Guyana chronicle e paper 22 01 2016

B E S T I N T E R E S T

B E S T I N T E R E S T

CONSERVE WATER 3

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, January 21, 2016

– GWI wants water-rationing as dry spell continues

By Michel Outridge THE Guyana Water Inc (GWI) on Wednesday issued a call for citizens to conserve water with the levels in the water conservancies dropping, due to the prolonged dry season.

Of major concern is the fact that the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) is at a critically low level.

The conservancy stores water to irrigate farmlands on the East Coast and also provides water for GWI’s Shelter Belt location in Georgetown, which supplies 60% of the city’s 35, 000 customers.

The city’s other customers receive their water from various wells.

The EDWC is replenished by rainfall, but with the current dry spell, Dr Richard

Van-West Charles, Chief Executive of GWI, said drainage authorities have begun collaborating to commence 24-hour pumping of water from Maduni – another surface-water canal - into the EDWC. For the city alone, water consumption, on an average, is about 60 mega litres.

In efforts to ration water usage, GWI has recommended these measures: ● Citizens check all internal plumbing for leaks (including toilet cisterns, taps, etc.) ● Reduce the number of times one washes one’s car, equipment, etc with water supplied by GWI ● Desist from washing concrete surfaces (such as your yard or bridge) with water provided by GWI ● Immediately install ‘flow-

valves’ in water tanks to prevent overflows ● Contact GWI immediately to report leaks detected in your community on 2278701, 227-8703 or 227-8704 Further, GWI is appealing to the heads and administrative staff of all schools, health facilities, hotels, food entities, etc., to ensure that all internal plumbing is operating correctly and to repair any leaks or prevent any wastage.

GWI provides water to an estimated 145,000 homes, offices and schools across the country. It also provides water to Amerindian communities in the hinterland.

Dr Charles said the optimum level of water at Shelter Belt should be 57.5 GD or Georgetown Datum (measuring system), but the current

ECONOMIC...

estate, Holder said Cane Farmers at the National Cane Farmers’ Conference held last year were briefed about the state of the sugar industry. He said the issues of expansion, contraction and the like were discussed with the farmers.

“The farmers’ cane is not in jeopardy. What is being closed is the Wales factory. You are dealing with a factory that is virtually 100 years old, that you can’t get spare parts for, that if you have to change the boilers you have to buy new ones because you really cannot

get spares for those things.

The estate is scheduled to lose about $1.6 to $1.9B this year.”

Explaining that Wales was not performing at its best, the subject minister said the factory was working at 50 percent capacity.

Uitvlugt was also working at 50 per cent capacity, but the Uitvlugt factory is “a far more modern factory” and is in much better condition. It operated at 95 percent efficiency as compared to Wales at 85 per cent or less.

Holder noted that the 3000 acres of land left at

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Wales will not be cultivated. “None of the farmers’ cane in jeopardy,” he said.

According to the Agriculture Minister, issues pertinent to sugar are of critical importance to the country and its citizens and government will not take those issues lightly.

When asked by reporters about the cost to move the farmers’ cane to Uitvlugt, Holder disclosed that “that is being investigated now.”

He said government is looking to make internal water arrangements to move canes from Wales to Uitvlugt that may result in farmers gain-

level is 52.7 GD, which is below the dead storage level of the EDWC, which is set at 53.5 GD. “…with this institution of additional pumping of water into EDWC, it (will) raise the level somewhat; however, this requires us to be prudent and also to move into a level of conservation mode.”

Dr Charles has denied reports that GWI has reduced pumping by 50%.

The GWI CEO said: “We have not reduced the level of pumping here at Shelterbelt at all. We know that citizens at different times require more water. We want to ensure our ground- level water source will be able to supply adequate amounts of water.”

The demand for water is highest between 5-9 and 11:30-12:30 in the morning ing more. This method he explained is likely to be cheaper than the use of tractors and trailers transporting the canes along the public roads.

“We have one year to put the new arrangement in place. Nothing is happening apart from not replanting the 3000 acres at Wales; nothing else is happening to jeopardise the operations, people’s employment or anything of that nature.

Wales’ Estate will not be closed before 31st December 2016,” said Holder.

WORKERS The Agriculture Minister stressed that globally, companies are becoming

Dr Richard Van-West Charles

and between 4-8 in the afternoon.

For these peak periods, GWI wants to ensure that the water pressure will be maintained between 15 to 20 Pounds Per Square Inch (PSI), which seeks to ensure there are adequate amounts of water at certain levels in homes to carry out vital more and more efficient and Guyana should do no less.

He added that some workers are likely to be affected.

“Indeed, the people who are really affected would probably be some workers in the Wales factory. There are substantial vacancies at the Uitvlugt factory, so a lot of the workers from the Wales Factory will be absorbed in Uitvlugt but all cannot be. Therefore, they’d be a few people who are re-

activities.

Dr. Charles said the water pressure would be reduced during off- peak hours.

He said that the appeal to conserve water is not just for the city, but across the country.

For Region Nine, which has seen aquifers dry up, Dr Van-West Charles said that a new well would be dug at Culvert City, Lethem, by mid-February and GWI will continue to monitor the situation.

For Georgetown, Dr. Charles said GWI is moving to ensure an additional well is drilled for sourcing ground water at Shelterbelt. The company is also seeking to rehabilitate three non-functioning wells at Shelterbelt within 2-3 months. The additional well will cost about $120 million.

There is a total of 126 wells across the country. dundant and they’d receive severance,” he said.

He could not at the time provide reporters with the number of workers that are likely to be affected by government’s decision to close the Wales Factory.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, January 21, 2016

Pope tells Davos elite: Consider your role in creating poverty

Venezuela needs urgent foreign medical aid, pharma group says (Reuters) With scores of medicines in short supply due to a severe financial squeeze, Venezuela is suffering a “humanitarian crisis” and requires rapid international assistance, according to a major pharmaceutical association.

The Venezuelan Pharmaceutical Federation listed 150 medicines, from those for hypertension to cancer, as well as basics such as prophylactics and antibiotics, which are scarce in the OPEC nation of 29 million people.

“The national government must accept we are in a humanitarian crisis in the health sector, with patients dying across our territory for lack of medicines,” said association president Freddy Ceballos in a statement.

“It’s necessary to activate all mechanisms of international health assistance to solve this crisis as soon as possible,” he added, with-

A student holding his books talks on a mobile phone, after he was rescued in a militant attack at Bacha Khan University in Charsadda, Pakistan, January 20, 2016.

(REUTERS/Fayaz Azi) out specifying what aid he thought should be sought.

The health ministry did not respond to a request for comment on the pharmaceutical association’s statement, but Venezuela’s socialist government has bristled at criticism of its health system, which former President Hugo Chavez, who died of cancer in 2013, spent lavish-

ly on during an oil bonanza.

It accuses local groups of exaggerating problems and says the widespread shortages in Venezuela - of food as well as medicines - are due to an “economic war” by foes.

Long lines form daily outside pharmacies, and doctors and patients constantly complain of lack of medicines and equipment.

Maduro last week decreed an “economic emergency” in the recession-hit nation with the fastest inflation in the world rings up a roughly $10 billion foreign debt bill this year amid plunging oil revenues.

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Pope Francis told members of the world’s wealthy political and economic elite on Wednesday that they should not be deaf to the cry of the poor and must consider their own role in creating inequality.

New technologies such as robotics must also not be allowed to replace humans with “soulless machines,” he said in a message to the World Economic Forum in Davos.

“To all of you I appeal once more: ‘Do not forget the poor!’”, he said.

The pope, who wrote a major encyclical on climate change and protection of the environment last year, also urged business leaders to see to it that the planet does not become “an empty garden.”

The annual Davos meeting brings together many of the world’s wealthiest and most powerful people to consider issues such as economics, climate change and war, with an eye to working on solutions to them.

It has been criticized by anti-globalization activists and others, however, as a forum for organizations that have been responsible for the problems in the first place.

They are boosted by reports such as one from charity Oxfam estimating that 1 percent of the world’s population owns 99 percent of the wealth.

Francis, who has made the defense of the poor a

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hallmark of his papacy and has in the past called money “the dung of the devil”, said businesses and wealthy societies must acknowledge their role in creating poverty.

“Weeping for other people’s pain does not only mean sharing in their sufferings, but also and above all realizing that our own actions are a cause of injustice and inequality,” he said in the text of a message read for him by a top Vatican cardinal.

“Once we realize this, we become more fully human, since responsibility for our brothers and sisters is an essential part of our common humanity. Do not be afraid to open your minds and hearts to the poor. In this way, you will give free rein to your economic and technical talents, and discover the happiness of a full life, which consumerism of itself cannot provide,” he said.

Francis, the first pope from the global south, has in the past excoriated unbridled capitalism, calling for the redistribution of wealth and for economic policies that put people above profits, positions that have prompted criticism from economic leaders.

“We must never allow the culture of prosperity to deaden us, to make us incapable of feeling compassion at the outcry of the poor, weeping for other people’s pain, and sensing the need to help

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them, as though all this were someone else’s responsibility and not our own,” he said in the message read by Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana, the Vatican’s justice minister.

ROBOTS Francis addressed the theme of this year’s Davos meeting, “Mastering the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” in which digital technology, artificial intelligence robotics and autonomous vehicles are expected to become ubiquitous in developed economies.

“In the face of profound and epochal changes, world leaders are challenged to ensure that the coming ‘fourth industrial revolution’, the result of robotics and scientific and technological innovations, does not lead to the destruction of the human person – to be replaced by a soulless machine,” he said.

Business and economic leaders had a duty to prevent “the transformation of our planet into an empty garden for the enjoyment of a chosen few.”

“I urge you, then, to take up anew your conversation on how to build the future of the planet, ‘our common home’, and I ask you to make a united effort to pursue a sustainable and integral development,” he said.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, January 21, 2016

385 Jamaican sugar workers lose jobs (Jamaica Observer) THREE hundred and eighty-five sugar workers from the Pan-Caribbean-run Monymusk and Frome sugar estates were sent home Wednesday after the company advised them that their positions are to be made redundant.

Monymusk in Clarendon will lose 279 mainly field workers, while the 106 workers from the Frome estate to go is an almost even split between factory and field workers.

The bad news was announced at a planned union/management meeting with the affected workers at Monymusk, where the company said the cost of labour, poor yields and “environmental challenges” have negatively affected its operations.

“The workers at Monymusk today (yesterday) were very angry and disappointed that they have done everything possible in their power and only to reap the bitter result of being made redundant,” said Harold Brown, Bustamante Industrial Trade Union’s (BITU) deputy island supervisor in charge of the sugar sector, in a The union is, meanwhile, seeking to have the

and Westmoreland.

The workers are expected to receive their notice pay on January 29 and their severance pay on February 12.

“When we inquire about the future of Monymusk the company is tight-lipped.

The rep they sent to the meeting today (yesterday) was unable to shed any light on the future,” he stated.

The union official pointed out that the cuts brings, the total number of workers separated from their jobs in the industry through redundancy to 1,250 since the end of the 2014/15 crop year, noting that people employed

more than 100 field workers who were laid off in August, in addition to another 250 from Monymusk to receive their redundancy entitlements. He explained that the company claimed these were temporary workers, or on short-term contracts, but that at no point was it ever established to these workers that they were temporary.

“These are deliberate strategies to frustrate individuals [and an] underhanded type of employment,” he claimed.

Brown said the redundancies at the end of the 2014/15 crop season in August were a sign of things to come. He said Pan-Caribbean wanted to cut the 385 workers in December, “but the union thought it was not in good taste to be dishing out bad news at Christmastime, hence they rescheduled for January”. He said this comes as a big blow not just to the workers, who he described as shell-shocked, but also their families and communities in Clarendon

Venezuela needs urgent foreign medical aid, pharma group says (Reuters) With scores of medicines in short supply due to a severe financial squeeze, Venezuela is suffering a “humanitarian crisis” and requires rapid international assistance, according to a major pharmaceutical association.

The Venezuelan Pharmaceutical Federation listed 150 medicines, from those for hypertension to cancer, as well as basics such as prophylactics and antibiotics, which are scarce in the OPEC nation of 29 million people.

“The national government must accept we are in a humanitarian crisis in the health sector, with patients dying across our territory for lack of medicines,” said association president Freddy Ceballos in a statement.

“It’s necessary to activate all mechanisms of international health assistance to solve this crisis as soon as possible,” he added, with-

out specifying what aid he thought should be sought.

The health ministry did not respond to a request for comment on the pharmaceutical association’s statement, but Venezuela’s socialist government has bristled at criticism of its health system, which former President Hugo Chavez, who died of cancer in 2013, spent lavishly on during an oil bonanza.

It accuses local groups of exaggerating problems and says the widespread shortages in Venezuela - of food as well as medicines - are due to an “economic war” by foes.

Long lines form daily outside pharmacies, and doctors and patients constantly complain of lack of medicines and equipment.

Maduro last week decreed an “economic emergency” in the recession-hit nation with the fastest inflation in the world rings up a roughly $10 billion

foreign debt bill this year amid plunging oil revenues.

to Everglades Farms, which runs the Long Pond and Hampden estates, are yet to receive all of their notice pay.

