Issuu

FRIDAY 21st May, 2021

' No.106367

PAHO asked to clarify listing of Guyana as country with COVID-19 variant

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Foreign aircraft with suspected cocaine crash-lands at Orealla –– two persons, plane in custody of local authorities

Paul Slowe, eight others charged by SOCU

SEE PAGE 03

US$8M coconut processing 02 facility on the cards PAGE

$177.3M magistrate’s court commissioned at Bartica 05 PAGE

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New Amsterdam Hospital completes 600 surgeries in five months

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guyana CHRONICLE Friday, May 21, 2021

US$8M coconut processing facility on the cards

--as local company engages ‘Agri’ Minister A LOCAL coconut p r o d u c t i o n c o m p a n y, Pomeroon Trading Inc., has unveiled its plan to construct a US$8 million (G$1.7 billion) processing facility in Guyana. The company’s full plan was relayed by its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Duncan Turnbull, to Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, on Thursday. According to a statement from the Agriculture Ministry, the company cultivates close to 35,000 seed nuts on about to 400 acres of land. Turnbull said Pomeroon Trading Inc., has always worked to ensure that farmers are the beneficiaries of the company’s expansion over the years. The role of farmers in the company’s operations is to supply nuts in quantities that

will satisfy the demand. “We started planting about three years ago. Right now, we are doing a seedling nursery. We always start with a nursery because we want to do the seedlings ourselves. We want to control the quality of the seed nuts and the health of the palms, so we are very selective with the seedlings. “We’ve been able to establish relationships with farmers from the Pomeroon and we have a team of agronomists who go around hand-selecting the seed nuts from trees that are the right age and have all the visible and desired characteristics required,” Turnbull said. He further explained that the company’s ultimate goal is to acquire more lands to expand their operations, as well as establish a processing facility.

“Once we have this facility set up, we would not only take produce from our farms, but from other farmers in the region. So far, we’ve invested approximately US$3 million since we started. “In order to expand our cultivation and construct the processing facility, we would like to invest another US$8 million. We are currently engaging additional investors to buy into the project. We’re working very closely with the United States Government and USAID. If we can get those sums within the next six months, we would start straight away,” Turnbull related. The CEO also said that the company is currently exploring a joint venture with Trinidad and Tobago to export coconut water. In the immediate term,

Minister Zulfikar Mustapha with officials from Pomeroon Trading Inc. t h e c o m p a n y ’s a i m i s to become U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) certified, to be able to export their products to the United States. Jared Kissoon, the

company’s Chief Operations Officer (COO), said the company, in keeping with its vision for expansion, intends to explore retail and export opportunities. The local market, he said, would

be a good learning curve in terms of setting up long-term operations for export. The local coconut industry currently has about 1,800

Continued on page 3

guyana CHRONICLE Friday, May 21, 2021

Foreign aircraft with suspected cocaine crash-lands at Orealla

A FOREIGN aircraft containing a large quantity of suspected cocaine and two occupants, one of whom is the pilot, crash- landed at Orealla, in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), on Thursday afternoon. The Guyana Chronicle was reliably informed that the plane made an emergency landing at an area in the East Berbice community called Loam Pit after running out of fuel.

According to the police, officers, at around 16:00 hours on Thursday, discovered a green-and-white aircraft bearing registration number PT-SRR; they have since detained the pilot of the aircraft and another man, reportedly the only other occupant of the plane. Both suspects are said to be Brazillian nationals. A number of wrapped packages, suspected to be cocaine, were also discov-

--two persons, plane in custody of local authorities

ered in the body of the aircraft. According to a reliable source who resides in Orealla, the plane landed at around 14:00 hours on the road that is being built to link Orealla and Kwakwani, after apparently mistaking it for an airstrip. The Guyana Chronicle understands that after res-

idents realised what had occurred, they went out to the plane and advised the occupants to remain there until they could get them help. However, the men did not pay heed, and reportedly left the aircraft to go into the village in search of accommodation. In their attempt to throw

The two occupants of the aircraft

The parcels of suspected cocaine stacked in the body of the plane

The aircraft that reportedly crash- landed at Orealla on Thursday afternoon

US$8M coconut processing... From page 2

farmers who collectively cultivate some 24,000 acres of coconut in Regions One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six and 10. Guyana, on average, produces 92 million nuts annually, much of which is exported for coconut copra and water, mainly to Barbados, Trinidad and The Dominican Republic. Pomeroon Trading Inc. currently cultivates the threeyear dwarf variety, primarily for the production of coconut water. They are also involved in inter-cropping, with crops like passionfruit, bananas, turmeric, and ginger under cultivation. Minister Mustapha complimented the team for their investment so far. He told the team that a host of new opportunities will soon be made available in the agriculture sector. “Very soon a number

of new opportunities will be made available for local farmers as we are currently working to address barriers to trade in the Caribbean. After His Excellency, President Irfaan Ali, would’ve submitted a paper to CARICOM on advancing the agriculture agenda, a task force was set up that Guyana is chairing. So, we are working aggressively to tap into the CARICOM market, which is a very large and lucrative market,” Minister Mustapha said. He also disclosed that although COVID-19 has affected the entire world, Guyana’s agriculture sector has recorded some amount of growth for the first quarter of the year. He noted that with Guyana once again taking up its place in CARICOM as the lead on agriculture, the government has been aggressively promoting and supporting investment and development

of the agriculture sector. In addition to rice and sugar production, focus is now being placed on the cultivation of non-traditional and highearning commodities. One such industry is the coconut industry. Since being elected to office, the government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, has moved to develop the sector by ensuring proper planting materials are easily accessible to farmers across the country. Last year, as part of the Hope Coconut Industries Limited’s (HCIL) emergency budgetary allocation, two new coconut nurseries were established, one at Kairuni on the Linden Soesdyke Highway and the other in Charity, Region Two. Furthermore, the ministry has announced plans to establish six additional nurseries across the country during this year.

villagers off the scent, the suspects allegedly told them that they are tourists, and are here to see parts of Guyana. “I had a peek inside the plane, and behind the seats were several small packages, and some bagged white ones,” a resident told this

publication. “It was quite a lot,” he said. A team from the Customs Anti Narcotics Unit (CANU) and other arms of the Joint Services reportedly travelled to the scene and commenced investigations.

Guyana’s first library of postal history commissioned

PRIME Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips on Thursday commissioned Guyana’s first philatelic library on the ground floor of the Guyana Post Office Corporation (GPOC). The library, which is dedicated to books about stamps, is a project of the Guyana Philatelic Society (GPS), in collaboration with the GPOC. During his remarks, the Prime Minister stated that the GPOC, through its Philatelic Bureau, will continue to partner with the GPS to promote philately (the collecting or studying of stamps as a hobby) in Guyana. “The GPS has worked closely with the Guyana Post Office Corporation’s Philatelic Bureau over the years to host stamp exhibitions, and even as the GPOC continues to improve its services to ensure that it remains rele-

vant in this day and age, so, too, will it continue to work with the GPS to promulgate the interest of philately in Guyana,” Prime Minister Phillips said. He added that although the use of postage stamps has diminished through the advent of digital communication, Guyana has a rich philatelic history, of which more Guyanese should be aware. “Our country’s history has long been told through postage stamps, including the British Guiana One Cent Magenta, which is regarded as the most famous and rare stamp in the world—valued at over US$9.4 million,” the Prime Minister related. President of the GPS, Ann Wood, said that the library is committed to promoting and facilitating the pursuit of stamp-collecting. “We have begun accumulating various stamp pub-

Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips and other officials cut the ceremonial ribbon to officially commission the Philatelic Library at the GPOC, on Thursday lications from donations of stamp catalogues, auction catalogues and philatelic books from the American Philatelic Society, The Royal Philatelic Society in London and the San Diego Philatelic Society among others,” Wood said.

She noted that membership is not necessary to gain access to the library or its resources. Postmistress General Karen Brown and Chief Education Officer, Dr. Marcel Hutson, were also at the launch.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 21, 2021

PAHO asked to clarify listing of Guyana as country with COVID-19 variant –– Health Minister maintains no variant detected locally

FOLLOWING reports that the P.1 variant of COVID-19, which is said to have originated in Brazil, is in Guyana, local authorities have written to the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) seeking answers as to why the country was listed among nations which recorded this variant, when recent lab results have shown otherwise. Advisor on emerging viral diseases at the PAHO, Dr. Jairo Mendez-Rico, during a PAHO webinar on COVID-19 variants, had listed Guyana as one of the countries in the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region where the P.1 variant is present. The Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony, while responding to questions from the News Room during his COVID-19 update on Thursday, disclosed however that from the sample submitted by Guyana to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) for testing, no variants were detected. “The only way you can determine if there is a variant in any country is that you have to do genomic sequencing; as you know we would have sent samples to CARPHA sometime earlier in the year, we sent 10 samples – [in] none of those 10 samples we have seen anything that resembles a variant,” he said. In January of this year, the samples were sent to CARPHA to identify whether these samples are newer variants of the coronavirus. Dr. Anthony explained that the results from CARPHA have indicated that the only variant present in Guyana is the variant that was circulating from before. The Health Minister noted that the ministry is yet to receive clarification on where PAHO gathered the information that the P.1 variant is present in Guyana. “Those are the only 10 samples that we are aware of went to a lab for sequencing; where PAHO probably got its information, I don’t know, and that’s what we are seeking to clarify: how they arrive at this conclusion that Guyana has variants circulating,” he said.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 21, 2021

$177.3M magistrate’s court commissioned at Bartica By Clestine Juan

ATTORNEY-General, Anil Nandlall, and members of the Judiciary, on Thursday, commissioned the $177.3M “state-of-theart” Bartica Magistrate’s Court, which will aid in providing easier access to justice for citizens in interior and hinterland communities. Located at Mongrippa Hill, citizens will be able to use this court for crimi-

by A&E Consultant Inc. In attendance at the event were acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Yonette Cummings-Edwards; Chief Justice, Roxane George-Wiltshire; Attorney-General, Nandlall, as well as senior judges and magistrates. The Chancellor, in her address, described the L-shaped complex as the “fountain of justice” since it overlooks the riverine community. She explained that the court it is equipped with

opment of Bartica, she said. Attorney-General and Legal Affairs Minister, Anil Nandlall, SC, in his address, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to partnering with the Judiciary to ensure access to justice throughout Guyana. The minster noted that every citizen is entitled to the protection under the law and can benefit from this protection only if the services of the country’s legal system are accessible.

