Guyana Chronicle News 05-09-2021

9th May, 2021

, See Inside

No.106355

Major upgrades for Mon Repos, Parika, Charity markets 03 PAGE

–– as authorities set aside $130M for rehabilitative works

Zabeda 08 Ahamad - a nurturer for generations PAGE

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY! In recognition of mothers countrywide, the Sunday Chronicle is highlighting Renita Surujbally and her young daughter, Raquel Stuart, who recently did a photoshoot ahead of this special day (Delano Williams photo)

On Mother’s Day, the Ahamads celebrate Zabeda Ahamad, a woman who has nurtured generations of children

Gov’t mulls compulsory vaccination ‘Appeal Court has no jurisdiction to GOAL to offer PhD 04 to curb COVID-19 situation 02 entertain Election Petitions’–AG 12 courses from next year PAGE

PAGE

PAGE

2

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 9, 2021

Gov’t mulls compulsory vaccination to curb COVID-19 situation –– Dr. Ramsammy says widespread vaccination, not lockdown, will allow exit of pandemic

By Vishani Ragobeer

THE local health authorities are considering whether the COVID-19 vaccination should be made mandatory, since vaccines are seen as the tool that will enable countries to exit the pandemic and circumvent the challenges raised by those who breach the COVID-19 guidelines and allow for the continuing spread of the novel coronavirus.

On Saturday, following reports that there have been nine COVID-19 related deaths that were not confirmed nor reported before, Health Adviser in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, lamented that people have not been adhering to the COVID-19 guidelines and as such, have contributed to the spread of the virus.

“I think if we continue to ignore the public health advice and go out without our masks and go into large gatherings, etcetera, more people will get infected,” Dr. Ramsammy told the Sunday Chronicle.

With the discovery of the deadly coronavirus in Guyana last March, large public gatherings have been prohibited and a social distance of six feet was encouraged. The prohibition and distancing, among other measures, were instituted since the interaction of people would be conducive to the spread of the virus from person to person.

But there have been numerous reports of people breaching these guidelines and being arrested by members of the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF). More recently, Dr. Ramsam-

Nurse Edoll Ainsworth places a plaster on the arm of Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC)’s Director of Medical and Professional Services, Dr. Fawcett Jeffrey, after he received a dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine at the National Infectious Diseases Hospital at Liliendaal (Vishani Ragobeer photo)

my said that Guyana was experiencing a third wave of the virus wherein the virus is more transmissible and it is deadlier.

“In spite of the warning that the virus circulating now is a more dangerous virus, more deadly, we seem to have a thing that we are immune to it and we are not going to be infected by the virus,” Dr. Ramsammy said.

However, in a bid to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Guyana has introduced an aggressive vaccination campaign, whereby all adults are eligible for one of the three COVID-19 vaccines being administered locally. Vaccination is not compulsory in Guyana, but Dr. Ramsammy related that making COVID-19 vaccination compulsory is “on the table.”

“We haven’t made a decision,” Dr, Ramsammy said, adding: “We don’t want to make it mandatory.”

Dr. Ramsammy said that it is expected that about 160,000 people would receive at least their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of Saturday. That would equate to about 33 per cent of the targeted 500,000 adult population. But there has been an unequal uptake of these vaccines. In Regions Eight and 10, vaccinations have been fewer than in other regions.

Vaccination, according to Dr. Ramsammy, is the exit strategy for the pandemic and not necessarily imposing a lockdown.

“We have to enforce more public health measures. We have to use the same energy that we have to use for lockdown; we have to use that same energy for people coming to take their vaccines and if we take our vaccines, we will bring some control about,” Dr. Ramsammy underscored.

3

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 9, 2021

Major upgrades for Mon Repos, Parika, Charity markets –– as authorities set aside $130M for rehabilitative works

By Jared Liddell

PUBLIC markets are essential to village economies and community development, and with the conditions of some local markets discouraging shoppers and even the vendors who utilise the spaces to ply their trade, the government has set aside $130 million for rehabilitative works at three of those facilities.

In recognising the need for upgrades to those essential facilities, the government, through the Ministry of Local Government, will be conducting rehabilitative works at the Mon-Repos, East Coast Demerara, Parika, East Bank Essequibo, and Charity, Essequibo Coast, markets.

Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall, made the disclosure during a programme on the National Communications Network (NCN); he said that funds have already been set aside for the potential upgrades.

Speaking about the specific injections for each market, the minister said that the Parika and Charity markets will get a facelift worth $30 million each, while some $70 million has been allocated for Phase Two of the rehabilitation project at Mon Repos.

The plan for the Mon Repos Market is to construct a steel frame structure and gradually remove the wooden shacks that are within the

facility. Minister Dharamlall noted that the move to start rehabilitative works on these markets is part of a broader plan to improve the conditions of markets across the country and encourage business.

He related that with improved conditions, those facilities can be used to their full potential, to increase profitability.

Project for Public Spaces, a non-profit organisation based in New York, says that the potential economic benefits of public markets and farmers’ markets include direct benefits such as profits to business owners in the market, job creation, sales and real estate tax revenues.

The organisation determined too that such facilities encourage development, enhance real estate values and the tax base, and keep money in the local neighborhood. Public markets also offer low-risk business opportunities for vendors and feed money back into the rural economy where many vendors grow, raise and produce their products.

The spin-off benefits of markets are numerous, and, according to Project for Public Spaces, those benefits range from increasing access to fresh, healthy food to providing important revenue streams.

“But, perhaps most important is the way markets serve as public gathering places for people from different ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic communities. As one of the

few places where people comfortably gather and meet, markets are our neighborhoods’ original civic centre,” the organisation related.

Cognisant of those benefits and the fact that Guyana is “on the map” because of its natural bounties and potential for investments, authorities have started the process of enhancing critical infrastructure across the country.

Specific to the plans for local markets, Minister Dharamlall said the work being done will not just encourage shoppers, but also beautify the environment. At the same time, too, this project will not just help in the beautification of the communities in which they are located, but will also create sanitary and healthy environments for both vendors and shoppers.

Plans to enhance local markets were initiated last year, with funds for rehabilitative work being allocated in the government’s emergency 2020 budget.

In providing an update on the work that was initiated last year, Minister Dharamlall said: “I did some site visits recently and works have actually begun again. In terms of Mon Reops, we are doing drains, we are doing a sanitary facility and we had to do some preparatory work for the second phase, so we have now tendered the second phase of which the estimated budget is $70 million that is to upgrade the market into some level of a modern status.”

Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall Some $10 million was budgeted for Mon-Repos, while $18 million was set aside for the East Ruimveldt and La Penitence markets in 2020.

Minister Rodrigues engages Sophia residents on scholarships MINISTER within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues on Friday, engaged residents of Sophia, Greater Georgetown, encouraging them to seize the opportunity to apply for the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) scholarships.

During meetings at the Sophia Primary and ‘C’ Field Nursery Schools, Minister Rodrigues said the delivery of the 20,000 online scholarships is the fulfilment of a manifesto commitment, to ensure quality education is distributed equally nationwide. A partner-initiative between the Ministries of Education and Public Service, the GOAL scholarship programme would be available over the next five years, with some 4,500 being awarded this year.

According to a release from the Department of Public Information, Minister Rodrigues said there is no excuse for not taking advantage

Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues, guides one of the applicants applying for the GOAL scholarships of the scholarships, as provisions have been made to ensure persons who do not have the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) certificate benefit through the Bachelor’s Preparatory Programme.

“As a government, the entire Cabinet is putting all of this emphasis, attention, energy, resources and

time… because we consider the importance of education and the importance of this scholarship programme. We understand the impact it will have on our population and on our country,” the minister was quoted by DPI as saying.

Minister Rodrigues said the government wants to ensure that no part of Guyana is neglected.

“Sophia is important to us and regardless of your

race and regardless of your political affiliations, we are going to ensure that whatever programmes and policies we have as a Government, benefits all of Guyana.

“Because it’s not just about fulfilling promises, it’s about enriching lives, empowering the people of this country to benefit from the national development that will come to our country, that is what it is about….

“To create family wealth, for you to be examples for your children and your grandchildren, for you to raise the bar,” Minister Rodrigues added.

Further, the minister said that for many years professionals and well-trained resource personnel have left Guyana’s shores to seek employment in other countries.

However, the Government is working to make that practice a thing of the past.

“We want to put an end to that. We want to ensure that no matter where you live,

however remote that part of the country is, you must be able to remain and study and contribute to the development of your community and your country at large,” she said. The minister also urged the future scholars to persevere and be more aggressive in their efforts

to obtain higher education.

Minister Rodrigues also encouraged residents to get immunised against COVID-19, noting that the people are the nation’s best resources, and will continue to be government’s priority.

Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues, engages GOAL applicants at Sophia, Greater Georgetown

4

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 9, 2021

GOAL to offer PhD courses from next year

By Rehana Ahamad

THE Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) is likely to begin offering Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) courses from next year.

This announcement was made on Saturday during an outreach to Region One (Barima-Waini).

The initiative, spearheaded by Minister of the Public Service, Sonia Parag and Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, commenced at the Santa Rosa Secondary School where persons were briefed on the opportunities that they can capitalise on, as part of the 20,000 online scholarships programme being financed by the Government of Guyana, and offered via six reputable universities across the world.

As the outreach extended to Karaburi Primary School, Minister Parag told the residents that even though connectivity remains a concern

in various parts of the country, the GOAL courses do not require constant internet service.

“You just need the internet to download your work materials and then again to upload your work; you don’t

need the internet 24/7 to be able to benefit from this initiative,” Parag assured.

She told the residents too that the government is currently working to conduct a comprehensive assessment of Guyana’s telecommunica-

74-year-old ‘Uncle Francis’ is eager to submit his scholarship application

tion needs, and that all efforts will be made to address those needs. Minister Parag emphasised the need for every eligible Guyanese to take full advantage of the opportunities to benefit from free, internationally recognised education.

“The first step is to just get registered and apply,” she said. Parag reminded too that even if a person is not awarded a scholarship this year, they still have an opportunity to apply during the course

―Moruca residents hear

the programme is being rolled out.

“That is why each of you must take advantage of the opportunities that we are bringing to you here today,” Parag noted.

Public Service Minister Sonia Parag assists one potential scholar

of the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) tenure in office (2020-2025).

“We will be giving out 4,500 scholarships this year alone,” Parag posited. She said that the countrywide scholarship outreaches, headed by ministers of government, is a testament to the equitable manner in which

Minister Croal echoed similar sentiments, reiterating that the GOAL programme was conceptualised

by President Dr. Irfaan Ali, as a response to the needs of ordinary Guyanese. He reminded residents that the programme offers something for all Guyanese, whether they have certificates from

the Caribbean Examinations Council or not.

The Housing Minister reminded residents that the scholarships are a win-win, since they do not result in recipients being indebted to Guyana upon completion of their studies. He said that the government will only be asking for a few weeks of light community service or volunteerism.

“That is all that is required,” Croal emphasised.

At Santa Rosa, pensioner, Francis Eusedio, was preparing to apply for a scholarship to do an ‘Awareness Programme on Dairy Farming for Rural Farmers’ being offered by the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) India.

“I really think that this here is a very good plan that the government made to assist Guyanese. It is good for young people and old people too, because look at me, I am applying; I am an ageable person, but briskly moving,” the 74-year-old man said.

Already a farmer, ‘Uncle Francis’ believes that he stands to learn much more from pursuing a more formal education.

Meanwhile, in Karaburi, TURN TO PAGE

5

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 9, 2021

GOAL to offer ...

Claudette Benjamin is hoping that a scholarship to study clothing and textiles will kick-start her journey as a seamstress

39-year-old Claudette Benjamin travelled from her village of Wallaba to learn more about the scholarship programme. “I keep hearing about it, but I didn’t really know what it is about, so I come fuh see,” she confessed.

The woman told the Sunday Chronicle that for many years she has been sewing pieces of clothing for her relatives and friends. She is planning to apply for a scholarship to be properly trained in the area of clothing and textiles.

“If I get through, I think that would be good. It would help me a lot to expand and

do a proper business sewing clothes for people,” Benjamin said.

As the Region One outreaches wrapped up at the Waramuri Primary School, a young couple, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas, showed up to peruse the courses being offered. They are not entirely set on what they want to do, but they plan to study their options carefully and submit their applications.

The registration period for the GOAL scholarships will close at the end of May, since many of the courses are set to commence in July.

5 FROM PAGE

4

Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, during his address to applicants

First female president elected to QC’s Old Students’ Assoc.

THE Queen’s College Old Students’ Association (Guyana) (QC-OSA) held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on May 6, 2021, via the Zoom Online Platform.

As part of the business of the AGM, elections were held for the executive body of the association. Mr. Khalil Ali, the Returning Officer, declared the following: – President: Ms. Pauline Chase, First Vice-President: Mr. Harrinand Persaud, Second Vice-President: Mr. Kwabina Griffith, Secretary: Ms. Lisa Foster, Treasurer: Ms. Raquel Bacchus-Nathoo, Assistant Secretary/ Treasurer: Ms. Michelle Singh, Public Relations Officer: Christopher Belfield and Sports Adviser – Mr. Shen Fung.

The ordinary members elected and declared at the said AGM are Mr. Sanjeev Datadin, Mr. Devindra Kissoon, Dr. Quacy Grant, Mr. Ian Lee Chung, Mr. Nicholas Chuck-A-Sang and Mr. Ryan Chang.

A release from the association noted that the election of Ms Chase as President is historic as it marks the election of the first female President of the association in the 176 years of existence of the college.

Ms. Chase, a prominent attorney-at-law, attended Queen’s College from 1988-1992 and currently sits as the Secretary of the

Bar Association of Guyana. She is the outgoing First Vice-President for the Queen’s College Old Students’ Association Executive Body.

Queen’s College, established as an all-boys school on the 5th August, 1844, became co-ed in 1975 with the enrollment of female students. Past Presidents of the association within somewhat recent history include former Commissioner of Police, Mr. Laurie Lewis, DSM, DDS (now deceased), former Principal of the college, Mr. Clarence Trotz, and alumni Mr. Neville Burke and Mr. Brian Woodroffe.

Outgoing President, Dr. Arron Fraser, thanked the executive and alumni

Pauline Chase

for their support during his tenure and wished the

new Executive well in the execution of their duties.

6

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 9, 2021

Tajeram Mohabir

National Competitiveness

NATIONAL competitiveness refers to the ability of a country’s economy to grow.

A country’s success is generally created as opposed to being inherited.

It involves economies of scale of a country. The competitiveness of a country is determined by the capabilities and ability of the industries within the country to generate innovative ideas to maximise output and minimise inputs to achieve a greater profit margin. Global evolution challenges companies and their competitors to improve their operations and products to meet local demands and maintain long-term sustainability.

Every nation is unique in its own way.

As such, competitive advantage is based on the resources available and the utilisation of those resources in the country. The competitive advantage is created through differences in the culture, economic structures, institutions, and the history of a country.

There is no theory to explain the concept of national competitiveness, but some argue that the term is a macroeconomic phenomenon, driven by factors such as exchange rates, interest rates and government deficits.

