Guyana Chronicle Epaper 09 08 2017

New wells for West Dem communities Page 3

Pilot hurt in plane crash No. 104999

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 9, 2017

Price: $80

(VAT Inclusive)

…second accident in less than a month at Eteringbang

Page 3

Second man dies in Mahaicony crash Page 17

Too many elderly security guards – Min Scott Page 2

Sweeper cleaners up calls for better pay Missing labourer found dead Page 12

Handing over the baton! President David Granger after walking his leg of the Queen’s Baton relay hands over to Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo during the Main Street, Georgetown exercise. The Relay, which is a tradition that celebrates the diversity of the Commonwealth, carries a message from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II that calls for Commonwealth athletes to come together in peaceful and friendly competition. The Relay started on Commonwealth Day on March 13, 2017 at the Buckingham Palace. It will travel a journey of 388 days across Commonwealth territories, covering a total of about 230,000 km, before arriving at the final destination in Gold Coast, Australia, the host country for the 2018 Commonwealth Games. (see story in sport section) (Delano Williams photo)

Patterson peeved over blackouts ■ Page 8

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Too many elderly security guards …Min Scott says they are easy targets for criminals

By Zena Henry MINISTER within the Ministry of Social Protection with responsibility for labour, Keith Scott, has raised concerns over the number of elderly persons being employed as security guards across the country, saying that they are easy targets for criminals and something must be done to address this issue.

He said that reports pertaining to incidents and murders involving security guards are causing some amount of concern for the Ministry of Labour, recognising that this dangerous field is dominated by elder persons – most of whom are women. Scott told the Guyana Chronicle that the ministry has recognised in a recent investigation that most of the security guards involved in accident and even killed on the job, are elderly persons, some past the age of

Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, Keith Scott

retirement.

The minister is concerned that work-related investigations involving these types of incidents and senior citizens may continue if some consideration is not given to the matter. The minister told the newspaper that the ministry recognises and respects the

right of every person to work, but is concerned that this field is dominated by elderly persons, who in some cases may not be physically able to perform such a vital service and are being looked at as easy targets for criminal elements.

The minister’s comments come in the wake of a recent murder involving a security guard while on duty. Gerald Henry, 64 of Sophia was shot dead when a young man took away his firearm during what was said to be a botched robbery. The assailant, it was said, did not engage persons in the supermarket, where the security guard was working but wrestled the gun away, shot Henry and made good his escape with the weapon.

The Labour Department’s investigative arm recommended compensation of the man’s death while on duty. “There is no way government can interfere with people’s right to work, but on a personal

note I am unhappy about the situation (involving elderly persons).” Scott told the newspaper that there have been sporadic cases of guards being injured or killed over the years, but the fact remains that these persons are being seen as easy targets by criminals.

He said it has been observed that some of these older persons seem physically unable to carry out the task assigned to them in what is usually a 12-hour work period. Acknowledging this, Minister Scott said he is willing to hear proposals to help improve the environment within this field. For example, Scott said, he would like to

think that security agencies would have policies and standards relating to the physical capabilities of its employees and regular assessment of their fitness, along with the necessary training.

The minister indicated that this consideration would only mean well to ensure the smooth functioning of the security agency and the safety of its employees so they are not made easy targets for criminals. “I would expect that these agencies would have mandatory assessments, physical assessments… maybe every six months or something like that.”

FEMALE GUARDS On another note, Scott was equally concerned about female security

guards working night shifts in especially secluded locations. Again, the minister said, he respects the right of every person to be employed in whatever field they desire, but noted the safety factor that must be considered when looking into such matters. “I personally would prefer to see women work the day shift,” the minister said. He pointed out that some of these women are mothers and have families to take care of so their presence would especially be needed in the home at nights. Minister Scott said he is very open to suggestions and would react kindly to any concerns or considerations the public would have about the matters mentioned.

Trial continues in NGMC fraud case THE trial involving former General Manager (GM) of the New Guyana Marketing Corporation (NGMC), Nizam Hassan and Felecia De Souza-Madramootoo, who are charged with conspiracy to procure money, continued on Tuesday at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

They are accused of paying themselves under false pretence in relation to the approval of payments for low-graded rehabilitation works done on the NGMC building at Robb Street, Georgetown.

The former Executive Assistant of Hassan, Ananda Persaud, testified before Chief Magistrate, Ann

Former General Manager of the New Guyana Marketing Corporation (NGMC), Nizam Hassan and co-accused Felicia De’Souza-Madramootoo

McLennan; while the evidence-in- chief was led by Police Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield.

Persaud, who now works at the Guyana Rice Devel-

opment Board (GRDB), appeared in court Tuesday afternoon hours after the chief magistrate had issued a warrant for her arrest.

The witness explained that during her employment at the NGMC, she was responsible for preparing reports, payment requisitions and scheduling meetings.

Persaud explained that on February 8, 2012, she was on duty at NGMC when she was contacted by the then General Manager, Hassan, who asked her to prepare a requisition for payment for Constantine Engineering.

The former assistant noted that she prepared a payment voucher and signed same before taking it to the accountant, after receiving certain documents.

However on June 29, 2016, while at the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) where she was Turn to page 3 ►

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Pilot hurt in Eteringbang plane crash THE Guyana Civil Aviation Authority is investigating a plane crash which occurred at Eteringbang in Region Seven (Potaro/Siparuni) Tuesday morning.

The GCAA said in a statement that it has launched an investigation to ascertain the circumstances leading to the crash of a single-engine CESSNA aircraft, bearing registration number 8R-GPR, shortly after take-off at the Eteringbang airstrip.

The accident occurred at approximately 11:00hrs

on Tuesday and the pilot, Captain Dominic Waddell, sustained minor injuries following the incident. The aviation body said that preliminary reports indicate that the plane was on a shuttling mission from Eteringbang to Ekereku when the incident occurred. Other reports are that the plane came down shortly after take-off at the Guyana/ Venezuela border location.

Police Divisional Commander, Rabindradath Budhram, told the Guyana Chronicle that a police team was

dispatched to the location soon after it received reports of the accident.

This is the second aircraft incident at Eteringbang in recent weeks. Two Tuesdays ago, Roraima Airways Chief Pilot , Collin Martin, perished when the airline’s Britten Norman Islander bearing registration 8R-GRA crashed while approaching for landing late that afternoon. No one else was on board.

The aircraft crashed in an area of thick vegetation while preparing to land.

Expansion works on north-eastern end of CJIA runway almost complete EXPANSION works to the main runway of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) are moving apace.

The CJIA posted an aerial view of the works on social media several days ago and reports from the ground noted that works to the north-eastern end of the runway are almost complete ahead of schedule.

The entire 710 metres of that extended section of the runway have been capped.

Such works include the capping of a turn pad which will allow jumbo jets to turn around after landing.

Works to the south-western end are ongoing, with compaction progressing to meet the December 2017 deadline. That end of the runway is being extended by 810 metres.

In May this year, following a media tour, the Minis-

try of Public Infrastructure (MPI), the contractor, China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) and the project consultants MM/ CEMCO were optimistic that expansion works will be finished before the December deadline. At the time, the entire volume of works was 62% complete.

During a presentation, Permanent Secretary of the MPI, Geoffrey Vaughn, said the extension of the north-eastern end of the runway and the south-western end are 80 per cent and 60 per cent complete, respectively. At the moment, key facilities at the airport have been relocated. In June this year, the airport management closed the viewing gallery at the CJIA. That area is expected to be enveloped into the entire section of the terminal which will be transformed into the de-

parture terminal.

By May this year, some US$79M was expended on the project. This translated to 57.2 per cent of the total US$138M contract sum. The project is expected to expand operations at the CJIA. It will cater for, among other things, the accommodation of Boeing747 aircraft. Already, several international carriers have expressed an interest in operating into the CJIA. Last weekend, Aruba Airlines conducted its inaugural flight into the CJIA. The company possesses two Airbus A320 twin-engine, 150-seat jet airliners in its fleet. The company plans to undertake a scheduled service between the CJIA and Aruba in the weeks ahead.

The airline would be operating here with three flights weekly.

The CESSNA aircraft which crashed on Tuesday at Eteringbang

The pilot of another aircraft owned by Roraima , was flying in the area at the time of the incident and saw what

happened.

The GCAA subsequently commenced an investigation into that accident. The

body noted that a team was headed to the location on Tuesday to investigate the latest accident there.

New wells for West Dem communities RESIDENTS of Westminster, Pouderoyen, and Vergenoegen are expected to benefit from increased access to quality water as the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) prepares to commence the construction of new wells in those areas.

This was according to the Ministry of Finance’s 2017 Mid-year report which was laid in the National Assembly on Friday last by Finance Minister Winston Jordan.

The construction of those wells is being succeeded by one which is currently being done in Diamond. That well is scheduled to be completed later this year.

But increasing access to quality water is not a priority for only the coastland. In fact, GWI has indicated that hinterland regions will also benefit from improved access before the end of this year.

It was stated in the MidYear Report that works on new water systems are al-

ready under way in Matthew’s Ridge, Yarakita, and Tassarene, while the installation of a water supply system at Chenapau is expected to commence and be completed in the second half of this year.

Farther down the coast, to New Amsterdam, assessments of existing infrastructure are also being conducted and according to GWI, these will guide the decision to upgrade or construct a new well at New Amsterdam.

It was noted too that the quality of water supplied to that town is also expected to improve before the end of the year, with works already commencing at the New Amsterdam Water Treatment Plant to install filters and aerators. Those works are expected to be completed by the beginning of the fourth quarter of this year.

In addition, it was highlighted that improvements to quality-assurance systems

have started with construction of a mini-laboratory at the Eccles Water Treatment Plant. That, according to the report ,is scheduled to be completed by the end of the third quarter of this year.

The report also stated that under the Non-Revenue Water Reduction Programme, the Government is planning to transition to smart metering to enhanced security and reporting.

The report explains that this will be facilitated through the installation of an advanced and improved Customer Management Information and Billing Software.

Also, the metering initiative resulted in 10,000 new meters being installed in the first half and this is expected to be doubled by the end of 2017.

During the first half of 2017, Government expended $463M of the budgeted $2.8B towards improving access to potable water countrywide.

Trial continues in... From page 2

An aerial view of the extended north-eastern end of the runway at the CJIA (Photo credit: CJIA)

shown the said payment vouchers requisition with request for payments by Constantine Engineering and also the recommendation for payment by Hanniel Madramootoo.

The witness identified the documents which were tended in court. Also testifying was Dave Hicks, an employee of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority.

A total of 34 witnesses are expected to be called by

the prosecutor. In the meantime, Hassan, 50, of Good Hope, East Coast Demerara and De Souza-Madramootoo, 34, of Lusignan, East Coast Demerara, have each been released on $250,000 bail.

The duo has been instructed to report to the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) Headquarters, Camp Road, Georgetown and were instructed to lodge their passports with the court.

It is alleged that between October 28, 2010

and April 25, 2012, they conspired with each other to commit the offence by continuously approving payments, which were made to the contractor of the engineering firm, for works that were incompetently and incorrectly done with inferior materials to rehabilitate the NGMC building at Robb and Alexander Streets, Bourda, Georgetown, knowing that such works should not have been approved.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Kenyatta takes lead in Kenya election

Trump claps back --threatens ‘fire and fury’ against N Korea

U S P re s i d e n t D o n a l d Trump says North Korea “will be met with fire and fury” if it threatens the US. His comments came after a Washington Post report, citing US intelligence officials, said Pyongyang had produced a nuclear warhead small enough to fit inside its missiles.

This would mean the North is developing nuclear weapons capable of striking the US at a much faster rate than expected.

The UN recently approved further economic sanctions against the country.

The Security Coun cil unanimously agreed to ban North Korean exports

and limit investments, prompting fury from North Korea and a vow to make the “US pay a price”.

The heated rhetoric between the two leaders intensified after Pyongyang tested two intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) in July, claiming it now had the ability to hit the US. Mr Trump told reporters on Tuesday: “North Korea best not make any more threats to the US. They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen.”

It has previously been thought that the North was still years away from being able to fire a nuclear weap-

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on, although it has long carried out separate nuclear tests and missile launches.

North Korea said on Monday, two days after the UN sanctions were passed, that it would continue with its nuclear weapons programme.

The state-run KCNA news agency said Pyongyang would “not put our self-defensive nuclear deterrent on the negotiating table” while it faces threats from the US. It threatened to make the US “pay the price for its crime... thousands of times,” referring to America’s role in drafting the UN sanctions resolution. (BBC)

KENYA’S incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta has taken an early lead as votes are counted after Tuesday’s election.

With two-thirds of the results in, he has 55% of the vote against 44% for his rival, Raila Odinga, figures show.

Mr Kenyatta is hoping for a second term in office, but faces a tough challenge.

Voting has passed off largely peacefully, and the electoral commission has urged people to wait calmly for all the results.

“During this critical phase, we urge all Kenyans to exercise restraint as we await official results from the polling stations, and indeed as they start trickling in,” the commission said.

Many fear a repeat of the violence that followed the disputed 2007 election, when more than 1,100 Kenyans died and another 600,000 were displaced.

Some polling stations remained open after the

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Incumbent President Mr Uhuru Kenyatta casting his vote in hometown Gatundu early Tuesday

scheduled 17h00 (14:00 GMT) closing time in areas where heavy rain and other problems had hampered voting.

