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ISSUE No. 85

WEEK ENDING January 26, 2018

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Full probe into Jagdeo-era killings ...President says govt will ensure perpetrators brought to justice Page 4

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President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, David Granger; Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and Chief-of-Staff, Brigadier Patrick West standing at attention

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Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending January 26, 2018

Housing Solutions taking shape Guyana Chronicle New Yorkconstruction Edition Week-ending January 2018 …close to 100 houses, duplexes under at26,Perseverance

By Svetlana Marshall THE Central Housing and Planning Authority’s (CH&PA) Housing Solutions 2017 and Beyond Programme is taking shape with close to 100 elevated single-flat houses and duplexes under construction at Perseverance.

On Tuesday, when the Guyana Chronicle visited the Perseverance Housing Scheme on the East Bank of Demerara, construction workers were busy. In an interview with the Guyana Chronicle on the construction site, CH&PA Project Engineer Marlon Ramsamooj disclosed that there are currently 44 elevated two-bedroom houses under construction with contracts recently signed for 10 additional houses. “These houses consist of two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, a dining room and also in the yard there will be a septic tank,” Ramsamooj explained.

In addition to the roofs being sealed, parts of the interior are tiled, such as the washroom area, and the veranda.

It was also noted that the size of the lots on which these houses are being built varies. “Some are pretty huge, some are 55x120, some go as much as 55x130,” the project engineer explained.

On an average, the houses are between 15 to 20 per cent complete. It is expected that

by April, these houses will be completed and ready to be handed over to the CH&PA. A total of nine contractors are working on these houses to meet the April deadline; some contractors were contracted to build six houses.

Marlon Ramsamooj

According to Ramsamooj, contracts for the construction of these houses were signed in November 2017; however, construction began only in January.

A short distance from where the elevated two-bedroom single flats are being built, some 35 duplexes are being constructed and already eight are 100 per cent completed.

With a length of 40ft and a width of 30ft, Ramsamooj explained that the duplexes have similar features to that of the elevated single-flat houses with respect to the number of rooms. The duplexes, however, are built 3ft from the existing ground level and are equipped with the black water tanks.

Questioned what mechanisms are being put in place to ensure that the houses and duplexes are built to high standards, the CH&PA project engineer, in response, said the authority is closely monitoring the project.

“We have clerks of work here on a daily basis monitoring the contractors. In addition, we have various tests to ensure that the houses meet engineering standards and

specifications. For example, we have termite treatment, and we have a warranty up to five years, we also do testing on the foundation, on the columns and the beams.

All the concrete works are being tested,” Ramsamooj explained.

He said too that before the houses are handed over to the Ministry of Communities through the CH&PA, checks are made to ensure that all lights, switches and pipes installed are functioning properly and that there are no leakages or shortages.

The elevated two-bedroom single-flat houses are being sold by CH&PA at a cost of $8M, while the duplexes cost $7.1M for a single unit. A total of 89 single-flat houses and duplexes are being constructed at Perseverance.

CH&PA Public Relations Officer Iva Wharton noted that the elevated single flats and duplexes are just two of the solutions being offered under the Housing Solutions 2017 and Beyond Programme, noting that house lots are also being offered.

In a separate interview, CH&PA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Lelon Saul had said that the housing authority for 2018 will be focusing on the construction of single units. According to him, data from a recent survey has shown a strong preference by applicants for single units when compared to duplexes and condominiums.

“The preference is for

single units. Of course, we would want our work here at CH&PA and our plans to be driven by data, it should be evidence-based. The preference for duplex, the preference for condominiums is very low among applicants,” the CEO explained.

As such, in an effort to meet the demands of the people, he said, the CH&PA will this year build an additional 100 single units at Perseverance. In Linden, Region 10, approximately 40 single units will be constructed, while 20 will be erected on the West Coast of Berbice, 10 in Onderneeming on the Essequibo Coast and 20 in Onderneeming on the West

Bank of Demerara.

