Guyana chronicle e paper 09 28 2017

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No. 105049

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

Price: $80 (VAT Inclusive)

Duo charged with murder of Berbice boy Page 2

UG radio station closer to operation Page 8

‘Burning bridges’ Pradoville residents accused of burning bridge connecting Goedverwagting Page 9

GECOM rejects audit findings Page 3

Minister of Public Telecommunications, Catherine Hughes is all smiles as UG Vice-Chancellor, Dr Ivelaw Griffith pumps his fist on the announcement that the institution will be re-issued a radio licence. Also in photo are Chairman of the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) Leslie Sobers and Director for the Centre of Communications Denise Bram (Adrian Narine photo)

Schoolboy killed by falling goal post Page 13

…in radio, pliers purchase

Brazilian dredge owner shot dead Page 12

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, September 28, 2017

Duo charged with murder of Berbice boy TWO men were on Wednesday arraigned in the New Amsterdam Magistrates Court for the alleged rape and murder of 13-year-old Leonard Archibald.

The men appeared be-

fore Senior Magistrate Alex Moore. Alleged mastermind Hillary Edwards, 29, and Obediah Nicholas Christopher, 19 years, both of Brothers Village, East Bank of Berbice, were not required to plead to the capital

Charged separately, Obediah Nicholas Christopher

offence, which was laid separately against them.

Particulars of the charge stated that between Sunday, September 17, and 23, respectively, they unlawfully killed Leonard Archibald.

Attorney-at-law Arun Gossai ,who held the brief for Senior Attorney Mursaline Bacchus, reminded the court that his client Obediah Christopher was a stray offender and as such requested an early hearing.

The other defendant Hillary Edwards was unrepresented by counsel.

Police Inspector Godfrey Playter asked the court for an adjournment, as additional time is needed to complete certain aspects of the investigations. December 8 was given

Suspected murderer Hillary Edwards

as the adjourned date.

Meanwhile, outside of the courtroom, tempers flared, after Obediah Christopher screamed at his parents Peter Christopher and Sunita Motilall, who were standing amongst the scores of onlookers. “I am innocent! I am innocent! I did not do this!

Fight for me mummy. Fight for me in the court,” the young man yelled. His mother’s eyes were filled with tears as her elder son was transported to the New Amsterdam Prison.

The father of the deceased, Walter Archibald, in an invited comment said he was satisfied with the commencement of the prosecution process and he expects that justice will be served. The parents or relatives of Hillary Edwards were not

present at the court hearing.

Archibald was laid to rest on Tuesday. President David Granger in a message said he is deeply saddened to learn of the teenager who was allegedly raped and then dumped into the Berbice River where he was found dead a few days after. The Guyanese head of state said: “Leonard went missing last week on his way home from a party. His lifeless body was discovered two days ago.

The teen, who has been described as a helpful and willing child by his mother, was a student of the Overwinning Primary School.” President Granger extends sincere condolences to his mother, Ms. Abigail Archibald, his siblings, other relatives and friends.

At the church service, Senior Probation and Child Protection Officer, Mitford Ward, said that there needs to be a higher level of awareness with respect to protecting our children. He said “If the perpetrators’ behaviour was known by so many in this community, for so many years, what did we do to protect our children, and what did we do as a community to help him [the main suspect] to reform his evil ways?”

In adding his voice to the incident, Region Six Chairman David Armogan described the incident as the most gruesome and cruel

Thirteen-year-old, Leonard Archibald

act of a man against a man.

“This act, which perhaps the systems of slavery did not know such cruelty, has sent shock waves around the country and our region must not be known for this kind of behaviour,” he warned, while noting that the act must be condemned by every right-thinking Guyanese. “Our region should be peaceful, where people are free to walk around and move as they like. I do not believe it has to do with parents or the child. I believe they did what they could have done to protect. But in the circumstances there was a depraved mind. If we had taken precaution [sic] after the previous incident, then we could have avoided a re-occurrence, but we did not do that. Maybe we are all at fault, the neighbourhood too…we need to take back our community,” Armogan stated.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, September 28, 2017

GECOM rejects audit findings …in radio, pliers purchase …AG pressing for criminal probe THE Auditor General’s Office has recommended that “appropriate disciplinary action be taken against any culpable officer or officers for negligence or wrongdoing” at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) in the lead-up to the May 2015 General Elections.

In his report, the auditor general (AG) unearthed a number of what can be deemed irregular procurement procedures at GECOM and has recommended also that the Guyana Police Force be called in to conduct an in-depth investigation with a view to instituting charges, if the criminal offences are deemed to have been committed.

The report has not yet been made public, but a source close to the Ministry of Communities told the Guyana Chronicle on

Wednesday that the Audit Office has also recommended that GECOM implement internal control systems, especially as they relate to the examination of payment vouchers and the release of payments in IFMAS. But notwithstanding the findings of the Audit Office, GECOM has rejected some of the recommendations and noted in its response to the AG that “consistent with its desire to establish and maintain the highest standards of probity, the commission was poised to take appropriate disciplinary action against any officer found culpable for wrongdoing or negligence.”

However, the commission said it has been unable to identify any instance recorded in the report where any officer was so identified and warranting any action beyond that which was

specified in the comments directly related. “Given our assessment and the lack of evidence to take any further internal action, as stated in our response to the second of the three recommendations, on the basis of the data presented in the report, it would be incomprehensible for us to engage the Guyana Police Force to pursue criminal indictments as suggested in the third and final of the three recommendations,” GECOM stated in its response to the Audit Office.

GECOM said it was forced to operate in unusual circumstances as a result of Parliament being prorogued and the entity had less than 90 days to commence work for elections and argued that it had to reach out to traditional suppliers, with whom the entity has had a history, to provide items given the time constraints.

Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield

The commission said that in normal circumstances, it is given six months to complete the full constitutional process which includes the organising of the Claims and Objections period, the publishing of a preliminary and official voters’ list, the supervision of Nominations Day and the systems for election day which include all required equipment (radio sets, alternative power systems, and toners for printers among others).

In its defence, the commission said the unserviceable mobile radio sets referred to by the Audit Office may have been as a result of a heat build-up in the storage facility. As a result, air-conditioned units have since been installed at the commission’s East Coast Demerara (ECD) storage facility to prevent another recurrence and to ensure that all items are stored under a stable temperature. But notwithstanding GECOM’s denial of wrongdoing, the Audit Office maintained its position and noted that its recommendation for the commission to engage the police with the view to having charges instituted is as a result of the fact that the authenticity of the quotation from Massy Technologies could not be ascertained.

The Audit Office said too that the recommendation by the commission to award the contract to Mobile Authority can be deemed arbitrary, given that the quotations from the supplier bore dissimilar information and six apparent inoperable radio sets valued approximately $11, 946,000

British firm wants in on new DHB – promises over 1,000 jobs, to comply with labour laws EUROPEAN construction giant, the Royal BAM Group on Wednesday met with Minister with the Ministry of Social Protection and other ministerial officials in a bid to familiarise itself with the country’s labour laws.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Social Protection, the UK-based

firm has disclosed that it intends to employ about 300 persons directly and another 800 indirectly, and gave its assurance that it intends to comply with all laws as well as customs and practices which impact the construction industry here.

Wednesday’s meeting was convened at the behest of Royal BAM, and accord-

ing to its representatives, Business Development Manager, Sander Janssen, and Area Operations Manager, Tam Smith, the Group intends to peruse the country’s laws which impact labour/ management relations, occupational health and safety, social security, and trade unionism.

Janssen and Smith, who

were accompanied by Narvan Singh, a representative of the British High Commission (BHC), also said issues of rates of pay, and working hours will be examined.

That aside, the investor group said it is open to engaging Union representatives of their employees should the need arise, while emphasisng that it is willing to make training available to all levels of employees, so they can acquire new and specialised

skills.

The Royal BAM Group has a specific interest in construction of the new bridge over the Demerara River, and with that in mind, the group’s representatives discussed the availability of necessary skilled personnel, including engineers, needed to be a part of the construction of the new bridge.

The Royal BAM Group is a construction firm with 10

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were received and taken back into stock. Additionally, the Audit Office noted that at the time of its inspection of the radio sets in September, 2016, 44 radio sets (15 Barrett and 29 ICOM) valued approximately $87, 613,000 were yet to be utilised by GECOM. Based on its position, the Audit Office has called on GECOM to review its position as it relates to the recommendations made in the report. Since February, GECOM has been without a chairman as former chairman, Dr Steve Surujbally has retired. Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has since submitted three lists of possible candidates to President David Granger for selection. The first two lists were rejected and the president is yet to pronounce on the third list which was submitted approximately two weeks ago.

The question of whether GECOM will rent or own equipment to be used for Local Government Elections (LGE) to be held every three years of General and Regional Elections to be held every five years can only be answered when the full commission sits with its new chairperson and debates the matter.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

Kabul air strike: US attack causes civilian casualties A US air strike against militants in the Afghan capital Kabul caused civilian casualties after a missile malfunctioned, officials said.

The strike was in support of Afghan troops fighting insurgents who attacked Kabul airport with rockets shortly after US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis arrived on a visit. It is not clear how many civilians were killed or injured. The US recently confirmed it would

send 3,000 extra troops to Afghanistan. “Tragically, one of the missiles malfunctioned, causing several casualties,” the Nato mission in Afghanistan, known as Resolute Support, said in a statement. “Resolute Support deeply regrets the harm to non-combatants. An investigation into the attack and the malfunctioning ammunition has begun.”

The rocket attack on the airport was claimed by both

the Taliban, which said they had targeted Gen Mattis’s plane, and their rival, the Islamic State group. Gen Mattis held talks with Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani about plans to strengthen Afghanistan’s military.

Support from US-led Nato troops would give Afghan forces a “compelling battlefield advantage over anything the Taliban stands

Military helicopters hovered over the scene

to mass against” it, Gen Mattis said. He said the US would not allow “a merciless enemy to kill its way to power”. US combat operations against the Taliban officially ended in 2014, but more than 8,000 US special forces remain in the country supporting Afghan troops. Sixteen years after the US-led invasion, the Afghan government still only controls about 60% of the country. (BBC)

Zuzana Ruzickova: Harpsichordist and Holocaust survivor dies at 90 One of the world’s leading harpsichordists, Zuzana Ruzickova, who survived three Nazi concentration camps including Auschwitz, has died aged 90.

Mrs Ruzickova passed away in a Prague hospital on Wednesday afternoon.

Despite living in totalitarian communist Czechoslovakia, she had a breakthrough in 1956 when she won a major international music composi-

tion. Becoming an acclaimed global musician, she was best known for her interpretations of Bach. Born to a Jewish family in then-Czechoslovakia in 1927, Mrs Ruzickova told the BBC in December that her love of music helped her survive the war.

“I was not a strong child, but I was in love with music from the beginning,” she said. She had to stop studying music after the Nazis

invaded Czechoslovakia in 1939.

Mrs Ruzickova’s family were then deported to the Theresienstadt (Terezin) labour camp in 1942. Her grandparents and her father later died in the camp, along with tens of thousands of other Jewish inmates. The teenager was then transported to Auschwitz, and later forced to carry out slave labour in Hamburg before being moved to Bergen-Belsen.

After the war she returned to her native Czechoslovakia with her gravely ill mother.

Her hands were badly damaged during her threeyear ordeal. But she told

the BBC that she practised the piano for 12 hours a day to make up for lost time.

Despite being under repressive surveillance upon her return, she was allowed by the government to perform at competitions and concerts around the world because she became a lucrative source of foreign currency for the state.

Between 1965 and 1975 she became the first person to record Bach’s complete works for keyboard. Mrs Ruzickova’s family were then deported to the Theresienstadt (Terezin) labour camp in 1942. Her grandparents and her father later died in the camp, along with tens

of thousands of other Jewish inmates.

The teenager was then transported to Auschwitz, and later forced to carry out slave labour in Hamburg before being moved to Bergen-Belsen. After the war she returned to her native Czechoslovakia with her gravely ill mother.

Her hands were badly damaged during her threeyear ordeal. But she told the BBC that she practised the piano for 12 hours a day to make up for lost time. Despite being under repressive surveillance upon her return, she was allowed by the government

to perform at competitions and concerts around the world because she became a lucrative source of foreign currency for the state.

Between 1965 and 1975 she became the first person to record Bach’s complete works for keyboard. Mrs Ruzickova had to stop performing in public in 2006 at the age of 79. Her husband, composer Viktor Kalabis, died the same year. In her final years was unable to play at all because of nerve damage from cancer and chemotherapy treatment.

A documentary about her life was released earlier this year. (BBC)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

World Bank supports the Eastern Caribbean transition to a blue economy The World Bank says it has approved a US$6.3 million grant to support Eastern Caribbean countries to preserve and strengthen resilience of coastal and marine resources, and implement regional policies to stimulate blue growth.

The bank said this will allow countries to better manage natural infrastructure which is the first line of defense against storm surges and damage from rising frequency of extreme weather events, such as the recent hurricanes. World BankThe Caribbean Regional Oceanscape project will be implemented through the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission in close collaboration with member-states.

