Guyana_Chronicle_Epaper_05_07_2021

MONDAY 5thJuly, 2021

' No.106412

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Guyana’s commitment to CARICOM strong, unwavering SEE PAGE 03

President, Dr Irfaan Ali

Foreign Affairs Minister, Hugh Todd

–– President Ali underscores in message to mark CARICOM Day

Since 1973, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has grown in several ways. Its membership has multiplied from the original four – Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago – to now 15 Member States and five Associate Members. Consequently, the combined population of the Community has increased several fold, from less than five million in 1973 to almost 20 million today (Photo credit: CARICOM Secretariat)

Minibus culture No abuse ‘Gentleman’s 12 a hindrance to 17 of power 09 Lounge’ opens –– police refute claims by the hospitality sector Guyana Human Rights Association on Princess Street PAGE

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 5, 2021

Guyana’s commitment to Caricom strong, unwavering

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 5, 2021

–– President Ali underscores in message to mark CARICOM Day

PRESIDENT, Dr Irfaan Ali said that Guyana’s commitment to CARICOM remains strong and unwavering and is prepared to play its part in the transformation of the Community for the benefit of its peoples.

President Ali gave the assurance in a message to mark CARICOM Day today. Today marks the 48th anniversary of the entry into force of the Treaty Establishing the Caribbean Community. This year also marks 20 years since the adoption of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas that cleared the way for the CARICOM Single Market and Economy.

According to the President, the Community remains buoyed by the political commitment of Member States to make it work, and, indeed, by significant achievements, much of which are often not acknowledged.

He noted that one of those achievements was being witnessed amidst the ongoing COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, pointing out that, despite being the region worst affected economically by the pandemic, CARICOM has fared better in managing its impacts than many nations more amply endowed in terms of economic and human resources.

The incidence of cases and deaths in the Community, for instance, is well below hemispheric averages. This is, of course, no reason for complacency, the Guyanese Head of State however warned.

“We are a Community committed to the rule of law, democratic values, and the promotion and protection of human rights. Nationals of the Community have rights that can be legally protected and enforced through the Caribbean Court of Justice,” he said while reminding all that Guyana is a founding member of CARICOM. Guyana hosts the seat of the Community’s headquarters in Georgetown. CARICOM is Guyana’s third largest trading partner and possesses the potential to become an even larger market for its exports.

IMPORTANT BULWARK The Community is an important bulwark in the preservation and

maintenance of Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, President Ali said, added: “We are indebted to CARICOM for its unstinting support in this regard.”

Guyana currently holds lead responsibility for agriculture within the Community. Guyana has also embarked on a process to transform the regional agri-food sector in order to enhance food and nutrition security.

“Guyana joins with the rest of the Community in observing CARICOM Day today, at a time when the Secretariat of the Community is undergoing a

Foreign Affairs Minister, Hugh Todd process of transition. It is ready to welcome Dr Carla Barnett of Belize as the first woman and the first person from a continental CARICOM country to be Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community. I pledge Guyana’s strong support for the success of her tenure.

“I also take this opportunity to salute the incumbent Secretary-General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, who has led the organisation with a wise head and a steady hand. We applaud his sterling contributions to regional integration

and wish him success in the future,” President Ali said.

Since 1973, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has grown in several ways. Its membership has multiplied from the original four – Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago – to now 15 Member States and five Associate Members. Consequently, the combined population of the Community has increased several fold, from less than five million in 1973 to almost 20 million today, albeit still relatively small by most measures.

The Community enjoys a rich diversity: ethnocultural, demographic, linguistic, socio-economic, political and legal and, not surprisingly, the expansion of CARICOM has posed additional challenges to the integration process even as it has presented new opportunities.

“The integration process is, of necessity, a work-in-progress, marked by imperfections but always aspiring to a stronger community of sovereign states,” the President said.

Meanwhile, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd, said the Community, with one voice, has been impactful in international fora.

CARICOM’s voice has been especially clear on the most existential threats to the future of its people, such as climate change and the current COVID-19 pandemic, the minister said, noting that the Community’s mantra, “1.5 to stay alive”, much resisted during the Paris climate negotiations in 2015, is now the point of reference for global climate action.

STRONG ADVOCACY He also said that the strong advocacy of CARICOM leaders for equitable access to vaccines in the current COVID crisis has no doubt contributed to a more responsive posture by development partners.

“Despite a myriad of challenges, the Community continues to work assiduously to deliver on its promise and potential for the people of the region.

The past year has severely tested the resolve of the Caribbean people, but

President, Dr Irfaan Ali we know that the Caribbean destiny can only be forged in unity, with clear heart, purpose, strong action and advocacy.

“Guyana remains committed to the integration process and looks forward to contributing to building a stronger, more resilient future for the people of our region.

It will take time; it will take effort and it will take support,” Minister Todd said.

Throughout its existence, he noted that friendship, cooperation, solidarity, and support have been the CARICOM hallmark and those elements are especially manifest and meaningful in times of challenge and stress facing the people across the Community.

“This is certainly the case now as Hurricane Elsa clears a path through the Caribbean. Guyana stands firmly with our CARICOM partners who have been affected and will respond to any call for assistance. That is the essence of Community.

We must work together to make CARICOM a success. It belongs to us,” said Minister Todd.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 5, 2021

All foreign troops must leave by deadline ––Taliban

ANY foreign troops left in Afghanistan after NATO’s September withdrawal deadline will be at risk as occupiers, the Taliban has told the BBC. It comes amid reports that 1,000 mainly US troops could remain on the ground to protect diplomatic missions and Kabul’s international airport.

NATO’s 20-year military mission in the country has all but ended.

But violence in the country continues to rise, with the Taliban taking more territory.

As Afghan forces prepare to take charge of security alone, concern is growing for the future of Kabul.

Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said seizing Kabul militarily was “not Taliban policy”.

But speaking to the BBC from the militant group’s

office in Qatar, he said no foreign forces - including military contractors -should remain in the city after the withdrawal was complete.

“If they leave behind their forces against the Doha agreement then in that case it will be the decision of our leadership how we proceed,” Mr Shaheen told the BBC. “We would react and the final decision is with our leadership,” he said.

Diplomats, NGOs and other foreign civilians would not be targeted by the Taliban, he insisted, and no ongoing protection force for them was needed.

“We are against the foreign military forces, not diplomats, NGOs and workers and NGOs functioning and embassies functioning that is something our people need. We will not pose any threat to them,” he said.

Shaheen described last week’s withdrawal from

Monday July 5, 2021 –– 01:30hrs - 03:00hrs

Some armed men have pledged to support the Afghan army in defending Kabul against the Taliban (BBC photo) Bagram Airfield - once the largest US military base in Afghanistan - as a “historic moment”.

Under a deal with the Taliban, the US and its NATO allies agreed to withdraw all troops in return for a commitment by the militants not to allow al-Qaeda or any other extremist group to operate in the areas they control.

President Joe Biden set a deadline of 11 September -- the 20-year anniversary of

the 9/11 attacks on the US -- for American troops to fully withdraw, but reports suggest the pullout may be complete within days.

An Afghan MP speaking on behalf of the Afghan government said the withdrawal was being carried out irresponsibly.

The MP, Razwan Murad, told the BBC that the government was ready for talks and a ceasefire and the Taliban should now prove that they were committed

to peace.

Shaheen denied that the militant group had played any part in the recent uptick in violence.

He insisted that many districts had fallen to the Taliban through mediation after Afghan soldiers refused to fight.

On Sunday, the Taliban captured another area in southern Kandahar province. The militants say they now control about a quarter of the country’s nearly 400 districts.

The Taliban spokesman described the current government as “moribund” and referred to the country as the “Islamic emirate” - an indication that the group envisaged a theocratic basis for governing the country and were unlikely to agree to Afghan government demands for elections.

Shaheen said elections

had so far not been raised in negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government.

US-led forces ousted the Taliban from power in Afghanistan in October 2001.

The group had been harbouring Osama Bin Laden and other al-Qaeda figures linked to the 9/11 attacks in the US. President Biden has said the American pull-out is justified as US forces have made sure Afghanistan cannot again become a base for foreign jihadists to plot against the West.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, meanwhile, insists that the country’s security forces are fully capable of keeping insurgents at bay, but many believe the withdrawal risks casting the country back into the grip of the Taliban. (BBC)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 5, 2021

Barbadians picking up the pieces

BARBADIANS are continuing to pick up the pieces left behind

by Hurricane Elsa.

Elsa, the first hurricane to hit the island in more than 65 years, left a trail of destruction in its wake following its brief visit on Friday.

When a team from Barbados TODAY visited residents in the north of the island Sunday morning, several of them were still pondering their next move.

One such man who resides in Mount Poyer, St Lucy, had his three-bedroom, two-bathroom wooden home completely destroyed.

The 63-year-old, who gave his name as Hartley, told Barbados TODAY he moved some of his belongings from the house into his wall workshop next door on Thursday in preparation for the weather system.

However, he admitted he was shocked and frightened by what he was faced with.

“The wind started to pick up and it pick down the house piece by piece and started to pelt it bout. I see a little action already but not like this one…” Hartley said.

He pointed to a large tree that used to be situated in front of his house, but had been uprooted by the raging winds and was now resting on its side.

“If the wind could do that to that tree you could imagine how cruel the wind had to be blowing. I’ve never seen wind like that before in my life,” he said.

He estimated the house would have to be rebuilt at a cost of close to $160, 000.

Despite the daunting task, he said while he would accept any assistance, he was not expecting Government to rebuild his house for

him.

Hartley, who is a butcher by trade, also suffered further losses when sections of the roof of his pig and chicken pens were blown off.

And while he was counting his lucky stars that none of the animals were harmed, he estimated that damage to be in the region of $15, 000.

Further east in River Bay, Jermaine Johnson was busy repairing his roof with the assistance of his friend Haydn Knight and another man.

Johnson, who lives with his wife and two children, told Barbados TODAY he was so terrified when the roof began to flap he began to cry.

“I have never witnessed anything like that in my life. It actually brought tears to my eyes.

You know what it is to be in a house with your wife and two children and the roof in the front part of your house just going up and down?

“Luckily for us it just lift up, but any longer and we would have been left without a roof,” said Johnson, who used a tarpaulin and some bricks to secure the roof until it could be repaired.