The newly-commissioned Bartica Magistrate’s Court Attorney-General said is committed to working with the Judiciary to ensure citizens of Guyana benefit from a quality justice system. He highlighted that the “container court” initiative at the Mazaruni Prison is near completion and when completed will increase access to fair court hearings, within a reasonable time for prisoners during the pandemic. Currently, there are 14 “container courts” at the Lusignan Prison.

From right to left: Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards; Attorney-General, Anil Nandlall, SC; acting Chief Justice, Roxane George and others in the newly-commissioned court library (Department of Public Information photo) nal and civil matters at the magistral level which will be presided over by resident Magistrate Crystal Lambert. Since 1960s, the court sat in the upper flat of the Bartica Police Station three times a month. The court was expected to be completed by November 2019 but with the pandemic, there were a few hiccups along the way and construction was competed

recording technology for the taking of evidence, a library, a lock-up, living quarters for a magistrate, magistrate’s chambers, lawyers’ rooms, court registry, offices, domestic violence office, living quarters for staffers, and other amenities to help fight against the coronaviruses. The court is staffed with residents from the community and in the long run will aid in the economic devel-

He stressed that in every society where there are economic development, social progress and prosperity, it is key to have a justice system that is efficient, impartial and enjoy public confidence. The Attorney-General said in keeping with government’s commitment to improve access to justice, new courts will soon be built in Region One and soon Vigilance, East Coast Demerara. The government, the

With the container courts in place, prisoners will not have to physically attend court since the matter can be dealt with virtually via an online platform. “Just imagine the security and other costs that the State is saving by not being forced to transport these prisoners by air, road or river to court every time the case is called,” he said. Also speaking at the commissioning was Mayor of Bartica, Gifford Marshall.

He noted that the opening of the court comes at a time when Bartica is celebrating its fifth anniversary as a town. The court, he said, will greatly enhance Bartica’s landscape and add value to the community. Guyana has over 50 functional magistrate courts – including the Bail Court, Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Court, Juvenile Court and the Sexual Offences Court.

Sergeant, corporal and constable in custody for alleged theft of US$120,000 WITH a view to stamping out corruption and restoring public confidence in the Guyana Police Force, three police ranks from Berbice are now in custody at Brickdam Police Station for allegedly stealing US$120,000. The sergeant, corporal and constable are being investigated by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU). Reports indicated that on May, 14, 2021, the aforementioned police ranks, acting on information received, intercepted a motor car with three Chinese nationals at the Number 77 Village, Corentyne. The police ranks con-

ducted a search on the vehicle and a large quantity of US dollars was found. The Chinese nationals claimed that it was US$417,000. But, on arrival at the Springlands Police Station, US$120,000 was discov-

ered missing. As a result, the Special Organised Crime Unit was called in to conduct investigations. According to police, the ranks are cooperating with the investigators.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 21, 2021

Tajeram Mohabir

STAMP IT OUT THE United Nations has dedicated the 25th of November every year as “International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women,” but throughout the year society has to confront this scourge. Violence against women has been declared a global pandemic and human rights violation. In the male-dominated world-view, the roles of women in the family, home, relationships and society have been taken for granted and this taken for grantedness has led to the perpetration of violence in several forms: from seeing women as physically and genetically inferior to men; objectification and promotion of violence against women in lyrics; unequal pay for equal work; domestic/ spousal violence, and limitations of opportunities to marginalisation in a nation’s decision-making processes; the list is long and angst numerous. Such acts of discrimination having been ingrained in the society,

often come as a shock to even the well-meaning, when these are pointed out as acts of violence. Yet these impact the socio-economic well-being of women and girls, impeding progress in areas such as poverty eradication, HIV/AIDS, peace and security. According to the World Health Organisation, violence is “the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment, or deprivation.” Such as manifested in this classification is distinguished in four modes, namely: physical; sexual; and psychological attack; and deprivation. This general definition of violence which is based on the same World Report on Violence and Health, is further divided into three sub-types, according to the victim-perpetrator re-

lationship. These are: 1) Self-directed violence in which the perpetrator and the victim are the same individual and is sub-divided into self-abuse and suicide; 2) Interpersonal violence, which is between individuals, and is sub-divided into family and intimate-partner violence and community violence, where the former category includes child maltreatment; intimate-partner violence; and elder abuse, while the latter is broken down into acquaintance and stranger violence and includes youth violence; assault by strangers; violence related to property crimes; and violence in workplaces and other institutions; and 3) Collective violence which is committed by larger groups of individuals and can be sub-divided into social, political and economic violence. Every member of society, including woman and girl, man and boy, needs to be educated on what constitutes violence against women, since

Promises kept, the government wasn’t dishonest Dear Editor, I’M not a supporter of the top-class politicians who prey on the weaknesses of people or their need to have certain things addressed in a timely manner, so as to have development taking place. Also, I have become immune to the politicians who promise things and don’t deliver them when the time comes. Similarly, those political talkingheads on social media will find no love from me if I find out that they do not have the future of this country at hand. I am therefore compelled to say I was wrong about those in power, or

at least some. The government seems to be taking its mandate seriously and every sector of development is being transformed into something that we gan be proud of in the future. Recently, I saw the government rolling out its education scholarship programme. I was amazed just looking at the opportunities that the students will be afforded via these programmes which are free of cost to pursue. The boldness in terms of ministers taking time to go to each and every community to have the residents made aware of the programme is indeed laudable. I am reminded by a good friend,

the PPP said they will give scholarships to 20, 000 persons, and they are doing just that.

Even the focus on making sure students do not miss out on opportunities, classes and exams appear to be a focal point in this administration’s delivery of education during this pandemic phase which has made it difficult for engagement and learning to take place. The level of consultation with the stakeholders of various entities is good and must be commended. Education delivery cannot move forward in this country unless it’s a col-

laborative effort of the teachers, parents, students and organisations making the effort. The Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, is doing a splendid job with the sector. I am sure other issues that are sporadic in nature are being addressed and will be addressed to the satisfaction of those concerned. She has learned how to balance her political responsibilities with her aim to develop the sector. The government is keeping its promises so far where education is concerned. Yours sincerely, Attiya Baksh

this is the first and most important step in moving to eliminate the violation. In this regard, it becomes even more important for women to play a leading role in shaping, influencing and developing laws and executing national policies and programmes that would be shaped out of recognition of the problems and measures needed to eliminate the problems. As we confront this scourge, let us galvanise action to end violence against women and girls, as this is preventable and essential. It therefore behooves men and boys to join hands with women and girls to fight negative, long-held traditions and actions. Both sexes must be in this together and as each one can teach one and self, the elimination of violence against women will not be a concept or yearly event to mark, but a spirited campaign buttressed by meaningful actions to stamp it out.

Fraud is fraud Dear Editor,

I READ in the daily news that Police Service Commission Chairman Paul Slowe and others have been arrested and will face the music for their parts in defrauding the state of millions of dollars. I, as a member of the public, feel this is a step in the right direction and the authorities should prosecute them to their full powers if they are indeed guilty. These men ought to have known that the PPP

was keeping a close eye on the government because stories were told (some factual and credible) about their roles in questionable dealings in the force, even though they retired some years ago, especially during the days when Guyana was under the siege of the APNU+AFC dictatorship right up until this present administration. No one is above the law. I am watching. The public is watching. Yours sincerely, Baldeo Mathura

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 21, 2021

The Emergence of ‘Little Guyana’ in America

By Vishnu Bisram THE rise of Little Guyana in Richmond Hill, Queens, New York, is a fascinating subject for academicians and ethnographers. Former UG Professor Dr. Gary Girdhari, who founded the Guyana Journal, wrote extensively on the history of Guyanese in Richmond Hill. He was among the first Guyanese to settle in the area and knows ‘Little Guyana’ better than most. I, myself, have written extensively on the rise of Little Guyana. Several theses have been written on Indians of ‘Little Guyana.’ I attended academic conferences in Madeira, Durban, Mauritius, Fiji, Trinidad, Suriname, Sydney, and India where papers were presented on ‘Little Guyana.’ Doctoral dissertations in India also made references to Little Guyana as it is now peopled by Punjabis who are in competition with Indo-Caribbeans. Richmond Hill has the largest concentration of Guyanese outside of the homeland. The persecution of Guyanese by the Burnham/Hoyte dictatorship (1965 to 1992) led to their emigration and settlement in America, Canada, UK, and later throughout the Caribbean and northeast-South America as they sought any location, doing practically any task, to eke out a basic living. This desperate migration and re-settlement, as well as interest and deep-rooted connections to their former homeland, resulted in the emergence of the Guyanese diaspora. Guyanese started coming to NY, mostly as students at technical or trade schools and tourists in the late 1960s and 1970s and settled in low-rental areas of lower and mid-Manhattan and Jamaica, Queens. They tried settling in Richmond Hill in the late 1970s, but there was strong resistance from the Irish and Italians who had populated the area for generations. As Dr Girdhari can attest, caucasians instructed real estate and home owners not to sell to Indians and other non-Whites. I first visited the area in 1977 or 78 and I could feel the intense hate for non-Whites. Blacks were not allowed in the area. Not even to attend schools; they had their own schools. 8 It was not till the early 1980s when caucasians were leaving the area that Indo-Caribbeans began clustering in Richmond Hill. As the caucasian population aged and gradually moved out, the neighbourhood was gradually absorbed by Guyanese and ‘Trini’ homeowners, and the demographics changed rapidly. The entire area was quickly transformed. Old buildings were rehabilitated and new ones built by Indians – Indo-Caribbeans and Panjabis. Liberty Avenue, a rundown street, was also transformed into a commercial district and a magnet for Guyanese and ‘Trini’ settlement and the fulcrum of economic activities. They felt at home as various legal, travel, medical, food, shopping, immigration, mandirs, masjids, churches, and ethnic Indian service became available. Around 1988, it was estimated by the Mayor’s office that some 105K Indo-‘Trinis’ lived in greater Richmond Hill as against 90K Guyanese. The Guyanese

