Issuu

Mashramani exceeds 03 expectations PAGE

No. 105197

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2018

Price: $80

(VAT Inclusive)

$30B being sought –– for Albion, Blairmont and Uitvlugt estates PAGE

Ming’s Optical expands to Parika

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First Lady Sandra Granger has an eye test at the newly opened Ming’s Optical branch in Parika on Sunday (Samuel Maughn photo)

Two bodies recovered from Mazaruni boat mishap 14 access Five wanted for daring Toddler drowns Internet 14 to transform in Pomeroon 09 learning at Fairview robbery at Barama 11 PAGE

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, February 26, 2018

Guyana to host CAPAM conference

ISS calls on Berbice staff to get documents

GUYANA is set to host the Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management’s (CAPAM) Biennial Conference in October of this year, a statement from the Ministry of the Presidency said Saturday. According to the MotP, Permanent Secretary of the Department of the Public Service, Reginald Brotherson, made the announcement last Thursday. According to their website, the CAPAM organisation provides an opportunity for government heads within the Commonwealth to exchange innovations in public sector management, in order to promote good governance. CAPAM’s ultimate goal is the global emergence of more responsive and dynamic public services. Guyana has been a member of CAPAM for over three decades, and will, for the first time, host the biennial conference. The theme for the October-billed event is ‘Transforming the Public Sector for Climate Governance.’ Brotherson said that the theme of Climate Governance is particularly relevant to the Guyanese public sector as Guyana goes ‘green.’ “The fact is that we’ve got to keep our environment in a very pristine state. We’ve got to have regulation. We’ve got to have laws. Who are the persons carrying out these regulations? Who are the persons enforcing the laws? It’s the public sector through policy mechanisms… Our programmes [have got] to be skewed to take care of the evolution, of the changing environment that we are in,” he said. The permanent secretary noted too that through its membership in CAPAM, Guyana stands to gain from the development of strategies to help modernise and improve efficiency in the public sector. “There are so many aspects of transformation that [are] necessary, [such as] the whole aspect of technology… How we deal with e-governance, paperless operations… cutting out the wastage of time, being more efficient and effective. All of these are transformational things in the public sector that we need to do and, in fact, we are doing,” he said. According to Brotherson, plans are moving apace in preparation for the conference later this year. “We have established already a local organising committee. Cabinet has given its approval in principle for Guyana to host… We have signed on to a memorandum of understanding, which [sets out] what the responsibilities [are]. We will be hosting the first visit from Ms Gay Hamilton, who is the [Chief Executive Officer], of CAPAM… We hope to have a number of international experts on various aspects of climate governance here carrying on workshops and plenary sessions,” he said. The CAPAM biennial conference will be held from October 22-24, 2018 and will see the participation of 450 delegates.

INTEGRATED Security Services (ISS), the security firm at the centre of protests in Regions Five and Six, on Saturday said the non-payment of some security officers attached to its company is a result of lack of documentation. The firm made it clear that all outstanding payments will be made only when affected employees produce documentation requested by the company’s Human Resource Department. ISS in a statement to the media accepted that some security workers have not been paid, but justified the company’s decision not to pay. The company said when it took over operations on December 1, 2017, it inherited the staff from a previous security firm. In keeping with the spirit of Christmas, those inherited security officers were paid by mid-December. However, a review of the payments made then showed that several overpayments were made and that the Human Resource Department and the records of the Operations Unit varied from the payroll records. “Payroll processed just about 800 payments, when HR and operations can account for substantially fewer employees. All of these departments in Georgetown rely on information provided by the supervisors in the two regions. But the claims sent to the Payroll Department did not match the files in the HR department or the timesheets in the Operations Unit,” the statement said. Despite several requests, the sub-offices in Regions Five and Six failed to send the requested documents to the ISS main office located in Georgetown. “The company regrets that these officers have not been paid for the year. But while the company understands the predicament of fathers and mothers who have their families to provide for, there are some standards that the company is just not willing to compromise.” According to ISS, its management

… so that their outstanding wages can be processed explained time and again that it cannot pay persons simply because their names have been recorded. The company said a verification process must be employed and the payments made in December were only as a result of the Christmas season. “Still, the verification records were slow in coming to the head office,” Shemaine Pilgrim, General Manager, Integrated Security Services Inc, stated. She explained that Region Five supervisor Curtland Sobers had indicated that the security officers complained about having to provide their Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), National Identification Card and National Insurance Scheme (NIS) number. Many of the affected security guards protested last week and have since downed tools until they receive their wages from the security firm. Complaints on the matter have reportedly been made to the Ministry of Social Protection’s Department of Labour. Many of the protestors were responsible for securing government buildings, including the Regional Democratic Council, Health Centres and schools. The general manager said those employees who would have submitted their information and updated their files have since been paid and noted that those who protested recently have failed to provide their documentation. “As recent as Thursday, Sobers brought some more verification documents. They are being processed and those persons will be paid within a few days. The majority of Region Six workers have been paid,” ISS stated. On Thursday last, a meeting was held with some of the workers and additional payments were made then. Those who are yet to submit their information were identified at the meeting and asked to submit their documents. Pilgrim noted that many of the workers expressed frustration at having money deducted from their wages for NIS.

“It was explained to her [an employee] that deductions are being made from her salary to NIS and that it is illegal not to pay NIS. The entity also told her that in order to send her payment into NIS, the company has to get her NIS number. It was also explained to her that the company has to send in an entire schedule as NIS does not accept scattered information; and those who are still to submit their information are holding up the process,” the general manager stated. ISS said too that it has “gone to lengths to facilitate the payments” made thus far, noting that the company makes payments through the bank, but most of the employees within the Berbice branch do not bank with Citizens’ Bank. As a result, ISS was forced to make cash-in-hand payments. “But before resorting to cash-inhand payments, discussions were made to the bank to have all the employees signed up. As a result of those engagements, the bank even waived the fee attached to opening the accounts. Three consecutive Saturdays, Citizens’ Bank representatives travelled to Berbice to facilitate sign-up, but few employees took advantage of the opportunity.” The company said it is frustrated by the non-cooperation of its inherited workers and notes that since it started operations, it has never encountered such problems. “The company also has Region Four operations. It never encountered such problems. All Region Four employees have been paid,” the statement said. ISS made it clear that it is committed to its motto: Quality People, Quality Training, Quality Service and will not deviate from its commitment to honest and transparent operations. “Despite apparent attempts to stymie smooth operations, the company will try its best to iron out the kinks in its Berbice operations,” ISS said, while reiterating its commitment to pay all employees who make their documentation available for verification.

$30B being sought

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, February 26, 2018

–– for Albion, Blairmont and Uitvlugt estates

THE National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited’s (NICIL) Special Purpose Unit (SPU) on Sunday announced that it is seeking $30B over a four-year period to provide much-needed capital injection into the Albion, Blairmont and Uitvlugt estates. The sum will cover infrastructure maintenance, upgrades and development of new co-generation capacity to support operations of the estates and sell power to the national grid. The unit said it is confident in its business case for GuySuCo and expects positive results with respect to securing funding for the sugar operations. It is the SPU’s responsibility to secure funding for GuySuCo’s current and short-term operations. Earlier this month, Finance Minister Winston Jordan had announced that SPU was looking to secure a loan of $10-$15B to fund the operations of the Skeldon and Enmore sugar estates that

will soon be reopened on a miniature level. SPU took control of the Skeldon, Rose Hall, Enmore and Wales estates, when government decided to close operations early this year in order to maintain the viability of the sugar industry. In January 2018, the SPU was tasked with having the estates valued and preparing them for sale, but Minister Jordan said that in order to add to the process of selling the estates or at least attracting a buyer(s), the two estates should be reopened. “We cannot keep them closed and moth-balled, because when the buyers come they would probably not be as impressed as if they were working… once in operation they [investors] could also see that they are valuable properties to acquire,” Jordan told reporters. However, on Sunday, the SPU made it clear that it is working with the management team at GuySuCo to ensure the best deals are

obtained during privatisation of the estates here. SPU’s head Colvin Heath-London, following a recent meeting, had said: “The one thing that is paramount right now is that we work together. We must work together to ensure that we get the best deal from the process for the estates put up for privatisation, and that GuySuCo is successful in turning a profit with the estates is has retained.” Similarly, acting CEO of GuySuCo, Paul Bhim, said the closure of the estates was done to make them available for privatisation and ensure that GuySuCo becomes profitable. GREATER GOOD “The best way to achieve that today is for GuySuCo’s management and the SPU team to work together for the greater good,” said Bhim. The life of the board of GuySuCo came to an end on February 14 after the Board

of Directors on NICIL, in a special board meeting, made the decision to install a new board focused on the transformation of the corporation as envisioned by NICILSPU. The shares in GuySuCo were recently vested in NICIL through an order signed by Finance Minister Winston Jordan. The NICIL board also instructed GuySuCo to freeze all hiring and to not renew any employment contracts that are due to expire at this time. NICIL has begun working with the management team at the corporation to implement management changes, a statement from the SPU said on Sunday. Meanwhile, the restarting of operations at the Enmore Estate is another form of collaboration between GuySuCo and the SPU. That estate was closed by management of GuySuCo as part of a plan to down-size the corporation. “However, the SPU is concerned that there is cul-

tivated cane in the Enmore Estate fields that need be harvested and processed, since it represents significant revenue potential. While the SPU will provide the management for the restarted estate, GuySuCo will provide the technical support,” the statement said. In addition, Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) had voiced concern over the anticipated shortfall in molasses and its impact on their production and global market commitments. The SPU and DDL have been exploring the possibility of DDL investing in the current crops in the fields at Enmore through advance payments on molasses supply, and also participating in the management of the estate to keep it as a going concern. PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), the international financial services provider working on the valuation of the GuySuCo assets now under the control of the SPU for privatisation, has ex-

SPU head Colvin Heath-London pressed concern that in order to attract the best investors and secure the highest price for the estates, they need to be seen as fully functioning operations and facilities. “Closed estates will not be attractive to potential investors. The deal with DDL, if approved by the boards of DDL and NICIL, would allow the SPU to meet the PwC recommendations for a quality privatisation of the estate,” the statement said.

Mashramani exceeds expectations –– says Director of Culture; results to be announced this week

By Navendra Seoraj MASHRAMANI 2018 has exceeded the expectations of its organisers and Guyanese, Director of Culture (ag), Tamika Boatswain has said. “I believe Mashramani was a huge success… it exceeded our expectations, especially with the talk about the change in route,” Boatswain said during a telephone interview with the Guyana Chronicle on Sunday. Floats made their way from Thomas Lands and Camp Street, then turned onto Vlissingen Road and straight to D’Urban Park during the parade. There were thousands of people at every section of the route, including the park. The organisers believed that the crowd was blown away by the floats, especially since most of the spectators said it was the best Mashramani in years. “We were pleased with the outcome and the cleaning up after… the turnout at

Director of Culture, Tamika Boatswain D’Urban Park also exceeded our expectations, because everything was good and there were positive vibes,” said the elated Boatswain. Although one aspect of the celebrations was successfully completed, the judges are yet to announce the winner of the Mashramani float parade competition. According to the director, 27 floats were a part of the parade, but not all competed

in the judging aspect. She explained that the preliminary reports are yet to be audited, but it is expected to be completed this week and the results will be released shortly. The festival, Mashramani, which has as its main attraction the February 23 costume and float parade in the capital, is preceded by several activities in the various regions. Mashramani is also known as a celebration after hard work and Guyanese did not fail to make use of the opportunity to celebrate by dancing, singing, or even having a simple picnic with their families as they watched the floats make their way to D’Urban Park. It was all fun and games for the onlookers, but it was a bit more serious for the revellers, since the parade was also a competition. Judges were strategically placed at points along the parade route in order to get a clear view of every aspect of the floats.

