Guyana_Chronicle_Epaper_07_04_2022

THURSDAY 7th APRIL, 2022

No. 106686

‘Get your divisions in order’

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- acting Top Cop gives police commanders Monday deadline to fix precincts - promises to create cohesive command structure within the GPF

Milestone wheat production trials to commence by month end SEE PAGE

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Authorities flag poor ‘telecoms’ service Vaccination campaign to ‘roll out’ next week SEE PAGE

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President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, presented the Outstanding Cambridge Learners Award to School of the Nations’ sixth-form student, John McGrath, who is the World’s Top Student at the Cambridge International Advanced Subsidiary (AS) English Language Examination (2021) after securing 99 marks out of 100. (Office of the President photo) see story on page 9

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 7, 2022

‘We have more commonalities than differences’ RELIGIOUS leaders representing the three main faiths in Guyana have commended President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali’s call for religious bodies to fellowship together under the ‘One Guyana’ banner.

The President has designated Friday the National Day of Fasting and Prayers.

Speaking during a programme on Tuesday, Director of Education at the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG), Sheikh Moenul-Hack said the event will

provide a platform for spiritfilled inter-religious worship.

Also present on the programme were President of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha and Minister of Human Services, Dr. Vindhya Persaud and Bishop Patrick Findlay.

Hack said the Islamic community is pleased to be associated with the initiative which aims to promote togetherness, and will be held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), beginning at 15:30 hrs.

“We are in full support

of this ‘One Guyana’ project, and this activity on Friday afternoon. Most of us are aware of the three major faiths of our country - Christianity, Hinduism and Islam,” he pointed out.

The CIOG education director believes that the activity will highlight more of the similarities among the three faiths, rather than the few differences.

“We have more in common than our few differences. We Muslims are fasting Ramadan; the Christians

- Religious leaders welcome President Ali’s call to fellowship together on Friday

Bishop Patrick Findlay CIOG Director of Education, Sheikh Moen- ul-Hack are [observing] lent and the Hindus, Navratri. There is a common theme right across fasting in the three faiths, and that is spiritual upliftment,” Hack added.

He said the day is also set aside for the believers to focus and get closer to the creator.

Dr. Persaud, while highlighting the significance of the period, noted the power that exists when all three faiths can connect through prayer.

“The period of Navratri, Ramadan and Lent, lend to that environment being a very prayerful one. So, linking us together, uniting us together under the umbrella of prayer is a good concept where we can come together and really petition that one supreme being, God.” Recognising that people are bound by prayer allows for the uniting of thoughts, hearts and minds, Dr. Persaud asserted.

UNIQUE AND OUT-

Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha President, Dr. Vindhya Persaud STANDING FEATURE She also pointed to the unique and outstanding feature of the Guyanese society.

“I think we are also celebrating the mutual respect that I am always fond of elevating at the national level when I speak of my country because we are among the rare in the world, where everyone is not only respectful to each other’s faith and how we observe each other’s religious performances or observances, but more importantly there is this level of belonging to this wider construct of Guyana that would respect, acknowledge and recognise the togetherness that exists.”

Meanwhile, Bishop Findlay said since his assumption to office, President Ali has been consistently calling for Guyanese to unite as one people. He described the National Day of Fasting and Prayers as phenomenal and historic.

“I believe we are on the

right trajectory and as we continue, the three religious factions that are here this evening, we can make this happen. Guyana is poised to prosper and we need God’s intervention and his direction and I want to really thank His Excellency and the government. I’ve seen everybody come on board to make this happen and I believe it’s going to be a resounding success, not only physically, but in the realm of the creator.”

President Ali sees the occasion as an opportunity for persons to join with each other to promote the spirit of togetherness.

“I would like all of us to fast together, pray together, and stay together as ‘One Guyana’,” Dr. Ali said.

Similar activities are expected to be held in other parts of the country.

“The ‘One Guyana’ vision springs from our rich multicultural heritage and the need to ensure that our diversity remains a source of strength and not an instrument of division and disaffection,” the Head of State underscored.

‘Get your divisions in order’

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 7, 2022

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- acting Top Cop gives police commanders Monday deadline to fix precincts - promises to create cohesive command structure within the GPF COMMANDERS of all 12 of the Police Regional Divisions were told by acting Police Commissioner, Mr. Clifton Hicken, to “put your houses in order” and they have from now until Monday to ensure this is done.

“Commanders, you are accountable for the officers and ranks under your command. I don’t want you to micro-manage but you must have a hands-on and effective approach to managing your respective divisions,” the Top Cop told the twelve commanders at a closeddoor Executive Leadership Team (ELT) meeting held on Wednesday in the boardroom of the Officers’ Training Centre in Georgetown.

“We cannot take things for granted anymore, so wake up commanders…we need to get busy,” he instructed.

Mr. Hicken, during the highly interactive leadership session, took the opportunity to thank his commanders for their overwhelming support.

He, however, pointed out the need for a much higher level of cohesion and teamwork in the overall command structure of the Force.

He related that he and others in the ELT will ensure that every effort is made to have a more cohesive command structure whereby all the commanders are working in unison, as “one body” with a common purpose to serve

and protect.

He also said standardisation is necessary in order for the Police Force to achieve this cohesiveness at the commanders’ level.

“And so, gone are the days when you’re going to have one commander with all the knowledge and the other commanders searching for knowledge. We don’t want a half-balanced police force.

We want all the commanders to be doing the same thing across the spectrum. And so commanders will communicate more often than ever and learn from each other’s experiences and best practices,” Mr. Hicken said.

Alluding to the reality that there is no such thing as a “perfect person” or any one person who knows everything, the Top Cop said persons are all ignorant of something.

“I want a cohesive command structure as we cannot work in isolation. So don’t allow the minority to blind the vision of the majority. If you want to swim against the tide you will swim alone,” the Top Cop declared.

CHANGE IS CONSTANT Alluding to the age-old notion by Albert Einstein that “the measure of intelligence is the ability to change,” Mr. Hicken told the commanders that the only thing that remains constant in life is change and they must be prepared for the strategic and

Acting Police Commissioner, Mr. Clifton Hicken, called on divisional commanders to fix their districts by Monday (GPF photo) visionary changes that will take place in the Guyana Police Force.

He also advised the commanders to “do introspection” and, where necessary, change their mode of operation in terms of how they manage the officers, inspectors and other ranks under their command. In this regard, he stressed that there will be no room for compromise when it comes to professionalism and accountability in the discharge of their duties as senior members of this noble profession.

Like the previous days this week (Monday and Tuesday) when he met with all the Sergeants and Inspectors of the Police Force, the acting Commissioner has entrusted an extensive mandate to the commanders to raise “the ethical standards and behaviour because it starts with us”.

COMMUNITY OUTREACHES

Mr. Hicken told his commanders to ensure that they go out into the communities in their respective divisions and interact with the residents and get to know them and understand their challenges.

“It is mandatory that you interact with the communities more often now than ever,” Mr. Hicken told the commanders.

Deputy Commissioner ‘Administration’ (ag), Mr. Calvin Brutus, also spoke at length with the commanders, during which he touched on a number of administrative issues that relate to the police divisions, specifically, and the entire Guyana Police Force in general.

Among the issues that Mr. Brutus spoke on were: the GPF’s strategic plan 2022 to 2026, training, diversity and recruitment, decentralisation of services, community relations programme, infrastructure development,

Foreign Secretary, Robert Persaud, on Wednesday, met with a section of the visiting Brazilian trade delegation representing Brazil’s energy, agriculture, manufacturing, and services sectors. The team is here seeking opportunities to invest in Guyana and to conduct business with Guyanese entrepreneurs

vehicle inspection and maintenance, inventories at stations, general returns and paying attention to the standing orders, theft of GPF’s assets, efforts being made to change and update the Force’s Standing Orders, etc.

