Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 25 05 2017

Moleson Creek residents receive water for first time

Page 16

THURSDAY, MAY 25, 2017

Price: $80

US$14M to improve TVET No. 104923

(VAT Inclusive)

– Guyana, CDB sign agreement for skills development

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Youth fair targets talent development Page 14

Students of the E.R Burrowes School of Art, Jude Bartholomew (right) and Ransford Simon (middle) sketch portraits of their subject, Renella Hamlet at yesterday’s Youth Exposition and Health Fair.

(Photo by Adrian Narine)

SOCU to probe 18 years jail for Armed police to purchase of faulty deportee who be placed at West Dem. Hospital killed teen water cannon Page 9

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 25, 2017

Referendum will ‘stress out’ homosexual community – Simpson bemoans; Jagdeo baulks at discriminatory laws

By Alva Solomon The Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) and its partners are opposed to Government’s plans to hold a referendum on homosexuality and laws which discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation and identity.

And Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo believes that the relevant laws which may be discriminatory may have to be changed.

But in the same breadth, Jagdeo said he does not believe the country is ready for same-sex unions, a subject which he said the Opposition is willing to approach in a bipartisan method with the Government.

“We made it clear, we had two views coming from the public, one which our

From left , Karen De Souza of the Red Thread group , Joel Simpson of SASOD and Melinda Janki, Executive Director of the Justice Institute of Guyana at Wednesday’s press briefing

party felt strongly about, that people must not be discriminated against because of their sexuality or preferences,” Jagdeo said at a press briefing at the Office of the Opposition Leader on Wednesday.

He said the former Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) government changed the laws to reflect its position. Secondly, he said there was

public outcry at the time against moves which were made by the PPP government to make same-sex unions a fundamental right, noting that Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and the religious community were among others opposed to the move.

Earlier on Wednesday, Executive Director of SA-

SOD, Joel Simpson told reporters that the society will not support the move to referendum. Simpson was flanked by Melinda Janki, the Executive Director of the Justice Institute of Guyana and Karen De Souza of the Red Thread group.

“This referendum will not be supported by the Guyana LGBT Coalition [Guyana

Trans United (GTU), Guyana Rainbow Foundation (GuyBow) and SASOD which are the three LGBT-led Guyanese groups,” he said.

He said the Guyana Equality Forum, another umbrella body, will also not support the move to decide on any rights issue by popular vote.

Simpson said Guyanese deserve basic human rights and the rights of a minority group should not be subject to a popular vote.

“This divisive referendum will deepen the marginalisation and isolation of LGBT persons as right-wing groups will undoubtedly heighten their homophobic rhetoric, as is already happening on social media,” he said.

MENTAL HEALTH BURDEN Sampson said instead of strengthening social cohesion and building national unity, the move will further divide the country, causing more stress and “mental health burden” to local lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT).

De Souza said Red Thread supports the position of SASOD. She said while government has made guarantees regarding the protection of LBGT persons, in reality members of that group continue to face discrimination.

She described the move to referendum as a “delay tactic” to hide discrimination of members of the LBGT community.

Janki noted too that the Justice Institute opposes referendum on the issue.

“As a legal institute we are deeply concerned that the ‘buggery laws’ or ‘sodomy laws’ as they are commonly known are contrary to the fundamental values of Guyana’s Constitution and to international law,” Janki said.

NOT READY Later in the day, and in response to a question on the subject, Jagdeo told reporters that based on consultations which the previous administration undertook , he does not believe the country is ready for same-sex marriages.

“I am speaking about this not only as the Leader of the Opposition, but I have spoken with many people,” he said of his position on samesex marriages.

He said a parliamentary committee dealt with the matter under the PPP and suggested that the issue should be approached in a bi-partisan way “in order for the country to move forward in terms of (addressing LBGT persons) their preferences”.

The Guyana Chronicle reported this week that havTurn to page 9 ►

Guyanese woman busted with cocaine in hair weave

[BAHAMAS TRIBUNE242] - A WOMAN from Guyana has been arrested at the Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) for attempting to smuggle cocaine into the Bahamas concealed in her hair weave.

Police report that alert Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) officers took the Guyanese woman into custody following the seizure of just over two pounds of cocaine on Tuesday afternoon, May 23, 2017.

Shortly after 3pm, the Bahamas Tribune242 reported that a team of officers assigned to the DEU conducted a search of a Guyanese female passenger who had just arrived on a Caribbean Airlines flight from Suriname, at the Bahamas Customs arrival area at LPIA. During the search, one taped package containing cocaine was found concealed in a weave attached to her hair.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 25, 2017

US$14M to improve TVET – Guyana, CDB sign agreement for skills development GUYANA signed a US$14M agreement with the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) for a Skills Development and Employability Project aimed at enhancing Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) here.

Guyana will continue to work together with the CDB to enhance the country’s development in this area and according to Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, the signing of the agreement with the CDB demonstrates Government’s commitment to enhancing the skills of its people. The US$14M project is scheduled to begin on June 30, 2017 and concludes on December 31, 2021 and is geared at assisting the Government to enhance access to, and improve the quality and effectiveness of the TVET system.

The Finance Minister in expressing gratitude to the CDB at the signing event held in the Turks and Caicos on Tuesday said that his administration has committed to providing “a good life in

a green economy” to its people and intends to fulfill that promise.

In a bid to ensure that the “good life” is materialized, the Finance Minister stressed the need to develop the country’s human resources.

“Education remains the cornerstone to economic development and is seen as the golden ticket to a better life.

A highly educated and skilled workforce is necessary, though not sufficient, condition for the diversification of Guyana’s economy, and the harnessing of our vast natural and mineral resources in a way that supports sustained growth and improved living conditions,” Jordan said.

Moreover, Jordan lamented the dismal performance of many students at the Caribbean Secondary Education Council Examinations and said those results show, “that the majority of our secondary level cohort is not up to the standard required for tertiary level education.”

In support of his point, the Finance Minister referenced an article written by

Finance Minister Winston Jordan

Dr. Errol Morrison, President of University of Technology Jamaica, who said “students emerging from secondary schools are weak…tertiary level educators will need to salvage a significant number of the failing secondary level cohort by assisting them to improve their performance, interesting them in the acquisition of skills pertinent to

the needs of the country and so recruiting person-power to meet the needs of the workforce.”

As such, Jordan said the evidence is clear and it is not surprising that the recommendation found resonance at a recently concluded governor’s meeting of the Islamic Development Bank themed “Youth Economic Empowerment.”

Meanwhile, the Minister stressed that his Government’s focus is to strengthening secondary and tertiary levels education by enhancing the schools’ curricula, especially in the areas of science and technology.

This, he said, involves the development of smart classrooms through e-government systems; enhancing teacher competence via improved toolkits and supervision in the classroom; building stateof-the-art schooling facilities and ensuring alignment of schooling standards to CVQ standards, and other regional and international standards.

Through these services, the Finance Minister said

his administration intends to equip all secondary and tertiary graduates with universal skills which would assist in reducing coastal/hinterland and ethnic income disparities, “by promoting inclusive growth through increased participation of the poor in the labour market. It is well known and a proven fact.”

The Minister strongly believes that allowing populations to access quality and higher levels education, poverty will be reduced and noted that the important role of tertiary education as a key generator of development and economic growth cannot be overstated.

Referencing the emerging oil and gas sector here, the Minister of Finance said there needs to be innovative academic pursuits to address the ever increasing needs and challenges of a new and diversified economy.

Jordan noted Guyana’s 2017 budgetary allocation of $43.1 B for education out of a $250B budget,out of which $50M has been set aside for the establishment of a Youth Innovation Fund geared at nurturing, exciting and realizing the potential and creative

energies of both in-school and out-of-school youth in STEM areas.

Meanwhile, the Finance Minister said the new programme in TVET will continue to address national educational level challenges and labour market demands of a dynamic, growing economy.

“It is also envisaged that this US$11.5 million programme will breathe new life into the entrepreneurial spirit of the country, as yet another means of tackling youth unemployment and under-employment,” he stated while re-affirming Guyana’s commitment to the CDB. He thanked the Bank for the work done to prepare and finalise the agreements for the Project and noted the hard work of the Ministries of Finance and Education in ensuring the project became a reality.

Also present at the signing ceremony were President of the CDB, Dr. Warren Smith, CDB’s Vice- President Corporate Services, Yvette Seale, and Vice- President CDB Operations, Monica La Benett, among others. (GINA)

Drivers snub Parking Meter consultations

By Vishani Ragobeer TAXI-drivers, mini-bus operators and operators of vehicles used for commercial purposes, who were invited to the second day of the public consultations on the parking meter project on Wednesday at City Hall, were a ‘no-show’.

The lack of attendance of these stakeholders poses some difficulty to the renegotiating committee of the Mayor

and City Council in garnering the views and suggestions of stakeholders on the controversial parking meter project.

“It’s a missed opportunity for us to hear from them,” chairman of the renegotiating committee, Malcolm Ferreira noted.

When questioned by the Guyana Chronicle however, Ferreira underscored that it would be “inappropriate” to progress without consulting these stakeholders and re-

assured that the committee would strive to engage these persons.

“We need their input, so we have to get it [consultations between these stakeholders and the renegotiating team],” Ferreira stressed, while noting that is pertinent to involve all stakeholders.

In response to allegations made by President of the United Mini-bus association, Eon Andrews that the mini-bus operators would not be at-

tending the consultation since they were not formally invited, the chairman conceded that invitations were only sent out through the various mediums of mass media but also disclosed that he was not aware of the existence of such a union.

This ‘no-show’ comes just one day after a fruitful meeting between member s of the Movement against Parking Meters (MAPM), the Private Sector Commission (PSC) and the Georgetown Chamber

of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) and the M&CC’s renegotiating committee.

During this initial consultation, these stakeholders affirmed that the parking meter contract was illegal ab initio, and they signaled that they were all firmly against its renegotiation. They noted however that they were not opposed to a parking system but demanded a new, transparent and bona fide project.

In addition to Ferreira,

the renegotiating committee comprises of councilors Noelle Chow-Chee, Roopnarine Persaud, Ivelaw Henry, Tricia Richards, Carlyle Goring and Heston Bostwick.

The lack of representation by these stakeholders poses a difficulty in progressing in the consultations since the committee endeavors to involve all stakeholders.

Today, the committee is scheduled to meet with city residents.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 25, 2017

Police hunt Manchester attack ‘network’

A SIXTH person has been arrested in the UK over Monday’s bombing at Manchester Arena, as police said they were investigating a “network”.

Police said they had arrested a woman after an armed raid at a block of flats in Blackley, north Manchester.

Suicide bomber Salman Abedi killed 22, including children, and injured 64 outside an Ariana Grande pop concert.

In Libya, the bomber’s father, Ramadan, and younger brother, Hashem, have been arrested, Reuters is reporting.

Hashem, 20, was reportedly arrested in the capital, Tripoli, on suspicion of links with so-called Islamic State, according to Reuters.

Older brother, Ismail, 23, was detained in Chorlton, south Manchester, on Tuesday.

Their father was in Tripoli when he was arrested,

Reuters has told the BBC. A fifth UK arrest on Wednesday, in Wigan, involved a man who was carrying a package that is now being “assessed”, police said.

Eyewitness Connor Britton told the BBC the man had been held by “undercover armed police”.

He said workers in his office had been told to stay inside and lock their windows, and that a red package had been “moved to a clear part of the street”.

The UK terror threat level is now at its highest level of “critical”, meaning more attacks may be imminent.

Meanwhile, military personnel are being deployed to protect key sites after the UK’s terror threat level was raised on Tuesday night.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd said: “Monday’s attack was more sophisticated than some of the attacks we’ve seen before, and it seems likely, possible, that

Abedi wasn’t doing this on his own.”

Meanwhile, the New York Times has obtained photos which it says were gathered by UK authorities at the scene of the attack, including the remnants of a backpack, nuts and screws, and a device identified as a “possible detonator”.

The paper says the alleged evidence suggests “a powerful, high-velocity charge, and a bomb in which its shrapnel was carefully and evenly packed”.

UK authorities have reacted with consternation to the publication of the pictures.

One Whitehall source told the BBC there was “disbelief and astonishment” across Whitehall.

Senior people in counter-terrorism policing also told the BBC the leak undermined the relationship with important partners, and undermined the investigation and the confidence of

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victims, witnesses and their families.

BBC security correspondent, Frank Gardner said that the bomber is thought to have been a “mule”, using a device built by someone else.

Salman Abedi is understood to have been a 22-year-old born in Manchester to Libyan parents, and a former University of Salford student.

He attended Burnage Academy for Boys in Manchester between 2009 and 2011, and The Manchester College until 2013.

Hamid El-Said, who worked for the UN on tackling radicalisation and now works at Manchester Metropolitan University, said Abedi had had “a really bad relationship” with his family, and his parents had tried but failed to keep him on the “right path”.

“Eventually, he was doing very bad at his university, at his education, and

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he didn’t complete, and they tried to take him back to Libya several times. He had difficulties adjusting to European lifestyle,” he said.

A former classmate of Abedi’s told the BBC that he was a “very jokey lad”, but also “very short tempered” and would get angry at “the littlest thing”.

The man, who did not want to be identified, said Abedi had hung around “the wrong crowd and was very, very gullible”.

Before leaving Burnage Academy in 2011, Abedi had become “more and

Protesters in Brazil set ministry on fire ANGRY demonstrators in Brasilia have started a fire inside the ministry of agriculture, and have damaged several other ministerial buildings.

Brazilian authorities estimate around 35,000 are marching in the capital.

Troops are being deployed to defend government buildings, and there is a heavy police presence on the streets.

Protesters are demanding the resignation of President Michel Temer, fresh elections, and for economic reform plans to be withdrawn.

Mr Temer has faced new corruption allegations in the last week, and is facing growing pressure to step down.

According to reports, several ministries are being evacuated because of the protests, but not before the agriculture ministry was damaged.

“There was an invasion of the ministry’s private entrance. They lit a fire in a room, broke photos in a gallery of ex-ministers, and confronted police,” a spokesman told the AFP news agency.

There have been clashes

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more religious”, the man added.

A Muslim community worker, who did not want to be identified, has told the BBC that two people who had known Abedi at college had made separate calls to a hotline to warn the police about his extremist views.