Using US$20M the housing authority intends to develop infrastructure in several housing schemes, while investing another US$10M for the construction of 250 core houses.

The 250 core houses will be constructed in housing schemes that span Ogle on the East Coast of Demerara to Golden Grove on the East Bank of Demerara in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), and La Partfaite Harmonie in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara).

From that lot, 100 families from the Sophia-Cummings Lodge community are in line to receive core houses.

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending January 26, 2018

A TRIBUTE TO THE VERY REV. DR. EVELYN ROSE JOHN “Exegi momentum, aere perennius” I have built a monument, more lasting than bronze Horace, Book 3, Poem 30

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ike the Apostle Paul, Evelyn John, after a ministry of over 35 years in the Guyanese Diaspora in Snyder Avenue in Brooklyn, could say . . .

“I have fought a good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth, there is reserved for me, a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the Righteous Judge, shall give me at that day.”

(2 Timothy 4:7-8)

One of the significant features of Evelyn John’s life was her “boundless energy” and her “infinite capacity for change and transformation.”

When I first met Evelyn John, it was at a concert at the Town Hall in Georgetown, Guyana where she was entertaining the audience with a wide range of patriotic songs. Her mellifluous voice flowed like honey from her vocal chords. Evelyn John was clearly one of Guyana’s illustrious sopranos — a national treasure and a cultural icon,

by COLIN A. MOORE

dubbed the “Nightingale of Georgetown.” Evelyn John often sang duets

REV. DR. EVELYN ROSE JOHN “She will always be remembered and greatly missed.”

with Guyana’s leading baritones, Monty Burke and Trenton Mack.

When Evelyn John migrated to the United States in 1982, there was a transformation in her career — the cultural icon had become a spiritual leader, taking care of the spiritual needs of her predominantly female congregation. She purchased a building and named it The New Life Center for Truth in 2400 Snyder Avenue in Brooklyn, which would become an educational center and tabernacle for her congregation. Evelyn John’s decision to cater to the spiritual needs of women was a visionary strat-

egy. For women constitute the most exploited group in our society.

In the United States, White males constitute a minority of the United States population, yet they are over 90% of the top wage earners in the US corporations.

Males possess 85% of the jobs of the managerial or executive level and constitute 95% of the CEOs’ in the Fortune 500 corporations, even though women possess 60% of the undergraduate degrees, 60% of the Masters’ Degrees, 47% of the Law Degrees and 48% of the Medical Degrees, yet women occupy a disproportionate share of positions at the lower end of the pay scale, such as, maids, domestic servants, typists, receptionists and clerks. We live in a patriarchal system in which women are treated with contempt and disrespect and are predominantly the victims of domestic violence, sexual harassment and gender discrimination. Evelyn John recognized that, although women were the victims of discrimination, they had the same intellectual capacity and talents as men.

Evelyn John’s decision to establish a female-centered ministry was also consistent with the history of the Christian Church. In the ministry of Jesus Christ, women played a significant role. His mother played a central role in his educational upbringing.

Mary, mother of Jesus and Mary Magdalene were present at his crucifixion, while the male disciples were conspicuously absent. Mary, mother of Jesus and Mary Magdalene were present at the empty tomb, and the first person to whom Jesus appeared after his crucifixion was Mary Magdalene. Mary, mother of Jesus and Mary Magdalene were also present at the early Christian church, which was located in the upper room of the house in Jerusalem, on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended from heaven “like a mighty rushing wind” and appeared unto them “like cloven tongues of fire that sat upon each of them.” (Acts 2: 2-3) St. Paul, the Apostle, in his epistle to the Romans, published a roll call of all the Christian women who were playing a pivotal role in the establishment of the early Christian church. He paid tribute to Priscilla, Chloe, Lydia, Apphia, Nympha, Aquila, Junia, Amphia,

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Tryphena, Try-phosa, Persis and Olymphas. It is obvious that female worshippers have the same capacity for faith, and the same capacity for leadership as the male Apostles.

