Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 01 06 2017

SEE INSIDE

Tracked and busted No. 104930

THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 2017

Price: $80

(VAT Inclusive)

…cocaine-in-timber suspects were on CANU radar for three months

Stephen Vieira

Sherwayne DeAbreu

Tazim Gafoor

Key players AG moves to CCJ in custody to appeal $446M

– as probe deepens into trafficking of Haitians here

Page 9

Page 3

Dipcon judgement

Page 3

Nazim Gafoor

Climate change challenge

– Harmon says climate, sectoral policies still not integrated

Page 2

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, June 1, 2017

Climate change challenge – Harmon says climate, sectoral policies still not integrated

By Ravin Singh LACK of integration and coordination between climate policies and other sectoral policies have been identified by Minister of State Joseph Harmon as being among the major challenges in addressing climate change.

His view was ably supported by head of the sub-regional office of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Vincent Sweeney.

The two were at the time speaking at the opening ceremony of the UNEP Regional Capacity Building Workshop on Supporting Countries to advance their National Adaptation Plan (NAP) at the Ramada Princess Hotel on Wednesday.

The workshop attracted participants from countries across the region.

With Guyana playing a leading role globally in the fight against climate change, the minister pointed out that the government has recognised the importance of reducing risks and increasing resilience to climate change.

He said steps have been taken towards integrating climate risk into national development planning, policies and programmes, even as the country has already elaborated in its Nationally Determined Contributions to the Paris Agreement, unconditional contributions for adaptation.

Some of these initiatives being undertaken include mainstreaming disaster risk

UNDP Deputy Resident Representative, Shabnam Mallick

management/disaster risk reduction in the agricultural sector; sea and river defense resilience project; sustainable agriculture development programme; and improved drainage and irrigation for coastal communities and water resources management.

According to the minister, Guyana is considered particularly vulnerable to this phenomenon because of its high level of exposures and sensitivity to climate risks.

He pointed out that six of the 10 administrative regions of this country are found within the low coastal plain, which in some areas is more than one meter below high tide levels.

He said due to inherent characteristics, Guyana is regularly affected by flooding caused by heavy rains or overflowing riverbanks; drought on an annual basis heavily influenced by El Niño southern oscillation,

and salt water intrusion for great distances in rivers.

Worrying though, is the fact that these natural hazards are expected to increase, due to projected temperature increase and sea level rise, together with higher storm surges, based on outputs of climate models, the minister added.

And even as efforts are being intensified to reduce these risks globally, Minister Harmon was keen to note that in the region, “there is greater need to ensure that climate risks and adaptation measures are integrated”.

Agreeing with the minister, UNEP representative Sweeney said the integration and coordination of climate policies with other sectoral policies remains a challenge because of the operational difficulties involved.

He noted that sectoral policy and climate change have often conflicting or poorly aligned objectives.

An example of these conflicting or poorly aligned

UNEP representative Vincent Sweeney

objectives would be a forest protection policy versus agricultural production policy.

Another challenge in reducing the risk of climate change, he said, is the need to strengthen the capacities of local governments for action planning, to adapt to climate change in order to materialise national commitments and policies at the local level.

In considering the long-

term perspective, Sweeney reasoned that it should be noted that adaptation actions have been implemented in response to a series of situations such as extreme weather events.

He added, however, that to achieve the transformational change required for low-carbon, resilient and equitable economies, a medium and long-term view is needed, that is integrated with national development planning processes and strategies, issues of gender, and also with a participatory and transparent approach.

Meanwhile, United National Development Programme (UNDP) Deputy Resident Representative, Shabnam Mallick underscored the importance of the workshop in helping to strengthen capacity of public officials to develop National Adaptations Plans (NAPs), through the identification of the main tools available to develop these plans.

She noted that all coun-

Some of the participants at the opening of the climate change workshop which opened at Ramada Princess on Monday

Minister of State Joseph Harmon

tries represented at the workshop have considerable institutional, policy and planning framework in place that serve as entry points or building blocks for NAPs. However, she noted that it is expected that those existing capacities will be further enhanced through exchanges and deliberations at the workshop which concludes on June 2.

The countries participating are Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.

Other participants include the UNDP and the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/ WHO).

Biodiversity video launched THE Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Caribbean Aqua Terrestrial Solutions (CATS) has launched a biodiversity video aimed at promoting sustainable development.

Representative of CATS, Annette Arjoon said persons need to be made aware of climate change and its implications on society.

She presented copies of the videos to the Ministry and pointed out that they focus on the three priority areas which are conservation, climate change education and disaster risk management.

Guyanese will have the opportunity to access the videos that will be shared on various social media pages

Ministry of Education and CATS representatives during the launch and handing over of the video on Thursday last

and broadcast on the Learning Channel.

Alex Arjoon, one of the producers of the video, said the material will be helpful because Guyana is advancing in terms of environmental development and it is vital that all are aware of the implications of climate change.

“We must ensure that we

do not fall short… so persons must be educated, that is why we made the videos easily accessible through social media, ads and other channels and means.

“Concepts must be shared which will help to develop a foundation for the environment because Guyanese do not know the

extent of Guyana and what we have,” he said.

Chief Education Officer Marcel Hudson and other Ministry officials welcomed the initiative and encouraged the group to continue working with the Ministry to promote sustainable development through education.

Tracked and busted

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, June 1, 2017

By Clestine Juan

AFTER three months of surveillance and investigation by the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU), four persons were charged on Wednesday in connection with the $550 million worth of cocaine found in lumber at a sawmill in Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo a few weeks ago.

Biker, Stephen Vieira; motor racer, Nezim Gafoor and his father, Tazim Gafoor, along with Sherwayne DeAbreu appeared before Magistrate Rushell Liverpool at the Leonora Magistrate’s Court, charged with trafficking narcotics.

Vieira, 33, of Middle & Cummings Street, Georgetown; Nezim Gafoor, 20, and businessman Tazim Gafoor, 49, both of Menzies Street, Windsor Forest, West Coast Demerara, and Drug Enforcement Officer attached to Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Sherwayne DeAbreu of Section ‘A’ Liliendaal,

…cocaine-in-timber suspects were on CANU radar for three months – 15 witnesses to testify

East Coast Demerara, all pleaded not guilty to the charge.

It is alleged that between March 1, 2017 and May 12, 2017 at Narine Lall Enterprise Sawmill at Zeelugt, they aided Hakim Mohammed to traffic 84.986 kilograms of cocaine.

A fifth suspect, Narine Lall has been charged separately in absentia with trafficking in narcotics.

Attorney Latchmi Rahamat represented Vieira, Attorney Stanly Moore represented Nezim Gafoor, and Attorney Everton Singh-Lammy represented Tazim Gafoor, while Attor-

ney Mark Conway represented DeAbreu.

Attorney Rahamat told the court that drugs were not found in her client’s possession since he was in Jamaica preparing for a race meet during the time of the alleged drug bust. She said Vieira willingly returned to Guyana after CANU issued an arrest warrant for him. Rahamat further stressed that Vieira had no knowledge, control or possession of the drug, which are key elements in the charges.

The three other lawyers argued on the same grounds as Rahamat during their bail application. Attorney Moore

pointed out that Nezim Gafoor suffers from epilepsy and was hospitalized during the time of the investigation.

THREE MONTHS OF SURVEILLANCE But CANU Prosecutor, Konyo Sandiford objected to bail, based on the seriousness and penalty attached to the charges. Sandiford further revealed to the court that investigators have three months’ worth of surveillance footage on the four accused along with evidence by Hakim Mohammed, who cooperated with CANU. The court also heard that there are some 15 witnesses who will testify on

Key players in custody

By Ariana Gordon THE KEY players involved in the Trafficking In Persons (TIP) ring to smuggle several Haitians, adults and children into Guyana are in police custody, Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum said on Wednesday.

He told the Guyana Chronicle that while no one has yet been charged, a thorough investigation is being conducted as those in custody are believed to “be part of a human smuggling ring.”

He explained that it would be premature to divulge additional information on the investigation, but noted that the TIP victims, who reportedly arrived in Guyana last Friday, are safe.

“The key players are detained and the victims are safe,” said Blanhum.

The Guyana Chronicle understands that there are 30 victims of whom 16 are adults and the remainder children.

It should be noted that the parents of the 14 children are reportedly not victims of the smuggling. The victims are currently in protective care and it is unclear whether they will be deported.

Social Protection Minister, Amna Ally confirmed the number of victims and

behalf of CANU. The Magistrate ruled in the prosecution’s favour and remanded the men until June 12, 2017. Vieira had appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court earlier this month following his arrest at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) but he was released after an arrest warrant for him was discharged.

The charges come just a few days after CANU indicated that the agency is seeking international assistance to retrieve video footage that had been wiped from a Digital Video Recording (DVR) that was seized from the suspects.

CANU agents had sus-

pected that there was evidence on the device that would further link the illegal substance to the five suspects.

CANU had focused attention on the suspects following the discovery of some 84.986 kilograms (187 pounds) of cocaine worth $550M in lumber at the Lot 227 Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo premises of Mohamed.

The bust was made just as the lumber was being packed into a truck. CANU ranks had searched a truck laden with several pallets of 1×6 dressed lumber boards prepared for export. Several pieces of boards were drilled randomly by the ranks and revealed a whitish substance.

The lumber was packed at a sawmill located at Lookout, East Bank Essequibo belonging to Narine Lall, to be transported to a wharf in Georgetown and then shipped to the United States of America.

Vieira was listed on the shipping documents as a representative of the shipper, Narine Lall.

– as probe deepens into trafficking of Haitians here

Social Protection Minister, Amna Ally

gling ring.”

As such, Minister Ally said “a decision will be taken after the investigation is completed.”

The Social Protection minister said her administration will not rest until TIP is stamped out completely and noted that the trafficking of humans is a serious criminal offence.

“We have to bring an end to it,” said the minister, who reminded that several persons have been placed before the courts over the past few months for committing the crime.

Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum

told this newspaper that the victims are being housed at ‘safe houses’ across the country. She explained that the situation is troubling as it appears Guyana is a transit point for human smuggling to neighbouring South American countries.

It is believed that the Haitian nationals were brought to Guyana to be transported via Suriname to French Guiana where they were promised betterment.

“It is unclear what actions will be taken… the Ministry of Citizenship is dealing with the immigration matters and the police are addressing other matters relevant to the smug-

STERN WARNING Earlier this year, President David Granger issued a strong warning to perpetrators of TIP, noting that his administration will not tolerate the heinous crime.

The president was at the time speaking at the launch of the National Plan of Action for the prevention and response to TIP for 2017 and 2018.

At that forum, the President said all victims will be protected and perpetrators punished.

“The Government of Guyana today is committed to reversing this indifference towards the crime of traffick-

ing-in-persons. We will do so by enhancing education and strengthening enforcement in order to eliminate the scourge entirely,” he said.

The Head-of-State made it clear that human traffickers must be identified and prosecuted with the full force of the law. He stated that the “fear of prosecution must serve as a deterrent against human-trafficking.”

He stressed that “victims of trafficking-in-persons need protection. They are often helpless. They are often afraid to speak out. They generally lack resources to seek assistance. Many of the victims being held against their will

may be illegal immigrants and, therefore, afraid to go to the authorities for fear of being deported or prosecuted. Victims of trafficking in persons must be protected and provided with assistance for their recovery and reintegration into society,” said President Granger who said it is necessary to “lift the veil off TIP.” Statistics provided in January showed that there has been a notable increase of TIP cases from 2014 to 2016 and Coordinator (ag) of the C-TIP Unit in the Ministry of Social Protection, Tanisha

Williams-Corbin said that in 2014 there were 40 cases, five males and 35 females, while in 2015, there were 59 cases with three males and 56 females. Last year there was an increase of 98 cases, 13 males and 85 females.

She noted that of the 197 identified victims from 20142016, the majority were females. Williams-Corbin also reported that 89.3 per cent of the victims were 32 years and below, while most of the victims were nationals.

Non-nationals represented 41 per cent of the total number of suspected cases.

Woman remanded for one gram of cocaine A DOMESTIC worker was remanded to prison on Wednesday by City Magistrate Judy Latchman on a drug trafficking charge.

Hazel Smith, 47, of 7th Avenue Bartica and Eccles Squatting Area, East Bank Demerara, denied the charge which alleged that on May 30, 2017 at Bartica Arcade, she had one gram of cocaine for the purpose

of trafficking.

The woman did not have legal representation and Police Prosecutor, Shellon Daniels objected to bail based on the seriousness of the offence.

Magistrate Latchman ruled in the prosecution’s favour and remanded the woman until June 1. The matter was transferred to Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, June 1, 2017

Trump ‘poised to quit Paris climate deal’ [BBC] - US President Donald Trump is poised to pull the country out of the Paris climate accord, US media report, quoting senior officials. The 2015 accord for the first time united most of the world in a single agreement to mitigate climate change.

It was signed by 195 countries out of 197 in a UN group on climate change, with Syria and Nicaragua abstaining. In a tweet on Wednesday, Mr Trump said he would announce his decision within the “next few days”. Climate change, or global warming, refers to the damaging effect of gases, or emissions, released from industry and agriculture on the atmosphere.

The Paris accord is meant

to limit the global rise in temperature attributed to emissions. To date, 147 out of the 197 countries have ratified the accord, including the US, where the accord entered into force last November. Mr Trump has previously called climate change “a hoax” devised by the Chinese government.

He promised to “cancel” the Paris deal during his election campaign last year, saying it was “bad for US business” because it allowed “foreign bureaucrats control over how much energy we use”. His supporters argue the accord restricts America’s ability to do what it wants with its energy resources an important sector of the economy.

However, under the ac-

cord, countries set emission limits themselves - not an outside panel. It remains unclear when or how the administration might plan to pull out of the climate agreement, the BBC’s Paul Rincon writes.

A four-year period is required to quit the Paris deal but by pulling out of the UN’s climate body - the UNFCCC - the US could extricate itself in one year.

However, this would represent a significant move: the US signed up to the convention in 1992, under then President George Bush Snr. A small team including Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt is working on the details of how the withdrawal will be executed, the Axios news site reports, quoting unnamed sources.

America is the world’s second-biggest carbon dioxide emitter after China so its withdrawal would have a real impact.

Under the Paris accord, it is committed to reducing greenhouse emissions by 26-28% below its 2005 level by 2025. There are fears that other countries could follow the US lead or show less commitment to the goals of the Paris accord.

However, China, India and the EU have indicated they will stick with the accord even if Mr Trump moves to withdraw the US. Speaking to the BBC earlier, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the accord would survive regardless of Mr Trump’s position. Environmental groups like the

Sierra Club said American withdrawal from the Paris accord would be a “historic mistake”, while Friends of the Earth said the move would “sacrifice our planet to the fossil fuel industry” and make the US the world’s “foremost climate villain”.

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk threatened to step down from a pair of White House advisory councils if Mr Trump withdraws from the deal. In recent days, the CEOs of dozens of companies including ExxonMobil Corp, Dow Chemical and Unilever NV have urged the White House to remain in the accord.

The French government said it would pursue a “very aggressive” policy to uphold the Paris accord. A top EU

official said Europe was ready to assume leadership on combating climate change.

“There is a much stronger expectation from our partners across the world from Africa, Asia and China that Europe should assume leadership in this effort and we are ready to do that,” European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency.

German government spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer said: “I can only reiterate the well-known position that the German government unequivocally supports the Paris climate agreement and is campaigning for it to be quickly implemented and hopes the USA remains committed to this agreement.”

[BBC] - A Malaysia Airlines plane has been forced to turn back to Melbourne airport after a passenger tried to enter the cockpit.

Flight MH128, bound for Kuala Lumpur, was forced

to return “due to a disruptive passenger”, a statement from the airline said.