“This project will support the Eastern Caribbean policy-makers in identifying smart policies to harness the ocean and all its natural assets, and prepare for a successful transition to a blue economy and socially equitable ‘blue growth’”, said Tahseen Sayed, World Bank Country Director for the Caribbean. “As the region is greatly affected by recent hurricanes, it is equally important to build the resilience of coastal communities and promote sustainable development of the ocean resources”.

According to the World Bank report “Toward A Blue Economy, A Promise for Sustainable Growth in the Caribbean”, the Caribbean Sea generated US$407 billion in 2012, including mainland Caribbean coastal countries.

The Caribbean Sea covers an area of 2.75 million square kilometers and is a crucial resource for the 40 million people who live along its shores. It said OECS coun-

tries play a key role in the regional ocean governance as they rely heavily on coastal ecosystems for their income, employment, health and well-being. At the same time, poorly planned development poses threats to local communities as it erodes the coastal and marine natural protection and other important natural ocean assets. “This project supports the implementation of the Eastern Caribbean Regional Ocean Policy, a comprehensive policy endorsed by all OECS Heads of State. This initiative sets forth the long-term vision to ensure the future health of the ocean space while sustainably deriving ocean wealth,” said Sylvia Michele, World Bank Environment Specialist.

The Caribbean Regional Oceanscape project supports Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines to transition towards a ‘blue economy’ model, where sustainable ocean-based industries help deliver jobs, reduce poverty and promote shared prosperity across the region.

Specifically, the project will support the implementation of regional policies, including mapping ocean assets, developing coastal and marine spatial plans and national ocean strategies through active citizen engagement as well as collaborate with private sector technology companies and education platforms to advance ocean education and improve OECS ocean data coverage and access through collaborative public-private platforms. This project is financed by a grant from the Global Environmental Facility (GEF).

(CMC)

US-Mexico border wall prototype construction starts The US government has announced the start of construction on eight prototype barriers for the border with Mexico, a campaign promise of President Donald Trump.

The Customs and Border Protection says four of the prototypes will be made from concrete, while the others are from “alternate or other materials”. Its plan is to try out several sections of wall near San Diego.

would pay for the structure.

“We are committed to securing our border and that includes constructing border walls,” said Ronald Vitiello, acting deputy commissioner of the Customs and Border Protection agency.

“Our multi-pronged strategy to ensure the safety and security of the American people includes barriers, infrastructure, technology and people.” Four companies have been chosen to build

Part of the border fence that exists between Mexico and California

Mr Trump had promised to build a “big beautiful wall” between the countries. With a heavy federal and local law enforcement presence, workers have broken ground in an area surrounded by chain link fencing at Otay Mesa, one of three ports of entry in the San Diego-Tijuana metropolitan region.

The prototypes will be up to 30ft (9m) high and 30ft long and are expected to be completed within 30 days.

Officials will then spend up to three months evaluating the designs for their effectiveness, including gauging their resistance to penetration with small hand tools.

Cameras and sensors will be incorporated into the final wall plan.

Each wall will cost up to $450,000 (£334,000) and will be paid for by federal funds which have already been sanctioned. There is, however, no agreement on the initial $1.5bn (£1.11bn) Mr Trump has requested from Congress to start construction of the final wall.

During his campaign, Mr Trump insisted that Mexico

the prototypes but the final wall is likely to be based on an amalgamation of design features.

The border agency says the prototypes “will inform future design standards which will likely continue to evolve to meet the US Border Patrol’s requirements”.

Mr Trump has said some sections of the wall could be transparent so that people on the US side cannot be hit by bags of drugs being tossed over from Mexico. He has also suggested that parts of the wall could be covered in solar panels.

But California’s attorney general is attempting to block the construction of a border wall. A lawsuit filed in a federal district court in San Diego last week argues that the government has overstepped its authority by waiving environmental reviews and other laws. (BBC)

Rowley says no to the IMF Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley says his administration will not be approaching the International Monetary Fund (IMF), despite billions of dollars in lost revenue over the last few years.

Rowley was addressing the forum “Spotlight on Trinidad and Tobago’s Financial Circumstances – the Road Ahead” here on Thursday. The Prime Minister also said the country would not be revisiting measures used in the 1990s to control foreign exchange. “We will not be going back to the exchange controls we had in place before 1993 but we will certainly not be using up our foreign exchange reserves at levels that will maximize our imports. When we took the decision in 1993 to let the market substantially determine the rate of exchange, we were accepting in principle that we would live with any rate of foreign exchange …In this period of significant decline in foreign exchange inflows, it will be unreasonable and dangerous to use up our foreign exchange as we were accustomed to.

This would be paving our way into the arms of the IMF and that is something that government is not prepared to do.”

Concerning the energy sector, in the twin island republic, the Prime Min-

ister revealed a decline in revenue of 90 percent between 2014 and 2017.

He added that due to the massive drop in revenue, the public sector could suffer the consequences. “One of the main concerns is the level of public payroll employment…And since government revenues have declined so precipitously, it is to be expected that public sector employment would be in serious jeopardy. The government has been at pains to keep the level of employment stable, even as we wind down the expenditure highs.”

According to Rowley, the government will be taken steps to tighten its revenue collection mechanism. “The revenue situation facing us in 2018 remains a very challenging one and the government will be taken steps to ensure that it is tightening its revenue collection mechanisms. He said faced with a possible deficit in 2018, further cuts in expenditure will be unavoidable and urged the population to be patient. “As we position ourselves to do more with less in the future, we will have to hold some strain for now,” Rowley said. The forum was held ahead of the 2017/2018 budget that will be presented by Finance minister Colm Imbert in Parliament on October 2. (CMC)

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Editorial

GUYANA CHRONICLE, THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

The price of silence THE story of the rape and murder of young Leonard Archibald is one of unspeakable horror that calls for all to raise their voices against perpetrators of sexual abuse, regardless of their relation to the abusers.

Mere days after the body of the young boy was discovered on the banks of the Berbice River at Kortherbraadt, East Bank Berbice, the nation heard that the main suspect in the rape and murder is a relative of the victim.

This has been a noted pattern based on several reports carried by the Guyana Chronicle thus far this year.

Notably, in the third week of July, there were three rape cases, two of which were allegedly carried out by close family members.

The other involves a person well known to the victim.

The first was an uncle impregnating his 15-yearold niece, then a father allegedly raping his daughter age 13 and a man in his early 30s raping and attempting to strangle his friend’s mother, who according to reports, is a 75-year-old pensioner.

The vast majority of rapes are perpetrated by persons known to the victims and girls are not always the victims. The story of young Leonard is one of many examples. There are also cases that do not end in death, but are not reported due to the shame and stigma attached to rape.

This silence could hardly be helpful to the victims, especially when the authorities have recorded some 424

cases of child sexual abuse for the first half of the year.

In fact, it is a problem which can grow into a monster as in the case of young Leonard, whose life was viciously snatched from him by persons with tendencies beastly in character and whose sick activities were known by villagers.

Who knows, young Leonard would have been a lawyer, a doctor, an engineer, a teacher or a wealthy farmer, but he was not given a chance to live, largely because some members in his community chose to remain silent rather than alert the nation about the perpetrators.

According to reports, the sexual molestation started with a few boys and some went unreported; and those incidents that were

reported fell through the proverbial floor until one resulted in death before a community finally wakes up. It is for this very reason that communities cannot be silent on rapists because anyone, be it a sister, mother, grandmother, friend or a brother can become a victim.

Head of Child Care and Protection Agency (CC&PA) Ann Greene, could not put it over better when she said thusly: “They [communities] are our eyes and ears. You know something, you need to speak out. If you know something, speak up. You cannot sleep at night knowing that they walking around the place.”

But it is also important for the CC&PA to be more active in the field so that they too can have their

antennas up and ears to the ground on what is happening in communities away from the City.

It would be reasonable to assume that if persons from Brothers Village, the village where the teen lived, had known a representative from the CC&PA, they would have reported the matter to the agency if they were afraid of reporting it to the police. Hopefully, the Leonard Archibald tragedy is a wake-up call for all to be vigilant and never to be

silent on sexual predators lurking around in society looking for their next victims.

It is tragic that the death of young Leonard came to light at a time when the Ministry of Social Protection is observing Child Protection Week, but one hopes that the message of the rally slated for Wednesday (today) at Anna Regina which seeks to break the silence on child sexual abuse will catch on.

PPP seems sour with APNU+AFC Gov’t developments

Dear Editor,

IT seems to me that the opposition PPP party is bitter with everything that is happening in Guyana at the moment. Every press moment they have it exposes their weakness and destruction. Since the last elections to date, not one thing was said good or positive of Guyana by the PPP Dr. Doom and his doom sayers.

All they do is bad talking this very land and its people who are minding them (taxpayers).

Since May 2015 to date, many things have happened in this country that are positive in all sectors.

But the PPP is unhappy, they are now realising that they have wasted 23 years in government. They have now realised that for 23 years they did nothing to better Guyana, especially. through infrastructural works. They built the Skeldon factory, it’s no good Dr. Doom.

They built the Berbice Bridge and imposed upon us a high tariff. They rehabilitated the Black Bush Road and two years after it falls apart.

They destroyed and politicised lots of state entities such as the MMA, GRDB, NICIL, NIS, Guysuco, Clico, NBS, GPF, etc.

And today they want to lecture to this nation about what is

right from wrong. They should be ashamed to even talk about developmental projects that the government has been doing since May 2015. What surprises me is that they are now on a string of attacks on the Minister of Public Infrastructure Hon. David Patterson.

Well, Minister Patterson expect what you are hearing from the PPP, because that’s all they fit for, to bad mouth when there is progress. You (Minister Patterson) have shown the PPP ministers that was within that category they did not better infrastructures in Guyana and that is why they is so much fighting in their camp.

Dr. Doom is speaking about the new Demerara bridge, the tolls, the funding etc. But he should tell the Berbicians about the Berbice Bridge that he and his cabals jacked up the crossing price and make Berbicians and all crossing suffer. He should say about the sugar levy under the PPP, the cane ripener, the PetroCarib deal and the number of other deals that robbed the citizens of this land under his watch and the PPP. The way Dr. Doom and his party comrades are saying things is telling us as a nation that we are not wise people. Because according to

the PPP, only now under this government roads, dams and bridges are broken down. Only now sugar and rice are down. Only now we had jailbreak and people are being murdered, etc.

The PPP should look deeper into their track records and tell the nation, why we are now a slow developing economy. Tell the nation, why now planes are being found and hundreds caught with drugs? Who damages Guysuco’s future and makes the workers suffering? Who sold out $1m lands for a mere $100,000 or so?

Who bought spy equipment?

Who destroyed the local government system? Who heads the ERC and was a politician that undermines the entity’s role and work?. There is much more to be asked but, why ask the PPP when they are the ones that best suited the answers to the questions?

I am not amazed of the PPP attacking and calling for some ministers to go. But what I am amazed at is that with all that the PPP did, they had never fired any of their corrupt ministers, although there was the public outcry. The PPP destroyed everything since Dr. Doom took power and today they want to say to his nation, we never did it. Today the PPP wants to play as a multi-ra-

cial party when Dr. Doom said at Babu John that the PPP is a “Coolie Man Party.” It’s a shame to see the level the PPP power searchers will go to cuss up someone.

In this government, there is major development taking place and Region Five is no exception. But the PPP does not want to highlight to the rest of the nation, the works being undertaken by the central government and the regional administration of Region Five.

The Dr. Doom and his cabal do not want to talk about the drains and canals that are being cleaned, the schoolyards and sports grounds that are being cleaned, the farm-to-market roads and streets that are being done across the region, the two health centres and nursery school that will be built, etc. No, they do not see those things as development, I wonder, why? Every positive thing this government does the PPP wants to put a bad name on. In other regions, there are major works taking place that will see betterment and a better life for all.

Jobs started to be created in both the private and public sectors.

Youths are much more involved in positive nation-building. Racism is on the back burner. Sugar

workers have realized that the PPP failed them. Rice is starting to see new markets. Education is taking a better turn. Social Protection is beefing up. And much more is happening. But it seems to me that when the PPP cabals are crossing a new bridge that is constructed or rehabilitated under this government, they feel ashamed to know that for 23 years they failed and today the people can see development.

I call on all Guyanese to condemn those PPP cabals for degrading Guyana in the public domain for their selfish gains. We must stand as witnesses to the fact that major works are being done to enhance the lives of our people across Guyana.

Minister Patterson, just do what you have to Sir and that alone will make the PPP become more upset and make them keep lying to the nation as they always do. Sir, with the developmental works that your ministry has been doing since May 2015 in office, the PPP never did it in 23 long years. So expect the cussing and fussing, but don’t be distracted, because that’s their aim. Guyana is positively moving forward under the APNU+AFC government.

