Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 03 01 2017

21 New Year babies P.13

No. 104782

TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2017

Price: $80

(VAT Inclusive)

\\\\\Story by Ariana Gordon on page 3/////

Volda Lawrence

Amna Ally

Dr George Norton

SHAKE-UP

Norton, Lawrence, Ally in Cabinet reshuffle

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Critics ignored National Trust Act – Johnson defends Gov’t move on Red House THE National Trust Act has been completely ignored by critics, who have taken umbrage over Government’s decision to revoke the Red House lease, the country’s Cultural Policy Advisor Ruel Johnson said in his quest to defend the decision.

In a direct response to statements issued by Ralph Ramkarran, former Speaker of the National Assembly;

Anil Nandlall, former Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister; and Donald Ramotar, a former President of Guyana, Johnson said the leasing of Red House to the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre Inc. (CJRCI) was invalid on several grounds, as he pointed to the laws governing national monuments and heritage sites.

According to Section 15 of the National Trust Act,

once publicised, gazzetted and declared a national monument, that monument, without further assurance, becomes the property of, and vests in, the National Trust.

Additionally, the Act states that approval for transfer, mortgage or lease must come from a Minister of Government.

“What this means is that no lease of any gazetted national

monument can be valid without the explicit involvement of the National Trust as lessor,” Johnson explained.

However, the controversial agreement, which paved the way for the Red House to be leased for a duration of 99 years at a cost of only $1000 monthly, was signed by the Commissioner of Lands and Surveys on behalf of the Government, and Ramkarran on behalf of the Research Centre on March 30, 2012.

The agreement was also in

Cultural Policy Advisor Ruel Johnson

contradiction of the Lands Department Act, Chapter 59:01, which states that “Government Lands shall only be rented or sold with the sanction of the President and on the terms and conditions determined by him.”

Nandlall, in response to this argument, said the contention that the lease was invalid because the President did not sanction it, is manifestly wrong. “Any person who has but a mere fleeting familiarity with the State Lands Act and the Regulations made thereunder, as well as the Land Department Act, the MMA/ DA Act and similar type legislation, would know that although the power to lease, sell or grant licences in relation to lands which fall under these legislation [sic], resides with the President. The legislation provides for the President to delegate such authority to the Commissioner of Lands and Surveys, the Commissioner of Forestry or the Commissioner of Geology and Mines or the Manager of the MMA/DA, as the case may be, depending on the nature of the land and the purpose for which it is to be used.”

But the Cultural Policy Advisor rubbished Nandlall’s argument, noting that the significance of the building in question ought not to be ignored.

“While we may take it that for practical reasons, Presidential assent minus an actual signature might have been accepted practice for regular issuance of leases under the Lands and Survey Commission, no sane lawyer would argue in court, or in public, that such practice would extend to the National

Trust Act and the National Trust as a public corporate body to facilitate transferal of a national monument under its ownership to a private corporation,” Johnson said.

According to him, the lease would have been validated if the gazzetted national monument (Red House) was deliberately taken off the lists as a national monument and out of the protection of the National Trust Act prior to the agreement.

“Ramkarran, Nandlall and Ramotar have waxed eloquently about the rule of law and due process, and while I agree with them in spirit, it would help if any one of them were to specifically address the National Trust Act and why it was bypassed in seeking to award a lease over a gazetted national monument to a company owned and controlled by their political party, and the legal implications (or lack thereof) for the validity of the lease,” the Government advisor added.

Like other Government officials and pro-government supporters, he believes that the transaction was a fraudulent one and resulted in years of misappropriation of a State asset.

Ramkarran had said, however, that the President’s decision to revoke Red House is “unlawful” and had brought back “sad memories of times past when the rule of law in Guyana was being severely undermined as a result of political oppression and authoritarian rule.”

In an effort to bar Government from repossessing Red House, the Cheddi Jagan Resource Centre had moved to the High Court; however, the court did not grant the Conservatory Order which was sought by Chairman of the Management Committee of the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre Incorporated (CJRCI), Hydar Ally.

However, Chief Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards accepted an undertaking that nothing would be done to the documents and research materials related to Dr. Cheddi Jagan until the hearing and determination of this action set for February 20.

SHAKE-UP 3

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Norton, Lawrence, Ally in Cabinet reshuffle

By Ariana Gordon PRESIDENT David Granger has once again reshuffled his Cabinet, removing Dr George Norton from the critical Public Health Ministry and replacing him with Volda Lawrence, while Amna Ally takes over at the Ministry of Social Protection and Norton has been sent to the Ministry of Social Cohesion.

These changes will be made official today at a Cabinet meeting, the Guyana Chronicle was told. It is the second time President Granger has made changes to his Cabinet and it comes at a time when there have been criticisms about the performance of some ministers.

The move came as a surprise as President Granger had said in September that he saw no need at that time for a reshuffling of his Cabinet. He had accepted then that errors were made by members of his Cabinet, but noted that none amounted to criminality.

“Every Government makes errors, and we just want to ensure we make fewer and fewer errors as we go along. But we have learnt a lot over the last 15 months,” the President had said.

“Some of them are human, some are administrative errors, and some are as a result of what was inherited,” he had declared, noting that the changes made to his Cabinet in January 2016 were designed to improve Cabinet’s performance.

The President created the Ministry of Public

Dr. George Norton

Telecommunications, headed by former Minister of Tourism Cathy Hughes. He also merged the Ministry of Tourism with the Ministry of Business, and placed same under the control of Minister Dominic Gaskin.

Meanwhile, an inside source has disclosed that the President deemed it necessary to remove Norton from the Ministry of Public Health where he served as the senior minister since the APNU+AFC coalition Government took office. According to one source, the President believes that the Minister of Public Health was unable to focus on his mandate.

“He spent more time fighting the attacks as opposed to doing work in accordance with his mandate… his attention was elsewhere,” the source stated.

The source noted that Dr Norton should have been focused more on administrative and management duties of

his office; and it is believed that President Granger has replaced him with Minister Lawrence as she is skilled in management and administrative responsibilities.

It is also believed that Dr Norton possesses the requisite skills needed to enhance the Ministry of Social Cohesion, while Minister Ally is deemed best suited for the post of Minister of Social Protection.

Dr. Norton is an ophthalmologist by profession and was educated in Cuba, where he graduated with a Degree in Medicine from the Superior Institute of Medical Science in 1984 and specialised in ophthalmology in 1988. He is co-vice chairperson of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), and has been a parliamentarian since 2001. Dr. Norton has served as his party’s shadow minister of health.

Over the past six months, Dr. Norton has been in the hot seat with several allegations being levelled against him; chief among them being what has been described as the poor handling of the country’s drug-procurement system.

The APNU+AFC Government, when it took office, discontinued the sole-sourcing of drugs and pharmaceuticals as had obtained in the past under the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) administration; however, it was discovered that competitive bidding was not used in the procurement of a secondary bond for the Ministry of Public Health to store drugs

and pharmaceuticals.

Dr. Norton has come under intense fire from the Opposition for Government’s decision to rent a storage facility located in Sussex Street, Charlestown, from Linden Holdings Inc. owned and operated by businessman

Volda Lawrence

Larry Singh. Singh is closely associated with the People’s National Congress (PNC), a major political party within the APNU faction of the Government.

When asked to explain how Singh became aware of Government’s need for the storage bond, Dr. Norton could not answer. He maintained that the decision to rent the facility from Singh at a cost of $12.5M monthly was taken at the level of Cabinet.

He had told reporters that Government’s need for a second bond followed its decision to stop sole- sourcing and allow competitive bidding. In the past,the New Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation (GPC) was contracted to store drugs and other pharmaceuticals at its

Industrial Estate facility for the Ministry of Health. However, due to the changes in the procurement system, that company decided to charge the Government a rental fee which has been deemed “excessive.”

Dr. Norton, when questioned in the National Assembly last August,had made statements that were deemed to be untrue and as such was called upon to apologise for the inaccurate statements he had made. On August 8, the minister told the House that a contract was signed with Linden Holdings Incorporated, owned by one Larry Singh, to rent the storage bond on Sussex Street in the city for $12.5M a month; the first month’s rent was handed over, along with an additional $13M, which the minister said was for a security deposit.

Government had described as undesirable the arrangements regarding the contracting of Linden Holdings Inc Sussex Street bond and had hinted at shortening the lease and searching for a new location. The minister apologised to the President, Speaker of the House, Cabinet, and the Opposition for his untrue utterances.

However, Dr. Norton found himself under fire from the Opposition again last month when the Opposition and Government failed to agree on whether the storage facility was in use. As such, Speaker of the House Dr. Barton Scotland instructed some members of Parliament to go to the facility to ascertain

whether the bond was in use.

It was discovered that the bond was being utilized, but there was no evidence of drugs. In fact, there were several boxes of IDU insertion kits, latex condoms, umbilical cord clamps and lubricants.

Last January, President Granger also renamed the Ministry of Governance and Protection of the National Patrimony to the Ministry of Natural Resources and noted that subject Minister Raphael Trotman will now

Amna Ally

be named Minister of Natural Resources.

Former Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, Simona Broomes, a former miner was moved to the Ministry of Natural Resources, while Minister Keith Scott was moved from the Ministry of Communities, Department of Housing, to serve as Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection.

Valerie Sharpe-Patterson was appointed Minister within the Ministry of Communities.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday,January 3, 2017

In Istanbul nightclub, gunman picked off the wounded

SHOT in the arm and slumped behind a table, Francois al-Asmar played dead as the gunman walked through the exclusive Istanbul nightclub shooting the wounded as they lay on the ground.

Like most of the 39 people killed at a New Year’s party in Reina, a hang-out for the Turkish jet set and moneyed foreigners, the Lebanese radio and TV graduate was a visitor to Istanbul, enjoying a city reputed in the Middle East for its diversity and tolerance.

“He shot one shot, so we thought - I thought - it was some angry or drunk man ...

But a few seconds later, we heard a machine gun,” Asmar told Reuters from his hospital bed.

“I was hiding behind the table, sitting on the floor, but my shoulder must have been exposed. He was shooting us on the floor ... I acted dead so he didn’t keep shooting me,” he said.

The lone gunman, still at large, shot dead a police officer and a civilian at the door before walking in and opening fire at random. Witnesses said he shouted “Allahu Akbar” (God is Greatest). Islamic State claimed responsibility.

“As soon as he entered the club he started firing and he didn’t stop. He fired non-stop for 20 minutes at least,” said

An injured woman is carried to an ambulance from a nightclub where a gun attack took place during a New Year party in Istanbul, Turkey. Murat Ergin/Ihlas News Agency via REUTERS

Younis Turk, a French citizen of Turkish origin.

“We thought that there were several of them because it just didn’t stop. And there was some kind of bombing as well, he threw some explosives,” he said.

The club was a gathering point for many nationalities that night. Victims included an Indian Bollywood film producer, a Turkish waiter, a Lebanese fitness trainer and a Jordanian bar owner.

According to a forensics report quoted by the Milliyet

newspaper, some of the victims were shot at very close distance or even at point-blank range.

Mehmet Yilan, 36, a barman at Reina for 12 years, said the attacker deliberately targeted the most crowded areas of the club, which sits on the shore of the Bosphorus in Ortakoy, an Istanbul neighbourhood packed with cafes and restaurants.

“He stormed in and immediately headed for the people to the left, which is always more

crowded ... I wonder if he came here before because he seemed to know where to go,” Yilan said, describing how his manager yelled at people to run.

“He was shooting randomly but aiming for their upper bodies. He didn’t want to just injure them.”

Yilan escaped into a back room with five customers and two other bar staff, then went downstairs to a terraced area on the edge of the water. Despite the icy, snowy weather, some people jumped into the water

Tuesday January 3rd, 08:30 hrs Wednesday January 4th, 09:00 hrs Thursday January 5th, 10 :00 hrs

to escape the gunfire.

“He kept shooting all throughout. I called for our boat which transfers our customers, but he kept firing toward the sea too. The boat couldn’t approach,” Yilan said.