Floats make their way along Vlissingen Road to D’Urban Park on Friday as thousands watched from the sidelines (Adrian Narine photo)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, February 26, 2018

China sets stage for Xi to stay in office indefinitely BEIJING (Reuters) - China’s ruling Communist Party on Sunday set the stage for President Xi Jinping to stay in office indefinitely, with a proposal to remove a constitutional clause limiting presidential service to just two terms in office. Since taking office more than five years ago, Xi has overseen a radical shake-up of the party, including taking down top leaders once thought untouchable as part of his popular war on deep-rooted corruption. Sunday’s announcement, carried by state news agency Xinhua, gave few details. It said the proposal had been made by the party’s Central Committee, the largest of its elite ruling bodies. The proposal also covers the vice president position. Xi, 64, is currently required by China’s constitution to step down as president after two five-year terms. Nearing the end of his first term, he will

be formally elected to a second at the annual meeting of China’s largely rubber-stamp parliament opening on March 5. There is no limit on his tenure as the party and military chief though a maximum 10-year term is the norm. He began his second term as head of the party and military in October at the end of a party congress held once every five years. Zhang Lifan, a historian and political commentator, said the news was not unexpected, and it was hard to predict exactly how long Xi could stay on in power. “In theory he could serve longer than Mugabe but in reality, no one is sure exactly what will happen,” Zhang said, referring to Zimbabwe’s former president whose four decades in office ended in November, after the army and his former political allies moved to force him out. Though positive remarks filled the comments section under the pages of

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EMPEROR XI Constitutional reform needs to be approved by parliament, which is stacked with members chosen for their loyalty to the party - meaning the reform will not be blocked. There has been persistent speculation that Xi wants to stay on in office past the customary two five-year terms. The October party congress ended without appointing a clear eventual successor for Xi. However, the role of party chief is more senior than that of president. At some point, Xi could be given a party position that also enables him to stay on as long as he likes.

China’s President Xi Jimping.

Xi is currently the party’s general secretary, but not chairman. China’s first three leaders after the founding of the People’s Republic in 1949 all carried the title party chairman -Mao Zedong, Hua Guofeng and then Hu Yaobang. It has not been used since. “Whether Xi ends up being Party Chairman or just remains Party Secretary doesn’t really matter. What matters is whether he holds onto power,” said Zhang Ming, a professor of political science at Renmin University of China in Beijing. “Titles don’t matter as much in China as they do in the West. Here what matters is whether you are the emperor,” he added. “In China, ordinary people already consider Xi Jinping to be the emperor.”

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main state media outlets like the People’s Daily, the move was not welcomed by everyone on China’s Twitter-like Weibo service, “If two terms are not enough, then they can write in a third term, but there needs to be a limit. Getting rid of it is not good!” wrote one Weibo user.

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Weakened Merkel offers job to arch critic in young new German cabinet BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she would promote her most prominent critic from within her conservative party, 37-year old Jens Spahn, to a coalition cabinet, in a sign she has heeded calls for renewal to revive her grumbling party. Although she has agreed a deal with the leaders of the Social Democrats (SPD) for a new “grand coalition”, Merkel needs the blessing of both camps to be sure of a fourth term. Approval from SPD members is far from certain. She announced her choice of six cabinet ministers from her Christian Democrats (CDU) before the party votes on the deal on Monday. There are as many women as men and Merkel said she was the only one who is over 60 years of age. She said she had put together a young, dynamic team which represents something of a new start for the party which slumped to its worst result since 1949 in a September election, bleeding support to the far right Alternative for Germany (AfD). “It was my task to present a tableau of people that is future-oriented and that offers a good mix of experience and new faces,” said Merkel. “This is anything but easy.” Handing Spahn the post of health minister is an indication that she wants to assuage her critics who have called for fresh blood and a new direction. Spahn is a champion of the party’s right who has fiercely attacked her open-door asylum policy. A deputy finance minister since 2015, he was previously the CDU’s health expert and he makes little secret of his ambitions to rise to the top. “Jens Spahn is not the only one to make critical comments. That is okay and nevertheless there is the task of making a good difference in Germany. I believe he wants to contribute to that, just like all other cabinet members,” said Merkel. While the decision is a sign of how much Merkel’s position has weakened, it may be a shrewd move to stretch an olive

Saturday, February 24, 2018

branch to her most outspoken critic to keep him on board. Initial reactions were broadly positive. Carsten Linnemann, head of the Mittlestand Association of the CDU/CSU, no fan of a grand coalition, welcomed the move. It is “a convincing team of experienced heads and people bringing new energy who represent the breath of the CDU,” he told the Funke media group. “Now we need a new emphasis in terms of substance and must ensure our conservative element is recognisable and that and we can hold our own in a grand coalition,” he said. Many in the CDU were angry that Merkel agreed to give the SPD the powerful finance and foreign ministries to do a deal.

WANING AUTHORITY Merkel also, as expected, will put long-standing ally Peter Altmaier in charge of the economy ministry and keep Ursula von der Leyen, whose star has faded after being tipped as a possible successor to Merkel, as defence minister. The CDU head in the state of Rhineland Palatinate Julia Kloeckner will take agriculture. Other CDU ministers are new faces. Anja Karliczek, 46, will take over as education minister and Helge Braun, 45, will take over the chancellor’s office. After 12 years as chancellor and almost 18 years as CDU chief, Merkel’s authority is waning and the party is starting to think about her successor. In the last few years, Merkel has faced parliamentary revolts from some conservatives over international bailouts for Greece, and much grumbling over her liberal refugee policy. A further blow came in November when she failed to agree on a coalition deal with two smaller parties, forcing her to turn to the SPD with which she shared power from 2013 to 2017.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, February 26, 2018

Report critical of uneven legal aid for undocumented Caribbean immigrants in NY NEW YORK, United States (CMC) — Three major groups in New York have criticised what they described as “uneven legal assistance” for Caribbean and other immigrants in New York. A report entitled “NO SAFE HARBOR: Challenges in Obtaining Immigration Legal Services in New York State,” published on Thursday by the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), The Legal Aid Society and The Immigrant Advocates Response Collaborative (I-ARC), says that in addition to a lack of resources to help more people, “there are serious systemic problems preventing immigrant New Yorkers from protecting their legal rights.” The report states, that upon consulting organisations serving undocumented people, it is worrisome to find that the city of New York’s investment in legal services does not actually cover people who have committed serious

crimes, leaving them to fend for themselves and denying them due process in an immigration court, according to the publication Voices of NY. “While the amount of money invested by the city – US $48 million – is historic, legal services providers who receive municipal funding are required to comply with a new and troublesome disposition that forbids them from helping clients who have been convicted of a list of 170 crimes, an exclusion that seriously limits the provider’s capabilities,” the report says. On top of the US $47.5 billion assigned by the city, the state added $16,388,100. But activists have expressed concern about whether Albany is willing to renew the investment for fiscal year 2019, Voices said. The report says that both the state and the city doubled their investments this year. In 2017, the City Council and the de Blasio administration assigned US$27.2 billion, and

Governor Andrew Cuomo and Albany, the capitol, disbursed US $7,138,100. Steven Choi, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition, said that legal services providers are the first line of defense against President Donald Trump’s “brutal attacks,” stressing that the criminal justice system and the immigration system must remain separate. “Excluding [some people] is capitulating to the same attempts to criminalise immigrants merely for existing, and it threatens them with an unfair life sentence of deportation,” Choi said. Sarah Gillman, an attorney with The Legal Aid Society, said that another issue limiting the access immigrants have to legal services is the red tape delaying the allocation of resources. The report reveals that 28 per cent of the funds meant to offer free lawyers during fiscal year 2018 are yet to be released, and adds that the

city needs more transparency regarding the way the money is being distributed. “We need to review that to improve the service and the access immigrants have to legal assistance,” said the attorney, adding that the city has yet to reveal specifically how many immigrants and what type of cases have benefitted from these programmes. The report also says that, at the state level, coverage for undocumented people is an even bigger cause of concern, as 79 per cent of all funding is destined to paying for citizenship services. Of the 158 immigration-related legal services providers in New York state, 121 (75 per cent) are in the city, while a number of areas in the north have very few or no providers, according to Voices. A spokesperson for Cuomo’s office said in a statement that the governor’s record “clearly demonstrates his commitment to guarantee

ample protections for all immigrants in New York. The spokesperson also said that NYIC received a major grant from the 2018 state budget to provide legal services in currently underserved areas. “Unfortunately, due to administrative delays on the part of the organisation, they still have not started to offer all the immigration services they are expected to provide,” he said. “We encourage the NYIC to participate in the process in an appropriate manner, the way others have, to allow us to continue with this most important work.” The Bill de Blasio administration in New York City said it remains committed to further aiding Caribbean and other immigrants, saying that proof of this is the US $16.4 million added to the budget to pay for free lawyers to benefit an additional 15,000 cases. “Any organization that has worked with the city as a contractor is aware that its

contracting procedures are methodical in order to guarantee the smart deployment of public resources,” a mayoral spokesperson said. “As we have explained to our associates, the city is in fact speeding up the distribution of these dollars, given the immediate and immense need for legal assistance.” Since the one-year-old Trump administration began attacking undocumented Caribbean and other immigrants, the state and city of New York have stood up as loyal advocates, disbursing money to help more immigrants have access to free lawyers and legal counselling, according to Voices. Still, it said the US $65.2 million allocated for the fiscal year 2018 have been “insufficient, not all procedures have been carried out effectively, and many New Yorkers are being left out of these assistance programmes.”

Caribbean to conclude negotiations on environmental matters

WA S H I N G TO N , U n i t ed States (CMC) — The Economic Commission for Latin American and the Caribbean (ECLAC) says government delegates from countries that are negotiating a regional agreement regarding access to environmental information,

participation and justice (Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development) will meet in San Jose, Costa Rica, to conclude the negotiations on this legal instrument, the first of its kind in the region. ECLAC said the Ninth

Meeting of the Negotiating Committee of the Regional Agreement on Principle 10 will take place from February 28 to March 4 in the Hotel Real Intercontinental of the Costa Rican capital. The meeting will be inaugurated on February 28 by Joseluis Samaniego, Director

of ECLAC’s Sustainable Development and Human Settlements Division; Edgar Gutiérrez, Costa Rica’s Minister of Environment and Energy; and representatives of the public. The gathering will come to a close on Sunday, March 4 with a high-level session in

which Costa Rican President Luis Guillermo Solís will participate, along with Alicia Bárcena, ECLAC’s Executive Secretary. “At this ninth meeting, the delegates and representatives of the public will examine the matters that are pending with the expecta-

tion of adopting the regional agreement,” ECLAC said. The process, initiated at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), is presided jointly by Costa Rica and Chile, with the support of ECLAC as the technical secretariat.