Regards Abel Seetaram

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

Strong families are necessary for a strong nation Dear Editor I WOULD like to commend a certain writer, Sean Ori, for his articles on rebuilding the family structure.

This is one aspect of failure in Guyana by successive governments, communities, and social service agencies alike. Overtime, Guyana’s traditionally strong family structures have been and continue to be replaced by an overwhelmingly prevalent and accepted trend of single-parenting. The social effects are enormous. Dysfunctional behaviour and criminality are two common resultants that persist.

My focus is on the importance of promoting and maintaining strong nuclear families, and inadequacies within social service agencies that impede family development. A nuclear family can be basically defined as a (married) couple and their dependent children, regarded as a unit.

While I am no expert on social issues, my own experience and interaction with others concerned about the crumbling nuclear family

structure have bolstered my conclusion that the state, social agencies and even some religious bodies have lost direction and focus on the importance of strong families and benefits that are derived by preserving nuclear families.

In this country, there are very few incentives outside of emotional bonds for sustaining the nuclear family structure, and when the latter weans or is otherwise challenged by exogenous factors, families merely fall apart. Ironically, while the challenges faced by contemporary nuclear families are invariably similar to those of our foreparents, the values and commitment that upheld those former families and marriages are now being deemed unnecessary and primarily challenged by the sustained campaigns of liberal feminists, sexual-orientation advocates and aggrieved antagonists. One may argue that the current dynamics are different, but that’s another story. There is a direct link to religious prophetic fulfilment of a deviation from God-ordained principles regarding what constitutes the family.

While recently discussing the state of moral decay, disintegrating families, prevalence of child-sexual abuse in our society and some root causes for these plagues (such as absent or otherwise excluded fathers), I was told by one of our more experienced social workers that I am purely biased and classifying these national issues based on some grievance. I was also chided for being in the wrong profession. I found those comments to be as flattering as they were amazing. Those statements by that social worker spoke volumes regarding the mindset that guides our social work approaches, agencies and policies that may not see the greater good in seeking to promote strong families.

If members of the public have grievances with our social services, then it is an indictment against those agencies for failing families and the society at large. Maybe there are too many social workers with personal grievances administering service to society. Maybe our social service agencies should revisit their recruitment and contractual policies. You cannot put a ca-

noe sailor to pilot an aircraft.

Stereotypes, stigmas and bias should never be encouraged in our social service agencies when addressing challenges in families. In too many instances of family decay, the male (husband, father) is invariably stereotyped as the deviant and responsible party for challenges in the home, while the female (wife, mother) is championed as a victim of circumstances who has limitless rights and no responsibilities. Partners in family relationships should be guided through a process that emphasises tenets like mutual respect, unselfishness; short, medium and long-term objectives, conflict and crisis management, and generational effects.

The great famous Greek philosopher Aristotle said “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts” – end of quote. What this means is if parts of an organism are removed, it is not as useful as it was as a compound. This is also applicable to the family.

While the state and social service agencies cannot compel people to live stable lives, they can collaborate in creating mechanisms and/ or incentives

that promote family stability.

These can take on varying forms such as education, taxation, medical and housing benefits or grants for families that maintain stability, just to name a few. It is important for us to reward achievers in the same way that we seek to protect those who may be unfortunate in their quests for happy, stable families.

Social service agencies must recognise that more needs to be done to strengthen families instead of having them disintegrate or stagnate at the whims of gullible traps, excuses and sensationalism. The state must also be cognizant of the impact that weak and fragile family structures have on current and future generations. Any country with a high level of single-parent families as we now boast in Guyana must be undaunted in its quest to confront and resolve the root causes and effects if that country is serious about social order and societal development.

The strength of any nation is premised on the strength of the family.

Our sociologists are positioned to speak to the

underpinning effects that redundancy, literacy, laws, employment, attitudes, religion, etc. and their inverses have on impacting families, and articulate those implications to help in guiding our social services, as well as policy and law-makers.

When things do not occur naturally, the state and its representative bodies can create stimuli for such things to occur and function in more structured and civilised ways.

In my view, the state should conscientiously establish programmes and meaningful incentives that encourage strong and stable families. Concurrently, religious bodies, social groups, and the private sector ought to reconsider their individual and collective roles in seeking to salvage this very important pillar on which nationhood is built. The recent heinous sexual assault and murder of young Leonard, that potential Berbician Physicist, highlights our glaring societal crisis and state of the family. Throughout the entire episode I did not see nor hear anything about his father!

Regards Orette Cutting

City Hall views day care services as a vital municipal service Dear Editor PLEASE refer to a letter captioned “ City Council withdrawing Day Care” published in the Tuesday, September 12, 2017 edition of your newspaper.

The Georgetown municipality is at a juncture where it is assessing the services provided to citizens and rearranging the way these services are delivered.

Hence, merging and restructuring of departments and sections are necessary considerations if the Council is to deliver quality services and remain financially viable.

The Council took a decision to close the building that accommodated the Charlestown Day Care Centre for two main rea-

sons: The physical condition of the building is inconsistent with standards proposed by Ministry of Social Protection for licensing of Day Care Centres in Guyana.

The licensing process is to ensure that children are enrolled in a safe and infant friendly environment. The Council wants to make it pellucid, that it is not seeking to deprive citizens of this vital service, but the health and safety of the City’s children are of utmost importance.

Also, it is no longer realistic to provide this service at the present location, since the total children enrolled were 15 and staff assigned to the site were six. Further, six of the 15 children became eligible for primary school and subsequently departed. The parents of

remaining children were offered places at other municipal centres of their choice. Reassigning the children has allowed the municipality to maximise human and other resources.

The Council views Day Care Services as a vital municipal service and a moral and social obligation to its valued citizens. Over the years, various

categories of parents and families have utilised this service, including working parents, single parents, and parents of a single child, large families or where children were left at risk through malnutrition.

The Georgetown municipality is the premier institution of Day Care Services. The municipal Day Care Service has

been in existence for over 80 years. In 1933, the South Road Day Care Centre known then as the ‘Crèche’ and character as a programme for child care for children of employees of the Council. However, because of the growing demand, this service was extended to persons outside of the employ of the Georgetown municipality.

Currently, the Council manages four Day Care Centres situated at South Road, Bourda, Festival City, East Ruimveldt and Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, with a total population of 250 children ranging from nine months to five years old.

Regards Debra Lewis Public Relations Officer

Thursday, September 28th, 2017 - 10:30 hrs Friday, September 29th ,2017 -12:00hrs Saturday , September 30th , 2017 - 13:30 hrs

8

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, September 28, 2017

UG radio station closer to operation THE University of Guyana (UG) marked a historic moment on Wednesday as Telecommunications Minister Catherine Hughes and Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) Chairman Leslie Sobers joined Vice-Chancellor (VC), Professor Ivelaw Griffith and Deputy VC, Dr. Paloma Mohamed-Martin in announcing the re-issuing of the university’s radio station licence.

UG’s Communications Studies Division had been granted Radio Broadcasting Licences up until 1990, when their request for a renewal was officially denied.

It is one of only a few institutions in the Region that are dedicated to training broadcast and print journalists and producers of radio and television programmes.

Minister Hughes said that the issuing of “radio licence has been a hot-button issue as far back as 2011 and this thorny issue has been on our front burner ever since. It has

been important and dear to many of us.”

According to the minister, the administration has always held the view that the university should have a Communications Studies Department fully equipped with a radio station.

She added that the station will provide the opportunity to transfer theoretical knowledge into practical, “on-thejob training.”

The station will also save the university and students time and money. She explained that students in the past had to visit private stations for practice or to record their course assignments.

An emotional Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Paloma Mohamed-Martin, noted that every chancellor since 1990 had fought to have the radio licence re-issued. She added that a number of studies have revealed that one of the key and fundamental problems with graduates coming out from the centre “is that they did not have enough practical experience.”

Front row (from left): Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Paloma Mohamed-Martin; GNBA Chairman Leslie Sobers; Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ivelaw Griffith; Public Telecommunications Minister Catherine Hughes; Director for the Centre of Communications Denise Bram and other members of the University of Guyana

Dr. Mohammed-Martin explained that with the radio licence, the Communication Centre will now be able to train persons in live broadcasting for radio and television. It will create a forum for students and faculty-led productions to be used in a wider community.

“This will allow persons to hear from the campus community, because we have been able to broaden our radius to 15 miles. This includes

Sophia up to Plaisance.”

She added that the university is hopeful that by January 2018, they will receive their transmitter to become operational in April 2018.

The total cost for establishing the radio station is US$75,000. However, the Deputy VC stated that the Communications Centre already has equipment, thereby decreasing the cost.

Chairman of the GNBA, Leslie Sobers, noted that the

GNBA took pride in reissuing UG’s radio licence. He added that in the future, once the university meets all the requirements, its television broadcast licence will be granted.

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ivelaw Griffith, thanked a number of persons who were instrumental in the re-issuing of the licence, including President David Granger, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, the Ministry and Minister

of Public Telecommunications, and the National Data Management Authority, (NDMA), among others.

It is hopeful that the radio station will be housed in the proposed University of Guyana’s Yucatan Centre for Greening Research, Information, and Sustainability (CeGRIS), while the proposed name for the station is the “Golden Arrow Community Broadcasting System.”

PAHO director re-elected for second term

Dr. Carissa F. Etienne was re-elected on Wednesday for a second five-year term as Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) by the Member States of the organisation.

Ministers of health meeting at the 29th Pan American Sanitary Conference voted unanimously to re-elect Dr. Etienne. Her candidacy, which was not contested, was

submitted by the Government of Dominica, her native country. She will assume her second term as Director of the Pan American Sanitary Bureau, PAHO’s Secretariat, on February 1, 2018.

In her acceptance speech, Dr. Etienne cited her “commitment to deliver to all of our peoples, from all walks of society, a long and productive life, with quality care into our

British firm... operating companies in five European home markets. and in niche markets worldwide.

BAM’s operating companies are active in the business lines Construction and Property, Civil engineering, as well as in Public-Private Partnerships, the group’s

From page 3

website says.

The feasibility study for the new bridge across the Demerara River was completed

by LIEVENSE CSO, and the construction of the bridge has been estimated at US$170M. Meanwhile, subject minister Keith Scott has not

senior years; access to quality health services without fear of impoverishment; access to medicines and vaccines that we can afford, including effective antibiotics; freedom from preventable diseases, with reduced exposure to disease vectors.”

She said access to sexual and reproductive health services; to healthy, nutritious food; and to clean water and

adequate sanitation were important, along with safe refuge and adequate health care in the face of disasters and health emergencies. “Action by the health sector alone will not be sufficient to achieve our objectives,” Dr. Etienne said.

“This is why, when I visit your countries, I meet with heads of state and officials from across other sectors.

Looking beyond government,

only assured the investors that Guyana is at a critical juncture of evolution, but also it’s an investor-friendly environment. He welcomed the news of job creation for hundreds of Guyana.

Notwithstanding the good news, Minister Scott made it clear that it is the mandate of his ministry to intervene whenever employees are

aggreived, even if their dissatisfaction does not result in industrial action. , Scott reminded the construction group of the need to be familiar with the laws of Guyana, while urging the entity to make full use of the Central Recruitment and Manpower Agency, an agency attached to the Ministry of Social Protection.

Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, Keith Scott with officials of his ministry and representatives of the Royal BAM Group (Ministry of Social Protection photo)

however, I am convinced that we must mobilize our partners in academia, civil society and the private sector” to improve health.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who is attending this week’s conference, said, “I can see the unity of this region” in voting unanimously for Dr. Etienne. “I have seen her leadership in dealing with Zika, hurricanes and emergencies and how swiftly she reacts. We will communicate often and work well together.”

During Etienne’s first term, the countries of the Americas achieved several important health milestones with PAHO’s support. These included the elimination of rubella and congenital rubella syndrome in 2015 and the elimination of measles in 2016. Countries also advanced in the elimination of neglected diseases including trachoma, Chagas disease, and onchocerciasis (river blindness) and the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis.

PAHO Member States also approved a regional strategy to achieve universal health, becoming the first WHO region to do so.

Under Etienne’s leadership, PAHO has supported Member States in coping with major epidemics, including Zika, chikungunya and yellow fever, as well as disasters that have ranged from hurricanes and catastrophic flooding to earthquakes and

droughts. PAHO’s technical cooperation has also helped countries strengthen their abilities to detect and respond to health threats of potential international concern, under the International Health Regulations (IHR).

Dr. Etienne began her first five-year term as PAHO Director on 1 February 2013, after being elected in September 2012. Previously, from 2008 until 2012, she had served as assistant director-general for health systems and services at the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland.

Prior to that post in Geneva, she was assistant director of PAHO from 2003 to 2008, in charge of five technical areas: Health Systems and Services; Technology, Health Care and Research; Health Surveillance and Disease Management; Family and Community Health; and Sustainable Development and Environmental Health.

During her tenures at WHO and PAHO, Dr. Etienne has led efforts to promote universal health coverage and renew primary health care to strengthen health systems to be more integrated and to function better. She has also spearheaded policy directions for reducing health inequalities and advancing health for all through universal coverage, people-centered care, the integration of health into broader public policies, and inclusive and participatory health leadership.

