Guyana chronicle new york edition 28 07 2017

ISSUE NO. 60

WEEK ENDING JULY 28, 2017

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Exxon strikes more oil at Payara …gov’t hails discovery as major step in Guyana’s emergence as an oil-producing state ■ Page 6

85 back at Camp St brick prison ■ Page 25

Roraima pilot dies in plane crash ■ Page 15

Modern coconut processing company soon ■ Page 3

Chief-of-Staff of the Guyana Defence Force, Brigadier Patrick West, engages prisoners who were relocated to the Brick Prison at the Campt Street facility on Tuesday (GDF photo)

Works underway for manganese production ■ Page 23

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Guyana Chronicle Chronicle New New York York Edition Edition Week-ending Week-ending July 28, 2017 2017 Guyana July 28,

Fake food causing global stir

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fter allegations had surfaced last month that the Trinidad-company Naisa Brand Products Limited was selling fake rice, the company has refuted claims that they are marketing the artificial commodity, which it says it gets from Guyana.

Trinidadian media said that a video alleging plastic rice from the company was being circulated on social media, with the woman in the video warning persons not to use the product. Naisa Director

By Zena Henry Fawaaz Khan has however described the more than 10-minute long video as a “hoax”.

The woman in the video who did not show her face said she used the rice for some time and was feeling sick and bloated. She said it had a strange rubbery texture, before rolling the rice into a small ball and bouncing it on the counter top.

Khan described the video as “wicked”. “All the authorities are aware, the Food and Drug Division has all the samples, Cariri has samples and the Ministry of Agriculture has samples. All of our rice come from Guyana, not China", the Director in-

FAKE CABBAGE sisted.

Numerous social media videos have surfaced with Asian looking persons, some identified as Chinese nationals showing makeshift factories where they turn plastic, paper, flour and other materials into dough which they then cut into grains. Numerous reports have also been surfacing from different countries with people believing the fake rice had penetrated their markets.

Just days ago, photos had surfaced on Facebook with someone in Guyana claiming to have bought fake rice from a supermarket located on the East Coast of Demerara. As recent as Sunday, the Director of the Government’s Food and Drug Analyst Department, Marlan Cole confirmed that there has been no reported or tested case of fake rice in Guyana. He also said that no producer in Guyana, creates artificial rice.

The fake rice epidemic has caused a global stir. In a BBC report, it was stated that more and more countries were starting to suspect that fake rice was within their market. In an earlier report this month, addressing global fears, it was said that despite little evidence that the fake rice was a widespread problem, rumours of "plastic" rice in Africa and elsewhere persist on social media — driven in particular by viral videos that show the bouncing rice balls.

They said rumours spread within weeks across locations such as Senegal, The Gambia and Ghana until fears caused Ghana’s Food and Drugs Author-

ity to carry out an investigation by inviting consumers and traders to submit samples of any rice brand they suspected of being made of plastic. The eventual conclusion was that no plastic rice was being sold on the Ghanaian market.

One of the features that may see people believing the staple could be fake is the manner in which it rolls into a ball and bounces. However the Director at Rice Association UK, Alexander Waugh, told the BBC that while the videos may be authentic, it’s not because the grains are

plastic, since, “when prepared in the right way (rice) can actually bounce.”

"The natural characteristics of rice are carbohydrates and proteins and you can do something like that with rice," Waugh stated. It was noted that protectionism and a distrust of foreign imports could be behind the concerns.

Apart from rice, Youtube videos also show the making of fake cabbage, fake egg and several other products, many coming out of China.

Guyana York Edition Week-ending July 28,28, 2017 2017 July Week-ending Edition York New ChronicleNew GuyanaChronicle

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Severely burnt Guyanese teen recovering well after US medical treatment . . . walks for the first time after three years

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It was said that several US hospitals responded to the request for treatment, but most of them required upfront payment which was estimated at well over US$300,000.00.

“We then started an online SHEA was pleased to an- started a campaign to help him.” crowd-funding campaign to help The SHEA Charity said they offset some of the expenses. Fortunounce last month that 16-year old Bhojpaul Ramjas was recovering were contacted on September 8, nately, through much networking we well, one year after he had returned to Guyana following medical treatment in the US. Ramjas’s story is that on June 17, 2013, then 12, he was admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) with deep flash burns to 36 percent of his body.

SHEA said that 11 hours before being admitted to the public health institution, the young lad had been beaten by older boys who bullied him into climbing an electricity pole and touching a live electrical wire.

“He was burned down to the bare bones in some areas of his body.”

The organization said that, Bhojpaul was treated at the GPHC and sent home after several months.

However due to inadequate home care and lack of local medical treatment, the teen had recurring infections which was eating away at his already fragile body.

“So, he laid in his bed and waited for either a miracle or death. 2015, and immediately began work- were able to find a hospital to accept This child suffered beyond the ing in conjunction with Ramjas’s the child on a pro-bono basis. stretch of words until his aunt vis- aunt, Camille Ragnauth, to find Within one month we were able to ited from the United States and treatment services to save his life. facilitate his treatment services; se-

he United States-based charity organization, Saving Hands Emergency Aid (SHEA) has again brought hope to another individual faced with trying medical issues that required the intervention of the well-connected aid organization.

2017

cure medical visas, travel arrangements, housing, and meals. We also raised $7,000.00 in cash through the online fundraiser, which paid for most of these fees with the exception of his medical cost.”

SHEA said on March 7, 2016, Ramjas returned to Guyana a brand new person.

“He is well on his way to recovery as he is now pain free and able to walk; something that he was not able to do for approximately three years.”

Ramjas’s return travel to Guyana was sponsored by the Shri Devi Mandir Global Humanitarian Foundation of New York, led by Pandit Tillack Seerattan. The Mandir also covered his travel costs for a follow-up visit to the US last August.

Bhojpaul went through his follow up burn care and after completing a five-week session, he was sent home to heal and recuperate.

His road to a full recovery is described as a long and challenging one. SHEA however offered best wishes of “continued good health, success, and a bright future ahead.”

SHEA is a non-profit organization that helps to connect patients to doctors from various territories. The organization has a strong Guyanese connection and has helped numerous persons suffering from various ailments.

Modern coconut processing company soon (DPI, GUYANA) - Precision Global Incorporated, a local coconut processing company came in for high praise from Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest), Natalia Seepersaud, when she conducted a site visit of the Precision Global Incorporated facility on Tuesday.

The Precision Global Incorporated Coconut Processing facility located at Marudi Creek on the Linden Soeskyde Highway.

Precision Global Incorporated has been established locally since 2013 and is located at Marudi on the Linden

Soeskyde Highway.

Vice President of Operations for the Company, Robin Baljeet said that the mult-imillion dollar company is expected to have its first product out on the market by January 1, 2018 under the line ‘Only Coconut’.

The Go-Invest Deputy CEO commended the company for its environmentally-friendly practices and ‘green sustainability.’ “I am very impressed with what I have seen here and I know that they had some setbacks but they have definitely persevered through those,” Seepersaud said.

Baljeet explained that the building of the foundation, clearing and construction of the processing plant began in 2014 and within the two years the company has made “remarkable progress, by acquiring most of the equipment from Canada and the US.” Seepersaud added that GO-Invest was ‘well pleased’ that this project and investment would bring sustainable development to the community while providing employment for 140 persons initially. The move to invest in value-added products was also lauded by the Deputy CEO, “This is one of the facilities in Guyana that

The Precision Global Incorporated Coconut Processing facility located at Marudi Creek on the Linden Soeskyde Highway.

we can be proud of.”

Baljeet noted that the products would be available on local markets and exported overseas. He noted that the establishment of the company was timely, given that the coconut was a healthy product

which has been gaining attention around the world especially on social media.

Some of the products that the company will be producing include coconut oil, flour, charcoal and burkitts. Baljeet pointed out that operations

were expected to commence in the next six months while hiring of employees will begin within the coming months.

“We will be hiring persons from the local community.

We need about 60 persons per shift to prepare the coconut before the processing, while the company will be purchasing coconuts from farmers from Essequibo and Berbice. The factory can process 100,000 coconuts per day”, Baljeet highlighted.

The Vice President also thanked Go-Invest for its support and guidance in developing their project. (By: Gabreila Patram)

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G U YA N A S P R O U T S

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The Zena Henry Column

his generation of young adults are getting a really bad rap sheet by a number of persons in society, and in some cases by the very arms of the structure that are supposed to ensure their care, while instilling the requisite skills, moral and social attributes that would make them productive members of society.

In fact, among the arguments of some of these, especially older, critics is that young people have it much easier than they did. They charge that youths have computers and technology to make their work easier. That they have easy access to transportation to take them to their schools, when in their time, they walked far distances to get to school. They had to wear hand-me–downs and had one pair of shoes/sneakers to last a whole school year, while they say young people today have to make no such sacrifices and have many luxuries they did not have.

They are going to school with the fanciest high-end phones; they have IPods, brand name clothing and expensive shoes. Many young people today are generally being labelled as lazy by adults, who claim that they want the fancy life but are not willing to work for it. They say too, that the young ones have little to no discipline, that they are wild, rude and in some cases have no respect for elders.

Guyana Sprouts concurs; that there is much truth to a lot of what is being said by the older generation, but it is not totally the fault of the

youths that they are behaving in some of the most vulgar, unreasonable and inexplicable ways. There appears to be a reluctance by the eld-

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending July 28, 2017 Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending July 28, 2017

Ignoring the obvious

same measuring stick cannot be used for everyone. Whereas one can say, that when a young person who had everything and still messed up is bad, what will be the reasoning when a not-so-well-off young person, or a victim of abstract poverty messes up; could it be said that he or she should know engaging in crime is against the law and should not be committed regardless of their financial status or quality of life? That sounds like put-

Our future . . . the young generation. ers to accept that these same bad ting the milk in front of the cat, and young people are merely fruits re- expecting that it won’t drink.

Youths that come from rich or flecting the quality of the tree; that these are the same young people that poor backgrounds may be exposed to their families, society and its systems the same corrosive, unfulfilling prodwere obligated to turn into produc- ucts of society, and may respond tive citizens but failed to do so for alike or completely different, based on their reasoning. whatever reason.

There cannot be generalized Indeed some young people have statements made against young peo- life way easier than others, as their ple and their behaviour because the parents strive to give them everything necessary for their success in life.

There are parents who provide all the needs and wants of their children, but leave them on their own without parental guidance; the schools and society are taking little time to help them The New York Edition (Guyana Chronicle) is looking for motivated understand the value of hard work, the sales representatives to join our team selling print and on-line need to be satisfied and why it is imadvertising to an established account list. portant to be satisfied.

The New York Edition (Guyana Chronicle) is a weekly newspaper, carrying news, views and comments from the Diaspora, Guyana and During the past few years, peothe Caribbean and is circulated every Friday in Brooklyn, Queens and ple at various economic and social the Bronx, as well as on our weedage (wow.gubernatorially.coma). levels were able to make “free Do you have experience meeting and exceeding sales goals, money” in Guyana where they didn’t have to work hard but built a fine life anticipating challenges and continually seeking new customers. If for themselves and family by illegal you are goal-driven, we want to talk to you. means.

It would be safe to say that a Email your resume and references culture of freeness might have develto Dennis Nelson @ oped and is now rearing its ugly head denizenation.nycterine@yahoo.coma and plaguing people who can’t make or call: (917) 379-6590 to schedule an interview.

— WANTED —

ADVERTISING SALES EXECUTIVES

money on the side, now that the system is being cleaned up.

It is even worst when young people from broken and single parent homes begin to see the way of their system. That as a poor person it is almost as if they have no rights. Unless that person is really determined to get out of their situation or some intervention comes along, it is not likely to happen.

All young people face the same dilemma, where they are told to go to school, get an education, get a job and you will be fine; be a law abiding citizen and you will be fine. These young people get older and realise that the system is not as perfect and straightforward as they were taught.

Although there are those who don’t make it in society’s book of who is who, they still want to be respected as human beings and they still want all the glitz and glam of life which society continues to teach is the only way or you are a nobody.

Young people today may be in more danger than ever before because of the same technology that is supposed to help them be paragons of society. Pedophiles, hate groups, extremists and all sorts of people can now access these kids. Consumerism is not a joke and its best weapon advertising, is no laughing matter.

Young people and even adults are getting sucked in; buying what they don’t need, spending what they don’t have and in some cases committing crimes to get what they want.

There are reasons why certain colours are used in marketing, why toys are placed at kid height; on lower shelves in supermarkets and so on.

People go to university to study how to get you to buy stuff you don’t need and how to turn your kids into material seeking junkies, but no one wants to speak boldly about issues like these; the obvious truths are being ignored.

There are other scenarios like those that are being used to malfunction the generations, whether psychologically, physically and/or other.

Some of these scenarios should be described as weapons used against human nature and should be addressed.

GuyanaChronicle Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending 2017 Guyana New York Edition Week-ending JulyJuly 28, 28, 2017

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The Handel Andrews Column

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T TH HE E H HI IS ST TO ORY RY PA PAG GE E

George G. M. James – The Umbrella Man

begin my history series with a Guyanese, who is either unknown to most of us or has been overlooked. Martin Carter, Dr. Walter Rodney, George Lamming, Derek Walcott, Dr. Eric Williams are more known. However, his book, Stolen Legacy, is the most influential book on how Europe stole African learning. The man to whom I refer is George Grenville Monah James, known as the Umbrella Man, because he always walked with an umbrella.

(Pages 177-178) assert that the statue of the Egyptian Goddess Isis with her child Horus in her arms is the origin of the Virgin Mary with the baby Jesus in her arms.

He contends that, “All the great religious leaders from Moses to Christ were initiates of the Egyptian Mysteries.” He also tells us that in his “Timaeus”, Plato says that aspirants for mystical wisdom visited Egypt for initiation and were told by the priests of Sais, “You Greeks are but children” in the secret doctrine, but were admit-

by the Arabs).

European arrogance and its notion of the “White man’s burden” rests on the assumption that Greece invented philosophy, the arts and the sciences. Dr. James also challenges the foundations of Judaism and Judaeo-Christianity, “Stolen Legacy,”

ted for information enabling them to promote their spiritual advancement.

He argues that when the Royal Library at Alexandria was plundered

by Alexander the Great, thousands of books about African philosophy were taken to Greece and plagiarized. If we are to believe Dr. Ben Jochannan, the

BIOGRAPHY He was born November 9, 1893 in Georgetown, British Guiana (Guyana). His parents were Reverend Linch B. and Margaret E. James.

After completing elementary and secondary schooling there, he studied in the U.K. He earned the B.A. an M.A. degrees from Durham University, where he was a candidate for the Litt.D. Further post-graduate work at Columbia University earned him a PhD in Classics and Philosophy. He also earned a teaching certificate in the State of New York to teach Mathematics, Latin and Greek.

Dr. James was Professor of Greek and Logic at Livingstone College in Salisbury, North Carolina and at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff for 10 years. Ironically, he is not listed on the board of U of A past teachers He died soon after publishing Stolen Legacy in 1954.

STOLEN LEGACY Sometimes in the glorious history of ideas, a great thinker is defined by one work. Francis Bacon is best known for “Novum Organum”, Herbert Spencer for “First Principles”; Thomas Hobbes for “Leviathan” and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe for “Faust.” George G. M. James’ magnum opus is “Stolen Legacy.”

The book’s thesis is that Greek philosophy and the mystery systems of Greece and Rome were stolen from Egypt, and challenges the notion that civilization originated in Greece.

“The Greeks were not the authors of Greek philosophy, but the Egyptians.”

He writes, “The term Greek philosophy, to begin with, is a misnomer, for there is no such philosophy in existence. The ancient Egyptians had developed (invented) a very complex religious system called the Mysteries, which was also the first system of salvation.”

At this stage, something must be said about the term “Mystery system.” The ancient Kemites (Africans) did not call their system a “mystery

system.” It was the Greeks who went to study at the Temple of Waset (later called hebes by the Greeks and Luxor

Greeks burned the library at Luxor and took many of its books to Greece.

These thefts led to the opinion that the African continent has made no intellectual contribution to civilization.

The good doctor says that ancient Egypt was the main center for ancient learning and that students from Greece and further flocked to her for education and admission to her Mystery System. Dr. Kwame Nantambu, in “Ancient Egypt's Role in European History” (2001), agrees with Dr. James. “The fact of the matter is that the famous, well known Greeks (Europeans) whom we study and revere in school curricula today all studied at the feet of the ancient Egyptians — Africans in the Nile Valley, Kemet. For example, Plato studied at the Temple of Waset for 11 years; Aristotle was there for 11-13 years; Socrates 15 years Euclid stayed for 10-11 years; Pythagoras for 22 years; Hypocrates studies for 20 years; and the other Greeks who matriculated at Waset included Diodorus, Solon, Thales, Archimedes, and Euripides. Indeed, the Greek, St. Clement of Alexandria, once said that if you were to write a book of 1,000 pages, you would not be able to put down the names of all the Greeks who went to Kemet to be educated and even those who did not surreptitiously (continued on page 22)

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Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending July 28, 2017

Exxon strikes more oil at Payara …gov’t hails discovery as major step in Guyana’s emergence as an oil-producing state

Dogged perception

THE Guyana Chronicle for years has been no stranger when it comes to charges of biased reporting, but of late, some of the criticisms seem rooted more in perception transferred from a bygone era.