The airline said that the flight landed safely and the passenger was apprehended.

The passenger reportedly

claimed to have explosives.

But Malaysia’s Deputy Transport Minister Abdul Aziz bin Kaprawi said “it was not a bomb but a powerbank”, according to the AFP agency. The passenger

appeared to be drunk, he said - but was overpowered by the plane’s crew.

Victoria Police said: “The man did not gain entry to the cockpit. The man was subdued and a

safety plan was enacted.”

“There appears to be no imminent threat to passengers, staff or public.”

Passengers have safely left the plane and will be screened by Australian authorities, Malaysia Airlines said.

Both the airline and Australian authorities will investigate, it added. The statement from Malay-

sia Airlines said the Airbus A330 was in the air for just 30 minutes of its eight-hour flight time before landing.

Flight tracking website FlightRadar24 reported that a number of flights had been diverted while the incident was being dealt with, but that the airport is now operating as normal.

Malaysia Airlines plane turns back after cockpit entry bid

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, June 1, 2017

Mother of 7 dies five months after accident

By Jeune Bailey Van Keric

NEW Amsterdam vendor, 51-year-old Maria Sampson, died at her Lot 54 Angoy’s Avenue home on Tuesday afternoon, five months after she was involved in a horrific accident along the #19 Public Road, Corentyne Berbice.

Since the accident, Sampson remained in an unconscious state. At the time of her death, she was surrounded by her seven children. On January 9, 2017, she was on her way to the Port Mourant Market to purchase vegetables; Sampson

was sitting in the front passenger seat of the car, which slammed into a parked truck.

Her eldest daughter, Romella Amsterdam, also known as Camella, told the Guyana Chronicle that her mother suffered immensely as she sustained injuries to the brain, spinal cord, a punctured lung, fractured left ribs, and trauma to the chest, which resulted in her having to access her liquid diet by a gastrointestinal tube.

The 28-year-old woman recalled her mother was a patient at the Intensive Care Unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital for about two months

after which doctors informed the family that there was nothing else medically they could do to save the woman. The family was advised to take her home.

But according to Amsterdam, she pleaded with the doctors to refer her mother to the New Amsterdam hospital since she was unable to breathe unaided and persons had to suction her saliva every two hours.

After the request was granted, the vendor was transferred to New Amsterdam where she remained hospitalized for two additional months

Student, mason charged with death of city businessman TWO persons were placed on $450,000 bail each after they were charged for their involvement in a fatal accident at Camp and Middle Streets, Georgetown, which claimed the life of popular city businessman, Derek Mangal.

Rajkumarie Ragobeer, 23, of Eccles, East Bank Demerara and 24-year-old Steven Cox of Gordon Street, Kitty Georgetown, appeared before Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan and were charged separately with the offence of causing death by dangerous driving.

They were both represented and pleaded not guilty to the charge, which alleged that on May 29, 2017, Ragobeer drove motor car, PVV 3757 and Cox drove motor car, PVV 9843, in a dangerous manner to the public, causing the death of Mangal on Camp and Middle Streets.

Police Prosecutor Adrian Moore did not object to bail, but asked that the two be placed on substantial amount and that conditions

Rajkumarie Ragobeer

Dead: Derek Mangal

be placed.

Bail was granted and the Chief Magistrate ordered that Ragobeer, who is a student of School of the Nations and Cox, who is a carpenter/ mason, both report every fortnight to Assistant Superintendent Fraser.

They were also ordered not to make contact with or have anyone make contact with relatives of the deceased.

The matter was adjourned until June 21.

Mangal, the owner of Ema’s Collection at the Multiplex Mall on Regent Street was killed during a vehicular accident at the corner of Camp and Middle Streets, downtown. Reports

indicated that Mangal, 45, of Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara, was on his motorcycle, awaiting the traffic light on the western carriageway at Camp and Middle Streets to change signal in his favour when the accident occurred.

Reports stated that Ragobeer’s car jumped the traffic light and crashed into the Toyota Raum, which was being driven by Cox. The impact reportedly caused the Toyota Raum to knock Mangal off his motorcycle and pinned him to a nearby utility post. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

Dead: Maria Sampson

until she was no longer dependent on the oxygen.

TAKING SHIFTS The woman was subsequently discharged and taken home where her two daughters, Romella and Teola, aged 23, took shifts in caring for their single parent mother.

Romella was tasked with going to the market to sell vegetables and fruits and that money would go towards the mother’s diet. Teola, who is medically untrained, stayed at home and took care of the mother.

After leaving the market at about 19:00 hrs every day, Romella would then take care of her mother, who needed to be fed every two hours.

Three days before her death, Sampson’s body started to reject all fluids and on Tuesday morning they observed that froth was emanating from her mouth. Hours later she died.

Survivor of the accident, Wavney August

Teola exchanged shifts with her eldest sister in caring for their mother

ACCIDENT SURVIVOR Meanwhile, Wavney August, a vendor who had travelled with Sampson in the same car when the accident occurred, recalled that she initially did not want to go to the market but received a telephone call from Sampson for them to go.

“Initially, I did not want to go, but I relented. The car came to pick me up at Edinburg Village. It was the first time I had travelled with that driver,” August said.

According to the vendor, the driver appeared to be experiencing domestic issues at the time and kept “quarrelling” as he sped down the road.

“As soon as we got on the #19 road, in the vicinity of the primary school, the driver continued speeding and I warned him, saying that the area was too dark and that he

should reduce his speed. Maria and the other passengers were sleeping, but I could not. Seconds later he kept swaying. He avoided hitting a cow, but slammed into the side of a parked truck,” August recalled.

She continued, “Maria was in the front seat. I tried waking her but she did not respond.

I asked the driver to go into her bosom and remove her money. It was $42,000 which I later gave to her daughters.

Thereafter, I called out to the neighbours for help, before taking her to the New Amsterdam Hospital.”

Sampson leaves to mourn her seven children, grandchildren, six siblings and other relatives and friends. Her body is currently at the Arokium funeral home, where it awaits a post mortem examination.

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Editorial

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, June 1, 2017

Comfort of home

GUYANA’S housing landscape has been transforming over the years and today more Guyanese, including many young people, own their own homes and live more comfortable lives compared to their parents and grandparents.

Home ownership brings a sense of security, comfort and empowerment and it is commendable that significant strides have been made in opening up the housing sector for all across Guyana to benefit.

These efforts have seen large number of Guyanese, aside from having titles for their lands, no longer having to endure the discomfort that sometimes comes with paying rent.

Tenancy and squatting have been significantly reduced and homes with large extended families are today virtually non-existent. The

opening up of lands for housing and making housing affordable have made Guyanese a happier people as there is less familial conflicts involving in-laws, including restrictions due to space.

It should be noted that persons owning their own homes showed an increase from 1980 to 1991 and that trend has remained steady to this day. The 2012 Population and Housing Census put the national housing stock at 219,509 buildings, representing a 16.9 per cent increase, or an increase by 31,813 buildings, when compared to the census done in 2002.

This increase when broken down, indicates on average, some 3,181 new buildings are built every year. Not only more and more persons are owning their own homes, but housing is also assuming

a new dimension. Today, homeowners are enjoying access to water, electricity, paved streets in their communities and basically all modern amenities at their fingertips.

Undoubtedly, the bar has been raised a step higher and the recently concluded inaugural exhibition, ‘Housing Solutions 2017 and Beyond’, at Perseverance, East Bank Demerara is a positive signal that Guyana is building on the gains made.

But though remarkable energy and significant strides have been made to improve housing in Guyana, yet great effort is required, as pointed out in a 2016 Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) study.

The study titled “The State of Social Housing in Six Caribbean Countries”, states thus: “Despite declines in population due

to migration, the Central Housing and Planning Authority, faces the need to meet a housing deficit of 20,000 units for low-income families.

“An additional 52,000 houses are over 30 years old and require improvement.

Construction by owners and non-profit organisations cannot keep up with the need.

Rapid economic growth in the 1990s has helped convert this need into effective demand.”

The report went on to say that even though 60,000 house lots were distributed across the country by 2005, representing an average of 4,300 lots being distributed annually, it is still below the 5,200 housing units required.

Quite simply, there is some work to do and encouragingly, the government has shown an interest in

diligently tackling the challenge. House lots have also been distributed in squatting communities which have been regularized, but while over the past year the distribution continued with much enthusiasm, more robustness in the process is required.

This is necessary in order to surpass the annual average in recent years and have as much of the 28,000 vacant lots available across the country occupied.

Guyana being a developing country has experienced its fair share of challenges

and it has been able to cope through assistance from genuine partners.

In the area of low income housing, Food For The Poor has made, and continues to make a significant contribution. Last year alone, it built 140 of these homes and 3325 in total since establishing operations here in 2004.

For the poor, Food For The Poor has brought some level of comfort to them as there is no place more comfortable or better than home.

OP-ED

A greener future will not be decent by definition, but by design

By Guy Ryder, Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO) CLIMATE change is the result of human activity. That activity is, for the most part, work or work-related. It is only logical then that the world of work has a key role to play in finding a solution to this pressing issue. The power of climate change to damage infrastructure, disrupt businesses and destroy jobs and livelihoods has been well-demonstrated.

We are confronted with these challenges on an unprecedented scale and on a daily basis.

Both businesses and workers are being affected. This is particularly the case for the working poor, the self-employed, and those in informal, seasonal and casual work, who often lack adequate social protection and who have limited alternative income opportunities. They are also highly dependent on climate sensitive resources, such as local water and food supplies. But

the world does not have to choose between job creation and preserving the environment. Environmental sustainability is a must, including from a labour market perspective.

CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES True, on the way to a more sustainable economy many types of jobs that exist today – especially in highly polluting or energy intensive activities – will disappear. Others will be replaced or adapted. But new jobs will be created as well. Greener economies can be engines of growth, both in advanced and developing economies. They can generate decent green jobs that contribute significantly to climate mitigation and adaptation, but also to poverty eradication and social inclusion. This trend is already underway. The International Renewable Energy Agency says that in 2015 employment in

renewable energy reached 8.1 million, a 5 per cent increase over the previous year. Sectors like forestry, energy, recycling, transport and agriculture are likely to gain a lot from the transition to a green economy.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), a shift to more sustainable practices in agriculture – which includes a high proportion of the global workforce and where decent work deficits are widespread and severe – has the potential to create over 200 million more full-time jobs by 2050. But the challenge is not just about creating more jobs. It’s the quality of those jobs that counts, too. Sustainable development must be pursued in full regard to its social and economic dimensions, not only its environmental consequences. Otherwise the transition to a green economy will be anything but just.

HOW DO WE GET THERE? If our aim is a successful, just transition to a green economy, then we need predictable and appropriate regulation.

Governments must work closely with employers’ and workers’ organisations to ensure this happens. In fact, this will be one of the main issues under discussion at the International Labour Conference, which begins on June 5th.

Skills development and social protection are two further ingredients for a just transition, as they have a proven record in facilitating socially acceptable and beneficial change at work.

Finally, climate change does not respect borders or institutional silos. We need governments and the different organisations of the multilateral system working together coherently for common objectives. This is necessary, not only to achieve a just transition,

but most importantly to achieve all 17 inter-related goals of the UN 2030 Development Agenda.

THE COST OF INACTION Ignoring climate change will eventually damage economic growth.

That was the stark warning issued by the UK’s Stern Review over a decade ago. Since then, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has found incontrovertible evidence that human-induced climate change is well underway and warned of the consequences of failing to limit global temperature rise to at most 2° Celsius over pre-industrial levels. This bleak outlook is confirmed by many other studies, including the ILO’s Global Linkages model, which predicts a drop in productivity levels of 2.4 per cent by 2030 and 7.2 per cent by 2050 under the business as usual scenario.

The positive news is that we know where we want to go and how to get there. The Paris Agreement (in which the international community agreed to keep the global temperature rise this century well below 2° Celsius over pre-industrial levels) and the 2030 Development Agenda have defined the intended destination, and a just transition towards environmentally sustainable economies and societies have been accepted as a key reference point for the route to be taken.

But knowing the destination and the road to follow is not enough. We need the political will to keep us going. A greener future will not be decent by default, but by design.

So let’s not just mark World Environment Day. Let’s make it a reason to put our political will into action. The future of our jobs, and of our children, relies on it.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, June 1, 2017

We are on the cusp of a transformation in local football Dear Editor: GUYANA has a proud football history; ask any of the old players and members for Pele, Santos, Camptown, etc, and they will all tell you how proud and excited they were to play and be a part of football. Today Guyana’s football development is getting back on track; we’ve had visits by none other than the President of FIFA; the President of CONCACAF, as well as FIFA Development Director, all of whom publicly expressed great confidence in the work of the current GFF administration and the progress of football development over the past 18 months and counting.

In 2012, just five years ago FIFA – football’s international governing and highest decision-making body signaled to Guyana that it was prepared to disaffiliate our football programme due to poor administration, governance, corruption and mismanagement. Save for the actual disaffiliation itself or a temporary ban, this is arguably the most disgraceful situation a FIFA affiliated programme can find itself in. Some of the pitfalls experienced over the 2011-14 period are highlighted below: 1. The GFF President in 2011 was fined and banned for “having breached various articles of the FIFA Code of Ethics” according to FIFA. 2. In 2011 FIFA suspended the then GFF General Secretary for 30 days for what it reported as his involvement in a bribery scandal during a meeting which took place in Trinidad and Tobago.

3. Numerous national players went on strike in 2012, protesting owed wages for matches, continued mismanagement of football development investment resources, corruption and governance of the sport. Things got so bad that from November 2012 to September 2014, Guyana did not play any international matches.

4. In 2012 the rights of Guyana’s home fixture against Mexico were sold; the match venue was moved from Providence on the East Bank to Houston, Texas. The decision to sell our home rights did not go through the proper decision-making protocol, neither is there documentation to show that a vote was taken by the then Executive Committee nor that there were minutes of the meeting.

The financial details were not documented and the transactions were not recorded. If this was in the best interest of our players and local football, and was above board why it was shrouded in so much secrecy, and further why players are still owed remuneration? The current GFF administration has launched an investigation, into what might actually result in a criminal investigation, charges being laid and further sanctions being applied to persons who allegedly profited from the sale of the aforementioned fixture.

5. Although FIFA earmarked Guyana for the Goal project in 1999, which if implemented by the then and subsequent GFF administrations would have improved playing and training facilities and realised a modern football stadium for Guyana, this project has never been implemented. It was only in April 2017 that the current GFF administration and President of FIFA, participated in a ceremonial sod-turning to signal the commencement of preparation for the new GFF National Training Centre at Providence which is now part of the FIFA Forward project.

Fast forward to October 2014 when FIFA and CONCACAF announced that a Normalisation Committee (NC) would govern Guyana’s football programme until September 2015. The NC’s primary responsibilities were to (1) manage the day-to-day activities of the GFF, (2) adopt a new constitution and (3) lay the groundwork and host elections for a new executive. While the NC successfully completed the foregoing tenure, the work led by the Chairman, who only a few months prior to overseeing the GFF elections publicly declared his allegiance to a national political party and whose name was listed as a member and candidate of said party contesting the national elections, was besmirched by concerns about lack of financial transparency during the NC’s tenure.

There were also allegations about questionable commercial contracts and concerns about the Chairman’s neutrality following the institution of last minute requirements for contesting teams and candidates.

The latter perception was fuelled by alleged and arguably continued public affiliation to the runner-up faction that contested the 2015 GFF election.

Although football development has seen considerable progress and the encouragement of FIFA over the past 18 months or so, a new controversy has emerged. This time it purportedly has to do with a decision taken by the GFF in 2016 to expand the Elite League from 8 to 10 teams, the two additional teams being Top XX of Linden and Victoria Kings. Coincidentally most of the members of Team Unity that contested the 2015 GFF elections but lost 12-10 to Team Integrity, whose elected members comprise the current GFF Executive Committee, have collectively put forward a case that the GFF acted outside its constitutional mandate and infringed on the Elite League original contract signed by the Normalisation Committee.