Countries such as Japan and Italy have benefited from increased standards of living in spite of government deficits (expenses exceeding income). On the other hand, arguments have been made that national competitiveness constitutes cheap and wide-scope labour, but countries such as Germany and

Switzerland have been able to have successful economies, despite having high wages and low availability of labour. Another argument is based on the country’s richness in terms of natural resources, even though the four above- mentioned countries have limited natural resources and are blooming economies. Other arguments posed by M. Porter purports the concept of government intervention. Research has demonstrated that some countries such as Japan were successful as a result of government intervention, while it was not as effective in other countries such as Italy.

According to M. Porter, an economic theorist, the best way to explain the concept is by examining the level of productivity within the country. The primary goal of any country is to improve the standard and quality of lives of citizens, which can be achieved by producing more. By producing more, labour is needed; capital is employed; goods and services are sold; income is gained; and money is circulated within the economy.

As global competition is dynamic and constantly evolving, businesses need to be able to adapt to the changes in order to be successful. Companies are successful across the world because of innovation through technology and creating new ways of doing things which are more economically viable in keeping with UN sustainable development goals. As mentioned earlier, national

competitiveness is built/boosted by the performance of industries. Increasing national productivity increases national competitiveness. However, for there to be increased productivity in developing countries such as Guyana, assistance is needed from the diaspora and foreign investments. The government also needs to generate funds to provide proper infrastructure in places that will assist in boosting national production. As in the case of Guyana, opportunities are being provided in all sectors for investments to be made to either improve current processes or introduce new practices.

One of the fastest-growing sectors is the agricultural sector which aims at maintaining food security in Guyana and enabling food security in the wider Caribbean. With the boost in the tourism sector through new restaurants and hotels, along with new foreign-based companies such as the oil companies, fresh produce is in demand. Also, with the government seeking new international and regional markets for local produce, exports are expected to increase drastically. This pushes to improve the country’s Gross Domestic Product and economic activities within the country.

A classical theory of national competitiveness explains that the success of countries is based on factors such as land, labour, and natural resources, but these factors are overshadowed by global competition and

technology. For instance, in the agricultural sector, to maintain sustainability, agro-processing needs to be introduced. The government had also mentioned the introduction of the new single-window system which will be time and cost-efficient and will improve trading procedures. Therefore, the success of competitive companies also depends on strategies that cover both trade and foreign investment.

Another way national competition can be boosted is by having foreign companies based in the country. This initiative has its pros, such as access to a variety of high- skilled and trained individuals in special areas of interest, highly experienced personnel who can provide training to the locally-based Guyanese through on-the-job training opportunities and having spin- off effects on other sectors and businesses within the country. The cons may revolve around limiting opportunities for Guyana’s local businesses, but the local content policy will ensure that the local businesses are properly covered to receive maximum benefits.

As can be seen, national competitiveness takes a lot into consideration to be successful.

Therefore, the human resources must be educated and trained to take on the opportunities that lie ahead for the development of the country. Educate to innovate to maintain sustainability through national competitiveness.

Granger was a total disaster as President of Guyana Dear Editor, ONE would have hoped that with all the recent shenanigans surrounding the activities and work of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), the chairperson and commissioners would have moved with alacrity towards a swift remedial path of correction and damage control. Instead, the paucity of actions so far signals an impending disaster.

Inducements to the above stem largely from the ‘sanctimonious man’, who unilaterally appointed a misfit geriatric as the Chairman of the Guyana Election Commission. The intention was a clear mal-alignment of the internal controls of the institution at the operational level of the secretariat, to function in biased favour of the PNC-led APNU+AFC cabal.

By the time the Caribbean Court of Justice eventually evicted the geriatric squatter, much imbalance related to sinister staff appointments was imposed. The corrections in this respect still remain outstanding, and their impact have largely contributed to the heavy frustration, tensions and uneasiness existing in this country. Many of these persons have largely acted in cahoots with the blatant PNC henchmen and women, in efforts to publicly overturn the true results of the March 02, 2020

elections, although the public evaluations showed a win by the PPP/C. It is indeed sad that after the passing of the no-confidence motion on the night of December 21, 2018, it was the same former President Granger and then Prime Minister Nagamootoo who agreed publicly that the APNU+AFC government fell. However, in keeping with the innate bullish and proven dictatorial traits of the PNC, there is widespread public feedback from their subsequent turnaround that it was truly a consequence of their desperate determination to stay in power at all costs.

With these leaders at the helm, sinister and clandestine manoeuvres were orchestrated and directed, in collaboration with some dangerous, planted operatives in the GECOM Secretariat to propel delays. This ultimately extended an illegal stay in government, while supported by a parallel exploitation of the court system to prevent the holding of Regional and National Elections.

The recent reaction by Mr. Granger to bring in excess of $2.6 billion lawsuits for libel against several media houses which reported on his behaviour, is nothing but an indecent proposal. Mr. Kit Nascimento, the Public Relations ‘Czar,’ must be commended for the many strong and well written state-

ments he used to address the PNC and the undercurrents of Mr. Granger during those troubling times. There is an abundance of evidence which bears testimony that the despicable riggers were hell bent on stealing the elections.

The Guyanese nation must never forget the role of our united people and particularly the role of the FREE PRESS operatives, who stood in defiance to Granger in making sure that our ‘democracy prevailed in a peaceful way.’ We were fortunate that we did not have to go down the road like the people in Myanmar who are today still struggling to get free and fair elections.

Of note, Mr. Granger from whom our nation did not hear anything significant during his five years in office, has suddenly re-emerged. Synonymous with the PNC’s track record, he is now trying to shift our country’s tremendous development process by filing stupid and vindictive libel suits against a prominent citizen and sections of the press.

Strategically, this sudden voice may serve to overwhelm those in his party now searching for guidance as lost sheep. The calls for him to step down is certainly voluminous and he must first solve the numerous, serious problems he is facing in the PNC. It is rational for most Guyanese that

Granger was a total disaster as President of Guyana. From his inherent failures, he is now bubbling like a ‘Cork” in the ocean in his attempt to respond to pressure. This is a call for him to come clean and let this nation know where he obtained the money to build that ‘mansion’ at ‘Pearl’ on the East Bank of Demerara. Further, billions of dollars were spent during the stolen time that he paraded himself in government.

Guyanese of all walks of life suffered and were humiliated as the PNC cabals kept their ‘knees’ on our people’s backs as they propelled themselves into power. It cannot be denied that the attempts to ‘rig’ the national elections in 2020 caused our nation to suffer serious financial loss, grave national distress, humiliation, embarrassment, indignity and we were the laughing stock in the Caribbean. Our lawyers must spare no efforts along with the free press to humiliate him in the courts.

At the moment, this baseless lawsuit is nothing but an indecent proposal to deflect from the GECOM disaster and his own internal inefficacies.

As my good Member of Parliament Friend said, ‘Let’s bring it on!’

Yours sincerely, Neil Kumar

7

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 9, 2021

Mothers are ‘Gods on earth’ MOTHERS are undoubtedly “Gods on earth,” fulfilling Almighty God’s instructions to continue the creation of humanity for perpetuity. Mothers are the creators of human civilisations today; they are the creator of man himself.

As the Grand Creationist, Almighty God created one man and one woman: Adam and Eve. In the womb of Eve, the womb of the woman, all of creation was born. This is a fact that many men, sons, and daughters must accept and comprehend: our existence today is due to them being known as mother/woman!

If the woman dies or becomes extinct, society, mankind, and the whole world would come to an end. Both in the animal world, and even in plant life, there is a female in all species. So, if this supreme entity dies, all of the female eggs and gametes would also die, and the world would perish as a result.

Over the years, I have written many “poetries in action” as I like to call them. My poetries do not rhyme, but they express the emotions, reality, and value of womanhood.

In one of my pieces on women, I stated that she “carries the life of the universe in her womb.” In it, I likened the weight to the pains associated with a child’s development in the womb: the butting, kicking, sicknesses, hits, etc., and if there is a lack of adequate nutrition, the infant in its embryonic stage will extract vitamins, nutrients, etc. from the mother’s organs, tissues, her bones and even teeth.

Yet, it irks this writer when some sons and daughters will hurt their mothers, physically, emotionally, and at times unleash the nastiest of words on her to hurt her soul. In another “poetry in action” of mine, I said, “and yet the mother will cry out to the Creator, Lord God of the world for her child’s forgiveness and salvation. Even when she passes on, she fights with God for the continued protection and salvation of her child despite that same child being unkind to her in her life.

This is the grandeur, the strength, the power of womanhood. For it is that body which gives man the greatest pleasure, for which at times it is known in history that man has kidnapped and/or murdered for the cause of a woman. Kings even overthrew other kingdoms for the cause of a woman, and another woman, and another, and another. Sadly, her beauty and the joys that her body gives to men sometimes work in her own pains and travails.

How unfortunate it is that we continue to see cruelty unleashed on some wives, daughters of other fathers and mothers. I have seen some of their tears that appeared to wash away their souls. Marks on their bodies that will last a lifetime. I have seen men who put women out on the streets, men who would chop them, punch them, chop off their noses, ears, and more, out of sheer cruelty. Imagine, such barbaric acts to the same woman whose body they gloat over for pleasure and whose body will create their offspring. Just imagine!!!

Oh sons and daughters, progeny of maa, do not molest her, do not hurt her for when a mother speaks, God listens. This is so because women/mothers fulfil the mind of God in the creation of man and the replenishment of the universe.

Ladies and gentlemen, friends and families, brothers and sisters, I reiterate that mothers are “Gods on earth!” Honour her; worship her in dignity and joy.

I wrote a powerful “poetry in action” about cruelty to women and I hope in time, that the editors of various newspapers will see it fit to publish it for mass edification. It entails some history of brutalities in Guyana and even brutalities that I saw my own mother endure. Some of her stories and that of mine is in that poetry. However, as a day of celebration for most people around the world, this day, Mother’s Day, is set aside by secular society to celebrate a one great day, even though every day is Mother’s Day. However, it is also remembered by most religious people that while every day is Mother’s Day, today is a day set aside to celebrate this divine being with more splendour, more joy, more gratefulness, and more worship.

I say no more as I share with you a beautiful “poetry in action” that came to my heart and into my mind from the universe. I thank my God, Creator Lord God of the Worlds for these words which I wish to share with you here today. I penned it for my own mother, Hajin Latifan Khan and I have decided to share it with you all. Here is my piece: “As the Sun spread its ray’s of life, I asked for words for her, for Maa and the Universe unfolded its words into my mind...

Blessed day mom but not only today Forever in the past Forever in the future Even beyond this earth in paradise

The seed you planted, the soul you created by God’s finger, That quaked in the womb of glory In your Holy treasured heart…

This child was born…

Me, Haji. Roshan Khan, I bow to your presence, your Divine existence.

I stand humbled before you and my God... my architect of destiny... ... my mother, our mothers.

The She!!!

My mamma bore the pain so I may live and breathe That I may see… far…Be far… serene!

Achieve high, touch the sky, climb the high mountain, See the future.

Be the success her eyes saw as she cavorted with the universe so her son, rejected and pained, tormented and strained; Through virtual battles with God, So that her son can touch the spark and power of God. and God may know, woman, mother speaks, so he listens.

While the son grew with blows, and words, and expulsions...

In abuse and tears!

That he may smile through her travails!!! Her pains!!!

Her LIGHT (ROSH) OF THE UNIVERSE, HER CHILD may shine in Glory.

Her words, as I pen, my hair stands on end and my thoughts travel the Astral Plane.

Mom, my love....my MAA travels with me.

I saw her writhe with pain in her heart, and pains on her body, as her child, taking life, accepting, accepting so her noor (light) of Allah, Her Light (Rosh) may LIVE, with the power of God!

My beloved Divine Maa The Holy YOU.....my Seer And with him not there, you created me.

You molded with your heart and womb... your thought and wish...

As I delivered my promise in 1973… as I departed to study, you begged…

“Oh my dear son, never consume alcohol!

It is a potion of evil.

Oh my son, be ever humble.

Oh my beloved light of life, never betray my hopes, my son.

Walk the Earth with grace and humanity, serve your God and people.....

You were born in harshness! Raised in pain!

You were raised with power and fire in your heart, with wounds on your body ...steady…

With my love and sweat as your balm of healing, my tears, and prayers.

My son, never smoked a cigarette, or illegal things.

Stay from bad company, for bad company spoils useful habits.

But cherish hard work, sacrifice and by the sweat of THY brow, ye shall earn thy bread...

I have spoken to your God and mine.

I DEMANDED THAT HE MUST BE WITH YOU FOR ALL THE DAYS OF YOUR LIFE… and that when they make you fall, YOU MUST RISE GREATER THAN BEFORE. ... I promise you my LIGHT! MY ROSH! MY SON! I will fight for you from even the other side of the grave.

You are my beloved, Divine son and I will always be with you.

I, your Mom, who cried and laughed with you.

And cried more. And more… even more … will laugh with you even from the heavens....”

Friends and families, Hajin Latifan lives. I am blessed that at 90, I have her, my Mother, Hajin Latifan to worship and kiss her feet and hands. This writer at 66 today, as she lives to enjoy her vision of her son, her Kamal Krishna...The Lotus of Krishna... her ROSH (LIGHT OF HER LIFE).

Our beloved Prophet of Islam taught: PARADISE LIES AT THE FEET OF THY MOTHER...

And so, while the world celebrates Mother’s Day once yearly, for me, every day is Mother’s Day.

Sincerely, Haji Dr. Roshan Khan Snr.

Zabeda Ahamad ― a nurturer for generations

8

By Rehana Ahamad

IT was the 1950s; her father was a handsome army officer, stationed at Camp Ayanganna, and her mother was a beautiful, curvy young woman, who toiled admirably in the sugarcane fields at Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice.

she would eventually begin working on the plantations, manually planting fields of rice.

At 17 years old, she would become eligible for marriage, and would be paired with a charismatic, and hardworking young man, named Nasir Ahamad - my grandfather - who was

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 9, 2021

showered them with love, kindness and care. They even ensured that the women were wedded and became part of decent families.

“They really did a lot,” my father, Nizam Ahamad, reminisced. He described Mama as being a woman who always prioritised the needs of others over herself.

“She used mek sure everybody eat first and she would say that she guh eat later; and, she would keep daddy food one side and when he come home, she

Once I completed my two years of early education, I went off to Grove Primary School.

LOSSES A few years would go by and my dearest ‘Aunty Doll’ - my grandmother’s daughter-in-law - would be diagnosed with cancer.

Although aged herself, my grandmother continued to care for her in almost every way possible. My aunt eventually passed, and the family was torn. My grandmother

a hard hit on the concrete.

She would also become hospitalised at the same location where her beloved grandchild, ‘Aunty Bobby’ was battling for her life.

A few days would pass and my grandmother would be stretched thin; she was caring for her grandchildren, who were still recovering from their mother’s passing; she was also providing much comfort to her two grandsons who were torn by their mother’s hospitalisation; she was also simultaneously battling to keep her head above water, tending to her hospitalised mother and daughter, both of whom eventually passed away, weeks apart.

