Guyana_Chronicle_Epaper_09_13_2019

FRIDAY 13th September, 2019

No.105759

‘No shortcut to credible polls’

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… Elections timeframe must comply with statutory guidelines … electoral expert slams opposition for adopting ‘irrational position’

Concerns raised over GTT’s online billing services –– company says service PAGE 02 is convenient, free and consumers have other options

Exxon partner seeks approval of EIA for 14 Payara development GET IN LINE! PAGE

Special Needs 03 School for Bartica PAGE

Director of the Department of Energy, Dr. Mark Bynoe, on Thursday encouraged about 300 persons assembled in the auditorium of the Essequibo Technical Institute (ETI), Anna Regina, Pomeroon-Supenaam (Region Two) for an Interactive Session on Oil and Gas to position themselves now to benefit from the multiplier effects of the emerging petroleum sector.

Dr. Bynoe noted that the early arrival of Guyana’s Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, the Liza Destiny, has ramped up preparations for first oil 2020 and persons must plan, prioritise, do their research, to become certified and make the necessary sacrifices so that they can capitalise on the opportunities in the sector.

Dr. Bynoe was, at the time, speaking to

students of seven secondary schools, students of the ETI, Director of Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training, regional officials, and stakeholders from the Ministry of Education, Guyana Revenue Authority, Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission, Guyana Defence Force, Guyana Police Force ‘G’ Division and the Essequibo Chamber of Commerce, among others.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 13, 2019

Concerns raised over GTT’s online billing services – company says service is convenient, free and consumers have other options

THE Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT)’s online payment and billing services, which include the My GTT app and Mobile Money Guyana (MMG), were at the centre of discussions during a hearing of the Public Util-

ities Commission (PUC) on Thursday.

Political Commentator, Ramon Gaskin prompted the hearing, after filing a complaint against GTT to the PUC. Gaskin complained that the company has moved away from regular paper bills

GTT’s Vice President of Customer Experience, Orson Ferguson (left) and GTT’s Director of Legal and Regulatory Affairs, Mark Reynolds (Delano Williams photo)

to issuing electronic bills.

The complaint also stated that the electronic telephone bill does not reflect an itemised list of cellular calls and overseas calls which would have been itemised in previous bills and afforded consumers the ability to check and verify their activities for the preceding month.

“GTT is forcing me to take a service that I don’t need… that is the whole purpose of this thing, to force me to do what I don’t want to do… I went to the store and they kept me in a line for 45 minutes as a senior citizen and the supervisor told me that they have Mobile money and all this nonsense…I want my original bill the way I used to get it,” Gaskin contended during the hearing of the PUC. Gaskin argued that GTT’s agreement and licence do not allow them to unanimously shift from regular paper billing to online billing, but

Political Commentator, Ramon Gaskin makes a point during the PUC hearing, while Former CEO of GTT, Dr. Yog Mahadeo (first from right) and Consumer Rights Activist, Pat Dyal (second from right) watches on (Delano Williams photo) that was challenged by the company’s Director of Legal and Regulatory Affairs, Mark Reynolds who said Gaskin’s position on the agreement and licence is not true. Reynolds said the agreement between the Government and GTT is confidential, but it speaks to the billing system which is to be used and the nature of the system.

The director also said that, in keeping with an order from the PUC, the bill which is issued contains the types

of calls made, including international calls. This point was supported by GTT’s Vice President of Customer Experience, Orson Ferguson, who said the summary of everything, is on the bill, but the only things missing are the call details.

“You can get everything on the bill… you don’t have to solely use the online billing system, no other option is closed to you…the only thing we do not do is put a bill in the post, but all other options

are available to you,” said Ferguson.

He, however, adjusted his statement, noting that customers who are registered to the My GTT will not get their bill in the post, but customers who have not registered will get the normal paper bill.

GTT representatives also contended that persons who are registered to My GTT can visit any retail store See page 3

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‘No shortcut to credible polls’

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 13, 2019

… Elections timeframe must comply with statutory guidelines

… electoral expert slams opposition for adopting ‘irrational position’

By Svetlana Marshall THE Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh and her Commission, must comply with the statutory guidelines outlined in the Elections Law Amendment Act; to do the contrary would be to breach the Constitution and the Laws of Guyana, an electoral expert has warned.

Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, in rejecting the March 2020 election timeline proposed by the Elections’ Secretariat, has threatened that there will be widespread protest actions across the country after September 18, if a 2019 date for General and Regional Elections is not set.

But the electoral expert said that Jagdeo and the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) have adopted an irrational position. It was explained that the Elections Commission, as advised by the Secretariat must act in conformity with the Constitution of Guyana and the Elections Laws (Amendment) Act of 2000 and the Representation of People Act, Chapter 1:03.

The electoral expert made it clear that neither Justice Singh nor her Commission can set a timeframe for elections independent of the Secretariat, and in total defiance of the Constitution and the Elections Laws (Amendment) Act which have set out clear guidelines.

“If, for example, the chair informs the president that elections could be held by December 25, how will the Secretariat operationalize the timeline, the statutory guidelines within that time frame? It means that we can find ourselves in a lot of shambles and in breach of the Constitution because you advise on a timeframe but ideally the work plan cannot fit in the statutory timelines,” the expert reasoned.

There are approximately 35 statutory guidelines that the Elections Commission must abide by as outlined in the Representation of the People Act. According to Section 9 of the Representation of the People Act, the notice of the date for submission of the list of Candidates (Nominations Day) cannot be done no later than 32 days before Elections. Added to that, the act states that candidates must be informed of defects in the list of candidates not later than 30 days before the election, and by the 29th day before the election is held, corrections must be submitted. Those are just three of the 35 statutory guidelines established under the act.

In the case of the revised List of Electors, the expert pointed out that it must be posted for 21 days in accordance with the Law. “If you put it for 10 days, and then somebody, after that 10-day period expires, realises that his name is not on the list but he would have registered and would

Concerns raised ...

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and get a paper bill.

“We have given customers multiple payment options which are convenient and free…A customer can always pick up the landline service, call 0488 and be guided through their bill,” said Ferguson.

He reiterated that the online services are convenient and customers do not pay to use the My GTT app, it is free of cost. Ferguson said GTT is not receiving added benefits from the payment of bills. GTT, however, admitted that there have been human errors which they intend on reducing. Despite defending their service, representatives of GTT apologised to Gaskin.

Ferguson had said that the company introduced its e-billing by means of the My GTT in support of the country’s green initiative and in keeping with the technological growth and direction of the company. Since the establishment of the online billing system, the company has recorded a 30 per cent decline in the number of customers being disconnected for non-payment.

have gotten the pink slip, that person could carry GECOM to court because the list was not posted for 21 days as statutorily required,” the electoral expert explained.

GECOM’s Public Relations Officer (PRO) Yolanda Warde had made a similar case earlier this week when the elections body rejected claims that it was stalling the elections. In a statement, she explained that the operations of the Secretariat are guided by the decisions of the Commission in conformity with the Elections Laws of the country.

In the work plan submitted by the Secretariat, Nominations Day was placed 55 days before elections day as against the usual timeline – 32-34 days prior to elections day. “The law is clear that Nominations Day

should be no later than 32 days before elections day.

Therefore, any time before that amount of days, even if it’s 55 days, is acceptable and in conformity with the laws of Guyana,” Warde explained. She made it clear that the shift in the time is justifiable and within the confines of the law, adding that it is not intended to delay the holding of elections as suggested by the article.

“Historically, when all the lists of candidates were submitted and once [there are] no errors for corrections, the ballots were sent off to be printed. As such, some mandatory statutory timelines which took as much as 10 days after Nominations Day were bypassed and the contending parties’ lists of candidates were approved and sent off for the production of ballots. However, the

Operations Sub-Committee, which is co-chaired

by Commissioners Sase Gunraj and Charles Corbin decided, at a meeting on July 17, 2018, that all statutory timelines must be adhered to,” Warde said as she explained the decision resulting in the gap. She noted that the proposal was subsequently presented to, and adopted by, the full commission.

Added to that, the GECOM PRO pointed to the fact that the ballots are printed overseas and would take approximately 21 days to be produced by the service provider. “Shipping is likely to be 5-7 days which will take us to roughly 28 days,” Warde added.

Upon arrival in Guyana, she explained, a per cent has to be extracted to ship overseas to Resident Ambassadors to allow for

them to vote. This process, she outlined, takes as much as 14 days to be completed.

“Consequent to the foregoing and in the present circumstances, expediting those activities means that Nominations Day must be held at least 55 days prior to elections day. It must, however, be emphasised that the timelines presented are in draft and the commission can determine whether it will reverse the decision to remove nine days for appeals after Nominations Day, once all the lists of candidates are error free,” Warde explained.

The Elections Commission, she said, remains committed to ensuring it delivers credible elections within the shortest possible time and has no motive to delay the conduct of those elections.

More communities to come online – Minister Hughes

MORE communities in Region Two, Pomeroon-Supenaam, are expected to come online before September month-end.

This was disclosed, by Minister of Public Telecommunications, Catherine Hughes, during a recent interview on the National Communications Network’s (NCN), radio programme ‘Insight’.

According to the Telecommunications Minister, Matthews Ridge, Port Kaituma, Mabaruma, Akawini, Saint Monica, Jacklow, Sirikie, Kabakaburi, St, Cuthbert Mission, Moraikobe, Kimbia, Sand Hill are already among recent recipients of internet access via the ministry’s E-Access and ICT Services for Hinterland, Poor, and Remote

communities Project.

The move to bring other communities online reinforces His Excellency, President David Granger’s commitment to closing the “digital divide” between the coast and the hinterland. “There are no longer gaps that say because you are located in a certain part of our geographical landscape that you will be locked out… That traditionally is what we referred to as the digital divide; where the people on the coast have access to the internet among other opportunities while the hinterland does not,” the minister explained.

This step, the public telecommunications minister noted, also forms part of the government’s objective to ensure all the necessary tools are available to create opportunities for the country’s

future leaders. Previously, far-flung communities would have to establish relationships with private sector companies to gain access to the internet.

“This was challenging because it often meant a village needed to find $15,000 to $30,000 every month,” Minister Hughes stated.

The administration is working to ensure that these areas have access to free internet access she emphasised. Minister Hughes also spoke of her ministry’s plan to continue to provide internet access to more schools, government agencies, ministries, along with the creation of additional hotspots.

Thus far, the ministry has been able to offer such services to over 170 schools and established over 174 ICT hubs. (DPI)

Special Needs School for Bartica

THE Cuyuni Mazaruni Region is yet again in the education spotlight as its township; Bartica is slated to house the hinterland’s first Special Education Needs School.

Delivering the announcement recently was Regional Chairman, Gordon Bradford, who explained that the institute will be outfitted with dormitories. These dorms will cater to children with special needs living in the hinterland, remote and riverine communities.

It was noted that the move to establish such a facility in the hinterland demonstrates the government’s

commitment to providing equitable and inclusive education across Guyana. The Ministry of Education, in its mandate, aims to eliminate illiteracy, modernise education and strengthen tolerance.

Access to education is a basic need and right and the Region Seven administration, working with the ministry, has taken its commitment seriously and has so far built two new schools this year, with another three under various degrees of construction.

Additionally, in Waramadong at the newly renamed D.C. Caesar Fox

Secondary, a new science laboratory will be constructed for the students.

This school currently houses students from several catchment areas including Waramadong, Paruima and Kamarang.

Bids for the Special Education Needs School were at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) attracting an engineer’s estimate of $25.9M. For this year, Region Seven has a capital allocation of $448.6M, which will be used for developmental projects throughout Upper, middle and lower Mazaruni. (DPI)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 13, 2019

Israel must have freedom to act against Iran, Netanyahu says in Russia MOSCOW (Reuters) Israel must be allowed to act freely against Iran, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday during a visit to Sochi, where he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss security coordination in Syria.

The two leaders have met more than a dozen times in recent years and the countries’ militaries have been working to avoid accidental clashes in Syria, where Israel says it has carried out hundreds of strikes against Iranian targets to stop Tehran

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Friday, September 13, 04:30hrs - 14:30 hrs

establishing a permanent military presence there.

“Security coordination between us is always important, but it is especially important now, since in the past month there has been a serious increase in attempts by Iran to hit Israel from Syria and to place there precision missiles to use against us,” Netanyahu said at the start of the meeting.

Iran and Iran-backed Lebanese militia Hezbollah have helped President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian civil war. Russia, which is also aiding Assad, has largely turned a blind eye to the Israeli air strikes. Russia’s RIA news said Putin praised military and security cooperation between Russia and Israel.

Following the talks, which lasted for several hours, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said both Russia and Israel agreed to boost dialogue between their militaries in regards to Syria, Interfax news agency reported.

The news agency, also citing the minister, said that Putin and Netanyahu both underlined the need to safeguard Syria’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.

After an earlier meeting with Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, Netanyahu reiterated that for Israel to ensure its security, its military needed to have “freedom of action” against Iran in the region.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 13, 2019

TT Police, government issue warning on new drugs labelled ‘Zeeser’ PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – The Trinidad and Tobago government and police Wednesday said they were concerned at the proliferation of a new drug labelled “the Zesser Pill” that has been blamed for causing severe adverse physical and mental behavioural reactions in users.

The Ministry of National Security in a statement said that it is aware of the recent information circulating in the print and social media about the availability of the

drug that is being sold for as much as TT$100 (One TT dollar=US$0.16 cents).

“This drug has been attributed to causing severe adverse (physical and mental) behavioural reactions in users,” the Ministry said in a statement, quoting National Security Minister Stuart Young as advising “that the chemical composition of this drug has not yet been verified by the Trinidad and Tobago Forensic Science Centre (TTFSC), but investigations are underway.

“The Ministry of Na-

tional Security continues to urge the public to avoid the use of any substances with psychoactive properties, in the interest of their health, safety and wellbeing,” the statement said.

Speaking at the weekly Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) news conference, Acting Superintendent Wayne Mystar, law enforcement authorities are aware of the drug and that “based on our intelligence it is a combination of ecstasy and cocaine.

“It is in a powder form and it is also designed to look like

sweets,” he said, adding “we are critically concerned about it and we are doing all in our power to get that dangerous drug off the street.”

Mystar said that the police are seeking to cooperate with the Ministry of Education to assess a programme “because we are realising that because of the infiltration of gangs into schools, the drug may well find itself within the schools. “So that is something of concern to the TTPS and we are looking into that seriously,” he said, adding based on

intelligence, the drug is circulating within parties and at schools. “We are doing our investigations but what we want to advise principals …if you see something say something, that is our mantra. We are asking the parents to get involved to educate their children about accepting these things from strangers and as it relates to gangs trying to infiltrate we have a partnership with each school…to provide strategies that would keep a high security blanket across our nation schools,” he added.

Anti-substance abuse activist, Garth St. Clair, recently warned that the video posted on social media showing a number of young people passed out at the Hasely Crawford Stadium following a party, was troubling and urged young people to stay away from the drug that could kill them. St. Clair said that the drug takes a long time to leave the body’s system and thereby prolonging the effect of heart attacks, paranoia, strokes, seizures, coma and even death.

Grenadian Government to develop action plan to stem financial crimes ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada, Sep. 12, CMC – The government of Grenada is in the process of developing a national action plan to address issues that have emerged in the recently concluded national risk assessment.

The assessment determined the level of financial crime especially in the area of money laundering and terrorist financing.

