Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 08-06-2022

wednesday 8th june, 2022

No.106747

Boost in jobs, support for small businesses

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–– Region Five: $480M annually for part-time jobs; $50M for small businesses; $300M for farmers

Vice President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo

Residents of Region Five at the community meetings held by Vice-President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo during his outreach to the region on Tuesday (Office of the Vice-President photo)

$760M in contracts signed to enhance security sector 02 PAGE

Beating back COVID challenges: hinterland teachers capitalise on CPCE online programme 13 PAGE

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 8, 2022

$760M in contracts signed for capital projects under Home Affairs Ministry

— POLICE Command Centres in Several Regions, New Wales Fire station, Security Fence for Lusignan Prison amongst major projects

By Shamar Meusa

CONTRACTS for nine p ro j e c t s , a m o u n t i n g t o $760,236,592 for capital projects under the Ministry of Home Affairs, were signed on Tuesday.

The signing of the contracts will see the facilitation of several projects under the Guyana Police Force, Guyana Fire Service, and Guyana Prison Service.

The signing ceremony was held at the Ministry of Home Affairs’ boardroom. There, Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, stated that he was pleased to witness the continued efforts to aid in the rebuilding of the institutions and agencies.

Benn added that while several projects, that began last year, were still being worked on, they were moving reason-

Representatives of the various companies, along with Deputy Commissioner Operations of the Guyana Police Force, Ravindradat Budhram (third from left), Director of the Guyana Prison Service, Nicklon Elliott (fifth from left) and Fire Chief (ag) Gregory Wickham (sixth from left) flank Minister of Home Affairs, Robson Benn and Permanent Secretary, Mae Toussaint Jr Thomas (both standing at centre) (Adrian Narine photo)

ably apace, despite a few delays. He said that he was fairly satisfied that much was being done to advance those projects,

given those challenges.

“The reason we are here today is that cabinet had approved our capital projects for 2022,

and these are the first of several in respect of the particular institutions,” the Home Affairs Minister said.

According to the figures provided by the Ministry, the project for the Guyana Fire Service amounted to $485,630,054.

That included the construction of Wales Fire Station, which was awarded to AYN Construction for $69,080,354.

The fire service is also expected to procure some 148 Fire Hydrants for $99,900,000 through Compass Industrial Services. Additionally, the contract for the procurement of five firefighting vehicles was awarded to ANGLOCO for $316,649,700.

To that end, the Minister of Home Affairs told those gath-

ered that, with the construction of the Wales fire station, the government was trying to be ahead of the curve and pay attention to the area’s future needs.

He said that came as there were several developments expected for that area, including the expected construction of an industrial estate, the gas to shore project, and more.

“We want to be ahead at Wales,” Benn said.

Meanwhile, he indicated that regarding fire hydrants, the government had started a project some time back where they went over the city and into new and upcoming housing areas to identify hydrants that needed to be repaired or replaced.

Additionally, the capacity

of the Guyana Fire Service was expected to be bolstered by the procurement of the five new firefighting vehicles, which he said will aid in comprehensive coverage of urban areas and even critical interior locations.

Under the list of projects for the Guyana Police Force was the construction of command operations in Region Two;that project was awarded to NK Engineering Services at the sum of $32,453,846, while the command operations in Region Five were awarded to ACE Construction Service & Investment for $47,777,190.

The command operation project for Region Six was awarded to Brick & Mortar Construction Service for $21,177,692, while the project in Region Ten was awarded to Ele’s Trading and Hardware for $34,164,722. The total sum for the projects under the Guyana Police Force came was 129,573,450.

Meanwhile, the Guyana Prison Service is expected to see the construction of senior officers’ living quarters at the Lusignan Prison. This project was awarded to Singh & Son Construction for $96,230,253.

Further, the contract for constructing a security fence at Lusignan Prison was awarded to Advanced Engineering for $48,802,835.

Minister Benn urged the contractors who signed the contracts on Tuesday to ensure that they provide quality service and have the projects completed in a timely fashion.

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Guyana CHRONICLE wednesday june 8, 2022

Boost in jobs, support for small businesses –– Region Five: $480M annually for part-time jobs, $50M for small businesses, $300M for farmers

By Tajeram Mohabir

MORE than $830M has been invested in Region Five to create jobs, support small-business development and provide assistance to farmers through the supply of free fertilisers to them.

Though announcing on a previous visit that some 1,000 part-time jobs will be provided to residents of the region, Vice-President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo in a follow-up outreach on Tuesday said that this number will increase due to the high number of applicants for the programme.

Region Five is primarily a farming region, and the 1,000 plus jobs, aside from providing an avenue for employment outside the traditional agricultural sector, will also supplement the incomes of households squeezed by the rising cost of living occasioned by COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war.

Hundreds of residents on Tuesday converged on the Mahaicony Technical Institute and the Bath Market Tarmac to sign contracts for the part-time jobs that will see them being placed at government offices, agencies or departments, where they will be paid $40,000 per month for 10 days’ work.

With more than 1,000 persons to be employed, each earning $40,000 per month, the government will be investing over $480M annually into the region through the programme.

Addressing a large gathering at the Mahaicony Tech-

nical Institute, Vice-President Jagdeo explained that that contrary to misinformation being peddled by elements of the APNU+AFC Coalition, the jobs are not temporary, nor will they end after a short period, but are part-time. This means that after the one-year contract expires, it could be extended and the extension could be for an indefinite period.

With the majority of applicants being young people, the Vice-President urged them to see their employment as a stepping stone to greater accomplishments. On this score, he encouraged them to get enrolled under the GOAL scholarship programme and to utilise the time they are not working to study.

Dr Jagdeo emphasised the importance for Guyanese, especially young Guyanese, to qualify themselves and to be prepared for the jobs of the future that the development of Guyana will demand.

He also called out Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton and Coalition parliamentarian Ganesh Mahipaul for criticising the part-time jobs being provided by government.

“They were on a programme and they were saying what are the qualifications of these people, what are the qualifications to get these jobs… the only qualification for this programme is being Guyanese,” he said to resounding applause from the gathering before pausing to add: “I wonder what are the qualifications of the same MPs to become

MPs.” NECESSARY Dr Jagdeo explained that the part-time jobs are necessary, pointing out that when the PPP/C assumed office less than two years ago, it was faced with a situation where over 70,000 persons had lost their jobs.

Due to the poor policies of the APNU+AFC Government, he said in the space of five years (2015-2020), over 35,000 lost their jobs through estate closures and contraction in the agricultural, mining and forestry sectors, as well as other segments of the economy. This situation was worsened by a slowdown in the global supply chain as a result of COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war, which has caused an upward spiral in the prices for fuel, wheat and products that are made from these two vital commodities.

When the Coalition closed the economy on the advent of COVID-19, Dr Jagdeo pointed out that a similar number of persons lost their jobs. He contended that the Coalition should be the last to criticise the government on job creation and types of jobs, informing the well-attended gathering that it was the Coalition that had closed the call centre in Linden, its stronghold, that put 88 Lindeners out of jobs.

The part-time jobs programme has so far been rolled out in Region 10 where 1,000 persons have been employed; Region Two, where some

A resident raises her hand to speak at the meeting held at the Mahaicony Technical Institute (Office of the Vice-President photo)

2,000 persons gained employment and Region Six, where 3,000 are now part of government offices, departments and agencies.

The PPP/C in its 2020 manifesto promised to create some 50,000 jobs in its first five years in office. Thus far, thousands of jobs have been created through the roll out of large-scale government projects and private sector investments. Under the parttime jobs progamme, some 10,000 are expected to be created to support incomes at the household level.

With the scale of development that is expected in Guyana over the next few years, Vice-President Jagdeo said the government will have to revise the 50,000 target to 100,000 by 2025 .

SUPPORTING SMALL BUSINESSES At a separate meeting held at the farmers’ drying floor in Naarstigheid, Dr Jagdeo delivered on a promise to provide some 200 small-business grants to the region during his previous outreach.

Each grant is worth $250,000. They are geared to helping persons to start businesses or to expand the operations of those with businesses who need capital to do so. The 200 grants at $250,000 each means that some $50M has been invested in Region Five to support growth and development of small businesses there. Over the past few weeks, the same number of small-business grants has been disbursed to residents of Region Two and Region 10. Some 4,000 were given to residents of Region Six as this region was most affected by the closure of sugar estates by the APNU+AFC Government.

The government, Dr Jagdeo reiterated, is committed to delivering on its manifesto promises. This was a common theme in his messages to the gatherings at the farmers’ drying floor in Naarstigheid, the Mahaicony Technical Institute and the Bath Market Tarmac.

At another meeting at the Mahaica, Mahaicony, Abary/ Agricultural Development Authority (MMA/ADA), his message was no different.

There, he announced that $300M will be allocated to farmers in the region to

Vice-President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo purchase fertilisers for their crops.

The farmers will form themselves into a committee; they have been tasked with ensuring fair distribution of the free government fertilisers.

SHARING THE HEAT “We have had a bad experience when we try to distribute help to people. In the flood we set aside nearly $8B to help people adjust to the flood… we did so on the COVID grant; we had a lot of people, this was going to 300,000 odd families, we went to people’s homes and lots of people tried to rip off the system….

The same thing happened with the flood assistance.

Most people got help but a small per- centage did not get help and they were eligible... and some managed to sneak through the system; they should not have gotten but they got it. Again, we took the heat for that. We don’t want a repeat of this, so that is why today we want a committee set up for the farmers. You will choose the people, 20 maybe 25, who will work with us. You will now work to make sure that they buy the fertilisers at the cheapest price, good quality fertiliser and then you will make a determination as to who will get and what quantity. The farmers themselves working with the ministry and then you will oversee the distribution, so that when any heat comes we will be sharing this heat now,” he said.

The prices for fertilisers on the world market rose by 80 per cent in 2021 and has

already risen by a further 30 per cent since the start of 2022.

The support to farmers with free fertilisers is part of the government’s effort to absorb the rising global costs for the commodity, and to prevent the costs being passed on to consumers.

Since coming to power, Dr Jagdeo said the PPP/C has delivered on a vast majority of its manifesto promises. He said the children’s cash grant has been restored and increased from $10,000 to $25,000. It has also been extended to children in private schools and is expected to further increase to $50,000 by 2025.

The children’s school uniform voucher has also increased from $2,000 to $5,000; old age pension has increased by 40 per cent; VAT on water, electricity, medicine, food, agricultural inputs, machinery and other burdensome taxes have been removed; more than 11,000 house hots have been distributed; thousands of homes are being built for Guyanese and billions of dollars have been distributed as relief grants to Guyanese from farmers, to residents, to fishermen.

The government will also be building seven modern hospitals, four state-of-art diagnostic centres in the hinterland regions, a national stadium at Palmyra that will create a commercial hub in that location as well as the gasto-shore project, the Amaila Falls Project and solar farms to produce 35 megawatts of energy. The government is hoping that the latter three projects, when they come on stream, will cut energy costs by 50 per cent.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 8, 2022

Jagdeo appeals Full Court ruling in $20M libel case

V I C E - P r e s i d e n t , D r.