I can’t say how my grandmother survived that

and the only time she had ever scolded me was when I refused to take cold medicine for my cough. My grandmother is nearing 80, and she has lived an impressive life, mothering and caring for dozens of her loved ones, and even complete strangers.

First her siblings, then her in-laws, who continue to regard her as their big sister, then her own children, followed by the children of the many relatives and friends, not to mention her grandchildren.

While she was a young girl, she also managed to rescue a young boy from drowning.

To this day, my grandmother remains the glue

On Mother’s Day, the Ahamads celebrate Zabeda Ahamad, a woman who has nurtured generations of children

They were a family of five, and my grandmother, Zabeda Ahamad, was their second child, and the eldest of two daughters; she was her mother’s right hand and the apple of her father’s eyes, even though his work prevented him from seeing her every day.

Eventually, the family’s lengthy periods of separation became unbearable and the respected army officer abandoned his military career and returned home, joining his wife as a labourer on the sugar plantation.

They worked day and night to ensure that their family’s financial needs were met; however, this resulted in them being unable to effectively fulfill their responsibilities at home. So, at just 10 years old, my grandmother assumed her role as caretaker of the home; she cooked, cleaned, packed lunches, did the laundry, and nurtured her younger sister.

A few years would go by and her responsibilities would grow, as my great grandparents’ marriage produced four more children.

As she continued to care for her family, Zabeda, or ‘Mama’ as her grandchildren called her, was limited to a primary-level education;

commonly known as Dennis Deen. I wasn’t privileged to have known him, but my cousins called him ‘Papa’.

He was the eldest of five siblings, and just like my grandmother, he too had the responsibility of being a critical support to his parents.

After marriage, my Mama moved to Novar Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara, where she settled comfortably with her in-laws.

She would begin caring for her brother-in-law and three sisters-in-law as if they were her own children; the eldest was nine and the youngest was barely three years old.

When Papa’s parents died, Mama became a fulltime mother to her younger in-laws, along with some of her younger siblings who wanted to stay with her, as well as the children they had begun to have of their own.

My grandparents also cared for the children of a few relatives and close friends, who lived in riverine communities, but wanted to ensure their children had easy access to the schools located in Novar.

Together, my grandparents raised most of their younger relatives; they sent them to school and ensured they were educated; they

My grandparents, Nasir ‘Dennis Deen’ Ahamad and Zabeda Ahamad

would tell he that she done eat. But when we do realise, she doesn’t always eat, because it don’t always have enough food,” my father recalled.

As Mama and Papa were in their forties, my grandfather suffered a sudden death, leaving my grandmother windowed with eight children, the youngest of whom was my father. Notwithstanding the many challenges, my grandmother continued to care for her children. She also arranged for her aged mother, and youngest sister to move into a two-bedroom house built behind her house.

When most of my ‘parents’, along with my other aunts and uncles married and moved away, my grandmother began caring for the grandchildren and nieces and nephews who remained with her.

When my parents moved to Region Four for better job opportunities, I stayed behind with my grandmother to complete nursery school.

almost immediately began playing the role of mother to my two cousins who had just lost their mother, and my uncle who was devastated having lost his wife.

A few months later, my father’s sister, ‘Aunty Bobby’, would fall ill and within hours, she would be placed on a ventilator at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

As pained as Mama was, she didn’t allow herself to lose hope. She was there to provide comfort to two other grandchildren and her sonin-law, all the while caring for her elderly mother - my Nani.

Nani was quite attached to ‘Aunty Bobby’ so no one mentioned that she was ill.

One day, as Mama was hurriedly leaving home to go to the hospital, she left behind two pieces of my Nani’s clothing to “soak down.”

My Nani, annoyed by the laundry being undone, opted to do it herself. In her mid-eighties, Nani slipped on some soap water and took

Young at heart, ‘Mama’ aims for a six!

period, but soon after she buried her mother and daughter, Mama began taking care of me as I pursued the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA). I had begged my parents to allow me to move back in with my grandmother, and after many cries, they agreed. I was ecstatic. I obviously love and adore my parents, but I remained incredibly attached to my Mama.

She taught me many invaluable lessons and has supported me in ways that I may not be able to explain in this article. I remember when I was preparing to sit the NGSA in 2006, the workload was intense. I would stay up late at nights copying, and when my hands would not work as fast enough as my brain, my grandmother would sit wiping my tears, and feeding me my dinner.

She would care for me as if I was a little child,

that keeps generations intact. She continues to give love to those around her.

As it is, she is in Canada, being taken care of by my Aunty Mureen.

On this Mother’s Day, I wish to salute all of Guyana’s mothers, especially my own mother, Nalini Singh. She is perhaps the most intense go-getter I have ever come across, and she remains very attached to her inner child.

Today, she too continues to make many sacrifices for the betterment of her family. I have also been quite blessed to have many aunts, who play critical mother roles in my life - my Aunty Chandra, Aunty Renu, Aunty Mureen, Debbie, Lureen and so many others. On this Mother’s Day, I am incredibly thankful, because quite frankly, I still need adult supervision.

9

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 9, 2021

Politics & Society Forum Debunking the myth that Indians were 'dependent coolies' in British Guiana IN 1936, 16 years after indenture was abolished, the Indian population was 140,718 with 74,087 males and 66,231 males. Of this total, 55,630 were living on the estates while 85,088 were off the estates, according to the Immigration Agent General report of 1937.

This gradual movement off the estates suggested that some Indians had given up the idea of going back to India and chose to stay in British Guiana permanently. Their decisions were encouraged by the prospect that they could survive on their own accord or with some government assistance. They also stayed in British Guiana because some returnees had to first adjust to the conditions of plantation life in sugar colonies and upon returning to India, they had to adjust for the second time, to their own homeland. Their overseas experience, according to Mahatma Gandhi, had transformed them into strangers in their own land of birth. Gandhi said they all looked famished and were from the lowest ebb of human misery. They were neither Indian nor Colonial. They lacked the Indian culture and encouraged them to stay in their new colonies.

What came out of this movement to stay in British Guiana was the formation of a cluster of Indian communities along the coastal belt with large extended families which engaged primarily in the cultivation of sugar, rice, and small-scale farming as well as the rearing of cattle and poultry. In 1927, for instance, there were about 150 rice mills in various parts of British Guiana that produced 25,752, 411 pounds of rice worth $732,871. On 32 sugar estates, 6,018 Indians owned 17,582 heads of cattle and an unknown number of goats and sheep and poultry. Some 768 Indians had licences to sell milk, according to the Immigration Agent General report of 1928. This figure is most likely higher since many Indians sold milk illegally. Thousands of Indians were also actively involved in fishing in the trenches of irrigated rice fields (sweet water fishing) and in the rivers (saltwater fishing). Soon after indenture, Indians participated in the open markets as buyers and sellers of fish, meat, vegetables. Various Indian shops-- provisions, bread, and liquor-- sprung up throughout British Guiana.

Although most Indians, probably about 80 per cent, remained in the villages working the land, there were a noticeable growth and involvement in huckster, horse and donkey cart trading and transporting of commodities as well as market vendors, artisans, and other occupations of commercial life in urban areas. Some Indians were shop owners selling medicine, spirits, and provisions. Other Indians were pawnbrokers, milk, and vegetable vendors. Indians, especially women, could be

seen in these urban areas carrying basket of vegetables on their heads and milk cans slung over their shoulders, selling these items from door to door. The Indian Opinion, a weekly newspaper, in 1945, ran an advertisement “Buy Nirmal Ghee British Guiana Foremost Dairy Produce” because “Nirmal Ghee is 100 per cent pure manufactured locally under expert supervision. If you want your own puree, manbhug, mithai and other Indian dishes made more tempting and nutritious, use Nirmal Ghee… which can be used at Jag, Katha, Puga and other ceremonies”.

The movement from rural to urban areas followed a step migration. Indians moved first from the plantations to settlements and then to urban areas, although some moved directly from the plantations to urban areas. The latter movement was always less common and more irregular than the movement from the settlements to urban areas. The rural-urban movement was based on economic success and individual aspirations. As some Indians experienced steady progress and accumulated wealth, they transferred their economic activities to urban areas with relative ease, although they had to compete with other ethnic groups, which resulted in ethnic tensions between Indians and Africans, Indians and Portuguese and Africans and Portuguese.

Some Indians moved from their rural base because of Christian religious influence.

Christian missionaries offered rural Indians opportunities for western education. While this form of education was met with resistance from Hindu community leaders for intruding on their faith, a small number of mostly young males attended Christian-administered schools and received Christian religious teachings and western forms of education. This exposure to Western education and skills prompted Indians to seek stable opportunities beyond their rural agricultural belt. They were now prepared to compete for urban-oriented jobs in the civil service and private sector; jobs that offered year-round stability when compared to the seasonal employment and lower wages in rural areas. In 1911, about eight per cent of the Indian population lived in urban areas, and by the 1940s, that figure increased to about 20 per cent, principally in Georgetown and New Amsterdam.

The rural-urban migration produced an elastic relationship among Indians in British Guiana. Migratory Indians did not abandon their former living base. Instead, they returned regularly. The short distance between the rural and urban environments encouraged continuous contact. Their common immigrant plantation experience provided a natural medium for them to facilitate the flow of trade,

ideas, conversations (roadside talk) and customs. In some ways, Indians had re-discovered the common heritage that bound them together in their former homeland, despite the vast distances and differences that separated them. There were also signs that they were beginning to live better than in their former

Professor Lomarsh Roopnarine

homeland.

The massive famines and endemic poverty many encountered before migrating from India in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were unheard of in British Guiana (lomarsh.roopnarine@ jsums.edu).

10

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 9, 2021

The Science of COVID-19

Myths about COVID-19 vaccines debunked

Contributed By: Dr Zulfikar Bux Emergency Medicine Specialist, Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine,Vanderbilt Medical Center

GUYANA, like the rest of the world, has begun vaccinating its population against COVID-19. Unfortunately, there are many rumors being spread especially on social media about the COVID-19 vaccines.

This is creating too many vaccine skeptics and is putting us all at risk of being stuck in the pandemic for longer than we should be. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), between 2010 and 2015, vaccines prevented an estimated 10 million deaths. Scientists have worked tirelessly to create safe and effective vaccines to protect us against COVID-19. Some persons called “anti-vaxxers’’ dedicate their entire lives to railing against vaccines and are mostly behind the many myths that are being circulated about COVID-19 vaccines.

Today, I will share some common myths being circulated about COVID-19 vaccines so that you can be properly informed and help dispel these myths.

MYTH: THE SIDE EFFECTS OF THE COVID-19 VACCINE ARE DANGEROUS. While the COVID-19 vaccine can have

side effects, the vast majority are very short term and are not serious or dangerous. Some people experience pain where they were injected; body aches; headaches or fever, lasting for a day or two. These are signs that the vaccine is working to stimulate your immune system. If you have allergies, especially severe ones that require you to be hospitalised, discuss the COVID-19 vaccine with your doctor, who can assess your risk and provide more information about if and how you can get vaccinated safely. There has been recent evidence of rare blood clots in a small number of patients receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine. Experts have since advised that these are rare occurrences and the benefits far outweigh the risks and are advocating for its continued use. Thousands of Guyanese have already received this vaccine and there has not been any reported case of blood clots associated with it.

Myth: the Vaccine will alter my DNA These vaccines were designed using the RNA and DNA of the virus to create similar structures in the vaccines. These structures cannot alter our DNA in any shape or form. When our body detects them after being vaccinated, it produces antibodies that can be stored and deployed to effectively combat the SarsCov2 virus in the event we get exposed to it.

It does not directly interact with our DNA in any way.

MYTH: YOU CAN GET COVID-19

FROM THE VACCINES The COVID-19 vaccines cannot give an individual COVID-19. Regardless of the type of vaccine, none contains the live SarsCov2 virus. Any side effects, such as headache or chills, are due to the immune response and not an infection.

MYTH: THE VACCINE CONTAINS A MICROCHIP According to some, the vaccines were designed with a microchip inside and will allow shadowy elites to track our every move. In reality, our mobile phones already complete that task effortlessly.

There is no evidence that any of the COVID-19 vaccines contains a microchip especially since each vaccine would have undergone rigorous testing and analysis by many different international regulatory bodies.

MYTH: COVID-19 VACCINES CAN MAKE YOU INFERTILE There is no evidence that the COVID-19 vaccines impact fertility. Similarly, there is no evidence that they will endanger future pregnancies. This rumor began because of a link between the spike protein that is coded by the mRNA-based vaccines and a protein called syncytin-1. Syncytin-1 is vital for the placenta to remain attached to the uterus during pregnancy.

However, although the spike protein does share a few amino acids in common with syncytin-1, it is not even nearly similar enough to confuse the immune system and cause abortions.

MYTH: YOU SHOULD NOT TAKE THE VACCINE IF YOU’RE BREASTFEEDING You and your breastfeeding baby needs protection against COVID-19 like everyone else. You cannot get COVID-19, or give your baby COVID-19, by being vaccinated. The components of the vaccine are not known to harm breastfed infants. When you receive the vaccine, the small vaccine particles are used up by your muscle cells at the injection site and thus are unlikely to get into breast milk. When a person gets vaccinated while breastfeeding, the immune system develops antibodies that protect against COVID-19.

These antibodies can be passed through breast milk to the baby. Newborns of vaccinated mothers who breastfeed can benefit from these antibodies against COVID-19.

MYTH: THE COVID-19 VACCINE WAS DEVELOPED QUICKLY SO ITS UNSAFE Millions of doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered and thus far, it has been proven safe?and effective.

Although these vaccines were developed in record time, they would have gone through the same rigorous trials and authorization process like every other vaccine and would have met all safety standards.

No steps were skipped. The clinical trials

Dr Zulfikar Bux

and safety reviews actually took about the same amount of time as other vaccines.

Scientists utilised existing technologies which saved most of the time that would have been needed to develop a vaccine from scratch.

Also, this is the first time that there was such a worldwide focus and investment into the creation of a vaccine.

Sufficient funding and collaboration meant that the process was also much more efficient.

MYTH: I DON’T NEED A VACCINE SINCE COVID-19 SURVIVAL RATE IS HIGH While the COVID-19 survival rate is high, the death rate is higher in the older population and those with other chronic illnesses. These people depend on others that are not as high risk to be vaccinated so that the illness cannot spread to them. We all have loved ones that are in the high risk group and we need to look out for them and get vaccinated. Also, while the death rate is not high, the long term effects of COVID-19 are devastating for many that would have been infected. It ranges from damage to the lungs, kidneys and liver to numerous issues associated with damage to the nervous system.

Those with nervous system damage tend to be fearful, depressed, have unrelenting pains and get nightmares for no obvious reason.

MYTH: ONLY THE HIGH RISK SHOULD BE VACCINATED Regardless of your risk, you can still contract the infection and spread it to others, so it’s important you get vaccinated. Once the vaccine is widely available, it’s recommended that as many eligible adults as possible get the vaccine.