He said they had been worried that Abedi was “supporting terrorism”, and he had expressed the view that “being a suicide bomber was OK”.

The calls are thought to have been made five years ago, he added. (BBC)

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between police and demonstrators, and local media report one person has been injured and several have been detained.

Planned demonstrations began peacefully around midday before clashes with police erupted.

Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at some demonstrators, and video footage showed other members of the crowd smashing windows or setting makeshift barriers afire.

Last week, testimony released by the country’s supreme court alleged that Mr Temer had taken millions of dollars in bribes since 2010.

The plea-bargain testimony came from bosses of a giant meat-packaging firm.

In response, Mr Temer vowed to prove his innocence and remain as president while so doing.

On Saturday, he filed a petition to have the investigation suspended, but reversed that decision on Tuesday.

Mr Temer took office a year ago after his predecessor, President Dilma Rousseff, was impeached.

(BBC)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 25, 2017

Troubled dad sent for ‘psych’ evaluation – after confessing he likes ‘em lil’ A FATHER of two sentenced last March to the maximum prison term for indecent exposure in front a girl's school, reappeared in court on Tuesday charged with the same offence, this time at a school for boys.

The magistrate said the location Christopher Julien was found with his pants down was “very disturbing”.

He pleaded guilty and was

sent for psychiatric evaluation.

In March, Julien, 39, of San Fernando was sentenced to 60 days in prison for indecently exposing himself while standing opposite the Anstey Memorial Girls' Anglican School. Months earlier, he was sentenced to 40 days for a similar offence.

Police prosecutor, Cleyon Seedan told the court that of-

ficers saw Julien on Monday with his jersey raised and his pants and underwear to his knees. He was holding his ‘privates’ in his hand. “At this point in time the students were attending school,” Seedan said.

When he was told of the offence of indecent exposure, Julien told officers, “I like them lil’ children” The officer held onto his left hand to arrest him, and Julien started pulling away in a violent manner. “While the

defendant was fighting up, he eventually freed himself and started running,” Seedan said.

Officers chased Julien and held him a short distance away. Constable Tidd later charged him with indecent exposure, resisting arrest, and escaping lawful custody.

Defence attorney Chantal Paul said her client became afraid that he was going to be arrested and started running.

She said Julien was earlier urinating, and “did take some time to pull up his

pants.” She admitted the construction worker and father of two adult children was charged in the past with the same offence.

Senior magistrate Cherril-Anne Antoine reviewed Julien's criminal record, which showed he was charged with indecent exposure in June and November 2016, and March 2017. He was also charged in the past with possession of marijuana and larceny. Paul said the drug may have had a part

to play in his appearances before the court.

The magistrate asked if he had a history of mental illness, to which Paul said her client was evaluated twice in the past and was found to be stable. Paul said she also told him about again being psychiatrically checked, and he had declined.

The magistrate sent him to St Ann's for observation and report. He will return to court on June 6. (TrinidadExpress)

FFTP Jamaica under fire – over quality of housing LAWMAKERS on Wednesday criticised Food For the Poor (FFTP), Jamaica's largest charity organisation, over the building of low-income houses, one of which reportedly unleashed a termite problem on a beneficiary.

Members of Parliament's Infrastructure and Physical Development Committee also expressed frustration, as they claimed that they were being sidelined in the imple-

mentation of the project.

To compound matters, the parliamentarians expressed disappoint with news that FFTP is seeking to increase building costs, and insisted that things have to change.

The housing project is an equal-funding partnership between Food For the Poor and the Government that was established in 2012 under the Jamaica Emergency Employment Programme (JEEP). It expires this year.

With the change in government last year, the JEEP was replaced with HOPE, which is located under the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation in the Office of the Prime Minister.

HOPE officials appeared before the parliamentary committee yesterday, but were unable to explain how applications for the FFTP houses currently being processed were selected.

The Government pays half the cost to build each of the two-bedroom board

houses, but Food For the Poor is requesting an US$800 increase that would be split in half, and put the State's contribution to US$3,600, up from the current US$3,200.

The funding comes from the PetroCaribe Development Fund.

According to the project director in the Ministry, Lanford Chambers, the charity group said the increase is necessary because of a price hike from overseas suppliers, but the charity has been asked to submit more justification.

Government MP Leslie Campbell argued that the cost is too high, and supported his opposition colleague, Dr Fenton Ferguson, who called for a review of the funding arrangements and a determination whether Jamaica is getting value for money.

Mikael Phillips, who chairs the committee, charged that there are also issues of quality, as beneficiaries in his Manchester North Western constituency have complained about problems, including termites in one case and poor construction.

Man jumps off overpass – and lives!

THE day after his 33rd birthday, a man jumped off a highway overpass in Chaguanas on Monday.

He survived the 14-foot drop with broken limbs, police said.

The man is warded at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in stable condition.

A police report said that at around 22:50hrs, officers of Central Police Division were on mobile patrol along the Solomon Hochoy Highway when they received information that a man was attempting to jump off the overpass at Endeavour.

When police arrived, the man had already jumped, and was found lying on the northbound lane.

An Emergency Health Services ambulance responded, and the man was taken

to the Chaguanas District Health Facility.

The police report re-

corded the man's date of birth as May 21, 1984.

(TrinidadExpress)

Fellow government MP, Everald Warmington questioned why the project was still going on when, according to him, Prime Minister Andrew Holness ordered that it be suspended.

Warmington is State Minister in the ministry, and the project falls under his watch.

There was no representative of the charity group at the meeting and the MPs were adamant that they were not trying to discredit the organisation. (JamaicaGleaner)

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Editorial

MONDAY evening attack on patrons attending a concert held by United States resident pop singer, 23-year-old Ariana Grande at Manchester Arena, England is another sober reminder that those bent on terrorist activities are still out there, could strike at anytime, anywhere, and at any target.

The death of 22 and injuries to scores, including teenage revelers, say none is considered sacred from this form of violence. And where none is safe it requires all being vigilant.

British police authorities identified the suspected suicide bomber as British born 22-year-old Salman Ramadan Abedi. Reportedly, his violent methodology entailed sophisticated planning and execution. The so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), a terrorist organisation, has claimed responsibility, calling the attacker a “soldier.”

Whether this claim has any

credibility or piggy-backing is yet to be known, but it does not detract from the loss and havoc such acts wreak.

We in the Caribbean, though geographically far removed from such acts of terrorism, are not isolated from them. Outside of having loved ones in countries being attacked, geography does not offer safe heaven or immunity from attacks or being purveyors of the violence. Last weekend Guyana attended the Arab-Islamic-American Summit, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which dealt with the issue of terrorism.

President David Granger in his address to the summit made a direct pitch that “the international community… must be encouraged to work towards the establishment of a global security system, which would provide protection for small and large states.” This appeal couldn’t be timelier.

Small societies such as

ours can benefit from technical and financial support, intelligence gathering and sharing, and the development and implementing of local systems to help protect and defend citizens at home and around the world. Terrorism is a global epidemic and the fight against it has to be global. It cannot be over-emphasised, even at this distance Guyana can play a meaningful role by enforcing, and where necessary strengthening, our anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism regulatory framework and institutions.

At the same time overt threats and presence of terrorism in other parts of the globe draw no certainty of acts being replicated.

Thus far it is seen each act, though singular in intent, is unique in target. The police recently said its extension of the barriers at Parliament Buildings was a response to the March attack outside the British Parliament. It has to

be admitted, even if grudgingly, that those involved in terrorist acts have proven to be demonstrating a level of thinking that requires law enforcement, including ours, being shrewd, perceptive, and seeking to stay ahead of the barbarity.

The truth is no area, space, or person is considered target or safe. To assume destructive acts will target the elites and their dwellings and ignore the rank-and-file or vice versa is not to have a studied or proper understanding of what drives the acts of the masterminds and their willing participants. All need protection, and none should feel isolated, as evident in the approach utilised in large societies.

Where the masses feel their lives matter equally as the leaders they are more inclined to want to look out for themselves and others.

In such an environment where attacks occur, it sees a coming together to mourn,

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 25, 2017

find the attackers, deliver justice, and rise stronger together. This unity of purpose continues to prove dividends in the fight against terrorism as it keeps societies united in the presence of adversity.

Terrorism wins when society is divided and loses when it’s united. Developed societies continue to see the benefit of this. In addition to all having that sense of security, they are kept abreast with the level of terror alert, and the solicited support to report any suspicious activity that is taken seriously.

A people-centred approach

in this fight is something worthy of local examination and implementation.

And given that acts of terrorism exclude none, countering it most importantly requires making every citizen, irrespective of status or locale, feels the state will protect him and her. It is collective work – local and international – including the sharing of intelligence and the guarantee of protection for all that thus far remains the best weapon. Where other countries are leading the way in this regard Guyana can follow suit.

Should the rights of a marginalised group be subjected to the ‘will of the people’?

Dear Editor: I WISH to address the proposition of a referendum concerning the legal recognition and decriminalisation of homosexuality. According to the Guyana Chronicle Newspaper report dated April 20th 2017, the Government of Guyana issued a letter to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) addressing the “issues of human rights violations against young persons in Guyana.”

I encourage readers to read this letter if possible. My own assessment of the letter concludes that it was poorly articulated, contradictory and, ultimately, carries a cowardly recommendation.

The letter begins with the Government’s position,

declaring “we believe “the principle of universality admits no exception. Human rights truly are the birthrights of all human beings.”

Government further declared their commitment to “the rule of law”. It was indicated that the issue of repeal was brought to the legislative arm for deliberation but for some unknown reason the legislative arm considered itself “unfit” for the task.

Despite not providing any sound basis for why they think they’re “unfit” on the matter, it is evident by their recommendation that human rights issues have become a matter of public opinion rather than established principle.

Guyana has a representative democracy. In a representative democracy, elected officials who are deemed qualified for public office are

placed to conduct the affairs of the Republic, and deliberate on legislation for passing, primarily in the interest of the people. Sometimes there are instances, where the public may participate in consultations to provide a platform to better understand citizens’ concerns to craft better public policies.

Active public participation helps to ensure inclusivity by involving all sectors of society. Public consultations also aid in building a mutual relationship between Government and the governed through reasoned dialogue and debate. (The latter we don’t do much of, which is a necessary component for any thriving democracy). In a more extreme version of democracy, known as ‘direct democracy’ the people are the ones who vote on legis-

lation and policy, with little input from elected representatives. Citizens are directly involved in making profound decisions, casting their approval or disapproval by means of a quantified vote.

This fundamental aspect of ‘direct democracy’ can sometimes be invoked in a representative democracy, known as a referendum, as an attempt to resolve, to some extent, contentious social issues. It is fair to say that this may work in certain circumstances, given the political context. For example, a tyrannical ruler may upturn a totalitarian agenda, but can be hindered to eventually discard it by the rigor of the democratic process. On the other hand, it may lead to dire outcomes.

There is an inherent problem with democracy that’s often

overlooked - the so-called ‘majority rule’ dictum. According to this maxim, whatever the ‘will of the people’, so shall it be! But what if the ‘will of the people’ decided by popular vote, for instance, that every household deserve to have guns without going through a thorough criterion to obtain one? Most reasonable people would typically find the proposition outrageous. So, it is not difficult to imagine shortcomings with the maxim of the ‘will of the people’. Indeed, referendums are simply not the appropriate decision-making mechanism for every situation.

We are missing a key component of our democracy on contentious social matters; that is active debate. There is also the ethical dimension which is to be publicly debated too. Should

the rights of a marginalised group of people be subjected to the ‘will of the people’?

Is the Government demonstrating responsibility of protecting its people, regardless of race, creed and sexual orientation or preferences by its recommendation of a referendum? Can a referendum replace principled argument, given executive support and Constitutional assurances? My own contention regarding the latter is that human rights should not be decided by referendum.

How can the Government recuse itself from this fundamental decision and important leap in Guyana’s history, but deem an overwhelmingly homophobic public, a public that does not understand ho-

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 25, 2017

58 years of the GuySuCo apprentice school Poor performance of Dear Editor: THE 2nd of June each year always bring to me a feeling of nostalgia. You see, it was on that date in 1959, the Port Mourant Training Centre of Bookers Sugar Estate, now known as the Apprentice Training School, opened its doors to the third batch of apprentices. I was among that group and little did I know then, that I was embarking on a lifelong journey in the world of work that was to take me to the Bahamas and around the Caribbean. This journey

lasted 44 consecutive years.

Here in Guyana I worked in every factory except Diamond.

The apprentices who made up that batch were, and if I have omitted any name, I can assure you that it was not intentional; it is just that after 58 years my memory is not what it used to be.

From Skeldon: Danny Hemchand (Cat eyes), Clement Hazel and Dennis Marks.

Albion/Port Mourant: Phillip Moha bir, Ivan Ramsaroop, Petam Sanichar, Sampat, Philbert Peters, Desmond Ramcharran and Walter Isaacs.

Rose Hall: Seepaul Jagoo (now deceased), Percy Munroe and Blairmont: Gordon Henry, Arjune Sookoo (the Domino Kid) and Sookra.

In the early days of the school the apprenticeship was of five years duration, at the end of which the City Guilds Examinations had to be written. Today, the programme is of a three-year duration. There was no hostel and female apprentices were not on the radar but later on all that changed.

Apprentices therefore had to find their own place of abode

and out of the huge sum of $6.72, which each apprentice started with, I had to pay $3.00 for my upkeep.

As the 58th Anniversary of our entry to the centre looms, I am curious to learn how life unfolded for my colleagues.

I would therefore be glad if any of them reading this letter can contact me at Lot 75 East Canje Settlement, East Canje, Berbice where I reside with my family.

Regards PERCY MUNROE

What are the benefits for Freedie attacking Jagdeo?

Dear Editor: MR. Fredrick Kissoon has used his platform at Kaieteur News to demonise the character, reputation and accomplishments of Guyana’s former President, Mr. Bharat Jagdeo by constantly, relentlessly and irrationally speaking ill of Jagdeo. What purpose does this serve? How does such asinine commentary pass the print test at Kaieteur News? It is beyond comprehension to see what utility the hateful pronouncements made by Kissoon on the former President of Guyana advances our public discourse.