He spoke to Reuters at the funeral of his colleague, Fatih Cakmak, a security guard who worked at the club and had survived a suicide bombing targeting police at a soccer stadium a few kilometers away just three weeks earlier.

“ISTANBUL’S BEST NIGHT CLUB” Lito German, 47, a Filipino living in Saudi Arabia who works in marketing, was in Istanbul for the first time with his wife and daughter and was approaching the club as the attack began.

“We were about 100 metres away and started seeing people fleeing toward us. Most were very well dressed, though many were barefoot and looking shaken and scared,” he said.

“We were actually meant to go to another club, but we didn’t want to be in a very big place due to security issues, and we found Reina by googling Istanbul’s best night club. We thought the most expensive club would have better security.”

Armored police vehicles rushed to the scene as more and more people came running out, he said.

Among the dead were Abis Rizvi, 49, a Bollywood producer who was in the midst of making his second film, and Khushi Shah, a fashion designer in her 20s, both from Mumbai. The Indian government said it was making

arrangements to help the families as they come to Turkey to collect the bodies.

Lebanon sent a plane to carry back the remains of three of its citizens who were among the dead.

Elias Wardini, 26, a personal trainer, had posted a picture on Instagram a few hours before the attack, posing in the Istanbul snow with another Lebanese victim in her twenties, Rita Shami.

The club’s owner, Mehmet Kocarslan, said police had taken extraordinary security measures in the run-up to the New Year in neighbourhoods on the Bosphorus shore around Ortakoy.

The U.S. embassy had warned of potential attacks on areas frequented by foreigners, but Kocarslan said there had been no specific threat against his club in particular and that many of the warnings had been country-wide.

“I really don’t know how this demon, I can’t even call him a terrorist, was able to reach here despite all this intelligence and extraordinary security measures,” he said.

The incident bore echoes of an attack by militant Islamists on Paris’s Bataclan music hall in November 2015 that, along with assaults on bars and restaurants, killed 130 people.

“When they’re determined, they’re determined, and there’s nothing to do,” said Turk, who was visiting from France.

“That doesn’t mean that I won’t be coming anymore.

For me Turkey, Istanbul, is one of the nicest cities in the world and I will keep on coming again and again.”

(Reuters)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, January 3, 2017

56 dead in Brazil prison riot

The area surrounding the prison complex in Manaus has been isolated by police

Police in northern Brazil are searching for dozens of inmates who escaped from an overcrowded prison complex during a riot that left 56 dead, officials say.

The area in Manaus, in Amazonas state, has been isolated. Officials say 40 out of 87 fugitives have been

recaptured.

Meanwhile, families have gathered outside the local morgue to identify the victims. Some were decapitated.

This violence began on Sunday and ended 17 hours later. It was the deadliest prison riot in Brazil in years.

Undated picture shows complex where deadly riot happened in Manaus

Officials said the rebellion at the Anisio Jobim Penitentiary Centre, the biggest in Amazonas, was sparked by fighting between rival gangs over the control of prisons and drug routes.

“This was another chapter in the silent and ruthless war of drug trafficking,” state public security secretary, Sergio Fontes, told journalists.

The clashes, he added, appeared to be between members of Family of the North (FDN), a powerful local gang, and rivals from the First Capital Command (PCC), Brazil’s largest gang,

whose base is in Sao Paulo, in the south-east.

FDN is believed to be attacking PCC inmates at the behest of the Rio de Janeiro-based Red Command (CV) drug gang, the country’s second largest.

When the riot began, six headless bodies were thrown over the perimeter fence of the prison. It ended on Monday, when the inmates surrendered their weapons and freed the last of 12 guards they had taken hostage.

Pictures showed bloodied and burned bodies stacked in a concrete prison yard and piled in carts. A post-riot search by police found several firearms and tunnels.

Brazil has the world’s fourth-largest prison population, with some 600,000 inmates. Overcrowding is a serious problem and violent riots are frequent.

Reports said the capacity of the Anisio Jobim Penitentiary Centre was for 454 inmates, but it had 1,224 men.

In 1992, a rebellion at the Carandiru prison in Sao Paulo saw 111 inmates killed, nearly all of them by police as they retook the jail. (BBC News)

Argentina uproar over Falkland omission A New Year’s message by Argentina’s Social Development Ministry has caused uproar after it excluded the disputed Falkland Islands from the country’s map.

Former combatants and social media users said the message was offensive to those who died in the 1982 war.

The ministry has apologised, saying it was a mistake by the design team.

The islands are a British territory in the Atlantic claimed by Argentina, where they are known as the Malvinas.

President Mauricio Macri, who took office in December 2015, promised a “new kind of relationship” with the UK, a step seen as aimed at boosting Argentina’s flagging economy.

Since then, the countries have agreed to work toward removing measures restricting the oil and gas industry, shipping and fishing around the islands.

But the issue of sovereignty has not been discussed. Saul Perez, who fought in the war, expressed his “uneasiness,” and told C5N news channel “it was not a mistake.”

He said the omission was part of a campaign by

Mr Macri’s Government to “place a priority on bilateral trade” over the sovereignty claim.

Alicia Castro, who served as Argentina’s ambassador to the UK under former President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, called the absence of the islands “inadmissible.”

“I’m upset to see this mutilated map. Usually the British do this, I haven’t seen any Government doing it,” she told Argentina’s Radio 10, according to La Nacion newspaper (in Spanish).

Some users on social media accused the Government of betraying the claim to sovereignty.

The Falklands, with some 3,000 residents, are a UK overseas territory located about 530km (330 miles) off Argentina’s coast. In 2013 the islanders voted overwhelmingly to remain a UK territory.

The ten-week war in 1982 saw 649 Argentine and 255 British service personnel killed.

The conflict saw a taskforce recapture the British overseas territory in the South Atlantic after an invasion by Argentina. (BBC News)

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Editor-In-Chief

Nigel Williams Editor

Godfrey Wray

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

Editorial

Challenges to U.S. sovereignty

THERE has been unanimous confirmation by at least 14 United States’ (U.S.) intelligence institutions, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), that the Russian Government had engaged in cyber-attacks on the Democratic Party and some of its leaders to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election.

The U.S., notwithstanding existing political differences among its leaders and a less than perfect electoral system, has over the years demonstrated a high level of cohesiveness in protecting its sovereignty. The challenge to this sovereignty by any external force, be it an individual, agency or country, has always aroused that sense of nationalism in defence of what is seen as American. On Thursday, December 29, President Barack Obama issued an Executive Order in response to the attacks, ejecting 35 suspected Russian intelligence operatives and their families from the U.S.; imposing sanctions on Russia’s two leading intelligence services; ordering closed two waterfront estates in New York and Maryland used for Russian intelligence activities, and de-classified intelligence relating to Russia’s hacking.

Obama’s reaction has triggered bi-partisan support from the Republican-controlled Congress (i.e. House and Senate). On the same day of this announcement, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said, “As the next Congress reviews Russian actions against networks associated with the U.S. election, we must also work to ensure that any attack against the United States is met with an overwhelming response.”

Instructively, President-elect Donald Trump reacted to the sanctions saying it is time to move on. This response is uncharacteristic of what people have come to expect from Americans, more particularly its leaders, whenever there is any threat to its sovereignty or national pride. It is worthy of note, that when Russia’s President Vladimir Putin was dismissive of the U.S.’s decision, saying that he will not react in any strong manner, but would await the swearing in of Trump as president, the latter responded favourably.

Taking to his usual form of communicating with the public, Trump, via his Tweeter account on Friday, December 30, informed the world that it was a “Great move on delay by (V. Putin)- I always knew he was very smart!” This statement could be considered endearing to a country the U.S. within recent times has had strained relations with. These strained relations not only has to do with the cyber-attacks, but include serious differences on what has been considered Russia’s over-reach, particularly in the handling of the Syria conflict, annexation of Crimea, and invasion in Ukraine. And Trump’s reactions could be seen as being in stark conflict with the decision of the sitting

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday,January 3, 2017

Ramkarran, others ignore role of National Trust Act in Red House fiasco Dear Editor, I NOTE the interventions by Messieurs Ralph Ramkarran, Anil Nandlall and Donald Ramotar in response to the Red House issue. These interventions – coming from a highly decorated attorney and former Speaker of the National Assembly; a former Attorney-General and current Member of Parliament; and a former President of Guyana, respectively – are embarrassingly low on legal and derivative ethical specificity, and in the case of the former two, far too high on circuitous pseudo-jurisprudence. And every single one, as I have noted, completely ignores the role of the National Trust Act in this fiasco.

I will explain this is as simply as I can. The National Trust is the designated statutory body for the identification and preservation of built heritage sites, and certain artifacts in Guyana, established under the National Trust Act of 1972.

There are different levels of intervention in which the Trust, by law, can engage in a designated heritage site, ranging from a temporary preservation order to the gazetting of a site as a National Monument.

Red House is one of only nine gazetted National Monuments in Guyana and would have been so, as far as my knowledge is concerned, prior to the

2012 ‘lease’ between the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission and Cheddi Jagan Research Centre, Inc. What would automatically invalidate any such lease would be the provisions of the National Trust Act, which read: “(1) Where it appears to the National Trust that it is in the public interest that any monument should be preserved on account of the historic, architectural or archaeological interest attaching to it or its national importance the Trust may, by notice, published simultaneously in the Gazette and one newspaper circulating in Guyana, declare the monument to be a national monument.

(2) Upon publication of a notice under subsection (1) relating to a monument such monument, without further assurance, becomes the property of, and vests in, the National Trust, and where immovable property has, by virtue of this section, vested in the National Trust, the Registrar of Deeds shall take due notice thereof and shall make such annotations on the records as may be necessary.”

National Trust Act, Section 15 – National Monuments What this means is that no lease of any gazetted national monument can be valid without the explicit involvement of the National Trust as lessor. And, as I previously noted in my

president, the nation’s intelligence institutions, and the leaders in the legislature.

In a recent interview with CNN, Republican Senator (South Carolina), Lindsay Graham, said that of the 100 senators in the Senate, he is sure that 99 agree that Russia had tampered with the U.S. elections and further action will be taken by Congress to impose sanctions on the country and hit Putin personally. When the issue of cyber-attacks first surfaced during the election campaign, then candidate Trump -- consciously or unwittingly -- made a call encouraging Russia to intensify its operation, if the intelligence revelation was credible. It was his view that Russia in its action could reveal information about Hilary Clinton’s email saga and this would aid his victory at the polls. Observers of the campaign will also recall his expressed reservation that Russia was playing a role in influencing the election.

first intervention, Section 3 of the Act requires prior permission from “the Minister” in such a case where the Trust is a party – the Minister referred to herein is the President, or a Minister delegated by him, since the Trust deals with issues of national patrimony.

Section 3 also provides for the appointment by the Minister of a Chairman and Members of the National Trust, including the Commissioner of Lands. I get a sense that some desperate, flawed logic might have been at play in having the Commissioner of Lands and Surveys, Mr. Doerga Persaud, sign perhaps ambiguously and implicitly as representative of both the Lands and Surveys Commission and the National Trust, but this would be a terribly weak legal arrangement at best.

While we may take it that for practical reasons Presidential assent minus an actual signature might have been accepted practice for regular issuance of leases under the Lands and Surveys Commission, no sane lawyer would argue in court, or in public, that such practice would extend to the National Trust Act and the National Trust as a public corporate body to facilitate transferral of a national monument under its ownership to a private corporation. And even in that scenario, in no reasonable interpretation of the law could Mr. Persaud, merely

by virtue of his signature or otherwise, be taken to be ‘the Minister’ under the National Trust Act, Section 3 (1).

The only scenario that would validate the current ‘lease’ by Cheddi Jagan Research Inc would be if the gazetted national monument that was Red House were deliberately taken off the lists as a national monument and out of the protection of the NTA prior to the lease, but I don’t believe even the PPP is capable of such an insidious manoeuvre.

