Issuu

MONDAY 25th February, 2019

Guyanese cash in No.105559

–– on opportunities available in oil 03 and gas sector PAGE

Mayor joins after-Mash clean-up

Victor 08 Lewis turns 102 07 today Dried fruits big business in Shulinab 09 PAGE

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Guyanese 11 charged with killing TT vendor PAGE

Georgetown Mayor Ubraj Narine (left) and Councillor Denroy Tudor assist in clean-up efforts along the 'Mash' route on Sunday (Samuel Maughn photo)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, February 25, 2019

Accident

Workers were seen utilising forklifts to remove the machine, as the raffic slowed significantly for hours, even as traffic ranks tried to manage the vehicular flow.

A major traffic jam occurred on the East Bank of Demerara on Sunday, when a machine fell off a truck as it attempted to negotiate the turn in the Houston/Mc Doom area.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday February 25, 2019

Guyanese cash in

– on opportunities available in oil and gas sector By Vishani Ragobeer STRATEGIC Recruitment Solutions (SRS), a 100 per cent Guyanese recruitment and staffing company, has been training locals to grasp employment opportunities in the developing oil and gas sector. The company, which is the brainchild of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kerri Gravesande-Bart, was created to provide staffing solutions to all sectors, particularly in the local oil and gas sector, where jobs are being created onshore and offshore. “Our driving force is our passion to help Guyanese,” Gravesande-Bart said at the company’s launch at the Marriott Hotel on Friday. She related: “With growing focus being placed on the involvement of Guyanese in the country’s emerging oil and gas industry, SRS-GY intends to play an integral role in helping to train and build the capacity of the local

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kerri Gravesande-Bart with Guyanese workers who have benefitted from the SRS (Adrian Narine photo)

Provider); and Falck Nutec Safety Centre, among others. And, a quick scan of their online dashboard would show the jobs currently available. “To date, we have placed

non-discriminatory and gender-balanced approach,” she said, adding: “We are extremely proud to be contributing to our country’s transformation using this

economy, particularly in preparation for the extractive industry. According to him, a “sustainable pool of workers” is needed, which can be devel-

A snapshot of the jobs currently available, as shown online, from the SRS dashboard.

population.” The strategy used by SRS is that immediate training is offered to candidates, both in professional management areas and technical skills training. SRS already has a range of local and international partners, including the Ministry of Social Protection, Department of Labour; Guyana Maritime Administration; the University of Guyana (UG); Caribbean Surgeries Inc./ Partners with ISOS (an ExxonMobil approved Medical

26 workers on two G-Boats vessels, launched by US marine transportation service provider Edison Chouest,” Kerri said. The jobs obtained include cooks and sailors, and the collaborations the company has been able to forge, has shown the “true spirit of local content”, according to the woman. “Our plan at SRS is not only to provide blue-collar workers, but also white-collar workers as well-always through an ethics-first,

strategy.” TRAINING A key component of the recruitment services offered by SRS, is that all potential workers are trained and certified. This is due to cognisance of the increasing demand for certification. President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), Deodat Indar stressed, that capacity building needs to be at the forefront of the developmental thrust in the local

oped by fostering avenues for training and certification right in Guyana. Moreover, there will be a number of jobs created because of the extractive industry and there will be opportunities for growth, he affirmed. For Dwayne Cameron, who is now employed as a lead chef on an offshore vessel, the training he was exposed to, through SRS, was very different from what he learnt at the Carnegie School of Home Economics. “The emphasis of the

training I received was on ethics and safety, which is very important for the work I have to do now,” Cameron shared. To this end, Indar had remarked: “Offshore workers are a different kind of workers... they have to think safety, live safety and operate safety... [because] it is a different safety culture [offshore].” Melica Britton who had previously worked on a cruise ship, remarked that the emphasis on safety is critical to working on those offshore oil vessels. Stephen Moses who previously worked in the bauxite industry, Linden, has now geared himself to work on an offshore vessel As a prospective sailor, he shared that he and his batchmates had to do the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) for Seafarers, and focus on first aid, survival at sea and security awareness on the boat. “When you [are] on the boat, it ain’t got no police station you could call [and] no ambulance or hospital you could call, so you gotta train in all these areas,” Moses said. “But that’s just in addition to the other training you have to do for your actual work on the vessel.” EXPANSION While focus is being placed on training workers now to acquire these jobs, the company also intends on expanding to facilitate

a knowledge transfer from persons who already possess the requisite skills. “It is no secret that Guyana is a newcomer to the oil and gas industry; however, as a people we have always taken great pride in the value of hard work and dedication to confront and surmount challenges,” Directing Shareholder of SRS, Deon Vigilance said. However, in an effort to expand the SRS pool of talent, he disclosed that the company has established a subsidiary in Texas, [known as] SRS-US. This extension of SRSGY will concentrate on attracting individuals with skill sets and the knowledge base that are currently unavailable in Guyana. “Unlike many companies that have started overseas and subsequently partnered with local companies, SRSUS represents a Guyanese company that has extended operations overseas, with the sole purpose of talent acquisition, training and for the advancement of our local economy,” he said, noting, that “SRS will, and currently is, maintaining an unwavering commitment to first recruit locally.” The ultimate goal of this expansion and new model, according to Vigilance, is to afford Guyanese with the rapid knowledge transfer. He further disclosed that the subsidiary will be led by an unnamed person, who has 30 years of experience in the industry.

onGUYANA them,” Marx, a leading anti-abuse procedures into CHRONICLE, Monday February 25, 2019 progressive, said. place.

Dozens killed in Nigeria poll violence: observers ABUJA (Reuters) - As many as 39 people have been killed in election violence in Nigeria, civil society groups said on Sunday, as the country awaited the results of voting in what was forecast to be its tightest election since the end of military rule in 1999. The Situation Room which represents more than 70 civil society groups - gave the death toll the day after voting, citing data from Lagos-based consultancy SBM Intelligence. But authorities were braced for the possibility of further unrest after election results emerge later

this week. President Muhammadu Buhari, 76, a former military ruler, who is seeking a second term on an anti-corruption platform, faces Atiku Abubakar, 72, a businessman and former vice president who has promised to expand the role of the private sector. Deputy Inspector General of Police, Abdulmajid Ali, said police were still gathering information and could not provide figures on casualties. He said violence was greatest in the southern states of Rivers and Akwa Ibom. The Nigeria Police Force said 128 people had been

arrested nationwide for election-related offences including homicide, theft of ballot boxes and vote fraud. Thirty-eight weapons and a cache of explosives were also recovered. The Situation Room said the worst incident was in Abonnema in Rivers State, around 14 km (9 miles) west of the main oil industry city of Port Harcourt, where the army said seven people died in a shoot-out between an unidentified gang and Nigerian soldiers. A lieutenant and six gunmen died in the firefight, which broke out when the attackers barricaded a major road into the town and ambushed the troops, the acting director of army public relations, Colonel Sagir Musa, said. Their motives were not known. Nigerian security forces are stretched by an Islamist insurgency in the northeast along with communal violence and banditry in other areas. Previous elections have been marred by violence among supporters of different political parties that at times sparked sectarian clashes. A credible and relatively calm poll would open a new chapter in the checkered

A road leading to a collation centre is blocked, as Nigerians await the result of the Presidential election, in Abuja, Nigeria. ( REUTERS/Gbemileke Awodoye)

political history of Nigeria, where nearly six decades of independence have been tarnished by military coups, endemic corruption and secessionist movements. The number of deaths reported Sunday was below the final tolls in previous elections in Africa’s most populous country. However, most unrest typically occurs after results are announced. Results are expected to start trickling in early on Monday with a “substantial

number” likely on Tuesday, election commission official Festus Okoye said. As many as 100 people were killed during and after the last election in 2015, according to the International Crisis Group. The election was postponed the previous Saturday just hours before it was due to begin, with the authorities citing problems in delivering ballot papers and results sheets in some parts of the country. VOTING EXTENDED IN A FEW PLACES Despite the violence, some noted that it could have been worse. “We didn’t expect that the election would be so smooth ... we thought people might be dying,” said Henry Okalome, 55, a trader in Kano who voted for Atiku. Violence and problems with electronic voting ma-

chines meant voting took place in a small number of places on Sunday. Seventy-three million eligible voters chose from a pool of more than 70 presidential candidates, although only those from the two main parties - Buhari and Atiku are seen as having a chance. The contest between the two men hinges on revamping an economy struggling to recover from its first recession in 25 years, which it slipped into in 2016 and emerged from in 2017. Nearly a quarter of the workforce is unemployed, while the cost of living has also risen rapidly. Buhari has focused his campaign on rooting out corruption, but critics say there have not been any significant convictions in his first term. Atiku has said he would aim to double the size of the economy to $900 billion by 2025.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday February 25, 2019

After Venezuelan troops block aid, Maduro faces ‘diplomatic siege’ CARACAS/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro faces a new round of sanctions, regional leaders said on Sunday, after his troops repelled foreign aid convoys, with Brazil branding it criminal and urging allies to join a “liberation effort.” Troops loyal to Maduro violently drove back aid convoys seeking to enter Venezuela on Saturday, leaving almost 300 wounded in clashes with security forces and at least three protesters dead near the Brazilian border. Juan Guaido, recognised by most Western nations as Venezuela’s legitimate leader, urged foreign powers to consider “all options” in ousting Maduro, ahead of a meeting of the regional Lima Group of nations in Bogota, on Monday, that will be attended by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence. Pence, is set to announce “concrete steps” and “clear actions” at the meeting to address the crisis, a senior U.S. administration official said on Sunday, declining to provide details. “What happened yesterday is not going to deter us from getting humanitarian aid into Venezuela,” the official said, speaking with reporters on condition of anonymity. Brazil, a diplomatic heavyweight in Latin America, which has the region’s largest economy, was for years a vocal ally of Venezuela while it was ruled by the leftist Workers Party. It turned sharply against Maduro this year when far-right President Jair Bolsonaro took office. “Brazil calls on the international community, especially those countries that have not yet recognised Juan Guaido as interim president, to join in the liberation effort of Venezuela,” the Brazilian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. China and Russia, which have major energy sector investments in Venezuela, have supported Maduro’s government and condemned U.S. sanctions. Meanwhile, Colombian President Ivan Duque, in a tweet, denounced the “barbarity and violence” and said Monday’s summit would discuss “how to tighten the

