Guyana_Chronicle_Epaper_08_26_2019

MONDAY 26th August, 2019

No.105741

17 years on…

Family wants closure for murder of CANU top brass, Vibert Inniss

‘Education is an 12 investment in the future’ PAGE

–– President Granger says at East Berbice back-to-school drive

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–– calling for ‘thorough’ probe, says ‘known hitman’ could help bring ‘perps’ to justice

Corporate society steps in 11 to aid Linden storm victims Mother Aggressive prisoners of three now 02 stabbed 13 promoting to death peace PAGE

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Dead: Shamaine Frank

President David Granger addressing the congregation of Solomon’s Deliverance Temple, at Philippi Village, on the Corentyne (Ministry of the Presidency photo)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 26, 2019

Aggressive prisoners now promoting peace Story and photos by Rabindra Rooplall

HELPING inmates to understand that anger is an emotional feeling that can be controlled if properly managed, is an important step in educating prisoners, regarding their survival behind bars and eventual reintegration into society.

This was the collective view of inmates during a group skit at the Mazaruni

Prison (Cuyuni/ Mazaruni) recently, where 60 inmates graduated from a three -month anger management programme.

Officer-in-Charge of Prisoners’ Welfare and Training, Marielle Bristol, said the anger management programme is conducted across the board at all prisons.

The programme started over a year ago and is making an impact.

“Since the programme

commenced we have had a decrease in prisoner-to- prisoner violence and the officers have been indicting the impact that programme has had and how it made their job less stressful and with less conflict,” the prison welfare officer said.

Bristol said that because it is a cognitive change programme, it really has a positive impact on behaviour practices and traits.

She said the 12-week

Inmates at Mazaruni Prison during one of their skits on anger management

training “is by nowhere enough, but it is adequate in giving them that basis they need to understand what anger is and to understand to manage more than just anger but the other emotions as well, and that is the key to continued management”.

Bristol added: “If your emotions start to control you, then again there is where you are going to run into problems.”

Pastor Hubert Jack, who was part of the programme, said the focus of attention was on psychotherapy, relative to anger management.

“We have included a number of subjects in this programme that catered for not only the inmates stay here, but when they would have left,” the pastor explained.

He said when inmates leave the prison, they will return to their families and the programme dealt with scenarios and how to handle anger and proper behaviour once reintegrat-

Officer-in-Charge of Prisoner’s Welfare and Training, Marielle Bristol ed into society.

A BETTER SOLUTION Programme Manager, Denise McKenzie, said the anger management progamme shows inmates a better solution to navigate

“Some even insist that the certificates that they have been issued helped them in securing employment. We find these reports very encouraging, we commend the Guyana Prison Service for including similar training for

Officer-in-Charge of the Mazaruni Prison, Superintendent Carlton Cameron anger.

She said the approach was not merely to impart knowledge but to provide behaviour modification therapy while providing emotional awareness to inmates.

“This has proven to be very effective, we know this because the officers in charge of all the locations where we operate, reported a significant reduction in violence amongst inmates as a result of this programme,” McKenzie said.

She explained that some inmates who were labelled as security threats are now actively promoting peace and encouraging fellow inmates to join the programme.

Some ex-offenders, who graduated from the programme, said the skills they learnt helped them to re-adjust to the challenges of reintegration.

the new officer recruits and still hopeful that the prison authorities would see it fit to provide similar training, along with de-escalation skill training for all officers,” the programme manager said.

Officer-in-Charge of the Mazaruni Prison, Superintendent Carlton Cameron congratulated the graduates of the programme, noting that officers also need training in conflict resolution and anger management.

This is important, he said in defusing confrontations in prison.

IMPACT The superintendent said violence among inmates has reduced significantly but friction between warders and inmates is still there.

He advised inmates to See page 9

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 26, 2019

17 years on …

Family wants closure for murder of CANU top brass, Vibert Inniss

–– calling for ‘thorough’ probe, says known hitman could help bring ‘perps’ to justice

By Svetlana Marshall IT has been 17 long years since former Deputy Head of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU), Senior Superintendent Vibert Inniss was gunned down, execution style, in Buxton on the East Coast of Demerara.

His murder, like hundreds of others that occurred during the crime wave, remains unsolved, but his family is hoping that justice will one day be served.

Inniss’ family is calling on the David Granger Administration to order a thorough investigation into his death, noting that self-confessed former ‘Death Squad’ member, Sean Hinds could lead investigators to the killers.

Inniss was killed on the morning of Saturday, August 24, 2002, shortly before 06:00hrs. At the time, he was

‘So-and-So’ know who killed my brother; Gajraj knew who killed my brother, and Jagdeo knows who killed my brother, and I want justice’ –– Inniss grieving sister assailants fired on both sides of the car, discharging three rounds from the front, which penetrated the windscreen, inflicting deadly wounds on Inniss. When done, the men reportedly got back into their car and escaped.

The woman, who had gone to buy the newspaper, is said to have sustained three gunshot wounds, but fled the scene when the dust settled.

he dead and gone, but I need closure. No one ever called; no one ever said anything.

And I know that the PPP was in a lot of crime,” Semple told the Guyana Chronicle during an interview at her brother’s Melanie Damishana home, some 11½ miles from Georgetown on the upper East Coast Demerara, and close to two miles from where he was killed.

DRUG LINK Inniss’ death was linked to a major drug probe he was spearheading at the time. In May 2002, he had

LOVED HIS JOB Reflecting on his life, Semple, who lives overseas, said her brother was the head of the family; that he was loved and respected by many, and had a deep love and appreciation for his profession. Inniss had worked in the Guyana Police Force, but was transferred to CANU from its inception in 1995.

By virtue of his creditable performance, he rose to the rank of Acting Head of the Unit in the absence of the then CANU Chief, Freddie Truman.

Semple said before her brother was gunned down, he had a sneaky suspicion that the drugs found in the container either belonged, or were linked, to then Minister of Home Affairs, Ronald Gajraj. And as his investigation advanced, she said, a senior People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government official offered him a huge sum of money to halt the investigation, but he declined and continued to pursue the matter.

“He didn’t talk about this work a lot,” Semple recalled, “but he called me and said the government might have been involved in this last container they found with drugs at John Fernandes Wharf, and that an offer was made to him but he declined.” She had already migrated to the U.S. at the time, she said, adding that it would appear that he’d somehow known he didn’t have long to live, but being the fearless person he was, the Senior

Former CANU Deputy Head, Senior Superintendent Vibert Inniss in the company of a woman, and proceeding along the Buxton Public Road in his motorcar, PHH 6436, when he stopped in the vicinity of Company Road to purchase a newspaper from a vendor. It was while he was waiting in the parked vehicle that a man emerged from a white motorcar and opened fire on him.

When the Guyana Chronicle initially reported on the incident, it was apparent that there was more than one gunman, as the first shots were fired from the right side of Inniss’ car, hitting him in the head, face, shoulders, and other parts of the body.

And though badly wounded, and slumped in the seat of his car, the gunmen did not cease firing. Eyewitnesses told this newspaper that the

uncovered 1,871kg (the equivalent of 4,116 pounds) of compressed cannabis sativa (marijuana), which had a street value of more than $60M. The marijuana was found in a false wall in a container that had arrived at the John Fernandes Wharf from Jamaica. Inniss was killed at a time when he and his team were making a breakthrough in the investigation.

On Sunday, one day after his death anniversary, Inniss’ sister, Glenis Semple broke down as she cried for justice, saying that only then ill she get closure. “I want a thorough investigation to be launched into the murder of my brother. The (then) Minister of Home Affairs,

Superintendent pledged to continue his work regardless.

“A couple of days before (he died),” she recalled, “he told me he noticed unmarked cars in the street, but he said, ‘I will do my job.

If they get me; they get me, but I am going to do my job the right way.’”

THE DREADED NEWS It was not long after, she said, that she got the dreaded news that her older brother was gunned down in Buxton. He had just returned to the country from the U.S. approximate-

‘STAND DOWN!’ He told this newspaper that Inniss’ colleagues at CANU had pledged to bring the perpetrators to justice, but they were subsequently instructed by the then Home Affairs Minister to ‘stand down’.

Investigators were also reportedly instructed not to interview the woman who’d been with Inniss at the time of the shooting, and had narrowly missed being executed herself.

The man said Inniss confided in him. “He even told

‘He even told me that ‘So-and-So’ was paid to kill him, but ‘So-and-So’ told him he would never do something to a man who is clean’ --Ex-CANU informant ly four days prior.

“I was going to Atlantic City,” she said, “when the phone rang and my daughter said, ‘Mommy, Mommy, they just shot Uncle Collin.’”

She recalled that her brother had planned to celebrate his nephew’s birthday that day.

Inniss’ close friend with whom he’d worked told the Guyana Chronicle that after learning of the murder, he rushed to the scene.

“I arrived there before police from Vigilance got there. I reached into the car, took out the radio set, and called in to the office and inform them that Mr. Inniss had been shot,” he recounted, while requesting anonymity.

The man, who was also working with CANU at the time, said he anxiously awaited the police’s arrival, in the hope that the murder would have been solved in no time, but the opposite occurred.

me that ‘so-and-so’ (name given) was paid to kill him,” the former CANU man said, “but ‘so-and-so’ told him he would never do something to a man who is clean.”

According to him, it could not have been ‘So-andSo’ who did the job, but that he may very well be able to name the killers and the intellectual authors of the murder.

“For me, a lot of crime during that period, just as ‘So-and-So’ is saying, it could only be solve if an international body come and do ballistic tests on weapons of the Security Forces, and then they would realise that persons under Gajraj watch were used to commit crimes against the State and against citizens,” the informant said.

‘SO-AND-SO KNOW’ In advocating for an investigation to be launched into her brother’s murder,

Inniss’ sister, Glenis Semple Semple opined that Hinds should be taken into custody to assist with the investigation.

“So-and-So’ know who killed my brother; Gajraj knew who killed my brother, and Jagdeo knows who killed my brother, and I want justice,” the grieving woman said.

Semple is also calling for convicted drug kingpin Roger Khan, to be arrested and charged for the crimes he committed upon his arrival in Guyana. It is believed that the drugs found in the container were also linked to Khan, a self-confessed criminal who was facilitated by the government of the day.

In Inniss’s memory, his overseas-based relatives, along with those still living here, would distribute school supplies, including backpacks, to the children of Calcutta in Mahaicony, his birthplace, and other neighboring villages, and this year was no exception.

“Every year, he use to travel to the U.S and bring back toys for the children of the village, and so we continue that tradition in his memory,” Semple See page 12

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 26, 2019

Hong Kong police fire gun and use water cannon on protesters

(BBC) A Hong Kong police officer fired a gunshot during protests on Sunday, the first time a live round has been used since demonstrations broke out in June.

Images show several other officers also pointed guns at protesters who were chasing them with sticks and poles.

In another first, police deployed water cannon against protesters earlier in the day.

The protests began in the city’s Tsuen Wan district and

have since spread to the district of Tsim Sha Tsui.

Demonstrations were sparked by an extradition bill but have since morphed into broader anti-government protests, and developments on Sunday mark a serious escalation in the unrest.

Police told local media that the gunshot was fired as a warning to protesters, and that several officers had been taken to hospital as a result of the clashes.

But police Superinten-

Police officers were pictured pointing guns as they were chased by crowds wielding poles

dent Leung Kwok-wing did not say where the shot was aimed. During the melee, one older man was seen on his knees pleading with police not to shoot.

Before the scuffle, blackclad protesters had thrown projectiles at police, includ-

Saturday, August 26, 2019

ing bricks and petrol bombs.

Police also fired rubber bullets and tear gas, and used two water cannon vehicles to clear barricades and disperse crowds.

Images on social media show the vehicles being driven through the streets of

01:00hrs. - 02:30hrs.

14:30hrs. - 16:00hrs.

Tsuen Wan, where a group of demonstrators had set up roadblocks and dug up bricks from the pavement.

The vehicles are equipped with surveillance cameras and multiple water-cannon nozzles, and police had said they would only be used in the event of a “large-scale public disturbance”.

Earlier this month, human rights group Amnesty International warned that the cannons could cause serious injuries and lead to further tensions.

There was another, more peaceful rally on Sunday comprised of a few hundred

people, some of them family members of the police, who called for a political solution to the crisis.

Activists have criticised the police for being heavy-handed during the pro-democracy rallies. Several people were hospitalised on Saturday after violent clashes. The latest round of violence comes after an uneasy peace that lasted a little more than a week.

The city’s MTR metro service has been criticised for closing stations near major demonstration areas for the past two days. The MTR has been attacked in mainland media, with accusations that it has become an “exclusive” transport service for protesters. On Saturday, a senior Hong Kong official said the mainland’s military could intervene during any civil unrest.

Maria Tam Wai-chu, deputy director of the Hong Kong SAR Basic Law Committee, told a seminar in southern China: “The soldiers stationed in Hong Kong are not straw men meant to just stay in the garrison, they are an important part of the ‘one country, two systems’”.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 26, 2019

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Rowley: Crime like Trump names Jamaica an exotic disease among four Caribbean drug

(TRINIDAD NEWSDAY) THE Prime Minister yesterday said he plans to invite an expert to TT to help address the crime facing the country.

Dr Rowley made the statement at a press conference in Barbados when he was fielding questions from the media on crime in TT. Standing alongside Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, Rowley said, “Last week I was talking to our National Security Minister (Stuart Young) and we are inviting an expert into Trinidad to open a conversation on this issue which is crime and

violence as a public health issue.”

Rowley said TT is trying to face the crime challenge.

“It is like an exotic disease that comes into an environment for plants and animals.

Once it is in the environment you have to face up to it and that is what we are facing up to now.”

A reporter asked Rowley what advice he will give Barbados on their rise in crime.