9

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, September 28, 2017

On Communal Complicity

By Ruel Johnson

FOR my birthday two weeks ago, I went to watch the much-hyped remake of the film It, based on the Stephen King book about a demonic clown that haunts a small American town called Derry.

It was the most entertaining cinematic experience I’ve had in a very long time, a gory mixture of manic horror and dark comedy. The basic premise of the film is that in this small town, within a specific cycle, horrible things happen to children in particular, while the town just keeps on moving along as if everything is normal.

Each of the child characters in the movie, even the antagonists, are all seen to be suffering from the consequences of decisions or actions taken by adults. If I were to undertake a critical review of It, I would explore the similarity between the title of the film and the word ‘id’, in that the titular It was really representative of the communal id of the adults of Derry, their disconnection from and their abuse and manipulation of their children, and the communal complicity that normalised their behaviour.

It, the garish, psychopathic clown of the movie, was created in essence by the citizens of the community he terrorised, and so was the

primary suspect in the rape and murder of Leonard Archibald. Let me say, before I go on further, that as a person who comments and seeks to cultivate discussion on social media, for days I’ve refrained from commenting on this horrendous crime. I’m the father of a 13-year-old.

I don’t believe in the death penalty as a deterrent to crime and I don’t understand the moral mechanism that sees it as justice. It’s a hard position to take, particularly in the face of atrocity. When I consider the circumstances during which Leonard’s life was brutally just discarded, literally like garbage, my worst instincts are ignited and my entire philosophy of the concepts of law and order all but crumble away.

I therefore had to take pause before putting forward a primal and instinctive position that would have been at odds with my personal, carefully crafted position on this.

When the initial details of the crime came out, my initial reaction was a mixture of horror and anger. When the circumstances in which the crime was allowed to happen came out, the horror gave way to shame and dread.

One particularly harrowing account came from a young villager, now 20, who related to the Guyana Chronicle an incident in which he, eight years ago, was knocked out by the primary suspect, sex-

ually abused and left tied to a tree for days, his only hope coming when the branch to which he was lashed broke.

Despite being hospitalised and a police report being made, the suspect was never charged, ostensibly because the young victim’s parents – in his words – might possibly have taken ‘compensation’ from the accused to not pursue the case.

To any of us aware of the grim, murky, sordid situation with regard to sexual abuse, particularly of young people, in Guyana, this is not a new story. A close and much beloved friend confided in me a few years ago about her being raped by someone who was entrusted to give her a ride home. She spoke about relating the incident to her dance teacher, who had been the one to suggest that the rapist, the teacher’s relative, drop her, but who when told of the incident blurted out, “Not this again,” clearly aware that her relative had a history of sexual assault.

My friend told me of the multiple reports and the mockery she had to face at various police stations, and how she had to arrange transportation to take the police to her assailant’s home.

Nothing ever came out of the case and the man still walks free. This is not an isolated story. It’s a familiar narrative, an assault taking place, a frustrating process

of making a report to the police, lacklustre investigations or none at all, and then the case being forgotten. There is no area of Guyana that has been immune from this phenomenon, which means that it is a systemic problem.

Two days ago, I received a message from several friends to sign an online petition for justice for Leonard Archibald. I did not, for several reasons, but the most prominent one being that the person who wrote the petition made the curious claim that this was an issue of the inadequacy of the rural justice system. This showed a fundamental misunderstanding of the extent of the problem.

Sexual abuse in Guyana has always been aligned with institutional power, whether it is seen as a core benefit of power or whether hegemonic power has been used to systematically cover up sexual abuse. And as with every aspect of the abuse of power, whether corruption or sexual assault or interpersonal violence, there is always a strong element of communal complicity in it.

No institution that I know of is without stain. Not the public sector, not the church (and by this I include the mosque and the mandir), and not the police force itself. Stories abound about senior ranks ‘bullying,’ the preferred euphemism for

rape, young recruits, both male and female. The association between rape and power is not a new one. In Guyana however, where both formal and informal power structures are either dysfunctional and hegemonic, sexual assault is a phenomenon that festers easily, simply because the power that feels it can rape with impunity is also always the power that suppresses dissent and thwarts justice.

Leonard Archibald was a victim of this dynamic. On the one hand, the formal system that was meant to protect young people like Leonard failed multiple young people in that the primary suspect had a pattern of behaviour that local law enforcement, indistinct from national law enforcement, was aware of.

There is a picture on Facebook that sums up this indecent situation: the suspect in a house standing next to a young child (whose face is thankfully obscured) wearing a police hat on his head. With the failure of the formal systems, the failure of the informal ones naturally develop. In what seems a poor neighbourhood, the parents of the young victims, met with official inaction whenever an assault is reported, seem to have fallen into a pattern of impotence and then complicity. The resident molester attacks a child, a report is made, a

‘Burning bridges’ 'Pradoville' residents accused of burning bridge connecting Goedverwagting RESIDENTS of Goedverwagting, East Coast Demerara, (ECD) believe that their neighbours in 'Pradoville 1' have finally succeeded in keeping them out of the community when they set alight the main bridge connecting the two areas on Wednesday.

The bridge was said to be a “saviour” for many school children attending the Bladen Hall Primary and Cummings Lodge Secondary, keeping them off from the busy railway embankment road.

Speaking to the Guyana Chronicle on Wednesday one resident Rodwell Leonard said the bridge had been in existence long before the Pradoville community was established. He said the issue has been ongoing since 2002, when residents in Pradoville

had completely removed the bridge. However, it was replaced by the Plaisance Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC).

Before the fire early Wednesday morning, residents in Pradoville 1 had attempted to burn the bridge on two occasions. “But we always see smoke and run out to out it, one resident told the Guyana Chronicle. They say they cannot point their finger in any direction in particular, but said they know that it is someone who does not “want us to pass through Pradoville”.

Guyana Chronicle was told by an official from the NDC that the matter was reported to the police. The NDC is currently awaiting word from the police before they move forward.

The bridge before and after being destroyed

deliberately ineffective police response is undertaken, a settlement is proposed and accepted, and the cycle continues. If there was ever a[nother] cause for a Commission of Inquiry into the Guyana Police Force, this would be it.

The rape played a part, as well as the drowning, but it was this communal complicity that murdered Leonard Archibald.

And this is something not simply the community in which the young man lived was responsible, but in many ways the entire country. To the degree that we do not take a stand and truly ensure that national mechanisms that are geared to protect the vulnerable from the powerful, particularly with regard to sexual offences are enabled, we are all complicit.

We will have a spate of outrage as we did for other young victims. A few years ago, it was Neesha Gopaul and complaints about how the system had failed her; today, it is about Leonard Archibald and complaints about how the same system failed him. At what point do we seek to fundamentally change the system?

There is the saying, it takes a village to raise a child– the same can be said perhaps for monsters, and we seem to be doing a fine job at cultivating them.

10

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, September 28, 2017

Campbellville man Taxi driver charged for on wounding charge sexually assaulting girl RODERICK Ibbot, a resident of Campbellville was on Wednesday released on $75,000 bail on a charge of wounding by City Magistrate Leron Daly.

Ibbot is accused of unlawfully and maliciously wounding Mortimer John with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm on June 22 at Section ‘K’ Campbellville, Georgetown.

The accused denied the charge and told the court that

John had threatened to harm him on several occasions, following his report to the police against John.

According to Ibbot, on June 22, John visited his Section ‘K’ Campbellville residence with several bleeding wounds and armed with a cutlass.

Thereafter, an argument ensued between the duo and Ibbot was able to disarm John, after which he took the weapon to the police station

and reported the matter.

The Prosecutor told the court that the victim is currently undergoing therapy since John sustained a chop to his right hand. The prosecution made no objection to bail but requested that the accused report to the Prashad Nagar Police Outpost, which the Magistrate granted. The Magistrate released Ibbot on $75,000 bail and adjourned the matter until October 13.

A 36-YEAR-OLD taxi driver was on Wednesday released on $150,000 bail

by City Magistrate Judy Latchman for allegedly sexual assaulting a sevenyear-old girl.

Anansuaruddin Khan of Diamond New Scheme, East Bank Demerara is alleged to have between June 1 and

June 30, 2017 at Georgetown sexually assaulted a child under 16.

Khan denied the allegation when the Administration of Justice Act was applied to the charge. Magistrate Latchman released Khan on $150,000 bail and adjourned the matter until October 5.

According to reports

the defendant was hired by the victim’s mother to pick up the child from school and dropped home daily.

However, it is alleged that on one occasion when the child was in the car the accused fondled her. The matter was reported to the police after the child told her mother.

Lindeners urged to desist GNBS seizes 50 domestic dial from squatting scales – warns of prosecution THE Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) recently seized more than 50 dial scales which were not approved by the entity for commercial trade and has warned vendors and shopkeepers of persecution.

In a statement to the media on Wednesday, the GNBS said that a recent surveillance at the two main City markets, Bourda and Stabroek markets, unearthed the domestic dial scales.

“These domestic dial scales, which were not designed for the rigours of commercial usage, easily become inaccurate and results in vendors selling shortweighted goods to consumers,” the entity said.

The GNBS said too that it has over the years been encouraging vendors and shopkeepers to use only the recommended metric devices, which include the metric red equal arm scales

Some of the dial scales seized by the Guyana National Bureau of Standards

and masses, metric platform scales, approved dial scales and electronic scales.

Additionally, the bureau said it has been using the various media to repeatedly advise consumers to avoid making purchases from persons selling with the unapproved devices.

“These sensitisation efforts will be magnified in the coming days,” the GNBS stated, while cautioning vendors and shopkeepers to desist from using unapproved

and unverified devices in the conduct of commercial trade.

“Failure to adhere to this warning could result in prosecution. Hostile vendors and shopkeepers who obstruct inspectors of the GNBS from executing their duties would also be prosecuted.”

So far for this year, more than 500 unapproved scales were seized and removed from markets and other retail outlets countrywide by GNBS inspectors.

Municipal abattoir still without stun gun, ammo – even after disciplinary action warning

By Telesha Ramnarine CITY councillors heard Monday that the municipal abattoir is still not in possession of a stun gun and ammunition for slaughtering animals.

Mayor Patricia ChaseGreen some months ago had asked that the matter be dealt with urgently as the manner in which animals are being slaughtered currently is cruel and heartless.

She had even threatened disciplinary action against officers who are responsible if the matter was not looked into.

Months later, at this week’s statutory meeting,

Deputy Town Clerk Sharon Munroe, who was filling in for Town Clerk Royston King, explained that while the gun was procured, the ammunition still has to be obtained. She also caused some councillors to be perplexed when she raised the issue of a second stun gun that is currently on its way to Guyana.

Her unsatisfactory response caught the attention of several city councillors who stood up to question the details that she was providing. Munroe then promised that a full report will be made available to them shortly.

The Guyana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to

Animals (GSPCA) said earlier this year that it was not satisfied with the manner in which the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) is slaughtering animals.

The mayor had said that should the GSPCA find reason to protest this issue, those who are guilty will be disciplined.

By the end of July, the mayor had said, the stun gun and ammunition should have been in place at the municipal abattoir, failing which disciplinary action would have been taken. In the meantime, with no stun gun in use, the animals are being slaughtered by having their throats cut.

By Vanessa Braithwaite

THE authorities in Linden have called on residents in the mining town to desist from squatting, since it is not only illegal, but also poses serious health problems.

Linden Mayor Carwyn Holland said squatting is becoming a serious issue and is calling on the administration to look into the matter.

“We have to discourage persons from squatting and so on, some persons are squatting at areas that are very dangerous,” Holland said, alluding to squatting on Danju Hill, Wismar.

“Recently, Council had to come down on some structures going up on Danju Hill, people are squatting, we had to break down some of the houses and it is at the edge of a hill and it poses a danger to them, so we want to discourage persons from squatting around the town… it is becoming a serious issue to look at.”

A squatting area in Amelia’s Ward is also experiencing widespread erosion as a result of a sandpit operation.

“While many of the Amelia’s Ward squatters took up

dwelling on the lands, almost three decades now, their properties are now being threatened by severe erosion as a result of a sand pit operation though deemed illegal.”

Holland, while agreeing that the sand-mining should stop, also made mention that the residents are living on unregulated territory.

Residents of Andyville have been criticised by Member of Parliament (MP) Jermaine Figueira for squatting around an industrial zone where they are exposed to the noise and dust from nearby sawmills.

During that meeting in which Commissioner of Guyana Lands and Surveys Trevor Benn was present, the residents pleaded for land, saying that they were forced to take up residence in unregulated areas.

Only recently, residents who were allocated houselots

by Minister of Communities Valarie Patterson-Yearwood, complained that their lands were occupied by persons who were farming and living on it illegally.

Minister Patterson condemned the actions of these persons. Land-owners have also said that the squatters

were also abusive to them.