“The identification of our risk level is a critical component of the recommendation by the Financial Action Task Force, which states that countries should understand their money laundering risks.

Through this assessment, we now have a greater

understanding of the levels of risk in the financial space,” Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell told public sector representatives who are attending a pre-assessment training as part of initiatives to assist them in preparing the island for the fourth round of Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) review scheduled for June 2020.

The onsite visit of the CFATF experts will be preceded by the technical report which is scheduled to be ready by December 2019. “We expect to have that report by year end but importantly, some actions are already being taken to advance the process of narrowing the gap between

the risks identified and the international standards we need to comply with,” said Mitchell who believes that Grenada is in a better position to combat financial crimes when compared to other regional jurisdictions.

“Given the national risk assessment and the considerable work done to combat money laundering, I am convinced that Grenada is in good standing among its regional and international

peers. What is critical to note is that Government remains committed to further advancing this process, by making the necessary investments that enable the lead agencies to undertake their work,” he told the participants which represented various Government agencies or department including the Financial Intelligence Unit, the Integrity Commission and Corporate Affairs and Intellectual Property Office.

According to the preliminary findings of the report, Grenada’s high-risk sectors are the banking sector, car dealership and lawyers while medium risk sectors are the real estate and credit unions.

The Prime Minister said the FIU’s engagement with car dealers provides a distinct example of the initiatives being taken to address issues highlighted by the risk assessment. “Car dealerships, particularly those engaged in used car

sales have been assessed to be at the higher level of risk,” he said. Mitchell who also serves as the Minister for National Security said that Government has good reason to be optimistic about the future.

“Significant strides have been made since the third round of CFATF assessments ten years ago and we have consistently demonstrated a commitment to the anti-money laundering process,” he said.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 13, 2019

Education and equal opportunities PRESIDENT David Granger has been leading the charge to make this country an ‘education nation’ and his words have been matched by his deeds.

Recent announcement that his government intends to restore free education from nursery to university, which was stopped by the PPP administration and his daily charge for citizens to acquire an education speaks volume about his commitment to delivering this public good. At this week’s celebrations of Heritage Day at Riversview, Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice, President Granger returned to the subject in his speech, telling residents that education will equip not only the nation’s children, but those of Riversview with the knowledge and skills needed to transform the resources into riches and enable them to develop the economy and open opportunities for employment. He reminded that education is supported by the Public Education Transport Service (PETS or 5Bs) which is essential to school attendance. The provision of the school boat has resulted in significant reduction in ‘skulking’ and significant savings for parents who were paying more than $20,000 per month for one child to attend school in Bartica. “As

long as I am President, you will never have to pay. You can now use those savings to improve the quality of life in your homes and villages. This Education Month is a very significant month for all of us because it is the pathway to development and the pathway to giving your children a better opportunity to succeed,” the President said.

Education has always been seen as a major means out of poverty, an opportunity to ascend the socio-economic ladder, to attracting the maxim “education makes a nation,” it is also deemed a fundamental right according to the United Nations and Guyana constitution. Ours is a society, where once only the so-called brightest child was allowed by the parents to pursue education, girls were kept back and the poor either never saw education as a necessity or just couldn’t afford it. In that same era not many had the benefit of primary and post-primary education, thereby nurturing a sense of elitism or privilege for those who had access, which was discriminatory in thinking and practice.

Knowledge is power and when so empowered, the sky is the limit. And though the earlier days of private education was only

for those who could afford it or where religious organisations ran schools and being a student necessitated being a member of that community, the advent of universal public education in 1976 propelled the nation’s people as to their limitless possibilities.

The universality in this approach set in train co-education and co-mingling of persons, irrespective of class, gender, race, creed or location.

Education not only became the great equaliser, it also set in train the nurturing of minds to respect and appreciate diversity, learning from each other, and valuing the importance of education to the people and nation’s development. As the PNC Government back then was pursuing the path of self-sufficiency and investing in its citizens’ education, making it free from nursery to university, at technical institutions, colleges and trade schools, to deny that the country was on a cusp to greater heights is to deny our sense of being and capabilities.

School buses/transportation, meals, uniforms, accommodation, and exercise and text books, the cost of which was borne by the government, toppled barriers to entry and learning. The economy, like all

economies, experienced a down turn, aided in part by natural economic cycle, international factors such as oil price and scarcity of foreign exchange, and some would say management deficiencies and probably biting off more than we could chew at the time, such do not deny the fact of the boldness of our ambition and the audacity to create an educated nation.

Where efforts were made and are being made by government to remove hindrances to acquiring an education, particularly the basic by the re-institution of some, if not all of these, stated services are steps in the right direction. That for one reason or the other, when university education was no longer free and private education was returned, to deny that this direct cost to students was not felt is to ignore the economic reality of most, notwithstanding the felt importance to make the needed sacrifice to have the service.

Bottom line is, education, be it private or public, should not be prohibitive. This also suggests that providers of this service, be they not-for-profit or for-profit, should seek not to be exploitative and or create a new class where only the wealthy can access.

Carter Center should not allow itself to be dragged into a scheme of hurried elections Dear Editor, I noticed that a team from the Carter Center had returned to Guyana. No doubt it is interested in elections in Guyana which the Guyana Elections

Commission (GECOM) has said could be held by March 2020.

The Carter Center is no stranger to delayed polls as it had experienced in Guyana how the 1990 elections

were pushed back to 1992 to allow new voter registration, and for mechanisms to be put in place for credible elections.

The Carter Center has a proven reputation of help-

ing to promote electoral democracy. It should not allow itself to be dragged into a scheme where elections, hurriedly done, could derail credible results.

The Carter Centre

has a great track record of working with governments and civil society, and any role it has in Guyanese elections would be helped by respect for lawful authority, such a

GECOM, which has sole responsibility over the conduct of all elections in Guyana.

Sincerely, Indrawattie Hardatt

PPP flip-flopping on elections date PPP has reduced itself to a cheap hustler

Dear Editor, The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) is playing musical chairs over a date for elections, which constitutionally is due by May 2020 – except for the vote of no-confidence that requires a shorter date.

It demanded elections

by March, 2019. When the courts became engaged, it shifted its demand to a date before April 30, 2019 – when the voters list expired. The courts ruled in June, 2019 that it cannot fix a date for elections, and left this to the Guyana Elections Commissions (GECOM), the Par-

liament and President to do.

However, the PPP demanded elections by September 18, 2019.

In the meantime GECOM was doing house-to-house registration of persons who would eventually get on a new voters list. The PPP boycotted the exercise, insisting on the September deadline even though the court ruled that the house-tohouse exercise was lawful.

Now the PPP has changed its tune and is going after another musical chair – an election sooner than March 2020, this new time-frame being offered by

GECOM. How soon that will be is yet to be seen, but in the meantime, the PPP continues to dance around the chairs, as it tries to grab away date for elections that is sooner than March 2020.

The government must not fall for the antics of the PPP by exerting any influence on GECOM to cut short its preparations for credible elections. Let GECOM do its job, and if it says that the elections could be held before March 2020, so be it!

Regards, Christine Henry

Dear Editor, I continue to be amused by Mr. Jagdeo and company who have one and only one obsession – political power at any cost.

I did some research and found the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) in the same position it was in 1964 when it lost power to the PNCUF Coalition. The funny thing is, the PPP claimed then that the PNC polled a minority of votes (40 per cent) and UF, only 12 per

cent, as against 46 per cent for the PPP. When the PNC and UF joined up, the PPP protested that two minorities could not make a majority!

Last year, when the vote was taken on the no-confidence motion, the PPP has 32 out of the 65 seats in the National Assembly – a minority. It then took one vote from the APNU+AFC Coalition 33, which gave a “majority” to the PPP. It is a shameful re-

versal of the 1964 situation, but the result was the same: two “minorities” combined to remove a majority government.

To call for new elections on the basis of that politically immoral act, shows that the PPP has reduced itself into the status of a cheap hustler, for whom power can be bought at any price!

Sincerely, Cheryl Campbell Research Student

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 13, 2019

Why should Africans be called on to explain solidarity activities?

Dear Editor, I write this letter conscious that it is unlikely to be published in the Kaieteur News given that media house’s editorial policy of not publishing letters written by me.

I refer here to a letter captioned, “Mr Retemyer please answer the following questions” that was published in Kaieteur News, (KN) on September 09, 2019, which was authored by one Mr Eddy Layne, the Editor-in-Chief of MTV News Update. In his letter Mr. Layne, who was dismissed from his previous employment at NCN on the alleged grounds of dishonesty, sought to imply

in his letter improper conduct on the part of Mr. Aubrey Heath-Retemyer, the Deputy Director of SARA, as a result of Heath-Retemyer’s participation in a meeting on August 29, 2019, at Critchlow Labour College, with the Minister of Citizenship, Winston Felix and a number of persons of the extended CARICOM family who are Africans of Haitian origin.

In his letter, Layne gleefully raised a number of questions which he demanded that Heath-Retemyer and his “buddy” Winston Felix respond to. It is my contention that MTV and its editor-in-chief are willing par-

ticipants in the Jagdeo/PPP’s campaign that the government is engaged in plans to rig elections when they are held.

On Sunday evening (September 8, 2019) on the WPA Walter Rodney Groundings TV show on CH9, I addressed this erroneous and racist accusation that the meeting at Critchilow was part of an ongoing scheme by the APNU+AFC administration to use Haitians as voters in the upcoming elections to facilitate rigging. I argued that this accusation was the work of Jagdeo. I will now add that the hype around the an innocent humanitarian meeting is part of the PPPC’s

“dirty tricks committee” concerted political propaganda plan to enhance that party’s post-election claims that the elections were rigged and resulted in their defeat at the polls.

On the programme, I also defended Brother Retemyer’s right as an African Cultural Activist and a Pan Africanist to extend solidarity to fellow Africans, Haitians or from the Mother Land, without having to justify his actions. These solidarity activities fall in the area of citizens personal rights and are in keeping with the United Nations’ Declared Decade for Africans.

I knew Retemyer years

before he and I became employees at SARA. We met initially at the home of a mutual friend who is an African activist. She introduced him to me as a brother, who lives in the USA, and who is actively engaged in working in the African Community in America, doing social and cultural work, and heads an African organisation.

Given this history and the fact that since his return to Guyana he continues these activities unabated, his ongoing interest in the plight of Africans compelled him to come to the aid of his Haitian brothers and sisters.

It is nothing but political wickedness on the part of PPPC, Layne and Heath-Retemyer’s other detractors to suggest, without an iota of evidence, that the meeting with Haitians was anything other than what he explained. In closing, I pose the following question to the PPPC, Layne and others: Why should Africans be called on to explain solidarity activities when persons of other ethnicities are allowed to do so uninhibited by the need to explain their actions to others?

Regards Tacuma Ogunseye

Caribbean knighthood and honorary doctorates Dear Editor, The award of knighthood of Geoff Boycott, former English batsman, last week sparked off criticism that a man who was convicted for assaulting his partner should not be given such a high and distinguished honour.

The award also generated discussions in the social media whether knighthood bestowed to cricketers in Antigua and Barbuda and Barbados is recognised. Andy Roberts, Vivian Richards, of

Antigua, Wes Hall, Conrad Hunte, are few of the knights from those two countries.

Some bloggers feel that in as much they can be addressed as “Sirs”, they are not knights because the honours were not bestowed by Her Majesty the Queen. I looked at Google which was not too helpful. I then sought the assistance of Sir Ronald Sanders, a senior diplomat, and well-known commentator, who was a candidate for the Commonwealth Secretary General. Sir Ron, penned the following:

“Knighthoods bestowed by the governments of Antigua and Barbuda and Barbados are bestowed by Her Majesty the Queen, who is the Head of State of both countries and is the Head of the Orders of Knighthood that are bestowed. The Governor General of these two countries officiates at the ceremony on behalf of Her Majesty and they do in all other official acts that they undertake as her constitutional representative. Therefore, persons who are awarded

the dignity of “Knighthood” in Antigua and Barbuda and Barbados are properly addressed with the titles “Sir” or Dame in the case of a woman.

Just as knighthoods bestowed on “non-commonwealth” citizens in the United Kingdom is honorary, so are knighthoods bestowed on “non-Commonwealth” citizens in Barbados and Antigua and Barbados. Such persons, like for instance Rudy Guilianil, who has been knighted by the Queen,

should not describe himself as “Sir”. It is similar to honorary doctorates bestowed by universities. The title is honorary and the recipients should not use the prefix “Dr” before their names or call themselves “Doctor” although many do so, wrongly.

Sanders received two knighthoods - Knight Commander of the Order of the Nation in the Antigua and Barbuda Order, and Knight Commander of the Distinguished Order of St. Michael

and St. George in the United Kingdom Order. At his knighthood ceremonies, the Governor General officiated in Antigua on behalf of Her Majesty the Queen and Her Majesty herself officiated in the United Kingdom.

He also received an honorary doctorate from the University of the West Indies and he does not use “doctor” before his name, He properly uses “Sir” Regards, Oscar Ramjeet

Tackling agro-poison suicides Dear Editor, Public Health Minister, Volda Lawrence, has been quoted in the local media as stating that “investigations ought to be conducted in suicide deaths caused by the intake of pesticides or other toxic chemicals, to ascertain whether safety and best practices were breached.”

May we remind the minister that in early 2015, The Caribbean Voice (TCV) and a number of other stakeholders had met with the Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Control Board (PTCCB) and an agreement arrived at that the PTCCB would unveil an adaptation of the Shri Lankan Model later that year.

Nothing has since been heard about that unveiling.

The Shri Lankan model encompasses: 1. Introducing a minimum agro-chemicals list restricting the use of pesticides to a smaller number of pesticides least dangerous to humans.

2. Placing import restrictions to ensure that more dangerous chemicals do not enter the country.

3. Restricting the availability of agro-chemicals by ensuring they are stored safely in locked boxes in rural households, along with all equipment with which these pesticides are used.

4. Ensuring that empty containers are safely and effectively disposed of.

5. Restricting sale of agro-chemicals only to licensed premises and to licensed farmers.

6. Implementing administrative controls to ensure that sales outlets safely store all agro-chemicals.

7. Implementing an ongoing safe-use policy to educate people about safe handling, use, storage and disposal.

Concurrently, for small-scale farming, non-chemical methods, including organic farming, should be encouraged.

8. Improving medical management of pesticide poisoning: an important fac-

et of control because better management will reduce the number of deaths. Requirements are the better availability of antidotes (both in central referral hospitals and ideally in peripheral health units) and ventilation facilities, better training, and better evidence for interventions.

9. Constantly monitoring all measures to ensure ongoing conformity, including random home visits to check for locked-box storage and field visits to ensure that only licensed premises and licensed farmers have access to chemicals and that safe handling, use, storage and disposal are in effect.

In this context the policy of sharing out cabinets to farmers makes sense. However, given that there are tens of thousands of farmers in Guyana, the few hundreds cabinets doled out so far is simply a band-aid approach.

Thus it is time for government to reach out to the World Health Organisation

and other potential international and local partners to come up with an effective, long-term plan to tackle agro-poisons suicide.

This plan must, of necessity, include a widely-publicised list of all banned agro chemicals. Additionally potent agro-poisons such as grammaxzone, the choice of poison in Guyana, must be added to that list. Gramozone contains the lethal ingredient – paraquat – a substance banned in many nations across the globe. There is no known antidote and it has one of the highest death rates for poisons once ingested.