In addition, doctors are finding long term complications in those that are not high risk and had COVID-19.

Myth: I can move around without a mask once I’m vaccinated Masking, handwashing and physical distancing remain necessary until a sufficient number of people are immune to the virus and cannot spread it to others. The best protection we can offer each other right now is to continue to follow current guidelines and mask up. As more people get vaccinated, experts will have a better idea of how long natural and vaccine immunity lasts.

In any case, most of the vaccines require you to get two doses and to wait about a month for your body to develop immunity.

COVID-19 can only go away if we all get vaccinated. Otherwise, we are stuck in this pandemic and many more lives will be lost and negatively affected. Experts are advising that around 80% of the population needs to be vaccinated before we can bring this pandemic under control.

I therefore encourage you to spread the word on the real facts of COVID-19 vaccine and help debunk the myths; you will be saving lives by doing this.

11

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 9, 2021

Understanding Energy

Government unveils studies behind gas-to-energy plans

DISCUSSION of a potential gas-to-energy project has taken centre stage over the last several months.

Last week, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo held a press conference to further discuss plans for the project. Due to the array of sometimes-conflicting information out there, it is important to understand what decisions have already been made and what the government is still working on to ensure transparency during planning and ahead of construction.

Although government’s plans and discussions with ExxonMobil regarding the gas-to-energy project have been taking place since 2016, additional meetings between the new administration’s appointed task force and the Stabroek Block operator began in late 2020. Since then, the government has made a

number of decisions that are likely to shape the development of this project and bring Guyana closer to the goal of cheaper and more reliable electricity.

According to Vice President Jagdeo, the gas to energy project will include a pipeline running from the Liza Destiny floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel to an onshore power plant that is planned for the site of the former Wales Sugar Estate. Wales was selected as the most economical location with favorable environmental conditions after a total of twenty sites were reviewed.

Although the government considered a floating gas treatment facility, an onshore plant was found to be better in terms of local content, overall costs and benefits to other industries.

This focus on local op-

portunities was a primary reason Wales was chosen.

Vice President Jagdeo outlined that the location could make it a hub for the development of new opportunities in other industries. In addition to fuel for power generation, natural gas can provide the raw materials for industrial production of fertilisers, plastics, chemicals and more. The government is also discussing complimentary agricultural projects like an algae farm or agricultural processing plant that could take advantage of existing sugar infrastructure and the new steady supply of inexpensive power. These additional and diverse industries are major side benefits of gas production that producers like Trinidad have historically taken advantage of to diversify, expand, and increase the competitiveness of their economies.

To ensure that the project is economically viable, the previous administration worked with the Inter-American Development Bank and Japanese conglomerate Mitsubishi to carry out five feasibility studies beginning in 2016. These studies informed the current administration’s decisions on moving forward, as well as the location and type of plant.

Although the government is still working through the environmental, geotechnical and geophysical studies to choose where the pipeline will come to shore, it has already decided that the pipeline will carry up to 50 million cubic feet of gas per day.

A pipeline of this size would provide more than enough gas to meet Guyana’s current energy needs. According to studies, the new power plant would reduce electricity costs to less than 7 cents per kilo-

watt hour—cutting current prices in half.

The government also stated that certain aspects of the project would be funded by the Stabroek Block co-venturers, which will be cost-recovered. This means that they will cover the upfront costs of the project, allowing Guyana to avoid taking out interest-bearing loans from international financial institutions.

The Stabroek Block co-venturers will then be able to recover the costs through future oil production as stated in the Petroleum Agreement, subject to government audit.

With oil production expected to increase significantly in Guyana in the next few years, the cost recovery process could be quick. Despite some reports to the contrary, the cost recovery process is already enshrined in Guyana’s current Production Sharing

Agreement (PSA), and adding something like a pipeline would not mean reopening the contract.

The cost of the pipeline and power plant are not yet finalised, but analysts, international organisations and regional energy experts have widely agreed that the project will likely be a smart financial move for Guyana. According to the government, the project could start providing power as soon as 2024, after an additional 18 months for complementary economic and environmental studies and planning.

If this timeline is kept, lower energy bills are likely to be one of the most transformative early benefits of oil development for Guyanese who are accustomed to enduring some of the most expensive and unreliable power in the region.

Berbice man chopped Four bandits kick down door, rob couple during ‘marijuana deal’ FOUR armed masked bandits broke into the home of a Craig, East Bank Demerara couple on Friday night and robbed them of cash and jewellery.

According to a police report, Zahir Narine and Bibi Khan were asleep at the Second Street, Craig house when they were awakened by a loud knocking on the front door.

As they ventured into the living room, the door was kicked open and the four masked bandits, armed with knives and cutlasses, rushed in and relieved

them of several items amounting to a total value of $320,000.

Such included $207,000 cash, one black PLUM cellphone valued at $15,000, a five pennyweight gold chain valued at $50,000 and one gold-coloured Samsung cellphone valued at $48,000.

Narine received injuries to his forehead during the robbery.

The bandits then made good their escape on foot through the backyard of the victims’ residence.

Massy salesmen robbed in Grove

POLICE are investigating the armed robbery of two employees of Massy Distribution, which occurred on Saturday morning at Grove, East Bank Demerara, Police Headquarters, in a statement, noted that Rondell Downes and Lorenzo Sewchand were conducting sales at Matthew’s Shop, Grove, around 09:20hrs when they observed two males, one armed with a gun, walking towards them.

The perpetrators went up to the victims and the armed suspect pointed the said handgun towards them and told them not to move or he was going to shoot them; they demanded the victims’ properties.

Downes was robbed of a black Samsung Galaxy cell phone valued at $26,000 and $51,184 cash (the property of Massy) while Sewchand was robbed of $300.

The perpetrators then escaped on foot into Kaneville.

A MAN who was sent to purchase marijuana, was chopped about the body when he delivered the product at Koker Dam, Fyrish Corentyne, Berbice, on Friday.

The victim, identified as Sunil Singh, told police that he was at home watching television when he heard the suspect calling out for him around 22:30 hrs, requesting his assistance in the purchase of some marijuana.

According to the victim, when he handed the suspect the marijuana, he was dealt a chop to his right shoulder and another behind his left knee.

The victim managed to make his way to the Albion Police Station where he made a report and was escorted to the Port Mourant Public Hospital where he was seen, examined and treated.

He was later transferred

to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital.

Police said checks are

being made for the suspect as investigations continue.

12

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 9, 2021

‘Appeal Court has no jurisdiction to entertain Election Petitions’ –– AG submits, cautions against repeating error made in Eslyn David case

By Richard Bhainie

ATTORNEY General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, S.C, in his submissions to the Court of Appeal in the matter of Elections Petition, 99 of 2020, has reasoned that the court lacks jurisdiction to hear the matter, which was dismissed by the High Court, and cautioned that the Appeal Court should be wary of repeating the error made in the Eslyn David case.

On January 18, 2021, the Chief Justice (ag), Roxane George, S.C. ruled that the elections petition is invalid on the basis that the second named respondent, David Granger, was served the petition after the prescribed time for service had expired; the matter was subsequently appealed by attorney, Roysdale Forde, S.C., who is representing the petitioners.

In March last, Nandlall filed a Notice of Motion in the Court of Appeal seeking an Order to strike out the case on the basis that the court does not have jurisdiction to hear and determine the

appeal, as the grounds for the appeal does not fall within the ambit of Article 163 of the Constitution.

In his submissions pertaining to the Notice of Motion seen by the Sunday Chronicle, Nandlall reiterated those contentions and cited a plethora of legal authorities to support his stance. He also cautioned that the error made in the case of Eslyn David must not be repeated, whereby the Court of Appeal assumed jurisdiction and which the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) subsequently held it did not possess.

The Attorney-General reasoned that the Chief Justice, sitting in the High Court, striking out the petition on the basis of procedural impropriety for non-compliance with the strict electoral laws, led to the petition being dismissed without a determination on its merit and resulted in the court having no jurisdiction to hear and determine the issues in the petition.

He quoted the case of Christopher Ram vs the Attorney-General and Others [2019], where the CCJ had ruled that the court’s juris-

Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, S.C diction to hear and determine to elections petition matters, a petition is derived from the it circumscribes that right Constitution. In Guyana, Ar- of appeal by mandating the ticle 163 of the Constitution grounds upon which such an stipulates the law in those appeal may be lodged. regards.

Additionally, he noted Nandlall explained that that Article 163 (4) provides while Article 163 (3) creates for Parliament to make proa right of appeal in relation visions, which would govern the institution, conduct and consequences of the determination of any question permitted by the Article, to be determined by the court, as well as practice and procedures in relation to the jurisdiction, both in the High Court and in relation to appeals to the Court of Appeal.

He outlined that it is well known that Parliament made

those provisions in the form of the National Assembly (Validity of Elections) Act and the National Assembly (Validity of Elections) Rules, which specifically state that the rules are enacted pursuant to Article 163, and a careful examination of the said legislation reveals no expressed provision in relation to appeals.

Nandlall also reminded the court that an appeal is not a common law right; he cited the case of Hing vs Hing (1978), in which it was held that “it is not irrelevant to recognise that a right of appeal is not one to which a litigant is entitled as a matter of natural justice. It is a statutory right exercisable, subject to compliance with the conditions prescribed by the statute or statutory instrument.

“The litigant who does not comply and so is unable to stand in this court and challenge the judgment of the court below, is not thereby deprived of a right to do so.

What has happened is that he has not qualified to exercise the right and a legal bar arises as a result of such non-compliance.

“In the premises, it is clear that when the High Court’s exclusive jurisdiction conferred by Article 163 is activated and exercised, and a determination is made, appeals against such determination is exclusively governed and regulated by provisions contained in the said Article, as there is no other provision in relation thereto,” Nandlall

submitted.

According to Nandlall, Article 163 (3) (b) which provides for the right of an appeal to the Court of Appeal does so “from the determination of the High Court of any such questions, or against any order of the High Court made in consequence of such determination.”

He submitted that “the determination of any such question” refers to the grounds which Article 163 already provides. He explained that since the case was struck out for procedural impropriety, which is the late service on Granger, consequently the court lacked jurisdiction to determine the questions raised in the petition and accordingly, did not do so.

“In the circumstances it is respectfully submitted that this Honourable Court lacks jurisdiction to entertain the instant appeal from the decision dismissing Election Petition No 99 of 2020, for procedural impropriety, as no such jurisdiction is provided for under the Constitution or any other law,” the AG submitted.

Additionally, Article 163 (3) deals with appeals from a decision of the High Court, determining certain questions provided for and contemplated by the said Article.

It does not deal with the procedural method of appeal, and such matters, as the time frame for appealing or rules of the appeal, Nandlall argued.

Teenager shot during scuffle with police A TEENAGER was admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation after he was shot twice on Friday, during a scuffle with a policeman in the vicinity of Dennis Street and ‘D’ Field Access Road, Sophia, Greater Georgetown.

Police said that the 17-year-old is a ‘known character’, who was seen riding a red motorcycle with a haversack on his back on Friday.

Upon seeing the police vehicle, the “character” immediately made a U-Turn and sped off in a western direction on Dennis Street.

The police report noted that a chase ensued, and after navigating several cross streets and

back roads, the teenager eventually abandoned his motorcycle at his home and ran into his yard.

He then scaled his neighbour’s fence with police in pursuit. As ranks closed in to capture him, a scuffle ensued, during which, the teenager held on to the firearm of the apprehending police.

As the scuffle continued, the firearm went off injuring the teen. Police said that two circular injuries were observed on his body.

He was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation where he was seen and examined by doctors on duty and listed as being in a stable condition.

13

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 9, 2021

APNU+AFC never fixed deplorable Providence roads –– Housing Minister says situation will be addressed

RESIDENTS of the Providence Remigrant Scheme as well as those living in Phases Two and Three of the Providence Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara are calling on the relevant authorities to fix the deplorable roads in their communities.

The residents who spoke to the Guyana Chronicle said they have endured slushy streets for years, and despite their numerous inquiries, no one has told them when the roads will be fixed. The APNU+AFC Coalition when in power, the residents say, had on numerous occasions promised to fix the roads but they never did.

In an invited comment, Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal said these areas are under the ministry’s work programme, and that residents should anticipate some rehabilitative work in the near future.

He explained that the government is committed to ensuring that all Guyanese across the country have access to “good roads”, and this extends to these affected communities.

This rehabilitative work, he explained, will be undertaken by the tripartite inter-ministerial committee comprising the Ministry of Public works, the Ministry of Local Government, and the Ministry of Housing and Water.

Minister Croal reminded the Guyana Chronicle that at present, the Housing Ministry’s allotted budget for 2021 is expected to cover the new housing schemes.

One resident, Beverly McKenzie told the Guyana Chronicle on Tuesday that the roads in Phase Three have been in an extremely “atrocious” state. She stated that since the community was established, the residents

Beverly McKenzie have continuously called on the government of the day to provide them with better roads, as their current state was causing them a lot of inconvenience.

“It has been some time since these roads have been like this. The residents still are stuck with these roads with huge holes in them and all that. Last year, coming into November month, they used the ‘Bobcat’ to grade down the road with the same red sand, but with people still building, there are a lot of big trucks and so on coming in, so it continued to be destroyed,” the woman explained to this publication.

She said that at present, her three grandchildren live with her, and are constantly faced with having to travel through the extremely large puddles of water whenever it rains. The majority of the roads, she noted, have not been tarred, including the roads leading to the sole entrance and exit bridge in the community.

McKenzie highlighted that at any point of the day, each resident would have to deal with mud when making their way in or out of the

community.

“I have three grandchildren; it’s very difficult to get them in and out of the community. Today all, I had to walk with a wet cloth to wipe off their feet and so when we come out. The roads are bad; they have big, big holes in them, and when the rain fall, like today, it floods with water. So I have to get these two little children walking in the grass; and anything could be in that grass. So that, in itself, is dangerous,” she said.

McKenzie noted that apart from the roads, she enjoys the community, which she described as “a nice area to live”. The woman told this publication that the community has all the other necessary amenities, including water and light.

Meanwhile, Carol Etienna, a resident of the remigrant scheme said the residents have been promised better roads, but are yet to see this promise materialised.

Etienna stated that she and her husband made a decision to return to her country of birth after residing abroad for over 30 years. She noted that she had intended to return to her homeland to enjoy her retirement, but the state of the roads has made this move “unfulfilling”.

“I love Guyana; this is my home country, but what I expected and what we are getting is very different.

My husband and I, and all the other remigrants were promised so many amenities, and we haven’t gotten them, but the state of the roads here are very disappointing. I called the ministry and I told them that I am going to put on my swimsuit to swim across the street.

That’s a funny statement for a person who is 70 years old, but this is how difficult it is,” said Etienna.

One of the main access roads in the remigrant scheme (Delano Williams photos)

The state of the road following light rainfall on Tuesday

14

Leon Hardowar’s ‘Spare The Rod; Save The Child’ piece

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 9, 2021

Hardowar, Teekah win domestic violence design competition

HUMAN Services Minister, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, congratulated the two top artists in the Ministry’s Domestic Violence Design Competition for their emotive artwork and presented them with their cash prizes.