Editorial

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, February 26, 2018

African History Month and nation-building

This month, February, has been designated “African History Month”. It was first so designated in 1925 in the United States and gradually spread to other countries where there is an African presence. In 1925 when Dr. Carter G. Woodson, a well-known American academic launched the commemoration of the month, it was then known as “Black History Month”. Dr. Woodson, in his wide university experience, found that African History was never taught and that it was no more than “the missing pages of World History”. However, over the years from 1925 to the present, more research into African History had been done, the African continent had freed itself from colonialism and several new African states had made their appearance on the world stage. Despite the positive changes which had occurred from 1925, research and writing on African History in its comprehensive sense are still in their infancy. Accordingly, the same imperatives regarding African History which were

there 80 years ago still exist. A country, a people, or even a civilisation cannot have an identity and self-assuredness and continuing energy and creativity except it has a history. Therefore, there is still need for deeper research and writings to be done on Africa, its civilisations and its individual countries. The same need exists in the large African Diasporas which exist in various parts of the world and especially in North and South America and the Caribbean. If the activities of African History Month were to be confined only to the widening and deepening knowledge of African History, then its effort in bringing about a renaissance of the African peoples of the world would be a very slow process. Accordingly, African History Month has now expanded to include activities which would enrich and develop the lives of African peoples, especially in the economic and cultural spheres. In Guyana, from the early 20th century, there had always been a consciousness

of the need for and possibility of improving the lives of people of African descent. There were outstanding figures throughout the 20th century who preached this message and tried to awaken the people. Among the most well-known is Eusi Kwayana. Standing in Eusi Kwayana’s slippers is Dr Eric Phillips, an able and dedicated academic who is leader of ACDA, an institution which was founded by Eusi Kwayana. The aim of ACDA is “Seeking an allround improvement of the African presence, both in quality and in all aspects of life and in this way to influence for the better quality of life in Guyana”. In effectuating its aims, young people are being educated from the primary level with the intention of producing men and women who would be an asset to themselves and country. They are also being taught and exposed to entrepreneurial skills and African History and Culture. If this agenda is adopted countrywide, the quality of life of not only people of African descent but

that of the entire Guyanese nation would be bettered. This is a plural vision of nation-building where all the elements of the nation are encouraged to develop in their own ways, leading to a sum total of an economically and culturally more developed and prosperous nation. The plural concept of nation-building is the modern approach in contrast to the monolithic approach. Many people are still anachronistically entrapped in the 19th century monolithic approach and view the plural effort and developments with apprehension seeing them as divisive and even racist. The quicker the entire society and its leaders grasp that if Chinese culture, Amerindian cultures and languages, Indian culture and language as well as African culture, traditions and even languages are encouraged to develop, they would be so doing in a Guyanese context and citizens would feel more rooted in the country and have a sense of greater fraternity and solidarity. Pluralism is therefore not a divisive but a unifying force

and plural developments are not racist and would not lead to racism; on the contrary, it leads to people of all cultural and racial backgrounds respecting each other and living in greater amity and understanding. With such a plural construct of Guyanese society, there would be cultural exchanges leading to an enrichment of the various cultures in Guyana and bringing them closer and giving them all a unique Guyanese stamp. Such a process will ultimately result in a synthesis in which all Guyanese could share and be proud of. All modern and progressive countries of the 21st century have adopted the plural vision. The United States, for example, has moved away from the “melting-pot” concept where all their cultural diversities were to be melted down into the one sameness. Now, the “salad

bowl” has succeeded the “melting-pot”. In the “salad bowl”, all the diversities could retain and develop their identities but are all related to each other and are all literally in the same American bowl. Another plural example is India, a vast multi-racial, multi-lingual, multi-religious and multi-cultural country, where their Constitution fully enshrines pluralism. Their pluralism gives India its unity, strength and opportunity for economic and cultural development. The aspirations and agenda of African History Month are therefore worthy of promotion and adoption countrywide in the same way the Indian, Amerindian, Chinese and European would be, manifesting the plural vision of a stronger, more unified and culturally richer country.

Some criticisms of Royston King Dear Editor, AS a true patriot of Guyana and an ardent supporter of the government, I feel compelled to inform the coalition government of a grave and consequential mistake it has made since assuming office in 2015. The mistake I refer to was the appointment of the public relations officer of the Mayor and City Council, Royston King, to the position of town clerk in the municipality of Georgetown back in 2015, not long after

coming into office. In the first instance, the minister who issued a letter of appointment to the ‘King’ which commenced on July 14, 2015, should have been aware that King did not have the requisite qualifications for the job which necessitates that the candidate be legally trained. He is not, and neither did he have any experience in public administration. His qualifications are strictly limited to communications, which was required for his job as public relations officer.

Secondly, it was public knowledge that the foregoing mayor had taken pains to write copiously, and to voice every opportunity he had, of the unsuitability of the gentleman to continue working as the public relations officer of the Council, let alone to ever be promoted to the position of town clerk. The archives of the Ministry of Communities and the Georgetown municipality must be overflowing with such letters in which the former mayor described the current town clerk as being indolent, incompetent and

lacking in moral standards. So why were these copious missives not taken into consideration when the appointment was being considered? Thirdly, one would have to ask why corrective action or disciplinary measures were not taken since July 2015, when the current town clerk went over the edge. Why was there no insistence that audits be conducted at the Georgetown municipality each year? Why when contracts were consistently being awarded without a bidding pro-

cess being undertaken, that no one ensured that tender board rules were adhered to? Why when grand luxury trips were being undertaken around the world without the Council’s prior knowledge or permission at significant costs to the citizenry, checks and balances were not put in place? Now that everything is falling apart, there seems to be some concerns being expressed. Workers are being paid late each month and their statutory deductions withheld, No problem! The animals at the abat-

toir are being slaughtered inhumanely, no problem! The constabulary ranks are committing statutory rape on juveniles and the town clerk takes his own sweet time to report it to the police and Child Protection Agency. No problem! Contracts worth more than $100 million are awarded to clean the cemetery without being tendered. No problem! Should we wait to close the stable door after the horse has bolted? Sincerely, NADINE JERRICK

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, February 26, 2018

A tribute to the late Reverend Billy Graham Dear Editor,

THE recent passing of world-renowned Pastor, Reverend Dr Billy Graham, international speaker, friend to world leaders and dignitaries from all walks of life is like a giant tree that has fallen into a verdant forest of mankind; but the luscious green and immortal beauty of the forest never dies. Dr Graham’s life was his sermons to the world and his immortal books and library he left to posterity will remain as a legacy in the ages to come. Billy Graham has pursued a singular vision—to share the love of Jesus Christ with all who would listen. In doing so, he has met with presidents, kings, queens, celebrities, and everyday men, women, and children. No matter his audience, the message is still the same. “Everywhere I go I find that people … both leaders and individuals … are asking one basic question,” Billy Graham had said. “Is there

any hope for the future? My answer is the same, ‘Yes, through Jesus Christ’.” Billy Graham’s message has never changed, and it never will. It is a simple message, but one that comes straight from God’s word. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16, NKJV). He was obedient to the calling of God to share the gospel to the entire world. Over the course of more than six decades, he reshaped the landscape of evangelism, sharing the gospel in over 185 nations to communicate the message of the bible addressing millions of people face to face. He influenced generations of pastors and developed friendships with presidents, prime ministers, and royalty around the world. His death marks the end of an era for evangelicalism and poses a fundamental question: Will his legacy of bipartisan, ec-

umenical outreach be carried forward? No other preacher or human being in this century touched more lives than Reverend Graham. He addressed over six billion people face to face and on national and international television and radio. Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 1918, he was ordained as a pastor in Florida in 1939 and got his degree at Wheaton College in Illinois, an elite Christian school which now hosts an outreach and training centre named for its famous alumnus. “We have an entire section devoted to the life and ministry of Rev Graham,” wrote Ed Stetzer, a Southern Baptist pastor who runs the centre, in Christianity Today—the magazine founded by Graham in 1956. “Billy Graham was beloved by both Christians and non-Christians, admired by those who love Jesus and those who have rejected Him. And with his passing today, we are at a loss for words in many ways.” The preacher, dead at 99,

advised presidents, mentored clergy, and influenced millions of people. Mohandas Gandhi said: “My life is my message and you must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean, if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.” These profound words of wisdom immaculately fit into the life of this great nan of God, Dr Graham, whose life was his message and his love and concern for humanity will undoubtedly leave an indelible mark on hundreds of generations to come, including the Christian communities and those from other religious faiths. Dr Graham was a man of dignity and impeccable character who lived a life of moral integrity and practised what he preached. His elegant and eloquent style in speaking and preaching influenced thousands across the world and many pastors, bishops, and international scholars in a great many academic circles are still trying to imitate his

charismatic style in speaking, and his versatile and prolific prose style in writing. He has sworn in over nine presidents in the USA, advised and prayed for most of them, spoke in actually most cathedrals in the world, given over 20 honorary doctorates among tons of accolades that can fill a book. This man alone has more fame and accolades than all the Hollywood and Bollywood celebrities put together, yet he remained very humble. When I was 15 years old, I found a book in an old abandoned house written by Dr Graham ‘’Peace with God’’, a book that changed my life and gave me lasting peace in my life of family turmoil. His passing is not only a great loss to the USA, but a great loss to the world as a spiritual leader and mentor to thousands. The Poet Khalil Gibran in his work The Prophet, wrote: “Love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation.” The words of the inspired

poet William Shakespeare best fit Dr Graham. “Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” I believe Reverend Graham was born great, his greatness was a blessing from the Lord and he achieved his greatness by answering God’s calls. Dr Graham loved the world and the world loved him. We mourn his death as an Apostle of a living Christian legend. Dr Graham was a man of wisdom and wit, a gracious and elegant personality, a versatile biblical scholar and author, a unique and fascinating figure. The quality of his messages will be remembered and immortalised. Let us comb through his sermons of truth and life and remember them for posterity in the generations to come.

mentioned above, they have an automatic entry into the Guyana Police Force. This system appeared to be geared to produce quantity rather than quality when it should be the other way around. Examination of the recruitment system revealed that the Final Interview for Selection conducted by the police is very limited and is not designed to address behaviour, particularly psychological behaviour. Psychological behaviour is a major phenomenon that the policeman must deal with in the execution of his duties. A policeman must not only deal with the behaviour of criminals, he must deal with the behaviour of his superiors, his peers, his subordinates, members of the public, his family, friends and his own behaviour. According to Ho (2002), “Undoubtedly, psychological testing has become a crucial element in the police officer recruitment process.” In their effort to recruit suitable persons for the force, the police should establish what is known as assessment centres. They are nothing new. During World War 11 both the Allies and Axis used them to train

their spies. An assessment centre is a place where a series of events or exercises occur. The candidates are put in situations where among other things behaviour, particularly psychological, can be observed by trained assessors. This process can identify applicants who display unacceptable behaviour for the job although they may have satisfied all other entry-level requirements. It can prevent undesirables from becoming members of the force. Tinsley (2002) posits “The assessment centre was and still is - one of the best methods available for selecting suitable candidates for either employment or advancement in law-enforcement agencies.” I clearly recall several years ago during my groundings in Jamaica with my brothers from the Jamaica Constabulary Force, I attended a few assessment centres. I found them to be very interesting. On one occasion a candidate with a degree from the University of the West Indies participated. During the assessment, he displayed some amount of psychopathic behaviour. He was not selected for enlistment in the JCF. Af-

ter the assessment Francis Forbes, the Head of the Jamaica Constabulary Staff College who later became a commissioner of police said to me, “Him can come from Mona with honours degree, but if him ah wan psycho, him can’t be a police.” On the other hand, applicants for the GPF who passed the police written examination, are medically fit, are cleared by background checks, are highly qualified academically, but has abnormal traits which are not picked up because of flawed recruitment procedure can easily slip into the GPF. Even if there are slippages and abnormal behaviour is detected after recruitment, there should be a department in the force to deal with such behaviour. The department should not only deal with recruits’ behaviour, but the behaviour of all the ranks at the various levels of the force. Hence, I again make a clarion call for the establishment of a behavioural science unit in the GPF. Among the subject areas it should cover are: effective communication, anger management, conflict resolution -- do you resolve conflict by

resorting to the 3Bs boots, baton or bayonet, or through the barrel of a gun?, self-esteem, effectively dealing with people, policing multi-cultural and diverse society, effective investigation, problem solving, people skills, cultural aware-

ness and sensitivity, critical thinking, capacity to act, and ability to apply knowledge and emotional intelligence.

