Guyana chronicle 25 march 2018

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Ratio confident Sherry Ann Dixon tells her story

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– despite challenges, sees bright prospects in Guyana

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Never take no for an answer PAGE

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–– says GTT CEO at opening of innovation summit

The Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Guyana booth was abuzz with activities at the opening of GTT’S three-day Innov8 Summit at the Marriott Hotel, Georgetown, on Saturday (Adrian Narine photo)

Guyana, Colombia to Man busted with 21 Father drowns strengthen relations narcotics in buckets trying to save on border security 09 children 08 PAGE

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE March 25, 2018

White Water residents upset with education officials

RESIDENTS of White Water Village, North West District are peeved that education officials at Mabaruma are dragging their feet in having the primary school at the border village gazetted.

Currently, the school which is located near the Venezuelan border has a population of 171 pupils.

Since it was established 11 years ago, it has been operating as an annex of the Wauna Primary School located a few miles away.

Village captain Cleveland DeSouza told Guyana Chronicle that two weeks prior to President David Granger’s visit to the village in February this year, the village was told by a welfare officer at Mabaruma that the school has been gazetted.

The information was mentioned during a meeting with the education official

and a team from the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) and residents on February 4, 2018.

He said the villagers welcomed the news, since for many years residents have been calling on the education authorities to have the school operate independently.

The education official also said that the documentation regarding the gazette was sent back to Georgetown to be corrected, since there were spelling errors.

He noted, however, that the news from the education department may have been false, since further checks with the Regional Education Officer at Mabaruma revealed that the school remains an annex of the Wauna Primary.

DeSouza said the officer mentioned to a school teacher that he knew “nothing

of the sort” regarding the school.

The village captain said the villagers felt “cheated” since residents were prepared to assist in any way possible to further develop the school’s image.

The school remains without a fence and supplies which are usually dispatched to the school are re-routed through the Wauna Primary School.

“Things do not come directly to us from Mabaruma and sometimes we do not get the full amount of supplies such as stationery,” the village leader said.

In addition, he said the washroom facilities at the school remain in a dire state.

He said one day prior to President Granger’s visit to White Water in February, workers from Mabaruma “rushed in” to the village to fix the washroom facil-

Residents of White Water Village are peeved that the primary school in their village is yet to be gazetted ities but, according to him, nothing could be done at that eleventh hour.

DeSouza said three years ago, the regional authorities made promises to

gazette the institution and, according to him, the wait appears to bein vain.

‘I know nothing about that’ –– White Water toshao flags false report in Guyana Times

“I KNOW nothing about that” was the response of White Water Village Toshao, Cleveland DeSouza, regarding reports in the Guyana Times that the

North West District village is “battling to contain the reported cases” of measles.

On Saturday, the village leader said he found the news strange since he was not told anything about the disease being present within the population of the village which lies close to the Venezuelan border in the North West District.

He said health officials would have alerted him if the information was correct.

Measles is defined as an

days ago dismissed reports of an outbreak of measles in Guyana.

She said that an outbreak in neighbouring Brazil and Venezuela has resulted in an increase in the level of vigilance in the regions closer to the border.

The Guyana Times report stated that Chairman of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region One, Brentnol Ashley, confirmed that he was aware of an outbreak of measles in the region.

White Water village infectious viral disease causing fever and a red rash, typically occurring in childhood.

DeSouza said there are several cases of malaria in the village and he noted that this may have been as a result of the high incidence of persons infected with that disease and who may have been travelling across the border to White Water for treatment for the ailment. Health officials in the region have been monitoring the situation.

Minister within the Ministry of Public Health, Dr Karen Cummings several

According to the report, he became aware of the ongoing situation after regional officials informed him of same within the last two weeks.

Ashley explained that the Public Health Ministry has already deployed systems and personnel to deal with the situation.

Minister Cummings, however, refuted claims of an outbreak in Guyana, noting that there is indeed an outbreak in the neighbouring countries, but there has been no official report of the disease in Guyana.

Toshao Cleveland DeSouza “Our borders are a bit porous, so the Brazilians and Venezuelans have been coming across, but there have been no reported cases here,” she said, adding that if there was to be an outbreak, the Ministry of Public Health is equipped with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine.

Aside from having the vaccines, they have advised health care professionals and health centres in Regions One and Nine to be vigilant and ensure that persons with the disease do not enter the country.

The minister admitted that the Venezuelans have been coming to Guyana because of the economic crisis in their country, but they have the situation under control.

She said the ministry has been working closely with the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) to monitor outbreaks around the world.

Ratio confident

SUNDAY CHRONICLE March 25, 2018

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– despite challenges, sees bright prospects in Guyana

DESPITE two dry holes by CGX Energy Inc in 2012 and the Venezuelan military’s forcible removal of Anadarko’s survey vessel in 2013, Ratio Oil pressed on in acquiring a Petroleum Agreement for exploration offshore Guyana, declaring it was not afraid of Venezuela.

This is according to Eitan Aizenberg, Chief Geologist and Manager of technical aspects of Ratio Guyana Limited. He gave a public lecture on Friday night at the Theatre Guild Playhouse under the auspices of the Ministry of Natural Resources.

“Immediately we submitted an application for Areas B and C in 2012. The area was open… no one wanted it. But what happened? Two very important wells were drilled in 2012 – Eagle 1 and Jaguar 1,” he said.

The wells turned out to be ‘dry holes’ and the risk was increased for the Guyana Basin.

“When this happens, you are standing in front of your investors and you have to justify yourself. They thought I was crazy anyhow,” he said.

According to Aizenberg, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment at the time was reluctant to give Guyana Limited too much area to explore.

He said the ministry asked the company to choose either Block B or Block C. “So… we applied again in 2013 and we submitted for Block B,” he said.

However, in October 2013, the Venezuelan military seized a survey vessel, Teknik Perdana, which was carrying out survey operations on behalf of Anadarko. The crew of the vessel (some two dozen) was taken into custody.

“This [amounted to] another risk.

Again I had to stand in front of the investors and say I don’t care about the Venezuelans. I will find a way to do it… we have to go ahead,” he said. According to the geologist, during a meeting in Miami, he stood up and said, “we are not afraid of Venezuela. We want to go ahead and find a way to work in Block B… now it is called Kaieteur,” he said.

“So we found a way to work around the Venezuelan crisis and in April 2015, the agreement was signed,” he said. Observers are of the view that the determination by Ratio to press on in the face of failed drilling campaigns and a clear and present Venezuela threat is testimony to the potential that Guyana’s offshore basin has and the confidence that international companies are placing in the offshore basin and investment landscape.

The Kaieteur Block, which is ap-

proximately 250 kilometres offshore in ultra-deep water, is located to the north and adjacent to the Stabroek and Canje blocks.

Ratio Guyana Limited completed a 3-D seismic survey of the Kaieteur block in 2017.

The Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) between Guyana and Ratio has cost-oil percentage of 75 per cent and the 25 per cent balance profit-oil split 50/50 for government and contractor.

Further, a royalty of 1 per cent payable by the government’s take of the profits is specified in the Ratio Guyana Limited contract.

The Ratio Guyana Limited agreement was signed on April 28, 2015 by then President Donald Ramotar and the President of Ratio Energy Limited, the parent company of Ratio Guyana Limited.

Ratio Guyana Limited, whose parent company is Israel-based, is a joint-venture partner of ExxonMobil subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) in Guyana’s offshore Kaieteur Block.

EEPGL has the majority stake at 50 per cent, while Ratio Guyana Limited and its parent company, Ratio Energy Limited, each have a 25 per cent stake.

A section of the audience during the presentation

Eitan Aizenberg making his presentation at the Theatre Guild Playhouse on Friday

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE March 25, 2018

Huge gun-control rallies sweep US HUNDREDS of thousands of protesters have taken to the streets across the US to call for tighter gun control.

The March For Our Lives movement was formed after a high-school shooting in Parkland, Florida last month.

Student leader and Parkland survivor Emma Gonzalez gave a powerful speech at the main Washington DC event.

She listed the names of the 17 victims, and then stayed silent on stage for six minutes and 20 seconds, the time it took for them to be shot and killed.

More than 800 sister protests were planned nationwide and abroad, with solidarity events taking place in Edinburgh, London, Geneva, Sydney and Tokyo.

Participants want to seize

on public outrage in the wake of the 14 February massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland to convince US politicians to finally take decisive action, including by banning the sale of assault weapons.

However, the issue divides Americans. The right to bear arms is protected under the Second Amendment of the US Constitution, and the National Rifle Association (NRA) gun lobby remains highly influential.

President Donald Trump is at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida for the weekend.

On Saturday afternoon, the White House released a statement praising the “many courageous young Americans exercising their First Amendment rights today”.

It also cited steps it is

The scene in Washington around 08:30hrs on Saturday taking to tackle gun violence, including banning bump stocks, plus enacting the STOP School Violence Act, which seeks to improve school security and increase training for students, staff and local law enforcement.

There are also plans to improve criminal background records so gun buyers are properly vetted before making a purchase.

Organisers predicted participation from up to half-a-

million people in Washington DC, which would make it the largest protest since last year’s women’s march.

Singers Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus and Lin-Manuel Miranda, the man behind hit musical Hamilton, have performed on a stage erected in front of the US Capitol building.

The music has been interspersed with impassioned youth leaders calling for change, including 17-year-

old Edna Chavez, whose brother was shot and killed in a south Los Angeles neighbourhood where, she said, it was normal to see flowers and tributes on the streets.

“We will continue to fight for our dead friends,” said speaker Delaney Tarr, a Parkland student.

Some speeches came from children who are just 11 years old, including Naomi Wadler from Virginia, who spoke “to

represent African-American girls whose stories don’t make the front page of every national newspaper”.

The BBC’s Jon Sopel in Washington says the protesters there have strung out lines of photographs of students and teachers killed in school shootings.

A demonstration has also been held in Parkland, with relatives of the victims speaking to crowds. (BBC)

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE March 25, 2018

Venezuela oil workers clash with security CARACAS (Reuters) - Angry Venezuelan oil workers demanding better benefits to counter crushing hyperinflation and food shortages clashed with security officials during a rare protest in the cafeteria of state oil company PDVSA’s headquarters on Friday.

Venezuela is home to

the world’s largest crude reserves, but its creaking state-led economic model has all but collapsed, sparking four-digit inflation and long lines for everything, from milk to medicines.

Many struggling oil workers have kept mum for fear of losing their jobs and health insurance as President

Nicolás Maduro’s government takes an increasingly tough line on dissent.

But in a rare display of public anger, dozens of oil workers blocked access to the cafeteria that caters to PDVSA and the adjacent Oil Ministry during lunch hour on Friday to demand the payment of

delayed benefits, three sources close to PDVSA told Reuters.

Videos circulating on social media showed workers pushing and shoving with green-uniformed National Guard soldiers trying to keep order.

“Get out!” the employees are heard yelling, as a huge

photo of late leader Hugo Chavez towers above the mayhem.

Workers also shouted “Resign!” in an apparent reference to current PDVSA president and oil minister Manuel Quevedo, a major general with no oil experience tapped late last year to replace his predecessor

arrested for alleged graft.

The poor work environment comes as Venezuela’s oil production has slipped to a near 30-year low of around 1.6 million barrels per day due to lack of investment, rampant crime in isolated oil fields, and a brain drain.

PDVSA did not respond to a request for comment.

Jamaica seeking to develop faith-based tourism KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Jamaica says its thrust to become a preferred faith-based tourism destination is expected to be boosted with the staging of the Supernatural Encounter Jamaica crusade in Montego Bay next month.

Event coordinator and founder of Trumpet Call Ministries International, Reverend Mary Wildish, said the April 19-21 event, which is to be led by founder of King Jesus International Ministry, Apostle Guillermo Maldonado, will be streamed live, and is expected to reach a broad

religious-minded global audience.

“He has a media reach that is unbelievable… This crusade will be streamed to 150 different nations.

People are going to have their eyes on Montego Bay, Jamaica, and what they are going to see is the masses gathered to worship God. They are going to see the pastors united (and) they are going to see the beauty of our island,” Reverend Wildish told a Jamaica Information Service Think Tank.

She said Jamaica also stands to gain significant mileage from Apostle Maldonado’s policy of

highlighting outstanding features of the countries where the crusades are staged.

“One of the things Apostle (Maldonado) does is a 60-minute clip talking about the nation; talking about the beauty inside (that country). So it’s going to put Jamaica on the map during these three days, and I think that level of positive outreach to the globe is something that Jamaica wants and needs,” Rev. Wildish added.

Faith-based tourism, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), is one of the fastest grow-

IDB study finds...

Investment shortfalls, inefficiencies limiting Caribbean growth BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, CMC – A new Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) report has found that that investment shortfalls and inefficiencies are limiting growth in Latin America and the Caribbean.

According to the IDB’s 2018 Macroeconomic Report, released here on Friday, Latin America and the Caribbean should grow more strongly in the coming years, though the region will continue to underperform with regards to the world economy, due to both low levels and low quality of investment.

The report says the region’s gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to grow an average of 2.6 per cent in 2018-2020, “which is in line with historical growth rates (2.4 per cent) is the average growth rate from 1960-

2017).”

But the report states this rate “lags regions such as Emerging Asia and Emerging Europe, which are expected to grow 6.5 per cent and 3.7 per cent over the same period.”