The twelve commanders present at the ELT meeting were: Commander Regional Divsion #1, Superintendent Himnauth Sawh; Commander Region #2, Superintendent Shivpersaud Bacchus; Commander Region #3, Senior Superintendent Mahendra Siwnarine; Commander Region #4A, Assistant Commissioner Simon McBean; Commander Region #4B, Woman Superintendent Denise Griffith; Commander Region #4C, Senior Superintendent Khali Pareshram; Commander Region #5, Senior Superintendent Kurleigh Simon; Commander Region #6, Superintendent Bood-

narine Persaud; Commander Region #7, Superintendent Dion Moore; Commander Region #8, Senior Superintendent Michael Kingston; Commander Region #9, Superintendent Raphael Rose and Commander Region #10, Superintendent Hugh Winter.

The other persons in attendance at the Executive Leadership Team meeting were Deputy Commis sioner ‘Operations’ (Ag), Mr. Ravindradat Budhram; Head of Special Branch, Senior Superintendent Errol Watts; Head of the Special Organized Crime Unit, Senior Superintendent Fazal Karimbaksh; and Head of the GPF’s Corporate Communications Unit, Mark Ramotar.

Unavoidably absent from the high-level meeting was Deputy Commissioner ‘Law Enforcement,’ Mr. Wendell Blanhum.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 7, 2022

Milestone wheat production trials to commence by month end - Minister Mustapha says project will explore 15-20 varieties

By Naomi Parris

WITH global wheat prices at a record high, Guyana will soon commence its first wheat production trial, exploring 15 to 20 different varieties, Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, has said.

The minister, speaking on the sidelines of an event at Lusignan, on Wednesday, told reporters that the government is currently in contact with stakeholders in Mexico and is expecting to start the first trial by the end of April.

“We are in contact with our contacts especially in Mexico. We are looking at different varieties of wheat, we are looking by the end of this month latest and we can

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha have the first trial with about 15-20 varieties of wheat to see the best one that can be grown in Guyana,” Minister Mustapha said.

The Agriculture Minister said that the Burma Research Station in Mahaicony, Region Five, has been identified as one of

the locations where the trial will commence. But due to various factors, other locations across the country are also being considered.

“We have the rice research station at Burma, we have enough land there, but we also have to look at the climatic condition so there are possibilities that there are different parts of the county that we can have nurseries to see where it can grow better,” Mustapha said.

The surge in wheat and other commodity prices is as a result of the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. And, according to available statistics, both nations account for about 30 per cent of the world’s traded wheat.

Speaking about the objective of the wheat trials,

Minister Mustapha said the aim is to have Guyana become self-sufficient and not have to depend on imports.

He said: “We are very determined and as long as the trial is successful, we will be going to produce our own wheat because we can’t depend too much on imports, and, as a country, we have to ensure that we produce our own food and be self-sufficient.”

He also related that the COVID-19 pandemic emphasised the need for the country to be selfsufficient in its food production.

“We can have all the money in the world and we would have seen during the pandemic how many countries were suffering to get food because there was a scarcity and in Guyana,

we are very fortunate that we produce most of the food that we consume,” Minister Mustapha said.

The pandemic, in some instances, has increased the cost of goods and services between 20 to 145 per cent, while the cost of shipping and logistics has resulted in increases by as much as 200 per cent.

President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, during the announcement of the possibility of wheat production last

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month, had said that both the COVID-19 pandemic and the war have led to supply-chain disruptions, which have major economic implications.

The President, however, assured citizens that the government is unwavering in its quest to build a Guyana that is resilient, and a country that meets not only its national responsibility, but plays an important role in executing its global responsibility.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 7, 2022

Prime Ministers Mottley, Trudeau, new Co-Chairs of SDG Advocates group

(United Nations) AMIDST the growing number of development crises facing the world, United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, on Wednesday, announced Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley of Barbados and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada as new Co-Chairs of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Advocates group.

“The Sustainable Development Goals are the world’s blueprint to build a healthier, greener and sustainable future by 2030. With the clock ticking and multiple crises driving us further off track, we must do everything in our power to deliver the SDGs,” UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, said.

He added: “I’m pleased that Prime Minister Mottley and Prime Minister Trudeau will help lead advocacy to do just that.”

Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Amor Mottley and Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau In her address after being appointed, Prime Minister Mottley said: “Let us seize the moment to move forward, together, to ensure the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by the end of

the Decade of Action and Delivery on the Sustainable Development Goals.”

The Barbadian Prime Minister has campaigned extensively for climate action and debt sustainability in middle-income countries

and small states. In 2021, she was awarded the Champions of the Earth Award for her leadership.

Sharing his thoughts, Prime Minister Trudeau said: “To build a better future for people and the planet, we must all place the values of inclusion and sustainability at the heart of everything we do. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals aim to create a world that is fair, equal, and peaceful, with clean air and clean water for everyone.

“As Co-Chair of the SDG Advocates group, I look forward to rallying countries, governments, the private sector, and others, to come together to accelerate our progress and continue to raise our voices - and our ambition - on the path to 2030.”

Prime Minister Trudeau has been a strong advocate for climate action and nature protection, the empowerment

Vaccination campaign to ‘roll out’ next week THE Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education is finalising plans to roll out a vaccination campaign across the country.

The ministry will be celebrating World Vaccination Week from April 24 to 30 and as part of efforts to commemorate this, Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony, said special emphasis will be placed on COVID-19, Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and standard immunisation for children under five years old.

“We are finalising those plans with the Ministry of Education. We hope to finalise them during next week and once that is done, we will start rolling out the plan,” the minister said during Wednesday’s COVID-19 update.

This initiative is also expected to increase the uptake of COVID-19 vaccination for adolescents, as well as provide more information to the public about the US-made Pfizer vaccine.

“So, we have several groups that we’re targeting, we want to of course increase our COVID-19 vaccination rates during this period so we’ll be running some special campaigns to make sure that we can encourage more people to come out and get vaccinated,” Dr. Anthony said.

The Health Ministry continued to encourage and educate citizens about the importance

- adolescents to be targeted

Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony of the COVID-19 vaccines, however, there is still hesitancy among the population.

As of Wednesday, 85.5 per cent of the adult popula-

tion took the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine while 65.8 per cent is fully vaccinated.

A l s o , D r. A n t h o n y said “during that week we also want to get more people or school age persons to take the HPV vaccination so we’ll be doing a separate campaign encouraging people to take HPV vaccination… We’re also going to focus our attention on the under-fives, so children who need other types of vaccines…we want to make sure they have received those vaccines.”

Minister Anthony said

while the country’s positive cases continue to decrease, the pandemic is not over in Guyana. Currently there are 95 active cases with 14 persons hospitalised. (DPI)

of women and girls around the world, and ensuring an inclusive and resilient recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The SDG Advocates are influential leaders who support the Secretary-General in raising global ambition and action to keep the promise of the SDGs. The previous Co-Chairs, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of Ghana and former Norwegian Prime Minister Erna

Solberg have led the group since 2016 and 2014, respectively. The SecretaryGeneral has thanked them for putting the SDGs on the global political agenda.

President Akufo-Addo and former Prime Minister Solberg will continue to stay engaged as CoChairs of the SDG Advocates Emeritus Group, a group of alumni Advocates who continue to support the achievement of the SDGs.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 7, 2022

Partners in Development THE government has embarked on a massive Capital Works programme.

Only recently, contracts totalling over $5.6 billion were signed by the Ministry of Public Works which would see infrastructural works being done in several parts of the country including hinterland communities. Never before in the country’s history has there been such massive public sector spending which, combined with that of private sector investments and foreign-funded projects have catapulted Guyana as a major investment hub in the entire region.

In addition to the Capital Works programme of the Central Ministry, there are hundreds of millions of dollars in works executed by the regional administration which, taken together,

amounted to huge sums of money drawn from the Consolidated Fund to finance the country’s development.

There are also several foreign-funded projects which run in several billion dollars.

One immediate consequence of such massive capital works is that it generates employment opportunities to a countless number of persons, especially in the construction sector. Already there is a shortage of certain categories of construction workers and, with substantial investments in the oil and non-oil sectors, the construction industry is now challenged to satisfy the labour requirements of an expanding sector.

The benefits to the country of a massive infrastructural programme go beyond the creation of job opportunities. Many young people work as ‘apprentices’ in the

various skill areas, literally learning on the job until they ‘graduate’ to become skilled workers in fields such as carpentry, plumbing, masonry and electrical installation, among others.