Over in Whitehill, St Andrew, David Hold-

er was watching on as workmen installed a new roof on his home, which sustained significant damage by Elsa.

Holder, who lives with his son, told Barbados TODAY they were forced to evacuate the house and seek refuge in his son’s car after the roof was completely torn off.

He said personal items including two television sets, two wardrobes, kitchen cabinets and beds were destroyed.

“Me and my son were inside and we saw the roof lift up three times and drop down, but the final time it just lift off. After that we went into the garage and stayed in the car,” Holder recalled.

He pointed out that he was in the process of renovating his home and had actually ordered the material to reconstruct the roof two weeks ago.

Holder said the tragedy might have been avoided had that material been delivered on time.

“I ordered and paid for $7000 in material two weeks ago because I was doing some work on the house but it only came yesterday. If it had been brought on time maybe this would not have happened,” he said. (Barbados Today)

Barbadians are continuing to pick up the pieces left behind by Hurricane Elsa (Barbados Today photo)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 5, 2021

Tajeram Mohabir

Democracy and Development

IT is an established fact that there is a positive correlation between democracy and development. Countries with high levels of economic development tend also to have strong democratic institutions whereby democracy is allowed to flourish and where there is good governance and full adherence to the rule of law.

This nexus between development and democracy is evident in several countries, including our own country, where economic growth and social progress were stifled by the absence of democracy and democratic rule for close to three decades during the period of PNC authoritarian rule. From a relatively prosperous country during the early 1960s, the country degenerated economically and socially to become one of the poorest country in the western hemisphere by the early 1990s, thanks to PNC minority and authoritarian rule.

It was not until the return of democratic rule on October 5, 1992, that the country began to experience growth and development

in a significant way. The PPP/C in 1992 embarked on a programme of ‘development with a human face’ which saw the reversal of bad economic policies and where the benefits of growth started to permeate the entire fabric of the Guyanese society, resulting in an enhanced quality of life for the vast majority of the Guyanese people.

Except for a short period when there was a change of administration following the elections of May 2015 when the APNU-AFC took power in a razor-thin controversial election, the country has made over the past two decades steady progress both economically and in terms of human development since the return of democratic rule. This was manifested in the tens of thousands of Guyanese who for the first time were able to own their own homes and other durable consumer items such as motor vehicles, television sets, washing machines and so on. Social services which were in a run-down state were upgraded and there is once again a return of hope by the populace.

That is why any attempt to derail the democratic process as what happened in the elections of March 2, 2020, must be condemned by all those who cherish the ideals of a democratic society and the consequences that could emanate from any rupture of democratic processes.

As pointed out by President Dr. Irfaan Ali, democracy is the ‘oxygen’ of development. Indeed, it is through democracy that governments are held accountable and any departure from democratic norms could undermine the democratic architecture on which modern societies rest.

No less important is the fact that democracy helps to unlock the creativity and potential of the Guyanese people to contribute fully to the growth and development of their society and by extension to their own personal advancement.

It is no secret that many individuals and companies, including foreign investors, were hesitant to invest in the country ever since the APNU+AFC government was de-

feated by way of a successful no-confidence motion in December 2019. Since then, the country, for all practical purposes, was marking time and was in a state of paralysis, both from a governance and developmental perspective. More importantly, it spoke to the nature of the APNU-AFC leadership that it was prepared to sacrifice the health of the economy and the consequential erosion of investor confidence on the altar of political greed and self-gratification.

Thankfully, as noted by Senior Minister with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, significant sums of money by way of development assistance and financing by our development partners which hitherto were withheld, have now been restored following the declaration of the results of the March 20, 2020 Regional and General Elections by the Guyana Elections Commission in favour of the democratically elected PPP/C. This is most reassuring and certainly augurs well for the future prosperity of our nation.

Commendations to Guyana for fighting Trafficking in Persons Dear Editor, CONGRATULATIONS are in order for our government, as it has fully met “… the minimum standards for the elimination of Trafficking in Persons (TIP).”

This is according to a report released by the U.S. State Department a few days ago. The details show that the Guyana Government has continued to demonstrate serious and sustained efforts. And this was certainly exemplified recently.

In fact, I saw that the news reported on a 33-year-old Haitian, identified as Michelet Murat, who appeared before Magistrate Alex Moore at the Number 51 Magistrate’s Court, where he pleaded guilty to illegally entering the country.

Murat was arrested on June 28, 2021, for having arrived in Guyana by sea and disembarking without the consent of an immigration officer. Thus, he was charged and was fined $15,000, or three weeks imprisonment.

Lest we forget, I remind Guyanese

that 10 persons without passports or any form of identification and claiming to be Haitians, were found at the Swiss Hotel, Skeldon, Corentyne, Berbice, Region Six in mid-June. Add to this, that before the said month was over, 50 Haitian nationals, including two children, were found by law-enforcement officials wandering along the Lethem trail. All of them are under the radar, as investigations are revving up.

Indeed, Guyana has been doing its part on the ground.

At the legislative level, it is even more intense where Guyana is concerned. All and sundry are now aware that President Ali has imposed a “visa” requirement for Haitians entering Guyana. This stemmed from the fact that most of the 38,000 Haitians, who arrived here in Guyana since 2015, cannot be accounted for. The suspicion is that Guyana is being used as a conduit, since the rumour has it that “… most of these persons have in fact left illegally, using the “backtrack” to either Suriname or Brazil…”

What we need to all do is to pay careful attention to words enshrined in the UN Convention against Transnational Organised Crime (UNTOC), saying that migrant smuggling: “Smuggling of migrants is a crime involving the procurement for financial or other material benefit of illegal entry of a person into a State of which that person is not a national or resident.

It undermines the integrity of countries and communities, and costs thousands of people their lives every year.”

I recall all too well that in February, the Brazilian Federal Police arrested 27 immigrants who entered Bom Fim illegally via Guyana’s borders. The Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) had noted that of those arrested, there were 26 Haitians and one Cuban.

Recently, Brazil’s Federal Police and CANU signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to share information and conduct joint operations to intercept narcotics and other criminal activities.

So, the response from Guyana is good,

that is, the increase in cooperation and more measures that are very stringent, as it seems a fact that in Guyana “… there is a huge trafficking-in- persons and human-smuggling ring, including children, taking place in the Region and Guyana is being used as a transit point in this racket, which includes Cubans, Nigerians and Haitians, among others.”

On the humanitarian side, the U.S. report also points to the assistance that the Government of Guyana has given to victims of violence and trafficking.

To this end, it was noted that “Victims could receive shelter, food, training, and psychological therapy.”

The report also points to the efforts of the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, which has funded transportation costs and police escorts for victims staying outside a shelter, as well as the granting of deportation relief to 135 foreign victims.

Yours truly, Attiya Baksh

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 5, 2021

Annette Ferguson’s comments were outrageous

Dear Editor,

THERE is a price to pay for misdemeanours of any type by anyone, but when a public personality, especially one from Parliament, commits not just a peccadillo, but an actual crime, action must be taken by the relevant authority.

The news is very distasteful indeed. It is that “A partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC), Member of Parliament (MP), Annette Ferguson, was arrested after a senior member of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) made an allegation against her in relation to one of her Facebook posts.”

The gist of the issue is that the GDF rank is claiming that “Ferguson falsely alleged, in a Facebook post, that the said GDF rank will be in charge of a ‘killing squad’.” This constitutes a crime, and as such, she was arrested for a breach of the Cybercrime Act, 2018. This cybercrime issue is not just confined to Guyana; it is global and carries serious setbacks.

The legal phrasing is that “Most cybercrime is an attack on information about individuals, corporations, or governments. Although the attacks do not take place on a physical body, they do

take place on the personal or corporate virtual body, which is the set of informational attributes that define people and institutions on the Internet. In other words, in the digital age, our virtual identities are essential elements of everyday life: we are a bundle of numbers and identifiers in multiple computer databases owned by governments and corporations. Cybercrime highlights the centrality of networked computers in our lives, as well as the fragility of such seemingly solid facts as individual identity.” Maybe the import of her illegal act will get to her, even if she never reads this kind of information.

As expected, she denied when the charge was put to her by members of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Guyana Police Force (GPF), at CID Headquarters, Eve Leary, Kingston, Georgetown. Right now, the investigation into the matter is ongoing, and when completed, the file will be sent to the director of public prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack, SC, for legal advice.

This talk from her about the “setting up of Death Squad and Black Clothes groups” is dangerous. It stemmed from the recent presentation, in the Considerations of Financial Paper 2/2021” during the parliamentary session on June

14, 2021. Details of that debate, from Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira, reveal “… that the concept of the Regional Joint Support Teams is a new crime-fighting initiative formulated in April, 2021, and that the supplementary provision for the period ending December 2021 is to “set up” the initiative.” This is so simple to grasp and has no latent meaning; more so, there is no form of ambiguity in the language employed that can be used to say that a sinister plot was in the making, emanating from the government.

Minister Gail Teixeira made it abundantly clear that the “Regional Joint Support Teams will not denigrate or usurp the functions of the GDF or the GPF, but is intended to enhance the capacity of the law- enforcement agencies in Guyana to fight crime, regardless of the type of crime, with the support of the GDF.” I mean, who goes to Parliament and advertises a government-sponsored crime? Corporate crime-fighting among nations is a well-established occurrence.

In fact, joint global efforts cut across not only the fight against crimes, but in areas of education, disaster, and medicare, etc.

Ms. Annette Ferguson is not on top of the very basics in current affairs.

This opposition MP went beyond the outlandish. She publicly flaunted, via her Facebook page, that “Exclusive: PPP secures $250million budget to resuscitation [sic] Black Clothes Death Squad.”

Outrageous indeed! So, as expected, both the Joint Services Coordinating Council (JSCC) and the Ministry of Home Affairs came out in revulsion and “… condemned the opposition MP’s post and cautioned citizens against the “reckless and irresponsible social commentary. Trying to defend her, Leader of the Opposition Joseph Harmon condemned Ferguson’s arrest, stating that members of the GPF had arrested Ferguson on false grounds and also called the arrest a clear case of “political harassment.” Shocking again here that Harmon took this position. He is a lawyer by training and should know and act differently. However, I am not surprised, as he himself is guilty of this kind of unsubstantiated outburst.