Kissoon’s attempts to strain logic, revise and deny history and to stain the character of another human being, in such a malevolent, divisive, irresponsible and dishonest manner are pernicious to the political, social, cultural, economic and cohesive development and growth of Guyana.

Witness Kissoon’s hateful fulminations on Jagdeo in Kaieteur News, by just extracting

from his writings published during the week May 18 to May 24, 2017, which illustrates and exposes Kissoon’s bloviating fixation on the former President, using irrational, absurd, vacuous, misleading, malicious and spiteful pronouncements that are nauseating and lacks context and evidentiary value.

Extracts from Kissoon’s writing refers: 1. May 24, 2017: “Jagdeo hegemony was the worst atrocity the British West Indies has ever witnessed.”

2. May 24, 2017: “…fifteen years of disastrous domination by the Jagdeo/Ramotar cabals”.

3. May 22, 2017: - Jagdeo came from a totally different cultural ambience. His ideological flow has deep ethnic underpinnings that Burnham and Jagan never had.”

4. May 21, 2017: “I saw Bharrat Jagdeo in 2016… This most powerful man in Guyana from 1999-2015 had become a figure that no one noticed.”

5. May 19, 2017: “The Jagdeo hegemony has been the most immoral, depraved, and uncivilized period in the his-

tory of government in power.”

6. May 19, 2017: -The fifteen-year period of Jagdeo/ Ramotar control is the darkest cloud that has ever descended on this country. The words that will follow this line come from the deep recesses of my mind, heart and soul – if in 2015 the PPP had won, Mr. Glenn Lall’s life would have been in danger. I would have had my life endangered. The independent press would have been destroyed. The public service would have been ethnically cleansed. The criminal conspiracy would have exercised unhindered power. The police force would have become completely tainted at the top.”

7. May 19, 2017: “The little that is left of the country’s resources would have gone to friends of Mr. Jagdeo.”

8. May 19, 2017: “…the monster that devoured Guyana from 1999 to 2015.

9. May 18, 2017: “Mr. Jagdeo took NIS money and wildly invested it…

10. May 18, 2017: “President Jagdeo spent over sixty million American dollars to

build a hotel. Why a hotel and not a better bridge for Berbice? Why a hotel and not put that money into development in Berbice? Why a hotel and not put that money to develop Black Bush Polder that has no street lights?”.

The foregoing ten extracts from Kissoon’s articles are just samples of Kissoon’s rambling on Jagdeo over a one week period that demonstrates Kissoon’s obsessive, snarky, disrespectful and baseless pillorying of former President Jagdeo that has been stirring for several years.

What is the benefit of Mr. Kissoon having read from Plato to Schopenhauer and knowing the works of other great philosophers, which Kissoon waxes profusely about, yet Kissoon frequently focuses his knowledge on spouting immature and infantile nonsense about Jagdeo on an almost daily basis, in one of the most widely read newspapers in Guyana.

Regards NIGEL HINDS

GuySuCo no surprise Dear Editor: THE record poor performances at GuySuCo from June 2015 to May 2017 should not come as a surprise to this nation.

It is a directly related to leadership of the Corporation. The present IMC is made up of individuals who are tested and proven failures and whose names are synonymous with disruptions, low production and low productivity.

To better understand performance of the Corporation over the last 2 years, it is instructive to examine the recent history of leadership at GuySuCo as there are linkages. By the end of 2008, the Government of Guyana ended a management contract with Booker Tate, a UK company that was managing the industry since 1991. The end of that contract precipitated an immediate vacancy for a CEO and Mr. Errol Hanoman was sought that role.

He negotiated a lucrative package, having retired from Booker Tate around the same time. In effect, Mr. Hanoman, a pensioner, became the first “local” CEO after the Booker Tate era. He led the Corporation from 2009 to mid-2010 when he ceased to be the holder of the position. In the years 2009 & 2010, GuySuCo produced 233,736t and 220,818t of sugar respectively. The Corporation recorded a decline in sugar production by 12,918t.

At his departure in mid-

Should the rights of a ... mosexuality to be a normal human sexual phenomenon, as fit to make this decision for the entire country? Is the general public more informed on Guyana’s obligations to international human rights instruments? Is the general public more committed to a duty of responsibility and care for every Guyanese citizen? Is the general public more capable of reaching an impartial and objective conclusion based on reason and fairness than the Government? Is this the Government’s stance?

Even more worrying is the acceptance of the idea that human rights issues affecting a minority and marginalised

group of people should be subjugated to the ‘will of the people’. This is a form of tyranny, as dubbed by philosophers as the ‘tyranny of the majority’. In his Democracy in America (1835), French philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville essentially argued that the ‘abandonment of rationality’ in favour of mere numerical values makes us govern by numbers, not by virtue of excellence.

Furthermore, the basis of our faculty to reason is reduced to quantified prejudice, since public opinion is varied, misguided by confusing dialect, indecisive and unsettling. Do we want to be a society led

by numbers or by excellence?

Not only is it obvious what the outcome would most likely be if this referendum were to go through, but so too are the implications of seeking a majority vote on what seems to be deciding the fate of people’s lives by reducing matters of human rights and welfare to a public consensus. This is both troubling and an insult to our democracy. While I generally respect the intellectual repertoire of Cabinet, their proposal of a referendum, garnished embarrassingly as a ‘recommendation’, indicates to me that government is more afraid of upsetting their

constituency than of doing what is right; this move that should be revoked by local and international entities on the forefront of human rights and equality.

There was hope given to this administration on closing LGBT rights from a matter of contentious debate to no matter at all, remaining true and consistent to constitutional principles and international obligations.

President David Granger during an interview with the media, published by Kaieteur News on June 3rd, 2015, was quoted as saying “There was a time when same-sex relations were pun-

ishable by law, but in many countries those laws have been repealed, we have to keep abreast with what is happening in other countries.

At the same time we try not to get ahead of what the people want”. It is worth noting that the people of Guyana want a great many things.

Some of these things may be fulfilled by the government; others simply would not or cannot. But on human rights issues, there is absolutely no good reason to hold the people of Guyana responsible for granting equal rights and opportunity to their brothers and sisters. That is a job for the Government to do: pro-

2010, Mr. Hanoman was replaced by Mr. Paul Bhim as CEO (a.g.). He led the Corporation until mid2014 when he tendered his resignation. For the years 2011, 2012, 2013 & 2014, sugar production was 236,506t, 218,069t, 186,754t and 216, 359t respectively. In 2013, under Mr. Bhim’s stewardship, GuySuCo’s production sunk to 186,754t.

Editor, it follows that whenever Mr. Hanoman & Mr. Bhim are at the controls, there was declining and record low production. It cannot be attributed to any other factor other than phenomenal incompetence by the Hanoman + Bhim coalition. The focus on these two men is because they have been brought back to helm of the industry in mid-2015 and we are witnessing abysmal performance of the industry, as is demonstrated in last year production of 183,652t sugar and what will would be when the first crop production of 2017 is declared, the lowest production in many years. By the way, Mr. Hanoman seems to be in hiding since December 2015, when he paraded with production numbers of 231,000t sugar seeking every media outfit to claim credit. The two (2) crops that were produced were nurtured and developed in 2014.

Regards SOOKRAM PERSAUD

Continued from page 6 tecting those who are under harsh ill-treatment from certain aspects of society.

We s h o u l d n o t l e t public or political bigotry, prejudice and hate be equated as justice. If the referendum goes through, it would be an unbearable and disheartening moment to be recorded in the history of Guyana. There is an ethical duty of governance.

Executive support is not enough. Being “unfit” is no good reason. For our humanity’s sake, revoke the referendum!

Regards FERLIN PEDRO

8

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 25, 2017

BV man remanded Miners charged with violent on gun charge robbery of shop owner A CONSTRUCTION worker was remanded to prison by City Magistrate Fabayo Azore on Wednesday for the illegal possession of a gun.

Hubert Clark, 21, of Beterverwagting Housing Scheme, East Coast Demerara, was represented by Dexter Todd and pleaded not guilty to the charge. It is alleged that on May 20, 2017 at Stabroek Market, Georgetown he had a .38 pistol in his possession when he is not a licensed firearm holder.

Police Prosecutor Simone Payne objected to bail based on the seriousness and the penalty attached to the offence. The prosecutor alleged that the firearm was found in a bag which the accused had

Hubert Clark

in his possession. However, Clark’s attorney explained that on the day in question, the man stopped at the Stabroek Market to buy groceries while on his way home.

According to the lawyer, while at the market, Clark met a colleague who gave him a bag to keep, while he [the colleague] ventured to the back of the market to return. The lawyer said that while the colleague left, police arrived and searched Clark, during which the gun was found inside the said bag.

The attorney accused the police of conducting an “unbalanced investigation” and noted that they refuse heed to his client claims. In a lengthy bail application, the lawyer requested that the gun be tested for fingerprints. Magistrate Azore nevertheless refused bail and remanded him until June 13, 2017.

GPL employee accused of stealing AN ELECTRICAL technician attached to the Guyana Power & Light Inc (GPL) was released on $75,000 bail for allegedly stealing from a woman’s Republic Bank Account.

Gavin Kelvin, 32, of Melanie, East Coast Demerara, pleaded not guilty to the charge of simple larceny, which alleged that between February 6 and May 17, 2017 at Republic Bank, George-

town he stole US$3,500 from the account of Winnet Mingo His attorney, Senior Counsel Bernard De Santos told the court that his client has been very cooperative with police investigation and is a first time offender.

With no objections raised

by Police Prosecutor, Simone Payne, Magistrate Azore released Kelvin on $75,000 bail and adjourned the matter to June 14, 2017.

Gavin Kelvin

Constable Gadi Hoyte conceals his face

station and went to Ekereku landing and the woman confronted him there during which Hoyte took a glass bottle and lashed the woman to the left side of her face.

The prosecutor made no objection to bail but requested that the officer stay away from Duncan. The Chief Magistrate released

Cologne Toney hides his face with a jacket

Michael Isaacs covers his face

went to the VC’s home and attacked him with a cutlass while he was asleep and dealt him several chops about his body. The defendants allegedly took the articles mentioned in the charge and made good their escape.

The prosecutor objected to the men being released on bail based on the seriousness of the charge and added that Singh’s attackers are

known to him. Toney, who was unrepresented, told the court he lives with the VC and was the one who called for help when the robbery occurred.

The Chief Magistrate ruled in the prosecution’s favour and remanded the duo until July 18, 2017.The matter was transferred to the Mahdia Magistrate’s Court.

Two bailed on fraud charges

Cop charged with assault of woman

A POLICE Constable accused of assaulting a woman with a glass bottle, was released on $75,000 bail

by Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan on Wednesday.

Constable Gadi Hoyte, 26, of Crane Housing Scheme, West Coast Demerara, denied that on December 3, 2016 at Ekereku landing, Mazaruni River, he unlawfully and maliciously assaulted Maxi Duncan, causing actual bodily harm.

Police Prosecutor, Arwin Moore explained that while Constable Hoyte was stationed at the Ekereku police station, Duncan went to report a matter and the two parties had an argument. Moore said that the officer reportedly left the

TWO miners, who allegedly chopped and robbed a shopkeeper at his Pamela Landing, Potaro River home were remanded to prison on a joint charge of robbery with violence on Wednesday.

Michael Isaacs, 30, of Paradise, East Coast Demerara and Cologne Toney, 24, known as ‘Country,’ of #53 Village, Corentyne Berbice, appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan and denied the charge.

It is alleged that on May 21, 2017 at Pamela Landing, Potaro River, they robbed Eric Singh of $85,000 cash, one penny weight raw gold valued $10,000 and at the time of the robbery, they made use of personal violence on Singh.

Police Prosecutor, Arwin Moore told the court that the Virtual Complainant (VC) is the owner of a shop which is at his Pamela Landing, Potaro River home. Moore disclosed that on the day in question, the two accused

Hoyte on $75,000 bail and transferred the matter to Kamarang Magistrate’s Court for June 20, 2017.

Additionally, the Magistrate ordered the Constable to stay away from the victim and bounded him on good behaviour until the completion of trial.

A TRUCK driver accused of fraudulently converting 250 bags of Karibee Rice to his own use was released on $50,000 bail by City Magistrate, Fabayo Azore on Wednesday.

Patrick Clark, 53, of East Ruimveldt, Georgetown, denied that while being entrusted by Elton Ward and Rohan Sarjou with 250 bags of Karibee Rice valued $500,000 on November 15, 2016, he fraudulently converted same to his own use and benefit. Police Prosecutor, Simone Payne made no objection to bail and did not release further details to the court. Bail was granted and the matter was adjourned to June 7, 2017.

Meanwhile, a 21-yearold minibus conductor was released on $50,000 bail

by Magistrate Azore after being charged with fraudulently converting a weeding machine valued at $360,000

Patrick Clark

Akeem Booker

to his own use and benefit.

Akeem Booker of ‘C’ Field Sophia Squatting Area, Georgetown, denied that on April 14, 2017 at Mandela Avenue, Georgetown, while being solely entrusted by Razel Moore with her $360,000 STIHL

weeding machine for safe keeping, he fraudulently converted same to his own use and benefit.

Police Prosecutor, Simone Payne did not object to bail.The matter was adjourned to June 14, 2017 for reports.

9

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 25, 2017

SOCU to probe purchase Jagdeo welcomes probe of faulty water cannon into the ‘Troubles’ THE purchase of a water cannon that never worked under the stewardship of Clement Rohee, while he headed the Ministry of Home Affairs is among several other issues which were turned over to the police on Wednesday for investigation.

On Wednesday Jaipaul Sharma, Minister within the Ministry of Finance, met with Commissioner of Police,

The water cannon that never worked

Minister within the Ministry of Finance hands over the reports to Seelall Persaud, Commissioner of Police, while Sydney James - Assistant Commissioner of Police and Head of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) looks on

Seelall Persaud, at Commissioner of Police’s office to hand over the Final Reports of the Forensic Audits of National Insurance Scheme (NIS), National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), Guyana Lotteries Committee,

Scrap Metal Unit, Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) and the Ministry of Home Affairs’ Purchase of a Water Cannon.