People throw stones at Venezuelan national guard members, at the border, seen from Pacaraima, Brazil February 24, 2019. (REUTERS/Ricardo Moraes)

diplomatic siege of the dictatorship in Venezuela.” Venezuela’s Information Minister Jorge Rodriguez, during a Sunday news conference, gloated about the opposition’s failure to bring in aid, and called Guaido “a puppet and a used condom.” Maduro has denounced Guaido for seeking to foment a U.S-orchestrated coup. Trucks laden with U.S. food and medicine on the Colombian border repeatedly attempted to push past lines of troops on Saturday, but were met with tear gas and rubber rounds. Two of the aid trucks went up in flames. Rodriguez accused “druggedup protesters” of setting fire to the trucks. The opposition had hoped that troops would balk at turning back supplies that are so desperately needed by a population increasingly suffering malnutrition and diseases. Though some 60 members of security forces defected into Colombia on Saturday, according to that country’s authorities, the National Guard at the frontier crossings held firm. Two additional members of Venezuela’s National Guard defected to Brazil late on Saturday, a Brazilian army colonel said on Sunday. “SEALED ITS DEFEAT” The Brazilian border state of Roraima said the number of Venezuelans being treated for gunshot wounds rose to 18 from five in the past 24 hours. That was the result of

constant gun battles, which included armed men without uniform, throughout Saturday in the Venezuelan town of Santa Elena, near the border. Opposition legislator Americo De Grazia said via Twitter, that the death toll had risen to 15 in Santa Elena, though Reuters was un-

able to confirm this. The Venezuelan Observatory of Violence, a local crime monitoring group, said it had confirmed three deaths on Saturday, all in Santa Elena, and at least 295 injured across the country. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed

on Sunday for “violence to be avoided at any cost” and said everyone should lower tensions and pursue efforts to avoid further escalation, according to his spokesman. Though Saturday’s effort allowed the opposition to demonstrate that Maduro was willing to repel aid, many opposition leaders appeared despondent and disappointed that the food and medicine had not gotten in. U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, an influential voice on Venezuela policy in Washington, said the violence on Saturday had “opened the door to various potential multilateral actions not on the table just 24 hours ago”. Hours later, he tweeted a mug shot of former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega, who was captured by U.S. forces in 1990 after an invasion. President Donald Trump has in the past said military intervention in Venezuela was “an option”, though Guaido made no reference to it on Saturday. During a visit to a border

Monday, February 25, 2019

bridge to survey the damage, Duque told reporters that the frontier would remain closed for two days to repair the infrastructure and that aid would remain in storage. “The dictatorship has sealed its moral and diplomatic defeat by showing the world how it persecuted its own with all types of violence,” he said. In the Venezuelan border town of Urena, streets were still strewn with debris, including the charred remains of a bus that had been set ablaze by protesters. Residents on Sunday were pulling pieces from the still-smoldering wreckage to sell as scrap metal. Most were worried about the continued border closure, which prevents residents from going to work or buying basic products in the neighboring nation. “Today there is still tension, I went onto the street and saw all the destruction,” said Auriner Blanco, 38. “The border closure is bad because we need everything they were going to bring over.”

09:30hrs. - 11:00hrs.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday February 25, 2019

Developing our new towns IN the last several years, nine new towns were so designated in various parts of the country. These towns were either basically large central villages, or already had some of the characteristics of a town, such as Bartica. All these towns need to employ professional town-planners and architects, since if the town is not well planned from the beginning with certain characteristic architecture, it would inevitably grow up in a disorderly fashion which could result in serious health problems, traffic problems, development of slums, waste of space and the absence of recreational and cultural facilities. Almost all towns begin their existence with a commercial area which is occasioned by various factors. In the case of Georgetown, for example, the early commercial area grew up in Water Street, because the street was contiguous with the port and the river. In all the commercial areas of the new towns, there always grew up a market, usually first as an open market and later covered. Special laws or regulations were always made for these markets, which are often never updated. The decay of the Stabroek Market, the main Georgetown market, could be regarded as a microcosm of the decay of the city itself. Both the city itself and the Stabroek Market stand out as valuable lessons to the new towns of what to avoid as they enter upon their journey of growth. In Georgetown at the beginning of the 19th century, the market was a congregation of small shops and stalls vending various items, but chiefly foodstuff. Regulations were made to bring some order to the market area. Then in the early 1880s, a covered market was bought in Boston and shipped from the U.S. It was then established on the site of the old open market and named Stabroek Market. The Stabroek Market was well laid

out: in the front of the Market, facing east, there were several gates, the widest one being the middle gate which opened to a very wide passageway; this passageway lead to the wharf at the back of the market, where farmers landed their produce. The wharf became the main wholesale/retail mart for green groceries. The wide passageway was meant to accommodate fire engines, in case there was a fire in the market. The roof and the floors of the structure were scientifically designed. The concrete floor had a gradient from the front to the back, so that the market could easily be hosed down and cleaned and the water would quickly run off to the river. The roofs were designed to let in maximum of light and air, so that the market was well ventilated and lit. The stalls were all of the same height and were painted and it was necessary that each stall carried the name of the owner. The market was safe and secure for both shoppers and stall-holders and people of every class came there to shop. The market was opened until 8.00 p.m. and was administered by a clerk of markets, who was responsible for revenue collection and seeing that the market was well-kept and clean. The market accounts were always in surplus. The early clerks came from established business families and middle-class backgrounds. The market clock tower became one of the symbols of the town and the clock bell could be heard as far away as Vlissingen Road and Albouystown in the stillness of the night. The town itself was extraordinarily well-kept. The streets were all clean and were made from white marl imported from Barbados. Later, granite was mined from the interior and the main streets began to be gradually asphalted. The main streets were tree-lined with flowering trees such as the flamboyant. Rubbish disposal was efficient, the town was well-drained and there were never any floods. Since there were no floods,

householders were able to have gardens and in most yards, especially in the wealthier areas of the town, there were flower gardens-- roses and oleanders being favourites. Some families, especially in the Kingston ward, successfully grew flourishing grape vines. The northern rim of the town, Thomas Lands and Eve Leary were used as sports grounds. The town was criss-crossed by clean, flowing canals, some of which had ornate bridges built over them. Some of these bridges still survive in Avenue of the Republic. The town hall, built in the early 1880s, was a unique fairy- tale palace and was an attraction to all visitors. In the 1920s, the sewage system was built and replaced the septic tanks and pit latrines. The town’s Botanical Gardens was the best in the Caribbean and its cemetery, Le Repentir, was the largest and best kept in the Caribbean. The town was known world-wide as the Garden City of the West Indies. The administration of the town was efficient and honest and the town councillors were of middle and upper-class backgrounds and received no stipends for their services. The town was always in surplus and when it issued bonds, they were all taken up without difficulty. Georgetown was one of the best towns in the world in which to live. Then independence came in the 1966 and there was a democratisation of the town’s government. The town councillors were now politicians and came from different backgrounds from the older councils. With independence came much social, economic and political instability; these, together with the lack of expertise of the new councillors and the officers who ran the Town Hall, led to a break down in administration. Maintenance of the town was neglected; the town began to suffer from floods; the sewer system did not function very well; rubbish disposal became an insurmountable prob-

lem; the trees of the town were allowed to die or grow wild and untrimmed; the canals all became silted up, and worse, a pall of corruption and non-functional workers enveloped the town. This decay of the town was symbolised by the rotting of the beautiful town hall building and Le Repentir cemetery growing into a jungle. The Stabroek Market came to be a mirror image of the town in its decay. The roof was neglected and developed leaks and collapsed in parts as the wharf. The gradient of the floor was destroyed by stall-holders being permitted to raise the areas in front of their stalls. The clerks of markets allowed small, new stalls to be established in any open space, resulting in the light and ventilation of the market being destroyed. The passageways became encumbered. Certain clerks of markets, allegedly for kick-backs, allowed overhead stalls to be built, though the foundation of the market could not safely sustain the weight of such stalls. This is now a standing danger and the market has now become infested with snatch-thieves who every day rob shoppers. The market administration has not been able to make the market pay its way. The government has now begun to address the chaos of the city but is somewhat inhibited from working faster in the renewal plans and activities, because it is committed to strengthening the autonomy of local authorities. We are certain, however, that government will be able to bring about the rebirth of the city in four or five years. The new towns could develop themselves and avoid the pitfalls into which Georgetown fell, since they have Georgetown as a standing example and reminder; it is indeed ironic that the decay of Georgetown should be the guide to new towns to turn themselves into little Parises or Genevas.

Cards, razors, earpieces seized in prisons raid THE Joint Services, on Saturday, seized a large number of prohibited items during raids conducted at the Timehri, Georgetown, Lusignan, New Amsterdam, and Mazaruni prisons. The items seized include chargers, cannabis, razor blades, cutlery, cigarettes, cards, nails and earpieces. Police in a release said, the searches

were conducted by over 200 ranks from the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Guyana Prison Service (GPS) and lasted for about six hours. In recent times, various items have been smuggled into the prisons and the authorities have since been working to fix this dilemma. The items are claimed to be transported to prisoners by officers in the

system. Other officers, who witness these actions, are usually tipped off, so the acts never reach the authorities and the perpetrators are never caught. The prison system is currently working to curb these practices, apart from using the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). These procedures have been proven to be less effective because there is bribery along

the process. About a year ago, scanners were introduced to provide added security, but this has since seen little to no improvement because of officers who do not comply with orders. The Guyana Prison Service (GPS) intends to, further improve its security measures and to closely scrutinise its officers, in the coming year.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday February 25, 2019

Victor Lewis turns 102 today

By Nafeeza Yahya BORN to Rachel Albert and Johnny Lewis on February 25, 1917, Victor Anthony Robertson Lewis, who turns 102 today, is the oldest living centenarian in East Berbice, Corentyne. Popularly called Victor, the second of five siblings from Brighton Village, he said it is through the mercy and blessings of God he is alive and healthy. “What the Lord has said to be done will be done; if you want something you have to work for it but without the Lord, nothing is possible,” he said. Amazingly, at his age, the only medical complaint the centenarian has is his eyesight. He is able to move around and be independent with little to no assistance. A carpenter for most of his life, Victor was literally forced to stop working when he was in his 90s by his children who felt it was time for him to rest. He attended the Eversham Primary School and completed studies there at age 16. The year was 1933.