The IDB said the first part of the Macroeconomic Report, “A Mandate to Grow,” was released on the side-lines of the IDB’s Annual Meeting taking place in Mendoza and that the second part, on what countries can do to boost investment, will be unveiled Sunday.

It said even these moderate baseline growth projections may be at risk.

The Washington-based financial institution said a negative global asset price shock – perhaps triggered by faster than expected inflation – could shave off 0.7 per cent of regional growth per annum (2.1 percent of GDP over the

next 3 years).

The IDB said an alternative scenario “sees higher than expected US growth coupled with somewhat higher interest rates and more action on trade policies.

“This combination may be neutral for the US economy that continues to grow strongly,” the IDB said, not-

ing segments of the travel industry.

An estimated 300 million tourists visit the world’s major religious sites each year, with 600 million national and international religious voyages being undertaken annually.

The U N WTO says this growth in faith-based tourism can potentially generate significant inclusive development, through the creation of jobs and sustainable livelihoods, facilitating infrastructure enhancement and investment, and stimulating local culture, crafts and food.

Reverend Wildish said

Jamaica has become popular globally for, among other things, reggae music, its food and its athletes.

She said, however, that the island has the potential to pull more religious tourists to its shores, despite its challenges, and remains a God-fearing nation.

“With over 200 visitors coming in the days prior to the event, they are going to want to see our nation… they are going to want to taste our food. We have over 45 pastors and leaders from different nations coming in… (and) we are going to make it possible for them to minister in other

ing that the report argues it would be negative for Latin America and the Caribbean.

The report states the combined impact could trim the baseline scenario by 0.3 to 2.3 per cent growth for 20182020, with higher impacts on Mexico and the Andean region.

“The good news is that most of the region is back on the growth path,” said IDB Chief Economist José Juan Ruiz.

“However, growth is too slow to satisfy the desires of the region’s expanding middle class. The single biggest challenge is increasing the levels and efficiency of investments to make the region more pro-

ductive, make growth faster, more stable and shield the region more from external shocks,” Ruiz added.

The report notes one of the main reasons for the region’s economic underperformance is low productivity growth and an innovative analysis of the region’s growth performance that considers the significant increase in labour skills, indicates that the growth in productivity has been flat between 1990 and 2017.

By contrast, Emerging Asia registered a 0.22 per cent average annual productivity increase over the same period.

Only Sub-Saharan Africa performed more poorly, the IDB said.

churches, and I believe that they will get a taste of the Jamaican people,” she said.

Noting that the country’s National Anthem is a prayer, Rev. Wildish contended: “We know from the church (being) alive in Jamaica (that) we want a righteous nation”.

“I have had a chance to travel the world and I thank God for that opportunity, but there is really no place like Jamaica… there is no people like Jamaicans. Our nation carries something that I believe the world has taken notice of,” she added.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE March 25, 2018

Potable water for all WORLD Water Day was observed on 22 March with the focus on the importance of water.

The theme for World Water Day 2018 was ‘Nature for Water’ – exploring nature-based solutions (NBS) to the water challenges we face in the 21st century.

The campaign is called ‘The answer is in nature’ and raises awareness of NBS. The central message is that NBS, such as planting trees to replenish forests, reconnecting rivers to floodplains, and restoring wetlands, is a sustainable and cost-effective way to help rebalance the water cycle, mitigate the effects of climate change and improve human health and livelihoods.

Damaged ecosystems affect the quantity and quality of water available for human consumption. Today, 2.1 billion people live without safe drinking water at home, affecting their health, education and livelihoods.

President David Granger who recently addressed the Eighth World Water Forum in Brasilia, Brazil, said, “The protection of the sources of the world’s freshwater sources is essential to ensuring citizens’ entitlement to water; communities’ access to safe and sanitary water; and countries’ and the continent’s water security.”

The President pointed out, “The adverse effects of climate change – droughts, flooding, rising sea levels and extreme weather

events – are exacerbating water quality and environmental security. The Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has forecasted that climate change will result in reduced surface and ground water in most sub-tropical regions. The protection of the world’s freshwater sources, therefore, is essential to global water security.

“Rivers must be protected from pollution, including that caused by environmental degradation and the discharge of effluent from industry, mining and agriculture. River pollution impacts adversely on water quality, on health and on the economic and social well-being of citizens.”

Sustainable Development Goal six commits the world to ensuring that everyone has access to safe water by 2030; this includes targets on protecting the natural environment and reducing pollution. By using NBS to help meet the water needs of a growing population, we will contribute to the creation of a circular economy, at the same time as helping to protect the natural environment and reduce pollution -- both key targets in Sustainable Development Goal 6, which commits the world to ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by 2030.

While the world celebrated “World Water Day” last week, Guyana has made significant strides in ensuring that its citizenry

from all 10 administrative regions benefit from and have access to potable water.

Government’s flagship for water distribution and management, the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), has provided access to potable water with the highest standards at an affordable cost.

The traditional focus of GWI had been on certain urban areas of the country with the exclusion of many and very limited service in the hinterland. The government has mandated a policy of ensuring equity of access for all regions, hence, GWI’s planning for improved service delivery includes the neglected communities and the rural and hinterland areas. This new focus brings certain challenges which the corporation has identified in its Situation Analysis documentation and plans for programme execution have been set out in this strategic plan. Government’s assistance is expected through The Water Resource Council which is charged with monitoring water quality and this agency is expected to regulate activities in the hinterland areas, especially regarding mining to guard against adverse effects on water supply.

GWI has been instrumental in rolling out a five-year plan which ensures that the levels of service provided to communities, decommission non-functioning wells and drill new wells; extend distribution and

transmission mains; create district-metred areas, construct and complete new treatment plants; and increase hinterland communities coverage and conduct aquifer studies.

Over 20,000 residents are now benefitting from water services for the first time in years in the Sophia area. But while water has been identified as a critical factor for the corporation’s service delivery, the previous plan had failed to address quality issues that required speedy identification and remedial action, especially in the hinterland areas.

Given the fact that surface water is most vulnerable to infiltration and causes water-borne diseases, it remains critical for water-quality testing processes and timely decision-making .

Government through GWI must continue to demonstrate the fulfilment of its responsibility to provide the people of Guyana with access to clean, safe, and potable water, which has been articulated in the MDGs and now in the 2030 Agenda: Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). “Specifically, Goal six that speaks to water quality, security, and accessibility .

GWI’s new plan, if successfully implemented, will continue to meet the government’s water and sanitation sector objectives, while adhering to international standards as enunciated by the United Nations.

Rogue traffic cop demands bribe, treats driver like common criminal KINDLY permit me a space in your column to call on the Minister of Public Security, the Acting Commissioner of Police and the traffic chief to discipline, fire or transfer any traffic officer who demands a bribe and when met with a refusal, victimises motorists.

Such ranks should be transferred to the T.S.U or any department where they have fewer contacts with the general public. This is needed in order to build the police-citizen trust.

Based on my personal experience on March 20, 2018, about 10:30 am, I stopped for less than five minutes with my vehicle on the Tuschen Public Road to allow my wife to get out of my car to walk over the road to pur-

chase two pounds of cassava while I was in my car, and the engine was still running.

This stop was less than five minutes because there were about three minibuses parked there; as such, I did not pay any attention as to whether there was a no-parking sign there.

I recognised that the three minibuses had been driven up a little, so i pulled up too ,not conscious that there was a no-parking sign. Thereafter, a police sergeant of the traffic department , who is stationed at the Leonora Police Station, rode up and said to me i am on the no-parking sign.

I conveyed to the sergeant that I was sorry and that my wife had just gone across the road to purchase two pounds of cassava quick-

ly, while my vehicle was idling.

The traffic rank said to me, ‘talk to me’(meaning a bribe). I informed him that i am a rural constable and while taking out my card to show him, he got angry with me because i did not talk to him[bribe] as I objected to paying a bribe.

He then instructed me to drive to the Leonora Police Station, where as the sergeant, he could have instead issued me with a traffic ticket, since it is a ticketable offence.

As I drove past my house in Meten-Meer-Zorg with my wife in the car, I again approached him before he entered the station compound; he repeat the said words again ‘talk to me’[bribe]. I asked him for a chance, since

I am a rural constable and I am asking for forgiveness.

The sergeant , who was furious at me not complying with his demand, then instructed me to sit on the prisoner’s bench and told another officer to put me on $10,000 station bail.

The officer there said that this man should be put on $5,000 bail, not $10,000, which the officer later lowered to $5,000.

I lodged the bail, got receipt #342603 and was instructed to attend court on Monday, March 26, 2018.

The traffic sergeant should have given me a ticket instead of treating me like a criminal, because I refused his demand for a bribe, which reminds me of a bandit that refused to hand

over his valuables and was later tortured.

Traffic officers with this mindset should be transferred immediately from the traffic department and place behind a desk to do secretarial duties, instead of hunting for persons who commit minor infractions to bleed their pockets of their hard-earned incomes.

I acknowledge that my short stop may be a violation of the traffic rules, since i was in the driver’s seat with my engine running,for which i apologised and a ticket should have been issued, instead of being placed in an embarrassing situation in front of my wife, who is still traumatised .

Meanwhile, at the said time, I was at the traffic department of the police sta-

tion,when another motorist was stopped by a traffic constable, with his old grandmother in the car; the insurance for the car had expired.

The constable went to the same traffic sergeant and asked him what to do. The sergeant instructed the constable to impound the vehicle and let the grandmother take a taxi and go home. Apparently, this sergeant does not have a mother or a grandmother or feelings for anyone other than himself. He should realise that there is a saying that goes like this, “Once a policeman, twice a civilian.”

I am calling on all citizens to help stamp out this type of corruption, do not pay bribes.

Your Truly Ganesh Bharat

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE March 25, 2018

CCJ would be directing itself to the soundness of submission Dear Editor, WITH an unaccustomed and uncharacteristic degree, and exhibition of incredulity and incomprehension, Sherwood Lowe writes, “After listening to the entire video stream of the presidential third-term case (the Attorney General of Guyana, Raphael Trotman V. Cedric Richardson) argued before the CCJ last week, I can only conclude that the CCJ would find it extremely difficult to reject the argument put forward on behalf of Richardson” ( SN, Tuesday, March 20th, 2018 under the caption, “Mendez has shifted the CCJ gaze from Article 1 to Article 9 of the constitution”).

I reject Lowe’s conclusion as incredulous, as being against the weight and constitutional soundness of the argument and submissions on the attorney general’s side; and moreover, as being in defiance of common sense and constitutional logic. Here is my reasoned justification, predicated on a broad question of constitutional logic: can an amending Act (17/2000) require a referendum to amend an article (article 90) which in itself (article 90) does not require a referendum for its alteration/amendment? I answer this question at the end.

FIRST, the justices of the CCJ are not some 12-member jury of impressionable laymen/ women, and so, no matter how impressed or over persuaded Mr Lowe is of the “brilliant and intellectually nimble presentation before the CCJ by the T&T lawyer Mendez” at the end of the day, what the justices would be directing themselves about, and reaching their decision on, is the soundness or weakness (as the case may be) of the submission, and arguments, pro and con.

The starting point in unmasking Mendez’s so called “brilliant” presentation, and exposing Lowe’s utter incomprehension of the salient juridical issues raised in this matter is, of course, the fundamental constitutional principle of constitutional interpretation of the (rebuttable) PRESUMPTION OF CONSTITUTIONALITY OF ACT 17/2000 (sic) and by extension in this matter, the amended article 90. Self evidently, this principle favours the attorney general. And the question to which the justices would be directing their minds, and asking themselves is : has the Respondent Richardson discharged the “heavy burden” (see Massiah, C in Attorney General V. Mohammed Ali (1987) 41 WIR 176; Hector V. A.G. of Antigua and Barbuda (1990) 37 WIR 216 PC) of rebutting that presumption? I submit that Mendez could not have discharged such a “heavy burden,” given that the CCJ would be expected to give full weight to that presumption, by his main

argument being what, even the usually erudite Sherwood Lowe is constrained to unjuristically call, a “flip flop” argument. So, Lowe writes in paraphrasing, Mendez’s palpably convoluted and confused arguments, that it is Mendez’s “brilliant” submission that - “… it is wrong for the constitution to state that sovereignty belongs to the people, then flip flop to see that somebody else external to them (their representatives, in this case) can restrict that right to exercise that sovereignty”. I submit that the notion that the constitutional can flip flop, is heresy. The makers of the constitution must be credited with meaning what they have written, and intending to mean what they have written, and what they have written in Article 9 is called “representative democracy”. Article 9 does not vest in the “people” any absolute sovereignty. And just as how we elect government/ president (the Executive) to exercise our “sovereignty” at the level/ or branch of the Executive, so it is equally true that by those very General Elections we, concurrently, elect our parliamentarians (the Legislature) to exercise our “sovereignty” for us at the level or branch of the Legislature. Mendez’s “flip flop” argument is but an invitation for the introduction of Rule by Referendum into our constitutional system in place of rule by government. The CCJ must condignly reject it. A constitution must be interpreted according to the limitations of its own wording, and not to limitations that wording does not import. And the relevant wording here is “sovereignty belongs to the people, who exercise it through their representatives …” (Article 9). Has Article 9 so worded placed any limitations on this exercise by representative democracy? Not at all. So, none can be imported into Article 9. Can Mendez’s heretical flip flop argument impugn this conclusion based on that principle of constitutional interpretation?