The ministry had invited artists and creative individuals to submit artworks to depict the elimination of violence against vulnerable groups, including women and children, with the hashtag “EnoughWithTheViolence.”

Leon Hardowar copped the first place with his “Spare The Rod; Save The Child” piece while Roberto Teekah got second with two pieces, “Co-operate to Eliminate Domestic Abuse” and “No Place For Violence.”

In expressing her appreciation for the artwork presented, Minister Persaud told

the winners that she loved their paintings and hopes to see more of their work.

When the idea was initially conceptualised, she said the competition was only part of a bigger vision.

Hardowar’s piece, an oil painting done on canvas with a size of 14” x 18” was inspired by the physical punishment that many Guyanese and Caribbean parents use to discipline their children.

“This type of abuse often results in scars, both physical and mental. My painting depicts a child, kneeling on the ground caught in the act of drawing on the wall. The drawing is of a happy family, one that the child dreams of,” he explained.

Hardowar further offered that

Roberto Teekah’s piece ‘No Place For Violence’

See page 18

15

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 9, 2021

Demerara Bank earns $1.3B –– reflects 51% increase when in first half compared to same period last year EVEN as Guyana continues to grapple with the effects of the dreaded novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which poses severe direct and indirect threats to the economy and its people, Demerara Bank Limited has remained resilient and was able to record a profit after tax of $1.3 billion in the first half of 2021.

Based on the company’s interim financial statements, the profit recorded in the “first half” reflects an increase of $871 million or 51 per cent, when calculated against earnings recorded during the corresponding period last year.

Chairman of Demerara Bank, Dr. Yesu Persaud, was quoted in the company’s statement as saying that deposits at the bank increased from $74.7 billion to $87.9 billion, an increase of 18 per cent. Loans and

Chairman of Demerara Bank Limited, Dr. Yesu Persaud advances also increased, moving from $37.6 billion to $40.2 billion; this shows a rise of seven per cent over the same period last year.

Considering the financial performance for the first six months of the financial year, the bank’s Board of Directors has recommended an interim dividend of $0.40 per share. Last year, the com-

pany paid $0.25 per share as interim dividend.

“Globally, the COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped the banking industry across multiple dimensions and has hastened the need for digital innovations to support operational resilience,” Dr. Persaud said.

The prospects for this year, however, remain positive despite the pervasive pandemic, as the world economy is projected to improve by around six per cent.

Locally, real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth was 43.5 per cent in 2020 and is projected to be in the vicinity of 20.9 per cent in 2021.

It was reported that Guyana’s economy will remain resilient against the effects of the dreaded novel coronavirus pandemic, maintaining its positive growth trajectory as the burgeoning petroleum sector picks up steam.

PPP/C committed to hinterland development – PM Phillips PRIME Minister, Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips, has emphasised that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government continues to invest significant resources towards hinterland development.

The Prime Minister was, at the time, speaking at the opening ceremony of the Sunrise Bakery at Capoey, an Amerindian community in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) on Friday.

While addressing residents, the Prime Minister said the PPP/C has maintained hinterland development as a priority by committing to investing significant resources. He highlighted that the 2021 budget has an allocation of $620 million to expedite the granting of titles to Amerindian villages.

He said other initiatives of the government include $196.6 million for boats, engines and equipment to empower those communities; $1.75 billion to improve the hinterland roads and the distribution of 196 scholarships, thereby helping to bridge the educational disparities between the hinterland and coastland areas.

“Globally, more and more countries are recognising the importance of strengthening the economies of their rural communities to provide better quality of life to the people through increased investments, policies and programmes that can support these communities to become economically vibrant and sustainable,” the Prime Minister explained.

He made it clear that he was not using the event for political purpose, but rather, reminding residents of the government’s commitment to improve the lives of the people.

As such, the Prime Minister said the Sunrise Bakery project highlights the importance of community development, noting that hinterland communities require the collective involvement of both private and public sector to economically survive.

“The government, therefore, extends gratitude to the partners of the Sunrise Bakery project, who saw the need to be part of implementing positive change in this community through this initiative,” Prime Minister Phillips said.

Based on the latest estimates released by the World Bank, the GDP of the Latin American and Caribbean Region will be 2.6 per cent lower at the end of 2021 than it was at

the end of 2019.

According to the international financial institution, Guyana’s growth rate will remain in the double digits.

Despite the lingering

adversities, projections remain positive, with the country set to record economic growth of 20.9 per cent at the end of 2021, 26.0 per cent in 2022 and 23.0 per cent in 2023.

16

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 9, 2021

DEMTOCO registers $1.7B in profit for 2020

–– company says sustainability more integral in its operations

By Navendra Seoraj

WAVERING amid challenges and uncertainty in the local economy last year was not an option for local cigarette distributor, the Demerara Tobacco Company Limited (DEMTOCO), as it was able to adjust its

operations to close 2020 with a profit after tax of $1.7 billion.

“In this environment and despite the challenges and uncertainty, we did not waver in our commitment to deliver superior value across the total portfolio.

‘The strength of our

brands, coupled with innovative strategies that allowed us to quickly pivot and adapt to the changing realities, resulted in positive outcomes for our distributors, customers and shareholders,” Chairperson of DEMTOCO, Kathryn Anne Abdulla, was quoted as saying in the company’s

Earnings per share increased from G$70.00 to G$76.09 annual report for 2020.

The company managed to work throughout 2020 without reducing its staff complement or utilising any government schemes (or subsidies). In doing this, Demerara Tobacco has shown great resilience, demonstrating capabilities which have showcased that they can recover quickly from difficulties and setbacks.

The company’s profit for last year, when compared to the $1.6 billion recorded in 2019, reflects an increase of

cent; this represents the highest growth in the past five years.

It is noteworthy that the company’s share price remained resolute in the face of increased economic pressure at $975 per ordinary share, demonstrating effective management through difficult times and the persisting threat of illicit trade.

The company, in addition to navigating turbulence in the economy, experienced a proliferation of illegal cigarettes, both without tax

The new DEMTOCO logo 8.7 per cent. Abdulla said: “Overall, we saw growth in revenue of 1.3 per cent, with a favourable movement in operating profit of 7.9 per cent, mainly driven by increased operating costs versus prior year.”

The company’s Managing Director Vijay Singh, in his report, said that with each fiscal year, new challenges arise, but the Demerara Tobacco Company successfully rises to overcome those hurdles by navigating an increasingly complex operating environment.

“While no one had the blueprint for this particular challenge, we were able to dig deep and draw on our resilience to get us through,” Singh related.

Operating revenues, he said, increased by 1.3 per cent, while operating costs decreased by 5.5 per cent.

Additionally, earnings per share increased by 8.7 per

stamps and the legally required graphic health warnings based on the Tobacco Control Act, with high levels of non-compliance and in some instances, breaches in the form of promotions.

Although this was the case, the company managed to maintain growth by being customer-focused and diligent, Singh said.

Owing to its performance last year, the company delivered earnings per share of $76.09 versus $70.00 in 2019, and a dividend per share totalling $1.6 billion, was distributed for 2020.

“The ability of the organisation to deliver consistent shareholder value is rooted in our prioritisation of cutting-edge practices,” Abdulla related.

But given the new realities presented by the global pandemic, like many other businesses, Demerara Tobacco adapted and transitioned

into a new way of working.

In speaking about the company’s transition, Abdulla said: “We transformed our vision of the future with agility, while displaying steadfast commitment to our corporate values and the health and safety of our employees.

It is a year where [sic] we rebranded, changed our motto to ‘A Better Tomorrow’ and introduced our Ethos – Bold, Fast, Empowered, Diverse, Responsible.

“We were forced to reflect on what sustainability means to us as part of this new journey and as such, we are moving from a business where sustainability has always been important, to one where it is front and centre in all we do.”

The company, she said, will continue to navigate the challenges and impacts of COVID-19, with effective crisis management and risk- management processes which are already in place. It also intends to demonstrate that it remains a financially resilient business.

“The company remains financially robust, demonstrating the confidence in our ability to continue to navigate COVID-19 with the associated macro and socioeconomic challenges and uncertainty this international crisis brings,” Abdulla said.

Clarity around the full impact of the pandemic, and for life to return to some semblance of ‘normalcy,’ will take time. So, the duration of the shortterm impact on the performance of the business will depend on the nature and timing of the subsequent economic recovery, but the company believes that they are well-positioned to emerge as a stronger entity.

17

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 9, 2021

CXC releases broad topics for CSEC, CAPE 2021 exams

THE Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) on Friday released the broad topics for the 2021 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) in an effort to facilitate the preparation of students for the examinations, come June 14.

The document by CXC was presented to the Ministries of Education all across the Region on Friday. Guyana’s Ministry of Education, in a release, noted that senior officers and subject specialists are analyzing the information provided with a view to ensuring that the best interest of the students are served.

Chief Education Officer (CEO), Dr. Marcel Hudson, during an interview with the Sunday Chronicle on Friday, noted that the ministry believes that this type of information would allow those students who are sitting the 2021 exams an increased opportunity for success. He noted that the ministry is cognisant of the past success achieved by the Guyanese students at the examination and is prepared to support the 2021 students in continuing this trend.

“We want to ensure that we give our children a good advantage in terms of how they will perform at the examination. Over the years, we have done well and we want to ensure that we keep that rich tradition where our Guyanese students would have performed optimally in these examinations,” Dr. Hudson

Chief Education Officer, Dr. Marcel Hutson told this newspaper.

The CEO noted that the broad topics for this year’s examinations can be accessed by students, teachers and parents through the Ministry of Education’s official Facebook page, the Guyana Learning Channel, and media houses.

He further noted that the ministry intends to have the video lessons done, which would include questions and answers in relation to each topic to boost readiness and preparedness for the examinations.

The topics for Paper Two of the examinations were released five weeks prior to the first examination, which is slated for June 14, 2021.

The CXC in a release noted that while broad areas of focus were indicated, candidates are still required to prepare for all topics covered in the respective syllabi, since the Paper One examination will feature same.

The 2021 CSEC and CAPE examinations will fea-

ture both Papers One and Two for each subject, unlike the unprecedented ‘Paper One only’ that occurred at the 2020 sitting of the examinations owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the examinations taking a familiar preCOVID-19 format, students are required to submit School Based Assessments (SBAs) or Internal Assessments (IA) where necessary; this excludes private candidates who will be undertaking the examinations Paper Three.

Considering the fact that COVID-19 is still prevalent, the examination council has sought to make work easier by reducing the requirements for SBAs by as much as 50 per cent for some subjects.

Meanwhile, aside from those adjustments, CXC is also offering students the option of writing their examinations in January or June, 2022. For the first time too, CXC will be accepting SBAs in January 2022, for candidates who are deferring their examinations. Students will also be able to keep their SBAs scores, submit a new SBA, or wait until their deferred sitting to submit their SBAs. Students opting for the deferral have until May 1, 2022, to apply. “The granting of the deferral will be managed by the principal, for in-school candidates, and by the CXC Local Registrar, for private candidates.

There will be no fee charged for the deferral of examinations,” CXC noted.

A snippet from the main areas of focus for June/July 2021 examinations, Paper Two

18

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 9, 2021

Hardowar, Teekah win domestic ...

From page 14

Minister Vindhya Persaud with second place winner, Robert Teekah parents often resort to physical abuse as an outlet of their personal issues. However, he noted that children are most vulnerable at this age and need to be protected.

Explaining his first piece (Co-operate to Eliminate Domestic Abuse),Teekah said it features a group of people from various backgrounds joining together to put an end to domestic violence. “I believe that representing victims in this manner is important.

It is important to remind them that they are not alone. We are in this together; we are

stronger together.”

The group of people proudly wave a purple flag (the colour associated with Domestic Abuse Awareness) bearing the message ‘Enough with the Violence.’ They are led by a dove - a common symbol of peace as they push out and eradicate physical violence, represented by the punching fist.

“The message being conveyed by this work of art is loud and clear. We are strongest together, and together, we can eradicate this societal ill.”

Minister Vindhya Persaud with first place winner, Leon Hardowar His second piece is the map of Guyana, filled with portraits of Guyanese people - specifically women and children.

“I chose to refrain from the cliché representation of a battered victim as I think this is not only overdone, but it can make the victims feel stuck in their situation. It is important for artwork to inspire and uplift abuse victims so that they can stand up and seek help. We must remind victims that they are not in this alone, they have a large community willing to support them- including the ministry,” Teekah

expressed.

The map filled with beautiful and strong faces shows that Guyana is ideally full of love and peace; there is no room for domestic violence. This is further emphasised by the slogan, ‘Domestic Abuse Has No Place Here’.

“It is my hope that one day soon, with the efforts of the ministry and a co-operative society, domestic abuse will no longer be a plague to our growing society, and I think this artwork is one small step in that direction.”

Digicel Guyana donates to mothers

Chief Commercial Officer of Digicel Guyana, Simone Pierre, hands over a quantity of food hampers for the young mothers of Women Across Differences (WAD).

Receiving on behalf of WAD is the Coordinator Colonel Samuels-Boston

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 9, 2021

19

20

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 9, 2021

Guyana set to receive 98,000 more COVID-19 vaccines this week

The first batch of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines from the COVAX facility arrived on March 29 (Delano Williams photo) GUYANA will receive an additional 98,000 COVID-19 vaccines this week, as the country continues to expand its vaccination rollout, according to Adviser to the Ministry of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy.

On Saturday, Dr. Ramsammy said that the country is aiming to encourage vaccination among additional people, particularly in Regions Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) and 10 (Upper Demerara- Upper Berbice) where the vaccination uptake has been less than in the other regions.

Region 10, specifically, has had the lowest vaccination uptake - at only about 10 per cent of the region’s population.

“We continue to vaccinate at our health centres and at the hospital but in addition to doing outreach sessions and meeting people at their home,” Dr. Ramsammy said, adding: “We will continue to go into the outreaches and into communities and so on because we are not giving up.”

To bolster this vaccination campaign, he highlighted that Guyana will be receiving an additional 98,000 vaccines this week.

Dr Leslie Ramsammy, Adviser to the Ministry of Health (Photo: News Room) These vaccines will include 60,000 doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine and an additional 38,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine from the COVAX facility.

In total, Guyana purchased 200,000 doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine following a purchase agreement through the Government of Russia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Through the COVAX facility, Guyana was expected to receive an initial set of 100,800 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines.

Inmate beaten with wood during argument at NA prison MARK LEWIS, a convicted inmate being housed at the New Amsterdam Prison, was beaten with a piece of wood by another inmate during a misunderstanding on Friday.

Police Headquarters noted that Lewis was attacked by Sheldon Smith, who is an inmate on remand at the prison facility. Reports indicated that the two were in the male dormitory when they had a misunderstanding, during which Smith picked up a piece of wood and ‘lashed’ Lewis several times about the body.

The victim was escorted to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital where he is being treated.