Bharrat Jagdeo, has filed a notice for special leave at the Court of Appeal, to challenge the Full Court’s decision to uphold the ruling made by High Court Judge, Sandra Kurtzious, that former Minister of Communities, Annette Ferguson, be awarded a $20 million default judgment.

On May 19, Chief Justice Roxane George and Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry, were unable to reach a unanimous decision, which means that the judgment of Justice Kurtzious will remain in effect.

The Chief Justice ruled that the default judgement of Justice Kurtzious should not be vacated, while Justice Sewnarine-Beharry ruled that it should be vacated.

Vice-President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo Among other things, Jagdeo through his attorney, Devindra Kissoon, is seeking to appeal the court’s refusal to consider and grant an application to have the matter remitted to fresh judges in the Full Court.

He is contending that the CJ and Justice Sewnarine-Be-

harry erred in law by failing to issue directions, recall their divided judgment, and reassign the matter to a bench of the Full Court consisting of an odd number of judges, in light of the dissenting nature of the judgment which has resulted in an automatic reversion to Justice Kurtzious’s decision.

On Wednesday, June 16, 2021, Justice Kurtzious affirmed her awarding of the default libel judgement against Dr. Jagdeo. The judge, at the time, was ruling on an application filed by Dr. Jagdeo to set aside the default judgement.

The judge said that Dr. Jagdeo presented no evidence to satisfy the court as to why his application should be granted. She then recanted the $20 million previously

granted, and was expected to assess a new quantum of damages with the parties involved on July 28, 2021.

However, she later decided to stick with the default judgement.

Ferguson and her team of attorneys made the move to apply for a default judgement after Dr. Jagdeo failed to file a defence within the prescribed time outlined in the civil procedure rules (CPR).

In addition to the $20 million default judgement, Ferguson was also awarded costs in the sum of $75,000.

Ferguson filed the lawsuit following the publication of a Guyana Times article in December 2019.

The newspaper was also sued and that matter is still before the High Court.

Alleged wife beater fatally shoots self to avoid arrest

A 41-year-old security guard on Tuesday killed himself with his weapon just as police ranks arrived at his William Street, Kitty, home to arrest him for allegedly abusing his reputed wife.

Jermaine Simon re-

shootout with he or he gon kill he self,” the visibly traumatised woman said.

Noting that she was fearful for her life, she said the man stayed home from work on Tuesday and prevented her from leaving the house.

Police at the crime scene

DEAD: Jermaine Simon portedly shot himself in the head in a passageway leading to his yard. His reputed wife, Rosanna Clarke, found his lifeless body in a pool of blood seconds later.

While speaking to the media at the scene, Clarke claimed that Simon hit her about the body on Monday with the said weapon, but she didn’t get the chance to report the matter to the police station until the following afternoon.

“Last night [Monday] when he been beating me with the gun, he said he gon kill me and if I survive and I carry the police, the police gon get

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The woman said that she had to lie to Simon and tell him that she was going to work so that she could get an opportunity to report the matter to the police.

Neighbours told this publication that while Clarke was out, Simon was seen walking around the premises with the firearm. The neighbours also said that the couple recently moved into the apartment building and would keep to themselves.

“I come with the police vehicle and the police went in the passageway to go up to we place and then I hear a gunshot,” Clarke said.

She explained after hearing the loud gunshot, she ran out of the police vehicle and saw her reputed husband’s lifeless body sprawled on the ground in a pool of blood with his firearm nearby.

Crime scene technicians and photographers visited the area and took evidence. The police investigation is ongoing.

Tuesday 7th June

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Guyana CHRONICLE wednesday june 8, 2022

Police receiving legal advice in school girl’s fatal accident

THE Guyana Police Force is currently receiving legal advice pertaining to the way forward in the death of the 12-year-old schoolgirl who was struck down on June 1, 2022 This was revealed by the Deputy Commissioner of the Guyana Police Force with responsibility for Operations, Ravindradat Budhram.

The Deputy Commissioner was answering questions from media members on the sidelines of an event at the Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday.

The child was heading home from school and was crossing the road at Goed Fortuin, West Bank Demerara, when she was struck down by the police pickup that was transporting prisoners.

Kayla was a first form student of the West Demerara Secondary School.

To this end, Budhram told members of the media that he would not be able to say whether the officer who was driving the vehicle at the time was speeding.

As such, the deputy commissioner indicated that an investigation into the matter was done, and as a result, the Guyana Police Force is currently receiving legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions.

According to previous reports, Barnabas was struck down by a police pickup GXX 6575 while attempting to cross the Goed Fortuin Public Road, West Bank De-

Dead: 12-year-old Kayla Barnabas merara. The police had said that the fatal accident occurred just around 15:45hrs, while a police corporal was driving the pickup.

A police press release stated that the pickup was proceeding south along the eastern side of the road when it was alleged that the schoolgirl ran from east to west across the road into the path of the pickup.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 8, 2022

Summit of the Americas

P R E S I D E N T, D r Mohamed Irfaan Ali and a delegation comprising several senior government officials, including Foreign Minister Hugh Todd and Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud, are currently in the United States to participate in the Summit of the Americas being held in Los Angeles.

This is the first time the United States of America is hosting the summit since 1994, when the first summit was held. It will be recalled that the first Summit of the Americas was convened in Miami, Florida, in December 1994 to promote economic growth; human rights; increase economic competitiveness; promote development; improve access to clean energy; strengthen regional security and counter

illicit trafficking. The theme for this year’s summit is ‘Building a Sustainable, Resilient and Equitable Future.’

These are values that the PPP/C administration generally embraces. Even though all of the objectives of the summit may not have been fully realized, there can be no doubt that Guyana has benefited significantly over the decades from its participation in the summit. The summit provides a mechanism to bring together leaders from North, South, Central America, and the Caribbean to chart the way forward holistically and collaboratively. Civil society organizations, representatives of indigenous communities, civic leaders, and business executives are also invited to participate.

This is the 9th such

summit which is being held against the background of the continuing COVID-19 pandemic; climate crisis; rising food prices triggered in part by the ongoing war in Ukraine; rising income disparities; high levels of migration to the North; and by no means least, continuing threats to democracy and democratic norms of governance in the western hemisphere.

The summit host, in this instance, the United States of America, serves as Chair of the event. Each summit focuses on critical areas of cooperation that is common to all the countries of the Americas. Through this mechanism, there has been a coordinated effort to tackle several burning issues, including the fight against corruption, which

could undermine democratic governance and erode the rule of law.

Guyana has benefited substantially from the support of the United States and countries of the Organization of American States (OAS) to preserve and consolidate democratic rule.

It is worth recalling that the intervention of both the United States and the OAS was instrumental in thwarting attempts by the APNU+AFC coalition to subvert democracy in the March 2020 General and Regional Elections.

Given the pluralistic nature of the countries that comprise the Americas, both politically and ideologically, it is not uncommon for differences in terms of levels of involvement and participation in summit proceedings.

The United States, as

summit host, has exercised its prerogative to deny the participation of Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua, all of which have opted to pursue a development path that is incongruent with the neo-liberal model as practised in most countries in the hemisphere. Whether or not that is a sufficient reason to deny participation of these countries remains a subject of debate.

However, one thing is clear, namely, that the decision did not sit well with some countries in the region, some of whom have opted to withdraw their participation in the summit.

In the final analysis, a sovereign decision has to be made based on the benefits that can be accrued through participation in the summit. In the case of Guyana, with

its fragile democracy, threats to its territorial integrity, porous borders and other vulnerabilities, including climate change, it is only natural that the country has much more to gain by its active participation in summit deliberations.

Indeed, as a rising player in regional and hemispheric affairs, Guyana is now better positioned to take advantage of its participation to advance its economic and geo-strategic interests, especially in its hydrocarbon riches and low-carbon development trajectory.

President Ali has a l re a d y m a d e h i s presence felt on the international stage.

His presence at the summit will undoubtedly further enhance Guyana’s profile as a key player on the hemispheric stage.

Driver leads police to body of accident victim

THE decomposed body of Reonol Williams, 50, who was missing since May 23, 2022, after he was struck down on exiting a taxi at Enmore, East Coast Demerara (ECD), was found on Tuesday.

Police said that the owner of the Toyota Fielder wagon involved

in the accident led investigators to Coldingen, ECD, after serious questioning when he was rearrested Tuesday.

Reports indicate that Williams of Enmore, ECD, was identified by a relative based on the clothing he was wearing when he left home on May 22.

Inquiries reveal that on the night of the accident, the driver of the vehicle picked up the man under the pretext of taking him to a hospital but he was never seen or heard from since. Williams was never taken to any hospital.

Family members had checked all the

hospitals along the East Coast of Demerara and in Georgetown, but the man was not found. The owner of the vehicle was questioned and released by police; however, when ranks of the Major Crimes Unit picked up the case, the car owner was rearrested.

Dead: Reonol Williams

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 8, 2022

President Ali to attend Summit of the Americas

PRESIDENT, Dr Irfaan Ali is leading a delegation to Los Angeles, California, USA, to attend the ninth Summit of the Americas, which is slated for this week.

The event is being held under the theme, “Building a Sustainable, Resilient, and Equitable Future.”

First Lady Arya Ali is accompanying the Head of State; Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd; Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud and Ambassador

George Talbot.

According to a release from the Office of the President, through the summit, leaders from the United States, North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean are expected to explore economic relationships and shared goals for the Western Hemisphere.

Discussions are forecasted to cover democracy; clean energy; digital transformation; climate change; migration; recovery from the coronavirus pandemic; building resilience and

President, Dr Irfaan Ali

boosting economic growth.

Several initiatives are expected to be launched in some of these areas.

Over the years, the summits have focused on critical cooperation in the Americas. This has allowed countries to work together to promote democracy and human rights; increase economic competitiveness; promote development; improve access to clean energy and communication technology; strengthen regional security and counter illicit

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trafficking.

In the eighth summit, leaders had committed to fighting corruption that undermines democratic governance when they met in Lima, Peru, in 2018.

The United States is hosting for the first time since the summit began in Miami in 1994 with President Bill Clinton.

A packed schedule of events is carded for the week, including plenary and roundtable discussions.

Aquatic food systems crucial for food security, poverty eradication — Food and Agriculture Organisation FOOD and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Director-General QU Dongyu has underlined the importance of aquatic food systems for food security and poverty eradication in a key event paving the way for the UN Ocean Conference starting later this month in Lisbon.

The global impacts of the climate crisis, conflicts and humanitarian emergencies, the COVID-19 pandemic and soaring food and fuel prices are hitting the poorest the hardest, increasing the number of hungry people and putting livelihoods at risk, Qu said in opening remarks at the “Blue Talks” organised by the Permanent Representations of Kenya and Portugal to the Rome-based UN agencies.

“To address these challenges, we need to urgently transform our agrifood systems to be more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable,” the FAO Director-General said, adding, “sustainable aquatic food systems are a vital part of this transformation.”

The event was a curtain-raiser for the UN Ocean Conference, taking place from 27 June to 1 July, and co-hosted by Kenya and Portugal.

After remarks by Kenyan Ambassador and Permanent Representative to FAO, Jackline Yonga and Portugal’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to FAO, Pedro Nuno Bártolo, the “Blue Talks” event also heard video messages from Portugal’s Foreign Minister João Gomes Cravinho and Peter Thomson, the United Nations Secretary General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean.