Despite Mr Kenyatta’s early lead, the BBC’s Tomi Oladipo says it is too early to tell which way Kenyans have voted.

To win outright, a candidate needs more than 50% of the vote, and at least 25% in 24 of Kenya’s 47 counties. If that threshold is not met, a run-off vote between the top two candidates will be triggered.

Voting for the national and local assemblies has also been taking place.

People started queuing early to ensure they could cast their vote. Long queues could be seen, and video footage at one polling station showed people injured after an apparent stampede.

There was also the failure of some voter-identifi-

cation equipment, and one in four polling stations were apparently without mobile phone coverage, meaning that officials would have had to drive to the nearest town to send results.

There were also reports that one man had been killed in clashes in the Kilifi area.

Casting his vote in his hometown of Gatundu, north of Nairobi, Mr Kenyatta said he would accept the outcome of the election.

“To my competitors, as I have always said, in the event that they lose, let us accept the will of the people. I am willing, myself, to accept the will of the people,” he said.

Opposition leader Mr Odinga cast his ballot in the Nairobi slum of Kibera.

Speaking outside the voting centre, he told his supporters: “Let’s turn out in large numbers and vote.” (BBC)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Jamaica in Brexit discussions

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – A delegation from the London-based Commonwealth Secretariat has arrived here for talks regarding Britain’s decision to leave the European Union.

A statement from the Min-

istry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, titled “Brexit: Challenges and Opportunities for Jamaica and other CARIFORUM Countries”, will form the basis of the in-country discussions.

It said the paper was pre-

pared for Jamaica by the Commonwealth Secretariat, with the cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, the CARIFORUM (Caribbean Forum) Directorate and the CARICOM Office of Trade Negotiations.

The Paper examines the trade implications of the UK’s exit from the EU (Brexit) for preferential access to the UK market for Jamaica and other CARIFORUM States under the CARIFORUM/EU Economic Partnership Agreement

Churches favour new rules --for commemorating US-led Grenada Invasion ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – Church leaders in Grenada are calling on the authorities to stop observing October 25 as a public holiday to commemorate the events that led to the downfall of the country’s first left-wing administration.

A committee established by the Conference of Church Grenada (CCG) has submitted a number of recommendations for consideration by

the public, as it sought to bring closure to the events of October 19 and 25, 1983.

October 25 is a public holiday to honour those killed after the United States sent troops to the island to quell the internal conflict within the People Revolutionary government that resulted in the death of then Prime Minister Maurice Bishop and others on October 19.

A CCG statement noted

that following the Thanksgiving Service in October 2015, the Conference expressed its concern to the Committee of Social Partners that the traditional week of events organised by the National Celebrations Committee did not contribute to a healing of the nation.

Committee member, Rev Dr Osbert James, said that the CCG has offered to lead the public debate on the recommendations that include

the week of Remembrance and Thanksgiving run from October 19-25.

The public holiday will no longer be on October 25 as a fixed day, but on the Monday between and including the 19th and the 25th.

The statement said that it is also recommended that during the week from the October 19-25 , a vigil should be held with the names of all those killed being called.

Alice Yard in Port of Spain.

“The camp was a part-

Culture and the Arts, Goodwill Industries of the West Indies and Alice Yard.

“We are trying to highlight the heavy poaching of the Scarlet Ibis. It’s all about educating the children,” she said, adding that teaching children through arts is a great way to make them aware of social issues.

“Children are the future. My daughter told me the other day that soon, we wouldn’t have any Scarlet Ibis left. That’s profound and extremely disheartening,” she said.

Asked how children and the rest of society could be involved in various social issues, Petrovani said that more investment needs to

be made for “programmes like these”. She said that the march was supposed to take place on Friday, but was postponed due to the Oilfield Workers Trade Union rally.

In preparation for the march, the children, according to Petrovani, designed their costumes themselves.

“The kind of creativity in this programme is important for them [the children] to understand the culture and history of our country.

“Over the years, we have lost the voice of Carnival and Mas. This takes us back to the purpose,” she said.

Kriston Chen, from Alice Yard, said the group’s weekly moko jumbie sessions on Sunday evenings began in

Scarlet Ibis is not food SOME 45 moko jumbies, dressed as Scarlet Ibis birds, took flight on Monday as the 1000 Mokos Movement made their first public march.

The march, coordinated

by Michael Lee Poy, served as a public stance against the poaching of the Scarlet Ibis, Trinidad’s national bird.

The mokos walked from the Queen’s Royal College (QRC) football grounds, past President’s House, around Memorial Square and ended at the National Academy for the Performing Arts.

Speaking at QRC grounds, parent Cassandra Petrovani said the march was the end product of a threeweek Moko Jumbie camp at

nership with the Ministry of Community Development,

(EPA).

The in-country consultations will be held at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel today from 09h00 to 12 noon, with participants drawn from both the public and private sectors.

The paper will contrib-

ute to the region’s discussions with the United Kingdom, which were initiated in 2016, shortly after the United Kingdom referendum, which gave rise to its decision to leave the European Union.

Police searching for gunmen --at centre of Crop Over shootings

B R I D G E T O W N , B a rbados, CMC – Police are searching for two gunmen who shot and killed a 20-year-old youth and injured several others on Monday night that marred the annual Crop Over Festival here.

Attorney-General, Adriel Brathwaite, said that the police investigations to date have revealed that Taried Junior Rock was chased by the two gunmen during the Grand Kadooment climax on the Spring Garden Highway, on the outskirts of the capital on Monday night. At least 20 other people were injured.

“My information is that these two young men spotted this chap, and opened fire on him with two firearms. He, in an attempt to evade them, ran on to Spring Garden, and they continued shooting at him even though he was sur-

rounded by lots of innocent people,” Brathwaite told the State-owned CBC radio.

He said that as a result of the indiscriminate shooting, “that’s how we ended up with so many unfortunate innocent people being shot, because of the reckless behaviour displayed allegedly by these two young men yesterday.”

Brathwaite said up until the shooting incident, there had been very few incidents during the festival.

“From what I have bene told, this Crop Over was primarily incident-free,” he said, indicating that there were at least two or three incidents which the police had been able to deal with immediately.

He said the security forces would get all the assistance needed to deal with the surge in gun violence here.

February, and that the children’s progression throughout the weeks in stilt-walking was great. He said he was “super excited” about the march, and that the energy of the children was infectious.

He described the threeweek camp as “intense”.

Also speaking with Newsday, a busy Lee Poy, who began stilt-walking in 2001 while in Cleveland, Ohio, said the use of stilt walking

to raise awareness for an environmental issue was a “learning curve” for him.

Sophie Wight, whose daughter was one of the moko jumbies, said that she knew there was “no better option” for her daughter than to attend the three-week camp. “This programme gives her an appreciation for other things. It’s a little foundation.” (Trinidad Newsday)

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Editorial

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 9, 2017

No to short-term gain THERE is a saying that ‘a healthy nation is a wealthy nation’ and Guyana must be commended for taking a ‘healthy step’ by passing the Tobacco Control Bill, which essentially seeks to control the effects of tobacco.

The tobacco epidemic remains one of the greatest public health threats of the 21st century, claiming the lives of seven million people annually. Six million of those deaths are a direct result of tobacco consumption, while about 900,000 are the result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke.

All that this progressive, forward-thinking legislation seeks to do when enacted is to help public officials in curbing the manner in which

people smoke, thereby resulting in less deaths. Despite this, it was not without opposition and understandably, the main challenger was no other than the Demerara Tobacco Company Limited (DEMTOCO), the main seller of tobacco products here.

Soon after the passage of the bill, the company claimed among other things that the government’s decision will cause it to lose the $4 billion it pays in taxes to the Treasury, in addition to putting the livelihoods of small retailers in jeopardy.

On the surface, these arguments appear to be very alluring, but the truth be told, Guyana spends 10 per cent of its health budget tackling communicable and non-communicable diseases which

amounts to about $4 billion.

This is money being used to fix these problems, some of which are caused by tobacco smoke. So in essence, the loss of money to the Treasury as DEMTOCO has claimed is not an actual loss; in fact, it could be considered a longterm gain for Guyana if it succeeds in limiting tobacco use among the citizenry.

This naturally would redound to less tobacco-related illnesses such as chronic bronchitis, heart diseases and cancer, which is one of the leading causes of death in Guyana. To address these and other tobacco- related problems, early action is needed without delay, and from interpretation of available data, the Tobacco Control Bill could not be a better

step in the right direction.

According to the Global Youth Tobacco Survey, based on a survey done here in 2015 in which 1000 students aged 13 to 15 responded, some 14 per cent used tobacco products, 11 per cent smoked tobacco and nine per cent are currently using electronic cigarettes.

It also found that seven in 10 smokers tried to quit smoking and a similar ratio wanted to quit smoking with immediate effect. The survey went on to state that among current cigarette smokers who bought cigarettes, 48 per cent were not prevented from buying them because of their age, and 56 per cent favoured a ban on smoking inside public spaces.

This important survey,

points to the disturbing level of young smokers and the struggle of some to quit smoking, and by extension, provides significant justification as to why Parliament should not only pass the bill, but for the President to give his assent to it earliest.

The health of the nation must not be compromised by the amount of money a company pays in taxes, and to better understand this, the matter has to be

examined on a broad perspective. Yes, DEMTOCO pays a hefty sum in taxes, but it is more important for Guyana to look past a short-term loss and focus on a long-term gain. The issue of persons losing their jobs vending as a result of the passage of the bill is a matter for argumentation purposes, since the tobacco industry is not the only legitimate place that provides jobs.

$59M road works on Agriculture Road need to be investigated Dear Editor, I WISH to reply to a letter written by Mr. Anthony A. Haynes and published in the Guyana Chronicle on August 4th, 2017, under the caption: ‘’The Reverend’s description of the execution of road works on Agriculture Road is incorrect.’’ This letter was also published in the Stabroek News as well as Kaieteur News as a reply to my previous letter published in the Kaieteur News on July 23,2017.

In Mr Haynes’s reply to me, he answered some questions I raised in my letter pertaining to the road contract and the cost of the road. He went on to say that my letter is a ‘’missive’’ with typical vocabulary of these guys who believe they are the gods of the day. I want Mr. Haynes to know that I am a man of im-

peccable character and integrity and I have written about this road from the past PPP Administration to this current administration. I will never write something and publish it in the press that is inaccurate.

In this reply, I wish to refute his claims that my letter previously was ‘’incorrect.’’

Mr. Haynes wrote the following: ‘’The Ministry of Public Infrastructure under its Miscellaneous Roads Programme, 2017. The contractor is K.P. Thomas and Sons Incorporated, the Project Engineer is Anthony A. Haynes, the contract sum is $59,031,149 and the site extends a distance of approximately 1230m. Carriageway works include the upgrading of the road structure with mixed loam and/or crusher run and sealing, using asphaltic concrete. The contract is scheduled to end in September

of 2017.Rev. Gideon Cecil purports to have excellent knowledge in road construction and would have been on the site with the current contractor for the duration of the contract, which commenced on July 6, 2017.”

First, I want this contractor to know that I live in Agriculture Road and I traverse this road more than six times a day and I am not blind to notice the poor, deplorable work he has done; if he claimed that this sloppy work he has done is being undertaken by the Ministry of Public Infrastructure under its Miscellaneous Roads Programme, 2017, then he is obviously giving this Ministry of Public Infrastructure a bad name and I am calling on Minister Patterson, Joe Harmon, and the Minister of Agriculture to come into Agriculture Road to evaluate this deplorable work Mr. Haynes

claimed cost $59,031,149 that is more than ridiculous.

What he has done from the beginning of Agriculture Road to Block CC he claimed to be 1230 metres approximately 0.75 miles road works is TO PATCH HOLES, throw in some crush and run and just roll it over to the massive total of $59,031,149. From what I know about costs for construction and what I have investigated from engineers of very high caliber, this deplorable job executed by this contractor is K.P. Thomas and Sons Incorporated, the Project Engineer is Anthony A. Haynes, cannot cost 4 million Guyana dollars for inferior materials used. So Mr. Editor I ask this contractor, what are his labour costs for this job he said is scheduled to end in September of 2017 that has already ended, since all his heavy-duty road equipment

has been removed and this work has stopped over a week now. From the inception, they started this work they did not work two weeks consecutively, they just came out late, laze around and work like two hours daily and this man has the audacity to say I am lying about this work that is stopped currently which he claims will last until next month end.

My question is where he is now and why did he stop the work? I am calling on the current administration to conduct an audit of the cost of this road and the fees charged by the contractor K.P. Thomas and Sons Incorporated, the Project Engineer is Anthony A. Haynes, to execute such deplorable work. When this work was commenced, we were elated that we would get a road like the road constructed through Market Street. It’s unfortunate that the quality

of this road is already damaged by the very heavy-duty vehicles coming in here like 40-foot container trucks, sand trucks, huge trucks transporting hymacs to the back dam etc, etc. The following pictures of this contractor’s miserable job I have attached here; I would like you to print them as proof of what I have written.

I would like to invite any media house, channel 67,65,28,11,6,9 to contact me through this newspaper to come and carry this road project on national television. I invite any Minister of Government to come and investigate if just patching and filling holes can cost an exorbitant $59,031,149 that is not a new road this contractor is constructing.

