Guyana Chronicle E-paper 09-27-2018

THURSDAY 27th September, 2018

No.105410

GTU rejects 08 Ramjattan to meet gov’t pick for Chinese business arbitration community 02 PAGE

PAGE

Sex tape man 10 was strangled PAGE

President plugs energy diversification 03 in Rupununi ‌tells residents build economy PAGE

to withstand shocks

Dancers from the Surama group perform a cultural item at the opening of the Rupununi Regional Heritage celebration 2018 (Ministry of the Presidency photo)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, September 27, 2018

Ramjattan to meet Chinese business community …use of U.S. currency, surveillance cameras among issues for discussion HEAVY use of the U.S. currency and poor surveillance footage amongst other vulnerabilities will be discussed when Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan meets with the Chinese business community in October.

In an exclusive interview with the Guyana Chronicle on Wednesday, Ramjattan said the Chinese business community feels they are being targeted, but bandits

are making use of opportunistic crimes. He said people of many other ethnicities are being robbed, including locals, Brazilians and Cubans and it is not that bandits are targeting one specific group, but it’s an issue of persons not being security conscious.

“Those who are victims are generally as a result of opportunistic criminals who prey on those who may not have been alert and

are vulnerable,” Ramjattan noted. He said the motives of those caught do not suggest any such profiling. The public security minister said that business persons who handle large sums of cash need to be more careful and alert. He however promised stepped-up police patrols in the business community.

CASH-BASED Ramjattan said the business community needs to reduce dependence on their heavy cash-based system.

He advocated once again that citizens and businesses move away from the use of cash to debit, credit cards and cheques for their transactions. This has been proven to result in a significant drop in crime, he added.

He noted that the huge sums of money that people walk around with is one of the factors that is driving the crime rate and he has pleaded with the Private Sector Commission (PSC) and the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association to encourage businesses to move towards using plastic and cheques for transactions.

Minister Ramjattan and Commissioner of Police Leslie James had recently met with Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China Cui Jianchun, to discuss security issues related to the Chinese Community. At the meeting, ambassador Jianchun had raised issues facing the Smart City project which will be funded by a loan from China, along with

the China-Caribbean Countries Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Conference held in Grenada recently.

High on the list of concerns for the ambassador was the string of burglaries that seemed to disproportionately affect Chinese businesses. Reports indicate that many Chinese business owners have lost properties to theft; and some have even been subjected to violence. In November 2017, the People’s Republic of China handed over vehicles and other equipment worth a total US$2.6 million to the Guyana Police Force, as part of its continued support for the government’s crimefighting strategies. Among the items donated were:

Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan

over 56 pickups, 44 motorcycles, 35 ATVs, Five motor buses, 550 protective gear items, 70 computers (desktops and laptops), 10 scanners, 10 printers, 10 photocopying machines, 30 decibel meters and five generator sets.

No bail for duo on gun, ammo charges TWO men were on Wednesday remanded to

prison when they appeared before Senior Magistrate

Fabayo Azore on separate firearm and ammunition charges.

Lincoln Trotman, a 24-year-old miner of Guyhoc Park, pleaded not guilty to the two charges which alleged that on September 24 at Sussex Street, Alboystown, he had a 9MM pistol along

with 12 rounds of matching ammunition when he is not a licensed firearm holder.

Trotman was represented by attorney-at-law Clyde Forde who told the court that on the day in question, his client was at the City Vibes Bar when someone threw the gun from upstairs and it landed next to Trotman.

Police Prosecutor Warren Thornhill told the court that Trotman admitted ownership of the firearm when arrested by police.

Meanwhile, 40-year-old Troy Lowe of 4th Street, Alexander Village, was charged for having a .32 pistol along with 12 rounds of matching ammunition on September 24 at Independence Boulevard, Albouystown, Georgetown.

He denied both charges.

Police Prosecutor Thornhill told the court that on the day in question, police acting on a tip-off, went to Independent Boulevard and made contact with Lowe. The ranks carried out a search on Lowe and found the gun stashed inside his crotch. Thornhill added that Lowe also confessed ownership of the firearm. In objecting to bail in both cases, the prosecutor noted that both Trotman and Lowe are not licensed firearm holders.

Trotman and Lowe were refused bail and had their matters adjourned until October 24.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, September 27, 2018

Go solar AMID this country’s push to becoming a green state, President David Granger on Wednesday told residents of the Rupununi that the generation of solar energy there is very feasible not only for the use at the household level, but throughout the community to power schools and other public facilities.

He made the remarks while addressing villagers at the opening of this year’s Rupununi Regional Heritage celebrations, being held at the St. Ignatius Village Benab.

Government has said that a ‘green’ economy is necessary to ensure the sustainable management of the country’s natural resources and assets and help wean it off of its addiction to fossil fuels.

President Granger, himself speaking at the opening of the Green State Development Strategy (GSDS) Multi-Stakeholder Expert Group in November 2017, said that the GSDS is expected to build greater economic resilience by diversifying production, reducing the country’s dependence on fossil fuels, generating renewable energy and emphasise low-carbon manufacturing.

“It will add value to production through cleaner, cheaper and renewable energy generation and propose plans to move closer towards the goal of full renewable energy by the year 2025, thereby reducing our exposure to the volatilities of oil markets.

The Green State Development Strategy will define the purpose, principles, policies and the processes, which will guide our path towards becoming a ‘green state.’ A better understanding of the need for a strategy requires an appreciation of the rationale behind the ‘green’ state,” he said back then.

On Wednesday, he took

this message to the Rupununi, telling residents that energy is an important facet of economic diversification for their communities. He said in order to achieve the ideals set by the people of the Rupununi, there must be access to energy. “In all of this we need energy. We can’t do this without energy.

Energy now is becoming more accessible…the amount of sunshine you get from the Rupununi on a daily basis exceeds that in any other part of the country. It means that the use of solar energy is feasible, not just at the household level, but at a community level to power the schools, medical centres and factories,” he stated, according to a release from the Ministry of the Presidency.

“We have to take energy seriously, because once your community could generate sufficient energy, you can start producing mango juice and guava cheese, cashew nut butter [to name a few] that you want to buy in Georgetown. Energy is the key and your leaders must seek sources of energy at any cost, because energy is going to propel the economy,” the Guyanese leader told the audience.

In his address, he also touched on the importance of environmental security, referencing reports made by the South Rupununi District Council (SRDC) on the pollution of the waterways by miners. “Environmental security is very important if we are going to provide for food security,” the President said, noting that every region needs to have an environment policy, so that children would grow up knowing that the environment is their future.

He said poverty must not be taken for granted, while stressing that there is need to reduce poverty. He said

…President plugs energy diversification in Rupununi …tells residents build economy to withstand shocks

President David Granger greets a resident of St. Ignatius upon his arrival at the village for the Rupununi Heritage celebrations 2018. Also in photograph are Chairman of the National Toshaos’ Council, Nicholas Fredericks (left); and Brazilian Vice-Consul, Ms. Lisa Mary Sousa Dos Reis

too that many persons are still deemed extremely poor and noted that poverty in the Rupununi, as in other parts of the country, can be reduced and ultimately eradicated if villages have economic independence.

REFLECT ON ACCOMPLISHMENTS President Granger also called on the people of the Rupununi to reflect on their accomplishments over the years and look towards enhancing their village economies. He reminded that an economic foundation is key to a prosperous life. “It is the economy which keeps society going…our economic survival is most important. Every society is determined by the way it makes its living. If the quality of life is to improve, hard decisions have to be made”, the President said.

St. Ignatius Village, which sits on Guyana’s border with Brazil has a small population, but President Granger believes that much more can be done to enhance the livelihoods of those who live there. “We in Guyana have to be very careful as we plan our economic survival,

not only for this year and this month, but to ensure the long-term survival of our country,” the President said.

He called on the people of the Rupununi to build resilience to make Region Nine strong.

“Think about how we will build resilience to make this region strong; strong enough to withstand any economic pressure. Strong enough to ensure our children and grandchildren will live better lives than we live and that our parents and grand-parents lived,” the head of state said.

FOOD SECURITY The head of state also addressed food security, saying that it is one of the most important elements in the economy. “The region has to be food-secure,” President Granger declared, emphasising that to ensure food security there must be the sufficient production of food which can be shared in other areas. “We must not let our products go to waste,” he added. The villages of the Rupununi, he noted, have the capability to move from subsistence farming to sustainable farming because Region Nine, perhaps more than any other region,

is susceptible to the vagaries of the weather.

“We have to become more resilient. In a few days’ time, over five dozen members of the Brazilian Construction Engineering Battalion will be coming to this great region to provide some environmental security, so that we have wells during the dry season to provide water to families and livestock and we won’t go from these cycles of excessive water to drought,” said President Granger. The drilling of artesian wells in the villages of Aishalton, Chukrikednau, Shea, Maruranawa, Awaruwaunau, Karaudanawa, Achiwib and Bashraidrun by the Brazilians is set to begin on October 4, 2018.

UNITY Also speaking at the event was Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Mr. Sydney Allicock, who called for greater unity among the people of the Rupununi. He cited unity, respect, management and honesty as a few important characteristics of success. Similarly, Regional Chairman Mr. Brian Allicock noted that it is through unity

that progress has been made in Region Nine. Chairman of the National Toshaos’ Council (NTC) and Toshao of Shulinab, Nicholas Fredericks, noted that the heritage celebrations should be seen as a time for reflection on the contributions made by the Indigenous communities towards the building of the nation. He said too that reflections must not be focused only on positive things, but also on areas of improvement. “We should celebrate in a meaningful way,” said the NTC Chair, who called on residents of the Rupununi to work hard to have their various issues resolved. “We have a lot of work to do. We must never be divided; let us work together in unity and celebrate in unity,” he stated.

Mr. Fredericks also referenced the need to preserve the cultures of the indigenous peoples.

Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Mrs. Valerie Garrido-Lowe, also spoke at the event before the presentation of a cheque for $1M to the St. Ignatius Village and another for $500,000 to the Regional Democratic Council through Regional Chairman Mr. Brian Allicock. These were presented by President Granger.

A number of footballs were also handed over

by President Granger to Toshao of St. Ignatius, Dennis Benedict. Also present at the opening of the Rupununi Regional Heritage celebrations was Minister of Public Affairs, Mrs. Dawn Hastings-Williams; Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Mr. Alfred King; and Brazilian Vice-Consul, Ms. Lisa Mary Sousa Dos Reis. The regional heritage celebrations will come to an end on September 29.

Increased partnership needed to tackle child abuse - Minister Ally Minister of Social Protection, Ms. Amna Ally has called on citizens to partner with government to eliminate all forms of violence against children.

The Minister made the call during a Child Protection Week rally held at the Stabroek Square, Georgetown.

“Today we call on all Guyanese to partner with Government, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), religious organizations and society as a whole, to work together to protect and create a safe, stable, secure and

nurturing environment that is safe from abuse and neglect,” said Minister Ally.

She said it is time to “build on each other’s strengths to create greater efficiency” while assuring government’s commitment to fostering supportive conditions where parents can properly care for their children. “My administration is dedicated to fostering healthy and supportive conditions that enable our children to develop and thrive and ensure that parents and caretakers have the resources they need

to properly care for their children… we must put the family at the center of national discourse,” Minister Ally declared.

Similarly, UNICEF’s country representative Ms. Sylvie Fouet encouraged community involvement to prevent child abuse. “Beyond the systems, the key to success is you, the communities, so we call for the involvement of everyone… you have the power to prevent sexual abuse,” Ms. Fouet stated.

Meanwhile, Commissioner of Police Mr. Leslie

A group of children perform a skit at the Child Protection Week rally

James said the Guyana Police Force (GPF) is committed to ensuring that perpetrators of child abuse are placed before the courts. “I wish

to indicate very clearly that the Guyana Police Force has always been committed to dealing with child sexual abusers. Testimony to this

fact are members of the Gender Based Unit across the divisions of the Guyana Police Force, who interacted with a multi-stakeholder agency to examine the current state of affairs in relation to investigations and other matters pertinent to sexual abuse and specifically to the child,” Commissioner James stated.

Child Protection Week is being observed under the theme, “Supporting Families to Prevent Child Abuse through Education and Community Involvement”.

(Ministry of the Presidency)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, September 27, 2018

Agriculture to be kept at forefront – Noel Holder THE Ministry of Agriculture is aiming to “keep agriculture in the forefront” of Guyana, said Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder at the launching of Agriculture Month on Wednesday.

Addressing media operatives at the ministry’s Regent Street head office during the launch, Minister Holder said many persons sometimes do not understand the importance of agriculture, and as such, the month of activities will stimulate greater awareness.

“Agriculture is something that is not normally in the forefront of people’s minds, as a matter of fact in some countries, children who are growing up think that milk comes from a tin can and not from a cow and so they take these things

Wednesday 26, September, 2018

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for granted. You know rain falls and [in] this country we expect the water to be taken off somehow; we don’t think that you are six feet below sea-level and therefore the background things have to happen to get this water out, so you take these things for granted. In Agriculture Month, we try to bring things to the fore. To let you know what has been happening that allows you to live the life you are living, eating as you should, to allow the economy to work as it does, to export some $200M U.S. worth of rice, things of that sort,” he explained.

This year, Agriculture Month will be celebrated under the theme, “Shaping Agriculture for a Green Economy.”

Agriculture Month seeks

Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder (Adrian Narine photo)

to highlight both the progress, challenges and the new path which is being crafted

in the agriculture sector of Guyana.

According to Holder, the

07, 08, 05, 04, 15

9, 7, 2

5, 5, 6

20, 18, 08, 21, 05

5, 2, 7

0, 6, 2

03, 08, 24, 09, 25

6, 3, 3

8, 2, 3

11, 15, 16, 18, 20

1, 4, 5

9, 6, 2

10, 13, 17, 22, 26

2, 7, 0

1, 1, 6

promotion of a ‘Green Economy’ is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action.