The key segment of the event was a roundtable on “Scaling up ocean action” to raise awareness and mobilise high-level participation at the United Nations Ocean Conference.

The FAO Director-General said the significant role that can be played by aquatic food systems – including food from the Ocean – in food security and nutrition and poverty eradication, was at the core of FAO’s Programme Priority Area on “Blue Transformation” which aims to make healthy, nutri-

tional aquatic food available to all.

Supporting the delivery of the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31, Blue Transformation focuses on the responsible and sustainable use of aquatic resources, while protecting the environment, Qu said.

Blue Transformation contributes directly to the Sustainable Development Goals, and supports members to integrate aquatic foods in food security and nutritional strategies at national and global levels.

FAO SUPPORTING OCEAN CONFERENCE Qu said FAO has been closely supporting the UN Ocean Conference as it represents an important opportunity to promote the transformation of aquatic food systems.

The event will also highlight the growing importance of aquatic foods as a vital source of nutritious food, and their critical role in supporting and improving livelihoods, a key part of the FAO mandate and objectives of better production, better nutrition, better environment and better life for all, leaving no-one behind.

“We are also highlighting how our expertise, tools and practices can help members maximise the contribution of aquatic foods to food security, nutrition, healthy diets and job creation and protection,” Qu said.

FAO has already submitted 12 Voluntary Commitments to the Conference worth over $140 million, focused on ocean health and transformed aquatic food systems.

Qu will lead the FAO delegation to the Ocean Conference and will speak at the interactive dialogue on fisheries sustainability. During a special event at the Conference, FAO will also launch the latest version of its biennial flagship report “The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2022”.

FAO’s delegation will participate in plenary sessions and in over 20 side events covering a wide range of topics including ocean restoration, aquaculture development, small-scale fisheries, and the role of aquatic foods. (FAO)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 8, 2022

The World After The Jubilee

THE first six months of 2022 and the first 100 days of the Ukraine War ended last week with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee holiday weekend that also ended with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson facing a no-confidence vote in parliament and President Joe Biden reeling off-the-ropes in a ring of national discontent over an unprecedented level of mass shootings -- and in the midst of it all, NATO’s war against Russia in Ukraine continues with both sides claiming victories and none declaring fatalities.

Queen Elizabeth’s 70th year on the throne was marked with a lavish fourday holiday celebrated across the UK and the Commonwealth as both a

mark of acknowledgment of her long service as head of the royal household and the start of the end of her reign.

From age 95 last year, the queen lessened her public activities, stopped travelling abroad and remained largely indoors, but she was affected by COVID-19 recently and lost mobility as her jubilee approached.

No one expected that within hours of the jubilee party UK PM Johnson would have had to face a parliamentary no-confidence vote related to ‘Partygate’ at Downing Street, winning with 211 votes to 148 votes (60 per cent), but his critics concentrated on the opposite fact that 40 per cent of his party’s MPs voted against him in the secret ballot.

Despite all the deserved political body-blows Johnson suffered after becoming the first British PM to be fined by police for breaking the strict ‘Stay at Home’ laws his government set, the maverick UK PM lives to fight another day -- walking wounded but still limping on.

But no such luck across the Atlantic for President Joe Biden, who’s calling

for actions against gun-related crimes that he can make into law with the stroke of a pen on an executive presidential order, but simply won’t for fear of annoying voters ready to kill or die for their constitutional right to bear arms, especially with his popularity at the lowest and more Republican candidates endorsed by Donald Trump winning run-

offs than the democrats expected as the country races into the November mid-term elections.

US inflation is at a 40year high, with gas prices now at US $10 per gallon in some states, but the increasing number of almost-daily recent mass shootings (240 for the first half of the year up to May 31) are taking lives by the hundreds in schools and

churches, bars and supermarkets, on streets in cities and states across America, while the Democrats and Republicans continue their tug-of-war over how far to go to address gun crime without annoying the National Rifle Association and the national gun lobby.

But if all is as clear as red, white, and blue on both sides of the Atlantic, Continued on page 9

The World After...

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 8, 2022

From page 8

not so in Europe where, after 100 Days of the Ukraine War, both and all sides are being selective with the truth about troops losses and territorial gains.

Meanwhile, Ukraine admits Russia controls 20 per cent of its territory and Russia is threatening to hit more new areas if the US and NATO troops send long-range rocket or missile systems to Kyiv.

The pro-Ukraine international press has since the 100th Day been more cautious about parroting claims by Ukrainian officials about alleged sex crimes carried out by Russian soldiers after the Ukraine’s parliament on

May 31 fired the country’s human rights ombudsman, Lyudmila Denisova, with MPs claiming her work focusing on alleged “rapes” of Ukrainians by Russian troops “couldn’t be confirmed with evidence” and “only harmed Ukraine and distracted the global media from Ukraine’s real needs.”

The European Union (EU) has also had to backpedal on its earlier decision to stop member-states importing Russian oil after Hungary, Germany and others found it impossible to shut the tap from Moscow, Brussels instead encouraging them to wean themselves off Russian energy supplies by the end

of 2022.

In the meantime, Russia continues to shut the tap and pull the plugs on hostile EU and NATO member-states, citing payment issues while continuing to sell more oil to China and India.

The EU and NATO suffered another setback last week when Turkey said it will not support Sweden and Finland joining the military alliance while they kept sanctions against Ankara and gave asylum to opponents of the Turkish government.

Thanks to the war and the continuing evidence that no side is about to give up or stand-down, rising food prices have

resulted in political crises driven by social unrest in Sri Lanka and Pakistan, while India is forced to reduce wheat exports.

The World Bank, however predicts wheat shortages will continue to cause social unrest among millions affected in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, the cost of bread doubling and size shrinking in places like Egypt and Lebanon, where wheat is a staple food.

African nations on June 3 turned to Moscow for help to overcome wheat

shortages after being affected by the sanctions against Russia and the blockage of ports exporting Ukrainian wheat, while the World Food Program has lost access to ongoing emergency supplies to the world’s poorest nations in Africa and Asia.

With no time set for Queen Elizabeth’s expected abdication, no agreement in sight between America’s two major parties on gun control and nothing looking like a near end to Europe’s multinational proxy war while NATO forces continue to commit more powerful weapons to Ukraine, the second half of 2022 has started

what most hope will be the final countdown to peace in Europe, with high hopes for progress in US gun control before November -- and expectations that Britain and the Commonwealth will end 2022 with King Charles succeeding the only queen most Britons have known.

But politics is predictably unpredictable, wars normally continue until one side wins, and the world has long learned to expect the unexpected at all times. There’s no telling what tomorrow and next month will bring or how 2022 will end.

As always, time alone will tell! (End)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 8, 2022

PM, Venezuela’s Ambassador discuss enhancing bilateral relations

PRIME Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips and Venezuela’s Ambassador to Guyana Carlos Amador Perez Silva on Tuesday discussed ways of enhancing bilateral relations between the neigh-

bouring countries.

Prime Minister Phillips indicated that Guyana is ready to improve relations within the construct of respect for Guyana’s sovereignty.

He also assured the Am-

bassador that Guyana would honour its obligation under international humanitarian laws concerning refugees to the country, and stated that Guyana will continue to provide healthcare, food, shelter and look to integrate

Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips and Venezuela’s Ambassador to Guyana Carlos Amador Perez Silva in discussion on Tuesday children into the education system.

Ambassador Silva said that the courtesy visit was “very important” to enhance relations between the two countries.

“The intention of the two

governments is to advance communication and cooperation as much as we can.”

Discussions also centred on bilateral security cooperation, especially in relation to transnational crimes and criminal networks that pose

threats to the security of both countries.

The officials also spoke about economic development between the two countries’ private sectors.

Ambassador Silva was accredited in April of 2022.

Major Czech Republic company interested in Guyanese products

THE Gastro Group, based in the Czech Republic, is actively seeking to expand its business in the Caribbean and has an eye on Guyana.

Already well placed in Cuba, the Vice-President of the Company, Ladislav Starka, met with Guyana’s Ambassador to Cuba, Halim Majeed, on Monday to explain his company’s interest in importing several manufac-

tured products from Guyana.

This follows a meeting last Saturday between Ambassador Majeed and the Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Cuba, Petr Kavan, who has been seeking to increase commercial relations between the two countries.

Mr. Starka, who is planning to visit Guyana shortly, inquired about purchasing Demerara Distillers Limited

El Dorado Rum in bulk, rice, lumber, and gold jewellery.

He is one of the two owners of Simplex CZ, specialising in trade with Latin America, primarily with Cuba, where it has been active since 2000.

Another Czech company, Moser Glassworks, a producer of high-quality crystal products, is now looking to export to Guyana.

Vice-President of the Gastro Group, Ladislav Starka (right), is seen receiving a bottle of the El Dorado 21-Year-old rum from Ambassador Majeed

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 8, 2022

PAC hears: Over $21M unaccounted for from Region 2 RDC bank accounts

OVER $21M in 356 advances paid out from what is being dubbed as a “slush fund” bank accounts of Region Two’s Regional Democratic Council (RDC) are still to be accounted for as regional officials appeared before the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to answer questions on Monday.

some of the advances dating back to 1995.

“We are recognizing that a practice was inherited and it was not questioned, but today it is being questioned and we recognize that it needs to be fixed,” PAC member Ganesh Mahipaul commented.

He further added that: “I would like to recommend that the accounting officer and her

(From left) Region Two Chief Accountant Johan Seedyal, with REO Susannah Saywack and Regional Engineer Kawan Suchit appeared before the PAC (Adrian Narine photo)

The bank accounts are three special-project accounts at Republic Bank Limited for economic affairs (Reserve Fund), Economic Project (State House), and Westbury.

The accounts were used to deposit revenue made by the region through various activities and events.

The regional officials appeared before the PAC as an examination of 2017 and 2018 Auditor General Reports continued with spending.

The advances were used for several things, including travel; meals; miscellaneous expenditures; works in lieu of salaries; activities and celebrations; reconnection of water and electricity; replacing two parts for the REO’s laptop; in lieu of trench cleaning; accommodation; medical care; relocation of staff; advertisements and purchase of items, among other things.

However, the use of the funds has raised eyebrows, given that the deposits were not being utilised for their intended purposes and given that monies are already allocated in the government subvention to the region for many of the things listed.

It was also revealed by the Regional Executive Officer (REO), Susannah Saywack, that at least one of the signatories to one of the accounts is no longer with the RDC. Additionally, though persons should not be issued subsequent advances until they have cleared the previous ones, in some cases persons were given as many as 11 unaccounted advances, with

team along with the Accountant General, and Finance Secretary, and other financial people within the system clarify, fix and put measures in place so as to not have a repeat of these findings in the Auditor-General’s Report going forward.”

Saywack noted that some of the advances were also made out to staff members.

“That’s unacceptable,” PAC Member and Minister of Governance Gail Teixeira commented, while she placed on record that the monies seem to be used outside of the purposes intended, amounting to a “slush fund.”

The REO was requested to provide the PAC with the names of the individuals and reasons for the requests for the funds, “So we can have an understanding if the fund is being utilized for its intended purpose,” Teixeira said.

