Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 04 01 2017

Lands set aside for 23 Mabaruma solar farm Page

Positive move No. 104783

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 4, 2017

Price: $80

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–– President says Cabinet changes prudent, timely

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Water recedes after flash floods

…but more rains predicted

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A section of Albouystown, Georgetown that was under water following Tuesday’s heavy rainfall (Samuel Maughn photo)

Two held for Friendship double murder Page 10

Driver nabbed with 30 cases of smuggled 23 whiskey Page

Prison warden charged with 9 murder of wife Page

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday January 4, 2017

Water quickly recedes after flash floods

HOURS of persistent rainfall with high winds throughout the city and neighbouring communities resulted in flooding in some areas on Tuesday, but the floodwaters quickly receded.

Albouystown, Charlestown, La Penitence, East, North and South Ruimveldt were among the flood-prone communities affected. Andre Quallis of Middle Road La Penitence, told the Guyana Chronicle that he had to safeguard his household articles after the floodwaters started entering his house.

“I am coping the best way I know. It is not the president’s fault, because he can’t stop the rain from falling, but we all know Georgetown is sinking so the slightest rain would cause a flooding,” Quallis said.

When this newspaper visited James and Hunter Streets, Albouystown, the flood- waters had covered the thoroughfares and sections of other streets, but many of the yards and houses were not flooded compared to the last flood that occurred two days before Christmas.

Andre Quallis Assistant City Engineer Kenson Boston, who is responsible for drainage and irrigation, told the Guyana Chronicle that all systems are in place to ensure the floodwaters quickly recede off the land as the city gears up for more wet days.

At the time of the interview (15:00h), all of the 10 sluice doors under the purview of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council, were opened. It was noted that during the high tide, the doors will be closed and the 11 pumps currently being

operated by the Council will be switched on.

“We would have visited Albouystown, Charlestown, the whole of Plantation Ruimveldt and behind Lamaha Springs – most of the low-lying areas…the situation has improved compared to the 23rd December, because the tide is now on our side, so the water is receding faster,” the Assistant City Engineer explained.

He said while the Council, with the use of the sluices and pumps, is managing to drain the water off the land at a faster rate, there is much concern about the rainy days ahead.

“We are expecting some more rainfall, so we are asking members of the public to just bear with us,” Boston said, while reiterating that the Council is working expeditiously to drain the water off of the land.

To better the situation, Boston said, residents should desist from littering and the indiscriminate dumping of waste.

“We are appealing to residents to dispose of their garbage properly, because that is one of our main problems,” he said, while explaining that the plastics, papers, bottles and other obstacles that are normally thrown in the canals very often result in blockag-

es, affecting even the sluices and pumps.

In addition to the indiscriminate dumping of garbage, Boston noted too that some persons are in the habit of building concrete structures across drains,thereby obstructing the free flow of water.

The City Engineer Colvern Venture explained that during the Christmas season, three pumps were

four electrically operated; however, the Agriculture Ministry and the Ministry of Public Infrastructure have loaned the Council two additional pumps that have been placed at Sussex Street, and the sluice at Muneshwer.

He said prior to the heavy downpour which was coupled with extreme high tides resulting in severe flooding on December 23, the pump at Lamaha Street had encoun-

paired; however, the Princes Street pump started to experience similar problems.

“However, we were able to complete all of the work on Old Year’s Day, so we broke the new year with all the pumps in operation,” Venture said.

The cost to repair the pumps, the City Engineer, noted was in the millions.

“The cost of the hydraulic oil is very expensive, so every

A partially flooded Hunter Street in Albouystown (Photos by Samuel Maughn) down for short periods because debris had come into contact with critical parts of the pumps.

He further explained that the City Council manages 10 sluices and nine pumps, five mechanically operated and

tered technical problems.

“When we took the pump foot out, there was a wood stuck in the impeller, so it restricted the impeller from actually propelling. We got it fixed the same day (December 23), but it went down the very next day because it was leaking hydraulic oil,” Venture further explained.

The Riverview pump, which was also experiencing technical problems on December 23 because debris had gotten into contact with the propeller, was also re-

time a pump goes down because of contact with debris and garbage in the canal, it is costing us a great lot of money to repair the pumps,” he noted.

According to him, approximately 95 per cent of the pumps operated by the City Council experience technical problems as a result of debris.

According to the Hydromet Department, light to moderate showers are expected within the next couple of days.

Positive move

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday January 4, 2017

–– President says Cabinet changes prudent, timely

PRESIDENT David Granger has deemed the “shifting” of ministerial portfolios of the Ministers of Public Health, Social Cohesion and Social Protection as a “positive move” and one that is “prudent and timely” at this time of the year.

The changes, which were first reported by the Guyana Chronicle, shows Dr George Norton assuming the role of Minister of Social Cohesion, the Public Health ministerial portfolio being assumed by Volda Lawrence and Government Chief Whip, Amna Ally shifting to head the Ministry of Social Protection. These changes became effective on Tuesday, January 03, 2017.

Speaking on the reshuffle on Tuesday, the President said that as head of the government, it is his responsibility to continuously assess the ability of the Cabinet in order to fulfill its function. He said that he found it necessary to assess the manner in which the three government ministers have been performing, noting that the move was undertaken to ensure the government continues to deliver on the quality of public service to the populace.

He reminded that at the beginning of 2016, Minister of Public Telecommunications, Catherine Hughes and Minister of Natural Resourc-

es, Raphael Trotman were appointed to their current portfolios.

Dr Norton has been at the centre of several public criticisms while heading the Public Health Ministry in 2016.

“As you know during 2016 there were some criticisms and I felt that the criticisms were detracting from the performance of the Cabinet as a whole,” the Head of State said. He said he believes it is prudent and timely to make the changes at the beginning of 2017.

“It’s a positive move because as you know some criticism has been made about the quality of national unity and social cohesion in Guyana,” President Granger said.

He noted that Dr Norton joined the APNU as leader of the Guyana Organisation of Indigenous Peoples (GOIP), adding that he has wide knowledge of the hinterland. He explained that cohesion has a spatial dimension and Dr Norton has an advantage in his knowledge of the hinterland, noting that the government has always championed closing the gap between the interior locations and the coastland.

The President said that he is happy that Dr Norton has agreed to serve as Minister of Social Cohesion, while noting that Lawrence has brought managerial skills to

Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence

Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr George Norton

Minister of Social Protection, Amna Ally

the Public Health Ministry and as such she is ideally suited to carry out the functions of her new portfolio.

He also pointed to the experience of the three ministers in the National Assembly as he spoke of Ally’s position as Government Chief Whip.

President Granger expressed confidence that she will supplement the work carried out

by Minister Lawrence.

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 also 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.

essary to remove Norton from the Ministry of Public Health where he served as the senior minister since the APNU+AFC coalition Government took office because he believes that he 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.

Dr. Norton is an ophthalmologist by profession and

NECESSARY SHIFT Meanwhile, a senior administration official had disclosed to this newspaper on Sunday that the President deemed it nec-

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 had served as his party’s shadow minister of health.

Over the past six months, Dr. Norton had been in the hot seat with several allegations being levelled against him; chief among them being what had 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 had 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 Larry Singh. Singh is closely associated with the People’s National Congress (PNC), a major political party within the APNU faction of the Government.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday,January 4, 2017

Republicans drop ethics move after uproar

Republicans have ditched a plan to gut the independent body that investigates political misconduct after a backlash.

The lawmakers’ surprise vote to strip the Office of Congressional Ethics of its independence prompted public uproar and a dressing down from Donald Trump.

“Focus on tax reform, healthcare and so many other things of far greater importance!” the president-elect said.

The secretive move, which overshadowed the first day of the 115th Congress, was reversed in an emergency meeting.

The ethics committee was set up in 2008 following a slew of scandals that resulted in several House lawmakers being jailed.

Mr Trump made cleaning

up corruption in Washington a key theme of his campaign, and he ended his tweet with “#DTS”, an acronym for “drain the swamp”.

Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan had argued unsuccessfully against the rule change, which was adopted on Monday night in a closed-door meeting, but he defended the proposal on Tuesday.

Donald Trump’s tweets have teeth. The president-elect took to social media to express his displeasure with the move and within hours those legislative efforts were abandoned.

The independent ethics investigators had been a source of discomfort for members of Congress on both sides of the aisle, and there was significant interest

in limiting their ability to conduct inquiries. Even after Mr Trump’s tweets, many congressional Republicans appeared reluctant to back down. House Speaker Paul Ryan, an initial opponent of the measure, issued a statement defending the change.

That ended up being little comfort to the party rank and file, however, as pressure increased for them to bend to Mr Trump’s political will.

In his first confrontation with congressional leadership, the president-elect displayed his dominance. Mr Trump now has a valuable talking point when discussions inevitably turn back to his own ethical questions, such as how he will handle potential conflicts of interest involving his sprawling business empire.

He has made it a bit easier, at least for now, to claim he’s standing behind

his drain-the-Washingtonswamp campaign rhetoric. “I want to make clear that this House will hold its members to the highest ethical standards and the Office will continue to operate independently to provide public accountability to Congress,” he said.

Democrats, led by Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, lambasted the Republicans.

“Republicans claim they want to ‘drain the swamp’, but the night before the new Congress gets sworn in, the House GOP has eliminated the only independent ethics oversight of their actions,” she said.

“Evidently, ethics are the first casualty of the new Republican Congress.”

As the news spread, internet searches for “who is my representative” rocketed, according to Google Trends.

House Republicans called an emergency meeting and abruptly voted to undo the change.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham took a shot at his party colleagues’ decision to neuter the ethics watchdog, telling Fox News radio it was “the dumbest fricking thing I’ve ever heard”.

Under the change: ?The watchdog would have no longer been independent ?Lawmakers would have voted to determine if a fellow member of Congress had broken the law ?The body would have been prevented from receiving anonymous tips ?Accusations against lawmakers would not have been made public, as they are currently Mr Ryan - who was re-elected by fellow lawmakers on Tuesday as House Speaker - had urged his party to seek bipartisan support and to wait to push for the change later. But Virginia

Congressman Bob Goodlatte went ahead anyway and submitted the proposal. The Republican tweeted an oped he wrote arguing that the rule change would strengthen the ethics watchdog. But he faced scathing criticism on social media. “That simply isn’t true,” one Twitter user replied. “Your disingenuousness is jaw-dropping. Shame on you.”

Another posted: “You, sir, are a LIAR. Why did you meet in secret in the middle of the night?”

“You are a traitor to the Constitution you swore to uphold,” yet another tweeted. Mr Trump’s remarks about the ethics committee came on a busy morning for the president-elect’s Twitter account. He also warned North Korea about its nuclear ambitions, attacked Obamacare costs and sparked a row with General Motors over its manufacturing operation in Mexico, which the car firm disputes. (BBC)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, January 4, 2017

ACP Secretary General has dire Chutney singer Anand Yankarran dies warning for member states in 2017 The Secretary General of the African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of countries, Dr. Patrick I. Gomes is urging member states to move towards ratifying the World Trade Organization (WTO) 2013 Trade Facilitation Agreement.

The Guyanese-born diplomat said that there must be “more concerted actions

by ACP member states” to ratify the accord for which the ACP Group as a critical global force had exerted its influence in the G90 (Group of Developing Countries) to secure a treaty that reduces cross-border customs regulations and transaction costs.

“The ACP Group will continue to play the role of champion, advocate and reliable ally of the Global South in ensuring an enduring commitment to the development dimension of the world trade system,” he said, adding that linked to strides made in trade negotiation capacity building by the ACP Secretariat “efforts in 2017 are being centred on the design of an ACP-wide Investment regime to be developed in collaboration with the United Nations Conference on Trade & Development (UNCTAD).

Gomes said that at the UNCTAD XIV Summit in Kenya last July, the ACP and UNCTAD agreed on broad principles for regulatory and incentive systems to address cross-border and downstream investments on

natural resource and commodity enterprises such as cocoa, cotton, kava, cashew nuts as well as minerals, oil, gas and petroleum by-products. “Moreover, in collaboration with UNCTAD, the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and FAO, the ACP has proposed a comprehensive approach to “harnessing the blue economy”. This will address marine resource development, research and innovation studies on fisheries, sea-bed mining, coastal area conservation and development, artisanal and aquaculture programmes.”

Gomes said that 2017 “will be undoubtedly marked by meagre economic recovery, growing political uncertainty, complex realignments at the international level and continuing regional conflicts, we will redouble efforts to strengthen our initiatives to assist our member states to implement the UN’s Agenda 2030 and the SDGs and vigorously pursue alliances of the like-minded to safeguard multilateral institutions for the good of all humanity.