In fact, it is one in which the vital linkages among the economy, society and environment are taken into account.

He stated, “A Green Economy is a blueprint for a better quality of life for all Guyanese and it ensures a transition to sustainable economic growth. The Ministry of Agriculture aims to contribute towards this goal through sustainable, productive, climate-resilient and diversified agriculture.

Specially, the re-orientation and diversification of the sector, reducing reliance on traditional sub-sectors and opening new (higher value-added and higher growth industries) investment opportunities for sustainable income-generation.”

The United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) defines a Green Economy as “One that results in improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities.” A

green economy is one whose growth in income and employment is driven by public and private investments that reduce carbon emissions and pollution, enhance energy and resource efficiency, and prevent the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services.

These investments need to be catalyzed and supported by targeted public expenditure, policy reforms and regulation changes. Policy changes which the Ministry of Agriculture will continue to advance.

At the event, Holder noted that the official launch of Agriculture Month will be an Interfaith Service on Sunday, September 30, 2018 in the Ministry of Agriculture head office compound.

He also highlighted the main events that will happen for Agriculture Month such as: National Tree Day observance on October 5 at Ebini, Region 10; Food and Agriculture Organisation-sponsored World Food Day observance at Lake Mainstay Whyaka, Region Two on October 16; launching of the Guyana Livestock Development Authority’s Alternative Energy Use project on October 17 at Mahaicony, amongst other activities.

04, 06, 09, 10, 15 04, 08, 10, 11, 17 03, 06, 07, 16, 17 01, 06, 13, 14, 17 01, 05, 10, 11, 13

21, September, 2018

03 05 09 10 20

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, September 27, 2018

Harmon conducts reconnaissance in Region Nine -ahead of well-drilling set to commence next week

MINISTER of State, Joseph Harmon on Wednesday led a team to the South Rupununi, Upper TakutuUpper Essequibo (Region Nine) to conduct a reconnaissance of the roads and other facilities, as the region gets ready to welcome members of the Brazilian Army, who will begin the drilling of eight wells in eight villages from October 4, 2018.

Artesian wells will be drilled in the villages of Aishalton, Chukrikednau, Shea, Maruranawa, Awaruwaunau, Karaudanawa, Achiwib and Bashraidrun and will have a depth of 100 metres or 300 feet deep.

The Ministry of Public Infrastructure has commenced road works to facilitate the smooth transportation of the vehicles and equipment from Brazil through Lethem to the targeted communities. According to Brazilian Military Attaché to Guyana, Colonel Deni Da Silva, the equipment and support vehicles, which are 23 in total, are expected to arrive in Guyana on October 1, 2018. It is the intention of the Brazilian team to have the wells handed over to the Guyanese authorities on November 28, 2018.

In an invited comment, Minister Harmon said the visit was necessary as it identified areas in which works would have to be done and

are ongoing. He noted that the Agreement for the drilling of the wells was signed at the highest levels with the two Heads of State (President David Granger and Brazil’s President Michel Temer) and therefore, it is incumbent on the Government to ensure that all systems are in place and working effectively to ensure a smooth flow of personnel and equipment from Brazil to the identified areas.

“I am here to inspect the works that are being done on the roads in South Rupununi in preparations for a massive well drilling exercise that will take place, utilising the Brazilian engineers and the Brazilian well drilling teams.

I want to ensure that all of the preparations here are in place to receive the teams when they come and to ensure that once they get here, they can commence work without any hindrance,” he stated. Further, the Minister of State said Government has undertaken efforts to fulfil its promise of a good life for all Guyanese and the drilling of the artesian wells is aimed at providing ease to the residents of the South Rupununi who often suffer from excessive flooding and droughts.

“It is important to these communities to ensure that they have a regular supply of potable water year round.

We are aware that during dry

Mahdia businessman remanded for shooting drinking buddy A 36-year-old businessman was on Wednesday remanded to prison by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan for discharging his licensed firearm at another man.

It is alleged that Simon “Kenno” Hussain on September 23, 2018, at 111 Miles, Mahdia, Potaro River, discharged a loaded firearm at Shahonan “Biggs” Monderson with intent to maim, disfigure, or cause grievous bodily harm.

Hussain pleaded not guilty to the charge while his attorney made an application for bail on the grounds that her client acted in self defence and was attacked by Monderson.

According to the facts presented in court by Pros-

ecutor Simone Payne, on the day in question about 00:20hrs, Monderson and Hussain were at a bar at the Mahdia landing when a heated argument ensued between the two men.

Payne noted that Hussain pulled out his licensed firearm and discharged a round at Monderson, hitting him in the left shoulder. Monderson then jumped onto Hussain and took away the firearm. Bail was objected to on the grounds of the seriousness of the charge. The Chief Magistrate remanded Hussain to prison until October 15 when he will make his next appearance at the Mahdia Magistrate’s Court.

Minister of State, Mr. Joseph Harmon (third from right) and members of the reconnaissance team inspect this site along the Karaudanawa trail, where works have begun for the construction of a culvert. Also in photo are: Director General of the Civil Defence Commission, Lieutenant Kester Craig, Commander of the Engineering Corps, Colonel Gary Beaton and engineers of the GDF and Ministry of Public Infrastructure. (Ministry of the Presidency photo)

season, there are droughts and during the wet season, there is flooding and we have to ensure that we do not have these communities subjected to the vagaries of the weather. [We must] put systems in place to ensure that this is addressed. I am satisfied with what I have seen and I satisfied that all of the work necessary to receive the team has been done,” said Minister Harmon.

Community sensitisations have also been done and the Village Councils will be given a final briefing next week before the

drilling begins. During the drilling phase, there will be technology transfer and capacity building, which will benefit several agencies including the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), the Hydro-meteorological Office (HydroMet), Ministry of Public Infrastructure as well as representatives from the eight villages. Minister Harmon was accompanied

by Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig, Director of the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), Colonel Gary Beaton, Commander of the Engineering

Corps of the GDF and engineers from the Ministry of Public Infrastructure.

This project follows President David Granger’s State visit to Brazil in December 2017, where the Complementary Agreement to the Basic Agreement on Technical Cooperation between the Government of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana and the Federative Republic of Brazil for the Implementation of the Project Technologies to Reduce the Effects of the Drought in Region Nine was inked.

The Complementary

Agreement states that the Government of Brazil shall undertake to “promote the transfer of Brazilian knowledge and experience related to mitigation of the effects of drought; provide the means for implementation of activities foreseen in the Project, send consultants and experts to implement activities to be carried out in Guyana, support the development of the Guyanese technical team’s capacity to drill artesian wells and monitor and evaluate Project implementation.”

Meanwhile, the Government of Guyana, as prescribed in the Agreement, shall undertake to “take responsibility for the maintenance of the artesian wells that will be drilled during the practical operations on the ground; appoint a technical team to monitor and participate in activities to be implemented, provide the technical team sent by the Government of Federative Republic of Brazil with the logistical support required to implement activities of their responsibility and to take measures to ensure that activities implemented by professionals sent by the Brazilian Government will be continued by professionals from the Guyanese implementing institution.” (Ministry of the Presidency)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, September 27, 2018

Indigenous Peoples’ Heritage

THIS month is designated Indigenous Peoples’ Heritage Month. President Cheddi Jagan in 1995 so declared the month to honour the contributions of the nation’s First Peoples, given its specific significance. On September 10, 1957, Stephen Campbell was elected to the National Assembly, making him the first Amerindian to be a Member of Parliament.

This year’s observance is being held under the theme, “Proud of our Indigenous identity – celebrating in unity” and Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock, had told the launch of the month of activities that the Indigenous Peoples’ identity is special and called on the First Peoples to embrace and have pride in their identity.

Heritage Month provides numerous opportunities for our diverse society to know

more about the Indigenous community and ways in which our common interests can be pursued to the collective growth and development of all the people and nation. For it is only through understanding, appreciation and respect for the other, accompanied by requisite institutional protection, can people in a multicultural society co-exist in peace and harmony. This month’s event coming on the heels of the just-concluded National Toshaos Conference presents additional opportunity to shine the spotlight on the equal importance of this group to nation-building and their contributions thus far.

Whereas the Toshaos Conference allowed the leaders to meet among themselves and interact with the government to craft a course of action for their development, Heritage Month allows for national and expansive participation

in the unique culture of our First Peoples.

To this country’s credit and that of its various administrations, there remains continuous efforts on the part of government to ensure the Indigenous Peoples’ culture gets its deserving space and respect in the national culture. Such will augur well for our national motto, “One People, One Nation, One Destiny.”

Though this community came to these shores through the Bering Strait by their own volition, the foundation of this society as we know it was laid on exploitation and discrimination, and ensnared the group as the first casualty. Thus today, this oneness of experience--though groups have been affected by varying degrees-- requires of us seeking understanding of the heritage of the other, to do so with open, enquiring and receptive minds.

It is to this nation’s benefit to learn how this community, who primarily occupy the hinterland regions, have been able to co-exist with nature through the centuries.

Also, when the world is also looking at alternative medicine, foods and other merchandise, including those organically grown and preserved, lessons can be learnt and economic and employment opportunities present from and within this community. Where emphases are placed on Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, which entail good environmental practices and the use and proper management of indigenous resources, those on the coastland can be empowered with knowledge from their hinterland counterparts. The fascination and fierce loyalty to modern technology, it should be borne in mind that over the ages this would have

Let the people of God arise Dear Editor THE President and his Cabinet, the business community, the newspapers, the electronic media and the general populace are all gushing excitedly over the discovery of oil offshore Guyana and rightly so. The expected wealth and prosperity almost befuddle the mind.

Many are already making magnanimous proposals and predictions for its distribution among the poor, which I find to be very interesting.

However, history sadly proves that gold and oil busts are usually attended not only by their obvious prosperity, but also by other events and circumstances that are at times unexpected and more often than not, are either played down or ignored altogether as a necessary evil.

Exciting discoveries usually attract people of the worse sort: prostitutes, pimps, the Mafia and a host of opportunities, all seeing a piece of the pie.

Let the Church of Jesus Christ in this

nation take cognisance of the tide that is rising. 1 Chronicles 12:32 informs us that “,..the children of Issachar… were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do.” Moses, the man of God in Deuteronomy 6:10 – 11 informed the people of Israel about the great prosperity they would enjoy in the land of Canaan, then issued them this grave warning in verse 12, “Then beware, lest thou forget the Lord…”

Let the Church of Guyana take heed to the words of the prophet Joel in Joel 2:15-27 “Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly; gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber and the bride out of her closet. Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the alter, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them,

wherefore should they say among the people, ‘Where is their God?” Let the people of God arise!

Let us discern the times! Let us arise from slumber! Trim the wicks, let the lamps burn brightly! Let us proclaim the salvation of our God! “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day: not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering, and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” Romans 13:11-14. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us all.

Regards Michael S. Seabra

evolved from earliest man’s intuition and wisdom in understanding the environment and developing the tools to enhance his well-being.

In architecture, persons can witness the marvel of the ingenuity of the Wai Wai tribe in the construction of the Umana Yana (Wai Wai meaning “meeting place of the people”) without nails.

It was constructed in 1972 during the Forbes Burnham administration for Guyana’s hosting of the Non-Aligned Foreign Ministers Conference. The building was used as the VIP Lounge and recreation centre for the dignitaries and has retained its pre-eminence for hosting events.

Outside of the above, evidence can readily be seen in the country’s name, Guyana ( i.e. land of many waters) national flag (Golden Arrowhead, which pays homage to the potency of

the arrow), national honours (Cacique Crown of Honour and Arrow of Achievement), coat of arms ( the crest is an Amerindian headdress). In cuisine, there are the renowned pepperpot and cassava bread, the airport (Timehri), and for relaxation the hammock, to name some.

Our Indigenous brothers and sisters have contributed to every facet of this nation’s growth and development and space will not allow the recounting of such. Neither will one month suffice in recounting this proud heritage.

And though the children of independent Guyana have had the benefit of learning of the Indigenous Peoples’ heritage to varying degrees, creating more opportunities for deeper knowledge can only work to the holistic development of all the people.

National Congress of Women disgusted by upsurge in criminal sexual activities Dear Editor, THE National Congress of Women (NCW), the Women’s arm of the People’s National Congress Reform wishes to record its disgust at the upsurge of criminal sexual activities being perpetrated on our women and girls. The NCW is outraged at this latest act which occurred in Region 10, (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice).

Raping women, young girls and children defies and violates the fundamental aspects of our shared humanity.

There have been too many

atrocities and too often it is the women and girls who are deliberately targeted. The protection of our children is not only the responsibility of parents, but also members of the community.

The NCW is grateful for the harsh penalties which have been meted out to those perpetrators who were caught and calls for greater swiftness from the authorities in dealing with such matters.

Regards Janice Gonsalves National Secretary

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, September 27, 2018

Politicised labour and industrial relations in the public sector Dear Editor

MAJOR labour industrial relations issues are considered to be politically sensitive, once they affect any state sector/funded agency, and especially if unions linked to political parties are involved. Inevitably, any labour issue would have a political dimension, because of the very nature of the relationship. Experience has shown that where governments interpreted, perceived or deemed an issue as having political motives, or if it is seen as a challenge to governments, or if it would affect the national interest as defined by governments, then one can expect responses from the state and its machinery. In such a situation, traditional and established industrial relations principles and practices may be under severe strain.

Often controversial issues are seen as contests between the political parties. From the government’s point of view, they are per-

ceived as attempts to destabilise the economy, to ferment unrest and civil disobedience, or to dislodge the government. From the opposition, non-government perspective, they are seen as attempts to muzzle, undermine, or keep the trade unions in line. The government is the crucial actor; it is the only actor in the dual role as both government and public sector employer, who can change the rules of the system by legislation or other means.

Trade unions are sometimes compelled by prevailing circumstances to take a passively defensive position. They may accept the priorities and rules determined by government, and then impose the required restraint on their members. Pay in the public sector is subject to restraint, since government has an overriding responsibility for the state of the economy; and unions’ collective-bargaining activities have implications for the economy.