Yours truly, REVEREND GIDEON CECIL

Police Force needs behavioural science unit Dear Editor,

IN a report appearing in Kaieteur News, February, 19, 2018, Crime Chief Paul Williams was quoted as stating that the main suspect in the recent series of carjackings was a policeman. However, he was very quick to point out that the suspect was dismissed while he was a recruit because of his unacceptable behaviour. Sometimes I wonder why accused or suspects who served as career policemen or who spent a very short time in the Force are quickly labelled as ex or former members of the force by the media. On occasions when ex or former members of the Force excel on matters not related to crime, that label disappears. The senior crime fighter who was a Force Recruitment and Training Officer also explained some steps to be taken before applicants are recruited into the force. Generally they are: successful completion of written examination, passed medical tests and received acceptable background reports (3). So, to put it another way, as long as the applicants successfully completed the three steps

Yours faithfully, CLINTON CONWAY Assistant Commissioner of Police (retired)

‘Sredevi’ is irreplaceable Dear Editor,

‘Sredevi’, an iconic and irreplaceable Indian actress has transitioned. I honestly thought it was fake news when it first surfaced, until it was confirmed from the press reports in India. I became speechless and took a very deep breath and exhaled. Being exposed to both Indian and English movies from an early stage, Sredevi became an instant interest. Perhaps it’s from dancing skills which she is professed as a classical dancer, her beauty and acting. She was a diva of an actress and there is no doubt in my mind that she will be missed by her many fans globally. She has some amazing and classic movies to her credit and I will not take up much space to name the many, but I will say that ‘Lamhe’ is a killer with the hit song ‘Kabhi Main kahoon’. It was the same with her as a child-actress in the famous movie ‘Julie’ which featured the hit song ‘My heart is beating’. Mr. Pradeep Samtani, we have lost someone special and unique from the Indian cinemas globally. Yours Faithfully, T. PEMBERTON

Armed men rob Bagotstown general store A 23-YEAR-OLD Chinese man was on Saturday afternoon robbed by two armed men who invaded his Bagotstown, East Bank Demerara general store. Enquires disclosed that Xu Kai, about 14:00hrs on the day in question, was robbed of $30,000 by two identifiable men, one of whom was armed with a handgun. According to reports, Xu was behind the counter of his store when the two suspects entered. One of the men pulled out a handgun from his pants waist and pointed it at the businessman. The armed man then pushed his hands over the counter and took out the cash which was in a box. The two men made good their escape on a bicycle in a northern direction. The matter was reported to the police and CCTV footage from the business was reviewed. A police investigation into the matter is in progress.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, February 26, 2018

Guyanese in Jamaica celebrate republic anniversary By Ravin Singh in Jamaica

ONE thousand, five hundred and forty miles away from Guyana, scores of Guyanese gathered at the University of the West Indies (UWI) in Jamaica to observe the 48th Republic Anniversary of their motherland on Friday. The short, but festive event was organised by the Guyana-Jamaica Cultural link – a group formed in 1992 by some Guyanese

who migrated to the Reggae Nation. It was formed with the aim of strengthening the work of the Guyana Consulate since it was not very active at that time, and preserving and promoting Guyana’s culture from afar. And on Friday evening, that was exactly what they did. While the Republic had its celebration, the Guyana-Jamaica Cultural Link organised a gathering of Guyanese at the UWI, Mona Visitors’ Lounge to observe

These Guyanese came out in their colourful outfits to showcase the colourful and diverse nature of the land of many waters

Some of the Guyanese in attendance at the event last Friday

These Jamaica-based Guyanese women showing the attendees how it is done on the dance floor

The most important aspect of the event for some was enjoying some good Guyanese food 48 years of Republican status. Anthems of both Guyana and Jamaica were sung after which, the Honorary Consul Ms. Indera Persaud shared brief remarks. She reflected on what the achievement means for Guyana and how far Guyana has moved as a nation. She also reflected on, and acknowledged the contributions of prominent Guyanese who studied at the UWI, Mona, including Justice Mohammed Shahabuddin who served at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and Dr. Walter Rodney. The President’s Republic Anniversary address to the

nation was also read at the event for those who would have missed it earlier in the day. Allison Fung, another Guyanese who is attached to UWI, also recognised several outstanding Guyanese among those gathered at the event, and introduced the newly-formed Guyana Students’ Association in Jamaica (GUYSAJ). Once the formal aspect of the event had concluded, the Guyanese, most of whom were middle-aged, could not wait to hit the dance floor and boogie to some good old soca music. Others opted to spend the rest of their evening en-

gaging in light conversation and networking with fellow countrymen. But the most important aspect of the event, for most of them, was sampling Guyanese delicacies which are rare in Jamaica. Among the list of items on the menu were puri and curry, polourie, black pudding, channa, stuffed eggs and cook-up. To complement the food, fruit punch and mauby – which was the preferred choice of drink – were also offered, while some could not resist the temptation of a shot of the award-winning El Dorado rum.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, February 26, 2018

Ming’s Optical taking eye-care to new level with Parika expansion By Stephan Sookram

RESIDENTS of Region Three will no longer have to endure lengthy travels to the capital city for essential eye-care and tests following the expansion of the Ming’s Optical’s service to Parika. The new facility, according to Managing Director and proprietor, Dr. Michelle Ming, will provide ease of access to eyecare for residents of Region Three and surrounding areas in a state-of-the-art environment. She was speaking at the opening of the branch in the Lotus Mall. “We’ve installed stateof-the-art equipment for comprehensive eye-care, so it would include not just testing for spectacles and contact lenses but overall healthcare of one’s eyes,” Dr. Ming added. She continued, “Early detection of eye disease such as glaucoma, cataracts and diabetic retinopathy are of utmost importance so we can do a lot of preventive care [here].” Having first worked at the Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation (GPC) after returning from her studies in England, Dr. Ming established her first clinic in Georgetown in 1990. She believes that the region requires integral eye-care. “With the improving economic activities in Region Three, we felt that there is a need to expand our eye-care services here,

First Lady Sandra Granger, centre, cuts the ribbon to open the Parika Branch of Ming’s Optical Service. Managing Director and proprietor, Dr. Michelle Ming, left, and her husband, businessman Stanley Ming, extreme right, join Minister of State Joseph Harmon, second from right, in witnessing the opening. (Samuel Maughn photos) in Parika, and also in the other areas of the East Bank of Essequibo, West Coast Demerara and even persons travelling from Bartica and other hinterland locations.” Giving the feature address, First Lady Sandra Granger echoed Dr. Ming’s statement about the growing economic state in the region, saying, “Our presence here signals two things; firstly; as a business person, Dr. Michelle Ming is confident of the future of our country and shows

this by an investment in the new branch.” “Secondly; Michelle is determined to provide the best eye care possible to citizens of this country. With this in mind, she has equipped this branch with state-of-the-art equipment to provide comprehensive eye care,” she said. Mrs. Granger added, “While practicing in her field, Michelle [Dr. Ming] not only helped to establish the first low vision care clinic in the Caribbean at the Georgetown Pub-

The Ming’s Optical team poses with First Lady Sandra Granger and Ministry of Public Health Advisor, John Adams

lic Hospital Corporation (GPHC), she volunteered her services there for five years and provided magnifiers and telescopes for parents whose sight could not be improved by spectacles.” John Adams, Advisor to the Ministry of Public Health contended that eye care is vitally important to the populace, considering the growing number of cases regarding non-communicable diseases involv-

ing sight. “It is imperative that tangible efforts are being made by all concerned stakeholders, to raise the awareness about the preventable blindness and the importance of routine eye checks that are the first steps to preserving one eye sight,” he noted. The new location will be opened thrice weekly, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays from 09:0014:00 hours.

Pomeroon toddler drowns TWO-YEAR-OLD Tia Conyest on Sunday afternoon drowned in the Pomeroon River about 50 feet away from her Monka Estate home, where her mother had left her playing while tending to chores. According to reports, Tia was last seen playing in the yard, which is not fenced, while her mother, a 28-yearold housewife, Marcia Conyest, was inside cleaning about 12:30hrs on the day in question. About 13:00hrs, the mother made checks for the child but did not find her. The woman then went to the river shore in front of her home where she found the child face down and motionless in the water. The distraught mother raised an alarm and public-spirited citizens removed the child from the water. The child was then taken to the Charity Police Station where a police officer examined her. Enquiries from the police disclosed that no marks of violence were seen, neither is foul play suspected. The body was taken to the Charity hospital where a doctor examined it and pronounced the child dead. The body is presently at the Suddie mortuary awaiting an autopsy.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, February 26, 2018