Regards REV. GIDEON CECIL

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 9, 2017

UN International Day of World’s Indigenous Peoples 9th August 2017 (Statement by Sydney Allicock, Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs) On the occasion of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples 2017, I extend fraternal greetings to all Indigenous Guyanese on behalf of the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs and the Government of Guyana.

According to the United Nations, there are an estimated 370 million Indigenous people in the world, living across 90 countries.

They make up less than five percent of the world’s population but account for 15 percent of the poorest. They

speak an overwhelming majority of the world’s esti-

Sydney Allicock, Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs

mated 7,000 languages and represent 5,000 different

counters.

The Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs and the Government of Guyana recognize and celebrate the tremendous contribution of the Indigenous Peoples of Guyana, to our country’s rich cultural heritage and to the preservation of our environment and ecosystems.

The culture and way of life of Guyana’s nine indigenous peoples are inextricably interwoven into the beautiful mosaic of Guyana’s cultural legacy and make our country richer for it. The nine indigenous peoples’ nations of Guyana have from time immemorial lived in harmony with the natural environ-

ment and by so doing have ensured the integrity of the ecosystems which are vital to the sustenance of all forms of life.

Guyana today has over 80 percent of forest covering our land area and much of this is attributable to the indigenous peoples’ way of life which is distinctly compatible with nature. For Indigenous peoples, the forest like a mother gives all that is needed to live and flourish today and yet provide for generations tomorrow and that is why indigenous peoples guided by their cultural and spiritual values ensure that the forest remains standing and alive.

The Ministry and the Government pledge that the rights of Indigenous peoples and in particular children and youth to quality education and health is given priority and celebrate the fact that today, indigenous peoples serve in all spheres of professional and other endeavours and at every level of nation building.

The Ministry and Government recognise the many challenges which still confront Guyana’s indigenous peoples and in this regard, the Ministry and Government renew its commitment to ensure that all outstanding land and resource rights issues of the indigenous peo-

ples of Guyana are resolved in an amicable and just manner in keeping with the highest standards of human rights and applicable law.

Guyana as a responsible member of the international community through the Government of Guyana and the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs also commits to fully complying with all its obligations to protect the rights of indigenous peoples as guaranteed under United Nations Conventions and in international law. Wishing all a peaceful International Day of World’s Indigenous Peoples 2017. May the flow continue.

These mysterious plane crashes Dear Editor,

IT’S very strange that, given Guyana’s good aviation record and standards, local aircraft are suddenly crashing. It’s one thing for planes to crash, but the frequency and location where those crashes now occur cause the mind to wonder. Within three weeks of the ill-fated crash of Roraima Airways Britten-Normandy Islander plane, 8R-GRA, another plane 8R-GPR, owned by Wing’s Aviation, crashed at Eteringbang.

Eteringbang is located less than a mile from Guyana’s western border near Venezuela, in the Essequibo region that is maliciously claimed by the Venezuelans. Eteringbng is the very place where over the years Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Soldiers have reportedly come under repeated provocative cross-border gun-fire from the Fuerzas Armadas de Venezuela across the border.

So now, two Guyanese

aircraft have mysteriously (pending the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) investigations), have crashed in that very area.

Captain Collin Martin, a former GDF officer and one of our young and more experienced pilots, met his sudden demise when the Britten-Normandy Islander plane 8R-GRA he was flying crashed at Eteringbang on July 25, 2017. On August 8, 2017, a Cessna airplane 8R-GPR, also crashed at Eteringbang.

Fortunately, the young pilot Dominique Waddell, escaped unhurt.

What is the probability those aircraft may have been the targets of snipers, or avionic cyber attackers? The Venezuelan government’s websites were attacked and compromised two (2) days prior to this latest Guyanese aircraft crash near their border.

Venezuelan youths sought to disrupt Guyana’s prospects at the recently held international Global Robots Olympics in Washington DC. Venezuelan

gangs brutally murdered a group of Guyanese miners just over a month ago. Venezuela has historically been hostile to Guyana, except for a lull under the late President Hugo Chavez. Venezuela continues to occupy the eastern half of Ankoko, which is territory awarded to Guyana.

Venezuela is now experiencing its worst internal instability and deadly conflict in decades. That country’s President Maduro even sought to distract the world from his internal political chaos by re-igniting Venezuela’s claim to our Essequibo over the past two (2) years, even attempting to re-write our maritime zone.

Our Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) must diligently, expeditiously and relentlessly investigate these aircraft crashes so very close to our border with Venezuela. Most of all, our government and people must take note!

Regards ORETTE CUMMINGS

Give ‘Basil P’ show its full time Dear Editor,

THIS is a special appeal to the management of the National Communications Network Inc (NCN) in Guyana relating to one of their most popular and longest-running musical programmes in recent times: the Basil Persaud Special (the ‘Basil P’ Show).

Please return the final

two hours that were taken away from listeners. The show used to terminate at midnight, but now ends at 10pm. I have no idea what is the reason for this, but another programme commences at that time. I do not know if NCN listens and values viewers’ feedback, but I am certain that listeners both at home in Guyana and myself in the diaspora, have enjoyed

for over 15 years and counting, the great musical journey of the ‘Basil P’ Show for six magical hours every single Sunday night.

How does a radio station then subtract from that listening pleasure? Is there no regard for listeners?

Please NCN Regards LEON SUSERAN

8

Patterson peeved over blackouts GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 9, 2017

…on fact-finding mission to fix power outages EXPRESSING disappointment over the constant power outages to have hit the country in recent times, Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson on Tuesday announced that he will be

conducting a fact-finding mission to ascertain the causes and possible solutions.

On Monday, at approximately 18:45hrs, a cable at the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Vreed-en-Hoop Pow-

er Station caught fire, triggering a shutdown of the Demerara Berbice Interconnected System. This resulted in Georgetown and villages along the East Coast, East Bank and West Bank of Demerara being plunged

into darkness, along with other areas. In a statement on Tuesday, GPL said restoration efforts commenced at 18:55hrs and power was restored to affected areas by 20:00hrs on Monday, with the exception of a section of the West Bank of Demerara, from Versailles to Vriesland. Electricity in those areas was expected to be restored by 19:00hrs on Tuesday.

Monday’s electricity woes came days after the same Demerara Berbice Interconnected System (DBIS) had suffered an interruption in service due to a fault on the breaker of the F6 Feeder on August 4.

Responding to a series of questions based on the power outages, Minister Patterson told the Department of Public Information (DPI) that he will be visiting the power stations to ascertain first-hand what interventions can be made to restore the situation to normalcy.

This, he noted, will be done during the parliamentary recess with the aim of finding solutions. Based on reports coming out of GPL, the issue remains with the transmission and distribution lines, he posited. “Over the years our transmission and distribution line has deteriorated. I keep saying this and I don’t want persons to think that we know the problem and should be addressing it. It’s still functional and can transmit electricity very efficiently, but we should be able to isolate the disturbances,” the Public Infrastructure Minister explained.

In other instances, it is difficult to identify the troubled area bringing the entire system offline. “Often the team may think they found the problem and put on back the system, only to have to take it off back when they realise they haven’t and this has led to the deterioration of the protection system,” Minister Patterson told the DPI. It was posited too that the issue is not solely linked

to the transmission and distribution lines, but is compounded by non-technical matters, including receiving clearance from the Guyana Revenue Authority and the wharves. The minister explained that new equipment was procured, but is stalled at the wharf awaiting clearance.

“I met with the staff of Guyana Power Light Incorporated (GPL); they’ve explained the issues they have, such as manpower and those equipment that have been ordered and not coming in [as] quickly as they should.

I’m meeting with the board and [will] ensure that they are equipped as fully as possible to address these issues,” Minister Patterson explained.

The minister further explained that GPL is currently financially stable, therefore, monies should be invested towards enhanced generation, so that issues such as tree-trimming and burnt generators will not affect distribution.

In February, 2017, GPL Chief Executive Officer (ag), Renford Homer had disclosed that as a result of a spate of unscheduled blackouts, the power company had planned to spend US$31M for the construction of four new substations.

He had made the disclosure during a site visit at the junction of Lamaha Avenue and Vlissingen Road, where the feeder supplying electricity to Queenstown and environs “kissed,” causing a massive malfunction in the system. Maintenance was done and a high-voltage line was dropped to prevent any recurrence.

Homer had noted that a second transmission line will be built linking the Kingston substation to the Sophia substation for redundant purposes and additional loads that may occur within the system.

Homer said the new substations will be located at Wales, West Bank Demerara, Kuru Kururu, Soesdyke-Linden Highway, Williamsburg, Corentyne and Hydronie, East Bank Essequibo. He explained that the six substations already

Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson

within the system will be expanded to produce better voltage stability and reduce technical losses, because power would be travelling across shorter distances. $17B REVENUES Amid the blackouts, GPL has earned revenue totalling $17.0 billion in the first half of 2017, up from $14.7 billion for the same period in 2016, as a result of more timely payments. This is according to the mid-year report that was produced by the Ministry of Finance. The report also states that similarly, expenditure increased from $9.3 billion in the first half of 2016 to $12.6 billion in the same period of 2017. The expenditure increase is driven by the higher cost of Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) for which the weighted average cost rose to US$48.70 (for the half year) from US$30.50 as at June 30, 2016. Additionally, GPL has repaid the Government $500 million on the Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana (GCRG/ GPL) on-lending loans for the first half of the year. The company’s outlook for 2017 has improved, with the budgeted deficit of $5.0 billion now expected to improve to a lower deficit of $771 million.

Despite this improved cash performance of GPL, the report also revealed the company’s technical performance remains plagued with inefficiencies. It shows that the production of electricity increased marginally to 394,832 MWh in the first half of 2017, from 387,864 MWh for the first half of 2016.

Total losses were 29.6 percent ,a slight increase from the half year for 2016, when total losses were 29.3 percent, the report noted.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Guyana gets Norway funds for forest-monitoring programme

Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, poses with the Planning and Development Head of the GFC, Pradeepa Bholanath (right); Vice-President of CI Guyana, Dr David Singh (left); Chairman of the GFC board, Jocelyn Dow (second from left) and other members of CI Guyana and GFC

THE Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) has received funding from Norway to continue with the second phase of the Guyana REDD+ Monitoring Reporting & Verification System (MRVS).

The first tranche of the US$6.63M funding has been released by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) through Conservation International (CI) Guyana for the GFC to continue with the implementation of the MRV system.

On Monday, the GFC and CI Guyana officials met with Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, to update him on the process.

Head of Planning and Development at GFC, Pradeepa Bholanath, explained that the funding will allow for the implementation of the

MRVS. This second phase allows for the process to be more than a data source. “In implementing the MRV… we’re not only giving out data in terms of percentages and numbers and statistics, but we’ll be translating this to information, hopefully information that can help fuel decision-making,” Bholanath said.

Guyana’s MRVS dates back to 1990 and tracks changes in the forest cover.

However, the agreement between Guyana and Norway was formalised in 2009. The MRVS is the single largest project undertaken by the GFC and the funding extends to 2020. Minister Trotman praised the collaboration between the GFC and CI Guyana to reduce carbon emissions and stave off deforestation and promote for-

est conservation. “We [the government] are very happy with the way in which this process is managed,” Minister Trotman said.

GFC’s Pradeepa Bholanath said the key challenge to implementing this new phase of the MRVS is time.

“Our main ambition now would be to get the information out before…an area gets cleared. It’s a way to head off potentially damaging impacts on the forest,” Bholanath said. She added that there must be greater inter-agency collaboration to ensure that the MRV information is effective. “To be able to make this useful not only triggering a payment from a bilateral agreement, but now for it to see utility`within the walls of (these agencies),” Bholanath pointed out is a challenge that must be overcome in this

Promotion of police officers put on hold

…life of service commission ends soon WEEKS before its life come to an end the Ministry of the Presidency has ordered the Police Service Commission to put on hold any new promotion of police officers – a move which the opposition has criticised.

Sources told the Guyana Chronicle that the commission’s life comes to an end sometime in September.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, said

it had been brought to his attention that President David Granger has caused a letter to be dispatched to the Police Service Commission instructing the Commission not to proceed with any promotion in the Guyana Police Force until further directed by the President.

Jagdeo said Article 226(1) of the Constitution clearly states: “In the exercise of its functions under the Constitution a Commission shall not

be subject to the direction or control of any other person or authority.

“The Police Service Commission is one of the Commissions to which Article 226(1) makes reference.

“We urge the Police Service Commission not to succumb to these unconstitutional and unlawful directives, but to continue to discharge its mandate in the manner provided for by the Constitution,”Jagdeo said.

second phase.

Already, there has been interest generated in the information from the MRSV. Bholanath noted the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC) is using the information in the formulation of a national land policy. Additionally, the GFC recently shared information with the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) on its digital elevation model. This will help inform the GEA on potential hydropower sites in the develop-

ment of hydropower.

The GFC is also working closely with the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) to explore mangrove areas and the management those areas as measures against rising sea levels and flooding along the coast. More importantly, the information could be used to guide the works of the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Protected Areas Commission.

Meanwhile, Vice-Pres-

ident of CI Guyana and GFC board member, Dr. David Singh, pointed out that Guyana has maintained its leadership internationally under the REDD+ initiative to keep carbon emissions low through forest conservation. Dr. Singh added that the implantation of the MRVS “would reduce cost if we can do that and potentially could reduce a lot of angst and conflicts and even lives lost.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 9, 2017

‘Save Abee’ goes regional – takes medical outreach to Yakusari, Imbaimadai THE US-based organisation, “Save Abee Foundation”, recently held its Fourth Annual Medical Outreach which saw a total of 430 persons being treated for various medical complaints.