He argued that while Pan-Caribbean has made “massive” investments in the modernisation of the plants, and despite the “great talk” of expansion of the land area under cultivation, and the great hope those plans gave for sustainability of the sector, “We can’t speak on the results of those investments — but it would appear as if some of these investments have not gotten the desired results”.

Brown said the Gov-

ernment is “fully aware of what has been happening”, but has stayed “very quiet” about the loss of jobs.

“Many of these persons do not have an alternative.

It is going to affect the families, it is going to affect their education, it is going to cause instability in most of these communities and contribute to more poverty,” he stated.

Pan-Caribbean represents the Chinese firm COMPLANT International Sugar Industry Limited to which Government divested its sugar assets at Monymusk, Frome, and Bernard Lodge in 2011.

Brazil President called as witness in bribery investigation

Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff speaks during inauguration ceremony for new Finance Minister Nelson Barbosa at Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil, December 21, 2015.

(REUTERS/UESLEI MARCELINO)

(Reuters) A federal judge in Brazil authorized President Dilma Rousseff to appear as a witness in an investigation into the use of bribes to influence the passage of legislation, a court spokesman said on Wednesday.

Rousseff, who is not under investigation herself, was called by the defense of businessman Eduardo Valadão, along with other politicians, for the bribery probe known as “Operation Zealots.”

Valadão was charged in November with paying bribes to influence passage of legislation to help the auto industry.

Rousseff could provide

written testimony or appear in court, the spokesman said, declining to give more details.

The investigation is separate from a better-known probe into corruption at staterun oil firm Petroleo Brasileiro SA that has ensnared dozens of politicians aligned with Rousseff and weakened her government.

Former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Rousseff’s predecessor and political mentor, was also called for questioning in “Operation Zealots” as police are investigating whether a payment to one of his son’s companies was a bribe to influence the legislation.

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Editor-In-Chief

Nigel Williams

Editorial: 227-5216; 227-5204 guyanachronicle.com wnigel10@hotmail.com gnnleditorial@gmail.com

Editorial An open society

IN the 1980s Guyana under the leadership of President Hugh Desmond Hoyte began transitioning from a closed society to an open one. This shift moved the country from socialism, whereby the government controlled the commanding heights of the economy, to what was considered as a process of liberalisation, whereby the role of government in the economy was scaled back and the private sector was able to flourish.

It should be said that the economic shift was influenced in large part by the end of the Cold War and dominant Western neo-liberalism, which influenced the policy direction of international financial institutions such as the World Bank,the International Monetary Fund and the Inter-American Development Bank, from which Guyana borrowed.

This shift also impacted the media and telecommunications landscapes. Non-political media such as Stabroek News (1986) newspapers and, CN Sharma, Anthony Vieira and Rex McKay televisions appeared on the scene. The Guyana Telecommunication Corporation was privatised with government retaining a 20 percent share. The landscape has expanded to the point where today we have more than one telecommunication provider, several newspapers, broadcasting channels and online media.

This approach allowed information, ideas and knowledge to become more accessible and be had from multiple sources. No longer persons solely depended on government or politically aligned media for information. This is not to say that though the society was considered closed, consistent with socialism/communism or brutish, that such hindered access. As a social being, man seeks out the sharing and receiving of ideas, winning over/influencing others.

This was evident during slavery as it is today in the most closed/semi-closed societies such as Cuba and China.

The advancement of information communication technologies has broken borders and reduced the world to a small village. This brings with it many factors such as the reduction/inability to contain information within a specific area or among a decided group, increases the possibility of getting to the truth and/or exposing myths, retrieval capacity to hold government, organisations and persons accountable in real time, makes trade easier, galvanises activism and support unhindered by borders as seen in the 2015 elections, where the diaspora and locals interfaced.

At a governmental level, while the Freedom of Information Act strengthens an open society, such law in itself will not contain/hinder the flow of information, though it may to some extent curtail who sees what. It should be said that every person possessing a cell phone, tablet and

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, January 21, 2016

A prescription to save GuySuCo

Dear Editor

GUYSUCO has been the strong back of Guyana’s economy for as long as we can all remember. Now with high costs to manufacture, low market prices, sugar substitutes, shortage of skills and labour in Guyana, labour issues, coupled with adverse weather conditions, it is indeed taking a toll on the industry. Some of these are nothing new to the industry.

Since the nationalisation of the industry, the corporation went through several managerial and structural changes which harnessed the industry with a burden of high costs to manage it. Critical spare parts were a major setback to the industry. Expansion of cultivation to increase production was not carefully studied with the adverse weather conditions; time taken to transport sugar cane to the factories causes tremendous amount of delays which contributes to some loss of sucrose content. Factory modernisation to increase productivity was very slow or minimal.

No one wants to see this industry fail or close its doors, as it will impact not only the economy but the livelihoods of thousands of people, both employees, their families and communities. Rather than close the Wales sugar factory or estate, streamline the entire sugar industry trimming the top by means of Attrition. (No layoffs). Relocate people if needs be. Relocation was done in the 60s. There is need to maintain skills and experience.

A few suggestions if I may for the survival of the industry: they may not be satisfying suggestions to everyone, but there could still be hope to the save the industry in general.

1. Have one regional director for Berbice and one for the Demerara estates.

2. One finance director who reports to the chairman or the corporation’s executive. There is no need for several directors, it is already too top-heavy and too costly.

3. There is no need for administrative managers at each location. What do they do really? With communication today such as cellphones, e-mail, scans, apps, fax and texts, and the fact that bridges are across the rivers, managers can contact the director in an emergency and discuss any immediate concerns.

social media software can impart and receive information in nanoseconds to and from multi-persons/sources. And though the focus of this editorial is not to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of an open society, it should be said in such a society nothing is hidden for long, equally as the desire to hold persons to account will be left unpursued.

Leaders in their public and private lives need to take note of the changes that took place in this landscape and not only be cautious, but be aware that anything they may say or do can be questioned or challenged any and every time. As the demand for good governance cuts across both public and private institutions, citizens will be more alert to their responsibility of holding leaders accountable, and it requires of leaders not to seek to shut citizens out, but to respond positively to this environment.

It is only by doing that,that the respect leaders expect will be given. The revolutionising of the information industry brings with it new experiences, through which societies learn from each other across continents and countries, and vivid day-to-day experiences are being witnessed.

Consequently, it should be noted that since this change, modern and progressive leaders are responding in positive ways which give assurances to and build confidence with the masses.

4. Maintain a factory manager, a production manager, a personnel manager, and a field manager in each location.

5. These four managers per location can report to the regional director.

6. The production manager should have a Chemistry background and his prime responsibility will be to oversee and direct quality sugar-processing.

7. The director can hold scheduled meetings with these managers or as warranted.

Managers ‘Must’ carry their load and be prepared to take the initiative with the added responsibilities of preparing their own budgets and to make certain decisions in their respective departments for the survival of the industry. Something they learned in university.

8. There is no need for assistant factory managers, assistant personnel managers, an office manager or assistant field managers.

9. A qualified accountant or a senior office accountant should report to the personnel manager.

10. In the offices in case of an absence of any of the managers, a senior supervisor can perform that duty temporarily.

11. The factory production manager or an engineer (chemist, electrical or mechanical) can act for the factory manager.

12. A shift engineer can act for the production manager.

13. A senior field superintendent can act for the field managers in their absence.

14. Shift engineers can be shift supervisors.

15. Shift foremen reports to shift engineers.

16. Replace shift managers with shift engineers.

17. Managers/Engineers perform stores responsibility.

18. One senior supervisor only to manage the stores with qualified staff.

19. Health care services and staff, the security and sports officer report to the personnel manager as was previously structured.

20. Field workshop superintendents report to the field managers.

21. A departmental supervisor can act in that capacity if the workshop superintendent is away.

22. Remove regional superintendents.

23. No general store required like the Enmore Fiasco – Fire caused Guysuco millions in losses. Every location is responsible for the parts and materials under their individual budgets.

24. The Apprentice Training Centre Superintendent should report to the director and not to a factory manager or personnel manager. (This position should be held by a university graduate or one with a minimum of 12 years of experience).

Bottom line, directors, admins and all assistants (Factory, Office and Field) are repositioned.

The final straw is to use the process of Attrition and Reallocation to save the industry without Retrenchment. People will have to realise the importance of saving sugar and the long-term effects on the country for generations to come. It is Survival of the Industry.

Unions must negotiate and support some of this and they will have to take measures to educate workers and to be upfront with a “Tell it like it is” approach, so that the workers must realise the seriousness and consequences if the industry closes. It is better to transfer and reshuffle instead of massive retrenchment or closures.

Who knows if this is the beginning or if it will ever end.

Remember: The price for sugar at the world market has dropped tremendously, while production costs have increased throughout the years.

Regards Concerned Citizen

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, January 21, 2016

PM, Iwokrama chairman meet on renewable energy

By Rabindra Rooplall

IN charting a ‘green’ economy and a more sustainable Iwokrama, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo yesterday met with Chairman of Iwokrama Dr. Rajendra Pachauri who is also Director General of the Energy and Resources Institute of India to discuss areas of mutual interest.

During the courtesy call at the Office of the Prime Minister they discussed issues pertaining to Guyana moving towards a ‘green’ economy. Attending the meeting also was Chief Executive Officer of Iwokrama,

Dane Gobin.

Dr. Pachauri said he was very enthused about the vision of Guyana moving towards a ‘green’ economy and a partnership can be established with the leadership of the government to ensure resources are used efficiently.

Dr. Pachauri is a renowned climate scientist and Nobel Peace Prize winner.

Modern Energy “I know Guyana is generating a lot of power from hydrocarbon resources and that is certainly not something that is going to happen in the future so we need to bring about a shift in a more efficient use of energy and much

greater use of renewables and making modern energy accessible to those who may not have access to it today,” the Iwokrama chairman said.

He noted that he has been visiting Guyana for the past 25 years, and has found Guyanese to be friendly and open and hopefully partnerships can be created to further develop the country.

Prime Minister Nagamootoo said Guyana has an abundance of natural resources but financial assistance is needed to promote a greater energy sector and life for Guyanese through various partnerships.

Nagamootoo asserted

Sixth Street residents need peace not constant police harassment Dear Editor

REFERENCE is hereby made to the above caption as it relates to a senior officer stationed at the Alberttown Police Station.

An ongoing court matter between two residents of Sixth Street, Alberttown, is resulting in continuous visitations by police ranks, to a specific businessplace opposite the residence of an unruly neighbour. Suffice it to say that Luke along with his mother, operates Flavours Fish Shop and Beer Garden, which from time to time hosts a takeaway Bar-b-Que. As such, music for enhancing sales and customers’ leisure is played moderately.

Editor, even when it’s ordinary business and customers are consuming alcoholic beverages; viewing various sports disciplines on a large screen. The neighbour resorts to calling her contact at the Alberttown Station about the noise nuisance. Apart from being unjustified and untruthful, results in a visit by police ranks, at the behest of her contact. In one such instance, when a bar-b-que

was held, Luke had ventured into her yard, while she was out to deliver an order to the complainant’s tenant. This led to a verbal exchange between both individuals, with a court case being made out that is ongoing, under the pretext of “physical assault” by both parties, following separate reports to the Alberttown Police Station.

However, despite neighbours avoiding and ignoring the individual, she still makes frequent complaints to the station. Most recently, a resident was forced to pay a $10,000 fine to the court for “noise disturbance.” The individual was merely trying out his Sound System daytime, following remedial works by a technician, ahead of a booking. With the stereo set, awaiting transportation to the venue, up came the police outfit with the charge sheet.

In the final analysis, “good neighbourly relations” is essential for community development and nation-building, but definitely not “strife-making and police harassment,” owing to contacts and idle gossip.

The harassed and targeted individuals are progressive

young tradesmen, who ply their respective trades of woodworking, automotive bodywork and shop- keeping, devoid of illicit activities. At no given juncture is the Flavours Fish Shop and Bar opened beyond midnight, save and except when the facility was rented out for a staff party during the Christmas season. This event nevertheless didn’t go up to 02:00 hrs, so in actuality the respective law was upheld!

This individual, Miss Salotie Daniels, is so self-centred and egocentric that in one instance, she placed boulders on the council’s parapet to prevent any vehicle from parking in front of her residence.

At the end of the day all that is being sought by the residents is peace and harmony.

Yours Truly, Shawn Sullivan.

Concerned Resident.

NB: For personal reasons and respect for the judiciary, kindly refrain from publishing the names of the businessplace and the individuals. Thank you.

that the commitment to a ‘green’ economy and sustainable development cannot be overemphasized as Iwokrama is a patrimony to humanity in the form of a lung.

“We look forward for the assistance to keep the laboratory of nature going and to be able to harness all the ingredients of the environment to produce medicines and pharmaceutical products that can benefit all,” the Prime Minister said.

Meanwhile, President David Granger had also given a commitment to work closely with the Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development, with the aim of restructuring the agenda.

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and Chairman of Iwokrama Dr. Rajendra Pachauri are deep in conversation during the courtesy call.