Ramkarran, Nandlall and Ramotar have waxed eloquently about the rule of law and due process, and while I agree with them in spirit, it would help if any one of them were to specifically address the National Trust Act and why it was bypassed in seeking to award a lease over a gazetted national monument to a company owned and controlled by their political party, and the legal implications (or lack thereof) for the validity of the lease. Otherwise, all we might be said to have had from them are eloquent but disingenuous arguments in support of what is essentially misappropriation of a state asset.

Regards Ruel Johnson Cultural Policy Advisor Government of Guyana

While it could be said that for Trump to acknowledge the election was tampered with could be seen as though he was not elected through a transparent process, there comes a time when national interest ought to trump ego.

This conflict between the U.S. and Russia is occurring at a time when the leadership in the U.S. is divided on the authenticity of the intelligence information. Trump’s campaign message indicated to the world that America has lost its greatest and he has offered himself for leadership to return the society to that state. The challenge to the sovereignty of the U.S. would be the first major test when he assumes the presidency on 20th January, 2017. The world will be watching how he handles this issue, even more so that the U.S. is seen as the standard bearer of electorate integrity and has historically projected itself as a unified force in safeguarding its sovereignty.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, January 3, 2017

New Year resolutions and change Dear Editor MANY become sentimental and emotional at this time of the year to make resolutions and promises intended for the new year. Though they are good intentions, not many live up to their promises and New Year resolutions. Our will somehow gets lost and our direction somehow becomes derailed – we lose focus of our goals a few days -- even weeks -- into the new year.

Many seek to reflect on the past year, the past weeks and months. While it is good to reminisce about one’s struggles, achievements, goals, accomplishments and progression of life itself throughout the past year, it is more important to find real thought-out solutions to that which keeps us stagnant and stationary in life. We must all seek after a better life in the new year, one which is productive and fruitful to ourselves and those around us. Empower yourselves with skills and knowledge—with life-long skills and passion that will motivate you to wake up each and every morning roaring to get into the world and stir up things.

Instead of complaining about everything under the sun, get your hands dirty in social issues, politics, education, health, security, local government issues, get involved and make a difference.

Become proactive citizens around your communities and villages. Take care of the environment in and around you. This earth is not ours, rather, it was loaned to us by the Creator, to be cared and nurtured, not to be littered with waste materials.

The sight of persons tossing refuse,especially canned items, out of vehicles as they drive, drives me insane. The accumulation of garbage in the canals and drains whenever it rains is a most horrible sight to behold.

Try as much to mend broken and fractured friendships and relationships in the new year. Take no ill will or bad feelings towards anyone into the coming year. This is a good time to re-assess

our friendships and relationships with loved ones, family, friends and associates. Keep friendships with persons who can only enrich our lives and not bring us to the road of destruction. Stay as busy as you can, for you will have less time for idle behaviour, but practise good time management. This is crucial in our ever-busy, ever-changing world today, where multi-tasking has become the new skill every person should possess.

Don’t let this opportunity of a new year, a new start and a new beginning pass you by to not re-assess and re-evaluate your lives, personal, economic, professional, social and otherwise. Make changes that are necessary and that will benefit you and those around you. Seek more education and knowledge instead of having useless conversations and banters around you.

Instead of discussing people and excessively engaging in gossip, catch up on the news happening around your country and in the world. Make the new year a year when you have as much information as possible at your disposal.

Time is a very valuable resource and must be put to the best use, for it cannot be re-gained. Use your time efficiently in the new year.

Use your time to do meaningful and enriching things.

And next year would also be a good time to deeply reflect on your religious beliefs and its impact on your lives.

Attending church is merely a habit for many, for it has little or no impact on one’s daily life, on their day-today dealings with people or with the world around them.

Instead of using religion as a façade and cover to propel your own ambitions, let the message of your faith inspire you to radiate its message throughout your corners and communities.

Guyana will become my secondary home in 2017. It is my hope to embark on a new beginning elsewhere but rest assured, I will always find myself in Guyana whenever it is convenient and opportune for me to do so. The Turn to Page 11

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Wowetta Women’s Group gets help – water pump installed to boost operations of cassava factory THE Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) installed a 160 watts solar water pump at the newly-constructed Cassava Processing Plant and Farine Factory in the village of Wowetta, Region Nine.

The pump will be used to charge 4 X 1700 litres water tanks that will supply the factory, which is the brain child of the Wowetta Women’s Agro-Processors Group.

Though the pump is capable of pumping water to a height of 40 meters at a rate of 1200 litres per day, owing to the fact that there is just 16 meters of height requirement at Wowetta, the pump will be able to pump 4500 litres per day.

According to Energy Engineer, Leon DeSouza who spearheaded the project, “the slow rate is preferred since it gives the well time to recharge and the water time to settle.”

Wowetta Women’s Agro-Processors Group President, Priscilla Torres said the pump is critical to the operation of the plant as a steady supply of clean water is absolutely necessary for its overall success.

She explained that water is one of the key natural

Men operating the pump installed by GEA at Wowetta

resources needed as it will be used for the washing of cassava and cleaning of equipment.

“A solar water pump will ensure that there is a constant flow of water given that Wowetta does not have electricity,” she said, as she thanked the GEA for their assistance in the installation of the pump.

She also indicated that there will be a generator on standby for use in the event of continual rainfall.

The Wowetta AgroGroup Processing Plant is scheduled to commence operation in January of 2017.

It will provide employment for an average of 21 persons (mostly women) in the community while 12 lo-

cal farmers have been identified and trained to supply the plant with cassava.

The Rural Electrification Project was implemented in 2009 with funding from CIDA in the sum of US$101,500 with support from the Latin American Energy Organisation (OLADE) and the University of Calgary/Haskayne School of

2 gunned down at Friendship

By Svetlana Marshall TWO male suspects were taken into custody hours after two friends were gunned down at Friendship on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD) on January 1 in what is considered a hit and the year’s first case of homicide.

Dead is 34-year-old poultry businessman Desmond Singh also known as “Fix-Up” of Lot A-1 Orange Walk, Bourda, where he operates his livestock business.

Twenty-four-year-old cattle farmer Azrudeen Hussain of Little Baiboo, Mahaica, ECD was also shot and succumbed to his injuries while receiving medical attention at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC).

In a statement on Monday, the police said they are investigating the circumstances surrounding the double murder which occurred at approximately 19:00 hrs in the vicinity of Humphrey’s Street, Friendship, EBD. According to police, the two friends were conversing when the gunmen ap-

Desmond Singh aka ‘Fix Up’ who was gunned down on New Year’s Day along with his friend

proached, opened fire and fatally wounded them. Hussain was shot once to the neck and Singh 15 times about his body, by two men who concealed their faces with kerchiefs and were armed with rifles. The friends were leaving a game bird competition in the area when the incident occurred.

‘A’ Division Commander, Assistant Commissioner

Clifton Hicken told Guyana Chronicle that in addition to the two suspects that were taken into custody, the investigators are receiving additional information that they are working with.

At Singh’s Orange Walk residence, the poultry shop was opened for business but two black and red flags were erected as family members mourned in silence. His

younger sister, Denise Singh told this newspaper that she was selling on Sunday evening when she received the dreadful news. “I got a call, saying my brother was shot,” she said, noting that she had last seen him about 15:00 hrs that day when he was leaving to go to ‘fowl-cock ring’ in Friendship.

Denise Singh was subsequently informed that her brother had been killed at the hands of two gunmen but for what reason she does not know.

“He ain’t get no problem with nobody,” the woman posited.

She too was told that Singh, a gamecock gambler, was walking home when he was shot, along with another individual.

“Somebody shoot him for no reason at all…I don’t know if it is a grudge but he has no enemy, he don’t deh in no bad business, nothing,” she added.

Singh was a father of six.

Hussain on the other hand was a final year Phamacology student at the University of Guyana.

Business.

The GEA was the facilitator and was tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that all aspects of the project were successfully completed.

The objectives of the project were to: incorporate rural stakeholders into the development of rural electrification strategies and make use of lessons learnt from pilot projects carried out in isolated poor communities and set up sustainable schemes for the provision of energy services to poor communities, using energy as a tool for development.

In addition to the solar water pump, under the project, the village of Wowetta was also the recipient of 40 W solar panel, 92Ah battery and 2 lamps (a 7-watt lamp and a 15-watt lamp) to provide direct current for 49 households, and 5.8 ft3 solar powered freezer with 2 x 130W panels for storage of perishables.

A community shop was established using the freezer for ice-making, cooling beverages and storing meat, cassava chopper/grinder with a 2.5 HP motor.

The cassava grater produced commercial quantities of farine for sale to other communities. The group expects to process 1500 pounds

per week at a retail value of $100 per pound. A 10KVA diesel generator was used to power the cassava chopper/ grinder.

Some US$2000 for the joinery project was provided as seed money. This money covered the cost of the first few months of operation including the purchase of fuel and raw material such as fasteners, consumables, varnishes, glues, etc.

The project’s aim was to promote productive works within the village and to encourage villagers to become business-oriented using sustainable mechanisms.

Members have to contribute to a revolving fund which will be used in the future for maintenance of the systems, replacements or new installations.

Each component has a payback period in order to ensure that there are sufficient funds available for sustainability of the project.

The GEA will continue to support such initiatives and lend assistance to communities in the fulfillment of its vision to supply reliable energy in an economically, environmentally and socially sustainable framework under the overarching goal of attaining the realisation of a ‘Green Guyana’.

King seeks stiffer fines for litterbugs TOWN Clerk, Royston King will be seeking an increase in the fines being paid for littering at the next statutory meeting of the Mayor and City Council of Georgetown.

In a statement on Monday King said the Mayor and City Council continues to put in place measures that facilitate a cleaner and greener Georgetown. This is vital to public health and safety and the image and reputation of the nation’s Capital, he said. As a result, the Town Clerk has indicated that he will approach Council at its first statutory meeting with a proposal to upgrade Council’s littering by-laws. This would be done under section 304 of the Municipal and District Councils Act 28:01.

According to King the proposal seeks to increase the fine for littering and to introduce the ticketing system, which stipulates that litter-bugs pay on increased fine, to the Council 72 hours from the time notice is given of the imposition of the fine. Failure to pay the stipulated fine attracts an additional fine for every 24hours payment remains outstanding.

He added that littering

continues to be a major issue in the city. “The collection and disposal of litter from our roadways and parapets account for a substantial portion of Council’s expenditure. Council expended in the final quarter of 2016 a sum of approximately $48M to aid in curbing this unfriendly environmental habit, which poses serious public health inconveniences to all citizens of Georgetown and interferes with the reputation and image of the city of Georgetown. Many of our canals are blocked by litter thrown by litter bugs, who substitute these water-ways for receptacles.”

According to King during 2016, several of Council drainage pumps were damaged as a result of waste being deposited in our waterways. The Council is also appealing to businesses not to use our litter bins along our parapets to dispose commercial waste; they should wait on the collection trucks. Those who dump heavy waste in these bins are destroying them and contributing to an unwholesome situation in the city.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Granger takes over as Caricom chair – urges advancement in integration movement PRESIDENT David Granger has assumed chairmanship of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), pledging that he will continue to guide the community in the path of sustainable development, even as he asserts that 2017 holds great promise for the region to advance its integration process which can only be possible through the involvement and participation of all.

President Granger made the remarks in his New Year message as chair of Caricom.

“I extend to all best wishes for a bright, prosperous and productive New Year as we enter 2017, the Forty-Fourth Year of our Community,” the Guyanese leader said.

According to President Granger this year marks the mid-point of our Five-Year Strategic Plan for the period 2015-2019, a foundational element in the Community’s Reform Process. “That process is geared towards

ensuring that our people feel the impact of the integration movement in their daily lives.

Integration is not merely about systems and institutions. It is mostly about people,” the Caricom Chairman said. He said it is in the interest of developing our people that “we are taking steps to ensure that they are fully equipped to address the requirements of the 21st Century economy and society.

Our Commission on Human Resource Development is developing a Regional Education and Human Resource Strategy with special attention to ICT in Education and Human Resource Development.”