I only have to remind readers to check up on what he did when the COVID-19 GYD 25 000 cash grant was being distributed, and also what he said about the Sputnik V vaccines.

Yours truly, Anson Paul

Coalition must not succeed in sowing strife in the land Dear Editor, THE PNC (now APNU+AFC) goes on a rampage during its intermittent forays to make the country ungovernable under successive PPP/C governmental constructs.

During those destructive orgies, innocent people get hurt, even murdered.

People who sacrificed much and worked hard all their lives to build and sustain businesses and private properties lose everything in minutes.

If anyone is to follow the trends of Guyana’s political past, they would discover that an escalating crime wave and lobbying to derail developmental funding always correlate with this country’s election season, and post-elections.

And, true to tradition, the PNC is currently ramping up its diatribe against the PPP/C Government, which they are determined to remove – not necessarily by fair means -- even taking their anti-na-

tionalist, practically treasonous propaganda to international fora. As always, murderous criminal activities are rising in direct proportion.

Former President and current Vice-President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo had said, “Opposition should criticise the government when they make mistakes, and we are not perfect. We do make mistakes sometimes and that (criticisms) is fair; but to have an assault on the Guyanese people through distortions is another matter. To openly lie and peddle falsehoods is not a right of anyone, and that is not fair.

“If you listen to them carefully, their plans for Guyana – and for all of our people, is about what the PPP should or should not do – and it is all criticisms and negativity. They have never, ever presented a positive plan for fixing the problems of Guyana and for creating a better life for our people… They criticised us in Parliament that we were spending

too much money on housing. When we allocated $4 billion to buy some land from GuySuCo to produce some (additional) 10,000 house lots for Guyanese, they made a big issue of it in Parliament.

They know only about criticisms, but not about positive things… We still have a long way to go, but we are getting there... more and more people are benefiting.”

But the coalition has no intention to allow government’s developmental thrust to continue because this does not suit their agenda. Instead, they are trying desperately to halt and/or reverse gains made through various stratagems, of which ramping up the inflammatory rhetoric – and the imbroglio over COVID vaccines being targeted as the latest cannon fodder.

The government’s developmental and people-empowerment initiatives have been re-generating confidence in the administration, to the extent where communities in the opposition enclaves are

reaching out with trust and hope to the administration for improved living conditions and enhanced lifestyles, is inimical to their self-interested and self-centred agendas for self-aggrandizement/enrichment/empowerment, and they are attempting to destabilise this budding unity in the Guyanese nation, and the people’s trust in the administration by whatever way possible, even to blaming the government for things which they (the opposition) are culpable -- in and out of government.

Too much is at stake, and care needs to be taken by the people in the country that the opposition forces do not succeed in their evil intentions by sowing seeds of strife in the land once more, because it is the Guyanese people whom they pretend to care about who are hurting.

Yours sincerely Erin Northe

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 5, 2021

Over 22,000 farms affected

by Region Nine floods

–– Agri Ministry pledges support to farmers

By Naomi Parris AS floodwaters in Region Nine have now receded, farmers are assessing the damage done to their crops and counting their losses.

The region’s chairman, Brian Allicock, on Sunday told the Guyana Chronicle that besides interrupting residents’ daily lives, the recent heavy rainfall and severe flooding has also affected the region’s agricultural sector; over 22,000 farms have been

affected.

Allicock highlighted that many residents in the region earn their living from farming. Most of the farmers he said, plant cassava to make farine and cassava bread.

Seasonal flooding is said to occur when water from the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil travels through the Rio Negro River to the Brancho River and, eventually, makes its way to Region Nine.

However, he said that this year’s wet season saw

above-normal rainfall, resulting in the severe flooding which left many farms inundated for more than a month; this resulted in many cassava roots being damaged.

Since the water has now receded in the region, Allicock said farmers have been trying to see what they can salvage in the aftermath of the floods.

Additionally, Allicock posited that the Ministry of Agriculture has since pledged to assist farmers in the region

Region Nine Chairman, Brian Allicock to assist them to get back on their feet.

Up to press time on Sunday, Allicock said several pieces of agricultural equipment were donated to the Regional Democratic Council to assist farmers.

In a previous news report, it was revealed that the Government of Guyana has moved ahead to design recovery interventions for those affected by the ongoing

floods.

This indication was given

by President Dr. Irfaan Ali, who said that in addition to the work being done by the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), local authorities are also executing continuous assessments of the countrywide floods.

“We have had our own internal assessments ongoing; it’s devastating to say the

Flashback: Before the water receded. A resident manoeuvering through the flood in North Rupununi Sub-District Valley

least. We are now awaiting the final report from CDEMA…and then we are going to look at that with our local data collection and then we’ll have a full assessment,” Dr. Ali said.

He gave the assurance that the government will not prolong the recovery process by waiting on the final report to mobilise the next phase of assistance. “We are not waiting on the report; it’s just the final numbers now that we are waiting on,” President Ali posited.

A Detailed Damage Sector Assessment (DDSA) on the floods was conducted across seven sectors, namely health, water and sanitation, infrastructure and housing, agriculture, social services, and shelter and mining in Regions Two, Five, Six, Seven and 10.

The preliminary findings highlighted moratoriums on loans and grants for farmers, the need for relocation of some communities, the establishment of septic tanks and a revision of building codes are some of the preliminary recommendations stemming from the DDSA. The need for social services such as psychosocial support, welfare to help families sustain themselves and specific infrastructure rehabilitation were also highlighted.

No abuse of power

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 5, 2021

–– police refute claims by the Guyana Human Rights Association

THE Guyana Police Force (GPF) has refuted accusations by the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) that the detainment of six of the alibi witnesses for Gladston Henry, who was charged with the unlawful killing of Haresh Singh, “smacks of malicious abuse of police powers”.

The GHRA made the comment in a statement on Saturday. Excerpts from the statement were included and published in an article in the July 4, 2021 edition of the Sunday Stabroek under the headline “Human Rights body says arrest of potential alibi witnesses’ smacks of police abuse.”

Police, on Friday last, arrested Tiffany Campbell, Alona Bacchus, Patricia Henry, Bibi Shaheman, Clarett Kurtizious and Amanda Wickham for attempting to pervert the course of justice. They were detained when they turned up at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters, Eve Leary, to give their respective statement regarding Henry’s alibi.

Singh’s motionless body was found on September 9, 2020, at the Number Two Village Backdam, Region Five; this was around the time when persons were protesting and calling for justice for the “Henry boys” who were brutally murdered.

On the day he was found, Singh had left his home with his uncles to venture into the backdam to work; however, he returned home by himself to fetch water. His body was later found lying motionless and bleeding from the nose. His motorcycle was also discovered burnt.

Gladston Henry is the brother of Isaiah Henry and the cousin of Joel Henry – the Henry boys whose mutilated bodies were found just three days prior to the murder of Singh. A wanted bulletin was issued

by the GPF for Gladston Henry. However, the suspect, accompanied by attorney-at-law, Nigel Hughes, turned himself in.

According to the women, Henry was at home when Singh was murdered, and so, he could not have committed the crime.

The women are claiming that, on the morning of September 9, 2020, Henry was at home with his mother and other relatives watching the live recording of the post-mortem that was being conducted on the bodies of Isaiah and Joel Henry at the Memorial Gardens, Le Repentir Funeral Home and Crematorium.

The live recording was reportedly done by Gladston Henry – the father of Isaiah Henry.

UNVERIFIED The GPF, in a press statement on Sunday, highlighted and reiterated their position that the alibis provided by the alleged alibi witnesses were investigated and found to be unverified.

“The GPF is the premier law enforcement agency in the country with one of its statutory objectives being the detection and prevention of crime. It follows, therefore, that if, in the conduct of an investigation into a specific crime, another crime is suspected to have been committed by a person or persons, then the necessary action has to be lawfully taken,” the GPF said.

Police explained that contrary to the purported alibi for Henry, which indicated that on the day of the gruesome murder, he was at the home of his parents watching the live streaming of the post-mortem examination (PME) of his brother Isaiah Henry which was being filmed by his father, Gladston Henry Snr; there is video footage proving Henry Snr was not live streaming.

Further, the alibi wit-

nesses claimed that one of the police investigators involved in the matter, Inspector Rodwell Sarrabo, was at the home of the family of Isaiah Henry at the time that the PME was being conducted and saw Gladston Henry there.

“This was proven to be blatantly untrue as in the video recording of the PME done by the police, Sarrabo was seen present at the PME and he was also seen in the background of a news media video interview with Nigel Hughes at the conclusion of the PME,” the GPF said in their press statement.

“Consequently, six of the nine witnesses who were subsequently brought in to CID Headquarters by their Attorney, Nigel Hughes, and who had not been threatened with arrest prior to interviewing them as alleged by the GHRA, were arrested for attempting to pervert the course of justice and video interviewed by the police after which they were released on bail,” the statement added.

REMAINED SILENT Police Headquarters disclosed that during the investigations into the murder of Haresh Singh, video interviews were conducted with Gladston Henry while in police custody, during which he exercised his right to remain silent.

“At no time did he inform any of the investigators that he was elsewhere during the time of the murder and that he had an alibi.

It was subsequent to the interviews that his Attorney Nigel Hughes informed investigators that Henry had an alibi and that there were witnesses,” the statement noted.

Hughes was quoted in the Sunday Stabroek article as saying “it is not evidence that the GPF is either not disposed to or capable of conducting a fair or reliable investigation based on fo-

Gladston ‘Gladwin’ Henry (left) and the deceased, Haresh Singh (right) rensic evidence, into either the murder of Haresh Singh, or the murders of Isaiah and Joel Henry.”

Police explained,

however, that contrary to these allegations, the investigations into these crimes were meticulously and assiduously conduct-

ed with efficiency and professionalism and charges were preferred after the requisite legal advice was sought and obtained.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 5, 2021

Fathers, do you have a daughter?

IF you have a young daughter, what kind of relationship do you have with her?

How do you treat her?

What positive influences are you making on her childhood? Do you realise that you can help shape the type of woman she becomes? Do you care about the woman she becomes?

Do you realise your paternal responsibility?

When children are young and cute, they are easy to manage, but time flies by quickly, and, before you know it, your little girl is hitting puberty and taking the stepping stones to womanhood. Fathers need to be prepared for the different stages of their daughter’s development so they can interact with them accordingly and respectfully – with affirming contributions, encouragement and love.

