Issuu

FRIDAY 22nd January, 2021

' No.106250

Patterson, Ferguson and others under scrutiny SEE PAGE 03

–– as police launch investigation into gift-giving scandal –– Auditor General says law provides for jailing of accounting officers for misuse of public funds

10,000 acres of farmland to be opened

$500M Diamond/Eccles road for April completion SEE PAGE 08

–– project to open lands for housing, other economic activities

-- with construction of $1.7B farm-tomarket road at No. 52 Village 02 PAGE

Trade between Guyana and India to become stronger

PAGE

04 A section of the Diamond/Eccles road (Office of the President photo)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, January 22, 2021

10,000 acres of farmland to be opened –– with construction of $1.7B farm-to-market road at No. 52 Village

By Navendra Seoraj ROADS are considered arteries to development, especially in rural, underdeveloped areas where such infrastructure could transform the entire village economy, as would be the case in No. 52 Village, Berbice, where the government plans to construct a $1.7 billion farm-to-market access road. The potential 25 kilometre road, which will run from No. 52 Village to the Canjie Creek, is expected to open close to 10,000 acres of land for farming, Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha has said. Agriculture has long been heralded as the backbone of Guyana’s economy, accounting for one-third of this country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and creating employment for thousands of persons nationwide. New investments in this sector are always considered catalytic because they not only increase employment, but also provide a foundation for the building of a food secure nation. A farm-to-market road is equally essential, in this regard, because it will encourage more persons to take up farming, and it will increase accessibility for those who are already engaged in agricultural activities. In the US, a farm-to-market

road or ranch-to-market road [sometimes farm road or ranch road for short] is a state road or county road that connects rural or agricultural areas to market towns. These are better quality roads that farmers and ranchers use to transport products to market towns or distribution centres. Various studies have proven that road infrastructure is the backbone of many rural and urban transport systems. Rural transport provides assurance for the supply of the agricultural inputs and facilitates the delivery of farm outputs to the markets. Farmers who have access to the bigger markets, on average, produce high crop yield. Such will be the case in the No. 52 Village, Minister Mustapha said, adding that the Cabinet has already given the “green light” for the design and construction of a farm-to-market road there. “It will open up about 10,000 acres of land, plus improve the existing cultivation because they [farmers] will have proper access,” the minister said during a telephone interview with the Guyana Chronicle, on Thursday. This announcement follows the turning of the sod for the construction of a five-kilometre asphaltic farm-to-market road at Onverwagt, West Coast

Flashback: Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha (centre); Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh (left) and the contractor, Romell Jagroop (right), turn the sod for construction of the farm-to-market road at Onverwagt, West Coast Berbice

Berbice. It was reported that with the construction of this $327 million road, over 30,000 acres of rice will be cultivated, while 60 cattle farmers with a total of 23,000 heads of cattle and about 1,000 heads of small ruminants, will also benefit directly.

OTHER REGIONS The benefits experienced by those farmers will soon accrue to other persons in Regions One, Two, Three, Five and Six, where the government plans to construct more farm-to-market roads. Minister Mustapha anticipates that, before the year is out, six farm-to-market roads will be constructed in those regions. “These will help to open up more lands, and I am looking to ensure that I double production in rice, among other things,” the minister said. Aside from infrastructural

development, the government, over the next five years, will be looking to implement measures in the agricultural sector, geared at diversifying the economy, creating more jobs and increasing farmers’ incomes. To provide relief to “struggling farmers,” the authorities have reversed land-lease fees, land taxes and drainage and irrigation fees to 2014 rates. The government has also removed the value added tax (VAT) from fertilisers, agro-chemicals and pesticides. Those “business-friendly” measures will afford farmers the opportunity to position them-

selves for potential growth in the agricultural sector. There is already growing interest in Guyana’s non-traditional crops overseas, as export volumes of non-traditional crops have increased due to the agriculture export diversification initiatives (AEDP). This programme was designed to promote certain crops for the local market and to target the export market, particularly the CARICOM market. Among the crops promoted were the 4Ps (peppers, plantains, pineapples and pumpkin) and the 4Cs (Coconut, citrus, cassava, carrots). For years, Guyana’s ‘potential’ to become the breadbasket of the Caribbean has been under the spotlight and while the rhetoric has outweighed action on this front, the country will be looking to realise its potential in the coming years, with immediate focus on tapping at least 15 per cent of the close to US$6 billion regional food import bill. Most of the commodities, which form part of this huge bill, are sourced from the “developed world” while Guyana, a member state of the CARICOM, has the potential to supply a sizeable amount of those commodities. It was reported that 10 commodities – food preparations, wheat, rice, chicken, non-alcoholic beverages, maize, soya bean, sugar and palm oil — account for more than 40 per cent of CARICOM’s food import bill. Immediately, based on this list, Guyana has the potential to supply rice, sugar and poultry, among many other things.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, January 22, 2021

Patterson, Ferguson and others under scrutiny –– as police launch investigation into gift-giving scandal

– Auditor General says law provides for jailing of accounting officers for misuse of public funds

Former Junior Minister of Public Infrastructure Annette Ferguson

THE Guyana Police Force has been called in to investigate the circumstances surrounding Government agencies gifting expensive items to the former Ministers of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson and Annette Ferguson. This was confirmed by Minister within the Ministry of Public Works Deodat Indar, who said that neither of the two ministers has indicated their intentions to repay the State for the exorbitant gifts. “They have been defending themselves,” Indar posited. According to 2016 records, the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) had purchased a birthday gift for Patterson valued at $60,000. Further, in 2018, the same agency purchased a $384, 700 birthday bracelet for Patterson from King’s

Jewellery World. Patterson had initially denied receiving the gifts, saying that the reports were crafted in an effort to tarnish his reputation. With documentations being exposed, Patterson later admitted to receiving the gifts, but said that he was not aware that his acceptance of the expensive items was in breach of regulations. Documents from May 2020 showed that MARAD went on to approve a majestic sum of $704,292 “towards the purchase of birthday gifts”. Unlike the previous years, the 2020 records did not specify that the purchase was for Patterson’s birthday gift. The then Minister of Public Infrastructure also received gifts from the Transport and Harbours Department, the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority, and the

Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation (DHBC). Junior Minister of Public Infrastructure, Annette Ferguson was not left out, as she received items valued at $1.4 million from agencies under the ministry; however, these were classified as “donations”. A spreadsheet from the DHBC showed that in excess of $6 million in “donations” were given to the Public Infrastructure Ministry between June 2015 and July 2016. Meanwhile, efforts to secure comments from the two Opposition Members of Parliament were futile, as several calls to Patterson went unanswered, while Ferguson refused to comment on the revelations. Meanwhile, Auditor-General Deodat Sharma told the Guyana Chronicle that as part of the Fiscal Management

Former Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson

and Accountability (FMA) Act, accounting officers, also known as Permanent Secretaries, could face penalties for spending monies that have not been budgeted for and approved by the National Assembly. COULD BE CHARGED “Accounting officers could be charged if they do not use the money for the purpose intended,” Sharma said. He further explained, “If you get it (a certain amount of money) for salary, that is what you’re supposed to be using it for, unless you budget to buy ‘X’, ‘Y’ and ‘Z’, and it was approved in the budget.” Section 85 of the FMA Act states that accounting officers could be imprisoned, fined $2M, plus face three years imprisonment for

breaching public procurement regulations outlined in the Act. “An official who: (a) falsifies any account, statement, receipt or other record issued or kept for the purposes of this Act, the Regulations, the Finance Circulars or any other instrument made under this Act; (b) conspires or colludes with any other person to defraud the State or make opportunity for any person to defraud the State; or (c) knowingly permits any other person to contravene any provision of this Act, is guilty of an indictable offence and liable on conviction to a fine of two million dollars and to imprisonment for three years,” the FMA act states. Sharma indicated, too, that “when we carry out a normal audit, we are now moving towards the forensic section. If you move to a fo-

rensic audit, then we call in the police, and we are hoping that those penalties could be applied.” The issue of gift-giving within the Ministry of Public Works was placed under the microscope following an investigation into the operations of the state-owned asphalt plant, a subsidiary of the DHBC. The investigation, which wrapped up in December, found that the General Manager of the DHBC, Rawlston Adams, had approved the purchase of an $897,000 wristband as a gift for himself in 2019. Adams has since resigned, and is currently in the process of repaying the State for the hefty gift. Former Ministers Patterson and Ferguson have not made any such commitments, and are, therefore, expected to be contacted by the police.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, January 22, 2021

Trade between Guyana and India to become stronger By Vishani Ragobeer INDIA has been seen as an increasingly important international partner for Guyana and the relationship between the two countries will be strengthened even further as the two countries deepen trade relations. During an interview with the Guyana Chronicle on Thursday, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd, told the Guyana Chronicle that the government, since assuming office has sought to “reconnect” with the South Asian country. “Previously, India was seen as one of Guyana’s foremost international partners as the two countries shared strong bilateral relations. India and Guyana have had very strong relations in the past, not only from a trade perspective, but culturally, but we intend to continue working on deepening that relationship that we enjoy.

“Now that we are embarking on our emerging oil-and-gas sector, I think our relations with India would become even stronger from a trade perspective,” Minister Todd highlighted, adding: “India has already committed to us [on] major projects, so I can see our relations deepening over the years.” The major projects India has committed to include funding for infrastructural development, scholarships for Guyanese and the provision of technical services in areas of development that Guyana does not yet have capacity. Last November, Indian High Commissioner Dr K J Srinivasa told this newspaper that the Government of India is willing to purchase Guyana’s share of oil lifts at the market value, annually, through a government-to-government agreement. “India is an energy-hungry nation and 85 per cent of our petroleum requirements are imported. So we would love to work with the Govern-

Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd

ment of Guyana to import oil, if possible, from Guyana on a long-term basis, and Guyana gets a secured buyer for all its oil annually,” the High Commissioner said. Furthermore, the Dr Srinivasa related that Indian companies such as Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), Bharrat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) – all state-owned companies – would be interested in buying crude from Guyana in the future. Minister Todd said that engagements and the potential agreement between India and Guyana for purchase of the oil would occur through the Ministry of Natural Resources, headed by Minister

High Commissioner of India Dr K J Srinivasa

Vickram Bharrat. Nevertheless, Todd contended, “They understand Guyana well and our needs.” He also gave the assurance that the two countries will be able to work together for the mutual development of the peoples of both countries. COVID-19 VACCINES In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, India, which is known as a leading supplier of vaccines worldwide, has been developing vaccines to immunise persons against this novel coronavirus; and the country has several vaccine candidates which are at various stages of development. COVID-19 immunisation is ongoing in the South Asian country and the government

has currently based its vaccination programme on two approved vaccines: COVISHIELD, the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine which is produced by Serum Institute of India, and COVAXIN, an indigenously produced vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech in Hyderabad and the Indian Council for Medical Research. Guyana’s vaccination rollout for COVID-19 is expected in the coming months, but the country is not yet sure which vaccine it will be receiving. Guyana has signed up with the COVAX facility, a global initiative geared at accelerating the development and manufacture of COVID-19 vaccines, and then providing them in a guaranteed rapid, fair and equitable manner to those countries which need them. Through this arrangement, Guyana will receive its first set of vaccines which will be administered to healthcare workers and elderly individuals with comorbidities (other underlying diseases).

Though signing up with COVAX carries a fee, Guyana’s costs are being met through GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, which is coordinating COVAX, along with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) The Guyana Chronicle understands, however, that GAVI, the WHO and the Gates Foundation all source vaccines in bulk from India. The country has the largest number of manufacturers who have been prequalified by WHO for international procurement for low and middle-income countries and most of these vaccines are for the global South. When asked about whether Guyana will leverage its relationship with India for these vaccines, Minister Todd said the country is exploring avenues for aid and the purchasing of vaccines. This may include engaging bilateral partners, such as India.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, January 22, 2021

Biden unveils sweeping ‘wartime’ COVID action plan President Joe Biden has signed a raft of executive orders to boost the fight against COVID-19 which has ravaged the US. Vaccination will be accelerated and testing increased. Emergency legislation will be used to increase production of essentials like masks. Announcing the 10 measures, Biden said it would take months to defeat the pandemic but America would “get through this” if people stood together. The moves come a day after Biden was sworn in as the 46th president. In a break with former President Donald Trump, the policy stresses a national strategy rather than relying on states to decide what is best. The Trump administration was widely accused of failing to get to grips with the pandemic. In terms of total deaths from coronavirus, the US is the worst-hit country with

more than 406,000 lives lost, according to Johns Hopkins University. Nearly 24.5 million have been infected. Biden said that the “bold practical steps” that he was taking would not come

cheaply. “Let me be clear - things will continue to get worse before they get better,” he said, adding that he expected the number of dead to top half a million by next month.