In those days, secondary school education was not readily available like today, and it therefore meant that on completion of primary school, his formal education came to an end. He was introduced to carpentry, by a close friend called “Brother Grant”, who was working on a house in the village. “I just finish school and not doing nothing and he said to me, ‘young man, you wanna learn this trade’ and I say ‘anything brother’ and that’s how I start with him,” Victor related. For the next 80-plus years, he continued in the trade that earned him a living, as well as, allowed him the opportunity to help shape the infrastructural landscape of Guyana, by working on most of the multilateral schools throughout the country. GOOD REPUTATION Victor reminisced that his hard work earned him a good reputation as a carpenter, after initially starting out as a labourer. “In my days was handsaw, mortice and chisel not

Looking sharp: Victor Lewis is 102 not out today

them fancy chopsaw

nowadays. You had to

personally select the pieces of lumber for the job and you had a connection. Whenever you completed a job, you were proud of the work you put in because you know it can stand the test of time,” Victor related with a proud smile on his face. After mastering the trade and felt he was capable of providing for a family, Lewis got married in 1949, at the age of 32, to Monica Williams from Limlair Village, also on the Corentyne. With the support of his wife, he built his house from scratch, at Brighton, to cater for their family. Their union produced 12 children, 11 of whom are still alive. The eldest is 60, while the youngest is 40 years old. In his early days, Victor recalled going with his co-workers to a “village dance” on the weekends, immediately after work, and playing cricket. He, however, tried his utmost to make sure he was in church on Sundays, something he still tries to upkeep even to this day. Victor is a member of the Eversham Presbyterian Church.

AWAYS HUMBLE “Make sure God is in everything you do in life,” he said, noting, that throughout his life, he has always been humble and contented and never had a favourite meal. This trait, he has imparted to his children, with the hope that they will also impart it to their children. However, the centenarian is concerned with the attitude of the children today, towards their parents. “In my days, the parents tell the children what to do and they obey or you face disciplinary action, but now the kids telling them parents what they want to do and they are messing up their lives. Is do what you want nowadays,” he said. Lewis said it is important for parents to provide guidance to their children at all times, especially, the mother, whom he says play a pivotal role in molding and educating their children. On Saturday last, family and friends gathered and threw a party for Lewis. He was in his usual jovial, chatty self and enjoyed the occasion.

Poetry is part of human existence Dear Editor,

POETRY has always been a part of human life. It is an art that lies in the soul and spirit of man since the beginning of time. A poet writes always of his personal life and experience. He writes because he has an indispensable desire in his heart to express his ideas to objectify his poetic philosophy about life. The English poet Shelly said that: ‘‘A poem is the very image of life expressed in its eternal truth…’’. The profound truth in this line written by Shelly can be seen in the poetry of all the classical poets, from Homer to Shakespeare. The writing of great poetry has been the primary vehicle for expressing one’s thoughts, observations, historical events, and various philosophies from a different perspective about life. A great poem, unlike a novel or

a short story, can be digested and absorbed in our souls and can become a part of us forever. The poetry of Homer, Virgil, Dante, Tagore, and Shakespeare has become a part of the literary world until today. The divinity of their poetry has become sermons and prayers over the ages. Poets speak a language all their own. Poets think in images—words naming a sensory thing or action. Great poetry requires a reader to experience a series of sensory experiences. Having experienced the image, we need to interpret it. The vital message and metaphor are what the poet wants you to know. Poetry gives pleasure first, then truth, hidden in complex imagery and philosophy. Its language is charged, intensified and sophisticated. The imagery in poetic writing is what every poet should strive for to achieve in his literary craft. Imagery is not just the

sensory object the poem will convey to the readers. It is not only the beautiful and musical patterning of words; it is truth and meaning within the words of the poet that gives us great poetry. The illustrious American poet and critic, T.S. Eliot wrote: ‘‘The dead poets are revealing themselves in the poets that are alive…’’ His knowledge in the line I have quoted here is what I have experienced as a poet. I am inspired and motivated to write when I read the work of a great poet. Inspiration will only come to us by reading and meditation. Poetry, I believe, is a very deep spiritual revelation, compounded with creative imagination from the unseen world into the known material world. Some philosophers and theologians believe that poetry writing is ‘intuitive writing’ that cannot be taught from mere book learning. I

fully agree with them because one can be taught the literary genres and techniques about writing from an English textbook, but one cannot be taught how to write. Great poetry should be revealed to the poet by spiritual revelation for him. It is my firm conviction that poetry, as well as music and art, are a God-given gift given to the artist unknown to him on many occasions that cannot be taught at Universities. Some of our greatest Guyanese authors and poets such as Martin Carter, Wilson Harris, Edgar Mittelholzer, Philip Moore and Petamber Persaud, never acquired university degrees, but their writings excelled those with PhD degrees. Samuel Johnson was too poor to acquire a University degree, yet he wrote the greatest dictionary and tons of books and papers. What many academics failed to understand is very simple:

degrees don’t write; writers do the writing. Intuition which we sometimes call ‘inspiration’ will push us to write lines we ourselves are unable to write by our natural intellectual apprehension. Until today, many literary scholars believe that Shakespeare never wrote what he had written because he was not educated at a University. Shakespeare was naturally gifted and inspired by God to write what he had written. The American poet and critic, T.S. Eliot, believed that Shakespeare never did any real thinking to write but wrote upon inspired thoughts given to him by the imperial muse of poetry. Poetry is an art, and in my opinion, the greatest of the fine arts and the hardest in which to reach true perfection. The true poet must be genuine, who has faith and confidence that his work will do something to the world

and the society he lives in. Poetry deals with the emotional intensity in mankind. It’s a more sophisticated art in writing that comes from the poet’s heart by a higher sort of creative imagination. Prose, on the other hand, deals with the external intellect. It’s a more lucid and scientific form of expression. It is a more analytical and comprehensive style in formal writing. It enables man to see things more clearly, whereas poetry lies in obscure images beneath the surface of things that can only be comprehended by eyes within our mind’s eye. Poetry is philosophy locked in symbolism and magnificent imagery. In closing, poets are important in every society because their prophetic words of wisdom will live on after they are gone. Regards, Rev. Dr. Gideon Cecil

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday February 25, 2019

Mayor joins after-Mash clean-up – to introduce mandatory fee next celebration By Lisa Hamilton THE Mayor and City Council (M&CC) will next year, introduce a mandatory fee for the cleaning up of vending spots along the Mashramani route, as efforts to have vendors and citizens cooperate to better dispose of their garbage were rendered futile this year. On Sunday morning, the Guyana Chronicle met up with Georgetown Mayor Ubraj Narine; Solid Waste Management Director Walter Narine and Councillor Denroy Tudor who spoke on these matters. At the time, they were assisting with the clean-up of the 2019 Mash route. The clean-up was a collaborative effort between the Solid Waste Management and City Engineer Department. On Republic Day, Saturday, workers walked behind the last float picking up garbage and went home during the wee hours on Sunday, only for some of these and others to return at 05:00hrs the same day. When this newspaper met

Solid Waste Management Director Walter Narine (Samuel Maughn photo)

“We gave out about 3,000 bags to vendors [on Saturday morning] and none were actually used. We placed skip bins at strategic locations and said to ourselves that it will be an easy way for vendors to have access to dispose of the bags when filled,” Mayor Ubraj Narine said. He added: “When we turned up this morning there were actually no bags that we gave to them; everything was on the ground and the floor. Yesterday, I was out here and I saw people drink their beers and they ate their food and

shared by Solid Waste Management Director Walter Narine. “What we had done yesterday morning was to issue at least 3,000 bags to vendors and families who were out here early, for them to dispose of their garbage properly. We even put 1210x6 skip bins at strategic locations and asked them to use those. To our dismay, when we passed here last night behind the last float and up to this morning, the bins were empty and we see no signs of the garbage bags.”

Georgetown Mayor Ubraj Narine (left) and Councillor Denroy Tudor assist in clean-up efforts along the ‘Mash’ route on Sunday (Samuel Maughn photo)

who also were present, the culture of wanton littering has to change. He explained that while the M&CC has its job to do, residents also must not operate with the mindset that they can do as they please,

Mayor and City Council (M&CC) employees hard at work (Samuel Maughn photo)

with them around midday, the team had cleared over 30 tonnes of garbage and, while the clean-up is customary under the current administration, the council leaders revealed a startling truth.

they threw it in the gutters. Looked at me, the mayor, and threw it into the gutter. It is a sad moment for us and we can’t get anywhere with such a behaviour.” These sentiments were

MUST STOP The mayor said while they are not attacking residents of Georgetown, as others from across the country including non-residents

because a plan for cleaning up afterwards exists. Narine added that cleaning behind floats is a very strenuous task, and the workers who did the job had to sacrifice their Republic Day

and time with their families. Looking back, the mayor believes that the money spent to facilitate the large clean-up could have been used to fund other projects in the city. “We’re hoping that next year we’d incorporate a cost for cleansing, and if we come and we see the area was kept clean, we will refund you that money. If not, we’re just going to take that money to fund cleansing,” Narine said. This new mandatory requirement will go for small vendors, as well as large businesses, which often host their own vending and entertainment sessions at the roadside. The mayor also expressed, that when citizens and vendors can begin to tidy up after themselves following national celebrations such as Mashramani, there will be less garbage to collect and a smaller workforce would be needed. CAN BE DONE “We can do it together. Don’t depend on City Hall, or the mayor or the councillors for your area to do it by themselves. Come out and meet with them; get to know them and we will work together,” he encouraged. “We’re looking for that kind of cooperation next year, when you do take a spot out here and you’re vending; cooperate with us. We gave you garbage bags; there will be bins placed; use it,” he

said. Despite the unfortunate situation, Councillor Tudor said the MCC will continue to do its work, and it aims to form better relationships with its workers who bear the brunt of the work in such times. “As this new council, we truly understand the importance of having an excellent relationship with our workers; coming out and working with them foot-on-foot because we don’t believe that all of the work of our council should be simply when you go to City Hall,” Tudor said. Through participating in the exercise, he said that they have come to understand the challenges of workers, as it relates to food and water under the conditions. “We want to advise the residents of Georgetown, as well as persons that regularly visit Georgetown --- whether it’s for work; study and so forth --- that we want to improve the standard of the city,” he said. He added: “We want to ensure that this city is the premier city, not only for Guyana but for the Caribbean region. So, moving forward, each and every single person that traverses or comes into the city, must be able to understand that the role of keeping the city clean is not simply the City Council’s responsibility, but it’s certainly an effort that is shared between the city and the residents.”

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday February 25, 2019

Dried fruits big business in Shulinab MANGOES are one of the most important fruits grown in Guyana. It is available year-round and the main harvest periods are mid-October to January and May through June. During these periods, mangoes can be seen wasting in the Rupununi, Region Nine. As one traverses villages in the deep south, under very huge trees are mangoes rotting, with birds picking them or animals such as pigs waiting to grab them as they fall. But the women of Shulinab, the only Makushi village in South Rupununi, will not let the mangoes grown in their village go to waste. The women’s group is using two small dryers it acquired to dry the fruits and send them to Georgetown for sale for just $1000 per pound. For them, “it’s big business.” Violet Eusebio, chairperson of the Shulinab Women’s Group, told the Department

was visiting the community during last year and came upon the women’s group who shared some of their ideas with her. She subsequently brought some samples of the dried tomatoes, mangoes, bananas and oranges to show the group. “… since we have those same fruits in the village, we started to dry them. I thought it was really hard but it is not… we are only seven months in this business and it has been great, but we still have a far way to go.”