Present at the handing over, in addition to Sharma and Persaud, was also Sydney James - Assistant Commis-

sioner of Police and Head of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU).

A forensic audit conducted by Nizam Ali and Company has revealed that the equipment was bought at a price of $20.8M from Shiyan Yunlihong Industrial and Trade Co. Ltd, a company from China, as opposed to the previously reported price of $37M. According to the audit report “The Ministry engaged in public tendering, as required under section 25(1) of the Procurement Act of Guyana 2003 (the Act).

No response was received for the invitation to tender.

The MOHA then engaged in procuring the equipment, using a three quote system.”

The report noted too that the auditor could not find any “available evidence” of a study or evaluation to determine the need for this equipment. Also, it was noted that there was no study to determine the merit of this particular type of equipment.

Referendum will... ing recently indicated that it will move to a referendum to determine the legality of homosexuality, Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge believes that the situation is a sensitive one and requires careful attention.

Guyana had voted against funding for an independent investigator appointed to assist with protecting the rights of gays and transgender people, at the United Nations and Greenidge in an interview with this newspaper recently, said government is not against the funding, but rather is against certain provisions contained in a particular resolution rather than against the entire agenda.

He maintained that the country has not changed its position on the matter while noting that the same resolutions are put to the table years at a time, but oftentimes return with changes.

LIFE IMPRISONMENT In Guyana, homosexual acts carry a possible punishment of life imprisonment.

Section 352 of the Criminal Law Offences Act, states: Any male person who, in public or private, commits, or is a party to the commission, or procures or attempts to procure the commission, by any male person, of any act of gross indecency with any other male person shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and liable to imprisonment for two years.

Section 353 states: Everyone who (a) attempts to commit buggery; or (b) assaults any person with intent to commit buggery; or (c) being a male, indecently assaults any other male person, shall be guilty of felony and liable to imprisonment for 10 years.

Section 354 and 355 fur-

From page 2

ther state that: Everyone who commits buggery… shall be guilty of felony and liable to imprisonment for life.

Last month, the APNU+AFC government announced that Guyanese will have a chance to vote on whether they believe homosexuality should remain a criminal act, or if those laws which criminalise it should be struck down via a referendum.

This was conveyed in a letter to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) following the 161st Ordinary Period of Sessions which addressed issues of human rights violations against young persons in Guyana.

Greenidge believes that when the government has made a commitment to hold a referendum on the issue, then it will honour it.

OPPOSITION Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo says he welcomes any investigation into the extra-judicial killings of the 2000 to 2010 period referred to by President David Granger as “The troubles.”

This was asserted by Jagdeo on Wednesday during a press briefing at the Office of the Leader of the Opposition on Church Street. According to Jagdeo, “this has been going around and it’s been rearing its head again”. President David Granger noted in a recent Kaieteur News article that the matter remains a priority for him and the government.

The Head of State added, “We are working on the evidence…It is still a commitment to the mothers of the children who either disappeared or died. We are collecting information, not in a formal way but some information has to be collected from various sources because many of the actual eyewitnesses have been killed during the troubles.”

Jagdeo said that he attempted to look at the issue years ago and staff downloaded the names of the “400 black men” whom he noted were alleged to have been “killed by the PPP.” He list-

ed names including Linden “Blackie” London, who was killed in a battle with the joint services years ago. He named Mohammed Shafeek who died in prison; Powar Hardeo, a late Berbice businessman; Leon Fraser, the late Police Superintendent and several other police officers including the late police Detective, Adrian London.

Jagdeo said that the PPP ignored the list of names for which he did not name a source. He said the party welcomes an investigation into the issue, noting that he thought the Coroner Amendment Bill 2015, which was passed in the National Assembly was aimed at undertaking investigations into the death of the persons on the list. The Bill was revised to allow for at least four coroners in Demerara, three in Berbice and two in Essequibo. These persons will be full time coroners. Every person appointed as a coroner under the act shall take and subscribe to the oath of office taken by a magistrate with whatever modifications are necessary.

Months after assuming office, President Granger noted the government’s intention to probe the large number of persons who

Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo

died during the period 2000-2008. In 2012, while being Leader of the Opposition, President Granger had drafted a motion which sought to investigate, among others the killing of Agriculture Minister Satyadeow Sawh and the massacres at Lusignan, Bartica and Lindo Creek in 2006. The then ruling People’s Progressive Party and the other opposition party, Alliance for Change (AFC) had called for an extension of the time period referenced in the motion.

As such the motion was deferred.

Armed police to be placed at back West Dem. Hospital –doctors at work EMERGENCY room doctors are back at work in full strength following their public discontent over their security fears, conditions of work and the physical state of the department at the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH).

“The problems at the WDRH were essentially managerial issues but the doctors are back at work in full strength,” the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) quoted a senior official as saying in a release on Wednesday.

According to the release, emergency room doctors “took sick leave” the last two days thus leaving the health institution short of critical staff.

“A senior health official was adamant that the doctors’ decision was not an industrial action or strike,” the release noted, adding that the ministry and concerned officials of the WDRH met Wednesday and were able to find common ground and

iron out most of the difficulties with both sides agreeing to a raft of measures, some of which will be implemented in the short term.

These include armed ranks of the Guyana Police Force to be a permanent feature at the hospital to beef up security for doctors who have been perennially abused – verbally and physically – by Region Three (Essequibo Islands/West Demerara) residents, especially when they are under the influence of alcohol or believe they have waited long enough to see a physician.

According to the release, the WDRH and the MOPH are awaiting the approval from the Commissioner of Police while Region Three officials are prepared to fund this initiative.

“The official said that locks will be installed on several doors of the Hospital to enable doctors and nurses to better secure themselves in the face of impending assaults by irate patients or their families,” the release

stated.

The parties also agreed to hike the number of attendants working at the hospital and there is also expected to be a rise in the number of cleaners operating at the regional health institution. A better remuneration package for the doctors was also discussed at the meeting.

Employees at the WDRH have been facing abuse by residents and recently a female doctor said she was pinned against a wall by an irate and inebriated patient. Workers have been appealing for a “safe space” at the hospital to secure themselves from the almost weekly attacks. Most of these attacks were unreported.

In the face of escalating aggression against hospital workers, Public Health Minister, Volda Lawrence met ranks of the Region Three Police and senior Region Three leaders to work out a plan to better protect workers and boost their morale.

10

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 25, 2017

18 years jail for deportee who killed teen DHARAMRAJ Persaud, known as “Kris” stood with a smug look on his face as Justice James Bovell-Drakes handed down an 18 year jail sentence for the offence of manslaughter.

Persaud was deported from United States of America in 2010 and on April 29, 2012, he fatally wounded 17-year-old Sasenarine Persaud, known as “Suraj” at Number 70 Village, Corentyne. The unarmed teenager received five stab wounds about the upper chest. Persaud was charged with murder but pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter.

Addressing the prisoner, Justice Bovell-Drakes noted that the sentence is reflective of the evidence, which included a caution statement, a probation report, the post mortem report, a psychiatric analysis and the plea in mitigation.

Dharamraj Persaud

In reading the caution statement, the Judge related that, “You were on the road by ‘JoJo’ residence, where you had gone to purchase cigarettes . Whilst there, JoJo called you to take a shot of Vodka. You took a couple of shots. You recognised that there was a bar preparing Bar-B-Que. The now de-

ceased approached unarmed and you stabbed him five times. You did so as you told him to stay away. You ran away. You went home as you were afraid that relatives of the deceased would have followed and killed you. You locked your house, packed three bags before using the same knife to stab yourself and according to your statement you always acted in a similar manner while you resided overseas.”

The Judge said he is satisfied that the accused is aware of the consequences of his actions.

“As the wider community will be concerned that the court of law may be looking quite candidly at the period of incarceration, but I have to balance in the interest of you, the State and the persons who lost their relative.

I know from this experience you shall make a resolution that you will not consume alcohol,” the Judge noted.

In handing down the sentence, the Judge said there was no degree of planning in committing the offence and that Persaud was frank and cooperative with investigators.

KILLING WAS UNWARRANTED Meanwhile, State Prosecutor, Orintha Schimdt described the incident as “unwarranted,” noting that the killing stemmed from an altercation between the convict, the cousin of the victim and his step-father.

The now dead teen had intervened in the argument in an effort to take his relatives home and it was during that time he was fatally stabbed.

“The act was overkill,” the Prosecutor said. Meanwhile, in her plea of mitigation, defence lawyer, Tania Warren Clement, said her client’s plea to the lesser count of manslaughter indi-

cated that he did not waste the court’s time or the country’s resources in conducting a trial, which may have lasted for several days or weeks.

Making legal submissions, the lawyer urged the court to look at the evidence of intoxication, indicating that Persaud was not the master of his own mind, and as such, judgment was impaired.

SUICIDE ATTEMPT Also giving evidence was Cuban born Psychiatrist, Dr. Mayda Grajeles, who revealed that the prisoner had attempted suicide in 2012, but was discharged from her supervision a year later.

Meanwhile, in her probation report, Senior Probation and Social Services Officer, Voonashewarie Gopal, reported that Persaud grew up in a stable middle-class nuclear family, with the father being gainfully employed, while the mother stayed at

home.

Persaud attended primary school, but reportedly departed the school system prematurely on his own accord. Afterwards, the family migrated to the United States of America, but five years later the father died, and the mother became responsible for providing for her family’s economic needs.

The Officer noted that while the parents provided love and financial security, they failed to ensure that he achieved an educational career. The court heard that being the youngest child, he was pampered and despite the family migration he was not allowed to continue his schooling.

Further, prior to his incarceration, Persaud did not have a daily structured activity, and as a result he came into conflict with the law in the USA and in his homeland after his deportation in 2010.

Khan takes charge of DPI/GINA Digicel provides …PM seeks change of ‘GINA brand’

Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo meeting with staff of the Government Information Agency (GINA)

DIRECTOR of Public Information, Imran Khan is now head of the Government Information Agency (GINA) with the former director, Beverly Alert being seconded to the National Communications Network as its Public Information Coordinator.

The full merger of the DPI and GINA will take effect from January 2018, at which time the official name of the unit will be Department of Public Information. Prime Minister and First Vice-President, Moses

Nagamootoo, explained that since 2015, some work has been done towards changing the content of information produced by the agency.

“While we are doing better, we have not done enough; we have been able to get into news outlets more than we had done in the past, but at the same time we have not been able to significantly change the brand. The GINA brand, it was a party propaganda instrument, the politicisation from a party’s point of view of the public information that we would

like to guard against,” the Prime Minister pointed out.

As of January 1, 2018, the merged agencies will generally be referred to as the Department of Public Information (DPI). Beverley Alert, who served as Director of GINA since June 2015 has been seconded as Public Information Co-ordinator to the National Communications Network (NCN). Imran Khan will assume the position of Managing Director of the new DPI. The Prime Minister met with staff of GINA

and DPI on Wednesday and enlightened them of the expectations to be observed as the staff enters into the new name and management.

He added that GINA’s work has changed significantly and expects this merger to enhance what has already begun.

“It is for the first time that GINA has assumed a role of covering what the opposition does in the parliament, and what the judiciary is doing, and what the executive is doing, as well as what parliament is doing, (what) the speaker of parliament is doing at the level of the legislature, so that we have the defined functions for public information that delimit the temptation of even partisan slant to public information,” the Prime Minister highlighted.

The Prime Minister remarked that all information agencies of the government have a key responsibility of ensuring factual evidence-based information is disseminated.

He added that with a highly professional and trained public relations arm of the government, timely and accurate information will be filtered through various mediums for public consumption.

aid to flood affected residents

A Digicel representative (third right) hands over supplies to a representative of the Amerindian Peoples Association and the Civil Defence Commission (second left) on Wednesday

DIGICEL Guyana on Wednesday provided a quantity of supplies to the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) and the Amerindian People’s Association (APA), which will be taken to flood affected communities within Regions Seven and Eight.

Residents of the two regions have been severely affected by flash floods, which resulted in the loss of and damage to houses and roads, clothing, food supplies, and farms.

The donation by the telecommunications company comprised of a “substantial quantity” of food items and detergent, a statement from Digicel noted on Wednesday.

Public Relations Officer, Vidya Sanichara said, “We empathise with those residents who have lost their livelihood and have been displaced; we hope that these

items bring some sort of relief where it is needed most.”

Sanichara expressed confidence that the items provided will reach those in need of assistance as a result of the floods. Meanwhile, Governance and Rights Coordinator, Laura George, along with other staff of the Amerindian People’s Association (APA), continue to work closely with the CDC in coordinating relief efforts to ensure donations are sent to those in need.

George thanked Digicel for their support and said, “Every little bit matters, you may not be able to give in the magnitude that Digicel did today, but whatever you can offer will be appreciated.”

Over 3000 residents are affected as homes, farms, roads and other areas of dwelling have been destroyed.

11

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 25, 2017

Region Eight floods

Agri Ministry to help flood-hit farmers with replanting

Hampers and other supplies being transported to the village of Kako, Cuyuni Mazaruni

THE Ministry of Agriculture is currently making preparations to visit and take supplies to farmers in the Potaro-Siparuni (Region Eight) area, where floodwaters have completely receded, to assist in replanting efforts, even as the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) has established a Forward Operations Base in neighbouring Kamarang, Cuyuni-Mazaruni (Region Seven) to bring relief to the residents in the affected areas there.

Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Ms. Joylyn Nestor-Burrowes, told the Ministry of the Presidency after a meeting with the acting Director General of the CDC, Major Kester Craig, that the Ministry has received reports from the areas affected and has begun putting together a list of the supplies needed. As soon as these are acquired a team from the Ministry will move into the area and begin to work with the affected farmers.

“We can only move into the areas where the water has receded at this time. As the other regions continue to recede, we will also work with them. There are no immediate threats to any livestock so it’s really just the cash crops at this time,” she said.

Minister of State, Mr. Joseph Harmon, during a visit to the villages of Itabac

and Kanapang on Sunday, had assured residents that the Government will use every resource at its disposal to restore normalcy in the communities, which will range from the restoration of livelihoods to the rebuilding of homes. At that meeting, the Minister had promised to ensure that the residents receive all necessary assistance in replanting their farms.