“In this regard, 2017 will be a year for consolidation, standing firm on South-south solidarity and strengthening the core values and mutual interests between and among ACP societies as efforts are intensified for the structural transformation and diversification of ACP economies,” Gomes said, adding that the achievements of 2016

Jamaican pastor charged with rape A 64-year-old Moravian pastor is expected to appear in court next week after he was charged with statutory rape following allegations that he had sex with a 15-year-old girl last month.

Police said that the incident is alleged to have occurred on December 28. Police said the long-standing minister of the Moravian church was found in a “compromising

position” after a police patrol in the deep-rural community of Austin in Myersville, south east St Elizabeth, came upon a parked car in a secluded area. Media reports last week quoted investigators as saying that they were following further leads as a result of allegations that the pastor may have been involved in similar behaviour previously.

(CMC)

provide a strong platform on which to aim for reasonable success during this year and beyond. In his New Year message to the 79-member grouping, Gomes said that sound progress had been made last year with the contentious ACP-EU economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs).

He said that while the accord enables implementation measures for these WTO-compatible, preferential trade and investment accords to start reaping some, if even limited, “those ACP countries with full or interim agreements, that have not been ratified should do so as soon as possible and ensure their tariff schedules are prepared to take effect in 2017”.

Caribbean countries signed the EPA with Europe in 2008.

In his statement, Gomes said that the gains made in the last year were particularly valuable in advancing commitments made by the ACP Group to the 2015 Paris Agreement and 2016 Marrakech Declaration on climate change. “The ACP is proud of the ratification and implementation of the 2015 Paris Agreement by so many ACP member states. Their submissions of nationally determined targets for adaptation and mitigation of climate impact on food security, protecting forests and oceans, ensuring sustainable management of extractive sectors and enabling our ACP agro-processing enterprises to move up and into Global Value Chains (GVCs) and derive improved incomes, skills development and decent jobs, especially among women and youth.”(CMC)

Tributes poured in on Monday as the news of the death local Chutney singer, Anand Yankarran was announced. Yankarran, 51, was hailed by many as an icon in the local music industry.

According to his wife, Vidya, Yankarran passed away at the Couva District Health Facility around 6.45am yesterday after suffering from a heart attack. In an interview with the T&T Guardian yesterday, Vidya said Yankarran was in good spirits minutes before his death. Yankarran had suffered from kidney failure for a number of years and was on dialysis.

“We woke and I tested his blood pressure and sugar (levels) and all the readings were good,” she said. “We went back to lie down and a little while after he started to gasp for breath. I called the ambulance and tried to resuscitate him myself, but when they took him to the hospital he had passed away.”

Vidya said she and Yankarran, who were together for the past 17 years, enjoyed themselves with friends on Sunday as they celebrated the start of the New Year.

The two met at a Mother’s Day concert in the US in 2000. Of their romance, she said: “It just happened… I had known about his work before and when we met things just fell into place.”

They married and lived together in the US for 14 years before returning to Trinidad.

Yankarran enjoyed a vibrant music career while in the US and also performed

dustry. He likened Yankarran’s musical contributions to that of the “Father” of Chutney music Sundar Popo, who died in 2000 after ailing with heart problems and kidney failure. “He made an invaluable contribution to the local music industry and we are all deeply saddened by his death,” Singh said.

Anand Yankarran

in Martinique, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Suriname, Jamaica, England and Canada. The couple settled in Exchange Development, Couva, on their return, and Yankarran would record and release his last Chutney hit ‘Pak Pak’ in 2013 and perform in the 2014 Chutney Soca Monarch. Vidya said Yankarran had no plans to return to the stage as he retired at age 50.

She described Yankarran as a very kind, loving person. “He was soft-hearted loved to help people; anything he could do for someone in need made him so happy.” In an interview yesterday, Chutney Soca Monarch (CSM) producer, George Singh said Yankarran’s death is a devastating blow to the local music in-

ANAND’S LEGACY Anand Yankarran shot to the spotlight in the local Chutney arena in 1989 when he recorded a jingle for the Stag beer called “Zindabad Trinibago.”

He would later record the jingle on his first album ‘Victory.’ The album also included his breakaway Chutney hit ‘Nanda Baba’ in 1989. His other hits included Jo Jo and Ranga Dal. His last Chutney release was ‘Pak Pak’ in 2013. Yankarran came from a musical family, as his father was the late legendary Indian Classical singer, Isaac Yankarran.

His brother, Rakesh Yankarran is also a renowned local Chutney singer. He was awarded the Chaconia Medal (Silver) for long and meritorious service to Trinidad and Tobago in 1991. (Trinidad Guardian)

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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

Optimism must trump pessimism

IT is not uncharacteristic among us to have a feeling of hopelessness or resignation about self and country sometimes. Admittedly, persons can expound on the reason(s) for same, and even as such thinking generates public discourse, solutions have to be found.

In addressing this aspect of everyday life for the average Guyanese, given the various challenges -personal and societal -- it is hoped this conversation can spark honest and frank discussions among the people and their leaders on the way forward.

As we seek to pursue this course of action, the finger-pointing good/bad binary and simplistic analyses of reality, local and external, that have come to characterise too many of our public discourses have to be discarded. None can deny a people stuck in the era of a past when stories, conjured or real, are used to promote pessimism that such thinking contributes to stagnation and stymies growth and development. Optimism breeds prosperity and is the fuel for the future. Most societies where the masses are optimistic tend to progress. Conversely, in societies where the masses are pessimistic, such tend to breathe chaos and confusion which could lead to moral, financial and social destruction.

People who are pessimists don’t hold in high regard themselves, family or society. Their outlook of life is usually one that fosters thinking and actions that could lead to violence, prejudice and discrimination. Selfish motivation takes away from the unit as a whole. When the masses think from a selfish perspective, they live in the moment and for the moment, hindering progress, which contributes to stagnation where one generation does not surpass the other.

In optimistic societies, successive generations benefit and are likely to be better off than previous ones.

Parents and adults are less caught up in themselves and their survival. They are more focused on the future of their children and coming generations, given the presence of opportunities for growth and development in their time. In this environment, planning for future generations is informed by the belief in, or hope for something.

The adage if you don’t stand for something you will fall for anything remains relevant. Optimistic people tend to be faithful to principles of success, happiness, and are more compassionate and caring about others.

When people love themselves, they tend to be more considerate, hopeful for others’ well-being and success, and build up others. Pessimists are the exact opposite.

As a society, it is imperative to arrive at a place where optimism becomes the norm. The sense of wellness is

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday,January 4, 2017

Ramkarran responds to Ruel Johnson Dear Sir, I AM sure that Ruel Johnson’s argument that under the National Trust Act, Red House is the property of the National Trust, will receive due attention in the court case which is going on in connection with the revocation of the lease of the Red House property. (“Ramkarran, others ignore role of National Trust Act in Red House fiasco” 2/1/17). I am also sure that the Attorney General’s Chambers are grateful to him for bringing it to their attention. It did not feature in their statement.

Among the issues that will no doubt be drawn to the attention of the court would be the law which provides that

the title of a transport holder, the Government in this case, is indefeasible and whether that title can be automatically extinguished by any law, including the National Trust Act. It may well be that an Order transferring ownership of the property to the National Trust is required to perfect the National Trust’s title and that until such time, the property remains in the transported owner. I can see other legal arguments surrounding the issue that make Mr. Johnson’s claim that the National Trust is the owner of Red House, not as straightforward as it might appear to be on the surface.

I merely see the questions, but I don’t know the answers to them, because I have not studied them. I am not involved in the legal case

as counsel or witness. In my article I dealt with possession of the property by the CHRC up to about 4 pm on December 29, which I know to be a fact, and my objection to the unlawful invasion of the property thereafter by persons with insignias of ‘MOTP’ and the unlawful destruction of CJRC’s property. I outlined the essential background to the issue.

Whatever the merits of Mr. Johnson’s arguments, there can no longer be any role in Guyana for the unlawful, physical and threatening seizure of property by the State or any other person. Guyana has cowered for too long a period where the rule of law was merely a phrase without any meaning. The lease is

valid until the court says otherwise, whatever may be the circumstances of, or omissions in, its granting or its terms and conditions, not when the President, the Attorney General’s Chambers or Mr. Johnson says otherwise. That is what the rule of law means. It does not mean that one person’s alleged wrong entitles the person affected to commit an equally egregious wrong on the excuse that he or she is correcting the alleged wrong. I know Mr. Johnson well enough to know that, however fierce his arguments and sharp his opinions, he supports the rule of law.

Regards Ralph Ramkarran

Red House should be for all presidents

Dear Editor,

I WISH to state from the outset that I have always tried to be a fair, impartial commentator and a patriot to my country. I do not function with emotionalism or political drive. This is a hallmark of my life and I wish to continue being a person of impartiality and peace.

I believe this entire Red House fiasco will have serious repercussions for Guyana. As a nation which has surpassed 50 years of independence, whose past has had many instances of racial division and political adversity, this fiasco is not needed as we move forward. I think that the modus operandi of the Government and certain actions of the Opposition were both misguided and could have been avoided.

I think that the Govern-

ment is viewing this incident as a problem which instead can be solved by a simple solution. However, I believe that this fiasco will ignite more racial disunity and tension between the supporters of the coalition Government and those of the PPP/C Opposition. I am of the opinion that most Guyanese become racially inclined only during periods of elections when political parties campaign for votes. This Red House affair is likely to have a similar effect, especially on the developing minds of our youth population; it will bring pain, suppression and fear in their minds.

I would like to give my opinion on a few details surrounding this issue. Please note the following: 1) There is currently a lease that exists and the coalition Government is attempting to recapture the

aided when people have faith and believe in their leadership, are self-motivated, and take initiatives to make their homes and families better. They in turn can instill in their children and community how to be motivated, which can have ripple effects throughout the wider society.

Top-down leadership works only if there is faith in the leader and where this is absent, efforts at achieving progress become problematic. Where there is no belief or faith in the proverbial captain, there will be mutiny which manifests itself in anarchy, withdrawal, and disconnect. When people don’t care, they go through the humdrum routine of life.

In our society there exist historical cleavages which have been used to stoke pessimism through the fostering of alienation and non-involvement, justifying discrimination, and creating opportunities for the mismanagement of the nation’s resources. This has hamstrung the spirit of opti-

building from the former PPP/C Government, which had occupied and used the compound for its work. This is a fact, but it seems to be a case of emotionalism on the part of the Government and for some, it appears to be political hate with an intent to break the morale of the Opposition’s supporters.

The termination of the lease should be instructed by the Court, which interprets the laws of Guyana.

2) I think that the termination of this lease -- if given the signal by the Court -- will motivate supporters of the PPP/C Opposition to do everything in their power to break down the coalition Government. It was my wish for this present Government to bring development and a way forward for all Guyanese; that they would attempt to make strides with social cohesion and political unity

with the Opposition. The Universal Peace Federation Guyana Chapter in a threepronged plan in 2016, had striven to bring the opposition and government into a common place where all of our races, religions and cultures could have been celebrated and honoured.

Although programmes and activities were held, we are aware that more is needed in 2017. I believe the Red House fiasco was an opportunity presented to the Government to show their maturity in politics. What have we learned over the past 50 years?

3) Red House has a significant connection to the PPP, as it was the first residence of their leader, the late Cheddi Jagan when he became the Premier. It is believed by some that the Government of the day wishTurn to page 7

mism which comes from a unified belief in country that the institutions of state -- particularly the constitution, laws and government -- will work for each and every one.

The ingrained principles that the institutions of state offer every citizen the best opportunity, will create the belief that we can be the best at anything we do . This means that efforts must not only be made to know and make known what these principles are, but also assurance given that they will be activated even-handedly.

Progress comes through healthy competition and vision comes through a dream of understanding what the people desire, or feels the people and society can be. This is applicable both on the domestic and international fronts.

2017 must therefore see us as a people more optimistic about our future and committed to working hand in hand in building this nation that belongs to us.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, January 4, 2017

Cabinet grants ‘no objections’ to several contracts …security, infrastructural, health contracts

Cabinet at its meeting on Friday, December 30, 2016 granted its ‘no objection’ to contracts within various Ministries and Government agencies in the areas of infrastructural development, security and public health. Below are the various contracts.

Red House should... es to embarrass the Jagan legacy. This is an opinion of more than 50% of Guyanese, inclusive of Government supporters.

4) A lesson for all of us is documented in Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait on 2nd August, 1990. According to the UN’s website, “On 2 August 1990, Iraq invaded and occupied Kuwait. On the same day, the Security Council adopted its resolution 660 (1990), condemning the invasion and demanding Iraq’s immediate and unconditional withdrawal of its forces to the positions they had occupied the previous day. A few days later, the Council instituted mandatory arms and economic sanctions against Iraq. After Iraq was given a deadline to withdraw and it had passed, attacks from the armed forces were launched on Iraq. Eventually, a resolution was passed and Iraq was forced to leave

after accepting the ceasefire.