Guyana’s international rain forest conservation, research and development centre, Iwokrama, was established in 1996 under a joint mandate from the Government of Guyana

and the Commonwealth Secretariat to manage the Iwokrama forest reserve of 371,000 hectares of rainforest. The canopy walkway is one of its most distinguished features.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, January 21, 2016

This Week

50 Years Ago

Sir Lionel Luckhoo, British Guiana’s High Commissioner in London is greeted by a welcoming party shortly after a BOAC jet touched down at Atkinson Field on the return leg of the inaugural flight on January 23, 1966. The party included his sister Mrs. Ena Byrne (left) and his sister-in-law Mrs. Luckhoo (right)

Sattaur’s son fined for dangerous driving NINETEEN-year-old Fiyad Sattaur of Ogle, East Coast Demerara, who is the son of the Guy-

Thursday, January 21, 2016 - 14:30 hrs Friday, January 22, 2016 - 14:30 hrs Saturday, January 23, 2016 - 05:00 hrs

ana Revenue Authority (GRA) Commissioner General, Khurshid Sattaur, was yesterday

fined $25,000 when he appeared before city Magistrate Reneta Singh on a dangerous driving charge.

According to the prosecution’s facts, on Saturday, January 16, while he was en route to classes at the Islamic School on East Street in Georgetown, he drove in a dangerous manner when he overtook a line of vehicles awaiting the direction of the traffic light at the junction on Sandy Babb Street, Kitty.

A Police Sergeant, who is attached to the Traffic Department and was dressed in uniform, was driving a private motor vehicle car along Sandy Babb Street, Kitty, when she observed motor vehicle PRR 4423 overtake a line

of other motor vehicles waiting at the traffic lights.

The police stated further that the police rank made a note of the vehicle’s registration number, intent on following up with prosecution. However, she caught up with the vehicle at the intersection of Lamaha and Albert Streets, where she drove up alongside and told the driver of the offence committed. He however drove away.

According to the police, the Traffic Sergeant drove behind Sattaur and caught up again with the vehicle at Lamaha and East Streets. She again told him of the offence committed and requested that he follow her to Traffic Headquarters.

He complied.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, January 21, 2016

Region Two REO refutes ‘luxury lifestyle’ accusations

– discloses threat to poison his food

By Vanessa Braithwaite REGION Two Regional Executive Officer Rupert Hopkinson has refuted accusations that he has been living in luxury on state funds.

The Region Two REO debunked the allegations published in a recent issue of the Guyana Times, branding them as “false and misleading.”

The Guyana Times story had claimed that the REO was living a luxurious life at the State House, through unauthorized spending from the State House account.

However, in an exclusive interview with the Guyana Chronicle, the REO explained that he was temporarily dwelling at the State House as no house had been designated for him at the time. He said also that he was forced to live in a smaller house than what his subordinates were living in and he refused to degrade himself by occupying such a property.

POISON THREAT The REO told this publication that he was forced out of the State’s property after it was alleged that

rently residing was customarily used for the housing of government guests if the State House was filled. He posited that this property is far from luxurious and before taking up the post of REO, he had been in more extravagant properties in Eccles East Bank Demerara and the United States.

The property which was in a deplorable state after it

cess of $100,000 on decorative plants, the REO did not refute this but said that his intention was to beautify the environs of the State’s property so that it would be welcoming to the President or any government official whenever they are guests at the property. “If the President wishes to have a meeting outside in the yard when he comes, he must be

The plants that were bought to beautify the State property

was abandoned was refurbished and he is currently residing there. According to the REO, the three-bedroom, wooden apartment is furnished with his furniture

able to do so because the environment must be clean and refreshing and that is why I planted the plants,” Hopkinson said.

The REO said that cur-

The house the REO has been asked to live in is the smallest of those owned by the State

the three cooks assigned to him were overheard by another house staff plotting to poison his food. These allegations forced him to conduct emergency renovations to another building in the compound in fear of his life. Currently there are no maids or cooks assigned to him.

The REO said that the property in which he is cur-

designated for me to live in. I studied for seven years and I cannot live in a chicken coop,” he declared.

The REO also observed that State houses are still being occupied by persons affiliated to the opposition and they should vacate these homes. It was also revealed to this publication that an electrician in the employ of the region who is the nephew of a former Regional Chairman is liv-

and home appliances except for a stove, refrigerator and television stand. When Guyana Chronicle visited the house, it was without curtains and the REO said none had been provided for him.

BEAUTIFYING THE ENVIRONMENT Responding to the allegation that he spent in ex-

rently the State houses are occupied by several persons in the employ of the Region, including maids. He said that the house designated to him is the smallest of these and is in a deplorable state.

“I am the REO and my subordinates such as the Assistant REO should not be living in houses bigger and better than the house

ing in one of the State’s houses, but owns his own house, which he is renting to earn additional funds.

“When I asked him, he said ‘REO, me got two wife and that is why I get two property’,” he told the Guyana Chronicle.

Regarding the allegation about him occupying the room designated for the President and Prime Minister during the Prime Minister’s last visit to the Region, the REO said such an allegation was false as that was never the case.

He said that he vacated the room and occupied a room at the bottom flat of the building during the PM’s visit as he was fully aware of the purpose the master room of the house. “Am I mad to do such a thing?” the REO asked rhetorically.

Hopkinson added that the allegations made against him were attempts to have the government remove him from the position of REO. “This is a deliberate attempt to thwart my efforts,” the REO said, adding that he had made tremendous progress over the last four months in initiatives never previously attempted.

Sweet agenda Bharrat Jagdeo is busy with his recent interest surrounding the goings on in the sugar industry. Not like you’d expect anything less from the leader of an opposition which is desperately trying every move possible to shake the current government.

Following the announcement that the government would close the Wales sugar estate, Bharrat Jagdeo made haste to the Wales community to show his support- or more like peddle his own divisive agenda- by telling the workers that the move was a callous one on the government’s behalf and is meant to hurt the supporters of the opposition.

He then upped the ante by pointing out that the government is ignoring its own Commission of Inquiry report in which it stated that no sugar estate should be closed due to the economic impact it would have on the sugar workers. Regardless, people are deep in discussion on the matter, stating that Jagdeo is one to talk since his own administration did some estate closing in its time. People are also willing to accept that a change in circumstances requires that the current administration act accordingly, hence the decision to close the estate. At the very least, Jagdeo did his homework, so I guess we just wait on the government’s response?

HOME NOT-SO-SWEET HOME

The announcement that a gated community would be erected for staff of the M&CC was good news perhaps only for the M&CC staff themselves, because everyone else was upset. Seems like the majority feels as though doctors and other types of workers should be considered for this privilege before the ‘lowly’ M&CC staff.

PRO of the M&CC Debra Lewis stated that one of the main reasons for this move was to boost the workers’ morale so as to retain their services.

If that’s the case, however, one can argue that there are many other categories of workers who need their morale boosted as well, so what about them? I guess that’s why they’re all upset. Some say you can’t rush change, and that this is a good start. In a world where all types of workers get gated communities, I wonder which group would be next. I’m rooting for the sugar workers.

MEL’S MOVE The internet is now calling Mel out for having a double standard, after asking former Australian cricketer Mark Waugh out for a drink while on TV. You would remember that Chris Gayle was placed under a universal microscope for his similar request made to her. She was also quick to state in response to the occurrence that “we (women) always want equality” and that the move was “a little bit disappointing”. Of course, some are saying that they are two different situations, but others are saying ‘a spade is a spade’ and that it is inappropriate just the same. My question is, will she be fined too? But of course, we know the answer this.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, January 21, 2016

make a Rape charge for Region 3 helps difference – in lives of hapless youths police constable

By Leroy Smith

A POLICEMAN should be heading to court before the week is over to answer charges of rape committed on a female below the age of 16 years.

The advice from the Director of Public Prosecution comes on the heels of an article published in the Guyana Chronicle’s Tuesday edition captioned “A mother cries for justice.”

Yesterday, in a statement from the Chambers of the Director of Public prosecution it was noted that the files pertaining to the matter of rape and abduction of the 14 year old were returned to the police with advice.

On the issue of rape the police were advised to charge the accused with rape while in the matter of abduction the police were advised to refer the teenager to the Child Care Protection Agency.

It was the Guyana Chronicle newspaper which first reported on this matter and has been in constant contact with the victim, her mother and the relevant agencies who were engaged in the matter.

Ironically, it was only yesterday that the mother of the child came to this publication in tears as she lamented the slothfulness in which the matter was being dealt with. Prior to that, she visited this publication’s office on numerous occasions seeking updates on the status of the investigation.

Earlier this week, when the mother of the child came

to this newspaper, we reported that she was crying out for justice, knocking on all doors to ensure justice for her 14-year-old daughter. Since the incident, the mother has been visiting the Police, Child Care and Protection Agency and even the Chambers of the Director of Public prosecution for updates on the matter. Each time the woman visited the Chronicle she broke down in tears. She would often say that while her child might have been in the wrong place at the wrong time, the policeman who allegedly took advantage of her ought not to have done so since she went to him for protection when the incident took place.

The problems for the child and her mother began after the child went missing from home for a few days.

She was later found and the police and the child care protection agency were immediately called.

The initial investigation involving the teen started with a case of investigating her abduction as she was reportedly being held against her will. But when the matter of the alleged rape committed by the policeman came up, there was no more mention of the investigations into the abduction, which was being conducted by the Timehri Police Station.

The teenager had proven to be a virgin before she went missing and that information is with the police as that test was conducted at the Brickdam Police Station.

It was also confirmed that the Brickdam Police clinic did another test on the child after she resurfaced after being missing and it was then that she was found to no longer have her virginity. In her statements to the police she reportedly cleared her abductor of rape, but did place him at the center of her disappearance, which amounts to abduction as she was being held against her will.

Days after the policeman, who reportedly raped the girl was picked up and placed under close arrest, his sister who serves as a doctor at the Georgetown Public Hospital, reportedly approached the mother of the teenager to settle the matter.

Her approach was to have the teenager return to the police and contradict her initial statement and she instructed the mother of the child to tell the police that she (the child) lied about the whole story involving the police and that she was a child and made up the entire story against the cop.

That conversation was caught on tape and provided to this publication. The mother of the child was advised by the Child Care and Protection Agency to report that aspect of the unfolding to the police at the Brickdam police Station so that charges could be laid against the doctor.

However it is unclear if the woman ever made a move in that direction and what is the status of that aspect of the ordeal.

Shaking hands on the deal are ‘D’ Division Commander, Stephen Mansell (fifth left) and Regional Executive Officer, Region Three, Denis Jaikaran (third right)

THE Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) administration on Tuesday made available a building at Leonora to the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to facilitate the training of youths in the district in information technology and cookery.

According to Regional Executive Officer (REO), Denis Jaikaran, the idea is to foster closer ties with the force by ensuring that youths in the region benefit from whatever skills training are on offer through courses and programmes at a community level.

He said the region fully supports whatever initiative the force, specifically ‘D’ Division, may have in mind for the advancement of youths in the region, and that as fast as facilities become available, they will be handed over to the police to do with as they see fit.

“There are a few unoccupied buildings in the region, and it is our intention to hand

these buildings over to the GPF,” he said, adding: “And I have had conversations with the Commander, and we will go and have a check in the region to identify edifices which can be utilised by the police.”

Both the IT and cookery classes, he said, will be run by the police and the NGO, ‘Cops and Faith Network’ in an effort to enrich the lives of those youths who may have fallen through the cracks, particularly the school drop-outs and the delinquent.

According to Head of ‘D’ Division, Commander Stephen Mansell, it is the first such partnership that has been forged among the regional administration, the police, and faith-based organisations, and that the facility at reference will boast an Internet-ready computer centre, so as to make it easy for the youths to access information and do research whenever they need to.

He said Food For the Poor has also chipped in by donating six desk-top computers to the cause, and that the cookery

section comes with a fully equipped kitchen. The cookery courses, he said, which will be six weeks in duration, will be facilitated by trained staff from the Madina Restaurant.

The target groups for these courses are youths between the ages of 14-25, early school-leavers and the unemployed from the villages of Den Amstel to Uitvlugt.

At the end of the course, Manesll said, they could either branch out into their own businesses, or go further their studies in the culinary field at such institutions of higher learning as the Carnegie School of Home Economics.

Plans are also in train, he said, to have a fully functioning library at the same location, since they already have a collection of books, compliments of the Leonora Secondary School.

This is one of many community-based initiatives started by the police in that division to develop the lives of youths by way of partnerships. (Michel Outridge)

Justice Singh labelled one of the most feared judges JUSTICE Navindra Singh, is one of the most feared judges around.

This was the opinion of murder accused Morgan, one of five alleged killers taken to the High Court in chains from the Georgetown prison yesterday to have their cases fixed for hearing.

And Morgan, who has named the lawyer whom he would like to defend him as Mr. George Thomas, but has not yet retained him, was told by the judge that if he did not succeed in retaining that lawyer he should let someone in authority know, and efforts would be made to assign a lawyer on his behalf.

At this stage the bald-headed prisoner told the judge, “I have a report for you.” And when told to go ahead with his report, he began by saying: “Behind the prison doors you are referred to as the prosecution’s judge, who imposes harsh sentences.” Justice Singh, in replying to the prisoner told him, “All I am seeking to do is to ensure that justice is done and that everyone gets a fair trial.”