President Joe Biden

“This is a wartime undertaking,” he said, repeating that more Americans had already died in the pandemic than in the whole of World War Two. He mentioned the vaccine, saying that its rollout had been a “dismal failure so far”, and described his plan for 100 million jabs in his first 100 days in office as “one of the greatest operational challenges our nation has ever taken on”. But when challenged by a reporter who suggested the target might be too low, he snapped back: “When I announced it you all said that it’s not possible. Come on. Give me a break, man.” Biden also promised to be transparent about setbacks, and allow scientists to work free from political

interference. “I’m convinced the American people are ready to spare no effort to get this done,” he concluded. “We can do this if we stand together.” Later chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci spoke about the vaccine rollout, saying the Biden administration was “amplifying” the programme that was already there. If, as hoped, 70-85 per cent of the population was vaccinated by the end of summer, there would be “a degree of normality” by autumn, he said. Dr Fauci said his main concern was persuading people who were skeptical about the vaccine to take it. He added that the administration was in talks with

manufacturers to produce more vaccine, amid reports of supply problems. Some regional officials say they have run out of available vaccine. About 16.5 million shots have been administered so far. The chief medical adviser, who served under Trump, also welcomed the new administration’s emphasis on science. “The idea that you can get up here and talk about what you know and what the evidence, what the science is... it is something of a liberating feeling,” Dr Fauci said, whereas under Mr Trump, “you didn’t feel that you could actually say something and there wouldn’t be any repercussions”. (BBC)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, January 22, 2021

Tajeram Mohabir

Unfounded criticism

SAMUEL Hinds serves his fellow Guyanese with outstanding distinction, and played a powerful, pivotal role in working alongside Dr. Cheddi Jagan to restore free and fair elections to this country, after 28 years of rigged elections under the People's National Congress (PNC), with Hamilton Green, a senior PNC leader of that nefarious PNC period. Yet, Green and a few of his cohorts, in spouting ethno-racist sentiments about Hinds' leadership, had the temerity to try to besmirch the character of a Guyanese of exceptional class and excellence. Every Guyanese knows of Hinds' brilliant, heroic service to the nation. All Guyana would stand up to applaud Hinds, a leader of the gentlest of nature, who demonstrates his love for Guyana with great service to the people. Hinds served as Prime Minister from 1992 to 2015, and his leadership makes for remarkable heroism in the annals of Guyana's history. Hamilton Green also served as Guyana's Prime Minister, under the PNC regime, and Green could, in absolutely no way compare his leadership and his historical legacy with that of Samuel

Hinds. Under Green's PNC leadership, the nation suffered shocking socioeconomic collapse, by 1990 ranking with Haiti as the poorest country in the Americas. Yet Green shockingly accuses Hinds of sectarian isolationism. So much is wrong with Green's perspective of Guyana that one wants to ignore his diatribe. However, the historical record must be set straight, and Green's efforts to warp history would not be allowed to go without correction. As the national newspaper, it is imperative that the Guyana Chronicle set the national record straight concerning Green's ethno-racial denunciation of Hinds' exemplary leadership for all Guyana. Both Hinds and former President Donald Ramotar wrote letters to the newspapers concerning the Green rhetoric; it is laudable that they both did so, because the nation cannot ignore an attempt to warp Guyanese history and distort Hinds' leadership excellence. Guyana would forever stand up for Samuel Hinds. When the PNC was dragging this country to its knees, Hinds courageously stood up, risking his job at the Linden bauxite mining company, Guymine,

to become a leader in the movement for democracy, the Guyana Action for Reform and Democracy (GUARD). Hinds led this national civic organisation, and an alliance of labour unions into a democratic partnership that restored free and fair elections to Guyana. Today, Guyana stands on the cusp of global success, of becoming a country of well-developed socioeconomic means, of achieving its long-delayed potential. And the role of Sam Hinds as Prime Minister of the People's Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) governments, under four presidents, and serving as President himself, played the most vital function in Guyana being where it is today. When the Coalition Government tried to sully Guyana's democratic reputation last year, Hinds came out of retirement to march and speak out against the attempt to upturn Guyana's democratic structure. Green wrote a letter that was published in a national newspaper, where he wrote about Hinds: “I ... publicly ask him when he held the highest office in this land, and the second highest, what did he do to really lift up the Afro-Guyanese?” That strange sectarian question,

which rings of a narrow parochial ethno-racial overtone, mirrors the question from another commentator, Lincoln Lewis, who wrote in a letter published in the national press that Hinds should “...show this nation what he has done for the African community...” When national figures and public leaders with some influence over a constituency make such statements, the nation cannot ignore the harsh sectarian rhetoric and move on, but must nip it in the bud before it breeds discontent, hatred, and sow unnecessary division and deep schism in the body politic. Hinds is an intellectual, and is well able to answer these shallow questions. In an excellent letter to the newspapers, he set the record straight about his role in improving Guyana for every citizen, writing: “Through our sequence of thoughtful budgets and programmes, we, Guyanese of all races, of all religions and from all regions of our country, were enabled to increase our average GDP ten-fold; from an average of US$300 per person in 1992, to about US$3,000 in 2015, even in the presence of a long period of persistent attempts aimed at

fomenting ethnic strife amongst us. All our peoples and communities were much better off in 2015 than they were in 1992.” Hinds shows his class and worth as a national leader, because he sees his fellow citizens not according to the colour of their skin, but rather by the oneness of the nation. He sees all Guyana, not a section of the six-race nation as more important than another. The era and generation of the Hamilton Greens and Lincoln Lewises is a thing of the past. It is a new day; the dawn of the Guyana that every Guyanese dreams of, and as the nation accelerates its socioeconomic well-being, such narrow viewpoints will fade into the dustbin of history. However, in portraying that history of this great nation, it is fruitful to lift up leaders like Samuel Hinds, and showcase their exceptional value, and make sure narrow-minded parochial souls cannot damage their historical legacy. Samuel Hinds is one of the greatest sons of the soil, because he cares about all Guyana.

Patterson should resign from his position as Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee Dear Editor, THE recent disclosures that expensive gifts were purchased for the General Manager of the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation (DHBC) and two former ministers is another blatant example of the lack of ethics and professionalism demonstrated by and under the former government. The notion of ethics underscores a moral duty and obligation to distinguish between right and wrong, or good and bad. It embodies a consciousness of moral importance and professionalism. Professional ethics are guiding principles that are expected to be followed by people in positions of public trust. Unfortunately, both ethics and professionalism seem to have eluded those who approved, processed, and accepted the gifts in question.

While the existence of a code of ethics or conflict of interest policy at the DHBC or the Ministry of Public Infrastructure is an important consideration, distinguishing between substantial gifts, and mere tokens of appreciation is a relatively simple matter of professional judgment. The perception of any gift of value given to or accepted by a Government and/or pseudo-Government official can be easily construed as a conflict of interest and, therefore, deemed inappropriate. Under certain circumstances, such practice is borderline bribery and corruption. In reference to Mr. Adams, General Manager of the DHBC, it should not matter whether the governing board approved the gift. What matters is the General Manager’s professional judgment, which seemed to be lacking at the time. Considering the appropriateness, timing, and value of the gift

in question, he should have politely refused the jewellery on ethical grounds. While Adams resigned and took the moral high ground to repay and return the gift, this is only due to a special audit exposing the ethical dilemma he ultimately failed to navigate responsibly. What should have been a routine and respectful decline of the gift has now cost him his job. In a recent statement, Patterson noted that “at no time did I ever request, solicit or influence, in any way, the action of any agency in relation to the presentation of gifts to me or other officials of the Government” and “that the gifts presented to him during his incumbency were fully compliant with the procurement guidelines of the giving agency”. It should not matter whether a gift was requested or solicited, or if the acquisition followed stipulated procurement policies, procedures,

or practices. What matters is Mr. Patterson’s poor judgment, and apparent lack of ethics to accept a gift of significant value at taxpayers’ expense. Additionally, the value of the gift he received cannot be dismissed as mere memorabilia, or a token of appreciation. Thus, Mr. Patterson should do the honourable thing and resign from his position as chairman of the Public Accounts Committee. This breach of public trust suggests that he is no longer “fit and proper” to champion accountability in Guyana. The next question is whether the practice of buying expensive gifts for public officials was far more pervasive under the former Government than is currently known. Thus, the heads of other Government ministries, departments, regions, and agencies should be called upon to disclose similar gifts bought for public officials

using taxpayers’ dollars, and every effort should be made to recover the value of such gifts. Abiding by ethical standards and practices is non-negotiable for a country expected to benefit from a windfall of oil revenues in the coming years. Hence, these revelations also underscore the greater need for ongoing ethics training across Government entities. At a minimum, all public officials should undergo annual ethics training, and be required to sign a code of ethics. I also join Mr. Rohee in calling for the Audit Office to be granted law enforcement powers to pursue and combat fraud, waste, and abuse. Yours faithfully, Omchand Mahdu

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, January 22, 2021

The Caribbean is brimful of new hope as the Biden Administration takes office

Dear Editor,

AS the Biden/Harris team takes office at the helm of the world’s most powerful democracy, the new administration’s proposed foreign policy gives new hope to a turbulent world which, over the past four years, was confronted with American policy that was unpredictable, if not bizarre, and which was often seemingly formulated and conducted by ‘tweet’ and not tradition. Perhaps, nowhere is this new hope more pronounced at this time than in the Americas, the Caribbean and Latin America. Often neglected in the past by the United States, unless a threat is posed to American interests, especially by Russia and China, the Caribbean region looks forward to heightened and more meaningful engagement with the administration of President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris. Both are no strangers to the Caribbean region, especially the integration arrangement known as the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), a string of nations from Suriname and Guyana, which are geographically South American but culturally Caribbean, through the islands of the Caribbean Sea that include Jamaica, Haiti and the Bahamas. In fact, Vice-President Harris will be a cultural icon in the new administration, having the distinct honour of being the daughter of immigrant parents from Jamaica and India, and the wife of a Jew. Add to that the honour of being the first woman to hold the office of Vice-President, not only the Caribbean, but the world at large expects that with these attributes, she would bring a better sense of understanding, caring and compassion to the realities of the people of the Third World. No longer will these countries be considered ‘shithole’ countries. The new administration, according to a senior adviser to its transition team, will be placing tremendous emphasis on global health, democracy and human rights, climate change and emerging technology, all of which are key concerns for the Caribbean region and its economies. With the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) still “wreaking havoc” throughout the world, it is no surprise that global health is a top priority of the new administration, from both the perspective of curbing the spread of the virus and the high rate of deaths, as well as the economic hardships it has brought

on populations globally. As a first step, having arrived in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, one day ahead of his inauguration, President-elect Biden paid tribute to the 400,000 Americans who have died from COVID-19. This is indisputable testimony to the recognition of the pain and suffering the virus has brought to bear, and the compassionate urgency which must occasion effective measures to deal with this pandemic. “With the impending change in administration in the USA, Guyana looks forward to improved political and economic relations with the USA, in addition to that between the Caribbean, CARICOM and the USA. The entire region needs more predictable and mutually-beneficial policies on the part of USA,” says Carl Greenidge, former Vice-President and Foreign Affairs Minister of Guyana. He is also currently his nation’s co-agent in a case now before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), based on a spurious Venezuela claim that the international award which legally established the boundaries between the two countries back in 1899, is not valid. A Biden administration comes to office having to immediately confront a number of unprecedented domestic and foreign policy challenges, many of which have critical impact on the Caribbean. “The COVID-19 Pandemic has decimated the economy of the Caribbean, which is based, to a very large extent, on tourism. More than any other sector, it is true to say that the travel, hospitality and tourism sectors have been the most affected by the pandemic. This situation has helped to pin-point a structural weakness in the economic structure of the Caribbean, and must have policymakers and governments thinking about how the region’s economy could be diversified,” says Komal Samaroo, executive chairman of Guyana’s top manufacturing company, Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL), blenders and bottlers of the international award-winning El Dorado brand of rums. Samaroo, who is also head of the Barbados-based West Indies Rum and Spirit Producers Association (WIRSPA), argues that the ongoing Venezuela claim further aggravates the Caribbean situation, since it threatens Guyana’s supply chain for agriculture and other food products to the region, and even further afield. On January 7, a mere 10 days ago, there was the issuance of a decree by the President of Venezuela,

Nicolás Maduro, with the support of Venezuela’s National Assembly, which seeks to reinforce Venezuela’s baseless claim to Guyana’s Essequibo Region, and its attendant maritime space. Record oil-and-gas discoveries have been made by American oil giant, Exxon, offshore Guyana, the development of which Venezuela has continually tried to frustrate since these discoveries were announced in 2015. In addition to the decree, Capt. Gerry Gouveia, Guyana’s National Security Adviser to President Irfaan Ali recently reported the presence of Venezuelan warships in Guyana’s territorial waters and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which he points out poses a serious threat to the peace and stability of the Caribbean. He has also reported the presence of members of the infamous Venezuelan “Sindicata” gang in Guyana’s border communities, committing crimes on Guyanese in these areas who are mainly the indigenous population. Speaking at a recent virtual briefing for Caribbean Community leaders in the diaspora, as well as for diplomats and US Congressional staff, hosted by the Washington, DC-based Institute of Caribbean Studies (ICS), Gouveia said Guyanese are depending on the support of the United States, Canada, Britain and its sister CARICOM countries, among others, to help ensure that Venezuela desists from its provocative actions, and respects international agreements and the rule of law. CARICOM, the Commonwealth, the US and Canada have all issued public statements, rejecting the recent Venezuelan decree. “I could say that the proclamation of this new decree shows that Venezuela is up to its usual tricks. Whenever Venezuelan public interest wanes in the latter Government’s struggle with the USA, they pass another decree, purporting to annex the territories of their neighbours, and Guyana in particular, in a bid to raise local enthusiasm. There have been four such decrees since May 2015, and they have had the same effect, merely demonstrate vividly that the Government of Venezuela has no legitimate claim to Guyana’s territory; territory they did not inherit, they have never won, nor have they ever governed,” Greenidge pointed out in an interview. “This most recent decree seeks to use the fig leaf of an imaginary economic construct called The Development of an Atlantic façade.