Can you help children? INSTITUTIONAL care, also known as formal care, is the last place in which any child should have to live or grow up, but right now in Guyana, hundreds of children are doing just that. Life in formal care can be tough, but children just get on with it because they have no choice. In formal care, they are moved around in groups, they eat as a group, sleep as a group, go out and come in as a group, sit and watch TV as a group, as there is little one-to-one contact with adults. For some children this is definitely a step up from the lives they lived before, but for all children in formal care, having the consistent attention of a caring adult, on a one-to- one basis, would be greatly appreciated. Children in care are there because at some point in their lives, adults failed to protect them and/or they have been ‘at risk’ in some way. None of the children

have done anything wrong. There are children in care whose parents suffer from substance or alcohol abuse and/or mental illness; this often leads to child neglect. By failing to send their children to school and depriving them of proper food, clothing and adequate shelter, these parents are breaking the law. There are also children who have been physically abused by parents (or a parent/caregiver) to such a degree that they had to be removed for their own safety. In cases such as these, officers at the Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA) encourage families to work along with them so they can learn better parenting skills and provide a secure environments for their children. This is done in the hope that the children will be reunited with their families, once a transformation and an understanding of parental responsibility towards the child has taken place. But some parents just

don’t want to know. They view state intervention as an intrusion into their lifestyle, even though there is a child-protection law that they may be breaching, or a possibility they could be prosecuted, it makes no difference. They are too set in their ways to want to change, so while their children are in care they do nothing to improve their situation. Although they have the right to see their children and take them clothes, gifts, and other necessities, very few make use of the opportunity. Many parents end up losing contact with their children through their own choice. Consequently, their children grow up in formal care. All children in formal care need adults to care for them, regardless of the reasons they are there. Caring adults are the main component in raising healthy, happy, well-rounded children. Do you have time on your hands to volunteer to

help children in formal care? Can you read to them or with them? Or teach them a skill such playing football, dancing, sewing, writing, singing, or even just how to be confident? Maybe you can become a foster parent or a child mentor. There are also children in care who could be adopted. There are hundreds of children in formal care, but

hundreds of thousands of families across Guyana that means that some folk somewhere should be able to reach out and give a helping hand to some of these children. If you have the inclination to do what you can to help the nation’s children, please call the Childcare and Protection Agency (227 4420) and speak to an officer about getting involved. There

is a child in formal care right now who could benefit from your call. If you are concerned about the welfare of a child ring the CPA hotline on 227 0979 or write to childcaregy@gmail.com A MESSAGE FROM THE MINISTRY OF SOCIAL PROTECTION, CHILDCARE AND PROTECTION AGENCY

$74M leachate system at Haags Bosch almost completed

Some of the ponds that make up the leachate system which was constructed by S. Jagmohan Hardware Supplies and Construction Service (Adrian Narine Photo) THE construction of a $74 million leachate system at the Haags Bosch waste management facility in Eccles, East Bank Demerara is almost completed and will soon provide more environmental safety for the site and also neighbouring communities. Leachate can be defined as a liquid that has dissolved harmful substances that could get into the environment. It is most commonly used in the context of land-filling of waste In the past, the facility was not equipped with the system because at that time it was not feasible to construct, said Site Supervisor of the Haags Bosch Landfill, Lloyd Stanton during a recent interview with the Guyana Chronicle. As the management of the landfill moves to adopt best practices in order to improve the standards of the facility and site, Stanton said the system would be a pivotal aspect of that process. “It is around 85 per cent completed and we just have to install the air filters and engineered wetlands which will include water borne grasses and aqua life to test the final quality of the filtered water, to ensure that it is safe to be let out in the drainage canals,” he explained. S. Jagmohan Hardware Supplies and Construction Service was hired to construct the facility, he added. He further explained that the leachate would have to go through anaerobic degra-

dation and then through a maturation pond before going into the engineered wetlands for testing. The anaerobic degradation process, he said will ensure that biochemical and microbes are destroyed so that harmful organisms would not be able to feed and remain in the liquid. Stanton also highlighted that the leachate will go through a facultative pond which will be powered by eco fans that utilise wind power. He noted that the fans will stir the water in order to remove discolouration and nitrates before sending the water into the wetlands. Once the water is safe, it will go through the free flow stream and into the drainage system but if the fishes die it would be sent back through the process to be treated again. “Not only the site will benefit from this system but also the environment… prior to the installation of the system leachate used to be pumped into the canal which was not the part of the best practices…in some cases it was diluted but as soon as the water depleted it became less effective,” Stanton said. The supervisor pointed out that many persons do not understand the effects of leachate on the environment, but as the specialists it is their duty to ensure that the environment is protected and free from harm.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, February 26, 2018

Police seek five for daring robbery at Barama

THE police are now hunting five suspects who reportedly carried out a daring robbery on employees of Barama Company Limited at Land of Canaan, East Bank Demerara, on Saturday Night. According to a police report, a 54 year-old security guard along with three other persons, including two Indonesians, were robbed of cash, jewellery and other items allegedly by five males, four of whom were armed with handguns about 23:45 hrs on the day in question. The reports further disclosed that the security guard was the first person to be

robbed as the suspects relieved him of the company’s shotgun and five cartridges, then duct-taped his mouth and tied his hands and feet. The armed men then proceeded to the living quarters of the Indonesians, who are said to be the chief executive officer and supervisor of the company. The suspects broke down the doors of the living quarters and relieved them along with a female who is the fiancée of the CEO, of their valuables and escaped. The police have since obtained statements as an investigation into the armed robbery continues.

Former cop freed of firearm, ammo possession charges FORMER police corporal, Shavon Marks, who was charged in 2017 for allegedly smuggling a loaded AK-47 rifle from the Tactical Services Unit Headquarters at Eve Leary has been freed of the firearm-related charges. Marks, 37, of Rose Hall, Corentyne, Berbice, had the charges dismissed by Senior Magistrate Leron Daly after she found that the prosecution failed to prove their case for the charges of possession of gun and ammunition without being the holder of a firearm licence. It was also noted that the main witness failed to

show up in court, despite several notices being sent to testify in the matter. Particulars of the charges alleged that February 28, 2017, at Kingston, Georgetown, Marks had one AK-47 rifle without being a licensed firearm holder, and 40 live rounds of 7.62 ammunition. According to the prosecution’s case, on the day in question the police had received information that Marks was prepared to sell an AK-47 assault rifle and as a result a sting operation was set up. It is alleged that the ranks who conducted the investigation, saw Marks give the high- powered

FREED: Shavon Marks weapon to an individual, who then placed it inside a vehicle at the Tactical Services Unit headquarters at Eve Leary. The said vehicle subsequently left the compound, but was later intercepted by the ranks who were conducting the operation. The driver of the vehicle was questioned by the police and revealed that “he got it [the AK] from a man to sell.”

29 graduate from Early Childhood care workshop

SOCIAL Protection Minister Amna Ally has pledged the continuous support of her ministry for the Early Childhood Development Programme, an initiative of the Office of the First Lady, as another 29 participants graduated from the first phase of the current training programme last Thursday. Delivering the featured address at the graduation ceremony at the Baridi Benab, State House, for the participants, who were drawn from the Central Islamic Organisation (CIOG), Women Across Differences (WAD), St John’s Bosco Orphanage and Office of the First Lady, the minister said the threeweek course is an important contribution to building capacity for early childhood care practitioners. “Early childhood devel-

opment programmes are critical, long-term investments in early learning that our country needs. They are the best and most effective tools we have to close the achievement opportunity gaps,” she said. Minister Ally went on to pledge her ministry’s continuous support of the First Lady’s Early Childhood Development initiative. “We believe that it is good, we believe that it is going to make a difference in Guyana,” she added. The objective of the three-part workshop is to provide the stakeholders with basic information and skills in early childhood development and nurturing care practices for the growth and development of young children. Delivering opening remarks at the ceremony, First Lady Sandra Granger, stressed the importance of

women taking charge of their own lives and placing emphasis on training and education. “I know it has been a rigorous three weeks, but I think you came out feeling much more confident about what you can do; much more positive about yourself and I think you can hold your head up very high when you apply for a position in the field of child care and tell them you have been professionally trained, because your certificate is recognised by the Board of Industrial Training… We have to start encouraging our society at large and ourselves to say we have trained for a professional position. This is a job and they must respect that and they must pay us for our skills and our expertise,” she said. Meanwhile, one of the graduates of the programme, Pheona Bollers, who also

Minister of Social Protection, Amna Ally, delivering her featured address to the graduands of First Lady Sandra Granger’s Early Childhood Development Programme at the Baridi Benab, State House

spoke at the ceremony, reflected on the number of informative topics covered during the course of the workshop. Referencing the first-aid course, which was one of the components of the programme and was facilitated by the Guyana Red Cross Society (GRCS), she said, “I can now identify what is right or wrong in the area of first aid… This training has provided us with a sense of purpose and achievement, giving us the skills that we can use to save lives.” Another participant, a first-year nursery school teacher from the CIOG, Mala Nazeem, shared with the small audience that she was uncertain about what to expect, but was incredibly satisfied once she had completed the programme. “The ways by which the facilitators have helped me

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, February 26, 2018

First Lady Sandra Granger delivering the opening remarks to understand my profession and the ways by which their experiences have inspired me to new ways of thinking and teaching and being a good parent, makes me happy,” she said. Topics covered during the course included an introduction to early childhood development, the early years of a child’s life, basic nutrition and youngchild feeding, stimulating children’s learning through play, creating a safe and stimulating environment for young children in the home,

providing nurturing care to young children, observing nurturing-care practices at a child care facility, positive discipline and first-aid training. In July 2017, a batch of 38 women had also graduated from this course. They were drawn from the Buxton Day Care Centre, Women Across Differences (WAD), the Lusignan-Good Hope Learning Centre, the St John Bosco Orphanage, Sophia and the CIOG Georgetown District and other groups.

First Lady Sandra Granger (centre, left); Minster of Social Protection, Amna Ally (centre, right); Chairman of the Board of Industrial Training, Clinton Williams; Chief Facilitator of the Early Childhood Development workshop, Paulette Bollers and Guyana Red Cross Society (GRCS) representative, Jevon Lewis, surrounded by graduates of the First Lady’s Early Childhood Development Programme

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, February 26, 2018

‘Internet access at Fairview will revolutionise learning’ –– Fairview Toshao, head teacher

LUCY MARSLOW, Toshao of Fairview, has welcomed the efforts of the Ministry of Public Telecommunications in providing Internet access to that community, given the present constraints in the education sector there. During a community outreach to Region Nine, Minister of Public Telecommunications, Catherine Hughes and her team which included Chairman of the National Data Management Authority (NDMA), Floyd Levi, visited the community to listen to the concerns of the residents and leaders as it related to access

to Information and Communications Technology (ICT). At a meeting held at the Fairview Primary School on February 17, 2018 Toshao Marslow took the opportunity to highlight the numerous challenges the village faces as a result of limited internet access. Marslow said there is a Grade Nine Assessment that the students in the region usually write to move onto secondary school, but due to lack of resources many of them fail the examination and opt to drop out of school. However, with the estab-

lishment of an ICT hub and the smart classroom set up, Toshao Marslow said a new window of opportunity will be available to these youths to develop themselves academically. “We have young adults who wish to further their studies to get CXC because they hadn’t the chance to do it and that [internet access] will come in very useful for those persons,” she noted. Head teacher of the Fairview Primary, Quado Vancooten said the internet access will also enable the pupils, who are sitting the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) to download the recently launched Math app in preparation for the exam-

ination. Vancooten believes the app “will revolutionise learning because I was made to understand it has step by step working…so we are in for exciting times and I can hardly wait for that Math app to hit Fairview”. Minister Hughes committed to provide training for not only the students, but the adults in the village on the general use of the computer and internet. “If there are younger persons in the community that like working with computers or mobile phones, we know that there are a lot of different jobs that we could help to mould them to fill,” the minister said. (DPI)

Headteacher of the Fairview Primary, Quado Vancooten

Two bodies recovered from Mazaruni boat mishap THE police on Sunday recovered the body of Jeffery Diwar, 26, of 111 Miles, Mahdia, Region Eight and that of another man identified as “Douglas”, after the boat in which they were travelling capsized in the Mazaruni River on Friday. Reports indicate that the boat went down while transporting a dredge and three other persons who were aboard the vessel at the time, managed to escape by swimming ashore. The police have launched an investigation into the accident.