population has probably doubled since then and ‘Trinis’ grew slowly as the latter became attracted to Long Island and Florida. The term ‘Little Guyana’ emerged in the late 1970s, but the reference was not to Richmond Hill. Few Guyanese had moved to Richmond Hill at that time. The term ‘Little Guyana’ was coined by Vassan Ramracha to refer to the area where Guyanese (and ‘Trinis’) normally clustered -- 14th Street as well as Lexington Ave between 30th Street and 21st streets. These were shopping areas – the former for cheaper garments, textile, and dry goods and the latter for Guyanese food and entertainment items – such as hassa, banga, butter fish, gilbaka, spices, ghee, religious items, Indian music and movies, etc. Tony Yassin and a partner had a halaal shop that also sold fish, spices, etc. on 30th Street and then Yassin purchased an Indian-owned business on 26th Street. Guyanese patronised his two stores. That entire Lexington Ave area was known as “Little India,” because of the many shops and restaurants that sprang up and Indian cultural activities. I frequented the area almost every day during my university studies as I walked from the subway station at 28 Street to use the library at Baruch College on 24 Street; “Curry in a Hurry” was a regular stop because lunch was low cost (only $4) and belly filling as I economised on a student budget. During the 1970s and 1980s, you were bound to meet people from all parts of Guyana if you visited those two locations. Those areas have changed since then, attracting other ethnic communities as Guyanese have settled around Richmond Hill, Jamaica, Briarwood, Hollis, Cypress Hills, Grand Concourse, Parkchester, Flatbush, etc. Since 1977, when I was active in the struggle against the Burnham dictatorship, it was Vassan, a key mentor and leader of the NY freedom movement, would remind a group of us to meet in ‘Little Guyana’ -- reference to 14th Street. We would meet every Saturday morning and some Sunday mornings without fail, rain, sun, snow to distribute handouts (that we prepared) on politico-socio matters pertaining to Guyana. Arjune Karshan and his two nephews and Chuck Mohan, and

of the area were not enthused with renaming any street or the area. Black American Councillor Tom White, in particular, refused to entertain the thought. Jagan had no connection with Liberty Ave, but it was Pt. Ramlall who coined the area around 133 Street and Liberty as Dr. Jagan Square. A Jamaica hospital outreach medical centre was also named after Jagan on Liberty Ave. The issue of renaming Liberty Ave was laid to rest until it was resurrected in conversation between myself and Ashook Ramsaran. For the last three decades, Ramsaran and I spoke regularly almost daily on various issues impacting the Guyanese, Indo-Caribbean and Indian diasporas and on politics in countries of origin and I broached the subject. He was successful in leading an initiative to get a portion of a street of Hillside Ave, Jamaica, a few other activists, would also distribute named after Ramesh Kalicharran, an icon in ACG (PPP affiliated org) literature. We would the Guyanese, Caribbean, and South Asian have friendly banter and confrontations over communities. Ramsaran and I talked of getideology – they supported the East and we ting Liberty Ave co-named ‘Little Guyana.’ supported America. From 14th Street, our After Pandit Ramlall passed away two group would travel to Guyanese oriented years ago, Ramsaran undertook the task to coactivities in other parts of the city. Liberty Av- name 133rd Street & Liberty Avenue after Pt enue attracted our activism in the mid-1980s Ramall. I asked him to spearhead Liberty Ave when Guyanese stores started appearing in as Little Guyana. He suggested that District the area. We hopped onto the A train (there Leaders Richard David and Dr. Taj Rajkumar were three) to last stop Lefferts Blvd. It was and other community leaders like Romeo HitVassan who coined Liberty Ave the new lall and Dr. Dhanpaul Narine, among others, ‘Little Guyana’ since the mid-1980s. The as the persons to undertake the task. ACG also descended on new Little Guyana Ramsaran subsequently told me he to distribute literature. My encounters in parts discussed the idea with Richard David who of Richmond Hill were not very pleasant. The took on the mission. He approached AdriWhites had a disdain for non-Whites partic- enne Adams to get it done. After portions ularly walking through their neighbourhood, of Richmond Hill were co-named Little as well as travelling on the trains and buses. Punjab and Gurudwara Street last year, You could sense an unwelcome feeling. All of Guyanese galvanized into action. Dr. Dhanthat has changed now with Whites socialising paul and I conversed the need for Liberty to very closely with Indians and even attending be named Little Guyana. Through lobbying their religious activities and marriages and of Richard and Ashook, Councilwoman participating in festivals such as Phagwah Adams expedited the process together and Diwali and eating roti and curry at Guy- with the Pandit Ramlall Way proposal; anese restaurants. she is seeking re-election and faces stiff NYC Mayor Ed Koch was approached competition and Ramsaran and Adams go to formally rename the Indian commercial back when she first ran for the vacant NYC area around Lexington Ave as ‘Little India’ Council seat assisting her campaign and I and greater Liberty Ave as “Little Guyana”. kept following up with him on the issue. He responded there was no need to do so Richard David was key to the co-naming and that it would take a long time to get it and very instrumental in getting it done. done. Koch explained that Little Italy, Little Romeo Hitlal and Dr Dhanpaul are on the Ireland, Little Greece, Little Cyprus, China committee organising the programme for Town, and other ethnic neighbourhoods were the unveiling of the street sign. not officially named as such, but were given We must applaud the effort of everyone their monikers, and the new names stuck until who is responsible for the formal co-namofficial renaming came much later. Koch, a ing of a portion of Liberty Ave and Lefferts friend of Indian Americans, advised that the Blvd as Little Guyana Way. The ‘Trinis’ are neighbourhoods renaming requested be so not very pleased with their exclusion of the referred to by their communities. Indian and co-naming and rightly so. They have settled Guyanese businesses moved out of Lexington there before the Guyanese. Ave. Jackson Heights came to be known as The area has a huge ‘Trini’ imprint the new Little India since the late 1980s. with tens of thousands residing there along It was Chuck Mohan who proposed the with countless Trini businesses and several formal renaming of Liberty Ave as Cheddi ‘Trini’ mandirs. I suggested to Ramsaran Jagan Ave and the area as Little Guyana. that Lefferts Blvd subway station be coMeetings were held with Chuck Mohan, Mel named ‘Little Guyana’ as well similar to Carpen, Ramesh Khellawan, Ron Sukhram what I observed at subway stations in Parand others towards that goal. The idea did not is, Frankfurt, NY to honor the presence of get much traction. The elected representatives Arabs, Turks, and Orientals respectively.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 21, 2021

NAREI’S lab to be enhanced; mangrove restoration efforts boosted –– with signing of over $29M in contracts

OVER $29 million in contracts were signed for the supply and installation of laboratory equipment at the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) and 100 metres of geotextile tubes along the foreshore at Non Pariel. The contracts signed by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NAREI Jagnarine Singh and the respective contractors, will also cover the execution of topographic surveys in Regions Two and Four. The surveys, when completed, will be a critical component of the restoration and management of mangroves, and will ensure suitable shoreline elevation. The surveys will also facilitate the gathering of

Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha (centre) with other officials of the Agriculture Ministry and contractors critical elevation data to support monitoring along the foreshores of Ogle to Kitty and Enmore to Annandale, Region Four; and Taymouth to Anna Regina, Region Two. Data collected will be used to inform future management and design of res-

toration interventions. In an invited comment after the contract-signing, Singh stated that such contracts remain paramount to the smooth functioning of the institute’s work programme and further progress in the strengthening of the country’s mangrove

structures. “For instance, 100 metres of geotextile tubes groyne will be constructed along the shoreline to increase sedimentation and create a suitable habitat for mangroves to be restored… similar structures were done by NAREI in areas such as Devonshire Castle, Reliance and Anna Regina, which have resulted in natural regeneration of mangroves,” he said. The $10.7 million con-

tract for the installation of the geotextile tubes was awarded to S&K Construction and Consultancy Services and General Supplies. The project, which has a duration of two months, will cater for groynes along the Non Pareil foreshore. A contract to the tune of $8.72 million for the topographic surveys in Regions Two and Four, and a $9.85 million contract for the supply and delivery of laboratory equipment and

accessories for NAREI’s lab, were signed with Bailey and Associates and MS Trading, respectively. The equipment, once installed, will allow for the smooth operation of NAREI’s laboratory, thereby increasing the number of annual germplasms produced. In the past, the lab had been instrumental in producing disease-free and resistant planting materials to farmers for cultivation. (DPI)

guyana CHRONICLE Friday, May 21, 2021

Paul Slowe, eight others charged by SOCU --in relation to alleged conspiracy to defraud the GPF $10M By Richard Bhainie CHAIRMAN of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Paul Slowe, along with eight other current and retired senior ranks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) were on Thursday jointly slapped with a fraud charge by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) for an alleged conspiracy to defraud the GPF of some $10M. In addition to former Assistant Commissioner of Police Slowe; retired Assistant Commissioner Clinton Conway; current Assistant Commissioner Royston Andries-Junor; Assistant Commissioner, Claude Whittaker; Senior S u p e r i n t e n d e n t G e o rg e Fraser; Superintendent, Mark Gilbert; Assistant Superintendent, Marlon