He said, “The only thing I will say though is that the level of violence in society is a feature in the modern world.”

The Prime Minister was

in Barbados for the signing of a memorandum of understanding on energy cooperation. As of August 13, Barbados had recorded 34 murders compared to the 28 in the whole of 2018.

Rowley said he is concerned that the next generation of people in TT are involved in crime. “That is the frightening thing, it is the next generation, the young population that seems to not have the value system even on the value of life.

“We are also penetrated by the problems of our larger neighbours with the drug and firearms trade.”

IMA: Coral-bleaching

alert for TT

Patch reefs and halos of Buccoo Reef are hard to find and may be symbolic of a compromised coral reef community. Photo by Google Earth Pro.

(TRINIDAD NEWSDAY) This country has been put on a coral-bleaching alert from August 21, said the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA).

The IMA said the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Coral Reef Watch had released the coral-bleaching outlook for the next four months (August-November) for the Caribbean region.

The IMA said according to the NOAA release, TT’s coral-bleaching stress gauge is currently at “watch level.”

This means that the waters around Tobago are above average sea surface temperature (SST) for this time of year.

“NOAA predicts that over the next five to eight weeks, Tobago and the rest of the Lesser Antilles have a 60 per cent chance of reaching “bleaching alert level one” (high likelihood of coral bleaching).

“The outlook for next nine to 12 weeks indicates a 60 per cent chance of reaching “bleaching alert level two” (widespread coral bleaching and coral mortality),” the IMA said.

In a release on Friday, the IMA said over the next three months, it is important for people who use the waters around Tobago to keep an eye out for changes to the reefs.

The IMA explained that corals are capable of building massive underwater structures because they form a special relationship with the symbiotic algae that live inside their tissue. The algae photosynthesise, using sunlight to produce enough energy to supply both themselves and their coral host.

In return, the coral provides the algae with a safe haven, stores essential nutrients and removes the algae’s waste.

“When corals become

stressed, such as when water temperatures are too warm or too cold, the coral/algae relationship breaks down and the algae is expelled from the coral.

“This loss causes the coral to turn white and is therefore referred to as coral bleaching. The loss of the algae means that the corals lose their major source of food; and if unfavourable conditions persist, the coral will starve and eventually die.”

In the last 40 years, coral reefs around the world have suffered from global and regional coral-bleaching events, where large sections of reef turned white as summertime sea temperatures became too warm because of global warming.

Coral reefs off Tobago have also suffered from multiple bleaching events in the past, including 2005 and 2010, and these have significantly degraded reef health.

transit or producing nations

(CMC) WASHINGTON – The United States has named four Caribbean Community (Caricom) countries as major drug transit or illicit drug producing countries.

President Donald Trump in his “Presidential Determination on Major Drug Transit or Major Illicit Drug Producing Countries for Fiscal Year 2020,” named The Bahamas, Belize, Haiti and Jamaica.

The other countries named by Trump are Afghanistan, Bolivia, Burma, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Laos, Mexico, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela.

In his statement, Trump noted that a country’s presence on the foregoing list is not necessarily a reflection

US President Donald Trump

of its government’s counter narcotics efforts or level of cooperation with the United States.

“The reason countries are placed on the list is the combination of geographic, commercial, and economic

factors that allow drugs to transit or be produced, even if a government has engaged in robust and diligent narcotics control measures.”

Trump said his administration has devoted unprecedented resources to combating the scourge of illicit drugs in the United States.

He said this includes strengthening the US borders and expanding programmes to prevent illicit drug use and aid the recovery and treatment of those who need it.

“We are making steady progress to turn the tide of our country’s drug epidemic, but more needs to be accomplished. This includes further efforts beyond our nation’s borders, by governments of countries where dangerous illegal drugs originate,” he said.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 26, 2019

Sugar and politics THE planting of sugar for commercial purpose has always attracted its own politics. The politics of slavery was one where the plantation owners exploited the unpaid labour of Africans, who were deemed property, and lived and toiled under inhumane conditions. This barbaric system resulted in resistance throughout the hundreds of years of its existence. When indentured labour arrived, though conditions of work and living were relatively better than slavery, the system of servitude was still abominable and those workers fought it.

The oppressive systems of slavery and indentureship were not without leadership and organising among the oppressed to bring about justice and parity in the society.

Neither were the oppressed without supportive leader-

ship from those who did not live and labour under such conditions.

In 1943, when Dr Cheddi Jagan returned to then British Guiana and focused attention on mobilising the masses to change their circumstances, he met an energised and formally-organised workforce in the sugar industry. Those workers were organised into trade unions by the likes of Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow and Ayube Edun and were conscious of what their conditions of work and living ought to be. Jagan joined the trade union and made an impact both in forestry and sugar, lending leadership to the workers’ cause.

In 1948 when the strikes in the estates on the East Coast of Demerara occurred, which resulted in the deaths of sugar workers, Jagan played a leading role in giv-

ing direction to this activity.

On the day of the funeral of those, the Enmore Martyrs, mourners marched along the East Coast Demerara road all the way to Le Repentir Cemetery in Georgetown. In that procession, Jagan walked with the leaders which would have sent a message to the colonial power that Indians on the sugar estates have found a leader in him.

The 1948 event was a game-changer and influenced the Crown to favourably respond to calls for a Commission of Inquiry into the riots that resulted from the strikes.

And as Jagan maintained a presence in the sugar industry through the trade union, he intensified his party politics around the country.

Sugar’s inherent politics of activism has not been lost on those who pursue politics to get into office or make

political statements, one way or the other. The Working People’s Alliance (WPA), Rise Organise and Rebuild Guyana (ROAR), and the Alliance For Change (AFC), when they came onto the political scene, headed straight to the sugar belt to engage the workers and tried forming trade unions or pressure groups from within the ranks, notwithstanding the presence of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) and NAACIE. The earlier rivalry between the recognised Manpower Citizens Association (MPCA) and its challenger, the Guyana Industrial Workers Union (GIWU) to represent the workers saw the accusation by the latter that the former was a company union. The GIWU was co-founded by Jagan in 1946 and with the nationalisation

of the sugar industry in 1976, GAWU, formerly GIWU, won recognition to represent the workers.

During nationalization, the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) suffered from constant arson where young sugar canes, the property of the state, were burnt.

This act ended when the PPP assumed political office in 1992. There were other acts of alleged sabotage to factory equipment during the pre-1992 period. The State carried tremendous loss of revenue from these incidents at a time when sugar’s price was lucrative on the world and preferential markets. The aborted diversification plans in the industry adversely impacted the industry’s revenue capacity.

When the World Bank advised Guyana that the industry should be closed,

the PPP/C government failed to do any feasibility study even as estates were closed and the Consolidated Fund was used to invest more than US$200M in the decrepit Skeldon Factory.

Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, at this time when the industry requires level-headed approaches to determine its future, is opting to take a different route. Though the crisis in sugar escalated under Mr Jagdeo’s presidency, the proposals he and his hand-picked presidential candidate, Irfaan Ali, are raising now to save the industry, had they implemented them, could have probably stopped the haemorrhaging. The industry was also denied required attention during Jagdeo’s 12- year presidency to prepare for the inevitable.

Ali et al must leave the police force alone Dear Editor The GPF is steadily emerging in the new day light of professionalism.

CITIZENS should be very intolerant of politicians who are dishonest with their bold, brazen and shameless lies, always designed to create a personal profile of moral correctness, while pretending to defend what is right in the national interest. This is usually, deceptively allied to attempts at shifting the blame in another direction.

One should not be made to dignify the fraudulent and effluent lies that this Bharrat Jagdeo-foisted presidential candidate seeks to attempt on the nation,

masquerading as what he would wish to do for the “men and women in uniform.”

Ha, this presidential now awakened from his slumber in these past four years. Ali could not read/sound more ridiculous, as he further indulges in political self-delusion.

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) is immediate in being one of the institutions that became the victim of political interference that compromised its professionalism. This is well known, as highlighted by two former commissioners of police, except that those who now seek to play ‘honest’ politics by making a deceptive pitch to the “men and women in uniform”, by referring to “political

interference” and ” favouritism” in career “path and advancement”, and “operating obsolete equipment”.

This is unbelievable for the sheer audacity of the lies and old PPP/C trick of reverse psychology that is such a wellknown blue print of their propaganda delivery.

The fact that must be made clear to Ali is that his party, while in government, and this included himself, had twenty-three years to correct the very issues which his administration had caused to become a part of the GPF’s institutional culture; and now, like a political rip van winkle, has awakened to their obnoxious existence being gradually dismantled.

Did Ali and cabinet colleagues ever thought about the effects of his party’s attitude towards the Force in terms of the gradual dissipation of policing standards; destruction of force morale, and of standard operational procedures, and work ethic, that he has SUDDENLY identified and which had been rampant in the GPF DURING HIS PARTY’S GOVERNANCE PERIOD; and the negative impact that such would have caused to a once admired police force which, in its halcyon day, seconded some of its very best officers as police commissioners to some CARICOM island nations. For sure, Ali has not been living in another dimension.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 26, 2019

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GECOM chair must be allowed to do her work Dear Editor, REFERENCE is being made to the 25th August, Stabroek News’ article “CCJ has failed Guyana, it’s now up to GECOM Chair- Ramkarran.” I beg to strongly differ with the opinion of Ralph Ramkarran SC that the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) has failed Guyana in its ruling of 12th July 2019. The CCJ has not failed Guyana.

Our politicians and some opinion shapers and institutions have failed, and continue to fail, Guyana by not seeking to understand the Constitution of Guyana and in applying their skewed interpretation to the CCJ’ ruling.

Shame and disgrace on Ramkarran that he can seek to bring the CCJ into dis-

repute, the highest decision-making forum for judicial settlement, put together

by CARICOM, comprising the best judicial minds in the region. Now he seeks to put CARICOM to disgrace. How much longer are the people of Guyana going to allow this to happen and if we don’t wake up to see what is happening in this country. I hope the international community and CARICOM are taking note. There is an ongoing effort to disrupt social order, law and order in Guyana.

What is becoming evidently clear is the presence of political mischief, the absence of understanding of the Constitution, and the wilful distortion of it. Ralph Ramkarran was Chairman of the 1999 Constitution Reform Commission which

grew out of agreement between President Janet Jagan and Leader of the Opposition, Desmond Hoyte. Society was expecting of him to be a good steward of this achievement, not only in aiding to bring understanding but also to realise legislation in the National Assembly to give meaning to the articles within the constitution. The absence of these is contributing to the conundrum we face today.

Even more disturbing is the stubbornness to hold fast to positions not ensconced in the Constitution or the court’s ruling. Our politicians and affected opinionshapers have to acknowledge, silently or publicly, they have erred and move to now do what’s right by the constitution and ruling.

Refusing to budge from

hardline positions will not realise the advancement of this nation’s interest. Seeking to impugn the reputation of the CCJ when persons have first failed to study and understand the ruling does not say much of those engaging in such conduct.

The CCJ did its job consistent with the Constitution.

The failure to adhere to its ruling has brought to the fore absence of political will, disregard for the instrument and unpreparedness to comply with same, tendencies that are hurting. The ruling has entrusted a tripartite working relationship on the actors-- the President, the National Assembly, and the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). This nation cannot proceed in a lawful and orderly manner when one, two or all the actors refuse to uphold their constitutional and judicial responsibilities.

It is not lost on me, and I am sure others, the absence of national outcry to hold

the Leader of the Opposition equally accountable to the CCJ’s ruling. The National Assembly cannot achieve the two-third vote needed to satisfy the “or such longer period” to hold the election consistent with Article 106(7). Guyana needs the vote of both sides of the House and where Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo has failed to communicate a change of mind and return to the National Assembly to grant that vote, nothing will be done at this level of the ruling.

It may be convenient or of political advantage to demand of the President and GECOM to comply with the ruling but to ignore the equal responsibility of the National Assembly which the Opposition comprises does not help. We have an interim Government, an interim Opposition and the substantive constitutionally independent GECOM. To ask of GECOM to do what is not within its scope of con-

Ali et al must leave the...

FROM PAGE 6

For the PPP/C, police personnel were there to carry out the bidding of the political directorate of the day, IN QUITE AN UNPROFESSIONAL MANNER, which would have caused an almost irreparable damage in relations between itself and communities. Was this Ali party’s government concerned about staff training for professional and academic development for a better brand of policeman/ woman? And was his regime concerned about the inhuman physical working/ accommodation conditions that ranks endured at police stations and outposts throughout Guyana, many of which has since 2015 been refurbished, and new ones built? More important is the question, as to what concern did Ali’s government exhibit, as to plummeting morale, and corruption which became pervasive throughout the force during the sojourn of PPP/C governance?

Editor, there are still

challenges within the GPF which are to be expected, given the pervasiveness of the plethora of problems that became endemic during the two decades and more of inept PPP/C governance. And rather than Ali trying such deceptions at creating disaffections among the ranks of the GPF, the thoroughly illustrative and efficient account of the change in trajectory path of the country’s main law Enforcement agency, as given

by Commissioner James in response to what is a clear case of interference in the GPF, one would realise that Ali is talking piffle – simply indulging in cheap but very dangerous talk that aims at causing dissent. Even the ranks must have realized this BIG ATTEMPT OF ALI’S DECEPTION. Other complaints, Ali said, “included obsolete equipment, poor working conditions, limited support for their families, a work environment in which political di-

rectives are becoming more prevalent, poor salaries and benefits, lack of access to personal development, and limited community support and attention to welfare issues.”