One of the bodies recovered on Sunday

Teen on life support after hit by bus PEDAL cyclist Nandraine Budram, 13, of 250 La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara, is on life support at the Georgetown Public Hospital after she was struck down by a minibus on Sunday. The accident occurred on the La Parfaite Harmonie Access Road around 15.30 hrs and the minibus driver has been identified as Troy Allen of Lot Two, Bagotville, East Bank Demerara. Reports indicate that the minibus was proceeding north along the eastern side of the road when the cyclist, who was proceeding in the opposite direction, allegedly rode across the road from east to west and into the path of the bus. The driver of the minibus has since been taken into police custody.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, February 26, 2018

Imam for second High Court rape trial … following reopening of case before Magistrate Alex Moore

MUSLIM scholar Neezam Ali has been committed to stand trial in the High Court for allegedly sexually molesting nine boys. Ali, also known as ‘Mufti’, an Imam of Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, was committed by Magistrate

Alex Moore, to stand trial in the High Court on nine counts of engaging in sexual activity with boys under the age of 12 back in 2012. However, his attorney Nigel Hughes had challenged the paper committal on several grounds. The matter

was subsequently sent to the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice, and was later reopened before Magistrate Moore. Following the case reopening, Ali was committed to stand trial in the High

Court for a second time. The charges alleged that between December 2011 and January 2012, Ali, being a teacher attached to the Turkeyen Masjid, engaged in sexual activity with the children. He was placed on a total

of $1.3M bail at the time. The acts were allegedly committed while Ali was in a position of trust, being a religious teacher, and knew or could be reasonably expected to have known of the trust in relation to the boys. The boys had been attending Arabic and Koran classes at the time.

Muslim scholar, Neezam Ali

Venezuelans recycle worthless bolivar bills into crafts CUCUTA, Colombia (AP) — A family of Venezuelan immigrants to Colombia are repurposing their worthless bolivars into origami-made paper wallets, belts and even purses as the currency plunges further in value amid four-digit inflation. Each collector item produced by Richard Segovia fetches between $10 and $15 — a huge markup from the pennies that bolivars retrieve on Venezuela’s black market. Segovia, 24, arrived two months ago to the Colombian border city of Cucuta with his wife and a cousin fleeing a dead-end job at a warehouse in Venezuela, where he made the equivalent of just $2.50 a month. He came up with the idea to make artwork one night when he and his cousin were back in Caracas staring at a pile of cash. “We had a lot of cash but nothing to buy, because in Venezuela your money is worth nothing,” he said. So, he started folding and creasing Venezuela’s colourful bills into trinkets and then larger creations like purses and bags. Each item consists of around 800 to 1,000 mostly 50 and 100-bolivar notes — less than 50 U.S. cents. He has found a sympathetic audience among Colombians looking to extend a helpful hand to the hundreds of thousands of immigrants who’ve flooded across the border in recent months. On a busy day, Segovia can sell as many as 20 items, and a bulk order recently came in from a woman who runs a boutique in Bogota who heard about his creations on local TV. With his earnings, he manages to send around $15 to his family in Caracas whenever he can. “It’s not a lot of money, but it’s enough to have breakfast,” he said. While sales are brisk, he’s hardly living high on the hog. He and his wife, who is five months pregnant, sleep at a flophouse provided for free by a local transportation company. They set up shop daily on a busy sidewalk near the bus station, seemingly unconcerned by the prospect of a thief snatching away the piles of money that sit like bricks on their plastic table. “I’m not going to run out of raw material,” he jokes.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, February 26, 2018

Champions! -Volcanoes win their first Super50 Final

CMC – YOUTH World Cup star Alick Athanaze rode his luck and held his nerve, as he lifted Windward Islands Volcanoes to a dramatic three-wicket victory over Barbados Pride in a nerve-jangling Regional Super50 final here late Saturday night. In pursuit of 233 for victory, Volcanoes slumped to 205 for seven in the 44th over before the left-handed Athanaze arrived to stroke an unbeaten run-a-ball 23 and see his side home with three balls remaining in the day/night affair at the Coolidge Cricket Ground. Volcanoes were never in control of the run chase and the match was in danger of slipping away when Kyle Mayers missed a heave at part-time off-spinner Kraigg Brathwaite and was bowled for 32 at 205 for seven in the 45th over. With 28 still required from 33 deliveries, the 19-year-old Athanaze – the leading run-scorer at the recent ICC Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand with 418 runs – displayed nerves of steel in a vital unbroken 31-run eighth-wicket stand with captain Shane Shillingford (7 not out) to see Volcanoes to their first domestic 50-overs title in five years. Twenty runs were required from the last 18 balls but Athanaze eased the pressure when he squeezed fast bowler Keon Harding to the backward

point boundary. He then enjoyed a huge slice of luck off the very next ball when he was put down by wicketkeeper Tevyn Walcott on seven, trying to steer a delivery to third man. The miss proved costly for Pride as Athanaze, unfazed by the let-off, sensibly rotated the strike with Shillingford, to leave Volcanoes needing just three to win from the last over. They sprinted a couple to wide third man off the first ball to level the scores and Athanaze, on debut for Volcanoes, fittingly sealed the win when he drove pacer Shamar Springer to the cover boundary. Man-of-the-Match, Roland Cato top-scored with 54 in an unruffled 64ball innings while Kavem Hodge struck an important 39 and veteran opener Devon Smith, 26. Left-hander Jonathan Carter had earlier led Pride with a polished 80 but the defending champions suffered a disappointing batting collapse to end with an inadequate 232 for nine off their 50 overs. Roston Chase chipped in with 44 and captain Brathwaite, 30, but Pride squandered a promising position of 140 for two in the 32nd over. Opting to bat first, they lost Omar Phillips in the second over without scoring when he missed a swing at fast bowler, Ryan John and was bowled middle stump, with just three runs on the board. However, Pride rebounded thanks to Carter who anchored two successive half-century stands, en route to his second fifty of the tournament. First, he put on 69 for the second wicket with Brathwaite who faced 47 balls and struck five fours before being adjudged stumped down the leg-side off off-spinner Shillingford (2-44) in the 18th over. Carter then found an ally in Chase and together they added a further 68 for the third wicket, to lay the ideal platform for a run spree at the back end of

the innings. Carter had faced 108 balls and struck eight fours and a six when he was brilliantly taken on the ropes at long on by Hodge off off-spinner Athanaze in the 32nd over, the Dominican taking the catch, tossing the ball in the air as the momentum took him over the ropes, before stepping back onto the field to complete the catch. That dismissal triggered a slide which saw six wickets tumble for 55 runs, with Chase fifth out in the 41st over, caught at long on off left-arm spinner Larry Edward (2-41), after hitting a four and a six in a 57-ball knock. Walcott, 18 not out, and Dominic Drakes (11) batted sensibly at the tail to eke out precious runs in a 31-run ninth wicket partnership. Faced with what should have been an uncomplicated run chase, Volcanoes started slowly as Smith and Johnson Charles (16) put on 44 from 66 balls. Smith was starting to find his touch when he was brilliantly caught at mid-off by Springer running back off left-arm pacer Drakes (3-

38), after striking five fours off 41 deliveries. Thirteen balls later, Charles missed a cross-batted shot at one that kept low from medium pacer Carter and was bowled off-stump and when Kirk Edwards was run out for 10 in the 19th over, Volcanoes were wandering at 72 for three in the 19thover. Cato and Hodge, however, injected purpose into the innings with an 80-run fourth wicket stand which handed Volcanoes the advantage. The composed Cato struck four fours and a couple of sixes while Hodge, dropped by Walcott on six and and Carter on 29, faced 65 balls and counted two fours before finally gloving a pull at Drakes and falling to a leg-side catch in the 37th over. Cato followed in the 40th, plumb lbw to Harding, to be one of three wickets to tumble for 24 runs, and Mayers perished after belting three fours and a six in a run-a-ball knock, leaving Athanaze to provide the finishing touches.

SCORECARD

PRIDE Innings *K Brathwaite st Charles b Shillingford 30 O Phillips b John 0 J Carter c Hodge b Athanaze 80 R Chase c Hodge b Edward 44 K Stoute b Edward 5 S Springer c Athanaze b McCoy 22 K Williams run out 5 H Walsh Jr c Edwards b Shillingford 0 +T Walcott not out 18 D Drakes b McCoy 11 K Harding not out 0 Extras: (b4, lb1, w9, nb1) 15 TOTAL: (9 wkts, 50 overs) 232 Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-72, 3-140, 4-151, 5-187, 6-195, 7-195, 8-195, 9-226. Bowling: Hodge 10-0-39-0, John 4-0-21-1, Mayers 6-0-32-0, Shillingford 10-1-44-2, McCoy 5-0-29-2, Edward 10-0-41-2, Athanaze 5-0-21-1. -------------------------------VOLCANOES Innings D Smith c Springer b Drakes 29 +J Charles b Carter 16 K Edwards run out 10 K Hodge c wkp Walcott b Drakes 39 R Cato lbw b Harding 54 K Mayers b Brathwaite 32 R John c Springer b Drakes 6 A Athanaze not out 23 *S Shillingford not out 7 Extras: (b1, lb4, w14, nb1) 20 TOTAL: (7 wkts, 49.3 overs) 236 Did not bat: L Edwards, O McCoy. Fall of wickets: 1-44, 2-55, 3-72, 4-152, 5-164, 6-176, 7-205. Bowling: Drakes 10-1-38-3, Harding 9-1-49-1, Brathwaite 4-0-20-1, Carter 10-1-25-1, Springer 9.3-0-52-0, Walsh 3-0-25-0, Stoute 3-015-0, Williams 1-0-7-0.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, February 26, 2018

City thrash Arsenal to take Carabao Cup (Reuters) - PEP Guardiola claimed his maiden English silverware as his side thrashed Arsenal 3-0 in the League Cup final with Sergio Aguero, Vincent Kompany and David Silva all on target in a disappointingly one-sided showpiece on Sunday. The first meeting between the sides in a domestic final was no classic but Spaniard Guardiola will not care after his side’s class eventually shone through at a freezing Wembley Stadium. City, who will also win the Premier League title barring a monumental collapse, did not even have to hit top gear to lift the trophy for the third time in five years.

Manchester City have won the League Cup for a fifth time - only Liverpool have won it more often. (BBC Photo)

Aguero’s 18th-minute goal gave City a halftime lead and Arsenal withered after the break as Kompany

prodded in from close range after 58 minutes before Silva thumped home a left-footer seven minutes later.

Arsenal’s fans left in droves in the final 20 minutes while City’s fans decorated the stadium with sky blue. After a trophy-less first season in charge of City, Guardiola’s career major trophy haul as a manager stands at 19, having won 11 with Barcelona and seven at Bayern Munich. “It’s important. We’re so happy, and a big congratulations to all of Manchester City, and our fans. This trophy is for Manchester City and not for me,” Guardiola, whose side’s bid for an unprecedented quadruple was

wrecked by a shock FA Cup defeat by third-tier Wigan Athletic on Monday, said. “The first half we were not good, there were a lot of mistakes, in the second half we played with a lot more courage and personality -we were outstanding.” Arsenal have now lost a record six League Cup finals and it remains the only silverware manager Arsene Wenger has not won. “We self-inflicted our punishment,” he said. “We had an unbelievable chance at 0-0 and then gave them a goal.”