The judge then explained: “I am in a position where if found guilty, I could impose the death penalty or inflict a prison sentence.

Which penalty you prefer…

the sentence or the death penalty?” Morgan’s reply was inaudible.

Some time ago a defence lawyer whose client was convicted and sent to jail for a long period, declared that the judge was attempting to satisfy the wishes of the Human Rights people, who talk glibly about the punishment meted out to the killers, but remain reticent when it comes to relating the horrible deaths victims suffer at the hands of their murderers.

On the other hand there are those who would support the bible and say, “He who lives by the sword must die by the sword.”

Voir dire continues in Duncan murder trial JUSTICE Madam Seunarine Beharry, the presiding judge in the Leon Duncan murder trial is conducting a voir dire (a trial within a trial) to determine

the admissibility of an alleged confession.

The voir dire began when the prosecution led by Miss Stacy Goodings decided to put into evidence an alleged

oral confession.

The defence, led by Mark Waldron, objected to the alleged confession which sparked off the voir dire by the judge.

11

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, January 21, 2016

World Bank helping gov’t recover stolen assets REPRESENTATIVES of the World Bank’s Stolen Assets Recovery Agency (STAR) are currently in Guyana to meet with various stakeholders.

Minister of State Joseph Harmon said the mission commenced its meeting here Wednesday.

“That scoping mission is here in the country; they started their meetings this morning [Wednesday] and they will continue meeting with various personnel in the government, civil society, the judiciary and in all agencies that can advise on what needs to be done with respect to the recovery of stolen assets,”

Harmon said at a post-Cabinet news briefing at the Ministry of the Presidency in Georgetown.

According to Harmon, the mission’s meetings with stakeholders will result in the crafting of an action plan that is to be submitted by March 28. The group will work out with the State Asset Recovery Unit (SARU) the way forward in that regard.

The representatives of STAR are scheduled to meet with Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Basil Williams on Friday morning, according to an advisory from the Ministry of Legal Affairs.

Over the past few months, the APNU+AFC coalition has been placing much emphasis on the recovery of state assets and has since sought assistance from several international firms in that regard.

Just after taking office in May last year, the coalition government reported that state assets, including vehicles, were in the possession of Dr Jennifer Westford, former Public Service Minister under the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government. She is currently before the court for attempting to transfer state property to her friends and herself.

Granger for LAC Summit in Ecuador PRESIDENT David Granger will be attending the Fourth Summit of the Heads of State and Governments of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) in Quito, Ecuador, next week.

This was announced on Wednesday by Minister of State Joseph Harmon at his post-cabinet press briefing held at the Ministry of the Presidency. “…the president is looking forward to his vis-

it and to meet with the President of Ecuador from January 24-27,” Minister Harmon told reporters.

The summit will commence on January 24 and conclude on January 27. The President will be accompanied by Carl Greenidge, Vice-President and Minister of Foreign Affairs, also Ambassador Audrey Waddell and Director-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

President David Granger

Badal to chair GPL board – other state boards also appointed BUSINESSMAN Robert Badal has been appointed to chair the board of directors of the Guyana Power and Light Incorporated (GPL). This was announced by Minister of State Joseph Harmon on Friday at his post-Cabinet press briefing.

Badal is the owner and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Pegasus Hotel in Kingston, Georgetown and also Director of Guyana Stockfeeds Incorporated.

Harmon said Cabinet has approved the appointments of members of several state boards within the Ministries of Public Infrastructure and Public Security.

Attorney Stephen Fraser will chair the Cheddi Jagan

Robert Badal

International Airport (CJIA) board, while the Demerara Harbour Bridge board will be chaired by Xavier Hussain.

Under the Ministry of Public Security, Cabinet has approved the appointment of

Murray Greenidge as Chairman of the Guyana Prison Service Training Board. At the same time Dr. Simpson Da Silva will head the Guyana Prison Service Agriculture Development Board, while Mrs. Alona Sankar and Dr. Melissa Ifill will be chairpersons of the Guyana Prison Service Recruitment Board and the Guyana Prison Service Sentence Management Board, respectively.

Additionally, The Firearm Licensing Board will be chaired by Roopnarine Sookhai. Other members include Dr. Bhiro Harry, Mrs. Kim Kyte-John and Christina Jagmohan.

Last week, the Civil Aviation and Sea Defence boards were instituted.

Additionally, other former government officials are being investigated. Gov-

ernment believes that evidence will be forthcoming to substantiate its claim

that the former PPP government was involved in corruption.

12

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, January 21, 2016

GAWU questions GUySuCo on Wales closure – Jagdeo proposes alternative measures to save industry

By Navendra Seolall THE country’s sugar workers union, GAWU on Wednesday said it was disappointed that it could not get all of its questions answered regarding the closure of the Wales Sugar Estate.

Officials of GAWU (Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union) engaged the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) at the Corporations Ogle, East Coast Demerara offices.

During a telephone interview with the Guyana Chronicle, GAWU’s President, Komal Chand said: “It seemed as though the Corporation was unprepared for the meeting, given that they were not able to answer questions such as what persuaded them to take the decision, what number of workers will be transferred, how many redundant workers will be in the list and so forth.”

He said that GAWU

would await the answers.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo on Wednesday said the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/ C)-led administration had planned to secure a US$50 million line of credit from India to rehabilitate the sugar factories.

“We can work with them (the government) to mobilise US$50 million dollars,” he told a news conference at Freedom House, the PPP’s headquarters.

He said the PPPC’s administration had planned to use the money to also build electricity co-generation plants at each estate.

The Opposition Leader again vowed that the PPP would organise street protests if government goes ahead with its plan to close the Wales Estate.

He expressed fears regarding the fate of private cane farmers.

“Just that extraction from the economy will create un-

told hardships for the community there,” he said. The government had said private cane farmers will not be affected by the move.

He again accused the government of being vindictive against PPP supporters.

The majority of sugar workers are known to support the PPP, but after 23 years in office, that party left the industry drowning in debt with the factories rundown, as is the case with Skeldon.

In fact, it was under Jagdeo that the Skeldon Modernisation Project was launched and he commissioned a US$180 million factory that failed to live up to its promise of being the boon to the survival of the industry.

Skeldon has been a flop, and while Jagdeo talks about co-generation plants aligned to the industry, in its final year in office, the former adminstration had de-linked the co-generation plant from Skeldon and set up a new company to run it.

Bartica woman killed in accident THIRTY one year old Donetta Williams of Dog Point Bartica was killed after she moved quickly into the path of a moving truck in Central Bartica on Wednesday, January 20, 2016.

According to information reaching the Guyana Chronicle, the woman attempted to race over the road even as the

trucking was making its way along 1st Avenue Bartica.

The driver of the truck, who was identified as Dale Edwards, told investigators that immediately after the accident, he rushed the woman to the Bartica Hospital, where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

Police sources have since

indicated that based on the reports of eyewitnesses, the driver of the truck was not speeding, but rather driving moderately when the accident took place.

Edwards is in police custody assisting with investigations even as truck - GRR 7153 - remains with the police for inspection.

Over 300 benefit from medical outreaches Over 300 residents of Black Bush Polder, Fyrish and New Amsterdam benefitted from a medical outreach earlier in the week, which was hosted by the US Embassy Humanitarian Assistance Program (HAP), in collaboration with the Central Islamic Organization of Guyana (CIOG) and Georgetown East Medical Team.

The two-day medical outreach in Region Six provided the residents with free medical services. These included blood sugar testing, counseling and general medicine.

The event was facilitated at

the Fyrish Masjid #1 where patients received screening, treatment, and medicine.

Dr. Bassoo’s medical team of doctors, lab technicians, and pharmacists was supplemented by University of Guyana medical students from nearby communities.

CIOG Representative Imam Shamir Khan expressed gratitude for the humanitarian act which he said was a welcomed one. He highlighted the fact that people who in need of medical attention, often time cannot afford to travel to Georgetown to access those services.

Medical outreach pro-

grammes through HAP represent a core component of the US Embassy’s continuing commitment to work with the Government of Guyana through the Ministry of Health to support enhanced public health for the people of Guyana.

HAP is an initiative under the US Embassy to assist Guyana’s communities, particularly in underserved regions, in the areas of social, economic and medical development. HAP works to bring together multiple local and international agencies to reach common goals.

13

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, January 21, 2016

2-yr-old spared in Berbice accident THE life of a two-year-old girl was spared early yesterday when the driver of a motorcar lost control of the vehicle.

Not only did the outof-control vehicle run into a concrete fence at Lot 11 West Canefield, East Canje, Berbice, but it also destroyed a metal gate in the process, and uprooted one of several posts, before coming to a halt under the two-storey wooden house on the premises.

According to Jacob Ramsammy, mere moments before the incident occurred, he’d told the child, a young relative of his, to go sit in the verandah on the lower flat of the house, as he was going to the garage to take out his vehicle.

No sooner had he reached the garage door, Ramsammy said, that he heard the sound of screeching tyres, and saw out of the corner of his eye a silver-grey Mazda Axela coming from the northern direction, sliding sideways, and catapulting over a six-

On their arrival on the scene of the accident, Ramsammy said he overheard the driver telling the police that he was attempting to avoid a collision with another car which was exiting a nearby gas station, when he lost

foot-wide drain, before slamming into his five-foot-high concrete fence, dismantling the structure in the process.

Such was the impact, he said, that a large boulder was dislodged and sent rolling in his direction, forcing him to run for cover.

When the dust finally settled, Ramsammy said he noticed that in the mêlée, the iron gate had been totally destroyed and one of the house posts had been forcibly removed, before the car could come to a rest.

On seeing this, Ramsam-

my, who lives abroad, said he ran to the vehicle to enquire whether anyone had been injured.

Luckily for the driver, he was the only one in the vehicle, and was able to confirm that he was not injured.

According to Ramsammy, what might have saved him were the air bags, both of which were deployed.

Having made certain that the driver was in good condition, Ramsammy said he called the Reliance Police Station and reported the accident.

control of his.

This newspaper would subsequently learn, however, that at the time of the accident, the owner of the vehicle had minutes earlier appeared at the Reliance Magistrates Court to answer a charge of

driving under the influence of alcohol.

He had sent the driver of PTT 7814 to uplift money to post bail, when the accident occurred.

Investigations are underway.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, January 21, 2016

Suicide is not the answer…

Humanitarian body promotes self-esteem among students

By Nafeeza Yahya IN an effort to combat suicide and other social ills, the importance of self-esteem was taught to secondary school students yesterday as the New Jersey Arya Samaj Humanitarian Mission commenced its pilot programme on self-esteem building.

The objective of the session was to bring awareness

to the core issues of suicide and also educate the youngsters on self-esteem, equip them with resilience, inner strength and confidence needed to face the world.

SELF-ESTEEM Research has shown that children with low self-esteem are often described as hesitant to take risks and move out of their comfort zone.

They often talk and think

negatively about themselves and ultimately feel a sense of no purpose and despair with some seeing suicide as a way out. The session was organized by the Humanitarian Mission and facilitated by Peace Corps Volunteers Kayla Freemon and Zack Keefer.

The facilitators in a very interactive session explained to students the meaning of self-esteem and being able to identify and differentiate Students of the Lower Corentyne Secondary listen as Peace Corps volunteers Kayla Freemon and Zack Keefer speak about self-esteem

between a positive and negative one.

The first session which started at the Lower Corentyne Secondary School aimed to help a core group of students at each school

feel comfortable and exude confidence and feel positive self-esteem so that they can in turn help their peers build their self-esteem as well.

Keefer explained that self-esteem issues can affect every-

one, especially teenagers.

He also noted that the session aimed to help teens feel ‘comfortable in their own skin’ while building their confidence so in turn they Turn to page 20 ►

She's back

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, January 21, 2016

Tears of joy after successful surgery

By Shirley Thomas SHE just can’t help crying.

For 56-year-old Rafina Deepan, they’re tears of joy, having successfully undergone major back surgery.In medical parlance, it’s called lumbar surgery, and it was done right here in Guyana at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Rafina, who lives at Zeelugt, on the East Bank of Essequibo, told the Guyana Chronicle last Wednesday that she was so overcome with joy after successfully coming out of surgery, that for days she kept quietly rejoicing and giving thanks to God, the medical team that saw her through it all, and the hospital administration as well.

ETERNALLY GRATEFUL It was a medical intervention for which the mother of one will be eternally grateful, especially given that she has no formal job, and her husband does only cash-crop farming on a small scale.

What this means, she said, is that she doesn’t have the means of acquiring the money to have the highly technical surgery done at a private institution.

The intervention was spearheaded by orthopaedic surgeon and head of the XI Chinese Medical Brigade here, Dr. Wang Yongxiang.

He was ably assisted by local surgeon, Dr. Kirton Hestick. It was done at no expense to the patient.

Asked how much such an operation would have

Drs. Wang Yongxiang and Hestick speaking with Rufina, post surgery

Rufina Deepan, upon whom the spinal surgery was done on January 12

cost were it done at a private institution, Dr. Wang said that in China, it would have been about US$10,000. But at the GPHC, Rufina paid nothing.

And asked how she now feels physically, Rufina replied: “I feel much better.