It is evident that the administrative structures now in place, are very significant in purpose for the changes that are intended, and those already achieved. The structures, on closer examination, are those that are found in modern corporate institutions. The fact of a Human Resource Department in every police division; Group Health Insurance; Mortgage Relief Programme for rank and file; A strategic Planning Unit; Occupational Health and Safety Unit; and a Divisional Complaints Unit, points to a police force that is being designed for optimum results in bringing about a better rank that is able to function in a modern and comfortable environment, and which is also concerned about staff

welfare; work performance and rewards for such. One only has to note the 29 ranks who graduated from the University of Guyana last graduation, from the rank of constable upwards, with diplomas, bachelors and master’s degrees; and the others who are now rushing to avail themselves of the academic opportunities now being offered.

Coupled with the psycho-social development and infrastructure, has been the introduction of modern technology for crime fighting such as DNA facilities for crime forensic analysis; Electronic Data Management System for the storage and management of crime data; and a Police Records Management Information System that serves as a criminal records database.

There is even ICT interlinkage with all police divisions and stations.

Add the current Safe City Project, designed to install CCTV cameras around

the city, to combat crime, in an effective and timely manner, and Ali and his PPP/C cohorts will realise that the GPF is being gradually removed from its obsolete and stone age existence, into a new era that aims for modern best practices in professional policing. One wonders what Ali can offer “OUR MEN AND WOMEN IN UNFORM” which they have been receiving since this new dispensation, and will continue to receive for becoming better servants of the nation which they serve.

The fact, also, that there are now established social liaison structures such as Community Strategic Action Councils and Social Crime Prevention Projects with Community Relations Officers in every police division, outlines a police force that finally understands that crime-fighting is not about using deadly force; but it is about understanding the many social problems that a society present as chal-

stitutional responsibility is again either a demonstration of disregard for the constitution or the court’s ruling.

GECOM Chair Justice Claudette Singh SC has been discharging the work of the Commission. She must be allowed to lead that commission free of bullyism or outside interference. Her selection and appointment have been arrived at through a consensus process which is consistent with the CCJ’s ruling. Calls must be made to the interim Government and the interim Opposition for a meeting of minds in order that, together, they uphold their constitutional and judicial responsibilities.

This nation is hurting today for want of constitutional education, progressive political direction and integrity from those whom society have been conditioned to look up to and rely on.

Yours sincerely, Lincoln Lewis

lenges to young people, particularly the vulnerable, and which will impact on communities in differing ways; and working closely with those communities’ vulnerable sections with the aim of lessening the occurrence of criminal deviancy.

This is the now new police force which Ali’s former government had served to ignore, when it had the opportunity to remake it into a professional institution.

It is the most despicable brand of politician that can be found in any jurisdiction who SHOULD NEVER BE TRUSTED; for the statements they would want the body politic, especially their supporters/followers, to believe.

Not only is it obnoxious, but amounts to ghastly “eye pass”, and disrespect to a nation that would have had the experience of so much of their venalities, while they held office, including the degradations of vital state institutions which they sought to throttle for control to their bidding.

Regards Earl Hamilton

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 26, 2019

‘The Church plays a vital role in education’ – President Granger at 12th anniversary celebration of Solomon’s Temple

PRESIDENT David Granger said the Church has a vital role to play in education during an address at the 12thanniversary celebration of Solomon’s Temple at Philippi, East Berbice-Corentyne, Region Six, on Sunday.

“It is equipped to play a role in ensuring that education is directed towards the good of society. The Church, because of its moral authority, is trusted by the citizens to educate children in values for the common good. These values include compassion, cooperation, humility, integrity and respect,” he told the religious gathering.

The Head of State, who was accompanied by First Lady, Mrs. Sandra Granger, said Philippi has a proud tradition in education, having produced many educated persons, including some who have served as civil servants, nurses, soldiers, and teachers to name a few.

The President explained

of 28 freed Africans who had established a thriving farming community.

“The Church led the drive to establish schools and to provide both religious and secular education to Africans both prior and post-Emancipation. I have often expressed the nation’s appreciation to the Church for the phenomenal role it played in educating our people,” President Granger said.

Notwithstanding, he noted that Philippi is a mixed community, with families such as the Bagots, Basils, Benschops, Campbells, Dabydeens, Drepauls, Hansrajs, Kumars, Lords, Mathesons, Moonsammys and Persauds – reflecting its multi-racial character.

The President told the congregants of Solomon’s Temple that free education is an entitlement mandated by the Constitution of Guyana at Article 27 which states: “Every citizen has the right to free education from nursery

He reminded that education is essential and imparts the beliefs, habits, knowledge, skills and values which people need in order to become productive citizens; fosters a person’s intellectual development by helping

motes inclusion, facilitates the participation of persons in society, strengthens human ties and furthers societal well-being.

WORRYING President Granger said

be, intellectually, morally and spiritually.

“Education is the responsibility of the family, the community, the church and the country. Education begins in the family, is continued in schools and universities and

tion’. The Church can help to fill gaps within our education system through the provision of classes in literacy and numeracy, the encouragement of remedial education and the promotion of skills training. The Church can become

Dance rendition by the youth of Solomon’s Deliverance Temple, Philippi Village (No. 31), East Berbice-Corentyne (Ministry of the Presidency photo)

Seated far left: Mayor of New Amsterdam, Her Worship Winifred Heywood and members of the New Amsterdam Town Council at the anniversary service of Solomon’s Deliverance Temple (Ministry of the Presidency photo)

that Philippi Village was part of the post-Emancipation ‘Great Village Movement’. A Movement which represented their efforts to consolidate their freedom through economic emancipation.

He reminded that the Church held a central position in the villages established by Africans after Emancipation.

The Church, he said, along with the farm, home and school were the four pillars upon which the earliest African Villages rested. Philippi Village was purchased more than 100 years ago by a group

to university.”

“My government will utilise the resources, which Guyana will soon earn from petroleum production, to restore free education from nursery to university. Education is essential to human development,” the President said.

President Granger continued: “This is an entitlement of the Guyanese child to be educated at the cost of the State…the care and education of our children must be given priority over everything else.”

him or her to understand the world better; supports economic development as the basis for providing the skills necessary for a trained workforce and is the underlying factor behind innovation, one of the drivers of economic growth; opens economic opportunities and can help lift people out of poverty thereby reducing inequalities and availing the means for individuals to provide for their families; engenders greater upward mobility and facilitates a more creative and resilient life; and pro-

there are too many young people not in education, employment and training (NEET) and called on Solomon’s Temple to continue playing a role in helping young people to break barriers and cycles of poverty.

“Education has a moral dimension and could be directed towards the good of the individual and society.

Children go to school and to university so that they can become good, productive and useful citizens. We educate them to acquire knowledge, skills and the right values – industry and honesty. The religious community collectively – churches, mandirs and masjids – is the custodian of the society’s moral values.

The Church, therefore, cannot be neutral when it comes to education. It must ensure that education serves the end towards which it is directed – the individual’s personal development and the common good,” the President said.

The Head of State noted that the Church must play its part in ensuring that education is not devoid of values.

He posited that education must shape the persons to become the best he or she can

is reinforced within our communities and churches,” he said, adding that the Church is an agent of socialisation.

The Church, the President said, is an educator because it dispenses knowledge, helps persons acquire skills and inculcates beliefs, habits and values. Recalling his own experience of the relationship between church and school, the President said, “The four primary schools I attended – St. John the Baptist Anglican Primary School in Bartica; the Auchlyne Church of Scotland School on the Corentyne; Comenius Moravian Primary School in Queenstown and Sacred Heart Roman Catholic School also in Georgetown – all had churches which were annexed or located within the same compound.”

The President recalled also that each Masjid had a Madrasa– a room for teaching children, while each Mandir had a school which taught a wide range of subjects. “The Church can become a vehicle for ensuring that no one – man, woman or child – is left behind in this journey towards the emergence of an ‘educated na-

more integrally involved in providing education for our children,” President Granger posited, while noting that he would like to see a school in every village.

Additionally, President Granger said Guyana’s public education system is being put on the right path as it is being aligned to ensure an inclusive and quality education so that all of the nation’s children can be equipped to participate in a more developed and modern economy.

“The Church must continue its role in building the character of our children so that they can be equipped not just with knowledge and skills but also the values to contribute to the good of society,” he said as he called on Solomon’s Temple not to abandon its historical role of moulding the nation’s children.

Ms. Barbara Pilgrim, Member of Parliament; Ms. Winifred Heywood, Mayor of New Amsterdam and Mrs. Kim Stephens, Regional Executive Officer (REO) East Berbice-Corentyne also attended the ceremony. (Ministry of the Presidency)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, august 26, 2019

PPP betrayed Jagan’s ideal –– PM Nagamootoo PRIME Minister Moses Nagamootoo is urging PPP supporters to sanction their party’s leadership for betraying the ideals of Cheddi Jagan.

In his weekend column, My Turn, he named what he described as the “Stalinist Gang” for betraying the expectations of Cheddi Jagan for a government of national unity.

The prime minister said that was always a place for the PPP in a broad-based government, stating that the Cummingsburg Accord expressly provided for the PPP’s inclusion in a government of national unity.

The former top party executive and stalwart said, however, that under its present leadership, the PPP would not go there.

“The self-styled ‘maxi-

mum leader’ is too wrapped up in ethno-partisan politics, and in converting Jagan’s party into a corporate entity, to protect the narrow interests of his rich cronies,” he explained.

The prime minister said that he remains fully commitment to a Government of National Unity, claiming that he has paid a heavy price in the post-Jagan leadership for his position.

He also disclosed that on December 21, 2018, shortly before the motion of no confidence was debated in the National Assembly, he had urged the opposition leader to change course and advised him to instead engage the government in talks.

“I had told Jagdeo that whatever the outcome of the no confidence motion, after the debate, it would be diffi-

Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo cult to talk with the Coalition about national unity. He listened, giggled and, knowing that he had clinched a deal, he sarcastically inquired: ‘Are you going back to live in Sophia?’”

Even after he became

a minister in 1992, Prime Minister Nagamootoo and his family had lived in their own house in North Sophia, a village on the outskirt of the city.

However, a year after he became prime minister, he was advised to relocate to the Official Residence in Main Street, Georgetown, which he did.

It appeared that Jagdeo saw in a possible ouster of the Coalition government an opportunity for the removal of Nagamootoo from the PM’s Residence.

In his column he observed that “Jagdeo’s focus was never on the bigger picture”.

GOAL OF NATIONAL UNITY When he resigned from the PPP after 50 years, he had recommitted to the goal of national unity. In his book “Fragments from

Works on LTI dorm moving apace

By Vanessa Braithwaite

STUDENTS with an interest in technical and vocational studies will soon have the opportunity to pursue those in Linden, at the Linden Technical Institute (LTI) as the Education Ministry is constructing a dorm on campus to facilitate their accommodation.

According to acting Principal, Ector Anthony, while they were some hiccups in the beginning stages of construction, works are moving apace and students will be able to access the facility by 2021.

One of the initial challenges was that the site chosen was very swampy and excessive time was taken to backfill the land.

In addition to that, inclement weather also posed as a delaying factor.

“With my recent visit to the fields, they (the contractors), indicated that they are making progress and they are going at a faster rate, so the completion time is around April, May 2021 and they are on par as it relates to that,” he said.

The contract for the

construction of the dorm was awarded to Compustruct Engineering and works began in September 2018.

The complex will consist of four dormitories, a study hall and an administrative building.

It will house students residing in Rockstone,

employed at Bosai Minerals Incorporated, which is located directly in the mining town, students residing in Kwakwani, Ituni and the Riverain communities of the Upper Berbice River can gain employment at the Russian Bauxite Company (RUSAL).

The Linden Technical

pentry and Joinery, Craft Certificate in Electrical Installation, Craft Certificate in Radio Electronic Servicing, Technical Certificate in Mechanical Fitting and Craft Certificate in Metal Machining.

LTI also offers parttime courses in Effective Management Skills and

Work being done on the foundation of the Linden Technical Institute dormitory Kwakwani, Ituni, Riversview and the riverain communities in the Upper Demerara and Berbice Rivers.

These students would after training, be able to return to their communities and engage in beneficial employment, utilising their newly-acquired skills.

While students in Linden have hopes of being

Institute has been in existence for over 60 years and has been providing technical and vocational education and training programmes. These include a Diploma in Computer Science, Diploma in Administrative Principles and Practices, Ordinary Diploma in Commerce, Craft Certificate in Car-

Occupational Health and Safety.

In 2018, the institution commenced the delivery of Competency- Based Education and Training, which is the new model of the assessment process that is monitored by the Council for Technical Vocational, Education and Training (TVET).

Memory”, he wrote these words: “For me, in this last leg of a long journey, I am still confident that my strivings for national unity through a genuine multi-party democratic and honest Guyanese Government will at long last be achieved”.

The formation of the APNU+AFC Coalition, he said, was a bold step in the right direction.

In making his case that the ideals of Cheddi Jagan were betrayed, he wrote: “Nothing was the same after Cheddi died. Corruption - at first by stealth then overtly – began to eat into the sinews of the party and government. The new leaders quickly grabbed lands for themselves, their families and friends, and many were building high-priced mansions in an awful display of ostentatious living. Cadillac-style living in a donkey

– cart economy, one critic called it.

“Nepotism and cronyism were the new yardstick for rapid enrichment for a few who bought out state enterprises or were awarded juicy contracts. The new elite cultivated by the Moscow-trained Jagdeo were given lands at basement prices. They grabbed forestry concessions and were given as virtual gifts precious national resources that constituted the radio, television, cable and telecommunication spectrum.

“The new rulers undermined accountability and acted in breach of the law.

Public monies were spent without parliamentary approval and in violation of the Constitution. More and more the line was blurred between democracy and dictatorship.”

Those were some of the immediate reasons that caused him to resign from the PPP.

Aggressive prisoners now ...

From page 2

do the right things and behave in a positive manner.