As Evelyn’s John’s soul ascends to the celestial realms above, the Lord himself will greet her at the Gates of Paradise with the words, “Come you blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison and you visited me.

The late Rev. Dr. Evelyn Rose John When Evelyn John tells the Lord, “I cannot recall doing Good night sweet Princess, may all these things for you,” the Lord will flights of Angels guide thee to thy rest. reply, “Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as you have done it unto the least May you rest in peace and rise in among these my children, you have glory. done it unto me.” Mathew 25:34-40.

DON’T MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION

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Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending January 26, 2018 Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending January 26, 2018

Full probe into Jagdeo-era killings …President promises at GDF conference

President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces David Granger and Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo seated among senior Ministers of Government and officers of the Guyana Defence Force

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PRESIDENT and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, David Granger has said that a full investigation into the deaths of hundreds of Guyanese, including that of former Minister of Agriculture, Satyadeow Sawh, during the period of ‘Troubles,’ will be launched.

Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo was President during the period of ‘Troubles’.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the Annual GDF Officers’ Conference at Base Camp Ayanganna on Thurs-

day, the President said that his administration will ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice. “Society has been scarred by violence, which left a lingering legacy of distrust with the potential of fresh disorder. Monuments at Bartica, Buxton and Eve Leary have been erected to the victims of violence during the ‘Troubles’ between 2002 and 2009.

We still have an obligation to investigate those ‘Troubles’ and ensure that the culprits are brought to justice,” he said.

During most of the decade referred to by the Head of State, Guyana witnessed its most intense and sustained wave of criminal violence since Independence. According to the President, there were 1,431 murders during that period.

Speaking at the opening of the ‘Seminar on Tackling Domestic Abuse in Guyana’ on January 22, 2016, President Granger had said that the previous administration never bothered to account to the nation for the hundreds of lives that were lost through criminal violence. “It refused even to conduct inquests into the assassinations of its own Minister of Agriculture at La Bonne Intention; of the Head of the Police Force’s Target Special Squad on the Linden-Soesdyke Highway; of the Deputy Head of the Customs [Anti]-Narcotics Unit in Buxton and of the attempted assassination of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) in Kitty. It refused to conduct inquiries into the massacres in Agricola, Bagotstown-Eccles, Bartica, Bourda, Campbellville, Kitty, Lamaha Gardens, Lindo Creek, Lusignan and elsewhere. A generation

of Guyanese – which was an unwilling witness to criminal violence – has now grown up. The agony, anger and alienation caused by violence against citizens, especially the innocent and the young still simmer. The crimes have not been explained.

The memories have not been erased,” the President said.

President Granger, on January 18, 2018 at the handing over ceremony of the Report of the Security Sector Reform Project (SSRP), said that the ‘Troubles’ no doubt, was the consequence of a high-level condonation of or complicity with, the rise of drug cartels and the importation of illegal narcotics and weapons. These crimes, he said, brought an unprecedented wave of criminal violence into the country during the first decade of the century, with the consequence being a bloody battle to extend drug empires and to eliminate anyone who resisted them.

While serving as Opposition Leader, President Granger had called for a Commission of Inquiry (COI) into those criminal activities, which resulted in the loss of lives. In 2013, he took a motion before the National Assembly and called on the then People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) Government to establish the COI to probe criminal violence from 2004 to 2010. He made specific mention of the former Agriculture Minister’s death, as well as the Lusignan, Lindo Creek and Bartica massacres. The motion put forward by President Granger at that time was deferred on a number of occasions.

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending January 26, 2018

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THE IMMIGRATION DEBATE: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE CARIBBEAN DIASPORA

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he recent media-saturated conversation about immigration has evoked widespread opinions and emotions, but the motivation and consequences that emerge are not new. This is a throwback to a time when the nation was gripped by nativist and xenophobic practices. The Immigration Act of 1924 was a response to anti-immigration attitude in the U.S. Today, what has been a topic of some national importance has become a simmering social issue churned by politics, economics and sentiments related to ethnocentric ideals.