Taylor, Latham stun England (Reuters) - ROSS Taylor scored his 18th one-day international century and combined in a 178-run partnership with Tom Latham to lead New Zealand to a three-wicket win over England in the first game of their five-match series at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Sunday. Taylor (113) and Latham (79) helped the hosts recover from 27 for three in the 10th over to reach 287 for seven in the final over after England had scored a credible 284 for eight. While both Taylor and Latham were unable to see their side through to victory, Mitchell Santner, who scored just two from his first nine deliveries then scored another 43 from the next 18, won the game with his fourth six and finished on 45 not out. ”I needed to take it deep and give ourselves a chance,“ Taylor said. ”It was a little two-paced, even the slower balls kissed off different to a few days ago. “There are very small boundaries here so we backed ourselves to get 50 off five overs.” England had batted superbly on the slow-paced pitch, with Jason Roy (49) and test captain Root combining for 79 runs after Jonny Bairstow had been dismissed early. Root also added 42 runs with Buttler in quick time before he played around a slower delivery from Colin Munro to be bowled for 71. Buttler and Moeen Ali (28)

then added another 47 runs in 6.4 overs before Trent Boult and Tim Southee bowled superbly in the death overs to ensure the visitors did not reach 300.

ber, broke the partnership. Stokes, who had not played for England since an incident outside a Bristol nightclub last September, had Latham

New Zealand’s run chase looked to have ended inside the first 10 overs when Martin Guptill, Munro and Kane Williamson were all dismissed cheaply. Taylor and Latham then rebuilt the innings by rotating the strike and hitting bad balls for boundaries to keep pace with the required run rate before Ben Stokes, playing his first international match since last Septem-

caught for 79 then had the dangerous Colin de Grandhomme caught behind for two in his next over. “There wasn’t much between the sides,” England captain Eoin Morgan said. “We put on a really competitive score and made good inroads at the start, but they fought back really well.” The second match of the series is in Mount Maunganui on Feb. 28.

Big wins for Buxton, Queenstown as Milo Football continues

There were big wins for Buxton Youth Developers and Queenstown Secondary as the Milo Schools Football tournament continued in Georgetown. Buxton mauled South Ruimveldt 5-0 at the Ministry of Education ground with a hat trick from Shamar Kingston in the 15th, 25th and 32nd while Shamar Singh added the other two in the 24th and 42nd. Queenstown on the oth-

er hand registered a 4-1 win over St George’s Secondary with a pair of braces from Joseph Hickenson (11th and 17th) and Carl Chisholm (30th and 54th). The only response of St George’s came from Stephan Daniels 48th minute strike. In the opening game of the day, Friendship won via walk over against Carmel while Masters Academy disrupted the usual workflow of Lodge Secondary

with a 2-1 win. Calvin Peters 40th minute strike coupled with an own goal in the 50th ensured that Masters continued their vain of winning form with Nicholas Trotman scoring Lodge’s goal. The tournament is sponsored by Beepats through the Nestle Milo brand in collaboration with the Ministry Of Public Health “Eradicating Gender Based Violence.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, February 26, 2018

PROFORMANCE Why mobility is just as important as strength With Neil Barry

Imagine yourself on the track, in the pool, on the court, field or on your bike, inches behind your closest rival, ready to make the defining move of your race. Just as you start making that big effort, ‘pop!’ goes the muscle behind your thigh, and suddenly every movement is painful as you struggle to the finish. These experiences are unfortunately major moments in the careers of many athletes, so this edition of ProFormance will explore the typical reasons for these injuries and safe ways to prevent them. It must first be said that the feeling of ‘pulling up’ occurs with primarily muscular injuries. Your muscles are designed to produce tension and force, controlled by what is called the neuromuscular system--the brain and spinal cord interacting with your muscles. These are typically injured by either external or internal factors such as direct blows or strains. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A MUSCLE ‘PULLS’ Muscle strains occur when your muscles are ex-

posed to excess tensile force, i.e. - shortening/lengthening with tension. When you are competing at high levels, you may try to perform better than you have before, but unfortunately your body might not be ready for these forces. It is important NOT to develop the belief that giving your best effort is always going to result in injury. Instead, think of these injuries as an indication of aspects of your preparation that need to be addressed. So why is the muscle length-tension relationship important? A good way to visualize your muscles working is to imagine pulling on a loose string, versus pulling on thick rubber band. Loose string does not resist being pulled apart until you reach its full length, but it also doesn’t develop much tension. Alternatively, you can feel increasing tension the moment you start pulling on the thick rubber band, but the maximum tension is not at its full length, so beyond a certain length, it will become weak, and start to burst. Research shows that many strains reoccur at the same location,

and early after returning to sport, so how do you prepare your muscles for the work you need them to do?

are like the thick rubber band, and inactive muscles are like the string. Active muscles can produce more force and

“Champions do not become champions when they win an event, but in the hours, weeks, and months, and years they spend preparing for it. The victorious performance itself is merely a demonstration of their championship character” – Michael Jordan, Six time NBA Champion.

Former National Schools Track and Field 400M record holder, Carlwyn Collins performing a single leg swiss Ball Hamstring Curl- (Photo compliments- TopEnd Performance Training Systems)

RATIONALE FOR STRETCHING Ideally, active muscles

are less susceptible to tearing until overstretched, however your muscles adapt to your

movement habits by shortening, so they can become overstretched at shorter lengths. Therefore your muscles need to both be strong, and long. Good coaches can tell you about active isolated stretches, and dynamic stretches for warm ups, while physical therapists and other trained professionals can help with passive stretches that elite athletes will say help with muscle recovery after intense fatigue, and prevention of muscle strains during long seasons of competition. Professionals will tell you that largely used muscles in your respective sport should be prioritized for stretching--often your hamstrings, hip flexors, quadriceps and calves. What many elite training systems now encourage is full range of movement exercise training that incorporates strength, flexibility, and motor control during both acceleration and deceleration. FUNCTIONAL TRAINING Research has shown e.g. that the nordic hamstring curl has been shown to re-

duce acute hamstring injuries by 50% in footballers, and can be highly beneficial across sports. Other great exercises include the split squat, romanian deadlift and the single leg hip-hinge, and what’s more, they can all be done as pure bodyweight exercises or with small loads, while still being highly beneficial and loads of fun because of the challenge to do them correctly. The big take away here is that stretching, when combined with adequate functional range of movement strengthening exercise, should be encouraged in your preparation for high level competition to prevent the injuries before they happen, and also stop them from reoccurring in your career. Ask a qualified exercise professional about stretching techniques and functional range of movement strength exercises such as the nordic hamstring curl to learn how to safely program them into your training regimen, just like the pros.

Evolution’s DeNobrega wins Forbes Burnham Three-Stage By Michael DaSilva

TEAM Evolution’s Paul DeNobrega was yesterday declared winner of the Forbes Burnham memorial 10th Annual Three-Stage Cycle Road Race.

The race was sponsored by the Forbes Burnham Foundation and coordinated by the Flying Stars Cycle Club. Despite not winning any of the three stages, DeNobrega clocked an overall time of five hours 23 minutes 48 seconds

for the event which got underway in Berbice on February 18 with the first stage from Corriverton to New Amsterdam. Despite not winning that stage, he placed second and secured a bunch time like winner and teammate, Michael

Part of the action in the final stage of the Forbes Burnham memorial 10th Annual Three-Stage Cycle Road Race. (Stephan Sookram Photo)

Anthony. For the second stage which wheeled off from Linden, Region 10 and concluded on Homestretch Avenue in Georgetown, DeNobrega was involved in a bunch finish and received the bunch time, placing among the top three finishers overall. Going into the final stage yesterday which began on Homestretch Avenue, proceeded to Belfield, East Coast Demerara and returned to the place of origin for the finish, DeNobrega finished fifth, but received the bunch time, making him the overall winner. The winner of the first stage was Anthony. Stage two was won by Trojan’s Romello Crawford, while Curtis Dey, also of Berbice, placed second and Hamza Eastman placed third. In the final stage, Crawford dominated again, winning by almost 600 metres from the bunch, which included DeNobrega. The junior category was won by Adelie Hodge who clocked six hours, 10 minutes 26 seconds. Second was Briton John and finishing third was Ajay Gopilall. Paul Cho-Wee-Nam won

the veterans’ category ahead of Junior Niles and jaikarran Sukhai, respectively. Berbice’s Andrew Hicks placed sixth overall in the

open category. Fifth place went to Cho-Wee-Nam, while Walter Grant-Stuart placed fourth, Jeumel Yearwood third and John second.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Monday February 26, 2018) COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Shane Shillingford-21 wickets (Windwards) (2) Khary Pierre-6/34 (Trinidad vs Hampshire) Today’s Quiz: (1) What was the highest team score in the preliminary round of the CWI Regional Super50 Tournament 2018? (2) How many centuries were scored in the preliminary round? ANSWERS IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE

American Racing Tips Mahoning Valley Race 1 Replay Race 2 Buster’s Boy Race 3 Kiva Girl Race 4 Silver Buckeye Race 5 Wisdom Of The Duke Race 6 Ohio Silver Race 7 Corinthian Spire Race 8 Goodzapper South Africa Racing Tips Flamingo Park 08:20 hrs Rock Burner 08:50 hrs Rich Approval 09:20 hrs Machismo 09:50 hrs Klondike River 10:25 hrs Caribbean Bay 10:55 hrs Class Protector

English Racing Tips Lingfield 09:55 hrs Angelina D’ Or 10:25 hrs Ertidaad 10:55 hrs The Special One 11:30 hrs Sayesse 12:00 hrs Sotomayor 12:35 hrs La Fortuna Plumpton 10:00 hrs Royal Ruby 11:00 hrs Sheelbewhatsheelbe 11:35 hrs Not Never 12:40 hrs Mickieblueeyes 13:15 hrs Hawthorn Cottage Ayr 10:15 hrs Nando 10:45 hrs Teddy Tee 11:15 hrs Skipthescales 11:55 hrs Our Lucas

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, February 26, 2018

Spineless Demerara crumble to 53 all out, as Berbice retain title

The winning Berbice team.

- Solomon pleased with performance By Rajiv Bisnauth BERBICE produced an excellent bowling effort by defending 88 to preserve their Guyana Cricket Board (GCB)/Dave West Indian Imports Inter-county Under-15 title yesterday at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) ground, Bourda. Berbice recovered brilliantly to bowl out Demerara for 53, to win by 35 runs. Early morning rain eventually reduced the game to a 25 overs affair. The defending champions, asked to bat first, struggled

from the onset. They eventually put together 88-9 in their allotted overs. The opening pair of Mahendra Gopilall and Tomani Caeser added 24 for the first wicket before the latter was run out for four. Thereafter, the Berbicians lost a cluster of wickets despite a few batsmen managing a start. Leg-spinner Shafeek Khan (4-14) and left-arm spinner Nicholas Rajpat (315) combined to put the hosts, at that point, in a dominant position. Jonathon Rampersaud

(19), Gopilall (15), Zeynol Ramsammy (15), and Antoine Alexander (14), were the principal scorers. In the run chase, the host batting collapsed inexplicably and spinelessly in 18.5 overs with Man-of-the-match, Jonathon Rampersaud bowling quite brilliantly. In just one spell he claimed 2-15, but it was Caeser who created the most damage, with figures of 3-18. Boodram Lakeraj (2-5) and Alexander (1-12), contributed to the wicket tally. Poor shot selection and

the evidence of poor cricket was the hosts downfall, as Chandrapaul Rajpat top scored with just 9 for Demerara. Meanwhile, coach Leslie Solomon said he is pleased with the performances of the team, adding that with the win, Berbice’s cricket is on the move. At the presentation ceremony, Rampersaud was voted the Most Valuable Player. Also, East Bank Demerara collected their winning trophy for the just concluded Demerara Inter-Association Under-17 tournament.