This, he said, would attract an early release from prison when complemented by other factors.

Meanwhile, Psychologist and University of Guyana (UG) lecturer, Wil Campbell said the behaviour modification programme provides inmates with emotion management skills to reform their lives and to resolve conflict in constructive and non-violent ways.

According to the Prison Act, he said one element of the mandate of the Guyana Prison Service is the rehabilitation of offenders.

“Many of them are there because they didn’t have these skills in the Programme Manager, Denise first place and others McKenzie re-offended because they were not properly prepared to manage the challenges of reintegration,” the psychologist said.

This programme, he noted, has proven useful in reducing prison violence and it is expected that it would also reduce the recidivism rates.

“When inmates are release, they bring these new behavioural skills which will help them reintegrate with society successfully. They will be less violent, more thoughtful and more likely to consider the consequences of their actions.

In short, a rehabilitated ex-offender is not just one less threat to public safety and security, but also a valuable, contributing citizen,” the psychologist explained.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 26, 2019

Why children need to be resilient AS children grow they adopt their own personalities, even so it is still a parental duty to provide a moral compass and to teach values that will enable them to get by in the world, and so become law-abiding citizens who make worthwhile contributions to society.

Along with morals and values, resilience is an important quality that some parents know little about and therefore fail to instil in their children. Resilience is the ability to recover quickly from difficulties or mishaps in life. Whether we like it or not, children will face challenges along the way: Parents, however, have the opportunity to furnish them with problem-solving skills and a level of sanguinity so that challenges should never be able to break them.

Preparing children for life’s ‘ups and downs’ by fostering their resilience is a work-in-progress and some-

thing that we can continue to develop throughout our lives. Some children will face more traumas and disappointments in life than others and, regardless of how much they are protected and nurtured, parents cannot protect against or foresee everything that could go wrong.

Some calamities in life can actually help children become stronger and wiser.

It will always be a healthier approach for children to experience both failure and success for them to learn how to adapt to unpredictable or unexpected scenarios or conditions.

Resilience does not mean giving in to situations or learning to tolerate circumstances of which you may disapprove. It is, in fact, a thought process that can be developed in children, to protect them against experiences that might otherwise be overwhelming. Building resilience can help to maintain balance in their lives

during stressful times, and, as they grow, it can even help guard against some mental health issues.

Having the ability to adapt to things we cannot change is much harder than it sounds and bouncing back from trauma or tragedy can be difficult for most people.

Although being resilient does not mean that a person will not encounter the same feelings and anguishes as others.

It does, however, make the difference between which person triumphs over adversity and who is defeated by it instead.

Here are some tips on how to build resilience in children. Parents can start by letting their child know he has a loving supportive family that he can depend upon come what may. Helping children to be optimistic rather than negative in situations and teaching them to understand that most disappointments are temporary and manageable are also

important factors in building resilience.

Read stories to young children that demonstrate resilience – stories where characters overcome adversities or struggles in life. Teach children how to be helpful to others, e.g. Teach them how to share, how to listen and how to be considerate, especially to those who are younger or less able to cope.

Try not to be overly accommodating to children, let them figure out some things for themselves. If a child is anxious about a situation, help him to explore and talk through the reasons for his anxiety and do what you can to reassure the child with positive affirmations. Do not sugar-coat the truth or create fanciful images such as super heroes or fairies to act as a buffer to reality: but choose your words wisely and always aim to appeal to a child’s sense of reason age appropriately.

Because it is impossible

to eliminate all risks, parents can help their children develop applicable skills.

Skills such as: focussing on one thing at a time; thinking things through before making a move and talking about problems to seek solutions.

The aim is for children to feel confident enough to figure out what they need to do.

So instead of approaching an unexpected circumstance as if it is an impending disaster, their first thought would be ‘I can handle this’.

It is of course hard for adults to build resilience in children if they, themselves lack resilience. Many adults act on impulse without summing up a situation.

They make rash decisions and lash out because of how they are feeling (at the time) then many spend years thinking about, or even regretting that one action that consequently haunts them or even led to them (perhaps) to be languishing in prison for decades.

Building resilience in children is something that should come naturally. There are, no doubt, parents reading this article, who have been doing the same for years, unbeknown. Because developing resilience is not a technical ability, it can be a quality that parents model and teach their children, through different incidents and opportunities that arise.

Resilient children are solution-based individuals who are prepared to handle (or at least have a go at handling) whatever life throws at them. It is a positive trait that parents can, not only nurture in children, but also cultivate in themselves.

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

GuySuCo pushing ‘Sugar Tourism’

– as means of diversifying industry into a World Heritage Site THE Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) is pushing to make the sugar industry part of the country’s Cultural and Heritage Tourism, in keeping with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)-led World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism Programme.

In a press statement issued over the weekend, the company said it’s treating this proposed ‘Sugar Tourism’ of theirs as a new line of business, in that it has already been integrated into its 2019 – 2021 Strategic Plan, and has as one of its strategic goals “to create and deliver more value from products and services”.

It goes on to say that with the transitioning of the sugar industry, “the programme is designed to institutionalise ‘Sugar Tourism’ into the business, and allows for relevant structures, systems and operational guidelines to be developed and implemented,

towards the achievement of specific goals and objectives.”

RATIONALE As the company reasons, “Sugar has played an integral role in Guyana’s evolution and development, in areas of economics, social, politics and culture for over 350 years. The dynamics of the country were either shaped, or influenced in one way or another, by the sugar industry.”

Noting that the transition has been centuries in the making, starting with slavery and indentureship, followed by nationalisation, privatisation and now public ownership, GuySuCo says, “As the industry transitions, the Guyana Sugar Corporation Inc. has a responsibility to preserve and develop innovative ways of transferring knowledge on sugar and its history, and to effectively tell the story of sugar in Guyana…”

Noting that the pro-

gramme is being developed in conformity with UNESCO’s as well as Guyana’s own guidelines, GuySuCo says Cultural Heritage Sugar Tourism in the Guyana Context “will refer to the experience of places, artifacts and activities that authentically represent the stories and people from the sugar industry in Guyana, both past and present…” and include irreplaceable historic, cultural and natural resources in the sugar industry both past and current.

LOCATIONS, ATTRACTIONS

In terms of locations, the company says it has already identified the Albion, Uitvlugt and Blairmont Estates, as well as the La Bonne Intention (LBI) Head Office Compound to be used as dual sites, meaning that they will serve as production or profit and service centres, as well as tourism sites.

Tour routes are currently being developed at the foregoing locations, with some of the attractions being the sugar factory at the Albion Estate; the old sugar mill at the GuySuCo Training Centre at Port Mourant; the ancient drainage pumps

at Albion, Chesney, Nigg and Ankerville; the Butcher Canal, which was first dug manually by slaves; outstations or ‘pumping stations’ at Brotherson, Vriendschapp, the Torani Canal and a 1924 Rolls Royce that’s still in working condition.

Attractions at the Uitvlugt Estate will include: “A manual crane which was used in the 1700s to ship sugar and return goods to the Estate Stores; animal-drawn punts; Sea-face sluices which were installed since the 1800s; and the factory itself, which was built in the early 1900s.

Blairmont, it says, “also

has unique attractions such as the integration of sugarcane cultivations with cattle ranching; a railway that transports sugar from the factory to the wharf, and the structure that was used to transport cane via punts across the Berbice River, from Providence on the East Bank of Berbice, to the Blairmont factory on the West Bank of Berbice.”

The company says in closing that it is “currently exploring opportunities for funding and other support from international organisations and universities, in areas of anthropology, archeology, history, cultural and heritage tourism, etc, to conduct an inventory of tangible and intangible assets relative to the culture and heritage of the sugar industry, and design and construct a ‘Sugar Museum’ and a ‘Sugar Heritage Park’ at one of its former locations, possibly at the old factory at the former Leonora Estate.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, august 26, 2019

I respect the Government’s record on Human Rights

By Mark Benschop

IT was Peter Hook who opined: “Any coalition, especially where one party is more powerful than the other, it’s always bound to have a pecking order.”

Hence, with that in mind, at least for now, I wish to put aside some minor blunders made by the APNU/AFC government, and some unnecessary mistakes – as is expected with any government, more so one that is comprised of several political parties in the form of a coalition. I wish to address something that is very close to my heart–human rights issues and how citizens ought to be treated by governments.

With that in mind, let me make this point pellucidly clear for all: it is imperative for citizens to understand that no country can flourish without having high expectations of its government. In that regard, and, as is required under all circumstances, the buck stops with the President, in order to ensure that all citizens enjoy their freedoms. In fact, such rights ought not to be limited to the privileged or those who often times, unfortunately, seek to separate themselves from the ordinary masses. In other words, the government is expected to treat everyone with the same respect, regardless of social status, political affiliations, sexual orientation, or other bases which are enshrined in the Constitution, by the following provision: CHAPTER III FUNDAMENTAL

RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS OF THE INDIVIDUAL 40.

(1) “Every person in Guyana is entitled to the basic right to a happy, creative and productive life, free from hunger, disease, ignorance and want.

That right includes the fundamental rights and freedoms of the individual, that is to say, the right, whatever his race, place of origin, political opinions, colour, creed or sex, but subject to respect for the rights and freedoms of others and for the public interest, to each and all of the following, namely –– (a) life, liberty, security of the person and the protection of the law. (b) freedom of conscience, of expression and of assembly and association; and (c) protection for the privacy of his home and other property and from deprivation of property without compensation. So, what’s the point in all of this talk about respect of human rights, and government’s role? Quite simple: It is safe to say that any government that shows respect for citizens’ rights and adheres to the rule of law, in the minds of most citizens, provides the basis for a perfect recipe for nation building, confidence in the people, foreign investment, true democracy, and more likely, the possible longevity of the government.

Meaning, that citizens would see the necessity in ensuring that such a government is voted back into office. This brings me to a very important point, which needs to be exposed as often as possible – that is, the pre-2015

governments which closely resembled the operations of Al Capone’s notorious gang, the infamous drug lord Pablo Escobar, and the Apartheid system in South Africa. Of course, you would know that I am referring to the horrible, unforgiving, and unforgettable dreadful years of the PPP regime. Touching on the last fifteen years of its tightly-gripped and iron-fisted control of the government, which led to a country that was damaged in every facet of life, with civil servants being demoralised, police force/army/ prison services being highly politicised, judiciary being infested with numerous rotten eddoes on the bench, media houses and journalists being intimidated, a columnist being attacked with faeces thrown in his face by known PPP thugs, protesters being beaten, shot, locked up and killed for exercising their democratic rights, et cetera. All of those things, and more, were allowed to flourish, allegedly condoned by the then government, and in many cases by some very senior and extremely powerful government officials who were said to be complicit in underworld activities and more.

Surely, who comes to mind was a sitting government minister who according to documents that are still sitting in a US court, with allegations that less attention was paid in conducting the affairs of his ministry, and instead, is being accused of accommodating the notorious Phantom killing squad to import a highly sophisticated laptop computer

capable of tracking citizens’ location via their phones, with nefarious intents. As expected, the political culprit in this instance, has maintained his innocence, and continues to pretend to be an angel wrapped in a holy white sheet, while masquerading himself as a saviour of the health and agriculture sectors across the country – the very ministries which became highly corrupt, and were reduced to the most deplorable conditions under his watch. I will deal with this particular issue and individual in a subsequent column, where folks will be reminded of scores of persons dying under questionable circumstances while they were patients at the Georgetown Public Hospital, and the many protests across the country by rice farmers and sugar workers.

Let us focus on the PPP’s track record – a government that showed absolutely no ‘kina’ when it comes to crimes and, particularly, its human rights record. Anyone without blinkers would conclude that the PPP has shown utter contempt, disdain, and blatant disregard for the rule of law, the constitution, and the respect of human rights for 95% of Guyanese. Simply put, were I a political science lecturer at the University of Guyana, I would have given the PPP an F grade. Mind you, the word ‘kina’ in this context, is not referred to the monetary definition, as it is widely known in Papua New Guinea. But rather, the Corentyne meaning of someone who has absolutely no

Straight Up with

Mark Benschop

discretion in doing, or eating whatever, regardless of the consequences. Indeed, it is an appropriate description of how those in the higher echelons of the PPP regime conducted the affairs of the government. Surely, citizens can recount those dark and brutal years under Presidents Jagdeo and Ramotar, especially under the former, who operated as though the entire Guyana was his plantation handed down to him from his great grandparents who left it in a will, and the people were his slaves and indentured servants. Citizens were reduced to second class citizens.

Apart from his (Jagdeo’s) well documented dictatorial tendencies, it could also be attributed to his obvious thirst for political power and control of Guyana’s wealth.

Or, possibly other psychological issues, of which I am not in a position to diagnose. After all, I’m no psychiatrist. However, with his government’s horrible human rights record, with the murders of approximately 1,500 citizens, many through extrajudicial means, death squads, or gang/drug related wars –– not to forget those who were assassinated (Minister Sash Sawh, Activists Ronald Waddel, and Courtney Crum-Ewing), the many who were killed during protests, dozens shot and locked up for exercising the constitutional rights to freedom to assemble/protest, trumpedup charges against political opponents, jailing of scores of opponents, removal of ads

from newspapers, banning of a journalist from entering the Office of the President or State House, etc –– it is safe to say that Guyana was one of the most undemocratic, and dangerous countries in the world.

Having said that, I now will conclude by quickly examining the APNU/AFC coalition government’s track record on Human Rights issues since its one seat victory in 2015. At least now, blood is not running through the streets like water, people are not being killed for their political views nor jailed on trumped up charges, protesters can protest without being shot, killed or locked up (including Jagdeo and others who denied citizens that very right). Nor, do we have a President who condones criminal misconduct, or is in bed with drug lords, gun-smugglers, human traffickers, death squad members, nor treat citizens like slaves or indentured servants.