Of the clubs that documented their disagreement with the expanded Elite League, four (the Alpha United, GFC, Pele and Slingerz FC) elected not to participate in the 2016-17 Elite League. Further they indicated that unless an arbitration process was convened or the tournament reverted to eight teams, they will not compete in the 2016/2017 Elite league. Sub-

sequently the four clubs arbitrarily withdrew their participation which not only left them in bad standing with the GFF but also resulted in their relegation. Alpha United and Slingerz FC primarily felt the brunt of their decision to withdraw from the league as CONCACAF ruled them ineligible to participate in the CFU tournament in light of their bad standing with the GFF, although these teams secured the top two spots in the 2015/2016 Elite League which initially qualified them for the CFU tournament.

In what can be described as a peculiar and questionable intervention, the former Chairman of the Normalisation Commit-tee in January 2017 dispatched a letter to the current President of CONCACAF requesting him to use his office to give a fair hearing to both sides and settle the matter fairly in the interest of football in Guyana. The letter also condemned the GFF administration for not using the appropriate arbitration procedures, questioned the bad status standing of Alpha United and Slingerz FC, stated that CONCACAF owed both the GFF and these clubs and asked for an explanation as to how it arrived at the decision to withdraw their participation from the CFU Tournament and expressed fear that a precedent had been set.

On February 1, 2017 FIFA’s General Secretary dispatched a letter to the GFF stating, “It is within the power of the GFF Executive Committee to change the regulations of the Elite League, including determining the number of participating clubs, unless there is a binding written agreement between the GFF and the Elite League which would state otherwise – to the best of our knowledge, however, such an agreement does not exist.”

Both CONCACAF and FIFA endorsed the fact that the GFF acted within its constitutional mandate as Guyana’s football governing authority to extend the Elite League.

Not to be outdone, however, the disaffected teams through their member associations sought the intervention of the GFF Disciplinary Committee. In April 2017 the said Disciplinary Committee determined that, “The constitution can only be amended by the Congress and the Executive Committee has no authority to unilaterally amend the constitution in any manner whatsoever. The amendment to increase the Elite League from eight members to 10 members was ultra vires the powers of the Executive Committee and is unlawful.”

Under the headline Orders for Disposal of Matter, the document said, “1. The complaint by the Elite League Clubs is upheld, 2. The Amendment to the Elite League Rules and Regulations by the Executive Committee is ultra vires and declared unlawful, 3.

It is declared that there are eight Elite League Members as listed in Clause 10 of the constitution and any change/amendment to Clause 10 of the constitution must be made by the Congress.” Further the Disciplinary Committee de-

termined that an expansion of the Elite League from 8 to 10 teams required an amendment to the GFF constitution. This is equivalent to saying that each time FIFA, CONCACAF or another FIFA Regional Member Association wants to extend a tournament a constitutional change is required, and further, such extension must be approved by some configuration of existing tournament clubs.

In May 2017 FIFA provided a detailed letter to the GFF and Disciplinary Committee stating that essentially the committee’s decision is non-binding because its mandate does not give it the authority to rule against the GFF on the matter of league expansion, only matters concerning discipline.

Further FIFA reiterated that based on the GFF constitution, the GFF Executive Committee acted within its authority to extend the Elite League. The detailed letter noted that the actions and decisions of the Disciplinary Committee are null, void and non-binding. It went on to mention that not only did the committee operate outside its jurisdiction and authority, it did so in the absence of provisions guiding, among other things, the separation of powers and distinct

membership for the Disciplinary and Appeals Committee. The current GFF Constitution was adopted only in 2015.

Finally, the four clubs that chose not to participate in the 2016-17 Elite League abstained from the recently concluded GFF Congress in May 2017. Of the 22 Congress members, a total of 5 abstained. The overwhelming majority of members support the development path, current results and vision of football led by the current GFF administration. In another twist to this saga a reporter showed the GFF President a court order allegedly serving an injunction disallowing the GFF from holding its statutory congress. Guyana is a small place, as we say, and our elders would often say that actions speak louder than words. Readers will be able to judge for themselves the individuals attempting to destabilize local football because they seek the power, prestige and access to financial resources. We have seen where this kind of behaviour took us previously, resulting in an almost total collapse of a local football programme and disaffiliation by FFIA. Innately our players, com-

munities, families and all those involved directly and indirectly with football in Guyana know what is right. Sadly some players especially, knowingly and unknowingly have been sucked into the negative ambitions of dark figures who seek to slow football’s development and gain access to the resources which ultimately are directed for football development not personal gain. We are on the cusp of a magnificent transformation in local football that will raise the bar in terms of football management and administration and on-field performance. This transformation has already begun to provide our young players with more playing, training and personal development opportunities through the Academy Training Centres, an expanded and revamped technical department with officers assigned to each member association, additional youth leagues, Women’s Development League and grassroots football development, to name a few programmes.

Regards MIKE ARCHER

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, June 1, 2017

Ram rails against ‘unscrupulous’ lawyers ...says many don’t pay taxes, rob their clients YOUNG attorney Kamal Ramkaran was on Wednesday elected President of the Guyana Bar Association at a time when one of the body’s former presidents knocked it for being silent on several national issues, including ‘unscrupulous’ lawyers who cheat their clients and evade taxes.

In addition to Ramkarran, Senior Counsel, Robin Stoby was elected 1st Vice-President; Teni Housty, 2nd Vice-President and Devindra Kissoon Treasurer. Other elected officials include: Pauline Chase, Secretary and Faye Barker, Assistant Secretary. The committee members are: Rajendra Poonai, Jamela Ali, Sanjeev Datadin, Mark Waldron, Rexford Jackson and Brenden Glasford. The association election was held in the High Court.

Meanwhile, writing in a letter that appeared in the Stabroek News, Christopher Ram said that it was a particularly bad year for the association, noting that it was hobbled by issues concerning its President, Gem Standford who is in a court battle regarding allegations of misappropriation of funds. “…the Bar Association was silent, unable or unwilling even to make a statement, let alone take legal action.

Had the butcher in Shakespeare’s Henry VI been living in contemporary Guyana, he would not have found it necessary to advocate “… let’s kill all the lawyers”.

“He would soon realise that the lawyers have put the profession into cold storage.

The men and women who will vie for election to lead the profession over the next year or two will be undertaking a formidable responsibility. I wish them well. But only if their objective is to serve the society that grants them an elevated status, and not as an embellishment of their CV’s,” Ram wrote.

On a more positive note, he observed that for the first time, two women hold the most senior positions in the

Newly-elected President of the GBA, Kamal Ramkarran

judiciary, albeit in acting capacities, not provided for in the Constitution, but he spoke of what he described as the “unending exchanges between the incumbent and the former Attorney General, locked in newspaper battles to prove who is better, more honourable, and more competent, the nobility of the office and the profession being the immediate casualty. And we witnessed the disdainful

silence of the senior members of the legal profession, who in days gone by would have considered themselves keepers of the dignity of the profession. They are no less blameworthy for the mess in which the profession has found itself.”

He said the law provides for a Legal Practitioners Committee, comprising of lawyers only, which has responsibility for overseeing the conduct of the members of the profession, but lamented that despite the “unheralded work of a few members, the Committee has been largely ineffective, hobbled by lack of resources, commitment and courage to deal with the egregious infractions by some members of the profession.”

Ram said that recently he learnt of a matter in which a lawyer committed what amounts to a fraud on the courts, a matter known to his colleagues on the other side in the case but who are reluctant to raise the issue.

“Lawyers are bound by a Code of Conduct under the Legal Practitioners Act, but many it seems, pay little attention to its prescriptions, confident that they will get away with whatever. Even when lawyers are found ‘guilty’, the strongest punishment they face is being told to refund the fees or money paid to them by their hapless clients.”

According to Ram, in a civilised environment, such action would require publication, but here in Guyana, there is no more than whisper

would be for the Legal Practitioners Committee to be headed by a retired judge enabled with a capable fulltime staff, and for all its findings to be publicised. The public needs protection from unscrupulous practitioners.”

Former GBA President, Christopher Ram

among lawyers, while the offending lawyer is free to continue the offending practice.

“My recommendation

TAX EVASION Ram, who is also a chartered accountant, spoke against lawyers not remitting taxes, noting that for 14 years, attorneys have blocked statutory provisions (the Fiscal Enactments (Amendment) (No. 2) Act, 2003) aimed at bringing them more securely into the tax net.

“Professionals in Guyana, including accountants and doctors, seem to have an allergy to paying taxes, but what makes the legal

profession stand out is that the members ply their trade in court buildings provided, maintained and staffed from funds borne by taxpayers.

Yet, the stories of tax evasion by some lawyers would be comical if the matter did not involve criminal conduct.”

He observed that in the past, it did appear that there was a class bias in tax administration that treated the small business person and the employee less favourably than professionals.

“There should be no discrimination in tax administration and it would be a great day when the annual reports of the Revenue Authority start disclosing statistical information on the tax contribution of various categories of taxpayers.”

Boat operator remanded on gun, ammo charges A BOAT operator appeared before City Magistrate Judy Latchman charged with the illegal possession of a firearm and matching ammunition.

Leroy Benjamin, 51, of Grant Pomeroon, Essequibo River pleaded not guilty to the charges, which alleged that on May 29, 2017 at Barakat Landing, Puruni River, he had a .32 pistol in his possession when he is not the holder of a firearm licence.

It is further alleged that on the same date and location, he had one live round of .32 ammunition. His lawyer,

The .32 semi-automatic pistol that was found

Trenton Lake told the court that the firearm was not found in his client’s possession. But Police Prosecutor, Inspector Shellon Daniels said that the weapon was found in the crotch of the accused during a search by the police.

According to a police

report,at about 11:30hrs, the ranks were on a “river patrol” when they observed the boat operator acting in a suspicious manner after he saw them.

The ranks then decided to conduct a search, when they found an unlicensed .32 pistol with a matching round.

The Prosecutor objected to Benjamin being allowed his pre-trial liberty; citing the serious nature and prevalence of the offence.

Magistrate Latchman remanded the accused and transferred the matter to Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan for June 1.

Elderly woman is houselot winner

– courtesy of Housing Solutions 2017 and Beyond Expo

WHEN Georgina French Edwards’s name was called as the winner of the Central Housing and Planning Authority’s (CH&PA) housing lottery, at the Housing Solutions 2017 and Beyond Exposition on Sunday, Edwards said she felt like she was living a dream.

Edwards said it was an unbelievable moment as she didn’t believe she had been given the opportunity to own a houselot after being denied for many years.

“The first thing when she (the minister at the drawing) said that the person was from East Ruimveldt, my heart stopped, and then it start back beating fast, fast, fast, and I was on the edge of my seat;so when she said Georgia French Edwards, I could only jump up and say

owners are waiting for her to move out to break down the house. She is happy that she will soon be out of that situation.

“Words cannot express my gratitude to this government, the Minister of Communities (Ronald Bulkan and also the Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Valerie (Adams-) Patterson for bringing up this initiative,” Edwards said.

She spoke particularly of support and words of encouragement that she got from Minister Adams-Patterson and Personal Assistant, Remington Nelson. “I would like to thank Mr. Nelson, because I would keep coming here (to CH&PA) all the time, every month and the last time I was here and I did not get through, I started to cry and

Georgina French Edwards, the 67-year-old winner of a houselot from the Central Housing and Planning Authority’s housing lottery last Sunday

thank you Jesus,” Edwards recalled.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday at the CH&PA on Brickdam, the elated woman said, “…till now I can’t express my feelings, but I am happy to have that houselot, because I need a

home of my own.”

Edwards said that she had a premonition of the tidings to come. “I told my son let us go up (to the expo) on Saturday night, but he said that he could not make it; but on Sunday he came for me, and we went up there, and I was walking around and seeing the houses, and I telling him what and what I like, all the while feeling to myself something would happen,” she said.

She explained that whilst going through the expo, she heard the talks about the houselot raffle and went up to the CH&PA booth to complete the form.

“I always walk with my documents, but when I took out my bag, my identification (ID) card was not there, so I asked to call home to get the

number,” Edwards said. She recalled that “when I call home they could not find the ID card…they give me the passport number and I write it on the form and handed it and I told my son that we are not leaving, ‘Let us wait for the drawing’ and so we just waited because something within me was telling me something was going to happen and it is going to happen tonight,” she said.

The 67-year-old vendor had almost given up hope after waiting for over 17 years for a response from the CH&PA. She first applied for a houselot in 2000, when she was employed at the courts. She described her current housing situation “as not up to standards.”

Edwards said that whilst she does not pay rent, the

his words were to me, ‘keep praying, don’t give up,’ and every time the doubts came within my mind, those words kept ringing in my ears and I keep praying so I give God thanks,” she said.

The next step will be to construct the home and for this Edwards said that she has already gotten pledges from two of her closest grandchildren. “I alone cannot do it, but I have grandchildren who are with me and they are going to assist me to build the house as fast as possible,” she said.

Housing Solutions 2017 and Beyond Exposition captured in one place the government’s focus for its housing programme. The houselot lottery was part of the four-day programme.

(GINA)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, June 1, 2017

AG moves to CCJ to appeal $446M Dipcon judgement THE Court of Appeal on Tuesday granted Attorney General Basil Williams leave to appeal to the Caribbean Court of Justice decision it made earlier this year to refuse to allow an out-of-time appeal against the $446M judgment that was granted in favour of Dipcon against the government back in 2015 in the High Court.

In January, former acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Carl Singh, had refused to allow the out-of-time appeal against the Justice Rishi Persaud judgement. Based on the ruling, the government was required to pay interest on the sum, in addition to 6 per cent interest per annum from 2009 when the judgment was filed, to October 2015 and interest of four percent until the sum is fully paid. The Attorney General Chambers had missed the stipulated time to appeal the case, but later filed an outof-time appeal, which Justice Singh did not entertain.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday the Court of Appeal also or-

Attorney General, Basil Williams

Solicitor- General, Kim Kyte John

dered that the Attorney General lodge with the registrar of the Supreme Court the sum of $750,000 as Security for costs within 90 days from the aforementioned date and that Williams satisfy the requirements of Rule 10.6 (2) (b) of the amended CCJ rules by providing to the proper officer within a period not exceeding 90 days, a list of the documents which he proposed to be included in the record of appeal. Williams had filed a notice of application on February 24, requesting leave to

appeal to the CCJ pursuant to section 6 (a) and 7 of the CCJ Act, Act No.16 of 2004 and also prayed for an order for a stay of execution of the judgment of High Court Judge, Justice Rishi Persaud, which was made on October 21, 2015, pending the determination of the appeal.

After reading the Affidavit in Support of theMotion and listening to Solicitor-General, Kim Kyte-John, who appeared for Williams and Timothy Jonas, counsel for Dipcon Engineering, Justices Yo-

nette Cummings-Edwards, Dawn Gregory and Naresh Harnanan the court granted the Attorney General leave to appeal the CCJ. In his affidavit in support of the application for leave to appeal to the CCJ, Williams said that he was unaware that the previous Attorney General had laid over a court order for payment of $400M with the Minister of Finance in January 2016.

Williams said too that he was not furnished with details regarding the judgment, the name of the Attorney-at-Law or the parties to the litigation that resulted in the Court Order. Additionally, it was contended that it was during the February 2016 Budget debates that he Williams was informed by the Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo that there was a large judgment awarded against the State since the APNU+AFC coalition Government took office.