It is true that no so long ago, the state of the State’s newspaper was not one worthy of remembering as it was a tool to castigate members of the political opposition and others who oppose the government. In fact, some editors went as far as to say that there is nothing like balance and objective reporting in the State media, meaning that the newspaper’s role is to follow the dictates of the government.

It was no surprise then that the Guyana Chronicle degenerated into a propaganda broadsheet by carrying wholesale the deeply jaundiced views of political operatives and officials without even having the decency of affording the other party a right to respond to their criticisms. Many, including supporters of the former government since then had made a decision not to buy or read the State’s newspaper because only information on the government can be found therein.

While the Guyana Chronicle has some where to go in becoming a truly national newspaper, it has at least made a turnaround from the state it was in about three years ago, with some noteworthy steps to professionalise the way the newspaper reports the news. But the perception of heavy government bias still remains, even though the Chronicle for the past two years has performed outstandingly in a number of journalism competitions that demand professional work.

In 2015, the Guyana Chronicle swept the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) in the print category and did a repeat the following year, winning the overall prize in the keenly contested competitions involving the socalled ‘independent’ media houses. The submissions for these awards had nothing to do with politics. They examined a wide range of areas in the health sector, proffered solutions and were published year-round. It showed that the Chronicle has created an environment for professional work to develop and flourish.

EXXON Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) on Tuesday announced it has discovered additional oil in the Payara reservoir offshore Guyana, increasing the total Payara discovery to approximately 500 million oil-equivalent barrels.

These positive well results increase the estimated gross recoverable resource for the Stabroek Block to between 2.25 billion oil-equivalent barrels and 2.75 billion oil-equivalent barrels, the company said in a statement. The well was successfully drilled by ExxonMobil affiliate Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited and encountered 59 feet (18 meters) of high-quality, oil-bearing sandstone in the Payara field. It was safely drilled to 19,068 feet (5,812 meters) in approximately 7,000 feet (2,135 meters) of water. The well is only 12 miles (20 kilometers) northwest of the recently funded Liza phase 1 project on the Stabroek Block, which is approximately 130 miles offshore Guyana.

“Payara-2 confirms the second giant field discovered in Guyana,” said Steve Greenlee, President of ExxonMobil Exploration Company.

“Payara, Liza and the adjacent satellite discoveries at Snoek and Liza Deep will provide the foundation for world class oil developments and deliver substantial benefits to Guyana. We are committed to continue to evaluate the full potential of the Stabroek Block.”

The Stabroek Block is 6.6 million acres (26,800 square kilometers). Esso

Exploration and Production Guyana Limited is operator and holds 45 percent interest in the Stabroek Block.

Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd. holds 30 percent interest and CNOOC Nexen Petroleum Guyana Limited holds 25 percent interest.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Natural Resources in a statement said it joins with President, David Granger, and the Guyanese people in congratulating ExxonMobil and its joint-venture partners Hess and CNOOC Nexen for their latest efforts that led to the confirmation of the volume of the petroleum reserves that were announced regarding the Payara 2 well in the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana. “The announcement marks another important milepost in the journey towards Guyana’s emergence as an oil producing state, and reinforces the reality that Guyana must continue to steadily and carefully build capacity in a race against time before that date,” the ministry stated.

The ministry said it looks forward to the support of all stakeholders, “as we work together to ensure that there is a strong regulatory and fiscal framework in place so that the production of petroleum could be done in a transparent and accountable manner and in a way that is respectful of our environment. We are thankful to all our local, regional and international partners who have committed to working with us to bring us into readiness for oil production. We call on the people of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana to embrace this new reality that has

These aside, coverage on a people perspective (reporting not centred on views of politicians) in agriculture, sport, local government, the environment, arts and culture, women and business have increased considerably. But the perception of heavy bias still exists. Even though only last week, this newspaper literally ‘cleaned up’ the Guyana Press Association (GPA) Media Awards, writing on these very issues which give balance in terms of variety in coverage and voice to the people on issues that affect them.

This level of professionalism and achievements the Chronicle has never witnessed in the past two decades and probably way beyond that period, and undoubtedly it is a living testimony that dispels the perception of chronic bias.

It is important that these gains are preserved and expanded and deeply partisan reporting on politics remains a thing

dawned upon our beautiful country and to prepare themselves to take advantage of the opportunities it presents.”

Back in June the ministry had approved the ExxonMobil Liza Phase 1 development plan and issued a production licence for the Liza field. This was an important milestone towards the first phase of oil production at the Liza field offshore Guyana. Production is expected to begin in 2020. Following the approval of the Production Licence and environmental permit, it is expected that ExxonMobil and co-venturers Nexen and Hess will make a final investment decision on the Liza Phase 1 development. In a separate process, the Guyana Environmental Protection Agency issued the Liza field environmental permit on June 1.

The environmental permit ensures that the environment is protected through the lifecycle of the project. The Liza Phase 1 development plan includes completion of a floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel designed to produce up to 120,000 barrels of oil per day.

Meanwhile, Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, had said that approximately two billion barrels of oil have been discovered in the Stabroek Block by ExxonMobil and its partners. The Government and people of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana will receive a royalty of 2 per cent on gross earnings and benefit from 50 per cent of the profits from the sale of petroleum once production commences.

of the past. This is essential in changing the perception of this newspaper, which two years embarked on a mission to be a newspaper of public record, covering a wide range of issues, from the near and far corners of Guyana.

The Guyana Chronicle is a State newspaper; it represents the interest of the people and, as such, cannot shut out the voices of reasoned or constructive criticisms. The positive strides that have been made by this newspaper in shaking off an old unsavory image must at least be appreciated, and all, regardless of where you sit on the political divide, should play a role in making it an admirable product. Such a move will be of great help in helping to erase the negative perception and will also be of great benefit to whichever government holds power.

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed in articles in this newspaper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the policies and views of the management of the New York Edition of the Guyana Chronicle.

Guyana Edition Week-ending July 28,28, 2017 GuyanaChronicle ChronicleNew NewYork York Edition Week-ending July 2017

robertsconsulting@gmx.com * (347) 279-6668

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77

21st Century Black “Nobodiness”

state for the record that I’m not one of the people who continue to take a markedly pessimistic view of Black progress in the first decade of the 21st century. But I do admit that as a race we’ve not entered the fabled and illusive Promised Land. And in this new Republican Era, Black devaluation and self-hatred has reached new and dizzying heights in the midst of admittedly bold and determined socio-economic strides. Yet, today, here in America, in the so-called “land of opportunity,” Black people still need to be reminded that they are worthy and that their lives are important and do have meaning.

It’s indeed a strange but illustrative paradox that in the midst of Black celebrity and entertainment culture that’s spawned billionaires like Oprah Winfrey and millionaires Jay Z, Beyoncé et al. that Black people are still “nobody” in America.

Black poverty, especially child poverty, is now a crippling epidemic side by side with the growth and distracting social escapism contrived, created, packaged and targeted to a demographic addicted to “the stars” or another edition of some “idol” or the other. But this momentary high, a glazed over impossible daydream for many comes to a screeching halt the very next day when the rent is due and Black poverty’s ugly, snarling face lights up.

Today, Black folks still need to be constantly reminded that they built this nation with their blood, sweat, and tears as a shield against a negative psychic battering that remains unrelenting and constant.

Blacks, especially young impressionable ones, face this incessant daily drumbeat of opinion forever identifying them as a problem, a pesky and irritating issue, or simply as something fundamentally less.

They're nobodies in the grand scheme of things.

It was Dr. Martin Luther King who called this phenomenon “a sense of nobodiness.” A sense of standing anonymous before the bar of history. Of having come from nowhere into a life bound for nothing. Such an indictment is oftentimes derided and criticized by today’s “well-to-do Blacks,” especially those that mainstream, white American society embraces for their sporting abilities, Hollywood screen success, and business acumen.

That’s until they become too “uppity” and are mercilessly beaten

down by the same society that hitherto acted and behaved towards them as if America had suddenly become color blind.

Note here the lessons of O. J. Simpson, Bill Cosby, Mike Tyson, Tiger Woods and before them Paul Robeson, Muhammad Ali, Joe Lewis and others. Nobodiness sometimes comes as a surprise to the Black community raised on the virtues of White people and the promoted inherent inferiority of Blacks as “sinful, cursed

by God, three fifths of a man, beastlike, and lacking intelligence.” In short, Black people are nobody. Indeed, the most liberal of Whites that hypocritically tout the “goodness of all God’s people” ends abruptly and lasts only until you hear them start

praising these “Black examples” and wolf-smiling Whites for “transcending” race.

In other words, the yardstick that the White community measures those successful Blacks and the price of acceptance into White society that they pay is that they become — or, at least, perceived as — not really “Black.” You hear it all the time.

While most Blacks are nobody, live in the ghettos, and need “low-income housing” — a demeaning, White dog-whistle for Black, poor and criminally inclined — successful Blacks are, well, different, they are not seen as “being Black.” Hence

their behavior and their stupid and ignorant boastfulness about “being the only Black person living in a White neighborhood.” They see this as a badge of success for having left “the hood” and now accepted by White folks.

It therefore is not hard to see why “Black nobodiness'” persists.

Or that Black children — and their elders — look into mirrors every day and see no one special standing there.

Sure, one can argue and conclude that whether this represents true enmity toward Blacks or simply the in-

(continued on page 22)

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Guyana Guyana Chronicle Chronicle New New York York Edition Edition Week-ending Week-ending July July 28, 28, 2017 2017

EMPHASIS ON TRAVEL AND TOURISM

CARIBBEAN DEVELOPMENT BANK SUPPORTS CARIBBEAN TOURISM ORGANIZATION’S SERVICE AND BUSINESS EXCELLENCE PROGRAMME Regional lending institution to provide over US$223,000 to fund Hospitality Assured certification programme in ten borrowing member countries

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he Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO)’s continued efforts at promoting service and business excellence in the region’s tourism and hospitality sector has received a financial boost from the regional financial institution that focuses on harmonious economic growth and development in the Caribbean.

The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), through its Caribbean Technological Consultancy Services (CTCS) Network is providing US$223,312 in support of the two key components of the Hospitality Assured (HA) Caribbean certification programme managed by the CTO as part of its product development and service quality thrust.

The funds will be used to engage business advisors and assessors to help strengthen the business performance and overall competitiveness of tourism-related micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in ten CDB borrowing member countries through the HA programme.

“Our region needs to boost its reputation for service and business excellence and pay attention to the overall visitor experience. The Hospitality Assured framework provides the tool to drive this effort,” said

Bonita Morgan, the CTO’s director of resource mobilization and development, and the CTO official with overall responsibility for the HA programme.

“We are thankful to the CDB, through the CTCS Network, for supporting this effort to help Caribbean tourism businesses shore up their competitiveness.”

“For several Caribbean economies, tourism is an engine of growth, and MSMEs have the potential to make significant contributions to the sector. CDB is pleased to be supporting CTO in delivering the HA Caribbean certification programme, and deeply value the role it plays in helping regional MSMEs deliver an even higher quality product and experience in an increasingly competitive global tourism market,” said Darran Newman, acting division chief, technical cooperation division, CDB. Over the next year 30 businesses in the ten countries – Anguilla, Belize, the British Virgin Islands, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Lucia, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, and Turks & Caicos Islands will receive technical assistance as well as assessment services through the CDB funding.

The regional lending institution’s support for HA dates back to 2014 when, through the United Kingdom Department for International Development’s Caribbean Aid for Trade and Regional Integration Trust Fund, managed by the Bank, it pro-

vided funding support for six businesses in Grenada to participate in the certification programme.

Last year, CDB, through the CTCS network, provided financial support to conduct a week-long business advisors training workshop organized by the CTO to equip 15 business advisors to provide technical assistance to tourism-related businesses participating in the HA certification programme.

CTCS is managed within CDB’s Technical Cooperation Division and operated in cooperation with regional and national institutions, laboratories, industrial enterprises, and consultants. It comprises a network of institutions and experts, and has as its primary aim, transferring knowledge, skills and technology to improve manage-

rial and operational efficiency and competitiveness of MSMEs through the provision of technical assistance.

Hospitality Assured is a certification programme promoting service and business excellence in tourism and hospitality companies. It is owned by the Institute of Hospitality in the United Kingdom, and managed by the Caribbean Tourism Organization in the region.

MEDIA CONTACTS: Johnson JohnRose – CTO Tel: (246) 427-5242 Email: jjohnrose@caribtourism.com Sueann Tannis – CDB Tel: (246) 431-1886 / 826-3343 Email: tanniss@caribank.org

MINERVA TRAVEL

CLIA/IATA OSSN/SATH APTA/PATA TPOC/IGLTA M/W/DBE CERTIFIED

ELAINE HENRY, CTA, MCC Travel Consultant 1053 E 40th Street Tel: 718-377-2071 Brooklyn, NY 11210 Fax: 718-377-1291 email: minitravel@hotmail.com www.minervatravel.net

To Advertise in this new and exciting paper The New York Edition of the GUYANA CHRONICLE — Guyana’s National Newspaper call: 917-379-6590

GuyanaChronicle ChronicleNew New York Edition Week-ending July 2017 Guyana York Edition Week-ending July 28,28, 2017

99

Prison Dilemma In Guyana What Are The Options?

G

uyana is a small country with prodigious potential, it has made enormous progress over the past 51 years of political self-determination and can only be hindered by the limits of its imagination as a people. Currently, there are no aspirations of regional hegemony or to possess weapons of mass destruction.

Its ambitions are consistent with desires of any developing country, which includes positive economic progress for the country and population, the opportunity to live in a peaceful and safe environment with each other and contribute in some absolute way to our society’s growth and development. Unfortunately, crime is a fundamental characteristic of life that impacts our ability to accomplish the stated objectives. Criminal activity impinges our economic growth and social development. Therefore, government — through its social contract — is responsible for securing the society.

When insecurity prevails, government through its sector representative is directly accountable to the people to ensure the situation is addressed. They should make every possible effort to mitigate risk of harm to the society, protect the vulnerable, advocate for change and protect the human rights of all (including the offenders). It is evident that insecurity now permeates the society as persons detained in one of Guyana’s main penal institutions erupted in a violent outburst that concluded in its near destruction. While this is a national dilemma, what are the prevailing options for government? This three-part article seeks to discuss the background to the situation, how we got here and offers some available options to the government on the sector. It is hoped that this piece will provoke discussion and stimulate action within the security sector of Guyana.

In 2002, Guyana’s penal eco-system lost its virginity with the violent escape of five criminals, the death of a prison officer (the first in the line of duty death since 1959) and serious injury to a female officer (the first officer and the female officer to be seriously injured in the line of duty). An inquiry was conducted to determine causation. Overcrowding was raised as a concern and government reassured the nation that prison reform was a priority on its chronology along with penal security. Moreover, the government reassured the nation that efforts were underway to secure adequate lands (100 acres) to erect a new facility. In the final report, responsibility for the breakout was placed on the prison staff, citing a breakdown in discipline, the inexperience of officers and a failure to follow procedures as the major contributory factors to the jailbreak. Thereafter, there was a series of similar events.

In November 2005, five prisoners escaped from the prison after ripping out wooden bars on their cell doors and cutting the chain link fence of the compound. They escaped without the use of any guns or dangerous weapons. One of the men had been serving a term for manslaughter, while the others were serving sentences for drug possession and larceny offences. Within days, all of the men were recaptured. No inquiry was conducted.

In 2007, nine prisoners escaped from the maximum security prison at Mazaruni. which resulted in four law enforcement officials (two prison and two police officers) sustaining gunshot injuries during the manhunt to recapture the escapees. It was reported that the prisoners fired upon the search team. The prisoners—who were all serving lengthy sentences for offences of murder and manslaughter—used the routine feeding period as a diversion to escape from the facility. No inquiry was conducted.

In July 2010, inmates set alight a mattress in the Brick Cell block at the Georgetown facility. Thick smoke emanated from the southern end of the prisoner’s block soon after and an alarm was raised. Luckily,

Part one of a three-part series

cluding murder, arson, unlawful possession of guns and ammunition to escaping from lawful custody and cultivating cannabis. No inquiry was conducted.