The 430 beneficiaries were drawn from Yakusari, Black Bush Polder in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) and Imbaimadai in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

The first outreach was held on July 15 at the Yakusari Primary School, where a team of medical doctors, dental surgeons, nurses, dental technician, medical students, optometry students, dental students, educators, and volunteers attended to 280 patients.

Among services that were being offered were dental cleaning, filling and

extraction; eye and HIV tests; cancer screening and suicide prevention talks.

Two days later, they were off to Imbaimadai, where they saw as many as 150 patients, who were reportedly grateful for whatever they received by way of medical attention.

According to the leader of the village, the last time a dentist had called on Imbaimadai was almost 10 years ago. He said he would only hear stories about such outreaches being held in other villages, but somehow they always seemed to bypass Imbaimadai. It’s as if Imbaimadai was a forgotten village, he said.

In addition to receiving free medication and reading glasses, every resident was given a care package made up of personal hygiene

items.

Residents were also given items of clothing, bags filled with school supplies, and blankets for the elderly.

According to the Foundation, they could not have done what they did without the help of the Ministry of Public Health, the Cheddi Jagan Dental School, the Regional Education Office of Region Six, the Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association, the University of Guyana, Massy Group of Companies, the Cancer Institute, The Caribbean Voice, Enforcers Care, and most of all, the volunteers who gave of their time and energy.

The Save Abee Foundation is a registered notfor-profit organisation that has its base in the US, Canada, and Guyana.

Medical personnel attending to a resident of one of the villages during the outreach

Police yet to recover decomposed body in Blackwater Creek THE police are trying to recover the remains of a 31-year-old miner whose body was found on July, 31 at Blackwater Creek, Cuyuni-Mazaruni.

The man was identified as Don Mark Williams called “Fine man” or “Boy”, of Port Kaituma, Region One. Police ranks are expected to visit the area on Thursday, after which a post-mortem is expected to be done.

Reports indicate that Williams was seen on July 28 during the day and headed out to have a drink with a friend. “We heard that his body was decaying and look like he died Friday night, since people saw him during the day. He and some boys went out and people see one

Dead: Don Mark Williams

of the boy Saturday (July 29) with a cutlass and he said he fell down in some hole, no one saw him since, people didn’t ask about Williams because they thought he was drunk and resting,” one relative told this publication.

The relative said Williams’s body was in a state of severe decomposition as

it was found at the corner or a creek and it appeared as if birds and fishes had begun eating the body. The relative further said that Williams was a miner for several years who would usually work in the hinterland with miners seeking gold. “People stumbled upon the body after the foul scent hit them and the police were contacted, the police called his mother to ask to bury the body, because it was not possible to bring it out.”

Relatives learnt of the miners passing after a woman who Williams was supposed to work with called his fiancé and told her that he died. Police said they are seeking a suspect in relation to the miner’s death.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Int’l press bodies call on President not to assent to Broadcast Bill TWO of the world’s press advocacy organisations have come out against the Broadcast Amendment Bill, which was last week approved by the National Assembly.

In separate statements, the International Press Institute (IPI) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) both urged President David Granger not to give assent to the bill. While noting the lack of “consultations with broadcasters in order to take into account their recommendations,” the Paris-based RSF which holds consultative status at the United Nations, asserted that the bill “raises multiple press freedom concerns.”

The RSF pointed to the Bill’s requirement that all broadcasters apply for a licence within 30 days of the law coming into force and observed that the window for licensure “is being criticised by local and regional press freedom groups as too short.”

Broadcast licences have

become a major political issue, especially since 2011, when the then PPP-government led by former President Bharrat Jagdeo, issued a number of licences to broadcasters, who were widely perceived to be closely connected to his party.

Some of the persons given licences were: PPP frontbencher, Clement Rohee, former PPP Minister Robert Persaud, and Vishok Persaud, who is the brother of PPP Member of Parliament (MP), Vindhya Persaud and son of former PPP MP, the late Pandit Reepu Daman Persaud.

Citing “local press freedom advocates,” the RSF stated that the Bill’s provisions -- which include a maximum one million dollar fine and one year imprisonment for any broadcaster operating without a licence -- “threaten the existence of many TV and radio stations, who have operated without a licence since no renewals were ever issued at the time of their expiration.”

Another flashpoint in the Bill, is a provision mandating that television and radio stations set aside up to 60 minutes per day, between 06:00hrs and 22:00hrs, for the broadcast of public service programmes, free of charge. Steven M. Ellis, the Director of Advocacy and Communications at the Vienna-based IPI, which also holds consultant organisation status at the UN, stated that elements of this legislation raise questions about the government’s commitment to ensuring stations can operate independently from state and political control.

“We urge lawmakers to address those questions and revise these amendments as necessary” Ellis urged.

During a 2013 visit to Guyana, IPI had also urged the then government to ensure that the granting of television and radio licences under the newly introduced Broadcasting Act be conducted in a transparent and impartial manner.

New report finds dramatic increase in life-saving tobacco-control policies THE latest World Health Organisation (WHO) report on the global tobacco epidemic published recently has found that more countries have implemented tobacco-control policies, ranging from graphic pack warnings and advertising bans to no-smoking areas.

About 4.7 billion people – 63% of the world’s population -- are covered by at least one comprehensive tobacco-control measure, which has quadrupled since 2007 when only 1 billion people and 15% of the world’s population, were covered. Strategies to implement such policies have saved millions of people from early death.

However, the tobacco industry continues to hamper governments’ efforts to fully implement life and cost-saving interventions, according to the new WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2017. “Governments around the world must waste no time in incorporating all the provisions of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control into their national tobacco control programmes and policies,” says Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO

Director-General. “They must also clamp down on the illicit tobacco trade, which is exacerbating the global tobacco epidemic and its related health and socio economic consequences.”

Dr Tedros adds: “Working together, countries can prevent millions of people from dying each year from preventable tobacco-related illness, and save billions of dollars a year in avoidable health-care expenditures and productivity losses.”

Today, 4.7 billion people are protected by at least one “best practice” tobacco-control measure from the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), 3.6 billion more than in 2007, according to the report. This progress has been made possible because governments have intensified action to implement key measures of the WHO FCTC. IN THE AMERICAS Twenty-one of 35 countries in the Americas have implemented at least one comprehensive tobacco- control measure, which means that almost one billion people (95% of the Region’s popu-

lation) benefit from anti-tobacco initiatives. At least 15 countries in the Americas have implemented two such measures, protecting 59% of the population against tobacco use. The measure most widely adopted by the countries of the Region has been the implementation of smoke-free environments, benefitting almost 500 million people in 18 countries (48.7% of the population). The second most widespread measure in the Region is to include images on tobacco packaging with warnings against tobacco use.

This has been implemented in 16 countries, covering 55% of the population of the Americas.

There are an estimated 69 million smokers in Latin America and the Caribbean, representing 6% of all smokers worldwide. About 68% (47 million) smokers are men and 32% (22 million) are women. The Americas is second only to Europe among WHO regions in terms of the relative prevalence of women who smoke. The prevalence of tobacco use in the Region of the Americas has been declining in recent years.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Sweeper/cleaners up calls for better pay – GPSU demands leave, vacation allowance

By Ravin Singh AROUND 30 sweeper cleaners on Tuesday morning staged a protest in front of the Ministry of the Presidency, calling for an increase in their salaries and also clamouring for other benefits, such as leave allowance.

The group, which comprised females only, was led by the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) which was headed by first Vice President, Mortimer Livan. The cleaners were calling for, among other things, salary increases and to be put as permanent staff which would allow them to qualify for annual leave and a vacation allowance. Chants of “no money, dutty school” and “pay us more” echoed along the busy area that is Vlissengen Road, where the group of middle-aged women marched with their placards.

One protestor who identified herself as Ms. Khan, told the Guyana Chronicle that for the month of July she was only paid GYD $1,000. She said that for that month, she was only asked to work four days since the month marked

the end of the academic year.

“School close and we don’t have work and before it close is only four days of work we get. I get $1000 for the four days” she said, adding that she has two children in high school to provide for.

Ms. Khan said too, that she hopes to be added as a permanent staff on the Ministry of Education’s payroll from September, since most, if not all of the protestors there were only being offered part-time work. “I hope to get put as a fixed staff to get all that is required for permanent staff” she added.

Another woman who did not want to be identified by name, shared that she has been working as a cleaner with the Government of Guyana for over 21 years and has never benefitted from leave.

She went on to state that it is unfair for her to be offering her services for such a long period without benefitting from leave or a leave allowance. “I working as a cleaner under the government for 21 years and I never get leave.

I need leave and I need my vacation money. I’d like to be permanent and get my leave and vacation money. Is unfair

to me. They putting people in office who don’t know to run properly” the disheartened woman said.

According to VP Livan at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, the cleaners are being paid for six hours per day at a rate of $312 per hour. Also, no National Insurance Scheme (NIS) payment is made for the workers which will deny them, in their latter days, benefits the state has to offer.

Previously, the cleaners were working eight hours per day, but according to one of the women, a decision was made at the Ministry to reduce it to six hours. This amount, when totaled, is below the public servant’s minimum wage, which was adjusted to $50,000 per month.

This practice goes contrary to a Cabinet decision which was made on November 5, 2003, for sweepers and cleaners to have wages set in accordance with the minimum wage order of the country and for those payments to be made in a timely manner.

The trade unionist said that while the decision was never implemented by the former administration, it was sup-

A Police Officer taking a statement during the protest by the sweeper/cleaners on Tuesday morning outside of the Ministry of the Presidency (Samuel Maughn photo)

One of the protestors carrying a placard which explains one of the “injustices” meted out to sweeper/cleaners

ported by President David Granger while he was Opposition Leader. On August 31, 2015, the matter was against raised with the President who referred it to then Minister of Social Protection with responsibility for Labour, Volda Lawrence.

A statement was presented to the then minister outlining the Union’s position.

Some of the recommendations were for: the status of the cleaners to be upgraded; they be employed on the

Permanent Establishment; they be paid in keeping with the Public Servant Minimum Wage regime; NIS should be paid; and that they must be granted annual leave, retroactive to at least two years, among others.

Livan said that while it was expected that these recommendations would have been considered and conditions would have improved for the cleaners, it did not. In fact, he said that at a meeting on August 4, 2017, they were

informed that the hours of work for the cleaners would be reduced from eight to six, daily. In addition, the workers were informed by their respective head-teachers that they would only be paid for two weeks in July and one in August. Most of the cleaners present at the press conference admitted that they received as low as $6, 000 for July, while one person said she received $1, 000.

And according to the Union’s VP, “the situation is developing further into an economic disaster for the workers and their families.”

He said that with no other source of income, they are reliant on the already meagre income paid by the government and they depend on it being sufficient to meet their very basic domestic needs.

The trade unionist further added that, “…the action taken to reduce their wages is heartless and these decisions are being made without any consideration for the plight already facing them”.

Given these circumstances, the union made a call for the relevant authorities to immediately examine and rectify the situation which they described as “economically challenging”.

The protestors, led by GPSU Vice President, Mortimer Livan (far left) making their way to the Ministry of the Presidency, Vlissengen Road, on Tuesday morning

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 9, 2017

PANCAP targets youths in HIV edutainment hangout THE Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP) will facilitate an awareness activity on HIV and AIDS titled ‘HIV Edutainment Hangout’ targeting children ages 10-19.

The HIV Edutainment Hangout is being facilitated based on an initiative and request from the Office of the Deputy Secretary-General of the CARICOM Secretariat. In a statement issued by PANCAP on Tuesday, it was explained that the initiative

will focus on the children of CARICOM employees, ages 10 – 19 and will be held today at the CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana.

The event will be hosted by the Office of the Deputy Secretary-General in close collaboration with the PANCAP Coordinating Unit, CARICOM Secretariat. “The first of its kind, the activity is meant to reinforce the message from PANCAP to increase HIV and AIDS education among youth in the region,” the organization

explained.

“We believe that education should begin at home, hence we are educating the children of CARICOM Secretariat employees on HIV and AIDS-related topics with the intention to inspire other institutions and networks within the region to conduct similar activities,” Director of PANCAP, Dereck Springer said.

PANCAP, the mechanism that provides a structured and unified approach to the Caribbean’s response to

the HIV epidemic, has been advocating for an increase in HIV education among youth.

Springer posited that this was done most notably during the ‘Meeting of Youth Leaders: Sexual and Reproductive Health’ on April 21 and 22, 2017 in Port-of-Spain, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

Dr. Manorma Soeknandan, Deputy Secretary-General, CARICOM Secretariat, added that the response to the initiative has been overwhelming with over 50 par-

ticipants already registered.

The event will include a combination of education and entertainment on HIV-related topics including HIV transmission, stigma and discrimination and prevention with an overarching emphasis on how youth can contribute to the end of AIDS. Role-play, drama and creative writing will be utilised to engage participants in scenarios, which will seek to build their capacity to recognise social situations, which may put them at risk, as well

as the ability to recognise and address stigma and discrimination and identify ways in which HIV transmission can be prevented and discuss what they can do to protect themselves from HIV. “Youth have an integral role in ending AIDS,” stated Dr. Soeknandan, while adding that “we hope that this event serves as a catalyst for heightened advocacy and mobilisation of resources for HIV education among Caribbean youth.”