Some men think it makes them look ‘soft’ to show affection to women and children; they believe men should appear stern so children will ‘know their place’.

These Fathers seem unapproachable to children and hard to relate to and girls in particular, may grow with a narrow view of men.

When fathers are involved and interested in their daughters (along with mothers), there is balance in their lives. They are more self-assured and confident; they feel protected, appreciated and loved. Fathers are the first example of manhood that girls will encounter and from which they will make an assessment of men. Fathers should play a purposeful role in their daughters’ lives from the day they are born.

Abusive fathers can damage their girl children for life. Consistent aggression or physical abuse could result in girls having a hatred for all men. A toxic environment where a girl child is afraid to speak or is unsure of what will happen next can lead to anxiety, personality disorders, alcohol or substance abuse in later life. These childhood traumas are real, even if the child is unaware

of the damage caused by these experiences.

When the damage is manifest in adulthood, people may say, “You see Tomeka eye? Like she-man knock she. I don’t know what’s wrong with that girl, always picking up the rough, no good men who beat she, thief out she money and left she, like she head ain’t good”.

But Tomeka’s childhood might have been one where physical and verbal abuse was the norm - leading to her low self-esteem and her acceptance of domestic violence. Children live what they learn, and the adults in their lives are the first teachers.

If Tomeka’s father had showed interest in her from an early age - ensuring her childhood experiences were pleasant and meaningful, she might have garnered the ability to make better choices. Having interest does not require a father to have heaps of money, to buy her presents, or entertain her regularly.

It requires him to be con-

sistent, reliable, involved, fair-minded, open and understanding, while he bonds and shares quality time with his daughter. Time which cannot be bought or sold; a father’s presence needs to be felt.

Children need dependable people in their lives more than they need fancy clothes, fast foods, treats and other distractions with which they can be ‘spoilt’.

They need a hug when they are hurt and someone to hold their hand and guide them when they walk along or cross the road. These little gestures of affection make them feel cared for and special. Even if a father is no longer with the mother, he can still seek a relationship with his daughter, not for his sake or the mother’s sake but for the sake of the child.

Children are not interested in adult emotional baggage; they want to be protected, appreciated and cherished by the two people who love them most. The child’s welfare should be the parents’ priority and would be if they

could see past their hang-ups, pride and emotions.

The more calming and understanding fathers are, the closer the bond will be with their daughters. Girls need dads they can speak to and confide in without fear or judgement – fathers they can laugh with and who will teach them the rudiments of life.

Of course, girls do not know what they need to enhance their upbringing and make them into better women; that task is for their parents.

However, a good father-daughter relationship can produce a strong and confident woman as he helps shape her self-esteem, self-image and most importantly, her opinion of men. Some fathers become over-protective when their daughters reach adolescence and receive admiration from the opposite sex. Instead of talking through the pitfalls and foreseeable problems that this new exciting world could entail, they prefer to lock their daughters away, presumably to keep them safe

from boys.

Adolescent boys and girls will congregate, ‘lime’ and spend time together, regardless of what mothers and fathers think, say or do.

But if a good father-daughter relationship exists, he can rely on her to make sensible choices and to talk to him about any concerns she may have.

When fathers put the correct measures in place, they can reap the rewards of a meaningful relationship with their daughters – one from which both of them can learn. Fathers may get things wrong from time to time, but they don’t have to be perfect – they have to be present.

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

Mabaruma CPGs crime-fighting efforts boosted with $3M donation THE Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) Community Policing Groups Secretariat has made a timely contribution of over $3 million worth in motor vehicles, bicycles and sports gear to the Mabaruma District Community Policing Group in an effort to boost the district’s crime-fighting capabilities.

The equipment was handed over by administrator of the Ministry of Home Affairs Community Policing Groups (CPG), Rishi Das, on Friday last on behalf of the ministry; receiving the items were Chairman of the Mabaruma District CPG, Mark Persaud, and liaison officer to the MoHA, Leon Robertson.

The donation comprised two motorcycles worth approximately $800,000; one 4x4 pickup worth approx-

imately $2.5M; five bicycles worth approximately $75,000 and a quantity of sports gear, worth approximately $250,000 -- an aggregate of over $3.6M, Das told the Guyana Chronicle.

He explained that the equipment will serve to benefit at least 10 of the 18 CPG groups in the Mabaruma district, the administrative centre for Region One. The groups are desperately in need of land vehicles.

“It was handed over to them to make the CPG more mobile in the district … It is really needed in the district; they don’t really have any land transportation,” Das said, as he highlighted that the idea to hand over the vehicles will facilitate “proper patrols” to aid crime-fighting efforts.

In November last year,

Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn relaunched the CPGs with a focus on rebuilding, boosting membership and regaining trust within communities in order to prevent crime.

Since January, 139 CPG groups have been formed, taking the total so far to 225 CPGs, with some 2,215 additional members taking the total membership to 4,225. Das had told the Guyana Chronicle that the unit’s membership has doubled since the start of the year and new groups were formed in areas such as Moruca and Mabaruma.

The administrator of the CPG Secretariat explained that resuscitation of CPGs countrywide has been completed and it is now time that emphasis be placed on developing the initiative further.

Administrator of the Ministry of Home Affairs’ Community Policing Groups (CPG), Rishi Das and others during the handing over of the equipment last Friday

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 5, 2021

People for trees, trees for people

TASKED with using geospatial technology to count trees in a remote region of northeast Nicaragua, Rene Zamora, a Forest Economist from the World Resources Institute (WRI), had three priorities.

First, he found some unused space in a local school building in the town of Bonanza; second, he contracted with a satellite provider of Internet services; and third, he spread the word so that local people could help. Most of his recruits worked in cattle ranching and agriculture and had never used a computer before – but they were keen to give it a try.

The end result was an FAO-WRI “mapathon”, where local people first learned the necessary computer skills and data-collection techniques before applying this knowledge over the rest of the week, all with the goal of creating a high-resolution map of where the region’s trees are.

Mapathon participants are trained to scour geographic micro-ranges in their home territories and identify individual trees. This is done through FAO’s Open Foris tool, Collect Earth, which uses freely available images from NASA, the European Space Agency, Google Earth and Planet Data from Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative. This detailed imagery allows people to see objects as small as half a meter and go back in time to assess any changes in the land.

Using this Collect Earth tool, experts and locals were able to update previous surveys and monitor the restoration progress of tree cover.

This mapathon in Nicaragua, co-organised by FAO and WRI, is just one example of how Open Foris, a free and open-source software tool designed for efficient data collection, analysis and reporting, can help communities and governments assess and restore their ecosystems.

AROUND THE WORLD In fact, FAO and WRI are helping dozens of governments, research institutions, civil society organisations and local communities around the world to pro-

duce their own actionable data, just like in Nicaragua.

Recently, the European Union (EU) has also started a series of initiatives using FAO-powered mapathons to generate new insights into its own urban, natural and farm geography.

Validated data compiled in Collect Earth is then plugged into another Open Foris platform, the System for Earth Observation Data Access, Processing and Analysis for Land Monitoring (SEPAL), which is FAO’s cloud computing geospatial data processing platform.

It creates custom maps that provide information about the entire landscape.

After training, a person can analyse up to 80 plots per day. It’s impressive, but working at that scale not only takes time, it also needs to be done by local people who are familiar with the land and know how it is used.

“Local people really know where the trees are,” said Zamora, who led that project. “They make fewer mistakes.”

That’s critical because counting trees in agricultural and degraded areas has traditionally been harder to tally than those in forests, so local knowledge is vital. This helps governments and communities around the world establish virtual inventories of their trees, which we know to be key carbon sequestration actors.

Concentrating on locally relevant information also builds ownership and trust in restoration actions, while community participation in monitoring bolsters that and provides more granular high-quality data.

WHY DO WE NEED TO TRACK TREE COVERAGE? “Good local monitoring is needed both to track successes and failures,” said Julian Fox, FAO’s Team Leader of National Forest Monitoring. “It can catalyse and scale investments in the successes and enable adaptive management when things are not going well.”

For example, a mapathon in Ethiopia found one district had barely increased its forest cover from 2010 to 2015, putting it far behind its goal. Cue

Thanks to the use of historical satellite data sets, mapathon exercises also allow governments and communities to see changing patterns over time, such as this example of successful restoration from Rwanda (FAO photo) We have to know where opment of a new Framework deploys geospatial data to accelerated efforts from the we are to know where we for Ecosystem Restoration help monitor and report public sector to redress the are going, and monitoring Monitoring (FERM) plat- restoration progress for all balance. In one part of India, is a foundational step as form built on FAO’s Hand- ecosystems: terrestrial and local participants identified we move into the Decade of In-Hand Geospatial Plat- aquatic, biophysical and points where tree cover existRestoration.

(FAO) form architecture. FERM socio-economic. ed and where growing more could be successful. After this, private efforts took off.

In Rwanda, the Gatsibo District had an ambitious target of raising forest cover to 30 per cent of its territory. The mapathon exercise actually revealed more trees than expected around homes and grasslands, which showed great potential to meet that goal and even further increase the number of trees.

Mapathons are a way to integrate different stakeholders, including government forestry officials with their priorities and smallholder farmers with theirs.

BUILDING MOMENTUM FOR THE DECADE AHEAD 2021 kickstarts the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, and these mapathons will play a vital role in helping communities and governments understand which ecosystems are under threat and what needs to be done to tackle the problem.

“FAO is leading efforts to deliver open and accessible geospatial solutions to member countries and communities through initiatives such as SEPAL,” said Fox. “Engaging and empowering communities to collect and create their own information on forest restoration is critical and allows for local adaptive management in a changing climate.”

FAO is further advancing this work with the devel-

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 5, 2021

‘Gentleman’s Lounge’ opens on Princess Street WHILE originally considered a luxury reserved for women alone, spa treatments for men have become more normalized in today’s society.

When men go to a spa, it’s to have an opportunity to relax, be pampered and to

cor.

It is to this end that married couple, Avinash and Odetta Sukhraj, have committed to creating a space where men can feel comfortable being pampered completely, in an environment that is more familiar to them,

uncomfortable. You know, a lot of women are there, and we give them a kind of side-eye,” the young woman laughingly explained.