She promised to let the police intervene into the matter and evict the squatters.

Minister Patterson visited Linden last Tuesday to deal with the issue, and met with many angry residents who demanded that something be done earliest to have the squatters removed.

Patterson revealed that the squatters removed the palls that were placed by the Ministry’s surveyors.

Those persons would have to break down their properties, though some are permanent structures. Some of the lands that persons squatted on will also be used to facilitate the building of 60 housing units in Amelia’s Ward, which will commence shortly.

A decision was made to squash the duplex units projects after major consultation in which residents say they prefer single houses. Thirty two bedroom houses will be built on stilts, while 30 will be flat houses. The costs of the houses are $5.1 M and $6.1 M. Some residents were already given letters to be taken to banks so that they can prequalify for mortgages.

Patrols to increase around Stabroek front CHIEF Constable Andrew Foo has noted that the areas around Stabroek Market which continue to feature the most robberies are the pavements under Demico House, and outside the old KFC building stretching all the way to High Street.

In many cases, when certain individuals are approached, they cannot give a proper account of their presence in the area and are even found with offensive weapons.

Foo was updating the City Council earlier this week on the collaboration between the Constabulary Department and the Guyana Police Force (GPF), both of which found that there’s an increase in the activities at these locations.

Foo said those who cannot give an account for their presence are arrested and charged for loitering. Furthermore, he said it has been found that these are the very individuals who are committing the robberies.

When these questionable characters are brought in, Foo explained that the Constabulary engages the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and their fingerprints are subsequently taken to see if they are among those who are wanted.

According to Foo, the Constabulary would like to increase the number of patrols.

“We are now concentrating on the 3-11 shift, but as our numbers increase, we will extend from 11-7 and possibly increase the number of patrols going out,” he said.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, September 28, 2017

Guyana conforming to new USFDA regulations IF Guyanese exporters do not adhere to the stricter food-importation regulations implemented by the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA), they will be losing out on continuing trade in the U.S. market.

With this issue in mind, the Ministry of Public Health Government Analyst Food and Drug Department (GAFDA), in collaboration with London-based Technological Solutions Limited (TSL) commenced a three-day Preventative Control Qualified Individual (PCQI) Seminar at the Herdmanston Lodge, Queenstown, Georgetown, on Monday.

The seminar targeted local producers, manufacturers, directors, maintenance managers, production supervisors, sanitation supervisors and regulatory personnel to help them continue exportation to the U.S.

TSL’s Dr. Andre Gordon addressing the workshop

Representing the TSL, Dr. Andre Gordon told participants that with the changes in the regulations, “you cannot just send products into the U.S.” According to him, there are requirements that will have to be observed.

The TSL, he explained,

has been working with the GA-FDA since the beginning of the year to help bring the main players within the manufacturing sector up to scratch with the new requirement.

The U.S. has not had an update to its food and drug requirement since 1938 and according to Gordon, the three-day exercise is critically important for participants.

Under the new update, he explained, every exporter will be covered. He said all food produced for sale in the U.S. will also be covered by the regulations.

“So they are not just targeting exporters. Anybody that is selling food in the U.S. must have these requirements,” he said.

The requirements entail that manufacturers must have persons who are preventative control and qualified individuals.

“The main focus is safe-

GA-FDD Director Marlon Cole

ty. They have to ensure that they have undergone a programme of training that is a standardised curriculum,” Dr. Gordon explained.

According to the TSL official, Guyana is known to be the fourth largest exporter of spices to the U.S. market within CARICOM, coming

behind The Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica.

He said if the spice market alone were to be affected because of the failure to reach the requirements, Guyana could lose about G$240 million in exports.

“So it is very important,” he stressed.

Meanwhile, Government Analyst Food and Drug Department Director Marlon Cole, said it was in response to the U.S. Food Safety Modernisation Act (FSMA) that the programme got under way.

He said he believes that the challenge to get local laboratories up to date with the U.S. regulations is a “win-win for Guyana,” since it gives protection to consumers.

The Food and Drug Department also has a mandate to facilitate trade. In its efforts to do so, it is ensuring

Take climate change seriously JAMAICA’S Prime Minister, Andrew Holness has urged Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders to take climate change seriously as it presents a clear and present danger to the region.

PM Holness’ charge comes at a time when Caribbean countries are grappling with the devastation caused by several hurricanes and earthquakes recently.

He was at the time speaking

at the 27th Jamaica Product Exchange (JAPEX) opening ceremony at the Montego Bay Convention Centre on Sunday evening.

Natural disasters, particularly hurricanes and earthquakes occur frequently in the Caribbean, which is viewed by the United Nations (UN) as one of the more vulnerable geographic space in the world.

On September 18, Hurricane Maria hammered the small island of Dominica as a Cat-

egory five storm, leaving 27 dead. This exacerbated an already troubling situation, as Caribbean disaster teams were already stretched across four islands which had been hit 12 days before by Hurricane Irma which was also a Category five storm. One of those countries was Antigua and Barbuda which was forced to have all of its citizens living in Barbuda evacuated and transferred to Antigua.

In light of the challeng-

es posed, Holness said that regional leaders must understand the importance of climate change, even while he pointed out that in some cases tourism was the single industry, while in many cases a major industry in those islands that were affected. The Jamaica Prime Minister went on to state that: “This time they [CARICOM leaders] must factor in disaster resilience, recovery and adaptation in a systematic and institutional

that local manufacturers are not stymied in any way from continuing to export to the U.S. According to Cole, the programme is in tune with what the FSMA is looking for.

“I am happy that policy-makers are beginning to recognise that we cannot helplessly depend on oil revenue only and that the industries that have been cushioning the economy over the years should be sustained.”

The whole thrust of the FSMA, Cole said, is shifting the paradigm to being proactive rather than reactive.

“So instead of waiting [or continuing the culture] until something happens to be reactive, FSMA is seeking to be proactive in ensuring that the industries that are supplying food to the North American markets focus on preventing contamination.”

– Jamaica PM urges CARICOM leaders

way.

The world has been forced to acknowledge that there is urgent need for responsibility, adaptation and resilience as we recognise our changing realities. Climate change is real and it will disproportionately affect those of us who are least prepared to respond.”

Meanwhile, expressing his concerns about development, Holness explained that the right balance must be found, so that infrastruc-

tural growth is not at the expense of the environment.

The PM also pointed to the importance of the upcoming United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) sustainable conference which he said is one of the best platforms for the region to examine issues affecting the environment and the sustainability of the industry. That conference will be held in Jamaica from November 27-29.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, September 28, 2017

Brazilian dredge Vryheid’s Lust woman dies owner shot dead

A 36-year-old Brazilian dredge owner is dead following an attack by a gang of about eight men armed with rifles and handguns sometime between Tuesday afternoon and early Wednesday morning at a mining camp located at Akaiwanna, Cuyuni, Region Seven.

According to police, the incident occurred sometime

between 17:45 hrs Tuesday and 02:00 hrs Wednesday when the armed men who spoke a foreign language invaded the mining camp, bound the dredge owner, Antonio Da Silva and several of his workers after which they ransacked the camp.

Shortly after, the gang escorted the Brazilian national to his worksite where they removed an undisclosed

amount of raw gold.

It was reportedly after they removed the raw gold, they took Da Silva some 500 metres away from the site and shot him several times about his body. Police said Da Silva’s body bore several wounds which have since been suspected to be gunshots.

The man’s body has since been taken to the Memorial

Gardens Crematorium and is awaiting a post-mortem. A team of police officers has since been dispatched to the mining camp to investigate the murder.

Earlier this month, ranks of the Joint Services were dispatched to Five Star backdam in the North West District, following a robbery which resulted in a group of armed men suspected to be Venezuelans invading a mining camp at Five Star.

An 18-year-old man, Troy Joseph, of Falls Top mining area, located between Port Kaituma and Matthews Ridge, was shot to the leg.

There have been several reports which indicate that Venezuelan gunmen are committing robberies close to the mining areas at the border. In July this year, three Port Kaituma, North West District miners were killed following a robbery at a mining camp on Venezuela’s side of the border.

The men, Vernon Eudoxie, 63; Cologne Solomon, 23; an ex-policeman; and Samuel Moses, 19, were killed during the incident at a Brazilian-owned mining camp at an area known as “Imatake Backdam” across the Venezuela border.

Another man, Joel Paton, 19, of Supenaam, was injured and was treated at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH).

mysteriously

Dead: Bibi Fiona Gaines

A 26-year-old Vryheid’s Lust mother of three died mysteriously Wednesday morning and her grieving husband is awaiting the results of a post-mortem to determine the cause of her death.

Dead is Bibi Fiona Gaines, a housewife of Vryheid’s Lust Squatting Area,

East Coast Demerara.

Her husband Anil Persaud told the Guyana Chronicle that he was deeply shocked at his wife’s death and is still baffled as to what the cause might have been.

Persaud said he got up early Wednesday and was outside in the yard when his wife walked out of the bedroom and into the kitchen then called out to him, “Anil ah love you bad, but ah gun dead!”

He said at that moment he immediately, on experiencing such strange behaviour, rushed to her direction only to see her collapse to the ground with her arms outstretched.

The police were called in and her body was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

Bereaved Anil Persaud and their three children

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, September 28, 2017

Schoolboy killed by falling goalpost

By Shirley Thomas A six-year-old boy was killed Wednesday morning when a goalpost collapsed on him while he was training for school sports at the Plaisance Community Centre Ground, East Coast Demerara.

The pupil, Glensean Skeete, attended the St Paul’s Primary School, also located in Plaisance. At the Georgetown Public Hospital, where the child succumbed to his injuries, a wailing, pregnant mother, Tracey Skeete, tried desperately to come to terms with the news of the death of her son. Her husband Glenroy was equally inconsolable.

The accident occurred around 10:00hrs.

In a message of condolence, President David Granger said he is deeply saddened to learn of the death of Skeete. The message said that the Government of Guyana, through the Ministry of Education will be working to provide psychosocial and other support to the family, teachers and students of St. Paul’s Primary in their time of grief. “President Granger and the Government of Guyana extend sincere condolences to his parents, Mr. Glenroy and Mrs. Stacy Skeete, his siblings, other relatives, friends, teachers and students of the St. Paul’s Primary,” the message added.

Investigations revealed that the school was practising for its Annual Inter-House Sports and the child’s mother, Tracy Skeete, had just moments before dropped him and two other siblings off to school. However, their parents had earlier cautioned them that they should not get involved in running for the sports. Glensean had signalled that he had understood that instruction and from all indications, repeatedly made it clear that he was not going to run.

However, a male teacher was said to have called on him to run and when he communicated his parents’ instruction, the teacher reportedly insisted, warning that he would whip him if he did not run, and so he was forced to join the others who were running.

But it was whilst Glensean was standing next to the goalpost awaiting his turn to run that tragedy struck.

Eyewitnesses said that other children were playing around the post and a girl attempting to climb it had just come down when the post gave away and fell on Glensean, who was standing nearby. Children gave a graphic account of what transpired after the boy was struck to the ground

Paul’s Primary School located at Plaisance on the East Coast of Demerara in the care of two teachers were practising for their annual inter-house sports at the ground. The ministry said that during this practice session, Skeete in the company of another male student proceeded to swing on a goalpost in the same ground.

“The metal structure [goalpost] subsequently flopped, throwing little Glensean to the ground. According to reports, he sustained head injuries. He was rushed to the GeorgeKilled by goalpost: six-year-old Glensean Skeete

But an inspection of the structure by members of the media, showed that the post which was made entirely of four-inch galvanised pipe was planted no deeper than four inches into the ground and was literally “an accident waiting to happen.”

The dead boy’s father, Glenroy, said he was at work when he received a message that his child was injured and was at the hospital. Likewise, his mother also received a message from his grandmother who answered the phone, but was not told that he had died. They rushed down to the GPH. On arrival there, Stacy who is well into her pregnancy, became inconsolable, even as her husband tried desperately, but in vain to keep her calm. One of his concerns was that her continued crying and agitation could affect the unborn child and possibly induce premature labour.

As she wept, Stacy repeatedly uttered: ”My baby, my baby, I can’t live without my baby. He would get up early every morning and pick cherries for me. I just can’t live without him.”

Meanwhile, back at the family’s home, relatives were adamant that the children were even made to enter a ground in the state that it is, for any athletic activity, as is substantiated by photographs taken at the scene. The grass, even though recently cut, after a long while, is still high and the ground is uneven and can even cause others to fracture their ankles, they surmise.

Amidst tears, the child’s mother muttered: “But how could they put people’s children to run on that ground?

They are not supposed to carry children there. That ground is not appropriate for running.”

The family is calling for a thorough investigation to be made into the circumstances surrounding the child’s death.

The Ministry of Education in a release stated that around 10:00hrs, students of the St

The base of the death trap structure

town Public Hospital (GPHC) where he succumbed to his injuries while receiving medical

treatment,” the release added.