This pretext is new, but the objective certainly is not. The new Decree No. 4415 of 7th January seeks, like its predecessors, to do what Venezuela cannot achieve legitimately. Venezuela has not been able to persuade any appropriate legal forum that a treaty it entered into voluntarily, willingly signed and honoured for 61 years could be unilaterally abandoned, and by being repudiated would entitle them to an additional 130,000 sq km of territory. “They have resorted to trying to use their military might to enforce domestic legislation. That domestic legislation, in addition to annexing the territory of smaller Caribbean neighbours, seeks to give Venezuela rights to the sea and maritime spaces below the surface, which are outlawed under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) Treaty of 1982, which entered into force in 1994. Venezuela neither signed nor ratified the Convention of 1982, nor the Agreement of 1994, but seeks to claim sovereignty and rights not permitted by the international community,” the Adviser on Borders explained. The Biden Administration’s policy on Venezuela is not expected to change drastically, if at all. Several US sources have said that Biden’s approach will be different, but that US objectives will remain the same. The Biden transition team has had at least one meeting with the Trump Administration’s point-man on Venezuela, Elliott Abrams, who has told the media that he is confident the US will maintain its support for Interim President, Juan Guaido. However, many countries in the Caribbean hope that Biden’s policy could pave the way for a political solution to the crisis in Venezuela. Guyana, for its part, says Greenidge, “calls on its allies to continue to condemn these illegal steps by Venezuela, and the actions following from it. Our allies should always condemn the transparent attempt to bully Guyana into abandoning its case at the ICJ, continue to call on the Government of Venezuela to participate in the ICJ hearings, and to accept and honour the decision of the court. In the interim, Venezuela must respect Guyana’s sovereignty, and desist from trying to seize Guyana’s territory and assets, and that of its neighbours.” The United States is widely expected to continue to support Guyana’s position on the controversy with Venezuela. But former US Ambassador to Guyana Perry Holloway advised during the recent

ICS virtual briefing that “Guyana should start preparing a template for engaging the United States, should Venezuela get a government in the future that is friendly to the US.” From the Caribbean private sector perspective, Samaroo is advocating for continued US support for Guyana regarding the baseless Venezuela claim and its actions, coupled with a more realistic economic agenda towards the region. “Many of the major US corporations have been outsourcing production of a wide range of consumer products to China and other Asian countries, taking advantage of lower employment costs. However, in today’s world, production systems are driven by digital, robotic and information technology. I am making a case for the Biden/ Harris Administration to establish a new initiative, very much like what the Reagan Administration did with the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI) in the early 1980s, to assist the region with a programme to embark on a massive retraining of the people of the Caribbean, at both the technician and professional levels. In addition, the US corporations should be encouraged to invest in new manufacturing capacity in the region, and re-orient part of their supply chain to the Caribbean,” Samaroo urged. “Apart from providing reduced shipping lead time, resulting in a much smaller carbon footprint, this will also provide the US corporations greater protection of their intellectual properties, the abuse of which is presently a source of much controversy. At the same time, the people of the Caribbean region will enjoy a better quality of life, with greater employment opportunities, while the region’s economy is diversified. Such a situation enhances the national security in the US, as its third border becomes more economically stable. A relatively small portion of US outsourced business channeled to the Caribbean will phenomenally transform the region’s economy, and enhance the quality of life of the region’s people, while at the same time bringing the region fully into the digital age,” Samaroo argues. Indeed, the Caribbean is brimful of new hope as the Biden Administration takes office with an enlightened approach to the relations with the countries of its Third Border. Yours sincerely, Wesley Kirton

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, January 22, 2021

$500M Diamond/Eccles road for April completion –– project to open lands for housing, other economic activities

A section of the Diamond/Eccles road (Office of the President photo)

By Navendra Seoraj CONSTRUCTION work on the first phase of the Ogle, East Coast Demerara (ECD) to Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD) bypass road is moving smoothly and President, Dr. Irfaan Ali has affirmed that it will be completed by the end of April, 2021. This aspect of the revolutionary project, which costs a little more than $500 million, stretches from Eccles to Diamond. “As promised, by the end of April, an alternate link between Diamond and Eccles. Your government is at work for you,” President Ali said in a post on his Facebook page, on Thursday. Minister of Housing and

Water, Collin Croal, told the Guyana Chronicle that the four-kilometre road, which is being developed on new, virgin soil, is 65 per cent complete. Croal said the ongoing work includes the construction of two heavy-duty culverts and two heavy-duty reinforced concrete bridges, and the installation of street lights along the road. This first phase of the project is being executed by the Ministry of Housing and Water through the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA). “It was designed by the experienced staff of CH&PA… so, completion of work is on schedule,” Minister Croal said. While leaving the official

One of the two reinforced concrete bridges being constructed (Office of the President photo)

announcement of the macro impact of this project for President Ali, Croal said briefly that the road will undoubtedly create new lands for housing and other economic activities. It was reported in August 2020 that the government had retailored the Ogle to Diamond bypass road project to conform to the loan available to execute the major works. Speaking with the Department of Public Information, Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, had said that the new, four-lane project will extend from Ogle to Haags Bosch, rather than to Diamond. This move will save taxpayers approximately US$158 million. “What was driving up that [project] cost was a num-

ber of connectors on the road,” Minister Indar cited. Identifying the previously proposed connection at Mocha as a difficult area to execute works, the minister said the swamped terrain contributed to an astronomical increase in the total project cost. “For you to do those swamps, the cost of the earth works pushed up the cost to $208 million. Remember, the Indian Government only had $50 million allocated to this project. So, we had to redesign the project to bring it to the original design,” Minister Indar explained, adding that India has accepted the new design for the road works. High Commissioner of India to Guyana, Dr K. J. Srinivasa was reported as saying

that the redesigned project documents have already been submitted and are currently being deliberated on by the Government of India. “Since the original specifications of the road have changed, we had to go back to our headquarters for some additional clearances, which we are now at the end of that particular process,” Dr. Srinivasa said, adding that he believes that approvals to the changes are likely to come within the first quarter of this year. Before the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) demitted office in May 2015, former President Donald Ramotar had conducted an official visit to India, where he received the commitment of a US$50 million loan from

the Indian Exim Bank to fund the proposed bypass road. When the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) took office the same year, the designs of the project were altered, drastically increasing the cost of the project to some US$208 million. The loan agreement, secured by the Ramotar administration, was signed in 2017 by the then APNU+AFC Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan. With the recent modifications, the construction of the 20-kilometre road will be covered entirely by the US$50 million loan.

Bollers, Singh confess to killing security guard CARLOS Bollers and Yuvraj Singh, on Wednesday, confessed to the brutal slaying of night guard, Muneshprem Ayasammy Monien, 53, whose battered remains were found aback Sookram’s General Store Rose, Hall Town, Corentyne on March 31, 2018. A bloodied axe handle and sand bags were found a short distance away from the body. Bollers, 21, of Guava Bush, Corentyne, and Singh,

20, of Williamsburg, Rose Hall, ‘threw in the towel’, after they pleaded not guilty to the capital offence of murder for which they were charged. On Wednesday, they pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter before Justice Simone Morris- Ramlall at the Berbice Assizes. The duo will know their fate on February 11, following a probation report on their background. Particulars of the indictment stated on March 31, 2018, Bollers and Singh

murdered Monien called ‘Todd’, in the furtherance of a robbery. Government pathologist, Dr. Vivikanand Brijmohan, reported the cause of death was due to shock and haemorrhage due to multiple injuries. The injuries include three oval-shaped stab wounds to the left upper chest wall. The wound track entered the left chest cavity between the second and third ribs with two cuts to the left upper lobe of left lung.

Further, there was an incised wound to the anterior and left neck, along with a traverse cut to the trachea, which penetrated through the cervical spine, fracturing the third cervical vertebra. The now convicted men were employed at Sookram’s General Store. Bollers confessed that the plan was hatched after he had seen where his employer would hide money from the daily sales. He had the responsibility of securing the premises dai-

ly and lodging the key with the owners. However, he failed to do so. In execution of the plan to rob the premises, Monien was murdered. During the investigation, Bollers’ mother, Lalita, was charged with accessory to murder. A search at her home had led to the discovery of $1.5M, purportedly proceeds from the robbery. However, that case was thrown out at the High Court.

Killed: Muneshprem Ayasammy Monien

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, January 22, 2021

Cop recovering after crashing into cow –– stray animals a serious concern for ‘West Bank’ road users

Vehicles had to swerve into the other lane to avoid these two horses on the West Bank Demerara Public Road in Patentia

Cows on the West Bank Demerara Public Road, in Wales, late at night

By Tamica Garnett FACING a serious issue of stray animals on the roadways contributing to vehicular accidents and blocking traffic, road users in Region Three are calling on the authorities to look into this matter with urgency. Inspector Matthew Craig, who is attached to the Wales Police Station, is among those who deeply wish to see the situation addressed, as he is currently at home, nursing several injuries about the body due to an accident on Saturday night, when a cow ran into the path of his motorcycle. According to Craig, the accident occurred around 22:30hrs on the West Demerara Public Road in the vicinity of Good Intent. “I was proceeding north; the cow was on the western side eating grass. I didn’t observe that there was a calf on the eastern side, but as I was approaching the cow, the cow turn and run from west to east side, in an attempt to cross the road to go to the calf, and ended up hitting my motorcycle,” Craig shared of

his recent experience. He was thrown from his motorcycle, and sustained injuries to several parts of his body. “When I fall off my motorcycle, I received injuries to my left-side face, my left shoulder. My left forearm is bruised up; I received a hard hit on my left hip, and the ankle dig away. I had to do a CT Scan, because I discovered this morning [Monday] I was bleeding through my nostril,” Craig said. Craig is currently home on sick leave, resting from his injuries, but cautions that the situation is in urgent need of being addressed, for fear of lives being lost. “Stray animals are very detrimental; vehicles can even swerve from these animals, and hit other persons. I want to see these strays off the street,” Craig said, adding: “These animals are always being left unattended; be it goat, sheep, cow. And this is one of the things that causes a lot, a lot of the accidents. And the accidents are worst when it’s a motorcyclist, because, with car, you can have a balance, and

try to manoeuver and prevent injury, or avoid injuries. But with motorcycle, you fall, and you’re injured; it can be severe or serious.” The animal that contributed to Craig’s accident has since been impounded at the Wales Police Station. Another vehicular user, who asked to speak on condition of anonymity, noted that he recently had a run-in with a stray animal, this time at Uitvlugt, on the West Coast Demerara. “About a month ago, I was driving home from work very late in the night. I was almost home when the car in front of me made a sudden dash to the right; by the time I could’ve understood what was happening, a horse was in front of me. All I could do was swerve to the left, but I nearly ended up inside a canal. I was deeply traumatized; I had to stop the car. I was trembling, trying to catch my breath, and refocus,” the person shared. REGULAR OCCURRENCE The individual, who works in the City, attested

This was on the Goed Intent Public Road recently (Tamica Garnett photos)

that encountering stray animals on the road is a regular occurrence during their daily commute on the West Coast, to and from work. “I see a lot, a lot of animals on the road, especially in the night. Even worse, they are on poorly-lit roads, which makes it even more dangerous,” he said. During a telephone interview on Monday, Regional Commander Errol Watts, confirmed that there is a widespread issue of stray animals on the road in several villages on the West Bank and West Coast of Demerara. He explained that the primary role of apprehending the animals and delivering them to the pounds is supposed to be handled by the varying Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs); but if the police are called in, they would handle the situation as best they can. “I would urge that we look at this matter very seriously; we have an issue with stray animals in the Leonora district here that are roaming the streets; on the public road at Uitvlugt and other villages. There is urgent need for us

to have them impounded,” Commander Watts said. Speaking on the Force’s role in dealing with strays, he said: “If they call the police, we will take action, but the rightful people to call is the NDC. But if they call us, we would refer the matter to the Council, or take immediate action. We have a role to play in removing stray animals from the streets, but not as a primary role; we leave that to the stray catchers from the NDC, or from the Ministry of Home Affairs. When these bodies are involved, we provide a police or two to support them in their efforts, to ensure the animals are taken to the pound without them being interfered with by the owners of the animals.” POOR STATE However, once the animals are caught, the state of the pounds is another issue. Commander Watts said that in Region Three, there are pounds at four police stations. However, the pounds are in desperate need of repairs. “All the pounds are in a dilapidated state, and there is need for them to be rehabili-

tated. There is a pound at Den Amstel, but it is not in a good state; there is also a pound at Leonora Police Station, but it is not operational. And there is a pound at Wales [Police Station], but it is also in need of repair. And there is also a pound at Wakenaam Police Station,” he shared. Once impounded, it is the responsibility of the persons in charge of the pound to feed the animals until they are claimed by the owners, in which case, the owners would be responsible for reimbursing the cost for care of the animals for whatever period it was at the pound. If the animal is unbranded, the owner is also charged for having an unbranded animal, as it is a criminal offence to leave an adult animal unbranded. If the unbranded animals are not claimed within 90 days, the law provides for the animal to be sold. However, in the case of branded animals, there is no provision in the law for a definitive timeline by which the pound can dispose of the animal, if it is unclaimed, even if a lengthy period has elapsed.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, January 22, 2021