While there has been no study on its usage in Guyana, a 1997 study by Dr Daisley and Dr Simmons on forensic analysis of acute poisonings in south Trinidad showed that of 105 deaths analysed, almost 95 per cent were cases of suicide, and almost 80 per cent of deaths were due to paraquat. An analysis of international literature, especially a study in South Korea,

shows that the introduction of national policies regulating and banning paraquat led to a significant decrease in pesticide-associated mortality.

Yet access to this poison in Guyana is as easy as access to candy. And, considering that those who attempt suicide generally do not want to die, ingestion of gramozone effectively takes away from them that option to survive.

As well, at the Second Caribbean Regional Symposium on Suicide held in December 2015 in the Cayman Islands, a representative from the government spoke with UWI’s toxicologist and founder/head of UWI’s poison control centre, Dr. Verrol Simmons, and indicated to him that the Guyana Government would employ his services in addressing agro-poisons suicides. At the third symposium in Trinidad & Tobago, Dr. Simmons disclosed to TCV that he never heard back from that individual or the government.

Dr. Simmons also indicat-

ed that once a person ingests poison, critical first steps can be taken right there and then to start the life-saving process. There is no doubt that such information is desperately needed in Guyana for training and for nationwide dissemination. As well, Dr. Simmons can provide technical and other assistance with respect to the poison control centres, which were supposed to have been established in mid-2016, according to a January 2016 disclosure in the media by Dr. Shamdeo Persaud. To date no such centre has ever been set up.

The combination of an adaptation of the Shri Lankan Model and training

by Dr. Simmons, even without the poison control centres, can ensure that there are no gaps and that in the mid to long-term agro-poisons suicides would be significantly reduced if not eliminated.

Regards, The Caribbean Voice

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 13, 2019

Bridge linking Laing Ave and La Penitence hailed as a blessing

“CHILDREN from Albouystown go to West Ruimveldt Primary and this bridge is a great relief for them because, during rainy weather, people used have to hop and skip down the dam. So, now they have a bridge, they are happy.”

These were the words of Roy Chapman, one of the Laing Avenue residents, who believes a recently constructed bridge that links Laing Avenue and La Penitence, will play a critical role in ensuring students get to school on time. The $3M bridge, constructed through a joint effort between the Ministry of Communities and the Mayor and City Council, is the first of its kind for the community.

In addition to it providing access for students to and from school, several residents, including Chapman, benefitted from employment during the construction phase. As part of the contract, 50 per cent of the labour had to be sourced from the two communities.

Donna Gittens, who has been living in the area for over 30 years, described the construction of the bridge as one of the best developments in the community to date. “The bridge is a good thing be-

The bridge linking the two communities City Councillor, Trichria Richards cause it has joined the two communities.

It has provided easy access over and through because, before, we had to walk right away round. This bridge was in the making for a very long time so we are glad, it has done this community well,” Gittens stated.

City Councillor responsible for the community that falls within Constituency 13, Trichria Richards, said the

construction of the bridge was a direct call from the residents. “Residents of the two communities had held consultations with us; asking for a bridge to be erected there. They said it would provide easier access between the two communities and the movement of goods and services.

They are very happy about this particular development and the government is committed to ensuring that we provide services and infrastructural development

in different communities,” Richards explained.

The councillor indicated that she will be collaborating with residents of the two communities to hear directly what other developments they need so she can address these promptly. The construction of the bridge is one of several infrastructural development projects currently ongoing around the capital city. (DPI)

It can happen in a flash with a splash!

Dear Editor, Did you know that hot drinks and food remain the number one cause of serious burns to young children? These burns usually range from first-degree superficial burns to third-degree full-thickness burns.

YET, so many restaurant

owners in Guyana are oblivious to the dangers involved and do not educate their staff, waiters and waitresses accordingly. Every time I go out with my family to dine, a reminder has to be issued to the serving staff to kindly do NOT pass hot beverages or food over our toddler.

It takes very little liquid to injure a child’s face and upper body. Hot drinks can seriously scald a child up to 15 minutes after being poured. This includes hot drinks with milk added. On this note, parents and care givers of young children are reminded to use always, cups

with secure lids for hot drinks and soups that will not spill easily and never hold or carry a child while you have a hot drink in your hand.

Serious burns can occur very quickly and are extremely painful, often leading to lengthy treatment and permanent scarring. Please let us all

Good gesture by NICIL/SPU

Dear Editor, Sometime last week it was reported in the press that NICIL/SPU had initiated rewarding children of present and or past sugar workers for sterling performances at the 2019 NGSA exams. It was disclosed that three students, who hail from Berbice, were the first recipients of this recognition.

I would like to publicly commend NICIL/SPU and by extension the Government of Guyana for this worthwhile and timely gesture. What was very pleasing is that my research on the three children, who were recognized, indicates that they are somewhat economically-challenged, while as fate would have it, one of the three happens to be a child of a former worker with the other two being children of current workers.

It is very important for NICIL/SPU to know that such a gesture, while it may seem a bit simple and insignificant, is greatly appreciated and welcomed by not only the students, but their parents and by extension the communities that they live in. In these evidently hard economic and challenging times where it is becoming more and more difficult for parents to sustain their children during their educational pursuits, agencies like NICIL/SPU’s gesture will go a very far way. It further reinforces the point that the government’s decision to close the sugar industry was not one of not being caring, understanding and of genuine concern for the plight many of the thousands of workers would have faced but rather one that were in the best genuine interest of the country.

However, while many persons have sought to use the closure for political gains, we must not forget that the current and or former workers are still grappling with understanding many of their new roles as either uncertain of long term employment within the industry or coming to term with being unemployed. It certainly is not a joke for small matter when someone is thrown into the unemployed world as they are unsure and uncertain as to their future, especially if they are tasked with taking care of their family; no one wants to ever be in that position.

Therefore, I would like to suggest to NICIL/SPU to increase the number to 10 instead of three. Despite the company not indicating what is the process used in selecting the students and or

as to how many students are expected to benefit each year, I am humbly asking that consideration be given to the fact that there are many other students and parents who are in similar position and urgently need some assistance. As such, to the credit of NICIL/ SPU I must say that the commitment offered not just providing a bag-pack along with some finances, but rather whereby the students will receive a monthly stipend for a period of time is extremely commendable and should be emulated by others. This was the view expressed by the Regional Education Officers of Region Six. Mr. Editor, it is important for NICIL/SPU to know that this gesture that they have started has the potential of going a very long way as it’s my firm belief that in 10 to 15 years’ time

be vigilant and remind others to take the extra care when serving or walking around with hot drinks or food when young children are around – and possibly under feet.

Parents also, please be mindful of what is going on around you when out in restaurants and speak out

and do not allow staff to serve dishes or beverages over your baby or young child’s head in case it spills on them. Remember “It can happen in a flash with a splash!”

we would have a batch of academics in this country, who would have been supported significantly in their educational pursuits by an industry that once employed their parents in some way or the other. As the world continues to face an uphill task where economically families are being challenged, support in anyway or form would evidently be welcomed by families who once thought that sugar would have never died and therefore here in Guyana there are many families who desperately need the help and support of NICIL/ SPU in seeking to rebuild their lives. Additionally, they also need some form of assistance being given to their children so as to ease the harsh reality of what the closure of the sugar industry did to them.

I therefore end by asking NICIL/SPU to ensure that the initiative is not one that was started and ends immediately but one that will

be sustained at all cost, as they should understand the importance that education plays. Therefore, NICIL/ SPU should be committed in supporting it regardless.

I sincerely trust that next year more students would benefit and please NICIL/ SPU note that it would be nice to spread it across the country so that students from other parts of Guyana can gainfully benefit. We must recognise that there are many students whose parents may have worked and or still working in the industry. However, it is commendable and impressive that you choose to begin in Region Six as they have led the industry in a giant way.

Congrats to the students who are this year’s recipients again and to NICIL/ SPU your great leadership is being demonstrated in the initiative and projects that you are undertaking.

Regards, Mommy V

Regards, Richard Persaud

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 13, 2019

Gov’t examining ways to provide additional concessions

THE Ministry of Natural Resources has reiterated that the Government of Guyana will be examining various means through which it can provide additional concessions for the mining community in Guyana.

Such was the message of President David Granger during an interactive business luncheon for members of the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA), Guyana Women Miners Organisation (GWMO) and National Mining Syndicate (NMS) at the Baridi Benab, State House on September 6, 2019.

However, the ministry had cause to clarify the sentiments of the President following a letter to the editor which appeared in some sect6ions of the media on September 10, from PPP activist, Robin Singh.

Singh stated that while members of the sector had brought forward their concerns to the President, he is displeased with matters regarding government concessions and other financial burdens. In a release on Thursday, the Ministry of Natural Resources acknowledged Singh’s letter and sought to clarify the responses given by the President at the meeting.

Regarding taxation and concessions, the ministry clarified: “…the President noted the government’s dependence on revenues along with ongoing efforts to review the aspect of government policy to the extent of getting revenues from other sources. He further said that he would encourage the finance minister to

examine fair ways and means of looking at concessions and their allocation.”

In true, the President had stated, “It is an aspect of government policy which is continuously under review. To the extent that we could get proceeds, profits or revenues from other sources, I would encourage him [Minister Jordan] to examine ways and means of looking at these concessions. We don’t want a ‘higgly piggly’ taxation in which we give ‘A’ and ‘B’ concessions because ‘C’ and ‘D’ will demand concessions as well.

One of the tasks of the GRA [Guyana Revenue Authority] is to try to eliminate anomalies…so that the taxation regime not only brings in more revenue but at the same time is fair and is not subject to the type of abuse which could occur when you have too many loopholes. This is one area which we are prepared to examine.”

Meanwhile, the ministry added, in a release, that the President was provided with a brief of areas of interest to be discussed derived from consultations with members of the mining community.

He also encouraged the miners to speak openly on issues affecting them and to make solution-based recommendations for consideration by government.

“During the discussions, the well-known issues of taxation, infrastructure, and mercury use and alternatives were raised.

His Excellency’s responses noted the gravity of the concerns and went on to highlight and explain to government’s ongoing challenges and efforts to comprehensively address each,” the ministry

Claims and Objections to begin after PLE extracted –– GECOM PRO ... training of polling day staff moves to Berbice this weekend

THE Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is now preparing for its Claims and Objections period, which will commence as soon as the Preliminary List of Electors (PLE) is extracted. The commission recently concluded its house-to-house registration exercise.

The commission is currently conducting the encoding and verification process of the merger, which will ultimately lead to the extraction of the PLE. GECOM’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Yolanda Ward, said the data garnered from the house-tohouse Registration is now being merged with the existing National Register of Registrants Database (NRRD), from which a Preliminary List of Electors will be gen-

erated.

“That Preliminary List of Electors [PLE] will move us straight into a Claims and Objections Exercise. So, we cannot immediately run into the Claims and Objections exercise, because we are still going through that process of the merger,” she told the Department of Public Information (DPI) during an interview this morning.

The claims and objections period will allow persons who will become 18 years old by the end of October this year, to be registered. Individuals who have had changes in their particulars, including addresses and names can also utilise this period. “I really want to implore citizens that they have [their] documents ready, particularly those who have

never been registered before, if you’re a Guyanese by birth or naturalisation or 18 years or older, once you have met any of those criteria, you are eligible to use the claims and objections exercise to ensure that you will be on the official list of electors,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Guyana Elections Commission continues with the training of polling day staff. So far, the agency has trained over 6,000 persons from 86 locations within sections of Georgetown, the East Coast and East Bank and Regions One, Two, Five and 10.

The commission will be moving to the East Berbice-Corentyne Region over the weekend where some 2,400 persons from 25 locations, are expected to be trained.

President David Granger and President of the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association, Mr. Terrence Adams, share a light moment noted. “…he highlighted the efforts to develop infrastructure and its importance, along with the need for improved security and the continuous efforts of the Ministry of Natural Resources to address this through the Corps of Wardens.”

The ministry said that the President’s visit to the region was aimed at foster-

ing greater interaction with the sector’s stakeholders.

It reminded that the President has also publicly expressed the government’s commitment to supporting the sustainable and responsible development of the sector by maintaining a symbiotic relationship between mining and environment.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 13, 2019

No Republic Bank takeover of Scotiabank as yet – Minister Jordan

MINISTER of Finance, Winston Jordan, has stated that no moves have been made as yet by Republic Bank to take over the operations of Scotia Bank in Guyana and, while the government is not in favour of the take-over, it will allow the Bank of Guyana to complete its assessment.

Minister Jordan relayed the same to the media earlier in the week stating. “As far as I’m aware, [there has been] no particular movement on that has as yet because the government

hasn’t reported any substantial change or development since we last spoke and we last spoke maybe about three [or] four weeks ago,” Jordan said.

Earlier in September, the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB), in consultation with the ECCB Monetary Council, had approved the application for the transfer of the assets and liabilities of the Bank of Nova Scotia to the Republic Financial Holding Limited (RFHL) in several regional territories.

The Trinidad and Toba-

go-based bank received the stamp of approval to take control of the operations of Scotiabank in Anguilla, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines, pursuant to Section 43 of the Banking Act. Since in 2018, Scotia Bank had expressed interest in the move as a means which “provides the best long-term solution for our customers”.

At the time, Minister Jordan had stated that the agreement raises a number of issues for the banking sector in Guyana and for the public which the Finance Ministry, the Bank of Guyana and the Government of Guyana will need to carefully consider.

“The Scotiabank decision is made when Guyana’s economy is on the cusp of financial transformation with the onset of massive new oil and gas sector raises concerns and is regretted. Among other concerns is the effect on competition and the potential for Republic Bank to have too much influence

on the pricing of banking products and rates, issues related to correspondent banking options and loss of jobs as a result of Republic Bank consolidating branches were other concerns,” he said.

In a statement he expressed that Republic Bank currently holds 35.4 per cent of the banking systems assets and 36.8 per cent of deposits and the acquisition which adds up this to 51 per cent of both assets and deposits.

On Monday, Minister Jordan reiterated that the government’s views on the same have not change.

“I think we made our views very clear earlier this year that we’re not in favor of the agreement. We said the reasons why we’re not

in favor of the agreement; that hasn’t changed at the level of the Cabinet. But I think the bank is doing what it has to do and when it’s finished is has to pass it over to me so I could take it to Cabinet,” the finance minister said.

“I will just let the Bank of Guyana do its work and when it’s completed it will pass it over.”

The ministry has pointed to the Financial Institutions Act (FIA), which has clear stipulations regarding ‘acquisition of control’ and requires approval by the Bank of Guyana following the submission of an application and due diligence being conducted.

The FIA also addresses the issue of “fundamental changes” as it relates to

Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan (Carl Croker photo) mergers and transfer of assets or liabilities.

With this in mind, the minister reminded that the role of Scotia Bank in Guyana is not the same as that of Scotia Bank in the Eastern Caribbean.

The ministry has assured the public that it will continue to stay abreast with the matter and will act in the best interest of the citizenry.

UK Deputy High Commissioner calls on Minister of State MINISTER of State, Ms Dawn Hastings-Williams, on Wednesday, received a courtesy call from United Kingdom Deputy High Commissioner to Guyana, Mr. Ray Davidson to discuss matters of mutual interest, including climate change and conservation.

The meeting was held at the Minister’s office at the Ministry of the Presidency.