Industrial and political orientation The division between the industrial and political orientation is one of the sources of

Will minibuses become extinct?

Dear Editor, THE recent news of a successful businessman with a military background entering the transportation sector via the importation of large buses to compete with the minibus operators is one which I received with mixed emotions.

My family was one of the pioneers in the minibus segment and when it first started, the Tata buses were being replaced due to their low levels of upkeep and maintenance. There was a great need and our family stepped up to the challenge of helping provide the much-needed transportation for children and workers. The buses would fill as soon as we brought them out of the shed.

The reason I have mixed emotions of the news of such a substantial investment being made is that on the one hand, customers will be able to enjoy a more spacious and professionally run operation that supposedly will no longer have the noise from the music and the unsafe acts of speeding on the roads. This, customers will appreciate, especially given the history of fatal accidents and destroyed hearing of customers.

However, this will reduce the current minibus operators’ ability to reap the full benefits of their investments. Currently, the David G School Buses have already begun to have a positive impact on the transportation sector by providing these aspects of safety, reduced noise and increased comfort. When the additional operator of these proposed large buses enter the transportation sector, the further reduction in customers will increase significantly. Although this is a substantial improvement for the public transportation sector, there is also an opportunity for current operators via their union to make substantial improvements to their operations, thus helping them maintain a presence on the routes where the space for the larger buses prove to be disadvantageous.

It is my belief that if the union and operators agree upon implementing speed governors on the minibuses that limit how fast the buses can travel; and if they also strongly enforce the order needed to prevent the unnecessary overtaking to grab customers

on the road, the safety of the transportation sector will improve substantially. It is hard to forget about the young school child that was killed due to such minibus overtaking.

As a community, we are all aware that it is sometimes difficult to break old habits, but in the face of such strong upcoming competition from new, large buses that could eliminate the need for minibuses, it is important to quickly improve. In addition, the implementation of noise-control-adherence rules that ensure the prevention of damage to passengers hearing would also improve the safety and long-term competitiveness of the minibus operators.

This could be accomplished by restricting the number of speakers allowed, controlling their power rating and requiring a specified placement. It is also worth mentioning that overloading should be curbed and eliminated to improve the comfort and safety offered to passengers.

By embracing these important changes, the current high risk of regulations being implemented that are to the detriment of minibus operations and more favourable to large bus operators would be reduced. One further proposal that could be considered is the utilisation of a uniformed workforce in the minibus sector so as to strongly establish the minibus presence as a professional and favourable contributor towards the transportation needs of the populace. A change of impression can be quite powerful and could increase the union’s bargaining power, which will enable it to reduce the ability of new competitors to enter the transportation sector, while also offering an opportunity to increase the profitability of the business. After all, the competition has already reached the presidential level. Unfortunately, it appears that if these considerations are not taken seriously, unfortunately it may be just a matter of time before the minibuses are made obsolete and forced out of the business, while reverting the transportation sector back to the large-bus model of the past, which is similar to when Tata buses were dominant.

Best regards, Jamil Changlee

difficulty for the unions in periods of crises and active state intervention. There are concerns about unions acting with political motives when they threaten or use industrial power for political ends, or in support of a political party’s position. But it has been just as political to support the political action of a government, or to accept wage restraints in favour of a presumed national interest.

Trade unions face a dilemma: how far could they go in responding to the challenges and opportunities of a political role, without sacrificing their independence and their permanent mission of promoting and protecting their members’ immediate economic interests for improved remuneration and employment conditions? The dilemma is more pronounced given the central role of the government in regulating remuneration in the public sector.

The challenge of freedom of association and development The argument that trade unions’ full freedom of association is an obstacle to de-

velopment can be reversed: it can be argued that the lack of development is hampering the exercise of freedom of association. This freedom comes up against numerous barriers. The realities of the economic situation are often invoked to place severe limitations on the trade unions’ wage-negotiating function, and to challenge them to consider adopting policies that would aid the country’s economy. The real challenge is for the social partners – government, trade unions, and employers in the private sector -- to play a more constructive role in labour relations with expectations that there will be higher labour productivity, fewer industrial disputes and strikes, more labour peace, and a climate of labour relations that will be conducive to development through social partnership arrangements at the enterprise and national levels..

Regards Samuel Goolsarran

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, September 27, 2018

GTU rejects gov’t pick for arbitration chair …threatens resumption of strike action

By Lisa Hamilton THE Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) has rejected the appointment of Professor Leyland Lucas as chairman of the arbitration panel and has threatened the resumption of strike action in seven days, unless legal agreements are adhered to.

The union is also accusing Junior Minister of Social Protection with responsibility for Labour, Keith Scott, of misapplying the1990 Memorandum of Understanding and September 6, 2018 Terms of Resumption, both signed by the Ministry of Education (MoE) and the GTU. The GTU was a no-show at Wednesday’s meeting scheduled with the MoE and at the Ministry of Social Protection (MoSP) to finalise and sign the Terms of Reference for arbitration. Coming out of the MoSP boardroom where the parties were expected to meet, Chief Labour Officer (CLO) Charles Ogle confirmed, some 30 minutes after the scheduled 13:00hrs appointment, that the GTU would not attend.

This was further corroborated by GTU President Mark Lyte by telephone and later

by GTU General-Secretary

Coretta McDonald at the GTU office on Woolford Avenue, where she spoke to the media. “The Guyana Teachers’ Union will not be attending the meeting scheduled for today 26th September, 2018 with the Department of Labour, because of growing concerns that Minister Keith Scott either wants to take teachers for a ride or has no interest in ensuring the establishment of an arbitration panel to resolve the matters relating to securing a multi-year agreement with the Ministry of Education,” the document she presented, stated.

McDonald further explained to the media that there is both compulsory and voluntary arbitration-- the latter of which the GTU has entered into with the MoE and which takes on a different process.

She stressed that the 1990 Memorandum of Agreement states that in the case of voluntary arbitration, “the Ministry of Labour shall nominate the chairman in the event the parties fail to reach agreement,” while putting emphasis on the word ‘nominate.’

The union also stated that the September 2018 ToR stipulates that the chairper-

son, when nominated, should be “agreed to by the employer and the GTU,” meaning that no chair can be appointed without the consent of the involved parties.

“With Voluntary Arbitration, it is expected that the chair will have the confidence of both sides that are in the dispute. In this specific case, Dr. Leyland Lucas cannot be appointed by Minister Scott. The MoE and GTU will have to agree on the nominee, after which the nominee from the MoE and the GTU will be empanelled as a board with specific Terms of Reference and in receipt of their specific instrument to perform. This is the reason ‘nominate’ has been stated as it related to the MoE representative, the GTU representative and the chairperson,” the document stated.

Along with the chairman, the MoE and GTU are expected to each nominate one person to the panel, amounting to a panel of three persons to decide on much-disputed salary increases for teachers.

But, with the new complications arising, the GTU has urged Dr. Lucas to “recuse himself from a process that is not in accordance with industrial relations practic-

Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) General-Secretary Coretta McDonald discloses the union’s plans to the media at the GTU main office on Wednesday (Adrian Narine photo

es, laws and time-honoured principles.”

They also clarified that their grouse has nothing to do with Lucas’ “qualifications or perceived competencies.”

They have, instead, turned their dissatisfaction to Minister Scott, whom they claim continues to hinder the due process.

“When it was GTU’s turn to name its nominee, in barged the Minister of Labour, who is within the Ministry of Social Protection, Honourable Keith Scott with a very nicely dressed young man and we were told: ‘I

will have to interrupt this meeting, but I must do it at this stage because I have to introduce to you the chairperson for the arbitration panel’,” McDonald recounted. She added that the GTU was “taken aback,” because it was not the appropriate meeting for that purpose; they had from the inception rejected the involvement of Minister Scott and had made known their preference that the chairman would not be an employee of the state.

The union is also disappointed that previous nominees put forward, such as Rashleigh Jackson, Jeffrey Thomas and Aubrey Armstrong were rejected.

But at the same time, with the deadline given these matters to be ironed out, the GTU is positive that if the strike resumes it will receive even more support than before. “The teachers who were out there and those who were not out there, they are ready to hit the streets as we speak.

As a matter of fact, let me say to you, other entities are only waiting for the GTU to call that day and they’ll be ready to join us,” McDonald stated.

The MoE also sent out its own release on Wednesday, prior to the scheduled meeting, advising teachers about the legal implications of any strike action. “During the consideration of the

Duncan details wanton abuse by King

…tells CoI of unilateral decisions, questionable spending

By Tamica Garnett TOWN CLERK Royston King’s disposition of making unilateral decisions and questionable deals are what prompted former deputy Mayor, Sherod Duncan, to file a no-confidence motion against him, the Commission of Inquiry into the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (MCC) heard on Wednesday.

The no-confidence motion was tabled against King earlier this year, but it was not allowed to be debated.

Armed with a host of documents to justify his claims, Duncan noted the many instances when the Town Clerk went beyond his powers or failed to respond to request for information.

Duncan cited the case of the removal of vendors from the Stabroek Market Square, the removal of vendors at Robb Street, the implementation of container fees and the situation with King illegally leasing council lands, all without those matters ever being discussed at the

Georgetown Councillor, Sherod Duncan, (left) presenting evidence before CoI Chairman, retired Justice Cecil Kennard (right) (Adrian Narine photo)

council meetings. “In my mind there has been a series of issues where the Town Clerk institutes an action and then comes to council to ratify it. It took us quite [by] surprise as a council that the Stabroek Market vendors were removed from the Stabroek Market Square. The issue never came before the council; if you check the minutes of meetings you would never find it there,” Duncan explained.

“That kind of unilateral action again was displayed when the vendors of Robb

Street were removed. Incidentally, the Mayor was out of the jurisdiction at that point and I was discharging the functions of Mayor and yet the Town Clerk never informed me that the vendors were going to be moved. I had to learn about it through the news like everybody else- implementation of a container fee. There was unilateral action by the Town Clerk to block certain businesses which were not forthcoming with the container fee.”

Duncan was one of two persons who presented state-

ments during the morning session of the CoI; the other person being an engineer of the council, Kabila Hollingsworth, who told the CoI of incidents whereby he was discriminated against and has been victimised following what he termed to be an unjust hearing against him chaired by Councillor Oscar Clarke.

PARKING METER Noting the parking meter contract as an example, Duncan also noted that there were worrisome instances

matter in dispute, under the grievance procedure, there shall be no strike, stoppage of work -- whether of a partial or general nature -- go slow, boycott, picketing, retardation of production or any other interference with the ministry’s operations by the union, nor shall there be any lockout or any other form of interference by the ministry.

Both parties shall endeavour to maintain a state of normal industrial relations,” the release highlighted.

It was made in reference to guidelines of the Memorandum of Agreement –‘The Avoidance and Settlement of Disputes’ signed by the GTU and MoE on July 7, 1983. The MoE’s statement went on to affirm: “Teachers are therefore kindly advised to have due regard to the above legal stipulation and should note that any action which violates or is adverse to the above shall be illegal, for which the ministry will ensure that the appropriate consequences ensue.”

Meanwhile, the MoSP further stated in a release: “It is the union which demanded that the issue be referred to a tribunal and any attempt to walk away from the process at this stage or to disrupt the smooth functioning of the arbitration machinery must be discouraged.”

of the Town Clerk claiming that contracts were awarded by the previous council, yet when asked to produce evidence to show, he failed to do so. “One of the things that the Town Clerk has used is saying that a decision is of the previous council but you have no evidence in minutes to say that this is the decision of the previous council. And so they [Town Clerk and Mayor] used this occasion to say that this parking meter contract was signed by the previous council and they are executing on it,” Duncan

elaborated, adding that: “Councillors have asked for those previous decisions of the previous councils and to date we have not been furnished with any of that.

Councillor Greggory Fraser made a request in writing for the Town Clerk to show where the former council allegedly agreed to the metered parking system for Georgetown; that has not been forthcoming.”

Duncan also noted that he was never given a reply whenever he sent correspondences to either the Town Clerk or Mayor, no matter the subject of the correspondence. He listed a total of seven instances whereby he sent written notices to the Mayor and or Town Clerk about varying issues and never received replies.

Additionally, Duncan contended that King has been misusing an emergency clause that allows him to bypass the tendering process in the award of contract. “From the time I’ve been a councillor I have not seen a conTurn to page 9 ►

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, September 27, 2018

King victimises, bullies minibus operators – Commission of Inquiry hears

By Telesha Ramnarine CECELIA Richards on Wednesday appeared before the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the operations of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) to express how actions on the part of Town Clerk Royston King forced her out of work and constantly result in violence against her on the Number 44 minibus park.

Richards is secretary to the University of Guyana (UG) Minibus Association,

paying this fee until this year,” Richards said.

On May 19 this year, things changed again, to the ire of the minibus operators.

“We found the park marked ‘Industry only.’ Although we have a contract with UG, we also do the Industry route. So we joined the line as usual,” Richards recalled.

Two constables went up to Richards and other operators and told them they had to move. The constables provided no explanation. “We noticed that nine Industry

Cecelia Richards

Donna Smith

which falls under the purview of the United Minibus Association.

The CoI, being presided over by Justice (ret’d) Cecil Kennard at the Critchlow Labour College on Woolford Avenue, heard how in a move to victimise and bully certain ‘handpicked’ minibus operators, King sent his agents to threaten lock up, or in other instances, to impound vehicles.

According to Richards, she owns and operates a Route 44 minibus with her husband.

Back in May 2016, city constables appeared at the park demanding that each bus pay $200 per day. Some 65 buses were working on the park at the time. “This was never announced to us prior, but we were told that the money is to facilitate parking there,” she said.

The park in question is located on Regent Street, between Avenue of the Republic and Hincks Street.

The minibus operators contacted the City Constabular, but were referred to the City Engineers Department.