The release said the Ministry of Education (MoE)

officials visited the hospital, where the mother and teachers were present. It gave the assurance that the MoE will continue to engage the parents of the deceased child, adding that “psychosocial and other support will be provided to the family, teachers and students of St Paul’s Primary during this difficult time.” The MoE offers its condolences to the family and friends of Glensean Skeete and reiterates its support to the family at such a difficult time.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, September 28, 2017

‘Medgar Evers’ buys into the hype – sells Guyana as ‘the next big oil producer in the Western Hemisphere’

By Svetlana Marshall in New York GUYANA-born Professor Dean Terrence Blackman was on Monday hailed as “a visionary” for inviting Guyana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Carl Greenidge, to the Medgar Evers College (MEC) to speak on the subject, ‘The Promise of Oil.’ “What he has done in inviting the vice-president to come here and speak to this community is of no small significance,” said MEC’s Director of the International Affairs Centre, Professor Eugene Pursoo.

“Today, whatever goes on here will be a part of the history of Medgar Evers Col-

Medgar Evers College, City University of New York (CUNY) in Brooklyn.

Though the forum was intended to address the promise of oil and its potential impact on Guyana’s developmental trajectory, it also created a platform for wide-ranging discussions on various topics, from the Guyana-Venezuela border controversy to collaboration in the field of education and the Draft Diaspora Engagement Strategy and Action Plan.

Monday’s forum was inaugurated as a new offering from the School of Science Health and Technology, ‘Conversations with Dean Blackman.’

Dr Blackman explained

that his ‘conversations’ are intended to connect the college to issues of profound importance to the City of New York, the State of New York, the USA, and by ex-

tension the wider world.

“Our goal is to learn how our speakers are leveraging science, technology, global strategy and policy to connect young people to opportunities,” he explained.

He said it was on the basis of the significant developments unfolding here in Guyana that Minister Greenidge was asked to make a presentation.

“As many of you might be aware, Guyana is poised to become the next big oil producer in the Western Hemisphere, Dr Blackman said.

“The country is attracting the attention and investment dollars of some of the biggest oil companies in the world.

Experts now estimate that one of its offshore fields alone, known as Liza, could contain 1.4 billion barrels of oil, mixed with natural gas,

Hague Conference opens today THE Hague Conference of Private and International Law (HCCH) opens today at the Pegasus hotel, Georgetown and will see the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) seeking to convince local stakeholders to examine several conventions that would protect the interests of children.

UNICEF deputy representative in Guyana Paolo Marchi said the confab is a follow up to the conference held here in July last year, where there was an opportunity to present and discuss 10 international instruments aimed at improving the lives of Guyanese.

According to him, the plan is to move forward by allowing stakeholders to decide which of those instruments should be prioritsed.

At a press conference at

Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams, is flanked by UNICEF deputy representative, Paolo Marchi (left) and HHCH regional representative, Ignacio Goicoechea

the Attorney General (AG) Chambers on Wednesday, Marchi, who was accompanied by HHCH regional representative Ignacio Goicoechea, said there are many reasons for all to work together to make the child protection instrument available to all Guyanese.

Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams said the international confer-

ventions related to children will be examined. These include the Child Protection Convention, Adoption Convention and Abduction Convention, among others.

“We really encourage the country to adopt these very conventions for the protection of children rights in Guyana,” he said.

The HCCH is keen on lending support to Guyana to assist in the process to see the conventions are implemented and adopted into law in order to make it available for Guyanese.

“We will be tackling some of these conventions that have been recommended by the international Chambers of Commerce,” Goicoechea said.

AG Williams said they are hoping to engage stakeholders and provide the answers and outcomes they are looking for.

The conference will also address conventions such as the legal corporation of commerce and cross border issues. The

stakeholders involved will be the Private Sector Commission and Chambers of Commerce, among others.

Last year, the conference was held under the theme, “International Family Law, Legal Cooperation and Commerce; Promoting Human Rights and Cross-Border Trade in Guyana through the Hague Conventions” ran from July 13-15.

It saw the attendance of attorneys general and judges from CARICOM countries; the wider Caribbean including Curaçao, Aruba, Turks and Caicos and the Cayman Islands and South American countries such as Brazil and Argentina.

Local stakeholders included members of the local judiciary, the Child Care Protection Agency, the Bar Associations, the Guyana Association of Women Lawyers, non-governmental organisations relating to children and the Private Sector Commission.

Dean Terrence Blackman addressing Monday’s ‘Promise of Oil’ forum at MEC. Seated left and right respectively are Professor Eugene Pursoo, the former Grenadian Ambassador to the United Nations, and Guyana’s Foreign Minister, Mr Carl Greenidge

Part of the audience at the ‘Promise of Oil’ forum in New York

lege,” he said, as he applauded Dr Blackman for taking such a bold and critical step.

Dr Blackman is the Dean of the School of Science, Health and Technology at

comparable to some of the larger fields drilled in South America,” he told his MEC colleagues.

He also used the opportunity to thank Minister Greenidge and the Government of Guyana for responding to his call.

Minister Greenidge, in addition to making an extensive presentation on the Guyana-Venezuela border issue, said petroleum, like all commodities which bring tremendous wealth, could also bring with it the potential for undermining public ethics.

“It is also true that for most of our citizens, they long for better standards of

living, financial opportunities, economic opportunities and a social framework that allow them to fulfil their potential as individuals,” Minister Greenidge said.

“And therefore, the job of a policy-maker is to try and strike a balance; not strike a balance between corruption and these things, but strike a balance between development and the other challenges,” he told the room-full of students, professors and deans.

He said that although Guyana has sought to capitalise on timber, sugar, bauxite and gold among other resources, many of its people did not benefit significantly from the proceeds in the past. “One of the challenges that a government has, is to make sure that it manages its business, so that its people and their aspirations can be fulfilled, and that is really the challenge,” Minister Greenidge posited.

During the course of the evening, discussions were also held on an exchange education programme among schools and universities in Guyana and Medgar Evers.

Medgar Evers College is party to a Statement of Shared Interests with the University of Guyana. The two tertiary institutions have agreed, in writing, to explore ways in which they may be able to promote and develop academic cooperation within mutually acceptable fields.

ence was held last year and “we introduced the world to the Hague convention.”

This time around, he said the meeting is to identify and agree on various conventions that were to be adopted by stakeholders.

There will also be an implementation of procedures to accede to those conventions, he said.

Goicoechea said since the last meeting in July

2016, a number of countries have come on board including The Dominican Republic and Saudi Arabia.

He said the HHCH welcomes the initiative of the Attorney General to gather the most important stakeholders around the table to see which convention should be prioritised.

He said it is in fact a very important occasion for UNICEF as several con-

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, September 28, 2017

CDC receives over $16M in items for hurricane-ravaged islands THE Civil Defence Commission (CDC) on Wednesday received over $16M worth of much needed relief supplies from the members of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), which will be shipped to the hurricane-ravaged islands, including Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica.

This is in addition to the US$100,000, which has been donated by the Government of Guyana to the relief efforts, the Ministry of the Presidency said in a release.

At a simple handing over ceremony held at the office of the PSC, Vice-Chairman of the Commission, Mr. Desmond Sears, said that the Private sector has heeded the call by the Government to contribute in whatever way it can, to bring relief to the thousands of persons who have been left without food, clothing, shelter and other basic amenities in the

Colonel Chabilall Ramsarup, Director General of the CDC; Mr. Desmond Sears, Vice-Chairman of the Private Sector Commission; Ms. Elizabeth Alleyne, Executive Director of the PSC, and the representatives from some of the organisations during the handing over of the donations

wake of Hurricane Irma and Maria.

Director General of the CDC, Colonel Chabilall Ramsarup in brief remarks, said that the Commission is grateful for the contributions, as it will go a long way in assisting those persons who have been affected.

“We are very heartened by the contributions, which

have been put together by you, the members of the Private Sector Commission.

We are very, very grateful for this and on behalf of the CDC and the Government of Guyana, we say a heartfelt thank you,” he said. As it is, the CDC is in the process of packing several containers, which are expected to leave Guyana on Saturday

morning September 30, 2017 for Antigua and Dominica.

Given the volume of contributions received, Guyana is looking to send approximately 10 containers of supplies. This is in addition to the 2,900 pounds of supplies, which were sent last week on a chartered plane to the affected islands.

The CDC and the Di-

saster Risk Reduction Platform are still encouraging members of the public to contribute to this process.

The CDC has established the ‘CIVIL DEFENSE COMMISSION IRMA RECOVERY FUND’ at the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) and the Republic Bank Limited (RBL) to aid this process.

Three other accounts at the local banks are expected to be set up in the coming days. Persons who wish to donate can make deposits to the IRMA RECOVERY FUND at the GBTI to account number 011802489012 and the IRMA RECOVERY FUND at RBL to account number 651-993-8.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

FROM BACK PAGE

England seal series despite...

Buttler who made 43 not out, to get England ahead of the required rate with rain looming in the distance.

England now lead the series 3-0 with the final match of the series carded for the Ageas Bowl tomorrow.

Sent in, the innings belonged to Lewis as he dominated England’s bowlers before finally being stretchered off in the 47th over after driving a full-length delivery from pacer Jake Ball into his ankle.

He lost talismanic partner Chris Gayle for two to the fourth ball of the innings, the veteran left-hander edging seamer Chris Woakes to Joe Root at first slip with two runs on the board.

Lewis then watched as West Indies slid to 33 for three in the seventh over, losing Shai Hope (11) and Marlon Samuels (1) cheaply.

The 25-year-old lefthander dug deep to produce an innings of class, stroking 17 fours and seven sixes off 130 deliveries, carving out the fourth-highest individual score by a West Indies batsman in ODIs. Significantly, he put on 117 for the fourth wicket with Mohammed who faced 71 balls and counted four boundaries before adding a further 168 with Holder in a record stand for the fifth wicket.

Lewis reached his half-century off 52 deliver-

ies in the 20th over before accelerating to reach his second ODI century off 94 balls, when he swung Woakes to the fine leg boundary in the 35th over.

With his landmark safely behind him, Lewis launched a stunning assault, with a pair of sixes off pacer Liam Plunkett in the 40th over and nearly single-handedly smashing 25 off the 44th over from off-spinner Moeen Ali as he motored past 150.

He lost Mohammed in the 29th over caught at the wicket off Rashid but found an ally in Holder to reset the fifth-wicket record for the Windies in ODIs. Holder, dropped on three by opposite number Eoin Morgan at cover in the 30th over off Plunkett, blasted four fours and four sixes in a 62-ball cameo before perishing to the final ball of the innings.

When injury forced Lewis out with the charge on, Powell belted a pair of fours and sixes in a 15-ball knock as West Indies posted 131 runs off the last 10 overs.

Woakes was the best bowler with three for 71.

Roy then took the game away for the Windies early, in a 66-ball knock which contained 11 fours and two sixes, against bowling which lacked discipline.

With the game slipping away quickly, the visitors found a way back through

Nations Cup Futsal kicks off tonight WITH $700 000 up for grabs for the winners, the Street Vybz Entertainment ‘Nations Cup’ Futsal Championship will be the most lucrative of its kind in Guyana and tonight, some of the country’s top teams will begin their quest to glory at the National Gymnasium.

Suriname, Brazil and a team representing several African nations will try to out-gun the likes of Sparta Boss, Gold is Money and other top Futsal teams for the title and to cash in on the over $1.2M total prize money.

“We’re hoping to have a really good tournament and we’re encouraging everyone to come and support, because I know for sure, the prize money will encourage the players to give their best,” said organiser Linden Gill, speaking at the tournament’s launch yesterday at the Windjammer International Hotel.

Tonight, eight elimination matches will be played, starting at 19:00hrs. Kitty Hustlers will take on Pike Street Sophia, while Agricola Champion Boys engage Meadowbrook Kings (MBK) All-Stars at 19:30hrs.

The third fixture will pit Gold is Money against Albouystown-B at 20:00hrs,

while Showstoppers will come up against New Market Street at 20:30hrs and Mocha tackle Broad Street from 21:00hrs.

Leopold Street will battle Melanie from 21:30hrs, Back Circle lock horns with Alexander Village at 22:00hrs and Sparta Boss, one of the pre-tournament favourites, match skills with Channel-9 Warriors at 22:30hrs.

The event resumes on Saturday at the same venue with another eight matches.

At 19:00hrs, Swag Entertainment will battle Beterverwagting (BV), while Dave and Celina’s will tackle West Back Road at 19:30hrs and Silver Bullets take aim at North East La Penitence from 20:00hrs.

In the fourth contest, Albouystown-A battle Bent Street at 20:30hrs, while North Ruimveldt oppose the Brazilian team from 21:00hrs and Ol Skool Ballers engage the Dutch Team from 21:30hrs.

The final two fixtures will pit Sophia against Tucville from 22:00hrs and Campbellville against Future Stars at 22:30hrs.

The team who finish second will pocket $250 000 and the third- and fourth-placers will receive $150 000 and $100 000 respectively.