Innovation to counter food supply-chain disruptions and spur recovery

Innovative solutions in agri-food systems helped households and countries contain disruptions in food supply chains during the COVID-19 pandemic, and more will be required to “build back better and build back greener”, FAO’s Director-General QU Dongyu said. Innovation occurs on the technology frontier but also in policy making and business models, he emphasized while speaking at a virtual high-level panel on how to help strengthen the sustainability of food systems and prevent future pandemics. The event was organised

by FAO as part of the weeklong Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA) in Berlin. Other participants included Julia Klöckner, Germany’s Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture, Thoko Didiza, South Africa’s Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Jamshid Khodjaev, Uzbekistan’s Agriculture Minister, Christian Hofer, Director of Switzerland’s Federal Office for Agriculture, and Erik Fyrwald, Chief Executive Officer of Syngenta Group, a leading seed and crop-production company. Examples of innovation supported agri-food systems

include green channels connecting fresh food producers with urban centers, e-commerce solutions deployed across the spectrum of agrifood systems, and workarounds that have assured the functioning of food safety practices amid widespread restrictions on the movement of people triggered by the COVID-19 emergency. Lockdowns made people more dependent on the digital business model, Qu said, noting applications along the chain from “the farmer’s field to the consumer’s plate”. The point is to encourage efficiency, effectiveness and agility in actions and responses across

the spectrum, he stressed. In the wake of the pandemic and associated restrictions on the movement of people and goods, FAO led a worldwide effort to mitigate potential food price volatility and the risk of trade restrictions, organized and supported innovative institutional approaches - including an African Union Tripartite Ministerial Meeting spurring coherent integration of the agriculture, trade and finance policy portfolios of Members, and rolled out its Hand-in-Hand Initiative with the novel Geospatial Platform and Big Data lab.

said. The GFFA Organised by the German Federal Ministry for Food and Agriculture, the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (18-22 January) is one of the sector’s biggest events. It will conclude with a ministerial conference attracting international organizations’ chiefs and over 80 agriculture ministers. The overarching theme for this year’s conference is how to feed the world in times of pandemics and climate change. FAO organised two expert panels and its experts partic-

mium on robust management of agri-food systems both in cities and their surrounding areas. The event was moderated by Guido Santini, Coordinator for FAO’s City Region Food Systems Programme and core group member of the FAO Green Cities Initiative, which with the support of Germany is implementing initiatives in 8 different cities around the world. NEED FOR INNOVATION IN LIVESTOCK SYSTEMS FAO’s livestock experts presented a new report on

FAO Director-General QU Dongyu addressing the GFFA virtual panel

“Innovation isn’t some theoretical idea - it’s a reality,” the Director-General said. Looking ahead, FAO’s COVID-19 Response and Recovery Programme, identifies as drivers: data for decision-making, social protection programs, boosting smallholder resilience, empowering rural women, trade facilitation and market transparency as well as the One Health approach - promoted jointly with the World Health Organisation and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) - integrating human and animal disease strategies with those for protecting biodiversity and natural resources. FAO is also improving real-time tools, using novel inputs such as satellite imagery to machine-learning, to calibrate and classify crop prospects and monitor disruption risks to food production and trade. That, and the International Platform for Digital Food and Agriculture, welcomed in last year’s GFFA ministerial meeting and now being set up by FAO, can also help provide crucial support for Members implementing the One Health approach as well as boost productivity in general, the Director-General

ipated in others, including two of the opening sessions hosted by the Committee on World Food Security (CFS), a multi-stakeholder platform that develops and endorses policy recommendations and guidance on a wide range of food security and nutrition topics. CFS Chair Thanawat Tiensin participated, along with FAO Senior Economist Andrea Cattaneo, in Monday’s panel focusing on the role of water as the primary medium through which we will feel the effects of climate change. Challenges related to water scarcity was the focus of FAO’s flagship The State of Food and Agriculture report in 2020. Boubaker Ben Belhassen, Director of FAO’s Markets and Trade Division, participated in another opening panel on lessons learned during the COVID-19 emergency for resilience building among agricultural value chains. Earlier Tuesday, FAO hosted an expert panel on how to enhance the resilience of city region food systems in the face of pandemics and climate change. Some 80 percent of all food produced is destined for consumption in urban spaces, putting a pre-

opportunities for innovation in livestock systems to tackle both pandemics and climate change. The report notes that an encompassing priority is to make livestock systems - which are often associated with GHG emissions, zoonotic disease spillover risks and burgeoning use of anti-microbial agents but are also critical suppliers of animal protein and support hundreds of millions of livelihoods - greener, safer and more equitable. The detailed report emphasises the need for a robust One Health approach that allows animal-health measure and surveillance schemes to contribute to early-warning systems for emerging pathogens, the bolstering of equity to assure market access for vulnerable smallholders, supply-chain diversification and improved cold-chain infrastructure to optimize incomes and reduce food loss and waste, as well as land restoration, biodiversity protection, low-carbon techniques and innovations in livestock feed and productivity. (FAO)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, January 22, 2021

Bridge at Hogg and Sussex Streets to become operable soon

Work being done on the bridge at Hogg and Sussex Streets, Albouystown

AFTER months of closure to vehicular traffic, the bridge at Hogg and Sussex Streets, Albouystown, will soon be back in operation, thanks to a project by the Ministry of Public Works. A container truck reportedly reversed on the bridge,

causing major damages to it and eventually resulting in its closure. Councillor for Constituency 10 (Albouystown/ Charlestown), Heston Bostwick, reported the matter to the City Council, which in turn contacted the minis-

try for help. Bostwick said, at the fast pace in which the works were being done, in his estimation, he sees the bridge becoming operable again in less than two weeks.

Hilary Edwards guilty of gruesome murder of young boy By Jeune Bailey Van Keric A MIXED jury, after deliberating for just under three hours, returned a unanimous verdict, convicting Hilary Edwards for the gruesome murder of Leonard Calvin Archibald, 13. Sentencing has been deferred to February 11, following a probation report hearing before Justice Simone Morris - Ramlall at the Berbice Assizes. The State Prosecutor in the case was Tuanna Harding while the Defence Counsel was Surihya Sabsook. The badly decomposed body of Archibald was discovered off the Berbice river bank at Korthberaadt Village, East Bank Berbice, six days after he was reported on September 17, 2017. The body of the boy was pulled from the bank of the river, just before 16:00hrs on 23, September 23, 2017

Leonard Calvin Archibald

Guilty: Hilary Edwards

after it was spotted among the mangrove. The sight of the body drew screams from family members, relatives and villagers. The lad was last seen by relatives after he rode ahead of three of his four sisters, who were returning home from a birthday party. The Guyana Chronicle was told that one of the alleged perpetrators, a relative of the now deceased, was standing by the village bus

shed while the teenager was passing as night fell on the lonely, bushy community. He was snatched off his bicycle and carried behind a yard, a short distance from the Sister’s Police Station, where an unnatural sexual act was committed on him. During the act the teen reportedly lost consciousness. He was later picked up, and, along with his bicycle, ‘dumped’ in the Berbice River.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, January 22, 2021

Lowland to benefit from D&I upgrade –– residents also appeal for better roads, housing

A section of the gathering at the meeting with residents at Lowland Village, East Coast Demerara

RESIDENTS of Lowland, on the East Coast Demerara, will soon benefit from a complete upgrade of their community’s drainage system following an immediate intervention by Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha during a community meeting late Wednesday afternoon. During the meeting, residents raised a number of issues with the minister and his team, among them the need for work to be done on a number drains and canals, rehabilitation work on the main roads, and land allocation, as many persons are currently squatting. Pandit Dahdoo, Vice-Chairman of the Lowland Community Development Council (CDC), pleaded with the minister for some amount of work to be done on the community’s drainage system, which he said currently poses serious health risks to members of the community. “Our drainage system is very, very bad. When you walk around our village, especially on the southern side, the drain is so clogged up with bushes. The culverts are so blocked up that when the rain falls, the water is stuck, especially in the southern side. Because it is stuck there, the water raises and cannot get out; it affects not only the crops and livestock, but the people that live around the areas. It is very dangerous for our children, because right now, if you go and look around that area, we have the burial ground; and then this water there… The colour of the water has changed, and it’s smelly. I’m asking on behalf of the CDC and the people of this village, for the ministry to help us with the cleaning of these drains, and we will

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha addressing Lowland residents during the community meeting there

continue to encourage our people to continuously tidy their areas,” Dahdoo said. Danmattie Bisram, another resident, also complained about the state of the drains in Lowland. “I’m living here over five years, and way down at the back, going to the line, we have really bad drainage. I made a report to the NDC about the third street; that street doesn’t have any culvert. I don’t know if because of the COVID, they didn’t come. I think the Housing people were around here one time, and I complain to them; and they said they would look into the matter. Couple days ago, the villagers, because of not getting the drainage, they ask around for a little donation to buy a 10” pipe, and “buss” the dam and put it at the bottom through the dam. And now we get a little relief with the drainage. We are asking for something to be done, so that we can get better drainage,” Bisram said. Another resident pleaded with Minister Mustapha for some intervention to be made to address the state of the roads in the area. EXCAVATOR DISPATCHED Responding to issues raised during the meeting, Minister Mustapha informed the residents that he had instructed the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) to send an excavator to the community to complete all the drainage works in the area. “I want to assure you that from next week, a machine will be coming to the area to do works on all the internal drains, so that you will have proper drainage here.” Minister Mustapha said. “The machine will work until

the entire system has been done; we’ll redo the entire drainage system for this community. I’ll also ask the head of the NDIA to do a report for me, to ensure we know the extent of the works to be done in the entire area. We have to get cooperation from the residents, because there are residents who have bottlenecks when they make their bridges or culverts. If we have to put in tubes to help with the drainage, we’ll do so,” he added. Minister Mustapha also told the residents that he will inform his colleague ministers about the road and housing issues the community has, so that they can pay them a visit and work along with them to bring some amount of relief. “I’ve seen some of the roads while we were driving in; they are indeed in a deplorable state,” Minister Mustapha said, adding: “I’ll ask the Minister of Public Works to come into the community with his engineers to look at it; that main road has to have a proper engineering study, because the canals on both ends are very deep, and it’s causing the road to sink.” The subject minister also informed those in attendance that a team from the NDIA will be meeting with them shortly to do an assessment of the works to be executed in the area, so that representation can be made for those projects to be included in the ministry’s 2021 work programme. The minister was accompanied on his visit to Lowland by the ministry’s Director-General, Madanlall Ramraj and other senior officials of the ministry.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, January 22, 2021

Man who murdered Berbice teenage girl gets 16 years behind bars

JUSTICE Simone Morris-Ramlall has imposed a 16-year sentence on Ryan Singh, who confessed to killing his girlfriend Parbattie Lalkpal, called “Roseanna”, 16, at her Number Two Village home, East Canje on July 22, 2017. Relatives of the deceased, on Thursday, were too distraught to speak when asked for a witness impact statement by State Prosecutrix, Tuanna Harding, at the Berbice Assizes. Singh, now 33 years, formerly of Lot 48 West Ruimveldt Housing Scheme, Georgetown, was originally charged with murder but in an effort to not waste the court’s time, he pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter, which was accepted by the State. Prior to sentencing, Singh, who was represented by Attorney, Surihya Sabsook, pleaded for mercy while recounting the memories of the incident which still haunts him. Government Pathologist, Dr. Vivikanand Brijmohan, recorded the cause of death as shock and haemorrhage due to an incised wound to the throat. On Saturday 22 July, 2017, Lalkpal was found motionless, wrapped in sheets, with a deep incised wound to her throat at her Lot 369 Number Two Village home, East Canje, Berbice.

The discovery was made minutes after a 10-year-old girl had witnessed an altercation between the teenager and her much-older boyfriend. The concealed body was discovery by Nadia Persaud, 41, who went to the home after responding to an urgent plea of her 10-year-old daughter, Zailoon. Zailoon had moments before ran a few yards away to her mother, clutching her two-year-old crying sister in arms, to report that Singh and Lalkpal were fighting. “But it was not an unusual feature. They would normally fight. But apparently, Rosanna felt that something was amiss as she had collected my two daughters from my home at Canefield Village, also in East Canje, and brought them to her home, while I was working at Classic Car Wash,’’ Persaud had reported to the Guyana Chronicle She added: “So whilst I was at work, Zailoon came with the baby and reported the fighting. However, when I got to the scene, I started to call for Rosanna but there was no response. I looked around but saw no one. I assumed that the couple had left. So I was about to put my children in a car to send them home when I saw my Rakhi brother ‘Hooke’ coming and he asked what happen. ‘Hooke’ and Rosanna’s mother are in a relationship.

Consequently, we returned into the lower flat of the two storey building. Again, we called for Rosanna. At that point we assumed she was hiding from us as she would normally do so. But after careful checks, we saw her foot protruding from under a sheet and after a closer inspection we realised that she was wrapped in two sheets. A pillow was close by. It is believed that she was stifled before her throat was slit. She was lifeless and unresponsive.” Meanwhile, Zailoon, speaking in the presence of her mother, told the Guyana Chronicle that Rosanna’s boyfriend was quarreling with her over relationships. The child said, at that time, they were on the upper flat. Rosanna, she said, had the two-year-old girl in her arms and it was during that time that the suspect was seen grabbing hold of the teenager’s pony tail, while pulling her down the inner stairs. “As he pulled her, the baby fell out of her hands. I went to pick up the baby, who was then crying. He told me to take my sister and go out of the yard before he hit me. But as I was leaving the kitchen area, Rosanna kept calling,’Moma! Moma! Moma! which is my home name but I could not help her. I was afraid. I ran to my mother instead,” Zailoon related.

Killed: Parbattie Lalkpal

Singh, after committing the act, reportedly walked calmly away from the scene, heading in the direction of the Canje overpass.