“No one could say why the fee was being charged. But we started paying, because if we didn’t, the constables would want to lock us up or impound our vehicle. We continued

buses were allowed to use the said park. We wondered why the 45 other buses were asked to move.”

Going to meet the town clerk multiple times yielded no positive results and no one could provide the operators with any reason for the new development. The nine buses which were allowed to continue working, though, were allowed to see King whenever they wanted, Richards said.

KING’S INSTRUCTION The constables reported that they had received orders directly from King.

Officers from the Ministry of Public Infrastructure went to visit the park and were confused, Richards said, because it is the ministry which is responsible for markings on the road.

Richards said at this point, she was very concerned about the aggressive, violent behaviour of the nine operators who have exclusive rights to the park and act as though they own it.

She said only the nine buses are allowed to use the free space in the park and that whenever her bus tries to occupy the space, she often becomes a victim of verbal abuse by the operators. In fact, she said on one occasion, one

driver drove up beside her bus and blocked the bus door.

When she refused to move, he drove in such a way that damaged the entire side of her bus.

Richards said an injunction against City Hall was filed in the interest of being able to go back to using the park as per normal.

Another person who took the stand, 60-year-old Donna Smith of Lot 5 Vlissengen Road, worked with the M&CC for 21 years in the security arm of the City Constabulary.

She was told from the very beginning of her employment that once she reached

Linneth Primo

retirement age, she would benefit from severance pay equal to her years of service, along with a pension scheme to which she contributed from her salary each month.

Smith always knew that she would be able to benefit from both payments. Upon her retirement earlier this year, though, the woman said she received a letter stating that she would be able to receive only one of the payments.

Smith is hoping that the commission will assist her in receiving both of her payments.

A third person to take the stand was 70-year-old Linneth Primo, who worked with M&CC for 16 years in the Markets Department as a sanitation worker.

After retiring in 2008, Primo was told by the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) that she could not receive a pension from them, because the M&CC did not remit payments to them for three years.

Contributions deducted from Primo’s salary by the City Council was not handed over to NIS for the years 2002, 2003 and 2004.

Primo is hoping the commission will get City Hall to pay over the outstanding sums, so that she can begin receiving her NIS pension.

Guyana to get five SMART hospitals

By Vishani Ragobeer FIVE healthcare facilities in Guyana will be revamped as the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) seeks to protect against the ever looming threat of natural disasters while fostering good environmental practices.

“This process is an important one as we seek to ascertain ways in which we can further enhance the delivery of public health care, utilising the SMART hospital model,” Junior Minister of Health, Dr. Karen Cummings, told a gathering of residents and health professionals at the Diamond Diagnostic Centre.

This centre, along with four others: the Mabaruma Regional Hospital, the Leonora Cottage Hospital, the Lethem Regional Hospital and the Paramakatoi Health Centre, will be retrofitted into facilities that are resilient, environmentally sound and sustainable.

Zeroing on the reasons this transformation is critical, Dr. Cummings reminded of the recent threat of tropical storm, Kirk, which could have wreaked havoc on Guyana’s coastal plain.

With the threat of natural disasters always imminent, Dr. Cummings said: “It is necessary that Guyana embraces this SMART hospital initiative so as to ensure that we have health facilities that can function optimally even in the aftermath of natural disasters.”

More than that, she explained that the hospitals must also be environmentally-friendly and resource efficient. This would include using renewable energy and alternative power and efficiency in the use of utilities, much in keeping with President David Granger’s green state agenda.

“SMART hospitals can arguably be seen at the intersection of medicine, information, health and business,” the minister said and highlighted that the purpose

Junior Public Health Minister, Dr. Karen Cummings

of this SMART environment is to improve existing procedures for the provision of advanced means of medical care and new opportunities for medicine.

SMART, AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE For her, Guyana has joined the rest of the world in improving the healthcare services offered and the country, through its Government, will not be left behind as it strives to provide smart, safe and affordable health care.

Dr Cumming also urged stakeholders to share their views on the hospital upgrades.

“Today’s consultation is designed to gain pertinent information on the way forward in transforming this facility into one that will provide excellence in clinical outcome, efficiency in operations and enhancement of patient experience.”

The SMART hospital initiative is being made possible with assistance from the Pan-American Health Organisation/ World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) and the British Government through the Department for International Development (DfID).

For PAHO/ WHO country representative, Dr. William Adu-Krow, “It is important and imperative for countries to adopt this SMART hospitals initiative

as a national policy for risk reduction and ensure that all new hospitals are built to the level of safety and retrofit existing ones so that they continue to function during and immediately after severe natural hazard events.”

While only five facilities are currently being retrofitted, it is his hope that whatever gains and savings made will be invested into the system and local funds would be used to retrofit the others.

Adding to Adu-Krow was acting British High Commissioner Ray Davidson, who noted that making healthcare safe and environmentally sustainable, even in the event of crisis or disasters, is truly important.

He lauded the advances made since the process was initiated last year, including the site visits, designing and inspections and tendering, and said the British Government is pleased to support the progressive initiative.

“Establishing a SMART hospital strategy is more than just bringing together smart devices and applications connected to high speed network and infrastructure. Our SMART hospital strategy seeks to redefine health care processes, operational procedures and redesign the physical infrastructure to drive a new way of delivering public health care,” Dr. Cummings affirmed.

Duncan details wanton... tract, a lease document; I’ve never seen any come before council besides the parking meter contract, and it took months of agitation to get the parking meter contract.

There is wanton abuse of the emergency clause which talks about the variation of tender procedures in cases of emergency. If you have an emergency you can go to tender and you are allowed to bypass that system and you have to report to council afterwards, but you can’t

argue that the parking meter contract was an emergency,” Duncan pointed out.

Duncan also touched on the audit that was conducted into City Hall, which caused the Auditor General, Deodat Sharma, to complain of non-cooperation by City Hall and to threaten legal action. “The other thing I found worrisome is the whole issue with the Auditor General’s report 2016/2017 which dealt with $300M that was given by

From page 8

the Central government to deal with the Georgetown restoration programme that was managed by City Hall. That report from the Auditor General spelt out several alarming things.

For instance, the Auditor General stated that there were invoices for payments that did not have the correct approval signatures; several million dollars could not be accounted for, and issues like that,” he said.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, September 27, 2018

Sex tape man was strangled – autopsy reveals compression to neck, asphyxiation SHERWIN APPLE, the man who was being sought by police in relation to a sex video that went viral and who was subsequently found dead at the Kitty, Georgetown seawall on Tuesday, died of asphyxiation due to strangulation and compression injury to the neck, according to an autopsy.

The post-mortem examination was conducted on the 41-year-old man, also called “Yellow,” formerly of William Street, Kitty, and Silvertown, Wismar, Linden on Wednesday.

The police are continuing their investigation into what appears to be a case of murder.

His accomplice was arrested late on Tuesday evening and is presently in custody at the Mackenzie Police Station, ‘E’ Division.

The body of Apple was found face down in the mud while blood was seen running from his nostrils. The body was taken to the Lyken’s Funeral Home. The now dead man had returned to Guyana from Antigua a few years ago.

In the video, two men are

Dead: Sherwin Apple also called “Yellow”

seen engaging in sexual acts with a female teenager who later pleaded with the men to stop, but they continued.

It is unclear at this time how the video was leaked, but the Childcare and Protection Agency has launched an investigation. The incident allegedly took place in Linden, but it is unclear when it happened. It is alleged that the woman in the video is a relative of the man’s ex-girlfriend.

Based on preliminary investigations, Apple reportedly went missing at around 19:00hrs on Monday.

Meanwhile, Lindeners have condemned the sex video. The Guyana Chronicle was told that on Tuesday, the teen and her mother visited a police station in Linden. ‘E’ Division Commander, Mr Vanderhyden, told the media that he cannot comment further on the matter since it is still under investigation.

Following the circulation of the video on social media, police launched an investigation into the matter after describing the content as very disturbing.

The Guyana Chronicle heard voice notes sent Monday evening by Apple in which he expressed his frustrations over the release of the videos. He said that the video happened a while back and it was completely consensual since the girl was role- playing. In what sounded like he was holding back tears, Apple told the family member, “I going through my consequence, I going through my consequence, ya hear.”

He said that he has no idea how the video was leaked, but according to one of his sisters, he told her that it was being sold by the other guy involved.

While it was reported in some sections of the media that the video was leaked by a relative who happens to be a cousin of the teen in the video, the woman said that she had no idea of the

video before Monday, since she has been separated from Apple for over four years. “I have no reason to be vengeful. Why would I do that?

This is very painstaking for me because people pointing fingers at me for nothing I know about. I did not leak any video,” the relative said.

Women’s activists in Linden have publicly condemned the recent upsurge of sex videos coming out of the mining town over the last two months, all involving teens. It was described as a social phenomenon that needs to be addressed earliest.

PPP to withdraw from Wakenaam LAA if fraud accusations are true – says investigation has been launched into the matter

Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo flanked by members of the PPP/C during the press conference on Monday (Delano Williams photo)

THE People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has agreed to withdraw its submission from the Wakenaam Local Authority Area (LAA) if claims of irregularities prove to be true.

The PPP/C was accused of padding its list of back-

ers with names of persons who are either dead, living abroad or did not give their consent to be on the list which was submitted on Nomination Day. Local Government Elections (LGEs) are set for November 12, 2018.

“Most of the signatures

here are forged signatures, a criminal offence and punishable by law… dead persons are on this list and next to their names are signatures… this requires the police intervention,” said Regional Information Officer of Region Three Turn to page 11 ►

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, September 27, 2018

Man killed in NA crash was allegedly drag-racing – witness THE police in Berbice are continuing their investigation into the death of 23-year-old Andy Gajadar, who was reportedly drag-racing with a motorcyclist along the eastern carriageway of the Esplanade Road, New Amsterdam, Berbice, on Tuesday night when he was killed.

The police in a release said that Gajadar was allegedly speeding when he lost control of the car and Andy Gajadhar (centre) with parents Dolly and Andrew slammed into a utility pole in happier times on the eastern side of the Esplanade Public Road. pronounced dead.

The accident occured Meanwhile, at around 21:00hrs and his home, his youngHe was pronounced est brother Adrian dead at the accident recalled receiving scene by doctors; it news of the accident took rescuers almost from a motorcyclist, two hours to remove who worked with his the body from the sibling. As a result mangled vehicle. his parents Andrew Enquiries disand Dolly, along closed that Gajadwith an older sibling har, an employee of Andre, rushed to the Banks DIH Limit- The mangled car, PTT 7593 scene where their ed, New Amsterdam fears were confirmed. nearby Oldendoff Carriers branch and of 10 Rose Hall, offices, the driver of the car Reminiscing on the life of his East Canje, Berbice, was and motorcycle seemed to be older brother, Adrian said, proceeding north along the drag-racing along the one- “My brother was a stickler to western carriageway of the way roadway; the former time. He has never been late road in motor car PTT 7593, lost control after colliding for work.” reportedly at a fast rate of with a heap of sand on the Andy Gajadhar, a forspeed, when he lost control carriageway, resulting in mer student of Berbice and collided with a GPL the vehicle skidding, before High School, and the New pole. The body is presently at wrapping itself around a Amsterdam Technical Inthe New Amsterdam Hospital utility pole. stitute, was previously mortuary awaiting an autopsy Road users, including employed at Nand Persaud this Friday. medical staff working the Investments as an electriMeanwhile, the Guyana night shift at the New Am- cian. He also worked with Chronicle was told that Ga- sterdam hospital, which is a the Rose Hall Sugar Estate jadar was motoring in vehicle stone’s throw away, quickly as a telephone operator, PTT 7593, while a colleague assisted the unresponsive before taking up the post of was riding alongside on a young man. However, by the floorman at Banks DIH. A motorcycle. An eyewitness, time he was removed from post- mortem is scheduled who spoke anonymously, the wreckage, Gajadhar was for Friday. said, as he looked from the

PPP to withdraw from...

(Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Ganesh Mahipaul in a post on his Facebook page.

Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, in response to the accusation said the party is aware and has launched an investigation to ascertain if it is true. “If claims of irregularities are proven to be true, the candidates would be instructed to withdraw from contesting a constituency in the Wakenaam area.

“We are examining that now and if that turns out to be true, we are going to instruct the people on the ground not to contest that area because we will not tolerate it…. we’re doing an investiga-

tion,” said Jagdeo during a press conference at Freedom House on Monday.

Jagdeo however contended that the PPP/C was accused of the act in only one area, while there have allegedly been similar acts in 42 of the 80 LAAs. He alleged that the United Republican Party (URP), the Alliance For Change (AFC) and the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) have committed fraudulent acts in those 42 LAAs. In the light of those accusations and past irregularities, Jagdeo recommended that the Guyana Elections Commission

From page 10

(GECOM) implement stricter penalties for elections-related offences.

The LGEs, regardless of any challenges, will not be postponed, Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), retired judge James Patterson had said in a report from the Guyana Chronicle.

“It looks as if, but I cannot guarantee that we are going to be undisturbed, unless there are troublemakers,” said Patterson in an invited comment. He believes that his staff understands the seriousness of the task ahead and intends to take it very seriously.

AFC accuses PPP of bullying its supporters THE Alliance For Change said it has received credible reports of the alleged bullying and intimidation of its local government candidates and their supporting signatories by People’s Progressive Party activists and operatives.

In a release issued on Wednesday, the AFC said various persons who backed the party’s candidates for the upcoming Local Government Elections have been coerced into visiting GECOM offices to request that their names be removed as signatories. The PPP, the AFC alleged, had also resorted to widespread verbal abuse, threats and vic-

timisation of persons who openly supported the AFC in PPP strongholds in the 2015 national and regional elections, and now for the November 12 Local Government Elections.