In an invited comment, Mr. Davidson said that he primarily briefed the Minister on the UK Government’s intention to petition the upcoming meeting of the States Parties to the Minister of State, Mrs. Dawn Hastings-Williams Convention on Biodiversity and United Kingdom Deputy High Commissioner to Guyana, Mr. Ray Davidson (CDB), for the protection of at least 30 per cent of to Action on Adaptation a reliable goal partner in the ocean by 2030 (30x30) and Resilience, which has tackling climate change within a network of protect- been jointly developed by and reassured the country’s ed areas, after announcing the UK and Egypt target- commitment to the goal of its support for the initiative ing net zero greenhouse net zero greenhouse gas at the United Nations Gen- gas emissions by 2050 at emissions by 2050. eral Assembly in 2018. the United Nations CliShe also signalled the Additionally, the two mate Action Summit. The Government’s intention also discussed Guyana’s State Minister expressed to support the protection endorsement of the Call Guyana’s commitment as of the ocean by 2030.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 13, 2019

‘You have to be tough to be in this industry’ … Indigenous broadcaster speaks about her career

By Wendella Davidson

MICHELLA ABRAHAM-ALI, who holds the position of Regional Radio Manager and Production Manager, Radio at the National Communications Network (NCN), views the establishing of radio stations in the hinterland as a “big deal”, as it seek to inject new life to the residents of those areas.

Originally from Nappi Village, located at the foot of the Kanuku Mountains in Central Rupununi, and the home village of the first balata craftsman, George Tancredo, and where the world’s largest bird of prey –the Harpy Eagle – can be found, the broadcaster, who has already chalked up 16 years of service, said she at one time wanted `to throw in the towel’ on her career, but had a change of heart with the opportunities that have opened up for persons with the same mindset as hers.

“I was ready for retirement but when regional radio came, I got a new lease on life, as I can help to spot and nurture new talents in persons like myself,” she told the Guyana Chronicle during an exclusive interview, on Tuesday.

Abraham-Ali’s dad Michael Abraham, AA, an Arawak, died 18 weeks ago. He was originally from Moruca- a community in the North West District and married, Eleanor, who is of East Indian ancestry and hailed from Corriverton, on the Corentyne. Her parents were both teachers in college when they met and subsequently moved to the Nappi Village, where they both continued their teaching career at the primary school.

While her mom retired as a head-teacher, her dad, who also held the position as headmaster, became engrossed in politics.

The closely-knit Roman Catholic family that included three boys and five girls enjoyed outdoor fun, swimming and a limited amount of farming.

According to the broadcaster, she was schooled at Nappi Primary, where upon writing the then Common Entrance Examination, she was awarded a government scholarship to attend the Saint Stanislaus College in the city. She spent five years at the school, wrote

related that when she received a notice from the GBC to attend a second audition that had 20 people only, she surmised that she must have been doing something right.

Subsequently, she got a third call and was surprised to find that there were only five others.

Michella Abraham-Ali, Regional Radio Manager/Production Manager Radio at the National Communication Network (NCN) the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) examination, and then went over to St Joseph’s High where she wrote the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE).

It was in 2000, while contemplating the next move after the examination, Abraham-Ali said her attention was drawn to a Guyana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) audition call for interested persons to try out to become broadcasters. She recalled feeling a bit intimidated, when as a frail-looking girl, she turned up at the GBC High Street location, to find about 300 people waiting in the lobby to be auditioned. She said she drew courage and confidence from the fact that she had gained some exposure while volunteering, just after leaving school, with the Catholic Standard.

The Catholic Standard is a weekly newspaper of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Georgetown, and the only religious newspaper in Guyana.

However, while she tried her hand at writing, her niche was for the creative process of being on radio. Abraham-Ali

Farmhand drowns in Abary River A 37-year-old farmhand in the Abary backlands died by drowning while reportedly attempting to swim across the Abary River, around noon Wednesday.

The body of Seeram Khemraj, better known as Blackie, of Bath Settlement Village West Coast Berbice, was recovered from the river Thursday morning. His father, Gajraj, aka Gago, told the Guyana

Chronicle that the man, who resides with his parents, left home on Monday last to work in the Abary backlands.

He received news of his disappearance and the circumstances around noon Wednesday. The deceased was a father of two girls, Sarah aged 13 and Priya aged 15.

The body is at the Anthony Funeral Parlour at Fort Wellington WCB

Deceased: Seeram Khemraj pending a post mortem examination.

Police were up to late Thursday afternoon investigating the circumstance surrounding the farmhand’s death.

RECRUITED FROM AUDITION All six persons present at the final audition were eventually selected to join the corporation as trainee announcers, which was basically the start of Abraham-Ali’s career with radio. She fondly remembered it was the then General Manager, Fazil Azeez, who handed her the `Letter of Employment’.

Abraham-Ali reasoned that the pull factor during the final audition that probably determined her being qualified for the job, may have been an `ad lib’ on a topic of interest and she speaking on ‘Growing up in the Rupununi’. “When I was selected I was surprised and excited, also definitely intimidated, as the GBC had a standard. I was just about 17 years old and sitting daily in a newsroom while observing popular broadcasters in the likes of Fazil Azeez, Margaret Lawrence, Phyllis Jackson, Rovin Deodat, Ron Robinson, Ulita Anthony, Sydney James, Matthew Allen, and Pancho Carew, who I briefly worked with operate with utter professionalism was and is still memorable.”

“It is an honour at this point in my career, to still be working with Rovin Deodat, Margaret Lawrence, Phyllis Jackson and Ron Robinson, those who, when I started [working] were my bosses, we now work as colleagues at NCN (National Communications Network),” she added.

Abraham-Ali pointed out that her training as a broadcaster entailed interviewing, broadcasting, news presentation, outside broadcast and all the elements that make broadcasting what is, along with doing attachments in all sections of the corporation, including finance. “It was a three-month learning curve and I was full of zeal and confidence, I was open-minded, I wanted to go on everything (assignment) they were sending me, and was happy when one of my seniors couldn’t be on the job as I was able to get into that hot seat,” she added.

According to her, “being an Indigenous person helped, as I was able to, along with Merano Issacs and Debra Francis – some of the other Indigenous broadcasters who were in radio at the time – to bring that part of our society to the people.” “We used our shifts, our spaces, our slots and individual experiences to bring the hinterland to the people.

My limited experience was at Central Rupununi but that alone was appealing, as people got to know about the Kanuku mountains, the savannahs, about fishing and farming, the rainforest, the fruits and the way of life of the Indigenous peoples through the programming … at that time, the reach of radio is not as it is now, there are three radio stations sited in the Rupununi,” she said.

MAKING COMMUNITY PROUD Continuing, Abraham-Ali said she tried her utmost to make her community and family proud of her, but noted that on her sixth month of working, her enthusiasm was deflated with a damming `Letter to the Editor’ that was very critical of her work.

Recalling the particular event, she said while she is sure she cried when the article was brought to her attention, so critical was it, that the now 16-year veteran broadcaster remarked that while she was hurt, it did not break her, it taught her instead – among other things – to always double-check information before sharing.

YOU HAVE TO BE TOUGH ”You have to be tough in this industry, there are people who will not approve of what you are doing, even now there are people who do not appreciate what I do, they say I am over-emphasising about the Indigenous People, but my aim is to showcase and get all of Guyana to appreciate our Indigenous People and what they do, just as we do with all of Guyana.” she added.

In a quest to further her studies, Abraham-Ali was awarded a scholarship from the Public Service Ministry (PSM) to pursue a Diploma in Communication at the University of Guyana. She recalled lending some assistance to have the communications curriculum modified. Married in 2003, Abraham-Ali remembered being heavily pregnant when she wrote the final examination at the university to obtain her degree. It was just three days after that she gave birth to her first child, a girl, whom she named Tatyana.

Abraham-Ali, who has chalked up 16 years in the profession, has over the period been exposed to both local and international training, in addition to having a wide range of coverage of state visits, pageants, elections, fires, prison breaks.

She had her first break at emceeing in 2016 at a Guyana Folk Festival function in New York and at a similar event in Canada in 2018. Although she now functions mostly in the capacity of an administrator, she said with her experience, particularly in the capacity as Regional Radio Manager, her goal is to give back to her country and its people, more importantly to those in hinterland.

“Going back to my home village and other interior and hinterland regions, and through radio, give of my skills and talent to help build capacity, and bring out the talent and skill in persons who may eventually exceed what I have done as a broadcaster, to have the same platform to become better. It is a pleasure finding the talents and the people who share the same curiosity as I did, nurture them and help them on their journey to become radio announcers as well, she added.

A part-time lecturer at the University of Guyana, she also serves on the Board of Directors of President’s College, with special interest in the welfare of hinterland students who are resident there.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 13, 2019

Young burn victims responding well to treatment in the US FOUR-year-old Ghansham Sohan and his one-yearold brother, Besham Sohan, who were both severely burnt, are responding well to treatment in the United States of America (USA).

“We are pleased to announce that the Sohan brothers are doing well…they received numerous, extensive surgeries, all of which were successful,” said the Saving Hand Emergency Aid Inc (SHEA) Foundation in a post on its Facebook page.

According to the foundation, Besham was not going to survive in Guyana so he was taken to the US, connected to a ventilator.

“He is now recovering quicker than his older brother, Gansham. Besham will be discharged from the hospital’s ICU (Intensive Care Unit), to a regular ward as he continues his treatment, while Gansham will remain in ICU,” said SHEA. In light of the incredible efforts needed to care for the brothers, SHEA Charity will sponsor a second caregiver to assist the brothers’ mother. This process is currently in motion.

“We are, however, in great need of financial support to assist this family. Please help us help them; donate today,” said the foundation, adding that persons can make contact with them on Facebook.

SHEA had initially funded and organised advanced medical treatment for the young brothers who were critical.

It was reported that the boys’ mother had lit some materials to drive away mosquitoes, but she turned away for a minute and her older son threw dry grass into the fire, causing it to flare up.

“It flared up and caught their clothes…they were badly burnt,” said a representative of SHEA, Sita Sugrim in an invited comment. The family had rushed the children to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

The SHEA organisation had received an urgent request to assist with arranging for medical assistance in the US. According to the organisation, the cost of the air ambulance was US$45,000 and depending on the length of the follow-up treatment, it can range from US$7,500 to US$15,000 each trip and due to the severity there will be at least four follow-up trips.

“We need to pay for air ambulance, housing, meals and other logistical expenses so we are calling on persons to make a donation… Please help us to help these children, by making a donation towards their medical expenses and medical air transport,” said the foundation.

Bicycle thief gets six months in jail MAGISTRATE Dylon Bess on Thursday, September 12, 2019, sentenced a 20-year-old mason to prison for stealing a bicycle.

John Cameron appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court and requested to change his plea to guilty to the simply larceny charge.

Particulars of the charge alleged that, on June 8, 2019, at North Road, Bourda, he stole a bicycle valued at $22,500, property of Marlon Walcott.

Cameron asked the court if he could compensate Walcott for the bike but Walcott said that he wanted his bike back.

It is alleged that, on the day in question, around 8:00 hours, Walcott rode his bicycle to his work place and secured it. On checking for his cycle later, he discovered that it was missing.

It is also alleged that, a view from the Closed-Circuit Television Camera (CCTV) showed Cameron removing the cycle. The matter was reported and Cameron was arrested and later charged.

After Cameron changed his plea, Magistrate Bess sentenced him to serve six months’ imprisonment and placed him on a one-year bond to keep the peace.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 13, 2019

Robotics Kits for six secondary schools

THE Volunteer Youth Corporation (VYC), along with ExxonMobil, on Thursday, handed over, to six secondary schools in the Georgetown region, robotics kits, thus supporting the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) after-school program.

The ceremony was held at the Richard Ishmael Secondary school on Woolford Avenue, Thomas Lands. The schools in attendance were Charlestown Secondary, New Central High, Dolphin Secondary, Tucville Secondary and St. John’s College.

Goldie Scott, the Chief Executive Officer of the VYC, explained that the purpose of handing over the robotic kits to the secondary schools was to aid in the preparation of students for the annual upcoming stem challenge on November 30, 2019, at the Princess Ramada Hotel. Scott also stated that the main objective of the programme was to support innovation and creativity among the students.

“We want to ensure that they have the technology to use. While this is a start with the handing over of two kits to each of the schools, we would like to provide much more kits over the period of time from now to 2020” she said.

Senior Director, Public and Government Affairs,

Deedra Moe of ExxonMobil expressed immense pleasure with the initiative.

“I’m very excited to be able to be a part of handing out robotics kits. Robotics can be a foundation for students to realize their passions, where they can communicate across different technology platforms and enhance team building and community development”, she explained.

Ms. Moe also expressed satisfaction with the work of ExxonMobil and the Volunteer Youth Corporation, along with the STEM programme, in empowering and moulding the youths of Guyana.

“The youths are the leaders of tomorrow”, she stated.

ExxonMobil Guyana has supported the Volunteer Youth Corps Inc. in the execution of its STEM Education initiatives since 2012.

In April of this year, the company contributed $20M to the VYC for its 2019-2020 programme.

That was announced at the 6th Annual STEM Camp in April where Moe said that STEM Education was also extremely important globally, in terms of development— of countries, and of people and that was why ExxonMobil Guyana was supporting the Volunteer Youth Corps in STEM Education programmes.

Butcher shot, robbed while purchasing cattle in Corentyne

POLICE are investigating a robbery under arms which occurred at approximately 07:45hrs on Thursday, leaving a butcher nursing a gunshot injury.

The Guyana Chronicle was told that Abdool Hack, 64, a butcher, and his son, Afab Hack, 22, a businessman of Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara, travelled to Babu Jaan, Port Mourant, where they were expected to purchase cattle.

The business arrangement was reportedly set up by a Corentyne businessman. After arriving at the location, the father and son parked the canter and awaited the arrival of the persons to conduct the transaction and to collect the animals. However, they were confronted by a gunman who brandished his weapon while demanding cash and valuables.

The elder Hack was relieved of $600,000 cash while his son was relieved of $30,000 cash and his cellphone.

Meanwhile, during the ordeal, the bandit struck the elderly man to his head and a scuffle subsequently ensued during which the lone gunman opened fire hitting Hack on his left thigh.

The man quickly made his escape by foot while the injured was taken to the Port Mourant Hospital and subsequently transferred to the New Amsterdam Hospital where he is listed in a stable condition. Investigation is ongoing.

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The Head teachers of the six schools along with members of the Volunteer Youth Corp and Exxon Mobile.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 13, 2019

Exxon partner seeks approval of EIA for Payara development

ESSO Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), a subsidiary of ExxonMobil, is forging ahead with plans for the Payara Development Project as it seeks the approval of its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) ahead of 2020.

The EIA was recently submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the project which marks EEPGL’s third development field in the Stabroek block offshore

Guyana.

The project, located in the eastern half of the Stabroek Block, will see the drilling of up to 45 development wells which could take up to 5 years, with drilling beginning in 2020 and initial production by early 2023.

The proposed development is targeting 180,000 to 220,000 barrels of oil per day with anticipations to produce approximately 5,700,000 to 6,600,000 barrels of crude oil

per month. The EIA documents were submitted and signed by ExxonMobil’s Country Manager, Rod Henson, on August 27, 2019 while media reports indicate that EPA approval could be possible by late 2019.

In keeping with its regulatory role, the EPA must consider recommendations from the Environmental Advisory Board and other government entities prior to deciding whether and under what conditions EEPGL’s application for environ-

Citizens participating in the scoping meetings of Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) regarding the Payara Development Project mental authorisation for the project can be granted.