The Attorney General said that after receiving the information, he inquired

within his Chambers and discovered that the matter was being handled by a private counsel, Roysdale Forde. Forde was given the case by former Attorney General Anil Nandlall. The affidavit stated that Forde provided Williams with a copy of the proceedings in March 2016 and it was then that it was discovered that no appeal had been filed on behalf of the Attorney General. As a result a motion with affidavit in support of motion was filed on behalf of Williams on May 12, 2016 seeking an extension of time to file a Notice of Appeal out of time against the judgment of Justice Persaud.

Dipcon had taken the former PPP/C government to court in February of 2009 to recover sums it said it was owed along with all other costs for road construction and infrastructural works done in the Mahaica/Rosignol area. Dipcon had contended that by virtue of a written agreement dated

March 5, 2003 and amended inter alia by Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) dated March 5, 2003, and by an Addendum dated July 15, 2003, it was contracted to execute specified road construction and infrastructural works for the Government in the Mahaica-Rosignol area and that the Government should pay to it a lump sum payment of US$20,258,644.22, a reasonable sum to be agreed between the parties to compensate for increases in costs of performing the said works resulting from general inflation conditions during the course of work. It was also agreed that the work would be rendered by Dipcon over an extended period of time and that the lump sum would be made by monthly installments during the course of the work. Based on the agreement, Dipcon carried out its functions and invoiced the Government US$20,258,664.22 for the works done.

Gov’t receives CANU COI report on drug vessel Minister of State, Mr. Joseph Harmon on Wednesday received the report from the Commissioners of the Commission of Inquiry (COI), which was established by President David Granger on March 31, to inquire into the circumstances surrounding the entry into, the interception, detention and subsequent release of an unnamed private maritime vessel in the sea space of the territory of Guyana.

The vessel was spotted in Guyana’s waters off the Corentyne coast moving north between February 11 to 14, 2017. While in the vicinity of Shell Beach, it was intercepted by local authorities, and brought into the Waini River and searched.

Though narcotics were not found on the vessel, which was subsequently released, it is suspected that the vessel is linked to a massive high-seas drug bust, which ensnared four Guyanese nationals and netted cocaine worth US$71.7M, 70 nautical miles north of

Suriname in international waters.

The Commission was asked to report the findings and recommendations to the President, who is the Head of the National Security Committee. Accepting the report from Head of the Commission, Brigadier (Retired) Bruce Lovell, Minister Harmon said that the government takes the issue of national security seriously and, as such, it is committed to examining the contents contained therein.

“I trust that the report that the Commission has presented will assist us in making some important decisions in the security architecture of this country and that it will assist us in making decisions particularly as it relates to the fight against narcotics trafficking,” Minister Harmon was quoted as saying in a release from the Ministry of the Presidency.

According to the release, Brigadier Lovell said that inquiries are important particularly in matters of national interest.

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon receives the report from Brigadier (Retired) Bruce Lovell as Lieutenant Colonel Denzel Carmichael, former Assistant Commission of Police, Mr. Winston Cosbert and Ms. Christine Bailey look on

“Inquiries do what any good journalist would do and that is to answer the Five W’s and the one H; the Who, the What, the Where, the Why and the When and it also goes a bit further and

seeks to recommend what should be done to prevent any further occurrence. So this inquiry has done just that. In our recommendations we look at a number of systematic issues, doctrine,

organisation, training, leadership, personnel, facilities and, of course, policies,” the release quoted him as saying.

The other members of the Commission were for-

mer Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr. Winston Cosbert and Ms. Christine Bailey.

It is believed that this vessel had transferred the large cocaine shipment to the mother vessel which was subsequently seized by the U.S. authorities and found to be carrying over four tonnes of cocaine. CANU’s Head James Singh was sent on leave a day after the multi-million dollar drug bust. It is believed that the outcome of this inquiry will determine his future with respect to CANU. Major-General (retired), Michael Atherly has since taken full command of the operations of CANU. Since assuming office, the coalition Government has heightened and intensified efforts to counter narcotics trafficking on land, by air and at sea.

Coastal aerial surveillance and mounted branch border patrols have been reactivated and are done on a regular and continual basis.

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CIOG donates to flood victims FIRST Lady, Mrs. Sandra Granger, on Tuesday accepted a donation of food supplies from the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG), for residents of the flood affected areas in CuyuniMazaruni (Region Seven) and Potaro-Siparuni (Region Eight), at the CIOG headquarters in Georgetown.

In accepting the donation, the First Lady commended the organisation for the kind gesture. “I would like to thank the CIOG for

this presentation, which they have made to people who need and deserve our help.I am very sure that the recipients would be very pleased and appreciative of this gesture,” she said.

Director of Education and Chief Executive Officer of the CIOG, Shaykh Moeen-ul Hack, noted that giving back to those in need is in keeping with the beliefs of the Muslim faith, particularly at an auspicious time such as Ramadan.

“It is our holy month of fasting and we are further

encouraged to increase our good deeds and our acts of kindness, so we are very happy that we have been given the opportunity once again to make the contribution towards our brothers and sisters who have suffered [in those regions],” Shaykh Moeen-ul Hack said.

Mr. Khakan Ramjohn, General Secretary of the CIOG, echoed similar sentiments, noting that the organisation is keen to give back to those in need.

(Ministry of the Presidency)

First Lady, Mrs. Sandra Granger, listens attentively as Director of Education and Chief Executive Officer of the CIOG, Shaykh Moeen-ul Hack, makes a point. Looking on is General Secretary, Mr. Khakan Ramjohn

Some of the food supplies, which were handed over by the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG)

Woman busted with ‘ganja’ at Bartica stelling POLICE in ‘F’ Division, Bartica have arrested a female of Parika, East Bank Essequibo, after she was allegedly caught with 1kg 261g of cannabis on Wednesday.

Guyana Chronicle understands that ranks acted on a tip received and swooped down on the woman at the Bartica stelling at approximately

17:00 hrs. They conducted a search and found a black haversack, she was carrying. The search unearthed The cannabis which was found in the woman’s possession one bulky parcel in The woman was arrested a black plastic bag wrapped in clear scotch tape. and escorted to the police It was opened and found to station; she is expected to be charged soon. contain cannabis.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, June 1, 2017

Low demand for life insurance – GTM blames global economic challenges

Re-elected Chairman of the Board of Directors of GTM (Guyana), R. L. Singh speaking on the company’s performance for the fiscal year 2016

By Ravin Singh GLOBAL economic challenges which Guyana has not been able to cushion successfully have also resulted in a reduced demand for life insurance, which has caused the profits of the Guyana and Trinidad Mutual Life Insurance Company (GTM) to be reduced by $235M. This is according to Chairman of the Board of Directors, R. L. Singh, during the company’s 92nd Annual General Meeting which was held on Tuesday at the Georgetown Club.

Singh explained that in 2016, the company made a profit of $83M, compared to $329M in 2015. He said that despite this decline, the company was able to make a surplus of revenue over expenditure of $352M before adjustment for the movement in actuarial liabilities, compared to $587M in 2015.

The increase in actuarial liabilities for the year 2016 totalled $269.7M compared to $257.9M in 2015. The chairman, who addressed other directors and stakeholders at the short meeting, noted that as with most life insurance companies across the region, 2016 was a challenging year for the company, even though the individual life market is largely untapped.

He said that based on the findings of consultants from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank, there is a low penetration for individual life insurance across the Organ-

isation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and Guyana, with just under five per cent and three per cent respectively.

“This decline in demand for life insurance is due mainly to the economic challenges that have beset countries across the region,” Singh reasoned. Nevertheless, he was pleased to announce that the company performed “fairly well” in 2016, and this was credited to its solid core of insurance advisors.

In this regard, the chairman revealed that the company recorded a growth in gross premiums of $97.27M or six per cent over the previous year. He said that of this sum, $43.24M or 44.45 per cent emanated from Guyana, while $40.31M or 41.44 per cent came from St Lucia, since the company is a regional one.

Speaking specifically of Guyana, Singh related that over a decade ago, the other Caribbean branches were

operations one year after the next. However, he was keen to note that this is no longer the case, as GTM Guyana has recorded an average annual growth of approximately 13.22 per cent in gross premiums over a period of five years.

He pointed out too, that for the financial year 2016, Guyana recorded a surplus of $227.84M and net profit of $26.18M following deduction for movement in actuarial liabilities. Despite this performance, Singh remains optimistic, sharing with stakeholders that “we are confident that notwithstanding external challenges, your company’s Guyana operations will continue to improve its production, loss and expenditure ratios, and probability.”

He said that this is especially important given the implications of the pending Eastern Caribbean Currency Union Legislation that requires incorporation of a separate company in the Eastern Caribbean, thus splitting the company from its Eastern Caribbean operations in the near future.

The meeting also saw the re-election of Singh as Chairman of the Board for 2017, the re-election of the board of directors, the adoption of the 2016 Annual Report, the re-election of the retiring auditor and agreements on remuneration packages.

Staff who excelled in their performance for 2016 were also awarded plaques and other prizes.

GTM staff, Ronald Nandlall, receives one of two GTM

quality awards for 2016 outperforming Guyana’s

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, June 1, 2017

More Chinese help for local Public Health sector SUPPORT for Guyana’s public health sector “is priority” for China, says Economic and Commercial Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Georgetown, Shen Huiyong.

The Chinese official assured Public Health Minister, Volda Lawrence Tuesday that while his government will support several other local sectors, “public health is priority”. Huiyong said China is ready to provide grants to construct new hospitals here or to refurbish ones and also provide training for health sector workers.

Huiyong made the disclosure Tuesday at a meeting in Lawrence’s Brickdam, Georgetown office, while introducing a four-member expert team here on a fourweek stay to help Guyana’s strategic fight against the zika virus. While in Guyana the experienced medical team will help train local medical employees about zika virus control and strategies; conduct epidemiological survey; undertake surveillance for the vector-spreading zika and do

From left: Guo Huaiguang-Second secretary of Chinese Embassy, Shen Huiyong-Economic and Commercial counsellor of Chinese Embassy, Zhang Yanping-Leader of Chinese Public health experts team; Minister Volda Lawrence; Dr. Karen Cummings-Minister within the Ministry of Public Health; Colette Adams-Permanent Secretary (MOPH), Jiao Yongjun-Member of Chinese Public health experts team, Vanessa Dickenson-Foreign Affairs Representative, Li Zhifeng-Member of Chinese Public health experts team, Tian Ye-Member of Chinese Public health experts team

laboratory test for Zika virus specific RNA and antibody detection.

During their one-month visit, the Chinese medical team will also execute technical training programmes to boost the skills of local health workers in the zika eradication effort. Minister

Lawrence lauded the Chinese government for “its quick response” to Guyana’s plea for help in the zika fight, citing its ramifications for the regional fight against vector-borne diseases. “This aspect of health is very important to us,” Minister Lawrence noted.

The Minister is particularly interested in capacity building of the nation’s laboratory, she told the medical team. Huiyong agreed Tuesday to broker a closed-door meeting between Lawrence and Chinese Ambassador to Guyana, Cui Jianchun to fine tune additional areas of

cooperation between the two countries in the health sector.

Guyana and China established diplomatic relations in 1972. Some two months ago the two countries brokered a cooperation pact, and Lawrence used Tuesday’s ceremony to remind the team that the Chinese “are part of us”.

In 1947, a scientific team probing the yellow fever virus in the Zika forest of Uganda stumbled upon what they described as a “hitherto unrecorded virus” in a rhesus monkey.

They named the new virus after the location in which it was discovered.

Public servants benefit from Spanish course School of Home Economics, Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GL&SC), the Ministry of Business,

Professor Nelson Hernan Giraldo of the Universidad Del Norte, engages public servants during a lesson

SEVERAL public servants are benefiting from the 4th edition of Spanish courses being held under a cultural agreement between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the government of the Republic of Colombia which was signed in 1970.

Some 77 public officials are participating in the four-month course which is scheduled to conclude in August. At the end of the course, the participants will

receive a certificate from the Universidad Del Norte of Colombia. Meanwhile, National Ozone Officer with the Ministry of Agriculture, Behonka Dey said, “It’s a bit challenging, especially the vocabulary, although I like that the class is continuous.”

She noted that she often encounters Spanish while at work and “even though I might not be fluent, I still need to understand what is being said.”

Another participant, Foreign Service Officer, Robin Motayne, described the course as interactive. “Very little English is spoken in the class, which is good, because a foreign officer should be versed in a language; at least one or two,” Motayne noted.

Other participants were drawn from the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), the Ministry of the Presidency (MOTP), Carnegie

the Guyana Police Force (GPF), the Ministry of Public Health, the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) and the Ministry of Education among others.

The course is being conducted by Professor Nelson Hernan Giraldo who has taught at several universities and academic institutions.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, June 1, 2017

Bandits with toy gun attack ECD supermarket TIMOTHY Bhagwandin, a food vendor of Triumph, East Coast Demerara (ECD) was robbed of one Samsung Galaxy S4 cellular phone valued $36,000 by two masked men, one of whom was armed with a toy gun on Tuesday evening.

Guyana Chronicle understands that the man was shopping at the GST Supermarket, Chateau Margot, ECD when two men, wearing masks, entered the store at around 19:40hrs.

A security guard, who works with GST, confirmed that one of the suspects stood at the entrance to the supermarket, while the other suspect proceeded inside.

The suspect allegedly drew what appeared to be a black handgun and pointed it in the direction of the customers and proprietor, 21-year-old Tang Lue and demanded cash and valuables.

According to the guard, the proprietor resisted and threw the suspect to the

ground. In the process, the mask fell off and the handgun fell to the ground. The man ran out of the store with the other suspect and snatched the customer’s cell phone in the process.

Both bandits joined a silver coloured car and escaped in an easterly direction. The police responded and discovered that the handgun is a metallic air pistol. No one was injured and no arrest has been made so far.

The GST Supermarket where the robbery occurred

Bicycle bandit robs canter driver – cart off with $200,000

A DISTRIBtold another one UTOR of RUto run bai he got a BIGAS, whose gun…the boy run name was given in my backyard as Roopnarine, and was breathing was robbed of hard,” said Per$200,000 by a bisaud. cycle bandit in When she Campbell Street, came out of her Golden Grove, home, she saw the East Bank Deman on the bicymerara (EBD) in cle riding off, afbroad daylight ter which she apon Wednesday proached Roopnaafternoon. rine, who related Sheila Perwhat transpired. saud, who usually The police were purchase gas from contacted but the the man, told the bandit managed to Guyana Chronicle escape. that Roopnarine The canter truck which distributes gas to the Persaud told community was sitting in the this newspaper canter awaiting that persons are The bandit held Roopnahis co-workers to deliver rine at gunpoint and relieved robbed frequently in the gas to Persaud’s shop when him of the day’s earning. area as she pleaded with a man armed with a hand“I was inside when I the police to improve their gun approached him on a heard one of the co-worker presence in the commubicycle. nity.

Low turnout hampering production target

By Navendra Seoraj A RELATIVELY low turnout of sugar workers is hindering GuySuCo’s chance of reaching its first crop target of 74,172 tonnes of sugar, GuySuCo Public Relations Officer, Audreyanna Thomas said.

She told Guyana Chronicle that estates are grinding to a close for the first half of the year and production to date stands at 49,472 tonnes.

Three of the five functional estates, Blairmont, Uitvlugt and Rosehall have completed production, while the East Demerara and Albion estates are nearing completion.

Thomas noted that the low turnout of sugar workers has been the trend for some

time now.

Added to the inclement weather, the low turnout has caused the estates to not achieve their full production targets.

With the target for the second crop set at 124,286 tonnes, GuySuCo will be looking to mobilise workers in order to improve the pace of production and boosting its chances of having a successful year.

Turnout of workers is however diminishing GuySuCo’s chance of meeting its overall 2017 target of 198,000 tonnes.

Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) President, Komal Chand, had said the turnout will always be low because wages have been “frozen.”

“Workers are trying to catch their hand somewhere else so without increased wages, harvesters might never turn back to cane harvesting,” said Chand.

According to Chand, sugar workers have complained of not being able to “make ends meet”.

1t was noted that the wages workers receive from cane harvesting is “not enough” to manage their household and they have been resorting to other jobs to earn an income.

Although their plight is not to be overlooked, the sugar industry is faced with many challenges, one of those being the cost to produce one pound of sugar is US$36 cents, while the selling price is US$16 cents.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, June 1, 2017

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, June 1, 2017

Sister Menezes launches new book at age 87 PRESIDENT David Granger on Tuesday evening paid homage to his former history lecturer at the University of Guyana (UG), distinguished historian and humanitarian, Sister Mary Noel Menezes, who at age 87, launched her new book entitled ‘Guyana and the Wider World.’

The book features a collection of her essays and addresses. Topics covered in the book include education, Christianity, Guyana’s Indigenous Peoples and the Guyana-Venezuela border controversy. All proceeds from the sale of the book will be donated to the Mercy Boy’s Home. Publisher, Mr. Vic Insanally presented a cheque for $100,000 in advance, in anticipation of expected sales to Sister Celine Marie of the Home.

In his remarks at the launching ceremony, which was held at Cara Lodge, President Granger spoke fondly of his interactions with Sister Menezes, describing her as a meticulous and dedicated teacher, who gave her students a granular method of instruction, particularly as it relates to research. He told the gathering that Sister Menezes published a book called ‘A guide to historical research’ and later penned another book entitled ‘How to do better research’.

“This meant that once you passed through her hands you had to know how to do research and sometimes even after you have grown up and become an ‘old boy’, when you write something you would ask yourself, would Sister approve of this? This book that is being launched

President Granger posed for a picture with his former History lecturer, the 87-year old Sister Mary Noel Menezes holding a copy of her book

here gives you an idea of Sister’s intellect, the range of her interests and the intensity and passion with which she wrote. Students who were taught by her were made to think,” President Granger said.

He noted that Sister Menezes’ students will never forget her because she helped them to develop their intellectual foundation and this is quite evident in their accomplishments later in life.

Past students include former UG Vice-Chancellor, Dr. James Rose; former Registrar, Dr. David Chanderballi; former Acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Mr. Carl Singh; former Dean of the School of Education and Humanities; Mr. Tota Mangar, UG’s first Master’s graduate; Dr. Basdeo Mangru and, of course, President Granger.

Another close friend of Sister Menezes, Dr. Nigel Gravesande, said that quite apart from her academic achievements, she led a life of faith in God and dedication to the service mankind.

“Sister Noel combined a life of prayer with a life of active ministry both at the UG and with her pastoral work…Her achievements as an outstanding educator did not deflect her from her real mission in life. She trained from her teens and committed her heart and her soul to serving the disadvantaged.

Her exemplary service to the needy is recorded in the writings of several journalists and publications and articulated by many leading regional and international academics,” he said.

Sister Menezes’ friend and colleague, Dr. Winston McGowan, who edited the book, described her as an observant and militant individual, who held very strong views on a wide range of issues and said that this book, which documents some of those views, is worth being added to individual library collections.

“The book consists mainly of articles and addresses that Sister made about private groups and individuals, some

Sister Mary Noel Menezes holding up a copy of her new book, ‘Guyana and the Wider World’

of whose contributions are of an academic nature,” he said.

It also consists of section on the Amerindians, the rise of the Portuguese, an account of Marian’s Academy, a historical outline of UG and biographical sketches of Albert Raymond Forbes Webber, whose contribution to Guyana was multi-faceted, Ms. Elsa Gouveia an iconic Guyanese historian and German explorer, Sir Robert Hermann Schomburgk.

Sister Menezes, who

was born in 1930, is a nun, Emeritus Professor of History, philanthropist, author and recipient of the country’s second highest National Award, the Order of Roraima, as well as the Golden Arrow of Achievement. She also received an Honorary Doctorate of Laws Degree from the University of the West Indies. She joined Religious Sisters of Mercy at the age of 17. (Ministry of the Presidency)

Sister Mary Noel Menezes seated in the front row with her close friend Sister Celine Marie, Sir Shridath Ramphal, British High Commissioner, Mr. Greg Quinn and Professor Ivelaw Griffith

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, June 1, 2017

Toshao frets over arrest of Kaieteur miners

By Ravin Singh

EMOTIONAL in tone, Village Toshao of Chenapau Edward Mc Garrell related that his people were treated like criminals after they were arrested on Sunday for mining illegally in the protected Kaieteur National Park (KNP).

Joined by 30 others on a protest line in front the Ministry of the Presidency on Wednesday, the Toshao recalled the series of events which led to the arrest of 21 residents of his community

Chenapao village Toshoa, Edward Mc Garrell engaging a police officer during Wednesday morning’s protest outside the Ministry of the Presidency (Ravin Singh photos)

Some of the protestors standing in solidarity with the 21 Chenapao residents who were arrested on Sunday

after they were accused of conducting illegal mining activities at KNP. Mc Garrell said that on Sunday after he heard of the arrests, he saw about six residents of his community being escorted by officials of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and soldiers with assault rifles.

“Our people are not aggressive. Tears flowed from my eyes when I saw that because we are not aggressive people; we are peaceful, honest hardworking people trying to earn a living,” the village leader said.

He noted too, that the Region 8 community was severely affected by recent flooding and residents are now trying to start rebuilding their lives. He said there is not much for residents to do outside of mining.

The Toshao also ex-

pressed his desire to meet with President David Granger to share the plight of his people with the Headof-Sate.

“We don’t know if his [President Granger’s] advisors are telling him the right thing. I know many times the advisors carry wrong information. If they are carrying the right information and he is still acting like this, then we would like to know why,” Mc Garrell said, questioning if this was the ‘thank you’ the community was getting from the government after 98 per cent of its residents voted for them in 2015.

Further, the village leader said that the National Toshao’s Council (NTC) of which he is a member, has been made aware of the issue and that body has extended its full support to the miners and residents of Chenapau.

UNDER THREAT Government has said that in an effort to clampdown on mining in Protected Areas, it launched the joint services operation in the Kaieteur National Park (KNP), where the Protected Areas Commission (PAC) and the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) had discovered, through aerial reconnaissance, 20 illegal mining camps.

On Sunday, an operation by members of the joint services as well as personnel from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) was launched, following an initial discovery of four active mines, one mine where activity was uncertain, and eight active camps inside the KNP by the PAC on February 16, 2017.

Of the five mines, three had already been issued cease orders by the GGMC in 2014, with reinforcement actions

as recent as 2016. Despite this and two site visits by the GGMC, following the issuance of the cease orders, at least two of the three mines still remained active, the Ministry of the Presidency

said in a release.

A further reconnaissance by the GDF on May 5, 2017, less than three weeks ago, revealed that there were, at that time, 20 camps. At one site, there was evidence of water pollution and freshly exposed sand tailings, according to a report from the PAC. Commissioner of the PAC, Ms. Denise Fraser, in an invited comment, said illegal mining in the area has been taking place for a number of years despite repeated warnings. Predating the above mentioned cease orders there had been efforts in 2013 to end mining activity in the Park.

“What we have found is that in some areas where miners have been previously moved, they have gone back.

So there is a need for strong actions so that a message can be sent. Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman also in an invited comment, said that the KNP is a national protected area and it is incumbent on the Government to send a strong message to those who are bent on breaking the law.

The Minister noted that only last year six operators were removed from the area. “Last year, we sent a team in and it was during that exercise that we even lost a member of the Guyana Police Force after the boat he was travelling capsized, and yet we

have persons returning to the Park and mining. The Government must, therefore, send a strong message to the individuals because it is a national protected area and part of our national patrimony,” Minister Trotman said.

TRAVELLING HOME On the protest line too on Wednesday, was Calixtos Francio, one of the persons who was arrested on Sunday. According to him, the mining team was travelling home when soldiers and GGMC officers approached them on a trail and escorted them to KNP. “They brought us to the Park like some criminals with AK 47s. We are not criminals; we are honest, hardworking people. We are looking for a daily bread.

They fool us and told us that GGMC officers will be at Kaieteur Park and that we just have to report there.

When we reach there they told us we have to go to town,” the distraught man related.

He said that after they were brought to Georgetown, they were taken to Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and were held “like criminals.”

The arrested persons, which included 18 men, two women, and a child, were charged and released on Tuesday evening.

Venezuelans fined for entering Guyana illegally THREE Venezuelans were ordered to pay a fine of $15,000 each or serve two weeks imprisonment after they were charged with entering Guyana illegally.

Gilda Yudith Garcia Barreto, 18; Gemony Cardina, 29 and Jorkjana Mayuslin Vilera,all pleaded guilty to the charge, which alleged that they entered Guyana illegally on May 6 and April 20, 2017 by sea and disembarked at Eteringbang without the permission of an immigration officer.

When the three women were asked

by Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan why they came to Guyana, they all stated that “things are bad in Venezuela” and that they were in search of work to provide for their family. They did not have legal representation. The Chief Magistrate, through the aid of an interpreter, ordered that after they pay their fine or serve two weeks in default, that they be escorted to the nearest port of exit.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, June 1, 2017

‘Nothing short of successful!’

- Mentor says of Region’s response to ‘Blind Awareness’ month of activities FOUR special-needs teachers attached to the Visually Impaired Unit at the Wismar Hill Primary School, have embarked on a month of activities, which entails visiting nursery and primary schools across Linden.

The purpose of their visits is to sensitise the children and teachers of those schools on preventative measures they should be taking to avoid being afflicted with the malady, as well as how to treat their peers and other persons who are visually impaired in an effort to stamp out discrimination and bullying.

Some of the schools being visited were Pine Street Nursery, Bamia Primary and Nursery, One Mile Nursery, Middle Street Nursery and Watooka Day Nursery.

Blind Awareness Day, which was observed here yesterday, culminates a month of activities to mark the occasion. The theme under which those activities were held this year was, “Our Action capacity exceeds our blindness”.

Teacher Jenelle (right) and Teacher Shellon (left) show children at Bamia Primary how a simple eye test is done

Head of the Visually Impaired Unit at Wismar Hill Primary, Ms Shellon Swaving told the Guyana Chronicle that this is the ninth year that the Unit has embarked on this initiative; and this year, the events were nothing short of successful, as the response was overwhelming.

The other special-needs teachers are Ms Jenelle Williams, Teshawn Rodney and Amin Britton. “We visited Nursery as well as Primary Schools, and the children were able to ask us questions about the eyes: How to deal with the eyes, how to clean the eyes with treated water and not pipe water and so on,” Swaving said.

“We spoke about children bullying, and the correct way to assist somebody who is visually impaired or blind; we told them what they should do,” she added.

She estimates that there are about 35 children who are visually impaired that are integrated into regular nursery, primary and secondary schools across Linden. For the early intervention programme, the Unit is currently monitoring two visually-impaired babies and two blind ones.

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT Swaving said that while some of the challenges being experienced at the Unit have been addressed, that there is still room for improvement.

“We are hoping for better; we have hope that things will be looking up soon,” she said. She would also like to encourage the parents of children who are blind or visually impaired to enroll them with the Unit rather than keep them at home and allow whatever hidden talent they may have to go to waste.

“We want them to know that they can get help; that they can live a normal life and be supported,” she said.

She also wants those parents to know that in addition to the academic subjects,

visually impaired children are not just taught life skills, but are also encouraged to participate in extracurricular activities.

“We teach them a little music,” Teacher Shellon said, adding: “We have the blind cricket, we have paralympic sports that they compete in and are successful at, and win medals...

“We are always out and in front, trying to get things for them. We had children who travelled abroad to play the blind cricket and we feel good about that.”

She also spoke highly of the many students who attended the Unit who have done well at both academic and extra-curricular activities.

One visually-impaired student attending Mackenzie High, she said, placed among the top 10 in his class at the last end-of-term examination, while another student, who is currently sitting eight subjects at CSEC, not only has the potential to do very well in life, but has also represented Guyana in Trinidad on the Blind Cricket Team.

Another visually-impaired student, who now teaches at the Unit was the second top student for the

CSEC blind classes last year, and another former student, who also did well at CSEC has recently completed a course in leadership skills under the Ministry of the Presidency.

Students writing the National Grade Six Assessment Examination have also attained places at St. Roses High and Mackenzie High.

As a result of this, Swaving believes that the students should receive as much support as possible from the relevant authorities.

“At NCERD, they are doing a very good job in terms of assisting and supporting the Unit for the Blind in Georgetown and well as in Linden,” Swaving said, adding: “Regional Education Officer, Ms Paddy should also be commended for the great job that she is doing in terms of supporting us.”

The teachers normally visit schools where there a re v i s u a l l y - i m p a i re d pupils or students every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to lend the needed special assistance to them, since the aim of the Unit is not to segregate but to integrate them into the regular schooling system.

Special-needs teachers. From left are: Teacher Jenelle, Messrs Amin Britton and Teshawn Rodney, and Teacher Shellon

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, June 1, 2017

Standing up to his responsibilities - on just one leg

HE may be differently abled, but he’s proven time and again that he’s as much of a man as anyone else where earning his keep is concerned.

He sews, he farms and does just about anything he sets his mind to, all with just one leg. As he told the Guyana Chronicle, it is by far harder sitting on the road and begging than doing something to earn an honest living.

It’s not the kind of life that André Richards had envisaged for himself, but as is the old saying, we may very well have control of the script, but the pen is not always in our hands.

Casting his mind back to that fateful day back in September 1989, Richards, now 53, said he’d gotten up as usual that morning and prepared to head off to work. At the time, he was working at GUYMINE (Guyana Mining Enterprise Limited) in the Production Department.

He’d eaten breakfast, kissed his young reputed wife and three-month-old daughter goodbye, jumped on his bicycle and rode off to work. Little did he know that he would be returning home five weeks later with just one good leg and a stump.

As he raised his eyes to watch the sunlight beaming through his roof, it’s as if that ray of light took him

back to the day he stared death in the face.

“I was sent to clean this chain,” he recalled. “And after I finish, the guy that was with me tell me let me come out. And whilst coming out, my foot like it get trap in this chain; and this chain pass me through a wall.

“So, as it keep going through, it keep crushing,” he said somewhat calmly, as if trying to suppress the memory of the excruciating pain he’d had to endure.

“This thing happen from like 11:15am; and I was there until after 2pm. And this man, George Marshall from the Ward, he cut off my foot with a knife, because, is like I’m over here and my foot is over there through a wall, so that was the only hope to save my life.” He was just 25, mind you!

And as he laid there, waiting on the doctor, it suddenly hit him how, in just a few short minutes, his life was forever changed.

“I just accepted it just like that, even though I was a young man! And so I said, ‘It done gone! What ah gon’ do!’”

After being hospitalised for over a month, he went back out to work, as he realised he still had mouths to feed. And GUYMINE was kind enough to take him back and transfer him to the Electrical Department,

where he would work until 2004, when the company was privatised. He was also given a house in the Constabulary Compound, where he still lives, and $50,000 as compensation. To date he still receives $4,000 from the National Insurance Scheme.

talised after seeing the state of two of her children.

“Only me alone come out alive!” he said. “Only me alone come through the front door! All the rest went through the back!

“I get released the 14th from the hospital; my sister died the 19th of November.

And my mother died the

Mr. André Richards, hard at work, making one of his shopping bags

A ROUGH YEAR In retrospect, 1989 was not at all a good year for him, as, mere months before he lost his foot, he lost his father. He also lost his sister whilst he was hospitalised.