“The AFC considers this campaign tactic by the PPP as a threat to Guyana’s democracy, which was sabotaged when the PPP government refused to hold local government elections for some 20 years (19942014). The AFC reaffirms its support for GECOM, but calls for this matter to be urgently investigated and for returning officers not to be cowed by the PPP to invalidate any of the signa-

tories, since at this stage the presumption of regularity should apply. “ The AFC said it has demonstrated that it remains strong and urges its supporters not to give in to the PPP’s defeatist tactic. “The AFC will contest Local Government Elections for the first time as an independent party, and anticipates that its candidates will be successful throughout Guyana. The PPP is fearful of AFC’s challenge and is trying to use our party as the scapegoat for its campaign to discredit GECOM and elections in Guyana,” the AFC declared.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, September 27, 2018

Guyana recommits to NAM principles …calls on body to protest attempts by states to infringe on sovereignty of others GUYANA on Wednesday told a meeting of the NonAligned Movement (NAM) that it embraces the principles of peaceful resolution of disputes, respect for the territorial integrity of states, non-interference in the internal affairs of states and solidarity with other states.

These are principles on which the movement was founded and Guyana’s Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge told his counterparts that they have over the years produced rich synergies and served “us well in all aspects of our development endeavour.”

The meeting was held at the United Nations Headquarters, New York. “First, we must renew our faith in multilateralism as the catalyst for creating the world of which our forefathers dreamed and which it is our obligation to make a reality,” Greenidge told the forum.

He said Guyana was heartened by the convening of theministerial Meeting of the movement, noting that it is timely on account of the fact that, as has been previously recognised, “we live in a world that faces multiple, complex and newly emerg-

Minister of Foreign Affairs Carl Greenidge addressing the meeting

ing threats and challenges to international peace and security.” For this reason, Greenidge said “Guyana endorses the prudence of recognising the importance at this juncture in harnessing and enhancing multilateralism to respond effectively to the myriad challenges we face, especially within the framework of international law.”

Greenidge told the forum that for Guyana, as a small, developing country with well-known security challenges, the multilateral re-

course has been an automatic instinct and imperative. “In commending this approach that we have ourselves faithfully and fruitfully pursued to the consideration of all member states, as we seek to entrench a culture of peace, let me mention four specific aspects that my delegation is convinced will lend to accelerated progress towards a culture of peace.”

He told the countries represented that their embrace of multilateralism must be holistic and authentic. “While

our perspectives may differ, dialogue, engagement and compromise must remain at the heart of multilateralism, as these are the means by which we can achieve real results. The challenges we face at the current juncture require us to act in concert to generate real solutions; and my hope is that we will work together for the triumph of multilateralism.“ Additionally, Greenidge said while multilateralism is being held as the vehicle for achieving our collective goals, this can never translate into a dissolution of our sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence. “On the contrary, Mr. Chair, we come to the table as sovereign equals capable of contributing to decisions that ultimately affect the well-being of our peoples.

Guyana abhors all attempts to infringe on the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of states and urges the movement to be unrelenting in its protest against every action that seeks to compromise these sacred principles.”

EQUALITY Additionally, Greenidge affirms that Guyana respects

the inherent dignity, equality and inalienable rights of all members of the human family, which he said remains the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world. “One of the principal tenets on which a culture of peace must be based is full respect for and promotion of all human rights and fundamental freedoms. Our work is incomplete as long as any person anywhere continues to experience the violation of his or her rights and as a peace-loving force; the NAM must have the moral suasion to cite those who perpetrate human rights violations with seeming impunity, even more so when they are numbered in this movement. The movement must be clear, consistent and unified in responding to all instances of infringements,” Greenidge asserted.

He told the forum that peace and development are intertwined and interdependent and one cannot be achieved without the other.

“As a movement essentially of developing countries, we know too well the struggles associated with poverty, including extreme poverty – struggles that are often compounded by insecurity and instability created by the

presence of illicit weapons in and perpetuation [sic] of illicit activities in our territories. Mr. Chair, we have to collectively undertake the mammoth task of confronting the elements that produce insecurity in our countries and in our world at large.”

Greenidge said as daunting as it may appear at times, “let us be ever mindful of the fact that insecurity is detrimental to development.

I therefore urge all of us to renew our commitment to the UN’s disarmament agenda and not in word only, but more importantly by requisite action as together we work for development, peace and security. “ The Guyanese minister said it is clear that progress towards a culture of peace will entail the “reshaping of our collective mindset towards values, attitudes, traditions and modes of behaviour, and ways of life that are conducive to peace.” He said within this context, it is critical to strengthen solidarity among members of the movement and to set the example, so that the seeds of the culture of peace planted so long ago must not only take deeper root, but come to full fruition throughout the world.

UK experts meet with ‘D’ Division police, regional stakeholders TWO United Kingdom experts, Paul Mathias and Andy Odell, who are currently on a fact-finding mission, met with members of the public and regional stakeholders within Region Three, at the ‘D’ Division Headquarters, Leonora, West Coast of Demerara.

The event was organised

by Divisional Commander of ‘D’ Division, Senior Superintendent Edmond Cooper.

“Our purpose here today is to hear from you. We are in the process of putting together a document that will make recommendations for the reforming of the Guyana Police Force. We, therefore, need to hear from you--the important citizens of this part of Guyana,” Mathias explained.

Representing the Regional Administration of Essequibo Islands-West Demerara was Regional Executive Officer, Denis Jaikaran, who spoke of the need to strengthen the public relations department of the police force and to build a greater degree of trust. “We at the administra-

officers. Closing remarks were delivered by Commander Cooper who promised the newly appointed commander to build a better relationship with the residents of the region. The Inter-American Development Bank is currently funding this project of security reform which forms part of the larger Citizens

Participants at the session

tive level have seen great improvement in the police force in our region. For example, at all of our schools, there are traffic officers ensuring that our students get priority in crossing the road. However, we are aware that to continue improving trust, we must increase the training and opportunities to our officers,” Jaikaran said.

Representing the Region Three Chamber of Commerce and Industry was president

of the organisation, Halim Khan, who noted the need for a quicker response from the police force. A resident of Parika, Ramnarine Singh, observed that the “police must set the example and lead from the front.”

Other participants also highlighted the need for greater trust between members of the force and the general public, and an increase in remuneration and additional training for all

(From left) Paul Mathias, Commander Edmond Cooper, REO Denis Jaikaran, Andy Odell, and Deputy Commander Deon Moore

Security Strengthening Programme (CSSP) which is working with the prisons and other justice sectors, primarily to improve the system of security in Guyana. At the conclusion of the various consultations, a report will be presented to President David Granger with recommendations for implementation. (DPI)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, September 27, 2018

Guyana to sign on to regional environmental treaty today GUYANA will today join several regional countries in signing on to the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

The signing will take place on the sidelines of the general debate of the 73rd session of the global organisation’s General Assembly.

Vice-President and Minister of Foreign Affairs Carl Greenidge, who is heading Guyana’s delegation at the UN General Assembly will sign the pact on behalf of this country. According to a UN release, the Escazú Agreement will be open for the signature of all the countries in the Region today.

The Escazú Agreement – so named because it was adopted last March 4 in the municipality of Escazú in Costa Rica – is the Region’s first environmental agreement. It is the only one of its kind in the world, since it includes specific provisions regarding defenders of human rights in environmental matters; it is the first legal instrument to have emerged thus far from the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Río+20).

The official opening for signature ceremony will take place at 10:00hrs in the Treaty Event Area (“Kuwaiti Boat Area”) in the building of the UN General Assembly. The ceremony will be headed by the Under Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and United Nations Legal Counsel, Miguel de Serpa Soares. It will include participants such as the Vice-President and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica -- the country where the agreement was adopted – Epsy Campbell Barr; the Prime Ministers of Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; the Vice-Presidents of Guyana and Panama, along with other foreign affairs ministers and ministers, totalling more than 20 countries of the Region.

Present also will be Alicia Bárcena, the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), which holds the Technical Secretariat of the Agreement.

From September 27

Vice-President and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge

onward, any state that has signed the Regional Agreement will be able to ratify, accept or approve it.

Ratification, acceptance or approval can be undertaken immediately after the signing. To enter into force, the Agreement will require 11 States Parties. In addition to the official delegations from signatory countries, other potential participants in the ceremony include intergovernmental organisations and related entities that have observer status with the General Assembly, as well as non-governmental organisations that are in consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

The Escazú Agreement seeks to ensure that all persons have access to timely and reliable information and can participate in an effective way in the decisions that affect their lives and their environments. It also seeks to ensure that people can access justice in environmental matters, thereby contributing to the fulfilment of the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“This is an Agreement made by us, for us and the generations to come. It is a visionary instrument, without precedent, a second-generation environmental treaty, because it explicitly links environmental matters with human rights and guarantees procedural rights that are essential for adequately implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” Alicia Bárcena, ECLAC’s Executive Secretary, indicated.

As of today, the following countries have confirmed that they will sign the Agreement: Antigua and Barbuda, Brazil, Costa Rica, The Do-

minican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Uruguay. Other countries of the Region are presently processing their confirmation.

After the signature ceremony, a press conference will be held at 11:30hrs on September 27, in conference room S-237 on the second floor of the UN Secretariat building, with the participation of Alicia Bárcena and Epsy Campbell Barr, among other authorities.

Also on Thursday, September 27, the event “Early Ratification of the Escazú Agreement: Regional action on Environmental Democracy to fulfil the vision of the 2030 SDG Agenda” will take place at the Open Society Foundation’s headquarters in New York (6:00 – 9 p.m.). Organised jointly by ECLAC, the governments of Chile and Costa Rica and the organisations The Access Initiative Latin America and the Caribbean, Open Society Foundation, Namati, World Resources Institute, Amnesty International, Civicus and DAR (Derecho, Ambiente y Recursos Naturales), this event aims to promote dialogue and inspire countries to sign, ratify and implement the Escazú Agreement.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, September 27, 2018

10 families receive houses from Food For The Poor

Beneficiaries standing in front of one of the homes that were built

FOOD For The Poor (FFTP) Guyana Inc on Tuesday commissioned 10 houses in the Mainstay/ Whyaka Amerindian community in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam).

The houses are equipped with indoor washroom facilities, tables, chairs, folding beds, gas stoves and solar panels. According to Chief Executive Officer for FFTP, Kent Vincent, the houses

were built under the organisation’s General Housing Project, with the main aim of providing for needy families living in the Mainstay/Whyaka community. Speaking to beneficiaries in the Whyaka area, Mr. Vincent said that FFTP Guyana Inc is pleased to construct the houses for the families and called upon them to care and maintain the structures.

He said thus far FFTP

has constructed 40 houses for families in Region Two and in return, he asked them to pray for the continued success of the organisation.

He said the housing projects are funded by donors from the United States of America who want to make a difference in Guyana. “Pray for FFTP, pray for the donors, that’s the way you can help us; we need you to remember us when you pray,” Vincent

Chief Executive Officer of FFTP, Kent Vincent, assists in cutting the ribbon, officially commissioning the homes

said.

Toshoa of the Amerindian community, Milton Fredericks, also used the opportunity during the commissioning ceremony to thank FFTP for the homes that were gifted to his community. Fredericks said that the families were in need and most of them were living in inhumane condi-

tions.

One of the beneficiaries, Melisa Williams, was overwhelmed at having received one of the homes.

Williams, a mother of two, said that previously she was living in a cramped house. She said most of the family finances were spent on renting and many times they had to work extra

hours to make ends meet.

Williams showered praises on FFTP for reaching out to her family and also thanked the donors who funded the project. Food For The Poor some years ago had also commissioned a number of houses in another area called Prince Ville in the Mainstay/Whyaka community.

City constable allegedly shoots minibus driver in leg A minibus driver is now nursing a gunshot injury to his left leg after he was allegedly shot by a member of the City Constabulary following an argument on Wednesday morning around 09:50hrs at Cornhill Street in the vicinity of the old Guyana National Co-operative Bank (GNCB).

Injured is Paul John, 48, who resides at lot 5 Ruby, East Bank Essequibo. It is

unclear what prompted the shooting, but according to what eyewitness said, the victim was walking back to his minibus when he was shot in his left leg. He was bleeding profusely and was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) by an ambulance and was admitted.

Police investigations are still ongoing and according to a source, John is being guarded by police ranks.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, September 27, 2018

Communities Ministry presents tractors to three NDCs THE Ministry of Communities on Wednesday handed over three new John Deere Double Drive Tractors to the Lethem and Linden town councils and the Aranaputa Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) at its main office in Kingston, Georgetown.

Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan, who presented the tractors to representatives of the three councils, reminded them that waste disposal, solid-waste management and garbage collection are among the responsibilities of the local government organs. To this end, he said, the tractors will aid in sanitation-management efforts.

“These three machines

at an approximate total cost of $20M represent not only an investment to support the work of these three councils, but it is evidence and a testament of ongoing support by the central government to our respective local democratic organs, to assist in their rehabilitation and the building of capacity,” Minister Bulkan said.

Mayor of Lethem Kerry Jarvis and Region 10 Councillor, Orleena Obermuller, expressed appreciation for the new machines. Jarvis said, “I am quite certain it will be very helpful in the farming done in Region Nine, because we are not only looking at developing the township alone, we are looking to develop the region.”

Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan, hands over the tractor keys to Mayor of Lethem, Kerry Jarvis; Managing-Director of GENEQUIP and supplier of the machines, Renger Vandik, poses for the picture

Managing-Director of GENEQUIP and Supplier of the Tractors, Renger Vandik, noted that while tractors are associated with agriculture, they can be used for sanitation purposes as well. “With the right tools, a tractor can do more than just ploughing or anything agriculture. You can load garbage in the trailer, you can have a slasher in the back to cut grass and you can pull a trailer with goods or garbage.” Vandik said his company has supplied many regions with the machines and to date it has not received any complaints of malfunctions. He believes the machines will take the regions’ development to another level. (DPI)

Mercury level in Port Kaituma water within WHO guidelines

City woman on fraud charge

THE results of tests conducted at Port Kaituma in the North West District for the presence of mercury in the water supplied to residents have found that levels were within the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.