In March 2015, inmates started a fire in a cell on the new capital wing. Fortunately, the Guyana Fire Service responded expeditiously and was able to avert the pending disaster from spreading to other sections of the prison. No inquiry was conducted.

In September 2015, pandemonium was unleased upon the Camp Street Penal institution after a brawl amongst inmates resulted in an inmate inflicting several serious wounds upon the body of another inmate. During the disorder, a mattress was intentionally ignited resulting in the Guyana Fire Service responding rapidly to extinguish the blaze and avert further disaster. Like before, questions were raised as to how inmates get hold of flammable materials and other contraband items.

March 2016 saw another violent outbreak at the same Georgetown prison. However, this time it was extremely dramatic and tragic as 17 prisoners lost their lives. This was the worst prison eruption in the Guyana, (considering the lives lost) the Caribbean and probably the most despicable incidenct in the British Commonwealth. The Government has expended $13M to conduct an inquiry and the final report remains classified and pending release to the public.

Camp Street Prison (before the fire) the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) arrived promptly and doused the flames. No major injury was reported and no inquiry was conducted.

In December 2010, the police and army swooped down on the Georgetown Prisons facility following reports of a break-out by inmates. Reports indicated that there was an attempted break-out by prisoners in solitary confinement. Armed police and army ranks barricaded the immediate prison vicinity and advised the community that a Joint Services operation was in progress. No subsequent inquiry was conducted.

In April, 2013, officials at the Georgetown Prison had to take swift action after a remanded prisoner had set alight his mattress. He was in solitary confinement. The prisoner was facing a number of charges in-

In July 2017, inmates ignited multiple fires within the Georgetown Penal Institution that resulted in the destruction of 80% of the wooden buildings within the premises, aided the escape of six prisoners, injury to eight officers and the death of one prison officer. The death marks the second in the line of duty for a prison official dating back to 1959 (Pre-independence period) and the second in modern history (Post Republic status). In the final analysis, the prisoners were evacuated to another penal institution (Lusignan), which was described as inhumane.

The Georgetown Penal Facility was developed 132 years ago by the British to accommodate 600 inmates however, the population for the period 2001 to 2014 fluctuated consistently above 200% with the exception of 2002 and 2003, when it was

By Dr. Yeon Adams

173%. This demonstrated that the institution was consistently overcrowded, the risk of a violent outbreak was persistently neglected and the situation required proactive leadership. It was reported that in the UNDP 2012 Caribbean Human Development Report that 41% of the Guyana’s 2,010 prison population or 877 persons were incarcerated without trial or conviction on the charges associated with their arrest. Professionally speaking, it was a lingering feculent tide.

In synthesizing, Guyana recorded its first prison outburst in 36 years of its 51 years of independence (1966 to 2002) in 2002, which heralded a protracted period of crime and violence. In post-independent (1966-2017) Guyana, there was a total of 10 events that resulted in the death of two prison officials, 17 inmates and injury to many officers and other prisoners.

The nation’s administrators were cognizant of the overcrowding situation or should have been aware at the very least however; it was an unimportant issue to them. They made empty promises to appease the sentiments of fear that permeated some segments of the nation. It should be noted that the political party that is currently associated with the last 2 events (2016-17) and constitutes the governmental apparatus differs from the party of the first eight incidents. Nevertheless, the concept of government is applied because they are the elected and appointed managers of the society.

In view of the present series of events associated with the destruction of the Georgetown institution and the unpublished report of the last eruption, one can only hope that additional resources are diverted to more important priorities, rather than on another round of breakout inquiries. It seems evident that there are major flaws in the nation’s security apparatus and it warrants a review to determine how did we get here. In part two, efforts will be concentrated on discussing this segment.

Note: Dr. Yeon Adams is an international Civil Servant with the world’s largest public safety organization, United Nations. His academic journey began in 2001 when he graduated with an Associate Degree in an Applied Science in Computer Applications from Medgar Evers College. In 2004, he graduated with a Baccalaureate of Science in International Criminal Justice and Computer Information Systems from the City University of New York. Inspired, he enrolled in the Masters of Arts in Criminal Justice Administration at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in 2004 and graduated in 2007. Finally, he completed his PhD in Public Safety from Capella University in 2016 with a 134-page dissertation entitled “A Phenomenological Study of Caribbean Police Collaborative Efforts” that explored the challenges to police cross-jurisdictional collaborative efforts in the Caribbean.

Prior to migrating to the United States, Dr. Adams was a member of the public security structure of Guyana (Military Police, Guyana Defence Force and Police Constable, Guyana Police Force) and the private security system (Lieutenant, Professional Guard Service).

10 10

Guyana Chronicle Chronicle New New York York Edition Edition Week-ending Week-ending July July 28, 28, 2017 2017 Guyana

DISRUPTIVE INNOVATION MODELS "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

L

ast week, I casually mentioned to a long standing Caribbean colleague, who is a Canadian resident, that my next column, at the suggestion of my son, was going to be on Disruptive Innovation Models as a catalyst to sustainable economic development. My colleague's immediate response was "that sounds very destructive to me!"

Whereas I immediately agreed with him that to disrupt something good may be undesirable but to disrupt a system(s) that is inefficient by introducing innovative models may in fact contribute to a very desirable solution to problems that inhibit the path of progress. I assured him that it was in the latter context that my column would evolve.

Clayton Magleby Christensen first introduced the concept "disruptive innovation" in his first book, The Innovator's Dilemma, which has been called the most influential business idea of the early 21st century.

It is well known that Einstein's definition of insanity is "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results". We are struggling in the Caribbean and I am suggesting that we systematically practise Disruptive Innovation as a means of reversing the haemorrhaging in the average economic growth rate.

At the national level we have to get our governance right. Basically, we know what we have to do: ergy etc. ), all within the context of (1) Restructure the economy (reduce supporting the fixed exchange rate debt and deficit), (2) Reduce gov- by appropriate disruptive innovative ernment costs (reduce the size of the macro-economic policies.

There are interesting disrupcivil service and encourage and support entrepreneurship) and (3) Re- tive innovations like Uber which is engineer the productive sectors with using information technology to potential for economic growth transform a mode of ground trans(tourism, agriculture, renewable en- formation which was previously

— Psalm 119:105 monopolized by the traditional taxi service.

Another disruptive innovation is Airbnb which through online marketing has mobilized the empty beds in homes and guest houses to enable

people to lease or rent short-term lodging.

National Financial Security, once the governance is right, can be provided by offering the private sector the appropriate innovative incentives to mobilize the significant funds that are available in the interest of enterprise development and

Dr. Basil Springer’s Column economic growth. This is a win-win situation where the private sector is incentivized to help the economy grow and it also helps the private sector to grow and create more wealth. There is no shortage of money, the problem is access to money.

The information age has provided an opportunity for many marketing innovations. With the advent of social media marketing and the virtual models for the delivery of services, consumers are satisfied and service deliverers make a profit.

The Shepherding innovation is about management efficiency across the board but specifically in the production of goods and services.

Human beings procreate to keep the species going. In business we have to motivate and train people - we have to innovatively get them to affirm the concept of abundance, as beings with mind, body and soul, to achieve high levels of abundance and hence productivity and sustainability to keep the businesses going.

Let us be flexible and embrace change willingly. Stay tuned in prayer for divine guidance, often cloaked in disruptive innovation, which will be the light to our feet and shed light on our path.

(Dr. Basil Springer GCM is a Change-Engine Consultant.

His email address is basilgf57@ gmail.com. His columns may be found at www.nothingbeatsbusiness.com and on www.facebook. com/basilgf.

Over 40 cellphones seized at Lusignan Prison

By Vishani Ragobeer PRISONERS ‘going live’ from within their jail cells is of deep concern to prison authorities, although they said over 40 cellphones were seized during exercises at the Lusignan Pasture where several of the inmates had been held following the destruction of the Camp Street Prison.

The possibility of collusion, both from prison officers and prisoners, has not been ruled out Director of Prisons, Gladwyn Samuels

has said.

During a press conference held at the Ministry of Public Security, Brickdam, following the escape of 13 prisoners from the Lusignan Prison, Samuels was questioned as to how prisoners had access to cellphones and other contraband items.

To this end, he related that there has been consideration for the possibility of collusion. “This is something we’ve never ruled out,” Samuels stressed.

During the press conference, Minister of Public Se-

Director of Prisons, Gladwyn Samuels

curity, Khemraj Ramjattan, weighed in that sanitisation exercises were done twice at the ‘swampy’ Lusignan Prison area, where in addition to other weapons, 22 cellphones were found during the initial check and 27 during the second.

“They are managing to be very smart,” Ramjattan said, while relating that these prisoners had managed to hide their items from the first check and more items could still be hidden. During these sanitisation efforts, Samuels

related that some of the prisoners would be hiding the cellphones “in various places”, and while searches of the prisoners’ personal spaces can be done, these can only be done with reasonable cause, lest strife be incited.

It has been reported that prisoners have been publicising their escape plans via Facebook and have been communicating with persons outside of the prisons.

This has been made possible through the use of the cellTurn to page 12 ►

Guyana York Edition Week-ending July 28,21, 2017 GuyanaChronicle ChronicleNew New York Edition Week-ending July 2017

11 11

Ease The Tension — Enjoy A Laugh ENQUIRIES ANYONE

COCONUT BUNS Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup white sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 ⁄2 teaspoon salt 1 cup butter, cut into pieces 2 eggs 1 ⁄2 cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 ⁄2 teaspoon almond extract 3 ⁄4 cup flaked coconut

a fork until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and pour in the wet ingredients. Add coconut, and mix just enough to blend. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

3. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Mujibar was trying to get a job in India, with one of the outsourced companies. The Personnel Manager said, “Mujibar, you have passed all the tests, except one. Unless you pass it, and prove to us that you can communicate with clients in the United States, you cannot qualify for this job.”

Mujibar said, “I am ready.”

The manager said, “Make a sentence using the words Green, Pink and Yellow.”

Mujibar thought for a few minutes and said, “Mister manager, I am ready.”

The manager said, “Go ahead.”

Mujibar said, “The telephone goes green, green, green, and I pink it up, and say, ‘Yellow, this is Mujibar.”

Mujibar now works at a Credit Card company. It is possible that you may have already encountered Mujibar, when making enquiries on your account.

LIFE AFTER DEATH

Boss asks employee: “Do you believe that there is Life After Death?”

Employee: “Certainly not, there’s no proof of it. It just can’t be possible.” he replied.

Boss: “Well, there is proof now. There’s gotta be life after death because after you left early yesterday to go to your brother’s funeral, he came here looking for you!”

Directionss: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add butter, and cut in using a pastry blender or

IT’S A FACT

by JAMES SYDNEY

THE DEAD SEA Alive With Strangeness

N

o other body of water in the world has so many names. Its best known name, first used by Greek writers, is the “Dead Sea.” Among its other names are the “Sea of Lot,” the “Sea of Salt,” the “Sea of Sodom,” the “Sea of Death”, the “Sea of the Devil,” the “Stinking Sea” and the “Eastern Sea.” Not a sea in the normal sense of the term, it is a large, narrow, salt lake lying between Jordan and Israel. It is called “dead” because its high salinity means no fish or other sea animals can live in it, though small quantities of bacteria and fungi are present.

At 1371 feet below sea level (year 2006), the Dead Sea is the lowest exposed point on the Earth’s surface. It is about 48 miles long, varying in width from 3 to 11 miles.

Its dead qualities arise from the fact that whatever goes into the Dead Sea stays there. The Jordan River is the only major

THE DEAD SEA

stream flowing into it, but nothing flows out. It receives between two and four inches of rainfall a year.

The Dead Sea has attracted interest and visitors from around the Mediterranean basin for thousands of years. It was a place of refuge for ancient Israel’s King David, the world’s first health resort for Herod the Great, and the supplier of products as diverse as balms for Egyptian mummification and potash for fertilizers.

The mineral content consists of about 53% magnesium chloride, 37% potassium

chloride and 8% sodium chloride (salt). The rest is made up of various trace elements. Because of its unusually high concentration of salt, (about six times as salty as regular ocean water), anyone can easily float in the Dead Sea because the higher density of the water gives it natural buoy-

ancy.

From the Dead Sea brine is manufactured large quantities of potash, elemental bromine, caustic soda, magnesium metal, and sodium chloride.

The water of the Dead Sea has a greasy feel to it. It causes even minor cuts to sting, and is painful to the eyes.

However, some tourists apply its mud to their bodies, believing or hoping that the minerals would benefit them in some way.

One of the most unusual properties of

JUST SUPPOSING?

Wife: “Let me ask you a question.

Husband: “Oh, Lord, let’s not do this.”

Wife: “What would you do if I died? Would you get married again?”

Husband: “Definitely not!”

Wife: “Why not — don’t you like being married?”

Husband: “Of course I do.”

Wife: “Then why wouldn’t you remarry?”

Husband: “Okay, I’d get married again.”

Wife: “You would? (with a hurtful look on her face).”

Husband: (makes audible groan).

Wife: “Would you live in our house?”

Husband: “Sure, it’s a great house.”

Wife: “Would you sleep with her in our bed?”

Husband: “Where else would we sleep?”

Wife: “Would you let her drive my car?”

Husband: “Probably, it is almost new.”

Wife: “Would you replace my pictures with hers?”

Husband: “That would seem like the proper thing to do.”

Wife: “Would she use my golf clubs?”

Husband: “No, she’s left-handed.”

Wife: - - - SILENCE - Husband: “Oops!!!.”

the Dead Sea is its discharge of asphalt.

The Greeks knew the Dead Sea as “Lake Asphaltites,” due to the naturally surfacing asphalt. The Dead Sea constantly throws up small pebbles of the black substance.

After earthquakes, however, huge chunks may surface.

Just north of the Dead Sea is Jericho, reportedly the oldest continually occupied town in the world. Somewhere, perhaps on the Dead Sea’s southeast shore, are the cities mentioned in the Book of Genesis which were destroyed in the times of Abraham: Sodom and Gomorrah and the three other “Cities of the Plain”. The later King David hid from the then King Saul at Ein Gedi nearby.

Jesus, John the Baptist and Herod the Great were associated in history with the Dead Sea and its surroundings in more recent times.

The ancient Nabateans discovered the value of bitumen extracted from the Dead Sea needed by the Egyptians for embalming their mummies.

In Roman times the Essenes settled at Qumran on the northern shore of the Dead Sea. There, they carved out storage caves for their library in the soft marl in the area.

Two thousand years later, their library was found and given the name “the Dead Sea Scrolls.”

Although no animals can survive in the water of the Dead Sea, there is a fair amount of animal life on land in the area.

Among them are the human species — among other things, enjoying, as tourists today, the unusual feeling of being kept afloat by the high density of water that would not let them sink.

12

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending July 28, 2017

Over 40 cellphones seized at Lusignan Prison From page 10

phones within the system.

Unlike at a previous press conference where Samuels had indicated that several prisoners were involved in the escape plot of the mastermind of the fire at Camp Street, Royden Williams, he could not ascertain the same at the time of this press conference. Moreover, the ‘ringleader’ for this escape plan could not be identified at the time either.

While interviews with the prisoners can be con-

ducted, unless a prisoner volunteers to disclose certain information, there isn’t much that prison officers could garner. “It would impossible for anyone to operate as a ‘snitch’ in a general conversation,” he said.

COLLUSION Touching on collusion from prison officers, the director highlighted that there is some degree of camaraderie among the officers that could possibly explain why certain contraband materials trickle into the system. He

explained that due to the number of years some staffers have worked together, there is some degree of trust that could foster improper and illegal activities that officers engage in to earn extra cash.

Random searches are carried out on staff members, and Samuels accounted that on more than one occasion, several officers have been dismissed or even sent to prison for their involvement in transporting contraband items.

These searches, he ex-

plained, must be carried out by an officer of the similar sex and who is of a higher rank. And, though rotating staff would address these issues of cronyism, Samuels related that this is not always possible since some of the prisons like the New Amsterdam Prison, do not have the capacity to house the officers. However, he related, “as far as it is possible, we embark on the rotation of those staff.”

Upon the re- operationalisation of the Georgetown Prison, Samuels has ad-

vanced that “modern” scanners will be installed. “That will reduce the frequency at which staff and other persons who enter the prison could attempt to smuggle, whether it is cellphones or other contraband into the facility,” he said.

Additionally, Samuels noted that cellphone jammers were installed at the Camp Street Prison prior to the fire and unrest, however, according to him, these were not in use since the use of these jammers resulted in the disability of

certain other measures of communication. He stated that communication is necessary within the prison, and the administration is sourcing jammers that would not interfere with other means of communication of the prison. These should be installed once the Georgetown Prison is fully restored. In spite of the concerns of collusion, “This is not a situation where wrongdoers are condoned, it is just that it is a process,” the director said.

GuyanaGuyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending July 28,July 2017 Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending 28, 2017

CoI hears…

13 13

Top Cop called brother of alleged plotter in police presence

By Svetlana Marshall IN the middle of an active investigation into the alleged plot to assassinate President David Granger, Commissioner of Police Seelall Persaud had reportedly called the brother of the prime suspect on his cellular phone in the presence of investigators, Detective Corporal Keon Benjamin disclosed on Tuesday.

Detective Benjamin was among five police investigators on Tuesday who appeared before the commission enquiring into the alleged plot to kill President Granger. In giving his testimony before the commissioner, former Assistant Commissioner of Police Paul Slowe, Benjamin recalled that on March 29, 2017, while at the Criminal Investigations Department (C.I.D) Headquarters, he was instructed by De tective Sergeant Komal Petamber to take a statement.

The corporal said it was while he was taking the statement that Imran Khan, the brother of the primary suspect Nizam Khan, started using profanities while in the confines of the C.I.D. Nizam had been taken into custody that night after reports surfaced of the alleged assassination plot.

“Imran Khan was using a lot of ‘S’ and ‘F,’ I told him to desist from using those words and he continued using them,” Corporal Benjamin recalled.

According to him, Imran Khan nevertheless continued boasting that he would have the police fired as was done with three others.

Upon failing to adhere to the orders of the police, Imran Khan was arrested.

It was then discovered that he was a licensed firearm holder, and had a .45 pistol

in his possession. Corporal Benjamin took possession of the gun in addition to a cellular phone and lodged them before placing Imran Khan on “the bench.”

As he was being pressed

by Commissioner Slowe to explain why as the arresting officer, he did not charge Imran Khan for disorderly behaviour; Detective Benjamin disclosed that during the process of lodging the phone it rang.

“The cell phone ring and I showed Sergeant Petamber that Mr. Seelall’s name showed up,” Corporal Benjamin said.

According to him, Sergeant Petamber sought advice from Assistant Superintendent of Police Peter Alonzo, and was told to give Imran Khan the phone. Imran Khan reportedly went a short distance away from the detectives in the room, and spoke with the commissioner of police.

“He told us it was the commissioner of police, his friend,” Corporal Benjamin said, while noting that Imran Khan had made the remark in the open.

The detective then told the commission that it was not long after that Inspector Prim Narine walked in and took over the matter.

“When Inspector Narine came in, he [Imran Khan] alleged that I assaulted him, and I told Inspector Narine that I didn’t assault him,” Benjamin said.

Commissioner Slowe had expressed alarm that Imran Khan had been released without being charged. Benjamin’s disclosures came one day after the commission was told that the commissioner of police had ordered the release of the alleged plotter and his brother. On Monday, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Mitchell

Commissioner of Police Seelall Persaud

Caesar, told Commissioner Slowe, had it been up to him, the men fingered in the alleged plot to assassinate the President would not have been released as quickly as they were.

Earlier this year, An-

driff Gillard alleged that Nizam Khan asked him to kill President Granger sometime in 2015, an allegation Khan has denied.

According to Gillard, he had approached Khan to loan him $6M, but Khan instead offered him $7M, noting that he would not have to repay the money if he killed the President.

ASP Caesar had explained that due to the gravity of the allegation, the two men would have remained in custody until such time as deemed fit for their release. “Notwithstanding the fact that he was on leave, you didn’t find it strange?” asked Commissioner Slowe, but Caesar responded in the negative,

maintaining, however, that he would not have placed the accused on bail, but he was so instructed.

Caesar’s position was also held by Inspector Narine, who also testified before the commission on Monday.

Narine said he received a call from the commissioner of police, who after enquiring about what was transpiring at the CID, instructed him to release Imran Khan, the brother of Nizam Khan on his own recognisance and place the duo, Nizam and Gillard, on station bail.

“I called Mr Caesar and told him what the instructions were, because the commissioner was on leave.

He said to carry out the

instructions and bail was set…” Narine noted during his evidence-in-chief.

During cross-examination, retired Justice Ian Chang representing the interest of the police, questioned whether it was improper to take instructions from the commissioner of police while he is on leave, and in response, Narine said “To some extent,” explaining that it depends on the instruction.

In addition to Detective Benjamin, Senior Superintendent Rishi Dass, Detective Sergeant Chetram Sewsankar, Detective Corporal Keron Pickering and Inspector Suraj Singh also appeared before the commission.

H.E.R.O.C. FUND RAISING BINGO I

t is that time once again to have fun at our annual fund raiser 50/50 Bingo. As you may already know, we are getting ready for our second annual Cancer Mission Trip to Guyana and all proceeds of this event will go towards supporting this Mission Trip which provides support for Cancer Patients and Survivors in Guyana.

This year, we are hoping and planning to make a bigger impact with patients and support them by providing many of the necessary items they need for good nutrition and upkeep during their Cancer Care.

Please come out an support our Bingo Afternoon. It will be a lot of fun and a wonderful event, you will also learn more about H.E.R.O.C. Light refreshments will be served and of course there will be a Beverage Bar to support the cause. Please see the attached flyer for more information. We are also collecting Medical Supplies, Wigs and Prosthetics to take to Guyana.

Please feel free to bring them with you to the Bingo. We are shipping the supplies the first week in September, so please do not forget this worthy cause. Show Up and Support!

14

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending July 28, 2017

Seven prisoners charged with escaping custody – 3 jailed for one year

SEVEN of thirteen prison escapees who were recaptured by the Joint Services after ‘digging’ their way to freedom from the Lusig-

ston Long, Teshawn McKenzie, Jason Howard and Jamal Joseph, all appeared before Magistrate Peter Hugh at the Cove and John Magistrate’s Court, charged separately.

Jamal Forde, Winston Long and Jamal Joseph confessed to the offence and were each sentenced to one year imprisonment. Meanwhile, Teshawn McKenzie, Ryan Jones, Jason Howard and Odel Roberts pleaded not guilty and were remanded until August 11.

Meanwhile, the five Lusignan escapees who are still on the run are: Shawn Harris, Paul Goriah, Clive Forde, Kerry Cromwell and Pascal Smith. The four Georgetown Prison escapees

Odel Roberts

nan holding facility, were charged on Wednesday with escaping from lawful custody.

Between July 23 and the wee hours of July 24 the fugitives, burrowed their way out of the holding area via a 5 ft. deep tunnel next to the fence at the Lusignan Prison, East Coast Demerara.

According to the police, three of the prisoners were recaptured at Mon Repos on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) while two were recaptured at Stabroek Market in Georgetown.

The recaptured prisoners, Odel Roberts, Jamal Forde, Rayon Jones, Win-

Jamal Joseph

Jason Howard

Rayon Jonas

Teshawn McKenzie

Jamal Forde

Winston Long

who are still on the run are: Stafrei Alexander, Cobena Stephens aka “OJ”, Mark Royden Williams and Uree Varswyk.

Recaptured 24-year-old Jason Howard also called ‘Smelly,’ is accused of a horrific double murder, attempted murder, and a string of armed robberies. He was considered to be the most dangerous of the escapees.

Jamal Forde, 22, of Car Wash Bay, Bel Air, Georgetown, was charged with the May, 2015 murder of Sophia businessman Shawn Anys, who was slain during the course of a robbery.

Odel Roberts, 22, called ‘Gully,’ of 124 ‘C’ Field, Sophia, was charged with the murder of businessman, Shawn Anys.

Winston Long was in June this year charged for allegedly assaulting Constable Derwayne Eastman on November 26, 2016, at High Street, Georgetown.

Teshawn McKenzie is on remand for armed robbery.

Jamal Joseph is on remand for inflicting grievous bodily harm.

Rayon Jonas of Mandela Avenue, Georgetown was placed before Georgetown Magistrate Judy Latchman in the aftermath of an alleged row over drugs. Jonas sustained severe chops to his right arm after allegedly firing gunshots at one Colin Daly who was also charged with inflicting injury to Jonas.

Lawyer arrested for obstruction of justice in Bisram murder case AS the Preliminary Inquiry (PI) into the murder of Berbice carpenter, Fiyaz Narinedatt continued on Wednesday at the Springlands Magistrate’s Court, prominent Berbice Attorney-at-Law, Chandra Sohan was arrested for obstructing the course of justice.

The former Magistrate was arrested after it was alleged that he coerced two witnesses on what to say during the previous hearing of the PI. Up to press time he remained in custody, as he was awaiting a Habeas Corpus which was being prepared on his behalf.

Meanwhile, Attorney, Sanjeev Datadin, who is representing the five murder accused, told the court that the actions of the police are meant to intimidate lawyers and interfere with their work.

He said that witnesses have a right to legal representation when they end up in court after the police forces them to sign statements.

The PI continues today before Magistrate Rabindranauth Singh. The matter involves a US-based Guyanese philanthropist and businessman, Marcus Brian Bisram, who is accused of being the mastermind behind the murder of Narindatt.

It is alleged that on November 1, 2016, Bisram was hosting an after-party for the Community Policing Group during which he reportedly made sexual advances to Narinedatt, who was present at the party, but was rejected.

Reports are that Narinedatt

Attorney-at-Law, Chandra Sohan

was urinating when the Guyanese/US based businessman approached him and tried to touch his private parts.

Narinedatt became angry, accosted the businessman and slapped him twice. The businessman then reportedly ordered one of his bodyguards to “get rid of him,” and that he (businessman) “will deal with it.”

The carpenter was reportedly viciously attacked by the bodyguards and several others joined in beating him to death, allegedly in the presence of all at the party.

His body was placed on the public road and ran over by a car to make it appear to be an accident. Soon after, seven persons were arrested with two allegedly confessing that Narinedatt was beaten to death, and fingered Bisram as the mastermind behind the act.

Bisram was recently arrested in the United Stated and is awaiting extradition to face murder charges along with five others: Orlando Dookie, Niran Yacoob, Deodat Datt, Radesh Motie, and Haripaul Parsram.

Prison escapee recaptured in Linden house ANOTHER prison escapee has been recaptured by the authorities.

Kendall Skeete was recaptured around 11:15hrs on Wednesday at the Wisroc Housing Scheme, Wismar, Linden, the police reported. According to police sources, ‘E’ Division ranks acted on information and captured Skeete, who was at the time hiding out at a resident’s house.

He told officers that he journeyed to Linden via a hire car and that he just

wanted to see his family.

The Guyana Chronicle understands that no force was used to recapture Skeete, who is cooperating with the police.

The father of seven was remanded to prison for murder and subsequently escaped from the Lusignan prison in the wee hours of Monday, along with 12 others. All of the escapees went their separate ways.

The Guyana Police Force in a press release

on Tuesday also appealed to members of the public, relatives and friends to give any relevant information as to the whereabouts of these escapees so that they can be captured and returned to the prison.

Those who remain on the run are: Clive Forde known as “El Sinkie”, Paul Goriah, Shawn Harris known as “Shawny”, Pascal Smith, Kerry Cromwell, Mark Royden Durant known as “Royden Williams and Smallie”, Staf-

rie Alexander Hopkinson, Uree Varswyck known as “Malcolm Gordon” and Cobena Stephens known as “OJ”.

Durant, Hopkinson, Varswyck and Stephens had escaped from the Georgetown Prison on July 9, following a fire which destroyed most of the prison buildings and which subsequently led to the relocation of the prisoners to the Lusignan pasture on the East Coast of Demerara.

Recaptured: Kendall Skeete

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending July 28, 2017

15

Plane crash

Aircraft made ‘quick’ nosedive into jungle …GCAA opens probe

By Alva Solomon A TEAM of investigators from the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) headed to Eteringbang in Region Seven on Wednesday morning after a Roraima Airways plane crashed on Tuesday afternoon, killing its pilot.

The aircraft, a Britten-Norman islander bearing registration, 8R-GRA, crashed on approach to landing around 17:53hrs on Tuesday. The airline’s chief pilot, Captain Collin Martin, 39, who was the lone occupant at the time, succumbed to injuries he sustained during the accident. The GCAA team, along with personnel from Roraima Airways, left the Eugene F Correia International airport at Ogle for Eteringbang on Wednesday morning to commence investigations into the fatal crash. The team’s initial departure time was delayed by bad weather at their place of destination.

On Tuesday afternoon, Captain Martin was engaged in the shuttling of fuel for miners between the Ekereku aerodrome and Eteringbang.

The aircraft crashed in an area of thick vegetation while preparing to land. Another aircraft operated by Roraima, registered as 8R-GRB, was flying in the area at the time of the incident and saw what happened. Roraima’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Captain Gerry Gouveia, noted on

social media that the aircraft involved in the accident made a “quick” nose-dive into the dense jungle in the area.

This was corroborated by reports from aviation sources. Captain Martin, a former Major in the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), has been described by colleagues as one of the hardworking pilots at Roraima. He was credited with undertaking a number of medical evacuation flights from the hinterland, especially during the night.

Meanwhile, His Excellency President David Granger, in a statement said he is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Captain Collin Winston Martin, Chief Pilot at Roraima Airways.

Prior to his employment at Roraima Airways, Captain Martin served as a member of the Guyana Defence Force, having joined on March 1, 1995. He was commissioned as an Officer on November 12, 1995 and served for seventeen years, attaining the rank of Major before retiring on May 4, 2012. President Granger extends sincere condolences to the wife of the late Captain Martin, Dr. Roberta Martin, his daughter, Rebecca Martin, his mother and other relatives, as well as Captain Gerry Gouveia and the staff of Roraima Airways.

In August 2016, the aircraft involved in Tuesday’s accident sustained substantial damage to its under-carriage

after it encountered mechanical problems during take-off at Eteringbang. The pilot lost control of the aircraft at the time and during the aborted take-off attempt, it ran-off the runway and careened into a valley. No one was injured.

The aircraft came to prominence in November, 1996 when it was hijacked by three Spanish-speaking men at Kwebanna in the North West District. It was found several months later covered by bushes in Colombia. Guyana’s domestic aviation sector has experienced several accidents over the past decade. Most accidents have been non-fatal, however, there have been several instances which involved the loss of lives of the pilots and crew. The most recent fatal accident occurred in Jan-

uary, 2014 when a Trans Guyana Airways Cessna Caravan, bearing registration 8R-GHS crashed during a flight from the Olive Creek airstrip to Imbaimadai in Region Seven.

Flight TGA 700 crashed approximately two and onehalf minutes after takeoff, 3km south of Olive Creek. The pilot, Captain Blake Slater and cargo handler, Dwayne Jacobs died in the crash.

A GCAA investigation report stated that the probable cause of the accident was due to a power loss suffered by the engine. In another incident, in April, 2013, a Piper PA-23-250 aircraft, bearing registration – N27FT was destroyed when it crashed into a residential area at Sparendaam, shortly after departing from the Eugene F Correia International

The remains of Roraima Airways BN-2 Islander which crashed late Tuesday afternoon

A team of investigators headed to the Eteringbang airstrip as they commenced investigation into Tuesday afternoon’s accident. (Photo credit/Captain Gerry Gouveia

Airport at Ogle.

Those killed in the mid-afternoon accident were Nick Dmitriev, 54, a survey technician and Pierre Angiel, 71, the pilot and owner of the aircraft, who were in Guyana to do aerial surveys and digital mapping for the Amalia Falls Hydro-project.

The GCAA said the probable cause of that accident was due to failure of the right engine and possible loss of power in the left engine, and subsequent attempted forced landing in which the aircraft was destroyed by post impact

forces and post-impact fire.

In December 2014, an Air Services Limited (ASL) Britten Norman Islander, registered as 8R-GHE disappeared while on a routine shuttle operation from Mahdia to Karisparu in Region Eight. The pilot, Captain Nicholas Persaud, 27, and cargo handler David Bisnauth, 51, along with the aircraft, have not been found.

Subsequent searches by ASL and the GCAA came up empty-handed. The search was called off on January 19, 2015 with the crew presumed dead.

Female Prison Officer jailed for trafficking ‘ganja’ WOMAN Prison Officer, Joan Ann Erskine, who was nabbed with298 grams of cannabis sativa at the New Amsterdam Prison, was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment and fined $200,000 by Senior Magistrate Alex Moore, after she was found guilty of trafficking in narcotics.

In default of paying the fine, Erskine will have to spend another six months in prison. The 35-year-old woman, who served the Guyana Prison Service for over 14 years, had pleaded not guilty to the charge and was placed on 150,000 bail.

However, she was found guilty after the Magistrate overruled the submissions

of Attorney-at-law, Tania Clement Warren.