“So, I was thinking, you know, maybe if we made a place for them, then they can come, be comfortable, the

Avinash and Odetta Sukhraj shortly after the lounge was officially opened (Adrian Narine photo) feel rejuvenated.

However, some say that that experience is sometimes sullied by the questioning, curious looks of women at the spas, critical looks from therapists, and the overall discomfort of the posh dé-

with the opening of The Gentleman’s Lounge.

The Gentleman’s Lounge, located at Lot 1 Princess Street, Werk-enRust, features a barbershop and salon, spa, bar and restaurant, all in one convenient location.

“We’re trying to have all the services in one place, so you can come and get pampered, and have everything else done. So you can come and get your hair done, you could get your full-body massages, manicures, pedicures, and facials,” Avinash told the Guyana Chronicle, at the lounge’s opening on Saturday.

According to his wife, Odetta, the concept for the male-oriented retreat came about after she noticed how out-of-place men appeared to feel when they visited spas, which cater primarily to female customers.

“The décor and everything, we did in a masculine way, because, well… I like to go to the spa. And whenever I go there, and there are men there, they always look

environment is set for them; so you know, they can feel a little more at ease while they enjoy the same services like massages and so on, because those are very relaxing,” she added.

While this spa may be one of the very few that caters mainly to male customers, Odetta noted that women can visit the Gentleman’s Lounge as well. “…we have everything set to cater to a man, but women are included, as well.

That’s why we have a small bar, a little restaurant, the barbers, and the salon,” she stated.

The Gentleman’s Lounge boasts a comfortable, easygoing atmosphere, with a barbershop-themed interior design. Full-body massages, manicures and pedicures, facial treatments, hair treatments, and package deals are available.

Persons interested in visiting the lounge can call +592-225-7007 or +592636-5539 to book a session, or contact thegentlemanslounge592@gmail.com.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 5, 2021

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 5, 2021

Mahaicony students preparing for NGSA get SIMs with data

–– compliments of GTT AS students from Karamat and Pine Ground Primary Schools prepare to sit the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) in August, GTT donated SIMs with 10GB data for the next two months.

According to a re-

lease, students of the two schools would now be able to access classes and other educational websites to assist with their online learning given the current COVID-19 pandemic.

GTT’s Marketing Communications Man-

ager, Nicola Balram, reminded, this is not the company’s first SIM and data donation to schools during the pandemic.

“With the company’s promise to strengthen our community and reliably connect our customers, we are adamant in ensuring that our younger generation has access to

education. Since last year, we donated SIMs and data to over 200 students across the country to strengthen the access to online learning. It is our hope that this additional donation provides the aid to these students as they prepare for their exams in August,” Balram said.

Distributing the SIMs to the students is Business Support Supervisor, Deoraj Husain, who thanked GTT for its support to the students of the community that he is close to. “I know this gesture by the company is greatly appreciated by the students, parents and teachers of these schools. The smiles

on the parents’ faces when receiving the SIMs were priceless.”

In October, GTT signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Education to zero rate several educational websites in support of Online learning in Guyana, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 5, 2021

One of the parents with students who received the SIMs with data

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GTT Business Support Supervisor, Deoraj Husain, handing over a SIM to a parent

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 5, 2021

Hinterland ICT programme progressing smoothly – Minister Sukhai

AMERINDIAN Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai has said that the government is making significant progress in the execution of the recently resuscitated Information and Communications Technology (ICT) programme in the hinterland and riverine communities.

This programme is being managed by the Office of the Prime Minister’s Project Management Unit and falls under the ICT Access and eServices for Hinterland, Poor and Remote Communities Project.

Minister Sukhai said the Project Management Unit is currently assess-

ing the preparedness of every community selected to benefit from this initiative. It is ensuring that equipment such as laptops, printers, security cameras, televisions and batteries, among others will be safe, once they are officially entrusted to them.

This process, she said, will also allow the government to work seamlessly.

“Our task as the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs is to pursue the village council in executing the project in the shortest possible time, so that they will be prepared.

“It will make it easy for the project to roll out in a region, so that you do not have to skip villages to return to complete works, so if we have a series of villages in one area ready to do so, it will be easy for us to transport equipment. This is why we are looking at the facilities in every community we visit to ensure that they are working on their ICT hub.”

Earlier this year, the government distributed $1.73 billion to Amerindian communities as a one-off COVID-19 relief investment fund geared at creating job opportunities, generating incomes and implementing infra-

Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai structural development projects.

It was then revealed that at least $2 million of the monies given from this fund can be utilised to either refurbish or rebuild ICT hubs in communities.

In addition to this, the minister said additional funding will be provided via the ICT Access and eServices for Hinterland, Poor and Remote Communities Project, if the stipulated amount is insufficient to complete the facility.

She said the government hopes to simply provide the opportunity for those within the hinterland and riverine communities to become computer literate, to prepare them for the modernised development

of the country.

“It is the government’s drive to ensure that every community becomes computer literate and that they learn how to use the Internet for various reasons, like economic enhancing, their ability to advertise, students to research and study.

“This includes teachers and nurses allowed to enhance their professional academic objectives by doing courses, getting engaged in admission to the various universities, whether local or international universities,” Minister Sukhai said.

About 200 hinterland and riverine communities are expected to benefit from this programme.

(DPI)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 5, 2021

Several injured Minibus culture a hindrance –– union President says to hospitality sector in Vryheid’s Lust accident

THE police have disclosed that an accident on the Vryheid’s Lust Public Road, East Coast Demerara (ECD) on Saturday evening, has left a man hospitalised at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and several others nursing minor injuries.

Enquiries disclosed that motorcar PLL 2388 which was proceeding south out of the Better Hope northern access road, drove east onto the Vryheid’s

The minibus shortly after the accident (Newsroom photo) Lust Public Road and into the path of minibus BTT 8484, which resulted in a collision between the two vehicles.

The minibus further collided with a traffic light pole located on the northern parapet.

Several passengers who were in the minibus along with the driver received injuries about their bodies and were assisted by public-spirited citizens.

They were later conveyed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation where they were seen and examined by a doctor on duty, who treated them and sent them away.

Xavier Jaramillo, 20-years-old of Helena, Mahaica, who was a passenger in the said minibus was admitted a patient for a fractured left thigh.

The driver of the motorcar along with a 21-yearold occupant were also taken to the hospital where they were treated by a doctor and sent away.

An investigation is currently under way.

The damaged motorcar (Newsroom photo)

PRESIDENT of the United Minibus Union, Eon Andrews, has called for a complete restructuring of Guyana’s minibus culture given the negative impact it is having on the hospitality sector.

Andrews who appeared recently on NCN’s Road Safety and You programme, said he believes that there must be an overall change in the way minibus operators provide their services.

Over the years persons have taken to social media to express their views on the local minibus culture, and in many cases berated the behaviour of minibus drivers, conductors and touts.

Andrews highlighted that in addition to the behaviour of the minibus operators, uniformity is another hindrance to the local hospitality sector.

Andrews used the opportunity to again call on minibus operators to get uniformed.

In 2019, the minibus union had made a decision to have minibus drivers sport colour-coded jerseys that would identify their destination route.

Andrews disclosed during the programme that this was shortlived, as many minibus drivers did not want to participate in the initiative.

Further, he noted that he believes that there needs to be greater collaboration

between minibus operators and the Ministry of Tourism. He said the ministry has initiated several consistent sessions with minibus operators that he believes are beneficial in ensuring that the minibus culture is changed.

“They are using smaller numbers of persons but they are consistent in that training …And we [the union] are working along with them and we are using the opportunities we have to convince these minibus persons as to their apparel, their appearance and their general conduct,” said Andrews.

Andrews highlighted that the pandemic is real, and that minibus operators ought to be more considerate of their passengers, as their safety during the health crisis must come first.

He said that while some are adhering to the guidelines, there are still a few operators who work without wearing face masks.

He said that it is this “dog-eat-dog hustle mentality” that keeps some operators from following the necessary protocols.

“There are very good drivers out there and operators…and there are others breaking what is supposed to be done. And then those ones breaking the rules are now forcing the one that are following the rules to lose money. It’s about money. Greed and indiscipline are what fuels [sic] that

industry,” Andrews stated.

In April, Deputy Commissioner (ag) Operations, Clifton Hicken, and Traffic Chief, Superintendent Ramesh Ashram met with Andrews, minibus and taxi operators and other stakeholders, in an effort to ensure greater safety on the roadways.

Commissioner Hicken urged the operators to continue to adhere to the COVID-19 guidelines, and to ensure that all passengers wear masks or face the courts.

Operators and conductors were also reminded that “hot-plating” and the soliciting of passengers are unlawful, and that these actions are contributing to congestion and malpractices at the minibus and hire car parks. The deputy commissioner also called on operators and conductors to be more respectful and polite to police ranks, as confrontation with the police will not be tolerated or condoned.

He said too that a recourse is available for operators to make use of the Guyana Police Force’s open-door policy, or make contact with senior officers whose contact numbers are in the public domain.

The Guyana Police Force is working to strengthen partnerships with all stakeholders to ensure adherence with responsible behaviour and the responsible use of the country’s roadways.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 5, 2021

$10.5M mini excavator for Grove/Diamond NDC LOCAL Government and Regional Development Minister, Nigel Dharamlall on Friday presented a $10.5 million mini excavator to the Grove/Diamond Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) for the general maintenance of the area.

During the handing over

ceremony held at the Diamond Community Centre Ground, the minister said the machine will be used to carry out the much-needed enhancement works. The donation is also in keeping with the government’s commitment to improving the quality of life of all Guyanese.

“The excavator, we

expect, will serve to upgrade the infrastructure of the Grove/Diamond NDC area. This is one of the emerging areas in our country where thousands of people reside, and so we expect that the services the NDC provides that those services are going to be much better quality than Local Government and Regional Development Minister, Nigel Dharamlall with Chairperson of the Grove/Diamond NDC, Indrani Ramnarine and councillors yesterday.”

The mini excavator will be used to clear drains, conduct backfilling, and general maintenance. Minister Dharamlall urged the NDC to maintain the equipment.

“This has always been an issue in our country, where a lot of the equipment that government provided to communities have not been sustainably managed. So, I hope that the NDC is going to take good care of it to be used

for many years towards the development of the Diamond area,” he said.