This is according to the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC). In a press statement attributed to GGMC Commissioner (acting) Newell Dennison, it was noted that the tests indicated that the levels were within the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Levels for drinking water.

According to Dennison,

CITY Magistrate Fabayo Azore on Wednesday released a 42-year-old businesswoman on $65,000 bail for alleged fraud.

It is alleged that Burl Hinds on September 2, 2018, at Stone Avenue, Campbellville, while being solely entrusted by Troylyn Jones with $105,000 worth in clothing to sell and return the proceeds, fraudulently converted same to her own use and benefit.

Hinds, who was unrepresented, pleaded not guilty to the charge and was released on bail. The matter was adjourned until October 24.

–GGMC report says

following a report in July this year about mercury contamination in the Port Kaituma River from where water was being supplied to residents, the body dispatched, on July 26, 2018, a joint team that included the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to investigate.

Test results have revealed mercury levels higher than the concentration acceptable to the World Health Organisation (WHO) in the Port Kaituma River, thus making it unsafe for use. Mercury is a heavy metal in liquid form used during gold-mining activities.

According to a report in July, since Guyana Water Inc (GWI) discovered the presence of the substance in the Port Kaituma River back in May this year, it took a decision to cease pumping the water to residents while it carried out tests at other sections of the source.

Part of GWI’s mandate is to ensure that water is safe, so tests are carried out regularly. Samples were taken from the Port Kaituma River and sent to the Kaizen Environmental Services Laboratory in Trinidad, where it tested positive for mercury.

Managing Director of

GWI, Dr. Richard Van-West Charles and a team of officials met with the chairperson and councillors of the Matarkai Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) in Port Kaituma in July to discuss with them the company’s challenges and plans to address the issue, since residents are heavily dependent on surface water from the Port Kaituma River.

In a subsequent press release, GWI explained that there are two wells in the community which GWI intends to activate. One is situated at Turn Basin and another at Citrus Grove, both in Port Kaituma.

Burl Hinds

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, September 27, 2018

Mother appeals for help – daughter raped, incapacitated from suicide attempt

By Nafeeza Yahya THE mother of young ‘Ariel’ (not her real name), a former high school student, is appealing to the public for help to restore her daughter to some level of normalcy.

The teen is suffering from Ischemic Hypoxic Encephalopathy, a medical condition of the brain that has affected her cognitive and motor skills, caused by the means through which she attempted suicide some years ago.

The story of Ariel is a sad narration. At an impressionable age of just 14, she was coerced into an illicit sexual relationship with a man 14 years her senior while still a high school student. She managed to end the relationship but, soon after, she found herself in another relationship not far different from the first.

The young girl, after realising for the second time

that she was being used and abused, lost hope in life and her failed attempt at suicide has resulted in her current health condition.

Her mother--a single parent--had to quit her job to be by her side and is having a tough time as she too has medical conditions of her own to battle.

Shanta (not her real name) is afraid that should something happen to her, no one would want to care for her daughter. However, the good news is that through treatment, young Ariel can recover from her current state.

Shanta is appealing to the public for help to get her daughter to recover from her current condition and bring her abusers to justice.

Relating what happened, an emotional Shanta told Guyana Chronicle that sometime in 2013, while attending secondary school, her daughter told her that she met a guy who wanted to get

married to her.

OBJECTION Shanta strongly objected to such a union since her daughter was still in school, and was still very young.

She also felt that the promise of marriage was nothing but a lure.

According to Shanta, the man who was 28 at the time, told Ariel he was 22 years old and showered her with ‘’sweet words’’. He eventually forced himself on her in a lonely spot when the relationship was just a few weeks old and then promised to marry her.

Ariel, being young and naïve, believed the man wholeheartedly. She would leave for school early in the morning, but instead of going to school, she goes to the man’s house without her mother’s knowledge.

Eventually, word of the relationship got around when Tom (not his real name) and Ariel got into a fight. Probation officers were called in

and Tom was detained for four days. The matter was then sent to court.

In a bid to tarnish the girl’s reputation and to show that she was the one who approached him, Tom hatched a plan with his best friend ‘John’ to approach Ariel under the guise of marrying her. The two then started a relationship.

According to Shanta, John too came home and asked to marry Ariel but gave a different name and said he was the son of a prominent Upper Corentyne businessman. “I explained to him that she is still young and underage but he said he will wait until she becomes 16 and finish school to get married. So I asked about his parents and stuff and he gave me the details, which I later found out were all lies” said the mother.

Shanta said she became suspicious when she kept asking to meet John’s family and he kept

making excuses. She decided to visit the business place and asked for him and, to her surprise, she found out that John was a driver/salesman and was in a long-term relationship with someone else.

Shanta approached the mother of John’s ‘long-term’ girlfriend and was told that the relationship is several years old and that the couple was planning to get married soon. She eventually took Ariel to hear first-hand what was conveyed to her but the heart-break proved to be too much for the teen.

EVIL ADVICE Ariel got into contact with Tom again and Shanta overheard him telling Ariel over the phone to hurt herself.

“After the story with John, she and Tom start talking again over the phone and I took away her phone.

One Friday afternoon when I come home I heard she was on the phone, so I sneaked

up and I heard him telling her to take some of my sleeping tablets and drink it, Shanta related. ‘If you do this you mother won’t stop us from being together’,’’ Shanta quoted Tom as saying.

Angry, Shanta confronted Ariel about the instruction from Tom, but the teen denied she was given any instruction to injure herself.

An argument broke out between the two and Ariel decided to go to her brother to spend the day and return to go to church on Sunday.

While in church, Ariel started to experience epileptic-like symptoms and soon after she collapsed and was taken to hospital.

The teen spent a week in hospital before her condition stabilised a bit and was eventually transferred to a private facility where her condition was diagnosed as Ischemic Hypoxic encephalopathy.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, September 27, 2018

Couple injured in gas bottle explosion A COUPLE was seriously injured on Wednesday morning after a gas bottle exploded at their Lot 45 Railway Road, Campbellville, Georgetown home.

Reports indicate that the explosion occurred at 05: 20hrs at the bottom flat of the building, which the husband and wife are renting.

The explosion caused the wooden walls to crumble and the exterior step leading to the upstairs of the house was also blown off.

The injured couple was identi-

fied as 39-year-old Rabi Hemraj and 36-year-old Meera Hemraj.

They received burns about their bodies. The duo were escorted to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where they were treated and admitted to the burns unit; their condition was listed as stable.

The occupant in the upper flat said that he was in his room sleeping when he heard a loud explosion from the lower flat in the kitchen area. A neighbour then quickly informed him not to use the door, since the stairs were blown off. Another neighbour then

assisted the man in the upper flat by breaking a window and placing a ladder to allow persons to escape from the burning building.

He also equipped himself with a fire extinguisher to douse the fire on the injured persons.

The man in the upper flat said he saw the victims with injuries about their bodies; he then observed that there was a gas bottle in the kitchen next to the injured couple, which he suspected was the cause of the explosion. The police removed the bottle from the scene.

Mother appeals...

FROM PAGE 18

She spent a few days in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and was eventually taken into the normal wards, since her family’s finance dried up.

Treatment for Ariel’s condition is reportedly not available in Guyana. She was discharged from hospital in a comatose state while her mother was given advice on how to care for Ariel at home.

“I brought her back home but the medication she was taking was not allowing her to sleep. She was sleepless for three weeks. I eventually borrowed some money and went back to Georgetown and meet the doctors who explained that the medication had some side effects and gave me something to help her get some rest. She had to be

fed through a tube and had a catheter in but because I took her to the private hospital, the public hospital don’t want remove it. So I had to pull it out myself.”

Shanta related amid tears that she had to quit her job to care for her daughter day and night and eventually managed to get her to walk and perform some simple tasks but she was

A section of the damaged apartment (Samuel Maughn photo)

unable to go to the bathroom on her own.

In a bid to make ends meet, Shanta turned to sewing. But, to make matters worse, the house they were staying at was renovated by the owners to be sold and they had to move. Ariel’s twin brother moved in with his older brother and both have abandoned the mother, since

they believed that she loved Ariel more than them.

Shanta is appealing to the public for assistance so that her daughter, soon to be 20, can receive the medical attention she needs to recover and hopefully return to a somewhat normal life.

“If there is anyone out there who can help us, please do. I don’t want anything; I

will work for the rest of my life to repay you if I have to, but please, I am seeking medical intervention for my daughter. She is a young, beautiful, kind-hearted soul that needs a lot of help and I cannot do it alone. Please help us if you can.” Persons desirous of assisting Shanta can contact her on telephone number 592-619-0715.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, September 27, 2018

Norton urges youth to find solutions to their problems MINISTER of Social Cohesion with responsibility for Youth, Culture and Sport, Dr George Norton urged youths attending the inaugural Guyana National Youth Conference to utilize the conference to impact their communities.

Norton delivered the feature remarks at the opening ceremony of the two-day conference which began on Wednesday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC).

There he encouraged the youths attending from all 10 administrative regions to have meaningful conversations aimed at highlighting areas in which the Government can improve its assistance given to youths.

“As the Government, we never believe we know it all. We recognize that the most fitting people to address the issues affecting the youth population are the youths themselves. We have

Minister of Social Cohesion with responsibility for Youth, Culture and Sport, George Norton (Samuel Maughn photo)

Director of Youth, Melissa Carmichael-Haynes (Samuel Maughn photo)

embarked on this initiative to provide you--the youths-with the ideal opportunity and forum to have your voices heard,” he stated.

He further encouraged the participants to take their roles seriously and to try their utmost to be vocal in all the discussed topics as policy makers will be taking note of concerns and suggestions raised.

“This is your opportunity.

youth-related issues.

However, he did make known his disappointment that more participation did not come from Regions 1, 7, 8 and 9, but stated: “Things have been done in your best interest and we will continue to invest in the youths of this country because we know, for a fact, that you are the key to Guyana’s increased prosperity and your value can never be overstated.”

Meanwhile, remarks came too from Director of Youth, Melissa Carmichael-Haynes, who assured the youths that the conference would enable the establishment of mechanisms to

We want to ensure that the most feasible and impactful solutions are implemented to [address] problems affecting Guyana’s young people,” he stated.

The Social Cohesion Minister reminded, too, that through the Department of Youth, some $1.7 B will be spent in 2018 on programmes designed to equip youths with skills for the job market, empowerment and other

advance the youth agenda in Guyana.

“At the Department of Youth, we recognized that Guyana’s development depends largely on the development of the country’s youth, regardless of ethnicity, cultural background, age, political preference, sexual orientation and gender identity.

“Guyana’s youths will need to be provided with the relevant opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills if they are to meaningfully contribute to the betterment of themselves, their community and by extension, their country,” she stated.

Carmichael-Haynes also

encouraged the youths to hold the department accountable to tabling their recommendations and addressing their concerns as they also work to learn, respect and assist each other during the event.

The two-day conference also saw presentations coming from Liaison Officer of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Adler Bynoe. Other presentations were expected to come from the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) on ‘The Role of Youth in Democracy and Governance’ and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) applicable to youth development.

Today, presentations will continue from the Guyana Police Force; the Department of Environment; the Department of Energy; Version 75 Solutions and other stakeholders.

Also, during the conference, three youths were presented with scholarships to attend the Cacique Accounting College while 10 others are set to receive scholarships today to attend Global Technology Inc.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, September 27, 2018

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, September 27, 2018

Adams brothers bowl Essequibo into League lead … beat Georgetown by 97 runs; East Bank also victorious

By Rajiv Bisnauth ESSEQUIBO brothers, leftarm spinners Anthony Adams and Ricardo Adams, were the main architects in their team’s convincing 97run win over Georgetown in yesterday’s round of the GCB/GCI 50-over tournament.

The win greatly has greatly enhanced their chances of lifting this year’s title.

Playing at the Georgetown Cricket Club, the duo claimed eight wickets between them, and defended their 152 first-innings total with ease, restricting the City team to 55 all out in 24.1 overs, for their fourth straight win, and moving to 19 points.

Ricardo Adams claimed 4-16, while Anthony Adams took 4-26, in two excellent spells of spin bowling.

The Georgetown batsmen failed to fire as a batting unit, as the visitors’ bowlers were more than competent in the bowling department.

Earlier, Essequibo were restricted to 152 all out in 43.4 overs. Asked to bat first, four batsmen got starts, but failed to carry on.

Ricardo Adams (37), Mark Williams (28 not out), Kemol Savory (19) and Anthony Adams (18) were instrumental in taking them to the total.

It was a pretty good bowling effort by the hosts upfront, as spinners Rammal Lewis (3-24) and Steven Sankar (3-12) choked the opposition with their wily bowling.

However, it was Christopher Barnwell (2-31) and Qumar Torrington (1-40) who provided the early breakthroughs, removing both openers, Kevon Boodie (10) and Parmesh Parsotam, who also made 10, which set the demolition.

However, the run chase was not what the City team expected, based on their rich form of batsmen Leon Johnson and Barnwell. While the shot selections were somewhat careless, the spin of the Adams brothers proved very challenging.

Only Barnwell (21) and Dexter George (10 not out)

reached double figures in a total batting meltdown. Leftarm spinner Akinie Adams and Joshua Jones collected the other two wickets.

Meanwhile, East Bank whipped Lower Corentyne by 122 runs at the Everest ground. Earlier a Ronaldo Alimohamed’s composed hundred laid the platform for East Bank’s total of 209 all out in 38 overs.

The all-rounder held the innings together with a boundary-laden 102 after East Bank were reduced to 45-3.

At the toss East Bank chose to bat but they lost opener Trevon Griffith who struck four fours in his 19 before he was removed by pacer Raun Johnson. A double run-out accounted for the demise of Yeudistir Persaud (10) and Deonarine Seegobin without scoring.

However, Vishaul Singh and Alimohamed joined forces, and consolidated nicely with the right dose of caution and aggression to bring the innings back on track.