Teixeira said that the significant issue is that the monies are not declared as revenue at the end of the year and then form part of the regional budget. In contrast, monies are not turned over to the Consolidated Fund as expected, raising serious concerns.

It was noted that similar such accounts are also held in other regions, particularly the hinterland regions; however, Auditor General Deodat Sharma pointed out that this issue of outstanding advances is not prevalent across the board.

“I think Region Nine had a lot advances outstanding but not in Regions One and Six,” Sharma said.

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Guyana CHRONICLE wednesday june 8, 2022

Prime Minister to Mayor: Stop the neglect, sufferings of Georgetown residents

I’ve noted the rush by the Mayor and City Council of Georgetown to respond to my statement issued last evening, deploring the suffering of residents across the city, who are once again plagued by flooding caused in no small measure by the mismanagement of the city’s drainage and other infrastructure.

Last night I placed Mayor Narine and his Council on notice that the government’s patience is wearing thin; today, I further caution His Worship that our

government does not take the suffering of its citizens lightly neither will we continue to suffer mismanagement of the city in perpetuity.

No amount of deflection of this troubling issue from the M&CC will absolve them from the responsibility for the plight of residents across the city caused by preventable flooding, while the mayor continues to engage in foolish posturing and gamesmanship, even as inclement weather persists, and the mismanagement continues

stubbornly and unabated.

I will not entertain the M&CCs deflection tactics embodied in their smokescreen-laced response to my statement that are clearly intended to shift the focus of the extant issue of the preventable suffering of residents, but will instead hasten to refresh the record to ensure that our concerns as the central government are properly contextualised. In so doing, I will highlight a few of the critical steps taken and measures implemented towards

the fulfillment of our electoral mandate since the PPP/C returned to office.

In 2021, the government deployed $8.4 billion worth of investments to enhance drainage systems across Regions Two, Three, Four, Six and 10.

In addition to this sum invested directed by central government, the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) continues to deploy additional pumps and diesel directly to the city administration to the tune of some 700 million annually.

Meanwhile, the mayor and his cohorts continue to stubbornly refuse to have the NDIA take over responsibility for the city’s pumps, to mitigate the impact of their incompetence that continues to result in catastrophic consequences for residents.

Late last year, following resounding unanswered calls to the M&CC from residents and vendors across the city for preemptive steps to be taken to avoid flooding as the rainy season approached, the government responded. Under the direct leadership of His Excellency, President, Dr Irfaan Ali, government agencies and local government bodies, along with military and para-military service men and

women collaborated with the private sector, civil society and community groups to embark on a city-wide clean up and desilting exercise. The mayor and his party councillors refused to participate, while their political directorate in the APNU camp called for an outright boycott of the exercise. Notwithstanding their pathetic anti-nationalist stance, the campaign quickly spread across the country with residents across the political divide getting involved. Our technical teams have indicated that the city would have avoided any significant flooding this year as a result of that exercise, were it not for the persistent incompetence of the City Council in managing the drainage systems and infrastructure designed to efficiently drain off rainfall.

In March of this year, the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development announced a $40 million injection into a gas management system to reduce stench at the Haags Bosch landfill site. This was in addition to the $500 million invested by the government in solid waste management in 2021, given its cruciality to the prevention of flooding in the city.

And, just last month, Local Government Minister, Nigel Dharamlall issued calls for Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) in Regions Four and Five to immediately identify sites for temporary landfills to allow for expedited solid waste management as part of government’s ongoing efforts to play an active role in mitigating flooding, while we build out the supporting infrastructure.

Instead of simply deflecting, Mayor Narine would do the city well to quickly pivot his council and the city administration away from the dereliction-of-duty posture; from the wanton spending on non-priority areas, abandon altogether the illegal attempts to dispose of city lands and other assets and refocus his efforts to mitigate flooding which results in suffering by the city’s residents.

I remain open to meeting with His Worship Mayor, Ubraj Narine at the earliest opportunity, to once and for all arrive at solutions to the current management challenges associated with the effective operations of the kokers and drainage pumps that are crucial to the city’s strategy to reduce flooding in Georgetown.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 8, 2022

Hinterland teachers access better training opportunities with CPCE Online Programme

By Tamica Garnett

EARLIER this year, the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE), the country’s only teachers training college, made a big step in going online; this not only instantly expanded the institution’s intake ability, but it also created many opportunities for persons who would have otherwise had difficulty with attending in-person classes.

This is particularly true for several individuals from many communities in Guyana’s interior regions. Teachers would have otherwise usually had to travel to the city to attend classes or are offered limited programmes at distance-teaching centres.

“With this opportunity of doing it online comes as an ease, because if I didn’t have the online aspect, I think I would’ve had to wait a little longer to do this programme,” said 28-yearold Michelle Joseph, a teacher at the Mahdia Nursery School in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni).

Joseph is a first-year student studying for an Associate Degree in Education (ADE majoring in Early childhood

The Cyril Potter College of Education education.

“I can access it in my own space and time, and sometimes I may not be able to join the class because I’m in school and have school activity, because I’m an in-service teacher. So it’s convenient in terms of time.

I can do the classes in my own time,” she said.

Joseph has been a teacher for the past five years, a career to which she has aspired ever since she was a child. She is motivated by her love for her schoolchildren.

“The fact that when I teach the children, and at the end of the two years, I will send off these children knowing that they learn something, that has

always been something good for me,” she shares.

And it is her love for her students that motivates her all the more to want to become a trained teacher.

“As an untrained teacher, I think I limit my children. If I’m trained, I will expose my children to a bit more. Because I would gain more knowledge on how to approach teaching them,” she relates.

CPCE offers teacher-training programmes for persons who are desirous of pursuing careers in teaching. The programmes include a two-year ADE, with specialisations in early childhood, primary or secondary education; a three-year

Trained Teacher’s Certificate; and a one-year ADE. Programmes at the college are government-funded, with the students who would have completed their studies at the college being expected to serve the government for a specified contracted period at an assigned public school.

Joseph is one of many hinterland teachers who can now upgrade to doing the ADE programme while remaining in their communities, as opposed to previously, when the majority of hinterland teachers were only offered the lesser Trained Teachers Certificate (TTC) in the locales.

With the ADE, when completed, the teachers can move on to studying for their degrees at the university, and this is a dream come through for 19-year-old Kuvraj Lall.

A Mathematics teacher at the Port Kaituma Secondary school in Region One, Lall is also currently studying for his ADE with a major in Mathematics.

“I am striving for my master’s, so this is an important starting point for me,” Lall shared in a recent interview

19-year-old Kuvraj Lall from Port Kaituma Secondary with the Guyana Chronicle.

“From my perspective, being a trained teacher means I’ll be more experienced and have more knowledge in the profession and I’ll know more strategies and know-how to better be able to put over my concepts and so forth,” Lall added.

CPCE going online has also made it possible for Lall and several teachers from his school to access the training they need.

According to Lall, some six teachers from his school are currently attending CPCE, a

marked increase in teachers in the school furthering their education.

This, he posited, was made possible mainly due to the availability of the CPCE classes online.

“It’s better and it’s awesome because I can complete my training and it’s going to assist me in terms of furthering my studies and developing and upgrading myself throughout the years. It has its pros and cons, mostly pros, though it has been fairly good,” he said.

Some $500M was budgeted in the 2022 national budget to enhance the capacity of the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) to go entirely online with its teachers’ training programme.

This ties into the Ministry of Education’s (MoE) plans to see 100 percent of public school teachers trained by 2025. This is a further part to the ministry’s overall plans to overhaul and upgrade the local public education sector, as the country places increased emphasis on human resource development to match the growing development in the economy.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 8, 2022

Region Two trainee teachers welcome disbursement of outstanding stipends SCORES of pre-service teachers enrolled at the

Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) in

Region Two, on Tuesday, breathed a sigh of re-

lief when they collected their stipends after a

A Region Two trainee teacher collects his stipend in the boardroom of the Department of Education

12-month wait.

The distribution exercise was held in the boardroom of the Department of Education at Cotton Field and was overlooked by several senior officers of the Ministry of Education.

The ministry’s Deputy Permanent Secretary of Finance, Juliana Latchman, told the Guyana Chronicle that the trainees received a “lump sum” payment as monies for several months were outstanding.

She said the exercise was an ongoing one in every region and will see many trainee teachers benefitting.

Meanwhile, many of the trainee teachers welcomed the payout, noting that it would help to offset some of the debt they have incurred over the last year.

Anup Singh of Affiance said that he started classes at the college in 2021 and it was the first payment he had received.

He said that he had incurred a lot of expense, particularly to purchase data for online classes which required access to high-speed internet.

Singh explained that the internet service in the region was very poor and that had resulted in the need for the purchase of data to ensure that he didn’t miss any of his classes.

The young trainee teacher also related that he had to incur the cost of travelling to the college’s campus at Cotton Field on several occasions for physical classes.

Reya Ramlall, a resi-

dent of Bounty Hall said that she received money for “9 months” and while

Anup Singh holds up the envelopes he collected from the Region Two Department of Education

it may seem like a lot, she will have to use it to repay her parents for the sums she had borrowed.

Ramlall told this publication that because of the lack of lecturers at the college in Region Two, she has had to travel to Georgetown to attend classes.

She used the opportunity to extend gratitude to the Ministry of Education for speeding up the payment process so that she and her fellow trainees could have money to support themselves while attending the college.

“It’s not much. We have to travel and get things done; however, I am thankful that it happened fast and we can all get our stipend and be able to support ourselves,” another trainee said.

The trainees expressed hope that they will receive prompt payments in the future.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 8, 2022

$67M road works to enhance South Ruimveldt environs – Housing Minister

THE Ministry of Housing and Water will soon commence road rehabilitation and drainage works with a cost of $67M in David Rose and Green Heart Streets

during the construction of the highway, the Minister noted that it was only fair that the Ministry honoured the commitment made.

He pointed out that

(At head table) Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal; Chief Executive Officer of CHPA Sherwyn Greaves interact with residents of South Ruimveldt, Georgetown, after the meeting

and Cane View Avenue, South Ruimveldt Gardens.

This announcement was made during a meeting with residents of the area Monday evening.

Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal; Chief Executive Officer of the Central Housing & Planning Authority (CHPA), Sherwyn Greaves, and a team from the Community Development and Projects Departments engaged with the residents following complaints on the state of the roads in the area.

At the commencement of construction for the Mandela Avenue to Eccles Four-lane Highway, a commitment was made to maintain and rehabilitate project-affected thoroughfares during and after the project’s lifespan.

With the completion of the highway and the necessary studies and assessment, Minister Croal said a decision had been made to rehabilitate David Rose Street, Green Heart Street, and a section of Cane View Avenue.

These thoroughfares, he noted, were the ones most affected and were in dire need of repairs.

While thanking the residents for their patience and tolerance

a combined total of 590 meters of roads will be reconstructed and rehabilitated to asphaltic surface.

In some areas, blocked drains will be excavated and parapets graded.

In addition, Greaves noted that the agency would be conducting public consultations for other infrastructure development work in the South Ruimveldt Gardens and Park areas in the coming weeks.