Police Prosecutor, Godfrey Playter led the evidence of Chief Officer, Colin John, Woman Prison Officer, Donell Crandon, convicted prisoner, William Johnson and some investigators. The court heard that on October 23, 2016 at about 10:32 hrs, Crandon was on duty at the New Amsterdam (NA) prison as the gate officer when she observed Erskine, who was also on duty, acting in a suspicious manner. The court was told that Erskine was walking in and out of the female prison as she conversed on her cellphone.

Erskine then requested Crandon to open the main

Joan Ann Erskine

door and she did so. Crandon observed Erskine collecting a bulky black plastic bag from a dark coloured car. The plastic bag was placed in her working bag.

Afterwards, Inmate Johnson approached the main gate with an empty basket. On that day, Johnson was the Chief Cook. He had finished cooking and was collecting food containers belonging to staff from the reception area. While returning to the inner gate with his basket, the court heard that Erskine placed a bulky black plastic bag in the basket.

Johnson questioned Erskine about the bag and she responded, “take it to Mohamed Ally, Is he biscuits

and medications.”

Meanwhile, Prison Officer Crandon, who saw when Erskine placed the bag in the basket, requested to have it searched. While it was being searched Erskine attempted to snatch the bag and said, “don’t open the bag, meh got two lil children fo mind.”

Chief Officer John observed the two prison officers and he intervened.

He then opened the bag and found five parcels containing leaves, seeds and stems of cannabis sativa wrapped with brown scotch tape. The police were contacted, the narcotics were weighed and charges were instituted.

16

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending July 28, 2017

Bourda Street stalls to look like those outside GPO

By Telesha Ramnarine

THE Mayor and City Council (M&CC) is considering erecting stalls on Bourda Street that are the size and pattern of those outside the Guyana Post Office (GPOC).

The vendors at Bourda Street were displaced approximately two years ago when the M&CC decided that no vending could take place there because of the dangers posed by the old Bedford School building.

The mayor observed how the government, through one of its ministries, is ready to lend a helping hand to the project, but the M&CC is holding back the works.

She noted too, that since the Council has been waiting on the Engineer’s Department to come up with a pattern for the stalls for quite some time now, the M&CC should move forward with this idea that she is proposing.

Town Clerk Royston King responded that City Engineer, Colvern Venture,

Vendors along Bourda Street

did submit the drawings but the committee dealing with the matter is looking at other options.

King said he can have those who are still plying their business at Bourda Street to remove in three days, but the

mayor declined his offer after calling for proper consultations on the matter.

Back in July 2015, King

and senior M&CC officials met with some 20 vendors who plied their trade on Bourda Street. The purpose of that

meeting was to inform the vendors that they will no longer be allowed to do business there because the Council was ready to go ahead with plans to demolish the said building.

The news was not welcomed by the vendors, but King explained that the situation was no longer tenable as the derelict building posed a threat to their very existence and those of passers-by too.

“The Bedford building has been in a state of disrepair for a number of years. The Council had issued a call for persons who have derelict structures to remove them, since they serve as a haven for criminal elements and persons of unsound mind.

Also, these structures are an eyesore and pose a threat to the lives of the passers-by and occupiers of neighbouring buildings,” King had said.

“We cannot allow you to operate in an environment that will compromise your safety and health,” he said, adding that while the Council is cognisant of the socio-economic factors affecting citizens, vendors need to cooperate with the administration so that the relocation process can be a smooth one.

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending July 28, 2017

17

It was Dr. Roopnaraine’s decision to remain Minister – WPA THE decision by Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine to rescind his resignation from a ministerial portfolio was one which was made by him and not the Working Peoples’ Alliance (WPA) – the party which he represents in government.

This was the assertion of executive member of the party, Dr. David Hinds at the party’s press conference on Wednesday.

“The decision was made

by Dr. Roopnaraine to remain in government,” Dr Hinds said.

On July 19, the Public Service Minister tendered his resignation as a Minister, just one month after being reassigned from the Education Ministry. After a meeting with President David Granger on July 20, the Minister rescinded his resignation.

The Minister had initially denied that poor health was

the cause of him attempting to resign. However, the WPA said on Wednesday that this was one of the reasons given to the party by him.

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon had confirmed on Thursday last, that: “his [Dr. Roopnaraine’s] health situation was making it challenging for him to be able to contribute to the level with which he expected to contribute.”

But although the decision to remain a Minister was not one made by the party, the WPA was keen to note that Dr. Roopnaraine had spoken to the party about his decision. Chairperson of the party, Tabitha Sarabo-Halley confirmed at the press conference that: “Dr Roopnaraine did speak with me about the matter. Then I spoke to the members and some of them met with him.”

And although the par-

Executive Members of the WPA (L-R): Chairwoman of the party, Tabitha Sarabo-Halley, Dr. David Hinds and Tacuma Ogunseye

ty supports Dr Roopnaraine’s decision, it did not say whether it was a decision that would have been taken at a party level. Rather, Dr. Hinds offered that: “we defer to his judgment as to whether he can continue to function in office.”

The Public Service Department where Dr. Roopnaraine has been reassigned

to, falls under the Ministry of the Presidency which is headed by Minister of State Joseph Harmon. He remains a Cabinet Member and a Member of Parliament.

The WPA at its press conference in June had noted that in keeping with the arrangement between coalition partners, all political parties should have been given a

substantive ministry. But after Dr. Roopnaraine had been transferred, the party said that while it does not have a sense of entitlement, it was expecting the President, on principle, to award the party a “substantive ministry.”

Although no adjustments were made since then, the WPA said on Wednesday

that it is satisfied with the position since the party was assured that Dr. Roopnaraine remains a senior minister.

Further, Dr. Hinds added that the WPA is guided by the principles that it is not in politics and government for the sharing of spots.

“We do recognise the importance of representation in government because you have the capacity to influence policy. In that regard we would like to think that we would want to be represented,” he said.

Despite this recognition however, the WPA executive member said that: “What we are trying to disabuse the nation of, is the view that is being peddled that we are fighting for position. We are not fighting for position.

We’re fighting for principles, correct policies and the survival of the coalition and for each member of the partnership to be treated equally.”

Scores to benefit from youth entrepreneurship programme

By Vishani Ragobeer SCORES of youths across Guyana would be beneficiaries of the Guyana Youth and Social Entrepreneurship Programme (GYSEP) which was implemented here by the Guyanese Youth Ambassadors of 2015.

On Wednesday, six of seven participatory groups pitched their ideas on fostering youth engagement and development at a youth exposition at the Umana Yana, Kingston, Georgetown.

Of the six project ideas pitched, ‘Youth Education Society’, which targets creating well-rounded children, and ‘Math Guru’, which seeks to enhance the mathematical skills of secondary school children, were judged as the better projects ideas.

US Ambassador to Guy-

ana Perry Holloway affirmed that the Embassy will continue to support similar youth development initiatives as it is cognisant of the positive returns of such programmes.

While acknowledging the contributions made by young people through a myriad of groups to create a better future, he said, “The work that you all do on a continuous basis has an innumerable impact on the lives of other”.

Ashraf Dabie, who was in 2015 a youth ambassador and vice-president of the US Embassy’s Youth Action Network (YAN), said the programme was crafted to share the knowledge the 2015 cohort received with other youths, in an attempt to promote the development of youths in Guyana.

“Rather than keeping the programme to only the participants who benefitted

from the programme [the GYSEP], we decided to host an exposition to involve more youth,” Dabie said.

The main objective of the day’s event, as related

by Dabie, was to underscore the positive work that youths have already done and are able to do.

The youth ambassadors also joined with the YAN and other stakeholders to host an exposition and volunteer fair.

The GYSEP was the fourth project implemented by the ambassadors after they returned from their threeweek exchange programme in the USA, in 2015.

During the programme, seven youth groups, consisting of three to five members benefitted from four days of training in the areas of civic engagement, leadership, team work and entrepreneurship.

The Youth Ambassadors

Ambassador Holloway chats with a member of the Youth Leaders for the future, one of the participatory groups of the GYSEP

Programme is supported by the US Embassy in Guyana and targets the development of youths.

Selected youths participate in a three-week cultural

and leadership exchange in the US and as a follow-up, are tasked with implementing developmental programmes in Guyana when they return.

This year, six more youth ambassadors, along with one adult mentor will depart Guyana on August 6 for their three-week exchange in the US.

18 18

Emphasis on Real Estate, Taxes and Business

I

The Edgar Henry Column

t was Winston Churchill who said that a pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity while an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty. On a daily basis, we have to learn how to constructively use negative thinking to make better decisions and achieve greater success.

Let’s look on the brighter side if we want to project or anticipate business success. The most important quality for progress and sustainability in any business and life in general is the quality of optimism. My science teacher told the class that like poles attract, and unlike poles repel, so in order to stay in business and for your business to be successful; your optimistic approach is of paramount importance to attract sound positive investments.

PESSIMISM Permit me to get a bit technical here.

Pessimism basically describes a general belief that things are bad, and tend to become worse; or that looks to the eventual triumph of evil over good. It contrasts with optimism, the contrary belief in the goodness and betterment of things generally. A common conundrum illustrates optimism versus pessimism with the question; does one regard a given glass of water as half full or as half empty? Conventional wisdom expects optimists to reply with half full and pessimists to respond with half empty.

Schopenhauer's pessimism comes from his elevating of will above reason compared to will; in one metaphor, Schopenhauer compares the human intellect to a lame man who can see, but who rides on the shoulders of the blind giant of will.

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending July 28, 2017 Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending July 28, 2017

Optimism vs. Pessimism in Business

Sigmund Freud could also be described as a pessimist and he shared many of Schopenhauer's ideas. He saw human existence as being under constant attack from both within the self, from the forces of nature and from relations with others.

PERSEVERANCE CONQUERS ALL Optimists have an unrealistic expec-

tation of success. Their ideas, visions of grandeur, and the thoughts of building castles in the air, automatically move them to that level beyond normalcy. As a result, they're willing to take more chances utilizing experimental ideas and taking far more risks without becoming discouraged or daunted by adverse negative situations. In addition, because of their unrealistically positive attitude, they're willing to persist much longer than the average person. A word of caution, don’t go over board. Optimism is a wonderful quality as long as you can curb it when necessary and have it under full control.

In order to be successful in business activities where your money is involved, you must temper your optimism with negativism. You must be enthusiastic about the possible upside of the investment, but you must be skeptical, critical, suspicious and demanding about all the different ways that your money can be lost.

STOP BEING HARD ON YOURSELF Is this life there’s always a struggle for something. People get accustomed to living life that is traumatized and when they come out successful they wonder if perhaps it was all an illusion. There are episodes in life where people struggle to achieve certain objectives and during the obstacle course they hit a brick wall struggling to climb it while other folk behind them all go through a door to the side that they never observed.

Strange, people feel awful every time

they achieve something easily. This shouldn’t be, especially when others are struggling to achieve that same goal. While competing with each other, some people are of the belief that life’s accomplishments must be acquired with tremendous difficulty, or should be accompanied with some weird match of trying to out-do each other by how much pain we put ourselves under.

It is believed that when one goes through something difficult, adversity and struggles in life etc., they are granted character strength. This is a fallacy. The attitude should be — I don’t want to suffer anymore. I don’t care how backward people are. I think that because I want to make things easier for myself I somehow won’t succeed. I won’t be viewed the same for not going through the crap they did to get to where they are. All because I don’t want to let life get me down and because I don’t want to let others bring me down with them.

BE A NEGATIVE OPTIMIST Seek out and listen carefully to people who express negativity towards your ideas.

Look for negative thinkers, because their viewpoints can be invaluable and save you a fortune in time and money. I have a friend who's a consultant, and he gives advice to many people on investments. When someone goes to him and asks him about making an investment he's unsure about, he would immediately apply his reverse role play: He says, "All right, I want you to come to my office and I want you to sit behind my desk. Then I'm going to come in and present this investment to you, and I want you to critique this investment as if you were me."

He claims that whenever his clients begin critiquing the investments they're thinking about going into; when they start to become negative thinkers about the investments; he states that they're astonished at how bad the investments really are. This process of placing the shoe on the other ‘foot’ saved his clients millions of dollars by forcing them to be negative thinkers about their own ideas, simply by switching roles. It really pays to act as your own negative thinker.

Conversely, don't be overly influenced by negative thinkers. Just take their viewpoints into consideration while pursuing your goals. So remember, listen to negative thinkers, seriously consider what they have to say, but don't necessarily accept their advice whole heartedly as gospel.

Stay positive and optimistic.

“It is always better to have information and not need it than to need it and not have it.”

To have all your real estate questions answered — FREE CONSULTATION — call: Edgar Henry @ (718) 930-9526

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending July 28, 2017

19

UG central to fulfilling green state agenda – President THE University of Guyana (UG) remains an important institution in helping the state to fulfil its green state agenda, currently being advanced by the government.

This was according to President David Granger on Monday during the opening of the institution’s inaugural Diaspora Engagement Conference, which was held at Princess Ramada Hotel, Providence. The one-week conference is being hosted by the institution with the aim of building a mutuallybeneficial relationship with the diaspora.

With over 243 participants registered to attend, the Conference will attract persons from more than 12 countries spanning four continents.

Central to the engagements, is not only the contribution of the diaspora to the university or vice versa, but the contribution of the university to the country.

Examining the contributions the country’s premier tertiary institution could play in national development, was the Head-of-State, whose speech focused on the Green State Development Agenda.

Guyana’s green state agenda seeks to push the country along a developmental pathway. That development agenda seeks to promote an increase in investment in: biodiversity management; coastal zone management; solid waste management; ecological and environmental services; eco-education and eco-tourism; information and communication technology (ICT); and the generation of renewable energy.

The President referenced the fact that Guyana, which is located at the centre of the Guiana shields - one of the world’s last remaining track of virgin rainforest - is rich in bio-diversity. He noted that the country’s assets must be protected for mankind and for the sustainable development of countries which belong to the shield.

As of 2010, this country’s boasted 8000 plant species; 467 species of fish; 130 amphibians; 179 reptiles; 814

Some of the participants at the opening of UG’s inaugural Diaspora Engagement Conference

birds; 225 mammals; 1,673 anthropoids; 1,200 fungi; 33 bacteria; 17 moss; and 30 viruses. In addition, the country possesses natural capital which ranges from the islands of the Essequibo, to the lowlands and hinterlands, to its spectacular rapids.

Despite possessing these “natural capital,” President Granger was keen to note that Guyana is “deficient” in the physical infrastructure essential for economic development - in the form of aerodromes, bridges, highways, housing, deep-water ports and stellings.

He said that the country’s coastal and riverine defenses, conservancies and draining and irrigation systems must be repaired and maintained consistently in order to protect human habitation from the effects of climate change.

And to achieve this, he noted that, “UG is central to fulfilling the scientific and technological objectives which the green state requires.”

According to the Head-ofState, the country’s premier tertiary institution must drive the intellectual processes and bring development by becoming the incubator of technology and the nurturer of skills and talent.

Further, he said that it must establish institutions to educate students to advance the green state development such as the biodiversity centre, while more Guyanese need to be trained in zoology,

biology, engineering, technology, geology and agriculture.

The achievement of these, he said, will be the institution’s second scientific and technological shift – with the first being in the 1970s after the country had achieved republican status.

He recalled that at that time, the university attracted and employed lecturers from around the world, while expanding breadth of its programmes to include agriculture, education, earth and environmental sciences, fisheries, the natural sciences and social sciences, and technology.

“In spite of its financial and material constraints then, the university provided opportunity for thousands of Guyanese who never before dreamt of acquiring tertiary education,” the President old hundreds of attendees.

Speaking at the opening of the Conference also, was Vice-Chancellor of UG, Professor Ivelaw Griffith, who hinted at the establishment of a diaspora engagement centre.

Building on this conference, Professor Griffith shared that: “We plan also to launch a centre for regional diaspora engagement that can take the work started here, forward”.

He said that the centre, once established, will host every two years, a conference that will bring Guyanese and the diaspora to their homeland to have engagements.

The VC further stated that one of the objectives of that centre will be to find a way to establish and manage a talent database. He explained that the database will contain information about who in the

President David Granger outlining the Green State Agenda and UG’s role in contributing to the realisation of its fulfilment

diaspora has what interest or we plan to demonstrate by skill, who wants to contribute, having a work programme and will provide facilitation that takes this conference into the future going from of those contributions.

“We plan not only to say strength to strength” he we’re interested in diaspora, added. (continued on page 20)

20

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending July 28, 2017

GTT sees sabotage …as fiber optic cable damaged for fourth time – gov’t warns against ‘warped competition’

By Svetlana Marshall CRIMINAL minded organisations or individuals have launched an attack on the country’s telecommunication infrastructure aimed at destabilizing Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT), the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Justin Nedd said as he called on Guyanese to help the company bring the perpetrators to justice.