So, I turn now to where the constitution has by its wording and scheme, imposed limitations on the statute-making powers of the people’s representatives (the parliamentarians) in the exercise of representative democracy. This brings me to Article 164 (2)(a) and the requirement (a limitation) of referendum worded exhaustively to “this article, articles 1,2,8,9,18,51,66,89,99 and 111”. Immediately, one notices that there is no mention of “90” in this exhaustive tabulation.

And that is the gravamen of this case. Not some “flip flop” argumentation. Article 90 is among the articles listed or mentioned in another sub-article 164(2) (b) – this sub-article does not deal at all with the requirement or limitation of referendum. By and under this article 164(2)(b),

no referendum is required to alter or amend Article 90. And the reader is reminded that it was an alteration or amendment of Article 90 (by Act 17/2000) that caused the two-term limit to now be in the constitution. It is not as if that Act 17/2000 standing by itself, was newly inserted into the constitution and thereby by such insertion, this two-term limit was introduced. So, Act 17/2000 has to be considered as if it were one and indivisible with Article 90, which requires no referendum for alteration.

It seems to me, that the point cannot be stressed enough, that in our constitutional scheme of things, and to a constitutional lawyer (a politician might have a different politician’s perspective), a referendum was never intended as a means of exercising “sovereignty”. And it is this perspective that is the flaw in Mendez’s argument. (ie a referendum) It is predominantly a device (and was intended) for super entrenchment (i.e. protection from being easily or ordinarily changed in the future) of certain matters/institutions; and it finds no place in our constitutional affairs other than where the constitution makers has placed it in Article 164 (2)(a) to the exclusion of all other affairs (expressio unius est exclusio alterius – i.e. the expression of one thing is the exclusion of all others not mentioned).

Mendez “flip flop” argumentation, if accepted by the CCJ, would have the bizarre consequence of removing, sub silentio, Article 90 from Article 164 (2)(b) list (that has nothing to do with referendum) and

placing it in article 164(2)(a) (that alone, and exhaustively, deals with referendum). Such judicial law-making (by sleight of hand as it were, perhaps surreptitiously) the doctrine of separation of powers does not permit. And this is a point strenuously argued by the learned attorney general’s side.

Second, under the separation of powers doctrine, the courts are not permitted to substitute their sense of people’s desire and wishes, for and in the place of those who, by Articles 9 and 51, has been entrusted by the constitution itself, with the role and responsibility for laws for peace, order and good government and accordingly of speaking via the legislative process for, and on behalf of the electorate (as to their desires and wishes) of which Cedric Richardson is but one of some four hundred thousand (400,000) plus, of us. By Article 164(2)(a), the constitution makers have predetermined the unworkability of expensive and rarified referendum for such matters as is provided for in Article 90 (“Qualifications for Election”) by excluding Article 90 from Article 164(2)(a). As to this impermissibility of judicial substitution: Lord Wilberforce in the English House of Lords (one of the contemporary great English jurists) hit the proverbial nail squarely on its head, and might well have been speaking for Caribbean jurists when in an analogous constitutional context, his Lordship made this most poignant observation – “Furthermore, while the courts may look critically at

legislation which impairs the rights of citizens and should resolve any doubts in interpretation in their favour, it is NO PART OF THEIR DUTY, OR POWER, to restrict or impede the working of legislation, even of unpopular legislation; to do so would be to weaken rather than to advance the democratic process” [IRC V. Rossminister Ltd (1990) 1AII ER 80] I think rejecting and overruling the people’s choice for term limits expressed in the amendment of Article 90 via that Act 17/2000 made by the people’s representatives in the Parliament, would be in Lord Wilberforce’s clarion warning “to weaken rather than advance the democratic process”. And this is, with due respect, what Chang, CJ (ag) in the High Court, and the CoA (majority) have done; and learned Counsel Mendez is inviting the CCJ to do.

Third, Mendez’s emphasis on sovereignty is misplaced.

The emphasis ought to be on the issue of referendum as the essential legal issue raised by the Applicant/Respondent Richardson’s pleadings in the High Court. And no amount of procrustean interpretation by Mendez in endeavouring to shift the CCJs gaze to Article 9 (as Lowe puts it) can distort the constitutional reality that Article 9 does not, and was not intended to, deal with such matters as “Qualifications for Elections” (Article 90), under which provision and rubric presidential candidature/ candidacy squarely falls; and which as I have shown, does not require a referendum for its amendment.

I digress here to mention that I have abandoned, but has not lost curiosity in the jurisdictional issue as to whether the High Court (Chang, CJ (ag)) had, and has, jurisdiction in this matter. Did Chang, CJ(ag) and the Court of Appeal (sitting in its appellate jurisdiction and not in its peculiar excusive original jurisdiction) assume jurisdiction per incuriam Article 177 (4).

For myself, a ruling by the CCJ on this most preliminary issue is not academic at all; and is patently most desirable.

I end with this: it is one thing for Cedric Richardson, and now seemingly Sherwood Lowe, to desire, unwittingly or otherwise, that Jagdeo be the PPP/C presidential candidate for the 2020 elections. It is quite another thing as to whether on their true construction Articles 1,9,90 and 164 (2)(a) and 164 (2)(b) cumulatively, permits a third-term candidature. No “flip-flop” (in Lowe’s pathetic aphorism) argumentation by Mendez will prevail.

The law and the facts are decisively on the attorney general’s side. The attorney general will prevail by force of sheer soundness of his submissions. The introduction of term-limits into Guyana’s legal system by an alteration of Article 90 by Act 17/2000, is as constitutional as the constitution itself. The broad question of constitutional logic I posed in my introductory paragraph, I answer emphatically – No. Regards Maxwell E. Edwards

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE March 25, 2018

NEW POLITICS – IDEAS BEFORE INSULTS

D

URING cardiac care I had limited access to current news, but I was shown a TV clip with Joey Jagan indicting the former government with corruption in the context of a defence of his late father, President Cheddi Jagan, for his legacy of being “lean and clean”.

He couldn’t see the PPP winning elections any time soon, and he told Jagdeo bluntly, “your time is up!”

I started to read comments on Joey’s interview, but soon realised that the Freedom House backroom pack had been let loose, literally to devour him.

PROPAGANDA WOLF-PACK It would have been so much better if Joey was engaged on his ideas on a possible future government of national unity, in which the PPP could play a role, instead of being sledge-hammered and heaped with cheap insults.

But I suspect that the propaganda wolf-pack descended upon him not so much for saying that the PPP could not win the 2020 elections, or any other future elections under the present Jagdeo leadership.

They wanted to tear him apart for characterising the Jagdeo-led government as corrupt, and graphically caricaturing that by using a single odious word: PRADOVILLE. Cheddi Bradlaugh Jagan is the only son of Cheddi and Janet Jagan, both of whom had served as Executive Presidents of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. That should make him proud, though he didn’t share his parents’ ideological platform. Joey, as he is widely known, is controversial and would pronounce on matters openly and frankly.

On occasions, he had criticised me in language that was by no means flattering, but I never held that against him. I had witnessed his unpredictable disposition, the more dramatic was during his swearing-in as a Member of Parliament. He had unfurled a U.S. dollar note, and proclaimed, “God bless America!”

CORRUPTION SYNDROME But he was on mark when he highlighted the corruption syndrome in which Guyana and other countries had been caught after his father died.

It was not surprising that on the day Guyana was observing the centenary of the birth of Cheddi Jagan, Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kucznski resigned after a corruption scandal rocked this South American nation.

The former World Bank economist was facing an impeachment motion for “permanent moral incapacity”, a stylistic term for political corruption. A former Peruvian President Ollanta Humala is awaiting trial for receiving illegal campaign funds, whilst former president Alberto Fujimori, who was jailed for sleaze, was given a presidential pardon.

Next door in Brazil, President Dilma Rousseff is facing impeachment proceedings which has forced her to resign, while her predecessor, the once popular Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva lost his bid before the Appeal Court to reverse his conviction on graft charges.

And, more recently, former president of France Nicolas Sarkozy was arrested on bribery

charges that went back over 10 years ago.

PHANTOM WRITERS The phantom writers on social media who were quick to pounce on Joey need to understand that it was the glaring acts of corruption that brought the once popular PPP government down.

The leaders who were responsible for that are not immune from criticisms or prosecution, as corrupt former presidents all over the world are facing the music for past crimes. Guyana would not be the only country that could be allowed to drag the carpet over unjust enrichment by public officials while in office.

The issue of corruption was what brought Joey Jagan to the coalition and more especially to David Granger and I when we met in New Jersey before the May 2015 elections. He asked for nothing; he expected nothing.

He wanted to see the back of the pack that had disgraced his father and his party.

That image of corruption had hurt many former party loyalists. I remember when passing through Cotton Tree, I had seen a placard on a lamp post, with a cynical slogan on which corruption was spelt with three Ps - corruPPPtion, which clearly indicted the PPP in its own stronghold.

Joey’s symbol of that “corruPPPtion” is “Pradoville”, which he sees as a vulgar display of ostentatious “Cadillac-style living” in what he described as a “donkey-cart economy”.

It may be unrealistic of me to hope that Guyana evolves a culture of new politics, or could be visited by a fresh wind of positive political engagement. The old, toxic “cuss-down, buse-down” politics is neither healthy nor amusing. We need to debate ideas, not trade insults.

Father drowns trying to save children THE village of Waramadong, Region Seven (Cuyuni/Mazaruni) was saddened on Friday afternoon after a man drowned in the Kamarang River while trying to save his two children.

Dead is Latchman Benjie, said to be in his early 40s. The man’s two daughters, ages two and three, managed to pull themselves to the bank of the river after their small “wood-skin” canoe capsized midway across the river.

Reports from the village are that the man and two of his five children were

returning from the family’s farm on Friday afternoon around 16:30hrs when the incident occurred.

Residents of the village noted that “Mr Latchman” as he was fondly called, moved to Waramadong several years ago from another village, Jawalla, so that his children could attend school there.

The man’s body was retrieved from the river on Saturday morning and the family was preparing to bury his remains later in the day.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE March 25, 2018

Permanent Presidency

By Elson Browne Low SITTING in political science class at college, one of my quirkier professors, who somehow always seemed to be in the company of his big husky, mentioned to me the moment that democracy split into the two broad camps that have existed ever since.

On the one hand, the more traditional view was that as much power as possible must be vested in the people, whereas the other was that this led to indecisiveness, and so power should be concentrated in some authority under popular consent.

Of course, what makes this debate so troubling is that it was taking place in the lead up to World War II, as Hitler moved to consolidate power in the midst of an inept, though quite democratic German state. The arguments we can easily guess at--the democracy was failing the German people because it facilitated harsh economic

consequences imposed after the First World War. A man like Hitler, who could put Germany first, would put this right, and in order to do so he needed to concentrate his power over the government.

This argument, in one form or another, has endured ever since. The reason for this is simple-- democracies do indeed revolve around discussion and discussion can both take a very long time and prove inconclusive. Periodic upheavals are healthy in that they break this deadlock; the problem stems when a temporary concentration of power becomes permanent.

Germany is just one example of numerous times the argument for concentrating power has triumphed and a democratic system collapsed.

My fellow Guyanese, this is what the debate on Presidential term limits locally is really about.

I can readily enough list good reasons why we might need a strong leader to be in office for a few decades

in Guyana, but I believe in their heart of hearts each Guyanese worries that this will somehow lead to a permanent Presidency. Further, I don’t want to put down the former President, who is currently the only likely person to benefit from the relaxation of term limits, as many often do when discussing this issue because I think it is reasonable to say he is not inept. I can see why some are clamouring for him to have more opportunities to govern.

Instead, I want to say that Guyanese must seriously consider whether we want one man, even a competent man, to dominate the Presidency for a very extended period of time. Relaxing term limits will massively concentrate power in the leaders of the respective parties and especially in the office of the Presidency. Are we so desperate for competent leadership that we will risk this?

Even further, in a resource rich country about to reap the benefits of an oil boom,

isn’t it obvious that this could really get out of control?

It remains unclear how the CCJ case will turn out, and I recognize that the argument being made for relaxing the limits rests on a different ground than I have articulated- whether it infringes on citizens’ rights to restrict their choice of head-of-state. But this is just a repackaging of the broader argument that it is acceptable to increasingly concentrate power at the top.

Further, this core debate is by no means restricted to Guyana, but roaring internationally as we see China doing away with term limits, Vladimir Putin returning to office and Donald Trump throwing the idea out as a possibility in the United States.

If the CCJ rules in favour of relaxing term limits, Guyanese will have an important choice to make as already some have mentioned a po-

tential referendum on the issue. I want to leave you with an unorthodox argument for term limits, in the hope that it will make it clear, should such a referendum become necessary, why unlimited rule so often leads to disaster. In a way, no term limits makes politics a little like the childhood game “one, two, three, red light.”

As all ambitious politicians are likely to want to reach the maximum office in the country, and no term limits means one person may indeed govern for life, each politician is encouraged to try to find a way to overwhelm that maximum leader. Just as at the beginning of that childhood game, the political players are far from reaching the person calling out “one, two, three, red light,” so it is easy for them to do so. But as each player gets closer

and closer, more and more politically powerful, what happens?