Motorcycle crash: Husband pleads guilty to four offences THE 24-YEAR-OLD unlicensed motorcyclist who caused the death of his reputed wife in a recent bike accident along the Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD) road on Tuesday, has pleaded guilty to four traffic-related offences.

Two weeks ago, Laurent McGarrell of Golden Grove, EBD, appeared before city Magistrate Sunil Scarce, to answer to six other trafficrelated charges, as a result of the accident which killed his wife Gaitri Sahadeo.

However, the magistrate had ordered that McGarrell be examined by a psychiatrist. He was charged with driving without a driver’s licence; driving without third-party insurance; driving without a safety helmet and driving the motorcycle without consent from the owner on July 23, 2017, at Providence.

He was also charged with driving the motorcycle while being under the influence of alcohol. He did not plead to the charge.

However, when the matter was recalled on Tuesday before Magistrate Scarce for the psychiatrist report to be heard, the court was told that

Laurent McGarrell

the accused was fit to stand trial and was only ‘traumatised.’

The six charges were reread to McGarrell and he pleaded guilty to four of them.

McGarrell confessed to driving without a driver’s licence; driving without a third-party insurance; riding without a safety helmet; riding the motorcycle and carrying Sahadeo, who failed to wear a safety helmet.

The man was fined $30,000 each for being unlicensed and breach of insurance. He was also disqualified from holding/obtaining

a driver’s licence for a year.

Additionally, he was fined $7,500 on the two remaining charges.

However, the accused denied taking the said motorcycle without the owner’s permission and riding it while he was intoxicated. The two matters have been adjourned until August 29 for the commencement of trial. He is currently out on $20,000 bail for the two offences.

McGarrell is currently out on $100,000 bail and is before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan for causing his wife’s death by dangerous driving. Particulars of the charge alleged that McGarrell on July 23 at Providence, rode motorcycle, CJ 1957, in a manner dangerous to the public, causing the death of Sahadeo.

According to reports, the accident occurred around 00:30hrs on the eastern carriageway of the Providence Public Road when the motorcycle suffered a blowout.

Sahadeo, who was the pillion rider and who was not wearing a helmet, reportedly sustained injuries to the head. She was picked up in an unconscious condition and taken to the

Robbery suspect held with gun A POLICE intelligence-led operation on Tuesday has resulted in the arrest of two persons in a motor car with an unlicensed 9mm pistol and seven live matching rounds.

The vehicle was parked in front of their Daisy Street, South Ruimveldt residence.

The male suspect has been fingered in several recent armed robberies. They are being processed for court.

The gun that was found

Georgetown Public Hospi-

tal where she succumbed.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 9, 2017

CMO promises full probe into latest maternal death A FULL investigation will be conducted into the country’s most recent maternal death, Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Shamdeo Persaud told Guyana Chronicle on Tuesday.

Seventeen-year-old Esther Edwards of Laluni Creek on the Linden/Soesdyke Highway died on August 1, 2017 after giving birth to a baby girl via Cesarean Section (C-Section).

In keeping with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), the CMO said the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) notified him of the maternal death on the same day. He said GPHC’s Internal Review Committee is expected to complete its report on the maternal death soon. That report is expected to be submitted soon to the CMO. Once in receipt of the report, Dr. Persaud said the Public Health Ministry’s Ex-

perts Committee will launch a thorough investigation into the incident to determine what were the “gaps” within the system that led to the death of the pregnant teen and to make the necessary recommendations.

The teenager was admitted to the public hospital late Saturday night. At the time, she was 40 weeks pregnant.

A C-Section was performed on Edwards and while the baby girl was safely delivered, Edwards died subsequently. She died at around 3:00hrs on Emancipation Day. Hospital officials have remained tight lipped on the direct cause of her death, saying that the investigation must be completed before details of the maternal death are disclosed. To date, the country has recorded seven maternal deaths for 2017.

Earlier this year, Pub-

lic Health Minister, Volda Lawrence, expressed worry over Guyana’s continued high rates of maternal and infant mortality, stating that all must get involved to reverse the trend.

“The health sector, you and I know, is faced with a myriad of challenges at all levels and in varying degrees with our maternal and infant mortality appearing high on that list; our maternal mortality rates [are] estimated at 121/100,000 live births and infant mortality rates [are] estimated at 22/1000 live births,” Lawrence pointed out.

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO), USAID, UNICEF and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) have stood out as major partners backing the local

public health sector in the last decade, “supporting health initiatives aimed at enhancing the delivery of primary health care to our people,” Lawrence said.

In October 2016, the IDB approved an US$8 million loan for a programme to help reduce maternal, perinatal and neonatal deaths in Guyana. The five-year programme was designed to improve the quality of care at 140 health facilities and in 88 communities, benefitting at least 140,000 women and 9,000 newborns per year.

The IDB had noted that despite progress achieved

during the last decade, Guyana continues to experience one of the highest maternal and infant mortality rates in Latin America and the Caribbean, with a maternal mortality rate estimated at 121 per 1,000 live births and an infant mortality rate at 22 per 1,000 live births.

Given that about 93 percent of deaths in children less than one year of age occurred in the neonatal period, the programme will support and improve maternal and child healthcare with a focus on improving access to quality neonatal health services and providing a

better path to and quality of reproductive and maternal health services.

The total cost of the project is US$8 million to be financed as follows: US$4 million from the IDB’s ordinary capital resources and US$4 million from the Fund for Special Operations (FSO) of the Bank. The loan from the Bank’s ordinary capital has a six-year grace period and a 30-year term.

The FSO funding has a term of 40 years with a 40-year grace period and a fixed annual rate of 0.25 percent.

Body of drowned Silvertown teen retrieved

THE decomposed body of 19-year-old Esther Weekes, of Silver Town Wismar Linden, washed up Tuesday afternoon in the Demerara River proximity to where she drowned on Sunday, while taking a bath with relatives.

Pandemonium broke out on the Wismar shore as the relatives of the late teen and residents of Silver Town and surrounding areas heard that the body had been discovered. A large crowd quickly filled the boat landing to have a glimpse of the body. Esther was a former student of the Christianburg-Wis-

Esther Weekes

mar Secondary School.

On Sunday around 13:00 hrs she was bathing in the Demerara River in

the vicinity of the Rivers View Hotel when she went under the water, while trying to save her cousin. Her aunt, who was also present, could not have done so since she too cannot swim.

Over the past years, many persons drowned in the Upper Demerara River while swimming. While it is a regular habit for residents along Burnham Drive to use the water to bathe and for other domestic purposes, residents and the police are calling for more precaution to be made, especially when swimming in the deeper parts of the river.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 9, 2017

14 enlist for training in extractive sector THE Ministry of Natural Resources on Monday launched its Youth in Natural Resources Apprenticeship Programme at its Brickdam office in Georgetown.

Fourteen young people will participate in the threeweek programme, which seeks to reverse the negativity connected to the extractive sector, while at the same time stimulating interest among young people in the work of the Ministry of Natural Resources. “The Youth in Natural Resources programme is to let you see that there is virtue in the extractive industries,” Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman told the first batch of participants.

“We want you to see that the two are not working against each other. How can we sustainably remove ore and gold and diamonds from the soil and still replant and ensure that forest grows again,” is the balance that the Ministry of Natural Resourc-

es is seeking to strike in the extractive sector, Minister Trotman said.

Mining, forestry and now petroleum are industries that make up Guyana’s extractive sector. The participants will travel across Guyana, visiting some of the industries such as ExxonMobil’s wharf facility at John Fernandes Limited and Guyana Gold Field Mining site. They will also engage and give back to communities through various activities.

Participants of the programme shared their excitement with the Department of Public Information (DPI). For 15-year-old Noel Sukhai, being a part of the programme is an opportunity to see more of Guyana. “Guyana is such a beautiful country and there are not many opportunities to explore the country,” the Essequibo native said. Sukhai is the designer and winner of Guyana’s Petroleum Commission’s logo competition.

Meanwhile, 17-year-old Tiffany Caesar hopes the

experience will help her to determine what studies to pursue in the extractive sector. “I’m hoping to do something within this area. Maybe a chemist or a biologist in forestry,” she shared. According to Corporate Liaison Officer, Lourianne Pluck, the apprenticeship programme was launched last year by Minister Trotman, as part of the Ministry of Natural Resources’ corporate social responsibility (CSR). “The ministry has its corporate social responsibility to give back and in giving back we have a couple of areas that we have identified,” Pluck explained. Those areas include the greening of Guyana with tree-planting activities, reforestation, mentoring and a green business development plan.

The programme is being sponsored by corporations such as Macorp, Farfan and Mendes, ExxonMobil, Aurora Gold Mines and Bosai.

Missing labourer found dead THE body of 52-year-old Crabwood Creek resident, who reportedly disappeared during a fishing expedition on August 5, with a group of friends washed up on the Corentyne foreshore on Tuesday, Police said.

‘B’ Division Commander Paul Williams said detectives are awaiting a post mortem report on the body of Karamchand Parbhudyal, which is expected to be performed by the end of this week before they proceed with the investigation.

The body was discovered in the vicinity

of Number 73/74 Village Foreshore. The discovery was made around 08:00hrs and was positively identified by his daughter, Tanuja Parbhudyal.

On Saturday August 5, the labourer in the company of three friends left for fishing trip at Calabash Creek Island in Corentyne River. However hours later he was reported missing by the said three friends.

Nagawattie Parbhudyal explained that her husband left around 09:00hrs for his usual weekend ‘drink’ at a nearby shop but around 2:00pm on Saturday she was made to understand

that he went fishing. “His friend and three others come tell me Dara been with them up the River and them nah find he back”.

She said the three men explained that they had left her husband a short distance away in waist high water and while they were taking their lines out and setting their hooks they rose up and looked back and did not see him. The three friends who were detained have since been released. A police source related the no marks of violence were visible on the body.

Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, addressing the participants

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Second man dies in Mahaicony crash

By Rabindra Rooplall FORTY-THREE-YEAROLD Lawrence Semple called “Skinna” of Catherine Village, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara (ECD) succumbed to his injuries Monday night, one day after he was struck by a speeding car in the same village.

The accident which occurred on Sunday at 17:30 hrs also claimed the life of his cousin, Winston Small, 53, of Lot 2 Catherine Village, Mahaicony, ECD, on the same day. He was pronounced dead at the Mahaicony Cottage Hospital.

The car bearing registration number, PWW 1614, was driven by Police Constable, Jarren Huntley of Eldorado Village, West Coast Berbice (WCB), who was admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital. The police constable also collided with 13-year-old Jaden Alleyne of Calcutta, Mahaicony, who was struck off his bicycle and treated at the Mahaicony Hospital and sent away.

Police said investigations revealed that the motorcar with three occupants and driven by the constable was proceeding east along the

Commander, Calvin Brutus; Community Relations Officer, Inspector Jupiter; and another rank speaking with Semple (Snr) while a relative hugs the mother of the deceased at their Mahaicony home

northern carriageway allegedly at a fast rate, when the driver swerved to avoid an uneven patch on the road.

In doing so, he lost control of the vehicle which collided with the teenage pedal cyclist. The vehicle then swerved back north and collided with two pedestrians, Winston Small and Lawrence Semple who are now dead, thereafter, it ended up in a church yard on the northern side of the road.

The injured passengers in the car were identified as Delroy Hutson, 35, and Odari Reynolds, 23, both of Eldorado Village, WCB. They were treated at the Mahaicony Hospital and sent away, while the other, Fitzroy Goodridge, 23, of the said village, was admitted for observation.

Winston Small was a father of six and Lawrence Semple, a father of four.

In an interview with this newspaper Nikita Small said

she was at her cousin on Sunday when she heard an impact on the Catherine Village, Mahaicony Public Road and later sounds of persons screaming.

“When I ran up to check and see what had happened I saw my father sisters crying and they told me is your father, your father just get knock down and he is in a very bad position,” she recalled “Then I run home and told my mother and when my father was taken to the Mahaicony hospital we followed, they said he was critical, when he was pronounced dead they allow us to see him.”

The distraught young lady said she was told that the car was speeding when it “knock a little boy at Burma Road and then it came more up the road hitting my father before crashing in a church yard.”

She said her father was a carpenter and his loss will impact the family tremendously as the family seeks justice. A sister of the deceased, Margot Small said “I was looking in the direction they were going and I just see this li’l boy and his bicycle pitch in the air and the vehicle ended up in the church yard, and after I didn’t

Dead: Lawrence Semple

Dead: Winston Small

see my brother on the road, I start holler and tell them to look for Winston.”

She recalled that she rushed to the scene and saw her brother’s body in a drain.

The deceased Semple’s father told this publication that the deaths of his son, Lawrence, and nephew, Winston Small, have created a serious void in the family.

“To me, my nephew died on the spot because he was bleeding tremendously and my son who was taken to the Georgetown Hospital where his serious injuries caused

him to die,” the father of six said in tears.

He said he and wife usually depend on Lawrence to conduct their business since they are usually overseas. “This is a big blow to the family, we still can’t believe what happened,” he said. Division- Senior Superintendent, Calvin Brutus, on Tuesday visited the relatives of the deceased and assured them that an investigation is underway while other concerns they may have are also being addressed.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Bereavement Camp widens circle of support for grieving children

FIRST LADY, Mrs. Sandra Granger has expressed gratitude to the Giving Hope Foundation for organising its inaugural Bereavement Camp for children, who have lost a parent or family member as a result of cancer or suicide.

Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) Representative, Dr. William Adu-Krow said that childhood grief is more common than most persons realise and knowing how to communicate with a child, who

suicide rate in Guyana, the organisation decided to also direct its attention to those affected by the scourge by providing support in schools, churches and communities and by seeking out those who need counselling and support.

Over the week, chil-

First Lady, Mrs. Sandra Granger seated at the head table, is flanked by Pan American Health Organisation/ World Health Organisation (PAHO/ WHO) Representative, Dr. William Adu-Krow and representative of the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Ruth Williams

First Lady, Mrs. Sandra Granger is taken on a tour of the building being used by the Giving Hope Foundation at 15 Ketley and Drysdale Street, Charlestown,

by President of the Foundation, Dr. Latoya Gooding

The opening ceremony for the one-week camp, which caters to children between the ages of five and 18 years old, was held at 15 Ketley and Drysdale Street, Charlestown, on Monday.

Mrs. Granger, while offering words of encouragement to the children, told them “this is a hard time when many of you cannot understand why someone you love has been taken from you. You may feel sad. You may ask yourself why this has happened to you. Some of you may even blame yourselves. These are difficult feelings for anyone, more so for a child or teenager. And, this is why Giving Hope Foundation has organised this Bereavement Camp to help you cope with these feelings.” The First Lady believes that the Camp provides the opportunity for the children to forge new relationships and widen their circle of support.

has experienced the death of someone whom they shared a close relationship with, can be a challenging task.

Dr. Adu-Krow said, “Unaddressed grief can cause the youth to feel isolated and alone both in their family and from other children. Children who are grieving are at greater risk for depression, for suicide, for poverty and for substance and other related abuse.” Hence, he said, there is a need for a collaborative effort to provide support and care for children in these situations. Dr. Adu-Krow pledged PAHO/WHO’s continued support to the Giving Hope Foundation and its cancer advocacy efforts.

President of the Foundation, Dr. Latoya Gooding said that the organisation will continue to work towards improving the quality of life for adults and children diagnosed with various forms of cancer.

However, given the alarming

dren will learn how to create memory frames of their loved ones, express their feelings through words and art, develop family trees, design Bereavement Camp T-shirts and go on field trips, among other activities. Representative of the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Ruth Williams and other members of both Government and

Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) were also present at the event.

The Office of the First Lady has thrown its support behind several cancer awareness events organised and supported by the Giving Hope Foundation and other NGO’s, including the breast cancer awareness walk held last year Octo-

ber, which saw the participation of Minister of Public Telecommunications, Mrs. Catherine Hughes, representatives of the Oncology Department of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and representatives of the Cancer Institute of Guyana, among others. (Ministry of the Presidency)

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Invest in young people--PM charges J. C. Chandisingh alumni

PRIME Minister Moses Nagamootoo charged J. C Chandisingh alumni to invest in young people and aid in the development of Guyana. The Prime Minister made this charge at the school’s 21 years of alumni on Saturday in Corentyne, Berbice.

champions and cricketers.

“You have passed through the J. C Chandisingh, benefitting from an education that was inaccessible. J. C Chandisingh is one of the schools in Guyana who can credit itself for training great people. You’re all proud alumni of J. C Chandis-

Prime Minister, Moses Nagamotoo presenting President of the .C Chandisingh Global alumni, Rishi Persaud a copy of his book ‘Emancipation the African resistance’ at the J.C Chandisingh 21 years of alumni in Corentyne, Berbice (DPI photo)

The Prime Minister told past and current students of the school that they must not only remember who they were “but invest in who you could not have been. “We must invest in young people so they can become better than who we are or could not have been.”

ingh.”

Prime Minister Nagamootoo concluded by presenting Rishi Persaud, president of the J.C Chandisingh Global alumni, copies of two books he authored, ‘Emancipation: the African resistance’ and ‘Indian Culture and Courage: 100th year of

Mrs. Sita nagamootoo crowning the 2017 homecoming queen at the J.C Chandisingh 21 years of alumni in Corentyne, Berbice (DPI photo)

Prime Minister Nagamootoo used the opportunity to reminisce on his humble beginnings and close relations with members from the J. C Chandisingh Secondary School alumni, especially his beloved wife Mr. Sita Nagamootoo. The Prime Minister credited the school as one of excellence which produced successful students worldwide, including tennis

Abolition of Independence.’

Mrs. Nagamootoon noted that, “though things have changed we are all proud of the J. C Chandisingh it helped to make Guyana a better place.” She thanked the past teachers for their hard work especially since in those days there were no social media or various technologies as there is now.

Minister of Public Security

Khemraj Ramjattan a past student also of the J.C Chandisingh Secondary School noted the importance of remembering where you came from. The Minister highlighted that he was equipped with many cultures from the school.

“It is important to pay homage to such a school, I remember when I used to read plenty days but it was because of that kind of education and discipline we had that generation which I feel was extraordinary and will

go places.” The Minister alluded to the great heights Guyana will be going especially with its oil and gas sector. He implored the local and overseas students to continue to support the school since their assistance continues to be important.

Past student of class of 1977 Diane Shields used the opportunity to thank all her teachers and others who aided in incorporating strong values in the students of the J. C Chandisingh Secondary School including the Public

Security Minister Ramjattan.

“You were the nurturers of our thirsty, impressionable minds, the shapers of our destiny and the foundation on which our futures were carved.”

Shields welcomed all those students who travelled from near and far especially those from overseas, who she urged to remain Guyanese. “You can take us out of this country, but you can never take this country out of us. We are Guyanese to the core and proud of it. I

man barn ya!”

Prime Minister Nagamootoo was awarded as an honorary student while Minister Ramjattan was awarded from his alma mater. Outstanding athletes were also awarded medals and the homecoming queen for 2017 was crowned by Mrs. Nagamootoo. J.C Chandisingh Secondary school was the former Corentyne High School but was renamed after its famous headmaster in 1980. (DPI)

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Tobacco Bill does not ban smoking

By Akola Thompson

RECENTLY, the long-awaited and contentious Tobacco

Bill was passed in Parliament.

The bill that prohibits smoking in public spaces is one that has been victim to many

inaccuracies being peddled against it.

One of these many misconceptions is that many people are

peddling the idea that the bill bans tobacco smoking outright.

What the bill does is control the smoking of tobacco products in

public spaces.

The bill also places a comprehensive ban of all tobacco advertising promotion and sponsorship. If you’re like me and you watch a lot of TV, then chances are that daily you are inundated with images of presumably ‘cool’ people smoking. The advertisements usually suggest that it is the act of the person’s smoking that makes them cool. This sends a dangerous message to viewers, particularly as it relates to children who are impressionable. It leaves out the dangerous effects smoking can actually cause.

In the Guyana 2010 Country Report – Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS), it was found that 11 per cent of the students surveyed were offered a “free” cigarette by a cigarette company. That report also stated that over half of them (56.8 per cent) were never denied the sale of cigarettes because of their age. With the implementation of the Tobacco Control Bill, it would be illegal for children under the age of 18 to purchase tobacco products.

Paving the way for a ban on the sale of single cigarettes that usually makes it easier for children to purchase them, the legislation also ensures that all buying customers are provided with the health warnings accompanying tobacco products.

DEMTOCO had complained that the tobacco company was not included in the series of consultations conducted during the formulation of the bill. However, as was pointed out by National Consultant for the Pan-American Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO),Attorney Kesaundra Alves, Article 5.3 of the FCTC does not allow for that.

“We could not directly interface with the tobacco industry, the measures that the tobacco industry wants run counter to public health. There is no seat for public health and the tobacco interest at the same table.”

Consultations were however done with the Private Sector Commission, the Chambers of Commerce, and businesses within the restaurant and hospitality sector. It is highly unlikely that the arguments posed by the tobacco industry would have been much different or influential.

Tobacco is not only extremely addictive, it is also extremely dangerous. Cigarettes

are directly linked to several types of cancers, skin and respiratory diseases and problems.

While the government cannot necessarily dictate whether an adult can smoke cigarettes, they do have a role to play in ensuring the public health of its citizens. This bill was a much-needed one, given that too often than not, I have had to ask persons to stop smoking around me. Many are talking about their freedom being infringed upon with regard to the tobacco bill and smoking in public. Some even have resorted to the slippery-slope fallacy, saying that if we allow the government to do this, it is only a matter of time before our other rights are violated. Firstly, yes you do have a right to smoke.

However, your right to smoke should not infringe on someone else’s right to not smoke.

Second-hand smoking is just as dangerous as the person smoking. So while you have the right to smoke, you don’t have the right to endanger others.

Your recklessness should only affect your own life. According to WHO, “In adults, second-hand smoke causes serious cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, including coronary heart disease and lung cancer.

In infants, it causes sudden death. Almost half of children regularly breathe air polluted by tobacco smoke in public places. Second-hand smoke causes more than 890,000 premature deaths per year; in 2004, children accounted for 28% of the deaths attributable to second-hand smoke.”

I am a smoker. I don’t smoke cigarettes, but I am a smoker who does not smoke around people. Even if I do smoke around people, it is in a room with all smokers.

No one is taking away your right to smoke in the comfort of your own homes. Wanting to smoke in public and exposing others to second-hand smoke is extremely selfish and should be regarded as a public health crisis. There is the concern about the revenue that will be lost due to this bill and the livelihood that might diminish for cigarette sellers too. While it is unfortunate that this revenue will be lost or diminished, our nation’s health is more important than the capital we gain from ruining the health and lives of its citizens.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Antigua to start dialogue here on xenophobia – through screening of movie, ‘Cry, Cry’ THE Antigua Film Academy will be bringing its locally filmed movie, “Cry, Cry”, to Guyana with the aim of generating discussions about xenophobia within the CARICOM Community, while creating a platform for a film workshop to be held here in 2018.

The Academy, like its parent company, The Motion Picture Association of Antigua and Barbuda, is a non-profit organisation striving to develop the film industry in Antigua. Over the last seven years, the Academy has been hosting training seminars for local filmmakers of varying ages and experiences during the July/August holiday.

For the first time in 2016, the Academy produced “Cry, Cry”, a full-feature film some 110 minutes long, which is based on a story written by a 10-year-old student of

the Antigua Film Academy, Destiny Martin.

As the Academy has explained in its synopsis, “Even though we are supposed to be united as a region, migrants from each island face discrimination and resentment when we move to another island.

“Foreigners get blamed for all the crimes and even when we want to go to the police we are scared of the police themselves.

“The story takes place in the backdrop of our Summer Carnival when a migrant is suspected of committing a murder. He goes into hiding as the police do their investigation. The real killer is eventually arrested.”

In an interview with the Academy’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr. Noel Howell, it was noted that some of their officials are expected to meet with officials from the Ministry of Educa-

tion to discuss the screening of the movie during September, Education Month, to school-aged children across the country.

“We want to show it to the public, but we want to show it to the school first,” Dr. Howell posited. Through the showing of the movie, the Academy is hoping to raise a greater interest in film production here in Guyana.

“We’re trying to encourage young people that you have a voice, and if you have a good story, people will listen to you,” he posited, while adding that young people should not be afraid to launch out and get creative.

In addition to the movie being shown here, Dr. Howell said preparations will be simultaneously made to have an extensive film workshop here in 2018.

“Next year, we can actually bring in people with experience; bring in the equip-

Power restored to Mabaruma

– new generator to be installed shortly MABARUMA is now receiving up to nine hours of electricity after engineers rectified minor issues that were affecting the standby generator powering the community.

Electrical Engineer of Region One, Frederick Kirk said that a representative from Doosan, the company that manufactures the generator, recently visited the region and dealt with the issues. Kirk explained that “we had a few minor technical difficulties but the rep is in here from Doosan and he rectified the issue, we did a few trial runs and we haven’t gotten any oc-

currence of the issue since,” adding that “the generator (is) presently powering the community for nine hours a day, with future plans of expansion of additional hours”.

Prior to that, Kirk noted that the community was only receiving five hours of electricity. Additionally, Kirk pointed out that a new generator was procured and has arrived in Mabaruma.

However, he said that installation of the generator is being stalled as they await the arrival of a missing part.

“The new generator came in but we are awaiting some additional parts as well

mainly the radiator. The radiator should be here tomorrow and the supplier will come in and install it so by the end of the week the next generator should be up and running,” Kirk explained.

He said once the generator is installed it is expected to provide Mabaruma with over nine hours of electricity on a daily basis.

The supply of electricity to the Sub-district comes as relief to residents, as they had experienced power outage for over two months after bearings within the generator were damaged beyond repair.

(DPI)

An engineer examining the generator

ment that is needed, and have something so that the young people of Guyana can actual-

ly get involved and see...

“Because, you know, sometimes you watch a lot

of TV, and we don’t see our own; we see everything foreign,” he posited.

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Hotel says it’s not to blame for athletes’ stomach bug LONDON, England (Reuters) - The London hotel at the centre of an outbreak of sickness that has struck down scores of competitors at the World Athletics Championships said yesterday it was not the source of the illness.

Several Botswana, German, Canadian, Irish and Puerto Rican athletes staying at the Tower Hotel, near Tower Bridge, have been taken ill over the last few days, with some put into effective quarantine and others forced to miss their events.