The Government in Guyana had approached the Red House management team with a proposal to have the compound established into a facility to accommodate all former Presidents and their work. I believe that the PPP/C should have “bit the bullet” and waited to see what could have developed from it.

With this, Jagan’s legacy would have been saved.

I think that the Opposition should have bit the bullet, and therefore avoid any conflict. Just as Saddam Hussein was stubborn in not withdrawing from Kuwait and had refused the order to move Iraq’s troops out of Kuwait, saving his country resources, grief and shame, similarly, if the PPP/C had accepted the deal to host all former Presidents in the compound, there would have been no conflict between

From page 7

the parties and it could have functioned as a unifying factor in enforcing communication and intra-respect.

I think that the Red House should have become a landmark of recognition and a place of study of all of our former Presidents. As a lover of peace and harmony, I still think that a positive result can occur, once our leaders listen to the cries of the people. To our Excellencies, President David Arthur Granger and Former President and Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, let us find a way to cooperate and maintain the peace and love we have obtained. Let us strive to turn this fiasco into a future,towards which all of us can be proud to work .

Regards Hajji Roshan Khan National Chairman – UPF Guyana.

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Cabinet shifts

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday January 4, 2017

––Prudent adjustments for better delivery of services

THE announcement by President David Granger yesterday, confirming the changes in Cabinet portfolios for three ministers as first reported by this publication, may have taken many by surprise.

This was perhaps given that His Excellency gave no indication that it was forthcoming and in September last year had indicated that he was not anticipating any Cabinet adjustments. It ought not to have been however. The confirmation came against the background of similar Cabinet adjustments made at the start of 2016.

Further, speaking yesterday, His Excellency articulated that it is a ‘normal activity’ of his as Head of Government, “to continuously assess the ability of Cabinet to fulfil its functions.” While when he spoke a few months ago President Granger may not have envisioned the need for adjustments, it must be his prerogative as Head of State to review the various sectors, particularly expansive sectors such as Public Health and Social Protection and make a determination as to whether changes may be required to improve and optimise service delivery to the people of Guyana.

What this also assures the public of is a responsive government which is not inflexible to the needs (and views) of the people and which listens. This particular advancement under the Coalition Government may yet take some time for the citizenry to get used to, as for many years they were presided over by a government which appeared intransigent, unresponsive and unsympathetic.

“During 2016 there were some criticisms and I felt the criticisms were detracting from the performance of the Cabinet as a whole and as a result I thought it prudent and timely to make the changes at the beginning of 2017,” President Granger noted in his television presentation yesterday, stopping short of explaining, that making the announcement at the start of the year also allows the newly appointed ministers to have a full budgetary cycle to work with rather than a partial arrangement.

STEADY AND JUDICIOUS LEADERSHIP This is indicative of a steady and judicious hand and head leading Cabinet and the nation as a whole.

President Granger has demonstrated a penchant for prudent and thoughtful decision-making. Even in the face of public uproar and criticism of the government and of himself, he has not fallen prey to knee-jerkism and has eschewed volatile and impetuous responses and

decisions made to placate public anxieties rather than advance the national cause.

NEW POLITICAL CULTURE This illustrates a new political culture, a refreshing trait of executive political leadership. Considered and considerate decision-making is the new standard in executive national leadership and it is steadily being cemented as the abiding hallmark of the Granger presidency.

VICTORY FOR WOMEN What has not yet come into focus, however, is that two women have been further elevated within Cabinet and Guyana. Minister Lawrence takes over an even larger sector of Public Health than Social Protection which she has managed since May 2015. Minister Amna Ally replaces Minister Lawrence at Social Protection.

The unintended and perhaps unwitting benefit of these ‘shifts’ are major gains for the women of Guyana.

These two senior women ministers along with their colleague senior minister Cathy Hughes who heads the Public Telecommunications Ministry together will manage $40.4BILLION of Guyana’s $250B 2017 budget. That represents just under 1/5 of the total national budget allocation.

Add to this the housing portfolio which is led by Minister Valerie Patterson and the responsibilities of ministers Dr. Karen Cummings, Nicolette Henry, Valerie Garrido-Lowe, Simona Broomes, Annette Ferguson and Dawn Hastings-Williams, all women ministers managing about 40% of the national budget. This is unprecedented in Guyana’s political history and represents a red letter day and a victory for women in Guyana.

NEUTRAL FACE FOR SOCIAL COHESION To her credit, Minister Amna Ally was relentless and typically effervescent and pro-active in executing the Social Cohesion mandate. However, there is the view that this role might, at least in the initial stages, best be served by someone who is not from either of the two major ethnic groups which have traditionally been most combative in the political sphere. In this regard a more neutral face, an Amerindian face, a face from among our original and first peoples is likely to be an advantage.

President Granger addressed this issue from a slight-

Continuous rainfall for next 4 days – Hydromet office

THE Weather Watch Center of the Ministry of Agriculture has predicted continuous rain for the next four days as an upper level trough and the sub-tropical jet affects Guyana.

Weather conditions are likely to deteriorate as the Jet entrance migrates over Guyana from time to time.

A special bulletin from the Ministry noted that as the Hydrometeorological Ser-

vice has been forecasting for the last 4 days, all Regions are likely to experience cloudy to overcast skies.

Regions 1 to 6 can expect these conditions to be accompanied by predominantly light to moderate continuous rain and showers; however downpours may become heavy at times.

Precipitation is expected to be less intense over all other locations. Twenty-four

hours accumulated rainfall amounts are expected to be between 40 mm and 80 mm on Wednesday and Friday and in excess of 100 mm is likely on Thursday. The highest rainfall is expected to occur over Regions 2 to 5.

Possible effects of Weather: recent and forecasted weather conditions coupled with the high tides, may cause water accumulation/flooding in poorly drained, low lying and riverine areas.

ly different angle when he noted that Dr. George Norton may assume this portfolio with an inherent advantage.

“Dr. Norton first joined our partnership as the leader of the Guyanese Organisation of Indigenous Peoples (GOIP) and he has deep knowledge of the hinterland. When we look at Social Cohesion we’re not just speaking of Africans and Indians, we’re not just speaking of the ethnic problem or the religious problem, we also have to look at the spatial dimension and I felt that he had an advantage in his knowledge of the hinterland because our administration has always spoken about closing the gap between coastland and hinterland and I believe he is ideally suited to that.”

NON-MEDICAL PUBLIC HEALTH LEADER In speaking to the issue of the advantage of having a non-medical professional and a strong administrator leading the delivery of health care, President Granger summed up that many of the challenges facing the sector were not technical medical issues, but rather managerial matters which needed strengthening.

Unconventional and controversial though Minister Lawrence may be from time to time, a weak manager she certainly is not. Her handson approach, attention to detail, robust and thorough coordination and a strong emphasis on listening and being responsive to people will be assets the Ministry of Public Health will benefit from straight away. All in all, though His Excellency may wish to determine whether he will pursue Cabinet changes, adjustments or shifts at the start of each new year, it is certainly an option which he will reserve and one which can be utilised if necessary to improve the delivery of public services and advance the drive towards the good life for all Guyanese.

All city pumps, sluices up and working

IN the light of predictions of more rains and flash flooding across Georgetown, the Mayor and City Council has assured citizens that all of its hydro-flow pumps are operable and functioning.

Additionally, all sluices and pumps are working at optimum capacity, the council said in a release. In addition, to help with overtopping in several local communities, the City Engineer’s Department has deployed technical teams to clear channels and waterways in different sections.

The Council continues to do its best with its limited resources to ensure the integrity of the drainage system. Town Clerk

Royston King said that maintenance of the city’s drainage system is a priority and accounts for 70% of the engineer’s budgeted allocation.

Also, the Council is urging citizens to help by not disposing of waste in canals and other water- ways. “Once citizens observe good environmental health practices and stewardship, the sums expended on maintenance works could be reduced by 15%”, said Town Clerk King.

Council said it is grateful for the support it has been receiving from the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Ministry of Agriculture and other agencies.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday January 4, 2017

Manickchand concedes PPP’s non-appointment of SCs ‘unjustifiable’

PEOPLE’S Progressive Party Member of Parliament, Priya Manickchand, has conceded that the PPP’s failure to appoint any Senior Counsel after the death of former President Cheddi Jagan was “unjustifiable.”

In a post on her personal page on facebook, the social networking site on which Manickchand has been very active, the former controversial PPP minister wrote that “The appointment of deserving members of the Bar (as Senior Counsel) after an unjustifiably long period where

no such appointments (sic) were made…(was) reckless and politically flavoured.”

President David Granger recently announced that nine members of the local Bar will be elevated to Senior Counsel, commonly referred to as “attaining silk.” It is the first time since 1996 that Senior Counsel appointments have been made.

The nine new Senior Counsel announced by President Granger are: Neil Boston, Charles Fung-a-Fat, Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire, Llewelyn John, Rafiq

PPP MP, Priya Manickchand

Khan, Vidyanand Persaud, Rosalie Robertson, Claudette Singh and Attorney General Basil Williams.

Manickchand’s belated concession that the PPP failing to appoint Senior Counsel for 19 years, and not having done so under any of the four PPP presidents since the death of the party’s founder- leader, Dr. Jagan, appears unusual.

Ms. Manickchand’s concession may also lead to tension within the PPP, as it appears to be a direct condemnation on the non-appointment of senior counsel by her party’s

leader and former president Bharrat Jagdeo who is now Leader of the Opposition.

Manickchand shares the frontbench in Parliament on the opposition side with Mr. Jagdeo, sitting six seats away from him. PPP opposition MPs have been observed rigidly following party lines, most notably in collectively walking out of the National Assembly on several occasions since the commencement of the 11th Parliament.

In the lengthy post on the issue, Manickchand, also an attorney-at-law,

went on to question why the Director of Public Prosecutions, Shalimar Ali-Hack and Josephine Whitehead, “a long-standing member of the Bar and the soul of Legal Aid in Guyana for at least the last 20 years” were not included on the list announced by President Granger to be elevated to Senior Counsel. Manickchand noted that in her view, Ali-Hack and Whitehead were “sidelined” and labelled the appointment of the new batch of Senior Counsel as a “wet blanket.”

Prison warden charged with murder of wife

THIRTY- YEAR-OLD Sheldon Prince appeared at the New Amsterdam Magistrates Court on Tuesday, January 3, 2017, charged

Sheldon Prince at the New Amsterdam Magistrate Court

with the murder of his wife, Lonnette Nicholson-Prince.

He appeared before Magistrate Marissa Mittelholzer and was represented by Attorney at law Mursuline Bacchus.

Prince, of lot 40 Stanleytown, New Amsterdam, Berbice, was attached to the Mazaruni Prison as a prison warden.

He was not required to plead to the charge, which alleged that on December 28, 2016, he stabbed his wife to death at her workplace,the New Amsterdam Psychiatric Hospital. He was remanded to prison until February 15, 2017. A post-mortem on Nicholson-Prince’s body revealed that she died of shock and haemorrhage due to multiple stab wounds to the heart and other parts of the body.

According to reports, on the day in question, Lonnette had just arrived at work at the National Psychiatric Hospital

and escaped.

His pants, with splattered blood stains, was found some distance away under the Canje Bridge. The 30-yearold later turned himself in

when 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

GTT reduces cost of Gold and Silver Internet plans EFFECTIVE January 1, 2017, GTT is offering significant reductions in the cost of the company’s residential Internet service rates for its Gold and Silver customers, the company announced on Tuesday.

Gold has been reduced by 36 percent to $9,599, while the Silver is down 16 percent to $8,399. This is part of GTT’s commitment of continuing to offer its Internet service customers significantly more value on its plans, even as the company focuses on pushing faster and more reliable broadband services into homes and businesses.

These higher tiers enable our users to stream, surf and download faster at speeds

up to 10 megabites per second, GTT said.

According to the company,the Bronze service, ideal for casual surfing such as the use of email services, is up now to $5,999. The company guarantees that these prices will remain unchanged when the new Value Added Tax (VAT) regime comes into effect.

“We are committed to bringing more affordable internet to our customers and excited to continue to bridge Guyana’s digital divide. This is just the first in a number of exciting changes that GTT will be offering its customers in 2017, with significant speed and service quality upgrades on the horizon,” the company stated.

at the Central Police Station in the company of Attorney Mursaline Bacchus. Lonnet and the suspect had been married for five years and have a four-year-old daugh-

ter ; 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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Two held for Friendship double murder

POLICE are working on new leads obtained from the two men in custody for the New Year’s Day shooting to death of a poultry vendor and his friend.

Poultry vendor, Desmond Singh called “Fix Up” was one of two persons who was riddled with bullets around 19:00 hrs on New Year’s Day at Humphrey’s Street, Friendship, East Bank Demerara (EBD). The incident is being described as a planned hit.