Added to this is the emergence of pernicious assumptions about race and ethnicity. Not to mention the fact that both Republican and Democratic politicians treat immigration like a political ‘football’ or ‘hot potato’.

The rumblings over DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), Chain Migration (a slur in this writer’s view), the Diversity or Lottery Visa program, insistence on entry based on ‘merit’, and the symbolism of border security, are at the center of the debate.

However, these issues have collectively been made an albatross around the necks of those who genuinely seek to bring about effective, comprehensive immigration reform that would benefit both immigrants and the host society.

The consequences of prolonged negotiations, characterized by mistrust and posturing can be detrimental.

A few under-reported facts are essential in this inherently caustic debate.

Immigration contributes to population growth compared to natural increases.

In the context of an aging U.S. population and shrinking working-age population, migration flows are not only needed, but are likely to continue at sustained levels. Furthermore, research has shown that immigrant flows do no harm employment prospects of Americans (Boubtane, et al 2017).

There is some confusion, albeit deliberate misinformation about what constitutes Chain Migration. It is suspected that the focus on ending Chain Migration is a guise to eliminate family reunification (established under the Immigration Reform Act of 1965), in favor of immigrants with “skills” determined to be beneficial to the United

States. To this end, the President of the United States created a firestorm by implying that ‘merit’ should be measured by race, ethnicity and country of origin.

Other proponents suggested the cessation of sponsoring elderly relatives. It is important to note that the terms ‘merit’ and ‘skilled’ are not the exclusive domain of highly educated/trained professionals, but include menial immigrant employees, who have been admitted to the U.S. from countries throughout the world. They too are assets, not liabilities to their adopted home, contributing to the economic engine of America. Ignoring this is a repudiation of the nation’s principles.

English-speaking Caribbean immigrants are among the burgeoning numbers of people comprising the most recent wave of new global citizens to North America. They have become a part of an expanding “West Indian Diaspora”. Information about their

transnational experience, like other newcomers, is subject to the perceptions, perspectives, as well as the biases and stereotypes and misconceptions portrayed by the media, politicians and civil society. One such impression that is framed by these forces is the assumption that political decisions regarding DACA and other immigration policies only apply to Mexicans and Central Americans. Contrary to this view, immigrants from other countries, including those from the English speaking Caribbean are also affected.

If indeed, there is an increase in deportation and suppression of family reunification because of changed policy, not only would it be traumatizing for immigrant families, but also the social and emotional costs could be devastating and unprecedented. The increase in deportations to the Caribbean has continued under the present administration. When immigrants are uprooted and sent back to their country of origin, not only is family life disrupted, but children in particular, whose parents are deported, face mental health and social dislocation consequences. As observed by B. Caldwell (2017), this is true for those who remain in the U.S.

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separated from deported relatives, as well as those who leave the country in order to preserve the family’s unity. Notably, the following deportation numbers for the Caribbean region in 2017 are quite revealing — Jamaicans 782; Trinidad and Tobagonians 128; Guyanese 137; Haitians 5,578 (ICE Enforcement & Operations Report, 2017).

The reintegration of deportees into the home society could be challenging.

For many of them, there is the need to re-socialize to the Caribbean culture or introduced to a social environment they hardly know. Diaspora Hometown Associations in collaboration with government and non-governmental agencies could be instrumental to the reintegration process. The response of Caribbean governments to this potential crisis will determine their legacy in the realm of humanitarianism for birthright citizenships.

Dr. LEAR MATTHEWS

NOTES: Boubtane, P. (2017) Immigration, Unemployment and Growth in the Host Country. Institute for the Study of Labor.

Caldwell, B. (2017) Children Suffer When a Parent in Deported, Whether the Children Go or Stay.