The victims included

Botswana’s Isaac Makwala, who was ordered by the global athletics body, IAAF, to withdraw from yesterday evening’s 400 metres final, where he had expected to be the lead challenger to world record holder Wayde van Niekerk.

Thirty German competitors arriving yesterday, as well as Olympic javelin champion Thomas Rohler who arrived on Monday, have been moved to other hotels.

“It is purely a precautionary measure,” German team spokesman Peter Schmitt said.

Competition organisers said on Monday that the illnesses were a result of gastroenteritis, but public health officials said yesterday that laboratory tests have confirmed two cases of norovirus among approximately 30 ill victims.

Norovirus, sometimes called “the winter vomiting bug,” is easily spread, partly because the virus can survive for several days outside the body, Britain’s National Health Service says.

“The main issue facing the organisers will be one of trying to attain swift containment, which will be pretty challenging due to the nature of the virus,” Shirley Kirnon, a lecturer in Infection Control at Birmingham City University, said.

“It is highly infectious.

For those affected, symptoms of nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea can occur within a relatively short period of time; approximately 12-48 hours after exposure.”

Tower Hotel, used annually as the base for the London Marathon, said in a statement: “We have worked collaboratively with the EHO (Environmental Health Officer) and the IAAF to investigate the origins of the illness and can confirm that the hotel was not the source.

HYGIENE PROTOCOL “We have followed strict hygiene protocol, ensuring that those affected are not in contact with other guests and all public areas have been thoroughly sanitised.”

London 2017 organisers said on Monday night that a number of teams had reported cases of gastroenteritis.

“Those affected have been supported by both team and LOC medical staff, in addition we have been working with Public Health England to ensure the situation is managed and contained,” the organising committee said in a statement.

Makwala was withdrawn from the 200-metre heats on Monday after vomiting in the call room where athletes make their final preparations. He had still been hoping to be cleared to race in yesterday’s 400m final, before the IAAF’s medical delegate withdrew him from that as well.

“According to IAAF medics I am apparently suffering from food poisoning which has affected several other athletes in the athletes’ hotel,” Makwala wrote on his Facebook page late on Monday. “Let’s hope they will allow me to run my final tomorrow (yesterday).”

Irish athletes were staying at the Tower, and their 400m hurdler Thomas Barr was another to suffer, missing his semi-final on Monday.

“I wasn’t feeling great yesterday evening and later in the night I was hit with a bout of gastroenteritis,” he said.

“My whole year has been focused on the World Championships and to not be able to go out and compete for Ireland today is beyond disappointing.”

At least seven Canadians were affected, including Eric Gillis, who was forced to drop out of Sunday’s marathon after around 20 miles.

“I was one of the athletes in quarantine,” Canadian sprinter Aaron Brown said. “I was in my room the entire day in the dark. I was like a vampire. I was holding my stomach the entire night.”

Brown recovered well enough to race in Monday’s 200m heats and ran an impressive 20.08 seconds, only to be disqualified for a lane violation.

Olympic champion Elaine Thompson was also physically sick before the 100 metres final on Sunday, though the Jamaican said that was not unusual for her and hadn’t had any effect on her below-par performance. She finished fifth.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Wayde van Niekerk cruises to another 400 metres gold By: Mitch Phillips LONDON, England (Reuters) - Wayde van Niekerk retained his world 400 metres title in dominant fashion yesterday as he stormed to victory in 43.98 seconds, but there was almost as much interest in the empty lane alongside him where Botswana’s Isaac Makwala should have been.

South African van Niekerk, the Olympic and defending champion and world record holder, ran a controlled race and was even able to ease down over the final strides as he secured the

first half of what he hopes will be a 400/200m double.

Steven Gardiner, 21, of the Bahamas was a clear second in 44.41 and 2 0 - y e a r- o l d w o r l d j unior champion Abdalelah Haroun of Qatar blasted through at the end to snatch bronze in 44.48.

Makwala, third-fastest in the year this season, was scratched from the race earlier yesterday having also been withdrawn from Monday’s 200m heats after vomiting before he got on to the track.

He insisted he wanted to run but IAAF officials ruled him out and refused him

entry to the stadium amid a swathe of nanovirus and gastroenteritis cases that have affected about 30 athletes from a selection of countries.

In his absence, van Nierkerk looked an even shorter-odds favourite and duly delivered, barely seeming out of breath when he crossed the line with his thoughts already turning to the 200m.

“I’ve got a good team to help me recover and it’s back to work tomorrow (today),” he said.

Long-striding Gardiner, who set a national record 43.89 in the semis, could

van Niekerk cruises to another 400 metres gold.

not quite reproduce that on a cold London night but looks equipped to challenge van Niekerk in the future.

Haroun, who switched nationality from Sudan to

Qatar two years ago, edged past Baboloki Thebe of Botswana and Jamaica’s Nathon Allen in the final metres.

Fred Kerley had scraped into the final as a

fast loser but finished last as the United States failed to medal in the event for only the second time since the championships began in 1983.

Shadab guides Knight Riders home in thriller AN innings of great maturity on a testing pitch by the 19-year-old Shadab Khan, alongside Javon Searles, guided Trinbago Knight Riders to a thrilling four-wicket victory against St Lucia Stars in Match 6 of the 2017 Hero Caribbean Premier League.

After the Knight Riders had restricted the Stars to 118 for 9 it seemed as if they had the match won. However, a fantastic spell of bowling from Shane Shillingford reduced the Knight Riders to 52 for 5 on a turning pitch that demanded a partnership of great responsibility from Shadab and Searles who inch-by-inch, marshalled the Knight Riders towards their target.

Eventually they got there in a flourish as Searles clubbed back-to-back sixes before two balls later guiding a four to complete the chase, but they were made to work bitterly hard before then by some tight bowling.

Brendon McCullum and Sunil Narine had got the Knight Riders off to a typically quick start, Narine slamming a straight six before McCullum hit three of his own with some scintillating shots.

After three overs they had 35

runs on the board but the trouble was their aggressive approach had cost them three wickets: Narine, McCullum and Colin Munro all back in the dugout.

It was not until the Knight Riders lost two more wickets: Darren Bravo - bowled when trying to cut, and Denesh Ramdin - bowled by a quicker one that the home team appeared to adjust their approach. By at that point they had been reduced to 52 for 5 and Shillingford had taken four wickets.

When Dwayne Bravo’s brief resistance was ended by a searing yorker from Mitchell McClenaghan, the Knight Riders were 75 for 6 and the Stars were favourites for the first time in the match.

However, it was that wicket that brought together Shadab and Searles who combined brave boundary attempts with sensible placement and busy running to take the Knight Riders home.

Earlier in the evening Trinbago bowled brilliantly after winning the toss to restrict the Stars to just 118 for 9.

Slow left-arm spinner Khary Pierre opened the bowling and started with a maiden to Johnson

Charles. With the first ball of the third over Pierre trapped Charles lbw with one that didn’t turn.

After Pierre had bowled his four overs straight through, finishing with 1 for 15, it was the medium pace of Kevon Cooper that made the second breakthrough, finding Kamran’s edge with an off-cutter.

Two boundaries, from Fletcher off Dwayne Bravo’s first over, the ninth, were the last moments of joy for the Stars before a brilliant middle-over squeeze begun. It took the Stars 52 more balls to find the boundary again as Shadab, Narine and Cooper bowled with exemplary control.

The final four overs of the innings brought 35 runs and four wickets as the Stars desperately hit-out. That only ten of those runs came from boundaries was indicative of the nature of the pitch.

The TKR spinners Pierre, Shadab and Narine finished with 3 for 48 across their 12 overs, while Cooper took 3 for 21. Bravo and Ronsford Beaton’s four overs cost 43.

Little did they know quite how challenging a target 119 would prove to be!

Kipruto continues Kenya’s steeplechase domination By: Christian Radnedge

LONDON, England (Reuters) - Kenya’s Conseslus Kipruto continued his country’s dominance of the 3000 metres steeplechase with a courageous victory at the World Championships yesterday.

A silver medallist in Beijing two years ago, Kipruto kicked on to take the lead with less than 300 metres left and was celebrating well before crossing the finish line in a time of 8 minutes

14.12 seconds.

The east African nation has now won 12 out of the 15 editions of the race in World Championships history.

There was no clean sweep as there was in Beijing, however, as Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco stayed with the leading group throughout to clinch silver - his first major medal.

Kipruto, just 22 years old, also won silver in his first World Championships in 2013. However, this time he made sure it was third time

lucky and came down the final straight pointing to the crowd and stretching out his arms in celebration.

A Kenyan win did not look certain for much of the race as American Evan Jager, favourite following his silver medal at the Rio Olympics last year, led the field round and looked to be on course for victory until he was overtaken by Kipruto.

Jager held on to take bronze in 8:15.53 and becomes the first American to win a world championship medal in the steeplechase.

33

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Balanced England can win Ashes, says du Plessis (REUTERS) - England have the right balance to beat Australia at this year’s Ashes series, South Africa captain Faf du Plessis has said after his team’s 3-1 series defeat by Joe Root’s side.

Hosts England completed their series victory with a 177-run win at Old Trafford on Monday in a keenly contested series.

Australia will host England for five Tests in one of the world’s most famous

sporting rivalries with the first match beginning on November 23 in Brisbane.

E n g l a n d ’s o p e n i n g bowlers James Anderson and Stuart Broad are expected to bear most of the burden of keeping Australia’s batsmen in reins and the pace duo received a lot of praise from du Plessis.

“If you have assistance and skill, which England’s bowlers have, you can target Australia’s batting lineup,” du Plessis told the

BBC. “They are relentless and our batting line-up wasn’t strong enough for them.

“Australia have fiery and quick batsmen so England will need to get through them.

(But) I think England could be Ashes winners. They have a balanced team.” du Plessis captained his side to a famous 2-1 series victory Down Under last year, prompting wholesale changes in the Australian squad under Steve Smith.

South Africa captain Faf du Plessis

The 33-year-old said England would have an even better chance of succeeding if the wickets provide some assistance to the quicker bowlers.

“I think it’s dependent on the conditions,” du Plessis said.

“I’ve always felt Australia as a team play really well on flat wickets, bouncy flat wickets, (but) if the conditions allow a bit of seam and swing and spin, then I think England will be favourites.”

AB de Villiers undecided on Test future

AB de Villiers remains undecided about his Test future after missing South Africa’s series defeat in England.

The 33-year-old batsman missed the tour because he “needed a bit of time away from the game”.

The Proteas unsuccessfully tried three different batsmen at number four in their 3-1 loss to England. de Villiers’ agent told BBC Sport nothing has been decided, but South Africa captain Faf du Plessis said he does not expect him to return. du Plessis, who had de Villiers as his best man at his wedding, said: “We spend

back and find someone who is going to fulfil that role. If he comes back it’s a huge bonus, but I don’t expect it.”

AB de Villiers made ducks in his past three Test innings - all against England.

too much time talking about if he is going to come back.

“We have to move past the hope of his coming

Regal Sports 20-over softball tournament

Double win for Farm

FARM recorded two wins on Sunday when play in the Regal Sports 20-over softball tournament continued at Everest Cricket Club ground.

They first whipped Speedboat by five wickets before returning to beat DeHoop by 24 runs in the Open category of the tournament.

Rawl Reid was the star player in their first game.

He grabbed 5-25, which eventually restricted Speedboat to 120-9.

Shazim Hussain made 29 while Greg Singh got 27.

Farm responded with 121-5 in 12.3 overs. Lincoln Leander led with 45 while Reid returned to hit 25. Vishnu Tam-

mechandra took two wickets.

In the second game, Farm batted first, scored 155 in 14.3 overs. Quazim Yusuf struck 39, Ameer Khan made 33 and Suraj Budhu 30. De Hoop were bowled out for 131 in 14.4 overs in response. Ajay Kishan had 2-5, Khan 2-12 and K. Ramsundar 2-30.

Speedboat overcame Super Star by 49 runs.

Speedboat took first strike and got to 159 before limiting Superstar for 110.

In the Masters category, Savage went down to Amazon Warriors by 36 runs.

Amazon Warriors batted first and posted 238-6 off their allotted overs. Sunil

Ramesh slammed nine fours and three sixes in a top score of 78 while De Roop made 36 and Raymond Bisraj 26.

Robin Sammy took 2-25 and Zameer Hassan 2-29.

Troy Ramsaywak got Savage off to a flier as he took 34 off their first over bowled by Randy Perreira en route to a top score of 55. His innings contained two fours and seven sixes.

But when he departed, only Hubert Wright 31, Hassan 30 and Seeraj Bhimsain 26 showed fight as they were restricted to 202-7.

Perreira came back to pick up three wickets, finishing with 3-70, while Ramesh Narine took 2-11.

de Villiers, who has more than 8 000 Test runs at an average of 50.46, has not played a Test since January 2016.

South Africa’s next assignment is a home series against Bangladesh, starting on September 28.

(BBC Sport)

34

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Real Madrid see off United to win European Super Cup By: Richard Martin (REUTERS) - Real Madrid beat Manchester United 2-1 to lift the European Super Cup for the fourth time yesterday, as they became the first team to retain the trophy since AC Milan in 1990.

Brazilian midfielder Casemiro struck the opening goal with a left-foot strike midway the first half while Spain international Isco consolidated Real’s advantage with a slick piece of skill and finish in the 52nd minute.