Everything was successful, because [before the surgery] I had a lot of pain in my body... “And my two feet, they were swollen; I couldn’t move them. But right now, I could move my feet; I turning both sides,”

bus to Grove and was opposite M&M Snackette when a sand truck ploughed into her, hurling her into the air.

She was picked up by a kind-hearted man on the scene and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where she spent quite some time.

She recalled that when she landed on the road, the people witnessing the accident began to “holler out,” which is what prevented the truck from rolling with her, she said.

Rufina said, visibly trying to come to terms with the reality of the situation.

HORRIBLE ACCIDENT Four years ago, Rufina was injured in a horrible accident on the East Bank Public Road in the vicinity of the Demerara Harbour Bridge, and hadn’t a clue she had suffered spinal injury.

She recalled that she was heading to Grove, on the East Bank, to see her sister who was ill.She was about to cross the road to catch a

But over time, after her discharge, she continued experiencing pains, and eventually numbness in her lower back and both feet.

“Then, as I grew older, I began to walk funny, canting from side to side. I would walk a bit, then have to sit down… Sit, walk, sit, walk,” Rufina said.

Having been operated on one week ago, her recovery has been classified as favourable, according to her doctor. She is expected to be discharged soon.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, January 21, 2016

133,000 lbs of waste removed from Regent St. - night collection of garbage in the pipeline

By Ravin Singh

THE SOLID Waste Department of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) on Sunday continued its productive efforts to enhance the restored Garden City by removing over 133,000 pounds of construction waste along the highly commercialised Regent Street in central Georgetown.

Spearheading the operation, which was described as an ongoing effort, was Solid Waste Director Walter Narine. He explained that the piles of construction waste that were removed were those which were left behind by business owners and contractors subsequent to the completion of construction work at the business location.

The targeted area was Regent Street, from Albert Street to Vlissengen Road. The equivalent of the 132,277 lbs is 60 tonnes.

And according to the Solid Waste Director, these remains usually result in blockage of drains along those commercialised areas. He revealed too that the Georgetown City Council had taken an approach to ban the storing of building materials on the council’s reserve (parapets) due to the existing conditions.

However, he noted that

while no formal invitation had been sent to corporate Guyana to assist the efforts in this regard, his team was managing fairly well with the present human capacity. Nevertheless, Narine noted that support from the business community, whether through human resource or garbage bags and receptacles, was welcomed.

Just last week, the department executed an evening street-sweeping and drain-cleaning exercise in and around the Water Street area. According to the Solid Waste Director, approximately 72 garbage bags were filled with waste which was collected from the area on Tuesday.

Similar exercises are expected to be initiated on a long-term basis, Narine said, adding that the boundaries would be Croal Street, North Road, King Street and Water Street. He said that all the streets and drains within those boundaries would be cleaned routinely, and this was separate from the daily collection of solid waste which is done by contractors of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC).

Presently, Narine has in his employ, eight staff and a garbage truck which facil-

THE Sonia Noel Foundation for Creative Arts plans to host a women’s empowerment forum on March 6, ahead of International Women’s Day, observed annually on March 8.

According to a release from the Ministry of State, the event will be hosted in collaboration with a Trinidadian group named ‘Oxygen with Nicole’ (O2N).

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, was apprised of this yesterday when the founders of both organisations called on him at his Shiv Chanderpaul Drive office. They are local designer, Sonia Noel, who is a veritable household name here, and O2N’s Nicole Dyer of Trinidad. They were accompanied by Caribbean fashion guru, Richard Young.

Again, according to the release, the idea was well received by Minister Harmon, who offered to lend his support in whatever way he can.

Dyer, who is elated that her vision for women’s networking and women’s liberation is finally bearing fruit regionally, said she is earnestly looking forward to all the collaborative energy that would be brought to bear in advancing the cause to ensure a bright, equal, safe and rewarding future for women and girls.

This initiative, the release said, couldn’t come at a better time, as Guyana continues to push for gender equality and women’s empowerment given the demand for integration of women in all sectors of society.

The venue of the event

An M&CC employee hard at work yesterday, cleaning one of the drains on Regent Street itates the evening cleaning which is expected to become a long-term exercise. He is in the process however, of recruiting an additional six persons and expanding the boundaries which are being cleaned routinely, due to its commercialised nature.

Also proposed on a longterm basis is the plan to generally have garbage collection in and around Georgetown collected in the evenings and stored at a holding site, which will be located at a central point.

Narine who recently re-

A mini HYMAC clears construction waste which had been left for some time on the parapet on Regent Street) turned from a Solid Waste forum in Japan, explained that this was a practice which could be adopted, since it provided a more convenient way of collecting garbage.

“During the evening there is less traffic and no sun, so it requires less sol-

id-waste collectors who are already doing strenuous work. Also, the stench emanating from the garbage trucks will not affect people as much during the night, because there isn’t much happening on the roads as in the day,” he said.

Women’s empowerment forum slated for early March

Guyanese fashion designer, Sonia Noel; Minister of State, Joseph Harmon; O2N founder, Nicole Dyer; Caribbean fashion guru Richard Young; and Vanda Neale Gardener

will be made known today during a press conference at the Marriott Hotel, where the facilitators will be more forthcoming about the details.

The delegation also paid a courtesy call on Minister of Social Protection, Volda Lawrence yesterday at her office, where they deliberated on issues related to women’s empowerment in Guyana.

While they had the minister’s ear, they used the opportunity to discuss with her Guyana’s collaborating with O2N on a wider scale.

This programme was already held in several Caribbean countries to address women’s issues.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, January 21, 2016

Sophia residents praise Gov’t as ring road project commences

Residents of Sophia, one of the largest housing areas in the country, are praising the coalition government for the implementation of a project that will link the many geographical areas of the community.

The Sophia ring road project aims at joining the roads of A, B, C, D and E Fields, Sophia, which will create the type of ingress and egress necessary for the evolution and development of a good community.

Omawallie Caesar, a B field resident told the Government Information Agency (GINA) that the project offers a great help for the Sophia Community.

“A lot of people in the community happy for it… even people out of the community passing through every day feeling a lot more secure… Vehicles can traverse and the police can too, to see if crime is performing,” Caesar explained.

Daryl Isaacs of E Field Sophia is most appreciative of now benefitting from a paved network in the area; however he voiced concerns over the manner in which it is being used by motorists.

“We know it’s a one -lane road, but drivers tend not to exercise the five Cs on the road, instead of a driver driving on his side, he is taking more of the other side… if someone is going in the opposite direction toward him that person has to come off the road to give that vehicle their way,” Isaacs explained.

He advised that the police make frequent visits in the area and that speed bumps be installed along the road.

Neilson Mc Kenzie, Community Coordinator, Ministry of Public Infrastructure indicated that the transformation of the community’s road network is in keeping with the aspirations to complete all necessary facilities to ensure sound education and inter-relations.

“Currently we are at the southern extremity of A Field Sophia…they are joining the roads across to B Field…this exercise would continue to C, D and E fields…. They are also doing some work to the northern extremity which is the paling of Dennis Street since it is prone to have some levels of slippage,” Mc Kenzie explained.

He added that there were excavation of the old road structures and a complete rehabilitation and rebuild of the said structure; however some of the Guyana Water Incorporated’s mains will have to be relocated. This is to accommodate culverts, bridges, and conduits which are necessary for the continuation of the exercise. (Story and photos contributed by the Government Information Agency)

This Sophia road was recently excavated and will soon be asphalted.

Works ongoing at Dennis Street.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, January 21, 2016

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, January 21, 2016

UG establishes Transformational Task Force – to assist in meeting mandate THE University of Guyana (UG) Council has announced the establishment of a Transformational Task Force (TTF) which will seek to “re-position” the university to meet its outlined mission and mandate.

In a statement issued yesterday, the institution noted that the task force, which was approved in November of 2015, will comprise persons from the university and from various sectors of Guyana, the Caribbean and the diaspora.

The TTF is expected to meet in February, and over a three-day period, presentations will be made by mem-

bers of the university and other resource persons representing various sectors across Guyana.

KEY CONSIDERATIONS “Some of the key considerations will be an understanding of the development needs of Guyana, and Guyana’s contribution to the Caribbean region; how UG can be structured to meet those needs; and the human resource, infrastructure and, importantly, financial requirements to support this effort,” the statement said.

Further, the council noted that the task force is expect-

ed to establish the broad priorities that must be addressed; outline critical steps to achieve these; and the persons responsible for leading the effort in each case must be identified.

RESOURCE SUPPORT Sources of potential resource support, and how these are to be accessed, will be a critical consideration, it said, adding that the task force will define a broad framework to guide the strategic planning of the university; mobilise the country to definitively address some of the known challenges of the institution; and invest in creating an enterprise that better serves the needs of Guyana.

The framework, according to the statement, will be submitted to the University Council for approval and for the appointment of a sub-committee to monitor its implementation.

Further, it was noted that this is not the first effort of its kind at UG. In fact, there have been a number of such initiatives in the past two decades, but those were not adequately resourced and/or implemented.

And having acknowledged this fact, the administrative body has committed

to working towards enlisting the firm support of all sectors of Guyana, the university, the diaspora and donor agencies to genuinely contribute to this effort.

“The University Council is committed to supporting the implementation of the recommendations of the TTF, and will be investing considerable time and influence to do this. The Council is counting on the personal investment of every member of the university to advocate for and contribute to a successful and lasting transformation of

the university,” the statement said.

SCHOOL OF MEDICINE Just last year, the UG School of Medicine (UGSM) lost its accreditation following the university’s delay in submitting a report on the school’s progress to the Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education in Medicine and other Health Professions (CAAM-HP).

The accreditation is expected to be restored later this year, in light of ongoing efforts towards this end.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, January 21, 2016

Don’t sensationalise suicide, media urged – to prevent copycat cases OFFICIALS from the Mental Health Unit of the Ministry of Public Health are urging members of the media to desist from sensationalising the issue of suicide.

According to a press release, National Mental Health Services Coordinator in the Ministry of Public Health, Leslyn Holder stressed that while officials are not urging the media to lessen reports on suicide, they are asking that they be cautious, considerate and humane.

“It is very important to consider what is reported.

We have to report things but WHAT is the operative word. There is absolutely no need to include details such as names, addresses, means, photographs of the victims and particularly no plans,”

Holder stressed.

ONLY BASIC INFORMATION The coordinator stressed that if a certain method was used by a person to commit the act, the media should desist from providing any details of the plans, and instead provide only the basic information.

“There are certain things to consider which contribute to copycat cases and these can also affect the survivors.

We have to be careful and considerate to the family, the loved ones, and even the community in which it may happen,” Holder asserted.

EDUCATION While acknowledging the 5 Ws and H (who, what, why,

where, when and how) which form the basis of a news story, the coordinator said that the media should place more emphasis on educating the populace.

“You can talk about how persons can seek help, reducing means; you can do so much as the media in educating people. Instead of

capitalizing on the victim and the family, capitalize on education; capitalize on what is positive and what would impact positively on the nation,” she urged.

Meanwhile, Head of Psychiatry at the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Bhiro Harry also stressed the important role the media play

in reducing the incidence of suicide in Guyana.

Additionally, Dr. Harry is assuring the Guyanese public that the Unit continues to train healthcare providers at the different levels to offer assistance.

There are trained persons in most, if not all, of the health facilities in Guyana.

And mental health services are available at the GPHC, in New Amsterdam, as well satellite clinics in Parika, Linden and Suddie.

Officials from the Mental Health Unit are working towards extending those services this year to Diamond, Leonora, Mahaicony, Bartica and even as far as Baramita in Region 1 (Barima-Waini).

SEEK HELP Dr. Harry, the release stated, urged Guyanese who may have suicidal thoughts

to seek help, whether it is from their peers, teachers, religious leaders, youth leaders, at health centres or at the community level.

He noted that tackling the issue of suicide requires a multi-sectoral approach as well as support of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and assured that they are willing to collaborate with anyone who is willing to play a role.

Psychologist and Addiction Specialist attached to the Ministry of Public Health, Caitlin Vieira said that the media need to focus more on publishing the toll free numbers of the 24-hour Suicide Prevention help lines.

Those numbers are 2230001, 223-0009, 623-4444 and 600-7896, and persons can also request to be called as well as text the given cell phone numbers.

Linden residents briefed on housing programme RECENTLY-appointed Minister within the Ministry of Communities Valarie Patterson last Monday held a meeting with the residents of Linden to discuss housing and land allocation issues.

Scores of residents turned up to voice their concerns and seek solutions to matters pending over a decade and in some cases two decades.

The minister disclosed to the residents that there are currently 25,000 active applications within the system and she pledged to work assiduously to have these lands given out to the people before the completion of 2016.

LOW INCOME LANDS The Minister within the Ministry of Communities said that those applications are not only from Lindeners but include applicants countrywide and she would be focusing on everyone.

However, she stated forthrightly that there are currently no low income lands available in Linden to be allocated. This, she said, is the fundamental reason why applications are backed up as most applicants require low income lands.

To remedy this, Minister Patterson said that she has given the projects department the mandate to find land for the people within one month. This disclosure was quite a surprise to many persons as they were never cognizant of such a situation.