He noted that such was in keeping with a promise made by President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali for the rehabilitation of the drainage systems in the community.

Meanwhile, residents were also allowed to raise their concerns. Residents called for the re-installation of fire hydrants, the widening of the roads, and the clearing of a community playground.

Also, residents have called on the authorities to aid in the management of heavy-duty trucks and heavy traffic passing through the area.

Residents also took the opportunity to laud the Ministry on the announcement of the road works, noting that though it will take some time, the relief from the rehabilitation will be welcomed.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 8, 2022

President Xi calls for action to protect nature

A farmer plows a rice paddy while egrets forage in Lianjiang county, Fujian province, on May 29. The province has been sparing no efforts to boost the eco-transformation of the region through systematic protection and restoration of forests, wetlands, grasslands and croplands.

XINHUA President Xi Jinping has called for the whole of society to engage in action to promote and practise the philosophy of ecological civilization, as China endeavours to achieve a comprehensive green transition toward a clean and beautiful world.

The natural environment provides the very foundation for human survival and development, and having a sound natural environment is the common wish of people of all countries, Xi said in a congratulatory letter to a national celebration event on Sunday marking World Environment Day. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012, China has emphasized that the strategy of building an ecological civilization is vitally important to the sustainable development of the Chinese nation, said Xi, who is also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee.

A farmer plows a rice paddy while egrets forage in Lianjiang county, Fujian province, on May 29. The province has been sparing no efforts to boost the eco-transformation of the region through systematic protection and restoration of forests, wetlands, grasslands and croplands. XINHUA

The country has made concrete steps toward building a beautiful China, he said, adding that “historical, transformative and comprehensive” changes have been achieved.

With the intensified endeavour to promote a comprehensive green transition of economic and social development, China will devote more efforts to pollution control, ecological conservation and tackling of climate change to build a beautiful China and to help build a clean and beautiful world, Xi said.

World Environment Day, observed each year on June 5, was also designated a national

environment day for China in 2014 when the National People’s Congress, the country’s top legislature, adopted an amendment to the Environmental Protection Law. This year, on the theme of “Building together a clean and beautiful world”, the celebratory event was held on Sunday in Shenyang, the capital of Liaoning province.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Vice-Premier Han Zheng called for upholding the concept of “a community of life for man and nature” and promoting public awareness so that all Chinese citizens take action Continued on page 17

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 8, 2022

President Xi calls...

From page 16

to build a beautiful China.

He said continued efforts should be made to address acute environmental problems at people’s doorsteps, and the security of energy, grain supply, the industrial supply chain and people’s normal lives must be ensured when the country endeavours to cut its carbon emissions.

Han underscored the need for global cooperation on green transition and to make the philosophy of ecological civilization and its practices benefit people around the world.

Minister of Ecology and Environment Huang Runqiu said that while forging ahead with the domestic green transition, China will proactively participate in global environmental governance with intensified international cooperation.

Via video link on Sunday, Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, executive secretary of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, lauded China’s great efforts and achievements on green transition. She said that China has taken a series of important measures and demonstrated leadership in mainstreaming biodiversity.

“I would like to call upon all to act and act now, as the challenges we face are huge and urgent,” she said. “I also look forward to China’s continued leadership and efforts in addressing environmental issues at various levels.”

Online Cultural Perfor-

mance Coming Soon in Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of China-Guyana Diplomatic Relations THE day of June 27th, 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the People’s Republic of China and the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. In honour of this occasion, an online cultural performance is coming soon, which is co-sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport of Guyana, and the Chinese Embassy in Guyana, elaborately produced by the Guangdong National Orchestra of China and performed by artistes from both China and Guyana. Please stay tuned!

The performance will be broadcast in three periods on June 11th,2022(Guyana Time): 12: 00-13:30, National Communications Network, Guyana 15: 00-16:30, Guyana Times Tvg ch28 19: 30-21:00, Chinaculture.org Links? https://www.youtube.com/ ChinaCultureOrg https://www.facebook. com/chinacultureorg Please follow the Facebook or Wechat official account of the Chinese Embassy in Guyana for the latest news.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 8, 2022

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 8, 2022

Jury empanelled for ‘Two Colours’ retrial

A MIXED 12-member jury was, on Tuesday, empanelled before Justice Jo-Ann Barlow at the Demerara High Court, for the retrial of Lennox Wayne, called ‘Two Colours’, who is accused of murdering cosmetologist, Ashmini Harriram.

Wayne pleaded not guilty to the charge, which alleged that, on July 10, 2014, at Lusignan Railway Embankment, East Coast Demerara, he murdered Harriram.

He is being represented by attorneys-at-law Ronald Daniels, Kiswana Jefford and Edriana Stephens, while prosecutors Lisa Cave and Latifah Elliot will present the state’s case.

The trial is expected to commence on Wednesday,

June 8, 2022.

The murder case was first tried in 2017 before Justice Jo-Ann Barlow and a 12-member jury at the Georgetown High Court, but ended in a hung jury.

Justice Barlow subsequently ordered a retrial, and the matter was listed to be heard during the January 2021 session of the Demerara Assizes.

The case later came up before Justice Sandil Kissoon and was sent for retrial after the jury also failed to arrive at a verdict.

In April 2021, Wayne’s co-accused, Melroy Doris, had pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to five years.

The Guyana Chronicle had reported that it was alleged that Wayne was the triggerman while Doris was the taxi driver who

drove Wayne to the scene of the crime to execute Harriram.

It is also alleged that following the act, Doris reportedly transported Wayne back to the city where the victim’s phone was handed over to one of the two persons who had contracted the duo to carry out the murderous act for a price tag of $2.5 million.

The two men were reportedly contracted by the brother-in-law of the hairdresser and an accomplice who wanted her dead after they suspected that she had snitched on them.

They believed that it was she who had informed the police of a drug operation they were engaged in, resulting in the narcotics being seized.

MURDER ACCUSED: Lennox Wayne, called ‘Two Colours’

DEAD: Ashmini Harriram

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 8, 2022

17 years for man who killed Corentyne labourer

— grieving mother says loss is like a ‘forever panic attack’ SAMUEL Stewart called ‘Sammy’, who was found guilty of fatally stabbing a Corentyne labourer, was, on Tuesday, sentenced to 17 years in prison by Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall at the Berbice High Court.

Moments before the sentence was handed down, a heart-wrenching impact statement from Camela Surujmohan, the mother of the victim, 25-year-old Partick Raynol called ‘Boy’, was read to the court.

“Nobody will ever understand the pain of a grieving mother. I have waited long for a day like today. This verdict will never bring my son back to me but it will ease the pain in my heart a little,” the

woman said to Stewart.

The impact statement detailed how the convict’s criminal actions have not only resulted in the loss of her “beloved son”, but have upturned her life.

“I never had an easy life.

I always had a rough patch.

My hardship lasted until my son Patrick grew up into a man to help me throw two hands just to see that ends could meet. Losing my son is like losing my breath and never catching it again. It’s a forever panic attack; feeling like my heart is dying as my soul keeps screaming for him and no matter what I try to do, I continue to lose my mind over him. Patrick Raynol, a name I will forever

hold in my heart. My son is gone and will soon be forgotten by many, but his mother is left to grieve and suffer for him,” Surujmohan said.

The grieving woman said that her son was the head of the household and helped her throughout the darkest moments of her life. He was their biggest support, she added.

She said that while her son is not alive, her heart still feels his presence and longs for his return, which she knows will never happen.

“I know that my son no longer walks this earth, but my heart still feels his presence around me. I still hear his footsteps and I still wonder about him every single

day when I think about what happened that night. I haven’t had a peaceful rest since that day until today. We are somehow trying to convince ourselves into accepting the fact that he is no longer with us and we no longer have that joyful, hard-working and caring son and brother with us,” Surjmohan said.

The woman said she is struggling to move on, especially with the emptiness in her heart; a broken part that will never heal.

Last month, Stewart was on trial for the capital offence and had denied that, on June 16, 2019, at Limlair Village, East Berbice-Corentyne, he murdered Raynol. However, a 12-member jury found him not guilty of murder but confirmed he was liable for the lesser offence of manslaughter.

Justice Morris-Ramlall, while delivering her sentenc-

DEAD: Partick Raynol called ‘Boy’

JAILED: Samuel Stewart called ‘Sammy’

ing remarks, placed weight on the fact that Raynol lost his life due to Stewart’s senseless actions. She also took into consideration that Stewart showed no remorse for his actions.

The judge imposed a 17year sentence and ordered that prison authorities deduct the time he would have spent on remand. Stewart will also have to undergo anger management counselling while serving his sentence.

According to reports,

Stewart and Raynol were at a rum shop located at Limlair Village. Stewart had an issue with Raynol’s relative and attempted to stab him.

However, in an attempt to defend the relative, Raynol stepped in. He was stabbed once to the chest in the region of his heart and fell on a heap of sand by the roadside. Stewart was later apprehended by public-spirited citizens and handed over to the police.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 8, 2022

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday June 8, 2022

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday June 8, 2022

Omari continues ‘the Glasgow Show’ … Golden Jaguars roar to 2-1 win against Bermuda IT was the Omari Glasgow show once again, but this time he had a solid supporting cast, as the Golden Jaguars defeated Bermuda 2-1 to remain unbeaten so far in the 2022-2023 CONCACAF Nations League.

Playing at home in front of a buzzing small crowd, the Golden Jaguars took the victory with goals from their 18-year-old talisman Glasgow.

He found the net on the stroke of halftime after Trayon Bobb had given the Jamaal Shabazz side a lead in the 35th minute.

Donte Leverock scored the lone goal in the game for Bermuda in the 42nd minute.

After a 2-1 victory over Montserrat in their opening match, Guyana were looking for a victory at home to extend their lead at the top of the table.

Coach Shabazz made two changes to his starting team that faced Montserrat on Saturday in Santo Domingo.

Den Amstel utility player Leo Lovell replaced former Premier League defender Matthew Briggs, while Queens Park Rangers midfield player Stephen Duke-McKenna came in for Bournemouth midfielder, Nathan Moriah-Welsh.

The other starters remained the same; Quillan Roberts in goal, Quincy Adams, Jalen Jones, Sam Cox, Omari Glasgow, Neil Danns, Daniel Wilson, Torell Ondaan and Trayon Bobb.

Bermuda’s Jonte Smith had the first clear chance on goal in the encounter, hoping to put the visitors up in the eighth minute.

Stephen Duke-McKenna responded for Guyana in the 16th minute and Glasgow, hoping to follow up on a brace in the previous game, also had a good look in the 23rd.

Bobb then found the back of the net for the opening goal with a left-footed finish, following a nicely timed pass from Duke-McKenna, to put Guyana up 1-0. It also turned out to be the fifth CONCACAF Nations League goal for the 28-year-old, who is the top scorer for the Golden Jaguars in the competition’s history.

A 41st-minute free kick provided the opportunity to equalise for Bermuda. While the first attempt was deflected by the Guyanese defence, Dante Leverock scored a spectacular bicycle kick on the second chance opportunity to tie the

match at one apiece.