Convicted murderer: Ryan Singh

After being on the run for almost three weeks, he was arrested at Springlands, Corentyne. Investigators were told

that Singh had been seeking refuge in an abandoned home in the Upper Corentyne, district.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, January 22, 2021

Chateau Margot man wins GTT’s ‘Smart Home Makeover’ JAMES Jhingree from Chateu Margot is the grand prize winner of the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company’s (GTT) “Stay in Touch” Christmas promotion. Jhingree will benefit from a GTT ‘Smart Home Makeover’ inclusive of three months of free Blaze (powered by Plume HomePass) Internet Service. His winnings also include a brand new Smart Washing Machine, a Samsung 58’’ TV, a Google Home Smart Talk, a Smart Doorbell, a Smart Wireless Pan, Tilt and Zoom Camera, two Amazon tablets and two cell phones. Through his ‘Smart Home Makeover’, Jhingree can conveniently control his home appliances and devices remotely, using a mobile or other networked platform. “I am most excited about these prizes since it means the complete transformation and modernisation of my home,” an elated Jhingree stated.

GTT customers who applied for Blaze during the holiday period were eligible to enter the yearend competition. Winners were announced, and prizes distributed on Wednesday, during an intimate ceremony at GTT’s Head Office. After the randomised selection process, Romario Chung emerged as the first prize winner and Marcia Sandy copped the second prize. Chung indicated that this win would help with his education. “Studying online can be difficult at times – the items that I won will help to enhance this experience, thanks to GTT,” Chung noted. Chung received three months of free Internet service, a Samsung 55” TV, a Google Home Smart Talk, an Amazon tablet and two cellular phones. Sandy’s second prize consisted of a Smart Wireless Pan, Tilt and Zoom Camera, two Amazon tablets, two

cellular phones and three months of free Internet service. At the prize-giving ceremony, Sandy encouraged persons to sign up for GTT’s Blaze service to enjoy “… great internet service”. GTT’s Broadband Coordinator, Tashandra Inniss, congratulated the winners and thanked GTT’s partners for their contributions in making the Christmas promotion a success. “Because of our partnerships with Courts Guyana, A. Ally & Sons, Cell Phone Shack, Gizmos & Gadgets and Starr Computers, we were able to make these super trendy and tech-forward prizes available to our three winners and bring a successful close to our Christmas activity,” Inniss said.

Grand prize winner, James Jhingree

Selection of garbage contractors unfair –– Chase-Green WITH the exclusion of Puran Brothers Disposal Services for garbage collection in the City, former Mayor, Patricia ChaseGreen, is contending that the new set of contractors are “personal choices” and that the selection process was unfair. The Mayor and City Council, last January 13, issued a public notice to the effect that from February 1, Cevons Waste Management, Star Imports, and SANDIP Waste Management Services will be removing household and parapet waste, along with the Solid Waste Management Department. Serving the City Council for over 35 years, ChaseGreen noted that the company is well experienced in cleaning the City and that it is therefore strange that the City Council did not give this contractor at least one out of the 11 groups in the City. “They bid and re-bid and all sorts of things happened. It’s so unfortunate and very sad. The nonsense that is taking place at the level of the City Council… only time will tell,” Chase-Green commented. According to her, the smaller contractors who came to the rescue of the City Council in the past when

the main contractors downed tools are not being given any work. In fact, Chase-Green said some of them called her to complain that they were not being invited to meetings like other contractors. “It tells me that they are picking and choosing before doing the awarding. These are personal choices being made and the contracts were not fairly awarded. I have no apologies for saying this,” Chase-Green expressed, adding, “The Solid Waste Director (Walter Narine) loves to build castles in the air and sell you dreams and often they have to re-look at decisions made. Hopefully this time, we don’t have to re-look at this one.” Meanwhile, Manager at Puran Brothers, Kalesh Puran, told the Guyana Chronicle this week that it was sad the City Council introduced new companies into the market after deciding not to give any more work to his company, even as it has been serving the municipality for over 35 years. “I don’t know where we fell short; I really don’t know what’s going on in the council,” Puran expressed, as he noted how the council asked the company to lower its prices in the contract covering the next three years.

Former Mayor, Patricia Chase-Green

According to Puran, the council showed his company an engineer’s estimate that has figures lower than what the company is currently working with. “The cost for supplies doesn’t come down; workers’ pay doesn’t come down. It’s not just about paying workers and buying fuel for our trucks; there are many other support services that we have to fund.” Puran said that although there has been no official correspondence with his company about the new developments, he has seen the public notice excluding his company. He mentioned that the council still owes his company more than $70M for the years 2019 and 2020.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, January 22, 2021

Aspiring graphic artist wins MoE logo competition

AN aspiring professional graphic artist, Amberley Amarnauth, was ecstatic to learn that she has designed the winning logo for the Ministry of Education (MoE) in the competition held last November. Amarnauth, 16, who recently completed secondary education at the St George’s Secondary, said she had simply entered the competition as a platform to showcase what she could do as a graphic designer, and never thought her entry would have gotten her the $75,000 cash prize. She received the call on Wednesday informing her that her entry was the lucky one. “It was a really great feeling for me but I was very surprised because I saw the other logos and they were good as well,” she expressed. Amarnauth lives in Herstelling on the East Bank Demerara with her parents and siblings. She developed a love for graphic designing from observing her parents who run a graphic designing business, Elite Marketing. “I’ve been doing graphic designing for a while and I thought it was a great opportunity for people to be able to see what I can do. I love creating and drawing. My father does it and by seeing what he does I picked up an eye for it,” she shared. The entry that earned Am-

Amberley Amarnauth is the winner of the MoE Logo Competition

Amberley Amarnauth’s logo which won the MoE Logo Competition

arnauth her win highlights aspects such as reading and children, but, aside from including aspects of education, the logo pays homage to several of Guyana national symbols, particularly the Coat of Arms and the national flag, the Golden Arrowhead.

“I did a lot of research to come up with it. I looked at the old logo and tried to think of things that represent education and I use all of that to put it together. The colours are from the Golden Arrowhead, the flag, to show that it represents all Guya-

nese and I included the Coat of Arms and our map. The icons represent the children of Guyana,” she shared. Amaranth’s logo was one of 38 that had entered the MoE Logo Competition which ran from November 1 – 30 last year.

The logo is part of a wider effort by the ministry to enhance its brand and image. MoE Public Relations Officer, Murtland Haley, shared that narrowing the entries down to a final pick was not an entirely easy task. “Upon closing the competition, a team reviewed the entries and shortlisted five entries. After that stage a team of senior officers within the ministry reviewed the shortlisted entries and voted. Ms. Amarnauth’s entry received the highest number of votes and was therefore the winner,” he said He added: “It was a tough decision to make because we

received a lot of entries that were extremely creative and applicable to the work of the ministry. The Ministry of Education thanks those persons who participated and we extend warmest congratulations to Ms. Amarnauth for not only winning our competition but being a part of the history of the Ministry of Education.” Amarnauth said she has not decided just yet what she plans to do with her prize money, but hopes to invest it in advancing the development of her pursuit to become a graphic designer.

Modern facilities for Stabroek Wharf, Vreed-en-Hoop stelling By Tamica Garnett DEVELOPMENT of the Stabroek Wharf and Vreed-en-Hoop Stelling will form an important part of an overall water front plan that will significantly enhance Guyana’s infrastructure aesthetics. Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle, Public Works Minister, Juan Edghill, said though the ministry has not yet definitively pronounced on the way forward for the two facilities, discussions are ongoing and they are still being considered in the context of the overall development of Guyana’s waterfront landscape, and not just a matter of replacing the structures. “The Vreed-en-Hoop Stelling and Stabroek Wharf must be seen in the context of development of the water

front, facilitating the oil and gas sector, shore base development and enhancing commercial activities in a modern Guyana. So we are not just looking at repairs of stelling to facilitate speed boats or boats,” Edghill explained. In 2017, the Caribbean Development Bank approved a grant of $161M to fund a feasibility study and designs for the rehabilitation of the coastal and river infrastructure, including the Stabroek and Vreed-en-Hoop Stellings. Works on several areas on Guyana’s waterfront, including the Stabroek Wharf and Vreed-en-Hoop Stellings, were then expected to be part of a £53.2M grant from the United Kingdom’s Caribbean Infrastructure Fund (UK CIF) to improve or create new infrastructure to drive economic growth and development in

Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill Saved as stelling

Guyana. Edghill explained that the funding from the UK CIF was concentrated on a priority infrastructure. “We have not definitively proceeded to act on the

consultancy for the waterfront development which was supposed to be funded by the UK CIF. Rather we have reprogrammmed all of that money under the UK CIF into a priority area, the Linden-Mabura Road, so that’s where we are right now,” the minister said. However, he does not believe funding for the project should be hard to come by as Guyana continues its development. “With what has transpired since we entered into office, with EoI for hotels, Guyana shoreline will look differently, and not everything will even be done by government, there will be even private sector development and public development,” he said. Aside from the Demerara Harbour Bridge, water taxis that transport persons

between the Stabroek and Vreed-en-Hoop Stellings are one of the main medium used by persons traversing between the West and East sides of the Demerara River. Thousands of persons utilise the facility on a daily basis; however, the two structures have been in a dilapidated state for some time. At the Stabroek Wharf, zinc sheets dangle dangerously, after a section of the roof caved in a few years ago. In 2018, vendors at the Stabroek Wharf were relocated to a section of the Stabroek Market Square after it was labelled a danger zone for the vendors and other citizens. Further compounding the issue, in November 2018, the wharf was ravaged by fire in a suspected act of arson. To make the facilities safer for commuters until

an entire overhaul could be done, last year, over $20 million in remedial works were carried out, with $13 million spent to remedy conditions at the Stabroek Stelling, including works on the speed boat platform. Edghill explained that in the interim, the conditions of the two facilities are being monitored to ensure safety of commuters. “Since assuming her role, the chairman of the Transport and Harbours Advisory Board has done site visits and has made several recommendations about things to be done. At the level of the THD, safety and facilities that provide some level of comfort and ease of movements are issues that are being addressed,” Edghill explained.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, January 22, 2021

Continued support for Guyana’s sovereignty, territorial integrity by the Biden Administration anticipated –– Minister Todd assures

Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd

By Vishani Ragobeer MINISTER of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd, is confident that the friendly relations Guyana has with the United States of

America (USA) would not change and that the country will continue to support Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The newly-elected US President, Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Vice-President, Ka-

President Joe Biden (right) and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden (second right) were joined by Vice-President, Kamala Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff on the East Front of the U.S. Capitol for the inauguration (Photo credits: Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

mala Harris were sworn in at Capitol Hill on Wednesday. President Irfaan Ali, in extending congratulations to the duo, said, “Your call for unity and democracy are critical components of good governance which we share completely with you…. We stand together with you in defence of unity, democracy and peace.” Following that ceremony, Minister Todd reasoned that the new administration would not change its foreign policy with Guyana and to a larger

extent the Caribbean and Latin America. “Different Presidents may have different methods of achieving the objectives but they usually have continuity in their foreign policy,” Minister Todd told the Guyana Chronicle in an exclusive interview on Thursday. Importantly, he highlighted that the Foreign Ministry is confident that the US will continue to support Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity for the Essequibo region, of which Venezuela

has attempted to claim once again. “If you look at it, historically, it’s been like that and we are confident that the process being undertaken at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) would continue to get the support of the Biden/Harris administration,” Minister Todd said, adding: “I don’t think that we should be concerned about that, in terms of our support.” Guyana is currently seeking a final and binding judgement that the 1899 Arbitral Award which establishes the land boundary between British Guiana and Venezuela remains valid, and that the Essequibo region belongs to Guyana, and not Venezuela. The Case Management Conference (CMC) for the Guyana/Venezuela Border controversy will be held on January 25. Under the previous US administration, Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Chief of Staff, Brigadier Godfrey Bess, and Commander of the U.S Southern Command, Admiral Craig Faller, signed an Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement. This allows for the two countries to collaborate against regional threats and challenges and participate in military education programmes, capacity-building engagements, bilateral training and expertise exchanges.

Todd reasoned that the US will continue to protect their interests and partners and reminded that the Latin American and Caribbean region, which Guyana falls under, is a vital region to the US because of its proximity. On Tuesday, incumbent Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Dr Keith Rowley, sent a congratulatory letter to the new President, and indicated that CARICOM is looking forward to working with the new administration. Minister Todd noted that CARICOM has plans to discuss the community’s relations with the Biden administration to advance the interests of the region. The focus, he explained, will not be on whether the US will support the region’s interests but rather on which areas of the region’s interest will be supported. The US President, in his first speech on Wednesday said: “America has been tested and we’ve come out stronger for it. We will repair our alliances, and engage with the world once again. Not to meet yesterday’s challenges but today’s and tomorrow’s challenges. And we’ll lead not merely by the example of our power but the power of our example.”