These are people who may not have benefitted from formal training at specialised training institutions but they have managed to perfect their trade in ways comparable to those who would have graduated from established technical institutions. The government through the Board of Industrial Training has been targeting hundreds of outof-school youths and other vulnerable individuals in a wide-variety of skill areas, many of whom have been absorbed in the labour market or have become selfemployed.

But it is the transformative impact of the govern-

ment’s capital investment projects that matters most to the citizens of Guyana. The joy and comfort of travelling on a newly-paved road; or of getting water or electricity for the first time; or simply enjoying the comforts of a clean and green park are things that speak to a better quality of life which transcends the money value of the projects.

This approach to development of putting more emphasis on infrastructural development as opposed to consumption is designed to lay a solid foundation for sustained economic growth and development. With oil and gas now becoming a dominant sector in the economic life of the country, the need for a strong and robust infrastructural programme becomes all the more critical to attract foreign investment and enhance the

overall competitiveness of the country.

This is why it is so important that all contracts are awarded in a transparent and competitive basis. Minister of Public Works Bishop, Juan Edgehill had cause recently to debunk allegations by some opposition elements that government contracts are being awarded to a particular section of the society. He noted that awarding of government contracts is done in an open and transparent manner and that there are built-in mechanisms to allow for a fair and accountable process in keeping with the National Procurement Act. The government, he said, has a mandate to ensure that all Guyanese benefit from the transformation currently underway. According to the minister, both government and contractors have to work

as partners in development to ensure that all works are being done to the required standard, especially in terms of quality, time and the financial envelope.

The government must be commended for being able to mobilise such massive sums of money to upgrade and modernise the country’s infrastructure, and also to ensure that the award of contracts are done in a fair and even-handed manner.

Value for money is an important element of good and accountable governance and the PPP/C administration has not been found wanting in this regard.

The Government of Guyana has been working closely with the Office of the Auditor-General to ensure that there is value for money audit on both recurrent and capital and recurrent expenditures.

Norman Brown and some others in the PNC are puerile, gallivanting masqueraders

Dear Editor, PERMIT me a few inches of space to respond to a letter written by Norman Browne which was published in the Stabroek News on April 5, in which he asked several questions of Coalition Member of Parliament, Tabitha Sarabo-Halley.

Let me first establish that it is quite obvious that some PNC members and so called political activists are nothing more than puerile political masqueraders gallivanting as pundits and strategists, but then again I guess even a circus can have pundits and doyens. Many of them are clueless as to the dynamics of the very politics they are involved in.

In Norman’s letter, he asked a slew of questions

which outlines the asininity that emboldens many like him within the PNC to use the opening and cavity in the lower part of the human face through which vocal sounds are emitted and their fingertips and keypads before they consult with their encephalon. Norman stated that Mrs. Halley owes opposition members and supporters an explanation as to her status in Parliament. What utter nonsense is this? He went on to say that she must tell Guyanese people whether her party is a lawful partner of the APNU. Norman should let us know what constitutes a lawful partner of the APNU. Norman should go ask Mr. Aubrey Norton if he is the lawful chair of the APNU since he was nominated by

Mrs. Halley to take up the position.

Further, Norman has presented no real currency or credential that warrants a response to the questions he asked since in his egocentric note to the editor in normal PNC fashion he spewed lies as it relates to a statement posted to social media by Mrs. Halley. Norman stated, “Tabitha in a Facebook post recently claimed that she asked for discussions in relation to the extracting of two names from the List that will replace two opposition MPs that resigned. She gives the impression that the PNC ignored her. She also claimed that the APNU has not been included in that decision making.”

Now this is part of what Mrs. Halley said in her face-

book post “The two vacant seats belong to the PNC and so they have a right to choose who they want to replace the two persons that resigned. However, time and time again someone keeps putting out statements as though the APNU has met and made decisions. I have asked for meetings to discuss matters and have been met with silence. The APNU has not met since January 25th 2022 when the chairmanship of David Granger came to an end and the General Secretary position ended. So I am not sure who has been sending out letters and making statements on behalf of the APNU. It is quite obvious Norman has a problem comprehending basic English Language since it is clear

that Mrs. Halley said PNC has the right to choose who they want to fill the two vacant seats and her concern is really about the media reporting that the APNU made a decision when in fact they have never met. No part of her statement suggested she requested to have a discussion about extracting names.

This brings me to my final point. What exactly do PNC members have against Tabitha Sarabo-Halley, how has she in any way hindered or disrupted the workings of the PNC? While I believe I know the answer to this question, I will leave it up to the Normans of the PNC to respond.

What is striking is the fact that many in the PNC, who claim to be championing the cause in the

fight of racial injustices, meted out to Afro Guyanese, never skip a beat and are excited to tear down their own black leaders in their bid for self- aggrandizement. I am not sure who knighted Norman with the authority to suggest that he can invalidate in any way, shape or form, Mrs. Halley as a Member of Parliament or her party Guyana Nation Builders as a member of the APNU+AFC Coalition. I’d encourage him to divert that energy towards making sense of what is happening within his party because he might not like the revelations if he continues to traverse uncertain territory.

Yours sincerely, Clayon F. Halley

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 7, 2022

One Country, One People, One Future

Dear Editor, THE “One Guyana” policy embraces the idea of one country (a unifying national societal goal), one people (evolving a common set of values and aspirations), and one future (where there are possibilities for everyone to achieve the good life). This policy also recognises and sustains the ethnic-based core religious and cultural values, which will exist in harmony with the emerging mainstream value system. Despite this novel policy initiative aimed at moving away from the past failed attempts at societal integration and harmony, there are opposition forces that denigrate this approach by producing false narratives.

A Norman Browne, for example, has made some astonishing comments against the PPP/C Government and put Dr Bharrat Jagdeo at the centre of his vitriol: He says nonchalantly: “The PPP has done terrible things to Guyana and does not intend to stop... there is no question that the PPP

is, and has always been an uncaring government that put the population through hell.” Mr. Browne recklessly blames the PPP/C Government for the rise in cost of living when everyone knows that this is a global problem linked to supply chain issues. He also fails to acknowledge the mitigating measures, both “general” and “targeted”, implemented by the PPP/C Government.

General (national level) measures include the elimination of the 50 per cent excise tax on gasoline; the removal of freight charges to reduce import duty and thus the reduction in cost of imported goods and machinery.

With foresight, the government had earlier removed over 200 new taxes and fees imposed by the Granger administration, not to mention the removal of 14 per cent VAT on electricity, water, education, and medical supplies. One shudders to think what might have been the consequence if the PPP/C Government had not taken this creative action!

At the targeted level, the

PPP/C Government is creating 800 jobs so that workers can supplement their household income in Region Two (Essequibo Coast) and a similar number (800) of jobs is being created at Region 10 (Linden). The government has given annual grants in the sum of GY$600,000 each to 79 dialysis patients.

The government is making cash grants to 250 small business owners. Other relief measure(s) is/are under consideration. Mr. Browne will also know that in a free market system, the government does not determine price levels. It is the market forces. And the imposition of price controls is not an option.

Mr. GHK Lall makes the preposterous statement that the Vice-President is a “leader lacking in what it takes.” Dr Bharrat Jagdeo’s exceptional international credentials are compelling and establish his political stature firmly. He received five honorary doctorates; was elected in 2015 as Chair of the IMF and the World Bank while the World Eco-

nomic Forum recognised him as a young global leader and the prestigious Times Magazine named him as a hero on the environment. In 2010, he was designated by the UN as a ‘Champion of the Earth.’

Dr Jagdeo served in 2010 on a UN High-Level Advisory Group on Climate Financing; in 2011, Dr Jagdeo was appointed a Roving Ambassador on forests for the Amazon, Congo, and South East Asia basins; while in 2013, Dr Jagdeo was appointed a member of an ACP group to guide and recommend future relations with the developed world; and he was appointed Chair of a Commonwealth Expert Group on Climate Finance in 2013.