EEPGL had applied for this authorisation back in December 2018 and the EIA now submitted will work to support the application. On March 28, 2019, the EEPGL completed its public consultation program by means of scoping meetings in Regions One, Two, Three, Four, Five and Six. The feedback received was expected to be incorporated into the EIA where applicable.

In Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), residents were particularly concerned about oil spills and the impacts it could have on the livelihood of fishermen.

However, in the EIA, the company assured, “EEPGL will use proven and industry-accepted standards and has incorporated many embedded controls into the overall project design to reduce environ-

negligible to minor residual impacts on socioeconomic resources and largely positive impacts on socioeconomic conditions.

Oil production from the project is expected to last at least 20 years and to result in the employment of some 600 persons during development well drilling; some 600 persons at the peak of the installation stage and up to 140 persons during production operations. Its concept is similar to that of the Liza Phase One and Phase Two projects and will include the installation and operation of subsea, umbilicals, risers, and flowlines equipment; installation and operation of a Floating Production, Storage, and Offloading (FPSO) vessel in the eastern half of the Stabroek Block and ultimately, project decommissioning.

A notice published in

Location of the Payara Project Development Area within the Stabroek Block mental and socioeconomic impacts.”

It stated further that the planned activities are predicted to have “negligible residual impacts on most physical resources” but potential moderate residual impacts on climate. EEPGL also pitches that its Payara projects will have no impacts on coastal biological resources; negligible to minor residual impacts on most marine biological resources; potential moderate residual impacts on marine mammals;

the Thursday, September 12, 2019 newspaper indicated that in accordance with the Environmental Protection Act, members of the public have 60 days from the date of the publication to make submissions to the agency for its consideration.

Should the EPA find that the EIA conforms to the relevant local and international guidelines and policies which ensure sound environmental management for the project, approval would be granted.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 13, 2019

Over 100 local businesses benefit from Namilco’s baking seminar –– bakers urged to re-engineer and practise first-world techniques

ONE hundred and thirty persons drawn from bakeries, fast food outlets, hotels and service providers as well as caterers from across Guyana benefitted from a one-day ‘Baking Seminar,’ recently hosted by the National Milling Company of Guyana (NAMILCO).

The seminar , which formed part of the NAMILCO’s 50th Anniversary Celebrations, was held at the Marriott Hotel under the theme, ‘A bright future in baking,’ in collaboration with DeutscheBack of Germany. Among the topics discussed at the seminar was ‘The changing trends in the global baking industry’.

The challenges of the baking industry include increased concentration within the industry; trends and seasonal articles; regular new product development; shortage of suitable raw materials, discounters and in-store bakeries, and fluctuating raw materials, among others.

With the rapidly developing oil industry making Guyana a more significant player in the global economy, NAMILCO hosted the workshop with the aim of equipping local service providers with the skills and knowledge needed to make it big in Guyana’s rapidly-budding tourism and

Roopnarine Sukhai, Managing Director of NAMILCO economic sector.

Giving brief remarks at the seminar was Roopnarine Sukhai, Managing Director of NAMILCO, who pointed out that NAMILCO has been hosting workshops of this nature biennially, where the company would collaborate with specialist bakers to share knowledge and experiences to motivate participants to improve their businesses.

Sukhai stated that Guyana is currently in the spotlight with its new found oil and investors will be entering Guyana which can both positively and negatively impact the local service providers.

“With an influx of foreigners and returning Guyanese from the diaspora, economic activities will increase

and you stand to benefit.

However, some of these investors may be looking at the baking and catering industry, so your livelihood could also be threatened,” he explained.

The Managing Director stated that it is the duty of the local service providers to protect their markets through re-engineering their businesses and practicing first-world techniques, which NAMILCO is heavily focused on currently.

“We cannot continue doing business how we do it presently, changes must take place,” he reiterated.

Giving tips on how service providers can be successful in the economic and tourism sector, Sukhai said businesses must improve on packaging; emphasise on marketing and promotion of trade; commence producing a variety of products; attempt obtaining international certification and observe good manufacturing practices.

“Do more marketing and promotion of your business, learn to differentiate your products and business. Differentiation creates value, builds brand loyalty, makes competition irrelevant, gets you noticed, give your consumers a reason to buy and it generates good word-of-

A display of some of NAMILCO’s products

Captain Gerald Gouveia, Chairman of the Private Sector Commission mouth which money cannot buy,” he added.

The one-day workshop also served to introduce a variety of NAMILCO’s puff pastry products and new varieties of baked goods to the market.

Guest speaker at the event was Captain Gerald Gouveia, Chairman of the Private Sector Commission, who championed the initiative which he views as a form of empowerment to local service providers.

“This type of intervention and training and preparation will continue far into the future. The only constant is change and all of us need to continue improving our standards, not only because it makes us better, but because it prepares us for what is before us,” Gouveia said.

Referring to Guyana as the “destined Dubai of this region,” Gouveia encouraged the participants “to teach our politicians to stop fighting, work together so we could

Attendees of the event

improve the economics of our country, reap the benefits of what is before us and particularly take advantage of the tourism industry and all of the wealth this oil will bring to us.”

Facilitating the seminar was Marc Duncker, DeutscheBack’s Regional Sales Manager for Central America and the Caribbean; and DeutscheBack’s Research and Development Officer.

The German company, DeutscheBack, was established in 2004 and develops and produce tailor-made baking solutions, react flexibly to trends in raw materials and price development and offers comprehensive technical services.

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Trial of former barber continues today

THE father of liquor store owner Jennifer Persaud, on Thursday, September 12, 2019, testified to finding the lifeless bodies of his daughter and his two grandsons, in their Sea View Anna Catherina, East Bank Essequibo house, seven years ago.

Kumar Persaud took to the witness stand and testified in the trial of 34-year-old Abishai Caesar, a former barber of Tuschen Housing Scheme, East Bank Essequibo, which commenced before Justice Brassington Reynolds and a mixed 12-member jury at the High Court.

Caesar denied the charges which stated that, between September 21, 2012, and September 22, 2012, at Sea View Anna Catherina, he murdered 41-year-old Jennifer Persaud, called “Jenny”, and her sons Afridi Bacchus, six, and Jadon Ernest, 18 months.

The state is represented

by Prosecutors Seeta Bishundial and Lisa Cave, while Caesar is represented by Attorney-at-law Maxwell McKay. The witness told the court that in 2012 he was employed as a security guard and worked from 7 am to 7 pm.

He recalled last hearing from his daughter on September 21, 2012, on the phone and he left for work after.

However, the next day, September 22, 2012, when he came home from work, he called his daughter’s phone and it went unanswered.

After sensing that something was wrong, he and his wife went to his daughter’s home in Sea View, Anna Catherina, in a taxi.

Upon their arrival, the

Abishai Caesar place was locked and her vehicle was parked in the yard.

He recalled asking the neighbours if they had seen his daughter, and they said no.

Nevertheless, he explained that he noticed that, as the breeze blew, a zinc sheet from his daughter’s fence had come loose; and he entered the yard through the opening.

The back door of the lower flat of Jennifer’s home was open, the witness said. He entered the house, went into the room, in the bar section, and did not see anyone there.

He then went upstairs into a room, where he saw two feet pushing out from a mosquito netting on the bed.

There was a wooden bar in front of the door and he jumped over it. He held the two feet which were cold and stiff.

The witness recalled that, as he went around the bed, he saw his daughter lying with her throat slit and with his grandson Afridi across her chest, with his throat slit as well.

He did not see his other grandson Jadon at the time, but observed a cup with his daughter’s jewellery inside.

At this point, Kumar said he called the police and went

back to his wife, who was in the taxi with his other grandson, Rawle Ally.

Ranks from the Community Police were the first persons to arrive on the scene, the witness said, but he did not allow them to enter the home because he was afraid that they would have contaminated the crime scene.

However, a policeman came and he took the officer in the house and showed him where he discovered the bodies.

The officer alerted other ranks, who came and Kumar took them inside the house.

The witness explained that, while in the house, the police officer pulled out the netting from the bed and Jadon rolled out from it.

On September 24, 2012, about 11:15 hours, Kumar told the court that he went to the mortuary at Ezekiel Funeral Home and identified the bodies of his daughter and grandsons to the police.

Also testifying on Thursday was Detective Sargent Lindon Sampson, a crime scene photographer who is stationed at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) crime lab. The witness explained that he had testified

in over 1500 cases in the courts.

Sampson testified about taking photos of the crime scene at Sea View Anna Catherina, of the interior and exterior of Jennifer Persaud’s home.

He recalled taking photos of blood on the floor and a mattress on a bed. Thirty five photos taken by Sampson were tendered in court and marked as evidence in the trial.

The trial continues today, Friday, September 13, 2019.

According to reports in 2012, Caesar lived nearby Persaud’s Sea View Anna Catherina home. It is alleged that, after the murder, Caesar moved out of the area.

However, in April 2016, the murder investigation was cracked wide open, when Caesar’s reputed wife told the police that she knew who killed Persaud and her sons.

The Guyana Chronicle had reported that the woman told investigators that Caesar told her that he needed money and so had gone to the house to steal, but the woman was awakened by his search and he had had to kill her, along with her two young sons.

Jennifer Persaud, and her sons Afridi Bacchus, six, and Jadon Ernest who was 18 months old at the time

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 13, 2019

Court dismisses charges against NBS directors for locking up customers THE charges levied against the three New Building Society (NBS) Directors for wrongful confinement were dismissed by Magistrate Delon Bess in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.

Anil Kishun, Anil Beharry and Deka Tularam, Directors of the New Building Society, were charged with counts of wrongful confinement proceedings beyond certain circumlocutory limits (that is to say out of the building) but the charges were dismissed for want of prosecution.

The charges emanated from an incident which occurred on January 23, 2018 when several persons including attorneys-at-law had entered the bank in an attempt to remove the society’s property. The directors were accused of confining eight persons from leaving the bank.

“The charges against the directors were dismissed for want of prosecution when both the special prosecutor and assistant counsel failed to attend court or provide the court with any explanation for their absence,” Attorney-at-Law, Nigel Hughes, explained on Thursday.

He added, “the dismissal came after the court waited in excess of 90 minutes for counsel to appear and after causing several inquiries to be made about whether the prosecutor had informed the clerk of court or any other court official about their absence.

The inquiries revealed that no such notification had been sent.”

Counsel for the defendants observed that this was not the first occasion on which the special prosecutor had been absent.

Earlier on in the case, the board of directors had said that the marshals and others entered the bank like ‘thieves in the night’ and in an unprofessional manner that resulted in panic, chaos and misunderstanding.

On Jan 4, 2018, NBS, as well as the other appellants, including Trust Company (Guyana) Limited, received a court order directing that the sum of $59,033,281 be paid over to Maurice Arjoon but such was not done at the time of the indent. The sum represented the former NBS CEO’s pension benefits.

SRDC concerned over ‘illegal’ operation of a water dredge in Parabara Village

THE ‘illegal’ operation of a water dredge in Parabara Village in the South Rupununi, remains a major problem, the South Rupununi District Council (SRDC) said on Thursday.

According to the council, the machine called the ‘dragga’ remains in the village though the Government has issued a number of orders, instructing its removal. In a statement on Thursday, SRDC explained that in December of 2018, it informed the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) that it was concerned that the dragga was being constructed in the Village of Parabara.

“At the time, the SRDC demanded that the dragga be dismantled, but the GGMC cited a lack of authority to act

unless the dragga began to operate,” the district council explained. It noted that since then, the dragga has been built and has begun to move down the river. “We are deeply concerned that it will imminently begin river mining operations in our territory, given the amount of fuel that has just been carried down for it,” the district council said.

The SRDC said it is cognizant and appreciative of the efforts the Government in resolving the issue but said the dragga remains in the area nonetheless. In May 2019, Cabinet reportedly took a decision to refuse permission for the dragga to operate.

“Major General Joseph Singh informed us that H.E. President Granger has declared that this Government shall enforce

the order issued in 2008 and not allow any mining in the tributaries of the Essequibo River south of the 4th Parallel. In June 2019, the GGMC issued an Order to Remove the dragga by June 14, 2019,” the district council detailed.

It added that the Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman subsequently committed to the protection of important headwaters in the South Rupununi.

“It is thus with the gravest concern that we report that in spite of these orders and decisions, the dragga has yet to be removed. A 14-inch cutterhead dredge could only be built with one purpose – to engage in river mining which contravenes a government order and Cabinet decision.

The SRDC urges the GGMC

and MNR to take immediate action, including forfeiture and seizure, which is authorized under the Mining Act, Sections 100-103,” the district council pleaded.

It added: “Immediate enforcement action must be taken to enforce the decisions and orders of the government as well as to ensure the government’s commitment to the protection of important headwaters in the South Rupununi.”

The district council said on September 8, 2019 it was informed that the dragga moved further down along the river with a pontoon carrying almost 400 drums of fuel for the operations of the dragga. A monitoring team sent to the area confirmed that the dragga had moved further

down river.

“The reports of our monitoring team indicate that the dragga operator is openly defying the order of a GGMC officer, a 2008 governmental order, and a decision of Cabinet. The SRDC therefore urgently demands that the GGMC and other relevant government agencies take immediate and appropriate actions to address this extremely alarming situation and to enforce its own laws, orders, and commitments,” it said.

Reminding that the Government signed the “Leticia Pact For The Amazon Region” on September 6, 2019, the South Rupununi District Council underscored the importance of safeguarding the environment.

“The South Rupununi communities have committed to contribute to the protection of our sacred Amazonian forests, a part of which forms Wapichan traditional lands. These very lands are the source of fresh water that feeds into our mighty Essequibo and supports extremely fragile ecosystems. In a time when other parts of the Amazon are being destroyed on a scale of apocalyptic proportions, Guyana has a chance to step up and lead the way on helping the world heal its ecological scars,” it said.

The district council said it will continue to work with the GGMC, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to protect the environment.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 13, 2019

Jamaica remains Caribbean’s leading tourist destination –– as JAMPEX opens amid ambitious plans to expand island’s tourism sector

By Tajeram Mohabir in Jamaica

such as India, Luxembourg, Mexico, Panama, Peru and Spain.

Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett was unavoidably absent from the opening on Monday but in his message to the Montego Bay Convention Centre gathering, he said

tune of US$2.39 billion.

“Overall, we are forecast to achieve 4.3 million visitors and earn US$3.67 billion or 10.9 per cent growth for the 2019 calendar year. The US, Canada and UK continue to be our major source markets. However, new

THE Jamaica Product Exchange (JAMPEX) 2019 opened on a festive note on Monday before buyers and suppliers from around the world got down to business the following day.

The three-day expo, in its 29th year, showcases the island of Jamaica in all her glory and provides an opportunity for travel organisations around the world to network and do business, all under one roof.

Addressing a gathering of entrepreneurs, senior government functionaries and local and international journalists at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) President, Omar Robinson described the event as a reunion of sorts.