21

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 9, 2021

Over 2,000 Reg. 2 residents benefit from phase two COVID cash grant

Scores of people lined up at the Anna Regina Town Council to receive the grant MANY families in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) have expressed satisfaction at the Government of Guyana’s roll-out of the second phase of the COVID-19 $25,000 cash grant.

The second phase is dealing specifically with persons who were given the pink form during the first phase.

Approximately 2,176, of the 2,264 households in Region Two have already received the cash grant during the second phase.

The Sunday Chronicle understands that 1,897 people living on the Essequibo Coast benefitted, while 279 people in Upper and Lower Pomeroon benefitted.

According to the region’s cash grant coordinator, Iqbaul Khan, only 88 envelopes remain. He said the region received $56,600,000 and out of that,

only $2,200,000 remain.

Meanwhile, one of the recipients, Marilyn Williams from Kabakaburi, told the Sunday Chronicle that she was very excited to uplift her money. She said her husband had lost his job due to the pandemic and the money came at an opportune time for her.

Another resident from Friendship Lower Pomeroon River, Franklyn Gildharie, expressed thanks and noted that many families are facing financial difficulties.

At St Moncia, Upper Pomeroon, Carloyn Hendricks, related that she has six children and the money will be spent to improve her children’s education.

She said her children are currently using the internet to do research for school and the data is proving to be expensive.

Residents waiting to collect the grant at the Fisher Primary School

22

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 9, 2021

Nine newly confirmed deaths take COVID-19 death toll to 323 –– 130 new cases recorded

THE local COVID-19 death toll is now 323 after three deaths were recorded on Saturday and six other deaths were confirmed during the period April 25, 2021 to May 6, 2021,

according to the Ministry of Health.

On Saturday morning, the Health Ministry reported three fatalities: a 68-year-old woman from Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice); and two

men, a 34-year-old from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) and another 52-year-old from Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara).

Subsequently, the Health Ministry announced that

there are six additional COVID-19 deaths, which were not reported before since they were not confirmed. It was explained that the gold standard test for COVID-19, the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test, was conducted on these individuals.

“The patients were ad-

mitted with COVID-19-like symptoms but died while receiving care at our medical institutions. Samples were taken at the time of admission which subsequently returned positive tests,” the Health Ministry said in a statement.

These six deaths were: a 79-year-old woman from Region Four, a 54-year-old woman from Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), a 56-year-old man from Region Four, a 57-year-old man and a 43-year-old man from Region Six, and a 79-yearold man from Region Four.

These new deaths mean that 22 people died in May already and that the death toll for April is 66.

Meanwhile, the total number of COVID-19 cases recorded locally has increased to 14,203, since an additional 130 people became infected with the coronavirus. These new infections were recorded from 509 tests.

These cases were recorded in Region Three (14 cases), Region Four (72 cases), Region Five (seven cases),

Region Six (10 cases), Region Seven (eight cases), Region Nine (one case) and Region 10 (18 cases).

There are also 1,791 active cases. In the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU), there are 17 case; there are 100 people in institutional isolation, 1,691 in home isolation and 17 people in institutional quarantine.

All Guyanese are urged to observe the protocols of the COVID-19 emergency measures, which emphasise the need for correct and consistent use of a face mask when leaving home, the importance of maintaining the six feet physical distance from others, and the need for good hand hygiene to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

If anyone you know is displaying any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19, or needs any additional information, kindly contact the COVID-19 hotline numbers: 231-1166, 226-7480 or 624-6674 immediately, or visit the Ministry of Health at www.health.gov.gy.

What Amanza Walton-Desir said

23

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 9, 2021

A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance For Change should be ashamed of themselves for seeking, though it would seem hesitantly, to defend the utterances of politician, Amanza Walton-Desir on race.

The parties, independently, that make-up that Coalition group are no doubt compliant in the rationale and thinking put forward by this lawyer, which has earned the vexation, condemnation and scorn of the nation’s people.

The very insensitive rhetoric was shoved down the throats of Guyanese, along with a twisted and half-baked story for political appeal on social media via the “Politics 101” show which attracts mostly persons with axes to grind with the administration.

Walton-Desir, while responding to a question during the discussion said, “Unfortunately, that part of the political divide on the PPP have a base that prefer if they say this is what is going to happen, men are going to come and rape your children, they believe that. Because the burden of sorting things out for themselves is too great.”

She continued by saying, “And so they remain trapped, all the while believing they are free to think and self-determine. They don’t have the freedom of self-determination. Because freedom requires responsibility… so we have a bunch of mentally lazy people. The PPP understands this very very well and so they capitalise on it,”.

Soon after ‘she’ not the ‘party’ issued a video recording in which she attempted to ‘fix her mouth’ and ‘justify’ what she meant by saying those things. It didn’t work because the governing party and its supporters rightfully took serious offence to what was said.

The PNC-General Secretary, Amna Ally broke her silence on the matter and got into the mix, defending the MP from the onslaught of criticisms.

In those criticisms, Walton-Desir was asked to apologise but she has refused

to do so. The Indian Action Committee (IAC) has also lodged a complaint against her with the Ethnic Relations Commission, asking the Commission to fully investigate the alleged racism and potential race-hate that could come as a result of the MP’s statement.

What is still to be seen is the Opposition holding a cohesive position on what Desir has said and the implications, if any, for the political future of the already shattered and seemingly leaderless party.

Where is the former President, David Granger, or Opposition Leader, Joseph Harmon? Will they hold out that the MP statements were clearly twisted and taken out of context? What does the other lawyers in the Coalition have to say? What about Volda Lawerence? Will they speak out on this critical theme of combatting racism even when it is clearly being directed at another group?

The truth is, what Walton-Desir said may be the clandestine and abhorrent ways of thinking employed by those in the PNC/R/APNU+AFC camp. They think of themselves as superior to any other grouping in Guyana. They do not think that ordinary folk or one race could think for themselves or is mentally free. They think it is the group of elites in the PPP who no doubt thinks for this group of “mentally lazy” constituents.

It is sad that the APNU+AFC could not bring themselves to condemn their own MP for allegedly stirring the pot and speaking about a group in Guyana so disparagingly. Instead of apologising to the nation for what was clearly not a position of the group, the APNU+AFC continues to deceive the Guyanese people and make all sorts of excuses as to why what was said was said, and its true intended meaning.

This is weak leadership and ethnic politics playing out here.

If the MP wants to talk about mental slavery in terms of Guyana’s period

of anti-entrepreneurship, anti-growth and anti-development, Geographic under-development, anti-academic and scare educational freedoms , anti-civil rights and injustice,

then she should look to the PNC/R and its alleged use of divisive policies that held back Guyana from achieving total freedom and independence for more than two decades.

In every sector of the country, the persons whom she hinted as not being “free” have made their indelible contributions to a more progressive society in the areas of commerce, trade, politics,

education, health and growth.

If she has any iota of decency, conviction and regard for her future in politics or her reputation as an attorney, she would apologise then resign.

24

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 9, 2021

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 9, 2021

25

26

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 9, 2021

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 9, 2021

27

28

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 9, 2021

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 9, 2021

29

30

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 9, 2021

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 9, 2021

31

GFF office building $12M upgrade almost complete … Staff, visitors to enjoy comfortable, modern amenities UPGRADE works at the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) office building, Dadanawa Street, Section ‘K’ Campbellville is nearing completion with staff and visitors already enjoying more comfortable and modern amenities.

Federation president, Wayne Forde has informed that he is satisfied with the progress of works so far, noting that the total upgrade will cost $12M. It was stated before that the aim of works to the building which is owned by GFF, is to create a more professional working environment for the

staff members who spend long hours taking care of the needs of the game in and out of Guyana.

Among works being done are: complete painting of the building; installation of a server room which will house the new information system; installation of security and surveillance systems; construction of a welcoming and comfortable reception area for the members and general public; enhancement of the boardroom, additional washrooms and staff dining area as well as the purchasing of new furnishings.

“We set out to rehabili-

tate the building in an effort to create a more corporate, wholesome environment for our employees. I would have stated earlier in the press that the GFF demands quite a bit from its employees. Many of them work long hours here on a daily basis and we felt it was important to create a more conducive environment for the long hours that they put in.”

Staff members have indicated that they feel more comfortable with a professional layout with the upgrade works, declaring that it is his wish that greater productivity would be achieved.

Varied approach necessary for award of contracts, says Women’s chief selector BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) – West Indies Women’s chief selector, Ann Browne-John, has underscored the importance of a multi-faceted approach for determining central retainer contracts for the Caribbean side.

While pointing out that performance remained central to the criteria, the veteran administrator said there were other factors which needed to be considered in the process, if Cricket West Indies (CWI) was to maximise its talent pool.

“There are a number of factors that you look at when you are awarding contracts,” she told an online media conference on Friday.

“You look at performance, you look at longevity, you look at development because some players will get a senior contract and some people will get a development contract.

“We have to look at what we have now and where we are going, so there will be many, many names that will be brought to the fore. We look at the entire pool of players that we have and then a determination is made.”

CWI retained all 15 players from the previous year while adding three new players to the contract list for the upcoming year beginning

July 1.

Uncapped Kaysia Schultz, a 24-year-old leftarm spinner, has been rewarded with one of the three new contracts while fast bowlers Qiana Joseph and Shawnisha Hector have taken the others.

Joseph played two matches in the 2017 ICC World Cup while Hector featured in a single One-Day International two years ago.

Browne-John said with the COVID-19 pandemic, having ruled out any domestic women’s cricket last year, it was important to bring a development element to the retainer contracts this year.

“It is really a pleasure for us to have the additional contracts,” she explained.

“We did not have a regional tournament last year and not having seen more players in a competitive arena, we thought it would be best if we could put some other players, some young players, on contract. “ We h o p e t h a t t h e y would realise that CWI is interested in them, that we have seen the work they have done and can do, and it will give the technical staff an opportunity to focus more on these young players, and see what they can produce for us and see where they can go from there.”

She continued: “When players get a contract, they will realise immediately that the eyes are a lot more on them, but there is a lot more work to do, so we thought this was really positive that CWI has seen the need to do this.”

West Indies have struggled badly with their form in recent years and will face a qualifier at year end in order to secure their spot for next year’s 50-overs World Cup in India.

Selectors have been attempting to expand the pool of players and recently named a 30-member training squad, including two 16-year-olds, for an ongoing high performance camp in Antigua.

Browne-John said the new players were already showing themselves to be worthy investments.

“If you look at some of the young players that have come in, we know that we had need for leftarm bowlers, left-handed (batsmen) and fast bowlers,” Browne-John said.

“We really like the enthusiasm we are getting from these (new) players and the energy that they bring, and we think the future is going in the right direction.”

Lewis Hamilton takes 100th career pole at Spanish Grand Prix

LEWIS Hamilton took a 100th career pole position by edging out Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in qualifying at the Spanish Grand Prix.

Hamilton’s Mercedes was just 0.036 seconds faster than Verstappen, who was in turn 0.096secs ahead of the second Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc pulled out one of his trademark stellar laps on his last run to take fourth from Alpine’s Esteban Ocon.

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was sixth ahead of McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo.

The second Red Bull of Sergio Perez took eighth, nearly 0.8secs adrift of Verstappen, with McLaren’s Lando Norris and Alpine’s Fernando Alonso completing the top 10.

Ton-up for brilliant Hamilton Verstappen had looked the man to beat going into the final

part of qualifying after he set a stunning lap in the second knock-out session.

He was 0.5secs clear of the Mercedes on his first run and did not bother going out for a second, and even so the Mercedes drivers could only get to within 0.2secs of him.

But things turned around in the final part of the session and Hamilton pulled it out of the bag.

“P3 was looking really good, we have been strong all weekend,” he said. “I made some changes; I had a bit of anxiety about the changes we were going to make. You always try to make them better but it’s a bit of a gamble. It was my call in the end.

“We made this change and as soon as I got out I knew immediately: ‘This is the wrong way. That’s why I was behind the whole way through qualifying’.

“I was making changes all the way through to try to elevate the pace.

“I can’t believe we are at 100. It’s down to the men and women (back at the factory) who are just continuing to raise the bar and never giving up. It has been a dream to work with these guys. Who would have thought when I made the move at the end of 2012 that we would get to 100? I am ecstatic, like it’s my first.

“The set-up that I made I just had so much understeer.

The car was very lazy and wouldn’t turn around the corners in the way I wanted.

“I was making small adjustments within what we are able to change to get the car to turn and then it is just pulling everything together.

It was my cleanest lap. I will always remember that.”

(BBC Sport)

Hot-shot Toney breaks scoring record, Reggae Boy Gray on target LONDON,(CMC) – Reggae Boyz target Ivan Toney broke the English Championship scoring record on Saturday when he netted his 31st goal of the season as Brentford warmed up for the play-offs with a convincing final-day 3-1 victory over struggling Bristol City at Ashton Gate.

Brentford, who were already assured of third place, took a 57th-minute lead when 25-yearold Toney reacted quickly to round goalkeeper Daniel Bentley before tapping the ball home.

Toney’s composed finish means he has now scored the most goals in the second tier since it was rebranded as the Championship 17 years ago.

Said Brentford head coach Thomas Frank: “I’m so delighted that Ivan did break the record because he is humble with his talent and deserves all the success he gets.”

Bryan Mbeumo made it 2-0 on 78 minutes from a neat pass by Sergi Canos, who sealed a dominant win for the Bees with a first-time finish at the far post five minutes later, before substitute Louis Britton struck a late consolation on his debut for the hosts.

Brentford face Bournemouth in the play-offs starting in nine days.

Bermudian Nahki Wells, City’s leading scorer with 11 goals this campaign, had the home side’s best chance just before the break, but his closerange shot was blocked. He was substituted in the 64th minute.

Bristol City manager Nigel Pearson, whose side finished 19th, said: “It has been a season of two contrasting halves for the club because it began with promise, but we have had too many injuries and fitness is something we need to address.

In March, it was reported

that Toney would be called up to the Jamaican national team as part of a move by the Jamaican Football Federation (JFF) to target a string of English-born players, in a bid to improve the Reggae Boyz’ chances of qualifying for next year’s World Cup in Qatar.

JFF president Michael Ricketts claimed Toney was in the process of acquiring a Jamaican passport, but Toney reportedly rejected Jamaica’s call, saying he still harboured an ambition to represent England, where he was born.

Elsewhere in the Championship, new Reggae Boy Andre Gray’s fifth goal of the season set up promoted Watford’s 2-0 win at home to Swansea City, who will face Barnsley in the play-offs.

Gray, 29, who made his debut for Jamaica in March, instinctively turned in Ken Sema’s cross to put Watford, runners-up behind Norwich City, ahead on 56 minutes before Isaac Success added a second late on with a superb strike.

Said Gray: “We wanted to finish the season on a high.

“These games are quite difficult because there are two teams that haven’t got much to play for, even though Swansea have got the play-offs.

“I thought all the boys that played were really professional and I think we really stepped it up in the second half.”

Winger Garath Mc Cleary, 33, who has made 24 appearances for the Reggae Boyz dating back to 2013, scored in the 33th minute, but could not prevent Wycombe Wanderers being relegated to League One despite a convincing 3-0 win at mid-table Middlesbrough.