Retired Assistant Commissioner Claude Whittaker Kellman; Woman Senior Superintendent Marcelene Washington, and retired Senior Superintendent Michael Sutton were also charged. The matter was called before Senior Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, where the charge of Conspiracy to Defraud was read to the accused. Slowe and Washington did not appear to answer to the charge, as they are presently not within the jurisdiction. The particulars of the charge allege that Slowe, Conway, Whittaker, Fraser, Gilbert, Andries-Junor, Washington, Sutton and Kellman, between March 1, 2019 and July 7, 2020, at the GPF Headquarters, conspired to defraud the Force of $10,056,000 by paying Slowe, Conway, Whittaker, Fraser and Gilbert the said sum, without complying with the proper procedures. They were not required to enter a plea to the indictable charge, and were released on $100,000 bail each. The charge comes after an investigation by

Chairman of the Police Service Commission and former Assistant Commissioner of Police Paul Slowe SOCU revealed that former they had no authority to do Commissioner of Police so, as the only accounting Lesie James, unilaterally officer of the Force at the time hired Conway, Whittaker, was the Permanent Secretary Gilbert and Fraser, all former in the then Ministry of Public GPF officers, to conduct a Security, and that person had complete revision of the given no such permission to Force’s Standing Orders in make any payment. March 2019. Former Police Finance S O C U i s a l l e g i n g Officers, Washington and t h a t J a m e s m a d e n o Sutton were also charged contractual agreements, with separately with an additional specifications, of what was charge of Misconduct in to be revised, and the terms Public Office. The charge of payments, and that neither against Sutton read that in his did he prepare a budget for capacity of Finance Officer the service that was being of the GPF, between July rendered. 1, 2019 and July 31, 2019, he wilfully misconducted SOUGHT NO APPROVAL himself while performing Further, SOCU posits duties by falsely signing that seeing that the payment was in excess of $10M, it should have been budgeted for, and sent to the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) for approval; however, James never sought nor received approval from the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Public Security nor the NPTAB. SOCU is contending that the same Standing Orders James hired the ex-officers to revise had already been revised “by highly qualified and competent policy analysts” of the Strategic Planning Unit of the GPF. It was also discovered during the said SOCU investigation that while the enormous sum of money was paid to the former police officers, they are yet to provide the Force with a completed revised Standing Order. The probe found that from March 2019, payment accounts were prepared upon the instruction of then Head of the Strategic Planning Unit (SPU), Assistant Commissioner Royston Andries-Junor, and when he was transferred to the Force’s public relations department in November 2019, he allegedly instructed his successor to continue making the payments, which was done until February 2020. SOCU revealed that an examination of over 60 payment vouchers showed that 15 of them were signed by Washington and Sutton, collectively, as the Accounting Officer, when

seven payment vouchers as the accounting officer, which he was not authorised to do. The charge read that by doing so, he enabled the retired officers who were hired by James to be paid the $10M, without the approval of Daniella McCalmon, the substantive accounting officer, then Permanent Secretary of the then Ministry of Public Security, and without any reasonable excuse or justification. LEGALLY BOUNDED SOCU contends that Washington and Sutton, as former Finance Officers of the GPF, were entrusted to ensure accountability and transparency existed in all financial transactions at the Police Finance office, and as such, they were legally bounded to ensure that the correct financial procedures were followed when payment vouchers are processed. Further, SOCU contends that they both knew that they were not appointed as accounting officers of the GPF, but yet they falsely signed the payment vouchers as the accounting officers,

Retired Senior Superintendent, George Fraser thereby subverting the authority and signature of the substantive accounting officer. SOCU’s investigations then discovered that consequent to the actions of Washington and Sutton, Kellman, a staff of the Police Finance Office, entered the information into the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS), although the vouchers were not approved and signed by Ms. McCalmon. SOCU contends that

Member of the Police Service Commission and retired Assistant Commissioner Clinton Conway (Elvin Croker photos) this establishes that Kellman breached the trust placed in him and the honesty policy that surrounds that trust as prior to entering the information into the IFMIS, he was bounded to ensure that the correct financial procedures were followed and therefore his alleged actions display criminal conduct, implicating him in the conspiracy.

guyana CHRONICLE Friday, May 21, 2021

Heavy winds ‘rip through’ West Bank Berbice houses --leave residents counting their losses By Nafeeza Yahya THE Laikhraj family of Zorg-En-Hoop, Blairmont, West Bank of Berbice (WBB) is among several other families in the community who are counting their losses after heavy winds devastated parts of their houses on Thursday. Christopher Laikhraj, 44, an employee of the Blairmont Estate, was in

tears when the Guyana Chronicle visited his house which was ravaged by heavy winds. As tears flowed from his eyes, Laikhraj recounted his over 18 years of toiling to build his house which was destroyed within a matter of minutes. The house, which is home to his wife and two young daughters, sustained severe damages to the roof, while a large shed, which

covers the front of the yard, was destroyed completely. Electrical appliances and other household items were also damaged due to the rain which accompanied the heavy winds. Based on his recollection of what led to that devastating situation, Laikhraj said it was raining lightly throughout the morning hours until 12:30 hours when the wind started to pick up.

The Laikhraj family’s house which was evidently devastated by heavy winds on Thursday “When me come outside, me see a circle breeze come and pick up the shed like nothing and pull out all them concrete post and zinc and fling them up high in the air. When me run back inside me start feel rain and when me look up nothing na deh deh,” the distraught man said. Though shaken by the situation, the man mustered the courage to grab his family and get them to safety. “When the breeze ease up, me realise most ah them thing in the house wet and some disappear. When me go ah backyard me see me flat screen TV in me neighbour yard, in the mud. All the zinc and wood from the roof missing,” Laikhraj lamented. With not much left to save, the family salvaged what they could and transferred it to a relative’s house nearby. The family will also be staying at the relative’s house until they decide what their next move will be. As it is now, the house is inhabitable, and the estimated losses value well over $4 million, Laikhraj said. Meanwhile, Cheryl Alverna Mangal who is the caretaker of her brother’s property which is located a short distance

away from the Laikhraj’s, said she was alerted by her cousin moments after 13:00 hours that the roof of the house was blown off by heavy winds. “When we got here, the one side zinc was completely ripped off and the rain soaked everything, completely destroying everything, books, electrical appliances, everything… the water seep through and completely flood the downstairs,” Mangal lamented.

C h r i s t o p h e r Laikhraj is left to contemplate his next move, after the house he occupied with his family was destroyed by heavy winds on Thursday Four other houses were also affected by the “freak storm,” and despite the damages, the residents are all thankful that no one was physically injured. This publication understands that the Regional Chairman of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region Six, David Armogan and a team visited the area to assess the damages. The Laikhraj family is appealing for any assistance to repair their house. Anyone interested in offering assistance could make contact with the family at cellphone number: 622-9823.

Persons repairing the roof of one of the damaged properties

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 21, 2021

‘Drive thru’ vaccination from this weekend

–– as efforts to safeguard citizens against COVID-19 intensify

By Richard Bhainie IN an effort to facilitate convenient access to the COVID-19 vaccine, the Ministry of Health will be hosting its first ‘Drive Thru’ vaccination event on Saturday, May 22, 2021, at the National Stadium, Providence, East Bank of Demerara. The activity, which will take place from 09:00hrs to 21:00hrs, will afford persons the opportunity to receive either their first or second dose of either of the three COVID-19 vaccines available locally. An activity such as this is unprecedented, locally, but it will allow persons to be vaccinated without leaving the comfort of their vehicles. This is all in a bid to make the vaccines more accessible. “One of the things that we’re trying to do is to make vaccination more accessible to people and we had a discussion in the ministry and we thought that is one way we can make it more accessible, more convenient, so people could come and get their vaccines,” Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony said on Thursday during his daily COVID-19 update. The Health Minister explained that the ministry has contemplated a system whereby persons will be allowed to drive into the stadium and make their way to the first station, where arrangements will be in place for the vehicle to be approached by authorities who will register the occupants of the car who require vaccinations. The paperwork which is required before the vaccine is administered will then be filled out at the same station, after which

the vehicle will make its way to the second station, where the paperwork will be verified and the vaccine will be administered. The vehicle will then proceed to the third station, where the persons who took the ‘jab’ will undergo the necessary 15-minute observation. After the observation period, they can then ‘drive off.’ “Because of how it’s arranged we think that we will get a lot more people coming out and we think it’s quite more convenient, so if four persons are in a vehicle, we can easily do four persons very quickly,” Dr. Anthony said. The Health Minister said that the ministry will be aided by some 40 volunteers, who will be assisting with paperwork and other matters, and the vaccination site will also be adequately staffed with vaccinators, who will make the process swift. The Ministry of Health will be collaborating with a number of agencies, including the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport; the Ministry of Home Affairs; The Ministry of Public Works, and community and faith-based organisations, to facilitate the innovative vaccination drive. “We hope that people take advantage of this opportunity and that we will be able to immunize quite a number of persons with their first dose, if they are persons coming for their second dose, we will be able to do that as well,” Dr. Anthony related. The Health Minister said that while this is the first vaccination ‘drive thru,’ the possibility exists for the initiative to be replicated across the country. He explained that

any “hiccups” identified will be fixed, and if suc-

cessful, similar vaccination drives will be done.