“You have not been given lands because there is

nothing to give you and I believe that people should know the truth and the truth is that there are no lands for you,” the minister stated frankly. She said that this is a countrywide land dilemma since there are only high income and middle income lands available.

As a result, persons earning below $100,000 would not be allocated lands because of the unavailability.

She promised, however, that this will be solved in the near future as the projects department had been given a strict mandate to find lands within one month.

HOUSE LOTS THIS YEAR Minister Patterson also told the people that the government has to provide the necessary amenities before granting house lots. “So when we allocate a lot to you, there would already have roads so you don’t have to find your way through the bush to get to your lot,” she said. Moreover, she explained that this responsibility lies with the Ministry of Communities alone and will take some time. The minister stated that although this mandate is time consuming, she is promising that persons who applied will be given house lots this year. “I promise the people of Guyana that they will get house lots and I am pushing to allot 25,000 this year,” she said.

REPOSSESSION The residents recommended that one way to decrease the amount of applica-

tions is by repossessing lands from those who fail to build years after being granted a house lot. The minister said that repossession will only occur if the person had been granted title but still failed to build. If the person does not possess their title, then no repossession will occur as a title is a requirement for a bank loan and these persons may genuinely not have the resources to build by other means.

SQUATTING Even though there were many squatters present at the meeting who voiced their concerns about their position, the minister noted that squatting is illegal and she will not be presiding over disorder and illegality.

In view of the high number of squatters, however, the minister said she had requested that the projects department seek out the squatting areas countrywide so as to ascertain their numbers in an effort to regularize these lands. She said, however, that no new squatters will be encouraged and those residing on government reserves will not be regularized.

“I am not going to preside over disorder and illegality, however I am prepared to help you if your situation warrants assistance,” the minister told the residents.

Before regularization occurs, however, the area will have to be surveyed, since in some instances persons are living where roads and bridges should be. In addition to this, the minister said that those squatting on more than

one piece of land will not see regulation because it will be unfair to persons who own no land.

NOT ALL GOV’TOWNED LANDS The minister also told the residents that not all lands are owned by the Ministry of Communities and even though they may see available lands in the community, they are not all government-owned. Some of the lands are owned by NICIL, Lands and Survey and the

Town’s Municipality and the ministry cannot possess these lands and simply allocate house lots. Consultations will have to be held with these land owners in order to have some of these lands transferred to the people to commence allocations.

CONDOMINIUMS The minister said also that she will be moving towards building homes that will accommodate more than one family. These houses will be condominiums and

will strive to decrease the land shortage in the country.

“These houses will be provided so as to maximize the use of the land, but it should not be abused and turned into a tenement yard,” she said.

Negotiations will be made with the land owners to have this vision materialized.

Patterson urged the residents to display patience and understand that these developments take time, but she promised that persons will be allocated lots before the end of 2016.

Humanitarian body promotes...

From page 14

can help others to build their self-esteem.

The second session was held with a group of students from the Port Mourant Secondary School. Meanwhile, President of the NJASHM Suresh Sugrim in an exclusive interview with Guyana Chronicle said his organisation is going to do whatever it takes to get this suicide epidemic under control in Region 6.

“Taking lives - it’s a mindset of something and we are hoping to work with the younger generation, work with the school, the education, health together we can make a difference as it is the mission of the NJAS. We are here to break that vicious cycle and to regain family status and we need to focus

on individuals and family values.”

Sugrim, also used the opportunity to plead with parents to listen to their children and be there for them. “There are tremendous breakdowns in family values and if we look what’s been happen over the past weeks with our young children who are criminals they should have been in school so I am asking parents to start taking control of your children. Invest into your children’s wellbeing - don’t allow your children to become parents at a young age as parents you have an obligation to your children.”

Chairman of the NJASHM Dauren Deonarine said with the recent rise in suicide they decided to take a step in putting a stop

to the crisis. “We decide to tackle the problem from its core - we are dealing with a root issue… our primary target is the young people who when they get older and move on will instill the values into others around them so we saw it wise to target the younger children.”

Deonarine said that the sessions will continue with various secondary schools across the Region and will later move on to primary schools.

Meanwhile, persons are being encouraged to come out and support a Suicide Prevention Walkathon on January 22 commencing at 9:30hrs at Dr. Tulsi Street, Williamsburg and ending at the Port Mourant Community Centre ground.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, January 21, 2016

TT Red Force...

From backpage

dropped no less than three easy chances.

Earlier, the T&T Red Force openers Evin Lewis and Kyle Hope struggled to score freely especially against off-spinner Steven Jacobs whose nagging accuracy and clever variations made life extremely uncomfortable for both batsmen whose lack of footwork left much to be desired on a sluggish pitch.

And despite a left side strain sustained in his third over, Jacobs persevered and eventually prised out both

Lewis and Hope within the space of five runs. He forced Hope (15 runs, 21b, 2x4s) to push forward and umpire Patrick Gustard ruled came off the edged and ballooned to second slip where Johnson dived to his right to take the catch low down.

It was 39 for 1 and soon after Lewis was caught by wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin off Jacobs for 20 (34b, 4x4s). Kjorn Ottley and Darren Bravo compiled 85 for the third wicket stand when Ottley was caught by Johnson off Gudakesh Motie for 33 (62b, 3x4s).

Bravo was joined by West Indies senior player Ramdin and they upped the tempo and took away the

initiative from the Guyana Jaguars with a pulsating 90run fourth wicket partnership that changed the course of the match and provided the Red Force with a significant cushion despite losing a clutter of four wickets for the addition of 40 runs in the last six overs.

Ramdin smashed four fours off 44 balls during his entertaining knock while Bravo made a late charge of getting to the triple figure mark. The dashing left-hander had hammered three mighty sixes of Motie but perished in the process when he attempted to reach the landmark with another huge six off the bowling of Veerasammy Permaul.

Bravo, who hit five

sweetly-timed sixes and four glorious fours off 108 balls; was caught by Raymon Reifer just inside the long on boundary. He slumped to the ground in agony knowing that he missed out on a significant milestone.

Skipper Jason Mohammed made 3 (caught wktkpr Bramble off Wintz) who also picked up Narsingh Deonarine (7) who skied to Johnson at mid-off while Permaul claimed Akeal Hosein (3) caught by Reifer at long on and Reyad Emrit (4) caught by Christopher Barnwell at long off. Both Hosein and Emrit attempted to hit over the boundary marker but found the fielders easily.

“It was fantastic and we’re very happy with how things are going so far. He (Harmon) was very pleased at how we’re going about it and so now, it’s a matter of how we proceed,” said the football great.

However, Bunbury said that the meeting was just an icebreaker, since much more work is still needed to be done.

Bunbury and his team are expected to meet with

President David Granger before they depart Guyana on January 25; something the Guyanese/Canadian football legend says he’s highly anticipating.

“If all goes according to plan, we should get everything off the ground in another 12 months. I think we have done, so far, all that we had wanted to and I’m grateful,” said Bunbury.

10:30 hrs Gorsky Island 11:05 hrs Cracked Rear View 11:40 hrs Jaunty Inflight 12:15 hrs Stowaway Magic

Arab Emirates Racing Tips Meydan 11:00 hrs Etijaah 11:35 hrs Roicead 12:10 hrs Let’s Go 12:45 hrs Safety Check 13:20 hrs Sanshaawes 13:55 hrs Secret Brief 14:30 hrs Al saham

Minister Harmon ‘receptive’...

From backpage aim is to fulfil the administration’s mandate and policy that all such projects must be beneficial to, and serve the people of Guyana.

Meanwhile, Bunbury, in an interview with Chronicle Sport, said that he’s satisfied with the outcome of yesterday’s meeting and thanked Minister Harmon for engaging his group.

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American Racing Tips Gulfstream Park Race 1 Alycar Flash Race 2 Lupo’s Way Race 3 Artefacto Race 4 Sky Wonder Race 5 Claiming Victory Race 6 Great Attack Race 7 Old Sport Race 8 Breach of Duty Race 9 Battle Red

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Top seeds progress, Djokovic denies match-fixing report …Williams, Federer, Sharapova untroubled

By Nick Mulvenney MELBOURNE, Australia (Reuters) - World number one Novak Djokovic swept regally into the third round of the Australian Open yesterday before being forced to deny any involvement in the tennis match-fixing scandal that has dogged the first three days of the grand slam.The Serbian defending champion granted Quentin Halys a 100-minute audience on Rod Laver Arena before dispatching the French teenager 6-1, 6-2, 7-6(3) but he enjoyed a less comfortable ride in the post-match media conference.

Alerted to a story in an Italian newspaper suggesting his loss to now-retired French player Fabrice Santoro in Paris in 2007 was fixed, the 28-year-old denied it point blank.

“It’s not true,” he said when told he had been accused of deliberately losing.

“What it is to say? I’ve lost that match.”

“Anybody can create a story about that match or for that matter any of the matches of the top players losing in the early rounds; I think it’s just absurd.”

Before the media conference, the last of the day, it had appeared the reverberations from Monday’s media reports alleging numerous top-50 players had been flagged up for possibly throwing matches but not investigated by the tennis authorities, were fading.

Back on court, Djokovic was joined in the third round by women’s champion Serena Williams, 17-time grand slam champion Federer and Maria Sharapova who all made short work of their second-round opponents.

Following Tuesday’s defeats for former men’s champion Rafael Nadal and women’s second seed Simona Halep, the only real shock on day four came in the penultimate match of the day when Czech sixth seed Petra Kvitova, twice a Wimbledon winner, was beaten 6-4, 6-4 by naturalised local Daria Gavrilova.

Top seed Williams took exactly an hour to dismiss Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei 6-1, 6-2 in the second match of

the day on Rod Laver Arena after fifth seed five-time grand slam champion Sharapova had routed unseeded Belarusian Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-2, 6-1.

Both had arrived at Melbourne Park with question marks over their fitness but looked in good shape as they headed towards their potential quarter-final meeting.

“I don’t think I made that many errors today, something

win over Austin Krajicek and Czech Tomas Berdych, seeded one place above the Japanese, also only needed three sets to power past Bosnia’s Mirza Basic 6-4, 6-0, 6-3.

Canadian Eugenie Bouchard’s hopes of wiping away the disappointments of her 2015 season with a good run at Melbourne Park were shattered when fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska rallied from an early deficit

Czech Republic’s Petra Kvitova waves as she walks off court after losing her second round match against Australia’s Daria Gavrilova at the Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park, Australia, yesterday.

Reuters/Issei Kato I was hopefully trying to get back into,” said Williams, who had not completed a set in four months coming into the tournament.

“So slowly but surely, feeling a little bit better.

“Third seed Federer was next up on the main showcourt to put down tricky Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-3, 7-5, 6-1 and retain his record of never having failed to reach the third round in 17 visits to Melbourne Park.

BRUSHED ASIDE The 34-year-old Swiss, still the doyen of men’s tennis, brushed aside attempts by reporters to revisit his views on the association between gambling companies and the sport he dominated for so long.

“I answered that question the other day,” he said when the subject was broached.

“Just check the transcript (of) my press conference last time, it’s like a book.”

Seventh seed Kei Nishikori cruised into the third round with a 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-3

to win 6-4, 6-2.

There was a minor upset when twice grand slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, a title winner in Sydney last week, was dumped out of the tournament by Kateryna Bondarenko 6-1, 7-5 but the major ruction in the women’s draw came later.

Kvitova suffered from glandula fever last year and pulled out of the Australian Open warm-up events in Shenzhen and Sydney with a gastro-intestinal illness but paid full credit to Moscow-born Gavrilova - the only one of nine Australian women in the draw to survive the first round.

“I think she played a really good game today and did what she needed to do,” she said.

“I felt a little bit tired on court today and my serve didn’t want to work ... I felt a bit weird but I’m not sick anymore, well, maybe in the head,” she added with a laugh. (Editing by Martyn Herman)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, January 21, 2016

Australia win run-fest after India collapse (REUTERS) - Paceman Kane Richardson claimed his maiden five-wicket haul to script India’s spectacular collapse and bowl Australia to a 25-run victory in the high-scoring fourth one day international yesterday.

Three batsmen struck centuries in the 671-run match between the world’s top two one-day teams but it was Richardson’s (5-68) incisive bowling that clinched the contest, while also earning him the man-of-thematch award.

Chasing 349 for victory, India were cruising at 277 for one before losing their last nine wickets for 46 runs to succumb to their fourth successive defeat in the fivematch series.

Opener Shikhar Dhawan (126) and Virat Kohli (106) featured in a 212-run stand for the visitors before the wheels came off India’s chase at Canberra’s Manuka Oval.

Dhawan registered his ninth ODI century and Kohli scored his second consecutive hundred but India lost three wickets in 11 balls for the addition of one run that derailed them.

For them, in-form Ajinkya Rahane came out to bat despite a split webbing of his fingers, but could score only two as India were all out for 323 in the final over.

Earlier, Aaron Finch struck his seventh hundred in a blistering opening partnership of 187 with David Warner to power Australia to 348 for eight wickets.

Finch smashed a run-aball 107 while Warner fell on 93 from 92 deliveries as the hosts continued to make merry against India’s toothless bowling attack after opting to bat first.