Singh, 34, of Lot A-1 Orange Walk, Bourda, and his friend 24-year-old Azrudeen Hussain, of Little Biaboo, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara (ECD) were shot just as they were heading to the main road to get a minibus, after leaving a gamecock gambling spot.

Police confirmed that the suspects were picked up in North Ruimveldt, Georgetown

after the police, acting on information swooped down on the location.

was shot once to the neck, died on the way to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation

Dead: Desmond Singh

Dead: Azrudeen Hussain

Investigators said that the 34-year-old man, who goes by the alias “Fix-up,” was shot 15 times about the body with high-powered rifles. He died at the scene while his friend, who

(GPHC).

Police said based on investigations the armed perpetrators concealed their faces with handkerchiefs.

The fact that nothing was

taken from the victims is one of the reasons that the police have ruled out robbery as the motive.

According to one source, Singh who is a frequent visitor at the gamecock gambling spot, won a few bets on roosters earlier in the day at another location and later in the day went to the Friendship spot to continue the game. It was at the latter spot that he lost the money he won earlier in the day. Reports disclosed that after losing his money, Singh borrowed $100,000 from someone there and lost that money in bets too.

It was after losing that Singh and Hussain left to go home when they were attacked by the gunmen, who were hiding in the bushes nearby. Police believe that the 34-year-old man was the gunmen’s target and his friend just happened to be there at the wrong time.

More than 10,000 units of blood collected in 2016 THE National Blood Transfusion Service collected the country’s target of over 10,000 units of blood for the year 2016.

During a recent press conference, Minister within the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Karen Cummings, said that the mission of the blood bank is to recruit an adequate number of safe, voluntary non- remunerated blood donors and to maintain an adequate buffer stock to respond to all blood transfusion needs of all hospitals in Guyana.

As such, she indicated that in the year 2015 the blood bank had collected 9,656 units of blood and the total collected up to November 2016 was 9,566. The year 2016 had a favourable start with a total of 2,018 in the first two months in comparison to a slower start in 2015 with a total of 1,756 for the two months.

Thus, in an effort to improve the blood-banking process, the unit took measures to reintroduce the Hospital Transfusion Committee at each of the regional and pri-

vate hospitals. The basic transfusion guidelines were shared with the various facilities and each was encouraged to establish and upkeep a functioning committee.

“Action has been taken to review all the standard operating procedures, safety and quality manual and all controlled documents used in the blood bank. Currently, the blood bank follows the Caribbean Regional Standards for Blood Banks and Transfusion Services. The system also covers product identification and traceability, storage, distribution and transportation.

“We also actively partake in external quality assessments on a regular basis to constantly validate our competency, skill and accuracy.

There has also been technical support via the Argentina Government through the South –South Cooperation,” said Dr. Cummings.

The Pan-American Health Organisation (PAHO) facilitated an online Immunoheamatology course which covered pertinent topics such as quality management, anti-

bodies identification, transfusion practices, and blood group systems. Four persons participated- two from the Blood Bank and two from the Georgetown Hospital Lab Compatibility Department.

In an attempt to determine the national blood needs, steps have been taken to collect and analyse statistical data from the regional and private hospitals in relation to blood requests and actual blood transfusions, along with diagnoses of patients and blood types.

Meanwhile, the blood bank along with its four regional branches have been reaching out and sending invitation letters to various organisations, business entities and institutions, inviting them to host blood drives. In 2016, the National Blood Transfusion Service had conducted approximately 93 blood drives across the country with numerous organisations, institutions and business entities. The blood bank has also participated in several health fairs where

there were successful blood donations and collection. The department has expanded its target population which now includes schools,the military, faith-based organisations and Non-Governmental Organisations among other target groups and has also increased sensitisation and awareness.

Another major challenge is the absence of a Blood Donor Organiser/Recruiter at the Blood Bank. This is a critical position which needs to be filled urgently. “There needs to be specialised attention to donor recruitment and organising blood drives. The lack of a Donor Organiser has been a tremendous setback for the blood bank,” said the minister.

Nevertheless, this year they hope to improve training in both the quality and technical aspects of blood banking and see to more sensitisation sessions being conducted across the country, in an effort to educate the population on the benefits of blood donation and erase any stigma attached to donating blood.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday January 4, 2017

City Hall preparing to unveil budget

THE Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown are getting ready to present their annual Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure to the citizenry of Georgetown by the end of January, 2017, Town Clerk Royston King has said.

The estimates were fully discussed by the finance committee, and full council, where senior officers presented their budgets and programmes of work for their respective departments and Sections, for 2017, King said in a statement.

The budget was finalised and approved by the full Council and signed by the City Treasurer Mr. Ron Mc Calmon. According to King, Finance Chairman, Councillor Oscar Clarke will present the budget to citizens at a special session as stipulated in the Municipal and District Councils Act, Chapter 28:01 section 155(2), which states that: “Copies of the estimates approved by the Council shall be submitted to the minister and copies shall be opened for public inspection.”

At the budget presentation, stakeholders including the private sector, Government and Non-Governmental Organisations, religious, social community leaders and citizens will be invited to participate in the session.

Council’s budget for 2017, contemplates the following: 1. Regulatory reform: The introduction and implementation of new by-laws and upgrading of old ones.

2. Infrastructural reform 3. Substantial improvement in environmental and public health services, to local communities.

4. Capacity-building to improve required competencies of staff and to upgrade Council’s technological capabilities, to improve service delivery.

5. Good corporate governance and financial Management.

6. Green urban development.

Also, Council would be working with local communities to promote the concept of Green Communities, which includes: the implementation of an integrated Solid Waste Management Strategy in the city of Georgetown, King disclosed.

Bandit holds toddler at knife point … allegedly rapes mom A LONE bandit invaded an East Canje home on Monday night and held a two-year-old boy at knife point, while he raped the mother. The incident occurred at approximately 23:00h.

The Guyana Chronicle understands that the victim was asleep with her son when she was awoken by a man dressed in a dark jersey, green pants and a dark coloured toque. His face was partially concealed with a pair of black stockings belonging to the victim.

He was armed with a knife, which he placed at the neck of the boy, as he sexually assaulted the woman.

The 21-year-old mother raised an alarm and observed that the intruder removed a condom from his penis and threw it on the floor.

After he escaped, the victim discovered that the padlock was missing from the outer grill door. In addition, the bandit had taken away four gold rings, a pair of gold earrings, a silver chain, and a gold band totalling $110,000 which were all kept in a cup on her vanity. He also took away a Samsung cell phone and two laptops.

At the time of the incident, her reputed husband was moonlighting as a taxi driver. He is employed

by Guyana Sugar Corporation.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday January 4, 2017

Deification of premiers and ethnic politics

By Akola Thompson

SINCE the coalition Government announced that the Red House lease was invalid, I have been observing not only the blatant misinformation being peddled, particularly by the PPP/C. There was also the Minister of Social Cohesion, Volda Lawrence, engaging in a counter-picket outside the Red House with a band of supporters. However, what is interesting in all this is the ethnic politics egged on by the invocation of our past leaders and the dangers associated with this.

While the Red House controversy is not particularly a racial issue, it has invariably become that, given Cheddi Jagan’s popularity amongst Indo-Guyanese as being a saviour and the belief that the PNC, popular amongst Afro-Guyanese, in any form or fashion is the aggressor, given Linden Forbes Burnham’s often cited ‘dictatorial’ rule.

There is a cult of personality that surrounds our premier leaders, Jagan and Burnham,

that has and continues to fuel their sycophantic deification.

While this is seemingly more prevalent on the side of the PPP/C, the PNC, now part of the coalition government, is not without fault. If anything, I believe the PNC to be a bit more insidious with their ethnic politics. I remember shortly before the 2015 elections were held, myself and a group of other young people had met up with several leaders of the coalition to discuss among several other things, strategy, with regard to the areas being tackled. There we saw how leaders and supporters of certain ethnicities were shot down as candidates to go into certain villages, because it might not fare well for the coalition. On one hand, I could to a certain degree understand the rationale used, but this certainly did not make it any less wrong or justifiable. While several of us voiced our disapproval, the plan of course still went through, because that is just the way politics seems to work, particularly when we are trying to cuddle and milk the racial tensions

within our country.

This popularity amongst both leaders by their followers and successors have created within our psyches the faulty desire to place a ridiculous amount of faith into the leaders we see representing our long-revered, but extremely flawed premiers, Jagan and Burnham; because deification of course seeps down into the deification of successors as is seen in the case of Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo and President David Granger.

When one considers that there is nothing particular about several of the forerunners of the PPP/C and the PNC now part of the coalition government, we will realise the depth of it. They have vested interests in protecting -- while simultaneously deterring-- threats to the status quo and their hegemony. In this society, we have those who think it is their divine right to rule, given their ethnicity and position in the party that birthed their political careers, continuing the long tradition of their leaders by exploiting the realities of

the racial composition of the electorate.

We cannot, if we hope to become a progressive society, continue allowing leaders to paint predecessors

and themselves as deities without flaws, faults and bouts of corruption and set themselves upon an altar free of criticism. We must at some point begin to hold our

leaders to a higher degree of accountability, not only for their actions, but for the messages they spread and refuse to spread amongst the populace.

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Public Health Advisory for Rainy Season

IN light of the increased rainfall and the possibility of flooding in coastal and outlying areas, the Ministry of Public Health is advising that special attention be placed on your health, personal hygiene, vector control, food and water safety and general sanitation.

The ministry advises: That if you are living in flood-prone areas and there is any flooding, stay out of the water as much as possible, as it can greatly reduce your chances of contracting diseases such as skin infections, Leptospirosis, Diarrhoea and other water-borne diseases. Direct contact with floodwaters can expose you to several

germs that can lead to any of these diseases. Keep children out of the water as they are most at risk of contracting diseases. Avoid swimming in flooded canals and trenches. During the rainy season and floods, these become contaminated and can make you sick.

If you must venture into any area with floodwaters, use protective gear such as long boots, gloves and eye protection. Prepare a foot bath of ½ cup of bleach to one bucket of water and wash your feet before entering the house. Apply Vaseline or oil to your skin as it forms a barrier and provides some protection from the dirty water.

During rainfall, you may

notice an increase in mosquitoes. Protect yourself and family against mosquitoes by sleeping under mosquito nets, use mosquito repellents and coils. Ensure that all water stored around your homes in containers is covered to reduce the breeding of mosquitoes. Remember, the mosquito that spreads Zika, Dengue and Chikungunya virus breeds in fresh, still water (especially rain water) around your home.

Use safe water for drinking, cooking, brushing your teeth, making ice and beverages. Safe water is water that is treated with chlorine bleach (add 1/2 teaspoon to 5 gallon buckets of water, cover and let the water

stand for 30 minutes before using ); water boiled for at least 5 minutes, cool and store in covered containers or sealed bottled water.

Keep food supplies away from contact with any floodwater. Floodwater can contaminate food supplies including dry groceries, vegetables, fruits, cooked foods and beverages. Discard all foods that have been in contact with floodwaters safely by placing in a plastic bag and depositing in covered bins.

Wash all fruits and vegetables with treated safe water and peel before eating.

Remember to keep all food items and drinking water in covered containers Cook food thoroughly

Dr. Shamdeo Persaud Chief Medical Officer and consume cooked meals within two hours of preparation. Store all remaining food safely in a refrigerator and reheat thoroughly before consuming.

Wash hands thoroughly with soap and safe water or use hand sanitizers, especially before eating meals, after going to the toilet or latrine, cleaning children or handling animals and contaminated materials.

Use the safe toilets or latrines to defecate and dispose of babies’ diapers in your covered bins. Do not mess or let faeces get into the floodwaters, drains or trenches.

Secure all household waste and other garbage in plastic bags and store in bins until these are properly removed to approved landfill sites. Keep garbage bins

covered to prevent pests such as mosquitoes, flies, rats and roaches from entering. Do not dump garbage in drains, trenches, canals and illegal dumping areas around your community.

Watch out for animals coming into your homes.

Rats, roaches, snakes, centipedes and other pests that have been flooded out of their homes may seek shelter in yours. Keep doors and windows closed or screened to prevent them from entering your homes.

Turn off the main electrical switch and unplug all appliances and move them to safe areas of your homes if your home is under water.

If you suspect electrical wiring has been damaged in your home, turn off the main and have it checked by a qualified person before turning on back the power.

Secure all important equipment, supplies, medicines, clothing and other items in safe spaces in your homes. Place important documents and valuables in plastic and store them in a safe place.

If you or any family member experience any fever, coughing, vomiting, diarrhoea, skin rash, cuts, sticks, bruises or other conditions, please seek medical attention immediately.