Meanwhile, Major Craig said that while floodwaters continue to recede in all of the affected areas in Region Eight, Cuyuni-Mazaruni (Region Seven) has seen an increase in water on the land and several communities are inundated. He said that the Forward Operations Centre has been established to host supplies and coordinate relief efforts to the communities affected in that area.

A team comprising representatives of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) and the CDC has been deployed to affected communities across the region to ascertain the extent and impacts of flooding there and to determine the immediate needs. He noted that the villages of Kako, Kamarang (Warawatta), Jawalla, Waramadong, Imbaimadai, Phillipai, Ammokokopai, Quebenang and Paruima are flooded. However, the extent of flooding is being investigated. In Kako, eight houses

were flooded; however up to press time, two remained flooded, while all farms were under water.

Phillipai has recorded approximately 15 small landslides, while the children in Kamarang are unable to get to school. However, the RDC, which worked alongside the CDC earlier this year to complete the Regional Multi-Hazard Preparedness and Response Plan, has activated its Disaster Risk Management Committee and has been actively responding to affected areas. Thus far, they have facilitated a joint field visit and dispatched 62 food hampers, 100 collapsible water bottles, cleaning and medical supplies to Kamarang, to be distributed to flood affected communities.

Two planes with supplies, including 116 food hampers will be further dispatched to the Operations Base today for distribution. The Region has advised residents to reap crops in affected farms to prevent complete losses.

INFRASTRUCTURE Additionally, the team of engineers from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), who travelled to the villages of Itabac and Kanapang on Tuesday to conduct an assessment of the damaged roads and buildings and to facilitate water quality

testing and set up purification systems, with a view to determining the long-term response that will be required from the State, have extended their stay to include the other affected villages. They will now conduct a full assessment of all of the affected areas in Region Eight and provide a detailed report to the Government.

A reinforcement team from the Ministry of Public Health and the Pan America Health Organisation (PAHO), today, arrived in

Orinduik to support other health officials, who were in the region since Friday.

They will continue to conduct health assessments and medical outreaches in the affected areas, even as medical supplies are being shuttled in.

Thus far, the acting Director General said that 501 relief food hampers, along with 388 relief cleaning hampers and 170 collapsible bottles were distributed among Chenapau, Kaibarupai, Waipa, Sand Hill, Itabac, Kanapang, while blankets, medical supplies,

tarpaulins, nails, clothing and disinfectant were also sent in.

The CDC has engaged several other critical agencies, including the Ministry of Social Protection, the Ministry of Social Cohesion, the Guyana Red Cross Society and the Guyana Relief Council (GRC) with the view of determining how best the needs of all of the residents can be addressed through cooperation and pooling of resources at this time. (Ministry of the Presidency)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 25, 2017

ExxonMobil donates $5M to flood relief efforts EXXONMOBIL Guyana has donated a total of G$5M to the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) to assist in relief efforts for flood affected areas in Cuyuni-Mazaruni (Region Seven) and

Potaro-Siparuni (Region Eight).

Senior Director, Public and Government Affairs at ExxonMobil Guyana, Ms. Kimberly Brassington, made this commitment on Wednesday to Acting

Director General of the CDC, Major Kester Craig, a release from the Ministry of the Presidency noted.

According to the release, she said that the company takes it corporate social responsibility

Kimberly Brassington, Senior Director, Public and Government Affairs at ExxonMobil Guyana; Mr. Carlton James, Public and Government Affairs Manager, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited; Major Kester Craig, acting Director General of the Civil Defence Commission and Ms. Sophia Gafoor from the CDC

to the citizens of Guyana seriously and added that in times of crises it is important that resources are combined to ensure a rapid response.

“We would like to support the CDC and the Regions to respond rapidly to address the needs of the affected residents. Anywhere ExxonMobil operates, including Guyana, we take our corporate social responsibility seriously and this is a situation and opportunity, where the communities are in need and we can come together and find a way to help,” Brassington was quoted as saying in the release.

It was further noted that Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, who has responsibility for the CDC and disaster response and risk management, welcomed the donation and said that the Government

thanks all members of the private sector, including ExxonMobil that have made resources available to the CDC to support their work.

“I want to thank all the companies for their response and for making their resources available to the Civil Defence Commission. We will ensure that whatever donations are made cater to the needs of the people. It is heartening to see everyone coming together and doing whatever they can at this time to bring relief to the residents affected and it is a culture like this that we want to promote in Guyana; where we all come together to do our best if our brothers and sisters are affected,” Minister Harmon was quoted as saying.

Acting Director General of the CDC, Major Kester Craig, said that the

donation will go a long way towards providing immediate relief to residents in affected areas.

“On behalf of the Civil Defence Commission and the Government of Guyana, I would like to express profound appreciation and gratitude for the timely and most appropriate intervention for bringing relief to the residents of the affected communities. I can assure you that the grant will be utilised to ensure that the most suitable needs are given to the affected,” he said.

To date, the Government has spent more than $8M on disaster response and relief activities as a result of flooding in the affected regions. This amount does not reflect donations, which have been made by private individuals and companies over the past few days.

Taxi driver accused of theft granted bail A TAXI driver accused of stealing a woman’s handbag and other items was released on $25,000 bail

by City Magistrate Fabayo Azore on Wednesday.

Michael Douglas, 33,

of Norton Street, Wortmanville, is charged with simple larceny. He denied that on May 20, 2017 at Charlotte Street, Georgetown, he stole a handbag, two gold rings and $12,000 cash, totaling

$144,000.

Police Prosecutor Simone Payne made no objection to the accused being granted bail. Bail was granted and the matter adjourned to June 7, 2017.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 25, 2017

Tree painting by M&CC to usher in Independence FOR the past two days, workers of the Solid Waste Management Department of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC), carried out a tree painting exercise on Main Street and Brickdam, in an effort to usher in Independence celebrations.

Both days, workers assembled at City Hall for

9:00hrs to carry out the exercise that was led by Solid Waste Director, Walter Narine.

The teams not only painted tree trunks, but weeded and cleaned the public benches in the area.

The lantern poles were also painted.

Narine told Guyana Chronicle that in the past,

any major activity in the country was marked by an event of this nature.

“We’re trying to revitalise that. An event like this gives you a sense of pride and belonging.”

Mayor Patricia ChaseGreen and her deputy, Lionel Jaikarran, along with some city councillors also participated in the activity.

Mayor Patricia Chase-Green and her deputy Lionel Jaikarran, along with Councillor, Tricia Richards (Delano Williams photos)

Solid Waste Management Director, Walter Narine, sharing in the exercise

Teens arrested, firearm seized in Lethem POLI CE arrested tw o teenagers and seized a firearm in a house at Tabatinga, Lethem, after they fired shots at a man in Beverly Hill Street, Lethem on Wednesday.

The man shot at was identified as Robert Laurindo, 27 of Lethem. The two men arrested are a19year-old salesman and a 15-year-old mechanic of Boa vista, Brazil.

Reports indicate that the suspects had an argument with the victim over some money. The victim

The firearm found

and a friend subsequently drove away in a car towards the Beverly Hill Street but the two teens followed on a motorcycle.

The victim stopped the car and another argument ensued.

It is alleged that the 15-year-old then drew a .32 Taurus revolver from his waist and handed it to the 19-year-old, who discharged three rounds in Laurindo’s direction. However, he missed. The suspects then made good their escape on the motorcycle.

A report was made to the police and the teens were caught in a house where the firearm and ammunition were found in a haversack. The suspects are in custody as investigations continue.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 25, 2017

Youth fair targets talent development

By Vishani Ragobeer

STUDENTS from various parts of Guyana were treated to a youth exposition and health fair aimed at providing a comprehensive guide to choosing their careers or furthering their studies while encouraging health consciousness.

The exposition and fair on Wednesday was held in observance of National Youth Week at the D’Urban Park, Georgtown.

According to Minister within the Ministry of Education with responsibility for Culture, Youth and Sport, Nicolette Henry, the event was tailored to provide “comprehensive and up-to-date” information to assist youths in their quest of seeking careers or in furthering their education to qualify their future professional aspirations.

Aligned with the address of Minister Henry, the fair featured a wide array of stakeholders across various government ministries and other governmental bodies; non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such as the Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association (GRPA); business agencies like the Small Business Bureau and Global Technology; and ed-

the development of a National Youth Policy and the launch of a National Youth Corps in 2018.

Public Telecommunications Minister, Catherine Hughes, who also spoke, expressed sentiments.

“We need to focus more on our young people,” Minister Hughes stressed.

ENDLESS OPPORTUNITIES She reflected upon the daunting tales of some unfortunate children in Syria and conceded that while more can be done for young people in Guyana, Guyanese

the government is trying to give them while striving for excellence.

Responding to the calls for all stakeholders to become involved in developing the future leaders and workforce of Guyana, one stakeholder- Global Technology presented the Department of Culture, Youth and Sport with 10 scholarships.

The scholarships given to Minister Henry by Global Technology Chief Executive Officer (CEO), George Melville, were in memory of Kevon Scipio, the lad who died amid last year’s Jubilee celebrations.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Global Technology, George Melville, presents the 10 scholarships to Minister Henry

ucational institutions such as the Rajiv Gandhi University of Science and Technology, E.R Burrowes School of Art and the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE).

Students were allowed to peruse various booths showcasing opportunities in the areas of science, technology, engineering, agriculture, the arts and many more and engage with representatives of the various institutions on offers available to them.

The Public Health Ministry hosted several booths seeking to raise health consciousness among youths.

Notably, there was emphasis on mental health awareness.

The junior Education Minister attested that while the nation faces many challenges, perhaps the greatest challenge lies in its ability (or lack thereof) to adequately create the best workforce that is able to compete with the rest of the world.

Two students of the New Amsterdam Multilateral School at the booth facilitated by the Ministry of Public Health’s Mental Health Unit. (Photos by Adrian Narine)

Students at the Ministry of Public Health booth

First Lady Sandra Granger along with students of Brickdam Secondary and Queen’s College engage with one of the facilitators

Thus, she accounted that the future prosperity of Guyana depends on identifying the talents, skills and creativity of her youths and the undertaking of measures now, such as this exposition, to harvest and hone them.

In this regard, she highlighted the government’s endeavors towards developing youth with the launch of the $50M Youth Innovation Project of Guyana (YIPoG),

are still fortunate to be in a country with “endless opportunities”.

Hughes also noted that young people in Guyana are afforded immense access to information and technology.

“To whom much is given, much is expected,” she said in her concluding remarks and encouraged all young people to make full use of the opportunities

The scholarships afford 10 young persons who are financially challenged, to complete full programme courses of their choice at Global Technology. Melville asserted that while these scholarships are only being given this year, the business entity would be willing to engage with the Ministry again next year.

[L-R] Public Telecommunications Minister Catherine Hughes; Minister within the Ministry of Education with responsibility for Culture, Youth and Sport, Nicolette Henry and First Lady, Sandra Granger applaud a cultural item

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 25, 2017

‘This is a call to service’ –Harmon tells state media boards MEMBERS of the Boards of Directors of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited (GNNL) and the National Communications Network Inc. (NCN) on Wednesday received their instruments from Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo and were called upon to serve the country and not seek self-gratification.

At a simple ceremony held at the home of Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon urged those appointed to the two state boards to remember that they are not appointed to serve themselves but to serve the people.

“This is a call to service,” said Harmon as he assured that his administration is not going to intervene in the work of the appointed boards.

“We are not here in the government to tell you what to do. We believe our work speaks for itself. I believe in transparency; the boards should have integrity, and that you should be open to the Guyanese people. At the level of State, we look forward to service from you,” he said.

Harmon explained that since taking office, there

has been a change in the landscape of the country and noted the importance of information being filtered to all parts of the country.

The newly-installed Chairman of GNNL is former magistrate,Geeta ChandanEdmond and she is accompanied by new board members: Hakim Khan, Sherod Duncan, Hilbert Foster and Arron Fraser.

Re-appointed directors are Ruel Johnson, Karen Davis, Bert Wilkinson and Tabitha Sarabo-Halley.

Wilkinson and Sarabo-Halley are both overseas.

Meanwhile, NCN’s board is chaired by veteran broadcaster, Enrico Woolford and he is supported by veteran broadcaster, Margaret Lawrence. Lawrence is the only returning member from the previous board. The new NCN directors are: journalist Gordon Moseley, Iwokrama CEO, Dane Gobin, new media specialist, Michael Leonard and Kamal Persaud, the Deputy Mayor of Bartica.

Meanwhile, Harmon noted that his administration has changed the way the nation views boards and entities that operate under the state sector and stressed that entities are now independent.

“We have made these entities independent, we have

given them the resources to perform their duties in an independent and impartial way, and in that regard we expect out of these boards to give guidance on policy in relation to broadcasting and in relation to the print media,” he said.

The Minister of State said too that it is critical that citizens are informed of government’s action and stated that it is the two state entities, Guyana Chronicle and NCN that are responsible for informing the nation of developments.

“I believe your work is important… you are at the forefront of what we do and say in the government.

If as a state we are unable to communicate the work which we do, we are unable to communicate our message to the length and breadth of this country, then people will say, ‘y’all are doing nothing as a government’,” he emphasised.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nagamootoo, who has oversight of the state media and public information said, “We have the defined function for public information that delimits the temptation of partisan slant.”

He further noted that the new boards have been incorporated during an “auspi-

Chairman of GNNL’s board of directors, Geeta Chandan-Edmond receives her instrument of appointment from Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo on Wednesday at the residence of the Prime Minister

Some members of the board of directors of the Guyana National Newspaper Limited (GNNL) stand with Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo and Minister of State, Joseph Harmon on Wednesday at the Prime Minister’s residence. Also in photo are General Manager (ag), Moshamie Ramotar and Editor-in-Chief, Nigel Williams

Some members of NCN’s board of directors stand with Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo; Minister of State, Joseph Harmon; NCN’s CEO Lennox Cornette and Editor-in-Chief (ag), Sharda Lall, on Wednesday

cious time”.

“We are now re-positioning the public information platforms to serve the people of Guyana to be able to take information as well as government policies, activities to the people …” said the Prime Minister who stressed it is necessary to ensure that the public receives value for money.