Chairperson of the Grove/ Diamond NDC, Indrani Ramnarine thanked the minister for the donation, which, she said, will enable the council to continue developing communities under its purview.

“The NDC has been embarking on several enhancement projects in the district, and to bring relief to our residents in times of flood

and even to remove encumbrances. And so this mini excavator is now an asset to us in the NDC. I know that it will also be appreciated among our residents, because now we have the resources at our disposal in times of need,” she said.

The NDC has been focusing on the maintenance of infrastructure such as roads, internal drains and solid waste management, among others. (DPI)

Over 3700 food hampers sent to flood-affected Pomeroon THE Region Two administration, in collaboration with the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), on Friday packed several boats with food items, which will be distributed to residents of flood-affected communities in the Upper and Lower Pomeroon River.

More than 3700 hampers are available for those residents, many of whom are still residing in stagnant floodwaters.

Region Two Chairperson, Vilma De Silva and Prime Minister’s Representative, Arnold Adams, were present at Charity to ensure that the loading process went smoothly.

De Silva told the Guyana Chronicle that the region and the government have been supporting the flood-affected residents since May 25, 2021.

She said the St. Monica/ Karawab and Kabakaburi communities were severely affected, and noted that the consistent rainfall had left many other communities inundated.

She is happy that residents are being provided with necessary food items, since many are unable to work.

Many residents have lost their crop and livestock, as a result of the flooding.

“We from the regional level will continue to support all those that were affected by the floodwater, and once a person reaches out, we are assisting, and trying our best to help,” De Silva said.

Only recently a team from the CDC and Vice-Chairman Humace Oodit discussed the flooding situation in the Pomeroon River.

Among the issues discussed were hamper distribution, the supply of building material and water, shelter,

medical supplies, and sanitation.

The team aslo conducted an assessment in the Pomeroon River.

Region Two has been severely affected by flooding, particularly in the Pomeroon River, where the damage to crops and livestock amounts to millions of dollars.

Residents of the Karawab community had to be relocated to higher ground due to the overtopping of the conservancy.

Chairperson Vilma De Silva and the Prime Minister's Representative, Arnold Adams watch as hampers for residents of the Pomeroon River are offloaded from a truck

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 5, 2021

Virgin agriculture lands to be available –– hundreds of farmers to benefit from Canje to Corentyne farm-to-market road

HUNDREDS of farmers between Numbers 52 and 74 villages, Corentyne, Berbice, are set to benefit from a farm-to-market road, which will open up lands for expansion in the agriculture sector.

Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, on Saturday met farmers and residents at the Number 36 Primary School to address the infrastructural upgrades in the area.

They deliberated on whether the road should be built on the Number 57-58 or Number 58-59 dam, to open up new lands beyond the Canje Creek.

“You can’t have expansion if you don’t open up new lands. The intent is that we will build a road from the Corentyne Highway all the way to the Canje Creek.

We may have to do it in phases and then possibly to get to other lands over the other side of the Canje Creek, putting a bridge over the Canje Creek and getting other lands,” Minister Edghill said.

The project, which will be tendered soon, will create avenues for employment in the agriculture sector, which

Ramlagan Singh will boost the country’s economy.

Farmers have expressed gratitude for the initiative.

“Seven hundred rice areas will benefit direct from this road. Three hundred acres of farmland, which is the reef land, will benefit directly from this road. All the homestead people living there will benefit direct. Sixteen thousand acre of cattle pasture will benefit direct from this project. The three co-operatives, which is 10,000 acres, will benefit direct from this project and the nearby area which is to the Canje Creek will benefit from this project,” Ramlagan Singh, a farmer, told the department

of Public Information (DPI).

In April, Minister Edghill led a team of engineers, regional officials and farmers to inspect the road alignment, which begins at Number 52 Village and runs for 23 kilometres to the Canje Creek area.

He later ventured into the backlands of Number 58 Village to inspect the alignment for another possible roadway to the Canje Creek.

That alignment measures 10 kilometres and ends at the Seaforth Canal.

The government is forging ahead with expansion in the sector, with the construction of several farm-to-market roads.

A $175 million road on the right bank of the Mahaicony Creek, in Region Five, and another farm-tomarket road worth some $150 million, on the left bank of the Mahaica Creek, Region Four, are already on the cards.

Another road is set to be completed this year at Salem, Region Three. Earlier in the year, Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha and Senior Minister in the Office of the President, Dr. Ashni Singh,

Flashback: Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh and Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, turn the sod for the start of the road project at Onverwagt, back in February turned the sod for a farm-tomarket road at Onverwagt, Region Five, to the tune of $327 million.

Some $23.7 billion has been allocated in the National Budget for road construction this year.

Meanwhile, consultations were also held with farmers and residents in the area to build a private airstrip, which

will facilitate an aircraft to spray crops.

Minister Edghill said an airstrip in Number 36 Village would allow easier crop spraying.

A proposal by Nand Persaud and Company Limited was well received by most of the farmers and residents.

However, some persons expressed concerns about being

affected by the chemicals.

Minister Edghill gave the assurance that the Pesticide Control Board must approve the use and storage of the chemical before the company gets the greenlight.

Approval must also be granted by the Defence Board, the Environmental Protection Agency and the local authority.

‘Spotlight Initiative’ goes to Bartica HUMAN Services and Social Security Minister, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, on Friday, took the ‘Spotlight Initiative’ to Bartica, which will tackle violence against women and girls.

The initiative is being rolled out in communities across the country by the United Nations (UN) in partnership with the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security.

Some $1 billion (€4.5M) is being invested in Guyana’s efforts to tackle gender-based violence over three years through the programme. Emphasis will also be placed on the prevention of family violence, including sexual and gender-based violence, intimate partner violence and school-based violence.

Delivering remarks at the event’s launch at the St John the Baptist Primary School, Dr. Persaud said emphasis will be placed on training and involvement of community groups.

“I want to see groups reaching out to Spotlight…

That is what we want to see; partnership in Spotlight because no entity can com-

Residents participating in the event bat violence; it has to be a The ministry will also be concerted, collective effort, launching its Survivors-Adwhich means everyone has vocate programme across to play their role,” Minister the country. Through the Persaud told the residents. programme, domestic vioThe minister outlined lence survivors will receive some of the initiatives her assistance at the community ministry has been under- level. taking to address violence, “Whether it is taking that including the 914 emergency person to the police station, hotline, which was launched whether it’s getting them to last year to provide a safe Legal Aid to get help, whethspace for persons to make er it’s counselling they need, reports. whatever it is…we are going

Human Services and Social Security Minister, Dr. Vindhya Persaud one step further, we are going their views on the issue, it. Tanaka said the solution to have all the services in one highlighted challenges faced to such issues come from place, so when somebody in the region and made rec- communities, noting that wants help, everybody is ommendations. support will be provided in right there,” Minister Persaud Meanwhile, UN Resident that regard. said.

Coordinator, Mikiko Tanaka, The Spotlight InitiaShe added that the min- commended residents for tive is a global, multi-year istry recently launched its their efforts to end all forms partnership between the Women’s Innovation and of violence.

European Union and the Investment Network (WIIN) She said the aim is to UN to eliminate all forms of programme, which will pro- put a ‘spotlight’ on violence violence against women and vide skills training to survi- against women, girls and girls and aligns with the vors of domestic violence. boys, and encourage persons 2030 Agenda for SustainResidents also shared to talk about and prevent able Development. (DPI)

Life in years gone by

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 5, 2021

–– Shamsudin Mohamed Rahim: an account by his daughter

NOBLE deeds often go unheard of, as they are often done with clean intentions and a heart of compassion. But sometimes, the contributions of a person are so magnanimous that they have to be shared with others, even if that person has left this world.

“My dad was this awesome human being; a kind, caring and honest individual. He was a great listener, a great communicator, a peacemaker, a giver, a home mender, an adviser, and an advocate for women’s rights.”

These were the words of Zenefia “Bibi” Rahim, daughter of Shamsudin Rahim, as she fondly recalled memories of her late father.

Shamsudin was born on January 5, 1931, to Abdool and Neeajan Rahim, at Better Hope, Essequibo Coast. His parents were indentured labourers on the Hampton Court estate.

“He was the fifth of nine children and came from humble beginnings.

He told us stories of the war and the ration book, and why the ration book?

Germany wanted to weaken the British, so Germany stopped all food and supply ships that came to the British colonies; so the ration books came into being to regulate the food distribution,” Bibi recounted.

Her great-grandparents, Rahim’s grandparents, did not return to India, but made Guyana their homeland early in the 19th century. According to Bibi, it was her great-grandfather that bought the Better Hope es-

tate, where the Durguhee family settled. The estate was then divided among Rahim’s mother and her siblings.

Shamsudin’s father passed away in 1950, while the former was 19 years old. Bibi recollects stories that her father told of his childhood, including a select few that she recalls distinctly.

“He used to leave home at 2:00am on a donkey cart to go to Anna Regina and Hampton Court markets to sell fish with his dad and by 6:00am to 8:00am, they were finished selling and headed back home.

What I vividly remember was his story of the donkey, Willie, stopping and making a hissing sound when he sees a ‘jumbie.’

My grandfather would say, ‘go on boy! You only frighten the living, not the dead!’ and pull the reins to continue on his journey,” the woman related.

Further, she said: “Later, his dad bought another donkey named Rocket.

There were so many other stories that he and Clifford ‘Uncle Six’ Bollers, who was one of his old friends from Dartmouth village, would talk about when Uncle Six visits us at weekends.”

Her father had started school at Dartmouth in 1935, where he received his primary education. All his siblings attended the school, and Shamsudin completed his education at 14 years of age. As he grew older, he and his brother Kadir began investing in vegetable and animal farming.

In 1956, Shamsudin and his brothers Haniff

The late Shamsudin Mohamed Rahim and Kadir, built a 48foot cargo boat to transport produce from Essequibo to Georgetown, bringing stocks from Georgetown to Essequibo on return. Shamsudin was in charge of financial management of the business, while Haniff served as the captain, and Kadir as the sailor.

A BETTER LIFE The boat was given the name ‘Starlight’, a nickname of Rahim’s father, Abdool. Afterwards, a second, bigger boat was built, and life became financially brighter for the brothers.

Their social lives, however, became overdone, according to Bibi, and the brothers lost focus. Their trade went under in 1962.