Edward ‘Screw’ Richmond U-18 football launches on Wednesday THE annual Edward ‘Screw’ Richmond Memorial Linden Schools Under-18 football tournament is set to be launched on Wednesday at the YMCA building in Retrieve, Linden. Players interested in this year’s schools tournament must be born on or after January1, 2000. The schools that will be contesting are Christianburg/Wismar Secondary (Multi), Mackenzie High, New Silver City Secondary, Harmony Secondary, Wisburg Secondary, Linden Foundation Secondary, Linden Technical Institute and the Private Combined. The tournament will be a two-group round-robin format championship before it goes into the semifinals and finals and will begin on March 12. The final is set for April 18. The two venues named for the tournament are the Wisburg Secondary School and the Mackenzie sports Club grounds.

Linden Mayor donates medals and trophies for Torpedo swim meet

Emphasis placed on Mid-innings batting – Radford

(CMC) – BATTING coach Tony Radford says emphasis will be placed on improving the middle period of the West Indies innings, as they seek to justify their favorites tag and win the ICC World Cup Qualifiers starting here next week. In recent years, the Caribbean side have struggled to build or sustain momentum during the middle overs, leading to bungled run chases or average totals when batting first. Radford said with the big hitters in the squad, once the Windies rectified this aspect of their batting, they would be a force to be reckoned with. “When we look at our 50-overs cricket over the last year, maybe more than a year, we tend to get good starts,” the Welshman said. “We have a lot of powerful hitters at back end and I think the big thing for us – and we keep talking about

it and it’s an area we really want to be good at – is that middle period. “If we get a good start, [we want to] maintain the run rate, knocking the ball around, running well between the wickets, to allow our bigger hitters later on in the innings to clear the boundaries.” West Indies are one of 10 teams vying for the last two World Cup spots at the March 4-25 tournament, and enter as the highest ranked side and as the oddson bets to qualify. They open their Group A campaign on March 6 against ICC World Cricket League Division Two champions, United Arab Emirates, before facing Papua New Guinea (March 8), Ireland (March 10) and the Netherlands (March 12). Two-time former World Cup champions, West Indies have featured at every World Cup to date, and Radford said qualification

for the showpiece in England next year was of paramount importance to the unit. “It’s hugely important. We want to put up a really good show,” he stressed. “We obviously want to qualify and we want to be at the World Cup next year so I think everybody knows the imortance of it, and that we come here and stamp our authority from ball one and play the way we know we can play.” He continued: “The key thing is getting used to the pitches here. We’ve actually been in Zimbabwe a couple of times over the last two years. We just played a Test series before Christmas down in Bulawayo which tends to be a little bit slower and spins a bit more. “I think the pitches in Harare have a little more bounce … I think it is about players getting used to the pitches.”

West Indies enter the tournament match-ready especially with the players coming off their domestic 50-overs competition. Veteran Marlon Samuels, along with rookies Evin Lewis and Shai Hope all recorded hundreds, to strike form ahead of the international campaign. Radford said the finishing touches would be put on the Windies preparation over the next week. “The mood’s good. A lot of guys have just come fresh from the Regional Super50 back in the Caribbean and being in decent form so they’ve been playing a fair bit of cricket, playing pretty well and we’re just about to start our preparation really for this competition,” he explained. “We’ve been in the gym doing a bit of fitness work over the last couple of days and I think everyone is just looking forward to getting into the nuts and bolts of the competition.”

Mayor Holland at right hands over trophies and medals to Mary Chung-Phillips

MAYOR of Linden Carwyn Holland has made good on a pledge to help revive the sport of swimming in Linden. The Mayor donated all the trophies and medals to be used for an upcoming swim meet by the Torpedo Swim Club of Linden which is coached by former female National Swimming Champion Mary Chung-Phillips. Mayor Holland said that while the Mackenzie Swimming Pool was the desired venue for the swim meet, if that pool is not ready in time, then the organisers will have to find

another pool. The two options are the Watooka House Pool in Watooka and Dr. Joseph Haynes Mall Pool in Amelia’s Ward. Chung-Phillips thanked Mayor Holland for his commitment towards promoting swimming. Many medals were won by swimmers representing the East and West teams during the recent multi-sport Linden Games, staged by the Linden Youth Leaders. Mayor Holland is the founder of the event which was held over the last weekend in Linden and won by the East swimming team.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, February 26, 2018

Solomon triumph in Sanjay’s Classic Golf tournament

VETERAN golfer Maurice Solomon capitalized on the excellent golf course and weather conditions, to emerge the top golfer last Saturday in the Sanjay’s Jewellery Classic Golf tournament. Solomon ended the day with a 65/25 scoreline. Mike Mangal came in second position with 67/8 while the third and fourth places were decided on a count-back since three golfers--Brian Hackett, Assrodeen Shaw and Richard Haniff--tied for net 70. From that count-back, Hackett came in third with 70/19 while Shaw finished in fourth position with 70/18. Nearest-to-the-Pin was won by Mohanlall Dinanauth. Best Gross was decided on a count-back since Mike Mangal tied with Avinash Persaud for gross 75. Mangal won with 36 against Persaud’s 38 on the count-back. So keen was the day’s competition that even net scores of 71, 72 and 73 were tied. At the presentation ceremony, Sanjay Persaud expressed appreciation to the golfers, adding that he intends to sponsor a bigger tournament in October. President of the LGC, Aleem Hussain expressed his delight at Sanjay’s continued sponsorship towards the development of the sport. Meanwhile, Maurice said “In this tournament I particularly kept my head down during play - a regular fault being that I would lift my head. This discipline paid off well, and was enhanced by a quite reasonable short game, causing me to bring in a good net score”. The Hole-in-One prize of $100,000.00 for a charity was not won.

The respective winners pose with the representatives of Sanjay’s Jewellery and LGC President. (From left): Asrodeen Shaw, President Aleem Hussain, Mike Mangal, Maurice Solomon, Mr Sanjay Persaud, Ms Pavita Ramkissoon, Richard Haniff and Brian Hackett

Thirty-nine goals scored on Corona Fustal opening night

Green returns unopposed as GRFU president

One of the thirty-nine goals scored during the Corona Futsal Invitational (Adrian Narine Photo)

THIRTY-nine goals were scored on the opening night of the Corona Futsal tournament Saturday evening at the National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue. The opening game saw Mocha edge Plaisance 5-4 with the winners benefitting from a Steffon Ramsey brace (3rd and 17th) as well as single strikes from Teon Jones (15th), Dellon John (3rd) and Kevin Agard (17th). The East Coast side’s four goals came from Akeem Thomas (16th and 18th), Kevin Liverpool (4th) and Denzil king (18th). Future Stars were also winners on the opening night, disposing of Campbellville Extreme 6-0 with two goals from Kareem knights (7th and 9th). Assistance also came from

Akeem Anthony (11th), William Europe (13th), Curtez Kellman (9th) and Marvin Carter (19th). Albouystown were in the winner’s circle as well after beating Y.M.C.A 3-1 with Moses Griffin (3rd), Andre Webber (5th) and Melvin Ross (11th) each scoring. Wendell St Hill was on target for the losers in the first minute. The first stalemate of the evening featured Leopold Street and Alexander Village, ending 3-3. Leopold Street had Omal Williams on target in the 17th with earlier goals being scored by Eon Allyen (2nd) and Okanie Fraser (11th). Shem Porter (11th and 19th) and Trevon Thomas (9th) were on target for Alexander Village.

Game five saw Back Circle trashing Broad Street 6-3 with braces from Selwin Williams (3rd and 13th) and Jermaine Beckles (8th and 9th) along with lone strikes by Stephan McClean (5th) and Runnel Gordon (9th). Broad Street on the other hand had Akeem Sam (14th), Shawn Mohammed (15th) and Jamaal Williams (16th). The final game of the evening saw Sparta Boss going down to Tiger Bay 3-2 with Alpha Fletchman on target in the 6th and 7th for the winners while Deon Alfred closed the game off in the 19th. Sparta had Jeremy Garrett and Sheldon Shepard on target in the 1st and 3rd. Matches continue tomorrow night with six games. (Stephan Sookram)

New GRFU Executives: (L-R sitting) Ryan Gonsalves, Rawle Toney, Peter Green, Major Earl Edghill and Petal Adams. (Standing L-R) Treiston Joseph, Sherlock Solomon, Kevon Davis, Telroy Solomon and Esan Griffith

PETER Green returned unopposed as president of the Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) when rugby’s local governing body held their Annual General Meeting and bi-annual elections last evening at the National Racquet Centre. Thirty-six eligible voters saw no objection to Green returning to the position he has held since 2013. Major Earl Edghill received 20 votes; 12 more than his rival, Joshua Griffith, for the position of Senior Vice President, while Sports Journalist, Rawle Toney defeated Troy Yip 17 to 10 for the position of Junior Vice-President. Petal Adams returned as Secretary of the GRFU, picking up 24 votes to Terrence Grant’s four while Ryan Gonsalves, Peter Campaign and Esan Griffith were all elected unanimously to the posts of Treasurer, Assistant Secretary Treasurer and Public Relations Officer, respectively. The four committee members elected were Telroy McCalmont (25 votes), Kevon Davis (25 votes), Sports Journalist Treiston Joseph (24 votes) and Sherlock Solomon (19 votes with tie-breaker). Green, after the electoral process, noted that one of the areas of focus will be to erase the GRFU’s $5M debt, adding that the new executive will meet this week to charter a new course for the sport which is considered one of the most successful in Guyana. The re-elected GRFU president shared that he is excited to have new ideas injected into the union by the new members of the executive body. He also thanked the outgoing members of the association.

Evolution’s DeNobrega wins Forbes Burnham Three-Stage

See page 21

Champions! -Volcanoes win their first Super50 Final

See Page 19

Champions! The Windward Islands Volcanoes lifted their first Regional Super 50 title by defeating the Barbados Pride by three wickets in Saturday’s final (Cricket West Indies Photo)

Big wins for Buxton, Queenstown as Milo Football continues See Page 20

Spineless Demerara crumble to 53 all out, as Berbice retain title See Page 22

Part of the action in the Milo Schools Football tournament. (Samuel Maughn photo)

Green returns unopposed as GRFU president See Page 23

Bowled Him! This Samuel Maughn photo sums up the Demerara Innings as they failed to beat defending champions Berbice in yesterday’s Guyana Cricket Board (GCB)/ Dave West Indian Imports Inter-county Under-15 final

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2018