The person calling out starts to say the words faster and faster, eventually making a mistake and getting caught by some lucky player. It is very difficult to retain power for a prolonged period of time, and as political rivals grow more and more powerful, the margin for error decreases, just like in the game.

This is probably why leaders who have long been in power make such critical mistakes near their tenure’s end. A Guyana without term limits means that critical mistake is something we have to accept is going to happen eventually.

History has unfortunately shown us that leaders’ final “red light” moment of error coincides with national turmoil, from Charles 1’s England to Gaddafi’s Libya.

Guyana, Colombia to strengthen relations on border security WITH mounting pressure from Venezuelans fleeing to neighbouring countries in search of better socio-economic conditions, Guyana and Colombia are exploring the possibility of strengthening relations on border security.

Colombian Minister of Foreign Affairs, María Holguín, who was in Guyana briefly on Saturday to engage with the local Ministry of Foreign Affairs on strengthening bilateral relations, said border security is “quite important” to Colombia.

“We want to strengthen relations [in border security] and have a Memorandum of Understanding between the [Colombian] Minister of Defence and the Minister of Security here,” Minister Holguín told the Guyana Chronicle.

Interest in this area has been piqued due to cognisance of Venezuelans fleeing into neighbouring countries like Guyana and Colombia, due to the acute economic

Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge and his Colombian counterpart, María Holguín, following their engagement on strengthening bilateral relations between Guyana and Colombia (Adrian Narine photo)

austerity being experienced

by Venezuela under the Maduro-led administration.

According to a Reuters’ news report, Colombia has faced the brunt of the exodus of Venezuelans. Reports indicate that some 550,000 Venezuelans -- a 62 per cent increase -- are now living in Colombia since the latter half of 2017. Many have entered Colombia illegally.

Guyana, however, has not been faced with such a high influx of Venezuelans seeking refuge, but there have been few reports of illegal immigrants in the country.

Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge had highlighted that Guyana stands ready to assist Venezuelan refugees, providing they enter by legal means.

Holguín voiced that the immigrants are important to Colombia, as they are to Guyana, but border security remains critical.

The issue of border security was, however, not the only area of cooperation

addressed during Saturday’s engagement. According to Minister Greenidge, “Minister [Holguín] has come as part of an endeavour to deepen relations between Guyana and Colombia.”

The two nations have enjoyed diplomatic ties since 1970. Guyana and Colombia have worked closely in various developmental areas, including agriculture and education. Minister Greenidge told the Guyana Chronicle that the two countries are looking to enhance bilateral relations in these areas.

He highlighted the merits of the relations between the two nations and singled out the success of the Spanish training courses offered to local public officials as part of the cooperation between the two countries.

To this end, Minister Holguín also remarked, “The Spanish courses are doing well, so we want to [strengthen] that”, adding that Colombia is interested in investment, tourism and trade with Guyana.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE March 25, 2018

A focus on men’s health in Guyana

By Dr Karen Cummings (Minister within the Ministry of Public Health) THE Ministry of Public Health in its quest to deliver the best quality public health care services to the people of Guyana, recognises the implications of gender on the health and well-being of individuals.

Men and women as a consequence of their gender, have different health needs and outcomes.

With this notion in mind, the Ministry of Public Health employs a strategic interdisciplinary and multi-sectoral approach which aims to guide its health systems in addressing the specific health needs of young and adult men within the population.

The basic aims of the Men’s Health Unit are as follows: • Health promotion and information with provision of health care which addresses the specific health needs of adult and young men.

• Evidence-based practices when providing health care to adult and young men.

• Health monitoring and evaluation of the plans.

Men and women are different in many ways. Not only do men (and women) experience life differently, but they think, perceive, react, respond, and communicate differently about their lives and their health. Being male brings with it a distinct mix of biological factors, learned behaviours, cultural expectations and values that affect the way males value themselves, how they relate to others, and how they respond, especially to stressful points of transition throughout their life courses. Men as a group often have poorer health outcomes, and are likely to have shorter life expectancy than women. Conventional literature posits that men have higher rates of mortality and morbidity in areas such as mental health, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, injuries, and cancer. Men even access health

services at a lower rate than women, and have fewer hospital visits, longer stays, and more intensive and costly interventions.

The Ministry of Public Health recognises the need to improve the health of communities through improvement of the health care services available to men. In order to make this objective a reality, we are employing measures to better appreciate the unique ways in which men approach their health.

Moreover, we will be able to understand the problems they face in accessing health services and assist them to do so in a timely manner. We at the Ministry of Public Health will be establishing a plethora of services that will provide positive and effective ways to reach and engage men, especially those with the poorest health (particularly in hinterland areas). These various services will enable all men to have the best opportunities to reach and access exceptional quality public health services that can help them establish and maintain optimal health.

Strategic priorities for Men’s Health in Guyana Some of the strategic priorities as they relate to significantly improving the health and well-being of men in Guyana revolve around the following: (1) Building capacity within the public health system to make health services and information ‘male friendly,’ so that all men have equitable access to the best possible information and health care services available; (2) Reducing the incidence of cancer among men by improving cancer awareness, screening, and care through encouraging men to have regular check-ups, conduct self-screening, and lead healthier lifestyles; (3) Supporting more effective approaches to health promotion and campaigns for obesity, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and unsafe sexual behaviour.

Health promotion will seek to increase awareness on sexual and reproductive health, sexually transmitted infections/ diseases, male participation in health pro-

grammes with their partners and create awareness about gender-based violence; (4) Promoting actions to support and increase resilience (empowerment) of men during especially stressful points of transition across their life courses, as well as deal with depression; (5) Increasing the participation of men in programmes and activities such as family planning, designed to prepare them for being fathers and encourage them to take an active and positive role in parenting.

SOME HEALTH ISSUES AFFECTING MEN IN GUYANA Guyana’s demographic trends show that males may have poor health-seeking behaviours and do not get help until advanced progression of their health afflictions. Prostate cancer is the leading cause of cancer among Guyanese men and is recorded as five times more in men of Afro-Guyanese descent. Colon, rectal, and lung cancer also pose grave threats to men living in Guyana.

Cardiovascular diseases, mental illness, diabetes, obesity and sexually transmitted diseases are all health issues that affect men.

Most of these health conditions are considered “potentially avoidable,’’ because they can be avoided through prevention and early management. For example, nine of the top 10 determinants of health risks are behavioural, and therefore preventable. These are risks that are associated with smoking, high body mass index, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, physical inactivity, alcohol abuse, occupational exposures, illicit drugs, and diets low in fruits and vegetables.

Since the establishment of the Men’s Health Unit within the Maternal and Child Health Department of the Ministry of Public Health, there has been the creation of eight (8) pilot sites for Men’s Health Clinics. These are located in the following areas: (Region Four) Mahaica, Agricola, Herstelling, Kuru

Kururu; (Region Seven) Bartica; (Region Eight) Mahdia; and (Region Nine) Lethem and Aishalton.

One of the aims of the Men’s Health Unit is to establish at least one “male friendly” health facility in each region by 2020, which offers comprehensive, demand-driven health care services to reach the needs of the specific male population in those areas. Through surveys, focus group discussions, and general hospital/health centre reports, the issues affecting the different areas will be highlighted and measures put in place to meet the various needs.

The Men’s Health Unit is quite cognisant that behaviour change takes time, and even more so with men. To this end, efforts will continue through constant sensitisation sessions via radio, television, outreaches, and especially inter-sectorial collaborations. Work is constantly intertwined with the Adolescent Health Unit, because the boys of today will inevitably be the men of tomorrow.

So men, make a commitment to take care of yourselves. Get your cholesterol checked.

Control your blood pressure/cholesterol if they are high, reduce or eliminate your alcohol consumption, and DO NOT SMOKE. Increase physical activity to at least 30 minutes per day, as many days of the week as possible. Eat a healthy diet with more fruits and vegetables and less saturated/trans fats. Note that moderate weight loss and 30 minutes of daily activity have been said to reduce the chance of diabetes by more than 50 percent. Men, I urge you to make every effort to educate yourselves and your partners with health care information that focuses on overall preventative and proactive health care to help you reduce your risks of the top health threats.

The Ministry of Public Health will continue to create enabling environments for men in every region, so that they can access the best quality public health care services in Guyana.

GuyOil launches special motorcycle oil THE Guyana Oil Company Limited (GuyOil) on Saturday launched the Castrol ‘Actevo’, which is a special motorcycle oil designed for different types of bikes and riding styles.

Speaking at the launch which was held at the GuyOil Regent Street service

station, was Marketing Manager, Eric Whaul, who noted that most motorcyclists in Guyana are using regular engine oil in their machines.

But the problem with those oils, he See page 14

Some of the bikers that will be participating in the 2018 Safari (Photos by Delano Williams)

SUNDAY CHRONICLE, March 25, 2018

11

Never take no for an answer -- says GTT CEO at opening of innovation summit nology and really inspiring our children to be a part of what I would say … is a real renaissance,” said Nedd, who

He called on the large gathering of youths at the event to “look, learn, ask many questions and be a part

children involved, opening their minds and giving them a place that they can form thoughts of their own, rather than have thoughts of others imposed upon them,” the GTT CEO stated.

Noting that he is pleased to see the number of young people attending the inaugural summit, Nedd said those who profess to be experts

to ask ourselves, are they really experts or do they have access to an outlet… so they use that access and sometimes fool the masses.”

As such, he called on the youth to “learn, absorb and ask questions”, noting that they must never take no for an answer.

Meanwhile, Minister of Business, Dominic Gaskin

GTT’s CEO, Justin Nedd hands over the Innov8 key to Minister of Business, Dominic Gaskin

By Ariana Gordon YOUNG people are being urged to capitalise on the opportunities which exist

Telegraph Company’s (GTT) three-day Innov8 Summit being held at the Marriott Hotel, Georgetown, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Justin Nedd called on Guyanese youth to use the summit as a stepping block in the world of technology.

“Quite frankly, this is about really showcasing the people that actually know about technology, live tech-

The Innov8 angel

noted that there is much talk about children and the youth being the future. “… but unless we actually do something about it, it is just empty talk and we [GTT] are not about empty talk,” he assured.

This lad plays with a robot at GTT’s Innov8 Summit

in technology as Guyana rapidly advances in the technological world.

Speaking at the opening of the Guyana Telephone and

An exhibitor interacts with First Lady Mrs Sandra Granger on Saturday at GTT’s Innov8 Summit being held at the Marriott Hotel, Georgetown. Also in photo are GTT’s CEO, Justin Nedd; Marketing Manager, Samantha Gooden; and Minister of Business, Dominic Gaskin (Adrian Narine photo)

of innovation”.

“Guyana is a beautiful place and we are on the verge of something big,” said Nedd who pointed to Guyana as a country which has many experts.

“This is about getting the

A section of the audience at the opening of Innov8 Summit on Saturday at the Marriott Hotel

must be questioned.

“Those experts, we have

congratulated Turn to page 12

12

Never take no for ...

GTT gifted several children who attended its Innov8 Summit Saturday with Legos as part of its effort to have children interested in robotics and technology. In this Adrian Narine photo, Minister of Business, Dominic Gaskin and GTT’s CEO Justin Nedd, along with other representatives of the telephone company, stand with the recipients.

GTT on the hosting of the summit and pledged his ministry’s full support.

ALSO DRIVERS OF INNOVATION He told the gathering of youth, students, business community, special invitees and exhibitors that the private sector must not be seen as only the driver of economic growth but also the driver of innovation and

the use of technology.

“I am very encouraged to see GTT playing a major role in this event as the private company organising this event; a great event.”

Gaskin said the Innov8 Summit represents a great platform for technology to be used as a vehicle for advancement in all areas of human and economic development.

“Technology is a driver

and will not wait for us to get our act together, so we have to be proactive in our approach to technology and we have to create an enabling environment for keeping up with the latest technological advances. There is always something new and there is absolutely no reason why the next great technological breakthrough cannot start right here in Guyana,” the Minister of Business stated.

Gaskin said too that the use of modern digital technology is pivotal to economic activity in today’s competitive world. He said it has the potential to reduce operational costs, increase production, enhance security, improve decision making through data collection and analysis, and can be used for marketing and for sales and in transportation, construction and of course in telecommunications.

The minister noted that all industries can benefit from the use of technology and given the evolution of technology, there is smart policing, farming and even smart governments.

“But it takes a smart people to produce and develop all these smart products and smart systems and I know there is no shortage of smart people in Guyana,” Gaskin said while making the point that smart people still need to be exposed to what other

SUNDAY CHRONICLE, March 25, 2018

From page 11

Members of the Cancer Institute also participated in GTT’s Innov8 Summit

said the strategy will become a blue print for national development through its 2030 vision for a green, inclusive and prosperous Guyana.

“We have to follow a course of action to get there and technology will be the major factor in getting there. Besides all the other

First Lady Mrs Sandra Granger in discussion with GTT’s CEO, Justin Nedd (centre) and Business Minister, Dominic Gaskin

smart people in other smart countries are doing when it comes to technology.

SHARING IDEAS “They can benefit tremendously from sharing ideas and experiences at fora such as this one. This event is great, relevant and timely, because now is the time for us to innovate and to explore technology-based solutions for many of the challenges that we face as a nation,” the minister added.