“We come together to provide and receive updates, inform ourselves of trends and interests in our An exhibitor displays one of his products at the target markets, strengthen expo partnerships and develop new ones so critical to en- the trade exposition is airlift is supporting visitor suring the success of this being held at a time when growth and inroads into beautiful destination to the tourism sector in Ja- new and non-traditional which we are all commit- maica is experiencing a markets,” Minister Bartted,” he said, while noting rejuvenation. lett reported that Jamaica strives to Tourism is Jamaica’s He also announced provide a tourism product second largest earner of that starting December, that is second to none. foreign exchange and LATAM Airlines will The land of wood and second largest employer commence service bewater and home of the of its human capital. tween Lima, Peru, and famous Blue Mountain Montego Bay, three times Coffee has been able to STRATEGIC weekly. maintain its place among MARKETING These new flights the top tier of world desBartlett, in his mes- will deepen Jamaica’s tinations over several de- sage delivered by In- penetration into South cades. dustry, Commerce, Ag- America through LAT h i s a c h i e v e m e n t, riculture and Fisher- TAM’s gateway conRobinson said, is a trib- ies’, Audley Shaw, said nectivity in Argentina, ute to Jamaica’s overseas Jamaica is pushing to Chile and Brazil. partners, who believe in build a year-round secJamaica and keep send- tor through strategic MORE FLIGHTS ing their customers to the marketing efforts, straThese operations, once-controlled British tegic investments and the tourism minister island. product diversification. said, will increase the JAMPEX, this year, At the end of August, number of flights out welcomes buyers from stop over visitors to the of South America to traditional markets, name- island paradise reached 14, with COPA Airlines ly the US, Canada, and 1.87 million or 9.15 per currently operating 11 the UK as well as dele- cent increase over 2018, weekly flights between gates from new markets raking in revenues to the Panama and Jamaica.

Executives of the Jamaica private sector following a media briefing on Tuesday “That is good news, especially as the South American market has shown the highest level of growth for this year, so far. In fact, our target is to grow this market by 29 per cent by yearend. Also, Russian airline Pegas Fly, which currently provides flights to Jamaica using 747 aircraft, will be utilising bigger jets, which will increase the number of passengers travelling to Montego Bay to 500 per trip. This will allow us to increase our reach into Continental and Eastern Europe,” the tourism minister said in his message.

In addition, in December, there will be new daily direct flights by Delta

Airlines out of Detroit and American Airlines from JFK, Bartlett told the gathering at the launch.

The US is Jamaica main source market, providing 60 per cent of its visitors. An increase in direct flights will augur well for future growth of the Jamaica tourism industry.

Aside from showcasing new properties, attractions and services, Jamaica has also linked agriculture, manufacturing and other sectors to the tourism industry, creating a consistent, vibrant, world-class product.

JAMPEX is held at a time when Hurricane Dorian has wreaked havoc in some parts of The Bahamas, another inland

paradise in the Region.

Since Dorian visited The Bahamas, Jamaica, through Minister Bartlett, has been at the forefront of efforts to mobilise global support for the recovery efforts through the United Nations World Tourism Organisation and the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre based at the University of the West Indies.

The Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association has also committed US$20,000 to help safeguard the health and welfare of residents of The Bahamas as well as the rebuilding of the country in the shortest possible time.

Buyers and sellers in discussion at the trade fair

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday September 13, 2019

Revelation Sound Clash set to ignite on September 28 at the National Park About a month ago ‘The Buzz Magazine’ reported the ground breaking news that Isaiah Laing is bringing an international sound clash to Guyana’s shores.

The slated date is fast approaching and the anticipation is building up, not only among the people who are coming out to support, but the exceptional line up coming to prove themselves ‘the best’.

Dubbed ‘Revelation’, this event will see a clash between Guyana and Jamaica, with the best sound systems out of the two country’s representing.

Pink Panther and Fire Links will be bringing the heat to Guyana’s Clash God DJ Magnum, and from Notorious Sound, and Slingerz Family will also be joining the lyrical war.

Of recent times, sound clashes

in Guyana have had great reception. The market for Reggae and Dancehall music is definitely here, but however, needs greater opportunities to propel.

Realising that need, the popular Jamaican promoter, Laing, has selected Guyana as the next demographic to share a taste of the Dancehall experience that he has created in his home country. Laing is the Chairman of Supreme Promotions, and is also owner of the popular stage show in Jamaica, ‘STING’.

‘Sting’ was first staged over 30 years ago, and some of the biggest names have played and performed at the famous Boxing Day show.

Additionally, Dancehall icons such as Ninja Man, Buju, Bounty Killer, Vybz Kartel and Mavado, were made on Sting’s stage.

Guyana will experience this on September 28, 2019 at the National Park, and patrons are asked to come out in their numbers to witness a magnificent production.

In addition to the exciting clash between the two countries, Dancehall artiste, ‘Tommy Lee’, the Sparta Boss, will also be taking over the stage.

Canadian based Guyanese artiste Negus, and recent trending artiste Lil Million will be making their appearances.

The night is said to give an experience of a lifetime, as Supreme Promotions set out to revive and preserve the life of Reggae and Dancehall music. Guyanese patrons are asked to prepare for the great revelation, and prepare to have the time of their lives.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday September 13, 2019

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Miss NIS Jubilee Pageant set for September 21 THE National Insurance Scheme (NIS) will be advocating against “body shaming” through its upcoming ‘Miss NIS Jubilee Pageant’, which is said to be a highlight of the organisation’s 50th Anniversary Celebration.

The event, which promises to be one of sophistication, dignity and excitement, will have its stage being graced by the presence of 16 of the organisation’s hardworking women on September 21 at the National Cultural Centre.

Delegates will be representing NIS’ Georgetown, Port Mourant, New Amsterdam, Fort Wellington, Linden and Essequibo community branches.

The event was organised by the agency’s 50th Anniversary Committee to encourage positive achievement through the assistance of nurturing and building better camaraderie amongst

NIS’ community branches.

The event also aims to create accomplishments, healthy living and community involvement of the organisation’s diligent women, regardless of colour, creed, age, race or shape.

In an interview with the ‘Buzz’, Chairman of the 50th Anniversary Committee, Keith Allicock, stated that the pageant will be a channel used by the entity to strongly advocate against body shaming, “for every woman has the right to feel beautiful in their skin.”

Additionally, the event will be aiming to enhance the image of NIS and its Customer Service.

Tickets cost only $2,000 and $1,500, and are available at the National Cultural Centre’s Box Office.

The NIS officially turns 50 on September 29, 2019.

Delegates of the ‘Miss NIS Jubilee Pageant’

‘A feeling of great accomplishment’ --says Simone Dowding on receiving GCA award LOCAL acting sensation Simone Dowding will never forget the morning she received a phone call informing her that she had been chosen by the Guyana Cultural Association of New York (GCA) for an award that recognises her contribution to the arts in Guyana.

“When my phone rang that Tuesday morning, at the other end of line was a gentleman who identified himself as Ron Lammy, saying that he was calling on behalf of the GCA. At first I thought that it was one of my friends who had nothing to do at this hour of the morning and just wanted to gaff. But it turned out that he was genuine, and the rest is history,” Dowding told the Buzz.

She travelled up to New York for the awards ceremony and received her award on August 28 at the Brooklyn Borough Hall on Joralemon Street in Brooklyn.

“It is a feeling of great accomplishments,” Dowding said. “I am humbled by my achievements. I am always willing to give utmost importance to theatre arts and anyone who holds an interest,” she added.

Dowding is the Founder and Chief Executive Director of Purple Arts Productions, a company that deals primarily with children, and aims to teach them the basics of six different disciplines of drama when schools are closed for the August holidays.

Purple Arts Productions was founded in 2012. “So we are an eight-year-old company, doing our bit to nurture children’s talent by giving them a valve to channel their energies and help to keep them off the streets. Thanks to the former and sitting First Ladies for their overwhelming support through the years,” Dowding said, adding: “To the sponsors who believed in my work over the years: Mr. Basil Mahadeo & Nalico/NAFICO, Mr. Clyde Dehaas/Courts UNICOMMER and Miranda Takhure-Dean &

Give Another Chance Foundation. This year we saw Ms. Akeila Dorris & the Ministry of Social Protection and Abigail Waterman & Grooming Palace Salon and Barbershop joining us. I could not have done all of the work without the assistance of Sydney Henry (Sherwin Adams) and Jennifer Kendall.

“I would like to give this trophy to Lorna Welshman, my second mother, who lives in Richmond Virginia. She shined light in my

Simone Dowding

darkness when I was down in the drains. To my friend and sister, Belina Charlie, without whom I would have not have been able to fly to Brooklyn to accept my award; to my friend and sister, Professor Paloma Mohamed, who taught me to believe in myself; to my children Shoula, Holis and Dellon for the times when they are without me, as I was in a workshop or rehearsal somewhere; to my mother, Leila Dowding, whom I used

to have spending her last red dollar to send me to practice, but is not alive to savour my achievements.”

Dowding said she is also grateful to New York State Senator, Kevin Parker; Member of Congress of New York Hakeem Jeffries; Borough President of Brooklyn, Eric Adams and all of the members of the GCA for seeing it fitting to give her this award.

Simone Dowding receiving her award from the GCA in New York

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday September 13, 2019

Ethiopian royalty headed to Guyana --to participate in annual ‘Women’s’ Conference

HER Imperial Highness, Princess Ariana Austin Makonnen of Ethiopia will be visiting Guyana as a guest speaker of the 3rd Annual Women’s Leadership and Business Conference, ‘PowHERful: Transition from Inspiration to Action’.

nen was born on January 6, 1984 to an American father and Guyanese mother. She is a member of the Ethiopian imperial family, and the House of Solomon through her marriage to Prince Joel Dawit Makonnen, the great-grandson of Emperor Haile Selassie I.

The two-day event, billed for September 18 and 19 at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, was announced

by WeLead Caribbean, a non-profit organisation aiming to provide comprehensive support for women’s development and business and philanthropy in Guyana and throughout the Caribbean.

Her grandfather was former Georgetown Mayor, John Meredith Ford, and she began her career as a teacher and freelance journalist in Paris, France. She currently serves as Goodwill Ambassador of Friends of Guyana, a non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting education, cultural and environmental programmes in and about Guyana, and is a graduate of Harvard University.

The Princess will deliver a speech on cultural entrepreneurship, which would be followed by a question-and-answer segment.

“Princess Ariana is a philanthropist and entrepreneur with invaluable experience and knowledge to be shared at this year’s conference. We are honoured to have her, and we look forward to learning from her,” President of WeLead Caribbean Abbigale Loncke has said.

Princess Ariana Makon-

Speakers at the conference include First Lady, Mrs. Sandra Granger; Kerensa Gravesande-Bart, of Strategic Recruitment Solutions; Shalini Beharry, of RAMPREM Trinidad; Dr. Vishnu Doerga, of ActionInvest Caribbean; John Housty of Housty Designs; Michelle A. Nicholas, of The Nico Consulting/Girls Inc; Jacquelyn Shipe of Global Ties Alabama; Maria Cordova Sanchez of ED Challenge; Latoya Blackwood of IP-

Sandra Granger

Abbigale Loncke

Princess Ariana Austin Makonnen

ublish Consultancy; Sharon Lalljee-Richard, of Heal Guyana; and Dr. Patricee Douglas, of SRHR Adventures.

Tickets cost $15,000, and can be purchased in Guyana from Eco For Life, on 7 North Rd; 592 Tees, Courtyard Mall Robb St; Java Cafe, Duncan Street, Campbellville; Beaton’s Boutique,

Reliance Essequibo; and Online via eventbrite page via key phrase, Powherful Womens Leadership Conference.

and coaching.

With over 25 members from Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Lucia and Trinidad, ‘WeLead Caribbean’ offers services such as business mentoring, training, marketing, internships

en Owned Platform that

‘WeLead Caribbean’ recently launched its Womfocuses on the development, support, advocacy and marketing of Women Owned Businesses.

‘Folk Festival’ in NY brings back nostalgia APPROXIMATELY 5,000 persons, including First Lady Sandra Granger, attended the 2019 edition of the Guyana Folk Festival in Brooklyn, New York that was held under the theme, “Ma’iupe (working together) through the Festival Arts.”

President of the Guyana Cultural Association of New York, Inc., Dr. Vibert Cambridge told the Buzz in an Online interview that the festival, held during August 25 to September 1, serves to reaffirm “our Guyaneseness” and provides an opportunity for old friends to meet up.

The annual folk festival season features such signature events as: Caribbean summer workshops, an awards ceremony, ‘Kwe Kwe’ night, literary hang and symposium, and a family fun day.

In 2019, a special event, called the ‘Valerie Rodway Centenary Concert’

--sees more than 5,000 in attendance!

Dancers from Tobago’s Roxborough Police Youth Club (Photos courtesy Dr. Vibert Cambridge)

was added. “As far as we know, there has never been a concert of this nature; a concert devoted entirely to the works of Valerie Muriel Rodway,” Dr. Cambridge said.

Furthermore, a number of Guyanese who have contributed posi-

tively to the arts and to the development of the country were awarded.

First organised by the Guyana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) in the early 1980s, the festival has been held over the past 19 years, with the goal of showcasing the nature and scope

of Guyana’s folk heritage. As of the year 2000, though, the Guyana Folk Festival in Brooklyn has been organised by the Guyana Cultural Association of New York, Inc. (GCA).

The GCA is a volunteer-run, not-for-profit organisation committed to promoting Guyanese culture. Their mission is to document, showcase and celebrate the multiple roots of Guyana’s cultural heritage.

Through the annual festival and the programmes of the Guyana Arts and Cultural Centre, the GCA preserves cultural heritage, and makes it available to inspire future generations of Guyanese at home and abroad.

According to Dr. Cambridge, the event also provides an opportunity for inter-generational dialogue, inter-ethnic interaction, showcasing and encouraging Guyanese creativity, cultural education, documentation of cultural heritage, demonstrating Diaspora engagement, and sharing the wide diversity of Guyanese heritage and creativity with the host culture.

Most of the events were streamed, and as of September 5, 2019, more than 17,000 persons had viewed these events Online, Dr. Cambridge told ‘The Buzz’.

Overseas-based Guyanese Kunti Sharon Richards especially appreciated the diversity that was present at the festival this year. “There were African singers as well as Indian music, and also dancers from Trinidad and Tobago,” she said in an invited comment with this publication.

“It brought back nostalgia, and I was able to meet some of my school-days classmates from St. Mary’s School. I look forward to this event every year; experiencing the excitement of Guyanese culture, my roots,” Richards said.

Meanwhile, the leadership of the GCA also includes Ave Brewster-Haynes; Edgar Henry; Claire Ann Goring; Rose October-Edun; Maurice Blenman; Juliet Emanuel; Patricia Jordan-Langford; Eustace Stephens; Penny Bascom; Ronald Lammy; Claire Patterson-Monah; Verna Walcott-White; and Clive Prowell.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday September 13, 2019

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New hilarious Guyanese sitcom from October

By Telesha Ramnarine A new Guyanese sitcom called ‘Something like Life’ will kick off sometime next month on social media, with a promise from the directors that the show will be nothing short of excitement and hilarity.

Lyndon ‘Jumbie’ Jones sat down with the Buzz a few days ago to shed some light on the new show, which is to feature some of the biggest names in local comedy and drama.

“We hadn’t a sitcom in Guyana since forever, since ‘Agree to Disagree’… and Guyanese relate to a sitcom in Guyana so badly. So we have been trying. We had plans and ideas and people who wrote episodes upon episodes,” Jones recalled.

Because of how expensive it is to do, the sitcom idea had to be put on hold for a bit. Actors would have to be paid, along with writers, producers, camera crews, editors, television stations, and the list goes on. In other parts of the world, persons with a programme would simply sell it to a network.

Here in Guyana, though, it is the other way around; air time has to be paid for.