“No section of our population should feel left out of the flow of information,” added the Prime Minister who noted that the boards comprise of highly respected individuals with a wide range of professional competencies.

He urged the new boards to work together to give clear policy direction to the two state media

bodies and who will lead the continued improvement in the provision of fair and balanced content and stressed that both GNNL and NCN have a higher responsibility to the citizenry to report on all matters pertaining to the three arms of the state – the executive, the legislature and the judiciary.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 25, 2017

Moleson Creek residents receive – $10M water distribution water for first time network commissioned

By Shauna Jemmot

THE Ministry of Communities, through the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) on Wednesday commissioned the Jackson/ Moleson Creek Water Distribution Network to the value of $10M in Moleson Creek, Corentyne, Berbice.

The Ministry also launched a program to begin the installation of a well field in the area by December. Several residents braved miles of slush and muddy road to witness history and some shed tears of joy as they witnessed the end of struggle to access portable water .

The road was never easy as residents walked at least a mile when overhead tanks

become empty and fetched water in buckets and bottles on their shoulders when a tractor was not available to take them into the uneven mucky track.

For some, it took a lifetime for a government to finally answer their heartbreaking pleas for help, which included portable water, a good road, electricity and the delivery of old-age pension.

On Wednesday, Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Dawn Hastings-Williams wished the community a Happy 51st Independence anniversary before she finally cut the ribbon and turned the tap on to allow the free flow of portable water out of the GWI installed pipelines.

“I want to wish you a

Happy 51st Independence anniversary, and you know I am proud to present to this community as a token of Independence gift, the distribution network for Moleson/Jackson community and I think that’s a very significant gift that you can receive from the APNU/ AFC coalition government,” Minister Hastings-Williams declared.

Residents responded with an applause as she explained that the supply of the water is in alignment with President David Granger’s initiative of transforming Guyana into a ‘Green State’ and ensuring the health and good life for all Guyanese.

The project has its genesis in a community outreach

by Minister of Social Protection, Amna Ally months

Free Flow: GWI Managing Director, Dr. Richard Van West-Charles; Minister of Social Protection, Amna Ally; Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Dawn Hastings-Williams; and GWI Berbice General Manager, Jeremiah enjoy spilling water for the first time out of a main at Moleson Creek, Corentyne, Berbice

ago, who after recording the needs of residents of the Crabwood Creek community, contacted GWI’s Managing Director, Dr. Van West-Charles for help.

Dr. Van West-Charles then communicated the need to Minister Hastings-Williams and the two collaborated and began working immediately. Within days, officials visited the area to assess the situation and

weeks after, the first phase of the project was complete.

“It makes me feel happy to know that families in these areas are receiving portable water for the first time,” the Minister expressed.

She said the need would not have been realised without the cooperation of government and residents of the community, who came out to meet with the Minister of

Social Protection during that community outreach.

“The President has asked all his ministers of government to be mobile. We’re not to sit in our offices but we are to come out, (bringing) the ministries to the people and to the communities throughout the length and breadth of Guyana. And that is why Minister Ally was able to come and have an outreach face-to-face meeting to learn about your issues and your needs that we would have to address as a region,” the Minister explained.

She said such meetings create opportunities for government to get firsthand knowledge and a clearer understanding of the needs of local communities and to be able to collaborate with communities in executing its mandate.

“We often hear so many times, ‘united we stand, divided we fall.’ This statement has a very powerful significance behind it. If you didn’t come out to meet Minister Ally and if Minister Ally didn’t come out to meet with you and listen to your concerns and take them back to GWI … if you weren’t interested in the development of your community… it is very, very important that we

Turn to page 17 ►

A Student of Crabwood Creek Primary School, 11-year-old Fadilah Baksh assists Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Dawn Hastings-Williams, cut the ribbon to commission the water network. Looking on are Minister of Social Protection, Amna Ally; GWI Managing Director Dr. Richard Van West-Charles; NDC Chairperson, Mrs. Ramela Bhadrasain-Singh and students of the Crabwood Creek Primary School

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 25, 2017

Moleson Creek residents... come out on ministerial visits. You must not tell yourself that government cannot do anything good for you…

Coming out to meet Minister Ally was not a waste of time because we are here celebrating and commissioning the distribution network,” Minister Hastings-Williams told the Region Six community.

ROLES OF RDC AND NDC Addressing Regional Democratic Council (RDC) and Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) executives, the Minister pointed out that they play pivotal roles in ensuring communities they represent receive the necessary development and projects are of high quality.

“You are our watchdogs in these regions, you are the watchdogs in these communities… you have to ensure

that whatever projects are being done in your communities are being done properly… we were having too much of substandard works in these far-flown areas… wherever you are and wherever government projects are being done you have to ensure that it’s being done to the value of the money being spent. And only then we can truly say development is taking place in the way it should… be a part of the developmental projects in your communities, you must buy into the idea.”

She explained that water being at the core of sustainable development, it is critical for socio-economic development, healthy eco-systems and human survival, and much is being denied when people are denied adequate water supply.

“Imagine yourself without getting access to water.

It takes a lot of energy from

us when we have to wake up to cook for our children in order to send them to school, we have to wash, and if you don’t have this resource at home and you have to walk for hours. I have seen some experience where people walk for hours to have access to water.

“I have seen instances where people paid money to bring water to their home and that money could have been used to further their children’s education, to buy a healthy snack for their children but they had to use that (money) to hire vehicles so that they can have access to water that is being dropped to their home… this is no more in Moleson/ Jackson Creek because I understand that you’re having your 24-hours supply.”

WELL FIELDS The Minister noted that the administration is also

thinking of establishing well fields so if one well goes down the other well must be able to continue providing residents with water service.

She informed the residents that in government’s investment in green sectors, such as the water sector, it is moving to provide Photovoltaic (PV) System - water system that is powered by the solar panels – from which the Moleson Creek area will benefit.

Meanwhile, GWI Managing Director, Dr. Van West Charles said the organisation strongly supports

From page 16

President Granger’s idea that every community should have equal access to quality services.

“It is important for residents to care the system; protect the system, because this is a service to you and we want to ensure that we can deliver the water; you will get the water 24 hours a day and as I said, I commit to you that before the end of the year we will find the resources to also drill a well in the community,” the GWI boss said.

Chairperson of Jackson/ Moleson Creek NDC, Ra-

mela Bhadrasain-Singh said the Council is pleased with government’s response.

“It’s indeed a change coming to Crabwood Creek and I’m happy, and I welcome this project …

I would urge you that you use water with care because water is life, and you care the facility you would be having and the services rendered to you. We look forward, in the soon future, for the solar well that has been promised by GWI and I just hope that we can move from here to there,” the NDC Chairperson said.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 25, 2017

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 25, 2017

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 25, 2017

Captain Kohli wants relaxed India in Champions Trophy (REUTERS) - India’s best chances of defending the Champions Trophy title next month will be if they do not burden themselves with the prospect, skipper Virat Kohli said yesterday.

Kohli was part of the Indian team who trumped hosts England in the 2013 final at Edgbaston, and he said he recalled no creased foreheads in that victorious dressing room.

The same carefree attitude has been the hallmark

of the Indian team who are currently the number one Test side, and Kohli saw no reason why it would not work in the one-day format. .”I think the first challenge is not to think that we are defending the title,” the 28-year-old told reporters ahead of the team’s departure for Britain for the tournament starting on June 1.

“When we went there last time, we just wanted to enjoy ourselves as a young unit and we ended

up winning the tournament and creating a team which has done so well so far,” he said.

“Right now, the mindset is very similar - to go out there and enjoy our cricket, which we’ve done in the past couple of years.

In Test cricket, we’ve been able to reach the top with that mindset, (along) with a hunger to win. We want to take it across to all formats.”

Kohli demanded from

from back page IGG heads to ...Continued countries will compete in the disciplines of track and field, football, volleyball, basketball, swimming and cycling.

With the exception of basketball which will have only female participation, the other disciplines will feature both male and female athletes, born 1999.

The aim of the Games, according to the protocol, is to create an opportunity for students to compete in different sport disciplines, focusing on better results and fostering better understanding of each other’s culture.

Rowley calls for ...

Continued from back page

Smith also said he was not aware of the bill and it was the ministry’s Permanent Secretary who looks after these administrative matters.

In a television interview yesterday, Smith said he believes that he is being attacked because he is performing his duties as a minister.

“This is politics. I am strong and I continue to get attacked because I

continue to deliver and perform, whether it’s from the media, whether it’s from people inside the ministry who are not happy that we are cleaning up and trying to stop corruption … I have nothing to hide, I am an open book. It is a storm in a teacup and people trying to cause bacchanal because we are accustomed with a diet of bacchanal.

Smith said.

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Virat Kohli

his team the kind of “ruthlessness” evident when they won 10 of 13 Tests on home soil last season.

India’s batting mainstay also reminded his team that there would be little margin for error in the June 1-18 tournament featuring top eight one-day sides.

“Because the tournament is much shorter (than World Cup) and you got top eight teams in the world,

the competitiveness of the tournament is much higher, right from the word go,” he said.

“In Champions Trophy, you need to be on top of your game from game one.

If not, your chances go down pretty soon. I think that’s the biggest challenge in Champions Trophy.”

India, who begin their Group B campaign against arch-rivals Paki-

stan in Birmingham on June 4, preferred experience over youth when selecting the squad, which includes former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and limited-overs stalwart Yuvraj Singh.

Kohli predicted significant contributions from both the senior players.

“They are so experienced that given the freedom to play their natural game in the middle order, they know better than anyone else how to build an innings, how to take the team out of difficult positions and how to win matches,” he said.

“In the last series (against England), they batted freely and enjoyed each other’s company.

When two of your greatest players play freely, it gives a lot of confidence to players batting above them.”

Continued from Man United back page outclass Ajax ... after an Ajax throw-in, the Frenchman’s shot taking a wicked deflection to wrong-foot goalkeeper Andre Onana and fly into the net.

Mkhitaryan then flicked the ball home early in the second half following a corner and, with chants of “Manchester, Manchester” echoing around the stadium, United held on to win the one European trophy missing from the Old Trafford cabinet.

“We know things like this are very sad all over the world,” said Pogba referring to the attack. “We had to focus. Manchester - we won for them. We played for England, we played for Manchester and we played for them -- the people who died.”

“The goal was to win all the way through this season. We’ve done it, and we’re proud,” said Pogba.

“People say we’ve had a bad season but the prize is great and we’ve done it now. We have three trophies so enjoy it now,” he added.

U n i t e d ’s t r i u m p h followed success in the

League Cup and the Community Shield in Jose Mourinho’s first season in charge at Old Trafford with Champions League football secured after United could only manage a sixth-place finish in the Premier League.

IMPOSING START United, wearing all blue as they did in winning the 1968 European Cup final, made an imposing start, with Pogba whistling a shot wide of the near post within the first minute.

The France midfielder was all over the pitch, appearing as a third centre back one moment to head the ball away from danger, channelling pinpoint passes to striker Marcus Rashford the next.

Pogba, who first came to United at the age of 16 before leaving for Juventus, put his side ahead with a hopeful low shot from the edge of the area that was sent looping past Onana in the Ajax goal thanks to a huge deflection from Davinson Sanchez.

Mourinho’s coaching

staff flew out of the dugout in celebration but the Portuguese stayed calm.

Ajax, fielding the youngest starting lineup in a European final, were expected to make a quick start as they did in their 4-1 win over Olympique Lyonnais in their semi-final first leg.

Instead the Dutch side were fenced in by United, nullified by Marouane Fellaini and man-of-thematch Ander Herrera in the middle and stretched

by Rashford’s darting runs.

They rarely threatened during the first half and were given no time to settle in the second, as Mkhitaryan reacted fastest to Chris Smalling’s knockdown from a corner, the Armenian leaping to knock the ball into the roof of the net after 48 minutes.

Ajax hogged the ball for the rest of the match but rarely looked like getting past United, who saw the game out to preserve Mourinho’s 100 percent record in European finals and deliver the continental trophy missing from their collection.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 25, 2017

Barcelona’s Messi loses appeal in tax fraud trial … but unlikely to go to prison

(REUTERS) - Spain’s Supreme Court yesterday rejected an appeal by Barcelona football star Lionel Messi and stood by a Catalan regional court’s 21-month prison sentence for tax fraud, court documents showed.

The five-time World Player-of-the-Year is unlikely to go to prison, however.

Messi and his father Jorge were found guilty by a Catalan court last July on three counts of tax fraud between 2007 and 2009 to the tune of 4.1 million euros on image rights and were also fined 2 million euros

(£1.7M).

The court reduced Jorge Messi’s sentence from 21 months to 15, however, for returning the defrauded amount to Spain’s tax authority.

Neither Messi nor his father is expected to serve time in jail, as under Spanish law sentences less than two years can be served under probation.

A court statement said Messi “unequivocally understood his obligation to pay tax on income obtained from exploiting his image rights ... therefore it is not logical that

he should ignore his duty to pay tax on them”.

The Supreme Court’s ruling brings an end to a case which began in 2013.

Messi, 29, and his father defrauded the Spanish tax office of 4.1 million euros between 2007 and 2009 by using a web of shell companies based in Belize, Switzerland and Uruguay to evade taxes on income from the player’s image rights.

Messi, who has won eight La Liga titles, four King’s Cups and four Champions League crowns with Barcelo-

Barcelona football star Lionel Messi

na, finished top scorer in Spain this season with 37 league goals.

He is set to play in the King’s Cup final next Saturday in Madrid, the last game

of the domestic season.

Messi is Barcelona’s alltime top scorer and their highest paid player. He is expected to sign a new contract with the Catalan club later this summer, with his current deal expiring in June 2018.

Messi’s lawyer was not available for comment.

Barcelona, who last year released a statement in support of Messi following his guilty sentence and launched a campaign in support of him on social media, have not yet commented on the Supreme Court’s decision.

Australia players’ union seeks more control of IP Morgan’s 107 guides England to victory over South Africa EOIN Morgan led from the front as England stepped up their ICC Champions Trophy preparations with a 72-run victory over topranked ODI side South Africa yesterday.

the terror attacks in Manchester on Monday, as the sun shone down on Leeds.