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, January 22, 2021

Courtney Benn paid over $600M for works not done By Rehana Ahamad

IT would appear as though the previous government had been sole-sourcing Courtney Benn Contracting Services Limited for a number of infrastructural projects, the majority of which have been paid for in their entirety but remain outstanding. According to Deodat Indar, Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, the company was paid in excess of $610 million to execute repairs on a few vessels, but to date, no works have been done on any. “The investigations are still ongoing, so these figures are likely to climb,” Indar told the Guyana Chronicle. He explained that when the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) assumed office in August 2020, the ministry launched a wide and extensive investigation into a number of outstanding infrastructural projects, when it stumbled upon a series of questionable undertakings involving just one contractor – Courtney Benn Contracting Services Limited. INOPERABLE AND OVERRUN BY BUSHES So far, incomplete works on the three vessels remain the most significant of all the flagged projects. According to the minister, the contractor was paid in full to carry out rehabilitative works on the three vessels – the Seamang, the ML Allan Young and the MV Baramani; however, the vessels remain inoperable and overrun by bushes. Minister Indar said the contracts were issued by Guyana Maritime Administration (MARAD), an agency that fell under the then Ministry of Public Infrastructure which was headed by now embattled former coalition minister David Patterson. “These contracts date back to 2016,” Indar said. He also lamented the fact that the contracts for repairs to the vessels were paid upfront and in full, as opposed to being paid in tranches – first an advance/mobilisation fee and then the final

payment when all the works have been properly executed. “But, this contractor was paid in full and nothing was done,” Indar said. The minister also complained of the lack of a paper trail, which has made it difficult for the ministry to keep tabs on the contractor. Because of inefficient book-keeping, Indar said it was difficult to immediately ascertain whether approval for sole-sourcing was sought and approved by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB). “We are hoping that this investigation could tell us all of that,” Indar posited.

more blatant, was the fact that the contract was signed even before Cabinet had approved the purchase. It is still unclear whether the scales were ever delivered to Guyana. Meanwhile, the past few days has seen Courtney Benn Contracting Services, headed by local veteran engineer Courtney Benn, facing much heat for its failure to deliver on a number of national projects. The company has been sued and is currently facing possible disbarment from state projects. We d n e s d a y ’s ( PA C ) meeting also saw the compa-

Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar

The minister could not confirm whether it was former Permanent Secretary Balraj Balram who signed off on the sole-sourcing. During Wednesday’s hearing of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Balram was heavily criticised for being unable to answer for several infractions, the most glaring of them being the sole-sourcing a $72.2 million contract to purchase three motion scales from a company in Jamaica. FLAGRANT DISCREPANCIES The contract, signed by Balram in 2016, contained no dates, bore no witness signatures, nor displayed the verification number from the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB). Even

ny being flagged for owing the state some $100 million. Guyana’s 2016 Audit Report highlighted the startling fact that the company was initially overpaid a whopping $120.6 million for preparatory works required for the upgrade of the East Coast Demerara highway from La Bonne Intention to Beterverwagting. Members of the PAC had also raised questions with regard to the company receiving an advance of $264 million, which accounts for 76 per cent of the overall cost of the road project. Moments after the PAC meeting, the Chambers of the Attorney General filed a lawsuit against the company and its insurance provider, Caricom General Insurance Company, for breaching the conditions outlined in the

contract to rebuild St. Rose’s High School, located on Church Street. These issues have resulted in the Ministry of Public Works examining the possibility of disbarring the company from receiving state contracts altogether. Nonetheless, minister Indar said that the ongoing investigation does not have a specific timeline, but is expected to be as comprehensive as possible, so as to ensure that taxpayers’ monies are properly expended and accounted for.

An embattled Courtney Benn

F o r p ro d u c e r S h a w n McAllister it’s “592 to the bone” and for some time now, the creative has been trying to create a platform for Guyanese artistes to collaborate and build their talents. With a new initiative in mind, McAllister, who currently lives in Atlanta Georgia, is looking to return home to host a music conference with the many

other producers and musical geniuses back home in Guyana. The initiative is somewhat inspired by the success of McAllister’s fourth compilation album ‘Rep 592 Volume 4’ featuring all Guyanese artistes. “Before the year ends, I want to do some kind of music conference, partner up with a few guys to do a music conference whereby

we come together with aspiring artistes and current artistes and we can have some kind workshop where these artistes understand that it’s just not putting any kind of lyrics together and recording,” he told the Buzz. McAllister further added that in this age and era of music, many young artistes are often consumed by the ‘hype’ and have very little

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, January 22, 2021

marketing and management skills. With the platform, he is looking to provide a safe place for Guyanese artiste to not only produce and make music but also teach the youngsters of the day how to manage and market their talents to further build the country’s music industry. “When hype is involved, you tend to be about just putting music out and not strategically marketing it properly and that’s what I have been seeing with many artistes over the years, they’re just outing out a bunch of stuff,” he said. However, in the meantime, McAllister disclosed that he is working on his fifth compilation album. “I have been doing one volume per year but this year I’m going to start doing two so in another six months I’m going to do another one…I’m happy that every year that I do a

volume it’s getting more and more popular, a lot of [people are] aware of it so I’m hoping that this volume here takes it to another level. I’m hoping that after volume five that it catches on even more,” he said.

BACK TO HIS ROOTS McAllister, who is also a fashion designer, disclosed Producer and Designer, Shawn McAllister

A few of McAllister’s pieces from his clothing

that in 2016 while he was working on a piece for his urban clothing line, he was inspired to create the ‘Rep 592’ compilation album which to date has grown into a well- known brand and album many Guyanese artistes look forward to.

“This particular project with the compilation album I started that in 2016, it came about where I was doing a ‘T’ Shirt called ‘Rep 592’ and after I finished doing the T shirt, I felt like that there was something that I could connect it with,” he said adding: “I figured that ‘Rep 592 fit well with a project that I can do with Guyanese and the most fitting thing I thought to do was the compilation album.” As it relates to the plans for his clothing brand ‘Demroc’ McAllister disclosed that he is also hoping to by his brand back home to his roots. Currently, McAllister has a storefront in Atlanta Georgia however; he noted that he is looking to soon extend his brand to Guyana since it has been difficult for him to ship pieces to customers in Guyana.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, January 22, 2021

OVERSEAS-based Guyanese musician Daniel Chilcott, alias ‘Rah Righteous,’ has said that he is coming home this year and bringing his music with him, even as he was prevented from doing so twice last year because of the Coronavirus Pandemic.

in the States as well as Guyana,” he told the Buzz this week. He had originally released Pepper Pot in December 2019 but the demand for it was so strong again in 2020 that he said he had to re-release it. “I’ve been able to have it Chilcott has been making waves in New York with his music

The rapper and singer-songwriter, representing 521 Music, was born in Georgetown; on the edge of Charlestown, very close to Albouystown, and migrated to the United States of America with his family some 19 years ago. He has been stationed in Brooklyn, New York, and has co-founded the 521 Music Company, where he also operates as an artist; writing, recording, and releasing music through it. Chilcott has also been able to perform his songs at venues all over New York and surrounding cities to bring awareness to his music and the company. “I released my debut album, a 6-song EP named Bride’s Luck in September of 2020. My song ‘Pepper Pot’ is on that project. It is my most popular song to date and has garnered a lot of attention from audiences

Daniel ‘Rah Righteous’ Chilcott

played on the radio and I was invited to perform it at many big shows especially in December during the Christmas season,” he recalled. He and his partners are working to strengthen their foundation in the music industry and to help build a solid platform to present their music and bring their stories to life. “We are currently establishing partnerships with local venues where we will host our own events. We will invite artistes to perform and also collaborate with vendors to sell their products at the events.” Chilcott said he would love to bring his talents and team to Guyana so that they can see “my beautiful country.” “Making music and performing it at home would be a dream come true for me. I’m sure it will happen one day.” He came back to Guyana in December 2010 and again in April 2012, and was supposed to come home twice last year, but the virus got in the way both times. “I want all my Guyanese people to know I’ll be home this year and I’m bringing ‘Pepper Pot’ with me.” Chilcott is encouraging everyone to listen to his music. “My album is called ‘Bride’s Luck’ and it’s

available on all streaming platforms (Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal, YouTube, etc.) I would also like everyone to follow me on Instagram @RahRighteous to get updates on everything I’m doing in 2021 and to subscribe to my YouTube page to receive all my music and videos first.”

Chilcott released his debut album “Bride’s Luck” last September

Nora Fatehi

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, January 22, 2021

―‘Know who had your back from day one’

DANCING sensation Nora Fatehi is proud of breaking through many stereotypes in her Bollywood career so far and has especially been battling the one where dancers are seen as incapable of acting or any other skills. The Canadian dancer, who is also a singer, model and actress, left her country of origin and made her way to India because she said she connected with this country and its culture. And she made the bold move despite not having any friends or family there. But as she told the popular chat show, “What Women Want,” hosted by other bombshell actress Kareena Kapoor, the move required boldness and conviction that she would’ve succeeded. “I think there comes a point in everyone’s life where you start to search for your calling; what you were meant to do. I found myself knowing what my calling is at a very young age and I always found myself going in the direction of entertainment and arts,” Nora, who began her career with the Bollywood film “Roar: Tigers of the Sundarbans,” expressed. But the move was definitely not without the challenges and the naysayers telling her that she could not do it. To begin with, Nora said she had to combat the simple stereotype that girls cannot travel alone unless they’re married.

The 28-year-old recalls that when she first arrived in India, one casting director told her that she would never make it because there were too many other artists like her in the country. At that point, she almost packed up her bags and left. But the ‘Dilbar Dilbar’ dancer stood her ground. “I trained myself mentally to think positively every time I didn’t get a part…a lot of the things that I didn’t get, that I cried about, ended up being bad projects anyway.” Nora said it is important to r e memb e r

when you do become something, they like to creep back and say, ‘hey I always knew you could do it. Sorry about that thing I said, I was tipsy.’ You need to be smart enough to filter through those people and know who had your back from day one and who believed in you from day one and you need to keep those people around you.” She said while it is true that dancers tend to get stereotyped and don’t often progress to acting, these individuals ought to be given more opportunities because they are multifaceted; can emote without even speaking, and can make people feel feelings through their movements and eyes. As she looks upon her success now, she said: “So many emotions rush through my head. It gives you that drive to keep moving forward. I always feel a sense of excitement because I know that somewhere, The this will be someone else’s Ca inspiration.” nad ian those peoNora’s song “Dilbar” wit danc ple who were reportedly crossed 21 million hh nice to you from the views during the first 24 hours er I er sai ndi d s start of your career. “In of its release on Youtube, thus he an roo con the journey, there are some who making it the first Hindi song ts nec come along and make you feel that to have achieved such numbers ted you are not capable and that you’re nothin India. ing. And

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, January 22, 2021

Physical Education teachers complete GGA introductory golf training ...Nexgen Academy looking to target schools by February

A NUMBER of Physical Education teachers from across Guyana recently completed their training for the secondary schools golf pilot programme, which was held this past weekend at the Nexgen Golf Academy on Woolford Avenue. Instructors from Berbice, Linden, Georgetown, East Coast, and Essequibo all participated in the four-hour session which was attended by 14 participants and Head of the Allied Arts Unit in the Ministry of Education, Ms Barker-King, who was on hand to welcome them along with Departmental Head Nicholas Fraser and programme coordinator Al Junior Wilson. Speaking to the group of teachers, Ms Barker-King encouraged them to take their

mandate as leaders of an incredible programme that will be the beacon for future generations. “You have a responsibility to yourselves and our learners all across the country and you’ve been chosen to lead a programme that will impact the lives of our children forever. “We are grateful to Mr Hussain and the Guyana Golf Association (GGA) along with the Nexgen Golf Academy for their support in making the dream of playing golf a reality for thousands of children.” Fraser said he was pleased with the results so far and was excited about the prospects of seeing golf take a top position in the schools due to its unique COVID-19 compliant qualities.

“As educators, sports activities are very important and we are glad that the partnership with GGA president Mr Hussain can provide an alternative to contact sports during this unprecedented period in our history,” he said. Reaction from the teachers was extremely positive and the competitive nature was quickly evident as they spent over four hours learning and competing among themselves. The immediate goal is to build a team in all the pilot schools to engage in a chip-and-putt competition in six weeks. As seen from the energetic nature of the president of the GGA, the plan to bring golf to the forefront of all sports is quickly becoming a reality as more and more persons are

getting involved in the game. Hussain often emphasises that the only reasons golf isn’t No.1 in Guyana are accessibility and affordability – the two things he is working to change as soon as possible. “We are focussed on creating facilities in as many regions as possible, providing equipment and balls so that everyone can have a chance to try the sport. A major part of the strategy was put in place when the program,e was approved by the CEO and Deputy CEO of the secondary schools after prompting by Ms Barker-King and Mr Fraser.” “With access to over 100 000 children in the school system, the GGA and Allied Arts Unit feel it is viable to have at least 5% of them take up the sport and expect that one

parent will also be enticed into participating, thereby creating at least 7 000 to 10 000 new players in less than two years. It is important to note that no other sport has ever experienced such growth,” said Ms Barker-King. Through partnerships with the Scouts Association of Guyana and the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU), Nexgen Global has been able to establish a fully lighted Driving Range and Academy in Georgetown and now can offer training to approximately 14 000 teachers as a part of that affiliation. As such, the academy will be looking to now have its PE teachers involved in having the students begin forging their golf careers. (Clifton Ross)

NCBL seeks to help develop basketball through the community THE National Community Basketball League (NCBL), yesterday at the SleepIn Hotel and Casino, launched its initiative that will add to the basketball dynamics in Guyana. At the launching yesterday, Chairman of the National Community Basketball League, Kwame Mentore shared that the motive behind the league was to give back to basketball.

“I’ve been around the sport all my life and this is our way of giving back to the sport; we can’t make money in this sport, so we are doing it for the love … We want to call all our sponsors our partners because we need everybody involved,” Mentore noted. Executive member of the Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA), Rawle Toney, shared that both the association and the

Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation are in full support of the NCBL. “This is a good initiative, and we are here to offer support. This is exactly what basketball needs as we look at the return of sport; but of course we plan on ensuring that all logistics are in order so that the league can run smoothly,” Toney statted. Meanwhile, Technical Director of NCBL Mark Brad-

outplayed in the opening match, to suffer a six-wicket defeat and fall behind in the three-match series. Sent in, their inexperienced batting lineup could only manage 122 – their second lowest ODI total ever against the hosts. And while left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein shone with a three-wicket haul, West Indies simply lacked the runs to play with, as Bangladesh patiently overhauled their target. Joseph said the weak batting performance had been a combination of a lack of application and inexperience, especially with West Indies featuring six debutants in their lineup. “Obviously playing your first ODI there are going to be some nerves especially if you waited for a long time to get this call so I think there were a bit of nerves but I wouldn’t say that necessarily affected their batting performance,” he explained. “I think it was just not the best

application from all our batsmen but it’s just for us to know what we have to do to come back better. “It probably might boil down to not having the experience playing against a team that’s well experienced and a little bit of application as well. “But with that being said, we have already seen everything that they have to come at us so we have no excuse in the second ODI. “We have seen the bowling attack, we have seen some of the batting so we should be well prepared to give a better showing.” West Indies are fielding an under-strength side for the series following the decision by several first choice players to pull out of the tour over COVID-19 concerns. But Joseph, now one of the most experienced players in the squad, said low confidence was not an issue in the camp. “Obviously all of the guys are here so they feel as if they belong here,” the Antiguan stressed.