With all these powerful credentials, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo decided to take a sabbatical from politics after the 2011 elections. The opposition always viewed Dr Jagdeo as standing between them (PNC/R) and electoral victory. His sabbatical provided an opening which played to the PNC/R’s ad-

vantage; the PPP/C lost the 2015 general and regional elections to a PNC/R-led Coalition. The PPP/C was sent packing and feeling demoralised.

A group of PPP/C members met with Mr. Jagdeo in 2015 and pleaded for his return to the party’s leadership to prevent it from buckling further. Dr Jagdeo rose to the occasion to save the party of Dr Cheddi Jagan.

As General-Secretary since December 2016, he immediately began to rebuild the party from bottom up and recruited hundreds of young people into it. He knows that it would be the young people who would energise the party and bring it fully into the 21st century.

As part of the rebuilding effort, Dr Jagdeo supported one of the hardest working members of the PPP/C and a former Cabinet minister of Housing as the 2020 Presidential candidate. Dr Irfaan Ali’s presidency has exceeded expectations. He is a President who readily connects with the people at all levels. His “One Guy-

ana” is a revolutionary idea which, if fully operationalised, could become a major catalyst of positive change in the political landscape of Guyana. Bringing Guyanese together and reducing disparities will usher in the advancement of the common good for everyone. One vehicle to help realise the “One Guyana” policy goal is the forthcoming Cricket Carnival.

While Dr Jagdeo admits that they had made mistakes in the past, they also did not allow these to deter nor detract from moving the country forward. Under Dr Irfaan Ali’s Presidency, the sharp focus on implementing transformative projects that began under Dr Jagdeo’s leadership, continues to gather momentum which will change the social and economic landscape and likely to usher Guyana fully into the 21st century with the real possibility of achieving the good life for all Guyanese.

Yours sincerely, Dr Tara Singh

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Ex-police prosecutor on self bail for ‘ducking’ sentencing warrants

FORMER Police Prosecutor, Sergeant Shawn Gonsalves, on Wednesday, found himself on the wrong side of the law when he was arraigned at the Diamond Magistrate’s Court for allegedly conspiring with others to pervert the course of justice.

Gonsalves, 35, Tuschen Housing Scheme, East Bank Essequibo, appeared before Magistrate Sunil Scarce.

He denied that between July 23, 2020, and November 27, 2021, at Diamond, East Bank Demerara, he conspired with persons unknown, to obstruct the course of justice, so as to cause the disappearance or to falsely execute two sentencing warrants in favor of Vishal Munilall.

His attorney, Bernard DaSilva, made an application for bail on the grounds that his client is the father of three and is the sole breadwinner for his family.

DaSilva said that he has written the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) seeking to have the charge withdrawn.

The magistrate released Gonsalves on self bail and adjourned the case until May 3, 2022.

The Guyana Chronicle was made to understand that Gonsalves was a police prosecutor attached to the Diamond Magistrate’s Court when the offence was allegedly committed.

On November 27, Munilall and others were arrested

by ranks from the Golden Grove Police Station for bribery and other offences.

An investigation was launched during which Munilall along with another gave certain information fingering Gonsalves’ alleged involvement in the “ducking” of the two sentencing warrants.

The warrants were issued

by Magistrate Annette Singh at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court in July 2020.

Gonsalves was arrested and denied the allegations during a video interview conducted by investigators. However, it is alleged that while being escorted to the Tactical Service Unit, he admitted his involvement to a senior investigator.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 7, 2022

Authorities flag poor ‘telecoms’ service

-Prime Minister raises concern in official letter to PUC Chairperson

Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d), Mark Phillips PRIME Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, who has oversight of the telecommunications sector, has written to Chairperson of the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), Dela Britton, expressing the government’s concern over numerous reports of poor quality telecommunications services.

The letter which was dispatched on Wednesday, stated: “The Government of Guyana is extremely concerned at numerous reports of poor quality of

Chairperson of the PUC, Dela Britton

public telecommunications services, especially with respect to fixed and mobile broadband Internet services. I am advised that institution of appropriate technical Quality of Service Standards is a necessary part of the solution to this issue.”

The Prime Minister then requested that the commission reviews the Telecommunications (Consumer Protection) Regulations 2020 with a view to amending schedules one and two to include, at a minimum, Quality of

Service Parameters with appropriate definitions and standards.

The parameters identified by the Prime Minister under “Fixed and Mobile Broadband Quality of Service Parameters” are: availability, packet loss ratio, average throughput for packet data, latency and jitter.

“I shall be following up on the procedural requirements for effecting the amendments in the near future,” the Prime Minister said in the letter to the PUC Chairperson.

Brigadier Bess in Barbados for Caribbean security conference

In this Barbados Defence Force photo, Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Chiefof-Staff, Brigadier Godfrey Bess, is seated first from right (front row) during the conference. Seated to the right of Brigadier Bess is Jamaica’s Chief of Defence Staff, Rear Admiral Antonette Gorman CHIEF-OF-STAFF of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Brigadier Godfrey Bess, is currently representing Guyana at the Caribbean Nations Security Conference (CANSEC) 2022 in Barbados.

CANSEC is a U.S. Southern Command-sponsored annual regional security forum aimed at encouraging defence and security leaders to strengthen ties of

cooperation, discuss regional issues, examine challenges, share lessons learned, and explore ways to improve cooperation on security matters.

The conference opened on Monday and concludes on Thursday, April 7, 2022, and is co-hosted by the Barbados Defence Force.

The theme for this year’s conference is: “Multinational Cooperation in A Changing

Operational Environment.”

The specific objective of this conference is to draw attention to counter-terrorism initiatives, counter-illicit flows operations, coordination for Humanitarian Assistance Disaster Relief (HADR), and the need for protecting the Blue Economy; this is all with the view of countering transnational threats and enhancing regional security.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 7, 2022

Local education system will produce analytical, innovative minds - President Ali says during presentation of Outstanding Cambridge Learners Award to Nations’ student PRESIDENT, Dr. Irfaan Ali, has said that Guyana’s education system will work harder to create a conducive atmosphere to produce brilliant young minds that are innovative and visionary.

He made this statement during a simple ceremony at the Office of the President, which was held in honour of School of the Nations’ student, John McGrath, who was officially presented with the Cambridge Learners Award.

The 17-year-old was awarded the prize and title of the World’s Top Student for Cambridge International Advanced Subsidiary (AS) English Language after he was able to secure 99 marks out of 100 in the June 2021 Examinations.

He is also the first Guyanese to top a Cambridge AS examination.

The Head of State told McGrath that he is looking forward to his development and would like, in the future, to see his name beside “global articles and writings that are celebrated.”

The sixth form student’s result was better than over a million students from across 136 countries.

“And that is where our education system

is going—creating educated minds that can be analytical, can be innovative, can be visionary.

“So, now, Mr McGrath, we have a writer among us in Guyana who can write brilliantly about what we offer as a country,” President Ali said.

PARTNERSHIP WITH PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS President Ali took the opportunity to laud Nations (which also has a tertiary arm) and pointed out that recently, the Government of Guyana and the school have collaborated on a number of initiatives involving different government agencies.

He said that the results so far have been good and that the government is looking to expand its partnership with the private sector [and] private institutions.

President Ali said: “I always felt that the ability to offer beyond secondary education— university education—in an environment in which people can still pursue a career and work, is one that has untold benefits, and the range of universities that you have a relationship with is also extraordinary.”

TOURISM ASPIRATIONS Like his father, Sean McGrath, who has contributed to the development of Guyana’s

World’s Top Student for Cambridge International Advanced Subsidiary (AS) English Language, John McGrath tourism industry, John also has aspirations to further his studies in the field.

The President told the young man that tourism is a very viable option for Guyana at this stage in its development.

“Sometimes people have a misconception

about what tourism is. Tourism requires the best of writers, the best of promoters, the best of marketing skills, but more importantly, tourism is about managing people,” Dr. Ali said.

He emphasised that the tourism sector is one that is essential for the development of Guyana and said that there are “many opportunities for you to pursue this interest here.”

President Ali also implored McGrath to not allow his accomplishment to be a singular celebration but to be a motivation to others.