Later, Shamsudin went on to work with his brother, Yasim Baksh, who was a jeweller, to learn his trade. Years later, Rahim became an entrepreneur in Guyana’s jewellery trade, where he remained until his retirement at 79.

In 1956, when Sham-

sudin was 25, his marriage was arranged by his brother and he married on December 9 of that year. He continued to reside with his mother after marriage.

The man and his wife had 10 children, although their second-born, Shairoon, died at six months of age, from what was suspected to be typhoid.

“During this time dad thought that his family was getting bigger, so he bought a piece of land in Dartmouth village. This village had only one coloured family. We were the second, and we moved in 1960, where five of his children were born: Vonya, Haffiz, Fazlo, Kamal and Rhyan. We were just a two-minute walk from the now 8th of May school and Amantado shop, and a minute to the post office,” Bibi recounted. These, she said, though, are no longer there.

During the distubances in the 60s, Shamsudin was a member of the security group that kept ‘troublemakers’ out of Essequibo, which was without any problems during that time.

He was also a member of the Dartmouth School Education Board, then later, Treasurer of the Infant and Welfare Committee. He was also a member of the village council, which later became the Neighbourhood Democratic Council, where he served as Chairman. Due to health issues, he resigned at age 83.

“He was a leader, a listener, a communicator…. he had so many sides of him that made him the unique being that he was; very active in the schools -- be it private or public, hospitals, religious houses regardless of religion and beliefs, the communities at large, he was always ready to give; be it materials or monetary, simple or technical advice.

Dad always said, ‘the more you give, you will feel good inside, and you will help others to feel happy, and help them to have a better lives’,” Bibi said.

BRINGING FAMILIES TOGETHER Since he worked in the communities and his trade took him into homes, Shamsudin was able to diffuse family issues and mend and bring families together.

He taught his children that family comes first, and reiterated the importance of surrounding yourself with good company, quoting: “Your family is chosen for you, you only get to choose your friends.”

Though his family went through many hardships after moving, they all emerged successfully, according to Bibi, who

stated that all of Rahim’s children were married and have children of their own.

She recalled her father having strong beliefs and principles, which he instilled in his children time after time.

“One of his strong beliefs was that when a couple gets married, the woman must walk or sit on the right side of the man, not on the left side. His explanation is because she is his life partner, meaning she is his right hand person,” Bibi shared.

Shamsudin was a person who wanted his children and grandchildren to know their roots. He went to the archives in Georgetown and got information of the ship that his parents came on as children with their parents. He made sure he kept copies of birth, marriage, death, land transport, business transactions, his appointment letters for the board of education, and even a picture of the British “ration book.”

“He touched many lives with his trade, and his jewellery, which I have seen passed down five generations already.

At functions or “gaffs,” he would always leave with a riddle or a history question to follow up, little stories or events, or advice that persons would remember him by, and relationships that he helped mend. All of this made his purpose on earth very appreciative,” Bibi concluded.

Shamsudin lived a “full life,” according to his daughter, and departed his earthly life on the July 2, 2019.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 5, 2021

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 5, 2021

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 5, 2021

Rain saves Sri Lanka from England onslaught (ESPNCRICINFO) - Sri Lanka’s last innings on a horror tour of England was perhaps their most abject yet, but rain saved them the indignity of a whitewash.

Under cloudy Bristol skies, Sri Lanka nosedived in the early overs, continued to plummet once the fielding restrictions were relaxed, and never seriously threatened to scramble out of the pit of tragicomedy, where they have wallowed more or less since the start of the (preceding) T20 series.

This time, they were 166 all out in the 42nd over. Dasun Shanaka produced the only competent innings, finishing 48 not out;

most of those runs having come in the company of the tail. Rain had caused a stoppage during Sri Lanka’s own innings, but returned in force during the innings break to make an England chase impossible.

Although the pitch held no real terrors, England’s bowlers extracted seam movement and bounce - particulary in the early overs, to skilfully exploit the substantial technical shortcomings of Sri Lanka’s top order. Both openers were out largely due to poor footwork, and two middle-order batters were bounced out playing wild hook shots. Although Sri Lanka were 33 for 3, then 42

Tom Curran was the brother in the wickets this time around (AFP/Getty Images)

for 4, then 63 for 5 (and on in such fashion), there was no concerted effort to hunker down and rebuild -- several batters getting out playing expansive strokes.

With his brother having

claimed a five-for on Thursday, it was Tom Curran who was England’s most penetrative bowler, his 4 for 35 gutting the middle order after Chris Woakes and David Willey had prospered with

the new ball. Tom Curran was accurate, used the short ball well, and frequently got a touch of away-movement to the right-handers.

Wi l l e y a n d Wo a k e s claimed two wickets apiece, and Jonny Bairstow was excellent behind the stumps, taking diving catches to dismiss Pathum Nissanka and Chamika Karunaratne, and pulling off a stumping when Dushmantha Chameera dragged his back leg marginally out of his ground against Adil Rashid.

Sri Lanka’s collapse began in the third over, when after a couple of decent early boundaries, a flat-footed Kusal Perera dragged Woakes

back on to his stumps. Avishka Fernando was out soon after, falling over to the off side as Willey swung one into his pads - the not-out decision overturned on review.

Nissanka then edged Willey behind, and Woakes bounced out Dhananjaya de Silva, who had played the short ball reasonably well in his previous innings, at the Oval.

Also out to the hook was Wanindu Hasaranga, making it three times out of three this series he has fallen to that shot. This time, the bowler was Tom Curran (Sam Curran dismissed him this way in the second ODI, and Woakes got him in the first).

West Indies Women ‘A’ suffer whitewash CMC – Captain Reniece Boyce was the only bright spot as West Indies Wome n ‘ A’ s l u m p e d t o a n eight-wicket defeat and a 3-0 whitewash at the hands of Pakistan Women ‘A’ in their Twenty20 series here Sunday.

In the final match of the rubber at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground, the home side could only muster a paltry 99 for six off their 20 overs with Boyce stroking an unbeaten 42 off 44 deliveries at the top of the order.

In reply, Pakistan Women ‘A’ strolled to their target with eight deliveries to spare, with in-form opener, Ayesha Zafar, hitting an unbeaten 53 to headline the run chase.

West Indies Women ‘A’

lost the opening T20 last Wednesday by seven wickets before going down by 14 runs in the second on Friday.

Sent in, the hosts were carried early on by Boyce’s enterprise, the right-hander hammering four boundaries as she held the top order together.

First, she put on 25 off 26 deliveries for the first wicket with Rashada Williams (12) before adding a further 34 for the second wicket with Japhina Joseph (15).

However, the partnership required 55 deliveries and put a strain on the innings, leaving West Indies Women ‘A’ meandering on 59 for two in the 14th when Joseph was run out.

Boyce and Shabika Ga-

jnabi (9) then put on 22 runs from 17 deliveries for the third wicket to up the tempo, but once Gajnabi was also run out in the 17th over, the home side lost four wickets for 11 runs in the next 15 balls, to lose momentum.

In reply, Pakistan Women ‘A’ lost Javeria Rauf for six in the fifth over with 15 runs on the board but Zafar, who failed to score in the last game, hit three fours and a six to rally the innings with a polished half-century.

Along the way, she posted 35 for the second wicket with Omaima Sohail (16) before adding another 50 in an unbroken third wicket stand with Kainat Imtiaz, who made 19 from 24 balls.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Monday, July 05, 2021)

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TODAY’S QUIZ:

(1) What are the best innings figures by a West Indian in a Test versus Bangladesh to date?

(2) What are the best innings figures by a Bangladeshi in a Test against the West Indies to date?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

Captain Reniece Boyce top-scored with an unbeaten 42.

SCOREBOARD

WEST INDIES WOMEN “A” *+R Boyce run out 42 R Williams c Omaima Sohail b Maham Tariq 12 J Joseph run out 15 S Gajnabi run out 9 Q Joseph st Najiha Alvi b Syeda Shah 0 S Grimmond c Rameen Shamim b Syeda Shah 4 C Fraser not out 6 M Mangru not out 4 Extras (lb2, w5) 7 TOTAL (6 wkts, 20 overs) 99 To bat: J Glasgow, Z James, K Ramharack Fall of wickets: 1-25, 2-59, 3-81, 4-82, 5-85, 6-92.

Bowling: Aiman Anwar 3-1-23-0 (w1), Rameen Shamim 4-1-11-0, Maham Tariq 4-1-14-1 (w3), Saba Nazir 4-0-14-0, Kainat Imtiaz 2-0-22-0, Syeda Shah 3-0-13-2.

PAKISTAN WOMEN “A” Javeria Rauf b Grimmond 6 Ayesha Zafar not out 53 Omaima Sohail c Mangru b Gajnabi 16 Kainat Imtiaz not out 19 Extras (lb1, w5) 6 TOTAL (2 wkts, 18.4 overs) 100 Did not bat: Kaynat Hafeez, Maham Tariq, +Najiha Alvi, Aiman Anwar, *Rameen Shamim, Syeda Shah Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-50 Bowling: Glasgow 2-0-11-0 (w1), Ramharack 3.4-0-12-0, Grimmond 3-0-21-1 (w2), Q Joseph 4-0-21-0 (w1), Gajnabi 3-0-18-1, Mangru 3-0-16-0 (w1)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 5, 2021

Inspiring performance, but Golden Jaguars fail to advance

…Briggs hails team fight against Guatemala

By Rawle Toney in Fort Lauderdale (Compliments of: Guyana Lottery Company, Shi Oil and STAG Beer)

Inspiring – the word most fitting to describe the Golden Jaguars’ performance against Guatemala on Saturday evening in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where Guyana went down 4 – 0 and ended their hunt to qualify for the main draw for this year’s CONCACAF Gold Cup. With 9,586 fans in attendance at Drive Pink Stadium – home of MLS side Inter Miami FC – the atmosphere was as if Guyana had travelled to Guatemala City to face their Central American counterparts.

The two sides first met in 1987 at CONCACAF’s 1988 Olympic qualifier; Guatemala walked away 6 –

0 winners at the Estadio del Ejército, Guatemala City.

Their other meetings saw Guatemala winning 3 – 0, and 2 – 0 at the Guyana National Stadium, making Saturday’s game even more interesting for Coach Marcio Maximo’s blended youth and some experienced side.