In fact, from such an impeccable record thus far on Human Rights, any objective and fair-minded lecturer at UG, or even Critchlow Labour College, would give the David Granger coalition government an A+ grade.

It is for this very reason (minus the other minor glitches by some ministers and heads of agencies) I say without any hesitation that, I respect the government’s record on Human Rights. Yes, Guyana can now breathe again.

Corporate society comes to aid of Linden storm victims –– bottle necks at Mackenzie outfalls blamed for flooding

By Vanessa Braithwaite REGION 10 Chairman, Renis Morian, said the region has received many positive responses from corporate society following an urgent appeal from the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) for assistance to the scores of families whose homes were damaged by a freak storm last Friday.

On Monday, an emergency disaster response meeting will also be convened with all the necessary stakeholders, to see how best the situation can be dealt with for now and in the future. One of the businesses that came

forward to assist was Banks DIH. Meanwhile, regional officials continue to assess the damages in the various communities, particularly Blue Berry Hill. The community’s constituency representative, Councillor Fern McKoy, when contacted, said she is in assessment mode to ascertain the level of the damages and how best the residents can be assisted. According to a release from the RDC, Morian was seeking assistance for 100 16 ft sheets of zinc, 100 food hampers and cleaning detergents for the affected residents.

During the storm on Friday, Central Mackenzie was

severely flooded. Streets, including Pine Street and Republic Avenue were completely inundated. Businesses in that central market area were shut off. While the situation returned to normalcy on Saturday, Constituency Representative for Mackenzie, Councillor Leroy James said the underlying issue that caused the flooding every time there is a heavy rainfall is not clogged drains, as was alleged by residents, but the bottlenecks at the four major outfalls in Central Mackenzie.

“We really have a genuine situation; Mackenzie was designed with some main outfalls that empty a lot of

The freak storm wreak havoc in Linden on Friday the streets. What happens is that overtime, the shoulders of these outfalls were reduced... so the outfalls are not adequate to accommo-

date any major flow of water, so we’ll always have water backing up,” he said.

He reasoned that it does not matter how many times

the drains are cleaned, as long as there is heavy rainfall, the streets will be flooded. While the funding to correct this will be in the millions, James said that all the agencies need to come together to have it done because businesses continue to be affected during the rainy season. The council is not in a position to handle the project single-handedly, given its cash-strapped state.

Meanwhile, the two electricity companies that man the Wismar and Mackenzie shores were able to restore stable electricity to the communities where power poles were uprooted and transformers were damaged in Wismar and Amelia’s Ward.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, august 26, 2019

‘Education is an investment in the future’ –– President Granger says at East Berbice back-to-school drive

PRESIDENT David Granger on Sunday told the children of the communities of Hogstye-Lancaster Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) located in the East Berbice-Corentyne (Region Six) that education is an investment in the future.

The President was at the time speaking at a back-toschool drive held at the Liverpool Community Centre which saw children from the communities of Lancaster, Liverpool, Manchester, Ulverston, Alness, Salton and Hogstye attending. The children were presented with backpacks, bicycles and other items which will enable them to return to school equipped with the necessary items conducive to learning.

“I am happy to be here.

The new school year starts soon and it is a good time to distribute school supplies and bicycles. This is not a sideshow; it is central to the investments which are being made within the public education system. Education is the most powerful investment in our future,” President Granger said.

He told the hundreds of children of all ages assembled there that Guyana is a great country, the biggest, most beautiful and bountiful country in the English-speaking Caribbean.

“We have to protect and preserve this patrimony for future generations – our children and grandchildren. We have to sustainably develop our resources for the benefit

helps develop their intellect and shapes their attitude.”

President David Granger addressing the congregation of Solomon’s Deliverance Temple, Philippi Village (No. 31), Corentyne, East Berbice-Corentyne (Ministry of the Presidency photo) of everyone. Our children have to inherit and further develop this rich legacy,” he said, noting that education is the means which will allow development to occur.

“It is the vehicle which will move us towards the ‘good life’. Education is an investment in our country’s development. Guyana’s economy is perched for rapid modernization. Modern economies, however, do not run on goodwill. They require human skills to transform capital and land into wealth,” the President said.

President Granger, who was accompanied by First Lady, Mrs. Sandra Granger, said education is an investment in human skills necessary for a modern economy.

“We have to produce more agronomists, architects, biologists, botanists, chem-

ists, doctors, epidemiologists, engineers, environmentalists, geneticists, geologists, hydrologists, physicists, software developers and zoologists to modernize our country and its industries,” he said.

The President said too that education is an investment in community development.

“We have to rejuvenate the economies of our villages by establishing cottage, micro-, and small- and medium-sized enterprises which will create jobs for our school graduates.

Education will allow us to generate the human skills to create those industries and jobs,” he added.

The Head of State said too that “education is an investment in our children’s future.

It provides children with the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes that are necessary for their wellbeing. It

WALKING THE TALK “Your Government is walking the talk,” he said, noting that Government has attached the highest priority to education by expending more than G$170B on education over the past four years.

“Spending in the education sector has moved from 14.8 per cent of the national budget in 2014 to 17.0 per cent in 2017. This year we are spending G$52.2 B in the education sector, 15.6 per cent more than last year,” President Granger said.

The President said the Government is supporting an education policy which is based on the three A’s – access, attendance and attainment. The overarching educational principle of our education policy is Every Child in School (ECIS).

President Granger explained that access to education means that sufficient institutions of learning must be available and equipped to impart quality education to everyone, including the visually- and physically- challenged. “I would like to see a school in every village so that children do not have to travel long distances to attend school,” he said.

Attendance at school is equally important, the Head of State said, noting that Government’s policy is to ensure that every child attends school and stays in school. “Attendance ensures that children

have the opportunity to learn and are not left behind in their studies,” he added.

Through the Public Education Transport Service (PETS) which started as the ‘Three Bs programme’; 29 buses, 10 boats and more than 4,000 bicycles have been distributed to make it easier for children to attend school.

There are five buses providing free transportation in the East Berbice-Corentyne Region. PETS was launched four years ago on July 15, 2015.

President Granger also emphasised that attainment is as important as access and attendance. He said students must complete their studies and graduate with qualifications and certification which would allow them to enter the world of work as adults.

“Educational performance is vital to ensuring that every primary school child passes the National Grade Six Assessment and that every secondary school child matriculates by 2029,” said President Granger who reminded that education is a shared responsibility which begins at the cradle and ends in the grave.

COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY “Education is the responsibility of the family, the school and the village,” the President said referencing the African proverb, “it takes a village to raise a child”.

President Granger assured that every citizen has a right to education and noted that this constitutional entitlement will be supported by the country’s expected petroleum revenues.

“Our expected petroleum revenues will help us to restore free education in accordance with the injunction of our Constitution at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels. We will launch a ‘Decade of Development’ next year which will ensure, inter alia, that in every village, there must be a school. There is at least one primary school

in every village. East Berbice-Corentyne, with a population of 110,000 persons, has 135 villages but only 53 primary schools with 11,00o students,” the President said.

Additionally, the President said every Guyanese child must have easy access to school by road or river. “I would like to see the villages take greater responsibility for ensuring that every child is enrolled in school; every child attends school regularly; every child graduates from school; and every child is supported in his or her education,” he said.

The Head of State said too that in every school, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics must be taught while assuring that the Public Education System will continue to equip students for the knowledge-based societies of the future.

“I encourage all children to continue to attend school. I believe that through education we can transform our communities and our country. We are on the right path in education.

Real change takes time and I am confident that through the investments which the Government, the families and the communities are making in education, we will be able to bequeath to future generations a richer legacy that we inherited,” President Granger said.

Computers along with printers were also provided to the McGowan, Auchlyne and Alness Primary Schools while the best performers at this year’s National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) Examinations and Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate (CSEC) were also presented with tokens.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Karen Cummings; Director of the Department of Environment Ms. Ndibi Schwiers; Ms. Coretta McDonald, President of the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC), as well as regional officials of the East Berbice-Corentyne Region, were also present at the back-to-school drive.

(Ministry of the Presidency)

Family wants closure for murder of CANU ...

From page 3

explained.

This year, his family donated school supplies to over 1000 children, and has pledged to upkeep the tradition, although the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has proven to be a humbug. “We had to pay US$800 to clear these items, although we

explained to them the items would have been distributed the very next day to poor children,” one relative said, adding: “But next year, we will get our paper work intact to show that is for a charitable cause, and we will continue to host these school drives in his honour.”

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, august 26, 2019

Mother of three stabbed to death

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–– police hunt reputed lover identified as attacker

A MAN is on the run after allegedly killing the mother of his three children early Sunday morning at her 315 Victoria Village, East Coast Demerara home.

The incident reportedly took place in front of the woman’s children.

Clive Wilson, of Mon Repos, allegedly removed a number of louvre panes from a bathroom window, climbed into the home and stabbed Shemain Frank while she slept in bed with their three children. He then made good his escape through a back door.

Frank was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, but was pronounced dead

something,” she said.

Wilson who works in the interior regularly is feared to have returned to the interior to hide.

Prior to Sunday’s stabbing, the suspect had been trying to get to see Shemain for some time but she had continually refused to see him.

He tried again last Saturday.

“When I came home from work after 8pm he and the kids were going out to the shop, he was taking them for a walk or something. He came back around like after 10pm.

A few minutes after he call for Shemain and she said to him that she’s not coming out, all of us were sitting watching

Shemain Frank with two of her three children on arrival. The eldest child, their 6-year-old daughter, has been left traumatized after witnessing the ordeal, and related to family members that it was her father that did the stabbing.

Shemain lived at the home with her children and other siblings. The other two children are five and one year old.

“All three of the children were in bed, and the bigger daughter saw everything from the starting, she saw when the father came and she could’ve told you how he push the knife and everything, she saw everything and she was crying,” shared one of the victim’s sisters, Keshome Frank.

“All day she’s just there saying daddy kill mommy, that’s what she saw and that’s just in her now and she will grow with that.”

The murder weapon was a knife that the victim slept with.

“He didn’t come with any weapon, the knife was one of our knife but he found it in her room because she don’t sleep normal she always sleep with

television. The children came in and he went away,” Keshome recalls, “Lately he keep coming and coming. The guy he’s this type he always wanted a problem. If he come he would always tell the kids ‘go and call yuh mother, go and call yuh mother’, he always wanted to get her. He’s this provoking type.”

On Sunday morning a brother then caught the suspect in the yard again and requested him to leave. Keshome said she had discovered the bathroom window panes missing just prior to her sister’s stabbing, but thought nothing of it. Moments later she heard her sister screaming.

“When I ran out she (Shemain) was just leaning out pouring a set of blood,” Keshome said.

According to the Keshome, the suspect and her sister shared a tumultuous relationship for over ten years, and at one point Shemain took out a restraining order against Wilson. The couple was living in Mon Repos at Wilson’s

family’s home, however last year her sister ended the relationship and moved back to the Victoria Village home after she found Wilson with another woman, and they had a physical confrontation.

Keshome believes Wilson deliberately waited to kill Shemain in her sleep, since it would not have been an easy task for him if she was awake.

“He had to catch her last night off-guard because

she is a fighter, and she would’ve fight he back, she had to be sleeping, and in the midst of her sleeping he had to do something so we couldn’t have heard, because if he had only touch her she would’ve jump up and the two of them would’ve scramble and we’ve would’ve heard something because she is a fighter she doesn’t back down,” she said.

Keshome Frank shows the bathroom window where it is believed that Clive Wilson gained entry into the Victoria Village home and killed the mother of his three children (Samuel Maughn photo)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 26, 2019

Several West Berbice villages benefit from infrastructural works

Bel-Air, Lovely Lass, Onverwagt and Golden Grove to benefit Several communities in Mahaica-Berbice, Region Five, are benefitting from ongoing infrastructural works being un-

dertaken by the Ministry of Communities.

The communities of BelAir, Lovely Lass, Onverwagt and Golden Grove will all benefit from developmental works which include bus

sheds, street lights, ground enhancement and construction of a bridge. The bridge will provide students with safe access to the Sapodilla Nursery and Primary Schools.

The current bridge, which has been in a dilapidated state for over ten years, will be reconstructed at a cost of $1.5M. Vice-Chairman of the Union/Naarstigheid Neigh-

bourhood Democratic Council (NDC), Vinceroy Jordan, said the ground enhancement of the playground will entail the construction of a new fence, bleachers, two sanitary facilities, levelling off the field and the instalment of six floodlights to the tune of approximately $8M. “The ground would benefit residents from Lovely Lass, Golden Grove, Onverwagt and, presently, persons from as far as No. 28 come to use the playground in the afternoon. They engage in football, which is a big sport in this area,� Jordan stated.

He also highlighted that two bus sheds will be

constructed at the cost of $700,000 each at Onverwagt and Golden Grove.

Over at Bel Air village, the community will receive street lights following a direct request by the residents at the Ministerial outreach to the region; and another bus shed will also be constructed.

Councillor of the NDC, Caroline Williamson, explained that persons involved in farming in the area have been losing livestock at nights as a result of theft. It was highlighted that this may be due to the lack of streetlights in the community. (DPI)

Works done to the playground at Lovely Lass

Bus shed being constructed at Onverwagt

Works done to the playground at Lovely Lass

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, august 26, 2019

CARIFESTA XV set for Antigua & Barbuda in 2021 –– Carifesta XIV in T&T hailed as a major success

THE 15th edition of the Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA) will be held in Antigua and Barbuda in 2021, following the conclusion of CARIFESTA XIV in Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday night.