“And the only person who can do that is yourself. So, I would like to see how you would go back to those in Nations and across the country in motivating them to accomplish as you have accomplished,” President Ali said.

The Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, also remarked on the teenager’s achievements, noting: “Guyana takes particular pleasure in owning you and celebrating you because this is the first time that we have, as a citizen, topped the world in any field in the Cambridge AS awards.”

President Ali and Minister Manickchand were also joined by the Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal and representatives from Nations. (Office of the President)

Fisherfolk get timely support to navigate rough ‘economic tides’ - 170 hampers distributed to persons along the ECD “We are working assiduously to see how we could help the fisherfolk… we are looking to diversify, we are looking at marine fishing now. Not only in Guyana but around the world we are seeing catches going down, this shows that we are having serious problems with climate change,” the Agriculture Minister said.

He added that the do-

A fisherfolk receiving her hamper from Minster of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha

By Naomi Parris IN a bid to support several East Coast Demerara (ECD) fisherfolk who have been faced with economic hardships because of low catches, the Ministry of Agriculture, on Wednesday, donated some 170 hampers.

Persons from the communities of Mon Repos, Lusignan, and Annandale gathered at the Lusignan Community Centre, where the hampers were handed over by Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha.

Roy Singh, a fisherman from Annandale related to the Guyana Chronicle that the last few months have been difficult for him, since his catch has been low. This, Singh said, has left him fighting to make ends meet with the little he has.

He said that while the hamper distribution is a small gesture, he is thankful for the interest shown by the Agriculture Minister. The hamper, he said, will help ease some of his burdens.

Meanwhile, another fisherfolk by the name of Mala (only name given), also expressed her gratitude for the assistance.

The woman who hails from Mon Repos, related, like the many other fisherfolk, the last few months had been difficult; however, the donations came as a timely relief.

While engaging the gathering, Minister Mustapha said fisherfolk were some of the most hard-working persons in Guyana and that the government was aware that fishermen, for some time, had been faced with hardships due to low catches.

nation should be seen as a small gesture and that the government will be implementing initiatives such as the “marine cage culture” to assist fishermen to improve their production.

To this end, Minister Mustapha said: “We are starting to develop the aquaculture industry and we want to work with you the fisherfolk.

We will work with the ma-

rine fisherfolk where we will start a cage culture. When we work out the income, one marine cage can give a marine fisherfolk almost $8 million annually.”

The minister further vowed to support fishermen and other agriculture stakeholders.

“As a government, we are trying to ensure that we fulfill all our

promises to the Guyanese people. We have been going around all across this country not only rice farmers or cash crop farmers, fisherfolks and everybody in the agriculture sector. Our objective is to ensure that you get maximum returns when you go out there,” Minister Mustapha said.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 7, 2022

Gov’t considering first draft of Hemp Bill AS local and foreign investors anxiously await the start of hemp cultivation in Guyana, government is in possession of the first draft of a bill that will govern the operations of the industry.

This disclosure was made recently by Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, S.C, during his Facebook programme, “Issues in the News.”

In providing an update on the proposed piece of legislation, he said that the bill is expected to be “advanced and sophisticated.”

He noted that government is

taking the necessary steps to produce an entire governance structure that will regulate the way hemp is cultivated in Guyana.

“The Hemp Bill is in its first draft so a lot of people … a lot of organisations, both in and out of Guyana are interested and have demonstrated a deep and clean interest in the hemp legislation.

The bill is in its first draft and is being considered by the government and the government will determine what the next steps are,” the Attorney General said.

Guyana’s Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act 1988 provides for the

criminalisation and possession of, and trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and cultivation of certain plants, among which cannabis is included by virtue of Section 3 of the First Schedule.

This legislation prohibits the cultivation of hemp in Guyana.

In July 2021, government approved the Guyana Hemp Policy which paves the way for cultivation of industrial hemp.

A legal and regulatory framework is currently being crafted before the first hemp seed can be planted.

Minister Nandlall noted that

Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, S.C this bill will stipulate not just the legality and governance structure for the sector, but will also outline the areas that hemp will be cultivated and the requisite qualifying factors for cultivators.

Guyana will be one of a limited number of Caribbean countries to introduce a Hemp Bill.

According to Minister Nandlall, given the potential magnitude of the sector, the decision was taken to create a bill instead of following the pattern of other Caribbean countries that opted to regulate the sector through amendments to existing narcotics laws.

“I believe it’s a good bill.

We look at various territories in the Caribbean and North America and even Europe. In the Caribbean there is not much to look at. I think Antigua and Barbuda is the only territory with a

draft bill. The others permit the cultivation of hemp through the amendment, minor amendments to the dangerous drugs law or their narcotics law, that is how they allow for the cultivation and production of hemp,” he told viewers.

The Attorney General noted that with this first draft of the bill completed, it could be expected that the bill will be presented in parliament “very shortly”.

This announcement by the Attorney General is in keeping with government’s vision of fast tracking the commencement of work in this multimillion-dollar sector.

During a recent press conference, President Dr. Irfaan Ali had encouraged persons who are currently planting marijuana to repurpose their lands and other resources to facilitate the local production of hemp.

He had noted that they already have the necessary skills and other resources to benefit from what he described as a great investment opportunity.

“Great opportunity lies ahead in terms of the hemp industry and what it can do in terms of the technological push, construction material, pharmaceuticals. I have looked at some numbers, unbelievable numbers on the return per acre and I have a duty, the government has a duty to analyse all of this,” he added.

Co-Founder of Guyana Hemp Industries (GHI), Michael Kirton, in a recent interview with this publication had said that President Ali’s announcement of plans to steer marijuana farmers towards hemp cultivation is

- AG says encouraging.

For him, this is a sign of “great promise” for the recognition and legalisation of hemp in Guyana.

Kirton had told the Guyana Chronicle that the President’s announcement is an indication of government’s intention to reduce the production of marijuana and that this drug will be replaced by hemp, which does not possess the chemical found in the marijuana plant that is responsible for the “euphoria” experienced by persons who use it.

“Hemp is now in the spotlight in Guyana and many Guyanese are now interested in investing in hemp. In keeping with the announcement by the President.

We fully support him, because as the President said they have the skills to plant marijuana, so they have the know-how to plant hemp,” Kirton had said.

Over 25,000 different commercial by-products, including a super food, clothes, and construction materials, fuel, medicines, paper, plastic, textile and countless other products, can be produced from hemp.

The hemp fibre has great tensile strength and durability, and is used to produce more than 5,000 textile products, ranging from rope to fine laces.

The wood ‘hurds’ remaining after the fibre has been removed contains more than 77 per cent cellulose.

Additionally, hemp plants contain low levels of the intoxicating phytocannabinoid known as Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), for which marijuana is well known.

Maintenance works ongoing on Linden/Mabura Hill Road

THE government is undertaking maintenance works along the Linden/Mabura Hill Road, Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill, has said.

The minister, in a post on his official social media page, said: “While we await the CDB [Caribbean Development Bank] funded Linden Mabura Hill Road Project to commence, the road deteriorated and subsequently maintenance work began.”

In February, Guyana received a no-objection from the CDB to construct the US$190 million road which is also receiving funding from the United Kingdom. Since then, the government has been in talks with Brazilian company Construtora Queiroz Galvao to build the anticipated road.

The government recently signed a $3.19 billion contract to upgrade 32 bridges between Kurupukari and Lethem from timber to concrete. The construction of the bridges will

Maintenance works ongoing on the Linden/Mabura Hill road (DPI photos) pave the way for the road that will eventually culminate in Lethem, Region Nine.

Minister Edghill, at the signing of the contracts, had said: “This is no small project and must be treated seriously, because the intent is that this road must meet all international standards and the removing of

the timber bridges and putting of concrete bridges must be to international standards.”

Upon completion, the road which spans 121 kilometres, will be upgraded to asphaltic concrete and will transform the lives of persons living and doing business in the hinterland. (DPI)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 7, 2022

No grease traps at food houses causing trouble for City’s sewerage network

By Telesha Ramnarine

AS the Guyana Water Inc. (GWI) continues to battle the task of maintaining an effective sewerage network in Georgetown, of particular concern to the entity is FOG – Fats, Oils, and Grease – that are released into the system by cooking houses that have no grease traps installed.