On Tuesday, GTT’s fiber optic cable was sabotaged for the fourth time in ten days, affecting over 20,000 customers and putting the country’s residents, national security and emergency mechanism at risk, particularly under the current climate.

On each of the recent occasions, cell, landline and internet services to the natural resources economic hub of Linden, Ituni, Kwakwani, Mabura, Mahadia, Troy Mining and Bartica communities were affected. Backed by the Public Telecommunications Minister, Cathy Hughes, during a joint press conference on Wednesday at the Ministry, GTT CEO, who was “red with anger,” said it is clear that the telecommunication company has enemies, but made it clear that the recent spate of sabotage would only impair Guyana’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) growth.

THE SABOTAGE The first act in this recent series of sabotage was detected on July 14, 2017, one day before GTT officially launched the Blaze fibre optic high speed internet. In February, 2017, the company’s fiber optic cable was also sabotaged at a time when it launched its high speed LTE broadband in Essequibo. Over the past 12 months, Nedd said GTT’s loss of service and restoration effort equated to $50M. “This is money that could have gone to providing more broadband to more homes across the country,” Nedd posited.

It was emphasized that

GTT CEO, Justin Nedd (extreme right) addressing reporters in the presence of Public Telecommunication Minister Cathy Hughes (centre) and Communication Specialist, Alex Graham The vandalized cable

the attacks are executed at strategic times. “Now we are launching the fastest internet in the country with our 50 megabits per second downloads, this is internet that is comparable or faster than most places in the U.S and Canada and we are seeing an increase in sabotage.”

According to the GTT CEO, the recent development is a blatant destruction of the country’s communication infrastructure by rogue elements with clear motives.

“This is being done by people who know what they are doing. This is an attack on the people of Guyana and I want to say this is an attack on the 22,000 households that we will bring 50 megabits per second internet speed to in 2017 alone,” Nedd stated.

In applauding his technical team at GTT, Nedd pointed out that they would have worked long hours to restore services to the 20,000 customers who were affected.

Questioned whether reports were made to the Police, Nedd responded in the positive, explaining that the Guyana Police Force has been very helpful in the past and currently there is an active investigation ongoing.

“Unfortunately, the rate of success is highly dependent on our citizens, our people, our Guyanese to really bring forward information and that has not been as forthcoming as we would like,” the CEO said.

As such, he is calling on persons living in Guyana

to assist GTT and the Guyana Police Force in finding the rogue elements whose agenda it is to stymie the development of the ICT sector. Reports can be made to GTT’s hotline 0908.

“I want to ask each and every person to be sheriffs and look out for these rogue elements that would want to hold our nation back. We would offer a very handsome reward to anyone who would help us bring these culprits to justice,” Nedd stated. A reward of $1M is being offered for information leading to the arrest of the perpetrator(s).

It was made clear by

Nedd that despite the attacks on the company, it will continue with its mission to provide Guyana with blazing internet speeds.

“GTT will not be moved; our team will not be moved.

There is no force, evil or otherwise that will stop us from providing the fastest, most reliable, the most secured communications to your homes and to your businesses,” the CEO stated.

SAD SITUATION Alarmed, Minister Hughes said it is a “sad” situation and warned that if it is “some warp sense of

competition” the perpetrators will face the full brunt of the law.

She said these attacks by persons who seek to thwart development in the country, come at a time when Government through the Public Telecommunications Ministry is upgrading the ICT sector.

“I have been talking about using the internet for health, telemedicine, online learning; we are talking about students today that can only submit their SBAs for CSEC online, and therefore anybody that is callous and uncaring

GTT technicians restoring the sabotaged cable on the Linden/Soesdyke Highway

to cut a cable that prevents people in the event of a personal emergency, they can’t even pick up the phone to make a call, students that might be preparing for exams, whatever the scenario is, it is totally unacceptable and we will deal with the perpetrators,” she said.

Vandalism of overhead, on the ground or subsurface cable is an offence and it is a serious offence, she warned while referencing to Section 131 of the Criminal Law Offenses Act Chapter 8:01.

“If this happens to be some warped sense of competition, I want to say that in the spirit of fair competition and trade, all should be allowed to conduct legitimate and responsible business in the sector and to bring much needed service to the Guyanese people.”

She made it clear that the National Telecommunications Agency will not be issuing any licence to any person or organization found culpable of committing such act.

Minister Hughes also used the opportunity to warn drivers, some of whom are guilty of destroying the telecommunication infrastructure.

“For too long we have had big trucks and all kinds of vehicles traversing our streets, ripping up cables, bringing down cables and so I am urging operators of large vehicles to be cautious, to be conscious of overhead cables that are existing in and around our country.”

GuyanaChronicle ChronicleNew New York Edition Week-ending July 2017 Guyana York Edition Week-ending July 28,28, 2017

New York Chronicle Horoscope

21 21

C CR RO OS SS SW WO OR RD D

ISSUE 59 CROSSWORD ANSWER

ARIES (Mar. 21 - April 20) Don’t let others bait you into arguments. Losses could occur if you haven’t been careful when dealing with joint financial ventures. Be prepared to lose friends or alienate other people if you insist on being stub born. Help elders get their personal papers in order. Your lucky day this week will be Friday.

TAURUS (Apr. 21- May 21) You can make life easier for an older member of your family. Investments will not be as they appear this week. Have some fun, but draw the line if someone tries to fast talk their way into your heart. Changes in your domestic scene are evident. Your lucky day next week will be Tuesday.

GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) You can make money through your own creative efforts. Emotional matters may not be easy for you to handle. Problems with your boss could lead to unemployment. You don’t need to pay out in order to have fun.

Your lucky day next week will be Thursday.

CANCER (June 22 - July 22) Someone around you may not be trustworthy. This is not the day to be extravagant. Try to be reasonable. You will be prone to carelessness that could result in accidents. Your lucky day next week will be Friday.

LEO (July 23 - Aug 22) You will be emotional with regard to your personal life. You may as well work on projects that will allow you to make progress. You are best not to discuss your personal life with others. Try to understand both sides of the issue before taking sides. Your lucky day next week will be Tuesday.

VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept. 23) Social get-together will bring you in contact with intelligent new friends. Do not invest in joint ventures. Things will be hectic and family members will be erratic.

Be diplomatic and honest, and that person will only be made to look bad. Your lucky day next week will be Wednesday.

LIBRA (Sept. 24 - Oct. 23) If you have to deal with large institutions, be careful not to make waves.

You will feel the limitations if you have been overdoing it. Deal with the needs of children and get into groups that deal with self awareness. You will have a tendency to put on pounds. Your lucky day next week will be Tuesday.

SCORPIO(Oct. 24 - Nov. 22) You need to keep busy doing things that you both enjoy. Think twice before you say something you might regret later. Take care of any pressing medical problems that you or one of your parents may be suffering from.

Outdoor sports events should entice you. Your lucky day next week will be Monday.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23 - Dec. 21) You can get ahead if you are willing to take a partner. If you’re already in a relationship, use this added energy passionately. You will be uncertain of your feelings. Travel will be favorable. Your lucky day next week will be Friday.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22.- Jan. 20) Don’t let your mate bully you into thinking that you owe them your time and your life. You may find your nights sleepless due to bad dreams. You may as well work on projects that will allow you to make progress.

Overindulgence will be a problem if you are out in a social setting. Your lucky day next week will be Monday.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 21 - Feb. 19) You need to sit back and enjoy. Your own small business on the side sounds pretty lucrative. Your obviously unique way of doing things has caught the eye of someone in a higher position. You will have a blowup this week if your partner does things that you feel are not aboveboard.

Your lucky day next week will be Thursday.

PISCES (Feb. 20 - Mar. 20) Try to stay calm and understand both sides of the situation. Difficulties will result if you have to deal with controversial groups this week. You can expect sorrow to evolve from the information you discover. Look out for those wanting to push you into a disagreement. Your lucky day next week will be Monday.

32. Krazy ___ 33. ___ blanche 34. School essays 36. German export 37. Decorative vase 38. Attach 40. Coat with plastic 43. ___ plaid 45. A Gardner 46. Shade trees 47. Comedian Kaplan 48. Patton’s rank (abbr.)

49. Vegas intro 50. Compass reading

ACROSS 1. Jefferson Davis’s gp.

4. Cool cubes 7. Letters with 3 on the phone 10. Yank 12. Goad to activity 13. British beverage 14. Long prison sentence 15. Make fun of 17. Signs 19. “It” game 20. Spot 21. Lincoln’s lid (2 wds.)

24. Below 26. “___ the land of thefree...”

27. Calendar abbr.

28. Denials 29. Producer Prince 30. Curved 31. Actor Holm

W O R D F I N D

T E L E P H O N E

ACCESS BILLS CALLS CARRIER CELLULAR CHARGES COMMUNICATION COMPETITOR CONNECTION CONTRACT CUSTOMERS DEALS ENTRY FAMILY FCC

DOWN 1. Pvt.’s superior 2. Set of clothes 3. “Mad” mascot (3 wds.)

4. Eye part

5. Cape ___ 6. Magazine VIP 7. Ruth, to Naomi (hyph.

8. Building wing 9. Repairman’s cost 11. Rental contracts 12. Quarry 16. Lid 18. Lifesaving skill (abbr.)

21. Address bk. abbr.

22. Father’s sister 23. Pierre’s head 24. Constituent part 25. Actor Wyle 26. Cereal ingredient 29. Possesses 30. Bratty kid, e.g. (2 wds.)

32. Shelter for dogs 33. Saucer’s companion 35. X-ray’s rel.

36. Chimpanzees 38. Bank machines (abbr.)

39. Society lasses 40. Trail behind 41. Wide rdwy.

42. Chicken ___ king (2 wds.)

44. Modern

T A L K

FRIENDS INDUSTRY LAND LINE MARKET MINUTES MONTH NETWORK NIGHTS PLAN RATE REGIONAL REGULATORS SERVICE SYSTEM TELEPHONE WEEKEND

ISSUE 59 WORDFIND ANSWER

22 22

Guyana Chronicle Chronicle New New York York Edition Edition Week-ending Week-ending July July 28, 28, 2017 2017 Guyana

George G. M. James – The Umbrella Man

(from page 5) claim they went because it was prestigious. " Herodotus said it, Plato confirmed it and Aristotle never denied it".

AFRO-CENTRISM Dr. James has been called an Afro-centrist. a derisive term used to describe the historical approach that argues that European scholarship has largely neglected or denied the intellectual contributions of Ancient Africa on their civilization and formulated “a generally European-centered model of world civilization and history.”

Instead of honoring historians like Prof. James, John G. Jackson (“Christianity before Christ”), John Henrik Clark (“African People in World History”) and Cheikh Anta Diop (The African Origin of Civilization”) for their sterling contributions to our understanding of world history, many scholars denigrate them. For example, in “Not Out Of Africa”,

Mary Lefkowitz argues that Afrocentrism is an excuse to teach myth as history. However, this writer strongly believes that the thesis that ancient African intellectual traditions were the basis of European intellectual traditions is supported by sufficient evidence.

In “James revived”, Prof. ben Jochannan quotes from “Ruins of Empire” by Count C.F. Volney, an eighteenth century French academic “of the highest esteem”, page xvii: “There (speaking of Egypt) a people now forgotten discovered while others were yet barbarians, the elements of the arts and sciences. A race of men now rejected for their black skin and wooly hair founded on the study of the laws of nature those civil and religious systems which still govern the universe.”

Dr. James teaches the importance of Africa and the truth about our African ancestors. The achievements of Kimet (Africa is the derisive European term) are extraordinary. Even if Euro-centrists deny Nefertiti and

Cleopatra were black, they accept Kufu as such . His Great Pyramid at Giza defies analysis. When European scholars state that it was built 2,000 years before the Common Era, Dr. James and others prove that it was built 8,000 years earlier. The Grand Lodge at Luxor, the Pyramid Texts, the Kimetian Book of the Dead, the Kimetian Mystery Systems are examples of African genius. When European teachers told us that Africa was “the dark continent”, he and others proved that it was the only continent of light.

DEATH Many articles on Dr. James (including mine on the internet “George G.M. James Guyana’s Shining Star”) state that he died under mysterious circumstances. Charles D. Johnson casts doubt on these accounts. In MEDIUM (December 29, 2015) the Assistant Professor of History at North Carolina Central University Notes: “According to his death certificate, Professor James died June 30,

1956, presumably under the care of Black physicians at the George W. Hubbard Hospital, the Black African American college of medicine in the United States. Physicians admitted Professor James into Hubbard Hospital on June 9th, so his death came after a 21-day hospitalization. The immediate cause of death on his death certificate is listed as gastric cancer. “ CONCLUSION

phed into another demon that drives, discriminative housing, disproportionate incarceration, and wages and other benefits skewered towards white empowerment and Black disenfranchisement. Take so-called public housing projects for example.

These housing projects across the nation that herd Black and Brown peoples into ghettoized modern reservations enforce rules that corner majority Black and Brown people into housing that is built to purposefully disenfranchise them.

Black (and Brown) children of the hood or low-income homes are born literally beneath a cloud of doom. Consider the facts: They are raised in poverty, pushed up against violence, and held down by crime, the world brands them with an enduring mark of inferiority. This type of emotional scarring almost never heals. No matter how you cut it, slice it or dice it, low-income housing is always a thinly veiled attempt to house as many poor people as cheaply as possible. To separate them from the “others.” Want proof? Visit New York City.

This system not only keeps Blacks in perpetual poverty, hopelessness, and despair but also reinforces that sense of “nobodiness.”

It’s a nobodiness built on and enforced by the fact that white people have rights that Blacks are bound to respect, recognize, and abide by.

Black people, the nobodys, also have rights. But white people are not bound to recognize them or respect them. It is this inherent belief that “Black lives are worthless, don’t matter, and are expendable” that allows a white cop with such a mindset to shoot and kill a black child playing with his relative in a playground. And go unpunished – over and over again.

It’s the white, mainstream media that demonizes Black people shot and killed illegally for having smoked pot or was arrested for a petty crime like jumping a subway turnstile. This demonization is all part of the techniques to instill and justify Black nobodiness.

As nobody before the law a white cop can kill a Black man running away from him and be somehow justified. It allows white cops to kill with impunity and claim, “they feared for their lives.”

Evoking this old, antebellum stereotype of Black people, especially Black men, as dangerous that needed to be “put down” because, after all, they have no worth and are just nobody.

It was the great Audre Lorde, writer, feminist, womanist, and civil rights activist who poignantly noted,

“we [Black people] were never meant to survive.” But survived we did.

Black people have had to fight internalized racism and self-hate in our own communities. Our Black kids are routinely told, “they (whites) are smarter than us.” That’s a weary, kneejerk giving up position, and its difficult to stomach, I’ll give you that. This thinking, the constant fawning, genuflecting and praising of whiteness and “white men” is about the traumatic effects of a marginalized people, especially those in Black and Brown bodies. They feel powerless in a system that was built without Black people in mind. But to that I say unequivocally: it is important that we create and promote visible examples of smartness and Black beauty within Black marginalized communities so younger people know that they should NOT be defined by the violence that surrounds them.

My hope is that in this century, Black children will be taught that they did not come from nowhere, nor are they predestined for nothing.

Rather, that theirs is a lineage and heritage as old as human history and, more to the point, a lineage that contributed and influenced global though and development, long before white people co-opted and stole that legacy.

Dr. George G.M. James was born in British Guiana (Guyana), but he belongs to the world. He popularized what was always known by Europeans and African scholars - that Africa was the cradle of civilization and the origin of European enlightenment. To date no biography of him exists. To date no monument exists to his honor. I hope that someone will commence research and publish a book on him. It is long overdue. (next week: Arthur James Seymour)

21st Century Black “Nobodiness” (from page 7) evitable fallout of being a minority population in a so-called pluralistic society.

To me that conclusion is dead wrong because we can all argue the cause and not understand its effect. It’s about white fear and Black children and a community knowing that it’s worthy, have value and a strong and rich history.

Intuitionalized processes that enforce, entrench, and perpetuate Black nobodiness serve to continue to denigrate Black people. In 2017, it’s all about White fear that drives this move to reinforce and strengthen Black nobodiness. It’s the fear of losing White privilege. As Black writer Toni Morrison wrote in an essay, “there are ‘people of color’ everywhere, threatening to erase this longunderstood definition of America.

And what then? Another Black President? A predominantly Black Senate? Three Black Supreme Court Justices? The threat is frightening.”

She goes on to say that “White people’s conviction of their natural superiority is being lost.”

The fact is that enforcing “Black nobodiness” started during slavery, endured and was re-defined in the Jim Crow Era, and has mor-

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending July 28, 2017

23

APNU to meet bi-monthly COMING out of the need for a more collective approach to decision-making, the five-party A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) coalition has committed to meeting every two months.