Seeing him near death’s door had raised her blood pressure; she never made it out of the hospital alive. His mother also came to visit and ended up being hospi-

December.”

In spite of all that transpired, Richards has fathered four children. And with the innate desire to provide for his family, he decided, as they say in Creolese, “to get up and get”.

That’s how he came to land a job with the D&I (drainage and irrigation) team that cleans the drains and parapets all across Linden.

SASCA Heraldiers WHATEVER the event, whether religious or secular, the SASCA Heraldiers choir continues to turn heads wherever they go.

Be it a time of mourning or a time for celebration, the 27-year-old choir of 45 members, directed by Attorney-at-Law Leslyn Charles, always receives a standing ovation whenever they hit the stage.

Looking dapper as always in their chic uniforms, their melodious voices blending to perfection, the Heraldiers never disappoint, and in fact keep getting better and better with each passing occasion.

The acronym SASCA means, Seventh Day Adventist Socio-Cultural Association, and all of its members are drawn from congregations across Linden. As Director Leslyn Charles rightly boasts, it’s the only SDA choir across Guyana, and while there may be have been groups that emerged over the

years, none have ever stood the test of time.

SASCA Heraldiers has been weathering the storm, uninterrupted, since 1990; and while former members may have taken a sabbatical before 1985, the new choir established by Pastor Lawrence London in August 1997 remains intact to date, with just a few new faces.

“Then Pastor Lawrence London, who was a former choir director of the former SASCA choir, knows the rich history of Linden and the Seventh Day Adventist music.

“And he thought that it was such an injustice for Linden not to have a choir so he came and restarted the group,” Director Charles revealed.

So, when he was leaving to attend to matters in other districts, Lawrence recruited Charles to take over the helm. “I was pregnant at that time and didn’t want to take it on, but he thought that I

who were differently abled.

“I ran the marathon three times!” he boasted. “I did it in 2004, 2005 and 2006! I also did walk races in the whole of Guyana with my crutches. And every year, I participate in the ‘Women on the Move’ cancer walk.”

MENTORSHIP After showcasing such insurmountable strength, Richards now uses the opportunity to mentor and encourage others who may suddenly become differently abled and may be thinking of giving up on life.

He goes to the hospital from time to time to share his experiences, and to encourage others in a similar situation to look to the future positively. “I tell them one thing: ‘Once there is life, there is hope. You have to build a mind; that this is not the end of it.’”

Richards now lives alone, and despite he may not be where he wants to be in life, he is happy he endured all the trials, and was able to overcome and become a testimony. He believes he survived the ordeal because he has a purpose in life, but often wonders whether he is fulfilling that purpose.

He said, however, that he is at peace with himself, and he is quite able, but just does so differently.

- Still relevant after making sweet music over two decades

SASCA’s Heraldiers doing a spot of community service in their Linden hometown

could do it,” Charles said.

“So I accepted, and here we are, 27 years later.”

Today, Charles has no re-

“I work with the crutches,” he said, in anticipation of the perplexity his revelation may have caused. But as he explained, cleaning drains and ditches is way easier than sewing shopping bags, which he makes from discarded “salt bags”, as they’re called here. And, in spite of the akwardness, he makes a minimum of four dozen per day, using a standard pedal sewing machine.

“My foot has to press the machine down there, but it doesn’t bother me,” Richards said, adding: “I am making the bags since 1992. My wife did it first, and then I took over from her when we separated in 2004. And I continued doing it.”

But that’s not all! When he’s done sewing the bags, he hops on his bicycle and delivers them to his clients at the Mackenzie Market!

“I get my raw material from sugar bags or flour bags; or from the Water Plant,” he said. “I would come home and wash them; I am accustomed to it. Plus I does do my li’l farming in the yard.”

Think he’s done there!

Then think again! Much to everyone’s surprise, Richards is also a distance runner and participated in three marathons in New York City, emerging on each occasion the winner for those

grets she took the position, as has seen the choir grow from strength to strength, making her proud on every occasion.

The members attend SDA congregations such as Bethel, Amelia’s Ward, Mora Street, Victory Temple, Emanuel and Bethesda. Of the 45 members, 15 are males. And the age ranges from 21 to 75.

Despite representing a religious entity, the Heraldiers also accept invitations to sing at secular events.

“We try to participate in any event that we deem will be a positive witness to us, so we take part in the Town Week every year, and we take part in the National Music Festival,” Charles said.

“And whenever we take part, we win! And we take part in events that the church has nationally; and if any other church invites us to take part in an event that they have, we would take part,” she added.

Practice sessions are on Sundays and Thursdays from 17:00 to 18:30hrs. And whenever there is an event, extra sessions are arranged.

When asked what makes the

SASCA Heraldiers so special, Charles said confidently, “The choir doesn’t allow any goal or objective to defeat it.

If we decide we are going to participate in an event, we are going for the jugular, as it were; we put in as much work as we need to.

“The choir likes to strive for higher heights; anything that seems insurmountable, we go after it.”

One of the greatest achievements of the choir is recording its very own album, “Magnetic Melodies”, in 2002, and travelling across the Caribbean to promote it.

“The choir members are very funny and caring to one another, and look out for each other,” Charles said.

“So I think that is what makes the group so special.

Everybody looks out for the other person; is concerned about the other person, and, generally, that is what makes the group special. We are Turn to page 18

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, June 1, 2017

CWSS Track Club LINDEN athletes recently made the headlines for returning from the CARIFTA Games with gold and silver medals.

And while some did not achieve medals, they did their personal best. Most of those athletes belong to one of the two track clubs in Linden: The Christianburg Wismar Secondary School (CWSS) Track Club.

This club, based on the Wismar shore, is headed by Coach Moses Pantlitz, who is a parttime Physical Education teacher at CWSS. The indefatigable Compton Caesar is a member of that club, as is Cassey George, whose three golds and one silver at the CARIFTA Games have made her somewhat of a sensation at home here in Linden.

Other athletes to have represented Guyana at the CARIFTA and Commonwealth Youth Games and other international meets that have been trained by the CWSS Track Club are Onasha Rogers, whose PB (personal best) of 11:80 has made her the top female sprinter in Guyana currently; Tremaine Brown; Jermaine Simmons; and Mian McPherson.

According to Coach Pantlitz, the Club has been in existence since 2012, and has been a success since then. “This club has been in existence for five years and I think this club has more success than any other club in Guyana... “ We h a v e M s C a s s e y

George, who is a three-time gold medallist and silver medallist at CARIFTA,” Pantlitz said.

“We also have Mr. Compton Caesar, who is a gold and a bronze medallist; he has attended World Youths and Commonwealth Youths in one year, which

are children as young as six who are members of the Club. And while there are many challenges, from limited resources to limited facilities, Pantlitz believes that it is the regular training, the discipline that is required, and the willingness of the athletes that

in Linden.

NO-NONSENSE Despite coaching the athletes voluntarily, Pantlitz believes that it’s his dedication and love for his charges that really matters.

“As a coach, I am a fighter!

Slackness I don’t tolerate! When you come to CWSS Track Club or you come to Bayroc Ground to train, you have to come with your ‘A-GAME’; and you have to come with your discipline!

“I turn no one down, but I tell you plain, ‘If you don’t have discipline, don’t turn up!’ because I deal a lot with discipline,” he said.

He is particularly proud of the junior athletes that are now

- Pushing young athletes to find their ‘A- Game’

“One of our biggest achievements is what Mr. Caesar has done this year; it was not done for 45 years in Guyana. Winning the 100m Boys Under-20, that is a big achievement for himself, family, club and even Guyana on the whole.”

Currently, the Club is hard at work, preparing athletes for the South American Games billed for this weekend at the Leonora Stadium.

Some of the athletes that will be representing the Club and Guyana are Jermaine Simmons, Rondell Newton, Mian McPherson, Hosea Glen, Onasha Rogers and Compton Caesar.

Tremaine Brown and Onasha Rogers will also be represent-

Coach Moses Pantlitz (seated in foreground) with some CWSS Track Club members at the Bayroc Ground

is a big achievement.

“We have Ms Onasha Rogers, who has come a long way from injuries; last weekend, she did a 100m in Guyana, and her PB is 11:80, which is the fastest in Guyana for the year. And that puts her right now as the top female sprinter in the country.”

While the club is named after CWSS, the members are drawn from all Primary and Secondary Schools across Linden. There

make the Club the success it is.

“Training is being done weekdays from 16:00 to 18:00hrs, and on Saturday and sometimes Sunday mornings...

“The morning training is mostly done on the road; condition training we normally do,” Pantlitz revealed.

On weekdays, the athletes train at the Bayroc Ground, one of the grounds earmarked for the synthetic track to be placed

Hosea Glen as he prepares for his first attempt at the 400m hurdles at the South American Youth Games this weekend

making their names. “The competition at the junior and the youth level, when we go down to running, we brought away a lot of Second Places. And when there are international meets, for the past five years there is always somebody from CWSS will be taking part from the Guyana squad; and they will do personal best,

ing Guyana next month at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Bahamas.

Onasha Rogers, who was running since she was eight years old, joined the club when she was 11. Today, at 17, she describes the experience as an indescribable one.

“I’ve learnt a lot, travelled a lot, and it has been a good ex-

perience for me,” she said. The Mackenzie High student who is currently writing her CXCs explained that balancing school and training is not easy, but the motivation from her coach encourages her to push forward.

“Training isn’t easy; training is hard. After training, I usually go home; then I have to study.

Sometimes I am tired, but I have to build my mind to do it; it is not easy,” she said.

Tremaine Brown, a jumper, said he owes everything he’s become as an athlete to the Club.

“When I first joined the club, I couldn’t do anything; couldn’t jump properly, couldn’t run properly, couldn’t do anything,” he said.

Jermaine Simmons, meanwhile, has broken records at Nationals and represented Guyana at the CARIFTA Games.

“Training is very hard,” he told the Guyana Chronicle. “Some days you might not get it, but you still have to come out here and do your thing.”

Hosea Glen has been at it for two years, and with the help of Coach Pantlitz, he will be representing Guyana at the South America Games this weekend in the 400m hurdles, something he has never done before.

“It’s a big plus for me; first time I am doing it. I feel like a lot of people are depending on me; I feel kind of nervous, but I am really looking forward to going and executing, and being part of history,” the young Wisburg Secondary student said.

“My coach, he is a real inspiration; hardworking. I love my coach; because of him, I am here, and I have been granted a lot of opportunities,” he added.

SASCA Heraldiers ...

Continued from page 17

SASCA’s Heraldiers in action

go-getters; we like to strive for higher heights.”

The choir always welcomes new members, once they express an interest in joining the fold, since it is not about being musically inclined only. They, however, go through an auditioning process with seasoned members. The choir also visits communities up the Berbice

and Demerara Rivers, just to entertain and bring comfort to the residents of those riverine communities.

Director Charles however believes that the choir should be included in more national events, since it has been in existence for so long. “We like to be very uniformed when we are going to perform,” she said.

“People look forward to seeing us perform, and we just hope that on a national level, we can be included some more, because I think that the choir has been in existence so long, people still don’t know about the choir, so we would love to sing at national events and be good ambassadors for Christ.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, June 1, 2017

Celebrating 20 years of Rastafari MEMBERS of the Haile Selassie I Theocracy, Reign Ivine Order of the Nyahbinghi, a secluded Rastafarian community located in Wisroc, Linden are preparing to celebrate their 20th Anniversary as the foundation of Rastafarianism in the mining town.

The celebration will be done to coincide with the 120th Birthday of Haile Selassie I, their King of Kings and Messiah.

The highpoint of the celebrations will be held in July, but the Theocracy, only a few days ago, concluded a four-day annual festival called Unity Binghi in observance of the 54th African Liberation Day. The celebration, which was held at the Nyahbinghi Centre located at their private community, included nyahbinghi drumming, chanting, offering of praises, and sharing of herbal medicines and ital food.

Founder of the Linden Rastafarian Theocracy and Priest Ras Fyah Lion Boanerges recollected how he returned from Jamaica in 1997 after having a year of extensive study of the Rastafarian faith and started the movement in Wisroc.

His first task was to build the Tabernacle and then to commence the gathering of his followers. He was able to secure quite a bit of land, and today, 20 years later, the tabernacle now boasts about 50 families.

“I built a Tabernacle out of troolie leaf, and I gathered my followers through the word. And we know that iron sharpens iron; and a brethren told another brethren and also the drums call people,” Ras Fyah Lion said.

The Taberrnacle was opened on July 23, 1997 with the blessings of Elder Ras Boanargese of Jamaica.

Ras Fyah Lion explained that contrary to popular belief, the movement is not a cult. And while members have their own way of life, they are free to seek employment across Linden, and children are also free to go to school. As a matter of fact, it is a rule that children be educated; parents found doing otherwise are brought before the disciplinary committee.

EDUCATION’S COMPULSORY “Haile Selassie I said that education is a basic ingredient for all youths,” Ras Fyah Lion said, “and it is a crime against humanity not to send your child to school.

ment.

“We must set up ourselves more economically strong to feed, clothe and house ourselves, and to harmonise this generation coming up,” he said

Elder Ras Fyah Lion Boanerges

“I have seen education as the basic primary objective of uplifting the people from mental slavery; to get rid of colonialisation thinking; to have their own African independent mind.

“We have an ancient council, and we have a council of elders that makes decisions. We have a disciplinary committee that when you override these things, we put you into seclusion, but not permanently.”

Members, he said, have sought employment in the medical field, and in the mining field. Women, however, must cover their heads and are isolated when they are menstruating. Alcohol, cigarettes, and ammunition are prohibited.

When asked how the community was able to establish such an extensive living arrangement to basically sustain itself, Ras Fyah Lion said that everyone puts in their lot and looks out for each other.

“Everyone collectively put in their 1:10; we give our tithes and free-will offerings from brethren and sisthren. Brethren overseas and brethren from in and around the Caribbean, they do send funds to facilitate and build what we have,” he said.

In addition to this, the members also engage in extensive farming, the produce of which is their stable diet since no one in the Theocracy eats meat.

And with the population growing, since members are having offspring who they bring unto the Theocracy to be baptised, Ras Fyah Lion believes that more needs to be done to feed the Move-

NINE FESTIVALS Elder Ras Fyah Lion revealed that in any given year, the theocracy holds a maximum of nine festivals, and the aim of most is to fight off evil and to share the message of love and unity.

That message is most shared through the lighting of bonfires and Nyahbinghi drumming. “We beat the drums from 7 in the night to 7 in the next morning, because we believe that in the night when the evil conceptions are going on on earth, we have a bonfire, which we light to get rid of the evil,” Ras Fyah Lion said, adding: “And we believe in the Bible, which says ‘Lead us by a cloud by day, and a fire by night.’ And we know the Nyahbinghi drums is what is used to transcend our messages from our Creator back then.

“And in the evening, when the world is at rest, we beat our drums to rise up the ancient spirits of our foreparents to make peace, love and purity come on the earth to return the earth to the former place.”

During the day, members would hold interactions amongst themselves, have bible discussions, and read selective speeches and utterances.

The Haile Selassie I Theocracy Rastafarians are not believers or supporters of Reggae music, but listen exclusively to Nyahbinghi spiritual music.

THE CHALLENGES Being a Rastafarian community, the Elder revealed that sometimes they are being discriminated against, and are raided by the police unnecessarily. The raids, he believes, stem from the notion that Rastafarians are users of “ganja”, and it is for this reason he is calling on the present Administration to decriminalise the use of the herb, since Guyana has one of the harshest laws against the usage of “ganja”.

“We are asking this present government to at least look within Jamaica, our CARICOM brothers, seeing that Guyana is the headquarters of the CARICOM Secretariat... We are asking for them to look within the guidelines of European coun-

tries and America to see that they are trying to decriminalise the herb; to make it less criminal for black people,” he said, adding: “This criminalisation has caused our Rasta population to dwindle; a lot of youths

are scared to come amongst I and I, knowing that they will be targeted. So they end up not living the Rasta life fully, because of the three-year jail time.”

