PLEASE permit me a space in your newspaper to publish this article in support of the Honourable Minister, Dr Frank Anthony, Culture Youth and Sports for his intervention into issues that are affecting the Guyana Cricket Board. Supporters and cricket lovers in Region Two welcome such stand taken by the minister for his involvement in a matter of concern at this board level which will give the true picture of the Guyana Cricket Board transparency and accountability.
In 2007 as Chairman of the North Essequibo Cricket committee and a former manager of the Essequibo inter-county senior and junior cricket teams, I had requested the Guyana Board intervention in relation to alleged irregularities by the then 2006 North Essequibo Cricket Committee.
The North Committee governed from July, 1998 to December 2006 when they were removed from office but bluntly refused to hand over the committee’s assets, records, bank account and bank statements.
Prior to 1997, the then 1997 committee had a Bank Account No. 589-481-1 with GNCB Anna Regina branch with over $200,000 which was handed over to the 1998-2006 committee.
During the 2007 committee tenure under my chairmanship, I found records which revealed that the then chairman of the 2006 North committee was presenting financial statements for the chairman’s control.
In 2006 the North committee received thousands of dollars as income from the Essequibo Board from sponsorships according to the Essequibo Cricket Board’s income and expenditure statement for 2006, signed by the Treasurer, who is now the current chairman of the Essequibo Board.
The North Essequibo Cricket Committee is an affiliated member to the Essequibo Board and in accordance the Essequibo Board constitution adopted on 8/9/2002 Article 8 section M – the North committee shall submit a quarterly statement of activities and monies collected from the Essequibo Board.
Without any records or files or finance from the 2006 committee I requested a statement from the Treasurer and the Essequibo Board’s intervention in respect of the 2006 North committee assets, but because of political and religious biases, a deaf ear and blind eye was shown.
More so it was fabricated that a man was in Barbados working while his name was used to receive $25,000 per month from the Stanford fund during 2006 while clubs in the north have expired minutes which revealed hundreds of thousands of dollars from sponsorship are in possession of certain individual.
Seven clubs have pulled out from the North Cricket Committee and formed a new committee called North Professional due to corruption and discrimination at the highest level. There are so much issues and problems in the North that corruption continues to grow.  So in view of the above mentioned the minister or his representative or the National Sports Commission intervention will see transparency and accountability establish.