A person being administered a jab at a similar ‘drive thru’ initiative (Reuters photo)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 21, 2021

Losses increase as floods persist in Regions 6, 9, 10 By Naomi Parris

SEVERE flooding in Regions Six, Nine and 10 has left many farmers and agriculture stakeholders counting their losses. According to the respective regional heads, besides interrupting residents’ daily lives, the heavy rainfall and increased flooding has also affected the regions agriculture sector, with many reporting losses of crops and poultry. Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle on Thursday,

Chairman of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region 10, Deron Adams related that several communities along the Upper Berbice River have been under water for some days now. “The communities are more in the Berbice River area like Kwakwani and Kuru Kururu… now the water would have reached as much as six inches in some places, some places have three inches and some have four,” Adams said, adding: “We are still having rains here in the region, so I am

thinking that there will be some amount of continuous flooding. The tide is high so I don’t expect for there to be any relief today [Thursday].” Adams related that residents in the communities have reported the loss of cash crops and other household items. As part of efforts to offer assistance to the affected communities, Adams made contact with the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), which delivered hampers, cleaning supplies and other basic necessities to persons

battling the effects of the floods. Meanwhile, in Region Six, several farmers have also reported the loss of cash crops and livestock. Chairman of the RDC of Region Six, David Armogan, told the Guyana Chronicle that heavy rainfall has restricted the ability of farmers to transport their paddy, since access dams and agriculture roads were severely damaged. “Two days ago, we had heavy rainfall and we had floods in places like number 62 and 74. Water levels were high in Crabwood Creek and some of the other coastal areas like Manchester, but water receded in most of these areas,” Armogan said. He added: “Rice farmers would have been affected, but not by flooding so much, but by the heavy rainfall and the destruction of dams… because of the heavy rainfall all of the agriculture dams are virtually destroyed.” Fortunately for residents and farmers in the region, water has started to recede.

The Civil Defence Commission has commenced assessment and distribution of food supplies, water, hampers and other amenities to residents in flood-affected areas across Region Nine (CDC photo)

This yard in Region 10 is completely inundated by flood waters But a few farmers are still counting their loses, Armogan related. Meanwhile in Region Nine, the CDC and regional authorities have commenced assessments in the flood-affected areas. A team led by Director General of the CDC, Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig, worked with representatives of the RDC and the Lethem Town Council to provide support to impacted residents. Potable water was distributed to some persons who were, and still are, inundated by flood waters. Authorities also inspected the shelters which are housing persons who have been displaced. The Regional Chairman of the Region Nine RDC, Brian Allicock, in a separate

interview, told the Guyana Chronicle that there have been several reports about infrastructure being severely damaged; this includes roads, cassava farms, and farine and bread-making shops. Access roads are also still inundated, so a complete assessment is unlikely at this time. “The Moco Moco farmers called in and said that their cassavas are already rotting and the Massara farmers, all them went under water for a week now,” Allicock said adding: “At the moment, we are moving out some families from the flooded areas to shelters, and we have to start supplying water and other food items for those in the shelter… then we have to prepare for those who can’t prepare for themselves, so that is where we are at the moment.”

One of the many roads that have been severely damaged as a result of severe flooding in Region Six

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 21, 2021

136 new COVID-19 cases recorded in 24 hours THE Ministry of Health has recorded 136 new cases of COVID-19 within the past 24 hours, while some 94 persons were also medically cleared within that time. Of the 1,544 tests carried out for the deadly virus on Wednesday, 13 came back positive in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara); 77 in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica); four in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice); 15 in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne); two in Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni); 13 in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and 12 in Region Ten (Upper Demerara-Berbice). The newly infected persons were 52 men and 84 women. Presently, 19 persons occupy the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU), while 99 are institutionally isolated, 1,823 are isolated at home, and six are institutionally quarantined. So far, the Health Ministry has recorded 50 deaths for the month of May, and 449 from the onset of the pandemic

in Guyana. Of the 15,743 confirmed cases since the detection of COVID-19 here, 1,947 are currently active, while 94 of Guyana’s 13,453 recoveries were recorded within the past 24 hours. All Guyanese are urged to observe the protocols of the COVID-19 emergency measures, which emphasise the need for correct and consistent use of a face mask when leaving home, the importance of maintaining the six feet physical distance from others, and the need for good hand hygiene to help curb the spread of COVID-19. The Minister of Health has also urged persons 18 years and older to take the COVID-19 vaccine, to immunize themselves against the deadly virus. If anyone you know is displaying any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19, or needs any additional information, kindly contact the COVID-19 Hotline 231-1166, 2267480 or 624-6674 immediately or visit the Ministry of Health at www. health.gov.gy.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 21, 2021

Action against domestic abuse to intensify –– as Human Services Ministry moves to strengthen partnership with police

IN a bid to strengthen collaboration between the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security and the Guyana Police Force (GPF), Minister, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, on Wednesday, held discus-

sions with Assistant Commissioner of Police, Clifton Hicken. Minister Persaud pursued this meeting because she wanted to discuss issues related to domestic violence, one of the biggest concerns

of the ministry at this moment. Having a better response to the issue and forming partnerships for effective approaches to this and other social ills were deliberated. The ministry is intensifying its prevention, awareness and intervention campaign against domestic violence and abuse through a series of strategic collaborative programmes with critical stakeholders. “For Guyana to achieve success in eradicating domestic violence and abuse against women and children, an objective analysis of the inefficiencies and gaps must guide programmes, policies and interventions,” Minister Persaud said. The Spotlight Initiative, spearheaded by the ministry, is the channel through which many of these initiatives will be conducted. The discussions were especially significant with the launch of two significant collaborative initiatives imminent. The GPF will collaborate with the Child Care and

Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud; Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, Anjanie Ramlall and Director of Child Services at the Child Care and Protection Agency, Ann Greene, engage Assistant Commissioner of Police, Clifton Hicken (DPI photo) protection Agency to give Baramita and help the com- if you do something about intense focus to children’s munity to rise,” Minister their concerns; not if they safety, and to reduce abuse Persaud said, as she listened have to keep coming back and children on the streets to reports of high cases of to voice the same combeing exposed to danger suicide, drugs, alcohol con- plaints over and over. It’s and risks. sumption, child sexual abuse time to roll up your sleeves The meeting also dealt and incest in Baramita. and get down to the real with Minister Persaud’s The minister called on work.” recent visit to Baramita, all involved, including the Permanent Secretary in Region One (Barima/ police, to work together in at the Ministry of Human Waini), and how the GPF addressing the serious prob- Services and Social Secucan better assist the ministry lems of the community. rity, Anjanie Ramlall, and in addressing issues there. Minister Persaud also Director of Child Services, “ W e w a n t t o b u i l d said: “People will only Ann Greene, were present a strong connection with develop confidence in you at the meeting. (DPI)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 21, 2021

New Amsterdam Hospital completes 600 surgeries in five months –– facilitated through installation of new equipment, general advancement of regional health services

HEALTH facilities in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), over the past six months, were retrofitted with equipment valuing more than $60 million, clearing the way for the region to offer enhanced health services to citizens. A major part of the enhancement in the regional healthcare system was activated on Wednesday, when Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall, during a tour to Region Six, commissioned several equipment at the New Amsterdam Hospital. Over the past six months, the hospital, through the addition of those equipment, has moved from having just one operating theatre to three, and is now equipped to offer crucial services which were previously available only at the regional hospital. Region Six’s Director of Health Services, Dr. Vishalya Sharma, while commending her team for their consistent efforts, also thanked the government for investing in the advancement of the regional system. Owing to the investments made by the government, the New Amsterdam Hospital has been able to conduct approximately 600 surgeries in just under five months. In doing so, the hospital has been able to clear the backlog that existed when the facility was only equipped with one operating theatre. “We are thankful and extremely pleased because with this investment we

can definitely continue to improve the level of care we provide to the residents of our region. For the past six months, we have been actively been purchasing and distributing equipment throughout the region,” Dr. Sharma said. Further, she related: “We now have, for example, Mibicuri Hospital which now has its own EKG [electrocardiogram] machine which means the 3,000 plus residents can now have that service done right at the facility. “Today, we would be adding two anaesthetic machines, an additional theatre bed that is installed in the theatre, two capnographs, monitors, laryngoscopes, oxygen gauge, sterilisers, incubators... that allowed us to offer decentralised services to Skeldon, Port Mourant and Mibicuri.” Even with such ‘great’ advancements, the health team, Dr. Sharma said, will continue to add more equipment and offer more services, all part of efforts to improve the level of care offered to residents. “We will continue to improve the theatre services at the New Amsterdam Hospital so that our residents can see and continue to access an improved level of care. There should be no regional backlog. There should be no patients waiting for surgery for prolonged periods,” the Director of Regional Health Services said. Meanwhile, Minister Dharamlall pledged the government’s continued support in improving the lives of all residents across Guyana, and ensuring that

they are comfortable and receive improved services whenever they visit a health facility. “For us as a government we want everyone to benefit equally and equitably that is why we are upgrading New Amsterdam Hospital and every other facility in the country. “We will also be working with you to ensure your conditions are much better than yesterday and I hope that there is open communication between the administration and the higher levels of the region,” Minister Dharamlall said. Regional Chairman of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region Six, David Armogan, while underscoring the importance of a healthy population, stated that the region’s focus is to improve the level of service in the health sector. He charged the health workers to improve something every day in the execution of their duties, and the administrators to seek to add new equipment to improve the number of services being offered. Region Six has 34 public health facilities inclusive of four hospitals, over 1,100 health workers and 63 doctors servicing the population. The administrators have reported an increase in the usage of and access to services being offered across the region over the past few months; this they believe is testimony to the availability and quality of services being offered at the public facilities.

Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall along with regional officials and medical staff at the commissioning ceremony in the boardroom of the New Amsterdam Hospital

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 21, 2021

Official launch tonight of ‘Get Real with Shameeza’

Host Shameeza Ally

‘GET Real with Shameeza’, a show in New York to be hosted by Guyanese Shameeza Ally is ready for its official two-hour launch tonight at 20:00 hours via Live Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube streaming. The first guests will be former ‘Miss Guyana’ Zara Khan, a survivor of domestic abuse; and Sheffield Shorlane Douglas who will be discussing human trafficking

in Guyana. The show is also expected to feature a performance by Guyanese Randy ‘Recklez’ Ramdin, who is also based in New York. Four weeks of pre-shows were done where viewers had the opportunity to learn about the team of ‘Get Real with Shameeza’. “We also had a woman, Bibi Sarah, who spoke about her struggles building a relationship with her traditional Guyanese parents,” Ally told the Buzz this week, adding, “We have accumulated over 95,000 views since we introduced the show on our page, most of which came from our pre-shows.” The upcoming shows are to feature influential people, including women speaking about their journey through domestic violence. Awareness will also be brought to current issues in the community. “I have had three cohosts: Faizal Baksh who is in Guyana; George Baksh, a New Jersey-based businessman and Trevor Dhanpaul, a digital marketing specialist,” Ally noted. She will be going live every Friday at 20:00 hours. Ally, a financial advisor who has also been very active in her community and a mother of four girls, left Guyana in 2001 from

Shameeza hails from Uitvlugt, West Coast Demerara Uitvlugt, West Coast Demerara. Working in finance for the past 16 years has allowed her to connect with her community on a personal and professional level and as such, she has been looking for ways to give back to her community. “I saw a need to connect the people and bring them something that will enlighten them and give them a platform to voice their opinion,” she told the Buzz in a previous interview. She is hoping that the

The show allows Shameeza to give back to her community in the sense that it gives a voice to interesting personalities

show will allow for open discussions on the roles of women in society, will allow them to express their struggles, and will suggest ways how they can be supported and uplifted. Her goal is to have both men and women open up about the struggles that prevent them from living their best life. She plans to arrange women focus groups in the community a few times a month where persons can attend, have discussions and find ways to help and support each other. The show will give a voice to inspiring people and businesses and will allow them to restore their confidence and go out in the world with new hope. “I want our new generation to live in a world where they can openly speak of their feelings and not be afraid of having to suppress their feelings because of what society thinks of them,” she said, adding, “It is crazy enough that we live in a world where we have to struggle so much; if we can be more open and care less about judgment, we can all have more successful and happy lives.” Ally enjoys cooking and spending time with her family. “I love getting away with family and friends and spending quality time where we can explore and be adventurous.” She also enjoys reading.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 21, 2021

Ryan’s Dance Troupe giving equal opportunities on stage to male dancers

RYAN’s Dance Troupe, made up of a group of young, vibrant personalities who all love to dance, puts special emphasis on allowing male dancers equal opportunities to be on stage and believes that this sets the group apart from others. The two brothers who founded the dance troupe are 20-year-old Ravindra Persaud and 19-year-old Ryan Persaud. Sonia Singh is the female dancer attached to the group. “Our dance troupe is just like any other dance group, but with a bit more

was accustomed to seeing only female dancers on stage. So to promote their group, they volunteered at several events until their name was being recognized. Some of their notable performances so far include those at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport and the Indian Action Committee. “These two agencies allowed us to showcase our talent at so many events and for that, we are eternally grateful. Because of the opportunities provided by them, we were able to build our clientele.”

The group has worked hard to make a name for itself and is thankful for the opportunities it was afforded spice added,” Ravindra told the Buzz this week. The group, formed in February 2015, specializes in all kinds of dances, particularly, classical and contemporary Indian dances and hip hop. The dancers are self-taught as growing up, dancing was all they knew. “It was that activity we found ourselves engaged in while other children were outside playing. While most of our dances are choreographed, we like to surprise our audience by adding our own signature moves and twists,” Ravindra expressed. The two brothers were both dancers in the Shelita’s Dance Troupe and while this allowed them a chance to showcase their passion for dancing, they felt that more focus was being placed on the female dancers. “As such, we knew we needed to have our own group where male dancers would be able to take the lead and add a twist to how dance groups are viewed in Guyana. We started out with just my brother and I and then our friend Sonia joined us,”Ravindra reflected. Starting was very challenging for them as they felt that the Guyanese audience

While the group comprises only three dancers so far, the team plans to expand to include more persons who have a passion for dancing. “Our objective is to become one of the lead dance groups in Guyana, leading to

Ryan Persaud (right) and his brother Ravindra Persaud are the founders of the dance troupe the establishment of a dance Tube channel and also, our academy. Just like any other Facebook page,” Ravindra dance group, we are a fami- pointed out. ly. New dance moves/ choreographs are always welcomed from any member of the group. The one thing that sets us apart from other dance groups is the fact that we allow our male dancers equal opportunity to shine,” Ravindra said. In addition to performing at events such as weddings, private parties, and other functions, the group offers dance classes to those desirous of learning. “Those who wish to be enrolled in our classes or book us for any event can contact us. To view some of our performances, persons can check out the Indian Action Committee’s You-

The group was founded in February 2015

Although the team has only three members at the moment, the plan is to expand by finding more persons with a passion for dancing

Ajay Devgn to be seen in new crime series ‘Rudra – The Edge of Darkness’

BOLLYWOOD superstar Ajay Devgn, well-loved in the police roles that he’s often pulled off, has given fans something new to look forward to with his announcement of ‘Rudra – The Edge of Darkness. In an Instagram post

recently to announce the new series, Ajay described the Hotstar Specials as the “crime thriller of the year.” The 52-year-old, known for blockbusters like Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Singham and Tanaji, among many others, is all set to play a cop

again, but this time for OTT as he makes his web series debut. The show is a remake of the British psychological crime drama television series ‘Luther’ which revolves around a police detective who becomes friends with

a psychopath murderer for help to solve other criminal cases. According to information in the Indian press, no known date has been announced for the new series, which will soon be going into production and will be shot at iconic locations across Mumbai. “Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn surprised one and all… by dropping the official glimpse of his web series debut on social media…. this one is a crime drama that’ll see the star in a cop

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 21, 2021

Ajay Devgan’s first look of Rudra – The Edge of Darkness avatar….after playing iconic policeman roles in Bollywood many times, the actor once again will be seen in the same avatar,” a Yahoo article has said. Meanwhile, the Indian Express quotes Ajay as say-

Fans are used to seeing the actor in several blockbuster police roles

ing the following: “My attempt has always been to tell unique stories and work with good talent. The idea is to raise the bar of entertainment in India. The digital world excites me, and I am looking forward to working with Applause and BBC to bring this series to life on Disney+ Hotstar VIP. Rudra – The Edge of Darkness is a compelling and highly intriguing story and I can’t wait to begin this new journey!” The article further mentions Ajay as saying that the reason he felt drawn to the series is that his character is ‘intense, complex and dark’. “What drew me most to his persona, is that he is possibly the greyest character you may come across in recent times,” the actor concluded. “Rudra – The Edge of Darkness is one of our biggest shows to date and we are very excited to have Ajay Devgn play the lead. He truly has the fiery intensity and persona required to play this iconic character,” Sameer Nair, CEO, Applause Entertainment was quoted as saying.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 21, 2021

guyana CHRONICLE Friday, May 21, 2021

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 21, 2021

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 21, 2021

Amerindian Moses... From backpage

Anderson, Sinclair, Giddings top awards, Minister … Ramson inducted as 6th RHTYSC Patron

THE Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club, MS (RHTYSC) last Sunday hosted a smaller version of its annual award ceremony at the St Francis Community Developers Training Hall. The awards ceremony, the 31st of the Club’s history was held under strict COVID-19 guidelines and was highlighted by a feature address by newly inducted Honorary Patron Charles Ramson Jr. Club Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster provided the gathering with a comprehensive

sports gear. Foster stated that the RHTYSC successfully completed 709 activities in 2020, 34 less than 2019 but nine above the revised target after the club was closed down for two months last year due to the pandemic. A total of 315 activities have been completed in 2021 to date with special emphasis been placed on education, anti-drugs, anti-alcohol, community development, COVID-19 and less fortunate families. Minister of Youth, Culture and Sport Charles

Minister Charles Ramson is inducted as Patron by Youth Ambassador Denica Henry.

Member of Parliament Faizal Jaffarally receives his Dolphin Award of Excellence.

report of the club’s history, major achievements during the period 1990 to 2021 and its activities over the last 18 months. He noted that Kevlon Anderson and Kevin Sinclair made their debuts at the Under-19 and International 20/20 level respectively for the West Indies, while the club was able to win 8 Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) cricket titles at several levels despite the COVID-19 pandemic Other major activities included the Basil Butcher Trust Fund donation of cycles and gear to less fortunate youths, COVID-19 hampers project, upgrade of the Club Office, Christmas Village, Club Review Magazine, Youth Information Booklet, Say No/Say Yes Programme, Solar Lights project, Cycles project and Donation of

Ramson Jr was inducted by RHTYSC, MS Youth Ambassador Denica Henry as the club’s sixth official Patron. The Patron informed club members of his ministry’s work to return Guyana’s cricket to democracy. He also shared his vision for Sports, Culture and Education. Ramson also underscored the fact that nation-building is a team sport as he congratulated all the awardees. Ramson also added that there is no tolerance for harshness and unfairness in sports administration whilst commending the club for the exemplary role they have been championing over its 31-year history. Fourteen outstanding Guyanese were awarded the Club’s highest award, The Dolphin Award of Excellence.