MAXIMO’S LAST CHANCE? Much was riding on this game for Maximo, with the Brazilian coming off a disappointing run in Guyana’s quest to realize their FIFA 2022 Qatar World Cup dream.

In fact, prior to the clash with Guatemala, Maximo had stood in charge of the Golden Jaguars in ten outings, winning four matches, drawing one but with five losses since his August 21, 2019, appointment as head

coach. Three of those losses came in the World Cup qualifiers against Trinidad and Tobago (3 – 0), St Kitts and Nevis (3 – 0) and Puerto Rico (2 – 0).

Maximo’s fourth win at the helm of the National team came against Caribbean football’s minnows, The Bahamas (4 – 0).

As usual, Maximo raised many eyebrows with his team selection, as the team’s composition hinted to most football pundits that Guyana was ready to match the Guatemalans pace, especially in their attack.

Guyana started with former Liverpool FC, now Cambridge United Goalkeeper, Kai McKenzieLyle, Captain Matthew Briggs, Reiss Greenidge, Terrence Vancooten and, as a shocker, Santos FC’s Nicholai Andrews and Job

Bucks into NBA playoffs (BBC) - The Milwaukee Bucks reached the NBA Finals for the first time since 1974 by overcoming the Atlanta Hawks to win the Eastern Conference title.

The Bucks earned a 118107 victory in game six to claim the best-of-seven series 4-2.

Khris Middleton scored 32 points and Jrue Holiday 27 to propel a Milwaukee side missing injured star player, Giannis Antetokounmpo, to the win.

They will play Western Conference victors, the Phoenix Suns, in the final.

The first game in the bestof-seven series will take place in Phoenix from 02:00 BST, on Wednesday.

Middleton was again key for the Bucks as he scored 16 straight points - and 23 in total - for his side in the third quarter to give them a 91-72 lead going into the final period. ‘’My team-mates and my coaches, they told me to keep being aggressive,’’ said Middleton. ‘’I love it. Each one of

Antetokounmpo (left) missed the last two games for the Bucks but they still managed to win both

these guys, they work every single day. Everybody stays ready. Everybody stays locked in. We all play for each other.

And that’s all you can ask for.’’

Trae Young was back after two games out with a foot injury for the Hawks but managed just 14 points, with team-mate, Cam Reddish, scoring a team-high 21 points for the home side.

“I didn’t want to go and not play and think to myself all off-season what if I could have been out there and played,” said Young.

“It would have hurt me, so I just decided to go out and play

and leave it all out on the floor.”

The Suns will have home advantage for the finals series as they had a better record in the regular season.

It remains to be seen whether two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, Antetokounmpo, will have recovered from a knee injury to play.

“They have a focus and an edge,” said Bucks coach, Mike Budenholzer, after his team’s win.

“That’s put us in a position to keep playing.

That’s impressive, but we’ve still got more work to do.”

Caesar.

Bournemouth FC’s Nathan Moriah-Welsh, along with Queens Park Rangers’ Stephen Duke McKenna, complemented Keanu Marsh-Brown and Emery Welshman upfront, while Daniel Wilson looked comfortable – the best he has been in the past few outings for Guyana.

HOLDING THEIR OWN Guyana’s recent form, as compared to the Guatemalans, made the Golden Jaguars the underdogs, but Coach Maximo’s starting lineup matched the Spanishspeaking country’s strides, at least until Bolton Wanderers defender, Reiss Greenidge’s own goal in the 21st minute.

Greenidge was having a good day until his untimely clearance of a Stheven Robles shot caught Guyana’s

goalkeeper, Kai McKenzieLyle off guard and he didn’t recover in time.

Despite the goal, Guyana, with a combination of Duke-McKenna and Moriah-Welsh, continued to create havoc up front for the Guatemalans, but the Golden Jaguars couldn’t convert.

Things took an ugly turn for the Golden Jaguars, after Marsh-Browne, in the 40th minute, received a questionable red card from Costa Rican referee, Juan Gabriel Calderon, for a foul on Marco Dominguez.

However, it was not smooth sailing for Guatemala though, playing a 10-man Golden Jaguars team, but goals from Luis Martinez, Darwin Lom, and Jose Martinez, at different intervals ended Guyana’s 2021 Gold Cup hunt.

BRIGGS PROUD After the game, former Fulham FC and Colchester United defender and now National team Captain, Matthew Briggs, praised his side’s level of play, stating that “it’s always difficult when you down to ten men and I think the boys just went out of steam in the second half, which also led up to playing too deep and then we conceded (the) goals.”

Briggs stated that he’s “proud of the team. “We gave everything we could, but it’s just unfortunate when that went down to ten men.”

Guatemala will now face Guadeloupe on Tuesday, while for Guyana, all eyes will be on the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) to see how they react and respond to the country’s exit from the Gold Cup qualifiers.

Windies duo Henry and Nation back ahead of third ODI

C h i n e l l e Henry and Chedean Nation, the two West Indies Women players who collapsed on the field during their team’s second T20I against Pakistan’s women, have recovered and are back with the team ahead of the third and final T20I. Both players had collapsed on the field in separate incidents during the second T20I on Friday, but were back with the team on Sunday, the day of the third game.

In separate messages posted on Twitter, both said they didn’t have any hospital stay or restrictions imposed on them.

“I just want to thank you guys for all your concern and well wishes, and I am doing well. No hospital stay, no restrictions. Now I’m just focussed on going out there and getting the series 3-nil,” Henry said.

Nation also thanked all those who had expressed concern. “Just want to say thank you guys for the love and support I’ve received over the past 48 hours.

No hospital stay, no restrictions, just eager and ready to get out there and hit some sixes.”

Both incidents had taken place during Pakistan’s chase, which was also beset by weather i n t e r r u p t i o n s . W e st

Indies eventually won by 7 runs via the DLS method, as Pakistan fell short of an 18-over target of 111. West Indies had also won the first T20I, by 10 runs after scoring 136 for 6 and restricting Pakistan to 126 for 6, and thus have an unbeatable 2-0 lead heading into the last game.

Nation has batted at No.5 in both games, while Henry has come in at No.7. Nation has had a reasonable outing with the bat so far, making 14 off 13 and then 28 off 33.

Henry was not out on a run-a-ball 4 in the first game, and made 1 off 2 in the second.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 5, 2021

Verstappen wins in Austria

(Skysports) - Max Verstappen took full advantage of a difficult Austrian GP for title rival, Lewis Hamilton, to widen his points lead beyond the equivalent of a race win with a second crushing victory at the Red Bull Ring.

Triumphing on Red Bull’s home track on successive weekends to complete a clean sweep of F1’s triple-header, Verstappen was in a class of his own and victory, combined with a fourth-placed finish for Hamilton who picked up car damage, means the Dutchman now leads the standings by 32 points.

And Norris would surely have finished ahead of Bottas but for a five-second time penalty served at his first pit stop for a lap-four clash with Sergio Perez which saw the Red Bull run into the gravel -- a sanction driver and team disputed.

Hamilton, who started fourth, had moved up to second in the first stint ahead of Norris but started to struggle with his Mercedes in the second after his car picked up rear damage over the Turn 10 kerbs.

The world champion was overtaken by teammate, Bottas, eased through on instruction by the team, and Norris in quick succession before heading for a second pit stop on lap 53.

But the damage and lost performance was such that Hamilton, even on fresh tyres, was unable to make an impact from there and so stayed fourth.

“It’s obviously frustrating to lose so much downforce on the rear of the car and not be able to hold on to second place,” said Hamilton. “So a lot of points lost today.”

Bottas finished 15 seconds behind Verstappen but the gap would have been greater had the runaway Red Bull not made a late second pit stop for fresh tyres to make sure of the bonus point for fastest lap.

“Even better than last week,” said a delighted Verstappen, who secured a first career Grand Slam of pole, fastest lap and lights-to-flag win. “The car was on rails on every tyre.

Incredible, guys.

“That was just amazing, let’s keep this up.”

Perez experienced a

rather more tumultuous afternoon in the second Red Bull and was eventually classified in sixth.

The Mexican had dropped down to 10th place when he was forced wide

by Norris as he attempted to overtake the McLaren for second around the outside of Turn Four.

But while stewards found in Perez’s favour there, handing Norris his time penalty, the Red Bull driver was later hit with two five-second sanctions of his own for running Fer-

rari’s Charles Leclerc off track in separate incidents at Turns Four and Six. Perez finished fifth on the road but the combined 10s demotion dropped him behind the other Ferrari of Carlos Sainz, who matched his result from last Sunday after another strong and strategic drive from the middle of the pack.

And while his weekend paled into comparison to the one of team-mate Norris, Daniel Ricciardo also drove strongly, recovering from qualifying 13th to

secure seventh ahead of Leclerc and boost McLaren’s points haul in their constructors’ fight with Ferrari.

Pierre Gasly was ninth with AlphaTauri’s strategy not working out as hoped from row three, on a day team-mate Yuki Tsunoda, somewhat inexplicably, picked up two time penalties for cutting the line on his entries to the pit lane.

But there was late and fresh frustration for George Russell.

Having suffered a tech-

nical failure when running eighth here last Sunday, the young Briton was relegated out of what would have been his first point for Williams at the 46th attempt with three laps to go when Alpine’s Fernando Alonso overtook him for 10th place.

Russell therefore finished the wrong side of the line in 11th, with even Alonso - who has tipped the 23-year-old Englishman to be a future world champion - admitting he felt sorry to pass him.

Inspiring performance, but Golden Jaguars fail to advance

…Briggs hails team fight against Guatemala See Page 26

Stephen Duke-McKenna getting by Guatemala’s Gerardo Gordillo during the Golden Jaguars’ 2021 Gold Cup preliminary round clash at the Drive Pink Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Saturday July 3. (Photo compliments: CONCACAF)

Some Golden Jaguars supporters in Fort Lauderdale were on hand to cheer the team on against Guatemala.

Verstappen wins in Austria Windies duo Henry and Nation See Page 27

back ahead of third ODI

See Page 26 Race winner, Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Red Bull Racing celebrates in parc ferme during the F1 Grand Prix of Austria at Red Bull Ring on July 04, 2021 in Spielberg, Austria. (Photo by Dan Istitene - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)

Chedean Nation had collapsed on the field during the second T20I against Pakistan (ICC/Getty Images)

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