The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation and other hospitals outpatient departments in your areas are all fully operational and equipped to provide adequate care.

Teen admits to illegal possession of gun A 16-YEAR-OLD boy from Hell Hill, Matthews Ridge, North West District (NWD) appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on Tuesday and pleaded guilty to the illegal possession of a firearm.

The teen confessed that on January 1, 2017 at Takatu Backdam he had a .38 Taurus revolver in his possession.

“I collet the gun from my brother and I just put the thing in the bush,” the teenager explained. A probation report was ordered by the Chief Magistrate before sentencing the teen and the matter was adjourned until January 16, 2017.

Meanwhile, he was also charged with breaking and entering the home of Townana Amon while being in the company of his brother, Alex Williams and carting off items totaling $130,000.

The teen pleaded not guilty to that charge and was remanded to prison until February 7, where he will appear at the Mathews Ridge Magistrate’s Court. According to reports, the teen was arrested by police and taken to the Mathews Ridge Police station pending an investigation of break and enter with larceny.

During police investigation the teen broke down and disclosed to the ranks that he had a gun. The teen then took the ranks into the Takatu Backdam where he hid the gun in a clump of bushes.

His older brother was charged last week and appeared before the Chief Magistrate and was released on $165,000 bail after he pleaded not guilty to four offences, including break and enter and larceny.

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IDB group closes 2016 with approvals totalling US$11.7 billion in financing THE Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Inter-American Investment Corporation (IIC) approved a total of 241 financing operations for US$11.7 billion during 2016 for projects in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Between the IDB and the IIC, disbursements exceeded $9.6 billion during the year, confirming the IDB Group’s role as the region’s leading source of multilateral financing. Both the approvals and the disbursements were in line with the priorities set by the IDB Group’s 48 member countries, such as ensuring that at least 35% of the new financing goes to the region’s smallest and least developed economies.

This was the first full year of operations of the renewed IIC, which is now in- charge of the IDB Group’s non-sovereign guaranteed operations. During 2016 it approved

a total of 153 deals for US$2.26 billion, of which 100 corresponded to the Trade Facility (US$457 million). Of the larger transactions, 41% went to infrastructure projects, 40% to financial institutions and 19% to corporate financing deals. The IDB-led sovereign guaranteed operations went to state modernisation projects (33%), infrastructure and energy (30%), social programs (24%), climate change (12%) and trade and integration (1%).

During 2016 the IDB Group continued to implement administrative cost controls it had put in place last year, reflecting the austerity policies adopted by many of its member countries. The Inter-American Development Bank is a leading source of long-term financing for economic, social and institutional projects in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Guyanese woman charged with chopping lover in BVI [BVI Platinum News] – A GUYANESE woman was charged by police in connection with the vicious chopping of her boyfriend on Christmas Day, December 25, 2016 at her Purcell Estate apartment, Tortola, British Virgin Islands (BVI) Laverne Browne was charged with wounding on December 28, 2016.

She was granted police bail in the sum of $US10, 000 and will be arraigned in the Magistrate’s Court shortly. The victim is also a native of Guyana.

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Three aviation inspectors join GCAA

By Zena Henry

LOCAL aviation officials are excited about what they say is a 300 percent improvement in the Guy-

ana Civil Aviation Authority’s (GCAA) operational capacity with the addition of three Aviation Security Inspectors. This post within the GCAA’s

Aviation and Security and Facilitation Department, is said to be very important when considering the Authority’s responsibility to quality control.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday January 4, 2017

From left: Aviation Security Manager. Abraham Doris, Tishana Narine, Simeon Taylor, Cameba Bayley and Director-General Captain Egbert Fields Director-General of the GCAA, Captain Egbert Fields, was proud to introduce the three new team members after stressing the importance of their duties. He told the Guyana Chronicle that the inspectors will “help to build a robust oversight security system,” before describing this major upgrade as a “300 percent improvement in the operational capacity of the organisation.”

Manager of Aviation Security, Abraham Doris, told the newspaper that for the past 10 years, there had been one person at the GCAA providing oversight functions to a fairly large industry. Inspectors ensure that all stakeholders; airlines; airports, cargo, international and domestic flights, airport security services among others, conform to the measures and policies that guide the sector.

With just one inspector at the time, Doris said that the department was strained and overwhelmed, while the security oversight system was at a great disadvantage.

He said that the ability for oversight was greatly diminished, explaining for example, that scheduled audits were not being met. He said that if a target audit was set for the year, these were not being completed. Doris pointed out therefore that “the lack of ability to police the aviation system means that stakeholders are more lax in their implementation of security control.”

As a member of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and having signed on to many international charters and conventions, some of which speak to terrorism and other aviation crimes, the GCAA is directly responsible for protecting flight passengers and assets through quality control.

The Aviation and Security and Facilitation Department in the quality-control process conducts audits, inspections and security assessments. Doris said the department is required to conduct physical checks of security systems of all

stakeholders. He noted too that the department may also bear some responsibility in investigating accidents or incidents occurring in the industry. This, Doris explained, would be to ascertain whether a break in aviation policies occurred or whether a weakness in the system existed. Doris highlighted that his department is an instrumental in the area of security policy development, since it also helps to formulate aviation regulations and policies.

The new Aviation Security Inspectors were in training for one year. They were involved in five inhouse courses, aviation safety and online courses. They also spent two weeks doing classroom training in Trinidad and Tobago’s National Inspectors Course. The inspectors were also attached to the Piarco International Airport in that twin-island nation for first-hand experience. Doris said this solidified the training and allowed the new inspectors their current designation.

One of the inspectors, Tishana Narine, was also afforded the opportunity to attend an ICAO-led course in Turkey, “Introduction to aviation security management.” She expressed delight at being able to represent Guyana at the course and to serve in the areas learnt. Cameba Bayley and Simeon Taylor are the other two successful inspectors.

Guyana’s operational capacity stood at 57.14 percent, but an ICAO assessment completed just over a month ago, showed that capacity has risen to 74.36percent within a matter of months. Guyana’s current ICAO overall rating is now 64.66 percent, a major jump from the 44.24 percentage score held since 2007.

The Director-General is adamant about the Authority’s capacity to police the entire industry.

Oil discovery, increased gold production, investment opportunities and improvement to the country’s largest airport are some factors in the growing aviation activity.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday January 4, 2017

Fewer malaria cases last year

THERE had been a notable decrease in the number of recorded cases of malaria last year.

This disclosure was made

by Head of the Vector Control Unit, Dr. Horace Cox during a telephone interview with the Guyana Chronicle on Tuesday. He indicated that the 2016 figure is still preliminary and the Unit is in the process of compiling a final report.

Former Minister of Public Health, Dr. George Norton

cus in the fight against the Anopheles mosquitoes, ranging from vector control interventions to diagnosis and treatment. Fighting Malaria in Guyana continued in 2016 with the training of healthcare workers in malaria case management. 79 persons from Regions One (Barima-Waini), Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) and Eight (Potaro siparuni) were trained and training is ongoing in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), while 22 health workers were trained from

Aedes Aegypti mosquito had said at a recent press conference that, “in 2016 some 9415 new cases of Malaria were recorded across the ten administrative regions, with Region One (Barima-Waini) recording the largest number of cases.”

However, among the notable achievements under the Malaria sub-programme were the reduction in the number of recorded Malaria cases from 13, 245 in 2015 to 11, 149 in 2016, the launching and monitoring of the Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) pilot project for miners, as well as the recognition of health workers involved directly in malaria case management both centrally and regionally.

The Malaria sub-programme had a targeted fo-

the remaining regions of Guyana.

Meanwhile, routine distribution of long-lasting insecticide nets at public health facilities in the malaria endemic regions continued as well.

In 2016, there was increased public awareness of Malaria, which saw measures such as the designing and erecting of billboards in Regions seven and nine, designing and printing pocket guides on the use of the malaria rapid tests, printing and distribution of colouring books on malaria prevention and control for school-aged children in the malaria endemic regions, said Norton.

Additionally, there was surveillance for the Aedes

Jilted man accused of setting girlfriend on fire A 42-YEAR-OLD Tiger Creek miner was remanded to prison on Tuesday by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan for causing grievous bodily harm to his girlfriend.

Roy English was not required to plead to the indictable charge, which alleged that on December 31, 2016 at 3 Mile Junction, Tumatumari Potaro River he unlawfully and maliciously inflicted grievous bodily harm to Yvonne Richmond.

According to police prosecutor, Deniro Jones the accused and Richmond lived together and shared a relationship. However on the day in question, English became annoyed when the woman tried to end the relationship.

English allegedly drenched his girlfriend with gasoline and set her on fire. She was

Roy English rushed to the hospital. The prosecutor disclosed that the victim suffered from second-degree burns to her right eye and foot and asked for the accused to be remanded.

Bail was refused and he was remanded until January 13, when he will appear at the Mahdia Magistrate’s Court.

Aegypti larva and other species of mosquitoes breeding, which transmit dengue and yellow fever and also malaria.

The main diseases spread

by Aedes mosquitoes in Guyana include Dengue fever, Chikungunya and Zika. The circulation of Aedes-borne illnesses has been all along the coastal regions of Guyana

and therefore all efforts are geared towards these specified geographical areas.

In 2016, Norton confirmed that there were 842 cases of Dengue fever, 35 lab confirmed cases of Zika and 135 cases of Chikungunya. The first case of Zika was diagnosed in January, 2016 and lab confirmed cases show distribution in most

of the ten administrative regions with greater incidence along the coastal regions of Guyana. Zika became a budding endemic but, quick action by the Ministry resulted in the prevalence of the disease being reduced.

“There were a host of activities which target improved health awareness of Zika and other vector borne dis-

eases. These include television and radio interviews, press conferences, press releases, newspaper publications, flyers, posters and text blasts.

The plan is to resuscitate these activities in order to provide a sustained and reliable source of information on Zika-related,” said Dr. Norton.

Inquest ordered into killing of former cop

22

THE Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has advised that an inquest be held into the fatal shooting of former cop, Ryan Vaux, of Lot 80 Norton Street, Wortmanville, which occurred at Sparendaam Public Road, East Coast

Demerara on May, 9, 2016.

The police in a statement Tuesday noted that this was as a result of an investigation conducted by the Office of Professional Responsibility.

Vaux, called “Gaza”, 36, a former member of the Tactical Services Unit of the

Guyana Police Force, was shot while driving away from armed police ranks outside the Sparendaam Police Station.

The former cop turned taxi driver was shot dead by the police, after he allegedly pointed a gun at ranks and

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday January 4, 2017

tried to escape after he was arrested for an alleged robbery committed on a Cummings Lodge resident the same day he was killed.

He collapsed from the gunshot wound and crashed his Toyota Spacio into a trench about 800 metres east

Ryan Vaux called ‘Gaza’

of the police station. The police had stated that on the day in question, ranks of a mobile police patrol along Broad Street, Montrose, East Coast Demerara, saw a man running behind a motor vehicle bearing registration PSS 6835 and shouting that he had been robbed of a sum of money by persons in the vehicle.

The police said that the ranks subsequently intercepted the motor vehicle with the driver and another man inside. In the passenger ’s possession was $21,000.

According to the police, the passenger along with the robbery victim who was identified as Deryck Persaud, 46, of Cummings Lodge, was placed into the police vehicle, while a police rank entered Vaux’s vehicle and they were taken to the Sparendaam Police Station.

There Deryck Persaud informed the police that he had been robbed by the two men who were armed with a handgun and a knife.

He told the police that he was walking along the

road when the car pulled up alongside him and the passenger got out and confronted him with a “Rambo” knife.

Persaud said that the man demanded his money and he initially resisted. He claimed that the driver of the car who apparently got angry by his reluctance to hand over his money, got out and pointed a gun at him, forcing him to hand over $25,000.

Persaud said that shortly after, he saw a police mobile patrol and he informed the ranks that he was just robbed by two men in the car that was speeding away. The police gave chase and caught up with the vehicle and took the men to the station.

Reports further disclosed that at the station, the police decided to carry out a search of the car that was parked on the roadway. Two armed ranks stood guard, while a detective effected the search in Vaux’s presence.

The police said that as this was being done, Vaux suddenly bent down into the driver’s side of the car and pulled out a gun, which he pointed at one of the armed ranks. The police subsequently ordered him to drop the weapon but he refused and drove away instead.

The ranks then discharged rounds from their rifles at Vaux, but he managed to drive out of their sight. The police later drove in the direction in which Vaux had driven and found the car in the trench that separates Vryheid’s Lust and Better Hope. It turned out that the weapon Vaux had brandished was a pellet handgun. It was found in the crashed car.

Labourer charged with armed robbery A 24-YEAR-OLD Lethem labourer was remanded to prison by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on two charges of armed robbery.