According to the Caricom chairman, convinced “as we are that the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) is the vehicle through which we can achieve the growth and development, timely assessments will serve to ensure that we maximise its ben-

to below 1.5 degrees.”

efits for our citizens. Notwithstanding the substantial progress that has been made, Heads of Government will review its operations and identify ways to improve its delivery,” the Guyanese leader stated.

GREEN ECONOMY Touching on the green economy - a centerpiece of his administration’s policy here, Granger said “our nations are well endowed with the requirements for pursuing a Green Economy including sources of renewable energy and forests that harbour a significant amount of carbon. As noted by the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, “the green economy can be seen as a lens for focusing on and seizing opportunities to advance economic and environmental goals simultaneously”.

President Granger said the effects of climate change continue to bedevil Caricom

President David Granger

countries as exemplified by Hurricane Matthew. “The need to conserve and protect our environment, therefore, becomes even more pressing.

Such actions will also give us the opportunity to leverage the abundant forests and wetlands as well as the marine resources with which our Region is blessed and utilise them creatively to launch new pathways to social and economic development. This can be accomplished while ensuring that we help in the global commitment to limit the rise in global temperature

CULTURE President Granger said Caricom people have also made a considerable contribution to the global community in the sphere of culture.

He said that later this year, our premier cultural exposition, the Caribbean Festival of the Arts (CARIFESTA), will be held in Barbados.

“The 13th edition of this grand festival, bringing together the peoples of CARICOM as well as the wider Caribbean, will take place under the theme ‘Asserting our Culture: Celebrating Ourselves.’ We certainly look forward to widespread participation to make the event a tremendous success.”

A retired Brigadier of the Guyana Defence Force, Granger said the safety and security of Caricom people and the Region is of paramount importance, noting that as the organisation move forward with implementing a regional Crime and Security Strategy, “we will be building on

the platform already established by concluding legal agreements with respect to Arrest Warrants and Asset Forfeiture, for example.” “As Guyana assumes the Chair of CARICOM, I would like to thank the Honourable Roosevelt Skerrit, the Prime Minister of Dominica for his able leadership of the Community for the past six months.

As I receive this baton, I will continue to guide our Community in the path of sustainable development which serves the interest of its entire people. 2017 holds great promise for us to advance our integration process which can only be possible through the involvement and participation of all. Let us resolve to play our part in strengthening our Caribbean Community and to making regional unity a living, breathing experience. Let that be one of our main resolutions as we celebrate the incoming year with family and friends and strive to make it a happy and prosperous 2017.”

Illegal connection reportedly Prices for kerosene, gasoline, gasoil increase caused Vigilance fire THE prices for kerosene, gasoline, and gasoil at Guyoil pump stations across the country have increased with effect from January 2, the company said in a statement.

Guyana Oil Company (Guyoil) said the upward movement in prices is as a result of the rise in oil prices on the world market.

“These increases are directly related to increase in acquisition cost from source and are consistent with trends in the upward movement of world market price for petroleum products,” Guyoil Marketing Manager Eric Whaul said in a statement.

It was noted that while kerosene and gasoil prices have been increased by $5.00 per litre respectively, Gasoline prices have moved upwards by $12.00 per litre.

“It is instructive to note that Guyoil had reduced the price for gasoline in October 2016, which was consistent with our policy of passing on favourable prices to the Guyanese populace whenever possible,” he said.

Whaul said too that the

Guyana Oil Company (Guyoil) said the upward movement in prices is as a result of the rise in oil prices on the world market

oil company is proud to have been able to meet the demands of the Guyanese public for fuel in 2016, and looks forward to meeting their demands in 2017.

Last October, while the prices for kerosene and gasoil were increased by $5.00 per litre, the price for gasoline had been reduced by $2.00 per Litre. The company had given similar reasons for the increases but said Guyanese would have benefitted from

the reduction in the price for gasoline.

The company had said that “as a Guyanese company which is owned and managed by Guyanese and which is also a major contributor to the national coffers, Guyoil continues to contribute in a positive way to the overall development of Guyana and remains steadfast in its commitment, as stated in its motto ‘Excellence in Service’.”

AS the Guyana Fire Service is wrapping up its investigation into the Vigilance, South Squatting Area, East Coast Demerara (ECD) fire which claimed the life of 3-year-old Bianka Sancho, it has been found that illegal wiring was likely the cause.

A source close to the investigation told Guyana Chronicle that from all indications, the fire was caused by an illegal connection to the property.

The source further disclosed that many people are stealing electricity since no power lines from the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) was seen in the community.

Chief Fire Officer Marlon Gentle disclosed that the final investigation report will be made public today.

In a statement to the media, the Guyana Police Force said that around 05:00hrs last

Dead: Bianka Sancho

Friday, the mother of Bianka and her three other children were asleep in the house when she was awakened by the smell of smoke.

By the time she awoke, the house was partly engulfed in flames.

The woman, in a bid to

save her children, rushed three of her four children out of the house, but failed to rescue Bianka as the upper flat of the house caved in, preventing her from entering.

When firefighters from the Campbellville and Mahaica fire stations arrived, the house was already engulfed in flames.

According to the police, Bianka’s body was retrieved about 09:00hrs with severe burns and she was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) but was pronounced dead on arrival.

Sancho’s burnt body was discovered in front of the last bedroom of the house which she shared with her parents, Lovern and Dellion Sancho and three other siblings: Isaiah Sancho, 5, Moses Sancho, 4 and three-month-old Briana Sancho.

Moruca man succumbs to snake bite A MORUCA man on Sunday succumbed to a snake bite he sustained on Old Year’s Day in the Region One area.

Dead is Paul David of Haimaruni Moruca. The middle-aged man who is well-known in the Roman Catholic Church in the area,

died at the Suddie Hospital on the Essequibo Coast while receiving treatment.

He was first treated at the hospital at Moruca on Saturday.

According to reports, a young man from the sub-region is also being treated at the Suddie Hospital for a

snake bite.

Residents have reported that snakes are known to roam the hinterland community during wet-weather conditions.

They called on persons to exercise caution while walking around the villages at Moruca.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Guyanese shot dead in US – brother injured in NYC’s first homicide of 2017 HE came for a funeral — but died over a gold chain.

In the first homicide of the new year, a gunman killed a 31-year-old man here from Guyana for his grandmother’s funeral during an attempted robbery, his family said Monday.

The gunman also shot Ricky Kalisaran’s brother, Sunny Kalisaran, 24, in the back. The younger man was still hospitalized Monday

Sunny Kalisaran, 24, was hospitalized after the shooting

The incident follows a violent weekend in the city. (Danny Iudici/for New York Daily News)

afternoon, unaware that his older sibling was dead.

The gunman shot the siblings in front of a building on 124th St. near Liberty Ave. in South Richmond Hill at about 3:25 a.m., police said.

Clutching the black shirt Ricky was wearing when he arrived in the city two days ago from Guyana, his mother Anita Kalisaran, 48, was inconsolable as she spoke with the Daily News. “They killed my son. They killed my son for a gold chain. They shot and killed him. He come here for the funeral and (he’s) dead now,” the distraught

where Ricky Kalisaran died of a chest wound. Sunny Kalisaran was listed in serious but stable condition. The co-worker said he believes the target was Sunny Kalisaran because he was wearing a flashy gold chain. “He’s told me he used to go to different clubs, people (tried) to rob him for his chain, his jewelry,” explained the co-worker, who asked to be identified only as Martin, 36.

Ann-Marie George, 48, Ricky’s aunt, held a hysterical Anita in the living room of her Cypress Hills

send much of his earnings to his mother in New York each month. “He helped me so much,” she said, tears streaming down her face.

“Since he was 14 years old, the boy worked so hard.”

Lena George, 58, another of Ricky’s aunts, described him as a good person. “He’s not a bad person,” she said.

“Always happy. Quiet. He’d just sit down, look at you and smile.”

Martin said Sunny Kalisaran, who is married with a 1-year-old son, is at Jamaica Hospital unaware that his

Police said a gunman killed a 31-year-old Queens man early Monday and shot his 24-year-old brother in the back. (Danny Iudici/ for New York Daily News)

mother said.

Ricky arrived in the city last Friday from Guyana.

Their grandmother’s funeral was set for Wednesday, she said. The last time Anita saw her son Ricky was Sunday night. He asked her if she minded if he went out with his brother Sunny for a couple hours. “Sunday night, he come to ask me if he can go out, and I said, Yes, go,” she said. “Because he (doesn’t normally) go nowhere.”

A co-worker of Sunny’s said the brothers spent the evening at The Underground Lounge, a club on 123rd St. near Liberty Ave., about a block away from where they would be shot.

They were walking toward their parked grey Infiniti when the robber approached them and demanded their valuables at gunpoint. The brothers refused — and struggled for the gun, sources said. The gunman shot them, then an accomplice pulled up in a dark sedan and they fled.

No one has been arrested.

Five blocks from the murder scene, at 103rd Ave. and Lefferts Blvd., they crashed into another car before fleeing onto the Belt Parkway, sources said.

No one was injured in the crash.

Paramedics rushed the men to Jamaica Hospital,

Ricky Kalisaran, 31, was fatally shot during an apparent attempted robbery on Monday, police said

home, and described how her sister-in-law is not only grieving the death of her son, but both her mother, who died last week, and father, who died of cancer four months ago. Ann-Marie George, 48, Ricky’s aunt, said Sunny went to retrieve his phone from his car near the club. Ricky followed him and found him shot on the ground — then his assailant shot at him.

“All for a chain,” Ann-Marie George said. “He fought for his brother.”

Ricky’s grieving mother described her son as humble, loving, and hard-working.

He worked full-time in Guyana in construction and as a cab driver, and he would

older sibling is dead. “We were trying to talk to him but he’s not responding,” he said.

Martin worked with Sunny on Friday and said they spoke about an upcoming party and wished each other a good weekend. “This news is shocking to me,” he said.

“He’s a very sweet guy, cool.

I still can’t believe it. He’s very friendly; he makes a lot of jokes.”

Martin said his colleague buried his father last year, and the death of his brother will be a hard blow. “We’re not taking it good, so imagine him. He just buried his dad, now he got to go and bury his brother now. ... It’s sad.”

(NY Daily News)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Construction worker perishes in Bushlot Farm accident NAVENERANATH Ragnandan called “RZ”, a construction worker at Bushlot Farm died on New Year’s Day after he was struck down by a speeding motorcar not far from where he lived.

He had reportedly left his home to check out a few friends and was expected to return later to be with his wife and break the new year together.

According to reports, the accident reportedly occurred around 19:30hrs when a silver grey Toyota wagon bearing license plate PSS 9776 and allegedly driven by a police officer attached to the Number 51 Police Station slammed into him.

He was at the time attempting to cross the Bushlot Farm Public Road.

Reports say that his body was flung several metres in the air before landing next to a roadside drain. The car reportedly stopped approximately 200 metres away from the point of impact in front of a popular bar and grocery store.

Eyewitnesses say moments before being struck down, Ragnandan was speaking to one Harrilall Latchman called “Buddy” who had left to tie his donkey.

“All me hear was balm and see RZ fling in the air and land next to a drain, the wagon nah draw brakes. It sway because of the speed eh bin a guh wid and it cut off by Kandan shop. When

identified the lifeless body of her husband on a stretcher at the Port Mourant Hospital.

“We had a good life together, before he lef to go road, he help me cook and clean and we did plan to celebrate the new year together.”

According to Bissamber, the post-mortem is scheduled for today after which the body will be handed over to the family for funeral arrangements.

RZ is survived by his wife and two children, a nine-year-old son and a 16-year-old daughter. Police sources have confirmed that the driver is in police custody assisting with investigations.

Dead: Naveneranath Ragnandan

me run out and check pun RZ he just take one breath and he dead.”

The police arrived on the scene shortly after and Ragnandan’s body was taken to the Port Mourant Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Wife of the deceased Diwantie Bissamber called “Kim” said her husband was the main breadwinner of the family and she is calling on the public for assistance to inter him since she does not have the means to do so.

“Me lose me first husband in 2005 and me 14-year-old daughter in 2014 to suicide and all me lil sav-

ings me had spend out then.