He reminded that exciting times are ahead with the discovery of oil offshore Guyana. But with the discovery of oil, the minister reminded that there is need for Guyanese to look to the future and invest time and effort into learning and developing systems so that they can be well poised to benefit from that which is to come.

“No one really knows what lies ahead, but whatever shape the future of Guyana takes, technology will play a significant role,” Gaskin said as he pointed to Guyana’s draft Green State Development Strategy which he said is close to completion.

Once adopted, Gaskin

good things that technology brings to the table, it is also a pillar upon which our development hinges.”

He described technology as a tool for green development while adding that it is through innovation and technology that as a people, Guyanese will find “greener ways of doing things without compromising on the quality of life that we may have come accustomed to.”

Guyana, he said, is well positioned to roll out its Green State Development Strategy because of the country’s small population, rich resources and capacity to feed itself as well as others. This, he said, will make the strategy affordable and sustainable.

For Guyana to be fully onboard with the technological advances which are occurring globally, the business minister noted the need for there to be the bridging of the gap between the coast and the hinterland.

He referenced the initiatives by Minister of Public Telecommunications, Catherine Hughes, to bridge the gap.

“It is with the use of technology that the greatest achievements are being

made and we now have schools in remote communities that now have Internet access and computers for the very first time.

“This allows our children who have never had this access before to finally enjoy what most children in the rest of the world take for granted,” Gaskin stated.

But though work has been done, he accepted that much more is yet to be dome.

“We are not trying to tell you that all our schools have Internet, but we are getting there and the technology is what is driving the achievement and success in that regard.”

The event was also attended by First Lady, Mrs Sandra Granger; Chief Education Officer, Marcel Hutson and President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce (GCCI) Deodat Indar, and other members of the business community.

The three-day Innov8 Summit hosted by GTT will conclude on March 27.

On the first two days, the Innov8 Expo will serve as an “open house’ to wow visitors with innovation of homegrown and international origin, while showcasing technology in the ways never seen before.

According to GTT, experts from Google, Microsoft and others will demonstrate how gadgets, robotics and over the top (OTT) applications like YouTube, Facebook and WhatsApp can improve everyday life.

A business forum, which will be held on day three, is aimed at bringing together business leaders, tech entrepreneurs, thought leaders, innovators, creativity experts, millennials, entrepreneurs, public sector personnel and industry trailblazers to engage in discussions on ways that technology can drive businesses and the economy forward for Guyana.

GTT has partnered with the University of Guyana (UG), STEM Guyana, Gizmos and Gadgets, Starr Computers and the Guyana Cancer Foundation, among others, to host the event.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE March 25, 2018

Beware of the ‘tiny vocal minority’

By Ariana Gordon

MINISTER of Business, Dominic Gaskin, on Saturday pleaded with Guyanese not to become distracted by the “tiny vocal minority” which have openly criticised the government of Guyana’s contract with U.S. oil giant ExxonMobil.

Gaskin, who was at the time speaking at the opening ceremony for the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company’s (GTT) Innov8 Summit, being held at the Marriott Hotel, Georgetown, sought to assure the public that the APNU+AFC coalition government will ensure that Guyanese reap benefits from the country’s natural resources.

“A lot has already been said [about oil] and the debate still rages on, but I can say in all sincerity that our government will ensure that the Guyanese people become the beneficiaries of our country’s natural wealth; and I want to urge you all to pay attention to the real development that is taking place and not become distracted by that tiny vocal minority which seems bent on killing the enthusiasm that we all need to energise us into making the right choices and preparing ourselves for what lies ahead,” said the minister of business.

Gaskin said too that Guyana has “a golden opportunity” to prudently save, spend and invest oil revenues within a framework of rules that will ensure sustainability and will bring great benefits to the Guyanese people for generations to come.

The minister appeared to be referencing critics who have chided the government’s handling of its oil agreement with the U.S. oil company and its partners.

In fact, several critics, including attorney Melinda Janki believe that there are grounds on which the contract with ExxonMobil can be challenged.

GUARDIAN ARTICLE Recently, an article published in the United Kingdom’s Guardian newspaper and headlined, ‘Guyanese campaigners mount legal challenge

– minister of business urges Guyanese

for that damage.”

Minister of Business Dominic Gaskin against three oil giants,’ indicated an intent by a group of Guyanese to move to the courts on the matter.

Janki, one of the lawyers representing the Guyanese campaigners, said the granting of licences to drill by the government was illegal. She told the Guardian, “It is very simple. If you want to extract oil in Guyana you need an environmental permit in order to get a petroleum production licence…. Only one of the three companies involved has an environmental permit. We are seeking an order to quash the decision by the minister [Minister of Natural Resources] to issue the licence because, we are saying, he acted illegally.”

According to the article published three days ago, Janki lodged an appeal earlier this month after the first attempt to quash the granting of the licences was rejected by a judge.

Similarly, activist Ramon Gaskin, who is part of ‘A Fair Deal for Guyana campaign’ told the Guardian, “In my opinion, the government has sold off Guyana’s oil without a care for the environment, without a care for the people, without a care for fishermen and others who stand to lose everything from a spill, without a care for Guyana’s marine environment which could be totally destroyed, without a care for future generations who might inherit nothing but an oil slick, and without any understanding whatsoever of the dangers of climate change.

People also have to understand that an oil spill or a well blow-out could harm our Caribbean neighbours and Guyana could be liable

MET LEGAL REQUIREMENTS But the Government of Guyana on Friday issued a statement assuring that every action it took regarding the issuance of a petroleum production licence to the U.S. oil company met all legal requirements.

“Firstly, the government of Guyana wishes to emphatically reaffirm that it zealously guards and defends the right of every citizen to seek recourse in law in pursuit of interests they believe to be worthy. Equally, the government of Guyana is certain, as it is confident, that every action it took with regard to the issuance of the petroleum production licence met all legal requirements,” the ministry’s statement read.

It added that the government is prepared and willing to present all facts in this regard to any court with jurisdiction.

“The Ministry of Natural Resources notes that this sort of action is not unusual in emerging oil economies, particularly during the stage leading up to first-oil, at which Guyana currently is. The ministry is satisfied that its partners engaged in exploration and preparation for production and [are] taking every precaution in ensuring that there is minimal effect to the environment; and that they are diligently putting systems in place to guard against any spills or mishaps.”

Further, the ministry said it will continue to engage its partners – ExxonMobil, Hess and CNOOC Nexen – in ensuring that the interest of Guyana’s waters and environment remais top priorities as it pursues exploitation of Guyana’s natural resources with a view to fast track Guyana’s social, infrastructural and economic development.

“The ministry calls on all Guyanese to remain vigilant and interested in ensuring that Guyana’s patrimony, in every regard, is protected and also to act in

the best interest of the future development of this generation and generations to follow. No longer must Guyana be indefinitely consigned to

Third World status and its people languish in less than desirable circumstances.

We must join forces, as a nation, to ensure that

every Guyanese enjoys the good life by dint of hard work and the responsible exploitation of our nation’s God-given resources.”

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GuyOil launches ...

From page 10

said, is that they only cater for the engine, whereas ‘Actevo’ caters for the clutches and brakes too.

“Anything that comes out from Castrol is a proper product,” Whaul boasted, adding that the ‘Actevo’ will soon be put to the test as his company

SUNDAY CHRONICLE March 25, 2018

is sponsoring 20 bikers, including those from the Sonic Hunters Motorcycle Club, at this year’s cross-country Safari.

According to Whaul, Castrol Actevo provides continuous protection, even when the engine is off, as the product is uniquely formulated to do just that.

The Castrol Actevo

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE March 25, 2018

Solar lights installed at National Park

THE Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) has installed 45 integrated stand-alone solar- powered 80W Light Emitted Diode (LED) street lights at the Guyana National Park.

The move is in keeping with GEA’s mandate to carry out research into all sources of energy, including those sources presently used in Guyana for the generation of energy, and securing more efficient utilisation of energy and sources of energy.

GEA’s Energy Engineer Brian Constantine, who monitored installation of the lights, explained that the project was financed by the British High Commission in Georgetown, through the UK’s Prosperity Fund, at a total cost of G$8,158,288.

He further explained that the supply and installation cost translates into a unit cost of $178,500 per light.

The project involved the replacement of inefficient mercury vapour lamps in the National Park, each rated at 250 watts, with the more energy-efficient 80-Watt solar-powered LED lights.

Prior to the installation, GEA had conducted the relevant evaluations as solarpowered street lights are not appropriate for deployment at all locations.

Locations for the use

of solar-powered street lights have to be carefully reviewed to ensure that they are not shaded and have sufficient space on the existing poles to accommodate the structures.

Otherwise, separate poles have to be installed to accommodate the lights, which can add to the cost. In the case of this particular project, it was determined that the existing poles at the National Park would be utilized, as just minor modifications were needed to minimise the amount of shading on the surface of the module.

It is estimated that 49,275kWh of energy and 29,565kg of CO2 emissions annually will be avoided/ saved through this investment. This translates to over G$2,800,000 yearly in savings in electricity costs. The simple payback on this investment is about four years.

Integrated solar-powered street lights use renewable energy from the sun to charge the batteries, which provide lighting at nights using energy-efficient LED lights.

The lights are controlled by a light-sensitive and timer-controlled circuit to switch the lights on in the evenings and turn them off at dawn.

As part of the energy-conservation features of the initiative, the technology dims the lights by 50 per cent when motion is not detected and returns to 100 per cent brightness when motion is detected.

One advantage of these systems is that they are not powered by the utility, thereby avoiding the use of fossil-based energy from the grid and the associated costs.

Additionally, these lights are not affected by utility failures.

Dr Mahender Sharma, Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Energy Agency expressed gratitude to British High Commissioner Greg Quinn and his staff for their support in making it possible to provide renewable energy and efficient lighting to the users of the National Park.

The CEO also thanked Denise Fraser, Commissioner, Protected Areas Commission and the staff of the National Park for the support throughout the project’s implementation.

Commenting on the project, High Commissioner Greg Quinn said: “It is incumbent on us all to do what we can to mitigate our impact on the environment and to improve energy efficiency. The High Commission therefore

From left to right: GEA Chief Executive Officer Dr Mahender Sharma; Commissioner of the Protected Areas Commission Denise Fraser, British High Commissioner Gregg Quinn and Department of Environment, Ministry of the Presidency representative Sandra Britton at the commissioning ceremony welcomed the opportunity to work with the GEA to install these lights.”

The GEA will continue

to implement and spearhead such projects as part of the realisation of the agency’s objective to scale

up solar power and other forms of renewable energy and energy-efficient technologies.

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Another Easter without him –– father relives anguish of losing son this time of year

By Clestine Juan

WITH school closed for the Easter holidays and thousands of children at home for the two-week break, parents and guardians are being cautioned to be extra vigilant where their kids are concerned.

This timely warning is coming from the father of nine-year-old Shaquan Gittens, who died rather tragically three Easters ago.

On April 4, 2015, Shaquan’s bound and half-naked body was pulled from a trench aback South Ruimveldt, thereby bringing

to an end a desperate threeday search in the hope that he would somehow be alive.

Three days prior to the discovery, the child was last seen flying his kite in his South Ruimveldt neighbourhood.

From all accounts, he knew his assailant, since the

man reportedly lived in the said South Ruimveldt community.

The suspect, now 24, would eventually confess to committing the crime, and is scheduled to go on trial at the High Court in April.

Speaking recently to the Guyana Chronicle, the

Shaquan’s dad, Mr Earl McAlmont child’s father Earl McAlmont explained that during this time of year, children tend to wander around the village aimlessly, flying their kites and just having a jolly good time playing with their little friends.

Shaquan’s dad stressed that parents should pay special attention to their children’s whereabouts, since kidnapping is on the rise these days.

“A lot of predators kidnapping children now!”, he said. “My advice to parents is to pay attention to their children, especially at this Easter time when they tend to stray away from home.”

He said he’d be spending the time this Easter painting his baby’s tomb to mark his third death anniversary.

Young Shaquan would have turned 13 on April 19 had he lived.

In an earlier interview, his mom Doysha Gittens had said that the last time she saw her son alive was on April 1, 2015.

She’d left him in the care of his 15-year-old brother and gone to work. On returning home later that day and not seeing him, she said she was told by his brother that Shaquan had left to go on the streets and play. Neighbours even told her that they did see him flying a kite.

But after night came and he didn’t come home, she became worried and went around the community in search of him, as it was unlike him to stay out late at night.

When he hadn’t turned up the following day, she made a missing person report and began posting flyers.

It wasn’t until two days

later, the grieving mother said, that she received word that the police had found Shaquan’s lifeless body; that a “junkie”, who was no stranger to the village, had confessed to killing him. The man had reportedly taken detectives to the spot where he’d committed the heinous act.

He’d even confessed to “eyeing” Shaquan for months, and having had several confrontations with the child whenever he tried to approach him.

He reportedly told the police that on the day the child disappeared, he had

Young Shaquan Gittens, who would have been 13 this Easter had he not died tragically ambushed and tripped him, causing him to fall. After Shaquan fell, the suspect said, he dragged him all the way to a deserted area, some half-a-mile from the nearest house in South Ruimveldt. It was there, he told the police, that he manacled the child’s hands and sodomised him.

As he did so, the suspect told the police, he not only had his hands around the child’s neck, choking the life out of him, but when he was done, at some point he cut his genitals off.

He would later dump the child’s motionless body, sometime the next day, in a trench.