The pair added 56 for the fourth-wicket, before left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul broke the partnership when he removed Singh for 30.

Despite the regular fall of wickets at the other end thereafter, Alimohamed was allowed to blossom during that period. Permaul, took three other wickets, to finish with 4-29, along with Kassim Khan, who had a wicket, He muscled nine sixes and brought up his hundred with his seventh four before he was the removed by Nial Smith. Kassim Khan was the other successful bowler after wrapping up the innings.

In the run chase, Lower Corentyne’s batting let them down, as they were bundled out for just 77 in 19.3 overs.

Gavin Singh and Trevon France swept aside the opposition batting, with two inspired spells of bowling, France finished with figures of 4-4, while Singh ended with figures of 4-16.

Alimohamed (1-28), and Keon Morris (1-27), were the other bowlers with a wicket apiece. Four top order Lower Corentyne batsmen shown signs of promise, but failed to apply themselves.

Kelvon Anderson (20), Junior Sinclair (16), Jonathan Foo (11), and Devon Clements (10), were the principle scorers.

The tournament concludes tomorrow.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, September 27, 2018

HACC - SCA 2018 Elite champions

HACC skipper Azib Ali Hanif presents the game ball to Keyron Fraser following his magnificent bowling performance.

… archrivals VPCC forfeit final

By Frederick Halley

TORONTO, Canada – After ruling the roost in the Premiere League for six consecutive years and enduring two seasons when they had to settle for the runner-up spot and a semi-final loss in the Elite League, Hawaiian Arctic Cricket Club (HACC) were primed and ready to engage Victoria Park Cricket Club (VPCC) in this year’s final, which was set for the Ashtonbee number one ground here last Sunday.

In the midst of HACC’s preparations, word got around that their archrivals VPCC had decided to forfeit the game, handing HACC the Scarborough Cricket Association (SCA) Elite championship on a platter. According to reports, several of their senior players were supposed to be engaged in the Toronto & District (T&D) league the said day of the SCA Elite League final.

While HACC were making light work of last year’s winners and defending champions Highland Creek on pitch num-

ber two, winning by six wickets, VPCC ran riot on Armor, recording a massive 243-run victory on pitch number one in last Saturday’s semis.

Led by a superb spell of fast bowling from former Guyana Under-19 player Keyron Fraser who grabbed an incredible six for 17 from eight consecutive overs and a brilliant half-century from Rishi Samuel, HACC reached 150 for four in 26.4 overs, replying to Highland Creek’s 147 all out in 37.1 overs.

The West Berbice-born

Fraser, who normally opens the bowling but was forced to enter the attack in the 24th over after arriving late, engineered a middle and lower-order collapse which saw Highland Creek slipping from 106 for four to 147 all out.

Fraser was ably supported by leg-spinner Vinood Persaud who claimed two for 55 from his 10 overs while off-spinner Krishnadat Ramoo took one for six from three overs and Zaheer Allard one for 22 from six. The day also saw a brilliant performance from former Canadian wicketkeeper Surendra Seeraj whose six dismissals included five catches and a stumping.

Several of Highland Creek batsmen got starts but failed

The victorious HACC players and supporters

three fours and two sixes.

By the time Ramoo was dismissed for 44 (three fours and two sixes), HACC only needed four runs and victory was duly completed with skipper Azib Ali Hanif (14) and Joshua Paul (four) at the wicket. Anas Malik took two for 27 from 5.3 overs.

HACC president, Narchand ‘Archie’ Mohan was delighted with the success following the disappointments over the past two years. He complimented his charges for a wonderful season and for a top-notch performance in the semi-final against the defendTop-scorer Rishi Samuel poses with the championship trophy.

to convert them into any tangible scores. Fahad Ali Khan, whom batted at number three, slammed a quick-fire 36 with three fours and three sixes, middle-order batsman Darshil Patel 26 with three fours while openers Fahad Ali and Ishan Shah scored 20 runs each.

Needing to score at just under three runs per over to advance to the final, HACC lost openers Seeraj (0) and Bhim Bodhoo (13) and were 33 for two in the seventh over.

However, Samuel and Ramoo stemmed the tide with a fine 83-run third-wicket partnership before the latter went for 61 which was spiced with

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ing champions.

In the other semi-final, played on the adjacent ground, it was raining sixes with Harjeet Brar slamming 12 and five fours in his 149 off 110 balls and Rachad Forde clobbering 10 and two fours off 45 balls as VPCC reached a formidable 387 all out in 49 overs.

Shahil Shaikh took four for 66 and Zuber Mohammed three for 97.

Armor were shot out for 144 in 27.3 overs, with Parth Desai (four for 35), Hrutviv Patel (three for 13) and Shailesh Patel (two for 32) being the main destroyers.

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25

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, September 27, 2018

Tigers beat Pakistan to set up India Asia Cup decider MUSHFIQUR Rahim fell one short of a century before Mustafizur Rahman and Mehidy Hasan excelled with the ball as Bangladesh beat Pakistan by 37 runs to seal their place in the Asia Cup final against India.

The Tigers suffered a huge blow when Shakib Al Hasan flew home with a fractured finger, but they put that setback behind them to win a decisive last Super Four contest in Abu Dhabi yesterday.

A fourth-wicket stand of 144 between Mushfiqur (99) and Mohammad Mithun rescued Bangladesh after the excellent Junaid Khan, in for Mohammad Amir, struck twice early on to leave them in the mire on 12-3.

Junaid claimed outstanding figures of 4-19 from nine overs, yet Mushfiqur and Mithun (60) ensured the underdogs posted 239 all out.

That proved to be too many for the ICC Champions Trophy holders to chase down despite a patient 83 from Imam-ul-Haq, Mustafizur (443) and Mehidy (2-28) doing the business for Bangladesh as Pakistan fell short on 202-9.

Bangladesh will be out

for revenge when they face the holders in a repeat of the 2016 decider in Dubai tomorrow.

before Das was sent on his way, but Mushfiqur and Mithun frustrated Pakistan, the wicketkeeper-batsman finding

Mushfiqur Rahim steadied the innings, bringing all his experience to play, but fell one short of a well-deserved century. (©Getty Images)

A third Asia Cup final looked unlikely for Mushfiqur’s side when Junaid did early damage, the left-arm quick-bowling Liton Das with a peach of a delivery which shaped away to hit the top of off stump after dismissing Soumya Sarkar.

Shaheen Afridi (2-47) cleaned up Mominul Haque

the boundary on both sides of the wicket and riding his luck.

Mithun found the ropes four times before he was caught and bowled by Hasan Ali and Mushfiqur fell agonisingly short of a seventh one-day international hundred, but Mahmudullah added 25 and Mashrafe Mortaza struck the only six

of the innings in the penultimate over.

Pakistan made a terrible start to their run chase, Fakhar Zaman driving Mehidy to Rubel Hossain at mid-on in the first over before Mustafizur saw the back of Babar Azam and Sarfraz Ahmed cheaply.

The mature Imam and Shoaib Malik put on 67 for the fourth wicket but the inform all-rounder fell for 30 in the 21st over when Mortaza rose to take a brilliant catch at midwicket, giving Rubel his first wicket.

Pakistan were 94-5 at the halfway mark when Shadab Khan fell to Sarkar, but Imam brought up his half-century from 74 balls and Asif Ali (31) offered some support for the opener in a sixth-wicket stand of 71.

It was very much advantage the Tigers when Das stumped Asif and Imam off Mehidy and Mahmudullah respectively, then Mustafizur doubled his wicket tally to leave Pakistan on the brink of defeat at 197-9, leaving the final pair of Shaheen and Junaid with far too much to do.

Afghanistan savour tie with India that felt like victory DUBAI (Reuters) - If there were any lingering doubts about Afghanistan’s stature as one of the most mercurial sides in limited-overs cricket, Rashid Khan and Mohammad Shahzad dismissed them in style during Tuesday’s epic Asia Cup tie against India.

Having secured their place in tomorrow’s final, India fielded a weakened side for the dead rubber, resting skipper Rohit Sharma, and bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah and Yuzvendra Chahal.

Afghanistan were already eliminated from the competition but appeared determined to make a statement against their neighbours, who have helped develop the game in the strife-torn nation, even offering two grounds to host ‘home’ matches.

Afghanistan players celebrate the wicket of Jadeja as though they have won the match.

In the end, Asghar Afghan’s team departed on a high note as spin-bowling talent Rashid sent down a brilliant final over to help pull off the 36th tie in one-

day cricket history.

“When you tie with a team like India, it’s like winning,” skipper Afghan said after the thriller at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium as his

side bowled India out with one ball to spare.

“They usually chase easily. It is good for the fans as well.”

Shahzad was adjudged man-of-the-match for his belligerent 124, which powered Afghanistan to 252 for eight.

Opener Lokesh Rahul, who top-scored for India with a fluent 60 in his first match of the tournament, was not surprised by the growth he had observed in a side who became the 12th Test playing nation in June.

“We’ve seen how much they improved as a team in the last couple of years,” said Rahul, who shares the Kings XI Punjab dressing room with teenage Afghan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman in the Indian Premier League.

Magnificent Hazard ends Liverpool’s 100 percent start

Eden Hazard scores an 85th-minute winner. (BBC Sport)

LONDON, England (Reuters) - The brilliance of Chelsea’s Eden Hazard ended Liverpool’s 100 percent start to the season as Maurizio Sarri’s side enjoyed a 2-1 win at Anfield in the League Cup third round yesterday.

Liverpool have started with six wins in the Premier League and a victory in the Champions League but they were knocked out by a superb solo goal from Hazard in the 85th minute.

Former Chelsea striker Daniel Sturridge, who had earlier missed an open goal, put Liverpool in front in the 58th minute with an acrobatic volley after Willy Caballero parried out Naby Keita’s drive.

Emerson levelled for Chelsea in the 79th, slotting home after Simon Mignolet parried out a Ross Barkley header from a free kick whipped in by Hazard.

The goal was reviewed by VAR but ruled as fair although Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp felt it should have been disallowed for offside.

Sturridge then struck the bar with a fine effort from distance but it was Chelsea who struck the decisive blow.

Belgian forward Hazard, a 56th-minute substitute, won the game with a devastating finish after a powerful run in from the flank, weaving past two Liverpool defenders behind before firing into the far corner.

“It’s a fantastic goal. Not only the beauty of it but for the time he scored it,” Chelsea assistant manager Gianfranco Zola said.

“Not only is he one of the best in the Premier League - if not the best - but he is one of the best in Europe and the world.

“In my opinion we haven’t seen the best of him yet. He’s remarkable,” he added.

The two teams face each other at Stamford Bridge on Saturday in the Premier League.

Elsewhere, West Ham United hammered fourth tier (League Two) Macclesfield Town 8-0 for their biggest win since 1983.

Grady Diangana and Robert Snodgrass both scored twice as West Ham ripped apart the Cheshire side who are bottom of League Two without a win this season.

In an all-Premier League tie, Tottenham Hotspur progressed to the last 16 by beating Watford 4-2 on penalties after the game, played in Milton Keynes, ended 2-2.

Isaac Success had given Watford the lead in the 46th minute but Spurs looked to have grabbed the win thanks to a Dele Alli penalty in the 82nd minute and Erik Lamela’s goal four minutes later.

But Etienne Capoue’s 89th-minute drive took the game to penalties, only for Capoue and Domingos Quina to fail to convert their spot-kicks and Alli wrapped up victory for Spurs.

Danny Welbeck scored twice as Arsenal beat Championship Brentford 3-1.

After the former Manchester United striker put the Gunners 2-0 up, Alan Judge brought Brentford back into the game but Alexandre Lacazette made sure of the win for Arsenal.

In an all-Championship match, Nottingham Forest beat Stoke City 3-2 despite having Diogo Goncalves sent off 13 minutes from time.

Mathews dropped from Sri Lanka’s one-day squad to face England (REUTERS) - Sri Lanka all-rounder Angelo Mathews was yesterday dropped from their limited-overs squad to face England next month, two days after the country’s cricket board asked him to relinquish his captaincy in the shorter formats of the game.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) had on Monday named batsman Dinesh Chandimal as captain across all three formats after Mathews lost his role following their exit from the Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates.

Mathews was left out of SLC’s 15-man squad for five

ODIs and a lone Twenty20 match against the visiting England team starting on October 10, but was part of the Test squad for the threematch series that begins in November.

ESPNCricinfo had said that Mathews felt he had been made the “scapegoat”

for their poor showing in the six-nation Asia Cup, where they crashed out after defeats by Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

One-day squad: Dinesh Chandimal (captain), Upul Tharanga, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Niroshan Dickwella, Dhananjaya de Silva,

Kusal Perera, Dasun Shanaka, Thisara Perera, Akila Dananjaya, Dushmantha Chameera, Lasith Malinga, Amila Aponso, Lakshan Sandakan, Nuwan Pradeep, Kasun Rajitha.

Test squad: Dinesh Chandimal (captain), Dimuth Karunaratne, Kaushal Silva, Kusal Men-

dis, Angelo Mathews, Niroshan Dickwella, Dhananjaya de Silva, Roshen Silva, Dilruwan Perera, Rangana Herath, Malinda Pushpakumara, Akila Dananjaya, Suranga Lakmal, Kasun Rajitha, Lakshan Sandakan, Lahiru Kumara (subject to fitness).

26

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, September 27, 2018

Chanderpaul’s unbeaten 84 fails to take West Demerara over the line UPPER Corentyne defended 181 to register their first win in Guyana Cricket Board (GCB), Guyana Cricket Inc. (GCI) Jaguars 50-over Franchise League tournament yesterday at the Port Mourant ground.

Anthony Bramble called correctly at the coin toss and Upper Corentyne took first strike against West Demerara.

Openers Alex Algoo and T. Ramsarran batted resolutely taking the score to 45 by the 10th over before Algoo was bowled for 21 by Danpaul.