Me and me husband are poor and we does get by with whatever little we get from me farming and he work but me need help fuh bury am.”

The distraught woman said she was home when she heard the impact but did not know it was her husband.

“My sister-in-law them start run out a little after to the road and them tell me nah go so I ask them why them nah want me go then one lil boy come tell me my husband get knock down.”

She told this publication that she left for the scene but was stopped short by other family members but she later

New Year resolutions... work that I do will always continue for in my book, nothing is impossible. I have made a solid foundation here for myself, one that can never be replaced or broken.

I re-started reporting earlier last year. I truly enjoyed this and must thank the management of DTV-8 in New Amsterdam for affording me such an opportunity to continue my passion. I do believe I have so much more to contribute to this great nation. When one truly looks in

the nooks and crannies, one realises how broken Guyana is, how its people pain and hurt; the turmoil many families are going through; when you travel some parts, it is then you see the sickening living conditions in which some families and children live. So I am not ready to give up on my country, but there is a higher calling for me so I must depart to join my mom and sister, for I have an obligation to them as well. They are my first

From page 7

priorities. I sincerely say I am sorry to those whom I have hurt over the past year.

I did not mean to. I try my best to be a good person to those around me. If I said or did anything you thought was wrong, I apologise. Please forgive me. Until we meet again, stay in touch, and drop me a line here and there. I will be back. Have a happy new year. I love you all.

Regards Leon Suseram

Diwantie Bissamber

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, January 3, 2017

West Watooka farmers counting their losses – following heavy downpours

By Vanessa Braithwaite RESIDENTS of West Watooka and surrounding communities such as Silver City and Canvas City are affected by flooding as a result of the heavy rains.

The heavy downpours

caused the revetment works on the main thoroughfare to completely collapse, causing an uneasy flow of water from creeks on the Wismar shore into the Demerara River.

Several communities have been affected, particularly farmlands in West

Watooka.

When Guyana Chronicle visited the community, several farms were under water as well as residents’ yards.

One farmer, Maurice Mc Curdy, told this publication that his entire farm of cash crops has been flooded and it is a tremendous loss for him.

“This water here coming

The revetment works at the main thoroughfare of West Watooka collapsed due to heavy downpours

A farmland at West Watooka under water

til from Block 22, all them crops under water, pumpkin all them thing. The last time I bring Bella here, I had to pay Bella over a hundred thousand dollars to clear this water with he machine,” the distraught farmer revealed.

A young man who identified himself as ‘farmer’, also expressed hurt over his many losses, saying that sales from small-scale farming is his only means of earning.

According to him, the losses will continue as the rain is expected to end in February.

“Ya hearing is till February this heavy rain gon done, so what gon happen, this is not the first time we get flood out and now the koker block is worst,” he said while watching at his flooded farm.

Residents of Canvas City are also affected by the floods and the ‘backedup’ koker in the community which had already posed issues of flooding in the recent past.

With the main revetment collapsing, these residents are also counting their losses to the floods since it has incurred a cost upon them to repair their properties as a result of erosion.

Nichola Higgins, who was forced to rebuild an entire fence as a result of erosion caused by flooding, is also affected by the inundation.

“Every time the rain fall, it is a real hazard to us, I’m a single parent and I does have to pay people to clean the koker and even if it clean, we does still get flood out,”

she said.

Regional Chairman Renis Morian who was on site to inspect the flooding and collapsed revetment, expressed concern over the number of communities that have been affected.

“This creek is Ice Water Creek that clearing water from Block 22. So you coming through Block 22, One Mile, Half Mile, Canvas City so it is communities coming right through, the blocking there affecting people all along. I am going to without delay call a contractor to look at the breakage and then we will contact Ministry of Public Infrastructure,” Morian promised.

Since the rainy season commenced, several roadways in Linden have collapsed due to erosion.

Prison warden likely to become prisoner A MAZARUNI Prison warden is expected to be charged today for the murder of his wife Lonnette Nicholson-Prince, a cosmetologist attached to the New Amsterdam Psychiatric Hospital whom he stabbed to death last December 28.

The prison warden, Sheldon Prince will be placed before the court following an extension of his custody.

According to the Commander of ‘B’ Division, Ian Amsterdam, the file was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions for advice last Friday.

A post-mortem on Nich-

olson-Prince’s body revealed that she died of shock and hemorrhage due to multiple stab wounds to the heart and other parts of the body.

According to reports, on December 28, 2016, Lonnette had just arrived at work at New Amsterdam Psychiatric Hospital when her husband, Sheldon Prince asked to speak with her just after 08:00hrs.

She refused and proceeded to walk away, when Prince allegedly pulled out a knife and stabbed her 15 times about the body in the presence of co-workers.

After committing the brutal act, Prince reportedly fled

through the eastern fence of the hospital and escaped.

His pants, with spattered blood stains, was found some distance away under the Canje Bridge. The 30-year-old later turned himself in at the Central Police Station in the company of Attorney Mursaline Bacchus.

Lonnet and the suspect were married for five years and have a four-year-old daughter together; however, they have been separated for the last two months, during which period she filed a restraining order against him, citing constant abuse.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Scenes from Old Year’s Night Photos by Cullen Bess-Nelson and Delano Williams

See more photos on centre page ►

21 New Year babies

Little Jadgesh Singh and his mother, Hemwantie

PEOPLE across the country were still celebrating the start of 2017 when baby Jadgesh Singh became the first new arrival of the year at the Maternity Unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Doctors and nurses at the City Hospital were busy gearing up for the new arrivals as they successfully delivered 21 beautiful babies ushering in New Year’s Day. Little Jadgesh was the first baby to be born that day and also the first child of his mother Hemwantie Singh, 24, of Belmont, Mahaica who delivered him at 12.29am.

The City Hospital welcomed a total of 21 babies including 12 girls and nine boys who are all going to share the same birthday.

Also as customary, the infant’s mothers were treated with hampers presented by Republic Bank Limited and Ansa McAl Limited.

Last year five babies were born on New Year’s Day.

Scenes from Ol 14

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, January 3, 2017

President David Granger and his daughter Afuwa Granger usher in the new year in St George’s Cathedral

ld Year’s Night 15

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, January 3, 2017

In worship: A scene at the Holy Redeemer Church at Pike and Sheriff Streets, Campbellville

Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan and his wife dancing the Old Year out at the Police Officers’ Mess, Eve Leary, Georgtown

Minister of Foreign Affairs Carl Greenidge and Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Chief of Staff George Lewis with others at the party at Base Camp Ayanganna

Minister of State Joseph Harmon and Attorney General and Legal affairs Minister Basil Williams at the Old Year’s Night party at the GDF Mess Hall

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, January 3, 2017

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, January 3, 2017

17

War intensified against drugs – other notable strides in security sector last year, Ramjattan reports

Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan and Health Minister Dr George Norton with members of the Guyana Fire Service and Emergency Medical Technicians

THE efforts of the Ministry of Public Security in 2016 have helped to strengthen security, through better administering of crime, according to Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan.

During the year, attention was paid to fighting all types of crime including the narco-trade, building capacity of ranks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and implementing several initiatives to generally improve the security sector.

The establishment of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) office in Guyana in February of 2016 gave impetus to the war on drugs.

Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, proffered that the permanent presence of the DEA in Guyana, will serve as a deterrent to persons getting involved in the narco-trade.

“The mere presence of this unit out of America will have a deterring effect…the fact is that such an important institution and such an important drug interdiction unit is here.”

With the advent of the DEA office, Guyana will see other benefits such as training for local institutions.

Ramjattan noted that there is a programme through which several local officers received Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) training. Additionally, the police academy received equipment.

The DEA is also assisting Guyana in other areas, which include efforts to tackle gold-smuggling, money-laundering and human-trafficking.

Regional Director for the

DEA, Matthew Donahue, said that partnership is important in the drug fight as Guyana became the eighth Caribbean and Latin American country to have the permanent presence of a DEA office.

Additionally, there was the launch of the National Drug Strategy Master Plan 2016-2020, which was deemed by the Public Security Minister as a ‘renewed war on drugs.’

The key focus of the plan is on the reduction of demand and supply of illicit drugs; control measures; institutional strengthening; policy coordination and international cooperation.

The Master Plan, which was revised, will run until 2020 and according to Minister Ramjattan, it will “reduce the use of drugs in the community and minimise the harm that they cause to individual users and the community at large.”

The Master Plan also caters for the establishment of a drug court. The Government will put the necessary mechanisms in place to reduce the use of incarceration as a punitive response to drug crimes, and alternative strategies will be employed.

The Government will be looking to reduce the amount of time offenders spend in custody. It may promote, where appropriate, in keeping with legislation, alternatives to incarceration for drug-related crimes, taking into account, among other things, gender perspectives; the seriousness of the crime; and proportionality of harm to punishment, a section of

the plan explained.

Like the United States which established Homeland Security to deal with acts of terrorism, Minister Ramjattan said the Government of Guyana sees the need for a unified Government organisation called the National Anti-Narcotic Agency (NANA).

“Under this umbrella of NANA, Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU), the Police Narcotics Unit, the Drug Enforcement Unit under the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Coast Guard, other narcotics-fighting units within other larger institutions will be integrated and organised so that we can

Turn to page 18 ►

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, January 3, 2017

War intensified...

From page 17

have more functionality,” the minister explained.

Guyana also benefited from US$50,000 to tackle drug-trafficking and other transnational crimes. Boosting of the GPF’s forensic capability and fortifying of prisons were catered for under this funding.

CRIME FIGHT The Ministry of Public Security in January 2016, received funding for its Citizen Security Strengthening Project (CSSP) from the In-

ter-American Development Bank (IDB) to the value of US$15M. Target areas for the project covered community crime and violence-prevention to the tune of US$5.7M. Of that sum, US$5.5M was for crime prevention and investigation and rehabilitation and the remainder for social re-integration services.

In August, the first component was launched in 20 communities across five administrative regions that were identified for the project,

based on data collected on robberies, homicide, burglaries and sexual violence.

Over 4000 youths and adolescents are to benefit from the four-year project.

The beneficiaries will receive training to improve their skill levels and livelihoods with the aim of reducing crime and violence in their communities.

Additionally, the Ministry of Public Security continued to build the capacity of its forensic laboratory, so that the facility can provide DNA Young children of the Mocha police youth group making Father’s Day cards

and gun- residue testing.

This capacity training also is being developed through the Ministry’s Citizen Security Strengthening Programme.

REDUCED CRIME RATE Throughout 2016, the crime rate in Guyana continued to decrease with each passing month. This was attributed to the high level of trust that the GPF has gained from members of the public.

Late in December 2016, it was reported by Commander for ‘A’ Division, Clifton Hicken, that there was a 21 percent decrease in serious crimes.

According to Assistant Commissioner of Police, David Ramnarine, good lawenforcement efforts were credited for the prevention of an increase in serious crimes.

“We are benefiting from, and are putting into effect, much needed training that we have received recently, resources that we have received, and other interests that have been given to the force to make the force better able to respond to the needs of society,” Ramnarine explained.

Also, it is evident that ranks of the GPF have been working assiduously to crack cases as several were solved during the year. One notable case was the finding and convicting of self-confessed drug lord Barry Dataram, who had fled Guyana to neighbouring Suriname.

EXTENSIVE TRAINING Training was another area where there was much emphasis during the year 2016.

The Government of Canada, through its Anti-Crime Capacity Building Programme (ACCBP), provided funding to the Canadian Non-Government Organisation (NGO), the Justice

Education Society (JES), to implement two projects over a two-year period to the tune of $106M. The goal of the JES project is to develop the technical capacity of the police, police prosecutors, state prosecutors and magistrates to collect, analyse and present forensic evidence as a means of decreasing impunity rates.

Training commenced within the GPF on Major Case Management, Forensic Video Analysis and Crime Scene Management.

Additionally, police officers throughout the year received training overseas to boost the capacity of the security sector.

The Government continued to look at ways to strengthen the security sector for the protection of citizens. One such initiative is the Security Sector Reform Programme (SSRP), which seeks to develop the sector as part of Government’s effort to confront widespread crime.