Last month, the Working Peoples’ Alliance (WPA) – one of the parties in APNU – had issued a call to the leadership of the coalition for greater inclusion of its partners. APNU along with the Alliance for Change (AFC) won the May 11,

2015 General and Regional Elections.

However, since assuming executive office, APNU has not met formally as a single party. This was confirmed by Dr. David Hinds, an executive member of the WPA, at a press conference last month.

“The WPA was not consulted after the coalition won. There was no meeting between the WPA and the coalition or the President…” he said, calling for the five parties to be “mean-

ingfully engaged.”

“We want to play a meaningful role in shaping policy and shaping the vision of the government,” Dr. Hinds added. Subsequently, APNU announced that it would be hosting a general meeting this month.

The meeting was held on July 22 and according to Dr. Hinds on Wednesday, it was agreed that the parties will continue to meet every two months.

“The APNU will meet every two months,” he said,

explaining that the issue of consistency and frequency of meeting of APNU was raised at the meeting on July 22. “We discussed that thoroughly and solved that issue by agreeing that the APNU meet more often. And, we went as far as to decide when the next meeting will be, which is in the next two months. The APNU will meet every two months,” the WPA member reiterated.

He was keen to note though, that while no agen-

da was set for the next meeting, the Corbin Report will take center stage during the deliberations. The Corbin Report was compiled by former Peoples’ National Congress (PNC) – another party in APNU - leader, Robin Corbin. It identifies some of the concerns which the coalition parties raised after its formation in 2011.

Meanwhile, Dr. Hinds shared that no agreement was made on the frequency of the meeting of the leadership council of APNU.

He noted that the hub of the party is its executive, and as far as that body will meet regularly, the WPA will feel satisfied, since it will allow for discussions on issues affecting the partnership and wider national issues.

Outside of the meeting of the executive, Dr. Hinds said that a decision was also made for there to be other fora where parties can deliberate on policy making and the larger narrative of the partnership.

GPSU, Gov’t to negotiate increase for public servants – meeting set for August 4th THE Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) has accepted government’s invitation to meet and start negotiations for the 2017 increase in wages and salaries for public servants. However, the GPSU has called on the administration to first conclude the 2016 negotiations before moving forward to this year’s.

G o v e r n m e n t h a d o ffered to grant an increase of 10 per cent for persons earning below $99, 000 in August 2016 but it was rejected by the union and a one-off bonus of $25,000 was given to public servants at the end of the year.

“We were invited on August 4, 2017 to start negotiations for 2017 but we

must remember that 2016 is still on the table and must be completed,” said Vice President of the GPSU, Mortimer Livan at a press conference at the union’s office on Wednesday.

He said the decision to start discussions for 2017 is a “slap in the face” as it relates to the commitment of President David Granger, who had pointed out that the negotiation is not at an impasse. In September 2017, during one of his Public Interest programmes, President Granger had said that the government’s offer in 2016 was not a final one that the negotiations are “incomplete.”

“The President promised us that the Minis-

tries of Finance and the Presidency will notify us about the arrangements to continue the negotiations for 2016 but it never came through,” lamented Livan.

In seeking redress from the President, the union has written to the Ministry of the Presidency with hope of having the 2016 negotiations addressed before moving to 2017.

The outcome of the 2016 negotiations is pertinent to the 2017 discussions, said the union’s Vice President, while adding that they have already submitted a proposal for increases for 2016, 2017 and 2018. A $7,000 per month --January to December 2017-- was proposed to be added to the salary

at December 31, 2016, and to minimum and maximum bands. In addition, a 20% increase across the board to the salary as at December 2016, to the amount payable at the minimum and maximum bands.

For year three, January to December 2018 it was proposed that there should be a flat increase of $9,000 per month added to the salary at December 31, 2017. Also, a 20% increase across-the-board to the salary as at December 2017, of each person employed in the public sector.

“By 2018 we want to have what we call a living wage or a basket of necessities…so we have to achieve the minimum wage,” said Livan.

Vice President of the GPSU, Mortimer Livan address members of the media on Wednesday

Preparatory works underway for manganese production by 2019 (DPI, GUYANA) - Guyana is expected to begin production of manganese by the end of 2019.

Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman said that Chinese company Bosai is currently undertaking preparatory works before construction can begin at the Matthews Ridge, Region One mine site.

The Minister told the

Department of Public Information(DPI) that preparatory works, scheduled for the latter half of 2017, includes construction of wharf facility at Port Kaituma, upgrading of roads from Port Kaituma wharf to Matthews Ridge and Pipiani and development of the mines for ore extraction and additional infrastructural work to support the

operation.

Boasi is expected to employ as much as 1,200 persons during the construction phase and some 400 persons when operations begin. Once in production, the company intends to ship 350,000 tonnes of manganese per year.

Manganese was mined in Region One decades ago. Reunion Manganese

Incorporated, a subsidiary of Reunion Gold Corporation, has spent over US$50 million to define what it described as a world-class manganese deposit in Matthews Ridge. There is an initial 10 million tonnes of concentrate with the potential to double with the addition of the satellite site of Pipiani.

24 24

GuyanaChronicle Chronicle New New York York Edition EditionWeek-ending Week-ending July July 28, 28, 2017 2017 Guyana

Oppose the anti-immigrant legislation and rhetoric

“Everywhere immigrants have enriched and strengthened the fabric of American life.”

P

The ALBERT BALDEO Column

— John F. Kennedy

roposed legislation, like the No Sanctuary for Criminals Act and Kate’s Law, will force sanctuary cities like New York City to forego sanctuary jurisdiction protections and further criminalize repeated denials of entry into the U.S., making it harder for people to come here on employment visas, for family and medical needs, or seeking asylum, to be treated fairly. These laws will not make us safer, improve our broken immigration system, or improve relationships between immigrant communities and law enforcement officials. In fact, they are most un-American.

Consequently, these bills must not be allowed to pass, and we must stand against policies that unfairly demonize our immigrant communities and instead focus on continuing the American tradition of family unification, welcoming those who come to our country to improve their lives and contribute to our communities.

The No Sanctuary law, if passed, will ultimately force sanctuary jurisdictions to abide by immigration policies of the federal government in withholding federal funding and enforcing other restrictions, that were passed by the House recently. It awaits Senate approval. We must not allow this bill to

pass, as it poses a threat to the whole of New York City, scares immigrant communities and prevents them from helping law enforcement do its job. Our local law enforcement must not be turned into a deportation force, for it will usher in a dangerous “police state.”

It will also create a counterproductive environment fueled by hate. People would not be sure if police officers are acting on behalf of city law enforcement or Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and incidents have occurred where ICE has gone after known criminals, sweeping up law abiding residents as well, wrongly putting them in deportation proceedings.

Albert Baldeo’s efforts and successes as a community leader were heralded

by America’s top politicians including President Jimmy Carter and President Bill Clinton, who he is pictured with above — In the picture below is a postcard he received from First Lady Michelle Obama.

These bills devastate the necessary trust we have developed between law enforcement and the communities they serve and derive information from in order to keep the nation safe. Fighting crime consists of information gathering and we need people working in cooperation with our police department in vital partnership. If residents feel that when they cooperate and bring evidence to police, that they can be subject to deportation, then they are not going to cooperate or assist public safety.

The ‘No Sanctuary for Criminals Act’

worker at the World Trade Center following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

Such inhumane treatment turns immigration policy on its head, and results in the disgraceful reality that patriotism and sacrifices will not matter anymore.

Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand must take the lead on this issue, and against similar proliferating bills, which will only further codify the dangerous and hateful rhetoric we’ve seen being advanced lately in our land of the free and the home of the brave. Democracy is not a spectator sport!

would also require compliance with all forms of immigration enforcement, restrict funding in sanctuary jurisdictions, expand ICE detainer authority, expand mandatory detention, and overrule a Ninth Circuit holding by authorizing indefinite detention of such persons while they are in removal proceedings.

The effect of these laws will be devastating and unjust. Recently, Queens resident Carlos Humberto Cardona faced deportation after living in the United States for approximately three de-cades. He was a cleanup

Note: Albert Baldeo is a civil rights activist and community advocate, his political battles placed previously ignored minority communities like Richmond Hill and Ozone Park firmly on the political and economic map. As the President of the Baldeo Foundation and Queens Justice Center, he has continued to fight for equal rights, dignity and inclusion in the decision making process. He can be contacted at the Baldeo Foundation: (718) 529-2300.

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending July 28, 2017

25

85 back at Camp St brick prison EIGHTY-five prisoners were tallied Tuesday after being transferred from the Lusignan Prison to the Camp Street brick prison facility, prison officials confirmed.

According to reports, the inmates after being transferred created a ruckus and complained about the building noting that the heat from the fire damaged the foundation of the building creating fears that the brick prison may collapse.

Prison officials, however, denied the allegation noting that the inmates were behaving badly because of the intense security. However, at the Lyken Funeral Parlour located at John and Norton Streets, less than a mile away from the prison, family members, relatives and colleagues of the late prison warden, Odinga Wickham, were paying their final respects to him.

Meanwhile, the Joint Service are continuing the hunt for the remaining prisoners from the 13 who dug their way to freedom on Monday morning at the Lusignan holding facility. Seven were recaptured the same evening.

Early Monday morning, during a routine head-count, authorities discovered that

13 prisoners had escaped.

Prisoners were transferred to the pasture-like compound after a July 9 fire destroyed more than 70 per cent of the Georgetown Prison where they were being held.

Most of the prisoners were then sent to the prisons at Timehri, New Amsterdam, Mazaruni and at Lusignan which is next to the holding facility. However, the high-profile criminals in the compound were eventually transferred back to the Georgetown Prison.

Director of Prisons, Gladwyn Samuels, at a press conference had noted that before the escape there were 99 prisoners in the swamped area, 104 in the new holding area and 136 in the Lusignan Prison.

However, the 13 men managed to escape the prison during locking-down time and the tallying exercise on Monday morning. Regarding what specific time the men would have made their escape, the Prisons Director said that he believes that the men made their move between 01:00hrs and 02:30hrs when it rained heavily.

Questioned on what were the security arrangements at the time, he said there are three layers of security. “We

Fire tenders and an ambulance were seen around the prison during the transfer on Tuesday (Samuel Maughn Photo)

have security officers that are within the Lusignan Prison, they are also supposed to assist the police in the tower situated around the swamped area, the new holding area as well as the Lusignan Prison.

The Guyana Defence Force, they provide what is called the outer cordon.”

Based on his direct ob-

servation of the swamped area, the prisoners made their escape in the vicinity of a make-shift toilet located in the north-eastern end of the holding area.

“What was revealed is that despite we would have provided the portable toilets, the prisoners, I am not sure if it was because of

numbers or they were uncomfortable with the use of the portable toilets, but some of them resorted to using an area where the two fences come together like a ‘V’, and somewhere there in order to protect themselves from others seeing them when they are using the ‘toilet’ there was a zinc sheet erected. The

digging of the hole occurred in the same vicinity.”

According to Samuels, the men dug a hole which led them under the fence and outside the perimeter of the holding area. He said that the depth of the hole was approximately five feet and measured the same in length.

Town Clerk wants increase in container fees TOWN Clerk Royston King has urged Georgetown Mayor, Patricia Chase-Green, to urgently pursue the container fee issue with the relevant authorities so that the $5000 being charged currently for each container leaving the wharf can be increased to a more reasonable amount.

At the municipality’s fortnightly statutory meeting at City Hall on Monday, King observed that since the $5000 was agreed to be charged in the interim, there has been no movement with the issue. “And we don’t want the interim to become the permanent,” he said.

“We need to settle this issue so we can get a definite figure. $5000 is not enough; we’re denying shippers the opportunity to make their full contribution to the city,” he added.

The Mayor and City Council (M&CC) had said in the past that it wants $8,000 in fees for a 20-foot container, and $10,000 for 40 or 45-foot ones. These new figures were part of a proposal being mulled by a

much flak from members of the business community and the PSC. Some businessmen had also resorted to the courts, accusing the M&CC of illegally implementing such a fee. And, the courts had

tripartite committee to look into the matter.

The M&CC, the government, and the Private Sector Commission (PSC) had agreed to get together to resolve the contentious issue.

Councillor Alfred Mentore had told fellow councillors that the new amounts being requested by the M&CC are fair and reasonable. Councillor Mal-

colm Ferreira, however, voiced his disapproval of the current amount in place for those in breach of the obligation to move their containers within a stipulated time. He had urged the Council to increase the amount from $2,500.

“I believe that’s low; it should be $8,000 and $10,000. People have to understand that a penalty is a penalty; it’s nothing you

can just pick up US$12 or US$50 and pay off.

“They (businesses) could put it (their containers) on the road for 10 days and pull out $25,000 out their pocket easy, because they have $50M worth in the container,” he said to councillors who were evidently in agreement.

City Hall had decided to implement a $25,000 container fee, but this attracted

ruled in favour of the businessmen.

City Hall has stressed, though, that money is needed to repair roads which the containers have been damaging over the years.

To advertise in this newspaper call Dennis at: 917-379-6590

26 26

The Peter Haynes Column

T

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending July 28, 2017 Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending July 28, 2017

IMPLEMENT PRISON REFORM RECOMMENDATIONS IMMEDIATELY — START WITH SPEEDY TRIALS

he burning to the ground of Lot 12 Camp Street — the Georgetown Prison — an unfortunate occurrence; the escape of dangerous convicts from that institution and subsequently from the Lusignan Prison has prompted some decisions to be taken, some decades old and others of a more recent nature, within the past week.

For decades, the thought of having the main prison situated in the centre of Georgetown was declared undesirable.

Some school of thought felt that the site of the penal institution was a sore eye; others felt that it was too close to the middle of all activities, but it was in close proximately of the Magistrate, Supreme and Appeal Courts. The closeness of the prison to the courts meant that it reduced, not totally, the risk of escape while transporting the prisoners for their court dates.

Escapes during the transportation occurred on occasions, but not on a regular basis.

President Granger has already stated that the new prison will not be constructed in Georgetown.

The fire earlier this month, like the previous one last year was deliberately set by the prisoners, who voiced to the Patterson Commission of Inquiry several grievances as the reasons for them setting the fire which apart from causing extensive damage, took the lives of 17 of their fellow inmates Retired Judge Patterson made many recommendations to His Excellency, President Granger to alleviate the situation in the jail and hopefully prevent a repeat of the arson. However, with a carefully plotted scheme, a second deliberately set fire, causing even more serious damage, was orchestrated this month.

Thankfully, no prisoners were burnt to death, but one Prison Officer was shot and he died subsequently.

One of the grievances aired by the inmates to the Commissioner was that there were incarcerated for lengthy periods awaiting trials or Preliminary Inquiries. The Judiciary immediately appointed additional magistrates on a temporary basis to perform at “Night Courts”. This arrangement did realise some relief, but the situation of trials at the High Court remained highly unsatisfactory and was expressed in this column in January this year.

JUDICIARY FAILED There was no correction of the situation. Two Judges were assigned to deal with one hundred and forty (140) cases.

Knowing that the Judges heard an average of fifteen (15) cases in each threemonth session. Apart from being a ridiculous expectation by the Judiciary and the Director of Public Prosecution, no public statement was made why such an arrangement would be workable and should remain in place.

There was the complaint that the Judicial Commission had made recommendations to the President for the appointment of High Court Judges, but President Granger was examining in detail the proposals before he acted. The second fire a few weeks ago, it would imagine, helped the President to make his decision to appoint four High Court and one Appeal Court Judge.

Yes, the appointments have been made, but reflecting on the number of inmates still awaiting trial which exceeded one hundred and forty (140), it would be left to the Head of the Judiciary to appoint all the appointees and the previous two to deal with the pending cases, starting with the oldest — i.e. those pending for four or more years.

Surely it makes sense to clean the slate of outstanding cases, not that it would mean that the population would be reduced, but at least those individuals who profess their innocence would know their fate — either discharged or be aware of their date of release from prison.

It is our expectation that the head of the Judiciary would ensure that at least six judges are assigned to the criminal cases immediately. And of course, the D.P. P’s office must be ready to proceed.

Would it be a surprise to anyone when it is announced that many of the witnesses cannot be located, having either migrated, changed their last known addresses, and some may be deceased.

Regrettably, some of the cases will have to be dismissed due to lack of prosecution, but it is what it is. Clean the slate and reduce the prison population.

Also, recently it was observed that there are two and sometimes three attorneys appearing for the State as Prosecutors. It would be reasonable to conclude that they were in training and are now ready to carry out their roles as Prosecutors singly or at most two attorneys. It would also be argued that they are still ‘green’ and not experienced enough to handle some complicated cases. Then, place one junior with a senior to accelerated their training. The defence is known to do so.