They lost wicket number two when left- arm seamer Raymon Reifer trapped Ramsaran in front to be adjudged lbw for 22, bringing the score to 55-2.

The introduction of Akshaya Persaud stymied the progress of the Upper Corentyne innings as they failed to produce a partnership of substance. Persaud had Joshua Ramsammy caught and bowled for 17. Then he removed captain Anthony Bramble lbw for 12 with the score on 86-5 by the 20th over.

Out-of-favour Guyana Jaguars off-spinner Eon Hooper rallied his team with a well-played 41. His efforts brought Upper Corentyne to record a fighting total of 180 all out. Bowling for West

Demerara, Persaud had figures of 10-2-38-4, R. Looknauth 9-1-36-2, and Mohendra Dhanpaul 10-1-44-2.

At the innings break, West Demerara may have sensed victory as their bowlers did

Akshaya Persaud, batting at No.3, was quickly sent back, caught behind, by wicketkeeper Anthony Bramble off the bowling of Clinton Pestano for 3. Pestano then produced a smart caught-and-bowled

Chanderpaul carried his bat for a well-deserved man-ofthe–match performance, scoring 84.

the job for them. They began with openers Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Tevin Imlach, but Imlach had a short stay at the crease. Despise hitting three crisp boundaries he was bowled by the lively Dimitri Cameron for 12.

result to send Raymon Reifer first ball back to the pavilion without troubling the scorers.

West Demerara continued losing wickets at regular intervals leaving Tagenarine Chanderpaul to fight at the other end.

FIFA to fund Jamaica grassroots programme FIFA is to release funds for the Jamaica Football Federation’s proposed grassroots programme even as it hails the federation as a model for other federations to follow.

As was first reported by SportsMax.TV earlier this month the JFF had submitted a proposal to launch an island-wide grassroots programme before year’end as it pushes to unearth and hone new talent.

Marlon Glean, FIFA Regional Office Development Manager, made the revelation during Tuesday’s ground-ceremony for a US$600 000 synthetic playing surface to be installed by Christmas this year.

He also revealed that the JFF currently has 10 or 12 projects that have been successfully approved by FIFA and funds have already been released for most. Funds for the grassroots programme should receive approval sometime this week.

“This week we should have the approval of your new grassroots programme. The funds should be available in the next week or so. I am confident that we have sufficient information and sufficient support documents so that you can have the

release of funds for your grassroots programme,” he said.

It is against this background that he hailed the JFF for effectively utilising funds available under the FIFA Forward Project.

able for projects,” said Glean while addressing the audience at the Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence on Tuesday.’

“At FIFA, if you look at the projects which they have been

FIFA’s Regional Office Development Manager Marlon Glean with JFF president Michael Ricketts on Tuesday.

Glean praised the JFF for its outstanding work in developing football in the country.

“I want to commend the doing, it’s very diverse. They JFF in terms of how it has been range from assistance to parish able to utilise the new FIFA associations, to the Women’s Forward Projects. What the Football Championship to the JFF has been able to do is not purchase of a bus to a new just access funds for projects, I grassroots application that is on believe they are a model not just my desk right now waiting for in our region but in the world funds to be disbursed. in terms of how they have been “So there is a wide range able to utilise the funds avail- of projects and the focus is not

A 64-run eighth-wicket partnership between Chanderpaul and Hubbard rekindled the optimism in their team’s camp. Hubbard took the attack to the Upper Corentyne bowlers, hitting 7 fours in his 40 runs from 34 balls.

But he attempted an almighty heave off Dimitri Cameron in the 42nd over and saw his middle stump cartwheel towards the keeper.

Sensing victory Upper Corentyne bowlers held their lengths to deny Tagenarine Chanderpaul any freebies as the score reached 155-8 in the 42nd over, Cameron had Persaud caught for 0 to put further pressure on West Demerara.

At that stage of the encounter they needed 24 runs from 7 overs. Tagenarine Chanderpaul batting solidly on 70 then hit a no-ball from Clinton Pestano for 4. He milked 9 more runs off Pestano’s over.

Chanderpaul lost his way somewhat and took a single which allowed Pestano to have the last laugh.

He delivered for his team with his penultimate delivery in the 44th over bowling Sewpersaud for 0, much to the dismay of the West Demerara players as they went down for 172 to lose by 9 runs. (Colin Bynoe (Jr))

… praises ‘model’ federation too much on infrastructure, not too much on spending money where we don’t see the holistic development of the game.

Once all these projects come on stream, once these funds are released we can safely see that football is going to develop holistically and we should have Jamaica back at the World Cup sometime in the near future.”

He said it is clear to FIFA that the JFF has a clear vision of what it intends to accomplish in the country in the future, something that other countries seem to be lacking.

“Not too many associations have been able to access funding because of a lot of issues, not determining where they want to go, what they want to do, in terms of getting the relevant applications in and getting the relevant support documentation in,” he said.

JFF president Michael Ricketts, who has recently come in for some criticism on his handling of the JFF’s affairs, welcomed the praise.

“We are delighted and we do hope to continue this kind of relationship with our parent organisation,” he said.

(SportsMax)

Longer matches key to improvement: Springer

West Indies Women draw the ODI series 1-1 and lead the T20 International series, 1-0, heading into the Trinidad leg.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) – West Indies Women’s head coach, Hendy Springer, believes the squad’s development would be further enhanced by playing two and three-day matches.

Speaking after the hosts came from behind to earn a 1-1 draw in the three-match ICC Women’s Championship series against South Africa at Kensington Oval last week, Springer said the longer matches would also help improve the consistency of the players. “(They need to be) more consistent. Me and the cap-

tain (Stafanie Taylor) had a long discussion (during the series) … not only about consistency but about the things that would generate consistency,” the former Barbados off-spinner said here.

“I am one who believes that at some point in time we should play longer games – two-day, three-day games – to ask these girls to bat, ‘let me see what you’re really made of’, as opposed to just the Twenty20 and 50-over.

“I believe their range of skill would be sharpened because of the length of the game.”

Britton and Edghill capture U-21 Gold at Caribbean Table Tennis Championships T W O o f G u y a n a ’s brightest young prospects in Table Tennis, S h emar Britton an d Chelsea Edghill, ended their quest for U21 Gold with success at the Caribbean Table Tennis Championships currently being held in Jamaica.

The pair defeated their respective opponents in thrilling encounters to fly the Golden Arrowhead high; The full results of those encounters will be published in a subsequent report.

Chelsea Edghill (left) and Shemar Britton

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Thursday September 27, 2018) COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) (1) (2)

Answers to yesterday’s quiz: Rohan Kanhai-256 (Kolkatta, 1958-59) Sunil Gavaskar-236* (Chennai, 1983)

(1)

(2)

Today’s Quiz: What are the best bowling figures in a Test innings by a WI against India?

What are the best bowling figures in a Test innings by an Indian against the WI?

ANSWERS IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE

27

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, September 27, 2018

Beacon, Police advance to Limacol football semis BEACON and Police FC are two teams through to the semi-finals of the third annual Limacol football tournament.

The duo had contrasting routes to the semis with the first game featuring Beacon opposing Riddim Squad The above tournament continued last evening with a smashing start of the quarter-finals. Both games had patrons cheering their favourites to win. The results are as follows: Christopher Garraway opened the scoring just after halftime for Beacon but that lead lasted two minutes as Wendell Joseph (57th) levelled things up.

Try as they might, neither team could break the deadlock and the game went down to penalties, where Beacon advanced 4-3.

In the second game, Police FC were able to overcome GFC

This Adrian Narine photo shows the tenseness of the first quarter-final of the Limacol 2018 tournament between Beacon FC and Riddim Squad at the Ministry of Educaiton ground.

nobody wants to be hanging on for hanging on sake. (At this point) I would just hire somebody to go with the team, cut down on all of that backroom staff they have so we can focus on playing cricket.”

Christopher Franklin

4-2 in an extra-time battle.

Rondel Peters (15th) gave GFC the start they wanted but Police were not about to go down without a fight as Manasseh Primo brought things level one minute later.

Marcus Wilson two minutes later restored the GFC lead and it was not until Lerone Charles scored in the 79th that scores were level again.

Heading into overtime, Police were able to withstand the run, scoring two more times through Charles (90+18) and Antonio Wallace (90+22).

Two more matches are carded for today, with Pouderoyen taking on Mahaica Determinators while Santos FC face Buxton Stars in the other quarterfinal.

ty20 World Cup in India.

He had little success, however, winning just two of six Test series – against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh – and also failing to win any of the eight One-Day International

Fast bowling legend Sir Andy Roberts

Law, an Australian who played one Test, replaced Simmons who was fired in September 2016, five months after leading West Indies to their capture of the Twen-

nab Mixed Doubles silver at Caribbean TT Championships in Jamaica

Windies losing head coaches because of lack of player talent - Sir Andy ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) - Fast bowling legend Sir Andy Roberts believes West Indies will continue to lose their head coaches because of the lack of player talent in the Caribbean.

He was speaking on the heels of Monday’s announcement by Cricket West Indies (CWI) that men’s head coach Stuart Law would quit the side at year end, following just under two years in charge.

The decision left CWI with the task of finding their fourth head coach in nine years after Barbadian Ottis Gibson was sacked in 2014 following four years in charge, and Phil Simmons got the axe two years ago.

“I am not surprised (by Law’s decision) because I knew it was going to happen, and if they don’t get fired then they resign, they move on,” the Antiguan told the Observer newspaper here.

“It’s a reflection because we don’t have good cricketers and that’s the bottom line and

Franklin, Lowe

series he presided over.

For Roberts, however, the problem of the Windies performances was much deeper than coaching. According to the 67-year-old

who grabbed 202 wickets in 47 Tests between 1974 and 1983, the regional talent pool was so small and commitment so lacking, that West Indies were bound to struggle regardless of who was appointed head coach.

“The bottom line is: we do not have good cricketers and I disagree that we have this abundance of talent,” Roberts contended.

“We don’t have this abundance of talent but we have some reasonable cricketers. If the players aren’t prepared to put in the hard work to improve their game you are going to end up with what we have right now, and we will be ending up with that right through so the onus is on the players to try and improve.”

West Indies are currently in India for a full series which includes two Tests, five OneDay Internationals and three Twenty20 Internationals.

They will play a similar full series in Bangladesh immediately following.

GUYANA’S senior national table tennis players continued to fly the Golden Arrowhead high at the Caribbean championships in Jamaica, as Christopher Franklin and Trenace Lowe nabbed silver in the Mixed Doubles competition.

In the final, they faced the Dominican Republic pair of Isaac Vila and Esmerlyn Castro where they were defeated 8-11, 10-12, 5-11.

Earlier in the semi-final they were pushed to the hilt, but fought hard for a 3-2 win over number-one seeded pair Emil Santos and Eva Brito.

Meanwhile in the female competition, both teams won bronze medals in the Doubles.

The pair of Jody-Ann Blake and Lowe won their first match against Dadrian Lewis and Solesha Young of Jamaica 3-0. They then defeated the pair of Antoinette Riley and Janae Lewis of Barbados by a 2-0 margin.

The Guyanese duo then encountered the dangerous Esmerlyn Castro and Dhyana Rojas of Dominican Republic who thwarted their efforts with an easy 3-0 victory in the semi-finals.

Next up for the ‘Land of Many Waters’ was Chelsea Edghill and Natalie Cummings who also secured bronze, losing in the other semi-final to Eva Brito and Yasrisi Ortiz by the same margin as their teammates.

The championship now switches gear to the Under-21 Men’s and Women’s Singles where Guyana’s Chelsea Edghill, Shemar Britton and Priscilla Greaves will do battle for gold.

Trenace Lowe

Adams brothers bowl Essequibo into League lead … beat Georgetown by 97 runs; East Bank also victorious

Ricardo Adams and Essequibo players celebrate his hat-trick (Adrine Narine photos)

See Page 23

Anthony Adams bagged four for 26.

The Essequibo team lead the tournament with 19 points.

GBA/Lennox Blackmoore National Intermediate set for October 5–7

THE Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) will host its National Intermediate Championship from October 5 to 7 at the National Gymnasium, according to the president Steve Ninvalle.

The championship, which in 2015 was rebranded and named after former Commonwealth and National Champion Lennox Blackmoore, will see the participation of the defending champions, Guyana Defence Force (GDF) along with their arch-rivals Republican Gym (Prisons).

Ninvalle noted that fighters from Regions 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 are expected to exhibit their skills nightly from 19:30hrs.

“This will lead into our National Open Championship in mid-November and from that tournament we will short-

list our national team for the Caribbean Championships, which will be held in Guyana from December 6 to 9,” Ninvalle said.

At last year’s GBA/Lennox Blackmoore National Intermediate Championship, Kevin McKenzie (GDF) was adjudged Best Boxer in the Elite Class, while Forgotten Youth Foundation’s (FYF) Keevin Allicock was voted Best Boxer in the Youth category.

Of the eight Elite Class titles the GDF won, seven of them were all-GDF finals, while one of their boxers won against a member of debutant gym, Savannah Boxing Gym (SBG) of Lethem.

Blackmoore was 27 years old when he won Guyana’s first Commonwealth title, defeating Nigerian Johnathan Dele on points

in Lagos in October 1977 to lift the lightweight title.

Blackmoore’s Commonwealth title win sparked wild celebration in Guyana and upon his return home he was feted and showered with gifts by the Forbes Burnham government.

The skilful orthodox fighter made his professional debut at age 23 in 1974 and hung up his gloves 12 years later, with a record of 25 wins, 14 of which came from knockouts. He suffered five losses.

On Jime 27, 1981, Blackmoore fought American Aaron Pryor for the World Boxing Association (WBA) World Super Lightweight title but lost via TKO. Today, Blackmoore is a trainer in the USA where he resides.

Lennox Blackmoore is still very much involved in the sport of boxing.

Britton and Edghill capture U-21 Gold at Caribbean Table Tennis Championships

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2018