Richard Khan of Culvert City, Lethem, Region 9 appeared at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday and pleaded not guilty to the charges, one of which alleged that on December 20, 2016 at Saint Ignatius Village, while he was in the company of others armed with a knife, robbed Christian McDonald of a baby bag along with several items totaling $15,100.

It is also alleged that on the said day and location, Khan while being accompanied by others, armed with a knife robbed Allen Peters of $5,000 cash and a 4-piece roast chicken valued $1,200.

Police Prosecutor Deniro Jones strongly objected to Khan being released on bail, noting that a knife was used in the commission of the crime. Bail was refused and he was remanded until March 7, 2017, when he is scheduled to appear at the Lethem Magistrate’s Court.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday January 4, 2017

Lands set aside for Mabaruma solar farm –– residents upbeat

By Alva Solomon

AS GOVERNMENT prepares to construct Guyana’s first solar farm at Mabaruma in the North West District this year, four acres of land have been identified for the ambitious 400-megawatt project.

In December, Finance Minister Winston Jordan had announced during his 2017 budget presentation that, when operational, the solar farm would afford an additional 17 hours of electricity to the 3,000 residents of Mabaruma.

Regional Executive Officer (REO) of Region One, Leslie Wilburg, told the Guyana Chronicle on Tuesday that the $264M project’s location has been identified. He said the four acres of land for the project has been set aside in an area known as the “Khan Hills.” He added that the terrain of the area was one of the factors tied to the location’s selection.

According to reports from Region One, the current power station at Mabaruma will also be relocated to the site when the solar project moves on stream. Over the past several months, solar power has been gaining the attention of the business community at Mabaruma . At the moment, telecommunications giant Digicel

operates two photovoltaic power stations (another term for solar farm) in the Mabaruma sub-region. Two antennas operated by the company at the Barabina Hill community and at Hosororo Hill are fully solar-powered.

Mabaruma residents told this publication on Tuesday that the project will provide a major relief to consumers as many anticipate it will lead to the electricity grid being operational 24/7. At the moment, households in the area receive electricity at two intervals daily, from 1700hrs to 2200hrs and in the mornings from 05:00hrs until 08:00hrs, except on some holidays.

The Government Information Agency (GINA) reported that consultations on the project have been held with investors, power companies, energy agencies and firms along with other key stakeholders. Before its implementation, additional consultations will be held with residents of Region One. In December, Minister Jordan had also announced that investors and other persons involved in direct importation of items for energy efficiency, as well as those investing in water-treatment plants and other facilities can benefit from tax exemptions.

Plans are also on the cards to build an 800-kilowatt so-

Driver nabbed with 30 cases of smuggled whiskey THE Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) is currently investigating the smuggling of more than 30 cases of Brazilian-made Blackstone whiskey by a driver attached to the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs.

GRA Commissioner-General, Godfrey Statia, confirmed on Tuesday that the revenue body is making a case against the driver who is reportedly off the job as a result of the incident.

The incident occurred several weeks ago in the lead-up to the holiday season. The vehicle, a government Toyota Hilux pick-up bearing licence plate, PTT 1451 was stopped at the routine checkpoint at the Kurupukari Crossing on the Essequibo River by GRA officers. The vehicle is currently at the Mabura check-point along the Linden/Lethem trail where customs also has a base.

The driver was heading to Georgetown at the time of the incident, when customs officers inspected the vehicle and unearthed some 37 cases of the alcoholic beverage.

Statia told the Guyana Chronicle on Tuesday that the vehicle is still in the custody of

the GRA and it will be returned to the government ministry when investigations into the incident are completed.

The Commissioner-General also informed the Chronicle that in the Lethem area, there exists an economic zone and certain transactions which do not attract relevant duties and taxes would see the goods purchased remaining in that zone.

As such, any movement of goods outside the area would require the consumer to pay the requisite fees.

Over the years, government vehicles have generally received a free pass by police and customs at checkpoints across the country. A number of cases have occurred in recent years in which persons would import large quantities of liquor without paying the relevant taxes.

In December, Statia noted that the GRA has been paying keen attention to smuggling, which siphons off billions of dollars in revenues,annually. He said that there is a huge smuggling racket involving alcohol and cigarettes, which is causing the Guyana government to lose an estimated $2B in taxes, annually.

lar system at Lethem, 400 kilowatts at Mahdia, and 1.5 megawatts at Bartica.

Over the past months, several businesses across the country have been adopting the use of solar power at their places of business. These include the Berbice-based rice and telecommunications

entity, Nand Persaud and Company Limited; the Eureka Medical Laboratory and more recently, the Demerara Bank Limited, which unveiled its fully solar-powered system at the bank’s Camp Street headquarters.

Since assuming office, the government has been

pursuing a “green state” agenda. In his New Year message several days ago, President David Granger noted that solar energy systems will be installed in more public buildings and in hinterland communities across the country, as the authorities continue

to convert the country to renewable energy use. The development of renewable sources of electricity generation including bio-mass, hydro-, solar- and wind-power will provide employment for thousands of skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled persons, the President said.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday January 4, 2017

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday January 4, 2017

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday,January 4, 2017

New dates set for conclusion of Fruta’s U-19 League

NEW dates have been confirmed for the completion of the inaugural Fruta Conquerors FC Academy U-19 League which had to be postponed last month due to the persistent heavy rains.

The 12-team League concluded the Preliminary Group competition where Georgetown Football

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Club (GFC) and Santos FC played unbeaten to finish as Group A’s number one and two teams respectively. Group B was topped by the hosts, Conquerors FC, whose only loss was to the second-placed team Uitvlugt Warriors who also ended unbeaten.

The new date for the much

awaited semi-finals is January 20, with the final and third-place playoff set for two days later at the Tucville Community Centre ground.

The first semi-final is scheduled to kick off at 17:00hrs when GFC tackle Uitvlugt Warriors, followed at 19:00hrs by the Conquerors-Santos clash.

Hurry-up Warner delivers in ...

From back page

probably going to have a dib.

“It’s an honour and privilege to be amongst the greats of the game. It wasn’t something in the back of my mind to go out and score a 100 in a session. It was about going out there with intent and batting positively.”

Warner’s century was his second in consecutive Tests, after 144 in Melbourne last week, when he broke a drought going back to last January against West Indies at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

That Sydney century had taken him 82 balls, a ground record that fell to his quick-fire innings yesterday.

“Hopefully, I can keep continuing that great start and positive approach,” Warner added.

“We have a few Tests in India and then we have the Ashes at home. I’m

looking forward to that challenge and I’m just going to keep riding that wave of form.”

ELDER STATESMAN Now an elder statesman of the side, Warner was also delighted at the form of his opening partner Matt Renshaw, whom he described as looking like “a million dollars” in the middle.

Renshaw came into the side after Australia lost the first two Tests against South Africa in November.

The 20-year-old’s approach to opening is the chalk to Warner’s cheese and it took him 123 more balls to secure his maiden Test century in the final session.

Despite some criticism of his strike rate from former players, Renshaw’s approach to his batting suits Warner just fine.

Cricket history ...

From back page

carried on - that people understand how important it is, whether it’s social, business or political.

If a young student passes through the region and does Physical Education, they’ll understand not just the physical part of it, but the historical and the social context as well,” she said.

Beckford was a member of the panel that looked at the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) syllabus for Physical Education.

“Physical Education is being looked at broadly. For example, at the SBA (School Based Assessment) level, you could jolly well do a cricket project as part of your assessment. It’s just to get it as a subject matter for P.E,” she says.

She adds that CXC already has a responsibility to fostering Caribbean unity.

“Caribbean unity (can already be seen) through CXC, CARICOM, Caribbean exports, and all those organisations that seek to unify the region.

“CXC is from an academic development perspective and cricket is a topical subject. The history is important. It’s not just about pride; it’s about carrying on the legacy of what cricket has done and what it continues to do for the Caribbean.”

Beckford and the WICB have been meeting with CXC in order to make curriculum addition a reality and she says talks between both organisations are still ongoing. (First Published in the Jamaica Star).

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, January 4, 2016

New Zealand complete nervy win over Bangladesh (REUTERS) - New Zealand captain Kane Williamson stroked his sixth international Twenty20 half-century to guide his side to a nervy six-wicket victory over Bangladesh in the first match of their three-game series at McLean Park in Napier yesterday.

Williamson (73 not out) combined with Colin de Grandhomme (41 not out) in an 81-run partnership after the hosts had been teetering

Kane Williamson and Colin de Grandhomme knock glove in Napier.

at 62 for four in the 11th over, chasing a victory target of 142.

Mahmudullah, who failed to fire in the oneday series with scores of 0, 1 and 3, held together the visitors’ below-par innings of 141 for eight, with his third Twenty20 international half-century.

While Williamson and de Grandhomme looked in control of achieving the target as the overs ticked down, they did not really seal it

until they took 17 runs from the 16th over bowled by Soumya Sarkar. de Grandhomme then ended the game with a six over extra cover on the final ball of the 18th over to take New Zealand to 143 for four.

Bangladesh, who have never beaten New Zealand in a Twenty20 match, would be ruing the fact they were probably 30 runs short on a good-paced wicket with short square boundaries.

Lockie Ferguson, mak-

ing his international Twenty20 debut, had taken two wickets in his first two balls but was denied the hat-trick when Mahmudullah clamped down on the 147 kph inswinging yorker.

He eventually fooled the right-hander in the final over with a slower delivery to finish with figures of three for 32.

The two sides now head to Mt Maunganui for the remaining two games on January 6 and 8.

compatriots.

“This is an important moment for Venezuela and I’m very happy to carry my flag.

I want to tell all the children of my country that nothing is impossible, that dreams can become reality.

“It’s been a long journey for me,” he added. “I was in Germany for five years, which improved me as a player and a person... it was a drastic change for a youngster arriving from South America.”

Rincon promised Juve fans “a lot of hard work, because it’s an honour for me to be here and I’ll make myself available for whatever the team needs. I’ll always work hard and try to always win.”

Juventus sign Venezuela captain Rincon (REUTERS)-Juventus have signed Venezuela captain Tomas Rincon from Serie A rivals Genoa, the Italian champions said yesterday, in an attempt to boost their midfield.

Juve paid 8 million euros ($8.3 million) for the 28-year-old defensive midfielder, who has signed a four-year contract with the Turin club.

Rincon played for Bundesliga side Hamburg SV for five years before moving to Italy in 2014 and he has represented his country 81 times, helping them reach the Copa America semi-final in 2011.

Only a handful of Ven-

ezuelan players have established themselves in Europe’s top leagues and Rincon’s move makes him arguably the country’s most successful yet.

Previously, Juan Arango spent five seasons at Borussia Moenchengladbach, where he became known for his free kicks, while Salomon Rondon has become a regular fixture in the English Premier League with West Bromwich Albion.

“For my country, the fact that I have arrived at Juventus is something marvellous,” Rincon told reporters. “Our football is getting better all the time and the fact that a Venezu-

Venezuela captain Tomas Rincon

elan player is at an important club like this one could open more doors for my

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, January 4, 2016

Centurions Warner and Renshaw put Australia in control DAVID Warner created history in destructive fashion and fellow-opener Matt Renshaw hit his first century as Australia dominated against Pakistan on day one of the final Test in Sydney.

Record-breaking Warner blasted his way to a ton before lunch and Renshaw got in on the act in contrasting fashion to lead the Aussies - 2-0 up in the three-match series - to 365-3 at stumps yesterday.

Warner scored 113 runs in a devastating display of batting, with his 100 coming off just 78 deliveries, which saw him become the first player to

bring up a century in the first session of a Test in Australia.

Not to be overshadowed, 20-year-old Renshaw - part of a drastic overhaul to the team heading into the third Test against South Africa in November - produced a performance beyond his tender years for his maiden Test century in his fourth match, ending the day unbeaten on 167 alongside Peter Handscomb (40).

Steve Smith won the toss and the Australia captain had no hesitation sending his team in to bat on a SCG wicket expected to deteriorate throughout the match.

And Warner made the most of the favourable conditions as he put Pakistan to the sword from the outset.

Warner made his intentions known early, hitting 30 off 19 balls and that tally quickly grew to 51 from 41 deliveries inside the opening hour of play.

Renshaw took a back seat at the other end as Warner became the first Australian since Donald Bradman in 1930 to score a century before lunch on day one of a Test.

Warner - who found the boundary 17 times - added 13 runs after lunch before

h i s t h re e - f i g u re l a n d mark after tea, having seen Smith (24) fall victim to Yasir Shah’s turn, and he got better as the sun eventually set on a near-perfect day for Australia.

SCOREBOARD Australia’s opening pair scored centuries as David Warner (left) and Matt Renshaw put the hosts in control versus Pakistan. he edged a Wahab Riaz (2-63) delivery through to Sarfraz Ahmed.