SCOREBOARD WEST INDIES innings C. Gayle c Root b Woakes 2 E. Lewis ret. hurt 176 S. Hope c wkp. Buttler b Woakes 11 M. Samuels lbw b Woakes 1 J. Mohammed c wkp. Buttler b Rashid 46 J. Holder c Billings b Plunkett 77 R. Powell not out 28 Extras: (lb-3, w-12) 15 Total: (5 wkts, 50 overs) 356 Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-19, 3-33, 4-150, 4-318, 5-356.

Bowling: Woakes 10-0-71-3, Ball 10-0-68-0, Plunkett 10-0-67-1, Moeen Ali 9-1-70-0, Root 1-0-10-0, Rashid 10-0-67-1.

ENGLAND innings J. Roy c wkp. Hope b Joseph 84 J. Bairstow c wkp. Hope b Joseph 39 J. Root c wkp. Hope b Joseph 14 E. .Morgan c sub. (K Hope) b Joseph 19 J. Buttler not out 43 S. Billings c Gayle b Joseph 2 M. Ali not out 48 Extras: (lb-4, w-3, nb-2) 9 TOTAL (5 wkts, 35.1 overs) 258 Fall of wickets: 1-126, 2-144, 3-157, 4-177, 5-181.

Bowling: Taylor 7-0-48-0, Holder 9-0-52-0, Joseph 8.10-56-5, Cummins 6-0-49-0, Nurse 3-0-39-0, Powell 2-010-0.

Joseph, who at age 20, became the youngest West Indies bowler to take a five-wicket haul in ODIs. In the third over of his spell, he had Roy caught at the wicket trying to run one down to third man in the 18th over and claimed Bairstow in identical fashion at 144 for

two in the 22nd over.

England then lost their next three wickets for 37 runs as West Indies snatched the advantage but Moeen once again proved their nemesis, belting six fours and two sixes off 25 balls in a brazen counter-attack.

South Africa Racing Tips

09:55 hrs Mahaarat

Turffontein

10:30 hrs Johnny Cavag

08:35 hrs Alphine King

11:05 hrs Letmestopyouthere

09:10 hrs Esploratore 09:45 hrs Commodore Al 10:20 hrs Snowdonia 10:55 hrs Goodytwoshoes Irish Racing Tips Clonmel 08:50 hrs One In All In 09:25 hrs Port Rashid 10:00 hrs Our Rachael 10:35 hrs Small World 11:10 hrs Une Lavandiere 11:45 hrs Magnetic Force 12:20 hrs Rakhine State English Racing Tips Newmarket 09:00 hrs Midi 09:35 hrs Blue Laureate 10:10 hrs First Dance 10;45 hrs Elarqam 11:20 hrs Uae King 11:55 hrs Torcello 12:30 hrs Reach High Pontefract 09:20 hrs Rizzle Dizzle

11:40 hrs Andok 12:15 hrs Great Shot Sam 12:50 hrs Sheepscar 13:20 hrs Sailors Warn Chelmsford City 12:45 hrs Wilson 13:15 hrs Yafta 13:45 hrs Glassalt 14:15 hrs Monumental Man 14:45 hrs Miss Osier 15:15 hrs La Isla Bonita 15:45 hrs Entangling 16:15 hrs Hyperloop American Racing Tips Belmont Race 1 Honor way Race 2 Factorial Race 3 Layla Race 4 Tapella Race 5 Sunnysammi Race 6 Andretta Race 7 Lewis Vale Race 8 Going for Broke Race 9 Seam

25

GUYANA CHRONICLE, THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

Stokes named in Ashes squad despite minor hand injury … Three new caps also included

By Alan Baldwin LONDON, England (Reuters) – England all-rounder Ben Stokes was named yesterday in a 16-man squad for the Ashes tour to Australia despite being arrested earlier in the week for an altercation outside a Bristol nightclub.

Stokes, England’s highest-profile cricketer and key match-winner, was held on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm in the early hours of Monday and released under investigation.

An X-ray showed a minor fracture of a finger on the player’s right hand but he is expected to be fit for the opening game of the tour against a Western Australia XI in Perth on November 4. Stokes also retains the vice-captaincy.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) statement announcing the squad did not mention the incident, which has been the talk of the last 24 hours.

Wicketkeeper Ben Foakes was included for the first time, along with fast bowler Craig Overton and specialist spinner Mason Crane, while James Vince ends an absence dating back to August last year.

Yorkshire batsman Gary Ballance, who had lost his Test place through a finger injury in July, was also in-

cluded in a squad with three uncapped players.

The Ashes defence starts with the first Test at the Gabba in Brisbane, November 23-27.

“We have provided (captain) Joe Root and (coach) Trevor Bayliss with a well-balanced squad with options in all areas,” said national selector James Whitaker in a statement.

“Foakes deserves his selection for the first time at this level. His glovework has been exemplary and he is regarded as a wicketkeeper of the highest quality.”

Whitaker said Overton, who steps in for the injured Mark Wood, had also impressed for Somerset. “He has taken 43 Championship wickets this summer and will relish playing in Australian conditions,” he added.

STOKES A TARGET Vince’s recall comes as England seek to fill the problem number three slot. He did not feature this season after notching 212 runs at an average of 19 in his seven Tests last year. ”The selectors are backing James Vince to make an impact on his recall to the Test squad,“ said Whitaker. ”He is a quality stroke-player and we believe his game will suit the Australian pitches.

“His understanding of the England set-up will help him settle into the environment

Ben Stokes

quickly and hit the ground running when we arrive in Perth next month.”

England’s middle order is settled, with Stokes, keeper Jonny Bairstow and all-rounder Moeen Ali regularly taking turns to bat England out of trouble against South Africa and West Indies.

Former England captain Mike Atherton warned, however, that Stokes would be targeted in Australia -- with lingering doubts about him even making it that far.

“With the investigation under way, who knows whether there may be legal ramifications that will imperil his participation in Australia,” he wrote in the Times newspaper.

“Australians, on and off the field, will need no en-

couragement to get under his skin. Unwittingly, Stokes has brought a little more scrutiny and pressure to bear on a tour that will not be short of either.”

The hosts whitewashed England 5-0 in the last Ashes in Australia in 2013/14.

Stuart Broad and James Anderson, who recently took his 500th Test wicket, will again spearhead the attack although neither is naturally suited to the extra pace and bounce of Australian pitches.

The ECB said former New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond had been appointed as a consultant and will be part of the England management team up to the end of second Test in Australia.

Squad: J o e R o o t ( c a p t a i n, Yorkshire), Alastair Cook (Essex), Mark Stoneman (Surrey), Dawid Malan (Middlesex), Gary Ballance (Yorkshire), James Vince (Hampshire), Ben Stokes (Durham), Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper, Yorkshire), Ben Foakes (wicketkeeper, Surrey), Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), James Anderson (Lancashire), Jake Ball (Nottinghamshire), Mason Crane (Hampshire), Craig Overton (Somerset).

Alleged footage emerges of Stokes’ Bristol brawl ENGLAND star Ben Stokes’ place in the Ashes tour of Australia appeared to be in fresh jeopardy after The Sun newspaper in the UK published video footage purporting to show him engaged in a street brawl.

Test vice-captain Stokes was included in England’s 16-man squad for the Ashes tour announced earlier yesterday despite damaging his hand in the incident that led to his arrest in Bristol on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm.

The 26-year-old was released without charge on Monday, but remains under investigation.

In the video obtained

by The Sun, with photos splashed on the front page under the headline ‘Hit for Six’, a man who has been alleged to be Stokes is fighting with two men.

The newspaper report quoted a witness who said Stokes at one point threw “15 punches in one minute”.

An England and Wales Cricket Board spokesperson said: “We have seen this footage for the first time tonight – when posted by The Sun. “There is an ongoing police investigation, which will look at all available evidence, and we do have to

respect that process.”

Former England captain Michael Vaughan said Stokes’ absence from England’s Ashes party could spell disaster for Joe Root’s team.

“He is the key link to the England team. He’s the engine room out in the middle, he produces magic with the ball, with the bat, in the field,” Vaughan told Optus Sport.

“If anything over the next few months stops him from going to Australia, I have to say that I don’t give England much of a chance of winning the Ashes.

“It’s a situation that England have to try and deal with as quickly as they possibly can.

“He’s not in the good books, what he’s done is completely unprofessional.

You may say he was goaded into doing what he did but he was out at 2.30 in the morning in Bristol on a Sunday night.

“He’s such a superstar now he can’t put himself into those positions. He’s that kind of character, he likes life, he likes going out and I’m certainly not one to say ‘stop doing that’ because I like those kind of characters.” (AFP& Cricket Network)

Lall inspires Walton Hall to victory in NECC T20 tournament DESPITE the inclement weather, the third round of the North Essequibo Cricket Committee (NECC)-sponsored T20 tournament was played at two venues on the Essequibo Coast last Sunday.

At the Imam Bacchus Sports Complex ground, hosts Imam Bacchus Sports Club handled Police S.C roughly to win by 56 runs. The match was reduced to a 12-over affair following early morning rain which prevented an earlier start.

After winning the toss, the lawmen inserted Bacchus SC to take first strike. Brief but fluent innings from former national

Under-19 opener Yogeshwar Lall 26 containing 2x4s and 1x6 and Navindra Persaud 22 including 2x4s engineered the eventual total of 128-5 from their 12 overs.

Off-spinner Fazeer Khan claimed 3-21 from 3 overs to be his side’s most successful bowler.

In their turn at the crease, Police SC’s wickets fell in quick succession. They eventually reached 72-8 when their overs expired, to give Bacchus SC a comfortable victory.

In the second game at the same venue and which was reduced to a 10-over match, Gunners SC achieved an exciting 5-run win against Young Achievers.

Batting first after losing the toss, Gunners’ total of 88-5 from 10 overs was built by steady knocks of 31 (4x4, 1x6) from Alex Collins and Zavier McDonald, 20, including 2x4s and 1x6.

In response, Young Achievers batted aggressively and were on course to upset the more experienced rivals.

Entertaining innings from Chevraj Boodram 22 (2x4, 1x6) and 19 (1x4, 1x6) from Christopher Yhap kept the youngsters in the hunt. But the last over required 13 which however proved beyond their reach as they ended on 83-6 from their 10 overs.

Leg-spinner Haiman Beharry 2-11 from 2 overs and former Essequibo inter-county all-rounder Elroy Stephney 2-17 from 2 overs kept the bullets in range for the Gunners.

Over at the Walton Hall ground, the hosts secured a thrilling 4-run win against Devonshire Castle. Batting first after winning the toss, Walton Hall were led admirably to an impressive innings of 72 (8x4, 3x6) from Vishwanauth Lall and supported

by Suresh Persaud’s 30, including 5x4s, as Walton Hall amassed 148-6 from 15 overs after rain delayed the scheduled start of play.

Medium pacer Anil Persaud took 2-31 from 3 steady overs. In reply, Devonshire Castle chased bravely as Daramdeo Lall’s 36 (4x4, 2x6) and Anil Persaud’s 25 (4x4) kept the scoreboard ticking.

However, superb figures of 4-27 from Latchman Singh from his 3 overs steered the balance in Walton Hall’s favour as they restricted Devonshire Castle to 144-8 from their 15 overs.

Meanwhile the competition will continue with another round of matches at various venues including at Sparta, Charity, Imam Bacchus and Walton Hall grounds. (Elroy Stephney)

26

GUYANA CHRONICLE, THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

National Skip to My Lou - Jump Championship to ignite Sports National Skip to My Lou - Jump

By Rawle Toney

THE ‘Jump Rope’ phenomenon will take centre stage today at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall today, when over 100 students, drawn from 50 primary and 50 secondary schools in eight districts around the country, compete in the inaugural National Skip to My Lou - Jump Rope Team Championship.

The Skip to My Lou Jump Rope competition originated in Linden and will take place today from 10:00hrs to 16:00hrs, thanks to the Ministry of Social Cohesion, Ministry of Education, National Sports Commission (NSC) and long-time supporter Banks

DIH under their Coca Cola Brand.

As per competition rules, each team will comprise five jumpers, who will be able to participate in Individual Freestyle, Individual Single Rope/ Double Dutch Teams and Last Man Standing.

Dr George Norton, Minister of Social Cohesion and who also holds the portfolio as the Minister responsible for Sport, said, “There is no doubt about the fact that this competition has numerous benefits, one of which is the fostering of social cohesion.

“Participants will be able to develop better interpersonal skills through interaction with others from various education-

It is expected that the jumper from Linden will be on show today at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

Rope Team Hall today Rope Team

al districts. At the same time, the competition will allow for the students to engage in team-building.

“It is our aim to very soon have a well-established National Jump Rope Federation in Guyana. With such a body in place, we will have jumpers to participate at world class competitions such as the Pan-American Jump Rope Competitions and the International Double Dutch League,” said Norton.

The NSC ensured that Guyana, for the first, participated at this year’s World Jump Rope Championship and Camp, July 1 – July 10, at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida.

Shavin Green and Mackenzie High School student Adriell Wilson were Guyana’s representatives.