Government Pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh gave the cause of death as manual strangulation and drowning. There were also signs of a sexual assault, and the post-mortem also confirmed that the child’s privates were missing.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE March 25, 2018

Black Bush farmers reap bumper rice crop

RICE farmers in Black Bush Polder are celebrating a bumper crop with yields of 45 bags of paddy per acre.

yielded him an average of 35 to 40 bags of paddy per acre.

Ramnarine described this crop as an excellent one, particularly since during the previous crop some farmers were reaping 25 bags of paddy per acre in the Black Bush Polder.

He attributed this abundant crop to proper field management and the correct use of fertilisers and insecticides.

According to Ramnarine, he had previously planted the hybrid strain referred to as GRDB 10, however, this crop he tried a hybrid strain from Brazil.

Region Six Chairman David Armogan In the Black Bush Polder, 18,000 acres were cultivated and a further 24,000 in the front lands of the Corentyne coast between Adventure and Number 43 Village.

Sixty-five per cent, of the 18,000 acres of rice cultivated in Black Bush, has already been harvested. Another 4,500 acres remain in the fields to be harvested.

Roshad Gafoor, of Yakusari, Black Bush Polder, said he has 45 acres under rice cultivation and is expecting to receive $1.9M for his paddy.

Another satisfied rice farmer is Sasenarine Ramnarine, whose 21 acres have

Rice farmer Sasenarine Ramnarine It should be noted that some farmers who have planted the GRDB 10 have also reported similar yields to those of Ramnarine.

Region Six Chairman David Armogan who recently met with some of the farmers, pointed to the fact that the reduced cost to

hire trucks and combined harvesters for this crop had a positive effect on operational costs, resulting in larger profits for rice farmers.

The chairman also explained that the regional administration is tackling the issue of ensuring that the fields in the backlands

(Black Bush Polder) remain dry for harvesting, while those in the front lands, expected to be harvested in a few weeks, receive water that will be pumped into their fields.

“So that is a little problem that we have to keep the water in the canal at a level

that it can reach to the front lands for those farmers; and also at a level that if it rains, there will be no flooding in Black Bush because then the farmers will not be able to reap and those who have not finished reaping will have big losses,” he said.

He also gave the assur-

ance that the administration is looking into the “erection of a solid fence” to separate the rice-cultivation area from the area where cattle are grazed, in order to prevent destruction of rice fields.

Armogan said that this will be carried out as a capital project in 2019.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE March 25, 2018

Man busted with narcotics in buckets The black plastic bags with narcotics found in the buckets on Friday

A 40-year-old Ann’s Grove, East Coast Demerara man was busted on Friday with some 6,772 grams of narcotics stashed in a black plastic bag and hidden in three five-gallon buckets containing lube oil on Friday.

The police in a release said the man was a passenger on a minibus en route to Aranka District, CuyuniMazaruni River. He was cautioned about the offence committed and admitted to same.

The man is in custody pending charges for court on Monday.

The buckets in which the narcotics were found

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, March 25, 2018

25

English Racing Tips

12:45 hrs Midas Gold

12:35 hrs Getareason

Ascot

Doncaster

Naas

09:00 hrs Indirocco

09:25 hrs Right Touch

08:55 hrs Son Of Beauty

09:35 hrs Malaya

10:00 hrs First Contact

09:30 hrs Come At Dawn

10:45 hrs Diego Du Charmil

10:35 hrs Mobsta

10:05 hrs Son Of Rest

11:10 hrs Great Hall

10:40 hrs London Icon

11:45 hrs Indian Chief

11:15 hrs Elegant Pose

12:20 hrs Broderie

11:50 hrs Beach Bar

12:55 hrs Clemento

12:25 hrs Caffe Macchiato

11:20 hrs Loose Chips 11:55 hrs Samuel Jackson 12:30 hrs Monsieur Gibraltar Carlisle 09:15 hrs PC Dixon 09:50 hrs Contre Tous 10:25 hrs Pistol 11:00 hrs Robbing The Prey 11:35 hrs Beeno 12:10 hrs Instant Replay

Irish Racing Tips Downpatrick 09:10 hrs Caro Des Flos 09:45 hrs Brave Out

South Africa Racing Tips Greyville 08:35 hrs Arizona Sunset

10:20 hrs A Place Apart

09:10 hrs Seek The Summit

10:55 hrs Poormans Hill

10:45 hrs It’s My Turn

11:30 hrs Ardmillan

10:20 hrs Lady Li Lay

12:05 hrs Timewaitsfornoone

10:55 hrs American Captain`

The qualifying results of the Australian Grand Prix (BBC) - Lewis Hamilton pulled out a spectacular last-ditch lap to take a stunning pole position for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

The world champion was

nip and tuck with the Ferrari of Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen until the final runs of the session, only for Hamilton to re-set perceptions of the possible to take pole by a massive 0.664 seconds.

Vettel was beaten into second by Ferrari team-mate Kimi Raikkonen by just 0.01secs, with the Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo fourth and fifth.

Hamilton’s team-mate Valtteri Bottas crashed at the start of final qualifying and will start 10th at best.

Hamilton said: “You would think that with the results we had these years it would feel the norm but it doesn’t. It’s so intense. I am so happy with that lap.

I am always striving for perfection and that was as close as I can get.”

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Sunday March 25, 2018) COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALLBourda Market & the City Mall (Tel: 2259230) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Marlon Samuels-86 vs ZIM (2) Jason Holder-4/35 vs ZIM Today’s Quiz: (1) How many runs Chris Gayle scored the ICC WC Qualifiers Super Sixes?

(2) How many wickets Kemo Paul took in the Super Sixes?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, March 25, 2018

South Africa forge ahead as Australia admit ball-tampering (REUTERS) - SOUTH Africa opened up a potentially match-winning lead on day three of the third Test yesterday as Australia captain Steve Smith admitted his side tampered with the ball in a confession that sent shockwaves through the sport.

In an extraordinary news conference after the day’s play, Smith and Australia batsman Cameron Bancroft confessed to a plan to use sand stuck to tape to alter the condition of the ball in an effort to produce more swing.

Bancroft has been charged with a Level Two offence by the International Cricket Council, but whether Smith will face any sanction after admitting to hatching the plot along with the team’s “leadership group” remains to be seen.

South Africa will resume their second innings on 238 for five today, already with a potentially match-winning lead of 294 on a deteriorating wicket that is offering assistance to the bowlers.

AB de Villiers is not out on 51 and will resume on the fourth morning with Quinton de Kock, on 29, as the pair look to push the lead past 350 runs at least with two full days remaining and sunshine predicted.

But the headline issue in an already tempestuous series, in which five players have been sanctioned and Australia complained of “dis-

graceful” South African supporters verbally abusing their players, was the admission of the touring side that they tried to cheat in a plot

Nigel Llong and Richard Illingworth, who had been alerted to the suspicious behaviour.

Bancroft turned out his pockets

“I’m embarrassed, the boys in the shed are embarrassed and I feel for Cam as well,” Smith told reporters.

TV cameras caught the moment Bancroft took what he said was yellow tape out of his pocket.

hatched at lunch on the third day.

This came to light after Bancroft, the most junior member of the side and the player tasked with carrying out the plan, was caught on camera rubbing a yellow object against the ball.

He was then shown hastily putting the object down the front of his trousers before speaking to on-field umpires

and showed the umpires a black piece of cloth before play continued and the hosts tightened their hold on the match.

The ICC announced its intention to charge Bancroft at the close of play and he faces a maximum punishment of a 100 percent fine of his match fee and four demerit points, which would trigger an automatic one-match ban.

“It is not what we want to see in the game, it’s not what the Australian cricket team is about.

Being the leader of the team I am incredibly sorry for trying to bring the game into disrepute like we did today.”

The four-match series is poised at 1-1, with the final Test due to start in Johannesburg on Friday.

SCOREBOARD SOUTH AFRICA 1st innings 311 all out AUSTRALIA 1st innings Cameron Bancroft lbw Vernon Philander 77 David Warner b Kagiso Rabada 30 Usman Khawaja c Kagiso Rabada b Morne Morkel 5 Steven Smith c Dean Elgar b Morne Morkel 5 Shaun Marsh c Quinton de Kock b Morne Morkel 26 Mitchell Marsh c Quinton de Kock b Vernon Philander 5 Tim Paine not out 34 Pat Cummins c AB de Villiers b Kagiso Rabada 4 Mitchell Starc c AB de Villiers b Kagiso Rabada 2 Nathan Lyon c Dean Elgar b Morne Morkel 47 Josh Hazlewood c Hashim Amla b Kagiso Rabada 10 Extras: (b-1, lb-5 nb-4) 10 Total: (all out, 69.5 overs) 255 Fall of wickets : 1-43, 2-61, 3-72, 4-150, 5-150, 6-156, 7-173, 8-175, 9-241.

Bowling: Vernon Philander 15-5-26-2 (nb-1), Kagiso Rabada (20.5-1-91-4 (nb-3) Morne Morkel 21-7-87-4, Keshav Maharaj 12-3-35- 0, Temba Bavuma 1-0-10-0.

South Africa 2nd innings Aiden Markram c Pat Cummins b Mitchell Starc 84 Dean Elgar c Steven Smith b Pat Cummins 14 Hashim Amla c Cameron Bancroft b Pat Cummins 31 AB de Villiers not out 51 Faf du Plessis lbw Nathan Lyon 20 Temba Bavuma c (sub.) b Josh Hazlewood 5 Quinton de Kock not out 29 Extras: (b-4) 4 Total: (6 wkts, 72.0 overs) 238 Fall of wickets: 1-28, 2-104, 3-151, 4-196, 5-201.

Bowling: Mitchell Starc 15-2-48-1-, Josh Hazlewood 17-4-46-1, Pat Cummins 19-4-47- 2, Nathan Lyon 16-1-69-1, Steven Smith 1-0- 6-0, Mitchell Marsh 4-0-18-0.

‘Caged’ Southee ready to Four referees for Barbados International Friendlies unleash on England (REUTERS) - TIM Southee is mindful of how well placed New Zealand are in the rain-affected first Test against England, but the pace bowler is starting to get frustrated that the game has barely moved on since day one.

Rain washed out all but 17 balls of play on the third day, with New Zealand moving their score on to 233 for four and increasing their lead over the visitors to 175 with two days remaining in the day-night Test.

A little over 90 minutes of play was possible on the second day and it has been more than two days since Southee has had any meaningful role to play in the game after he and newball partner Trent Boult dismissed England for 58.

“The position we’re in now is a

good one,” Southee, who returned figures of 4-25, told reporters in Auckland.

“The rain has been frustrating but the work we put in on day one has made that frustration a little bit easier to swallow.”

Southee and Boult (6-32) bowled all 20.4 overs of England’s innings between them and the right-armer jokingly said that while he had played second fiddle to his colleague, he was happy as long as they were taking wickets.

“You’re obviously wanting to take wickets, but when you’re in that huddle and the guys are getting around you for the job you’re doing at your end, you still feel like you’re still contributing to him taking the wickets,” Southee said.

“It’s a great partnership and we’ve bowled reasonably well together for a while now, so it’s nice to see Trent do well and feel like you’re contributing at the other end, helping to build some pressure.”

While the forecast is for better weather over the last two days, the focus will now be on how long New Zealand want to bat at Eden Park today, with the possibility of exploiting conditions under lights needing to be factored in.

Southee, however, said whenever they got the ball back in their hands, they would still need to bowl well against an England side unlikely to bat as badly as they had in the first innings.

The second match of the twoTest series starts in Christchurch on March 30.

Four of Guyana’s FIFA referees will officiate in an International Friendly in Barbados tomorrow as host Barbados play Bermuda at the Usain Bolt Sports Complex, Black Rock, St. Michael at 16:00hrs.

The referees – Gladwyn Johnson; Kevin Stephens who are Assistant Referees One; Kleon Lindey who is an Assistant Referee Two and Sherwin Johnson, a Fourth Official –departed yesterday today and return on Monday.

In an invited comment, Head of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Refereeing Department, Stanley Lancaster, said that the referees officiating in the match was an invitation from the Barbados Football Association (BFA).

“The BFA reached out to us for four International referees to officiate in their International

Friendly, an important match to them. While this is nothing new, this reflects the confidence bestowed on the Guyanese referees for match readiness and performing at the highest standard when called upon to do so. The GFF continues to invest in the referees’ development to enable match officials to perform at a consistently high level.”

Lancaster added that this should also serve as encouragement to other match officials to raise or improve their performance to attain the FIFA status so Guyana can have a larger resource basin of referees to respond to these and similar requests. .

The four match officials are part of a larger pool of elite and national referees who officiate at both international and locally-based tournaments.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE, March 25, 2018

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West Indies looking to silence critics (CMC) - FAVOURITES West Indies will be hoping not only to lift the title but also settle a few grudges, when they face plucky Afghanistan in today’s final of the ICC World Cup Qualifiers.

The Caribbean side’s single blemish in the month-long tournament came at the hands of the Asian side, when they went down by three wickets in their opening match of the Super Sixes after failing to defend 197.

To be fair to Afghanistan, the effort was no fluke either.

They also beat the Windies in the warm-ups and also sprung a surprise on their maiden

tour of the Caribbean last year when they captured the opening One-Day International in St Lucia.