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, during a press conference had explained that “the framework of the programme is ongoing, which plans to look at the security sector in particular, the way we do policing, how we are addressing crime in this country in a very systematic way.

We have to look at how the sector is dealt with, we have to look at best practices, and from time to time, we will get assistance from friendly countries in assisting us in these matters.”

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS Aside from tackling crime, the Minister of Public Security also commenced an initiative to save lives. This was seen with the launch of the Emergency Medical Services (EMS). Persons with Turn to page 19 ►

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, January 3, 2017

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medical emergencies can access the service by dialling 912 and will receive attention within 10 to 15 minutes.

Spearheading the programme is the Guyana Fire Service, which has five ambulances available for the EMS pilot. Areas from Timehri, East Bank Demerara to Enmore, East Coast of Demerara are catered for under the pilot project.

Additionally, Commander Hicken spearheaded the establishment of several youth groups in communities across Guyana. The groups focus on developing young people in sports, art and leadership.

“We looked at the discipline, we looked at the enthusiasm, and we recognised that if they have the right nurturing and leadership within that framework, they can do wonders in our society,” the ‘A’ Division Commander explained.

In the area of traffic, the

From page 18

GPF’s Traffic Department made tremendous strides in tackling road deaths. One initiative by the GPF was the launch of ‘Operation Safeway’ that has been deemed a success.

Data supplied by the Traffic Department on December 29, show that for the year 2016, a total of 42,349 drivers were charged for the following traffic violations: 23,934 for speeding; 3,379 for driving under the influence of alcohol; 1,701 for driving unlicensed; 1,603 for driving while using cellphones; 4,607 for driving with loud music; and 7,125 drivers for speeding Additionally, there was the launch of a “White Knight Campaign” by the GPF in collaboration with the Guyana National Road Safety Council (GNRSC).

This effort provided education awareness with enforcement during strategic roadblocks.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Women key to building hunger-free world ACHIEVING gender equality and empowering women is not only the right thing to do but is a critical ingredient in the fight against extreme poverty, hunger and malnutrition, FAO Director General José

Graziano da Silva said.

Speaking at a high-level event co-organised by FAO, the European Commission and the Slovak Presidency of the Council of the European Union in collaboration with the International Fund for

Agricultural Development (IFAD), the World Food Programme (WFP) and UN Women, the FAO-Director General said that “Women are the backbone of our work in agriculture,” noting that they comprise 45 per cent of

the agricultural labour force in developing countries, with that figure rising to 60 per cent in parts of Africa and Asia.

These numbers underscore the importance of ensuring that rural women

enjoy a level playing field, according to the FAO Director-General “It’s all about opportunity. Evidence shows that when women have opportunities, the yields on their farms increase -- also their incomes.

Natural resources are better managed. Nutrition is improved. And livelihoods are more secured,” he said.

This is why rural women are key players in the effort to achieve all of the Sustainable Development Goals - but especially SDG2, freeing the world from hunger and malnutrition - Graziano da Silva added.

Neven Mimica, European Union Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development, told event participants: “It is often said that if you educate a woman, you educate a whole generation. The same is true when we empower women across the board -not only through access to knowledge, but also to resources, to equal opportunities, and by giving them a voice.”

Yet current statistics suggest that the world is falling short on this score, according to Mimica.

“We know that agricultural yields would rise by almost a third if women had the same access to resources as men. As a result, there would be up to 150 million fewer hungry people in the world. And we know that children have significantly better prospects for the future when their mothers are healthy, wealthy and educated. Especially during the first 1,000 days of a child’s life,” he said.

“If we are serious about putting an end to poverty and hunger once and for all, then we all need to step up our support for rural women.

As an investment in families, in our communities, in our wider societies, and in our planet’s future,” the EU Commissioner argued.

In her remarks, Slovak Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and current President of the Council of the European Union, Gabriela Matecná, said that “the gender gap imposes significant costs on society, in terms of lost agricultural output, food security and economic growth.”

Although nearly half the world’s agricultural labour force is female, she noted, women own less than 20 percent of agricultural land. At the same time, 60 per cent of chronically hungry people on the planet are women or girls.

However “when women are fully involved, the benefits can be seen immediately: families are healthier and better fed; their income, savings and investment go up. And what is true of families is also true of communities and, in the long run, of whole countries,” Matecná said.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, January 3, 2017

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, January 3, 2017

UDFA/GT Beer Football Final

Silver Shattas gain lastgasp win over Eagles -Botofago hold off Winners Connection 2-0

Silver Shattas, new UDFA GT Beer Champions pose with officials after receiving their winners’ $1M cheque and trophy.

By Joe Chapman A LAST GASP goal, ripped from just outside the 18-yard box on the stroke of the game whistle, in fact the 93rd minute, was enough to allow Silver Shattas a 1-0 win over Eagles United of Christianburg and earn them the Upper Demerara Football Association’s (UDFA)/GT Beer Cup championship on New Year’s Night at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground.

Silver Shattas were served up that title after the 90 minutes of regulation play had failed to decide a winner in a tough encounter where both teams were unable to score.

Playing in front of a good crowd who took time to converge on the traditional facility for the annual, deciding football game of the year end championship, Eagles United had the first shot to goal five minutes into the first half.

That attempt was collected by the Shattas goalkeeper Kellon Major and ten minutes into the game Shattas had a good run as their tireless midfield player Michael Wilson sent a chance over the crossbar of the Eagles United goal.

Then a long ball was hit to the Shattas crossbar as the Eagles fought to get control of the game one minute later.

But soon the Shattas showed some fight and the play started on the right side when Colwyn Drakes hit the left upright and the Eagles responded with a

cross.

The Eagles’ Yonnick Hercules Simon then sent a squared ball that was collected

by Shattas goalkeeper in the 27th minute of the game and, four minutes adrift of that play Kenney Benjamin was unable to complete a play started by Wilson. The first half ended with both teams scoreless.

The second half was also competitive as some spectators were anticipating the continued battle which was at times enterprising and the Eagles were first to again get the fans on their feet in the 49th minute when Simon hit one over the crossbar from a build-up on the right side.

The Eagles were mounting

a good offence and created a corner which was cleared

by Shattas goalkeeper in the 53rd minute.

Shattas stood the test of the youngsters as their experienced players stood their ground, when from the right flank successive shots sent towards the goal were sparred away by their goalkeeper Kellon Major in the 68th minute.

Then a play through the middle by Eagles presented a clear chance in the ensuing minute of play but it was not converted.

Shattas, however, were standing well to the pressing exploits from their youthful opponents and a left-foot shot from Deshawn Freeman was cleared by the Eagles goalkeeper.

Drakes then went inside right and his shot was diverted by the Eagles goalkeeper in the 76thn minute. They scented a goal as the ball came out a ‘bicycle-kick‘ attempt but was misdirected in the 84th minute.

Two minutes after a ball was sent deep down the right wing by Kwesi Quintin, but the Shattas goalkeeper was there to make a good save.

Then the decisive strike was unleashed in the 93rd minute when Robin Adams’ inside right from on top the 18-yard box, ripped a shot that crashed into the crossbar and flew down over the goal-line giving the Shattas their first major title to start 2017 with a bang, much to the joy of their fans.

Botofago had earlier scored a 2-0 over Winners Connection through a brace from Kello Primo.

The presentation of the prizes will be done on Saturday in Linden.

Goalscorer Robin Adams

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday,January 3, 2017

Guyana Jaguars poised for greater honours in 2017 Sports Analysis and Records with BRIJ PARASNATH THE Guyana Jagu ars team proved their overall strength, tenacity, temperament and exceptional fighting spirit as they created history with back-to-back WICB Professional Cricket League (PCL) Regional 4-Day crowns in 2016.

At the end of the first round of the 2016-17 PCL Regional 4-Day season, they are excitedly poised for greater honours.

The Jaguars franchise team topped the 2015-16 Regional First Class competition with 149 points from eight victories and two drawn fixtures from the 10-match fixtures. Barbados Pride placed second with 142 points from seven wins, one defeat and two drawn matches while Jamaica were third with 85 points (4 wins and 6 defeats). Trinidad and Tobago Red Force were fourth with 81 points (three wins, 5 defeats and 1 draw); Windwards Volcanoes fifth with 61 (2 wins, 6 defeats, 2 draws) and Leewards Hurricanes 50 (1 win, 7 defeats, 2 draws).

The Jaguars’ players have made all Guyanese proud of their wonderful achievements and they are strongly poised to make it a unique regional hat-trick of titles in the double round-robin competition.

At this time of the year, all the Jaguars players, team officials, Guyana Cricket Board officials and

supporters should be in very good festive spirit.

For the 2015-16 PCL season, Guyana’s skipper Leon Johnson led the way with the most runs and topped the overall regional season’s batting aggregate with 807 runs (57.64), including two centuries, from ten matches and 17 innings. His teammate Vishaul Singh also impressed with the bat for the Jaguars and his appetite for big scores saw him finish third on 712 runs (5-.75), including three centuries; from ten matches and 16 innings. Windwards’ Devon Smith was second with 719 runs (47.93), including two centuries; from eight matches and 15 innings.

Regional First Class aggregate wicket record-holder Veerasammy Permaul, who was the main bowling catalyst for Guyana’s historic triumph in the inaugural 2014-15 Professional Cricket League season with a record haul of 67 wickets; emerged once again as the team’s leading bowler.

Together with his Albion SC teammate Gudakesh Motie-Kanhai, they collected 40 wickets each and were fourth overall in the wickets aggregate list.

While the Guyanese players have surprised everyone and registered back-to-back triumphs in the PCL Regional 4-Day competition, much attention has been focused on

Leon Johnson

whether they can create further history and achieve a unique hat-trick of title wins.

It is good to note that at the end of the first round matches for the 2016-17 PCL First Class Regional 4-Day competition; the Guyana Jaguars are currently in second position on 64.6 points and are within striking distance of frontrunner Jamaica Scorpions who jumped to the top of the points table with two convincing victories in the fourth- and fifth-round matches.

As defending champions, Guyana Jaguars who held the lead initially, lost their topmost position after they suffered a shock thirdround defeat to Leewards at the St Kitts’ Warner Park, the venue with the shortest boundary markers in the region.

Despite the major setback in which their unbeaten record streak of 18 matches was broken, the fighting Guyanese unit, under the brilliant leadership of West Indies Test player Leon Johnson, rebounded in grand fashion and registered a convincing ten-wicket victory over an uninspiring Trinidad and Tobago outfit in their fifth-round encounter at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, on December 19 last year.

The Jamaica Scorpions maintained their slim lead with 67.6 points after they secured three outright wins over Windwards, Trinidad and Tobago and Leewards.

It is good to note that they had lost their first round encounter to the Guyana Jaguars who would be seeking to regain the upperhand during the second round of matches.

Barbados Pride are in third spot with 47.2 points; followed by Windwards Volcanoes on 41.6 and Leewards Hurricanes 39.4. Trinidad and Tobago Red Force occupy cellar position on 35.6 points.

Altogether, there have been six centurions in the first-round matches, with Guyanese veteran star performer Shivnarine Chanderpaul leading the way with two individual centuries that were crucial to

keep the Jaguars in contention for the 2016-17 season top honours.

Leewards wicketkeeper Jahmar Hamilton also recorded two centuries and is the overall leading run-scorer with 485 runs from five matches and eight innings.

Barbados Pride’s opener Anthony Alleyne is second with 451 runs from five matches and eight innings while Chanderpaul is third with 447 runs from five matches and seven innings.

Alleyne notched one century, 186 versus Trinidad and Tobago Red Force at the Queen’s Park Oval in the second round.

Leewards’ Montcin Hodge registered a triple-figure mark, a heroic 114 against Guyana Jaguars in their successful fourth innings record-breaking runchase at Warner Park in the fourth round when they halted the Guyanese 18-match unbeaten streak.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Barbadian-born franchise player Kyle Hope is fourth on the aggregate list with 410 runs from nine innings (four fifties, 86 the highest).