Bermuda’s celebration would be short-lived, though, as the 18-year-old Glasgow had other ideas. A turnover off a throw-in quickly transitioned into a counter by Guyana and the young forward was ready inside the box to receive a pass from Ondaan with his right foot and smashed the ball for the 2-1 lead in the 45th minute.

It was the sixth international goal from nine matches for Glasgow who completed a move from Fruta Conquerors to Major League Soccer (MLS) side, Chicago Fire in January where he’s currently competing in the MLS Next Pro League, scoring twice in his three outings (so far).

Coach Shabazz resumed the second half with his starters, but as the game progressed, he replaced Ondaan with Forge FC’s Emery Welshman, Eagles United’s Clive Nobrega for Danns and Bournemouth FC’s Nathan Moriah-Welsh with Lovell.

The second half provided plenty of close calls and it would be the defence players who shined with denied attempts, with Bermuda unable to find the precious equaliser

CWI Women’s T20 Blaze

Matthews, bowlers pull off thrilling 7-run win over Guyana … Selman, Alleyne bag three wickets apiece

By Clifton Ross BARBADOS women cricketers stole the hearts of their Guyanese counterparts yesterday as they pulled off one of the most daring T20 heists, securing a come-from-behind 7-run win when round one of the Women's T20 Blaze bowled off at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.

Providence has had its fair share of thrilling cricket action but yesterday's encounter was a true testament to the unpredictability of the game.

Captain Hayley Matthews and her bowlers swung things from a near certain defeat to spring a surprise win over the hosts, in their backyard.

Guyana, needing just 87 for a win, found themselves at 79-9, after being 54-2 at one point; as their 20 overs expired. Pacers Shakira Selman (3-26) and Aaliyah Alleyne (3-18), were lethal and ravaged the local batting order.

The Guyanese ladies also

had an exceptional outing with the ball, led by seamer Cherry-Ann Fraser (3-11), in their attack against the Bajans which kept them to 86 all out in 19.2 overs.

Two wickets apiece from slower bowlers - Mandy Mangru (2-13), and Kaysia Schultz (2-7) along with Ashmini Munisar (2-11), capped off a brilliant bowling performance.

West Indies women's star, Matthews, showed her class as she steadied the ship amidst the implosion, ending on a gruelling top score of 35 off 44 deliveries managing just two fours.

After Matthews lost her opening partner Kycia Knight (5) in the second over, caught and bowled by Fraser, it was another Knight, this time Kyshona who added the Barbadians highest partnership of 38 for the second wicket.

When Munisar knocked over Knight for 17, Barbados never seemed to recover from 47-2 as Guyana landed consistent blows almost every 3 overs, eventually leaving

Matthews and Knight as the only pair to reach double figures.

Guyana's chase began solid before Mangru retired hurt without scoring. Top-scorers captain Shemaine Campbelle (33) and Shabika Gajnabi (14), added 45 for the second wicket and looked on course to securing a comprehensive win.

But Alleyne had other plans, removing both Guyanese top-scorers before Selman bagged her 3 scalps, coupled with Matthews and Shabika Bruce grabbing one each as the Bajans celebrated a stunning, much-needed win.

Earlier, the opening match between the Windward Islands ladies and Leewards, ended in a swift defeat for the latter who were handed a 4-wicket loss.

The Windwards managed to keep their opponents to a paltry 56-7 in 20 overs. They were made to work for their win, as they stumbled to victory, limping over the line at 57-6 in 17.1 overs, surviving a near call to escape with a win.

and Guyana walking away with the victory.

With the win, Guyana sit on top of Group B, in League B of the Nations League, unbeaten with six points, while Haiti are second with four points.

The Haitians, playing their home again at the Estadio Félix Sánchez Stadium in the Dominican Republic yesterday, defeated Montserrat 3-2.

The result for Bermuda would see them in third place,

following their defeat to Guyana and the scoreless stalemate against Haiti.

Guyana will play Haiti on Saturday, also at Leonora, with kick-off time set for 16:00hrs.

28

McCullum's positivity enjoyable, says James Anderson NEW head coach Brendon McCullum helped inspire England's first-Test victory over New Zealand with his positivity, says James Anderson.

England faced defeat when New Zealand closed day two with a 227-run lead.

"We could have been 'oh they've got a big partnership going, two guys nearing a hundred' and you could feel down about it," said Anderson.

"But when the coach sends you home by saying he's excited, you go to bed in a completely different mindset."

Anderson, speaking to the BBC's Tailenders podcast, says McCullum pointed to the quality of England's bowling attack on the second evening of the game, when New Zealand were 236-4 in their second innings.

James Anderson took six wickets in the first Test against New Zealand, taking his career tally to 646

He reminded the bowlers they had a new ball due in one over's time and suggested England could take New Zealand's last six second-innings wickets for "less than 50" - thus limiting any runchase to less than 300.

That positive mindset also helped England on day one when they squandered a promising position by falling to 116-7, after earlier bowling out the tourists for 132 at Lord's.

"That first day when we lost wickets, in years gone by we'd be too down about that and got worried and stressed," says Anderson, 39.

"But the message from the coach and captain was that we'd bowled brilliantly, fielded brilliantly, started great with the bat but in Test cricket you do have ups and downs.

"There are times where the opposition does fight back so let's just park it and come back tomorrow and try as best we can.

"There's been a good vibe. I have enjoyed the positivity." (BBC Sport)

Looknauth’s all-round display takes Meten-Meer-Zorg CC to victory FORMER National U19 cricketer Richie Looknauth scored a half-century to lift Meten-Meer-Zorg Cricket Club (New York) to an 89-run victory over Team United Fighters on Sunday in the Lax Network Queens DBA Dunkin 40-over competition at Whitestone.

The pro-Guyanese cricket team won the toss and opted to bat. They stumbled early with the first five wickets falling for 41 runs, including that of skipper Andy Mohammed for one, Ronaldo Renee for eight, Looknauth Chinkoo for six, Chris Shewprasad for four and Ushardeva Balgobin for 12.

Looknauth and Kelvin Shewprasad 25 (3x6) then put together 36 runs for the sixth wicket, which helped to push the total higher.

Looknauth, on his weekend debut for the club, continued to battle and played

Richie Looknauth, on his weekend debut for the club, finished with a half-century and two wickets for the club

his shots. His drive was able to propel his team to 151 before they fell in 34.3 overs.

Batting at five, the former national youth player finished with 66 runs from 77 balls, including four fours and four sixes.

Team United Fighters

were led by Hasnath Rahman who finished with 3-37 from seven overs and Abul Juwel, who took 3-45 from 6.3 overs.

Rahman did the damage in the lower order, while opening bowler Juwel, who took two of his wickets early, returned later to dismiss Looknauth from the last ball of the innings.

Needing to score at 3.8 runs per over, Team United Fighters just could not keep their wickets intact.

Only three batters reached double figures with the highest score coming from opener Sufian Rahman, who finished with 17 runs (1x4, 1x6) in 26 balls.

Mohammed finished with 3-11 from seven overs, while Looknauth with 2-8 from 5.4 overs and Keith Edie 2-10 from three overs lent support to help dismiss Team United Fighters for 62 in 27.4 overs.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday June 8, 2022

Rose Hall Community Centre CC benefits from Project Cricket Gear

Top Under-15 players from RHCCCC pose with their shirts

THE Rose Hall Community Centre Cricket Club (RHCCCC) Under-15 cricket team received 15 white cricket shirts, one box of junior cricket balls, one pair of wicket-keeping gloves and one pair of batting pads from the continued joint venture by Kishan Das of the USA and Anil Beharry of Guyana.

At a simple presentation held recently, Ameer Rahaman, the driving force behind the fast-rising club, was high in praise for this noble gesture and promised to continue to work hard to produce more players for Berbice, Guyana and West Indies.

The relatively young cricket club has already produced a West Indies Under-19 player in fast bowling all-rounder Isai Thorne.

Their female star player Ashmini Munisar, a 19-yearold-off spinner/batter, has been selected to represent Guyana in the upcoming Regional female cricket, which was scheduled to get underway yesterday at the Guyana National Stadium. They are among many quality young cricketers, including Adrian Hetmyer and Sanjay Algoo.

Beharry, in response, disclosed that he is impressed with the work of the club and will continue to assist them whenever possible. “This initiative is to help identify and nurture young talented players and at the same time

encourage them to educate themselves,” he added.

“The project is happy to assist young players and has reached out to many promising cricketers and clubs across the length and breadth of Guyana. The hope is to assist in producing more cricketers for Guyana and West Indies,” the former Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) president continued.

Total cricket-related items collected so far: $130 000 cash, two trophies, 11 cricket boots, 17 pairs of batting pads, 19 bats, 13 pairs of batting gloves, 19 thigh pads, one wicket-keeping pad, one arm guard, six cricket bags and two helmets. In addition to the above, $600 000 worth in gear was donated by Sheik Mohamed, former National wicketkeeper/batter.

To date, 36 young players from all three counties of Guyana have benefited from three junior gear bags, two trophies, one arm guard, 13 bats, one box balls, two helmets, nine pairs of cricket shoes, nine pairs of batting pads, one bat rubber and 11 pairs of batting gloves.

In addition, two clubs in the Pomeroon area received two used bats. Pomeroon, Leguan, Wakenam cricket committees and Cotton Tree Die Hard also collected one box of red cricket balls each while RHCCCC received two boxes of balls, 15 white cricket shirts, one pair of ju-

nior batting pads, one pair of wicket-keeping gloves and a set of stumps and bails.

Cricket related items, used or new, are being distributed free of cost to young and promising cricketers in Guyana with special emphasis being placed on skills, discipline and education.

Talent-spotting is also being done across the country and club leaders are assisting to identify talent. Progressive and well managed clubs will also benefit.

Das and Beharry take the opportunity to thank Javed and Imran of West Indian Sports Complex, Option Group of USA, Hilbert Foster, Bish Panday of P and P Insurance Brokers, Sean Devers, Trevis Simon, Årïêl J. Tïlkú, Aaron Beharry, Leanna Bachan and Imran Saccoor, Devon Ramnauth, Teddy Singh, Romash Munna, Ravi Etwaroo, Kelvin Brijlall, Ravin Harkishun, Surendra Harkishun, Allan Mangru, Vishal Mahabir, Sherman Austin, Huburn Evans, Rajendra Sadeo and Ramesh Sunich of Trophy Stall, Sheik Mohamed of Star Sports Awards and Trophies and Ajay Gainda of Cricket Equipment Guyana, Gajanand Singh, Peter Ramkissoon, Rabindranath Saywack, Roshan Gaffoor, Ameer Rahaman, Denesh Chandrapaul and Dr Cecil Beharry.

29

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday June 8, 2022

Italy beat Hungary to top Nations League

Italy have four points from two Nations League games

EUROPEAN champions Italy beat Hungary 2-1, to atop Nations League Group A3 - the group England are in.

Italy went ahead when Nicolo Barella angled a strike into the top corner from the edge of the penalty area after good work from Leonardo Spinazzola.

Lorenzo Pellegrini doubled the hosts' lead with a low shot from Matteo Politano's pullback from the right.

Hungary, who beat England 1-0 on Saturday, pulled one back through Gianluca Mancini's own goal.

Italy, who failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup after losing in a play-off against North Macedonia, had chances to score before taking the lead in Cesena but Mancini twice had

headers saved by Hungary goalkeeper Denes Dibusz.