THE PROCESS Before the drying process begins, the mango that has been sliced will usually have moisture on its surface. In the drying process, warm air that has little moisture will be used to pick up the moisture on the surface of the sliced mango. As the water on the surface is being evaporated, the water from inside the mango is also being drawn

Women of Shulinab with their packaged dried fruits (DPI photo)

is called case-hardening. According to Eusebio, the entire process takes about one and a half days. Apart from mangoes, the group also dries oranges, tangerines and other citrus fruits that are in season; vegetables,

Sliced mangoes go through the drying process before packaging (DPI photo)

of Public Information (DPI) in a recent interview that the project began in May 2018, when the group restarted; and it was discovered that two dryers were the only assets they possessed. “The project was ongoing for a very long time, but the previous groups were doing it, drying a few things; but then it flopped. The women decided to elect a new chairperson. I was elected in May of 2018 and as soon as we restarted the group, this was one of the biggest assets we had and everything was just wasting. We didn’t know how to use the dryer, the previous women did not tell us about the process of drying or what kind of fruits that can be dried, although we reached out to them. Luckily, a lady by the name Sherlina Nageer visited the community some time ago and taught the women how to use the dryer,” Eusebio explained. Eusebio said Nageer

out to the surface to replace the lost moisture. The process of water being drawn out from the centre of the material to the surface is called diffusion. Then the moisture will also be taken away by the warm air. As moisture is being drawn out to the surface, moisture on the surface will be less visible until it reaches a point where the surface will no longer look wet. The rate of moisture removal will also be slower as time goes on. As moisture is being drained out of the mango, its cellular structure will begin to break down, causing the mango to shrink. At high temperatures, moisture can be drawn out too quickly forming a thick, hard layer on the surface of the mango. The thick layer will trap moisture inside the fruit, making it really difficult to entirely dehydrate the mango. This phenomenon of developing a hard skin-like outer layer

including peppers, pumpkins and tomatoes are also processed on a small scale. These go through a similar process to dry. Most of these fruits and vegetables, Eusebio said, were going to waste because there is a glut in the village. However, the group’s decision to turn this surplus into a business has supported their families. BIG PROFIT The fruits are dried, packaged in plastic bags and sent to Georgetown on a regularly scheduled basis, after which Nageer supplies overseas customers and the women will get paid. The chairperson said that the women’s group project is a significant boost for not only the group itself, but also for the women who are involved. “… we have been able to get outside markets and we have been making ‘big profits,” she said.

According to Eusebio, the group is working on a proposal to send to the Ministry of Social Protection to benefit from funding through the Sustainable Livelihoods and Entrepreneurial Development (SLED) programme. The group anticipates receiving $8M. She said that part of the plan will be to expand the building from which the group is currently working . This will allow them to get involved in other business ventures. They also have plans to improve on their packaging, add more to what they already produce and seek additional local and overseas markets. (DPI)

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday February 25, 2019

When children are your company

MANY adults, either by mistake or design, treat children as though they are companions rather than children who are developing and in need of guidance. As a result, the line that distinguishes parent/adult from child becomes blurred. Although the child is aware on one level, that the adult is his/ her parent or caregiver and provider, on a personal level the child will relate to the adult more like an equal or a friend: and just like friends, the adult will laugh, make jokes and share events and sometimes even secrets, with the child. Inadvertently, the child will begin to respond to the role of adult companion. Outwardly, to discern adult/parent/carer from child is not difficult. That is until the adult attempts to put guidelines in place or tries to create boundaries for

the child: this is where the problem begins. If the child does not agree with the adult putting his/her ‘foot down,’ or has a problem with the rules and regulations, the child would retaliate, sometimes to such an extent, that the adult will ‘give in’ to the child just for some peace. Adults tend to back down because they cannot take the whining, crying, or tantrums associated with the disgruntled child. What the adult fails to realise is that the child’s negative behaviour stems from the relationship that the adult created between them: Adults create their own ‘Frankensteins’. The way children think and behave is initially influenced by the adults around them: secondly, through their peers and community: and lastly, they are influenced by the things to which they are exposed. Because adults have the biggest influence over children, they

must mean what they say and say what they mean. For example, the adult will say, ‘No you cannot have ice cream until after your dinner’, and the child might reason, ‘but the food is not ready, please can I have just a little?’ The adult would reply, ‘I said no, and no means no’. At this point, the child may start strategic attention-seeking (tantrums, whining crying, misbehaving) performed solely to change the adult’s mind and get his/her own way. Nine times out of 10, children who have their performances down to a ‘T’ are successful. Children need to know where they stand within their family dynamics and what is expected from them, e.g. obedience, good behaviour, manners, attentiveness, etc. They also need discipline and structure in their lives. Clear guidelines should be created by parents, while the

child is young and adjusted, age appropriately, as the child grows. In turn, adults need to establish and display their reliability, responsibility, guidance, love and devotion to raising their children in a balanced, stable setting. Regardless of how lonely an adult may be, it is not good practice to use children as a ‘shoulder to lean on’ in place of a partner or friend. Adults who do this tend to confide things to children that they should be sharing with people their own age. They ask the child for his/ her opinion and actually take advice from the child, when in reality, it should be the other way around. When children have lived this role for a while, it becomes very difficult, but not impossible, for the adult to ever receive from the child, the level of ‘respect’ necessary for successful child rearing; and should the adult or parent find a

partner or replace the child with a friend, the child may become resentful of the third party. (This means more tantrums and bad behaviour.) But all is not lost. If you recognise yourself from any of the above and can relate to the fact that you are in a disjointed relationship with a ‘child’ through one set of circumstances or another, you can work on changing the situation and balancing, even tipping the scale to your advantage. The first thing you need to do is realise the importance of your adult role in the relationship. Children rely on adults to set examples and to guide them in the right direction. The role of the adult/ parent must be understood by both parent and child; you may have to work on establishing this clearly over a period of time. You must also want to change the situation sincerely and not be half-hearted in

your approach. You have to make the decision to ‘stick to your guns,’ regardless of the tantrums, ‘long mouth’, bad attitude, or crying and anguish the child might display (even if it feels like it’s touching your soul) you need to stand your ground and be firm. There is only one ‘child’ in the relationship and it is not you; besides, if you make these sacrifices now, both you and the child will benefit from them in the long run. If you need help or advice you can speak to one of the Childcare and Protection Agency officers on 227 4082 or 225 1117. If you are concerned about the welfare of a child call the Childcare and Protection Agency hotline on 227 0979 or write to us at childcaregy@gmail.com A MESSAGE FROM THE CHILDCARE AND PROTECTION AGENCY, MINISTRY OF SOCIAL PROTECTION

Better Hope residents furious over proposed road fix RESIDENTS of Better Hope-South on the East Coast of Demerara feel disrespected by the recent move of the Better Hope/La Bonne Intention Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) to give them construction rubble to fill the many potholes in their streets. On Sunday, several residents gathered to speak with the media about the piles of broken concrete, still with steel and pvc pipes in them, which were offloaded in piles in several locations in the community. According to former NDC councillor and now Community Youth Leader Ulita Moore, the chairman is expecting residents to pound or grind the debris into smaller pieces to place it on the roads. “I came home one day and I saw one load up the road, so I assumed that somebody broke their house down and was using it to build their yard. Then I came down the

road and saw three other loads; and I was told it was from the Better Hope/ LBI NDC and it was given to us by the councillors who claimed that since we were on the TV with the minister asking for better roads, they gave us this,” Moore said, adding: “But I see it as a slap in the face and a total disrespect to the persons within this community.” She explained that for over 30 years, the residents of Better Hope South have been complaining about the condition of their roads. However, now that others like herself are speaking out to the government, they are being targeted as Moore claims the chairman is now threatening to sue her for comments made. “We have had a lot of good things coming from our government, but when it comes down to the NDC who receives money to help do these kinds of things, they’re not doing it for us, because

they claim we are supporters of the government. But we are residents whether or not we choose to support them. Like how they choose to support the PPP, we choose to support the government. Does that make us criminals?” she said. Moore is also calling on the government to commence a forensic audit into the Better Hope/LBI NDC for mismanagement of funds. Meanwhile, NDC councillor of the area, Kasai Whittington, told the media that the council, on which he is outnumbered by opposition supporters, went ahead with the move without consulting him. “As the current councillor I was never informed about the rubble that they came and dumped on the road. They’re supposed to inform me about everything that’s taking place in my community and they never did,” he said. “Builder’s waste, it doesn’t build road, it destroys roads more because after

Resident Margaret Innis points to the pile of construction rubble at the side of the road in the Better Hope South community (Samuel Maughn photo)

a while when you spread it down, vehicles will start using the parapets…they should be wise enough to know certain things.” Seventy-seven year-old resident Sita Beharry said that while she heard that the chairman expects the residents to do the rest of the work, she will be unable to so do. “Do you know the years I’ve lived in this place and I’ve punished? We don’t have any good road and the vehicle can’t go up to my [yard]…my husband sick and the car can’t go up to the gate. We have to stop the taxi

and hold his hand so he can walk out. We want a good road,” she said. Others like Margaret Innis and Waveney Joe want to see the council begin to respect the community without favour or race and build new roads. “The whole front is welltarred road. We have some big potholes, wuh they bring these concrete for? They have steel in them; who’s going to look it after? Why don’t they give us good roads like the rest of roads they provide for their [supporters]?” Innis said. Joe added: “These bricks

that they bring here, this is slavery. We don’t need potholes to be filled, we need the road to be dug up and we want to have a firm road… [plus] we’re working and we cannot come and do self-help work because these things need machines.” Meanwhile, Peter Glasglow said that when it rains, the road is inaccessible and persons leaving or returning from vacation have to fetch their suitcases on their heads to get transportation. “I think this is ridiculous. It’s time for them to do something in this neighbourhood,” he said.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday February 25, 2019

Foreign minister briefs South Rupununi residents on border controversy

The foreign minister discusses game strategy with a local football coach

VICE-PRESIDENT and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge, has urged South Rupununi residents to be fully informed about the Guyana-Venezuela border issue, as the existing controversy lays claim to their land. He made the call during a recent visit to the region where he noted that should Venezuela’s claim be successful at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), a majority of indigenous lands and all of Guyana’s maritime space would be handed over to the country. This is one of the main reasons he stressed that all Guyanese should make an effort to be thoroughly informed on the issue and the related implications. “Venezuela is seeking ownership of these places and the resources in them,” high-

lights a brochure issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “This means that the laws governing land titles and decisions about their allocation and ownership will be made in Venezuela.” Additionally, according to a release from the ministry, Greenidge said that this is why the government has continuously fought to ensure that Guyana’s sovereignty over all its lands remains intact and that the issue is placed before the ICJ. “We are confident of the success of that effort,” he said. Until 2018, despite strenuous efforts, previous governments had not been able to get the matter to the ICJ. The controversy between Venezuela and Great Britain over the Guyana-Venezuela border began around the second half of the 19th century.