He is followed by Jamaican John Campbell with 408 (5 matches, 8 innings), including four fifties with 88 as his highest.

WI Test player Jermaine Blackwood occupies sixth spot with 327 runs from five matches and nine innings.

West Indies triumphant West Indies youth captain and Guyana Jaguars’ promising opener Shimron Hetmyer is seventh with 292 runs from five matches and nine innings while Leewards’ Montcin Hodge with 289 runs (5 matches, eight innings, HS 114); Jamaica Scorpions’ Brendon King with 286 runs (2 matches, 3 innings) and Windwards’ Sunil Ambris with 274 runs (5 matches, 7 innings) makes up the top ten spots in the overall aggregate table at the halfway stage.

Among the other leading Guyanese players, WI Test opener Rajendra Chandrika and Barbadian-born Jaguars’ franchise player Raymon Reifer are in fourteenth and fifteenth positions with 251 (5 matches, 9 innings) and

Shivnarine Chanderpaul

244 runs (5 matches, 8 innings) respectively.

Skipper Leon Johnson is 17th with 232 (5 matches, 8 innings) while West Indies ‘A’ team member Vishaul Singh has 175 runs (5 matches, 8 innings) and Anthony Bramble 167 (5 matches, 8 innings). Singh and Bramble are 27th and 28th respectively.

Jamaica Scorpions’ leftarm spinner Nikita Miller, who enshrined his name in Regional First Class records with the best individual bowling figures of 9 wickets for 41 versus Trinidad and Tobago Red Force at Sabina Park, Kingston; heads the bowling aggregate with 30 wickets.

The spinners once again dominated the proceedings and are positioned in the top five slots. Miller is followed by left-armer Permaul (27 wickets), Leewards’ off-spinner Rakheem Cornwall (24 wkts), Scorpions’ leg-spinner Damion Jacobs (24 wkts) and Red Force’s leg-spinner Imran Khan (21).

Guyana’s exciting fast bowling prospect Keon Joseph and new-ball partner Raymon Reifer head the fast bowlers list with 16 wickets each alongside Windwards’ Shane Shillingford in the sixth, seventh and eighth positions respectively.

Motie-Kanhai, who made a big impression in his debut season last year also has 16 wickets. He, like all the other players; have played an important role in helping the Jaguars to be competitive and to regain

their winning ways.

The Guyana Jaguars team members, including manager Rayon Griffith and coach Esaun Crandon were happy to end 2016 on a winning note.

They will now switch their focus to the 50-overs format of the game and will prepare to re-establish themselves as a major force to be reckoned with.

Preparation, teamwork and fighting spirit have been some of the key factors that have contributed to the Jaguars’ Regional 4-Day double crown achievements.

The players got a much-needed break from the action on the cricket field.

However, while everyone enjoyed the festivities of the season and shared in the merriment, I am sure that the players and technical staff were also mindful of the challenges and demands for more success in 2017, especially the Super50 competition and to continue their drive to make it a unique hattrick of PCL 4-Day crowns, emblem of Regional First Class supremacy.

The Guyana Jaguars have already demonstrated their resilience and fighting qualities in the two-innings competition.

They now need to redouble their efforts through strategic preparation and sustained intensity which will definitely help them to be ready to wage a serious battle in their quest for top honours in the Super50 tourney.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, January 3, 2017

West Bromwich Albion come from behind to beat Hull City 3-1 WEST Bromwich Albion took advantage of a second-half Hull capitulation to record back-to-back Premier League wins for just the second time this season.

The Baggies fell behind after a sluggish start when Robert Snodgrass struck to continue his fine form.

Hull managed 11 shots by the interval but as halftime neared, the home side began to probe and they levelled when the unmarked Chris Brunt headed in a corner after the restart.

The away side’s slack defending was punished again when Gareth McAuley powered a header in - referee Mark Clattenburg awarding the goal through use of the goalline technology.

And James Morrison extinguished any Hull hopes of a first league point away from home since September when he turned in from 10 yards.

Hull failed to make their early dominance pay but were found wanting when Tony Pulis switched to three at the back late in the first half and Mike Phelan’s side remain three points from safety.

The Baggies, meanwhile,

are eighth on 29 points - the second-highest tally they have ever achieved after 20 games in a Premier League season.

West Brom have only had more points after 20 games in the Premier League in one other season Pulis looked visibly angered by West Brom’s insipid early offering as his side took 34 minutes to even have an attempt at goal.

Snodgrass ran rings around the home midfield at times and, but for a critical last-ditch tackle from McAuley to deny Adama Diomande, the away side could have extended their lead.

An injury to Jonny Evans provided a catalyst for change as West Brom switched to three at the back, pushing Brunt into left midfield from his earlier role at left back.

Extra bodies in midfield stopped Hull winning second balls at will and West Brom turned the game - two deep corners from Matt Phillips allowing Brunt and McAuley to finish.

Phillips now has eight assists in the league - only Kevin de Bruyne has more.

The £5.5M summer signing is looking a shrewd investment.

Such business should stand Pulis in good stead when it

Liverpool held

by Sunderland

JAMES MORRISION comes to strengthening in January and, ahead of kick-off, chairman John Williams said the club will do everything it can to acquire “immediate firstteam selections”.

His New Year message cited concerns over falling crowds at the Hawthorns. It was the only negative on a day where the Baggies delivered again.

Matt Phillips impressed again, creating two goals, but James Morrison deserved his goal after a neat display which saw him complete 87% of his passes.

West Brom, who will lose Allan Nyom to the Africa Cup of Nations, have an FA Cup third round home tie against Derby on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

Hull, who will now be without Ahmed Elmohamady and Dieumerci Mbokani due to the tournament in Gabon, host fellow league strugglers Swansea City in the same competition at the same time.

The Reds took a deserved lead when Daniel Sturridge flicked in a header after Dejan Lovren’s mishit shot.

Sunderland equalised six minutes later as Defoe scored from the spot following Ragnar Klavan’s trip on Didier Ndong, before Sadio Mane put the visitors back ahead with a close-range finish.

However, Mane then handled in his own 18-yard box and Defoe converted the penalty to snatch an unlikely point.

The result leaves Liverpool five points behind Premier League leaders Chelsea, who play their game in hand tomorrow at Tottenham (20:00 GMT kick-off).

However, Reds boss Jurgen Klopp will surely see it as two points dropped after his side led twice, had 71% of the possession and had 15 shots on target.

Only an inspired perfor-

JERMAIN DEFOE

mance from Black Cats keeper Vito Mannone denied Liverpool further goals, before Mane needlessly stuck out an arm to block Seb Larsson’s free-kick, costing his side dearly.

To make things worse for Liverpool, Sturridge, who scored only his second Premier League goal of the season, limped off late on after clashing with Papy Djilobodji.

Sunderland boss David

Federer eases past Dan Evans

Richard Cockerill sacked

LEICESTER Tigers have sacked director of rugby Richard Cockerill after nearly eight years in charge.

The 46-year-old has been on the Premiership club’s coaching staff since 2004, took over as head coach in 2009 and became director of rugby in 2010.

“It is with great sad-

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ness and regret that I leave my position. I still believe that I am the right person to lead the team,” Cockerill said.

Head coach Aaron Mauger will take over on an interim basis.

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league games so far this season. They were beaten 16-12 by Saracens on New Year’s Day. Cockerill, who has spent 23 of the last 25 years of his career with Tigers, said he “respected the board’s decision” to make a change they see as being “in the best interests of the club”.

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Moyes described his side’s performance in their 4-1 loss at Burnley on Saturday as “dire” and had demanded better.

He will surely have been delighted with the response.

His team battled hard, gave everything, defended deep in numbers and showed their fighting spirit when Liverpool looked like they might run away with the match.

Sunderland remain in the bottom three, but Moyes will be encouraged by the point as the Black Cats look to extend their 10-year Premier League stay.

It was a busy afternoon for Vito Mannone, who made a total of 13 saves to deny Daniel Sturridge (number 15), Roberto Firmino (11), Ragnar Klavan (17), Emre Can (23), Adam Lallana (20) and Georginio Wijnaldum (5)

ROGER FEDERER ROGER Federer marked his Federer, 35, made short work return from injury with a 6-3, of the British number three in his 6-4 victory against Dan Evans first match after a six-month knee as Switzerland beat Great injury setback.

Britain 3-0 in the Hopman Cup. World number 76 Heather

Watson lost her tie against Belinda Bencic 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 to give Switzerland the victory.

Federer and Bencic then combined to seal the whitewash, beating Evans and Watson 4-0, 4-1 in Australia.

The Hopman Cup, played in Perth, comprises two singles matches and a mixed doubles contest between nations in a round-robin format with two groups of four.

France beat Germany in Group A’s other fixture, with USA, Spain, Australia and the Czech Republic completing the line-up in Group B.

26

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday,January 3, 2017

Elgar’s ton anchors South Africa recovery South Africa v Sri Lanka 2nd Test, Cape Town,

THE serious demeanour of Dean Elgar, a batsman not given to fripperies, dominated the opening day of the second Test at Newlands as Sri Lanka failed to gain lasting benefit from a good bowling day.

A new year had dawned, but it was very much the old Elgar, recognisably sure of stroke and restricted in ambition, who guided South Africa forward as he progressed conscientiously to a sixth Test century.

At 169 for 5, with 30 overs remaining and Temba Bavuma just dismissed on the pull by Sri Lanka’s highly-promising fast bowler Lahiru Kumara, the day was still in the balance, but South Africa snatched it with a sixth-wicket stand 103 in 24 overs between Elgar and Quinton de Kock, who gambolled around without a care on land that Elgar had tilled, and watered from the sweat of his brow, for hours.

Elgar’s end came against the second new ball - 129 from 230 deliveries - when he pushed at a wide delivery from Suranga Lakmal and was defeated by a little seam movement, leaving Kusal Mendis to pouch the catch. de Kock, his antithesis, survived a few escapades with failed ramp shots and top-edged pulls to reach a happy-golucky 68 not out by the close.

Faf du Plessis, South Africa’s captain, would be well satisfied. He had happily volunteered that a fresh

and grassy Newlands surface was intended to favour his strong pace attack. Even Table Mountain, adorned by cloud throughout the first session, came out in support.

“Against England last year it was a road,” he said.

“It was different for that bowling attack. You have to prepare for the team you are playing against.”

Sri Lanka had first use of it, but were unable to bury their reputation. Two wickets late in the morning session for Kumara ensured they achieved what was surely a minimum objective of three wickets when the odds were most in their favour, and the addition of du Plessis shortly before tea brought them further reward on an otherwise trying afternoon.

Stephen Cook was the Man-of-the-Match in Port Elizabeth, striking a century and half-century in South Africa’s emphatic 206-run win, but he made a four-ball duck on this occasion: two outswingers and an inswinger from Lakmal before another outswinger, slightly fuller, forced Cook into a statuesque nibble and a faint edge to the wicketkeeper.

Lakmal carried the most threat for Sri Lanka with the first new ball, clearly roused by the sight of lavish movement, never short of a tongue-out grin when the ball behaved in a manner that is a special delight for bowlers

condemned to playing out much of their career in Sri Lanka’s draining conditions.

Nuwan Pradeep, although combative enough, lacked the technical skill to make the most of the conditions and limped off midway an over during the final session.

His only impact was on the umpire Aleem Dar, catching him on the elbow as he approached the crease and bringing some pained arm extensions from the man who had just passed Rudi Koertzen as the most capped umpire in all formats. An umpire incapable of raising

his finger was not about to help Sri Lanka’s cause.

Angelo Mathews, who initially bowled himself ahead of Kumara, settled for containment with a line well outside off stump which South Africa’s batsmen ignored at their leisure which later made it hard to ascertain why Mathews took the second new ball while Kumara, already strong, and stocky at 19 and capable of speeds well beyond 140kph, had to make do with the old.

Kumara accounted for both Amla and JP Duminy in the same over. Amla was un-

DEAN ELGAR

hinged by an excellent delivery which came back sharply off the seam between bat and pad, leaving him without a Test half-century in his last nine innings, a strikingly lean run for a batsman blessed with such natural gifts.