To promote such hilarious, local content, however, persons did film for the crew for free, but the team still needed sponsorship to move the sitcom forward.

“We decided if we can’t get sponsorship, we can use social media, and depending on how good it is, it will get the kind of attention we need for it. So we’re launching on social media,” Jones informed.

The Story

Leza ‘Radica’ Singh is begging lodging and straightening out the entire family.

The story of the new sitcom will revolve around a gentleman who owns a very small house and lives with his ever supportive and loving wife. “By profession, I’m a kite maker. This comes around once a year. Some of us are oblivious to life, so we tell ourselves that’s what we do and will wait until the next year to work. So that’s my main income,” he related.

Jones’ real life wife, Maria Benschop, is playing a part in the sitcom for the very first time, but his wife in the show is Clemencio Goddette. “She has a lot of family living in Bartica.

Radica (Leza Singh) is her family and came down to town for a while, but ended up living here. In the already small house, she brought her mother. Her boyfriend (Chris Gopaul) followed without an invitation. When we refused to keep him, he put up camp outside,” Jones continued.

In the show, he is the kind of person that would not tolerate Gopaul living in his yard, but at the same time, would not throw him

The new sitcom is called ‘Something like Life.’

out on the streets. “I will not throw anybody out or hurt anybody. I am boisterous and would be most insulting, but at the end of the day, I am still soft at heart.”

He continued: “I have a neighbor who always had a crush on my wife but he is not disrespectful. He

is my best friend who would give his life for me and my family. He is always over, but would always side with my wife in everything. As for Radica, she is begging lodging, but is straightening all of us out.”

“We are hilarious, crazy, border edge…It’s go-

ing to be extremely….because of the storyline, it lends itself to a lot of comedy, all of us being bundled up in one small house and constantly colliding with each other,” Jones said, adding that each episode will be about half hour or less.

Meanwhile, the

‘Nothing to Laugh About’ Show will be heading to Bartica Community Center Ground on September 28 and to Uitvlugt Estate Ground on October 5.

Gospel rapper proud to be a virgin “I’M a virgin; I’m the real deal, but I’m not gay. Too straight, girls wanna come my way. Save sex for the right person,” raps Gospel artiste Lucas Musiq in his song, ‘Ease Up’.

The 25-year-old told THE STAR that he is saving himself for the right person, even as he tries to be a living example to others. He is on a mission to get young people to avoid sexual immorality, and to seek God’s face. He is using music and his personal testimony as a vehicle.

“I’m proud and unashamed of being a virgin.

It’s the way I was brought up; mommy and daddy always

tell me ‘marriage first’. I was scared of indulging in certain things. Yes, I was smoking and drinking and all of that, but that (pre-marital sex) was something I never put myself in a situation to let happen,” said Lucas.

“Temptation comes, I won’t lie to you. But I have friends who have come to me saying, ‘Yow, me wish me did keep my virginity’ and me a talk bout man weh a bang girls left, right and centre. When I feel like me a go fall to temptation, me remember dem.”

“This is my mandate in music. You rarely find yutes

this age, light-skinned and handsome a say him a virgin.

I should be out having fun and I could have been doing that but I wanna be a role model,” he continued.

Speaking of mandate, Lucas says he is disheartened by the high level of sexual immorality currently gripping the country. He wants his lifestyle to encourage people to live right.

SEXUAL IMMORALITY

“Sexual immorality happening right now is off the chain right now. Little girls having babies, adults preying

on children, it’s sad,” he said.

“I won’t bash anybody for their choices, the least I can do is give advice and encourage, and I have been scoring.

People nah go do supmn until dem see somebody else do it.

Fi see a young yute on the stage ministering and saying proudly: ‘I’m a virgin’, young people will relate.

People have been reaching out to me saying from I can do it, they know they can do it too.”

Lucas Musiq is currently promoting his songs, Ease Up, Bout Dat Life and Testimony. As a gospel rapper, the entertainer already knows it will be hard breaking into

the industry but he’s up for the task.

“I have experienced people saying my music is devil music, and, of course, I was hurt. I reached the point where I felt like giving up but I understand that this is not about what people will say, it’s about what God has called you to do. No music is devil music. It’s what you put to the music like the words and stuff like that,” he said.

“I’m honouring God, I’m joyful praising God and I leave this all in His hands.”

Gospel singer Lucas Musiq

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday September 13, 2019

COURTS Guyana Inc. pumps $4.4M into annual Pee Wee football … Banks DIH once again on board

TWENTY-FIVE schools from across the capital city of Guyana will do battle in this year’s Petra Organisation’s COURTS Pee Wee football tournament, which will kick off tomorrow, September 21 at Thirst Park ground.

COURTS Guyana Inc. yesterday handed over a cheque to the tune of $4.4M to the organisers at its Main Street location, with the company’s Digital Marketing Officer, Roberta Ferguson, telling the gathering of other sponsors and officials of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), that the investment is one that transcends beyond the sport of football.

Ferguson pointed out that over the years, the COURTS Pee Wee tournament has grown to become the cornerstone of football development in Guyana, but, apart from a number of players going on to represent Guyana at various levels, a number of players would have gone on to become exemplary studentathletes and members of society.

Troy Mendonca, co-Director of Petra Organisation, the entity responsible for the seven-weeklong competition, added that he’s pleased that COURTS Guyana Inc. has once again decided to continue the tournament, which he said has grown to become a tradition at the U-11 football level.

Mendonca, a former National player himself, thanked COURTS and Banks DIH under its Malta Supreme and Rain Forest Water Brand, for showing their commitment to the development of football from the nursery level.

Brian Joseph, one of the developmental coaches attached to the GFF, also thanked both COURTS and Petra Organisation for once again hosting the tournament, pointing out that indirectly, the local governing body for the sport in Guyana has benefitted tremendously from a number of players who once competed in the tournament.

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Warne hits 50 today – Australia icon's career in numbers IT is a big day for Shane Warne today, as Australia's greatestever bowler turns 50. Warne is Australia's record Test wickettaker and was at the heart of a dominant side through the 1990s and 2000s, up until his international retirement in 2007. Albeit not without controversy on and off the field, Warne revolutionised the game with his mastery of legspin, ending the dominance fast bowlers had prior to his introduction. To celebrate a true icon reaching his halfcentury, we look at his career in Opta numbers. 708 - Only one bowler – Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan (800) – has ever taken more Test wickets than Warne, who amassed 708. 195 - Warne's haul of 195 means he holds the record for most Test wickets against England.

199 - The spinner had 199 Test innings at the crease, hitting 3 154 runs overall. 14 - Alec Stewart was Warne's favourite opponent to bowl to in Tests, with the Englishman dismissed 14 times. 99 - Warne's highest score in Test cricket was 99 runs, while his best effort in oneday internationals was 55. 130 - After England, Warne took the most Test wickets against South Africa, with 130 in total.

96 - Warne's most successful year for bowling was in 2005 when he took 96 Test wickets.

In ODIs, he took 62 wickets in 1999. 291 - He took 291 wickets for Australia across 193 ODI appearances. 319 - The majority of Warne's Test wickets came on home turf, with 319 coming his way while playing in Australia, including 15 five-wicket hauls. 129 - In 22 Tests in England, Warne took 129 wickets. (Yahoo Sport)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday September 13, 2019

Rahul axed as India try Rohit as opener against South Africa … Shubman Gill gets his maiden Test call-up

By Amlan Chakraborty NEW DELHI, India (Reuters) - India axed struggling opener KL Rahul and handed Rohit Sharma a chance to revive his stop-start Test career after selecting the limited-overs stalwart for next month's three-match series against South Africa.

Rahul has gone 12 Test innings without a 50-plus score and struggled in the recent tour of West Indies where India won both matches to top the World Test Championship table.

Former captain Sourav Ganguly was among those who felt Rohit, who smashed a record five hundreds at the 50-overs World Cup in England and finished as the tournament's top scorer, should partner Mayank Agarwal at the top of the order.

"We want to give Rohit Sharma an opportunity to open the innings in Tests," chief selector MSK Prasad said after naming the 15-member squad.

Prithvi Shaw would have been Agarwal's automatic partner but the 19-year-old is currently serving a doping ban.

Rohit Sharma Shobman Gill The only player in the world with three double hundreds in oneday internationals, Rohit averages nearly 40 in Tests batting in the middle order.

The 32-year-old has struggled to replicate his limited-overs heroics in the 27 Tests he has played so far and must reinvent himself as an opener in the long form as well.

Punjab top order batsman Shubman Gill got his maiden Test call-up, while the selectors opted for two wicketkeepers in Rishabh Pant and Wriddhiman Saha.

Spin all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who was preferred ahead of Ravichandran Ashwin in both Tests in West Indies, has been retained in the squad, along with the off-spinner, with left-armer Kuldeep Yadav as

the third slow bowling option.

Virat Kohli and his team face South Africa in the first Test at Visakhapatnam from October 2.

Pune and Ranchi host the other two matches.

India squad: Virat Kohli (captain), Mayank Agarwal, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Wriddhiman Saha (wicketkeeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Shubman Gill.

Crown Eco golf tournament on tomorrow GOLF TOURNEY...

THE ‘Crown’ Jewel of tournaments for the second half of the Lusignan Golf Club golf season is being sponsored

by Crown Eco, a division of Crown Mining, located on North Road, Georgetown.

The tournament will be held tomorrow, starting at 12:30hrs, and prizes for different

categories of players, along with incentives for longest drive and nearest to pin, are being provided by the company.

As always, the tournament is expected to attract a large field

of golfers and spectators. The public is invited to come and experience the thrill of the game and the ambience of the course.

The company’s massive newly expanded headquarters is home to its new division of eco-friendly products such as air-conditioning units, refrigerators, and all types of solar lighting that fit any need

and budget.

With Guyana heading towards a green economy, Crown Eco, always the leade,r has stepped into a void to ensure that electrical power will no longer pose an issue for Guyanese both in the city and hinterland areas.

For the best in comfort and advanced technology, customers can turn to a trusted name that

has stood the test of time over the years to guarantee that all their eco needs and financial savings are fulfilled.

For more information of the entire line of products available at the Crown Eco division and other Crown divisions, simply stop by and chat with their friendly staff or call 227-0001.

Jailed former S. American soccer boss banned for life by FIFA NAGPOUT BANNED…

Former S American football boss Juan Angel Napout has been banned for life.

ZURICH, Switzerland (Reuters) - Former South American football boss Juan Angel Napout has been banned for life from the sport and fined one million Swiss francs (£811,293.20) by FIFA, more than one year after being given a nine-year jail sentence by a U.S. Court.

Napout was sentenced by a court in Brooklyn, New York, in August last year and was also ordered to pay more than $4.3M in financial penalties for crimes stemming from the corruption scandal that engulfed global soccer body FIFA in 2015.

He had been found guilty by a jury the previous December of racketeering conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy. He had denied the charges.

Napout served as the head of the national soccer federation in his native Paraguay from 2007 to 2014 and then of South American soccer’s governing body CONMEBOL for one year until he was arrested in Zurich in December 2015 and extradited.

FIFA said in a statement that its investigations referred to “bribery schemes during the period from 2012 to 2015 in relation to his role in awarding contracts to companies for the media and marketing rights to CONMEBOL competitions.”

FIFA said he was barred “from taking part in any football-related activities (administrative, sports or any other) at both national and international level.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday September 13, 2019

Semenya to receive gold medal from 2011 world championships CAPE TOWN, South Africa (Reuters) - Olympic 800 metres champion Caster Semenya will be officially awarded her gold medal from the 2011 world athletics championships at this year’s edition in Doha, but will not be there to receive it.

Semenya was elevated to the gold medal position two years ago when Russian athlete Mariya Savinova, who sped past her on the final straight, was later disqualified for doping violations.

The South African athlete had hoped to defend her 2017 world championship title in Doha starting on September 27, but was forced to withdraw with no verdict yet delivered in her

DCC/Port Mourant U-15s to clash on Sunday THE Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) Under-15 team will match skills with their Port Mourant counterparts in a specially arranged 40 overs cricket match on Sunday at the Port Mourant Cricket Club (PMCC) ground.

The game, which is sponsored

by Trophy Stall, Port Mourant branch, is expected to commence at 11:00hrs.

DCC team reads: Jadan Dowlin, Kareem Caesar, Jayden Campbell, Jonathan Van Lange, Romeo Deonarain, Shaquan Walters, Jeremiah Hohenkirk, Wavell Allen, Mahai Khan, Myhiem Hopkinson, Gabriel Rookhun, Mohan Ragnauth,

Keshawn Silas, Mark Seecharan and Romel Singh. Gavin Nedd is the coach and former West Indies opener Travis Dowlin is the manager.

PMCC team reads: Rampertab Ramnauth, Salim Khan, Abdul Munroe, Mark Ramalho, Rampersaud Ramnauth, Farouk Mohamed, Joshua Douglas, Brandon Harripersaud, Romesh Bharrat, Vishal Williams, Balram Chappelle, Romel Budhawah, Sudesh Maniram, Pawan Ramkellawan. Manager Vick Seubarran. Coach Leslie Solomon.

appeal to the Swiss Federal Tribunal against testosterone regulations imposed on her.

Semenya is appealing the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s (CAS) ruling that supported regulations introduced by the sport’s governing body, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

These say that XY chromosome athletes with differences in sexual development (DSDs) can race in distances from 400m to a mile only if they take medication to reach a reduced testosterone level.

Semenya has refused to be bound by these restrictions, placing a cloud over her future in athletics.

Athletics South Africa (ASA) confirmed yesterday that Semenya would not be in Doha to receive the medal personally during an IAAF ceremony, but that a representative would collect it on her behalf.

Sunette Viljoen, who has been elevated from bronze to silver in the javelin from the 2011 championships, will take part in the ceremony. Russian athlete Mariya Abakumova,

Defending champions Milerock face Botofago for NAMILCO Under-17 crown DEFENDING champions Milerock are seeking to keep their Guyana Football Federation (GFF)/NAMILCO Flour Under -17 football title for teams in the Upper Demerara area, when they face Botofago in the championship game tomorrow at Wisburg Secondary School ground.

To reach the final of this year’s knockout format of the championship, Milerock, who won the tournament when it was played as a league, brushed aside last year’s runner-up side, Amelia’s Ward Panthers, 2-0.

Their goals in that game were scored in the second half of play after a goalless first half. Midfield players Marcus Tudor and Rajan ‘Zidane’ Ramdehol got the goals

for Milerock who should start as favourites against Botofago.

Tudor got his goal in the 58th minute after a short pass by forward Deandre Profitt rebounded into play and he was there to find the back of the net for the 1-0 advantage.

Two minutes later Ramdehol doubled that score after collecting a through pass from Carlos Adams as he cannoned home with a beauty.

In the other semi-final Botofago qualified through a 1-0 win against Amelia’s Ward United with the lone goal of the game coming off the boot from Tyreese David in the 55th minute. (Joe Chapman)

the original gold medallist, was also later disqualified for doping violations.

“Congratulations to our athletes for their achievements and for being honoured as clean athletes,” ASA president Aleck Skhosana said in a media statement.

“We are happy that the IAAF now offers a chance to the rightful winners a podium celebration in front of a capacity stadium which the cheats had denied them at the original competition.”

WDFA/GFF NAMILCO Flour Under-17 match to be played today THE West Demerara Football Association (WDFA)-run Guyana Football Federation (GFF)/NAMILCOsponsored Under-17 football league championship continues today with an adjusted fixture of games set for the Den Amstel ground.