On Sunday night, at the closing ceremony held at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Antigua and Barbuda’s Minister of Sports, Culture, National Festivals and the Arts, Daryll Matthew, received the CARIFESTA baton from Trinidad and Tobago’s Minister of Community Development, Culture and the Arts, Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly.

Antigua and Barbuda will host CARIFESTA XV in 2021. The festival will coincide with the year of that country’s 40th Independence anniversary.

“As a Caribbean people, we demonstrated how much we love our little part of this planet,” the Antiguan Minister said, reflecting on this year’s CARIFESTA. According to him, the hosting of the festival in Trinidad and Tobago has definitely raised the bar, and set a new standard for the execution of the festival.

More importantly, he affirmed that the 10-day festival provided a chance for Caribbean countries to immerse themselves in their history and culture while lending energies to the regional integration agenda.

T&T’s Minister with responsibility for Culture, Dr. Gadsby- Dolly, posited: “For the past 10 days this festival impacted the way we value Caribbean identity and shifted paradigms.”

Much like Matthew, she stressed that Carifesta will continue to be a festival that will showcase Caribbean culture and will endure throughout the years This year’s CARIFESTA featured elements of Film and Animation, Literary Arts, Fashion, Food, Entertainment, Visual Arts, Craft, Drama and Dance.

And as it relates to the cultural showcase, the T&T Minister said, “We have once again shown that this small region is a powerful force to be reckoned with.”

Also giving brief remarks was Assistant Secretary General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Douglas Slater who stated that “CARIFESTA XIV has been a real great time.”

According to him, Trinidad and Tobago has “raised the bar”, particularly in its technical and marketing standards in delivering the festival.

At Sunday’s closing ceremony as well, the permanent logo for Carifesta was unveiled. This was an animated logo which featured a masquerader who has the flags of the Caribbean surrounding him.

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Antigua and Barbuda’s Minister of Sports, Culture, National Festivals and the Arts Daryll Matthew receives the CARIFESTA baton from Trinidad’s Minister of Community Development, Culture and the Arts, Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 26, 2019

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, august 26, 2019

‘Homies’ win franchise to host ‘NA Town Week’

–– announce scholarship programme at launch of event CARIBBEAN Nations Group (CNG), a relative newcomer on the promotions scene, has won the franchise to promote the annual New Amsterdam Town Week, the week-long celebration of the seat of the community becoming a town and the seat of administration of the County of Berbice.

But whereas in the past the event was celebrated in just seven days, this year it is being done in two whole weeks, beginning on Friday, October 18.

As Deputy Mayor Wainwright McIntosh told a packed to capacity audience at the launch at the Leisure Inn on Main Street and Theatre Alley in New Amsterdam, he is happy that

CNG has shown an interest in coming on board with the New Amsterdam Mayor & Town Council to host the event this year, as they’ve brought to the table a very comprehensive and strategic proposal which promises much excitement.

The New Amsterdam-based NGO, which is fast becoming a household name since successfully hosting the ‘Emanuella for Emancipation’ show here, McIntosh said, is a well-established multicultural youth group whose primary interest is to afford persons access to quality entertainment through various mediums such as sports, live entertainment, concerts and outreaches.

Their mandate also includes community projects

CNG members during the launch of the New Amsterdam Town Week at Leisure Inn

Director of Sports, Mr. Christopher Jones at the launch of New Amsterdam Town Week on Thursday

The arch at the entrance to New Amsterdam welcoming visitors to the township

CNG President, Jevaughn Stephens

that enhance the lives of persons in their respective communities as well as providing educational and social support. In keeping with this mandate of theirs, CNG collaborates with various NGOs, government agencies, religious bodies and the private sector.

McIntosh said that while several groups would have indicated their interest in hosting the event, it was CNG’s proposal that gave them the edge, as it was in keeping with the mandate of the council.

“We have decided that

Public-Private-Partnership is the best way to go when we are talking development,” McIntosh said.

MAYOR’S BALL According to CNG President Jevaughn Stephens, the calendar of activities kicks off with the grand opening ceremony followed by a Mayors Ball in recognition of the dedication shown by current New Amsterdam Mayor Winifred Haywood to restoring the township to its former glory, and will also have as its See page 18

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, august 26, 2019

‘Homies’ win franchise to host ...

From page 17

guests of honour the Chief Citizens of Atlanta and Texas and London, in the USA and the United Kingdom respectively.

There’s to also be a Birding Competition; an Inter-School Debating Competition; s Senior Citizens Breakfast Morning; a High School Basketball Competition; an All-White Cocktail Party; a Male Empowerment Pageant; Domino and Softball Cricket Competitions; a Poetry Competition; Medical Outreaches; the Renaming of Streets in the Stanleytown community; a Street Fair and Exhibition; followed on Sunday, November 3, with a Duck Curry Competition

and Cooler Fete to bring the curtains down on the event.

Mayor Haywood observed that the theme under which the event is being celebrated this year, ‘Diversification is the focus, Inclusion is the goal: Celebration through transformation 2019’, speaks volumes of the CNG’s vision, and in closing wished the NGO every success in its future endeavours.

Director of Sports, Christopher Jones, who was also at the launching, promised to support the basketball and cricket games, as well as the hosting of a five-a-side footsall competition, through the National Sports Commis-

sion.

SCHOLARSHIP FUND CNG also used the occasion to launch its ‘Esther and Edward Scholarship Fund’, named after Stephens’ grandparents for the role they played in his academic development.

The scholarships, seven in all, and in the sum of G$3M, were awarded to deserving students drawn from Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) who were either successful at the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) or Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations.

They are: Ike Crawford,

Recipients of the CNG scholarship with their donors at the Leisure Inn Hotel in New Amsterdam

Dhana George Reshana Jonas, Shaquan Fullerton, and Diamond Alladin, who are off to St Joseph’s High; Berbice Educational Institute; Berbice High School; Queens College; and Berbice Educational Institute respectively come September, and will each receive $300, 000 per school year for five years.

The other two are: Timo-

thy Harris who gained eleven passes at CSEC, and will be attending the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA), and Lamar Shultz, who defied the odds and wrote his exams from a hospital bed and gained six passes, and will be pursuing tertiary education when the time comes.

In addition to the monetary awards, the students

were given backpacks, scientific calculators, along with geometry sets and other essentials.

A support group has also been formed, and among its functions will be to interact with the students at weekends to offer further guidance, as well as moral and any other support they may need.

Lamar Shultz (centre) accepting the ‘Esther and Edward Scholarship’ from the couple after whom the award is named

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, august 26, 2019

Dharmic Sabha provides school supplies to Essequibo students

TWENTY FIVE children from various villages in Region Two were recently beneficiaries of backto-school supplies, compliments of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha (GHDS), Essequibo Naw-

jawan.

The youths from the Sabha’s youth arm in Region Two, on Sunday, distributed bag packs and school supplies to children at the Bounty Hall Mandir.

According to secretary

of the Essequibo Youth arm, Mahindra Sharma, the good gesture is an annual one and it seeks to assist parents to send their children to school. This year, each bag pack had a lunch bowl, encouraging parents

Leaders of Essequibo Coast Dharmic Nawjawan with some of the children who benefited from the back to school drive

An Essequibo Coast Dharmic Nawjawan executive handing over a food hamper to a family

Fire almost destroys ‘Angoy’s Ave.’ house A MIDDAY fire partially destroyed the home of an unemployed couple at Plantation Mount Sinai, commonly referred to as Angoy’s Avenue.

Karmachal Narine, 27, who lived at the three-bedroom house with his parents, recalled leaving his father, Narine, in one of the bedrooms on the upper floor to go downstairs to finish preparing lunch, as his mother was not at home.

He said it was while doing so that he heard screams of “Fire! Fire!” coming from his father.

Rushing upstairs, he said he noticed the middle bedroom on fire, and on raising an alarm, kind neighbours formed a bucket brigade and tried to control the blaze until the firemen from Central Fire Station arrived and extinguished it.

It was subsequently discovered that a bed, a television set, a music set along with a quantity of clothing, all valued around $500,000, were damaged in the fire.

Investigations are continuing.

The bed that was destroyed in the fire

and children to have meals taken to school.

Sharma said the Nawjawan is happy to extend its drive to Bounty Hall residents. Last year, the drive was conducted at

Adventure Sands Mandir and the previous year at Mashabo and Bethany.

A food hamper was also given to a less fortunate family and the children of that family were given

assistance to go back to school.

Children who received the bags and other supplies extended gratitude to the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 26, 2019

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Bumrah 5 for 7, Rahane 102 help India crush Windies by 318 runs NORTH SOUND, Antigua, (CMC) – A staggering batting collapse on Sunday’s penultimate day saw beleaguered West Indies bundled out for their sixth lowest-ever total against India, as they crashed to a humiliating 318-run defeat in the opening Test and fall behind in the two-match series.

Set an improbable 419 for victory after India declared their second innings on 343 for seven, an hour after lunch at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground, West Indies folded meekly for exactly 100 in their second innings, handing India their biggest-ever away victory in terms of runs.

T h e h o m e s i d e w e re ripped apart by a superb spell of high class fast bowling from Jasprit Bumrah who snatched five for seven while new-ball partner Ishant Sharma finished with three for 31 and fellow pacer Mohammed Shami supported with two for 13.

Kemar Roach, batting at number nine, tried to salvage pride for the Windies with a 31-ball 38 but was the only batsman to pass 20 and one of only three in double figures.

With West Indies tottering on 50 for nine and in danger of falling for their lowest-ever score against India, Roach clobbered a four and five sixes, inspiring a 50-run last wicket stand with Miguel Cummins (19) to save his side complete embarrassment.

The defeat for West Indies extended their wretched run of 22 Tests without a single win against the visitors and leaves them in disarray heading into the final match of the series starting next Friday at Sabina Park in Kingston.

“We’ve got a lot to be disappointed about. Obviously we didn’t perform as well as we would like,” captain Jason

Holder said afterwards.

“But there’s no point dropping our heads – that’s not the solution. We’ve got to find a way to bring ourselves out of this defeat, try to rally around one another and try to come back a lot better in Jamaica.”

Ajinkya Rahane had earlier laid the groundwork for India’s dominance when he crafted his 10th Test hundred, a compact 102 off 242 balls with five fours.

Crucially, he put on 135 for the fifth wicket with Hanuma Vihari who fell just short of three figures when he was dismissed for 93, after counting 10 fours and a six in an attractive 128-ball knock.

They were brought together in the morning’s second over when captain Virat Kohli fell without adding to his overnight 51, caught at short cover by John Campbell off a leading edge to off-spinner Roston Chase (4-132), after India resumed at 185 for three.

Rahane, on 53 at the start, marched to 90 at lunch and reached triple figures in the fourth over following the resumption, with a single behind square off Roach.

Vihari, on 57 at lunch, then upped the tempo, and was in sight of his maiden Test hundred when he perished, caught behind off seamer Holder.

His dismissal prompted the declaration and West Indies then endured a nightmare 45-ball period before tea as they shockingly slumped to 15 for five at the interval.

K r a i g g B r a t h w a i t e ’s wretched run of form continued when he fell in the second over, nibbling at a wide one from Bumrah to be caught behind for one.

His left-handed partner John Campbell followed in Bumrah’s next over when he had his offstump uprooted for seven and

the carnage continued in the following over when debutant Shamarh Brooks walked across a full length delivery and was lbw to Ishant for two.

Shimron Hetmyer drove at a wide delivery from Ishant and was taken at third slip for one with West Indies reeling at 13 for four, and Darren Bravo lasted all of 10 deliveries before spectacularly losing his off-stump to Bumrah for two.

There was no respite from the onslaught after the break as Bumrah removed Shai Hope’s off-stump also for two in the

fourth over with the score on 27 and then shattered Holder’s stumps for eight a few overs later with 10 runs added.

Shami then joined the fun, going through Roston Chase’s defence to bowl him for 12 and then quickly despatching Shannon Gabriel in the same over to a catch at the wicket without scoring.

Roach entertained, belting three sixes in a single over from left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja before his cameo was ended by a brilliant running catch by wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant off Ishant.

SCOREBOARD INDIA 1st innings 297 West Indies 1st innings 222 India 2nd Innings (overnight 185 for three) KL Rahul b Chase 38 M Agarwal lbw b Chase 16 C Pujara b Roach 25 *V Kohli c Campbell b Chase 51 A Rahane c Holder b Gabriel 102 H Vihari c wkp Hope b Holder 93 +R Pant c sub (Paul) b Chase 7 R Jadeja not out 1 Extras (b6, lb4) 10 TOTAL (7 wkts decl., 112.3 overs) 343 Fall of wickets: 1-30 (Agarwal), 2-73 (Rahul), 3-81 (Pujara), 4-187 (Kohli), 5-322 (Rahane), 6-336 (Rahane), 7-343 (Vihari) Bowling: Roach 20-8-29-1, Gabriel 16-3-63-1, Chase 38-5-1324, Holder 18.3-4-45-1, Cummins 7-1-20-0, Campbell 6-0-20-0, Brathwaite 7-0-24-0 WEST INDIES 2nd Innings (target 419) K Brathwaite c wkp Pant b Bumrah 1 J Campbell b Bumrah 7 S Brooks lbw b Ishant 2 D Bravo b Bumrah 2 S Hetmyer c Rahane b Ishant 1 R Chase b Shami 12 +S Hope b Bumrah 2 *J Holder b Bumrah 8 K Roach c wkp Pant b Ishant 38 S Gabriel c wkp Pant b Shami 0 M Cummins not out 19 Extras (lb7, nb1) 8 TOTAL (all out, 26.5 overs) 100 Fall of wickets: 1-7 (Brathwaite), 2-10 (Campbell), 3-10 (Brooks), 4-13 (Hetmyer), 5-15 (Bravo), 6-26 (Hope), 7-37 (Holder), 8-50 (Chase), 9-50 (Gabriel), 10-100 (Roach) Bowling: Ishant Sharma 9.5-1-31-3 (nb1), Bumrah 8-4-7-5, Jadeja 4-0-42-0, Mohammed Shami 5-3-13-2.