Australia had chased down each Indian target to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series and the tourists’ battered bowlers did little better after finally getting the chance to bowl first.

Warner, who missed the last two matches due to the birth of his second child, started off with a maiden against Umesh Yadav but soon hit his stride with three fours in an over against seamer Bhuvneshwar Ku-

Kane Richardson gets the important wicket of Virat Kohli in his five for 68 mar.

Yadav also conceded three boundaries in the next over against the diminutive left-hander, as Australia raced to 50 in the seventh over.

Finch was equally destructive and a fierce straight drive from the right-hander off fast bowler Ishant Sharma (4-77) hit umpire Richard Kettleborough on the shin, forcing the official off the

field.

Finch mistimed a pull to be dismissed eight overs after Warner had played Ishant on to his stumps while attempting a slog over mid-wicket.

Australia captain Steven Smith (51) and a l l - ro u n d e r s M i t c h e l l Marsh (33) and Glenn Maxwell (41) chipped in with some quick runs. Sydney hosts the fifth and final one-dayer on Saturday.

AUSTRALIA innings D. Warner b I. Sharma 93 A. Finch c I. Sharma b U. Yadav 107 M. Marsh c Kohli b U. Yadav 33 S. Smith c Mann b I. Sharma 51 G. Maxwell c sub. b I. Sharma 41 G. Bailey c Ro. Sharma b I. Sharma 10 J. Faulkner b U. Yadav 0 M. Wade run-out 0 J. Hastings not out 0 Extras: (lb-7, w-6) 13 Total: (for 8 wickets, 50 overs) 348 Fall of wickets: 1-187, 2-221, 3-288, 4-298, 5-319, 6-319, 7-321, 8-348.

Bowling: U. Yadav 10-1-67-3 (w-2), B. Kumar 8-0-69-0, I. Sharma 10-0-77-4 (w-2), G. Mann 3-0-24-0, R. Dhawan 9-053-0 (w-1), R. Jadeja 10-0-51-0 (w-1).

INDIA innings Ro. Sharma c Wade b Richardson 41 S. Dhawan c Bailey b Hastings 126 V. Kohli c Smith b Richardson 106 M. Dhoni c Wade b Hastings 0 G. Mann c sub. b Lyon 5 R. Jadeja not out 24 A. Rahane c Smith b Richardson 2 R. Dhawan c Warner b Richardson 9 B. Kumar c Smith b Richardson 2 U. Yadav c Bailey b M. Marsh 2 I. Sharma c Wade b M. Marsh 0 Extras: (nb-1, w-5) 6 Total: (all out, 49.2 overs) 323 Fall of wickets: 1-65, 2-277, 3-277, 4-278, 5-286, 6-294, 7-308, 8-311, 9-315.

Bowling: N. Lyon 10-0-76-1, K. Richardson 10-1-68-5, J. Hastings 10-0-50-2 (nb-1, w-1) J. Faulkner 7-0-48-0 (w-1), M. Marsh 9.2-0-55-2 (w-2), G. Maxwell 1-0-10-0 (w-1), S. Smith 2-0-16-0.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, January 21, 2016

ICC bans Galle curator over failure to help graft probe MUMBAI, India (Reuters) - The International Cricket Council (ICC) has suspended Galle stadium curator Jayananda Warnaweera for three years after the former Test player failed to cooperate with anti-corruption officials, the global governing body said yesterday.

The 55-year-old Sri Lankan, who played 10 Tests and six one-day internationals, was previously handed a two-year suspension by his own country’s board in November for the same offence.

T h e I C C s a i d Wa rnaweera was charged after he missed meetings and also failed to provide documents to its anti-corruption unit (ACU) for an investigation, the details of which were not disclosed.

“Warnaweera failed, on two separate occasions, to attend a scheduled interview with the ACU in relation to an ongoing investigation and failed to provide documents required from him in connection with the investigation,” an ICC statement said.

“Warnaweera also failed to respond in any manner to the charge and ... he is consequently deemed to have accepted that he committed the offence charged, waived his right to a hearing, and acceded to the imposition of

a sanction.”

On Monday, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) banned fast bowling coach Anusha Samaranayake for two months over his relationship with net bowler Gayan Vishwajith,

the match.

“The ICC takes no pleasure in imposing a suspension but this decision clearly illustrates what the (anti-corruption) Code means to the ICC and how seriously we

Galle stadium curator Jayananda Warnaweera who allegedly approached national team players to under-perform during a Test against West Indies at Galle in October.

Sri Lanka police’s Financial Crime Investigation Division (FCID) has interviewed wicketkeeper Kusal Perera, spinner Rangana Herath and captain Angelo Mathews about an alleged offer of thousands of dollars to engineer a batting collapse for a West Indies victory in

take matters that relate to corruption,” Ronnie Flanagan, chairman of the ACU, added in the ICC statement.

“It should also act as a reminder to participants of the need to comply with their obligations under the Code.

“The ICC has a zero-tolerance approach towards corruption and it will not hesitate in taking such decisions in its endeavour to eliminate this menace from the sport.”

Bucks shock Heat, Thunder extend winning streak

KHRIS Middleton was on fire for the Milwaukee Bucks in a shock-win over the Miami Heat, while Oklahoma City Thunder made it five straight.

The Milwaukee Bucks pulled off the shock of Tuesday’s NBA action with a stunning performance against the Miami Heat.

The Bucks put the Heat to the sword in a 91-79 win with a strong team effort to seal a 12th win of the season.

Khris Middleton was the Bucks’ chief scorer, hitting 22 points despite scoring just 40 per cent of his field goals, while he was well supported by Greg Monroe (15) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (14).

More than half of the Heat’s total came from joint top-scorers Chris Bosh and

Hassan Whiteside, who scored 23 each for a combined 46.

The Oklahoma City Thunder extended their winning streak to five after a solid 110-104 win against the Denver Nuggets.

The Nuggets started the game stronger, winning the first quarter, but were blown away in the second as the Thunder overturned the sixpoint deficit at quarter-time to establish a four-point lead by half-time.

One-point wins in the remaining quarters sealed the result, as Kevin Durant impressed once more, shooting 30 points and picking up 12 defensive rebounds.

Danilo Gallinari topscored for the Nuggets with 27.

The Indiana Pacers prevailed in a tight con-

Tenelec Inc. U-15 cricket competition …

Blairmont through to final

BLAIRMONT Community Centre created a big upset by beating the joint defending champions Albion Community Centre outright, to gain a place in the final of the Tenelec Inc. Under-15, two-innings cricket competition in Berbice.

In the semi-final, Blairmont Community Centre won by an innings and 129 runs. Albion Community Centre, sent in to take first strike, lost an early wicket and had reached 18-1 after which Berbice Under-15 left-arm spinner Nigel Deodat got into the act and picked up three consecutive wickets to see them slide to 21-4.

After another wicket fell to off-spinner Adim Shewtahal, Deodat snapped up two more without conceding a run and they further slipped to 26-7. They were eventually bowled out for a paltry 34

Nigel Deodat with Deodat taking 5-2 and pacer Keon Gangoo 2-11 from eight overs.

When Blairmont replied in their first innings, they got a start of 43 from Berbice Under-15 batsman Javed Karim and Saheed Khan. After Khan fell for 20, Karim and Chandradat Veersammy proceeded to bury Albion by putting on 110 for the third wicket.

Dominant England aim to complete 3-0 triumph

By Mark Gleeson

PRETORIA, South Africa (Reuters) - England, with a series win already secured, can complete South Africa’s ignominious fall from the top of the rankings when the final Test of the four-match series starts at Centurion Park in Pretoria tomorrow.

Dominant England went 2-0 up after Stuart Broad’s venomous spell set the platform for an emphatic win in the third Test in Johannesburg.

In contrast their hosts, about to lose top place in the

International Cricket Council (ICC) rankings to India, are in a state of disarray, having switched captains mid-series and extended a winless streak to nine Tests.

The absence of injured key fast bowler Dale Steyn has not helped and he will again not play in the fourth Test, having contributed for just a single innings at the start of the series in Durban last month. The likes of Broad, Joe Root and Ben Stokes have all displayed match-winning brilliance for England in this series.

“The future of this team could turn into something

Khris Middleton test against the Phoenix Suns 97-94, despite a huge performance from Devin Booker who notched 32 points.

His individual contribution was trumped by a good spread of Pacers, with Monta Ellis scoring 20 and Paul George scoring 19.

Meanwhile, the New Orleans Pelicans accounted for the Minnesota Timberwolves 114-99.

(Sportsmax.com)

After Karim was dismissed for 76 (8x4, 2x6) and Veersammy for 54 (5x4, 1×6), Azad Isahack (44) and Adim Shewtahal (34) put on 65 for the sixth wicket hat helped Blairmont reach 262 all out. Bowling for Albion Community Centre, former Guyana Under-15 pacer Steven Kamaludin took 4-52 and Guyana Under-15 left-arm spinner Kelvin Umroa 2-36.

Facing a deficit of 228 runs, Albion in their second innings could muster only 99 all out with Jermain Pollard (23) and Azim Alli (21) being the top scorers.

Doing the damage this time for Blairmont were Adim Shewtahal who took 5-15 from 5.4 overs, Berbice Under-15 off-spinner Seon Glasgow Jr with 3-24 and Deodat 2-12. Deodat finished with bowling figures of 7-14 from nine overs.

England’s Stuart Broad (3rd L) is congratulated by his team mates after he dismissed South Africa’s Faf du Plessis during the third cricket Test match in Johannesburg, South Africa, January 16, 2016. (Reuters/Siphiwe Sibeko)

special,” said coach Trevor Bayliss in the wake of the seven-wicket win at the Wanderers.

A shell-shocked South Africa are set to hand a debut to 33-year-old opener Stephen Cook as they attempt to solve one of several problems in a side that last won a Test more than a year ago.

New captain AB de Villiers had promised an aggressive and “in-your-face” approach for his first game in charge after replacing Hashim Amla but watched his team meekly fold as they were skittled out for a paltry 83 runs in their second innings in Johannesburg, to be beaten inside three days.

The obvious lack of confidence is exacerbated by uncertainty over de Villiers’ own future in the Test arena as he seeks to lessen his workload to continue playing all formats of the international game.

South Africa can only point to past statistics for a glimmer of sunshine. Centurion Park has been their most successful home venue since it hosted its first Test 20 years ago. South Africa have won 15 times, drawn three and lost only to England in 2000 and Australia in 2014 in 20 previous Tests at the ground.

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Rollout of table & lawn tennis in schools to begin next month

By Stephan Sookram THE National Sports Commission (NSC) has announced that the reintegration of sport in schools will commence next month with an aim to identifying junior sportsmen and women who could go on to be national athletes.

The NSC says that table tennis and lawn tennis are the two selected disciplines that will work as the pilot project for this year.

According to Director of Sport Christopher Jones, the two programmes were chosen based on the fact that they had structural integrity, adding, “They have a strategic development plan that would see it for several years in terms of their structure, to reach the length and breadth of the country, so those two have been identified.”

“Last year, the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA)

Guyana Tennis Association President Grace McCalman

took the lead on behalf of government to meet with several associations to get their strategic development plan for the various disciplines and, of course, lawn tennis and table tennis were out in front,” continued Jones.

The NSC, he said, is keen on providing support for such initiatives, adding that “as of December, con-

tainers were packed with the equipment and are being shipped to Guyana to facilitate same.”

Jones noted that there are plans in the pipeline to add other sports to the curriculum to increase diversity, but those associations need to get their plans in order.

He said, “The Guyana Olympic Association and government will again meet with a few other associations throughout this year then would indicate to us that they have the capacity to do same and of course government will lend support to having those included in the school curriculum as well.”

Amateur boxing, he noted, is one association that has been developing its work prigramme and could be an addition once they have solidified their plans and presented them to the NSC.

Two days of cycling activity on this weekend

LOCAL cyclists will be very active this weekend as two cycling programmes are planned for Saturday and Sunday in two different areas of Guyana.

The first event will be an 11-race programme billed for the National Park in Georgetown and organised by national cycle coach Hassan Mohamed.

The second programme is a 50-mile road race planned for the Corentyne Coast, Berbice, on Sunday and this race is being organised by the Flying Ace Cycle Club.

The feature event on Saturday will be a 35-lap race which is open to schoolboys, novices and invitational riders and this promises much excitement, as most of the country’s top riders are already back on their saddles and are expected to face the starter. They include Geron `The Lone Soldier’ Williams, Marlon `Fishy’ Williams, Raynauth `Obeahman’ Jeffrey, Raul Leal, Romelo Crawford and Andrew Hicks among others.

While Saturday’s activity will be Mohamed’s first programme for the year, it is not the opening of the 2016 cycling season event since the Flying Ace Club has already staged two 40-mile road races. Both were staged

Geron `The Lone Soldier’ Williams, on the Corentyne Coast and both were won by Berbician Romelo Crawford.

However, Mohamed who organised more than 40 National Park and road race programmes last year is the leading cycle race organiser in Guyana and has been for over two decades.

On Saturday also, races are on the cards for BMX boys and girls cyclists ranging from six to 12 years old, two five-lap events for veterans under and over 50 years of age as well as 10-lap race for juveniles and a three-lap race for boys and girls 12-14

years of age.