They were Esaun Crandon, Romario Samaroo, Brandon Corlette, Ananda E.T. Dharry, Dr Cecil Beharry, Dr Ghansham Sukhdeo, Police Inspector Sonia Griffith Ward, Anasha Ally, the late Terry Holder, Navindra Persaud and Member of Parliament Faizal Jaffarally, Leila Ramson, Charles Ramson Sr and the Patron himself. They were honoured for their role model status and contribution to national development. Twenty- four members were also recognised for their contribution to the development of the club during the period 19902021. The members who received the RHTYSC Zenith Award of Excellence were Lucy and Terry Pike, Joyce Wiggins, Moonish Singh, Navin Raghoo, Patrick Lewis, Leon Wiggins, Errol and Ashton Hendrax, Simon Naidu, Joel Pike, Ravindranauth Kissoonlall, Keith Hicks, Dawn Hicks, Elizabeth Brush, Pamela Brush, Mark Papannah, Franklyn Ross, Sohan Harry, Neville Beaton, Gregory Rambarran and Bridgette McDonald. Several of the Club’s junior cricketers received the Neil Williams Award of Excellence for outstanding performance at the junior level. Those honoured with medals, framed certificates and a collection of gifts

were Junior Sinclair, Keith Simpson, Sylus Tyndall, Mahendra Gopilall, Jonathan Rampersaud, Jeremy Sandia, Chanderpaul Govindhan, Matthew Pottaya and Oma Matadin. Other awardees during the well-organised ceremony were Disciplined Male Member - Kevin Ramnarine, Disciplined Female Member - Marian Samaroo, Worker-of-the-Year Simon Naidu, while special awards were presented to Sinclair and Anderson for their West Indies debuts.

Orphanage at Liliendaal, East Coast, Demerara. The three brothers are all International Karate Daigaku (University) black belts: Ernie - 29, Silas - 37, and Courtney -24. The two beautiful and talented sisters, Rose, 27 and Pauline, 22, created karate history by moving from white to brown belt at their first grading on April 30, 2021. They were training privately for two years under their instructor, Shihan John Fernandes, 7th dan. Fiercely proud of their heritage and achievements, the closely-knit sisters are an embodiment to all women not only in their Amerindian community but Guyana as a whole. While Shuseki Shihan is responsible for the overall development of GKC, both administratively and technically, each of the masters and instructors is responsible for developing each belt level student under their care. This method is the same as the educational system used in Guyana schools. In Shihan’s absence, Karate Master Dr. Guy Low, 7th Dan, a well-respected medical doctor, and Assistant Professor at the University of Guyana, takes charge of all training. The GKC is headed by legendary Guyanese Karate Master, Frank WoonA-Tai, M.S., 9th dan, who, apart from preparing the five-member Moses Karate Family for next year’s championships, is also in the process of disseminating karate to the Amerindian community throughout

Guyana. According to Master Frank, all five Moses are naturally talented with a high degree of strength, speed, form, and spirit. Moreover, they are a family of character, integrity and social graces. While the sisters excel at karate, they are also academically brilliant. Pauline is Personal Secretary to CEO John Fernandes at Astro Arts, an advertising company. Thus, she is well suited to administer and promote karate anywhere in Guyana. On the other hand, Rose is a Pharmacy Technician and is awaiting an online course from the Ministry of Health in Forensic Law to begin. Rose holds an online Career Diploma from Penn Foster Career School in Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA, as a Pharmacy Technician. She completed 27 pharmacy-related courses and needs Forensic Law before pursuing her B.Sc. in Pharmacy at the University of Guyana. The GKC release pointed out that karate in the Caribbean began to spread when graduate students who learnt karate at the University of the West Indies returned to their home countries. This system is the same used by Japan and many other countries. Wowetta, located in North Rupununi, is about six miles from Annai. The population of Wowetta is approximately 330 persons who speak Makushi. The village is the home of the Cock-of-the-Rock, one of Guyana’s famous birds.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 21, 2021

BCCI asks ECB to rejig Test series schedule for IPL window

THE BCCI has put in a late request to the ECB to bring forward the start of the five-Test series by a week, in a bid to complete the pandemic-interrupted 2021 IPL season. ESPNcricinfo has learned the request was put in this week and ECB is yet to respond. As things stand, the first Test is scheduled to begin on August 4 and the series ends on September 14. The move is aimed at having a longer window in September to finish the remainder of the IPL season, which was suspended midway due to a growing number of COVID-19 cases among players and staff. The series-opener in Trent Bridge from August 4 to 8 will, according to the current schedule, be followed by Tests at Lord’s (August 12-16), Headingley (August 25-29), The Oval (September 2-6) and Old Trafford (September 10-14). The request from the BCCI considers starting each of the remaining Tests a week earlier too. If the final Test ends on September 7, that would

give the BCCI a three-week window - which is how much

Such a change, though, could disrupt ECB’s plans,

… requests advance all five Tests by a week

The series-opener is set to be played from August 4 as things stand. ( Getty Images)

time the board feels it needs - to complete the remaining 31 games. That would then allow time for international teams to assemble for the T20 World Cup, which is to run from the middle of October until November 14. When approached, ECB said no official request has yet been made by BCCI.

not least the schedule of The Hundred. For one, it would mean the Test series starting only a week after the launch of the tournament - scheduled to run from July 21 to August 21. And given that The Hundred’s games are being played at grounds where the Tests are meant to be

AIBA investigation launched into Jordanian boxer’s death

AN independent investigation is to be carried out into the death of a young Jordanian boxer at the World Youth Championships. Rashed Al-Swaisat, 19, was taken to hospital in Poland after suffering a head injury during the third round of his Under-81 kg fight against Estonia’s Anton Vinogradov on April 16. He died in hospital The AIBA paid tribute to Rashed Al-Swaisat on 10 days after undergoing Instagram. emergency brain surfor Sport Medicine at the the Jordanian national boxing gery. Lausanne University Hospital team, was competing at the The International BoxGremeaux said: “My spe- World Youth Championships ing Association (AIBA) has cific tasks as an independent in Kielce, Poland, a compelaunched the investigation. expert are to help clarify the tition which took place over Umar Kremlev, the AIBA exact course of events that the course of two weeks. president, said he was “de- led to the boxer’s death and “Boxing has made huge termined” to ensure lessons to review the protocols and progress in terms of safety are learned from the boxer’s treatments that were followed and we are fortunate that death. and administered on the occa- such injuries are extremely The AIBA investiga- sion of this accident.” rare in our sport,” Kremlev tion will be led by Vincent Al-Swaisat, a member of added. (BBC Sport) Gremeaux, head of the Centre

staged, it would require a significant rescheduling. That would throw hotel bookings, bio-bubble arrangements, broadcast schedules and ticket sales (pretty much the entire tour is sold out) into chaos.

That would also all but close the window that had been allocated to allow England’s top players to make appearances in the tournament. England’s Test players were meant to be available for up to three group games at the start of The Hundred, and then the Eliminator and the Final (currently scheduled between the second and third India Tests) if their teams qualify. ECB will also have a lot of explaining to do to the counties as well as the fans who have already bought tickets for the India-England tour, the marquee series of the summer. Currently, days one and three are sold out with limited availability on days two and four for the Trent Bridge Test. At Lord’s, day one is limited while days two to four are sold out; The Oval is already sold out for the first four days, Headingley

has availability on the first two days while the third and fourth days are sold out. At Old Trafford, only the first day has been sold out with availability over the next three days. The request brings into sharp focus the havoc the pandemic has wreaked on the cricket calendar. It is currently unclear, for instance, where the remainder of the IPL will actually be held. The UAE has been tipped as a frontrunner, and English counties and Sri Lanka have also expressed interest. Though the T20 World Cup is scheduled to be hosted by India, that destination has become less certain in the wake of the second wave of COVID-19 the country is currently in the grip of. Realistically, BCCI has only two windows in which to finish the IPL, which fall on either side of the T20 World Cup.

Archer to undergo surgery on right elbow today ENGLAND fast bowler Jofra Archer is to undergo surgery today in an attempt to resolve his persistent right elbow problem. The 26-year-old was last week ruled out of England’s two-Test series against New Zealand after suffering a setback on his return to domestic action for Sussex. Archer, who previously had an operation on a hand injury at the end of March, was unable to bowl during the final two days of the County Championship match

Jofra Archer has taken 42 wickets in 13 Tests.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Friday May 21, 2021)

COMPLIMENTS OF CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Courtney Walsh-38 Tests (2) Steve Waugh-32 Tests Today’s Quiz: (1) Which WI has scored most Test runs against AUST to date? (2) Which AUST cricketer has registered most Test runs against the WI to date? Answers in tomorrow’s issue

against Kent. Having managed just two matches since being given an injection for the long-standing issue in March, it has now been confirmed Archer will go under the knife. A short statement from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Thursday read: “Jofra Archer has been reviewed by a medical consultant in respect of his right elbow soreness. He will now proceed to surgery tomorrow. Further updates will be released in due course.” Archer has taken 42 wickets at an average of 31.04 in 13 Test appearances for England, who face New Zealand in a two-Test series next month as part of a busy schedule until the end of the year. England play white-ball series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, as well as five Tests against India, ahead of the T20 World Cup and Ashes Tour of Australia. (Sportsmax)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 21, 2021

Danns heading back to the UEFA Champions League!