32

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 9, 2021

Second Test in Harare …

Abid Ali’s double-century double-century puts Pakistan in pole position IN what proved to be a downright forgettable day for hosts Zimbabwe, Pakistan solidified their position with a spectacular double-century from Abid Ali and a lower-order that thoroughly annoyed a worn-out Zimbabwean attack.

Earlier in the morning,

nightwatchman Sajid Khan and the ever-impressive Abid Ali kept them at bay. However, three strikes in the first session infused some hopes in the host camp to restrict Pakistan under 400. Sajid’s steadfast knock ended courtesy of a magnificent catch behind, by keeper Regis Chakabva. This

gave Donald Tirpano some respite after his muddled lines and lengths the previous day.

As Ali went past 150, and Pakistan 300, Mohammad Rizwan joined for a brief passage before he miscued Tendai Chisoro to mid-off. Luke Jongwe then claimed Hasan Ali for

a duck to inject some hope of wrapping up the batters from the other end as Abid declared his intentions of not dropping his guard no matter what.

With dangerously similar intention walked in another Ali, Nauman, who made life difficult for a bowling attack

that had been made to toil for four sessions already. If it was Abid and Azhar who did the most damage on day one, Nauman ensured to not have any fear of missing out in a game of Alis.

man’s 97 with five sixes and nine fours, alongside Abid, who went undefeated at 215, had put Pakistan in the pole position.

Pushed to bat in the most uncomfortable territory in a

Abid Ali celebrates after reaching his double-century

En route to their mammoth ninth-wicket partnership of 169, Abid notched up his maiden double-century, while an aggressive unbeaten 93 that Nauman had managed until tea took the lead past 500, crushing ruthlessly all hopes for Zimbabwe to restrict Pakistan for a manageable total.

Nauman had started toying with the bowlers once he passed fifty, picking two fours and a six off Milton Shumba before smacking Muzarabani for a boundary to go into the 90s. A deserved century was however denied soon after play resumed after tea, as Chakabva whipped the bails off when Nauman tried to maintain his balance after attempting to play a wide delivery.

Babar Azam immediately called for a declaration. Nau-

Test, Zimbabwe were rocked early by the 36-year-old debutant Tabish Khan, who struck in his first over of international cricket, pinning opener Taris Musakanda for a duck.

With a batter (injured Roy Kaia) short, Zimbabwe’s expectations of responsible batting from the top-order crumbled when Hasan Ali cleaned up Kevin Kasuza, while skipper Brendan Taylor nicked one behind to give Shaheen Afridi his first scalp.

After Sajid Khan trapped Shumba lbw, Chisoro battled out the remaining day alongside Chakabva, who used 71 balls for his 28 runs.

The hosts, who are still 458 runs in the red, have an Everest to climb to even avoid the follow-on, 259 runs away with 6 wickets and an injured Kaia in the bank. (CricTracker)

SCOREBOARD PAKISTAN 1st innings o/n 268-4 Imran Butt c Donald Tiripano b Richard Ngarava 2 Abid Ali not out

215 Azhar Ali c Milton Shumba b Blessing Muzarabani 126 Babar Azam c Kevin Kasuza b Blessing Muzarabani 2 Fawad Alam b Blessing Muzarabani

5 Sajid Khan c Regis Chakabva b Donald Tiripano 20 Mohammad Rizwan c Richard Ngarava b Tendai Chisoro 21 Hassan Ali stp. Regis Chakabva b Luke Jongwe 0 Nauman Ali stp. Regis Chakabva b Tendai Chisoro 97 EXTRAS: (b-7, lb-8, nb-2, w-5)

22 TOTAL: (eight wkts decl., 147.1 overs)

510 Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-248, 3-252, 4-264, 5-303, 6-340, 7-341, 8-510.

Bowling: Blessing Muzarabani 29-6-82-3 (w-1), Richard Ngarava 24-5-58-1 (w-1, nb-2), Luke Jongwe 17-1-68-1, Donald Tiripano 22-5-83-1 (w-2), Tendai Chisoro 40.1-7-131-2 (w-1), Milton Shumba 15-1-73-0..

ZIMBABWE 1st innings Kevin Kasuza b Hassan Ali

4 Tarisai Musakanda lbw Tabish Khan

0 Regis Chakabva not out 28 Brendan Taylor c Mohammad Rizwan b Shaheen Afridi 9 Milton Shumba lbw Sajid Khan

2 Tendai Chisoro not out

1 EXTRAS: (b-4, lb-3, w-1)

8 TOTAL: (four wkts, 30.0 overs)

52 Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-23, 3-40, 4-47.

Bowling: Shaheen Afridi 9-3-6-1 (w-1), Tabish Khan 10-3-22-1, Hassan Ali 6-3-7-1.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 9, 2021

33

Karunaratne joins Sri Lanka’s 10-man 5, 000 Test-run club

DIMUTH Karunaratne has become the 10th Sri Lanka batsman to score 5000 runs in Test cricket and the fourth fastest to do so in terms of matches played. Take a look at the exclusive group he has joined.

The newest member in Sri Lnka’s 5000 Test-run club, Karunaratne crossed the milestone in Sri Lanka’s second Test against Bangladesh on April 29, 2021.

Dimuth Karunaratne 5000* runs at 37.88 5000th run in his 72nd Test and 138th innings The newest member in Sri Lanka’s 5000 Test-run club, Karunaratne crossed the milestone in Sri Lanka’s first innings of the second match against Bangladesh.

Having only celebrated his 33rd birthday in March, Karunaratne is Sri Lanka’s 10th highest run-scorer in the format and still has time to climb that ladder.

The left-hander looks good value to do just that considering he scored a double-century in the first Test against Bangladesh. He has 11 centuries to date and is enjoying one of the finest calendar years of his career.

Arjuna Ranatunga 5105 runs at 35.69 5000th run in his 92nd Test and 153rd innings One of the nation’s most iconic players, an 18-year-old Ranatunga made his debut in Sri Lanka’s first-ever Test in 1982. He notched Sri Lanka’s first Test half-century in that match. More than 18 years later he raised his 5000th run for the country in Test cricket

in his penultimate match for Sri Lanka.

Among the greatest contributors to Sri Lankan cricket ever, Ranatunga famously captained the team to a stunning ICC Cricket World Cup victory in 1996.

the team, Dilshan looked the part early in his career, scoring an impressive 163 in just his second match. But it was not until he was promoted to the top of the order that Dilshan’s career really took off. He averaged 44.29 across his 53

Up until Karunaratne’s entry, Mathews was the most recent Sri Lankan to join the 5000 Test runs club, getting there in mid-2018. As reliable a servant to the game as any who has ever represented the island nation, Mathews start-

Dimuth Karunaratne

Mahela Jayawardene

Angelo Mathews

Thilan Samaraweera 5462 runs at 48.76 5000th run in his 71st Test and 114th innings Solid as a rock, Samaraweera was the glue in a Sri Lankan batting order boasting some of the most stylish players in the game, while still having plenty of glorious strokes in his own arsenal.

A century-maker on debut against India, Samaraweera went on to hit 14 hundreds in the format, with a highest score of 231.

The right-hander raced to 5000 Test runs in fewer matches than any Sri Lankan bar Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene.

Tillakaratne Dilshan 5492 runs at 40.98 5000th run in his 81st Test and 132nd innings A middle-order batter when he was first picked in

innings opening the batting and allowed Sri Lanka to put opposition attacks under pressure from ball one. All that and he was an exceptional fielder and more than handy bowler too.

Marvan Atapattu 5502 runs at 39.02 5000th run in his 80th Test and 138th innings One half of Sri Lanka’s most fruitful opening pair, Atapattu was the ice to Sanath Jayasuriya’s fire, wearing opposition attacks down from one end while his partner flayed them from the other.

The old-school opener was one of cricket’s great converters, turning 16 of his 33 50+ scores into hundreds, and six of those 16 centuries into doubles.

Angelo Mathews 6219* runs at 45.39 5000th run in his 75th Test and 133rd innings

ed his career as the complete all-rounder in 2008. While a run of injuries has stymied his bowling over the past few years, he remains a lock in Sri Lanka’s XI. Already the fifth-highest run-scorer in Sri Lanka’s Test history with an average that currently sits fourth among them, he already stands as one of the nation’s finest ever performers.

Aravinda de Silva 6361 runs at 42.97 5000th run in his 74th Test and 128th innings The hero of Sri Lanka’s glorious victory in the 1996 World Cup final, de Silva was one of the gems of the country’s Test batting order for nearly two decades. With a technique that could stand up to the sternest of examinations, he scored 20 centuries and 22 fifties across his 93 Tests.

Tyson Fury still glorifying his win over Deontay Wilder TYSON Fury seems to be stuck in the past in reliving the memories of his victory against Deontay Wilder last year.

Last week in Arlington, Texas, WBC heavyweight champion Fury (30-0-1, 21 KOs) sounded like a broken record with the number of times he’s brought Wilder’s name up when doing interviews.

Fury has been using his foul-plagued victory over former WBC champion Wilder (42-1-1, 41 KOs) as a tool to validate him in the eyes of the American media and boxing fans.

“I always have said I fancy Deontay Wilder to knock Anthony Joshua out in one to two rounds,” said Fury to the media on Friday. “It depends.

“If I decide to ever give Deontay his mojo back, he might be able to box again,” Fury continued. “But until then, his soul, his mojo, and his balls are all in my pocket.

I own them.”

By Fury putting Wilder in the category of fighters capa-

ble of knocking out Joshua, he’s vaulting himself up to a higher perch due to his knockout victory over the talented American. It’s pathetic for Fury to take this angle to raise his stature, but it shows the void in his self-confidence.

The way Fury has talked incessantly about his win over Wilder gives an insight into his mindset, showing that he might not have thought h e was going t o

win that fight going into it. Who can blame him, though?

Fury is a textbook example of a fighter living off the laurels of one victory and not getting off his duff to get back in there to prove himself again in a trilogy match with Deontay.

Living off an ageing memory is exactly what Fury did after his win over Wladimir Klitschko in 2015.

Really,

history is repeating itself with Fury sitting on his backside, flapping his gums about his win over Wilder in

Deontay Wilder literally knocked Tyson Fury out cold in the 12th round in their 2018 fight and was arguably robbed of a KO victory

the same way he did after his mind-numbing boring 12-round win over the overthe-hill Wladimir six years ago in Germany.

Fury is making the same mistake by getting his backside stuck in neutral and not moving his career forward.

Perhaps it is fear of failure that keeps Fury from trying to prove himself again by facing Wilder a third time.

Let’s face it; Wilder literally knocked Fury out cold in the 12th round in their 2018 fight and was arguably robbed of a KO victory.

With the dire condition Fury was in after Wilder blasted him to the canvas proved it was a beautiful right-left combination. That contest should have been stopped on the spot by the referee that worked the fight, Jack Reiss.

Why he didn’t stop the fight is the magic question.

Would he have halted the bout if Wilder was the one who was dropped? Some believe he would have.

(Boxing News 24)

The dashing star was the first Sri Lankan to ever score 5000 runs.

Sanath Jayasuriya 6973 runs at 40.07 5000th run in his 79th Test and 133rd innings

Kunar Sangakkara

Before there was Steve Smith, there was Sanath Jayasuriya – a player picked as a bowling all-rounder who went on to become a batting great.

One of the stars of the ‘96 World Cup, Jayasuriya took his Test cricket to the next level in the years that followed as Sri Lanka established themselves as a force to be reckoned with across formats.

His incredible 340 off 578 against India in 1997 was Sri Lanka’s first Test triple-century and it remains the second-highest score by a Sri Lankan batsman.

Mahela Jayawardene 11,814 runs at 49.84 5000th run in his 70th Test and 114th innings A modern giant of the game, Jayawardene is Test cricket’s ninth-highest run-scorer and joint

sixth-greatest century-maker, well and truly justifying the clamour that surrounded him when he debuted as a 19-yearold.

A remarkable player of spin and more than adept against pace, Jayawardene scored runs all around the wicket and his combination with Kumar Sangakkara stands among the most reliable cricket has seen. Fittingly, the pair boasts the record for the biggest stand in Test history, putting on 624 runs against South Africa in Colombo.

That same innings saw Jayawardene score 374 runs – the fourth-highest score in Test history.

Kumar Sangakkara 12,400 runs at 57.40 5000th run in his 64th Test and 106th innings.

A member of the ICC’s Test Team-of-the-Decade, Sangakkara stands among cricket’s finest ever players with a case to be considered the best batsman of his generation.

Across 134 Tests he scored 12,400 runs at 57.40, finishing his career as the format’s sixth greatest run-scorer with comfortably the best average of anyone who scored more than 10,000 runs. Those statistics are all the more remarkable when you consider he had to keep wicket in 48 Tests. He scored 9,283 runs at 66.78 in Tests where he was not the designated keeper.

Sangakkara raced to 5000 runs in just 64 Tests and 106 innings – comfortably the fastest of any Sri Lankan.(ICC).

Three men’s T20 World Cup 2022 qualifying events cancelled because of COVID-19 THREE men’s T20 World Cup sub-regional Europe qualifying tournaments, all pathway events to the 2022 World Cup in Australia slotted for June-July, have been called off because of “restrictions and the short timelines” as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Two of the competitions sub-regional Europe A and B qualifiers - were scheduled to be played in Finland, and the third, the sub-regional Europe C qualifier, in Belgium.

Following the cancellations, Italy, Germany and Denmark will qualify from A, B and C respectively because of their positions on the ICC T20I rankings table (as of April 30, 2020). The three teams will now join Jersey in the qualifier to be played in Spain - October 15 to 21 - where two spots are up for grabs in the A or B global qualifiers.

The other teams in the fray in these three qualifiers were Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Israel, Malta, Norway and Spain in ‘A’, Finland, Gibraltar, Greece, Guernsey, Hungary, Luxembourg and Sweden in ‘B’ and Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Isle of Man, Portugal, Romania and Serbia in ‘C’.

“As part of the ICC’s comprehensive contingency planning process we have been working continuously with the hosts, participating members and all stakeholders to maximise the opportunity for qualification to be determined on the field of play,” Chris Tetley, ICC’s head of events, said in a statement.

“However, due to COVID-19 restrictions and the short timelines that the European season provides to allow us to progress with the next step in the pathway, there has been no other option than to cancel.”

Two other tournaments, also part of the 2022 World Cup pathway, have been postponed. These are the Americas qualifier, scheduled for Canada in July, pitting Argentina, Bahamas, Belize, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Panama and the USA, apart from the hosts, and the Asia B qualifier, due to be hosted in Malaysia, also in July.

That competition involves Bhutan, China, Malaysia, Myanmar, Hong Kong and Thailand. Fresh dates for these will be announced in due course.

34

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 9, 2021

Man City made to wait for title after losing at home to Chelsea

By Simon Evans

MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) -Manchester City will have to wait a little longer to be crowned Premier League champions after they were beaten 2-1 at home by Chelsea yesterday.

City, who made nine changes for the game, could still secure the title this weekend if second-placed Manchester United lose at Aston Villa today.