“We all have confidence in the players here, everyone that is here deserves to be here so we know our capabilities and it’s just for us to show the Bangladeshis and the public what we’re really here to do.” Joseph also brushed aside suggestions over whether it was important for West Indies to chase or bowl first, contending the critical thing for the touring side was playing strong all-round cricket. “As we all know, a toss is 5050. A toss can go any way so we all have to be prepared to do what we have to do first or second,” he noted. “I think it all boils down to cricket. We shouldn’t really be focussed on the toss and on what we want to do first or what we want to do second. We have to be better than Bangladesh in all three aspects – bowling, batting and field – if we want to win games.” The match bowls off at 11:30 am (1:30 am Eastern Caribbean time).

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ford, highlighted that all logistics and teams are in place as the NCBL awaits a go ahead amidst the pandemic. The NCBL was birthed in 2012 but due to unforeseen circumstances was unable to become an annual event. However, they returned in 2020 as a Non-Governmental Organisation to deal with all basketball aspects of the league.

Windies upbeat for crucial ODI series-leveller

DHAKA, Bangladesh, (CMC) – Fast bowler Alzarri Joseph said the importance of today’ss second One-Day International was not lost on West Indies, as they chased a crucial series-levelling win in the encounter at the Shere Bangla National Stadium. The spearhead of the Caribbean side’s attack said the players were aware they had let themselves down with their performance in Wednesday’s opener here, and were motivated to make amends. “Everyone is aware of what’s at stake and everyone is really pumped up to give a better showing in this second ODI,” Joseph told an online media conference here Thursday. “It is really important for us to come in [and do well]. This game is even more important than the last one because if we lose this game, it’s the series so everyone knows exactly what they need to do and everyone is ready for the challenge.” West Indies were completely

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, January 22, 2021

Ronaldo scores 760th career goal, but is it a world record?

(AFP) - Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 760th career goal in Juventus’ 2-0 Italian Super Cup win over Napoli on Wednesday, prompting claims he is the top scorer of all-time. However, doubts persist as to who actually holds the record. With five goals for Sporting Lisbon, 118 for Manchester United, 450 for Real Madrid, 85 for Juventus and 102 for Portugal, there is little debate over Ronaldo’s own tally. The Portuguese forward, who turns 36 next month, is the undisputed holder of several records, easily the leading scorer for Real Madrid and his country, and above Lionel Messi in the Champions League goal-scoring charts. But uncertainty arises from the totals of his rivals from previous eras, with the likes of Brazilian duo Pele and Romario both claiming to have netted more than 1 000 goals. Last month Barcelona’s

Messi surpassed Pele’s recognised total of 643 goals for a single club, but Santos swiftly countered saying the three-time World Cup winner racked up 1 091 goals for them including those in friendlies.

parently still behind Josef Bican, who, football historians calculated, scored 805 goals between 1931 and 1955 playing for half a dozen clubs as well as Austria and Czechoslovakia. ‘‘Pepi’, as he was known,

Included in that number, though, are 27 goals for Rapid Vienna’s reserve and amateur sides, in addition to some that were scored not in official international matches. Discounting those strikes

tially missing from the 1952 season in the Czech second division. Pele is credited with between 757 and 767 goals in competitive matches over his career, which included 92 Brazil internationals

Ronaldo

Romario

Lionel Messi

Pele’s own Instagram bio notes he is the ‘Leading Goal Scorer of All-Time (1 283)’. However, if just official matches are the measuring stick, the Brazilian is ap-

is credited with scoring 805 goals in 530 games, giving him a career average of 1.52 goals per game,” FIFA.com said in an article devoted to him last year.

Pele

Nets’ winning streak ended by Cavs as Sexton outshines ‘Big Three’

Collin Sexton scored a career-high 42 points to win it for Cavaliers

A BROOKLYN Nets team, featuring James Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving playing together for the first time, lost 147-135 to Cleveland Cavaliers after second overtime. ‘The Big Three’, among the current highest paid NBA stars, played more than 48 minutes and combined for 28 points in the fourth quarter. But Collin Sexton scored a career-high 42 points to win it for Cavaliers. He also scored a three-pointer with 1.2 seconds left in the first overtime. Durant led Nets’ scoring with 38 points, but missed a potential game-winning shot at the buzzer in the first overtime as Nets lost a five-point lead with just under two minutes remaining and saw a four-game winning streak ended. Nets are fifth in the Eastern Conference with nine wins and seven defeats and Cavaliers are one place below them. Centre Joel Embiid scored 42 points and managed 10 rebounds as Eastern Conference leaders Philadelphia 76ers overcame Boston Celtics 117-109. Tobias Harris added 22 points for Sixers, who have won eight of nine at home. Los Angeles Clippers took advantage of city rivals Lakers’ slip-up on Tuesday with a 115-96 victory over Sacramento Kings to go top of the Western Conference. Kawhi Leonard produced a man-of-the-match performance with 32 points six steals five assists as Clippers recorded their fifth consecutive win. (BBC Sport)

puts Bican on 759 goals from just 495 games, although international football research website RSSSF (Rec. Sport Soccer Statistics Foundation) says data is par-

and two seasons with the New York Cosmos. He is listed third (767) by RSSSF behind Romario, who helped Brazil to the 1994 World Cup and ended

with 772 goals. Romario celebrated reaching a “personal count” of 1 000 goals in 2007, a total comprising strikes at youth level and in friendlies and testimonials. Other reports and statisticians suggest Romario’s official haul is just under 750 following a globetrotting career that included spells at PSV Eindhoven, Barcelona, Flamengo, Miami FC and Adelaide United. As for Messi, who at 33 is two years Ronaldo’s junior, is on 719 goals for Barcelona and Argentina and will undoubtedly factor into the equation before he is done. What is certain is that even if Ronaldo did not break the all-time record, the mark appears well within reach for a player who continues to score at a remarkable rate as he approaches his 36th birthday.

Smith, Finch, Maxwell cut by their IPL franchises

… Australia’s star trio all let go by their clubs after lean years in the 2020 tournament and will be up for sale at next month’s lucrative auction STEVE Smith, Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell, three of Australia’s most celebrated exports to the Indian Premier League, have all been let go by their IPL franchises. The trio were among the biggest names to be dropped when the franchises submitted their final list of retained and released players on Wednesday, and will know their destination for the 2021 tournament at the IPL auction next month. Perhaps the most surprising name to be ditched was that of Smith as the former Australian captain has enjoyed a long, fruitful relationship with Rajasthan Royals and led them in last year’s tournament in the Middle East. Smith, though, suffered a largely lean time with the bat in 2020, scoring 311 runs including three half-centuries, and his captaincy came under the spotlight as they finished last in the eight-team table. Instead, the Royals have replaced him as skipper, promoting Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson to the role. Reports in India suggested it had been a tough and intense decision for the team’s lead owner Manoj Badale to take, as Smith has long been a favourite there but it was felt that Royals needed a new home-based figurehead. “I would especially like to thank Steve Smith for everything that he has done

as a leader and captain of the Royals. His contribution on the field and his contribution off the field ... has been immense,” said Badale in a statement. However, there was clearly no room for sentiment as the Royals have retained their powerful English World Cup winners Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, and Jofra Archer.

team after a poor last season by his standards, with just one half-century in 12 innings. The magician Maxwell was another who suffered a poor last IPL season, scoring only 108 runs and taking three wickets in 13 games, and he’s paid the price by being dropped by Kings XI Punjab. However, it is hard to imagine Maxwell won’t have

From left: Steve Smith, Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell

Meanwhile, Royal Challengers Bangalore have decided to offload Australia’s T20 captain Finch, along with two other big overseas signings, South Africa’s Chris Morris and England’s Moeen Ali. Three other Australians in Josh Philippe, Kane Richardson and Adam Zampa have all been retained by RCB. Finch, who has been mired in a horror run of luck in this season’s KFC BBL, will now be looking for a ninth IPL

plenty of suitors at the auction, especially after rediscovering his mojo in the BBL. Billy Stanlake has been released by Sunrisers Hyderabad although David Warner, naturally, retains his place as captain and key contributor, alongside fellow overseas luminaries Rashid Khan and Kane Williamson. Mumbai Indians won the title but it has not stopped them releasing their overseas fast-bowling contingent, in-

cluding the Australian duo of Nathan Coulter-Nile and James Pattinson, but they did retain Chris Lynn. Delhi Capitals have released Aussie wicketkeeper Alex Carey while Royal Challengers Bangalore announced that Delhi’s Daniel Sams would be joining their squad after a successful trade from the Delhi Capitals. Australia Test vice-captain Pat Cummins has been retained as a key man for Kolkata Knight Riders. Australians in IPL 2021 Chennai Super Kings Released: Shane Watson (retired). Retained: Josh Hazlewood Delhi Capitals Released: Alex Carey. Retained: Marcus Stoinis, Daniel Sams (traded to RCB) Kings XI Punjab Released: Glenn Maxwell. Kolkata Knight Riders Released: Chris Green. Retained: Pat Cummins Mumbai Indians Released: Nathan Coulter-Nile, James Pattinson. Retained: Chris Lynn. Rajasthan Royals Released: Steve Smith. Retained: Andrew Tye Royal Challengers Bangalore Released: Aaron Finch. Retained: Adam Zampa, Josh Philippe, Kane Richardson. Sunrisers Hyderabad Released: Billy Stanlake. Retained: David Warner, Mitchell Marsh. (Cricket Network)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, January 22, 2021

Farfan & Mendes, RHTYSC renew relationship for 25th year

THE Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTYSC) renewed its long-standing relationship with Farfan & Mendes during a simple presentation at the company’s Providence, East Bank Demerara head office. The two entities have enjoyed a very close working relationship since 1996 and RHTYSC Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster described the long-serving sponsor as one of the main reasons why the club is widely called the best in the country and noted that Farfan & Mendes Ltd is the longest serving supporter of its activities. The relationship started with a donation of a grass-cutter to the club in March 1996 towards the upkeep of the Area H Ground and then financial support from 1997. The Rose Hall Town Farfan & Mendes Ltd Under-15

team have won five Berbice championships under the name of the sponsorship and undertaken over one thousand community-related events. These programmes include cricket academies, senior citizens breakfast, youth information booklets, beach clean-up campaign, tribute to mothers and fathers, summer camps, feeding of the less fortunate, food hampers project, tribute to heroes, medical outreaches, Say No/Say YES campaign, mash parade and youth inspirational forums. The team has also produced dozens of players who have gone on to represent Berbice, Guyana and West Indies .Among the players produced from the highly successful relationship are Assad Fudadin, Royston Crandon, Delbert Hicks, Dominic Rikhi, Abdel Fudadin, Khemraj Mahadeo,

Liverpool ‘s 68-match unbeaten home league run ended by Burnley

Liverpool’s 68-game unbeaten run at home in the Premier League came to an end as Ashley Barnes fired home a late winner from the penalty spot to secure a famous victory for Burnley. Barnes was tripped in the box by goalkeeper Alisson with seven minutes remaining and converted the resulting penalty to earn all the points. Liverpool’s last league loss at Anfield came nearly four years ago against Crystal Palace, and they are now six points behind leaders Manchester United at the midway point in the campaign. Divock Origi was given his first start of the season and should have scored when he ran free on goal after pouncing on Ben Mee’s error but struck the crossbar. The hosts pushed to find the net in the second half but ran out of ideas, Nick Pope making a stunning save to deny Mohamed Salah and fellow substitute Roberto Firmino flicking an effort wide. Burnley’s shock win lifts them up to 16th in the table, seven points clear of the relegation zone. Reds out of form Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said before the game he was “not worried” by his side’s poor form, but the latest setback means this has now turned into a real problem. After 19 games, Liverpool are out of form and out of confidence, failing to find the net in their last 440 minutes of top-flight action and awaiting their first victory of 2021. They looked to be hitting

their stride on 19 December when they took apart Crystal Palace 7-0, but have not won since and have scored just a solitary goal in that time, against relegation strugglers West Brom. Their drop off at this same stage from last season is extraordinary - after 19 games last term the Reds were 13 points clear at the top with 55 points, but they have 21 fewer points now. Aside from Pope’s save to thwart Salah and stops from Origi and Trent Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool did not look a side who were threatening to find the net. They had 72% possession but much of it was slow and ponderous, and although they had spaces out wide and put 30 crosses into the box, the resolute Burnley defenders headed and hacked clear every ball that came in. (BBC

Murphy LaRose, Kelvon Anderson, Junior Williams, Shawn Pereira, Sylus Tyndall, Matthew Pottaya, Jonathan Rampersaud, Jeremy Sandia, Christopher Deroop, Chanderpaul Govindra, Mahendra Gopilall, Shemaine Campbelle, Sheneta Grimmond and Shabaki Gajnabi. Fudadin, Crandon, Anderson, Campbelle, Grimmond, Gajnabi have all gone on to represent the West Indies at different levels. RHTYSC Assistant Secretary/CEO Simon Naidu stated that the 25-year relationship has touched and changed the lives of countless persons on the cricket field, in the classroom and in their homes. The company over the years has also co- sponsored the club annual youth magazines, cricket academy, summer camp, charity programmes, Christmas Village,

Say No /Say Yes campaign ,and youth information booklet among numerous other

activities. Naidu reassured the company’s management that the

RHTYSC Assistant Secretary/CEO Simon Naidu receives sponsorship from Joshanna Marcus of Farfan & Mendes Ltd

club would continue to uphold its high standard in 2021 and would always strive to be the best on and off the cricket field. The team would be led by Raphael Fraser with Raj Tika as his deputy in 2021. Long-serving club executive Ravinranauth Kissoonlall is the manager while Tyrone Pottaya is his deputy. The team would also complete 60 community projects under the sponsorship during the year. Farfan & Mendes Marketing Executive Onai Vasconcellos hailed the outstanding work of the club over the years and noted that his company was delighted to be associated with RHTYSC. Vasconcellos noted that the relationship has lasted for so long because the club has been outstanding representatives of his company brand on and off the cricket field.