According to Green the competition will allow for the growth in the sport, and also help to spot Guyana’s future representatives for next year’s World Jump Rope Championship.

The Ministry of Public Telecommunications also came in for high praise, being named as one of the sponsors of the event, through the E-Governance unit.

The Public Telecommunications Ministry donated two laptops as part of the prizes offered for the top performers.

Ramkumar to head Mt Sinai Cricket Club YOUTH leader Ravi Ramkumar was elected president of the Mt Sinai Cricket Club last Sunday during a special meeting held at the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Sport Drop-in Centre in Angoy’s Avenue.

Forty members turned up for the special meeting which included Director of Sport Christopher Jones and his deputy Brian Joseph.

A nine-member executive committee was elected to administer the affairs of the club.

Those elected were Ravi Ramkumar (president), Neil Rudder (vice-president),

Akele Denhert (secretary), Jaipersaud Hardeo (treasurer), Pinky Arthur (assistant secretary/treasurer).

The committee members are Carlton Sinclair, Troy Morrison, Shawn Taylor and Safraz Kassim.

The coach is Carlton Sinclair while Jaipersaud Hardeo and Neil Rudder will represent the club at the Berbice Cricket Board level.

Ramkumar promised to make the club one of the best in Berbice. He expressed gratitude to the Mayor and Town Council of New Amsterdam and the Guyana Police Force

‘B’ Division for their efforts in the club’s resuscitation.

Rudder, a retired Prison Officer stated that he is delighted to serve the youths in his community.

Jones congratulated the newly elected executive committee, and urged them to be role models to every member, to listen to the needs of members and to make sure that all clubs records are in order.

He pledged the cooperation of the National Sports Commission, and handed over a large quantity of cricket gear.

Director of Sport Christopher Jones hands over the donation to Mt Sinai Cricket Club president Ravi Ramkumar.

Wins for National teams as GTT Indoor Hockey continues

Part of the Men’s action between the National Blacks and the Saints Hockey Club

THERE were wins for the National men’s and women’s teams, as the 2017 GTT Indoor championship continued at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall on Tuesday evening.

In the first of the matches, the Ladies unit were up against the more physical Antonio’s Grill Hikers.

However, the Ladies proved that girl power is nothing to mess around as they trampled their opponents 8-2.

Their victory was led by a pair of field goals each from Aliyah Gordon and Tricia Woodroffe as the side showed their full grace and splendour.

It was Gordon who opened the scoring

after a clean interception on a Hikers Long pass. She returned to complete the double in the 8th minute.

Also finding the nets on the night were Marzana Fiedtkou (5th minute), Latacia Chung (27th minute), Maria Munroe (29th minute) and Nicole Eastman (30th minute).

Meanwhile, the National Men’s side were in no playful mood as they thrashed Saints Hockey Club 11-0 Robert France and Jamarj Assanah both slammed 4 goals each while Andrew Stuart scored a double and Ryan Branford notched up one goal to complete the rout.

The Greens, on the other hand, were made to work a little more as they finally

overcame the old Fort Titans.

Arody Bradford scored twice in the win 5:3 with a strike each from Aderemi Simon, Jason Dos Santos and Kevin Spencer.

For the losing side, it was John Abrahams double and Ascofu Simon’s lone strike that accounted for the goals.

The other results of the night saw GCC Pitbulls defeat Hikers 5-1, GCC Spartans draw 1-1 with the ever-improving Old Fort Shooting Stars in the women’s division, while Saints Hockey Club lost to Saint Stanislaus Hockey Club 5-3 and Pepsi Hikers suffered a demoralising 8-1 defeat at the hands of Bounty GCC.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER

(Thursday September 28, 2017) COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALLBourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 2259230) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1)

Jonny Bairstow

(2)

The Rose Bowl, Southampton

Today’s Quiz: (1) Who has taken most ODI wickets for England to date? How many?

(2) Put these in order beginning with the team that first played ODIs against the WI: New Zealand, Australia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka Answers in tomorrow’s issue

27

GUYANA CHRONICLE, THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

GCA, NBS launch 6th edition of 40-over cricket tourney … Sponsorship continues to provide opportunity for aspiring cricketers, says Harper

NBS’s CEO Anil Kishun presents the sponsorship cheque to GCA president Roger Harper. Also sharing the moment are NBS Chairman Floyd McDonald (second left) and few NBS Board of Directors, staff and GCA‘s executive members. (Samuel Maughn photo)

By Rajiv Bisnauth

PRESIDENT of the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) Roger Harper is of the view that the New Building Society (NBS)-sponsored 40-Over Second Division competition will continue to provide the opportunity for aspiring cricketers.

Harper aired his view during the launching of the sixth edition of the tournament yesterday at the financial institution’s location on North Road and Avenue of the Republic.

“The NBS sponsorship will continue to provide that opportunity for every aspiring cricketer,” Harper, the former West Indies off-spin-

ner, said.

He however explained that the competition was an opportunity for the players not only to showcase their talent, but also to serve as further development for the youths.

“While the tournament is for clubs in Georgetown, it also attracts players from other areas around the country,

far as Essequibo,” the GCA president revealed.

Harper pointed out that the tournaments over the years have produced a number of players who have represented Guyana at the various youth levels, and this year eight players accomplished that milestone, with four of the eight players being part of a West Indies

Under-19 training camp, scheduled for December.

The four players are Ashmead Nedd, Raymond Perez, Joshua Persaud and Bhaskar Yadram.

Harper, a former West Indies vice-captain, noted that the GCA was focused on the development of young cricketers and also in taking the game to a higher level.

With that in mind, Harper thanked the NBS for so willingly continuing the partnership with the association in running this tournament and investing in youths.

He promised that the tournament will be run at the highest standard and the GCA’s commitment to the NBS will be fulfilled.

Like in the previous year, the GCA will again place much emphasis on developing fast bowlers.

According to chairman of the GCA’s Competitions Committee, Shawn Massiah, at least 40 per cent (16 overs) of the overs in the game must be bowled by fast bowlers as stated in the playing regulations.

Meanwhile, NBS Chairman Floyd McDonald, in his remarks said that the organisation had no difficulty in

approving the request, since it’s part of the financial institution’s mandate to provide support towards the development of sport and other related activities locally.

McDonald pointed out that NBS will continue to support cricket, despite the problems facing the game locally.

He urged the GCA to take the necessary steps to develop the game, since he believes that cricket is here to stay and the game will blossom as years advance.

The competition, which bowls off this week-end will target 15 city teams.

The tournament will be divided into two Zones and the teams listed to participate are defending champions Transport Sports Club (TSC), Demerara Cricket Club (DCC), Everest Cricket Club, Sophia, Diplomats, Police, Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Third Class, Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC), Malteenoes Sports Club (MSC), Muslim Youth Organisation, Gandhi Youth Organisation, University of Guyana, Guyana National Industrial Corporation (GNIC) and Ace Warriors.

Two classes of bikes expected for Caribbean Invasion THERE will be motorcycle drag racing action this weekend at the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club, (GMR&SC) Caribbean Invasion.

The club has confirmed that several persons have already signed up for the drags and those desirous should sign up as quickly as possible.

“We are encouraging motorcycle drag racing on Sunday at our Caribbean Invasion meet,” A statement from the club read yesterday.

“However, those riders desirous of competing must be first registered for the event. We are also asking them to produce medicals for their own safety.”

“We want to ensure that in no uncertain terms, the right protocols and procedures are in place should any unfortunate incident happen.”

Meanwhile for those who are registered members of the club, they need only submit their event registration form and their medical.

All other persons will be charged a partic-

ipatory fee of $3 000 along with the requisite documents.

There will be two classes of action - the 600cc and the 1000cc categories.

Action begins at 09:00hrs with free runs, while classification into the time bracket system begins at 10:00hrs and knockout begins at noon.

CBB Volleyball Club hails Suriname tour successful THE Classic Ball Blaster’s Women Volleyball Club (CBB) hailed its recent tour to neighbouring Suriname a success, as the club looks to better its players’ technical skill and standard of play.

“After being consciously sidelined by the Demerara Volleyball Association (DVA) for several local competitions and several efforts to resolve the issues bore no result, with the blessing of Mr John Flores president of the Guyana Volleyball Federation (GVF), the CBB Women Volleyball Club reached out to neighbours Suriname to participate in a number of friendly matches,” the club said in a release.

With a seven-member squad comprising youth and experienced players and only

one substitute available, CBB played both Yellowbirds and Condor Volleyball Clubs with both teams comprising the same component as CBB. The first match saw CBB up against Yellowbirds at Calor School Hall, playing three best in five sets with four sets going for 25 points and the deciding fifth set for 15 points CBB won first two sets 25-14, 25-21, Yellowbirds bounced back to take the third and fourth sets 25-17, 25-20, CBB were then able to regroup to take the deciding fifth set 15-10.

CBB females having been well-rested, in the second match they were up against Condor at Lycoi Sport Hall, playing the best in seven sets, which saw the introduction of the new point system of the

The Classic Ball Blaster’s Women Volleyball Club during their tour of Suriname

International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) with each set going for 19 points. CBB de-

feated the Condor in straight sets 19-12, 19-14, 19-17, and 19-12.

These wins, according to the team, not only boosted their confidence, but also

showcased the talented athletes that exist within Guyana.

“We do hope that these wins will encourage Suriname volleyball clubs which have a larger quantity of technical skilled female volleyball players, to extend future invitations, knowing that Guyana female players are capable of playing to their standards,” noted the CBB team.

The team added that frequent invitations by their Suriname counterparts “will give our female volleyball players an opportunity to experience another level of competition, which will enhance our technique and raise our standards of playing and hopefully encourage others to join the game”.

GCA, NBS launch 6th edition of 40-over cricket tourney

Page 27

England seal series despite Lewis, Joseph career-bests

Pacer Alzarri Joseph made repeated breakthroughs to put West Indies on top. (Getty Images)

LONDON, England (CMC) – Evin Lewis’s sublime career-best hundred and Alzarri Joseph’s maiden five-wicket haul both proved in vain as West Indies crashed to a six-run defeat under Duckworth/Lewis in the fourth One-Day International, to concede the fivematch series to England here yesterday.

Chasing a difficult 357 for victory at the Oval following Lewis’s 176, England were 258 for five in the 36th over – ahead of the D/L par score of 252 – when the adverse weather drove players from the field at 19:35hrs (2:35 Eastern Caribbean time).

With the drizzles persisting, officials called play off at 20:10hrs , leaving a disappointed West Indies with their sixth straight ODI series defeat to England and without a tour victory over a higher-ranked side in five years.

This statistic seemed des-

tined to change when the Caribbean side romped to 356 for five off their 50 overs – their fourth highest total in ODIs and highest-ever against England.

The charge was led by Lewis while captain Jason Holder lashed a career-best 77, Jason Mohammed struck 46 and Rovman Powell, a cameo unbeaten 28 at the end.

England seemed on course to complete their highest-ever successful run chase when opener Jason Roy stroked a top score of 84 in an opening stand of 126 with Jonny Bairstow who made 39.

But fast bowler Joseph intervened with an outstanding spell to claim five for 56 to haul West Indies back into the contest by reducing England to 181 for five in the 28th over.

However, Moeen Ali proved the Windies tormentor again, hammering an unbeaten 48 in a 77-run sixth-wicket stand with Jos Turn to page 24

Nations Cup Futsal kicks off tonight

Page 24

The aggressive Evin Lewis reached his second ODI hundred off 94 balls. In all he hit 17 fours and seven sixes in his unbeaten 176.

Evin Lewis ruled out for 2-3 weeks with fractured ankle

Page 24

Evin Lewis had to be taken off on a stretcher and was later diagnosed with a hairline fracture. (AFP)

FLASHBACK! Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson in action for Sparta Boss at a recent Futsal tournament. Richardson will be in action tonight against Channel-9 Warriors. (Delano Williams photo)

WEST Indies opening batsman Evin Lewis has been ruled out of the fifth and final One Day International (ODI) against England after being diagnosed with a fractured ankle.

On Tuesday Lewis cracked an impressive 176 from 130 balls, falling short of being just the sixth player in ODI history to score a double century.

The savage Lewis smashed seven sixes and 17 fours, but eventually blasted a delivery from fast bowler Jake Ball into his ankle and had to leave the field before potentially being the first player to score a double ton in an ODI on English soil.

The medics remained on the pitch for several minutes to attempt to treat

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Lewis, but it was soon clear that the player could take no further part in the encounter. Cricket West Indies has since confirmed that the Lewis suffered a hairline fracture on his right ankle, which will keep him out of action for two to three weeks.

Lewis’ assault on the English bowling attack powered the regional team to 356 for 5, recovering from a poor start that had seen them lose their first three wickets inside the first seven overs.

England, however, went on to win the match by 6 runs via the Duckworth/Lewis method and in the process claimed an unassailable 3-0 lead with one match remaining.

(Sportsmax.com) THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER, 28, 2017