Wa h a b s t r u c k a g a i n in the second session, dismissing Pakistan-born

batsman Usman Khawaja for 13 following a loose shot, but that is as good as it got for the tourists.

Renshaw picked his shots as he brought up

AUSTRALIA 1st innings M. Renshaw not out 167 D. Warner c S. Ahmed b Riaz 113 U. Khawaja c S. Ahmed b Riaz 13 S. Smith c S. Ahmed b Shah 24 P. Handscomb not out 40 Extras: (b-2, lb-1, nb-4, w-1) 8 Total: (for 3 wickets, 88 overs) 365 Fall of wickets: 1-151, 2-203, 3-244.

Bowling: M. Amir 16-1 58-0, I. Khan 17-3-81-0 (nb-2), W. Riaz 19-4-63-2 (nb-2, w-1), Y. Shah 30-2- 32-1, Az. Ali 4-0-16-0, A. Shafiq 2-0-12-0.

Top Indian cricket officials removed for stalling reforms (REUTERS) - Indian cricket board (BCCI) president Anurag Thakur and secretary Ajay Shirke were removed by the country’s top court on Monday for failing to implement administrative reforms within the body.

made by the panel headed by former chief justice R.M. Lodha, which included age and tenure restrictions for top officials, as well as banning them from serving successive terms.

“One should understand that once the order of the

BBCI president Anurag Thakur In July, the court accepted most of the recommendations of a three-member panel it had set up to look into the operations of the world’s richest cricket board following a fixing scandal during the 2013 Indian Premier League Twenty20 competition.

The BCCI rejected a few of the recommendations

Supreme Court, the highest court of the land, has come it has to be obeyed by all ... nobody can escape it,” Lodha told reporters after the verdict.

“Being at the helm of affairs, if they were not able to implement the Supreme Court order, these consequences were bound to follow and

that’s what has happened.

“Administrators come and administrators go but ultimately it’s for the benefit of the game and the game will flourish, I’m very sure.”

A senior vice-president of the board will take over as the interim chief, the court added.

Shirke said he was yet to read the order but was ready to step down.

“If the highest court of the land wants me to leave, I’d leave happily, I have no issues,” he told CNN News18 channel from London.

“We have to see that the BCCI, in its new form, continues to do well, cricket flourishes and India is able to maintain its position in global cricket.”

India consolidated their position as the world’s top-ranked Test team with a 4-0 home series victory against England last month and will host them for three one-dayers and as many Twenty20 Internationals from this month.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, January 4, 2016

SA pacers rip out Sri Lanka for 110 after de Kock century (REUTERS) - Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada claimed four wickets each as South Africa ripped out Sri Lanka for 110 on the second day of the second Test at Newlands yesterday.

South Africa did not enforce the follow-on and were 35 without loss at the close, 317 runs ahead and in a powerful position to claim the victory they need to clinch the series.

Sri Lanka collapsed after going to tea on 56 for two with Rabada making a decisive breakthrough at the start of the final session when he had Dimuth Karunaratne brilliantly caught at point by Temba Bavuma for 24.

A steady procession of wickets followed as captain Angelo Mathews and his deputy Dinesh Chandimal went cheaply after rash shots to Rabada’s persistent pace barrage. The tall seamer had

snared Kaushal Silva before tea and finished with figures of 4-37.

Spinner Keshav Maharaj added the valuable wicket of Dhananjaya de Silva lbw for 16 before Philander mopped up the tail.

He had Rangana Herath trapped in front and Suranga Lakmal caught in the slips, seeing Dean Elgar parry the ball into the air and Hashim Amla take the catch. It was Philander’s 150th Test wicket.

Lahiru Kumara was bowled and Philander dismissed Nuwan Prapeed with the next ball so the fast bowler will start on a hat-trick when Sri Lanka bat again.

Upul Tharanga finished unbeaten on 26.

South Africa were all out before lunch with Quinton de Kock scoring 101 and teenager Kumara claiming six wickets for Sri Lanka in a

career-best performance. de Kock, 68 not out overnight, drove the first ball of the day for four and brought up his century off 122 balls, an instinctive innings full of quality shots.

Kumara, brought in to strengthen the Sri Lanka attack after their defeat in the first Test, claimed a first five-wicket haul in Tests and finished with figures of 6-122.

But it was a long spell in the field for Sri Lanka with South Africa’s tail-enders adding 95 runs after resuming on 297 for six and the toil seemed to have some effect on their lethargic batting performance.

Stephen Cook (15 not out) and Dean Elgar (19 not out) will resume for South Africa today with the home team bidding to wrap up the three-match series after victory in the first Test in Port Elizabeth.

Taylor’s Thunder slump to second defeat S Y D N E Y, A u s t r a l i a (CMC) – There was little joy for West Indies star Stafanie Taylor or her Sydney Thunder side as they slumped to their second loss in three outings in the Women’s Big Bash here yesterday.

Playing at Blacktown International Sportspark, Thunder were restricted to a meagre 115 for eight off their 20 overs and Brisbane Heat – without Taylor’s injured Windies teammate Deandra Dottin – cruised to their target with seven balls remaining, to pull off a comfortable nine-wicket victory.

Despite the loss, the reigning champions remained second in the standings on nine points, just one point adrift of leaders and city rivals, Sydney Sixers.

Heat, meanwhile, moved into fifth spot on eight points, in a tightly bunched top six separated by a mere two points.

Opting to bat first, Thunder struggled from the outset and only captain Alex Blackwell with 43 from 49 balls displayed any real enterprise.

Ta y l o r , w i t h o u t a half-century in the tourna-

SCOREBOARD SOUTH AFRICA 1st innings (o/n 297-6) S. Cook c K. Mendis b Lakmal 0 D. Elgar c K. Mendis b Lakmal 129 H. Amla b Kumara 29 J. Duminy c K. Mendis b Kumara 0 F. du Plessis c Mathews b Herath 38 T. Bavuma c Tharanga b Kumara 10 Q. de Kock c Chandimal b Kumara 101 K. Abbott c Chandimal b Herath 16 V. Philander c Chandimal b Kumara 20 K. Maharaj not out 32 K. Rabada c Chandimal b Kumara 8 Extras: (lb-3, nb-1, w-5) 9 Total: (all out, 116 overs) 392 Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-66, 3-66, 4-142, 5-169, 6-272, 7-303, 8-336, 9-376.

Bowling: S. Lakmal 27- 4 -932, N. Pradeep 15.4-3-46-0, A. Mathews 17-3-41-0 (w-1), L. Kumara 25-1-122-6 (nb-1, w-4), R. Herath 23.2-4-57-2, D. de Silva 8-0-30-0.

Quinton de Kock punches the air after reaching his hundred in Cape Town on the second day. (AFP)

Butler latest to pass 50 points as Chicago Bulls beat Hornets 118-111

(REUTERS) - Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler became the latest player to record a 50-point performance on Monday as the NBA appears headed for a

Houston’s James Harden scored 53 points two days ago, while Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook, Boston’s Isaiah Thomas, Sacramento’s DeMarcus C o u s i n s , Wa s h i n g t o n ’s

Stafanie Taylor ment, struck two fours in nine before becoming the first wicket to fall in the third over.

Blackwell helped put on 32 for the fourth wicket with Nicola Carey (16) to leave Thunder on 80 for three in the 15th over but five wickets tumbled for 31 runs at the end as their challenge fizzled.

In reply, opener Beth Mooney struck an unbeaten 75 from 66 deliveries to energise the Heat run chase.

She put on 63 for the first wicket with Kirby Short (13) and a further 54 in an unbroken second-wicket partnership with Jess Jonassen (20 not out).

Jimmy Butler brings the ball up the court against the Hornets on Monday at the United Centre.

record-breaking season.

Butler scored 52 points as the Bulls beat the Charlotte Hornets 118-111 and became the eighth player this season to achieve more than 50 points in a game, tying the single season record.

John Wall, New Orleans’ Anthony Davis and Golden State’s Klay Thompson have all also achieved what was once a rare feat.

Thompson scored 60 points in just 29 minutes, further showcasing the league’s increasing

SRI LANKA 1st innings D. Karunaratne c Bavuma b Rabada 24 K. Silva b Rabada 11 K. Mendis c Duminy b Maharaj 11 D. de Silva lbw b Maharaj 16 A. Mathews c du Plessis b Rabada 2 D. Chandimal c de Kock b Rabada 4 U. Tharanga not out 26 R. Herath lbw b Philander 1 S. Lakmal c Amla b Philander 0 L. Kumara b Philander 4 N. Pradeep c du Plessis b Philander 0 Extras: (lb-5, nb-1, w-5) 11 Total: (all out, 43 overs) 110 Fall of wickets: 1-31, 2-56, 3-56, 4-60, 5-78, 6-78, 7-100, 8-100, 9-110.

Bowling: V. Philander 12-427-4 (nb-1), K. Abbott 8-3-9-0, K. Rabada 12-2-37- (w-1), K. Maharaj 11-1-32-2.

SOUTH AFRICA 2nd innings S. Cook not out 15 D. Elgar not out 19 Extras: (w-1) 1 Total: (for no loss, 11 overs) 35 Fall of wickets: 0 To bat: H. Amla, J. Duminy, F. du Plessis, T. Bavuma, Q. de Kock, V. Philander, K. Maharaj, K. Abbott, K. Rabada.

Bowling: S. Lakmal 5-1-16-0, N. Pradeep 2-0-5-0, L. Kumara 4-0-14-0 (w-1).

d e p e n d e n c y o n t h re e point shooting and the evolution of individual skill.

NBA scoring leader Westbrook is also threatening to become just the second player to average a triple-double for an entire season.

Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson averaged a triple-double in the 1961-62 season while playing for the Cincinnati Royals.

30

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, January 4, 2016

Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud scores their third goal. (Reuters/Dylan Martinez Livepic)

Giroud earns Arsenal a point at Bournemouth after thrilling comeback after thrilling comeback (REUTERS) - Olivier Giroud’s stoppage-time header earned Arsenal an unlikely 3-3 draw at Bournemouth yesterday after they had trailed 3-0 with 70 minutes

on the clock.

The visitors were outplayed in the first half, going behind to a superb goal by Charlie Daniels after 16 minutes before Callum Wilson

made it 2-0 from the penalty spot shortly after.

There was more urgency about Arsenal in the second half but they found themselves 3-0 down when

Ryan Fraser got away with a shove on Hector Bellerin before cutting in to beat Petr Cech.

The comeback began when Alexis Sanchez headed in from close range and gathered steam when substitute Lucas Perez planted a sweetly-timed left-foot

volley past keeper Artur Boruc.

Bournemouth’s jitters increased when skipper Simon Francis was sent off for a clumsy tackle on Aaron Ramsey after 82 minutes.

Arsenal swarmed all over the tiring hosts in the

closing stages and two minutes into stoppage time Giroud’s glancing header crept inside the post to level it up.

Even then both sides had chances to win an absorbing match but Arsenal had to settle for the point that kept them in fourth place with 41 points.

(REUTERS) - World number two Serena Williams shook off any cobwebs from four months away from tennis with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over France’s Pauline Parmentier in the first round of the Auckland Classic yesterday.

The 35-year-old had not played a competitive match since she lost to Karolina Pliskova in the semi-finals of the U.S. Open last September, withdrawing from all tennis to deal with a persistent shoulder injury.

The American, who had participated in a charity doubles match with sister

Venus against All Blacks siblings Julian and Ardie Savea before the tournament started, was appearing for the first time in Auckland and persistent rain on Monday postponed her first round match until yesterday.

She struggled with the wind and had some rusty moments in the second set when the Frenchwoman broke in the fourth game and held three break points in the sixth.

The top seed was able to overcome them, however, and won the match with her eighth ace.

“It was my first match back in several months and I played a really good player,” Williams said courtside after she wrapped up victory in 75 minutes to set up a second round clash against qualifier Jamie Loeb or Madison Brengle.

“The wind was really getting to me. Every day I have practised here there was no wind but today it was so windy. So it was fun. Actually, it wasn’t fun, it was interesting.”

She conceded she was

feeling rusty and would be selective about her schedule in the new season.

“I don’t see myself playing a full, full schedule. But who knows? I’m going to take it tourney by tourney.”

Injury kept her out of much of the second half in 2016 even though she still triumphed in Wimbledon to equal Steffi Graf’s open era record of 22 grand slam titles and her target this year was to surpass that.

“Unfortunately I have the highest of goals usually, so obviously that involves winning grand slams,” she said.

Another former world number one, Caroline Wozniacki, dropped just one game in a ruthless 6-1, 6-0 dismantling of Nicole Gibbs in their first round match.

“It’s the first match of the year for me so it’s always tough,” Wozniacki said. “(But) today everything was going in, even with the wind I managed to keep control of the ball and the points.