With three games left to play, Pep Guardiola’ side are 13 points ahead of United, who have five games remaining.

United have three games coming up in five days, and even if they win all three City would win the title by beating Newcastle on Friday.

“We have another three chances to be champions, we have to learn from this and carry on,” said Guardiola.

“We play Chelsea again in

21 days and this game will be forgotten.”

Yesterday’s game also offered something of a preview of the Champions League final between the two sides, although both Guardiola and Thomas Tuchel left out key players.

Different players will start the May 29 final but Chelsea will take confidence from second win over City, following last month’s FA Cup semi-final victory and the three points boosted their hopes of a topfour finish.

Raheem Sterling put City ahead in the 44th minute, sneaking in front of Sergio Aguero to connect with a low ball from Gabriel Jesus, who had bustled past Andreas Christensen.

Within two minutes they had a chance to double that lead from the penalty spot, but Aguero’s soft chip down the middle ended in embar-

rassment as it was easily saved by Edouard Mendy.

Chelsea drew level through a low drive from Hakim Ziyech in the 63rd minute, and

English Racing Tips Ludlow 08:20 hrs The Wrekin 08:50 hrs Jessic Rabbit 09:20 hrs Arcade Attraction 10:20 hrs Take It Easy 11:20 hrs Bell Afrikaans 11:50 hrs C’Mon Kenny Plympton 08:35 hrs Burgundy Man 09:08 hrs Lawton Legend 09:38 hrs Soarlikeaneagle 10:08 hrs Iconic Muddle 10:38 hrs Whitlock

Dent’s unbeaten side have now won four of their opening five matches, as well as a draw, and are 35 points clear of Somerset having played half their group matches.

David Payne finished with career-best match figures of 11-87

11:08 hrs Playa Blanka 11:38 hrs Plantagenet 12:08 hrs Here Hare Here Irish Racing Tips Killarney 09:00 hrs Na Cath Tobacco 09:30 hrs Desir Du Large 10:00 hrs My Sister Sarah 10:30 hrs Jesse Evans 11:00 hrs Calvary Master 11:30 hrs Tune The Chemo 12:00 hrs Marshalled 12:30 hrs Judical Lawt

ling went down in the box with Kurt Zouma behind him.

But Tuchel’s team went on to grab a late winner with Marcos Alonso’s scuffed shot

Aguero’s penalty was the fourth time that City have failed to score from the spot in the Premier League this season - more than any other top-flight side

Gloucestershire beat Middlesex by seven wickets G R O U P Tw o l e a d e r s Gloucestershire wrapped up a comfortable seven-wicket County Championship victory against Middlesex inside three days at Lord’s.

Middlesex were 26-3 in their second innings when play began at 13:10 BST and soon bowled out for 152 to leave Gloucestershire with a target of 90.

Left-arm paceman David Payne took 6-56 to finish with 11 wickets in the match.

Gloucestershire lost Chris Dent, James Bracey and Kraigg Brathwaite in the chase but cruised to 93-3 and victory.

then had efforts from Timo Werner and Callum Hudson-Odoi ruled out for offside.

City felt they should have had another penalty when Ster-

Somerset will close the gap if they beat Hampshire, as is expected, on Sunday.

After the morning session was lost to rain Gloucestershire wasted little time in running through the rest of Middlesex’s batting card.

Nick Gubbins provided some backbone with 52, but once he was pinned lbw

by Payne to leave the hosts 109-6 the rest of the innings folded quickly.

Former Middlesex batsman Tom Lace scored the winning runs in fading light to finish unbeaten on 31 and leave his old side with four defeats this season.

(BBC Sport) Leopardstown 08:45 hrs Eagleville 09:15 hrs Ace Austin 09:45 hrs Sense of Style 10:15 hrs Bolshoi Ballet 10 :45 hrs Annerville 11:15 hrs Fredrica Sophia 11:45 hrs Earl of Tyrone 12:15 hrs Mitigated Risk South Africa Racing Tips Scottsville 08:10 hrs Sound of Warning 08:45 hrs Good Travellers 09:25 hrs Favorita 10:00 hrs Admire You 10:34 hrs Talkeetna

floating past Ederson.

Guardiola felt they should have been awarded a second spot kick when Sterling went down but refused to criticise Aguero for his poor penalty effort.

“It’s his decision. The taker makes his decision. He decided to take it his way, I’ve nothing to add,” said the Spaniard.

The win was also a boost to Chelsea’s hopes of a top-four finish and qualification for next year’s Champions League, regardless of how they fare in the final.

Chelsea have 64 points, six more than fifth-placed West Ham who host Everton today.

“If you want to steal all three points at the Etihad you need a bit of luck, moments and decisions from the referee. But we had many half-chances in the second half and so a big congratulations to the team for their performance,” said Tuchel.

BEDCL constantly monitoring situation relating to 2021 cricket season

By Frederick Halley THE Brampton-Etobicoke & District Cricket League (BEDCL) is constantly monitoring the situation as it relates to COVID-19 pandemic and will be ready to react when it hopefully receives the “return to outdoor sports” order for the 2021 cricket season.

The BEDCL was unable to complete its playoffs in 2020 after a shortened season cut short by an upsurge of the pandemic.

According to president Praim Persaud, the BEDCL had plans to launch three new formats last year but these were thwarted. It included: During the week Youth Cricket, Seniors (Over-50) and Women. He is however hopeful that these formats will be played this year, pointing out that the initiation process is ongoing.

In a Facebook post, the Guyanese-born Persaud highlighted that two meetings were held with Mayor

of Brampton Patrick Brown and designated representatives to address, among other things, facilities and the continued growth and promotion of cricket in Brampton, as well as field allocations, maintenance and previous development plans, Also discussed were the allocation of natural turf pitches, lighted facilities, the development of additional facilities,

President of BEDCL Praim Persaud

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER SUNDAY, May 09, 2021

COMPLIMENTS OF XTRA ENERGY DRINK – STABROEK BAZAAR (Tel: 683-9500) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD – 83 Garnett street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) (1) (2)

ANSWERS TO YESTERDAY’S: George Lohmann-ENG (16 Tests) Alf Valentine & Andy Roberts (19 Tests)

TODAY’S QUIZ:

(1) Who is the first player to score a hundred in his

100th Test match?

(2) Who is the first WI to hit a century in his 100th Test match?

ANSWERS IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE

the development of additional practice nets and the overall infrastructure of cricket which continues to grow as the demand increases in the City.

Meetings were also held with the new Commissioner of Parks and Maintenance & Recreation as well as the manager and supervisor. In addressing some of the same points, as well as the maintenance and preparation of the facilities for the 2021 season, it was disclosed that the city has been diligently getting all fields in top playing conditions while work on a few have been delayed but specific completion dates are being targetted.

In addition, the CAA Centre, soon to be renamed Brampton Sports Park, will have the fourth natural turf facility available this season, Plans are underway to convert the free space left on pitch three into practice nets to complement those already in existence at Dixie & 407.

All plans for Gore Meadows, which were previously in place but were impacted

by COVID-19, are still intact and revised completion dates are being addressed and refocussed in accommodating the adjustments that were inevitable due to COVID. These plans include the three natural turf pitches, lighted facilities and a smallscale stadium.

Persaud said these meetings will continue to ensure that all plans are being addressed and that “we will focus on what is required to continue to plan for improved and required standard facilities to improve both quality of play and the development of our players’ skills.”

SUNDAY CHRONICLE May 9, 2021

35

BCA looking to get cricket going

THE Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) is in the process of rolling out a new development plan that will cater to the women’s side of the game as well as communities across the island, says, president Conde Riley.

The BCA president said that as a result of the lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic and more recently the volcanic ash-fall from St Vincent and the Grenadines eruption, they were forced to put this new development plan on hold.

“We are in the process of rolling out a new development plan. But we had to put it on hold because of COVID-19 and more recently the volcanic situation, as well as money that is owed to us by Cricket West Indies (CWI), as well as the government,” Riley explained.

During a telephone interview with Barbados TODAY just before he attended the monthly BCA board meeting,, Riley stated that this new development plan will

focus on the expansion of the women’s programme. In recent times the BCA had been criticised for not doing enough for women’s cricket. But Riley countered by saying the BCA was doing a lot for the women’s sport.

He added that has been evident over the last two regional tournaments where Barbados was victorious in the T20 and Super50 tournaments. He noted that the talent was there and the results spoke for themselves.

“Apart from doing enough for women’s cricket, every year for the last two regional tournaments, we have loaned the Leeward Islands girls so that they can make up a team to compete,” he added.

The BCA boss admitted that as a result of COVID-19 and the lockdown, its revenue had dropped. Therefore, in the coming weeks and months, the local governing body for cricket in the country will be looking at its finances to plan the way forward.

“We are hoping that we

can get some money and then we will roll out some new development plans which have some significant part to do with women’s cricket as well as cricket in the community.

BCA president Conde Riley

“What happened was that as a result of the lockdown through COVID-19, our major revenue stream which is the lotteries, a lot of their arcades and so on were closed and our revenue went right down as a result,” Riley said.

The BCA continues to work on and implement plans to boost the viability of cricket in the island. Just in October

CWI CEO Johnny Grave rules out T&T as host country for SA series C R I C K E T We s t I n d i e s (CWI) CEO Johnny Grave said Trinidad is no longer an option for the South Africa tour of the West Indies due to the quarantine period required for people entering the country.

Anyone entering TT must quarantine for 14 days because of the pandemic.

In a WhatsApp message to Newsday on Friday, Grave said he understands the Government’s guidelines. “Understandably they can’t allow anyone into the country at this moment without going through their quarantine requirements.”

Newsday was informed in mid-April that the entire South Africa tour of the West Indies, which includes five T20 matches and two Test matches, was tentatively scheduled to be played in Trinidad.

An anonymous source, who works with the TT Cricket Board (TTCB), told Newsday, “The dates (of the South Africa series) were not confirmed.

It is tentatively going to start early June and it is going to be all here of course … We (TT) were supposed to initially get Pakistan (matches) now we are getting South Africa (matches).”

This year is a packed h o m e s c h e d u l e f o r We s t Indies with Australia and Pakistan expected to visit the Caribbean after South Africa. Grave said TT quarantine

protocols are not conducive to a busy schedule.

“Unfortunately our schedules are so tight we can’t have players in room quarantines for so long without being able to train as that will mean we have to reduce the match schedules.”

2020, BCA announced a marketing campaign under the slogan: This Is We, to rally its members, cricketers and clubs to be proud of their cricketing image and legacy.

“While cricket has a tremendous societal and development impact on our society, there are also economic considerations that the BCA has been mandated to steward.

We will continue to expand our revenue generation efforts and this will see new products and services being developed in the months ahead.

Central to this has been a strategic, all-encompassing

assessment of the content generation capabilities of the Barbados cricket experience.

Through multi-tiered sponsorship opportunities, new subscription services, the development of innovation, interactive apps, and a wide range of creative merchandising, the BCA intends to enhance its revenue-generating capabilities,” Riley said at the time.

Since the government granted permission for the association to resume training, players both men and women have been training hard at Kensington Oval with BCA coaches Richard Clarke, Sulieman Benn and Ryan Hinds.

According to Riley, a number of the senior players from the men’s team are preparing for a training camp starting Sunday, May 9, in Trinidad and Tobago.

But Riley said that the BCA is currently looking for a window to have its regular season at the end of July. But that he noted will be up for further discussion when the

board meets.

While uncertainty looms with regard to the 2021 season, Riley explained the possibility exists where the BCA will host a 50-over tournament for Division One and Elite, and a 40-over for the Intermediate and Second Division Clubs.

“We are looking for a window to have our normal BCA season. We would not be able to have it like in the past because normally we would have started around April, May. But because of the COVID-19 lockdown and volcano dust, the earliest we can have a season is at the end of July.

“But then the Australians and also the Pakistanis are coming, so we will have two international teams in Barbados at one time.

So, we are trying to put all of that together to work out a season. In the meantime, we have our senior guys and girls in training at Kensington Oval starting this week,” the BCA president said. ( )

Bayern Munich celebrate winning ninth straight Bundesliga title

room quarantine for longer than the three days that our medical team is suggesting.”

CWI has tried to limit players’ travelling during the COVID-19 pandemic and it is likely that both the Test series and T20 series between South Africa and

Robert Lewandowski has scored 39 Bundesliga goals in 2020-21 with two matches still to go CWI chief executive officer Johnny Grave

In an interview with the ISports radio programme, Grave said, “We have been in discussions with the TT Government along with the TTCB (TT Cricket Board) as well about what protocols will be in place.”

Speaking more about the lengthy quarantine period in Trinidad, Grave told ISports, “One of the things that we don’t have the luxury of this year with South Africa, Australia and Pakistan coming in such close succession is any delays that we would face from having to expand tours if we needed to do a

West Indies will be played in one country.

Sri Lanka and West Indies faced off in three T20 Internationals, three One Day Internationals and two Te s t m a t c h e s f r o m e a r l y March to early April. All those matches were played in Antigua at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium and at the Coolidge Cricket Ground.

Like Antigua, Trinidad has two venues of international standard - Queen’s Park Oval in St Clair and Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba. (TT Newsday)

BAYERN Munich celebrated being crowned champions of Germany for the ninth straight season in style as Robert Lewandowski’s hat-trick helped them thrash Borussia Monchengladbach.

The title had been confirmed hours earlier after nearest challengers RB Leipzig lost to Borussia Dortmund.

A Lewandowski double plus Thomas Muller and Kingsley Coman strikes gave Bayern a 4-0 half-time lead.

Lewandowski’s third came from a penalty before Leroy Sane added a sixth.

Bayern finished with 10 men when 18-year-old substitute Tanguy Nianzou was shown a straight red card for a challenge.

Leipzig, who started the day seven points behind the leaders with three games remaining, lost 3-2 to Dortmund.

England’s Jadon Sancho doubled Dortmund’s lead after Marco Reus got the first goal.

Lukas Klostermann and

Dani Olmo made it 2-2 before Sancho’s winner confirmed Bayern as champions before their game with Monchengladbach.

Dortmund’s win lifted them to fourth spot to boost their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League.

In April, Bayern announced Leipzig boss Julian Nagelsmann would join them on a five-year contract at the end of this season after current boss Hansi Flick said he wanted to leave the club. (BBC Sport)

SEE PAGE 31

GFF office building $12M upgrade almost complete

A front view of the upgraded GFF office building

Varied approach necessary for award of contracts, says Women’s chief selector

… Staff, visitors to enjoy comfortable, modern amenities

Lewis Hamilton takes 100th career pole at Spanish Grand Prix

SEE PAGE 31

SEE PAGE 31

Uncapped Kaysia Schultz. a 24-year-old left-arm spinner from Guyana, has been rewarded with one of the three new contracts SEE PAGE 33

Lewis Hamilton has reached his 100th career pole

Karunaratne joins Sri Lanka’s 10-man 5, 000 Test-run club

Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limited, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 226-3243-9 (General); Editorial: 227-5204, 227-5216. Fax:227-5208

|

SUNDAY CHRONICLE, MAY 9, 2021