By Rawle Toney

NEIL Danns is heading back to the UEFA Champions League, the place where he made his professional debut (with Blackburn Rovers in 2002) but this time with Connah’s Quay Nomads, after he helped the club clinched their second consecutive Welsh Premier League recently. Danns, who signed with Wales side Connah’s Quay Nomads this year, said he’s still the same player that rocked English football since bursting onto the scenes with Blackburn Rovers in the Champions League 20 years ago. “It feels amazing to gain qualification and to obvious-

ly win the league title which is brilliant,” Danns told Chronicle Sport, adding “it

… midfield player still eager to represent Guyana

Neil Danns

was a great way to end a long season and a tough one because of the COVID-19 pandemic and everything.” A hailstorm of criticism fell on the roof of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) and head coach Marcio Max-

imo, following the non-selection of Neil Danns for Guyana’s opening matches of their FIFA 2022 World Cup qualifier campaign. However, most pundits and fans who vented their frustration were a bit more perturbed by the manner in

Playing window confirmed as preparations move into high gear for 2021 CPL BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, (CMC) – Organisers on Thursday confirmed the dates for this year’s ninth edition of the Cricket Premier League(CPL), with the Twenty20 showpiece set to run for just over three weeks. The tournament bowls off August 28 and will wrap on September 19, and will be staged in its entirety for the first time in St Kitts and Nevis. Organisers had previously confirmed the start date and chief operations officer, Pete Russell, said with the confirmation of the official window, the league was now poised to execute. It is really exciting to have the tournament window for 2021 confirmed and I would like to thank the St Kitts & Nevis government for agreeing to host this year’s event,” Russell said. “We would also like to extend our thanks to Cricket West Indies for helping us create this window in a busy summer of cricket for them. “We are looking forward

CPL chief operations officer, Pete Russell.

to once again successfully staging the Hero CPL in 2021.” Organisers have been steadily ramping up preparations for the tournament since the announcement of the venue nation last month, with several franchises announcing their lists of retained players for the upcoming season. Trinbago Knight Riders will be defending the title they won last year when they marched through the tournament unbeaten. Last week, the tournament director of operations, Michael Hall, said organisers were busy formulating plans and coordinating with

officials in St Kitts, to ensure the groundwork was properly laid. “It was a little bit more than two weeks ago that we actually got confirmation that the government of St Kitts and Nevis were going to allow us to host the tournament,” Hall said. “Of course we would’ve been doing some background work before the confirmation came and … yes we’re on track, because we’re now obviously full steam ahead trying to put everything in place that has to be put in place.” For the second straight year, the tournament will be played in a bio-secure bubble to mitigate against the threat of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. However, with St Kitts currently enjoying a COVIDfree environment with no active cases, government has indicated a possibility of fans being allowed at the Warner Park venue. Last year, the tournament was staged in Trinidad and Tobago at the height of the pandemic with no fans allowed.

which the former Leicester City and Crystal Palace midfield player was treated by the Brazilian coach who, Danns said, refused to even engage him on his involvement with the Golden Jaguars. Since lacing up for Golden Jaguars in 2015, Danns found the net nine times, while assisting on most of Guyana’s goals since then. The Golden Jaguars are currently in preparation to face St Kitts and Nevis on June 4, followed by a clash with Puerto Rico on June 8. Both games are reported to take place in St Kitts and Nevis. Despite being snubbed for Guyana’s opening matches, where they went down 0-3 to Trinidad and Tobago,

and rebounded to win 4-0 against The Bahamas, Danns says he’s still eager to once again suit-up for the National side. He told Chronicle Sport, that “after watching the TT game, I feel I can still offer something in the midfield with my experience. I still feel fit, obviously and I’m ready to go and if the opportunity to play in the Gold Cup and World Cup qualifiers presents itself, I would grab that opportunity with both hands. I still love representing Guyana. It will be the end of the tough year for everyone.” The 38-year-old former Leicester City and Crystal Palace midfield player said, “Irrespective of a players’ age, if you perform

well enough and are fit, you should be allowed to keep playing.” The midfielder started his career at Blackburn Rovers, during which time he had loan spells at Blackpool, Hartlepool United and Colchester United where he spent two years before joining Birmingham City. He has made 103 appearances for Crystal Palace, whilst also having permanent spells in the Football League at Leicester City, Bolton Wanderers, Bury FC and Tranmere Rovers. Most recently, Danns has played for the likes of Radcliffe, Halifax Town and was on trial at Chorley, where the Nomads spotted him after their season was curtailed.

IOC President Bach to arrive in Japan on July 12 for Tokyo 2020 Olymics TOKYO (Reuters) -International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach plans to arrive in Japan on July 12, 11 days ahead of the planned opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, amid continued local concern about the games going ahead. Plans for Bach to visit Japan in May were postponed because of a government-issued state of emergency in Tokyo and other areas aimed at containing the spread of coronavirus infections. The opening ceremony is due to be held on July 23. In a letter released by IOC senior official John Coates, after Bach’s arrival on July 12 the IOC will move to “full Games-time coordination operations” in Tokyo. Coates himself will arrive in Japan on June 15 to finalise preparations on site, according to the letter, which was addressed to athletes, sponsors, and other stakeholders and posted on the IOC’s website on Wednesday.

IOC President Thomas Bach will arrive 11 days ahead of the planned opening ceremony.

The IOC kicked off a three-day meeting with the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Committee and other organisers on Wednesday. During his opening remarks, Bach reiterated his commitment to hold the Games this summer, saying organisers were “fully focused on the delivery of the Olympic Games”. However, the global sporting event - which was postponed by a year due to the coronavirus pandemic -

faces mounting opposition from the Japanese public over fears it could trigger coronavirus outbreaks and burden medical services amid a slow vaccine roll-out. As support wavers, organisers have sought to reassure the public that the Games can be held safely with coronavirus prevention measures in place. Organisers are now making arrangements to halve the number of people coming to Japan as part of foreign Olympic delegations, broadcaster NHK reported on Thursday. Some 94,000 people are expected to make their way to Japan for the games, down from an initial estimate of 200,000 people, NHK said citing unnamed government sources. Foreign spectators will also be barred from watching the games in Japan. However, organisers have not confirmed whether they plan to allow domestic spectators into the venues, saying that a decision will be made in June.

Yassin calls for implementation of Sports Policy, National Sports Commission

By Rawle Toney

PRESIDENT of the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA), Kalam Juman-Yassin, is calling for the implementation of the country’s first National Sports Policy, as well as the installation of the Commissioners of the National Sports Commission (NSC), paving the way for a Director of Sport. Speaking exclusively to Chronicle Sport yesterday, the former Chief Magistrate, now an Attorney-at-Law, believes with the country’s sports landscape growing and more athletes developing into world-class and rated competitors, the Sports Policy now becomes mandatory, rather than optional. In a recent interview, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr, said a revision of the draft National Sports Policy is currently ongoing, while being adamant that seeing the implementation of the country’s first National Sports Policy is of utmost priority for the Dr Irfaan Ali government. Yassin believes that it’s important for the country’s athletes, especially, to “know exactly what is expected of them and what they can get. I would imagine, in a proper sports policy, standards will be set and if an athlete achieves those standards, then he would be able to get something.” “We need to be able to classify our athletes as elite athletes. And if an athlete is in the category of an elite athlete, what can they expect. They cannot be named an elite athlete and don’t

Kalam Juman-Yassin president of the Guyana Olympic Association

get the funding or facilities, to ensure that they perform and maintain that (performance),” Yassin firmly stated. During an interaction with the Sports Media on August 15, Ramson relayed that the implementation of the National Sports Policy will be part of the critical areas for sports during his tenure as the minister responsible for sport in Guyana. Ramson has inherited a document that has been in the ‘draft state’ by People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government prior to 2015 and the former APNU+AFC Government. NSC LONG OVERDUE Meanwhile, as it relates to the National Sports Commission (NSC) Yassin thinks that after almost nine months in the position of Minister of Sport, Ramson would have had enough time to make his assessment of the Sports Commission, with the long-serving GOA president pointing out “he would have met all the associations, he would have met dozens of athletes and officials, so he would be able to nominate or recommend persons for the National Sports Commission. “ Ramson, since becoming minister, has also been chastised by Opposition Member of Parliament, Jermaine Figueira, over the failure to appoint the commissioners at the National Sports Commission. The minister, however, insisted that he’s being guided by the 1993 Sports Commission Act, and would have also pointed out that since the March 2 Elections, the PPP/C party has been

vocal about being compliant with the laws of the land, and as such, he is insisting that he doesn’t “intend to break the law” when it comes to the appointment of a Director of Sport. “The Sports Commission has been set up by an Act of Parliament. They have their functions and we need to respect and let that work,” Yassin said. Yassin said he was also “not impressed with the work of the last National Sports Commission. I think it left a lot to be desired and I hope the new Sports Commission will do and act much better.” In 1993, Samuel Hinds, in his capacity as acting President of Guyana at the time, assented to the National Sports Commission Act which was passed in the sitting of the Sixth Parliament on December 3 that year. According to the National Sports Commission Act, Section 11 (1), “The Commission may, after consultation with the minister, employ upon such terms and conditions as it thinks fit, a Director of Sport, and such other officers and employees as the Commission deems necessary for the proper carrying out of its functions.” The Act outlines the Director of Sport as being the “Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, and subject to any general or specific directions of the Commission, be responsible to the Commission for ensuring that the functions of the Commission are properly discharged and objectives achieved.”

Amerindian Moses family excelling at karate The Moses brothers: From left: Ernie, 29, Silas, 37, and Courtney, 24.

Pauline Moses (left) and Rose Moses, far right, train with Master Frank Woon-A-Tai (centre) at Transport Sports Club, Thomas Lands on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 17:30hrs to 18:30hrs.

HAILING from the small Amerindian village of Wowetta, Rupununi, the Moses family, comprising of three brothers and two sisters, are quite unique in their own special way.

They are all distinguished karatekas and are in the process of training to represent Guyana at the Fourth IKD World Cup set to take place here in August 2022. Apart from undergoing

rigorous training, the proud and talented family are also teaching karate at the Guyana Karate College (GKC), the Amerindian Hostel and SEE PAGE 25

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Friday, May 21, 2021