GASA charters way forward with Minister Ramson’s assistance … Training to resume shortly EARLIER this week, Guyana Amateur Swimming Association (GASA) president Dwayne Scott met with Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr and they were able to exchange details on what his plans are for the sport, and what GASA desires for swimming. Scott disclosed that they have discussed working to have Olympic athletes able to get back into training along with other athletes who are looking to take part in events this year. There were a few other aspects GASA touched on with the minister which were of equal importance. The recently appointed GASA boss said, “The minister indicated that he will work and provide us with a solution for that and he promised that before the end of the week we should have access to the

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER Friday, January 22, 2021 COMPLIMENTS OF XTRA ENERGY DRINK – STABROEK BAZAAR (Tel: 683-9500) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD – 83 Garnett street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) ANSWERS TO YESTERDAY’S QUIZ: (1) Shakib-Al-Hasan-210 Test wickets (2) Mushfiqur Rahim-113 dismissals (98 catches/15 stumpings)

TODAY’S QUIZ:

(1) (2)

What are the best bowling figures in a Test innings by a BANG player to date? What is the highest Test partnership (in terms of

runs) by a BANG pair to date?

ANSWERS ANSWER S IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE

pool (Aquatic Centre) for the athletes to train Scott assured that he will take the responsibility of working that out with the COVID-19 Task Force and the Ministry of Health.

GASA president Dwayne Scott

“They asked us to provide him with a list of details and names of the athletes and actions we will take to protect the athletes. That information has been provided to him and he will send a letter to us giving approval, with the names of the athletes who will be able to use the facility.” “Additionally, Minister Ramson, along with his team is working on some improvements at both the Aquatic Centre and Colgrain, and he’s subsequently working to allow us access again to Castellani Pool. “Colgrain should be up and running before the end of the month. He specifically wanted us to use Colgrain for our Clinic Programme, which is for young swimmers’ development, and he had indi-

cated that maybe by the end of March, we should have access to Castellani Pool. “Both facilities will undergo some level of rehabilitation, which is good for swimming because now it will allow us access to more facilities within Georgetown. We’ve also discussed with the Minister the possibility of expanding swimming activities outside of the Georgetown region or boundaries. “We’ve looked at the possibilities for Region Three, we’ve discussed the possibility of revisiting the pool facility at Uitvlugt Estate. We’ve discussed the Linden facility and we discussed the Berbice facility,”,Scott continued. “Minister Ramson gave us assurances that he will work to have a facility available in Region Three, and he will also take a look at the Uitvlugt facility to see what can be done, so that we can have access, perhaps, after the passing of the next budget. “For the Linden situation, we are supposed to be working to get a dedicated time slot for the Linden athletes to use a facility. This will have to go through NICIL because it is under their management. The minister will take the lead in that with our support in ensuring that athletes have access to the facilities that they can train. Of course, some of these will happen after the COVID restrictions,” Scott said., More importantly, the minister indicated that there is a plan to put a new pool in Linden that would only be

used for competitive swimming. Scott indicated that these plans will be unveiled by the minister at some point, based on what is available and how the plans unravel. “Obviously, it should be launched at some point in time, along the same lines with the synthetic track that has been developed at Linden; again, the location and the details on that will be provided to you by the minister. “For the athletes who are involved in Olympic preparation, the minister indicated that he is also willing to assist us with some financials, to take them through this developmental phase. We need to put together a budget, and approach the minister and he will advise us on what can be made available.” “This is notwithstanding the fact that all these athletes currently do have some form of support from the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA). It will not be duplication, but it will be an addition because some expenses have gone up, due to COVID and different circumstances “So, this is what was discussed. We are extremely grateful for whatever opportunities are provided through this discussion, and whatever initiatives can be fostered and developed and realised through these engagements. I think it’s a commendable job being done by the minister in trying to meet with the associations, on a monthly basis just to get updates, and to work through situations and work through things.”

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, January 22, 2021

Favouritism should be eradicated in Guyana’s cricket, says ECB president By Rajiv Bisnauth A DAY after Cricket Guyana Incorporated (CGI) released the 15-man Regional Super50 squad allegations of favouritism and nepotism are being levelled during the selection process. At least this is the view of former president of the Essequibo Cricket Board (ECB), Sheik Ahmad, who is alleging that the selectors have ignored talent and instead have given chances to players who do not merit their selection. “This nonsense has to stop … the favouritism must stop. This has been going on for over four decades now and it must stop,” Ahmad lamented. Ahmad, who served as treasurer on the Guyana

Cricket Board and as alternate director on the West Indies Cricket Board, now Cricket West Indies (CWI), added, “Both Adams (Ricardo and Anthony), along with Kemol Savory, Ronsford Beaton and Keemo Paul are the most talented

youngsters in Essequibo, but the non-selection of some of these players will definitely send a message to other cricketers in Essequibo.” Ahmad, who served as a cricket administrator for over a decade, said while a substantial reason/s must be

made public for the non-selection of both Adams and Savory to the Super50 squad, he entirely laid the blame on the current Essequibo cricket administrators. “We need a wholesale change at the board level (Essequibo Cricket Board).

In my opinion there is more personal interest rather than players’ interest. We need to have people who will represent the Essequibo players at the national level, not people who have a personal agenda,” Ahmad stressed. Meanwhile, CGI in a

Ricardo Adams

Anthony Adams

Kemol Savory

ECB president Sheik Ahmad

Rahane’s captaincy masterclass puts heat on Kohli as England loom NEW DELHI: Ajinkya Rahane’s calm and composed leadership of India in their stunning Test triumph over Australia earned widespread praise Wednesday - and increased pressure on regular captain Virat Kohli ahead of a home series against England next month. The whole Indian team have become national heroes for their 2-1 series victory sealed in the dramatic finale in Brisbane on Tuesday, where no team had beaten Australia in 32 years. India coach Ravi Shastri hailed Rahane’s tactical command in the series as “simply brilliant”. Rahane, 32, took over from Kohli after India’s humiliating opening loss in Adelaide where they were bowled out for 36 and masterminded a spectacular return against Tim Paine’s Australians. India chased down a target of 328 with 18 balls to spare on the fifth day of the final Test in Australia’s ‘Fortress Gabba’. The Times of India newspaper hailed ‘Ajinkya The Invincible’ for his unblemished record as skipper - four wins and one draw in five Tests substituting for Kohli. Kohli, who returned to India last month for the birth of his daughter, was among the first to pay tribute to the “grit and determination” shown by the injury-hit team as they retained the Bor-

der-Gavaskar Trophy. Kohli will be back as captain when the first Test against England begins in Chennai on February 5. But there have been calls for Rahane to stay on. AJINKYA V VIRAT “I think I would have really considered keeping Ajinkya Rahane as captain,” former England skipper Michael Vaughan wrote on Twitter.

out Rahane’s leadership for special praise in the Gabba dressing-room team talk after the match. “To lead the side from the position we were and then to make them bounce back and control things in the middle like the way you have done is simply, simply brilliant,” Shastri said. India were skittled out for 36 in their second innings of the first Test and lost inside three days.

Ajinkya Rahane (left) and Virat Kohli

Letting Kohli concentrate on batting “would make India even more dangerous,” he added, praising Rahane’s “incredible presence and tactical nous”. “Let Ajinkya Rahane remain the captain for Tests and Virat Kohli for white ball games,” said Vijay Lokapally, a veteran journalist and a Kohli biographer. “The team will benefit and Virat will concentrate on just smashing the opponents.” Coach Shastri singled

With Kohli leaving and injuries beginning to mount, nobody expected India to defy the odds and come back to win the series. But they did, under a captain whose understated style is diametrically opposed to Kohli’s in-your-face aggression. CALCULATED MANOEUVRES India won the second Test in Melbourne and drew the third at Sydney after batting out the entire final day for a draw to leave the series

on a knife-edge at 1-1. Further injuries to pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and ace spinner Ravichandran Ashwin created more problems before the decisive fourth Test. Rahane rallied the young side including debutants in paceman T. Natarajan and all-rounder Washington Sundar. Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant brilliantly answered critics of his form with an unbeaten 89. He hit the winning runs to star alongside merging fast bowler Mohammed Siraj, who claimed a five-wicket haul in just his third Test. “This will take a while to sink in,” said former India captain Bishan Singh Bedi, who hailed the win as “by far the greatest comeback in the history of Indian cricket”. Rahane, he added, “deserves kudos and a lot more”. Bedi said Rahane had shown “remarkable cool” on the pitch and organised “calculated manoeuvres” that evoked legendary captain Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi. Pataudi led India to their first overseas Test win against New Zealand in Dunedin in 1968. They won the series 3-1 to register their first away triumph. India have since emerged as one of the world’s top Test sides under captains including Sourav Ganguly, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Kohli.

statement said Paul will sit out of the tournament in order to facilitate adequate recovery from an injury. Beaton, who played in six matches the last season, before his action was reported and found to be illegal, seems to have cleared that hurdle as he recently played in an ICC-sanctioned US Open T20 Cup. However, no official announcement has been made whether he is cleared to bowl. The Jaguars would be led by Leon Johnson, with West Indies player Shimron Hetmyer his deputy. The Jaguars will depart Guyana on January 30 for Antigua, where the tournament would be held from February 7 to 27.

Hetmyer, Russell, Pollard among eight Windies players retained by IPL franchises

... Paul, Rutherford released S H I M R O N H e t m y e r, Dwayne Bravo and Andre Russell were among West Indies players retained by their Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises on Wednesday. However, several others were cut loose and will re-enter the pool of players eligible for the IPL Draft coming up on February 11.

Shimron Hetmyer has been retained by Delhi Capitals ahead of the 2021 auction

Hetmyer was retained by the Delhi Capitals ahead of the 2021 auction, despite a lukewarm season in which he scored 185 runs in 11 innings at an average of 23.12 and a strike rate of 148. However, his compatriots Keemo Paul and Sherfane Rutherford were not as fortunate as they were both released having failed to force their way into the starting line-ups for Capitals and Mumbai Indians, respectively.

Not surprisingly, Kieron Pollard has been retained by the 2020 champions Mumbai Indians. Pollard was an influential figure in the Indians set-up and captained the team in the absence of Rohit Sharma, who was sidelined with a hamstring injury at the back end of the season. Pollard’s compatriot, Dwayne Bravo, who suffered a season-ending injury in 2020, was retained by Chennai Super Kings. Bravo won the Purple Cap in the 2013 and 2015 seasons. In 2013, he took 32 wickets during the IPL, the most ever in an IPL, and he continues to be a game-changer for Super Kings. Meanwhile, Andre Russell and Sunil Narine were both retained by Kolkata Knight Riders even after less than stellar seasons. Christopher Gayle and Nicholas Pooran were deservedly retained by the Kings XI Punjab. Jason Holder, who was signed by the Sunrisers Hyderabad, after Mitchell Marsh suffered an injury early in the season, was retained by the franchise. It was not all good news for Sheldon Cottrell who was released by Kings XI Punjab after a disappointing season. He was signed for more than US$1 million. Fabian Allen and Oshane Thomas were released by Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals, respectively. (Sportsmax)

Physical Education teachers complete GGA introductory golf training SEE PAGE

… Nexgen Academy looking to target schools by February

Some of the Physical Education teachers following their coaching course this past weekend

FIFA issues ban threat to players over European Super League PLAYERS who compete in a European Super League will be barred from international competitions, world football’s governing body FIFA said. FIFA and the six confederations, including UEFA, reiterated that such a competition “would not be recognised”. Talks have taken place over the ‘members only’ concept, which could be a threat to the Champions League. Ex-Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu said he had accepted proposals for the club to join a Super League. FIFA said in a statement: “In light of recent media speculation about the creation of a closed European ‘Super League’ by some European clubs, FIFA and the six confederations (AFC, CAF, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, OFC and UEFA) once again would like to reiterate and strongly emphasise that such a competition would not be recognised by either FIFA or the respective confederation. “Any club or player involved in such a competition would as a consequence not be allowed to participate in any competition organised by FIFA or their respective confederation.” FIFA also stated that its Club World Cup, both in its current and future guise, and the confederations’ respective tournaments were the only club competitions recognised. The governing body plans to expand its Club World Cup to include 24 teams from the six confederations. The forthcoming event in Qatar, postponed from 2020, will feature six teams. (BBC Sport)

SEE PAGE

Members of the NCBL are joined by partners and other stakeholders of basketball. at the launching of its event

NCBL seeks to help develop basketball through the community

Windies upbeat for crucial ODI SEE PAGE

series-leveller

Under-strength West Indies hoping to avoid defeat in the second ODI

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2021