Rail car steals the show at 1320 heat ON a day when fans turned out to see the fastest machines run, they were treated to a fantastic day of racing.

While the Team Mohammed’s Nissan GTR Godzilla and Goliath suffered mechanical difficulties, Trans Pacific Toyota Alteeza stood tall.

On the run between Godzilla and the Rail Car, the former had mechanical issues and the rail car jumped the line.

Still, Bisessar took the trophy at the end of the day.

In the 8-second class, Team Mohamed’s GTR Goliath took the class over the mad dog Supra based on the faster qualifying time.

In the 9-second class, the Trans Pacific Toyota Alteeza represented well.

● 600cc bikes - Andy Rajkarran ● Unlimited Bikes - Micheal Mathurine/Joel Bruce (Trinidad) ● ATV-- Kevin Persaud ● 16 Seconds-- Shivan Ragnath ● 15 Seconds -- Ramesh Persaud ● 14 Seconds -- Rafeeq Khan ● 13 Seconds -- Pierre Singh ● 12 Seconds-- Damion Persaud ● 11 Seconds -- Jagdeo Seecharran (Trinidad) ● 10 Seconds -- Oneal Higgins ● 9 seconds - Rameez Mohamed ● Unlimited -- Andy Bisessar (Trinidad) 09:55 hrs Meet The Logans 10:32 hrs Double DeLuxe

American Racing Tips Delware Park Race 1 Scoreearlyandoften Race 2 Baby Bam Bam Race 3 Misdriven Race 4 Pendrell Moon Race 5 Revolving Love Race 6 Setubal Race 7 Pride Leader Race 8 RB Rich Lyke Me South Africa Racing Tips 08:15 HRS Artic Party 08:45 hrs Call To Duty 09:20 hrs Calabash

English Racing Tips Epsom Downs 08:55 hrs Nat Love 09:30 hrs Sonja Henie 10:05 hrs Blue De Vega 10:40 hrs Allegant 11:50 hrs Stealth Fighter 12:25 hrs Data Protection Chepstow 09:00 hrs Gambon 09:35 hrs Diamond Shower 10:10 hrs Space Ace 10:45 hrs Impatient 11:20 hrs Bold Show

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 26, 2019

Aguero strikes again as City win at Cherries BOURNEMOUTH, England (Reuters) - Sergio Aguero struck twice as Manchester City moved into second place in the Premier League, two points behind leaders Liverpool, with a 3-1 win at Bournemouth on Sunday.

Just three weeks into the new season and last year’s top two clubs are already perched at the top of the table.

While City’s draw at home to Tottenham Hotspur last week has given the edge to Juergen Klopp’s side, City again look deadly in the final third.

City’s all-time top scorer has now scored 400 goals for his clubs and country and the 31-year-old Aguero shows no signs of easing up.

Despite the sharpness in the box, City manager Pep Guardiola was not satisfied with the performance and credited Bournemouth’s tactics.

“We weren’t at our best, but knowing the conditions, the way they defend, they don’t press, they wait, sit back, wait for the counter attack, so there wasn’t rhythm but we solved it,” said the Spaniard.

Aguero, who has scored in all three games this season, gave City a 15th-minute lead, slotting home after left back Oleksandr Zinchenko’s low cross had been mis-hit

by Kevin De Bruyne only to fall kindly for the Argentine.

Bournemouth suffered a blow in the 32nd minute when their wing-back Charlie Daniels was carried off on a stretcher after suffering what looked like a recurrence of the knee injury which sidelined him in March.

from Nicolas Otamendi.

Moments later Raheem Sterling doubled City’s lead with a confident finish after David Silva concluded a sweeping move with a perfectly angled pass to the England striker.

But Bournemouth got back into the game in magnificent

Wilson went close to a leveller after the interval but Ederson was out quickly to foil his effort and City then made sure of the win when Aguero poked home his second goal in the 63rd minute, following in for the scraps after David Silva had surged into the box.

Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero scores their third goal

(Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs) Adam Smith then missed fashion, just before the inter“It was a tough game, a great chance to level for the val, thanks to an unstoppable we knew it would be,” said Cherries, firing high over curling free-kick from sub- Guardiola, “We have seven the bar from a good position stitute Harry Wilson, on loan points. We should have nine, after some poor defending from Liverpool. but it’s OK.”

Fifties from De Grandhomme and Watling give New Zealand lead of 138

COLOMBO (Reuters) - Half centuries from Colin de Grandhomme and BJ Watling gave New Zealand a first-innings lead of 138 against Sri Lanka on the fourth day of the second and final Test in Colombo on Sunday.

The touring side, who need a series-levelling win after Sri Lanka won the opener in Galle, reached 382 for five wickets on another rain-interrupted day.

Watling was unbeaten on 81 while de Grandhomme was 83 not out after a blistering knock with his side needing quick runs to set Sri Lanka a target on the final day.

After rain allowed just 66 overs of play on the first two days of the match, the start of the fourth day was also delayed due to wet weather and eventually only 48 overs could be bowled on Sunday.

Overnight centurion Tom Latham and Watling continued accumulating runs with ease and took their side past Sri Lanka’s first-innings total of 244.

The pair added 143 for the fifth wicket for the Black Caps before Latham was finally out leg before for 154, giving off-spinner Dilruwan Perera his third wicket.

There was, however, no respite for the hosts’ bowlers as all-rounder De Grandhomme went on the attack, hitting five sixes and an equal number of fours in his 75-ball knock.

De Grandhomme and Watling added 113 for the unbroken sixth wicket, giving their side hopes of victory.

Sri Lanka did not have regular captain Dimuth Karunaratne on the field after he suffered a small tear in his quadriceps while fielding on Saturday.

Former captain Angelo Mathews led the side in the absence of Karunaratne, who will be unable to open the innings and bat higher than number seven in Sri Lanka’s second innings.

Serena v Sharapova to headline Day One at U.S. Open tennis

By Frank Pingue

NEW YORK (Reuters) There will be no shortage of big-name players in action when the U.S. Open tennis begins today but the talk around New York for days has centred around the marquee matchup between Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova.

Williams and Sharapova - for years the two most recognisable names in women’s tennis - will open the evening session at Arthur Ashe Stadium with their first-ever New York meeting in a match that may just have the feel of a championship final.

“Of course I’m going to watch it,” defending U.S. Open champion Naomi Osaka told reporters. “I know you all are going to watch it. I think everyone in New York is going to watch it.

“At every Grand Slam there is always some sort of drama. You know what I mean? Like a first round.

Like, Oh, my God. So this match just happens to be that for this tournament.”

Eighth seed Williams, who is seeking a record-tying 24th career Grand Slam title,

owns a commanding 19-2 career record against Sharapova, who last beat the American in 2004 and has fallen to 87th in the rankings amid an injury-hit 2019 season.

Serena Williams

“Definitely. That’s going to be a match to watch,” said Canadian teenager Bianca Andreescu, who is seeded 15th and plays her first match on Tuesday.

Among the other top names in action on Day One of the year’s final Grand Slam are defending champion Novak Djokovic, five-times winner Roger Federer, Australian world number two Ash Barty and Venus Williams.

While that talented group will surely draw plenty of

attention, the anticipation for their respective matches will pale in comparison to the Williams-Sharapova matchup.

Williams and Sharapova have not played each other since the 2016 Australian Open. They were set to meet last year at the French Open but Williams withdrew injured moments before their fourth-round match.

While five-times Grand Slam champion Sharapova may be far from her top form, she could still present a challenge for Williams, who has not competed since retiring from the Toronto final against Andreescu with back spasms.

And while their clash is highly anticipated, not everyone in the tennis world is planning their day around the match.

“There are a lot of other quality first rounds. It’s not the only first round in the draw,” said French Open champion Barty, who kicks off the action at Arthur Ashe Stadium against Zarina Diyas of Kazakhstan.

“I think more importantly I’m focused on my first round on Monday, and that’s all I’m worried about for the moment.”

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 26, 2019

25

Superb Stokes century levels Ashes series in dramatic fashion

By Peter Hall LEEDS, England (Reuters) - An extraordinary 135 not out from Ben Stokes earned England an exhilarating one-wicket victory in the third Ashes Test on Sunday to level the series against Australia at 1-1, with the home side chasing down a record target of 359 in dramatic fashion.

Starting the day looking to prevent Australia from retaining the Ashes, England got to 286-9, still 73 runs short of their target. The tourists needed only the win to ensure a series defeat was impossible and the urn would stay in their possession.

With one wicket left, England’s World Cup hero Stokes knew everything depended on him and he smashed a remarkable eight sixes to all corners of the ground to get England within touching distance of their highest-ever second-innings total to win a test match.

Nathan Lyon missed an easy run-out chance to dismiss England number 11 batsman Jack Leach and Stokes survived loud lbw shouts, with Australia unable to review, before, fittingly, Stokes hit the winning boundary to spark euphoria at Headingley.

“Ben Stokes is a freak, he’s incredible,” England captain Joe Root said.

“To win a game on your own from there is just amazing. He does have recent experience of doing it. Just incredible to watch unfold.”

England began the day on 156-3, still 203 short of what would be the second-highest ever fourth-innings run chase at Headingley.

a valuable 77.

Runs remained in short supply before a flurry of boundaries from Jonny Bairstow got fans off their seats.

in the second ball of the afternoon session but the call was overturned following a review. He was eventually caught in the slips for a hard-earned 36, with the

such was his focus.

“I looked at the bigger picture,” Stokes said.

“There was still a lot of runs to get. Personal milestones, especially in that situation, mean absolutely nothing.

“It was all about making sure we got over the line.”

Chris Woakes did not last long as he was caught for one, before Jofra Archer (15) was out looking for the big shot.

Stuart Broad was then out for a duck as all looked lost for England, before Stokes went into one-day mode, reverse sweeping for six, flicking another over wicketkeeper Tim Paine’s head — there was no section of the stands safe from Stokes’s hitting.

A big moment came when Stokes, on 116, hauled one out towards the bound-

ary but did not get enough on it. Marcus Harris, on the dive, got two hands to it but put down the catch.

Leach’s job was just to stay there, and he played his part, blocking ball after ball, contributing one run to the 76-run final partnership.

Stokes, in that time, plundered a mesmerising seven sixes in that final partnership, smashing a four through the covers to win the most dramatic of matches.

“We have time now to stick together and bounce back,” Australia captain Tim Paine said. “If we get caught up in the emotion of it all then the series can be taken away from us quickly.

“The fact is we have been in a position to win every Test match so far.”

SCOREBOARD

Ben Stokes sends Headingley into raptures //

(Getty Images)

Root, who played brilliantly to give England a chance coming into day four, chased an aggressive shot down the pitch only to edge to David Warner in the sixth over of the day, departing for

A huge six from Stokes raised the decibel levels yet further on Headingley’s famous Western Terrace, with England going into lunch in optimistic mood.

Bairstow was given out

partnership worth 86.

A mix-up between Jos Buttler and Stokes saw the former run out for one before Stokes passed his 19th test 50 from 152 balls without even acknowledging the applause,

AUSTRALIA first Innings 179 all out England first Innings 67 Australia second innings 246 England Second Innings R. Burns c Warner b Hazlewood 7 J. Roy b Cummins 8 J.Root * c Warner b Lyon 77 J.Denly c Paine b Hazlewood 50 B.Stokes not out 135 J.Bairstow † c Labuschagne b Hazlewood 36 J.Buttler run out (Head) 1 C.Woakes c Wade b Hazlewood 1 J.Archer c Head b Lyon 15 C.Broad lbw b Pattinson 0 J.Leach not out 1 TOTAL: 362 for 9 (125.4 overs) Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-15, 3-141, 4-159, 5-245, 6 253, 7-261, 8-286, 9-286.

Bowling: P. Cummins 24.4 -5-80- 1 (1nb, 1w), J.Hazlewood 31 -11-85 -4 (1w), N.Lyon 39 -5 -114- 2, J.Pattinson 25-9- 47-1 (4w), Labuschagne 6-0-16-0.

Reaction to England’s dramatic win in third Ashes Test LEEDS, England (Reuters) Reaction after Ben Stokes’s unbeaten 135 earned England a thrilling one-wicket victory in the third Ashes Test to level the series against Australia at 1-1 on Sunday.

England captain Joe Root: “Ben Stokes is a freak, he’s incredible. The message at the start was to just keep believing. If we had two people out there still breathing then we have a chance.

“After Stokes got to 60, 70 he looked like he wasn’t going to get out. To win a game on your own from there is just amazing. He does have recent experience of doing it.

Just incredible to watch unfold.”

Australia captain Tim Paine: “Sometimes, people make mistakes and we made a couple today which cost us the test match along with the unbelievable innings.

“We have time now to stick together and bounce back. If we get caught up in the emotion of it all then the series can be taken away from us quickly.

“The facts is we have been in a position to win every Test match so far.”

England all-rounder Ben Stokes, who was named man-ofthe-match: “It probably matches the World Cup, to be honest. Unbelievable, it’s one I’ll never forget.

“I never gave up. When Jack Leach came in it was pretty clear what I had to do. I told him five and one, I’d take five balls and give him one.

“Leachy is our super-nightwatchman so I backed him, knowing what we had to do. I couldn’t watch at the end. I couldn’t watch the balls going down.

England’s tail-end hero Jack Leach, who finished unbeaten on one from 17 balls: “Are you expecting to get some sense out of me right now?

“I got off the pitch and then thought, ‘What has Ben Stokes just done?’ I was running towards him after he hit the winning runs and it was the best feeling ever.”