Five balls later, Duminy became a second duck in the top four when he fended a back-of-a-length delivery from Kumara off his hip for Mendis to spring down the leg side for a fabulous catch.

Mendis’ presence behind the stumps had been the outcome of much Sri Lankan agonising before start of play. News gradually filtered through that Dinesh Chandimal was feeling ill, not enough to rule him out of the match, but persuading Sri Lanka that he should concede the gloves to reduce his workload.

Sri Lanka also made two changes from the first Test, omitting Kusul Perera and Dushmantha Chameera in favour of Kumara and the seasoned Upul Tharanga.

Elgar’s hundred was his sixth in 31 Tests, his average still a touch below 40, but he has blunted many attacks in that time. He approached his innings methodically, working the ball off his hips and drawn occasionally into a restrained straight drive.

His highlights reel included, oddly enough, a one-handed cover drive, a shot one imagines that he would prefer to be ex-

Manchester United whip West Ham 2-0 MANCHESTER United moved level on points with fifth-placed Tottenham after victory at West Ham, who played for 75 minutes with 10 men following the controversial dismissal of Sofiane Feghouli.

Referee Mike Dean showed Feghouli a straight red card after the midfielder’s 15th-minute challenge on Phil Jones.

Replays showed it was more of a coming together between two players committed to winning the ball than a reckless tackle meant to cause

harm.

Antonio Valencia was guilty of an astonishing miss for the visitors before Juan Mata scored from 10 yards after a Marcus clever pass by fellow substitute Marcus Rashford.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic was one of three players offside when he doubled the lead after Pedro Obiang’s clearance fell to Ander Herrera.

It was Jose Mourinho’s side’s sixth straight Premier League win and their seventh in all competitions.

The Hammers have beat-

en Bournemouth, Sunderland, Burnley and Hull at home this season, yet their hopes of claiming a first major scalp at London Stadium were undone by the fastest sending off in the Premier League this season.

There is no doubt Feghouli lost control of the ball and deserved a booking for his challenge on Jones.

But Dean, who sent off Southampton’s Nathan Redmond in the 4-1 defeat by Tottenham on Wednesday, brandished a red card for the

fifth time this season, much to the fury of West Ham boss Slaven Bilic.

Jones, who was clearly hurt and rolled over several times before receiving treatment, was booed by home fans for the rest of the game each time he touched the ball.

Feghouli is now set to miss his side’s FA Cup thirdround home tie against Manchester City on Friday, while Hammers supporters showed their anger at the official by chanting ‘Mike Dean - it’s all about you’.

In the second half, Dean kept his cards in his pocket after Cheikhou Kouyate’s reckless challenge on Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

MOURINHO’S SUBSTITUTIONS DO THE TRICK This was far from vintage Manchester United, yet Mourinho’s team started 2017 as they finished 2016 - with three points.

They are now unbeaten in their past 13 games in all competitions, while they have taken 25 points from the last 33

punged from the records.

The shot that brought up his hundred, down the ground of Pradeep, could hardly have been more satisfying: halfway through his next over, Pradeep trudged off to the dressing room du Plessis, a South African captain of some gravitas, played in similar vein.

As the assistance for the seamers lessened, Mathews turned to his left-arm spinner, Rangana Herath, for the first time in the 42nd over. Herath took 57 wickets at 18.93 in 2016, second only to R Ashwin in terms of victims, all of them killed with kindness.

He is at the age when the passing of the years invite questions as to how long he can continue in such form, but he soon dispensed with du Plessis.

In his fourth over, he wandered up with his usual economy to draw du Plessis into an uppish drive only for Tharanga to miss an inviting chance at deepish mid-off.

No matter. In his penultimate over before tea, he strolled up again to have du Plessis caught at slip, driving wildly at a wide one.

South Africa captain had favoured a seamers’ track and, although in his case it was the portly figure of Herath who had prospered, he would be tossing a new ball to his pace attack sometime on the morrow with a belief that this Cape Town pitch would maintain its life for a while yet. on offer.

Valencia will surely be haunted by his 36th-minute miss. It was a brilliant save

by Darren Randolph to deny him from close range, but the Ecuador international should have buried the chance, as should Jesse Lingard, who hit the post with the follow-up.

Mourinho’s decisions to bring on Mata at the start of the second half and Rashford before the hour mark proved decisive.

The pair combined to break West Ham’s spirited resistance - the busy and menacing Rashford evading a couple of challenges before cutting back for Spaniard Mata to find the net.

27

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Christian’s five-for underpins Hurricanes’ win Hobart Hurricanes v Adelaide Strikers, Big Bash League

AS the BBL group stage approaches its halfway point, both Hobart Hurricanes and Adelaide Strikers arrived at Bellerive Oval with a win and two defeats under their belts; it shaped as a vital clash for both.

And, thanks to a supreme bowling performance, led by an unlikely spearhead, it was Hobart Hurricanes who prevailed. Chasing an under-par 144,and put on 105, the highest opening stand of the competition so far, and the Hurricanes got home with eight wickets and 14 balls to spare.

Earlier, Christian had taken 5 for 14 - which included three wickets in the final over of the innings - and recorded the second-best figures in the BBL’s history, eclipsing the 5 for 16 taken by Sean Abbott In that game, the Strikers did brilliantly to defend a low score against the Sixers having been invited to bat first, but they were unable to provide a repeat dose. As a result, their final’s hopes hang by a thread. The two teams meet again at Adelaide Oval on Friday - another vital clash but, this time, the Hurricanes’ position looks rather stronger.

HURRICANES BELIEVE IN CHRISTIAN With Shaun Tait injured and Hamish Kingston dropped, Hurricanes’ bowling attack had a rather different look. There were three seam options - the excellent Stuart Broad, Simon Milenko, making his first appearance of the season, and Christian, who was yet to bowl in the competition.

Regular spinners Clive Rose and Cameron Boyce were joined by debutant Beau Webster. Tim Paine opted to bowl first, but on a flat pitch and with one square boundary of around 54m, the Hurricanes were up against it.

B ro a d s e t t h e t o n e brilliantly and returned for three more fine overs, all in separate spells, but Christian immediately tied Strikers down. His two Powerplay overs cost three, then two, with the second picking up the wicket of Jono Dean. He returned in the 13th to dismiss Travis Head - courtesy a fine catch from Broad at long-on then was entrusted with the final over.

Two had fallen in the penultimate over, bowled

by Broad, and Christian dismissed key man Brad Hodge, then Ben Laughlin next ball, and Liam O’Connor to end

Head, who had been dropped on five, was out immediately after a big straight six, but Hodge batted through until the final over, smiting cleanly over the leg side.

With Kieron Pollard struggling again and a long tail, five wickets fell in the final two overs, and 143 never looked enough.

Daniel Christian celebrates one of his 5 wickets.

the innings.

The story of Christian’s success, which included 16 dots in 24 balls, were the variations in pace and length, trying slow bouncers to swift yorkers and much in-between.

Of Hurricanes’ bowlers only Milenko disappointed, conceding 50, but he picked up the vital wickets of openers Ben Dunk, whose fine form continued with a quick 31, and Jake Weatherald.

Brad Hodge’s 55 was not enough for Strikers as Daniel Christian ran through the batsmen at the other end.

HODGE’S LONE HAND

Manchester City beat Burnley 2-1 TEN-MAN Manchester City moved up to third as they withstood a spirited Burnley fightback in front of a relieved Etihad Stadium.

Fernandinho was dismissed towards the end of an even first half for a two-footed challenge on Johan Gudmundsson.

But the hosts improved after the break as Gael Clichy squeezed home a shot before Sergio Aguero, on as a substitute, fired home from a tight angle.

Ben Mee smashed home via the underside of the bar shortly after but Burnley could not force a leveller despite a fine chance for Andre Gray late on.

Beginning the day 10

points behind leaders Chelsea, anything less than victory would have prompted some to begin reading the last rites on City’s title challenge.

As it is, Pep Guardiola’s side will look at the league table with renewed optimism as they closed to within two points of second-place Liverpool with one and possibly both of Chelsea and Tottenham to drop points when they face each other tomorrow.

Fernandinho’s red card was his second in the Premier League this season, triggering a four-match ban.

However, Fernandinho’s dismissal meant they had to fight harder than they might

have expected for victory.

The City captain took some of the ball as he contested a 50:50 ball in midfield, but his reckless scissor-action style meant that referee Lee Mason’s decision to show red could be easily justified.

It is not the first time City’s discipline has hindered their title ambitions.

Including Sergio Aguero’s retrospective red against West Ham, they have been shown seven red cards in Guardiola’s 30 games in charge.

Fernandinho’s third red card in six games for City means he will be banned for four matches and not available again until February 5.

The Strikers’ bowlers could not bail their batsmen out this time. The swift loss of the top three threw away a fine start and it was left to Travis Head and Brad Hodge to rebuild.

STRIKERS’ PAINE IS NOT SHORT D’Arcy Short looks quite a find for Hurricanes.

He enjoyed a dream debut in the win over Sixers, before a couple of quiet games. He was in outrageous form here, standing tall, swinging hard and watching the ball fly, putting on 105 with the team captain Paine.

Short took Michael Neser’s first over (the 11th) for

three huge sixes - the third of which went out of the ground to bring up the 100 - and 15 from Chris Jordan’s third.

Paine was happy to play the role of amused onlooker, plodding along in Short’s slipstream and targeting the spin of Head and O’Connor.

Eventuall , who was outstanding again (bowling 16 dots), and the only bowler to trouble Short, had him caught behind by Dunk, the man he replaced at Hurricanes, and Paine was bowled by Head, but not before he passed Chris Lynn as the Fortunately for them, George Bailey and Kumar Sangakkara picked up the baton to see Hurricanes over the line with the Sri Lankan finding some form in the process.

LIVERPOOL HELD BY SUNDERLAND See Page 25

Serena

engaged

The newly engaged tennis champion is showing off some new bling on her ring finger — as well as a huge smile!

Serena Williams, 35, is showing off her new engagement ring while celebrating the New Year in Auckland, New Zealand.

Serena flashed the ring while boarding a helicopter.

Instead of a big, flashy diamond, the ring appeared to be a platinum or white gold band. Simple and classic!

Serena is a world champion tennis player, so perhaps the low-key ring is a way for her to practice while wearing the ring! It’s not recommended to wear a traditional engagement ring while working out.

Or maybe she is secretly married!

Serena and Alexis Ohanian, 33, the co-founder of Reddit, told the world they were engaged on December 28 in the form of a poem on Reddit. Serena wrote: “I came home // a little late // someone had packed a bag for me // and a carriage awaited // destination: Rome // to escort me to my very own “charming” // back to where our stars first collided // and now it was full circle // at the same table we first met by chance // this time he made it not by chance // but by choice // down on one knee // he said four words // and I said yes.” So sweet!

GRFU shortlists team for Hong Kong Sevens THE Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) has shortlisted an 18-man squad to begin training to represent Guyana at Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, April 7-9, 2017.

Australia-based Kevin McKenzie leads the list alongside the United States-based Rupert Giles and Vallon Adams and the Trini Posse of Richard Staglon, Peabo Hamilton, Claudius Butts and Ronald Mayers.

On the local end, Rondell McArthur, Dwayne Schroeder, Patrick King, Ryan Gonsalves, Blaise Bayley, Rickford Cummings, Avery Corbin, Lancelot Adonis Osaie McKenzie, Jamal Angus, Kevin McKenzie and Godfrey

Broomes have also been named.

According to a release from the body, the GRFU has selected the strongest possible 18-man squad for training under the watchful eyes of Shane Grant as coach, Barrington Brown as the physiotherapist and Robin Roberts as manager.

The Green Machine’s spot in the tournament was sealed after winning the final of the Rugby Americas North (RAN) sevens Championship last year in Trinidad.

The team will train every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 16:30hrs, on Saturday from 15:30hrs and on Sunday from 09:00am in the National Park.

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FLASHBACK! Team Guyana collecting the RAN Sevens trophy last year TUESDAY, JANUARY 3 , 2017