deal

THE Caribbean International Distributors Inc. (CIDI) via their Blue Life Waters and Thrill Beverages brands, signed an exclusive deal to become the official water and beverage provider of the Guyana Golf Association (GCA) and Nexgen Golf Academy.

The deal which was certified on Monday is an additional effort by GGA as they continue strides towards making golf rise to the very top echelons of sports in Guyana.

At the ceremony, General Manager of CIDI, a division of RUDISA, Randy Goodett, stated, “We are proud to be affiliated with the Guyana Golf Association and Nexgen Golf Academy as they have done an amazing job of elevating the sport to a whole new level.

This partnership is one that will continue to expand just as our company has since our launch in 2007.”

Blue Life Waters is also the official water for the Guyana Football Federation’s Golden Jaguars and has increased market penetration due to high

profile affiliation with major sporting organisations among their premier product lines.

“Our company sees the performance of our partners as a key to long relationships and from the aggressive development of the game of golf by Mr. Hussain and his team in the past year, we have no doubt that the game will be a major factor in the country, as thousands of new players will have access and we want to be a part of that success,” said Goodett.

A major part of the deal allows CIDI to showcase their brand locally and internationally at any golf event held under the GGA and Nexgen Golf Academy auspices. It will also become the official water for all golfers who train for the national team at the Academy with the expectation of making the Olympic team.

CIDI joins a fast growing group of major companies and private individuals including Assuria General Insurance, Copa Airlines, H. Nauth & Sons/KK Gas Station, the Shafura Hussain Foundation, AR Printery, Trophy Stall, Maraiko

Bay Resort, Christopher Ram, Anwar Shaffie, Danny Ramnarain, Peter Persaud, Captain Chen Deo, William & Aleena Knight, Sally Jack, the Scouts Association of Guyana, The Guyana Teachers Union and the Nexgen Group who have come together to make the dream of affordable golf a reality for thousands of new players.

Over the past 8 months, golf has risen to challenge established sports such as cricket and football in Guyana, propelled in part by the fact that it’s one of the few fully compliant COVID-19 activities permitted by the Task Force, but mainly due to the extraordinary efforts and promotion by the Guyana Golf Association and Nexgen Golf Academy.

President of the GGA, Aleem Hussain, said that the development of the scaled golf courses is a part of the plan to launch the 3-Hole tournament series internationally under the GolFun brand similar to the 20/20 cricket model.

“Expect to see the explosion of the game locally and regionally as people no longer

General Manager Randy Goodett (centre) alongside Marketing Manager Shania Garraway and GGA president Aleem Hussain (left)

have time for 5 hours of play but will opt for three- and sixhole tournaments that deliver fun and fast results in an hour or less.”

He expects that many groups will follow in their footsteps now that the game has reached such prominence in the country and thanked

the sponsors, supporters and new players for rallying behind the efforts of the GGA. (Clifton Ross)

European Super League:

‘Owners of big six must beg for forgiveness’ OWNERS of the six English clubs involved with the European Super League must “beg for forgiveness”, says former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock.

All six opted to pull out of the plans on Tuesday after a huge backlash, just 48 hours after unveiling the proposals.

Chelsea and Manchester City were the first to make their move and were quickly followed by Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham.

“The owners have to be very, very careful now,” Warnock told BBC Sport.

“Expect a backlash when they come back to grounds - rightly so, because you’ve gone against the fans. You’ve thought they wanted to go a certain way without consulting them.

“It’s been abysmal the way it was handled. You’re seeing the power of the fans.

Don’t forget football players are fans too.

“They know what it feels like to be a fan and understand the connection between the players, fans, the club - so I am absolutely delighted it’s fallen down and started to unravel.”

The plans were met with

Chelsea fans protested their involvement outside Stamford Bridge.

condemnation from clubs and players as well as governing bodies, politicians and especially fans, with around 1,000 protesting outside Stamford Bridge before Chelsea’s draw with Brighton - just as they had before Leeds’ game with Liverpool on Monday.

Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward also announced he will step down from his role at the end of 2021.

“The owners need to come out and do the right thing now and say ‘we got this competi-

tion wrong’,” added Warnock. “’We apologise - we’re begging you for forgiveness’, because that’s what they’ll have to do. It won’t surprise me if certain clubs went up for sale now because of the pressure they’ll come under.

“Some US owners won’t turn up to games for a very long time. They can shut off from this as much as they want. Across the Atlantic, it’s not a big issue for them.

“But the day you turn up at Anfield or Manchester United or Arsenal, get ready

for it because it’s coming and they have every right to give you down the barrels, the fans.”

‘The worst PR campaign ever’ The ESL was being pushed most keenly by Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, who said the competition was needed to “save football”.

“This is the idea of Florentino Perez, who convinced everyone,” Spanish football journalist Guillem Balague

told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“It started with Manchester United, who were very much in favour of it. He feels now, having spoken to his entourage, a little bit let down by everyone.

“He feels this emotional tsunami that was first on social media and now the streets of London, with the pressure around it, it feels this big idea will now not take place.

“I do think the push from Perez is going to be towards more changes. It is not just they badly need the money which they do - the analysis of the situation is quite precise. It is backed by a lot of data.

“Young people are not watching 90 minutes a lot.

The money coming through TV rights is diminishing and the business side of football, it has to change. It is just they went about it the wrong way.

Perez forgot to talk to players, fans, other clubs, everyone. It was the worst PR campaign ever.”

I don’t see how the owners can continue’ Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher and ex-Manchester United captain Gary Neville have both criticised their former clubs’ role in the plans.

“I said last night that as

soon as one goes they will all go. This is over now,” Carragher said on Sky Sports.

“I am annoyed with Liverpool. Jurgen Klopp threw them under the bus, Jordan Henderson has. There’s nothing left for the owners.

“I don’t see how the owners can continue. I don’t see a future for their ownership and I think they are making it worse the longer they hang in.

“I can’t remember a time where something has united everybody in football. So many people with huge rivalries, tribalism, we argue and fight with one another. This is something that has brought everybody together and that is something we should all be proud of.”

Neville added: “It’s done, it’s finished. They’ll have PR teams and comms teams scrambling now trying to make this look as lovely as possible.

“Florentino Perez may have a £100m fine. I hope so. I hope he has them on a massive fine to withdraw the lot of them and I hope they basically end up eating each other.”(BBC Sport)

All six Premier League Clubs withdraw from European Super League SEE PAGE 26

Chelsea fans celebrated outside Stamford Bridge after hearing the news, ending an earlier protest that had seen them block their team bus from entering the stadium prior to their match with Brighton.

GCB names selectees for cricket development committee

Clyde Butts

THE Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) on Friday, April 23 2021 will meet with the selectees of the Cricket Development Committee (CDC) under the stewardship of Mr Hilbert Foster, GCB vice-president.

The meeting is scheduled for 13:30hrs at the board office of the GCB on Regent Road.

The objective of this meeting is to establish several sub-committees within the CDC to propel the growth of Guyana’s cricket.

These sub-committees will include, but not limited to, school cricket, female cricket, youth cricket, senior cricket, cricket education, social development and facility development.

Members are kindly asked to be present by 13:25hrs to facilitate a punctual start.

Selected to serve on the CDC are: Azeemul Haniff, Mark Grenville, Ravindranauth Seeram, Reon King, Clyde Butts, Mark Harper Colin Alfred, Ava Baker, Bishram Seepersaud, Neil Barry, Ryan Hercules, Romario Samaroo, Sean Devers, Esaun Crandon, Leon Johnson, Mark Papannah, Simon Naidu, Anthony D’Andrade, Vemen Walters, Orvin Mangru, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Roger Harper, Andre Percival, Emily Dodson, Anil Beharry and Tremayne Smartt.

The Board’s office is in the process of contacting the above listed persons..

Ramnaresh Sarwan

CIDI Blue Life Waters, GGA inks major deal 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

SEE PAGE 31

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 2021