Sanitation Manager Rensforde Joseph described FOG as one of the major problems being encountered by GWI – one that they have been aggressively pursuing. However, many restaurants, canteens, cafeterias, butcheries, and hair salons, among others, are yet to become compliant so far as a grease trap is concerned.

“These places should have a grease trap installed that would trap the FOG and prevent it from getting into the system,” Joseph explained in an interview with Guyana Chronicle, adding, “Let’s just say there is a significant number [without grease traps], especially the new restaurants. There is also the issue of persons cooking at their premises and selling on the street corners.”

The Mayor and City Council (M&CC) had at one time been the authority to ensure that all cooking houses had grease traps under the

GWI Sanitation Manager Rensforde Joseph Public Health Ordinance, but the problem is now being managed by GWI. Commenting on the issue, M&CC Solid Waste Management Director, Walter Narine, would especially like if GWI can work in partnership with the City Council to arrest the problem. “I am really concerned with grease traps. When they flush their oil waste, it goes into that trap first and it’s separated before the rest gets into the sewerage system,” he shared on the importance of having a grease trap in place.

“I’m not flagging anyone;

I am more towards building partnerships. I would love for us to have a partnership for us to go about inspecting restaurants. Grease blocks up the system and is a messy, unhealthy practice,” Narine added.

He believes that restaurants should face closure if they fail to respond to warnings about installing a grease trap.

“Our sewerage system is an outdated system; it’s been there for ages and it’s something that really needs to be fixed. I would love to have a partnership with GWI.” Meanwhile, Joseph offered that GWI has so far met with proprietors, printed and shared information on the need for grease traps and maintenance; has given designs and determined sizes; and has issued fines and removed customers from the system.

In general, the care and maintenance of Georgetown’s sewerage network, which stretches across 457 hectares of land, from Kingston to Albouystown, requires the cooperation of both residents and authorities.

According to Joseph, GWI has been experiencing an inability to access some of the chambers that are there to allow the maintenance team to access the line which is underground and to be able to clear blockag-

es. Over the years, it has been an uphill task to access some of the chambers at Stevedore, Tucville, Albouystown, and Alberttown, because they are all located in alleyways.

Apart from an overgrowth of vegetation at these locations, there is the problem of residents dumping in the alleyways. “Old fridge, old zinc, pieces of wood; you name it.

Even though we may weed and clear it, we still have these obstacles to overcome to get to a chamber,” Joseph explained.

To compound the problem, persons have been stealing the chamber covers. This means that the manhole is now left opened to all kinds of obstacles and solids getting into them thus contributing to blockages in the City. “The only thing that should get in is household waste, nothing else. Ensure that if there’s a chamber inside your yard it is easily accessible. If there’s an open chamber, communicate with GWI and we will have it covered at no cost to you.”

Residents have also been contributing to blockages by covering over the chambers in their yards. Joseph explains: “In most of the yards, there are inspection and connecting chambers but you find residents paving over their yard and covering the chambers. No

chamber should be encumbered or enclosed. If you’re raising the level of your yard or you’re concreting it, you should raise the level of the chamber at the same time so that it is above ground and is easily accessible for maintenance purposes.”

The environmental impact, Joseph noted, is quite significant. “If a chamber is

blocked resulting in overflow, then you have raw sewerage that comes with a number of pathogens that are detrimental to your health and the marine environment. You also don’t want the toxic gas in the sewerage to enter into the environment nor raw sewerage flowing in anyone’s yard, street, and the waterways.”

A worker inside a sewer manhole removing solids

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 7, 2022

‘Agri’ authorities advancing capital works ahead of rainy season

By Naomi Parris

AHEAD of the May-June rainy season, the MahaicaMahaicony, Abary – Agricultural Development Authority (MMA-ADA) and the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) are advancing works to reduce the chances of flooding in the agriculture scheme and surrounding areas.

In an agriculture special report on Monday, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Musta-

pha said that heavy rainfall cannot be controlled, but the effects of this natural phenomenon could be mitigated.

“Many times, I am very cautious when I talk about rain and flood in our country. We can’t stop flood in Guyana but we can mitigate it, we can ease and we are preparing as an entity to mitigate these floods,” Minister Mustapha said.

He related that in the previous year, several emergency works were done, but farming communities were

still severely affected by floods.

Minister Mustapha said: “We would have done a lot of work; we would have executed our budget allocation and we did a number of works after the floods would have receded and we had funds from the government to execute those works.”

He said that this year, several pumps will be procured and placed at floodprone areas across the country.

TURN TO PAGE 17

FLASHBACK: Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, inspecting one of the pumps at the Ruimveldt South Sluice (Banks), Georgetown (Elvin Croker Photo)

‘Agri’ authorities advancing...

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 7, 2022

FROM PAGE 16 “This year, we will be having a number of pumps.

Almost 40 pumps will be purchased this year, for pumping and draining capacity, so we will have these pumps placed at vulnerable areas,” the Agriculture Minister related.

He went on to say: “We want drainage on a 24-hour basis rather than do drainage on six to eight hours… so I think we will have the mechanism in place, so we cannot stop the rain because we are seeing real climate change affecting this part of the world.”

The rainfall that Guyana experiences is high intensity and lasts sometimes for over an hour.

In addressing this, Minister Mustapha said: “You have close to five to six inches, sometimes you have 100 millimeters of rainfall and 25 millimeters is one inch and so if you have 100 millimeters that is four inches of rainfall and our drainage

system can drain one and a half inch of water in a 24hour period… so you could see the challenge that we are having.”

He said that, as the rainy season draws closer, the ministry will continue to engage all stakeholders to ensure that all systems are in place to mitigate the effects of torrential rainfalls.

“We will continue to work with all stakeholders; we will make provisions for all these pumps to be placed at vulnerable areas and we will ensure that the structures are in place in those areas,” Minister Mustapha said.

Several regions were adversely affected by floodwaters, as the country grappled with the May-June rainy season last year.

Owing to the situation, President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, had declared Guyana to be in a state of disaster. In his proclamation, the Head of State had said that a total of 28,228 households were affected by flooding, some

with water entering their homes, domestic animals and livestock in distress, or farmlands inundated.

The government, in response, had expended billions of dollars on various interventions ranging from relief grants to hampers.

This year, as a measure of caution, major investments are slated for the further advancement of Guyana’s drainage and irrigation sector. Specifically, the government has set aside $13 billion for drainage and irrigation works this year.

“Now more than ever before, effective drainage and irrigation infrastructure design, construction and maintenance, are required to prevent perilous consequences… our government will continue to strengthen the drainage and irrigation network across all regions,” Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, had said.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 7, 2022

Cummins blitz takes KKR to the top

(ESPNCRICINFO) - Suryakumar Yadav's 360-degree game provided the thrill, Dewald Brevis exhibited his fearlessness and Tilak Varma showed why he's rated highly. As well as each of them did to set up a potentially tricky 162 chase for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on a sticky Pune deck, Mumbai Indians clearly had not envisaged the mayhem that was to follow.

Having taken five wickets in what was a spirited defence up to a point, Mumbai saw the match unravel really fast - as Pat Cummins walloped the joint-fastest IPL half-century, in just 14 balls, to seal the deal with four overs left.

Venkatesh Iyer, who overcame a slow start, made a half-century of his own before watching the final few moments from the best seat in the house at the non-striker's end. By the end of it, Mumbai slumped to their third straight loss and KKR continued their joyride to establish a small lead at the top of the leaderboard.

CUMMINS STEALS THE SHOW Cummins and Venkatesh came together in the 14th over with Knight Riders needing 61 off 41 balls.

Andre Russell had just been taken out by a Tymal Mills short ball, Jasprit Bumrah had two overs left, and KKR were down to their lower order. It could have made a few teams jittery. Not the Knight Riders. Or not Cummins, at any rate.