Jason Roy (1) fell early to a Quinton de Kock catch as England made a shaky start, but Morgan’s men had piled

a home Champions Trophy as favourites.

However, after de Kock fell with the score on 33, the quick-fire wickets of Amla and du Plessis sent the Proteas on a downward spiral, with only de Villiers showing any sign of resistance.

The loss of de Villiers left South Africa 225-7, and they added just 42 more runs before Woakes wrapped up the win with his fourth wicket of the match and with five overs to spare.

(Omnisport)

SCOREBOARD Australian players celebrate the dismissal of India’s CheteshwarPujara. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

(REUTERS) - The Australian Cricketers Association has set up a business to manage and market players’ intellectual property should they be unable to strike a pay deal with the national cricket board.

Players have rejected a Cricket Australia (CA) offer that waters down a revenue-sharing model which helped make them among the best-paid cricketers in the world over the last 20 years.

CA has warned that players would not be offered alternative contracts if they failed to agree to terms by a June 30 deadline.

The ACA said the launch of ‘The Cricketers’ Brand’ would help players, broadcasters, sponsors and Cricket Australia (CA) “manage the uncertainty” of a collective bargaining agreement failing to be put in place by the

deadline.

“Whilst this business will ‘go live’ on July 1 2017, the ACA is finalising securing the interim IP of Australia’s elite male and female cricketers pending a new MOU being agreed,” the ACA said in a statement yesterday.

Tim Cruickshank, the ACA’s commercial manager, has been appointed as the IP company’s general manager and said it would work with players and their agents to set up a commercial framework for their image rights.

“What this means practically for broadcasters and sponsors is that they can seek to establish a more direct relationship with the players through The Cricketers’ Brand which we hope will enhance those partnerships for further mutual benefit,” he added.

“This is about securing

a fair share for the men and women who play the game by taking greater control of their own intellectual property.”

The ACA added that players had received “approximately 0 percent” of digital media revenue earned by CA under the current CBA, which the union said ran to some A$40 million (£23 million) over five years.

“Whilst the ACA is seeking to get to the bottom of this, the players can’t allow this to continue, especially given the extensive use of their attributes on CA’s digital platforms,” the ACA said.

A Cricket Australia spokesman said there was “no digital revenue”.

“CA has repeatedly explained (that) to the ACA .... and their auditors have access to CA’s books on a regular basis,” he said by email.

England’s Eoin Morgan celebrates making a century.

(Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff)

The England captain hit 107 off 93 deliveries to steer the hosts to a total of 339-6 at Headingley, ably assisted

by Moeen Ali (77), and the Proteas fell well short in their chase.

Hashim Amla (73) and Faf du Plessis (67) topscored for the tourists in the first instalment of a threematch series, but it was the removal of AB de Villiers (45) in the 38th over that signalled the end of the South African challenge - Chris Woakes (4-38) was instrumental in their downfall.

One point of concern for England, however, will be an apparent injury to Ben Stokes, who spent time off the field receiving treatment during the South African innings.

A minute’s silence was observed amid an increased security presence following

on a further 98 runs through Alex Hales (61) and Joe Root (37) by the time de Kock took a second catch to see off the former.

Root - playing on his home ground for the first time since being handed the Test captaincy - struggled to live up to expectation, leaving it to Morgan and Moeen to lay down a challenging target for South Africa.

Morgan and Moeen racked up 117 runs between them in 13.3 overs, Woakes chipping in with six after his skipper was seen off by Chris Morris 14 balls from the end of the innings.

The South African innings had started promisingly, and a knee injury to IPL Most Valuable Player Stokes threatened to cause England a major headache as they prepare to head into

ENGLAND innings J. Roy c de Kock b Parnell 1 A. Hales c de Kock b Phehlukwayo 61 J. Root c Amla b Phehlukwayo 37 E. Morgan c Duminy b Morris 107 B. Stokes c Miller b Rabada 25 J. Buttler c Miller b Morris 7 M. Ali not out 77 C. Woakes not out 6 Extras: (b-4, lb-3, nb-4, w-7) 18 Total: (for 6 wickets, 50 overs) 339 Fall of wickets: 1-3 J, 2-101, 3-122, 4-190, 5-198, 6-315.

Bowling: K. Rabada 9-0-63-1 (nb-3, w-3), W. Parnell 7-0-47-1 (w-1), C. Morris 10-1-61-2 (w-2), I. Tahir 9-0-68-0, A. Phehlukwayo 9-0-59-2 (nb-1), J. Duminy 6-0-34-0 (w-1).

SOUTH AFRICA innings H. Amla lbw b Wood 73 Q. de Kock c Buttler b Woakes 5 F. du Plessis c Buttler b Plunkett 67 A. de Villiers c Plunkett b Ali 45 J. Duminy c Woakes b Rashid 15 D. Miller c Stokes b Woakes 11 C. Morris c Buttler b Ali 5 W. Parnell c Wood b Woakes 19 A. Phehlukwayo b Rashid 4 K. Rabada c Buttler b Woakes 19 I. Tahir not out 0 Extras: (lb-1, w-3) 4 Total: (all out, 45 overs) 267 Fall of wickets: 1-33, 2-145, 3-149. 4-182, 5-208, 6-216, 7-225, 8-230, 9-267. Bowling: C. Woakes 8-0-38-4, M. Wood 6-049-1, L. Plunkett 9-0-42-1 (w-1), A. Rashid 10-0-69-2 (w-2), B. Stokes 2-0-14-0, M. Ali 9-0-50-2, J. Root 1-0-4-0.

25

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 25, 2017

OSCL 2017 season bowls off this weekend ... Eight teams vying for A Division honours

By Frederick Halley TORONTO, Canada -- The 2017 Ontario Softball Cricket League (OSCL) season swings into gear this weekend with several matches in both the A and B conferences as ‘the boys of summer’ don their various colourful attires and match their skills.

Rohit Dutchin

The season once again consists of the regular 20over games, the Caribbean Sensation-sponsored 10/10 knockout tournament and the Norman Sue Bakery 15-over which will also be played on a

knockout basis.

However, a significant change will be implemented this year with teams in the A and B conferences competing separately in the knockout competitions unlike in previous years. This was one of a few changes adopted at the league’s annual general meeting in March.

Other changes will see free hits being introduced for all no-balls and the introduction of a super over where total runs scored, total overs bowled, and total wickets lost by both teams are equal.

Following their all-conquering dream debut season in 2014 and a somewhat disappointing performance in 2015, Dant stormed back to make a clean sweep of all the major titles in 2016 while several of their players were rewarded for outstanding performances.

Dant were crowned Division A regular season (20 overs) conference winners, Division A playoff champions, T10 tournament winners and 15-over victors.

Newcomers Enterprise enjoyed a fantastic season in the B Division, playing unbeaten in the regular season to capture the conference title, winning the B

Division playoffs and being runners-up to GTA Storm in 15-over Consolation final.

While Dant skipper Looknauth Ramsuchit has vowed that his team will once again be aiming for a repeat of last year’s epic performance, Enterprise have opted out of the reckoning after gaining promotion to the A Conference.

Apart from Ramsuchit, who has led consistently from the front with the bat, Dant will also depend heavily on the likes of former Guyana players Damodar Daesrath and vice-captain Hemnarine Chattergoon, Shaun Deonandan, Munniram Karran, Riaz Kadir, Yadram Bogh, Satrohan ‘Blade’ Balkarran and the ever-

green Aftab Shamsudeen.

Among the other teams to feature in A Division are last year’s conference finalists Sunshine, Caribbean Sensation, Rems, EC-Bannas, Rebels, GTA Storm A and Better Hope.

Among the seasoned campaigners in Sunshine are skipper Mahendranauth ‘Bobby’ Parasnauth, vice-captain Anil Etwaroo, Avinash Sookdeo and Bernard Kartick. They are hoping to go one step better this year after last year’s final ended in much controversy with Dant emerging victorious.

Always a force to be reckoned with, Caribbean Sensation are in the capable hands of Jagdeo ‘Navin’

Last year’s leading scorer Hemnarine Chattergoon

Eyaaz Mohamed

Singh along with Rishi Samuel, Reyaz Prahalad, Zaheer Allard, Zakir Khan, Shane Murli and the experienced Richard Driffield.

GTA Storm A are virtually an unknown quantity in their first stint in the A Division but have two key players in Richard Latiff and Rohit ‘Beast’ Dutchin, both stalwarts from Guyana’s Regal, and president Nirad Lall is confident his players are capable of attaining top honours.

The merger of East Coast and GT Bannas to form EC-Bannas is more than likely to strengthen the combination with Mark Moosai taking over the reins of captaincy with Trevon Garraway being his deputy.

Rakesh Dyal, Krishna Deosarran and Travis Blyden are expected to play key

roles.

Ian ‘Russian’ Baldeo continues to lead Rems and will have the services of Eyaaz Mohamed, Gopaulchand Beharry, Narendra Mandholal and Richard Dias among others.

Former national player Zaheer Haniff is scheduled to skipper Rebels with Troy Gobin, Troy Gonsalves, Shiv Seeram, Dennis Legay and Mohan Singh while Better Hope will include captain Davendra Ramkissoon, Amarnauth Sookhoo and Hemchand Sarwan.

The 11 teams in contention in the B Division are Cougars, Enmore, Good Success, GTA B, Ramblers, Restoration Warriors, Scarboro Angels, Smashers, Wakenaam, Bacchus Cricket Club and Carr Tec.

Cougars, Paradise Invaders Cold Fusion whip Canal Number 2 register wins on opening day

COUGARS FC and Paradise Invaders both registered victories when the Berbice Football Association/J’s Golden Arrow Under-20 championships got underway last Sunday at the All Saints ground, New Amsterdam, Berbice with a doubleheader.

Playing under lights, Cougars edged Hopetown United Rangers 1-0 with the winning goal coming off the boot of Jaleel Fraser in the eighth minute.

In the opening encounter, which was witnessed

by Guyana Football Federation (GFF) president Wayne Forde, the Federation’s Technical Director Ian Greenwood, members of the National Under-17 team and president of the BFA, Keith Ojeer, Paradise Invaders secured two points from the penalty spot over New Amsterdam United, after regulation and extra time failed to produce a winner

with the score at 3-3.

A penalty shoot-out was subsequently called and both teams scored their five shots which resulted in a sudden-death penalty shoot-out and Paradise Invaders came out victors.

During regulation time, Nfini Babb (5th min), Nial Reynolds (18th min) and Shaquel Deharte (45th) scored for Paradise Invaders, while Kevon Williams (15th) and Jamal Butts (35th and 65th) scored for New Amsterdam United.

Six teams, divided into two groups, are contesting the championships using the round-robin format and the top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-final.

Another double-header is fixed for Saturday at the same venue and the teams that will be in action are Young Strikers, Orealla Falcons, Hopetown United Rangers and Paradise Invaders.

The winning Cold Fusion team

ZEELUGT’S Cold Fusion made light work of Canal Number 2 in their feature 35-over friendly encounter, played last Saturday at the latter’s ground (aback of Kawall Primary School).

Set a modest 111 for victory, after limiting the homesters to 110 all out in

34.2 overs, Cold Fusion romped to victory in 26.3 overs, losing four wickets in the process.

The main scorers for the eventual winners were Trevayne Mohabir (28), skipper Mark Jeffers unbeaten on 19 and Mark Mohabir 19 not out. For

Canal Number 2, Kheshram Seyhodan grabbed three for 26.

Earlier, Canal Number 2 were indebted to a fine even half-century from Satrohan Ganesh who received solid support from Tajnauth Jadunauth (22).Vickram Mangra and Kenny Holder

claimed three for 11 and 12 respectively.

Canal Number 2 comprised four Under-19 players and seven between the ages of 15 and 17 while Cold Fusion had three eighteen-year-olds, three 15-16 years and five under-14s.

26

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 25, 2017

Jamaica athletics will not die with Usain Bolt’s retirement … Sports to continue as one of the major players in Jamaica’s tourism

By Vanessa Braithwaite

THE world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt, who is one of Jamaica’s pride and joy and main contribution to world athletics, will be pacing into a very young retirement at the age of 30, on the June 10 after running his last race as a professional athlete on Jamaica’s soil.

Bolt will be competing at the JN- Racers Grand Prix Meet at the Jamaica National Stadium, at a meet organised to salute the ‘legend’ before he retires from the track. Bolt broke through to international fame by becoming World Junior Champion in the 200 metres at age 15 in 2002 at the very same stadium.

While some Jamaicans are expressing mixed emotions about Bolt’s retirement, the sporting arena is generally in a sober atmosphere, as faces will no longer be glued to televisions with fingers crossed, almost a guarantee that those fingers will be opened with celebratory screams and gesticulations after Bolt crosses the finish line first, with ease, at every Olympic race.

“I am having mixed emotions about it because it is like I’m sad he is retiring but I didn’t want him to compete again because I don’t want him to be beaten. I don’t want him to go into retirement with a defeat,” one Jamaican sports enthusiast said.

Dr. Warren Blake, president of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) has expressed some pessimism that Jamaica’s sports and athletics Industry might be affected as Bolt was the main attraction, but is confident that the myriad of young and upcoming athletes

will close the gap of Bolt’s retirement comfortably.

“It might affect the sport industry a bit but we have quite a number of young talents coming up, we have quite a good crop

Olivia Grange – Minister of Culture, Gender Entertainment and Sports

of youngsters coming up who would be ready to replace Mr Bolt when he retires,” JAAA boss told Chronicle Sport in an invited comment.

Boasting on names such as Akeem Bloomfield and Nathan Allen, who are upcoming young athletes currently turning heads in Jamaica, Blake said that JAAA, in collaboration with the Government of Jamaica as well as other supporting entities, is continuing to hold hands in not only keeping the standard of athletics in the island, but sifting out loopholes in areas which need improvement.

Only last Saturday the organisation hosted its 14th International Jamaica Invitational Meet at the National Stadium which saw over 150 top track and field athletes, including over 50 Olympic medal athletes, compete in front of a capacity crowd of diehard Jamaican athletics supporters who did not only show love to their own,

but also to the invited athletes as well.

Allison Felix, Andre De Grasse, Yohan Blake and Elaine Thompson were just some of the big names who competed at the Meet. Meets such as these, Blake said, are the real driving force of sports tourism in Jamaica, a section of the sector which is the main contributor to Jamaica’s economy.