Today’s lone match will see bottom-of-the-table Wales take on third-placed Pouderoyen from 16:00hrs.

On Sunday the tournament continues with a doubleheader starting at 10:00hrs with Wales tackling Eagles and in the second game from 12:00hrs Den Amstel

clash with Hurry-ATE. Den Amstel’s Chris Smith can take the lead in this second game to become the top goalscorer as he and Uitvlugt’s Travis Fraser (five goals apiece) are the joint leaders so far of this championship.

Den Amstel top goalscorer Chris Smith

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday September 13, 2019

Tridents notch first win after Lamichhane, Walsh hurt Patriots BASSETERRE, St Kitts (CMC) – Barbados Tridents crippled St Kitts and Nevis Patriots with spin, bringing them back down to earth with a 18-run defeat, to claim their first win of the Caribbean Premier League here Wednesday night.

Playing at Warner Park just 24 hours after producing the highest-ever successful run chase in franchise cricket, the jaded Patriots found Tridents’ target of 187 too much to overcome, and subsided to 168 for nine off their 20 overs.

Englishman Laurie Evans stroked 64 off 41 deliveries but no other Patriots top-order batsman passed 13 as legspinners Sandeep Lamichhane (3-22) and Hayden Walsh (233) scythed through the innings.

Fast-bowling captain Jason

Holder supported well with two for 37, claiming the wickets of in-form openers Devon Thomas (1) and Evin Lewis (12) cheaply.

Rookie left-hander Leniko Boucher had earlier top-scored with 62 off 47 balls as Tridents did well to get up to 186 for two off 20 overs after being sent in.

Former West Indies opener Johnson Charles gave the innings early impetus with 52 off 43 deliveries while South African star JP Duminy provided the late flourish with an unbeaten 43 off just 18 balls.

Englishman Alex Hales never quite got going and eventually edged seamer Rayad Emrit behind for 18 at 28 for one in the fifth over.

The 21-year-old Boucher then arrived to anchor two key stands, first putting on 85 for

Leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane celebrates one of his three wickets in the CPL on Wednesday night. He was later named Man-of-the-Match.

the second wicket with Charles before adding a further 73 in an unbroken third-wicket partnership with Duminy.

Boucher smashed four fours and three sixes while Charles, dropped on eight by Shamarh Brooks at point off Emrit in the fifth over, counted four fours and three sixes.

Boucher also survived a chance on 15 in the ninth over to notch his maiden T20 fifty off 39 deliveries and after losing Charles to a catch in the deep, joined forces with Duminy, who hit a pair of fours and four sixes, to ensure Tridents gathered 79 runs from the last five overs.

In reply, Patriots stumbled early when Holder removed Thomas to a catch at the wicket in the second over and then had Lewis skying to cover in the fourth over.

Wobbling on 28 for two, Patriots were steadied by Evans who posted 36 for the third wicket with Jason Mohammed (12) and a further 33 for the fourth with Brooks (13).

But Man-of-the-Match Lamichhane turned the game on its head when he removed both Evans and Brooks in the 13th over, and then trapped captain Carlos Brathwaite lbw for one in his next over.

In-between, Walsh bowled the dangerous Fabian Allen without scoring, as Patriots capitulated losing six wickets for 22 runs.

Dominic Drakes’ created some fireworks late on, belting three fours and sixes in a 14ball unbeaten 34 but his effort was too little too late.

Sir Andy said CWI should have persisted with the 27-year-old Holder but afford him the benefit of an experienced coaching staff.

“What are they basing Jason Holder’s captaincy on? Results or tactics on the field? If we’re going to be building and looking towards the future, I think you should stick with a younger captain who is in there for three, four years,” Sir Andy contended.

“What they should have done is give him (Holder) the experience that is required with the coaching staff. That’s what they should have done. Are they blaming Jason’s captaincy for the results we’ve been having? If we don’t have good cricketers, those are

the results we’re going to get. It

Pollard appointment backward step, says Sir Andy

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) – Fast bowling legend Sir Andy Roberts has questioned the timing of Kieron Pollard’s appointment as white-ball skipper and argues that sacked one-day skipper Jason Holder was not at fault for the West Indies’ wretched one-day form in recent years.

In fact, the outspoken Antiguan believes that neither Pollard’s appointment nor the acquisition of a new head coach will have any impact on the Caribbean side’s fortunes, as the fundamental problem lies in the dearth of quality players available.

“A captain is only as good right now as the players he has,” Sir

Andy told the Mason and Guest radio cricket show here.

He added: “I have no issues with what they’re (Cricket West Indies) trying to do but I’ve always said that the least problem we have is the coaching, our biggest problem is to find players.

“It doesn’t matter who you have as head coach – if you could bring the best head coach in the world today with the players that we have you’ll be getting the same results because the coach goes not go on the field.”

CWI announced Monday that Pollard would take over from Holder and Twenty20 skipper, Carlos Brathwaite with immediate effect.

Also, the regional governing body said it had formally begun the recruitment process for a new permanent head coach, to fill the role currently being performed by ex-West Indies batsman Floyd Reifer on a temporary basis.

It was Pollard’s elevation to the ODI captaincy, however, which made the headlines. Age 32, the Trinidadian has not played a single one-dayer in the last three years.

Further, he boasts an unflattering batting average of 25 with the bat from 101 ODIs with three hundreds, while taking 50 wickets with his slow medium at nearly 40 runs apiece.

“He’s 32. When the next ODI (World Cup) comes around he will

be 36, 37. We should be looking to get good players (around 23).

As usual, we’re always looking backward,” Sir Andy pointed out, adding that Pollard should have been given the captaincy five years ago when Holder was appointed.

“They should have made him (Holder) understudy to Pollard (back then). Once they gave him Holder the captaincy and they stuck to it, then I don’t see the reason to go back to Kieron Pollard now.”

Holder failed to win a single series during his tenure and also oversaw West Indies’ worst-ever showing at a World Cup last July, when the side finished ninth of 10 teams with just two wins.

Banks DIH Rainforest Water to hydrate COURTS 10K Road Race BANKS DIH, under its Rainforest Water brand yesterday aligned itself once again with the annual COURTS 10K Road Race, which is set for this Sunday, September 15.

Considered as one of the most anticipated events on the AAG’s calendar, the event involves athletes from gyms and clubs across the country, competing for cash prizes, trophies and medals.

The 10K race will commence at the COURTS Main Street store at 06:00hrs. Staff will participate in a 3K race as the company continues to encourage staff towards living a healthy lifestyle.

Last year, it was not business as usual at the office for Cleveland Forde, Guyana’s leading distance athlete, and for the first time in the eight-year-old COURTS

doesn’t matter who is in charge as captain or who’s in charge of coaching.

“I think our problem is that we’re not developing good cricketers – there is not enough pressure placed on players for personal development and I’ve been saying that for the last 10, 15 years. If these guys don’t take the opportunity to develop themselves, we are going to be stuck where we are.”

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Friday September 13, 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) 23 matches (2) Dwayne Smith-4 centuries

AAG president Aubrey Hutson (second from right) receives sponsorship cheque from Banks DIH representative in the presence of other officials.

10K road race, the man known as the ‘little Kenyan’ did not cross the finish line first, thanks to a sensational run by Winston Missigher. With $100 000 on the line, Missigher out-sprinted Forde to cross the line in a time

of 33 minutes 29 seconds.

Forde, the five-time winner, had to settle for second place (33:30), while 2016 winner, Cleveland Thomas (34:13) was third. Jonathan Fagundes (35:09), Odwin Tudor (35:34) and Tyshon

Bentick (35:44) rounded out the top six. Kezra Murray, Ashanti Scott, Leyanna Charles, Maria Urquhart, Shaunsel Adams and Latoya Perreira were the top six finishers in the female open category.

Today’s Quiz: (1) How many CPL matches have been played at Providence to date?

(2) Who has scored most runs in a single CPL season to date?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday September 13, 2019

England struggle to 271-8 after familiar collapse

By Ed Osmond

LONDON, England (Reuters) England’s batting frailties were exposed again as they wasted a solid start and laboured to 271 for eight on the first day of the final Ashes Test against Australia at The Oval yesterday.

The Australians, who have retained the Ashes, dropped England captain Joe Root three times as he made 57 but the hosts failed to take full advantage and only Jos Buttler’s late unbeaten 64 saved them from complete collapse.

“The boys batted really well in the morning and we got ourselves into a fantastic position but could not capitalise,” Buttler said.

“Both sides are feeling a long series with a quick turnaround between Tests so that’s why the intensity goes up and down. Australia have a really good bowling attack and asked questions all day. It’s frustrating for us not being able to cwapitalise on our start.”

Medium-pacer Mitchell Marsh took four wickets to boost Australia’s bid to secure a 3-1 series win after their captain Tim Paine won the toss and surprisingly sent England in to bat.

Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood bowled tidy opening spells but the touring side’s vaunted pace attack lacked the consistent threat which has caused problems for England’s fragile top order throughout the series.

Joe Denly, on 14, played a loose stroke at a wide delivery from Cummins and edged to second slip where Steve Smith fumbled the chance before grabbing the ball before it hit the ground.

The opening partnership of 27 was the highest of the series but it was another failure for the 33-year-old Denly, who made battling fifties in the last two Tests without staking a claim to a longterm place in the team.

CHARMED LIFE Root, badly dropped on 24 by Peter Siddle at fine leg, after playing a casual pull stroke, was also put down by wicketkeeper Paine off Cummins and England reached lunch at 86-1.

Root was given another life when Smith spilled a sharp chance in the slips but Rory Burns hit seven fours in another determined knock.

The young opening batsman was three runs away from his halfcentury when he got cramped up by a short ball from Hazlewood

SCOREBOARD

Mitchell Marsh celebrates the wicket of Sam Curran Getty Images and spooned a simple catch to Marsh at mid-wicket.

Ben Stokes, loudly cheered to the wicket after his matchwinning century in the third Test, cautiously moved to 20 before he was tempted into a wild heave at medium-pacer Marsh and the ball looped off a leading edge to point.

Root got to a patient fifty, off 105 balls, and his side moved on to 169-3 at tea, but any hopes England had of a substantial score disappeared in the final session.

Root was bowled by a fine

Cummins delivery which hit his off stump and Jonny Bairstow was trapped lbw for 22 by a Marsh yorker.

Sam Curran hooked Cummins for an audacious six, but two deliveries later the young allrounder was adjudged lbw, only to be recalled to the crease because Cummins had bowled a no-ball.

His reprieve was short-lived, however, as Curran edged Marsh to Smith at second slip for 15 and the same bowler snared Chris Woakes lbw to claim his fourth wicket on his recall to the side.

ENGLAND 1st innings R. Burns c Marsh b Hazlewood 47 J. Denly c Smith b Cummins 14 J. Root (c) b Cummins 57 B. Stokes c Lyon b Marsh 20 J. Bairstow lbw b Marsh 22 J. Buttler not out 64 S. Curran c Smith b Marsh 15 C. Woakes lbw b Marsh 2 J. Archer c Paine b Hazlewood 9 M. Leach not out 10 Extras: (b-2, lb-7, nb-2) 11 Total: (8 wickets, 82 overs) 271 Fall of wickets: 1-27, 2-103, 3-130, 4-170, 5-176, 6-199, 7-205, 8-226.

Bowling: P. Cummins 22.5-5-73-2, J. Hazlewood 21-7-76-2, P Siddle 17-1-61-0, M. Marsh 16.1-4-35-4, N. Lyon 4-0-120, M. Labuschagne 1-0-5-0.

“I was like a kid at Christmas this morning,” Marsh said. “It can be a long tour when you are not playing. I just wanted to try and get an opportunity at some stage and it was nice to produce today. The ball came out reasonably well.”

Jofra Archer then nicked Hazlewood to Paine before Buttler briefly lifted the crowd by hitting

Hazlewood for two sixes in a row.

Buttler pulled Hazlewood over the ropes again to reach his fifty and with Jack Leach providing obdurate support, the ninthwicket pair shared an unbroken stand of 45 to boost England’s chances of levelling the series.

Pollard will need time to prove himself, says Perreira

By Rajiv Bisnauth T20 specialist Kieron Pollard has been named captain of the West Indies in the white-ball format, replacing Jason Holder and Carlos Brathwaite. Holder, who led the team at the last two 50-over World Cups, will continue to lead the side in Test cricket.

The decision comes after the conclusion of the first quarterly board meeting of CWI, in Tobago on September 7 and 8, following a comprehensive review by the Selection Task Force of the selection process and system for all West Indies cricket, including women’s and youth teams. The

recommendations made by the panel were further approved by the CWI Board of Directors.

Pollard, who hasn’t played 50-over cricket for more than three years, has accepted his new role. The 32-yearold has played 101 ODIs and 62 T20 Internationals, having scored 2 289 and 903 runs, respectively in the two formats.

However, while Pollard got full confidence from CWI president Ricky Skerritt, renowned cricket commentator Joseph ‘Reds’ Perreira believes that the Trinidadian will need time in order to prove that the decision was the right one made by CWI. “I am not really surprised by the move because Skerritt

Kieron Pollard

Joseph ‘Reds’ Perreira

(Ricky), was clear in his campaign that he wants change ... whether Pollard (Kieron) will be successful or not, only time will tell. I think Pollard will need time to prove himself,” Perreira told Chronicle Sport yesterday.

He added, “Definitely it will take the right selection of players

in order for Pollard to be successful. His average is somewhat below par but when you looked at Lloyd (Clive) and Hooper (Carl), when they took over as West Indies captains, they were averaging just about 30 in Tests , but during their time as captains they were averaging 50; so I hope that the captaincy will impact the same way, but as I said with the right selection, and time will be needed for Pollard to be successful”.

Perreira is of the view that Pollard must realise that he is not leading and IPL of CPL team, but he is now leading the West Indies, and is representing the board, the people in the Caribbean,

and those who live in the Diaspora, so his action will be scrutinised closely.

Pollard will begin his captaincy by travelling to India for a series against Afghanistan.

They will play three T20s followed by three ODI matches in November.

The once mighty West Indies, who won the first two editions of the World Cup during the 1970s, finished ninth in the 10team standings at this year’s tournament, winning only two of their nine matches.

West Indies will be defending their T20 World Cup title next year in Australia.

GBA donates to Mackenzie High School AS part of its outreach programme to the Linden community, Guyana Badminton Association (GBA) recently made a donation of racquets, nets and shuttlecocks to Mackenzie High School.

Shavin Greene, the Physical Education teacher at the school

received the equipment from GBA executives Marlon Chung and Emelia Ramdhani.

Greene, who did a two-day training sessions last month with the association, is now familiar with the necessary rules and regulations of the sport.

It is expected that the GBA will periodically visit the school to

follow up on the progress and give the necessary expertise where needed.

Meanwhile, GBA will host Under-11, U-13, U-15 and U-17

tournaments

in

the

second week in October for all schools to participate.

GBA executives Marlon Chung and Emelia Ramdhani made the donation to Shavin Green.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday September 13, 2019

Organisers, sponsors and representatives from several of the participating schools pose at yesterday’s launch of the COURTS Pee Wee football tournament.

COURTS Guyana Inc. pumps $4.4M into annual Pee Wee football 27 PAGE

Fast bowling legend Andy Roberts

Pollard appointment backward step, 30 says Sir Andy PAGE

Warne hits 50 today – Australia icon's career in numbers 27

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2019