Cummins smashed the second ball he faced for six over deep-backward square leg, scythed the third between backward point and short third for four, and deposited Bumrah over deep midwicket off his sixth. And just like that, the KKR were up and running. Sprinting, actually. With the asking rate well under ten always, Knight Riders ensured loss of wickets wasn't going to be

Pat Cummins watches one sail into the stands (BCCI)

a deterrent to their no-holdsbarred aggression.

Venkatesh, on 9 off 14 at one stage, found his hitting higher gears to bring up a 41-ball half-century. It wasn't a flawless innings, but one filled with oodles of luck.

Slashes flew over the fielders, swipes went off inside edges, and pulls landed in vacant areas, In-between all this, he made a serious run, cashing in on some loose bowling to find boundaries with such regularity that loss of wickets wasn't even a bother.

Cummins caught up very quickly. After the early flourish, he took on his Australia team-mate Daniel Sams for a sequence of 6, 4, 6, 6, 2NB, 4 to hoist a 14-ball half-century, before clearing his front leg and smoking the last ball of the 16th for a six over the sight screen to seal victory.

THE PRELUDE TO THE MAYHEM Till then, Knight Riders kept finding fielders as they searched for big hits. A sluggish start at the top forced Ajinkya Rahane's ill-advised hook off Mills, which he top-edged to fall for 7 off 11. Then Sams got rid of Shreyas Iyer with a short ball that the KKR captain pulled straight to deep square-leg.

Sam Billings timed the ball superbly for a sparkling 17 before he picked out long-off, and Nitish Rana holed out to deep midwicket.

In trying to keep three

Bumrah overs for the second half, Rohit Sharma may have had a quiet laugh at what had transpired, before the sensational onslaught came along. It was over in a flash after that.

THE SURYA-VARMA REPAIR JOB Returning to competitive cricket after an injury break, Suryakumar started slowly, taking 18 balls to hit his first boundary. Though the runs didn't come quickly - he came in at 45 for 2 in the eighth over, and that became 55 for 3 by the end of the 11th - he held his composure and shape. Off the next 17, Suryakumar cashed in on some loose bowling to hit four fours and two sixes, including a neat little glide over short third to raise his half-century.

All the elements of a typical Suryakumar innings were on display: the wristwork, the whiplash strokes, the sweeps, the paddles and

the ramps, as he scored all around the dial.

Complementing him superbly was Tilak Varma, the left-hander who has made brutal look beautiful this IPL. Setting up with a strong base and marrying his powerful wrists with swift footwork, Varma kept picking boundaries to keep the scoreboard chugging along. His fearlessness shone through as he walked across to scoop Cummins, slog Sunil Narine, and throw Varun Chakravarthy off his lengths.

Along the way, Varma rode his luck, too, when Rahane, chasing a catch he should have left for Billings, put down a steepler early in his innings.

The partnership eventually read 83 off 49 balls.

This set up the game for Mumbai after they had lost Rohit and a struggling Ishan Kishan in a slow start. The innings ended with a flurry of sixes from Kieron Pollard, many of thick edges, as Cummins conceded 23 off his final over. He more than made up for that with the bat later, didn't he?

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Thursday April 7, 2022)

COMPLIMENTS OF CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD 83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Faf du Plessis (CSK) (2) Harshal Patel (RCB) Today’s Quiz: (1) Who scored most runs in IPL 2021?

(2) What was the highest individual score made in IPL 2021?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue 10:40 hrs Jp Two Thousand

10:50 hrs Mumbo Jumbo 11:25 hrs Caswell Bay

American Racing Tips Aqueduct Race 1 Curlin’s Wisdom Race 2 Tap The Faith Race 3 No Burn Race 4 Umbria Race 5 Cousteau Race 6 Lady By Choice Race 7 Dancing Buck

Irish Racing Tips Limerick 08:20 hrs Weddell Sea 08:55 hrs Champagne Town 09:28 hrs Bravo Team 10:03 hrs Sequoiaspirit 10:38 hrs Noble Birth 11:13 hrs Light Heidi 11:45 hrs Four Horsemen 12:20 hrs Magic Conqueror

Aintree 08:45 hrs Ernme River 09:20 hrs Pied Piper 09:55 hrs Kemboy 10:30 hrs Epatante 11:05 hrs Cat Tiger 11:40 hrs Thyme White 12:15 hrs Lady Excalibur

South Africa Racing Tips Vaal 08:20 hrs Bard Of Avon 08:55 hrs On Cue 09:30 hrs Naarah 10:05 hrs Letsdoit

English Racing Tips Ffos Las 08:35 hrs Howdilyyoudo 09:10 hrs Marettimo 09:45 hrs Kingofthewest 10:20 hrs Gats And Co

Chelmsford City 11:00 hrs Sammy Sunshine 11:35 hrs Lasting Legacy 12:08 hrs Alia Choice 12:43 hrs Bakersboy 13:15 hrs Foreshadow 13:45 hrs Got No Dollars 14:15 hrs Atrafan

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 7, 2022

Stingrays Swimming Services backs Vladimir Woodroffe

VLADIMIR Woodroffe, one of the swimmers heading off to represent Guyana at the 2022 South American Youth Games, received a contribution from Stingrays Swimming Services, to boost his preparation for the event, which will take place in Rosario, Argentina, April 28 – May 8.

A member of Dorado Speed Swim Club, Woodroffe said he’s looking forward to representing Guyana at the multi-sport event, to improve his times and hopefully land on the podium.

With sponsorship being hard to

come by, Woodroffe’s participation in the sports is dependent on his parents.

Recognising this, Stingrays Swimming Services said they’re eager to help the talented mid-distance swimmer realise his fullest potential with their assistance, allowing Woodroffe to focus on his exploits in the pool.

Woodroffe thanked the company for its support while adding that he’s working overtime to make the most of his opportunity to compete internationally.

Woodroffe had a good showing

at his previous International outing, the Barbados Swimming Association (BSA) International Invitational, where he ended the three-day event as the 1314 age group overall winner.

Meanwhile, of the 11 medals won

by Guyana at the two previous events in Peru (2013) and Chile (2017), Linden’s Deshanna Skeete holds the country’s only gold medal.

Skeete won the girls’ 400 metres in 2017. Guyana’s total medals at the games also included four silver and six bronze.

Vladimir Woodroffe (L) receives an undisclosed sum from Stingrays Swimming Services representative

Golden Jaguars to open Brathwaite among three shortlisted Nations League campaign for ICC Player-ofagainst Montserrat on June 4 the-Month

By Rawle Toney

THE Golden Jaguars will face Montserrat on June 4 in their first match of this season’s CONCACAF Nations League, in Brades.

Drawn in Group B of League B of the CONCACAF Nations League, Guyana will come up against Haiti, Bermuda and Montserrat.

Following their away match against the British overseas territory, the Golden Jaguars will return home to face Bermuda on June 7 at the National Track and Field Centre.

Guyana will also play host to Haiti on June 11 and will travel to Port-au-Prince for a return clash against the Haitians on June 14.

The Golden Jaguars will roar once again in the Nations League on March 25, 2023, when they travel to Hamilton to face Bermuda.

Jamaal Shabazz and his troop will close their participation in the second edition of the Nations League with a home game against Montserrat on March 28, 2023.

According to CONCACAF, the Nations League will serve as the qualifier for the 2023 Gold Cup. Following the round-robin group stage play, the League A group winners and

Golden Jaguars head coach Jamaal Shabazz

runners-up (eight teams) and the League B group winners (four teams) will guarantee their participation in the 17th edition of the Gold Cup. Furthermore, 12 other teams will have an opportunity to qualify for the tournament via the Gold Cup

Prelims.

The Prelims will include the participation of the League A third-place finishers (four teams), the League B second-place finishers (four teams), and the League C group winners (four teams).

Additional details regarding the 2023 Gold Cup Prelims will be announced at a later date.

At the inaugural CONCACAF Nations League, Guyana, also placed in League B, faced eventual group winners, Jamaica, along with Aruba and Antigua & Barbuda.

The Golden Jaguars, after home and away fixtures, ended the Group in second place, winning three of their six games played, losing one (against Jamaica) and playing to a draw on two outings on the pitch.