Ras Fire Lion reiterated that the Rastafarian faith

does not encourage criminal behaviour, and is only about love and unity. “We are not thieves; we try to get rid of any thief around us. We put ‘fire-bun’ pon them and get rid of them,” he said.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, June 1, 2017

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, June 1, 2017

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, June 1, 2017

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, June 1, 2017

150 schools ...

She expressed her company’s plans to ensure that this year the fans will be shown appreciation for their support to the tournament over the past seven years.

James also thanked other stakeholders; the Ministry of Education, National Sports Commission (NSC) and the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) for their continued and unwavering support which contributed to the success of the country’s largest schools football tournament.

Meanwhile, Dr Wazir Mohamed, Special Technical Adviser to the Minister of Education Dr Rupert Roopnaraine, stated that the Ministry is pleased to be associated with Digicel as they help Guyana’s schools and Guyana’s youths realise their full potential.

“Participation in football and other school athletic and sporting activities is very important to the all-round development of our young people.

Athletics, the broad umbrella under which football falls, provides an important means, avenue and resource that helps students become more rounded; and hence helps them to more meaningfully engaged with their

Continued from back page

education,” Dr Mohamed said.

Director of Sport Christopher Jones also expressed his delight at seeing the continuity of the championships, calling it one of the most, if not ‘the’ most, anticipated event on the schools calendar.

He added that the NSC is willing and ready to lend Digicel any assistance where necessary, in an effort for a positive outcome of the 2017 championship.

Thandi McAllister, vice-president of the GFF, pointed out the Digicel Schools Football tournament has become a remarkable feature on the country’s football calendar, and as such, the game’s local governing body is more than pleased to be associated with Digicel to pull off the championship.

Chase’s Academic Foundation are the defending champions for the tournament, while the Christianburg Wismar Secondary School, popularly known as Multi are the most decorated team.

The Linden-based team have played in every final since the inception of the tournament, winning four consecutive titles, only losing in the inaugural year to the Georgetown Technical Institute and in last year’s final.

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24

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, June 1, 2017

Djokovic and Nadal reach French Open third round NINE-TIME winner Rafael Nadal and defending champion Novak Djokovic both won in straight sets to reach the third round at the French Open tennis.

Nadal, the fourth seed from Spain, looked at his very best in outclassing Dutchman Robin Haase 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 in less than two hours.

Serbia’s Djokovic, the second seed, beat Portugal’s Joao Sousa 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 in two hours seven minutes.

Nadal and Djokovic are seeded to meet in the semi-finals.

Djokovic, a 12-time Grand Slam winner, goes on to face Argentine Diego Schwartzman while 14time Grand Slam champion Nadal takes on Nikoloz

Basilashvili of Georgia.

Eight-time Grand Slam champion Andre Agassi watched Djokovic once again, having taken over as the 30-year-old’s

Rafael Nadal

coach on a temporary basis.

“I think the first two sets went very well, the third was more difficult,” said Djokovic after beating the world number 59.

“Generally, I felt bet-

ter than the first round, so that’s exactly what I wanted.”

Nadal finished his match with a tally of 33 winners and only 13 unforced errors.

“I was more or less under control during the whole match, so I’m very happy. Winning in straight sets is always good news,” said Nadal.

“I think I did a lot of things well.”

The 31-year-old is bidding to become the first man to win 10 titles at a single Grand Slam event, having lifted the trophy from 2005-2008 and 20102014.

His only defeats at Roland Garros were against Robin Soderling in the fourth round in 2009 and Djokovic in the 2015 quar-

ter-finals.

Nadal has been in formidable form on clay this year, winning his 10th titles at Monte Carlo and Barcelona as well as his 30th Masters title in Madrid.

There are three, maybe four, players that could possibly beat Nadal.

Stan Wawrinka is his biggest worry. He has the ability if he is on his game to play the most extraordinary tennis on this surface.

Of course you can’t discount Novak Djokovic or Andy Murray or Dominic Thiem who beat Nadal this year.

E v e r y o n e e l s e a re lambs to the slaughter when they go out to play Rafael Nadal.

(BBC Sport)

Athletes begin arriving for South American Junior Championships

By Tamica Garnett THE first of over 300 athletes, set to compete at this weekend’s South American Junior Championships being held right here, began arriving at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) yesterday afternoon, and are already in high spirits as they look ahead to competing at the international meet.

The first 66 persons from across six countries arrived at 14.00hrs, while a Bolivian athlete was scheduled to arrive late last evening. Another 95 persons are set to arrive today.

Brazil, with a 38-man contingent, is fielding one of the largest team travelling to the Championships, and the team’s coach, Fernando Reis, has already established that they are here to take home as many medals as possible.

The Portuguese native said that the team is also happy to see the Championships being hosted in Guyana.

“Brazil very happy, because first time in Guyana.

It’s different for us, the culture is close to Brazil (but still) very different.

The guys are very happy; to have a change of Championships is good for us.

We promise champions, everybody champion. We have good athletes, maybe two, four athletes (will go) to the world championships, (and) World Youth Championships in Kenya.

It’s a good change,” Reis said.

Brazil are the defending champions of the biennial event; clearing 39 medals including 17 gold the last time the Championships was held in Ecuador. That year, Ecuador finished second place with 31 medals, including 13 gold.

Reis has already singled out sprinter Lorraine Barbosa Martins as one of his standout athlete from whom much can be expected and will be delivered. He explained that the lineup is largely made up of seasoned athletes who have performed at a South American Junior Championships before.

A 20-man delegation from Argentina also arrived yesterday making them the second largest team. Two other Argentineans will arrive today. Five persons arrived from Colombia yesterday, and another 21 are scheduled to touch down in the Land of Many Waters at 14:00hrs today.

With just five persons, Uruguay will have one of the smallest teams at the Championships. Two of the athletes arrived yesterday and the other three persons are scheduled to arrive later tonight on the

same flight with 8 persons from the Chilean team.

Sharing that athletics is not such a widespread sport in Uruguay, athlete Mateo Pascual said that sourcing athletes for their team was somewhat of a challenge for the Spanish-speaking country.

Nonetheless, he looks forward to doing well in his events – the Boys’ 200m and 400m - coming in with a season’s best of 21.91 seconds and 48.54 seconds respectively.

“Me personally I’m hoping to go to the 400m final, and improve both of my timings.” Pascual said.

The athletes were taken via police escort to the Princess Ramada Hotel on the East Bank of Demerara, where all the athletes will be housed during their stay.

Touching down today too will be athletes from Suriname, Ecuador Paraguay and Peru.

Defending champ Muguruza survives Kontaveit scare

Spain’s Garbine Muguruza celebrates after winning her second-round match against Estonia’s Anett Kontaveit.

(Reuters/Benoit Tessier)

By Karolos Grohmann PARIS, France (Reuters) - Defending French Open champion Garbine Muguruza had to claw her way back from a set down to survive a scare from talented Anett Kontaveit and move into the third round with a 6-7, 6-4, 6-2 win.

It was a slow start for the Spanish world number five, but she eventually worked her way into the contest, growing in confidence as the game progressed to set up a third-round match against Yulia Putintseva.

“I think I was a little bit nervous when I started off, because I knew she was going to be a tough opponent.

She was very quiet, very relaxed, and I had to calm down.”

“So it took me a while to get things back under control,” said the 23-yearold, who was beaten by the

Estonian in Stuttgart just last month.

The Spaniard looked in real trouble when Kontaveit, ranked 53rd in the world and in stellar form that has seen her reach the final in Biel and the quarter-finals in Rome, took a one-set and 2-0 lead.

Muguruza was kept in the contest by her serve, winning 72 percent of all her first service points.

“In all of these long rallies, it’s really important to have a robust serve, to have a little more robustness and don’t rush things,” she said.

She needed just over two hours to overcome Kontaveit, who by that time had run out of steam, slapping a backhand wide.

“I refused to feel I was being defeated. I knew I could turn things around.

I knew that if I insisted with my strategy I could succeed,” Muguruza said.

Afghans start with win despite Charles fifty BASSETERRE, St Kitts (CMC) – Twenty20 World Cup star, Johnson Charles, stroked a half-century but was the only bright spark as Afghanistan opened their limited overs tour of the Caribbean with a 12-run victory over the WICB President’s XI here Tuesday night.

Chasing a modest 116 at Warner Park, the President’s XI could muster only 103 for nine, off their 20 overs, with opener Charles gathering a typically robust 53 off 44 deliveries.

However, the right-hander was the only batsman to pass 15 and just one of three in double figures, as the run chase lost impetus in the middle overs.

They were slumping at 31 for three in the seventh before Johnson combined with wicketkeeper Devon Thomas (13) in a 40-run fourth-wicket stand to revive the innings.

The hosts were then seemingly well poised at 71 for three in the 14th but once Charles, who struck five fours and two sixes, became the second of off-spinner Mohammad Nabi’s two wickets, the innings fell away with six wickets falling for 30 runs.

Teenage leg-spinner Rashid Khan was the best bowler with three for 11 from his four overs while left-arm spinner Amir Hamza chipped in with two for 17.

Earlier, Afghanistan rallied to 115 for nine off their 20 overs, with opener Usman Ghani top-scoring with 33 from 34 deliveries with four fours and a six.

Fast bowlers Miguel Cummins (3-19) and Sheldon Cottrell (3-24) finished with three wickets apiece while left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul picked up two for 25.

The Afghans face West Indies in the first Twenty20 International of the three-match series here tomorrow at 19:30 pm (Eastern Caribbean time).

25

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, June 1, 2017

Former GFF president questions move to investigate shifted 2014 World Cup Qualifier match WITH the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) being ordered by their members to thoroughly investigate the reason behind the shift of a proposed 2014 World Cup Qualifier return match between Guyana and Mexico from the Guyana National Stadium at Providence to Houston Texas, how much money was made and the money owed to the players as a result of the move, former GFF president Franklin Wilson is asking: “Why investigate?” He is claiming that all the evidence is at the Dadanawa Street headquarters.

Guyana were due to face Mexico at the Guyana National Stadium during their historic run at the 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifier. However, the GFF sold the hosting rights for the game, which was then hosted at the BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston, Texas, on October 12, 2012.

The Golden Jaguars had lost 3-1 to Mexico at the Azteca and fans in Guyana were hoping to see the likes of Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez in action at Providence.

Wilson, while welcoming and respecting the members’ right to have information sur-

FLASHBACK! Mexico’s Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez (#14) swarmed by Guyanese players at the BBVA Campus Stadium in Houston Texas.

rounding the Guyana vs Mexico match played in Houston, Texas, USA, is adamant that all relevant information pertaining to that match is in the possession of the GFF. Wilson, in responding to the decision taken by the GFF members at the just concluded congress, based on a motion proposed and seconded by two Elite League clubs, believes that it is time for the matter to

be concluded and if possible the requisite moneys owed to the players be paid, based on the affordability of the GFF. According to Wilson, it was not the desire of the-then GFF to just move the game but a number of factors resulted in such a decision. Some are meagre local funding, no funding from the-then Government, lack of resources to host the game, the fact that Guyana had already lost

the opportunity to advance further in the competition as well as the necessity for the federation to supplement its income to meet expenses and indebtedness already incurred.

Wilson noted that the contracts that were entered into with Sponsports, the letter from FIFA granting permission for the game to proceed as well as one from the US Soccer Federation giving approval for

the game to be played in their jurisdiction were sent to then President Donald Ramotar and Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Dr Frank Anthony.

“The GFF is also in possession of information on the sums actually received in cash. In addition, this information as well as documentation regarding the expenditure on the Men’s Senior National Football team during the period January to November 2012 was shared with the media at a press conference held at the GFF in December 2012,” Wilson stated.

The former GFF president explained that “match fees and bonuses agreed between the players and the GFF have been paid to them (the players). What is outstanding to the players is the agreed amount of 12% of moneys accruing to the GFF after expenses.”

Wilson is of the view that “there is no need to expend much needed dollars to unearth what transpired when the facts that can lead to closure on this issue are already accessible and in the possession of the GFF. Closure of this would be a plus for all and sundry and Guyana as a whole.”

Wilson disclosed that he and the current GFF president would have had discussions on the matter before and he is urging that wisdom and good sense be allowed to prevail.

Wayne Forde, the GFF president, had told reporters recently that “we now have the tools that we need to reach out to both FIFA and CONCACAF, for their support both in terms of their investigative capacity, and the necessary funding that will no doubt be required to undertake such an investigation”.

Forde is of the opinion that Guyana’s football administrative problems need closure and that “we’re happy that one of our members brought this to the floor. Of course the Executive Committee from day one will pursue and now continue to pursue closure to this matter and I’m now happy that we now have a clear mandate from our membership to resolve this matter.”

There’s no specific timeframe given to complete the investigation, which Forde promised to be independent, “but what was proposed is that something get going within 14 days, which I think we have no difficulty with.”

Tiger Bay Youth Group win ‘A’ Division FIFA announces Chinese sponsor Commander 5-A Side Football tournament Vivo for 2018, 2022 World Cups TIGER Bay Youth Group were over the weekend crowned Champions of the ‘A’ Division Commander third Annual 5-A-Side Football competition, which was held at the National Gymnasium.

The competition was played among 13 male teams and five female teams, all from the Police Youth Groups.

The male teams comprised Yarrowkabra, Circuitville, Tiger Bay, Mocha, Albouystown, North Ruimveldt, Golden Grove, Central, Timehri North, Grove, Agricola, East Ruimveldt and Ruimveldt. The five female teams were from Tiger Bay, North Ruimveldt, Agricola, Albouystown and East Ruimveldt.

At the end of the first round Tiger Bay, Albouystown, North Ruimveldt, Central, Grove and East Ruimveldt emerged winners from their matches to go through to the second round along with Ruimveldt who drew a bye for the males.

After a number of exciting matches, the Tiger Bay Police Youth Group emerged the winners of the competition ahead of North Rui-

Tiger Bay Team receive their trophy from Superintendent Phillip Azore.

mveldt in second place and Albouystown were adjudged third.

Orin Moore from the Tiger Bay Youth Group copped the trophy for Most Goals after netting 10 throughout the competition for his team and Darron Niles from Albouystown Youth Group was given the Most Valuable Player (MVP) trophy.

Meanwhile, in the female showdown East Ruimveldt Youth Group came in third place behind Tiger Bay who got second and Albouystown

who copped first place.

Tineshia Thorne walked away with the Most Goals Trophy after scoring five goals in the competition and the MVP award went to Royesitia Cossou, both from Albouystown Youth Group.

The presentation of trophies and medals was done

by Superintendent Phillip Azore, W/Assistant Superintendent Sonia Herbert and representatives from the Guyana Football Federation (GFF).

(REUTERS) - Global football body FIFA announced another Chinese sponsor yesterday, saying that smartphone maker Vivo will be a backer for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

FIFA is trying to recover from the worst corruption scandal in its history and has been struggling to sign up sponsors since several dozen football officials, including several in senior FIFA positions, were indicted in the United States in 2015 on corruption-related charges.

Vivo follows consumer electronics maker Hisense Electric Co Ltd, which signed as a 2018 World Cup sponsor in April, and real estate and media conglomerate Dalian Wanda Group, which became a FIFA partner last year.

“The Vivo logo will appear during every match on pitch advertising boards, match tickets, media releases and other key promotional platforms,” FIFA said in a

statement.