With the Afghans having emerged as the Windies’ bogey team, the history has not been lost on captain Jason Holder who said his side had a special motivation to topple their opponents.

“We’re raring to beat Afghanistan,” the in-form all-rounder said ahead of the contest at Harare Sports Club.

“They’ve gotten the better of us in the Super Six game and warm-up game so there is all to play for here in this last game. It is a challenge for us as well.

“They’ve obviously done really well in the Super Six stage and really earned their spot here in these finals.

We’re cognizant of that and pretty much up for it and ready to beat Afghanistan.”

There has been a common thread in all three of the Windies’ defeats to Afghanistan: Rashid Khan.

The 19-year-old leg-spinner snatched seven for 18 in the St Lucia contest – the fourth-best figures in ODI history – before returning with miserly figures of two for seven from 22 balls to help formalise the warm-up win earlier in this tournament.

In the Super Six triumph,

he again proved stingy, conceding just 31 runs from his full complement of overs.

With him in partnership with the impressive off-spinners Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi, along with left-arm spinner Sharafuddin Ashraf, West Indies are sure to face another trial by spin but Holder said his side would be prepared.

“When we played the game against Zimbabwe we beat them with four spinners as well,” the Barbadian reminded.

“Their (Afghanistan) spinners have done the bulk of their work in this tournament and they’ve been

successful.

“The nature of the pitch here at the Harare Sports Club would dictate that anything in excess of 220 is a pretty good score and if we bat first, we would be looking to get anywhere around that, and I back my bowlers to come and defend it.”

Apart from the hopes of revenge, the Windies also see victory in the final as the ideal way to cap off a campaign in which they have set themselves apart from the other nine teams.

Their win over Scotland on Wednesday – albeit a fortuitous one requiring DLS – saw them become the first

team from the tournament to secure a World Cup spot and Holder said it was important for the two-time former World champions to finish strong.

“I don’t think we have played the perfect game as yet. We’ve done some really good things but I don’t think we have strung together the performances in batting, bowling and fielding, so that is my challenge to get into this last encounter, to end this tour on a high and win this final.”

The match bowls off at 09:30hrs (03:30hrs Eastern Caribbean time).

Gayle to party with Zimbabweans Trinidad to play

(CMC) – EVER the consummate entertainer, superstar opener Chris Gayle not only wants action in the middle during today’s final against Afghanistan but off it as well.

In fact, apart from a Windies win, the 38-year-old Jamaican is hoping for two things: a full house and plenty party vibes.

“It will be nice to actually finish playing in Harare to be honest. I hope it will be a full house and fans here in Zimbabwe are fantastic,” he said.

“The way they rock to the tunes in the stand and they cheer, I absolutely love it you know, one of the best fun zones or fun base that I have actually played in front of.

“I mean Zimbabwe, the South African dance and they love the beats. I have got to take back the music for sure.”

The Zimbabwe crowds have been energetic throughout the tournament even though their hopes of seeing their national side qualify for next year’s World Cup in England were dealt a massive blow earlier this week.

West Indies have also benefited from the support of the home fans, who have

Martinique in Friendly today

The consummate entertainer Chris Gayle

shown plenty appreciation for the Caribbean side’s efforts.

Gayle, who has played 12 of his 280 One-Day Internationals at Harare Sports Club, said he was looking forward to joining the fans and sharing in the entertainment, in what was likely to be his last international appearance in the country.

“Don’t worry I can dance, I will dance with them, I’ll interact with the crowd on Sunday (today) as well. I will have some fun for sure,” he said.

Gayle is the most decorated member of an otherwise inexperienced side with 9 575 ODI runs, 23 hundreds and four ICC 50-overs World Cups under his belt.

However, he has not scaled his usual giddy heights during the tournament, with just one hundred in the campaign – against United Arab Emirates in the Windies’ opening preliminary fixture.

The former Test captain said he would always have fond memories of Zimbabwe.

“It has been a great tournament, the support here in Zimbabwe is always fantastic,” he pointed out.

“It has been quite a while since I have been here. The people have been fantastic. I have a lot of great memories here in Zimbabwe – my first Test hundred was here.

“To actually come back here and relive those moments has been fantastic.

This will be my last tour of Zimbabwe, and people here are great.”

MARTINIQUE (CMC) Trinidad and Tobago will chase their second win in three days when they clash with Martinique in an international friendly here today.

They will enter the game on a high, following their 1-0 win over Guadeloupe at the Pierre Antonius Stadium in Pointe-à-Pitre on Friday night.

German-based defender Joevin Jones proved the difference for the Trinidadians as he got on the scoresheet in the 29th minute, to give his side the lead at the break.

Nathan Lewis’s initial strike was parried by goalkeeper Kevin Ajax but Jones pounced on the

rebound.

T&T came close to doubling their lead nine minutes after the break but Levi Garcia’s volley was denied by the crossbar.

The victory kept intact the Dennis Lawrencecoached side’s 29-year-old record of not having lost to their French counterparts.

Lawrence said he was pleased with the overall performance.

“I thought the boys held their nerve, they kept their shape and made sure defensively we were solid,” the former national defender side.

“We did not allow Guadeloupe to build any momentum and put any pressure on us which is good credit to the boys.”

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, March 25, 2018

Pepsi Hornets stun Harvard Rugby Club 10 to win Hairoun Beer Sevens

THE Pepsi Hornets Rugby Club defeated Harvard Rugby Club of Trinidad and Tobago, 10-0, to win the Hairoun Beer-sponsored rugby tournament at the National Park as the Guyana Rugby Football union (GRFU) kicked off their 2018 season.

In a dogged affair between the Guyanese and Trinidadian club, Pepsi Hornets secured victory with tries from Australian-based Kevin McKenzie and David Felicien on either sides of the half to secure the tournament’s $200 000 first-place prize, compliments of Top Brandz Distributors and their Hairoun Beer brand.

The tournament was marked as the opener for the GRFU season, and the

team from the Twin Island Republic came to Guyana with a point to prove.

Hornets went 5-0 up thanks to McKenzie, who showed off why he’s one of the Caribbean’s top rugby players, and the Hornets continued their forward play to dominate.

In the grit and grind game, fraught with hard tackles, the score line remained unchanged until four minutes before the final whistle. National player Claudius Butts, playing for Harvard, fumbled a sharp pass which proved costly near the Hornets’ try-line.

Felicien pounced and used his cat-like reflexes to propel himself over the line.

With his name on the scoresheet, the Hornets were able to double their advantage

and put the game out of

reach, much to the pleasure of the fans that stood on the sidelines.

It was the most lucrative rugby tournament in Guyana and both Harvard and Pepsi Hornets played undefeated in the day’s preliminary action.

Harvard would return to Trinidad with a second place prize of $150 000 and Trinidadian Abdoola Silverstone, who played for Pepsi Hornets, was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) and collected

‘We want to identify talent,’ says Baksh … Blairmont Cricket Club Easter Camp commences tomorrow

TALENT identification is considered an important assignment for the Blairmont Cricket Club, with the specific task of recognising talent at a very early age.

In this regard, the club will host its annual Easter Camp from tomorrow to Saturday April 7 at the Blairmont Estate ground.

President of the Blairmont Cricket Club businessman Shabeer Baksh, in an exclusive interview yesterday, pointed out that Easter Camp has been part of the membership drive at the club over the last eight years.

He noted that one of the main objectives of the camp is to identify talent, since a number of participants went on to represent Berbice and Guyana at different levels of the game.

The camp will also focus on the discipline of batting, bowling and fielding.

There will also be other fun activities such as table tennis, checkers, dominoes, sports movies among others, according to Baksh.

The individuals expected to make presentations include national coaches

CHAMPS! Pepsi Hornets captain Ryan Gonsalves collects the winners’ purse of US$1000) after

US$100 for his outstand- defeating Harvard Rugby Club 10-0 to win the GRFU Hairoun Beer Sevens tournament. (Delano Williams photo) ing performance.

Shabeer Baksh

Julian Moore, Adrian Amsterdam, Andre Percival and Winston Smith.

Topics relevant to society, for example suicide, peer pressure, behavioural patterns, drug and alcohol abuse and teenage pregnancy, as well as players’ roles will be discussed.

The camp is open to players from 10 to 18 years old.

Interested individuals can register through Mr Khan 609-9379 or Mr Baksh on 628-6767. (Rajiv Bisnauth)

Jonas provides upset as Toucan Junior squash continues THE Guyana Squash Association (GSA) is holding the Toucan Distributors Junior Skill Level tournament, its first Junior tournament for 2018 at the Georgetown Club Inc. courts. Play continued on Friday night with several breathtaking matches in four of the eight categories being contested.

In Category B, Lucas Jonas provided the upset of the night when he came from two games down to defeat Kirsten Gomes by three games to two. Kirsten won the first game easily 11-5 and won an extremely close second game 14-12. Lucas rallied to take the third game also by a 1412 margin and then won the fourth game 11-9. The fifth game was close throughout but Lucas finally secured victory with an 11-9 result.

Also in Category B Ethan Jonas ensured that the Jonas brothers had a

winning night as he defeated Madison Fernandes in four games. Ethan won the first game 16-14 and then won the second game 11-6.

Madison bounced back to win the third game 11-5 but Ethan then closed out the match with an 11-7 win in the fourth game.

Abosaide Cadogan beat James Mekdeci by three games to love in their Category B match-up. Abosaide had an easy 11-1 win in the first game but the other two games were more competitive with scores in the second and third games being 11-6 and 11-8.

Results of all the matches played on Friday were as follows.

Category G Safirah Sumner beat Thandi Dean 11-6, 11-6 Brenno Da Silva thrashed Leshaunte Berkley 11-4, 11-2 Category F

Christiana Fernandes spanked Grant Fernandes 11-8, 15-13 Keenan Naraine beat Kaden Pynaendy 14-12, 11-6 Demetri Lowe edged Malia Maikoo 12-10, 14-12 Monisha Persaud thrashed Grant Fernandes 11-4, 11-6 Category E Arvin Seelall bettered Rayad Boyce 11-7, 11-9 Angel Rahim got the better of Javed Saul 11-9, 11-8 Lajuan Munroe whipped Aram Chan 11-6, 11-5 Category B Abosaide Cadogan trounced James Mekdeci 11-1, 11-6, 11-8 Lucas Jonas overcame Kirsten Gomes 5-11, 12-14, 14-12, 11-9, 11-9 Ethan Jonas defeated Madison Fernandes 16-14, 11-6, 5-11, 11-7 Finals are scheduled for Saturday, March 24, 2018 at 17.00hrs.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE, March 25, 2018

29

Smalta/iCool Water U-14 League

Marian Academy girls and Team Uzzi boys defend titles THE curtain closed on the second annual Smalta/ iCool Water U-14 Indoor Hockey League last evening at Marian Academy with the host team and HHC Team Uzzi once again emerging victorious in the Girls’ and Boys’ competitions respectively.

The GCC Warriors gave the defending Girls’ champions an early scare in the semi-finals when striker Kirsten Gomes, who had been outstanding for the Warriors, scored in the 2nd minute of the game. It wasn’t until the 7th minute that tournament top-scorer Sarah Klautky was able to equalise.

Klautky doubled her tally in the 15th minute giving Marian a 2-1 lead to advance to the final.

In the other half of the draw, SHC Spontaneous edged out St Joseph Divas 2-1, with the Divas putting up a tough fight. The St Joseph team are relatively new to the game of hockey,

SHC Supreme closed the first half of their semi-final against SHC Scorpions 2-0 and responded to Robert Marcus’ lone goal to close the game 3-0 and move on to face the defending champs.

HHC Team Uzzi had much more difficulty in the final, failing to score on multiple occasions despite being awarded 2 penalties during

SHC Spontaneous).

For the Boys, the Most Promising Player was Vladimir Woodroffe of GCC War Dogs, Most Goals went - for a second year running - to Baraka Garnett of HHC Team Uzzi (11 goals) and the MVP went to Samuel Garnett of HHC Team Uzzi.

HHC Team Uzzi are winners of the male division of the Smalta/iCool Water U-14 League.

debuting last year in this tournament but have vastly improved since.

Marian had a much easier time in the final against SHC Spontaneous, with Sarah Klautky scoring 3 times - guaranteeing herself the most goals prize - and Madison Fernandes scoring

once to defeat Spontaneous 4-0.

HHC Team Uzzi dominated in their Boys’ semi-final, blowing away SHC Slayers 9-2. Baraka Garnett, top scorer for two years running, scored 5 goals while MVP Samuel Garnett scored 4 goals.

BCB, BCUA to work together

… Simon applauds efforts of new administration PRESIDENT of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) Hilbert Foster, as part of an ongoing Outreach Programme last Wednesday, met the executives and members of the Berbice Cricket Umpires Association (BCUA) at the Board’s Charlotte Street, New Amsterdam Office.

The BCUA delegation included president Joseph Simon, secretary Moses Ramphal and treasurer Jai Hardeo. The newly-elected president since his reign began on February 18 has been hosting a series of meetings to listen to suggestions from cricket stakeholders and also to inform them of plans for the rest of 2018.

Foster, in remarks to the umpires underscored their importance to the development of Berbice cricket and urged them to work along with the BCB to return the game to its rightful place.

Noting that the standard of Berbice cricket has fallen at

the match. In the end, it was Baraka’s goal in the 5th minute that secured Uzzi’s victory for a second year.