After Barella's goal, Italy pushed for a second and only an excellent sliding clearance from Loic Nego denied Wilfried Gnonto, before Pellegrini made it 2-0.

Politano almost added a third but saw his strike bounce off the crossbar.

It had appeared to be a comfortable evening for Italy, but Mancini's slid the ball into the net when unchallenged following a cross from the right to give Hungary hope.

Italy now have four points from two matches after drawing 1-1 with Germany on Saturday.

England entertain Italy on Saturday, June 11, in a repeat of the Euro 2020 final last summer, which

Roberto Mancini's side won 3-2 on penalties after it had finished 1-1 at the end of extra time.

The match will be held at Wolverhampton Wanderers' Molineux stadium with only a limited attendance after the Football Association was hit with sanctions following crowd trouble at the Euro 2020 final.

The FA was fined £84 560 for "the lack of order and discipline" at the match after hundreds of ticketless fans got into Wembley and fought with stewards after areas around the stadium became packed hours before the evening kick-off.

Children aged under 14, accompanied by an adult, will be allowed to enter, with an attendance of up to 3 000 expected.

(BBC Sport)

Johnson resigns from PGA Tour to play in LIV Invitational Series ST Albans, England: (Reuters)- American two-time major champion Dustin Johnson said yesterday he had resigned from the PGA Tour to compete in the inaugural LIV Golf Invitational that kicks off this week.

By doing so, Johnson has likely made himself ineligible for the American Ryder Cup team and could potentially jeopardise his chances of playing in golf’s majors.

“It’s hard to speak on what the consequences might be but I’ve resigned my membership of the Tour and that’s the plan for now,” Johnson told a news conference at the Centurion Club, north of London, host of the first of eight events.

Johnson is the second golfer to resign from the PGA Tour to join the new event which is bankrolled

by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) and offers a total prize pot of $255 million. Fellow American Kevin Na said he had also chosen that option last week.

On Monday, six-time major champion Phil Mickelson became the high-

Dustin Johnson has resigned from the PGA Tour, but is optimistic about playing in the US Open later this month as well the Ryder Cup

est-profile player to commit, ending a self-imposed hiatus from the sport that began in February. The eye-watering prize money has attracted other major winners such as Sergio Garcia, Graeme McDowell and Louis Oosthuizen.

The 37-year-old Johnson, reportedly being paid $150 million to commit to the series, said he still planned

to play in this month’s US Open, which he won in 2016.

“I can’t answer for the majors, but hopefully they’re going to allow us to play.

Obviously I’m exempt for the major so I plan on playing there, unless I hear otherwise,” he said.

On whether it could threaten his Ryder Cup spot next year, he said: “It was (a big decision) but hopefully, all things are subject to change and we’ll be able to participate.

“The Ryder Cup is unbelievable and something that’s meant a lot to me and I’m proud to say I’ve represented my country and hopefully I’ll get the chance to do that again.

The LIV Invitational Series, which has five rounds in the US, one in Thailand and one in Saudi Arabia, features a novel format with 48 players competing both as individuals and as part of teams that are picked by 12 captains in a draft system.

Each event will be played over 54 holes, no cuts and with shotgun starts to facilitate quicker play.

T&T record first Nations...

(From page 31)

the CONCACAF Nations League on Monday: LEAGUE A Group C In San Pedro Sula: Curacao beat Honduras 2-1 CUR: Leandro Bacuna 34th minute, Anthony van den Hurk 82nd HON: Romell Quioto 90th+4 LEAGUE B Group C In Arnos Vale: St Vincent & the Grenadines drew with Nicaragua 2-2 VIN: Azinho Solomon 3rd, Oalex Anderson 45th+5 NCA: Byron Bonilla 22nd,

Matías Moldskred Belli 41st In Port of Spain: Trinidad beat The Bahamas 1-0 TRI: Neveal Hackshaw 3rd LEAGUE C Group A USVI beat Turks and Caicos 3-2 VIR: Jamie Browne 19th, Orion Mills 77th, James Mack III 90th+6 TCA: Junior Paul 45’+3, Quinn Farrell 55′ (own goal) Sint Maarten and Bonaire

drew 2-2 BON: Jonathan Libania 9th, Hoeve Quincy 18′ SMA: Ties Kerssies 27th, Hoeve Quincy 32nd (own goal) Group B Aruba beat Saint Martin 3-0 ARU: Terence Groothusen 25th, 35th; Benjamin Maria 45’+2 Group D Cayman Islands and British Virgin Islands drew 1-1 CAY: Jonah Ebanks 25th VGB: Jamie Wilson 46th

Karunaratne run-out to push themselves deeper into the hole.

Of the two, Asalanka was well set and remained the top-scorer for his side with 38 off 34. Both runouts happened in the space of four balls, summing up the chaos Sri Lanka found themselves in the middle.

Mitchell Starc then came back on and helped wrap things up with a couple of

The hosts in effect never really recovered from that over by Hazlewood and were bowled out with three balls left in the innings.

With such a low total to defend, Sri Lanka didn't have many options but to attack with spin upfront.

So, Maheesh Theekshana opened the bowling and Wanindu Hasaranga bowled the fifth over, only for the latter to concede 19 runs

pensive over in the match.

David Warner coasted to a 32-ball 50 as Aaron Finch played second fiddle, bringing up his 50 off 37 balls much later in the rain-punctuated game.

Australia brought up their 100 in the 12th over and were able to overhaul the under-par target and secure a 1-0 lead in the series with relative ease.

(Cricbuzz)

WSUCC James Joseph continues Australia begin Sri Lanka... (From page 30) fine showing in the USA Asalanka and Chamika wickets in the 19th over. in what was the most ex-

WE Stand United Cycle Club’s (WSUCC) James Joseph continues to turn in stellar performances on the USA Circuit. This past weekend, the former Olympian copped respective first and second-place finishes in races on Saturday and Sunday.

Competing at the South Mountain Cycle and Café Criterium on Sunday, at Bob Rodale Fitness Park, Trex-

lertown, PA on a one-mile course with a steady grade, Joseph, contesting the Men 65+ class 20 miles race, won the top podium spot in a time of 23:06.1.

Second was Doug O’Neill (Orca/demo’s Wonder Wheel) then Patrick Gellineau (Team Somerset).

On Saturday, Joseph competed in the 2022 ShopRite® Nutmeg State Games Criterium, a USA

Cycling Connecticut State Championship Event. Battling in the Men’s Master 60+ category, Joseph crossed the line in second place behind Michael Sernyak (Body Over Bike CC), and Patrick Gellineau of Team Somerset took third place.

Joseph disclosed that he continues to feel excellent and will continue to keep the Golden Arrowhead flying with pride.

30

Intense heat to test Windies but Pooran says team prepared MULTAN, Pakistan (CMC) – West Indies captain Nicholas Pooran is confident his men can overcome the challenge of the extreme heat in Pakistan which the regional side will face as they take on a formidable home side in an important One-Day International (ODI) series.

Coming directly from chilly Amsterdam where they won the ODI series against the Netherlands 3-0, the Caribbean men will be playing today, Friday and Sunday, at the Multan International Cricket Stadium, in temperatures forecast to top 45 degrees Celsius.

Despite concerns about the weather for both sides, Pooran told journalists at yesterday’s virtual press conference ahead of the first match that the men in maroon had managed well during their training session earlier in the day and he expected that would continue.

“The guys are coping well. The medical team is doing everything possible for us to be protected,” he said, adding that the weather in the Caribbean was “quite similar” and that would work to the squad’s benefit.

“I don’t think the heat will be too much of a problem, in all honesty, after what I saw this afternoon. But I’m hoping for the best and I’m hoping things will work out in our favour.”

West Indies captain Nicholas Pooran engaging with the media yesterday ahead of the first ODI against Pakistan

A win in this ODI series, which was originally scheduled for last December but was delayed due to COVID-19, is not just for bragging rights.

The tour forms part of the ICC ODI Super League, and the Caribbean team will have a chance to earn points as they try to secure automatic qualification to the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in India.

Pooran did not want to make any predictions for the upcoming matches, stressing that a game is won on the day, by whichever team “does more right things for a

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Wednesday June 8, 2022) COMPLIMENTS OF CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD 83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) WI 3; NED 0 (2) Akeal Hosein (WI) Today’s Quiz: (1) Which WI player scored most runs in the recent ODI series against the Netherlands?

(2) Which Netherlands player scored most runs?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

longer period of time”.

However, he said the West Indies, ninth in the ICC Men’s ODI Team Rankings, were prepared to take on the number five-ranked team after a clean sweep of the Netherlands last Saturday.

“I don’t want to jinx anything but I think we’re heading in a really good direction.

The guys are in a really good head space,” the skipper said.

“The team has responded well in challenging situations and that’s something I wanna see us embrace here as well. Obviously, it’s going to be challenging – some world-class bowlers, some world-class batters (playing for Pakistan) – but I want us to embrace the challenge and hope for the best. If we can take our catches, get some runs, you never know what could happen. The game can turn in a couple balls.

“We have the confidence and the ability to bat 50 overs but it’s just now the consistency,” he added.

Pooran said improved fielding could also make the difference between a win and a loss for the West Indies.

He stressed that dropped catches, as were seen in the Netherlands series, had to be avoided.

“If we can take the majority of our catches then that’s one box we obviously would be ticking. It could change the game for us so we definitely looking to capitalise on taking our catches and fielding better as a team,” he said.

The West Indies squad arrived here Monday, with the exception of Keemo Paul who was a late addition and was scheduled to arrive late yesterday.

Today’s match bowls off at 16:00hrs. local time (07:00hrs Eastern Caribbean/06:00hrs Jamaica).

FULL SQUAD: Nicholas Pooran (captain), Shai Hope (vice-captain), Nkrumah Bonner, Shamarh Brooks, Keacy Carty, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Shermon Lewis, Kyle Mayers, Keemo Paul, Anderson Phillip, Rovman Powell, Jayden Seales, Romario Shepherd, Hayden Walsh Jr.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday June 8, 2022

JFF general secretary to quit after Reggae Boyz demand resignation KINGSTON, Jamaica (CMC) – General Secretary of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) Dalton Wint is set to step down, the organisation said, on the heels of a series of foulups that prompted players to threaten not to play until he resigned.

In a brief statement posted on its Facebook page late on Monday, the JFF said that Wint had given his “unequivocal and irreversible commitment to submit his resignation from the post”.

“The Board of Directors of the JFF looks forward to receiving same soonest.

Other relevant information regarding this matter will be shared with the country in the coming days,” it added.

The development follows the Reggae Boyz CONCACAF Group A Nations League match in Suriname last Saturday. They were originally to be back in Jamaica on Sunday but only arrived on Monday.

Minister of Sport, Olivia Grange, confirmed Monday that she was advised that travel arrangements for their return had been cancelled and her assistance was sought.

She was able to get the men back in time for their return match against Suriname scheduled for last evening.

Expressing discontent at the constant “lack of respect, transparency, and communication” from the JFF hierarchy, the players called for Wint to go and threatened not to play until he resigned.