It continued until an international arbitration tribunal issued an award on October 3, 1899 — a decision that was honoured by Venezuela for over half a century. But that state renewed its claim over Guyana’s territory during the Cold War. It referred to a memorandum prepared by one of Venezuela’s lawyers on the tribunal, Mr. Severo Mallet-Prevost, which claimed that the award was the result of a political deal between Great Britain and Russia. This was never proved and Mallet-Prevost’s claim was rejected from the inception. Since 1966, and for about three decades, Guyana and Venezuela were engaged in a number of steps; these included a Good Offices Process, under the auspices of the United Nations Secretary-General, which was designed to find a solution to the controversy. However, those were unsuccessful. In keeping with the recommendations of the United Nations Secretary-General, who had been called upon under the provisions of the Geneva Agreement to choose a means from a list of options, an approach was made to the ICJ. On 29 March, 2018, Guyana filed its application with the court requesting that body to consider and confirm the legal validity of the arbitral

Don’t fall prey to PPP’s desperation MINISTER of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, has shut down a People’s Progressive Party (PPP) troll attack on Facebook regarding his conduct as minister as the typical “mud-slinging” behaviour of the opposition. On Saturday, a Facebook page said that Trotman has three homes and has engaged bribes worth millions of United States dollars through the oil and gas and mining sectors. Though describing the attempt as amusing, Minister Trotman on Sunday expressed his disappointment in the levels to which opposition trolls will go to peddle falsehoods to the Guyanese public. In a release he stated: “A number of these posts are accompanied by photographs of properties purported to be mine and malicious propaganda aimed at smearing my character and casting doubt on the probity of my conduct as a minister of the Government of Guyana. “It is a bit sad to see the depths to which the PPP and their cohorts have descended, and their willingness to peddle falsehoods to the Guyanese public. I live in one home, which was acquired through a mortgage. It does not have a swimming pool or tennis courts. In comparison to the homes of some former PPP ministers, it is, by all measures, a modest home.” Trotman said that nonetheless, he expects that such social media attacks will continue and increase as the opposition seeks now to grasp on to the attention of their remaining support base. Additionally, the Natural Resources Minister believes that it is also a tactic of the PPP to deflect attention from an examination of their record. “What they are only now beginning to realise is that the Guyanese public was right here in Guyana when a chosen few went on their 23-year binge of corruption and enriching themselves. So they will not fool the Guyanese people with these distractions,” Trotman said. “They have tried to cover up their actions, but now that these are being exposed, they are becoming increasingly agitated and have reverted right back to where they are most comfortable - mud-slinging. I call on all Guyanese not to fall prey to fake news and the PPP’s desperation.”

award. The ICJ considered the application and invited Guyana to submit its memorial by November 20, 2018, while Venezuela has until April 19 this year to respond. During his visit, Minister

Greenidge also engaged with residents of Karaudanau and Sand Creek on other matters of national importance. These included the no-confidence vote and its implications for governance;

the national development policy; the prospects of the petroleum sector and its impact on the infrastructure and development of human and material resources across the country.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday February 25, 2019

Revellers bring Anna Regina alive

LOUD screams emerged from a colourful crowd at the Anna Regina Community Centre Ground on Saturday, as the winners of the 2019 Mashramani Road Parade celebrated their victory. Emerging in first place in the float parade (large category) was the Regional Democratic Council (RDC). Their float depicted Guyana’s cultural diversity and meshed with the ‘Mash’ theme, “Celebrate Mash 49 with victory in mind.” The RDC contingent was accompanied by many revellers attired in colourful and glittering costumes. They took home the top prize of $180,000 and a trophy. The RDC float was the only one that took part in the large-float category. In the small-float category, Suddie Public Hospital emerged winner, while the Department of Education emerged second and Anna Regina, thir, respectively. In the medium category, Mainstay Whyaka copped first place; ‘G’ Division Police Youth Group placed second, while the Essequibo Technical Institute secured the third-place spot. The floats were judged on the basis of their portrayal of the national theme, display of band theme, depiction of theme (design and illustration), craftsmanship, uniformity, time and punctuality, prince\ princess of the band, music and adherence to category and revelling. According to Regional Executive Officer Denis Jaikarran, this year the parade was of a high standard. He expressed gratitude to everyone who participated, especially the revellers who brought the Region Two town to life. As the float converged around the Anna Regina Car Park, thousands of persons gathered around the high bridge to view the loud, colourful and energetic procession.

Members of the Mainstay/Whyaka band getting ready for action

Visitors revel in the ‘Mash’ spirit THIS year’s Mashramani parade attracted Guyanese and visitors alike who were lucky to witness the events which reflect the country’s patriotism and rich and diverse culture. With the favourable sun-

ny weather and a radiant crowd of hospitable Guyanese, international visitors found the occasion extremely attractive. These included persons from Cuba, Brazil and French Guiana and farther north from the United

States of America and Canada. Jigging as he sipped a Guyanese brew, Julio, from Cuba, noted his satisfaction. “I am feeling great. I am enjoying it with my people – ‘Mash’ is top of the line, it is the best,” he said, informing the Chronicle that this is his second Mashramani in Guyana. Standing a little farther down the way from Julio was French citizen Bastian and his friend, who were immersed in the day’s activities. Bastian, who currently lives in French Guiana, was witnessing the annual costume and float

Julio, from Cuba, speaks with Alleya Hamilton of the Department of Public Information (DPI) French-citizen Bastian shares his views on mash 2019 French citizen Bastian speaks with the local media on Saturday (DPI)

parade for the first time. Asked about his opinion on the events, he stated, “It is very colourful compared to the French Guiana carnival… it is really great and a wonderful experience.” Also present at the parade was Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority, Brian Mullis and his family. Mullis remarked that he enjoyed the demonstration of national pride evident in all the costumes and the floats and the general vibe of “togetherness.” (DPI)

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday February 25, 2019

RUSAL silent since Thursday’s meeting MINISTER of Social Protection Amna Ally, is expected, today, to make contact with the executives of Russian company RUSAL, owners of the Bauxite Company of Guyana Inc., (BCGI), as there has been no word since two of the company executives met with several government ministers last Thursday. On instruction from RUSAL principals, BCGI is expected to reinstate some 60 workers, who were fired since

last Monday, February 18. However, the Terms of Resumption and other issues are still to be worked out. The government has made clear its position on seeing the reinstatement of the workers. The dismissal of the employees was prompted by the company, after the workers initiated strike action on February 16, protesting the imposition of a one per cent salary increase, among other grievances. Notwithstanding the fact

that Guyana’s constitution provides for employees a freedom to strike, BCGI had deemed the strike by the employees as an “illegal action”, believing that the company was within its legal right to fire the workers. The company’s representative said the workers’ contracts did not provide for them to be absent from work, not even in the event of a strike. However, they have since been clearly instructed that

RUSAL’s Russian executives (from right), Company Representative in Guyana, Vladimir Permyakov and Director of Alumina and Bauxite Department, Sergey Kostyuk, meet with Minister of State Joseph Harmon, Minister of Social Protection Amna Ally, Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman and others

Guyana’s laws are to be respected. The RUSAL executives were expected to contact Minister Ally by last Saturday, February 23, before the company’s Director of its Alumina and Bauxite Department, Sergey Kostyuk, left Guyana to return to Russia, however they have not as yet. Minister Ally, last Friday, travelled to the Kurubuka mining area, as well as Maple Town, Aroaima, where she distributed supplies to the striking workers, and assured them that this government is on their side. “This government can’t be supportive of anyone who wants to treat our workers anyhow. We will not allow it. There’s no question of our allegiance, because home comes first,” Ally assured the workers. “We view this matter to be a serious one, and very important for us as a government. From the onset we are behind you… we are supportive of the workers of this company… don’t feel for any moment that we are against you. We will work with you to ensure everything is restored to its fullest.” Minister Ally was accompanied on the Friday visit, by a team that included Minister of Labour Keith Scott and Chief Labour Officer Charles Ogle. During the visit, Ally met with executives of the Guyana Bauxite and General

Workers Union (GBGWU), which represents over 90 per cent of workers at BCGI. GBGWU Vice-President Garfield Brutus, outlined some 10 concerns that the union wants to see addressed including issues with transportation, workplace safety, cut in vacation benefits, holiday pay, health services on site, and the deteriorating state of the housing provided, among other issues. The workers are calling for the issues raised by the workers and the GBGWU, to be addressed through a tripartite Arbitration Panel, the decision from which would be final and binding by both parties. The union has also put forth a Terms of Resumption proposal, which included no loss of pay for the workers, no break in service and disruption of seniority; no victimisation by either GBGWU and BCGI, and for the permanent and continuous presence of the GBGWU in Maple Town be returned and respected. Meanwhile, the GBGWU, on Sunday, issued a statement calling on the Opposition and all other newly- formed political parties, to add their voice to the situation and stand up for the workers. “Silence is not an option when Guyana’s national interest is under threat,” the statement said, adding that: “It is not an option for

[the] Opposition Leader or [any] politician. The leaders of these political parties see themselves wanting to lead Guyana... GBGWU, therefore, urges them to demonstrate the quality of leadership they would give to Guyana, not when, or if they are elected, but now, when our national interest is under threat from RUSAL’s violations. [The] Guyanese workers need your involvement and protection now.” The GBGWU also reminded that they are holding the government to its word, to ensure justice is served to the workers “We commend the minister, [but] GBGWU is not prepared to only accept the minister’s call for respect of our laws, we hold her and the government accountable for ensuring the RUSAL management conforms to these without delay, failing which, there must be immediate consequences. This is important lest RUSAL takes the minister’s words lightly. In order to achieve this, a meeting between the Union and the BCGI management to determine Terms of Resumption is expected immediately. Further engagements to discuss other identified issues of industrial importance long overdue will then follow,” the statement further said.