“I was pleased, especially with how I was serving.”

a stronger squad,” Saintfiet said.

Saintfiet, who took over from longtime coach Stephen Hart last month, has made several chances to the national squad as he attempts to right a World Cup qualification final

round campaign that got off to a rocky start. The coach claims he is looking forward to an exchange of ideas.

“The last two or three weeks I have already had a lot of contact with Russell.

Today, when he came to the

hotel we took some time, we came together … and we spoke a little bit about my philosophy, about his ideas and about our way to work together. I am very happy that Russell is here,” he said. (Sportsmax.com)

Cyrus denies arriving at Serena shakes off rust to advance in Auckland camp smelling of alcohol PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – Defender Daniel Cyrus has pushed back against claims from Trinidad and Tobago head coach Tom Saintfiet, that he turned up to national camp last Sunday smelling of alcohol.

The 26-year-old was one of the three players axed from the initial 20-man squad, with Jomal Williams and Joevin Jones also sidelined.

Saintfiet told media here last Sunday Cyrus and Williams had turned up one-and-a-half hours late with “a decent smell of alcohol around them.”

“Both were immediately sent home, back to party,” the Belgian said.

However, Cyrus argued that Saintfiet had been wrong in his assertion as he did not drink alcohol, and also explained he had been late in arriving at the camp because of a flat tyre.

The W Connection player said he had attempted to explain this to Saintfiet but

his efforts had proved futile.

“I went to him and he asked me to see the flat tyre and when I was going to show him at the same time he said, ‘Jomal, you smell like alcohol’ and then Jomal said, ‘Yes I had a drink with my family’,” Cyrus recounted to the Newsday here.

“And after that I don’t know if that triggered him off and he told both of us to wait out in the lobby and then he came back and said, ‘Thanks for everything but you could go back and party’.”

He added: “I was shocked because he asked me to see the flat tyre which I was going to show him.

He just went off because Jomal was kinda smelling like alcohol – it wasn’t me he was talking to.

“When I saw the Newsday (newspaper) and everyone say that both of us showed up smelling stink of alcohol I was shocked because if anybody know me, any of my friends, they know I can’t drink and I

don’t drink, so I don’t know where all this is coming from.

“I just want my name to clear up from this because people thinking I showing up in camp drunk and I drink (alcohol). I don’t drink.”

Saintfiet subsequently called up the trio of Trevin Caesar, Curtis Gonzales and Akeem Roach to replace Cyrus, Williams and Jones for the three-nation CONCACAF Gold Cup qualifiers against Suriname and Haiti starting here today.

And though sidelined, Cyrus said he was still prepared to offer his services to the national side.

“All the time the commitment is there. If they call (me) back tomorrow (will go back],” he said.

“I just don’t like the fact that the coach never spoke to me about alcohol, it wasn’t me he was talking to and for him to say both players showed up in camp smelling stink of alcohol, that is wrong.

Serena Williams

Saintfiet hoping to draw on Latapy experience TRINIDAD and Tobago national coach Tom Saintfiet hopes to make full use of the experience of former national player Russell Latapy who joined the unit as assistant coach this week.

A former national coach,

Latapy, officially joined the coaching staff this weekend, following last month’s announcement from the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA).

“Russell is a football man, he knows the country and he

has achieved a lot as a player on top level in Europe and on the national team. He has experience also as a coach so I am very happy to add him to the technical team just like everybody else who is there and together we will form

31

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, January 4, 2016

Guyana to host Junior CASA 2017

GUYANA will host this year’s Junior Caribbean Area Squash Association (CASA) tournament, following a disclosure by the Guyana Squash Association (GSA) president David Fernandes.

According to the Veteran player, “We will be hosting the Junior CASA in July so our players will start training early. They will be determined to surprise everyone again and try to win their 13th title.”

Having ruled the roost on the regional junior scene, the locals will now have the major factor of home court advantage when they take on the likes of last year’s favourites Barbados, as well as Trinidad and other Caribbean countries.

Nonetheless, the GSA president has put faith in his charges to defend their title and more so on home soil,

reminding that hard work is what is needed if the team is to be successful again.

Another major plan of the body in 2017 is the Senior CASA which, ac-

THE Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has been invited by the Martinique Football League to participate in the 8th edition of the annual Paul Chillan U-16 and U-17 tournaments to be staged in the French territory on March 3 and 4.

Speaking to Chronicle Sport yesterday the GFF

president Wayne Forde said that he was delighted with the invitation and confirmed that an Under-17 team will be sent.

The football boss added that the recent tour by the U-15s to French Guiana has opened up many doors for the GFF to explore and exploit.

“We are expected to host

velopment plan.

He noted that one issue so far is the number of facilities available locally, saying, “This is an area that we will be working on and we will

work with clubs to have their courts refurbished. We have had some success in this venture with the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC); hopefully we can get the others repaired.”

“Currently the National Racquet Centre is being renovated and I want to thank the National Sports Commission (NSC) and the Ministry of Sport who have been doing the renovations to the building,” he said.

The GSA boss explained, “Once we have more facilities available, we will be able to spread the game to more people. Even if it is to inspire casual enthusiasts, it is spreading the game and that is the idea of any sport.” motivate Speaking on the outlook of the recently completed year for squash, Fernandes added, “Some of the highlights were the National Ju-

nior Team winning the 12th consecutive Overall Title; the team was by all accounts not expected to win.”

He dubbed it another excellent year for that unit while the senior team recovered from early blows to finish strong.

“2016’s biggest incident and it was a sad one, was in the Senior CASA when Sunil Seth got severely injured in his (Men’s Open semi-final) match with Chris Binnie.

The match was tied 2-2 before Seth was forced to retire hurt,” he recalled as a sore point.

“Binnie eventually won the tournament for the second consecutive year. Seth’s injury affected the team but the other players stepped up and we finished third (team section). The Women finished second and the Veterans team finished fourth.”

(Stephan Sookram)

the reinvention of the Inter Guianas football this year and it will be one that will include the Senior and Youth National teams from French Guiana and Suriname as well as their national Club champions and representative Girls teams playing in competition over a one-week period,” Forde stated.

When questioned on

the promise he made to announce the new General Secretary of the GFF by the January 2, Forde declared that circumstances beyond the control of the GFF is the reason for the slight delay, but assured it will be made known very shortly.

“We have no control of the procedure that surrounds the new appointee’s amicable

departure from the job she is coming from to take up the post. I am positive within the next 24 hours the process will be completed and the official announcement will be made,” Forde stated.

Forde ended by saying, “All I can confirm is that the new GS will be a female and no stranger to football.”

Guyana players pose after taking the 12th Junior CASA title. cording to Fernandes, will be held in St Vincent and the Grenadines while the hosting of more local tournaments remains a major mandate on the body’s de-

National U-17 footballers to tour Martinique

GFF president Wayne Forde

Dorado Speed Swim Club looking Sir Andy believes forward to productive 2017 Cornwall is ready

THE calendar year 2016 was a good year for the Dorado Speed Swim Club. At the beginning of the year, there was a series of monthly educational sessions, held on Saturday mornings at the National Aquatic Centre.

On the first Saturday of September through November, the Club held mini meets. The focus of those meets was to introduce our senior learn-to-swim group to competition and give senior swimmers some much-needed meet practice. Each meet targeted different events.

Elections were held on May 14 to name a new Executive Committee for 2 years. The Constitution review concluded on June 21.

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS Dorado swimmers have, as always, made us proud, throughout the year. Hannibal Gaskin was the first Guyanese to receive a FINA Olympic preparation

swam 2,650m. Daniel finished 9th (38.29) and Alex finished 18th (41.45)

LOCAL COMPETITIONS Olympic Day Triathlon (July 2) – Alex Winter attempted his first triathlon and won! Sawaki River Swim (September 11) – Daniel Scott, Soroya Simmons and Alex Winter placed 1st to 3rd respectively.

The Dorado Swim Club logo

scholarship – seven months of training, at the Spire Institute, Ohio in USA. In August, he became the fourth Guyanese (3rd Dorado swimmer) to participate in the Olympic Games; following in the footsteps of Niall Roberts (Beijing 2008; London 2012) and Britany van Lange (London 2012). Hannibal swam the 100m Butterfly, setting a new Personal Best and National Record with a

time of 58.57.

In September, Soroya Simmons, Daniel Scott and Alex Winter braved the waters of Maracas Bay (Trinidad), participating in the Maracas Bay Open Water Classic. It was Soroya’s second year at the event, but her first time swimming the 5k event.

She placed 4th in the female category in a time of 1:22.01. Daniel and Alex were new-comers to the event and

PLANS FOR 2017 “In 2017 we plan to maintain our position as the best swim club in Guyana. We will continue the monthly mini-meets and/ or educational programmes; continue to support our technical staff to increase their knowledge; continue to support our senior swimmers when they participate in international competitions.

“We will look for more effective and efficient fund-raising efforts. We look forward to the support of all of our members,” stated the release.

FORMER West Indies fast bowler, Sir Andy Roberts, believes that fellow Antiguan and current player, Rahkeem ‘Jimbo’ Cornwall has earned a call-up to the regional squad.

Leewards all-rounder Rahkeem Cornwall

Sir Andy, during an interview on the Good Morning Jojo Sports Show, said the player’s form over the past 12 months certainly indicates that he is ready for a higher level of cricket.

“Jimbo has been ready to

move higher for more than a year now, but for me to say he is ready for Test cricket, I don’t think we really know when anybody is ready because you have a number of players, especially here in the Leewards who perform very well at regional level but fail to impress when they go a little bit higher,” he said.

Called up to the West Indies A team for a tour of Sri Lanka, back in September, Cornwall ended as the leading wicket-taker for the three unofficial Tests, claiming a total of 23 wickets for 456 runs at an economy rate of 3.08.

The all-rounder is currently with the Leeward Islands Hurricanes preparing for the Regional 50 overs tournament.

Sir Andy, who made his Test debut in 1974, also urged young Antiguan pacer Alzarri Joseph, to work on his weaknesses as he plays through a perceived bowling slump.

(First Published In The Antigua Observer)

New dates set for conclusion of Fruta’s U-19 League See story on page 26

Hurry-up Warner delivers in record fashion

By Nick Mulvenney

SYDNEY, Australia (Reuters) - David Warner’s contribution to Australia’s first innings in the third Test against Pakistan yesterday lasted just two hours and 21 minutes but that was more than sufficient time for the opener to do something no batsman had done for 40 years.

The 30-year-old’s ability to score runs quickly is well documented but no Australian since Donald Bradman in 1930, and no batsman since Pakistan’s Majid Khan in 1976, had managed to construct a century in the first session of a Test.

In 78 balls and with 17 fours, Warner stamped his authority on a dead rubber match and further disheartened a touring team still reeling from a batting collapse in Melbourne that cost them the second Test and the series.

There was no rashness to the innings, however - none of the wild lashes at the ball that have cost him his wicket throughout his career and once led some to question his suitability to play the longest form of the game.

The vicious cuts and crisp drives were from the textbook and he reached the milestone cour-

tesy of three runs to backward point with the help of a misfield.

“He copped a bit of flak for one of his shots in Melbourne and I think he made a comment about trying to keep up with me,” Warner said.

“I think a lot of the guys told him just to play his own game.”

Warner said he was unaware that he was about to join Victor Trumper, Charles Macartney, Bradman and Majid as only the fifth batsman to notch up a ton so early in a Test.

On the previous delivery, another misfield had offered a third run but, with lunch just five balls away, he waved away batting partner Matt Renshaw to retain the strike on 97.

“It wasn’t nerve-racking. I told the youngster with a couple of minutes to go that we just needed to knuckle down and get through to lunch and be patient,” Warner said.

“But obviously as a batsman when the adrenaline is pumping and you know it’s (a century) just around the corner you are

David Warner leaps to celebrate his record ton.

See page 26

Cricket history could be added to CXC WICB Marketing and Communications Manager Carole Beckford

THE history of cricket as a subject could be added to the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Examinations Physical Education curriculum if the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has its way.

WICB Marketing and Communications Manager Carole Beckford says that the body wants to have the subject added, saying the intention is to have the younger generation understand how important the sport is to Caribbean unity.

“Physical Education is already on the CXC (Caribbean Examinations Council) Curriculum. Because of the strong history of cricket as a subject, we thought it would have been an important partnership with CXC to ensure that the history of West Indies Cricket is being

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See page 26

Batsmen who have scored centuries before lunch on day one of a Test match DAVID WARNER (Australia) v Pakistan, Sydney, 2017 Majid Khan (Pakistan) v New Zealand, Karachi, 1976 Donald Bradman (Australia) v England, Leeds, 1930 Charles Macartney (Australia) v England, Leeds, 1926 Victor Trumper (Australia) v England, Manchester, 1902 WEDNESDAY JANUARY 4, 2017