Through their Nations League performance, Guyana will go on to compete in their first Men’s Gold Cup in 2019. It was the country’s first time participating in a senior men’s CONCACAF tournament.

The CONCACAF Nations League was formulated in 2018, to ensure all Member Associations have the opportunity to compete in more official matches, drive the development of the game and provide a compelling tournament for fans in all parts of the Confederation.

The inaugural Nations League kicked off in September 2019 and culminated after 102 memorable group stage matches.

(CMC) – West Indies Test captain Kraigg Brathwaite is among the three cricketers shortlisted for the ICC Men’s Player-of-the-Month award for March.

The ICC said yesterday that Brathwaite along with other Test skippers Babar Azam of Pakistan and Pat Cummins of Australia were all nominated for the award following their “supreme efforts during a month that was packed with outstanding individual performances around the globe”.

The nominees were selected based on performances across all formats during the month.

According to the ICC, Brathwaite “led from the front” during the recently concluded successful Apex Test Series against England,, which formed part of the ICC’s World Test Championship. The opening batter scored 341 runs at an average of 85.25.

“Brathwaite’s resolve and determination at the crease was best characterised by his monumental 160 from 489 balls in the second Apex Test at Kensington Oval in Barbados, in response to England’s big first-innings total,” the ICC said.

His mammoth innings ensured a draw and provided the platform for the West Indies to clinch the series by winning the final showdown at the Grenada National Stadium.

Azam, meantime, played an integral part in his side’s batting during the recent series against Australia. Despite Pakistan not ending the World Test Championship (WTC) three-match series victorious, Babar amassed 390 runs during the month in Tests, including a record-breaking 196 in the second Test to salvage a draw.

The ICC said that in a WTC Test series that was dominated by run-scoring, Cummins stood out for his bowling performances in unforgiving conditions. He led Australia to victory in Pakistan, playing a pivotal role in clinching the series. Cummins taking 12 wickets at an average of 22.50 helped him secure his first nomination in the ICC Player-of-the-Month awards, the ICC said.

An independent ICC Voting Academy and fans around the world will have until Sunday to vote to decide the winners, which will be announced next week.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 7, 2022

Seenarine, Gomes win Bartica TT Steering Committee tournament

JASWAN Seenarine and Ian Gomes emerged victorious in the ‘B’ and ‘C’ divisions when the Bartica Table Tennis Steering Committee (BTTSC) table tennis tournament was held earlier this week at the Bartica Community Centre.

The one-day event attracted over 20 local players and guest player Krystian Sahadeo, who also played with former junior national Azruddin Mohamed.

In the ‘B’ Class final, Seenarine defeated Tyrese Gomes with an intense, come-frombehind, 3-2 win.

Seenarine won 11-9, 9-11, 8-11, 12-10,

11-5.

In the semi-finals, he had defeated Marcus McKenzie 3-1, while Gomes had defeated Rhyse Belle by a similar score.

Belle and McKenzie finished joint third.

In the ‘C’ Class, Ian Gomes defeated Zinedine DeSantas in straight sets 11-8, 116, 11-8.

Both finalists had registered comprehensive wins in the semi-finals. Gomes had eased past Jameel Seeram 3-0, while DeSantas had defeated Xephon Dutchin by a similar score.

The two losing semi-finalists finished

The participants and officials of the BTTSC table tennis tournament

joint third.

After the event, National table tennis coach Linden Johnson invited businessmen Azruddin Mohamed and Nazar Mohamed and the Director of the Dawah and Education Department at CIOG, Sheik Moeen ul-Hack, to speak to the young players.

Johnson had coached Azruddin two decades ago and he had represented Guyana on the international stage.

According to a release from the BTTSC, “Team Mohamed wished the youngsters the very best and encouraged them to remain committed and dedicated to the sport.”

The Guyana Committee of Services, spearheaded by Lyndon ‘Jumbie’ Jones and Joe Sahadeo, who were on site, made a monetary donation and presented playing uniforms to the Bartica Table Tennis Steering Committee.

A raffle was also held and a token of appreciation was given to coach Johnson.

The BTTSC also expressed gratitude to the Guyana Table Tennis Association president “Godfrey Munroe, Teacher Wendy, Rats Mining’s, GCOS, Super Gold and Pawn Shop and GTTA for their donation that made the difference”.

‘Muscles’ transforms his CWI hosts 23rd AGM in Antigua body for Giovanni Classic … says medal performance re-ignited his drive

LYDON ‘Muscles’ Burnette transformed his body in a few months for the Giovanni Classic, which was held late last month in Aruba.

He said that his third-place finish is testament to his ability to still perform at a high level in the sport.

The 51-year-old finished third in the Masters Division of the International Tournament, a dramatic improvement from his fourth-place finish in the Masters Division at the 2021 Guyana Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation (GBBFF) Senior National Championships in December.

“I had to change my total body; it did not have one particular body part that I focused on. From Seniors in December to now, is a whole new me … I had to work very hard to change my body.”

The veteran trainer added that to achieve his transformation, he changed his diet and increased the intensity of his workouts.

“I had somebody preparing my meals for me (Sunrise Kitchen), so I just had to focus on my training.”

OVERALL, ‘MUSCLES’ CALLED THE COMPETITION GOOD He said that his aim is to increase his size at his next event. He currently weighs 178 lb and is motivated to move up to 190 lb.

Along with Muscles, Yannick Grimes

Muscles finished third in the Masters Division in Aruba

competed in the event and he also copped a bronze medal, in the Men’s Physique competition.

Meanwhile, the GBBFF in a release, congratulated the two bodybuilders on representing Guyana at the event.

Directors, Members and Management of CWI at the 23rd Annual General Meeting at CCG

ST JOHN’S, Antigua – Cricket West Indies (CWI) has held official face-to-face meetings for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The three meetings in Antigua included a Board of Directors’ meeting on March 10, a joint Board and Members’ Forum on Governance on March 11 and the 23rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) on March 12.

The Board of Directors, which has met remotely on numerous occasions since the start of the pandemic, met face-to-face at the Verandah Hotel in Antigua for its third meeting of the 2022 calendar year. The key highlights of the Board’s deliberations included the approval of regional cricket venues and match schedules for the remainder of 2022 and plans for the Emerging Players Academy at Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG). The Board also received presentations on a robust fitness and medical action plan as well as an update on matters related to sponsorship and media rights.

The Members’ Forum on governance featured a presentation from internationally reputed governance expert, Dr Chris Bart of the Caribbean Governance Training Institute.

Dr Bart’s presentation was themed ‘The Principles of Good Governance: What Every CWI Director Should Know’.

The Governance Forum was another step in CWI’s governance awareness and transfor-

mation process which is being coordinated by CWI’s Governance Transformation & Stakeholder Relations Standing Committee. The interactive and informative session generated intense discussions on the Wehby Report recommendations for the way forward.

Commenting on the three events, President Ricky Skerritt said: “The Board has met remotely and frequently over the past two years, but these face-to-face interactions presented a tremendous opportunity for more thought-provoking and strategic exchanges. I am happy that we were able to host the AGM at CCG, where all attendees were able to get a close look at the entire facility for the first time. I was especially pleased with the quality of learning and feedback that Dr Bart’s timely Governance presentation generated at the Members Forum.”

The AGM gave directors and shareholder members the opportunity to receive the annual report on relevant cricket, financial and commercial matters and to ask related questions on local, regional, and international cricket. Attendees received a tour of the 20-acre CCG property which has recently become the new home of CWI. For the second year in succession, CWI has published its annual report in its continued effort to improve transparency and accountability to all stakeholders.

Cummins blitz takes KKR to the top 21

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 7, 2022

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Pat Cummins watches one sail into the stands (BCCI)

CWI hosts 23rd AGM in Antigua Directors, Members and Management of CWI at the 23rd Annual General Meeting at CCG

FLASHBACK: Neil Danns in celebration mode after scoring against Trinidad and Tobago at the CONCACAF Gold Cup (Samuel Maughn photo)

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Golden Jaguars to open Nations League campaign against Montserrat on June 4 22

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THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2022