Let’s re-examine the arson and escape issue. It was being safe to say that for decades during the previous administration financing of the prison was neglected, both in terms of manpower and other basic issues.

NOT A LUXURY HOTEL Firstly, for ages, the prisoners were

Georgetown Magistrate’s Court no longer clad in the grey uniforms. They wore their own clothing. This meant that when they escaped, it was very easy for them to integrate in the general society, since everyone was dressed in regular street clothes. Wearing uniforms would have made it difficult for them to remain on the run for as long as the first set of escapees. did Secondly, prisoners can receive daily meals from outside the prison. That is downright wrong. Prison in a place of punishment, not a luxury hotel, where the inmates wear their own clothes and eat homemade meals.

Thirdly, receiving meals and clean clothes daily, meant that they communicated with friends and family too often.

The visitation privileges must be reduced to monthly and by individuals who must have security clearance.

It is obvious, at least to me, that the daily contacts with the convicts allow for plots to escapes to be planned, including the setting of fire to the institution, to be hatched and executed.

Fourthly and undeniably, there is collusion between the inmates and Prison Officers.

This is a fact as many officers have been caught and after being placed before the courts, have joined the inmate population.

The assumption is that the Officers are involved in this Illegal practice in exchange for tangible gifts.

It could be argued that both the friends/families and the Prison Officers are responsible for bringing in and delivering the cell phones, chargers, and replenishing the accounts (minutes). It would be interesting to know how the batteries are charged, or it’s a case that charged batteries are provided on a daily basis by either or both family and Prison Officers.

So, the submission is that the prisoners must be provided with uniforms, meals must be cooked in the prison and only monthly visits for stated durations, without physical contact between the visitor and the inmate.

Obviously, with speedy trials — court appearances — there would be an impact on the prison population as those convicted must be taken to Mazaruni and those released will go home.

Guyana York Edition Week-ending July 28, 28, 2017 GuyanaChronicle ChronicleNew New York Edition Week-ending July 2017

Ramadhin and Valentine's bowling mystified cricketers all over the world A Summer to savor…

Cricket lovely cricket, At Lord’s where I saw it Cricket lovely cricket At Lord’s where I saw it Yardley tried his best Goddard won the Test They gave the crowd plenty fun Second Test that West Indies won Chorus: With those little pals of mine Ramadhin and Valentine

T

he spin attack was heralded in the words of Lord Beginner’s Victory Calypso that was on everyone’s lips by the end of the tour “with those little pals of mine, Ramadhin and Valentine”.

Surprisingly the traditional dependency upon fast bowlers never arose, Ramadhin and Valentine swept everything before them and they were never conquered. They shared 258 wickets in the first-class games, whereas the three fast bowlers — Johnson, Pierre and Jones — a mere 100 among them.

The pacers bowled as many overs, but they were far more expensive. From the attack point of view 1950 was definitely a two-man show. In fact, Ram and Val took exactly the same amount of wickets (258) as the other nine bowlers for 2,500 runs less. The West Indies victory in the Second Test at Lord’s was the first in a Test match in England and I remember well that the spin-twins were the main tormentors — between them, they accounted for 18 out of the 20 wickets — a phenomenal feat!

Ramadhin had an unorthodox grip with which he baffled the best of batsmen, they could not distinguished his leg-break from his offbreak. I guess this was due to his double-jointed shoulders and his ability to use the tip of his fingers to spin the ball. It is said that wicket-keepers with whom he regularly appeared were often unable to predict the spin. No wonder, Rohan Kanhai was given the nod over Gerry Alexander for the wicket-keeping berth for the First Test at Edgbaston in 1957, because Alexander could not pick up Ramadhin.

Sonny Ramadhin was really an overnight sensation. Included on the tour party to England on a hunch after he had taken 12 wickets in two trial matches, the little spinner along with Alfred Valentine soon became the talk of the Caribbean, nay, the cricketing world. The first pair of world class West Indies slow bowlers to operate together at Test level.

Sonny Ramadhin was born in Esperance Village, South Trinidad, in 1929 and his cricket was the product of a raw, natural ability and sheer force of character. Growing up in the Trinidadian countryside, Ramadhin was first spotted by Barbadian ex-inter-colonial cricketer Clarence Skinner who was working in Trinidad in the 1940s. He was called up for two trial matches for Trinidad against Jamaica in which he took 12 wickets at 19.25 runs apiece.

On this basis he was catapulted into the West Indies team that toured England in 1950. On that tour, almost overnight, Ramadhin found himself with a reputation as one of the most remarkable right arm spin bowlers the world had ever seen.

The 1950 tour to England was the first time Ramadhin had left Trinidad but he adopted quickly from the matting sur-

faces, that he was used to at home, and with Valentine, proved to be West Indies trump cards.

In his words, he was elated at his selection, yet scared like hell . . .! “You see, I had only one month to prepare. My brother took me to a restaurant in San Fernando and showed me to use the knife and fork! For a long time afterwards, I would be the last to start eating. I would watch carefully what the others were doing and I would imitate them.”

The right-arm bowler took 135 wickets including 26 wickets at 23.22 each in four Tests.

After losing the first Test at Old Trafford, West Indies bounced back to win the Second Test by 326 runs. In that Test, Ramadhin’s first innings figures were: 43-27-66-5, and in the second innings England were bowled out for 234, he sent down 72 overs for 86 runs and six wickets. It was a gargantuan effort, and had he never bowled another delivery in his life, this match effort of 11 wickets for 152 runs, would have been enough to earn him immorality in cricket.

Leading English batsmen found difficulty in ‘reading’ Ramadhin and were baffled by his ability to bowl both the leg and off breaks, using

Those Little Pals of Mine RAMADHIN and VALENTINE

the same apparent action. This, plus he fact that he always kept his sleeves buttoned at the wrist encouraged speculation of mystery and magic, or guile of some inexplicable kind. But Ramadhin’s success was not mysterious. Jeffrey Stollmeyer, a fellow Trinidadian in his book: Everything under the Sun, puts it well: “It was Ramadhin’s amazing control of length and direction in addition to his naturally deceptive action that made him a great bowler. As Worrell also points out in Cricket Punch, Ramadhin’s secret had less to do with mystery than that with his single-minded concentration on attacking the stumps.

Len Hutton, who faced Ramadhin in his earliest and best years between 1950 and 1954 in his book, Just My Story, calls him: “The prince of slow bowlers.” Hutton continues: “To me Ramadhin was still as interesting and fascinating to bat against as Australian Bill O’Reilly, the greatest of all slow bowlers against whom I played.” In the same book, Hutton admits he could not pick Ramadhin’s off-spinner from his leg cutter in England, and even when he could do so in the better West Indies light, he still found Ramadhin “a most puzzling bowler.” If W.I.’s second Test match against England in 1950 is not the most memorable ever played by the West Indies, it is undoubtedly the most historic, for it proved to be the first Test victory gained by the West Indies over England in England.

That George V1, King of England and ruler of the British Em-

Sonny Ramadhin

27 27

by SHAN RAZACK

pire should have attended the event was wholly fitting, as was the fact that the match was played at Lord’s — cricket’s holiest shrine and imperial citadel of the cricketing world — Hutton and Washbrook had put on 50 without loss; their team appeared set for a big score. Then the West Indies captain, John Goddard took off his pace men, Jones and Worrell, and Ramadhin and Valentine lined up for their baptism at cricket’s scared shrine. The bowling change signaled the most critical reversal in the history of West Indies cricket.

Alfred Valentine and Sonny Ramadhin One might have expected Ramadhin seemed nevertheless to have found Ramadhin and Valentine to approach the English some new tricks to confront the opposition in the guardians of their shrine with awe and rever- early games of the tour. By the time of the First ence. Instead it was the English batsmen who Test, he had already captured a massive 38 wickseemed awestruck and bewildered. They kept ets. Then bowling on an unhelpful Edgbaston pushing and prodding with a tentativeness and ground he dismissed England cheaply in the first cease-bound caution that hinted at inward fear. innings by taking seven wickets for 49 runs in Once Ramadhin’s arm came over to bowl, they 31 overs. After removing two batsmen early in couldn’t tell whether the ball the home side second innings, it seemed that Rawould turn left or right, go madhin might repeat his earlier efforts. Then straight, keep low, lift, or disap- Colin Cowdrey and Peter May devised a method pear altogether into thin air. to nullify Ramadhin’s effectiveness, making juLike blind men with only a thin dicious use of their front pad and dead bats. white cane to guide them, they Kanhai who was playing in his first test match negotiated the perilous traffic of said afterwards that Cowdrey was hit on his pads West Indies bowling, groping as often as he scored runs. Ironically, Cowdrey and hoping to survive. In the made 154 runs. England saved the match and deevent, from a relatively good stroyed Ramadhin’s reputation, but the tactics position, 50 without loss, they employed prompted a public outcry and eventuwere shot out for 150, Ramad- ally led to a change in the LBW law. The hin taking five for 66 and Valen- Trinidadian bowled the longest stint ever tine four for 48. As Deys recorded in a Test innings, as he sent down 98 Rowbotham put it in The overs-and a record 129 overs in the match in the Guardian the next day, “Her absence of the injured Frank Worrell and Roy (England) batsmen were beaten Gilchrist. Interestingly, only one other bowler partly by a young bowler (Ramadhin) who had came near to overcome Ramadhin’s feat of discovered a new trick that of bowling an off- bowling the most overs in an innings and he was break and a leg break with almost identical ac- Australian’s off spinner Tom Veivers. In the tions without resort to the googly, but even more Fourth Test of the Ashes series, England vs. Ausby persistent accuracy. Such was Ramadhin’s tralia, Tom Veivers, a diligent off-spinner who “mystery” that it was believed that whenever he bowled 95.1 overs in the first innings at Old touched his cap it was a signal to the wicket- Trafford in 1964, 2.5 overs less than Sonny Rakeeper that a leg break was coming. His magic madhin’s record for a Test innings. continued into the next game at Trent Bridge It was a mammoth spell from which Rawhere he took five for 135 to usher the tourists madhin never recovered from the rest of the seto a 10 wicket victory. ries, although he shared in a match-saving, last When the team returned victorious to the wicket stand of 55 with Worrell in the third Caribbean, they were given an enthusiastic re- game at Trend Bridge and took four wickets in ception, public holidays were granted in the Is- the final game at The Oval when the rubber had lands. Calypsonians sang the praises of the two been decided. Even so he still headed the bowlspinners: “We want Ramadhin on the ball,” said ing in the first class matches with 119 wickets one line. Ramadhin had more than fulfilled his at 13.98 apiece. In the subsequent series against potential as his mystique entranced the opposi- India and Pakistan, Ramadhin kept a low profile tion as much as his spin. After the tour to Eng- although he helped West Indies to victory in the land, Ramadhin was a stalwart in West Indies third game at Pakistan at Lahore with four wickside for over a decade. ets for 25 runs. He also took When India visited four in the final match against the Caribbean in 1953, record England tourists at Port-ofcrowds turned out to see Ram Spain in 1960 before retiring and Val in action on their home from Test cricket after the tour territory. Yet Ramadhin was to Australia the following year. never as potent in the West InAlthough some of Ramadhin’s dies and seemed to have lost mystery evaporated towards the some of his mystique after the end of his career, between them, trip to Australia. Even so, he he and Valentine provided the won the second Test at most entrancing spin partnerBridgetown for his side, when ship in the history of cricket for he dismissed India’s five leading one immortal season in 1950-A batsmen for 26 runs in the secSummer to savor! In an impresond innings to hand West Indies sive career which spanned from the initiative in the series.

1950-61, Ramadhin played in In 1957, seven years later, 43 Test matches, capturing 158 Ramadhin made his second tour wickets at 28.98 apiece with cato England. A little more portly reer-best 7-49 vs. England at than his previous trip, the jovial Edgbaston in 1957.

Alfred Valentine

US wins 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup vs Jamaica as Jordan Morris gets redemption

U

.S. forward Jozy Altidore opened the scoring just before half-time with a superbly taken free kick, only for Je-Vaughn Watson to equalize in the 50th minute, volleying home Kemar Lawrence's corner at the far post. But Jordan Morris fired home an 88th minute winner to give the U.S. the victory. .JAMAICA

It was a tough end for a player whose growth has been evident throughout the tournament. The Union will be praying that Blake isn't forced to sit for too long.

But understudy Miller didn't do badly on the night. He might wish he had attempted to touch Altidore's blast with his other hand. That said, he did well to touch a Morris blast over the bar in the 73rd minute and then palmed Dempsey's header onto the post two minutes later. He could do nothing about Morris' winner.

The Reggae Boyz had their chances to grab a winner as well, with Tim Howard's left-footed save denying Darren Mattocks.

All told, Jamaica can hold their heads high. The defensive solidity and discipline found under manager Theodore Whitmore has been impressive. The challenge will be maintaining this ethos until the next World Cup qualifying cycle.

out question, this was a watered-down version of the Gold Cup as many of the region's top players were absent. But Arena went in with a plan that had multiple aims. He wanted to get an extended look at some fringe players. He did that. He also wanted to make sure

Jordan Morris (right) celebrates

U.S. ACHIEVES ITS GOAL BUT CONCERNS REMAIN In some ways, the tournament couldn't have gone much better for the U.S. and manager Bruce Arena. With-

he had the most competitive team possible in the knockout rounds, and he did that too. And ultimately, the U.S. won the tournament, giving the team some

valuable momentum as it heads into the September World Cup qualifiers.

But the U.S. also had everything going for it in this match and in this tournament. It boasted a roster with a huge edge in experience. Think of it this way: Jamaica's starting lineup consisted of seven MLS players, two from the USL and another two from Jamaica's domestic league. It would have been a failure had the U.S. not managed to win.

The result also illustrated the U.S. team's relative shortage of game-changing attackers. Clint Dempsey did what he could, once again coming off the bench, and Darlington Nagbe continued his growth with a superb performance.

But one gets the sense that the U.S. still needs more. Imagine trying to go through the remainder of World Cup qualifying without Christian Pulisic; it's sobering to say the least.

That said, the U.S mentality remains a potent force. It kept its collective head in a match that could have gotten away from it. For an imperfect team, it remains the biggest reason to believe that the Americans will ultimately reach their World Cup qualifying goal. And on this night, it helped them secure a title.

Jeff Carlisle covers MLS and the U.S. national team for ESPN FC. Follow him on Twitter @JeffreyCarlisle.

Young Windies crash to 26-run defeat in second ODI MARONDERA, Zimbabwe (CMC) – A batting meltdown cost West Indies Under-19s another morale-boosting series win as they crashed to a 26run defeat to Zimbabwe Under-19s in the second Youth One-Day International of the three-match series here yesterday.

Chasing a modest 237 for victory, the Caribbean side were well placed at 155 for four in the 34th over but lost their last six wickets for 55 runs, to collapse to 210 all

out in the 45th at Peterhouse School.

Opener Keagan Simmons top-scored with 49 while Alick Athanaze got 46. Matthew Patrick and Bhaskar Yadram scored 42 apiece.

But they all perished after seemingly well set and no other Young Windies batsman managed to make it into double figures.

Seamer Dion Mazhawidza was the best bowler with three for 44 while off-spinner Taun Harrison finished with two for 34.

Zimbabwe had earlier raised 236 for nine off their 50 overs with Ryan Murray stroking 59, Dion Myers hitting 45 and Wesley Madhevere, 38.

Sent in, Zimbabwe were stumbling at 64 for three in the 12th over before Murray and Myers came together to add 78 for the fourth wicket.

Murray faced 81 balls and counted eight fours while Myers struck five boundaries in a 90-ball knock.

When they were separat-

ed, Myers found an ally in Madhevere – who produced a breezy 39-ball innings with three fours – to post a handsome 39 for the next wicket.

Left-arm seamer Javier Spencer picked up four for 35 while pacer Nyeem Young claimed two for 64.

The Young Windies had a terrible start to their run chase, losing Joshua Persaud (0) and captain Emmanuel Stewart (2) inside the first two overs to slump to eight for two.

However, Simmons an-

chored two successive stands to revive the innings and put the Windies back on course for victory.

He added 66 for the third wicket with the in-form Yadram, who struck four fours and a six off 56 deliveries, before posting another 45 for the fourth wicket with Athanaze who faced 60 balls and counted six fours.

Simmons was fourth out in the 25th over after facing 63 deliveries and hitting six fours but Athanaze and Patrick added a further 36 for

the fifth wicket to keep the run chase alive.

Zimbabwe struck two key blows when they claimed Athanaze and Jeavor Royal (0) three balls part in the 34th over with no runs added to leave the Windies struggling on 155 for six and even though Patrick and Joshua Bishop (9) added 39 for the seventh wicket, the tourists ran out of steam as the last four wickets perished for 16 runs.

The final game is set for Saturday in Harare.