DEALING WITH BOLT’S ABSENCE With the absence of Bolt, the sports and athletic organisations have to work harder to boost sports tourism in Jamaica since sports fanatics around the world will be enthused to come to Jamaica to watch events of such magnitude live.

“It is increasingly important because sports has really been a drive of tourism because if you take some of the athletic events, quite a number of people in the diaspora make it the point of time to come home; so you come home, enjoy your holidays and take in a sport event or two,” JAAA president Blake said.

JAAA president Dr Warren Blake Photo Name: JAAA president

TRAIN THEM YOUNG One of the factors to Jamaica’s plethora of successes in sports, more so athletics, and recognition on the worldwide sporting arena is the effort with resources placed in training young students from the preparatory stage in order to sift out their athletic potential. In this way, according to Blake, another Bolt is born every day.

“Every week there are about 4 or 5 meets spread across the Island at all levels and we have about 10 000 athletes on the track each week and you just have to come and look at these meets to see the passion in which these athletes compete to understand why Jamaica is great is sports the way it is,” he said. He also revealed that Government gives tremendous support to these events.

Jamaican Olympic sprinter and 100m relay gold medallist, 28-year-old Schillonie Calvert Powell, credited the school’s athletic programme for her emergence into the super athlete she is today.

Originally from Montego Bay, Powell moved to Manchester in the south eastern end of the Island to pursue her ambitions in athletics and revealed that the rigid and well supported coaching school programmes and competitions such as the Boys and Girls Championships are very competitive and impacting.

“The Boys and Girls Champs brought out my talent, in the 100m and 200m,” she said, bragging about her several medals while still in school at many international events such as the CARIFTA games.

She later transitioned from a junior to senior athlete where she made it on to the Olympics team and achieved relay gold medals.

Beckham makes ballot for U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame (REUTERS) - Former England captain David Beckham, who won two Major League Soccer titles with the Los Angeles Galaxy, was among the first-time candidates named on the ballot for the U.S. National Soccer Hall of Fame yesterday.

The 42-year-old former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder played six seasons in MLS, all of them for the Galaxy, and helped his team to win championships in the last two of those seasons, 2011 and 2012.

His arrival in Los Angeles in 2007 put MLS on the map and brought a level of legitimacy and visibility that otherwise

may have taken the North American league decades to

reach.

Beckham, who is currently

Former England captain David Beckham

trying to get his proposed MLS franchise off the ground in Miami, met the Hall of Fame’s eligibility criteria given his seasons in MLS, during which he scored 18 goals in 98 games.

The voting pool includes past and present men’s and women’s U.S. national team coaches, active MLS and National Women’s Soccer League management, U.S. Soccer leadership, Hall of Famers and media members.

The National Soccer Hall of Fame closed its Oneonta, New York, location in 2010 with a new facility in Texas expected to open next year.

Donald O’Riley Quarrie, Jamaica’s gold and silver 200m medallist in the 1976 Olympics, in comparing sports in Jamaica from his time to now told this publication that he has lived to see great improvement.

“It has improved a lot, I think the support and the expertise from coaches have improved. There is a standard to athletics in Jamaica primarily in the sprint and the Government has played a role in helping ath-

al events, it is an opportunity for us to share in our experiences and share our talent and our hospitality,” she said.

Speaking on Bolt’s retirement, Minister Grange said that Bolt’s contribution is indeed iconic and Jamaica has given the world the fastest man on the planet.

“Sports is the centre of grand Jamaica, we have the 10 fastest men in the world and the ten fastest women, and in that

Usain Bolt

letes in different ways but most of all the coaching programme is expanding, not just for sprinting, but for other events and eventually I think Jamaica will have an overall balanced super team that will send a message to the world that we are here not just in one or two events but most of the events,” Quarrie said.

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT Minister of Culture Gender Entertainment and Sports, Olivia Grange, said the Government of Jamaica is proud to be the main sponsor of the International Invitational Meets and other sporting events and is extremely proud of sports in Jamaica for the country to be able to host sporting events of such magnitude.

“When we host internation-

10, we have the fastest man so the world is in awe about Jamaica that has impacted others.”

She revealed that a statue of Usain Bolt will be unveiled in August. The statue was not only erected in honour of the legend athlete but for recognition of the country’s 55th Independence Anniversary where sports plays a major role in the celebration.

In recognition of what the country has achieved in sports over the last 55 years, the projects to be embarked on will have lasting impressions. In addition to Bolt’s statue, statues of Shelly-Ann Fraser and Asafa Powell will also be unveiled by 2018.

There will also be expansive renovations to the National Stadium which was built in 1964 and the expanding of the sports museum which is in proximity to the stadium.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Thursday May 25, 2017) COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) MI & RPS (2) 200 runs Today’s Quiz: (1) How many wickets Sunil Narine claimed in IPL 2017?

(2) Who has played most matches in IPL cricket to date?

ANSWERS IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE

27

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, May 25, 2017

Jamaica players pull out of Independence … 46 Guyanese confirmed Darts tournament

JAMAICA darts players have pulled out of this weekend’s Independence International tournament.

In an invited comment yesterday, president of the Guyana Darts Association (GDA) Sheik Yassin confirmed that the Jamaicans will not be a part of the three-day tournament, which will commence tomorrow and conclude on Sunday at the Millennium Manor Hotel on Hadfield Street in Georgetown.

Yassin also confirmed that Barbados and Jamaica are yet to confirm their participation.

However, he indicated that 46 Guyanese, inclusive of six female players, have so far confirmed their participation, along with 15 Trinidadians.

The tournament, the first major event under the new executives will see partici-

pants compete in four categories, male and female Singles, Luck of the Draw and Mixed Nation.

The Luck of the Draw will take centre stage on the opening day, followed by the Mixed Nations Doubles on day two, and the Male and Female Singles on the final day.

The Luck of the Draw is open to practically anyone who believes he/she has the ability to play the game, while the Mixed Nations Doubles will see a local player being paired with one from overseas.

Participants will pay a fee of US$15 to enter each category.

The Independence International will start at 18:00hrs on the first two days and at 12:00hrs on the final day. Over US$3000 in cash would be up for grabs.

Reigning Caribbean Singles champion, Guyanese Sudesh Fitzgerald will be a part of the tournament.

Luis Ramirez-Merlano, who teamed up with Fitzgerald to win the Caribbean Doubles title last year in Barbados, will also be on show for Guyana.

Other players who are expected to defend home turf in the Male division are Lalchand Rambharose, Anil Lachhman, Sherwin Greene, Anthony Bissoondyal and Bholanauth Ramdyal, while on the distaff side, Guyana will be represented

by Rosetta Hiralall, Shondell Hyles, Hemwantie Amyan, Victorine Chandro and Melissa Smartt among others.

With this tournament, the association aims to lay the Flashback! GDA president Sheik Yassin (second left) with some of the Guyana players. foundation to host the Carib- From left are Luis Ramirez- Merlano, Sudesh Fitzgerald and Shondell Hyles at last week’s bean Championships in 2020. launching of the tournament.

GCB, NSC send condolences to Richmond family … Richmond’s death a great loss to the sport - GCB

THE Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) and the National Sports Commission (NSC) yesterday expressed shock over the death of cricket official Daniel Richmond, calling it a great loss to the sport.

Richmond, who was employed as a Cricket Coach at the NSC, was described as someone that was a “truly dedicated and humble servant of the people who toiled tirelessly with young teachers and students imparting to them the skills of cricket”.

The GCB said Richmond left an indelible mark in the sport, stating in a release that he had given loyal service to the game of cricket and had conducted numerous coaching sessions for the Board under the Primary and Secondary Schools coaching education programme with special emphasis in the Mahaica/ Mahaicony locations.

“As it relates to umpiring, he had assisted in the mentorship and empowerment of potential umpires and scorers. His contribution to the coaching education programme has been highly appreciated and has impacted the youths

Daniel Richmond

positively especially at the Kiddy cricket level. Mr Richmond served for many years as a coach with the National Sports Commission,” a release from the GCB stated.

Meanwhile the NSC said Richmond will be fondly remembered, especially in the Mahaica/ Mahaicony region among Physical Education teachers and students from his many coaching clinics.

“The grassroots programme of the NSC ben-

efited tremendously from his years of experience. A disciplined and courteous Daniel Richmond will be missed by the team of the NSC. May his soul rest in eternal peace,” the NSC said in a statement.

Richmond, who hailed from Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara, met his death following an accident last Sunday involving a minibus and a Toyota Tacoma at the junction of D’Urban and Smyth Streets in Georgetown.

Mainstay to benefit from two-day football clinic

OIL giants ExxonMobil, in collaboration with partnering company Cerulean Inc., will facilitate a two-day football clinic in the hinterland village of Mainstay in Region 2.

It will take place May 27-28 at the Mainstay Community Centre ground. A formal opening ceremony will be held prior to the commencement of the clinic and will be addressed by executives of both companies.

The clinic will include four sessions and the main focus will be to build various skill sets towards better ball possession.

The facilitators/coaches will be Gordon Henry, who will lead the technical team, Andre Blackman and Colin Belfield. Thirty participants have been selected by the villages, among whom are females and four goalkeepers aged 8 to 18 years.

Meanwhile, Cerulean Inc. will also provide the necessary equipment including 30 t-shirts, 30 footballs along with markers, cones and outfits for the coaches.

Upon completion, the equipment will remain in the possession of the Mainstay Club for future coaching stints and practice.

When contacted, coach Blackman disclosed that the clinic is an important developmental programme for the youths, particularly for the hinterland community, given that there are very few resources and opportunities for them to exhibit their talent.

However, Blackman who is the head coach for the Mainstay Football Club disclosed that the village has the potential to produce outstanding footballers since they are

naturally athletic, strong and are fast learners.

He further stated that the clinic will help to stimulate and promote the sport there as well as to provide an opportunity to harness the existing talent for the future.

Mainstay is situated at the extreme western end of the Essequibo Coast with the inhabitants being mainly Amerindians. Recently the community ground was upgraded and lights were installed.

Head coach of Mainstay Football Club Andre Blackman

Jamaica players pull out of Independence See Page Darts tournament 27

Man United outclass Ajax to win Europa League on emotional night

By Philip O’Connor

STOCKHOLM, Sweden (Reuters) - Manchester United’s Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan scored a goal in each half as their team comfortably outclassed Ajax Amsterdam to win an emotional Europa League final 2-0 and qualify for the group stages of the Champions League.

A minute’s silence, held for the victims of Monday’s suicide bombing at a pop concert in Manchester in which 22 people died, turned into applause as chants of “Manchester” and “We’ll Never Die” bellowed out from the English supporters before the match.

World record-signing Pogba opened the scoring in the 18th minute as United won the ball

Manchester United celebrate winning the Europa League with the trophy.

(Reuters/Andrew Couldridge)

T&T Gov’t offers US$1M for CPL finals

THERE could be a decision by the end of the week, on whether or not Trinidad and Tobago will be hosting the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) finals as Minister of Sports Darryl Smith was scheduled to meet with CPL officials yesterday.

It is thought that the CPL had originally labelled the rights to hosting the semifinals and final of the event with an US$800 000 price tag but speaking to Guardian Media Sports yesterday, Smith indicated that T&T’s final offer to host the event is US$1M dollars but would like to make payment in local currency.

Smith said that he would like to have an answer to take to Cabinet as early as this week’s meeting, explaining, “I am meeting with them on Wednesday, (yesterday).

“We have an offer on the table and we will see what the discussions bring. Because of the foreign exchange issues that we have, we would pay the bills and so on in TT dollars but that is the best that we can do at this time and hopefully we could make an announcement finally, whether its yay or nay so that I can go back to Cabinet and get that approval.”

T&T last hosted the CPL finals in 2015 and it is understood that the-then government paid US$3.5M while the government had refused to pay the US4.5M asking price for the last year’s edition.

Yesterday the Minister also spoke on the Udecott investigation into the Brian Lara Academy misuse.

“It’s sad. I let Udecott conduct its investigations before I spoke on it. But some people are showing that they are not patriots of T&T by the sabotage that we’ve been seeing.

“You could clearly see that there is somebody in T&T or a group of people that have been and continue to be against the opening of the Brian Lara Academy,” he said. “Whoever is doing it, please stop!” (Trinidad Guardian)

Turn to page 23

IGG heads to Suriname Rowley calls for full report on trip taken by Sports Minister August 24-28

Director of Sport for Suriname Luciano Memgmikrom (left) and Guyana’s Christopher Jones signing the protocol for the 2017 IGG. THE 2017 Inter-Guiana Games (IGG), will be hosted in Paramaribo, Suriname. This is according to a Protocol signed between the Directors of Sport for Suriname (Luciano Memgmikrom) and Guyana (Christopher Jones) yesterday.

Jones, along with Lavern Fraser-Thomas and James Bond, Commissioners of the National Sports Commission (NSC) were Guyana’s representatives in the

Dutch-speaking country to discuss and put in place the protocol for the games which was the brainchild of former President Forbes Burnham, to help foster closer relations with Suriname through sports among student athletes.

While the NSC is yet to make an official announcement, the signed protocol seen by Chronicle Sport states that this year the two

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PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has requested a full report from the Minister of Sports Darryl Smith, on a recently concluded trip to Tobago.

The trip that was made by the Minister, officials from the Ministry of Sports and the Sports Company of Trinidad and Tobago, has been the source of controversy following reports that a bill of TT$92 000 was racked up during the visit.

It’s reported that a 12-member team from the Ministry and Sports Company of Trinidad and Tobago stayed at the Magdalena Grand Beach Resort when they went to attend the Tobago House of Assembly’s Sports Award held on May 20.

However, the Sports Minister has insisted that his trip was not a joyride and the bill for a weekend visit was related to work.

According to Smith, the 12 persons who accompa-

nied him not only attended the THA awards but they also did other things which included touring the Dwight York Stadium.

According to a report with supporting documents that were posted

Sports Minister Darryl Smith on social media by local journalist Sharmain Baboolal, only nine of the 12 officials were initially invited by the THA. In response, Smith said it was clear some people were up to mischief by releasing the information online.

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