England bowler Stuart Broad: “It was one of those ‘I was there’ moments. I don’t think anyone in this ground will see a better innings. It had everything. He (Stokes) struck the ball beautifully.

“The bloke has got the heart of a lion. Everything he does is for the team. He is the perfect team mate.

“The belief has always been there in this game. But nine down, one ball finishes the Ashes series; of course I thought the Ashes were over.”

Former England all-rounder Ian Botham: “It takes a remarkable man

and I said this morning that someone needed to front up and be strong.

“I’ve banged the Ben Stokes drum for a long time now and I know when other players see him they think there is something special about him.

“He is very, very valuable to cricket — not just England, he will sell the game worldwide. He should enjoy every moment. It was a really remarkable performance.”

Former England batsman Geoffrey Boycott on Twitter: “I’ve seen some remarkable cricket moments in my life but that is the best I’ve seen in over 50 years. “@benstokes38 saved the Ashes and gave a magical inspirational innings. Even better than his World Cup performance.”

Former England captain Nasser Hussain: “It will test the mental toughness of the Australian side.

“What England need to do in the next couple of games is make them think, ‘crikey, I wish we’d done some things better at Headingley.’”

Former England captain Michael Vaughan, who led the 2005 Ashes-winning team: “That is massive for Joe Root.

I’ve been in that situation where your team is really struggling. This is his time to try and win an Ashes

series on home turf.

“All England captains need a great all-rounder. I had Andrew Flintoff. Mike Brearley had Ian Botham. And Joe Root has Ben Stokes.”

Former England captain Michael Atherton: “On this ground, great English innings in recent years, you’re thinking Botham in 1981, (Graham) Gooch in 1991, (Mark) Butcher 2001 and Ben Stokes has to top all those.

“Australia, Ashes at stake, this has reignited Ashes after England were dead and buried.”

Former Australia leg-spinner Shane Warne: “Stokes is one of those guys who you want in the trenches with you; he’s one of the guys who train harder than I’ve ever seen anyone train.

“He’s an amazing cricketer and special talent. But when the opportunity presents itself you still have to take it.”

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting: “I’m not sure I’ve seen anything better than that on a Test ground, to be honest.

“He (Stokes) scored two off 64 balls but we always felt that if he was there then England were going to be a chance to win. Deep down, he knew that as well.

“He wanted to be the man to be there at the end regardless of how long it took.”

England fast bowler Jofra Archer on Twitter: “This is by far the most intense game I’ve ever seen in my life.”

Former Australia bowler Glenn McGrath on BBC’s Test Match Special: “What a class cricketer Ben Stokes is. Amazing with bat, ball and in the field. Is there a better all-rounder in the world right now?”

Former South Africa captain AB de Villiers on Twitter: “That was pretty special! @benstokes38, that was ridiculous! Well done. Ashes alive and well.”

Former Australia bowler Brad Hogg on Twitter: “@benstokes38 most valuable player in the world game today. Brilliant performance.

Hats off to you.”

Former England soccer international Gary Lineker: “If you’re not into cricket, you have my utmost sympathy.”

Statistics from England’s amazing win in third Ashes Test

(REUTERS) - Statistics and records from England’s one-wicket win over Australia in the third Ashes test at Headingley that levelled the series at 1-1 on Sunday.

RUN CHASE England’s total of 362-9 features in the top 10 highest successful fourth innings run chases of all time in Test cricket: ● 418-7 - West Indies v Australia (St John’s) 2003 ● 414-4 - South Africa v Australia (Perth) 2008 ● 406-4 - India v West Indies (Port of Spain) 1976 ● 404-3 - Australia v England (Leeds) 1948 ● 391-6 - Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe (Colombo) 2017 ● 387-4 - India v England (Chennai) 2008 ● 382-3 - Pakistan v Sri Lanka (Pallekele) 2015

26

Elite Club coaches to participate in capacity-building sessions with Jaguars head coach AS the newly-appointed Golden Jaguars’ head coach, Márcio Máximo, hits the ground running preparing the Guyana-based Golden Jaguars for the upcoming CONCACAF Nations League (CNL), the Elite Coaches are scheduled to benefit from his interaction with the team from today.

This initiative is geared towards building capacity of the local coaches where they will have an opportunity to observe the sessions and ask questions as necessary.

The schedule for the coaches’ attendance is as follows: Monday, August 26 and Thursday, August 29, 2019, at 16:00hrs at the Den Amstel FC, Guyana Police Force FC and Victoria Kings FC. Tuesday, August 27 and Friday, August, 2019, at 16:00hrs at the Buxton United FC, Fruta Conquerors FC and Ann’s Grove United FC. Wednesday, August 28, 2019, at 16:00hrs and Saturday, August 31, 2019, at 8:00hrs at the Santos FC Milerock

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 26, 2019

McIlroy pockets $15 million after winning Tour Championship and FedEx Cup Golden Jaguars head coach, Marcio Maximo

FC, Western Tigers FC and the Guyana Defence Force FC respectively will be included as soon as coaches are appointed.

A 31-man Guyana-based provisional squad is in training at the GFF’s National Training Centre, Providence for the CNL. Guyana’s first match is scheduled for September 6 against Aruba in Curacao.

Guyana will play three home and three away matches as follows:

♦ September 6, Aruba vs Guyana in Curacao ♦ October 9 – Guyana vs Jamaica in Guyana. ♦ October 11: Antigua & Barbuda vs Guyana in Antigua ♦ October 14 – Guyana vs Antigua in Guyana ♦ November 15 – Guyana vs Aruba in Guyana. ♦ November 18: Jamaica vs Guyana in Jamaica

Bermuda, Cayman brushed aside in ICCT20 World Cup qualifier HAMILTON, Bermuda, (CMC) – North American neighbours Canada and the United States outplayed sister British Overseas Territories Bermuda and the Cayman Islands at White Hill Field on Saturday, on the penultimate day of the week-long quadrangular ICC Twenty20 World Cup Qualifier Americas final.

Bermuda had hoped to win the tournament outright, but were swept aside by the belligerence of Rizwan Cheema whose half-century helped carry Canada to an eight-wicket win while Steven Taylor’s explosive unbeaten half-century saw the US crush the Caymans by nine wickets with more than half of their overs to spare.

It was Bermuda’s first defeat of the week but the fifth in a row for the Caymans.

Opting to bat first, Bermuda tallied 116 off 19.5 overs with Kamau Leverock top-scoring with 33 and Allan Douglas getting 31.

Guyana-born medium-pacer Dillon Heyliger, 29, did the bulk of the damage with four for 19 from four overs while leftarm pacer Romesh Eranga claimed two for 17 and off-break bowler Nitish

Kumar, two for 18.

Bermuda’s innings got off to the worst possible start when captain Terryn Fray was run out for nought in the first over without facing a ball.

three, but Leverock and Douglas led a rally in a 44run fifth wicket stand after Malachi Jones was fourth out for 21.

In reply, Canada, who were denied victory over

Steven Taylor … top-scored with a half-century for the US

Sussex county all-rounder Delray Rawlins was bowled first ball

by Kumar to leave Bermuda struggling at 17 for

Bermuda by rain earlier in the week in a no-result, lost opener Rodrigo Thomas for one to left-arm spinner Rawlins in the second over,

but needed only 13.1 overs to secure the points, 41-yearold Pakistan-born Cheema clouting seven sixes and five fours in his 34-ball 71.

Three of Cheema’s sixes came in the 10th over bowled by medium-pacer Onias Bascome before he was caught behind off the fifth ball to leave the US 93 for two. However, captain Navneet Dhaliwal (24 not out) and Ravinderpal Singh (21 not out) ensured there were no further slipups.

In the other game, Cayman chose to bat first but could muster only 66 for nine – Troy Taylor top-scoring with 19 – before 25-year-old left-hander Taylor, who was born in Florida of Jamaican parents, smashed nine fours and two sixes in his 39-ball unbeaten 56 to carry the US to victory in 9.4 overs.

The success came too late for the US after they earlier twice lost to Bermuda, who will be joining Canada as the Americas region top two at the final qualifier in the United Arab Emirates in October and November ahead of next year’s T20 World Cup in Australia.

Rory McIlroy pocketed $15 million

(REUTERS) - Rory McIlroy won the Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup golf in style in Atlanta on Sunday, collecting the biggest first prize in the sport, $15 million.

Northern Irishman McIlroy emphatically outduelled Americans Brooks Koepka and Xander Schauffele with a four-under-par 66 in the final round at East Lake.

He finished at 18 under par, four shots ahead of Schauffele to claim the season-long FedEx Cup points competition for the second time on the PGA Tour, after his 2016 win.

It was a sweet stroll up the final hole for McIlroy, who last year had to make the walk alongside a victorious Tiger Woods as the heaving gallery chanted, “Tiger, Tiger.”

This time the chants were for McIlroy.

“It was pretty cool,” McIlroy said in a greenside interview.

“I must say I didn’t enjoy that walk last year like everyone else did. I never took the fight to Tiger.

“It’s amazing how different things can be in a year.”

McIlroy took the fight to Koepka just four weeks after being given a lesson by the American when they were paired in the final round at a World Golf Championships event in Memphis.

“Going up against the number one player in the world today, he got one over me in Memphis and I wanted to get some revenge,” McIlroy said.

“To play like that alongside Brooks, get the win, win the FedEx Cup, it’s awesome.”

Schauffele shot a closing 70, while Koepka was unusually error-prone in a 72 to tie for third with Justin Thomas, five shots behind.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Monday, August 26, 2019)

COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL- Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD- 83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158)

ANSWERS TO YESTERDAY’S QUIZ:

(1) (2)

Polly Umrigar-130 (QPO, Trinidad, 1953) Everton Weekes-207 (QPO, Trinidad, 1953)

(1)

(2)

What was the result of the first Test of the current WI/India series?

Who was the Man of the Match?

TODAY’S QUIZ:

ANSWERS IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 26, 2019

American sprinter Coleman charged under anti-doping rules AMERICAN sprinter Christian Coleman has been charged under anti-doping rules with missing three drugs tests, says the US Anti-Doping Agency.

USADA has confirmed the 23-year-old has been charged with failing to “properly file his whereabouts information”.

Coleman, who ran a world-leading time of 9.81 seconds in the Diamond League in California in June, has agreed to an arbitration hearing on 4 September.

USADA says a decision will be made the following day.

T h e Wo r l d A t h l e t i c s Championships begin in Doha on 28 September.

On Thursday, BBC Sport was told an investigation had begun over concerns of three missed tests.

Under the ‘whereabouts’ system, athletes must let officials know where they will be for one hour every day as well as details of overnight accommodation and training.

Failure to do so three times in a 12-month period could lead to a rule violation under the World Anti-Doping code.

If found guilty, Coleman would face an automatic oneyear ban and would miss the

World Championships and the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Two of the three tests were directed by Usada, while a third was initiated by the Athletics Integrity Unit.

USADA says it is “working closely with the AIU on this matter”.

drugs tests, at any time.

“What has been widely reported concerning filing violations is simply not true.

“I am confident the upcoming hearing on 4 September will clear the matter and I will compete at the World Championships in Doha this fall.”

Former Great Britain

27

Pollard better choice for Windies T20 captain than Brathwaite-Richards

month in 9.99 seconds.

He finished second at the 2017 World Championships in London behind fellow American Justin Gatlin and has a personal best of 9.79, making him the seventh fastest man in history.

Coleman also set a world record for the 60m when he Kieron Pollard and Carlos Brathwaite

Christian Coleman won the men’s 100m at the US National Championships last month

In a statement to former sprinter Ato Bolden for the NBC network on Saturday, Coleman said: “I’m not a guy who takes any supplements at all, so I’m never concerned about taking

400m Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogu received a year’s ban in 2006 under the ‘whereabouts’ system for three missed tests.

Coleman won the US National Championships last

claimed gold at the World Indoor Championships in Birmingham last year and was talked about as a new superstar sprinter in the post-Usain Bolt era.

(BBC Sport)

WEST Indies legend Sir Vivian Richards believes veteran T20 player Kieron Pollard would make a better option for team captain than current skipper Carlos Brathwaite.

The 31-year-old Brathwaite was named captain of the squad in 2016, following the controversial dismal of World Cup-winning captain Darren Sammy and his heroics against England in the final.

The Barbadian has, however, struggled since taking charge of the unit, winning just 11 and losing 17 of his matches in charge of the team for a 36 percent win rate.

Despite being out of the squad for a couple of years, Pollard has continued to be one of the game’s most reliable players, recently returning to score 115 in a three-match

series against India. The Windies, however, lost the series 3-0.

“Given his experience in that format, I would have liked to see Kieron Pollard as the best choice for our T20 captain. But he is not, for there are some reasons for that. During the CPL, he is the best with the bat and his fielding talent,” Richards recently told the India Times.

“There is no disrespect to Carlos Brathwaite, but he probably would have been part of the team still. It was a political scenario after Darren Sammy exited the captaincy.

Brathwaite is magnificent as an individual and highly competitive, but I know a lot of players in that team who believe Pollard would have been a great choice as captain.”

(Sportsmax)

Bumrah 5 for 7, Rahane 102 help India crush Windies by 318 runs Page

23

Jasprit Bumrah sends Darren Bravo’s off stump cartwheeling (Getty Images)

Ajinkya Rahane celebrates his 10th Test century

Rail car steals the show at 1320 heat Page

23

Unlimited Bike Champion Joel Bruce poses with his trophy

Page

25

16 seconds champion Shivan Ragnauth poses with FMR&SC executive Cheryl Gonsalves

Superb Stokes century levels Ashes series in dramatic fashion

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Ben Stokes

MONDAY, AUGUST 26, 2019