Guyanese charged with killing vendor in T&T THE 20-year-old Guyanese man whom police arrested at the airport last week when he tried boarding a flight, has been charged with murdering Chaguanas doubles vendor Dhroop “Pie” Jagessar. Police from the Homicide Bureau Region III, however, released the 52-year-old Guyanese woman who was held with the suspect. She is a close relative of Jagessar who was chopped to death last Monday at Susheela Drive, Chase Village in Chaguanas. At about 02:00hrs on Tuesday, security personnel at the Piarco airport arrested them

while trying to get on a plane to Guyana. Police learnt that an hour earlier, between 20:00hrs and 22:00hrs, Jagessar was chopped and killed. A few days ago, legal officer PC Kyrn Lewis from the bureau, submitted a file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. On Friday evening Deputy DPP Joan Honore-Paul advised police to charge the man and release the woman. The suspect is expected to appear in the Chaguanas Magistrates’ Court today. (Trinidad and Tobago Newsday)

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday February 25, 2019

Fort Island in maiden ‘Mash’

Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan and his wife, Seeta, took part in the historic parade [Vishani Ragobeer photo]

By Vishani Ragobeer CHILDREN on Fort Island and other riverain communities, located at the mouth of the Essequibo River, were treated to a Mashramani spectacle on the once Dutch capital, at the firstever ‘Mash’ celebration held there on Sunday. “I decided to plan the event because children in the riverain areas don’t really have the opportunity to go to Georgetown to see the floats [at the Mashramani float parade],” organiser of the event, Pretti Debedin said. At Fort Island, there are about 26 children, while there are varying numbers of children living at Leguan, Bo-

nasika, Parika and the other nearby communities. As part of the historic celebrations, there was a small parade along the walkway where Fort Zeelandia is located, not far from the health centre. It was there that three small floats and the crowd revelled in their own way. Following the parade, there was a small cultural programme at the health centre. “The youths on the island don’t have a playground to really enjoy themselves, so I took advantage of the holiday so that they could celebrate Mashramani,” Debedin told the Guyana Chronicle. Debedin has been living on the island for the past 15 years, and she is the nurse-

in-charge at the health centre there. She used her position to invite persons to the event and more importantly, garner their support to celebrate the occasion. She planned with Old Fort Tours, a tour company based at Parika that would frequent the island, and in three weeks she was able to string together the historic event. “This is just the beginning, and we want to make it bigger and bigger each year, so that the children can see a lot of floats right here,” Debedin said. The event which was entirely community-organised, was lauded by Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan, who was in at-

tendance. “This was an exceptionally well-done activity, and it reveals that the local communities can do the organisation and the arrangements to make things happen within the community,’ he said. According to him, the event might have been small in comparison to the Mashramani events held in other parts of Guyana, but stressed that it could blossom into a sophisticated celebration. “These are but the seeds for which better things can come,” he said, while adding: “We need more kinds of initiatives like this, so that we can build our own cultural things in and around

Organiser of the event and local nurse, Pretti Debedin, sang a song at the cultural programme [Vishani Ragobeer photo]

the islands, and in and around the communities of the Esse-

quibo.” He acknowledged that the community might be one that has its own problems, but at the end of the day, it has demonstrated a “cooperative effort” in combining contributions to make the event a success. “Sometimes when you have that independence of financing activities, it helps [because] not everything must come from the government,” he said. Cognisant that the community is hoping to enhance the celebrations next year, he expressed his personal support and that of the government in helping to make that a reality.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, February 25, 2019

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, February 24, 2019

Cummins, Richardson haul aussies over the line (REUTERS) - FAST bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile took three wickets on his return to limited-overs cricket as Australia beat India by three wickets with the final

delivery in a low-scoring first Twenty20 international at Visakhapatnam on Sunday. Needing 14 runs off the final over, bowled by paceman

Umesh Yadav, Pat Cummins and Jhye Richardson each hit a boundary before they scampered to complete two runs off the last ball to reach their target of 127 in a nail-

Nathan Coulter-Nile enjoyed an excellent first outing on the tour of India © Getty Images

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER

(Monday, February 25, 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) (1) (2)

ANSWERS TO YESTERDAY’S QUIZ: England won by 6 wickets Jason Roy (ENG)

(1) (2)

TODAY’S QUIZ: What was the result of the second ODI of the current WI/ENG series? Who was declared Man of the Match?

ANSWERS IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE

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biting contest. Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who was rested for India’s limited-overs trip to New Zealand, took 3-16, including two wickets in his final two deliveries in the penultimate over, but it proved inadequate. Coulter-Nile led a strong bowling display by the touring side with 3-26 in his four overs as Australia restricted India to a paltry 126-7 in the first of the two-match series after captain Aaron Finch won the toss and chose to field. Australia also got off to a shaky start and were reduced to 5-2 before Glenn Maxwell and D’Arcy Short combined in a third-wicket stand of 84 to steady the chase. Maxwell hit 56 off 43 balls, his innings studded with six fours and two sixes. Short, who opened the innings for Australia with Marcus Stoinis,

was run out for 37. After Maxwell’s dismissal, India fought back spectacularly to reduce Australia to 113-7 from 89-2 before the thrilling last-over finish. With the 50-over World Cup coming up in three months’ time in England and Wales, India opted to give Lokesh Rahul an opportunity at the top of the order by resting regular opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan. Rahul, who was recently provisionally suspended for inappropriate comments on a TV chat show, did no harm to his chances with a 36-ball 50 and combined in a quickfire stand of 55 for the second wicket with Virat Kohli, who made 24. Adam Zampa got the prized wicket of the Indian captain, who holed out to Coulter-Nile at long on trying to hit the leg-spinner for a six. Coulter-Nile played just

one ODI in 2018, against South Africa, and missed out on selection for the home limited-overs series against India. He has the ideal opportunity to improve his chances of making the World Cup squad in the absence of the injured Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood in India. Patriots owner Kraft charged in prostitution bust. The 31-year-old dismissed Rahul and Dinesh Karthik in the same over and then added the wicket of Krunal Pandya as India were reduced to 1006 in the 15th over. Former captain and wicket-keeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni laboured to a 29 off 37 balls and failed to boost India’s score despite farming most of the strike in the closing stages of India’s innings. The second and final T20 will be played in Bengaluru on Wednesday.

Liverpool leads BPL after drawing United (REUTERS) - LIVERPOOL took over at the top of the Premier League table despite being held to a 0-0 draw against Manchester United in a scrappy match on Sunday. Juergen Klopp’s side have now drawn three of their last four Premier League games and have 66 points from 27

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ers struck a different tone, however, as they left the home of their old rivals chanting a reminder of their league position as they focus on the chance to win their first top-flight title since 1990. The point means that Liverpool, who have 11 games remaining, will be disappointed not to have taken advantage of an injury-ravaged United, who slip to fifth after Arsenal’s win over Southampton. Having lost holding midfielder Nemanja Matic to injury before the game, Spanish midfielder Ander Herrera went off in the 20th minute and a limping Juan James Milner of Liverpool battles for possession with Mata was replaced by Jesse Luke Shaw of Manchester United during the Premier Lingard five minutes later. League match between Manchester United and Liverpool But Lingard did not even FC at Old Trafford on February 24, 2019, in Manchester, last until the break as he sufUnited Kingdom. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) fered what appeared to be a Klopp looked frustrated but it doesn’t feel like that,” recurrence of his hamstring strain and limped off to be and irritated throughout he said. the game as his team strug“These games are always replaced by Alexis Sanchez. Lingard had the best gled to find the attacking opened up by one situation. verve, which has been the The boys didn’t feel okay. I chance of the half when basis of their success this could see it in their faces. It he was found in the box season, against a United was strange. I was thinking by Romelu Lukaku with a side that was forced to ‘what is gong on here today’. perfectly threaded pass but make all three changes in They lost momentum and Liverpool keeper Alisson the first-half. rhythm and couldn’t really Becker was quickly out to foil the England attacker’s The Liverpool manager get it back.” suggested his team had been Liverpool’s support- attempt to round him. games while second-placed Manchester City, who play Chelsea in the League Cup final later on Sunday, have 65 points from the same number of games.

affected by the stop-start nature of the first half. “We didn’t do well, to be honest. We take that. It is a point gained because we have one more than before

Miguel Cummins was the Pride’s best bowler, capturing four wickets

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, February 24, 2019

Pride beat Volcanoes by 23 runs

CMC – For the second successive match, Barbados Pride’s bowlers produced a remarkable effort to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, this time against the Windward Islands Volcanoes here Sunday. Set 270 runs for victory, the Volcanoes had seemed set to complete victory after resuming the day on 181 for three. But Cummins and Warrican ran through the Volcanoes’ middle order to dismiss them for 246 and give the Pride a 23-run victory. Warrican, who ended with a match haul of 11-133, began the slide by bowling topscorer Kavem Hodge for 66 to leave the Volcanoes on 182 for four. Miguel Cummins was the Pride’s best bowler, capturing four wickets Cummins then snared the wickets of Roland Cato for 31 and bowled Dennis Smith for a third-ball duck as the home

side slipped to 193 for six. Five runs later Cummins struck again, accounting for the wicket of Ray Jordan who made just one. Sherman Lewis and Alick Athanaze then came together in a 41-run partnership for the eighth wicket to put the Volcanoes back on track. But just as it seemed as though they had wrestled the initiative away from the Pride, Chaim Holder claimed the crucial wicket of Lewis for 21 to leave the game evenly poised at 239 for eight. The end came swiftly after his dismissal, with Athanaze following seven runs later for a well played 33 to Holder, before Warrican wrapped up the match by bowling Larry Edward for a 20-ball duck. Cummins ended with four wickets for 53 runs, while Warrican took three for 88 and Holder two for 64.