Meanwhile, Romelo Crawford currently heads the Guyana Cycle News points standing in both the senior and junior categories with 20 and 10 points respectively.

He is followed by Alonzo Ambrose (13), Jeban Crawford (8), Junior Niles (8), Marlon Williams (7), Paul DeNobrega (6) and Andrew Hicks (4) in the senior category.

In the junior category, Hicks is second with six points while Deeraj Garbarran is placed third with four points.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, January 21, 2016

Aussies bring in swing duo for NZ series

SYDNEY, Australia (Reuters) - Australia played to the conditions yesterday by selecting the novice swing bowling duo of Chadd Sayers and Jackson Bird in their squad for the twomatch Test series in New Zealand.

Bird, who played the last of his three Tests in England in 2013, and uncapped Sayers are part of a 14-man squad that will be aiming for a series win across the Tasman Sea next month to take them back to the top of the world Test rankings.

Sayers claimed 145 wickets at an average of 24.82 in the Sheffield Shield this season and his ability to move the ball could be a key factor in matches in Wellington and Christchurch which are expected to be played on grassy, seaming pitches.

“We are delighted to welcome Chadd Sayers into the squad for the first time and his inclusion is thoroughly deserved,” national selector

Rod Marsh said in a statement.

“Both he and Jackson Bird can swing the ball and operate at a lively pace and we believe both will be well suited to the conditions we are likely to encounter in New Zealand.”

The duo replace Steve O’Keefe and Scott Boland in a pace attack that has some injury doubts ahead of the first Test in Wellington on February 12, with James Pattinson (shin) and Peter Siddle (ankle) both carrying lingering ailments.

“We are hopeful James Pattinson will be able to overcome the shin soreness he has been suffering ..., while Peter Siddle is on the verge of playing again following the ankle injury he suffered during the West Indies series,” Marsh added.

“Our fast bowling depth is certainly being tested because of injury and retirement but the positive part of that is it means there are

opportunities for other players to stand up in domestic cricket and stake their claims.”

There were no changes to the batting contingent which performed strongly against a feeble West Indies attack in the recent 2-0 home series win. That victory, coupled with South Africa’s home series loss to England, sets up Australia’s bid to become No.1 again.

“The fact that we can move back to the top of the ICC Rankings if we win the series is an added incentive for us but the players will be hungry to do well and we are anticipating a tough but also, hopefully, a successful series,” Marsh said.

Squad: Steve Smith (capt.) David Warner (vicecapt.), Joe Burns, Usman Khawaja, Adam Voges, Mitchell Marsh, Peter Nevill, James Pattinson, Peter Siddle, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Jackson Bird, Shaun Marsh, Chadd Sayers.

Classy Cremer stifles Bangladesh as Zimbabwe stay alive GRAEME Cremer starred with the ball and Zimbabwe’s batsmen found some form to beat Bangladesh by 31 runs despite a 50 from the in-form Sabbir Rahman yesterday.

Zimbabwe were staring down the barrel of a Twenty20 series defeat having lost the first two of four matches, but excellent contributions from Malcolm Waller (49) and Vusi Sibanda (44) helped them to their third-highest T20 score of 187-6.

Hosts Bangladesh included debutants Abu Hider, Mohammad Shahid, Muktar Ali and Mosaddek Hossain in Khulna with an eye on this year’s ICC World Twenty20.

The new-look line-up failed to keep up with the run-rate and Cremer (3-18) was in superb form to restrict the hosts to 156-6, although Sabbir – man-of-the-match

in game two - once more impressed.

Sibanda came out firing early and hit four consecutive boundaries off Hider (2-40) in the third over.

Not even the loss of opening partner Hamilton Masakadza (20) - caught at point off Shahid - derailed Zimbabwe.

Shakib Al Hasan (3-32) dismissed Richmond Mutumbami (20) and Sibanda in consecutive overs to stem the momentum slightly.

But Waller went on the attack with four sixes and two fours in an electric 49 off 23 balls, his stand of 74 with the equally impressive Sean Williams (32) boosting the visitors’ tally.

Bangladesh started poorly in their response with Imrul Kayes (1) bowled by Tendai Chisoro (1-15) in the first over.

Soumya Sarkar (25) and Sabbir breathed life into the hosts with a 67-run stand, the latter finding particular form against Taurai Muzarabani (0-41) and Brian Vitori (0-45).

However, Cremer ended Sarkar’s knock before Sikandar Raza (2-7) made the crucial Zimbabwe breakthrough with a shorter ball that Sabbir pulled to backward square leg with Muzarabani eventually grasping the ball.

Raza struck again to snare Mosaddek (15), and Cremer effectively ended Bangladesh’s hopes by accounting for Shakib (3) and Mahmudullah (6) in the 15th over.

Muktar (19) and Nurul Hasan (30) were unbeaten, but the required rate was too high and Zimbabwe can now earn a series draw by winning the fourth contest tomorrow.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER

(Thursday January 21, 2016) COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL -Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & AUDREY’S TASTY SNACKETTE-176 Charlotte Street, Georgetown (Tel: 226-4512) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Lance Gibbs (2) 15 centuries Today’s Quiz: (1) Where and when the late Roy Fredericks made his maiden Test hundred?

(2) Where & when did Jack Noriega once take 9/95 in a Test innings?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

31

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, January 21, 2016

THE average Guyanese could probably break down Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s career in numbers, statistically explaining their journey to the top of the world football.

But, ask anyone, who is Guyana’s all-time leading goalscorer on the international scene. There would not even be an answer in some cases.

While the names like Gordon Braithwaite, Dion Barnwell, Collie Hercules, Frank Watson, Edward ‘Screw’ Richmond, Neville Stanton and so many great Guyanese football players will be peddled around in an argument, the name Nigel ‘Powers’ Codrington will hardly be mentioned; that’s unless you are a fan of Camptown Football Club.

Today, ‘Sports in 50’ reflects on the career of Guyana’s all-time goalscorer in iternational football, scoring 18 goals from 33 caps.

Almost five years ago, Codrington walked away from football in Guyana, with the now 36-year-old telling Chronicle Sport, “I couldn’t deal with all the

politics and nonsense that started to come in.”

Just to shed some light on how great Codrington’s 18 goals are and why he should be remembered. Currently, one of Canada’s greatest players, Alex Bunbury, is in Guyana. Bunbury is Guyanese by birth and migrated to Canada when he was nine years-old.

No pun intended (to Alex Bunbury), but in 65 appearances for Canada, the dapper striker only managed 16 international goals.

Canada’s all-time leading goalscorer (internationally) is Dwayne De Rosario, who is also born to Guyanese parents. De Rosario scored 22 goals in 81 appearances for Canada.

Codrington had 33 caps for Guyana to reach his landmark.

In fact, Codrington scored 10 of his international goals in 2006, becoming the first Guyanese to score that much in a single calendar year. Barnwell, the former Thomas United forward, had seven (in 1987).

Some might argue that Barnwell was a cut above

Guyana’s 2006/7 Digicel Caribbean Cup squad Codrington, since he was only 17 years old at the time of his accomplishment.

“Sometimes I wish if I had played a little longer,” Codrington said, speaking from his New Jersey home.

“No disrespect to the guys playing for Guyana now and before my time, but I think I played with the best players Guyana had to offer,”

Codrington opined.

Codrington recalled his 2006/7 National team squad that had the likes of Richardson, captain Charles ‘Lily’ Pollard, Howard Lowe, Sean Bishop, Leslie Holligan, Randolph ‘Black Head’ Jerome, Collie Hercules, Kayode McKinnon, Richard Reynolds, Walter Moore, JP Rodrigues and Anthony

Abrams.

“To me that was our best chance of reaching the (CONCACAF) Gold Cup,” said the former Sunburst Camptown player.

The 2007 CFU Caribbean

Cup was said to be Guyana’s best showing.

With Jamaal Shabazz as the coach, the Charles Pollard-captained side played undefeated in Group I with wins over Antigua and Barbuda (6-0), Dominican Republic (2-0) and Guadeloupe (3-2) in the French Island of Martinique.

In the final group stage which would have determined the CFU’s representatives at the 2006/7 Gold Cup, Guyana were placed alongside Cuba, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Guadeloupe.

However, Shabazz’s men fell 2-0 to the Vincentians, defeated Guadeloupe 4-3 but in a game where they needed to win, Guyana played to a goalless draw against the Cubans, missing out on the Gold Cup on goal average.

Codrington finished the tournament with the Golden Boot Award as the highest goalscorer, netting 11 goals.

Nigel Codrington’s International goals in numerical order Goal Goal Goal Goal Goal Goal Goal Goal Goal Goal Goal Goal

#1 vs Barbados on debut at GCC Bourda 2001: International friendly #2 vs Dominica at MSC, Linden 2005: International Friendly. #3 vs Antigua and Barbuda MSC, Linden April 26, 2006: International friendly. #4 vs St Lucia – GFC July 31 2006: International Friendly. #5 & 6 vs Suriname; Ergilio Hato Stadium Willemstad, Curacao: Digicel Caribbean Cup 2006. #7 & 8 vs Netherland Ergilio Hato Stadium Willemstad, Curacao: Digicel Caribbean Cup 2006 #9 vs Antigua and Barbuda November 24 GCC: 2006 Group H play offs Digicel Caribbean Cup. #10 & 11 vs Guadeloupe GCC November 26: 2006 Group H Play offs Digicel Caribbean Cup #12 vs Dominican Republic GCC November 28: Group H Play offs Digicel Caribbean Cup. #13, 14 &15 vs Guadeloupe: Digicel Cup final Trinidad and Tobago 2007 #16 vs. Suriname Guyana National Stadium: World Cup Qualifier 2008 #17 & 18 vs Dominica, Guyana National Stadium: 2008 Digicel Cup Preliminaries.

Nigel Codrington having his way with the Guadeloupe defence at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium, in the 2006/7 Digicel Caribbean Cup.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, January 21, 2016

TT Red Force advance to NAGICO Super50 final

...beat Guyana Jaguars by 54 runs

Shivnarine Chanderpaul is clean bowled for 6 in the Guyana Jaguars innings.

(WICB photos).

By Brij Parasnath

Man-of-the-Match Darren Bravo launches one of his five sixes over mid-wicket during his top score of 95.

Narsingh Deonarine, who was ignored by the Guyana Inc. Franchise turned out to be the man with the “golden arm” as he undermined his compatriots and the Guyana Jaguars’ confidence and extinguished their hopes of dethroning the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force in the first NAGICO Super50 semi-final

contested at the Queen’s Park Oval last evening.

Deonarine was the T&T Red Force’ marksman and prised out last round centurion Assad Fudadin and stalwart Shivnarine Chanderpaul who has been Guyana Jaguars’ most prolific run-getter in the Regional List A competition overs the years.

Deonarine had Fudadin adjudged LBW for 9 and bowled Chanderpaul off the

inside edge unto his stumps for only six runs to his credit.

The Jaguars were reduced to 37 for 2.

All the other Guyanese batsmen, with the exception of Anthony Bramble who made a breezy 51; did not lift their overall batting performances to overhaul the challenging total set by the Trinidadians.

With the 54-run victory, defending champion Trinidad

and Tobago Red Force gave themselves another opportunity of winning back-to-back NAGICO Super50 title when they overpowered the Guyana Jaguars.

Having been asked to take first strike by the Jaguars’ captain Leon Johnson, TT Red Force amassed 259 for 9 off their allotted 50 overs mainly through the brilliance of Darren Bravo who topscored with 95 that was embellished with five massive sixes and four fours. He was voted “Man of Match”.

Guyana Jaguars were restricted to 205 all out (48.3 overs) with the injured Steven Jacobs unable to bat after having strained his lower left side intercostals muscles during his impressive bowling stint.

Jon Russ Jagesser (three wickets for 36 runs), Deonarine (2 for 35) and Akeal Hosein (2 for 42) were the main destroyers for T&T Red Force team which could have secured a bigger margin of victory had their fielders not SEE PAGE 27

Minister Harmon ‘receptive’ to Bunbury’s vision

By Rawle Toney ALEX Bunbury made one step closer to releasing his dream of setting up a Sports and Academics Academy in Guyana, following his meeting with Minister of State Joseph Harmon yesterday at the Ministry of the Presidency.

Canada’s Hall of Fame inductee, along with his business partners, visited Harmon to have his first interaction with the Government of Guyana since arriving last week - his primary reason being to set up the ‘Alex Bunbury Sports and Academics Academy’.

A release from the Ministry said that Harmon was

receptive to the proposal aimed at balancing sports and academics in Guyana.

The team presented the ‘Alex Bunbury’ vision of a Sports and Academics facility that is expected to be constructed in Guyana.

It is estimated that this facility, if given the green light will initially require 20 acres of land, but the total needed for the entire and completed facility is 220 acres.

The Government of Guyana is expected to have more consultations and meetings with the team and, according to the Ministry of the Presidency, the SEE PAGE 27

Alex Bunbury (left) and his team meet with Minister of State Joseph Harmon at the Ministry of the Presidency yesterday. (Photo, compliments of the Ministry of the Presidency)

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2016