The tournament also saw several outstanding individual performances in Most Promising Player (Selena Ajudia of GCC Warriors), Most Goals (Sarah Klautky of Marian Academy with 15) and MVP Charlia Webb of

an alarming rate over the last two years, Foster stated that it would require a superman’s effort to lift it out of the doldrums.

With hardly no Inter-club tournaments being played, most clubs had ceased to exist and efforts are now been made to get them functioning again.

The BCUA was urged to get its house in order as the association would be expected to provide umpires for close to 16 tournaments expected to be organised by the BCB over the next nine months.

Foster urged the umpires to remain professional while ensuring that the rules of cricket are enforced at all levels without bias. The Association was also urged to attract new members as the workload would be too much for the current membership.

The BCB president committed himself to assisting the umpires association to finding avenues to attract

new members and to get the association to improve its administration.

Foster would also seek to assist the BCUA by getting coloured T-shirts.

It was also agreed that the BCB would honour two umpires at its upcoming Annual Awards Ceremony on April 21, 2018.

The two awards would be the Runner-up Umpire-ofthe-Year 2017 and Umpireof-the-Year 2017.

Retired umpires and outstanding umpires would also be recognised and honoured at the BCB Tribute to Heroes Programme.

The BCUA members were told that Foster would be available at all times to listen to their suggestions and also to solve any problem.

BCUA’s Joseph Simon and the umpires present pledged their full support to the newly-elected executives and expressed confidence in the leadership of Hilbert Foster.

Marian Academy Girls are winners of the female division of the Smalta/iCool Water U-14 League.

Eastman takes Star Party Rentals Cycle meet 2018 with ease

By Michelangelo Jacobus IT was a case of ‘different day, same result’ for Team Coco’s Hamzah Eastman yesterday as he eased to victory in the feature Schoolboys and Invitational 35-lap race of the fifth Star Party Rentals cycling programme.

In the cyclist’s own words; it was a lazy ride for him, as he eased over the finish line ahead of PSL Trojan’s Romello Crawford in a time of one hour 17 minutes 20.34 seconds to claim top honours on a bright sunny morning.

Eastman’s teammate Jamual John extended his wait for a victory, as he came in third while Paul DeNobrega, Curtis ‘Chappy’ Dey and Wal-

ter Grant-Stuart came in fourth, fifth and sixth in that order.

Out of the 24 cyclists who started the race, the top five soon separated themselves from the others after just six laps, with Hamzah and John taking the early lead. However, in the closing stages of the race, John seemed to ease off and left no doubt as to who would be the victor.

Young Crawford did well in the final sprint to bridge a sizeable gap and finish second within half of a bike’s length.

Among the sprint prize winners were Dey and John, who claimed three apiece while Stephano Husbands and DeNobrega settled for one each.

Over in the Juvenile

events Adealie Hodge was first with David Hicks and Briton John settling for second and third respectively.

Hodge claimed both of the sprint prizes up for grabs in that category.

In the BMX Boys 9 to 12-year-old category, John Niles was the winner. Usual suspect Junior Niles once again was first in the Veterans U-50 with Wilbert Benjamin and Lear Nunes second and third.

Ian Jackson claimed top spot in the Veterans Over50 event ahead of Kennard Lovell and Andrew Blackman.

On hand to present the prizes and trophies was Lennox Cush of Star Party Rentals.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, March 25, 2018

GMR&SC First National Race of Champions

Litmus check for local drivers ahead of Caribbean tour THE first National Race of Champions is on today at the South Dakota Circuit Timehri and it is the first taste of circuit- racing action that drivers will have for the year.

For many, this event marks their first official track event and the only occasion for teams to test various new parts in keeping with the rules.

While the usual personal battles between drivers will commence today, mechanics have more incentives to want their cars on the podium.

The Club has announced this year that it will be crowning champion mechanics in

accordance with the team’s and the driver’s points, allowing them their five seconds of fame.

An overall aggregate trophy will be given at the end of the year to the best mechanic; the only catch is that he has to be a registered member of the club.

That move by the club lends credence to the mechanic banter of who is the best across the circuit-racing format and now offers a way to settle the age-old dispute.

More importantly, however, this race meet provides the only competitive testing for cars and teams interested in going to the first leg of

the Caribbean Motor Racing Championships in Jamaica.

While the touring contingents may lack the ‘big names’ locally, the introduction of a ‘Group One Caribbean championship’ opens the door for the smaller group competitors to make the voyage.

Traditionally, the big names draw the crowd but the smaller groups hold the crowd and that’s what is expected to happen today.

The 21-race programme will feature action in the Street and Sport Tuner classes as well as the Starlet Cup, Groups Two, Three, Four and Bikes.

Heated competition is anticipated in the Street and Sport Tuner class.

‘Green Machine’ head to Barbados in September for RAN Sevens Championship GUYANA’S ‘Green Machine’ will head to Barbados this year to reclaim their Rugby Americas North (RAN) Men’s title, after it was announced that the Championship which had placed Guyana among the game’s elite country will take place in the ‘Land of the Flying Fish’, September 22–23.

Holders Hill Polo ground in Holders Hill, St James will be the venue for the annual international sevens tournament, according to RAN, who has organised the sevens tournament to increase competition within the region and to provide member unions with a professional setting to showcase the sport’s

rapid growth.

This year’s international competition will be a Men’s and Women’s qualifier for the 2019 Pan American Games, and 2019 Hong Kong Sevens.

All members of RAN, including Associate Members and Regional Development Unions are expected to participate.

“The Barbados Rugby Football Union is working with other sporting associations to raise the standard of tournament hosting in Barbados,” said George Nicholson, Tournament Coordinator.

The RAN Sevens was last held in Mexico City, Mexico, with the 2016 tournament taking place in Trinidad and Tobago.

Final participating teams and the full schedule will be released over the summer, and all matches of the 2018 RAN Sevens tournament will be streamed live on RAN’s YouTube channel. Fans can also follow updates using the hashtag #RAN7s on Facebook and Twitter.

FACC 10-lap race on today THE Flying Ace Cycling Club (FACC) of Berbice will today stage a club members-only 10-lap cycle road race around New Amsterdam in honour of the town’s Mayor Winifred Haywood.

The event will pedal off from

outside the Rainbow Bar and Beer Garden on Republic Road at 14:00hrs and from that point the participants will proceed north and turn west into Vryheid Street then south into Main Road, left into Philadelphia Street and another left

turn onto Republic Road.

This course will be navigated 10 times and the first five finishers as well as the first veteran, junior and female will be rewarded with cash and trophies.

Five prime prizes will also be

up for grabs during the event and Mayor Haywood and members of the N.A Town Council will be on hand to make the presentation of prizes to the respective winners.

Sponsors include the RDC of Region 6, former New Am-

sterdam Mayor Errol Alphonso, Greenidge Refrigeration Services, Arokium Funeral Home, Jukeweason Creole Restaurant, Homeline Furnishing, Fix It Electronics, Smith and Sons of Stanleytown and Mara and Sons.

Drawing of GNRA raffle rescheduled THE drawing of the Guyana National Rifle Association’s (GNRA) raffle has been rescheduled from April 7 to May 12 and will take place at the Industrial Safety Supplies Inc. compound, 226 Camp Street, Georgetown.

The raffle is being used by the GNRA to raise funds for Guyana’s participation at the Caribbean Fullbore Championships scheduled for Barbados during the month of May.

For a mere $100, persons will have a chance to win a Jialing 125cc motorcycle (first prize); one 8HP outboard engine (second prize) compliments of Crown Mining; one 50” flat screen TV (third prize) compliments of Industrial Safety Supplies and one refrigerator, along with 10 consolation prizes.

Modern Optical contributed to the printing of the raffle tickets.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE, March 25, 2018

31

Milo U-18 Schools Football tournament

Fireworks expected as finalists to be decided today THE hunt for a new winner in the Milo Schools Football tournament is on, with the finalists to be decided today at the Ministry of Education ground.

2017 finalists Chase were booted out last weekend along with second-place Morgan Learning Centre in the quarter-finals last weekend, leaving the tournament wide open for new champions.

A protest was made against Pure Masters Academy

by Lodge Secondary School whom they defeated 2-0 in their quarterfinal match at the Ministry of Education (MoE) ground last weekend, and the private institution were found guilty of fielding a player under the name of another and as

such the protest was upheld.

With this ruling by the organisers of the tournament, which is also sponsored by the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) under the theme: ‘Stop gender-based violence’, Lodge Secondary will now clash with Sir Leon Lessons in the feature semifinal game from 17:30hrs.

Leon Lessons will be extra confident of getting past Lodge after needling the three-time defending champions, Chase Academic Foundation in their quarter-final match-up last weekend.

Today’s opening fixture which kicks off at 15:30hrs will be a mouthwatering clash between East Coast football giants Buxton Youth Devel-

Flashback! Last week’s quarter-finals left several big-name teams out of the Milo U-18 football tournament.

opment and Annandale Secondary.

Annandale, led by Troni Semple with a brace, had the honour of booting last year’s losing finalists Morgan’s Learning Centre 2-0 in their quarte-rfinal match last week Sunday. Meanwhile, Buxton will be aiming to continue unscathed with a tidy win in the semifinal match.

The teams will be matching skills for a total of $1.1M which will go towards a project of the school’s choice. The prize money will see the top school receive $500 000, second-place $300 000, third $200 000 and fourth $100 000.

GCA on track with youth development … GCA/GDA launches Under-17 T20 tourney

By Rajiv Bisnauth OVER the past week, the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) has focused its attention on track and youth development across the city.

However, while the vibrant association was able to build partnerships with a number of agencies, youth development at the Under-13, U-15, and U-17 levels was the specifically targeted.

After securing sponsorships for the Under-13 and U-15 tournaments, the GCA yesterday partnered with the Guyana Diabetic Association (GDA), Ansa McAl and other health stakeholders to launch the third edition of the Under-17 T20 competition scheduled to begin today with four matches.

At a simple launching ceremony held at the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) pavilion, president of the Guyana Diabetic Association, Glynis Alonzo-Beaton, said while the association embarked on a partnership for diabetes awareness, cricket can be used to help manage diabetes

because it promotes team work, helps devise strategy and encourages discipline.

“We are looking forward to continue team spirit and team support, but the most

plined throughout the tournament and at the same time she called on parents to give their full support.

Ansa McAl representative Kalawattie Datt-Singh ex-

off-spinner, pointed out that occupying youths meaningfully through the various cricket tournaments is just one of the GCA’s objectives.

He was happy to have the

President of the Guyana Diabetic Association, Glynis Alonzo-Beaton, hands over one of the official jerseys to GCA’s Roger Harper, while club representatives, GCA officials, Ansa McAl’s Kalawattie Datt-Singh and DCC coach Garvin Nedd share the moment.

“Management of diabetes comes with a team. ‘It’s the family, it’s the community, it’s the doctors, the nurses, you name them we have to work with them because diabetes affects the entire body, and unless we work as a team, we cannot get proper management; thus the cricket competition today (yesterday).

important thing is that young boys are made aware of diabetes,” Alonzo-Beaton said.

She pointed out that the tournament plays an important role for the association, since testing for the non-communicable diseases at an early age will be a priority for each participating cricketer.

The GDA president urged the youths to remain disci-

pressed her company’s enthusiasm with the venture, which is aimed at raising awareness of the disease.

Meanwhile, president of GCA, Roger Harper, said in his remarks, that the GCA has embarked on a youth cricket extravaganza during this Easter vacation.

Harper, the former West Indies vice-captain and

support of the various entities involved in the tournament, adding that the GCA was happy to be a part of diabetes awareness.

He noted that while the tournament will focus more on healthy lifestyle, cricketers must at the same time play the game with purpose and passion.

Eight teams will take part

in the tournament which features two zones.

In the ‘A’ zone matches today GNIC will play St Stanislaus College while DCC will oppose Everest Cricket Club. Both games are set for DCC. Zone ‘B’ will feature Malteenoes Sports Club (MSC) hosting GCC while TSC will play GYO also at MSC. After three rounds of action, the top team from Zone ‘A’ will oppose the second-best team from the ‘B’ Zone and vice versa in the two semi-finals on April 5.

Semi-final one will be played under lights at DCC. The final is billed for April 7 at DCC from 18:00hrs.

According to the playing conditions, players must be under 17 years and must be born on or after September 1, 2001 to be eligible to compete.

The playing conditions also state that fast bowlers must bowl eight of the allocated 20 overs. One batting bonus point will be awarded for every 30 runs scored up to 150 runs, so a team can earn a maximum of five batting bonus points.

Litmus check for local drivers ahead of Caribbean tour

Page 30

West Indies looking to silence critics Page 27

Playing for Keeps! West Indies captain Jason Holder (left) shares a laugh with Afghanistan skipper Asghar Stanikzai while posing with the tournament trophy, ahead of today’s final. (Photo courtesy ICC Media)

Pepsi Hornets stun Harvard Rugby Eastman takes Star Party Rentals Cycle meet 2018 with ease Club 10 to win Hairoun Beer Sevens PAGE

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Pepsi Hornets’ Kevin McKenzie bullies his way through the Harvard defence at the National Park.

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Easy does it! Hamzah Eastman eases over the finish line ahead of Romello Crawford (right) to claim the feature event of the fifth Star Party Rentals Cycle programme.

SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2018