FIBA AmeriCup 2021 Pre-Qualifiers…

Wiggins, Moe, Rose spearhead Guyana’s 73 - 65 win over Bolivia

IT took a complete team effort and some individual brilliance from Anthony Moe, Kevon Wiggins and Stanton Rose for Guyana to overcome Bolivia 73 - 65 last evening to close off their campaign in the FIBA AmeriCup 2021 Pre-Qualifiers. Playing in their final Group B game of the tournament in Tunja, Colombia, Guyana, led by a team-high 16 points from Moe and 15 from US-based Wiggins, battled back from being down 35 - 40 at half time, to restrict their South American counterparts to just 25 points in the second half. Captain Stanton Rose had a game-high 13 rebounds to go along with his 11 points, while Shaine Webster (8) and Orlan Glasgow (6) were the other top scorers for Guyana. With the exception of Harold Adams, who barely played just three minutes of the contest due to an injury, every other Guyanese player found their way on the score sheet. Guyana qualified for the tournament after winning their maiden Caribbean title last year, but several hiccups resulted in Coach Junior Hercules not fielding his best possible team. In their opening game of the tournament, Guyana went down to Paraguay 53 - 93, and was then overwhelmed by tournament favourites, Colombia 68 - 114. The team is expected home later this evening. (Rawle Toney)

Skerritt’s history disqualifies him from CWI job – Cameron

CMC – CURRENT president of the Cricket West Indies (CWI) Whycliffe ‘Dave’ Cameron says Ricky Skerritt’s history of Windies team manager has disqualified him as a candidate to lead the region’s governing body. Skerritt, 62, recently announced he would be looking to unseat Cameron when the CWI holds its elections on March 24 in Jamaica. However, Cameron, who has been president since 2013, said Skerritt’s

Cricket West Indies president Dave Cameron

past failure as manager of the West Indies team should not be forgotten. “Ricky has always mentioned how passionate he is about West Indies cricket. What most of us remember Ricky for is that period when he was manager of the team, the turmoil that occurred. I’m hoping that we’ll never get back to those days,” Cameron said during an interview on Line and Length. Back in 2000, Skerrit resigned as Windies’ manager following a post-

game incident involving members of his squad after a ten-wicket loss to England in the first Test at Sabina Park. Cameron also poured cold water on Skerrit’s proposed move to change CWI’s selection panel. He maintained that CWI was not a one-man show, but was being run by a set of persons who all had specific responsibilities. “What are we saying? Are we not picking the best players? We’re going

to get rid of the selectors?” Cameron questioned. “I know we believe I do everything in West Indies cricket [but] we have a number of committees throughout West Indies cricket, they’re all given their own respective tasks. It’s not a one-man show.” Skerritt, the former St Kitts and Nevis Cabinet minister, has named president of the St Vincent and Grenadines Cricket Association, Dr Kishore Shallow, as his running mate.

Hurricanes, Red Force draw match

Devon Thomas fell six runs short of a deserved century

CMC–FOUR batsmen scored half-centuries on the fourth and final day as the eighth round match between the Leeward Islands Hurricanes and Trinidad and Tobago Red Force petered out into a draw. In a high scoring match, the Hurricanes set their opponents a mammoth total of 352 for victory after declaring their second innings on 315 for six. Joshua DaSilva and Lendl Simmons then posted half-centuries as the Red Force climbed to 236 for four before the match was eventually called off. Earlier, Devon Thomas fell just six runs short of a century and Jahmar Hamilton

made 77 as the Hurricanes batted themselves to safety after resuming the day on 159 for three. The pair put on 159 runs in a fourth-wicket partnership to rule out any possible hopes the Red Force had of pushing for victory. They carried the score to 273 before Odean Smith finally got the breakthrough by bowling Hamilton. Rahkeem Cornwall only lasted four balls before he too was dismissed by Smith for one. But within sight of three figures Thomas lost his wicket to Khary Pierre, prompting an immediate declaration. He faced 109 balls and blasted five sixes and four

boundaries. In pursuit of an improbable target, the Red Force’s batsmen were still positive in their approach, scoring at over four runs an over. Openers Jeremy Solozano and DaSilva put on 88 runs for the first wicket before the former lost his wicket to Damion Jacobs to be out for 30. DaSilva, who scored 75 and Simmons who made 59 at better than a run-a-ball, then added another 88 runs in only 16 overs. Even when the pair fell in quick succession, the Red Force were never in any danger of losing the match, with the two sides agreeing to a draw shortly after.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, February 24, 2019

Bravo credits Gayle’s influence in ODI series

CMC – As the West Indies prepare to face England in the crucial third Colonial Medical Insurance OneDay International against England here on Monday, batsman Darren Bravo has credited Chris Gayle for the team’s performance thus far. The ninth-ranked Windies defeated the top-ranked visitors by 26 runs at Kensington Oval on Friday to tie the fivematch series at 1-1. While Bravo said the victory was a result of a team effort, he said Gayle’s presence in the dressing room had lifted the spirits of all the players.

“I think the fact that Chris is back there on top, his experience in the dressing room is priceless. He puts a smile on each and every player’s face and, as you can see, when we go out there we really enjoy our cricket. “In the dressing room, he’s always giving information. If you remember before the start of the game, he was chatting at nine in the evening with Nicholas Pooran about batting and stuff. He’s helping all the youngsters. We’re happy to have him and hopefully, he’ll get another 100 tomorrow [Monday],” Bravo said. “He’s definitely a hero,

Leon Swamy finished with six wickets and 32 runs for the winners.

Tucber Park demolish Edinburgh CC by 149 runs in BCB Intermediate competition

THE Tucber Park Cricket Club humbled the Edinburgh Cricket Club by 149 runs yesterday in a Berbice Cricket Board -organised Shimron Hetmyer Intermediate clash. National U-17 all-rounder Leon Swamy had a good allround game, while Kwesi Mickle supported with a half-century in the chase. Tucber Park batted first and scored 205-9 in their 40 overs at the Edinburgh ground.

City win Carabao ... lero led to furious exchanges between Sarri and his technical staff, with the Italian looking at one stage as if he would storm away and leave his Chelsea players to it for the conclusion. He eventually returned but blazing with fury. Antonio Rudiger then restrained Sarri as he appeared set on confronting Arrizabalaga after his oneman rebellion.

not even a hero; he’s a legend. If you look at the stats, he’s achieved a lot at international level, he’s a special player. We’re really happy to have him. He’s getting on a bit in age but he’s still striking the ball nicely, so that is the most important thing.” The experienced Bravo said the victory at Kensington Oval had given the side a huge boost of confidence. He said the players were now confident they could go on to defeat England and win the series. “Actually, winning a game against the best OneDay team in the world is also a great feeling. That

will give us confidence, so we’re looking forward to the encounter tomorrow,” Bravo said. “Everyone is good. We’re all fit and healthy to go. We’re going to be coming up against a very good unit once more, so hopefully we go out there tomorrow and put on a very good show. We’re quietly confident that we can beat them, but we know it’s not going to be easy. As we all know, they are the best OneDay team in the world, so we just want to go out there and do the basics right and I think the win in Barbados will give us the confidence that is necessary moving

forward.” If selected to play on Monday it will be Bravo’s 100th ODI for the West Indies. Despite a lengthy absence away from the regional team, Bravo said he always believed he would achieve the milestone. “I was quietly confident that I would be back. It’s a great feeling indeed to achieve 100 games, but I have to wait and see if I’m selected tomorrow, but hopefully, I can contribute to a winning cause here in Grenada,” he said. “So far in the ODI series I feel I’m playing pretty

well. In the first game I had a particular plan which I executed really well. In the second game, we lost a couple of wickets so someone had to consolidate and I thought I did that pretty well. Unfortunately, I got out but Hetty [Shimron Hetmyer] and myself had a plan to take the score to 200 by the 40th over and try to get to 300 by the 50th. He went on to get another OneDay hundred and was playing well. He put us in a good position. The guys did well; Cottrell was exceptional, the captain led from the front, Bishoo created chances … it was a total team effort.”

Beacon’s Café throws support behind table tennis player Colin Wong THE Beacon’s Café has thrown its support behind young national table tennis player Colin Wong who trains at the Titans Table Tennis Club (TTTC). Ramdeo Kumar, proprietor of the Beacon’s Café, revealed that it was Wong’s enthusiasm and talent that wooed him into making the youngster an ambassador of his business.

Kwesi Mickle scored 55 runs for Tucber Park.

Mickle made 55, while Swamy finished with 32. Skipper Garfield Benjamin also got a start after scoring 38, while Clifton Lindie supported with 26. In reply, the home team were routed for 56 in 20.2 overs with medium fast bowler Swamy grabbing six wickets for four runs. Abdul Ramsammy, Winslow Roberts, Gevon Shultz and Kwesi Mickle all took one wicket each.

FROM PAGE 22

Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga (right) refuses to be substituted during the Carabao Cup final

Beacon’s Café proprietor Ramdeo Kumar (right) and Colin Wong at the Titans Table Tennis Club, Red Cross building in Kingston. (Samuel Maughn Photo) Beacon’s support comes in the form of coaching fees, equipment supply and a nutrition plan, in addition to general expenses incurred during Wong’s training. Kumar also revealed that the sponsorship is not only focussed on results in table tennis, but also in the classroom. “One of the conditions of this partnership is that Colin maintains his academic focus and produces not just results with the racquet, but also in school.” Meanwhile, Wong’s coach, Dwain Dick told Chronicle Sport “the thrust is to carry Colin into a developmental path where we can get the best out of him, where we can develop his full potential. It’s not just about him and Titans, we need the GTTA’s backing at the National level, this is about us coming together and developing the younger generation. If we can get corporate Guyana to support more young athletes in this fashion, it’s a positive; this is only the beginning, and hopefully, this can motivate other businessmen and companies to collaborate with not just table tennis, but other disciplines as well”. He also singled out Red Cross with praise saying; “without them providing a home for table tennis, we would never have had young players of Wong’s calibre; hopefully, many more partnerships are made and Guyana reap the fruits of those partnerships in the development of our young athletes.” The 11-year-old Wong is the reigning National U-11 champion. Among his achievements thus far is a Gold medal in the Joola North American Open teams’ competition and countless other medals in local tournaments in Guyana.

GBA shortlists names for Pan Am qualifier selection THE Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) has shortlisted several boxers with the aim of selecting a team to represent the country at the upcoming Pan American games qualifying tournament. Those named are Keevin Allicock (Bantamweight), Desmond Amsterdam (Middleweight), Colin Lewis (Light-Welterweight), Jamal Eastman (Lightweight), Markember Pierre (Light –Heavyweight), and Sean Griffith (Flyweight). They have also named Clairmont Gibson (Bantamweight), Astion Niles (Light heavyweight) and Jullius Kesney (Flyweight) as standby athletes. The coaches are Terrence Poole, Technical Director( MS); Francisco Rolden (Cuban coach) Sebert Blake, James Walcott Clinton Moore and Gregory Cort There will be two training sessions daily with the first at 05:30hrs and the second at 15:00hrs, starting today. Morning sessions are set for the National Park and afternoon sessions will be held at the Andrew ‘Six Head’ Lewis gym.