In a statement issued on social media on Sunday when they said they were still awaiting confirmation of

JFF general secretary Dalton Wint is set to step down

their flight back home, even as they learned Suriname’s team would arrive in Jamaica before them, the players said the travel debacle was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back.

They alleged that in addition to the flight situation, players Shamar Nicholson and Ravel Morrison did not join the team in Suriname because of poor travel arrangements and hotel accommodation in Suriname had them sleeping on couch beds.

“We are drained. We are tired. Enough is enough,” the players said.

“This has been another example of the incompetence displayed by the leaders of the JFF…. ‘If you fail to prepare, you’re prepared to fail’.

This has been our reality as Reggae Boyz for far too long.

We haven’t been prepared to be successful and when we’re not, we the players get all the blame, when, in fact, it’s more than just what happens on the field. Time and time again, the JFF shows us that they don’t care about the players or the state of Jamaica’s football.”

The players added that despite not being paid for months, and breach of their contract with the JFF “multiple times”, they continued to represent their country.

“There’s nothing like representing Jamaica on the international stage, meeting up with our teammates, coming home to see your family and friends and playing in front of the fans at the National Stadium. However, that love, passion and excitement (are) being drained from the constant lack of adequate leadership from the JFF,” the Reggae Boyz said.

“We the players are saying ‘enough is enough’. We need a change. We need better leadership. We are calling for General Secretary Dalton Wint to resign. The players will no longer represent the country until he does,” the statement ended.

There have been local reports that head coach Paul Hall could also hand in his resignation.

However, when questioned at a virtual press conference on Monday, he would only say that he would be there with the team for Tuesday’s (yesterday) game.

“All I know is that I will be there on the sidelines ... giving my all because that’s what we do. It is really important that everybody is behind this team tomorrow, we know how important it is for Jamaica’s football, so, yes, I will be there tomorrow (yesterday) 150 per cent,” Hall told reporters.

He urged supporters to attend the match at the National Stadium and “show us that they’re on our side”.

Australia begin Sri Lanka sojourn with 10-wicket triumph AUSTRALIA made their anticipated return to Sri Lanka a memorable one with a 10-wicket victory over the hosts in the first T20I. At a full-house R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Australia opted to bat on a good-looking surface and bowled Sri Lanka out for 128 in dramatic fashion, before chasing it down with as many as six overs to spare.

Captain Dasun Shanaka spoke about a "different (Turn to page 29)

dressing room" in the aftermath of IPL experience for many and tutelage of a new coach, but all that came crashing down when his side went from 100-1 to 128 all out.

Josh Hazlewood was at the chief architect of that collapse, picking figures of 4-0-16-4, which included three wickets in an over.

Having picked Danushka Gunathilaka inside the PowerPlay - a phase of play

through which Sri Lanka emerged out comfortable at 60-1 - Hazlewood returned in the 14th over and struck with his first ball, getting Kusal Mendis caught at cover. A couple of balls later, Bhanuka Rajapaksa edged one to the keeper while Hazlewood's third was the big fish Shanaka, who was trapped right in front.

It wasn't just Hazlewood; Sri Lanka also had two batters in Charith

David Warner and Aaron Finch polished off the 128 target in 14 overs

31

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday June 8, 2022

National champions receive awards at GCF ceremony CHESS winners for the first five months of 2022, encompassing five major tournaments, received their prizes from the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) at a special awards ceremony on Sunday at the Park Vue Hotel.

The recipients included the podium finishers of the Junior National Chess Championship, the National Women’s Qualifiers, the Women’s Championship, the National Open Qualifiers and the National Championship.

In the Junior National Chess Championship, 17-year-old Ricardo Narine was presented with his championship trophy. Other players rewarded from the Junior event were second-place finisher Ethan Lee, third-place Rajiv Lee, fourth-place Kyle Couchman, fifth-place Keron Sandiford and the next best top five players, Ronan Lee, Sasha Shariff, Matthew Singh, Jessica Callender and Mayas Khan respectively.

In the Women’s Chess Qualifiers, Jessica Callender received her first-place medal, Pooja Lam the sec-

The respective winners and other top performers in the first five months of 2022 Pooja Lam, the youngest-ever national women’s champion, receives her championship prize from KFC representative Pamela Manasseh

ond-place medal and Anaya Lall the third-place medal.

The fourth- to ninthplace medals were received

by Nellisha Johnson, Adia Alphonso, Maliha Rajkumar, Waveney Johnson, Angel Rahim and Elizabeth McRae respectively.

Meanwhile, Lam received her championship trophy for her win at the Women’s National Tournament.

She became the youngest national women’s champion at the tender age of 14 years.

The Women’s Nationals

were first held in 2018 when WFM Maria Varona Thomas won the inaugural title.

The most recent women’s champion was Sasha Shariff, who came second in this year’s tournament.

She had won the title as a 16-year-old in 2020.

Other players awarded trophies from the Women’s Nationals were third-place finisher Johnson, fourthplace Callender and fifthplace Lall.

In the National Open Chess Qualifier, FM Antho-

Keemo Paul added to West Indies ODI squad for Pakistan tour CRICKET West Indies (CWI) selection panel has added all-rounder Keemo Paul to the squad for the upcoming One-Day International series in Pakistan.

The West Indies arrived in Multan on Monday, after the impressive 3-0 series win in the Netherlands.

They will now prepare to face Pakistan at the Multan International Cricket Stadium on June 8, 10 and 12.

Lead Selector, the Most Honorable Dr Desmond Haynes said: “Keemo Paul has been kept out in the recent past due to injury and we view the management of his body as paramount to his success, not only when on West Indies duty but also when he is with his regional franchise.

“We have watched him perform in the recent West Indies Championship Four-Day Competition for the Guyana Harpy Eagles and we think he is ready to come back into the fold.”

During the first-class tournament Paul was the leading fast bowler and second highest

Guyanese all-rounder Keemo Paul (right) is back with the West Indies squad

wicket-taker overall. He ended the five matches with 20 wickets at an average of 22.8 runs per wicket. He had best figures of 6-50. He was also among the leading all-rounders with 169 runs including a highest score of 73.

The West Indies tour of Pakistan will bowl off today from 07:00hrs (Eastern Caribbean time).

The series will also form part of the ICC ODI Super League, where the team will have the

chance to earn points as they try to secure automatic qualification to the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in India.

Full squad: Nicholas Pooran (capt.), Shai Hope (vice-capt.), Nkrumah Bonner, Shamarh Brooks, Keacy Carty, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Shermon Lewis, Kyle Mayers, Keemo Paul, Anderson Phillip, Rovman Powell, Jayden Seales, Romario Shepherd, Hayden Walsh Jr.

ny Drayton was rewarded for his win with Wendell Meusa coming in second and Roberto Neto third.

National Chess Champion for 2022, Meusa was presented with his trophy - his eighth national title in Guyana.

Taffin Khan received his trophy for his second-place finish with Drayton third, Frankie Farley fourth and Neto fifth.

Prizes were presented by

president of the GCF, Frankie Farley and Tournament Director Irshad Mohamad who commended the players on their exceptional performances.

Due to the time constraint for naming the Olympiad Team for Chennai, India, the GCF hosted back-to-back tournaments over the last three months where FIDE arbiters John Lee and Anand Raghunauth worked tirelessly to make these tournaments

successful.

The federation extends heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to DeSinco Ltd, who sponsored the Junior Nationals, KFC Guyana for sponsoring the Women’s Tournaments and Gaico for sponsoring the National Open Tournaments.

The GCF also extended thanks to Mohamed Khan of Arrowten Incorporated and Raul Couchman of Artistic Marketing.

T&T record first Nations League win, breaking Bahamas’ winning streak PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – Host side Trinidad and Tobago edged out The Bahamas 1-0 in their League B match in the 2022/2023 CONCACAF Nations League on Monday to log their first victory dating back to the previous edition of the tournament.

In doing so, the Soca Warriors ended their Group C opponents’ five-match unbeaten run.

Trinidad and Tobago took the lead four minutes into the match at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, thanks to a corner kick, as Neveal Hackshaw converted with a header off the service from Noah Powder.

Playing before a home crowd, they continued to stay aggressive in search of extending the lead with a strike from Duane Muckette that was denied by the woodwork in the 12th minute.

Hackshaw then got a chance on frame as he tried to secure a brace, but The Bahamas goalkeeper Julio Jemison kept the deficit to the minimum difference.

The home side continued with the same intensity in attack during the second half, and Levi Garcia had consecutive opportunities on target

in the 48th, 49th, and 50th minutes, but the 1-0 scoreline remained intact.

Omari Bain had the best opportunities on the day for the visitors in the 63rd and 79th minutes, but Trinidad and Tobago goalkeeper Marvin Phillip would see out the clean sheet.

In the other Group C of League B match, St Vincent and the Grenadines played to a 2-2 draw at the Arnos Vale Stadium.

Azinho Solomon gave the home side the lead three minutes into the match on a well-executed counterattack that materialised into a left-footed lob past Nicaragua goalkeeper Alyer Lopez.

Cornelius Stwart nearly extended the advantage in the 21st minute with a menacing shot from long range that was denied by the far post.

Byron Bonilla got the equaliser for Nicaragua in the 22nd minute by recovering the ball off a back pass and using his head to push the ball into space and make it 1-1 on the scoreline.

Matias Moldskred Belli then handed the lead to the visitors in the 41st minute.

With space just outside the box, the midfielder sent a left-footed laser into the bot-

tom left corner to make it 2-1 for Nicaragua.

The home side were determined to get the draw before the break and a free kick from the right tied the encounter five minutes into first-half stoppage time as Solomon’s service connected with Oalex Anderson.

The second half proved to be much more defensive.

Nicaragua pair Juan Barrera and Ariagner Smith were limited with both hitting off-target chances in the 52nd and 59th minutes, while Nazir McBurnette had the same luck for the hosts in the 65th minute.

Hosni Chandler looked to have the game-winner in sight as he drove into the box and hit a shot towards goal in the 82nd minute, but López stopped the attempt with his boots to keep the score level.

St Vincent and the Grenadines picked up their first point of their campaign and improved to 0-1-1. Nicaragua remain undefeated with a 1-1-0 record.

FOOTBALL-CONCACAF-Results of CONCACAF Nations League matches – Results from matches in (Turn to page 29)

Omari continues ‘the Glasgow Show’ PAGE

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… Golden Jaguars roar to 2-1 win against Bermuda

Omari Glasgow (L) and Trayon Bobb found the net for Guyana in the Golden Jaguars’ 2-1 win over Bermuda in the CONCACAF Nations League (Rawle Toney photo)

Omari Glasgow (#10) celebrates with teammates Trayon Bobb and Torell Ondaan after scoring against Bermuda at the CONCACAF Nations League (CONCACAF photo)

CWI Women’s T20 Blaze

Matthews, bowlers pull off thrilling 7-run win over Guyana … Selman, Alleyne bag three wickets apiece

Barbados captain Hayley Matthews scored a gritty 35 in a match-winning effort

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Guyanese bowler Cherry-Ann Fraser celebrates one of her three victims

National champions receive awards at GCF ceremony Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 2 2 6- 3243-9 (General); Editorial: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216. Fax:2 2 7- 5208

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 2022