United’s £75 million striker Romelu Lukaku got his first competitive goal for his new club to reduce the deficit in the 62nd with a simple finish on the rebound after earlier wasting a similar opportunity.

That sparked a brief period of pressure from Jose Mourinho’s side and they could have drawn

level when Marcus Rashford burst through but he was denied by a save from Keylor Navas, ensuring Real won their fifth international trophy under Zinedine Zidane.

Mourinho’s admission before the game that Real had much more quality than his side was confirmed as the Champions League winners monopolised possession and nearly took an early lead when Gareth Bale sent an instinctive shot narrowly over the bar.

Defensive midfielder Casemiro then crashed a diving header against the bar before meeting Dani Carvajal’s perfectly weighted cross on the half-volley to add to his goal in the Champions League final win over Juventus.

Europa League holders United barely mustered an effort at Navas in the first period, the club’s record-sign-

ing Paul Pogba wasting their only chance with a shot that was easily blocked when Henrik Mkhitaryan was un-

marked screaming for the ball.

Real continued to dominate after the break as

The Real Madrid team celebrate.

(Image: Getty Images Europe)

Hetmyer entertains, Brathwaite fails in rain-hit draw CANTERBURY, England (CMC) – Rookie lefthander Shimron Hetmyer shone but opener Kraigg Brathwaite suffered his third straight failure as the three-day tour game against Kent finished in a draw here yesterday.

Before lightning and bad light ended play abruptly, West Indies were enjoying batting practice and had reached 132 for four at the Kent County ground.

They slumped to 50 for three before the 20-yearold Hetmyer stroked an enterprising unbeaten 43 while Shai Hope got 30 and opener Kieran Powell, 23, to lead the Caribbean side’s revival.

Brathwaite, however, fell without scoring to follow up his first-innings eight and two in the second innings of the opening tour game against Essex at Chelmsford.

Opener Kieran Powell once again got a start with 23 but failed to carry on.

Seamer Charlie Hartley was among the wickets with two for 44 to follow up his first-innings four-wicket haul.

Batting coach Toby Radford said afterwards the Windies batsmen had received a good workout during the contest.

“Kent bowled in good areas and kept coming at us,” the Englishman said.

“They swung it away to the right-handers and whenever we batted in this match there was cloud cover and a little bit of juice around.”

Trailing by 66 after Kent declared their first-innings on

at the wicket off Hartley in the second over with one run scored.

With the score on 24, seamer Matt Hunn claimed Kyle Hope also to a catch at the wicket for nine as West Indies slipped further.

Shai Hope then anchored two small partnerships to halt the slide, putting on 26 for the third wicket with Powell and a further 38 for the fourth with Hetmyer.

The left-handed Pow-

caught at cover off Hartley.

Hetmyer and Jermaine Blackwood, who finished unbeaten on 18, then came together to add 44 and deny Kent any further success.

Hetmyer, who made his Test debut recently against Pakistan, faced just 39 balls and counted seven fours and a six.

West Indies will face Derbyshire in their third three-day tour game starting Friday in Derby. The game will be a day/night affair in preparation for the ‘pink ball’ first Test against England at Edgbaston beginning August 17.

SCOREBOARD

Shimron Hetmyer

331 for nine in the final over of the previous day, West Indies were quickly in trouble following an 80-minute delayed start due to rain when they lost Brathwaite – caught

United struggled to press their opponents in the heat and humidity that was so intense the teams took a

ell had faced 59 balls and struck two fours when he too was taken at the wicket, this time off left-arm quick Adam Ball and Shai’s innings ended when he was

WEST INDIES 1st innings 265 KENT 1st innings 331-9 declared WEST INDIES 2nd innings K. Brathwaite c wkp. Rouse b Hartley 0 K. Powell c wkp. Rouse b Ball 23 K. Hope c wkp. Rouse b Hunn 9 S. Hope c Crawley b Hartley 30 S. Hetmyer not out 43 J. Blackwood not out 18 Extras: (b-4, lb-5) 9 Total: (4 wkts, 36.4 overs) 132 Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-24, 3-50, 4-88.

Bowling: Hunn 9-4-14-1, Hartley 11.4-2-44-2, Ball 8-3-27-1, Gidman 4-0-12-0, Riley 4-0-26-0.

water break in each half.

A fine save by United keeper David de Gea prevented Toni Kroos from scoring moments after the restart while their defender Chris Smalling did well to block a goal-bound effort from Marcelo and send it into the side netting.

Madrid did not relent, however, and standout performer Isco deservedly doubled their advantage with an arrowed finish beyond his Spain team mate De Gea after bursting into the area and exchanging a pass with Welshman Bale, who later rattled the bar.

R e a l ’s d o m i n a n c e waned towards the end as United forced their way back into the game but there was little question that the all-conquering Spanish giants were worthy winners when captain Sergio Ramos hoisted the trophy into the Skopje air.

Jamaica complete easy four-wicket win BASSETERRE, St Kitts, (CMC) – Jamaica completed an easy four-wicket win over Leeward Islands here Tuesday, after Leeward Islands suffered a batting meltdown on the final day of the fourth round encounter in the Regional Under-19 Championship.

Resuming at Conaree on 44 for two, the Leewards were dismissed cheaply for 126 with Kristoph Virgo claiming four for 40 and David Bird, three for 21.

Paul Miller made 27 not out from 88 balls with a six but the batting collapsed around him to leave the Leewards staring at defeat.

When the innings slumped to 78 for six, he staged the best stand of the innings, putting on 27 for the seventh wicket with Javani Tyson (10).

Set 71 for victory, Jamaica were led to victory by Andre McCarty who top-scored with a run-a-ball 25.

They lost Darren Small without scoring to the second ball of the innings without a run on the board but McCarty smashed three fours and two sixes in a 39-run, second wicket stand with opener Shavar Christie (10) to stabilise the run chase. Zawandi White picked up two for 13.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Wednesday August 09, 2017) COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Chris Lyn-454; Jason Mohammed-287; Dwayne Smith 279;

Martin Guptill- 164 (2) 4 games Today’s Quiz: (1) How many fours and sixes were struck in the opening game of

Hero CPL 2017?

(2) Who is the Head Coach of the Warriors? Who is the Manager?

ANSWERS IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE

35

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Lady Jags open CONCACAF Women’s U-17 Qualifiers against Barbados today By: Rawle Toney

GUYANA will begin their journey to the FIFA U-17 World Cup today when they face Barbados at the Leonora Track and Field Centre, in the opening match of Group D the CONCACAF U-17 Women’s Qualifiers.

Kick-off time is 17:00hrs.

Both Guyana and Barbados are entering the match claiming a victory, but, more importantly, the two countries, similarly, are eager to see the fruits of their labour.

heavily in grassroots programme, and as such, Guyana

tournament in the USA. Thomas said the wom-

made up of players representing the various Guyana

Barbados women’s U-17 team (Samuel Maughn photo)

Barbados head coach Thomas Jordan

With women football in the Caribbean on the decline, several federations across the region, over the last two years, have been investing

and Barbados head coaches spoke of their tireless efforts to ensure that their countries are properly represented.

For Barbados, coach Thomas Jordan said his team has been together for close to a year and is made up of players who participated in last year’s U-15

en are well prepared, given the fact that the Barbados Football Federation has been actively pursuing and helping to sustain a systematic youth development programme, starting from the U-13 level.

Akilah Castello, Guyana head coach said her squad is diverse since it’s

Football Federation (GFF) Academy Training Centres (ATC) across Guyana.

According to Castello, over the last couple of months, the team worked hard and showed continued improvement.

The 2018 CONCACAF Women’s U-17 Champion-

ship qualification is a women’s Under-17 football competition which decides the participating teams of the 2018 CONCACAF Women’s U-17 Championship. A total of eight teams will play in the final tournament.

The 2018 CONCACAF Women’s U-17 Championship will be the 6th edition of the CONCACAF Women’s U-17 Championship, the biennial international youth football championship, organised by CONCACAF for the women’s Under-17 national teams of the North, Central American and Caribbean region.

The top three teams of the tournament will qualify for the 2018 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Uruguay as the CONCACAF representatives.

In the Caribbean Zone, 19 Caribbean Football Union (CFU)-member national teams have entered the qualifying competition, consisting of two stages.

Apart from Haiti, who received a bye as hosts of the final round, the remaining 18 teams entered the first round

and were divided into three groups of four teams and two groups of three teams.

The winners of each group advance to the final round to join Haiti, where they are divided into two groups of three teams, with the top three teams qualifying for the final tournament as the CFU representatives.

Trinidad and Tobago, Puerto Rico, Saint Lucia, Guyana, and St Vincent and the Grenadines were automatically seeded in Groups A–E respectively

Akilah Castello Lady Jags head coach

as hosts of each first round group, while the remaining 14 teams were seeded based on the results of the previous two editions of the qualifying competition.

Mahabirsingh destroys Barbados to give T&T handsome win Nedd spins Guyana to innings victory over Windwards BASSETERRE, St Kitts (CMC) – Off-spinner Avinash Mahabirsingh finished with a 10-wicket match haul, as Trinidad and Tobago crushed Barbados by 87 runs before lunch on the final day of their fourth round Regional Under-19 clash here yesterday.

Set 183 for victory last evening at Molineaux, Barbados never came to grips with the dangerous Mahabirsingh and were rolled over for 95 in quick time.

Jarion Hoyte, batting at number nine, top-scored with 32 while opener Shian Brathwaite got 24. No other player passed 15.

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Mahabirsingh picked up six for 32 to end with match figures of 10-60, after he also routed Bar-

bados for 77 in the first innings.

There was no sign of Barbados’ pending collapse when Brathwaite and Ka-

deem Alleyne (13) added 37 for the first wicket.

Brathwaite struck a four and a pair of sixes off 35 balls while Alleyne spent 40 balls over his knock. Both perished in successive overs leading to the slide which saw eight wickets shockingly fall for 16 runs.

Tottering on 53 for eight, Barbados were lifted by Hoyte who slammed three fours and two sixes in a 40ball knock, as he put on 35 for the ninth wicket with Camarie Boyce who made 11.

However, both were dismissed by Navin Bidaisee (2-10) in successive overs to hand T&T the emphatic victory.

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BASSETERRE, St Kitts (CMC) – Left-arm spinner Ashmead Nedd routed Windward Islands with a magnificent seven-wicket haul to propel Guyana to an innings and 58-run victory over Windward Islands on the final day of their fourth round match in the Regional Under-19 Championship here yesterday.

Led on first innings by 155 runs, the Windwards folded meekly in their second innings at St Paul’s for 97 as Nedd ran through the batting order with seven for 20.

Nedd finished with match figures of 12 for 57 following his five-wicket first innings performance.

Opener Wayne Edward top-scored with 20, as a few other batsmen got starts but failed to carry on.

The Windwards looked in good stead at 63 for two but astonishingly lost five wickets for just two runs to decline dramatically, as the rot set in.

In one over – the 26th of the innings – Nedd snatched three wickets with the total on 63 to put Guyana firmly

Ashmead Nedd … finished with a 12-wicket match haul.

in command.

Earlier, the game appeared destined for a stalemate when Guyana batted on from their overnight 206 for four before declaring on 309 for nine.

Adrian Sukwah topscored with an unbeaten 68 to add to half-centuries by Kevlon Anderson (60) and Javid Karim (57) on day two, while captain Ronaldo Ali Mohammed chipped in with 29.

Ali Mohammed put on 42 for the fifth wicket with Ramnarine Chatura (22) while Sukwah, who slammed four fours and three sixes in a 55ball cameo, added 47 in an unbroken 10th wicket stand with Keshram Seyhodan (5 not out).

Lee Louisy was the best bowler with three for 72 while Sealron Williams (2-73) and Shermill Lewis (2-78) were the other wicket-takers.

Lady Jags open CONCACAF Women’s U-17 Qualifiers See Page against Barbados today 35

President Granger opens Guyana leg of Queen’s Baton Relay

President David Granger receiving the Baton from President of the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA), K.A. Juman Yassin By: Stephan Sookram THE Queen’s Baton Relay commenced its Guyana leg yesterday morning with a parade through the streets of Georgetown.

It opened with President David Granger car-

rying the Baton from State House on Main Street and handing over to Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo followed by the Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force, Brigadier Patrick West; Minister of Education Nicolette

British High Commissioner Greg Quinn marches with the Baton on Main Street.

Henry and British High Commissioner to Guyana, Greg Quinn.

After lunch on Tuesday, the party travelled to the Leonora Stadium where the Baton was be greeted by members of the community, Tassa drummers and a mas-

querade band.

Today, the Baton travels to Kaieteur Falls. It then goes on to Surama and Annai where the party will be greeted with sport and cultural presentations.

On Commonwealth Day, March 13 this year, the Gold

Guyana’s only Olympic Medalist Micheal Parris carries the Baton down Main Street.

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Coast Queen’s Baton Relay was launched at Buckingham Palace, signalling the start of the Commonwealth Games which will be held in April 2018 in Australia.

According to the Commonwealth Games Federation, Her Majesty Queen

Elizabeth II heralded the start of the Relay by “placing her message to the Commonwealth and athletes “into the distinctive loop-designed Queen’s Baton which set off on its journey around the world.

The Lions Club of Georgetown takes part in the Relay (Delano Willams photos) WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9, 2017