City win Carabao cup as Chelsea face internal problems

(BBC) - MANCHESTER CITY won the Carabao Cup in a penalty shootout at Wembley after Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga defied manager Maurizio Sarri’s attempt to substitute him. City claimed the first major trophy in their four-pronged assault on silverware but this stale final, which was goalless after extra time, will be remembered for an almost unprecedented challenge to Sarri’s authority by Arrizabalaga. The £71m Spanish keeper, Chelsea’s club record signing, had been struggling with cramp in the closing stages of extra time and Sarri decided to send on substitute Willy Caballero, who saved three penalties in a shootout to help Manchester City win this trophy against Liverpool in 2016. Arrizabalaga refused to come off and Sarri backed down in a rage, before his misery was completed as City won the

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, February 24, 2019

Milo schools Football tournament…

Lodge steamroll Marian, more games on today MATCHES in the 2019 edition of the Milo Schools Football Tournament continued at the Ministry of Education ground on Woolford Avenue with Lodge drubbing Marian Academy yesterday. In the third game of the day, the Lodge side netted nine times against their fellow Georgetown side. The line was led by Dorwin George (7th,39th and 60th) who scored a hat-trick while Marcus Bamfield’s brace (42nd and 53rd) also assisted. There were single strikes for Rasheed Evans (38th), Curt Edwards (44th) and Shemroy Myers (61 st) as well as an own-goal in the 50th. In the day’s opening game, a 2-2 draw ensued between South Ruimvdelt and St Joseph High. Warren Williams opened the scoring for the Woolford Avenue- based side in the 4th

minute before Christopher Beckles brought things level in the 27th minute. Williams then sent St

Joseph back into the lead through a strike in the 29th, but Godfrey Weeks would again tie things up for South

President’s college scorers.

Zeeburg SC lift WDCA T20 trophy in thriller despite Persaud’s 98

AN aggressive half-century from national cricketer Akshaya Persaud failed to carry the Cornelia Ida Cricket Club to victory in the West Demerara Cricket Association T20 final on Saturday against the home team at the Zeeburg ground. The game, which was played in front of a large and vocal crowd, turned out to be a thrilling two-run win. Zeeburg won the toss and batted. Former Guyana U-19 cricketer Malcolm Hubbard led the charge with a half-century, but several other batsmen also had starts, which propelled the home team to 203-9 in their allotted overs. Hubbard, who batted at number three, struck five fours and four sixes in a top score of 66. He and Balbinder Shivpersaud (22 with 3x6s and 1x4) added 48 for the second wicket after Ronaldo Renee fell early to Richie Looknauth. Andre Seepersaud (21 with 3x4s) and Ushardeva Balgobin (29 with 3x6s, 1x4) also played a few shots to ensure a constant run flow. For the fourth wicket, Hubbard and Seepersaud added an innings high 59 runs.

Leading the attack for CI was Academy cricketer, Looknauth, who finished with 4-55 with his off-spin. Left-arm spinners Muhammed Wazidali and Persaud supported with 2-22 and 1-51, respectively. CI in reply, were restricted to 201-7 in their 20 overs. Opener Persaud was clinical and looked set to take his team home. He struck four fours and an impressive 10 sixes. He started his innings by lacing the boundary, but his last nine big shots were sixes. On 98 though, he edged a ball from pacer Jamal Gomes behind and was gobbled up by a stunning left-handed diving catch by former national U-19 cricketer Renee. When Persaud exited with the score on 164-5, the run flow eased, but a late flourish by Harrinarine Bissondyal (25 3x6s and 1x4) brought the visitors back. In the end, seasoned campaigner, medium-fast bowler, Mark Jeffers, defended six runs in the last over to hand his team their 47th title. Looknauth scored 25 runs for the visitors. Gomes finished with 3-26, while Dhanpaul grabbed a pair for the winners.

Manchester City have won each of their past six penalty shootouts in all competitions

shootout, with Raheem Sterling scoring the winning penalty. Ilkay Gundogan, Sergio Aguero and Bernardo Silva scored from the spot for City and even though Arrizabalaga saved from Leroy Sane it was to no avail. Jorginho’s spot kick was saved by Ederson and David Luiz hit the post as Chelsea were sunk, despite Cesar Azplicueta, Emerson and Eden Hazard converting their kicks. City retained the trophy but Arrizabalaga’s insubordination will be the headline story. The scenes inside Chelsea’s dressing room hardly bear thinking about after the chaos of those closing moments at Wembley. Arrizabalaga’s point-blank refusal to be replaced by Cabal-

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Ruimveldt. When the whistle went, the game was locked at 2-2. Annandale was also victorious on a breezy Sunday, beating Canjie 3-1, thanks to Collin Henrique (21 st), Omari Glasgow (35th) and Jerome Harrigon (67th). Canjie was able to claw back one, through the efforts of Jenon Persaud (23rd). The last match of the day sawPresident’s College beat St Mary’s 2-1. Edran Stephen’s 15th minute strike was cancelled out by Jaheim Harsham in the 30th; Vernon Lawson would prove to be the East Coast team’s hero, netting in the 64th to give his side the glory. Matches continue today with The Bishops’ High taking on St. Stanislaus College in game one and Queen’s College taking on North Ruimveldt Secondary in game two.

Zeeburg Sports Club are the WDCA T20 champs.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, February 24, 2019

Dinanauth tops field in Trophy Stall golf competition

Former National Boxing champion dies By Wendella Davidson

Kevin Dinanauth (second from left) and the other winners of Saturday’s competition.

A FOUR above par by 24-year-old Kevin Dinanauth topped the field on Saturday in the Trophy Stall Mash Day golf competition at the Lusignan Golf Club. Dinanauth, who is expected to be one of the strongest local challengers to defending Guyana Open champion, Avinash Persaud, when they clash later in the year at the premier golf competition, finished with a gross score of 74. The six-handicap golfer topped the 0-15 flight with a net score of 68. Suriname Invitational Open champion, Joaan Deo, placed second with a net score of 70 (gross 85, 15 handicap). In the 16-21 flight, Per Persaud with a 16 handicap, finished ahead of Bholawram Deo. Persaud shot a gross 87 to card a net 71, while Bholawram (the uncle of Joaan) shot 90 to finish with a net score of 72 (18 handicap). In the 22-28 flight, Clifford Reis finished with a net score of 72, to lead the pack after shooting a gross score of 97. Second place went to Jordi Pinol who finished with net 74, gross 102. Avinash Persaud (two handicap) finished behind Dinanauth and Joaan with a score of 75 gross, 73 net.

Although he did not collect a trophy for his overall performance, he did receive one for his longest drive, while Patrick Prasad won the closest to the pin trophy. OUTSTANDING RIVALRY Dinanauth, who finished third in last year’s Guyana Open, and Avinash Persaud, batted each other throughout the day. Both players finished with pars in the par three on the 230 yards number one hole. Avinash pulled away with pars in his next three holes and a birdie (one below par) in the 495 yards number 5, but Dinanauth fired back with birdies in the 6th and 7th holes. By the end of the first nine, Dinanauth had recaptured the lead (37-38) owing to a double bogie on the 407 yards number eight by Persaud. The pair finished their other nine holes with scores of 3737, for an overall finish of 74-75. In total, Dinanauth finished with nine pars and three birdies, while Persaud ended with eight pars and two birdies. Meanwhile Joaan Deo finished with six pars.

GUYANESE Lennox “Len” Beckles, whose name was famous in the local boxing arena in the 60s, died recently in Trinidad. He was 77. Beckles, a former national welterweight boxing champion, started his career in 1960, with his first fight against a boxer named, Ralph, at the GFC ground. Beckles who started fighting as a junior welterweight, also fought in the welterweight and junior middleweight divisions. He was regarded as a pugilist, who into ventured into the top classes of his division and made Guyana proud, especially when he fought then Jamaican and Commonwealth champion Bunny Grant, here in 1967. The fight which was held at the GFC ground, was declared a draw. Also in 1967, Beckles fought and lost to Venezeulan Carlos Hernandez. In 1968 Beckles fought Jose Napoles, a legend in international boxing, for a World Championship title. He lost that fight which was staged in Mexico. Beckles, during his heyday, also won fights against local boxers Ivelaw Stephenson and Caesar Barrow, and Brian Muller; Eddie Perkins, Vernon Lewis and John Cooke for the British and Commonwealth title in England which he lost on points. He, however, returned to beat him in a rematch. He was also credited for imparting a lot of his boxing skills to some then young pugilists.

Crawford cops 2019 Burnham Memorial Three-stage Road Race YOUNG Berbician cyclist, Romello Crawford, persevered through six gruelling hours of riding in the blistering sun on Guyana’s roadways to be crowned the overall winner of the 2019 LFS Burnham Memorial Three-stage cycling road race yesterday. Action began at 7:00hrs in the second stage from Linden to Homestretch Avenue in Georgetown. With a 20-second lead on his nearest rival, Crawford placed in the top 10 finishers to maintain a slender lead. The second stage was won by Andre Greene while Paul DeNobrega, Andrew Hicks and Briton John were second, third and fourth, respectively. In the third stage from Homestretch Avenue to Belfield on the East Coast of Demerara and back, Crawford sealed the deal by crossing the finish line ahead of Cortis Dey, Geron Williams and Christopher Griffith. Crawford’s combined time of 6 hours, 9 minutes and 25 seconds proved to be enough as Williams was just 10 seconds behind in 6 hours, 9 minutes and 35 seconds to

claim second place. Andrew Hicks was third overall (6 hours, 10 minutes, and 34 seconds) while Briton John (6 hours, 10 minutes, and 36 seconds), Cortis Dey (6 hours, 10 minutes, and 46 seconds) and Christopher Griffith (6 hours, 11 minutes, and 10 seconds) placed fourth to sixth, in that order. In the veterans’ category, Junior Niles claimed top

honours with his time of 6 hours, 25 minutes, and 37 seconds while Paul Cho Wee Nam (6 hours, 26 minutes, and 3 seconds) and Jaikarran Sukhai (6 hours, 26 minutes, and 46 seconds) were second and third, respectively. Another young Berbician, Ralph Seenarine, captured the Junior title, finishing the three stages in six hours, 22 minutes, and 28 seconds while Ja-

son Sampson (6 hours, 38 minutes, and 38 seconds) and Kevin Ross (7 hours, one minute and 22 seconds) were second and third. Michael Anthony and Cortis Dey captured four sprint prizes each while Jornell Yearwood, Crawford, Briton John, Paul DeNobrega, Alanzo Ambrose, Deeraj Garbarran and Junior Niles copped one apiece.

Romello Crawford collects his prize from a member of the LFS Burnham Foundation (Samuel Maughn photo)

Len Beckles

M i to F lo s ur oo ch na tb oo m all ls en t…

Lodge steamroll Marian, more games on today Page

Part of the action in the Canjie vs Annandale game at the Ministry of Education ground (Samuel Maughn photo)

Crawford cops 2019 Burnham Memorial Three-stage Road Race

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The overall winners of the Burnham Memorial Three-stage cycling road race pose along with members of the Burnham Foundation. (Samuel Maughn photo)

FIBA AmeriCup 2021 Pre-Qualifiers…

Wiggins, Moe, Rose spearhead Guyana’s 73-65 win over Bolivia Page

Bravo credits Gayle’s influence in ODI series

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The ODI series is perched at 1-1 with the third game set for today Eoin Morgan won the toss and chose to bowl first © Getty Images Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 2 2 6- 3243-9 (General); Editorial: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216. Fax:2 2 7- 5208

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2019