FIFA needs sponsorship to help reach its target of a $100 million (£77.6 million) surplus for the four-yearly cycle ending at the 2018 World Cup. It is also under pressure to increase its revenue after president Gianni Infantino, elected last year,

legal costs following a corruption scandal, and has forecast a $489 million loss in 2017 but then expects to turn a $1.07 billion profit in 2018 when the World Cup is held in Russia.

Wanda is a so-called tier one partner, meaning they received the highest sponsorship rights, in-

An interior view shows the Luzhniki Stadium, which will host the 2018 FIFA World Cup matches, in Moscow, Russia. (REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov)

promised to increase payouts to its 211 member federations to develop the sport.

FIFA made a loss of $391 million in 2016, which it blamed partly on increased

cluding rights to all FIFA competitions and corporate activities up to and including the 2030 FIFA World Cup. Vivo and Hisense are tier-two partners.

26

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, June 1, 2017

Garrett ready to ‘Chase’ another Digicel title … eyes rematch with ‘Multi’

By Rawle Toney ONE of the country’s promising Youth football player, Jeremy Garrett, has ‘thrown down the gauntlet’ to the other schools in the Digicel Schools Football Championship, who are aiming to challenge his Chase’s Academic Foundation for the coveted title.

After falling 2-1 in the final of the 2015 tournament to Christianburg/Wismar Secondary School, Garrett led Chase to their first title with a 1-0 over the Linden-based school to be crowned champions.

However, Job Caesar,

who scored the winning goal – a free kick in the 24th minute – is no longer with the school, but Garrett told Chronicle Sport that “we still have a strong team, so Chase is ready.”

“My team looking the same, we just lost two players out of the team. But all the players are active with their clubs, so it’s just now for the guys to come together and let’s start our final preparation,” Garrett said.

Garrett who is also captain of Guyana’s National U-17 team, pointed out that preparation has been ongoing, given the fact that most the players were active with their re-

spective clubs, and were also putting in some sessions as a unit at school, in anticipation for the tournament.

T h e C h r i s t i a n b u rg / Wismar Secondary School (Multi) were singled out by Garrett as the team to beat once again.

“Of course, Christianburg; when we meet, it’s anything goes, you know.

So we’re looking forward to meeting them again as well, since we all have something to prove,” Garrett said.

But the versatile defender pointed out that he’s also intrigued by another meeting with Annai Secondary; a robust and well-rounded

Jeremy Garrett (left) and Digicel Head of Marketing Jacqueline James at the launching of the 2017 Digicel Schools Football Championship yesterday. (Adrian Narine photo)

team from Region 9.

Last year Chase defeated the Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo-based team 2-1 to advance to the final, in a game Garrett said was one of his hardest in the tournament.

Garrett also expressed thanks to the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) for setting up Academy Training Centres throughout Guyana; something he noted has been more than valuable to his team.

“Most the players at Chase are in the Academy Training Centres, which have been beneficial to us since it is also helping us to keep fit, helping us to improve technically which is vital for our preparation for Digicel,” the Fruta Conquerors player said.

The Digicel Schools Football Championship was launched yesterday, and 150 schools, drawn from throughout Guyana, will vie for a $1M first-place prize which will be for a project of their choice. Second place through fourth place will pocket $700 000, $400 000 and $350 000 respectively.

RHTYSC Busta ‘Champions of Champions’ Cup launched … Sponsorship with ECB and EBSC renewed

Secretary of the EBSC Chanderpaul Tickaram collects the sponsorship cheque from a representative of the Guyana Beverage Company in the presence of other club members and General Manager of the company Robert Selman.

By Rajiv Bisnauth desirable wholesome WITH the aim of highlighting the rich talent in the Ancient County of Berbice and the promotion of sports as a healthy avenue for the youths, the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC) and the Guyana Beverage Company yesterday launched the 15th edition of the Busta ‘Champions of Champions’ tournament, which will be contested by the top eight teams.

The launching ceremony was held at the company’s head office at Diamond, East Bank Demerara.

The tournament, which has been organised by the RHTY&SC since 2009, is one of the most popular cricket tournaments in Berbice.

At the launch, RHTY&SC CEO/Secretary Hilbert Foster commended the beverage company for continuing its dedication to sport.

Foster expressed gratitude to Robert Selman, who returned to the helm of the company here, for his support, and also pledged that the tournament would be well-organised, while fulfilling all its objectives, as the Club aims to spread and promote its ‘No to Suicide, Drugs, Crime, Alcohol and Yes to Sports, Education and Religion’ message to youths.

Foster pointed out that the Club’s success over the last two decades has been due to the outstanding relationship the club has enjoyed with several companies, inclusive of the Guyana Beverage Company Limited.

According to Foster, the tournament will commence sometime in August, with the winning team receiving $100 000. The losing finalists will collect half of that amount, while outstanding individual performers would also receive prizes.

The final is expected to be aired live on NCN Radio, with

a proposed television package in the pipeline.

The format of the eightteam tournament is yet to be decided.

Meanwhile, the company also renewed its sponsorship

General Manager of the Guyana Beverage Company, Robert Selman, hands over the sponsorship to the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC) representative, first-class cricketer Clinton Pestano. Also sharing the moment are former Guyana youth player Shawn Pereira (second right) and RHTY&SC Mark Papannah.

with the Essequibo Cricket Board (ECB), and the Enterprise Busta Sport Club (EBSC).

Selman, who is the General Manager of the Guyana Beverage Company, said the sponsorships are part of giving back to the people of Guyana.

Costa Rica lose out to England in FIFA U20 Round of 16

ADEMOLA Lookman scored two goals and England earned a 2-1 win over Costa Rica in a FIFA U-20 World Cup Round of 16 encounter on Wednesday at Jeonju World Cup Stadium.

With the result, England will face tomorrow’s Mexico-Senegal winner in the quarterfinals, while the Costa Ricans were eliminated after posting an overall 1W1D-2L record in their competition appearance.

Lookman put the English ahead 1-0 in 35th minute after controlling Jonjoe Kenny’s right-sided cross that eluded four Costa Rican defenders. He doubled the lead in the 63rd minute with a composed finish from seven yards out.

Following a handball call in the box, Costa Rica halved the deficit in the 89th minute, when Randall Leal put away the rebound of his penalty kick that was initially saved by goalkeeper Freddie Woodman.

(Sportsmax)

He noted that Busta brand has been well promoted over the years due to the tournaments, of which the company is proud.

Selman expressed confidence that the various tournaments this year would be the same, while he encouraged the teams to play the game in a friendly environment and expressed the hope that new talents would emerge.

Caribbean Brand Manager of SM Jaleel and Company, the parent body of the Guyana Beverage Company, Andre Noel,

said the company believes in the holistic development of sport.

He viewed the sponsorships as an important developmental tool, not only for youths but also for the various communities.

Also making brief remarks were president of the ECB, Fizul Bacchus, and secretary of the EBSC, Chanderpaul Tickaram, who both expressed gratitude to Selman and the company. They both promised to maintain, and encourage support of the Busta line of products.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Thursday June 01, 2017)

COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & the City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Kumar Sangakarra-SL (38 dismissals: 28 catches, 5 stumpings) (2) Mahendra Singh Dhoni-IND (2013) Today’s Quiz: (1) Who are the Group A members of ICC Champions Trophy 2017?

(2) Who are the Group B members?

ANSWERS IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE

27

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, June 1, 2017

GCB/Hand-in-Hand Inter-County U-19 tournament

All-rounder Yadram leads Demerara to easy win … Algoo powers Select U-17 to 17-run win over Essequibo

By Rajiv Bisnauth BHASKAR Yardam led from the front with a brilliant all-round performance as Demerara secured an easy eight-wicket win over Berbice in round two of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB)/Handin-Hand Mutual Fire Insurance Company Limited-sponsored Under-19 Inter-County one-day tournament yesterday at the Guyana National Stadium.

Yadram first claimed 3-46, and then fashioned an unbeaten 108-ball 121, as Demerara chased down the 198 for victory, with 10.2 overs to spare.

Asked to bat first, Berbice had effectively strangled themselves and found free-scoring difficult throughout the innings.

Medium pacers Ronaldo Ali Mohamed (4-46), and Yadram were the main destroyers for the hosts’.

The visitors’ top three batsmen stuttered before Javid Karim and Matthew Hardyal provided the innings with some momentum.

The left-handed Karim

Bhaskar Yardam pulls one of his three sixes.

stroke a composed 74, inclusive of 11 fours, while Hardyal made a fighting 26.

Berbice lost both openers, Kevin Sinclair and Veramootoo Senwasane, within the first nine overs with Senwasane the first to be dismissed - offering a simple return catch to Ali Mohamed, for five, while Yadram removed Sinclair for a 24-ball 17.

Adrian Sukwah struck three fours in a 33-ball knock, while

Javid Karim plays down the ground during his composed knock

adding 41 for the third-wicket with Karim before he was trapped lbw to medium pacer Dambuka Naqgando for 18.

At 68-3, the visitors’ innings were then propped up

by Karim and Hardyal. Unfazed by the situation, the pair absorbed all the pressure and ensured that the hosts did not instigate a collapse. They added 65 for the fourth wicket, with the left-handed Karim registering his half-century

Students turn out for NSC World Challenge Day Activity

Fitness Instructor Tyson English taking the smiling students and teachers through a few routines at the Square of the Revolution yesterday (Tamica Garnett photo)

THE National Sports Commission (NSC) yesterday joined in the World Challenge Day celebrations with the hosting of a fitness segment at the Square of the Revolution yesterday morning.

The event saw approximately 150 students from several primary and secondary schools all across Georgetown and Linden engaging in various physical activities being directed by Fitness Instructor and Bishop’s High Physical Education teacher, Tyson English.

The event was well appreciated by the gathering of smiling children, and teachers, who enjoyed the

opportunity to get out of the classroom and be active.

“The whole idea is here after they share the information with their families as well when they go back they will share the information with their families, and with their friends when they go back to school, and ultimately find themselves doing some sort of exercise,” Director of Sports, Christopher Jones explained yesterday.

“Always wanting to ensure that we have a healthy nation, where we are always exercising and engaging in some sort of activity, the NSC invited several schools and had an instructor take them through some simple

routine.”

“The World Challenge Day started several years ago, what it does is invite the world over to stop what they are doing and do some sort of exercise.

The World Challenge Day is a global initiative opened to communities of any size and from any country, encouraging friendly international competition among communities across the world.

It is organised by the Association for International Sport for All (TAFISA) an international association recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Alex Algoo

with his eight boundaries off 68 balls during that period.

However, when both batsmen were removed at the end of the 43rd over, Berbice lost too many wickets in clusters before Keith Simpson (12 not out) and Daniel Samaroo (8 not out), added a last-wicket stand of 21.

Demerara’s chase started badly with the early loss of Raymond Perez, lbw to Karim without scoring, but West Indies Under-19 selectees Yadram and Joshua Persaud

then plotted a brilliant second-wicket stand.

Both batsmen blossomed at ease, and even the rapid bowling changes did not prevent the steady flow of runs, as the pair helped themselves well to the multiple scoring opportunities on offer.

The right-handed pair were harsh on anything loose, hitting a series of boundaries during their 98-run stand before left-arm spinner Emmanuel Seecharran provided the second breakthrough, with the wicket of Persaud (43), at 102-2.

Despite that setback Yadram, the first-class opener, got to his half-century off 57 balls in the company of Garvin Boowah.

The duo kept on enhancing the scoring without any difficulties, with Yadram displaying his wide array of strokes to reach his hundred off 88 balls.

When victory was achieved Yadram had already reached the boundary on 15 occasions, while clearing the ropes three times. Boodwah was unbeaten

on 22.

Meanwhile, in the other second round game between Essequibo and the Select Under-17, played at the Police Sports Club ground, opener Alex Algoo smashed 119, as the Select Under-17 team defeated Essequibo by 17 runs.

Algoo received support from Sachin Singh (52) as the Select Under-17 team made 222-7 in 28 overs. Mahindra Persaud was the best bowler for Essequibo with 3-37.

In reply, Persaud made a fighting 52 but Essequibo came up short of the winning total when the overs expired.

Adrian Campbell and Joshua Jones contributed 42 and 33 respectively.

Junior Sinclair and Gevon Schultz had 3-12 and 3-32 respectively, bowling for the Select Under-17 team.

The third round is scheduled for today, with Demerara opposing Essequibo at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, and Berbice facing the Select Under-17 at Everest.

All-rounder Yadram leads Demerara See Page to easy win 27

150 schools to compete at Digicel Schools Football championship … Tournament to kick off on June 12

By Rawle Toney

ONE hundred and fifty schools, drawn from the ten administrative regions of Guyana, will once again vie for the country’s ‘Holy Grail’ of schools football when the Digicel Football Championship kicks off on June 12 countrywide. The tournament will conclude with the final on July 30 at the Leonora Track and Field Facility.

At a simple but significant launch, held at the West Demerara Secondary School yesterday, Digicel Head of Marketing Jacqueline James said that the continuity of the tournament, which is now in its seventh year, is testimony to the telecommunication provider’s commitment not only to the development of football in Guyana, but also to the country’s future stars ensuring that they are given a plat-

Representatives from Digicel, the Government of Guyana and the GFF at yesterday’s launch, held at the West Demerara Secondary School. (Adrian Narine photo)

Athletes begin arriving for South American Junior Championships

See Page 24 Cricket West Indies chief executive, Johnny Grave

A section of the Argentina team to the South American Junior Championships after arriving at the CJIA yesterday Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 2 2 6- 3243-9 (General); Editorial: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216. Fax:2 2 7- 5208

Turn to page 23

Cricket West Indies the new way forward: CEO Graves ST JOHN’S, Antigua, (CMC) – The West Indies Cricket Board on Wednesday formally announced the much anticipated name change to Cricket West Indies, saying the rebranding accurately represented the function of the governing body.

President Dave Cameron had announced the move two years ago and last January said the process had been completed.

“Cricket West Indies better

The Brazilian team to the South American Junior Championships on their arrival at the CJIA yesterday afternoon. (Tamica Garnett photos)

form to showcase their God-given talent.

One million dollars will go the winning school for a project of their choice, while second through fourth will pocket $700 000, $400 000 and $350 000 respectively.

However, as explained by Digicel’s Head of Customer Care, Sherwin Osborne, the tournament, which will see Georgetown being divided into north and south, will see the winners of each zone, win $100 000 towards a school project.

“We want the public to also be engaged and more involved. We want them to win prizes. We want them to come out and support our youths. We want to feature the public so we’ll have a ‘Digicel Favourite Fan’ in the community,” James said.

reflects how the organisation operates, as there are many different stakeholders who we work in partnership with, under the unifying aim of improving cricket at all levels within the region,” new chief executive Johnny Grave said.

“We plan to work even more closely with them over the next few years and consultation will begin immediately as we develop a new strategic plan for 2018-2023.”

Cameron said the new name was more inclusive and was a key part of the new way forward in the board’s enhancement of its

governance.

“Whilst the Board of Directors has an important role, we feel that the new name is more inclusive and appropriate, as we want to recognise the valuable role that our players, territorial boards, staff, supporters, governments, coaches, match officials and volunteers, play in the organisation,” the Jamaican said.

“For Cricket West Indies to operate effectively and efficiently we need all of our stakeholders to work in partnership and the name change is an important first step in our strategy.”

In addition to the name change, the board also launched their rebranded website as well as announcing that all representative teams will be referred to as the WINDIES. The name change for the board is the second in the last 21 years, following the decision by another Jamaican WICB president Pat Rousseau to drop ‘Control’ from the original name.

It also comes just under two years after a Governance Review Panel, commissioned by regional national grouping, CARICOM, recommended the “immediate dissolution” of the WICB, and the instalment of an interim board.

The panel, chaired by UWI Cave Hill campus, Professor Eudine Barriteau, slammed the board as a “now proven, obsolete governance framework”.

THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 2017