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Guyana Chronicle New Edition York Edition week ending January 26, 2018 Guyana Chronicle New York Week-ending January 19, 2018

LGE preparations well underway- GECOM chairman

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Editorial Editorial Let’s salute Leon Johnson and his triumphant team There was a time, a few decades ago, when a triumphant Guyana cricket team would have been the talk of the country. Back then, cricket meant more than waving flags and having a good party for a few hours as the boys in the middle swing and swipe at every delivery bowled. The game evoked national pride and dignity from both player and spectator—it brought forth emotions that ran deep in the national psyche. The cricket ground was the meeting place of history, culture, politics, memory and aspirations. And so, when Guyana or the West Indies won a game, a series or a tournament, there were national thanksgiving and mass celebration—the country and region stopped to honor their ambassadors of freedom.

Yes, a victory for country and region on the cricket ground also meant freedom. It was a case of the sons of the formerly enslaved and indentured making their mark on the world stage and in the process affirming the human worth of all of us. Where the rules are fair and equal, we could show that we are second to none. Cricket was “liberation cricket” to borrow a phrase from Professor Hilary Beckles. As Martin Carter, our national poet, would have us chant— "From the Niggeryard of yesterday I come with my burden/To the world of tomorrow they turn with my strength.” Cricket was the Caribbean socio-cultural and political strength in an age of nationalism.

It is against that background that one must wonder what has changed in our Guyana and the Caribbean since that time. This past week Guyana won the regional four-day tournament for the fourth successive year—equaling the record held by Barbados and Jamaica-- with hardly a whisper from the country.

Leon Johnson’s boys played unbeaten throughout the tournament and in the process amassed 166.8 points—52.4 points ahead of the second-placed team,

WHILE a date has not yet been announced for the holding of Local Government Elections (LGE), Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Justice (ret’d) James Patterson assured that preparations are well underway.

Speaking with Guyana Chronicle on Wednesday, Justice Patterson said, “Preparations are going very good.” He noted that while there was a lapse for a number of years in the holding of LGE, elections were held two years ago. As such, the GECOM Chair said, “it therefore follows that we have a plank on which to stand.” Before last year, LGE was held in 1994.

He praised his staff and told this publication that given their experience, pre-planning for the upcoming elections, has started. “I have an experienced cadre of administrators and technicians and we have started pre-planning for that already, though the precise date would emerge subsequently,” said Justice Patterson.

Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan earlier this year disclosed that LGE will take place during the latter part of this year. The minister reportedly said the LGE will take place sometime between November and December.

GECOM Chair, Justice (ret’d) James Patterson

When elections are held this year, it will also mark history as the first time since the country’s post-independence that consecutive local government elections would be taking place when due. Some $2.9B has been allocated for the holding of LGE. Meanwhile, Justice Patterson told Guyana Chronicle that the date for the beginning of GECOM’s continuous registration exercise will be disclosed after the Commission meets next Tuesday.

He said however, that his staff has started to prepare for that process.

Additionally, given the recent advertisements in the local media for several senior posts within the Commission, the GECOM Chair said while his work or that of the Commission’s is not necessarily

Barbados. By any account, that is an excellent performance that is worth celebrating.

But alas, the country hardly noticed the achievement. There were no blazing front page newspaper headlines, no motorcades or formal ceremonies.

It is as if nothing significant occurred.

Indeed, for the entire tournament the players played before empty stands.

Spectators have long stopped watching first-class cricket and even test cricket has seen a drastic decline in attendance. Most spectators patronize the T20 matches which last for a few hours and are cast in the mould of instant entertainment.

In such an environment, there is hardly any pretense of patriotism.

The player is not the folk-hero who carries the weight of the nation on his shoulder. Rather, he is the rock-star entertainer with little attachment to the soul of the nation. Oh, how far we have

hindered by the absence of persons to fill the advertised portfolios, the posts should be filled immediately.

GECOM has advertised for a Deputy Chief Election Officer, Assistant Chief Election Officer, Information Technology Manager, Civic and Voter Education Manager, Public Relations Officer, Research and Planning Officer, and Legal Officer or Secretary to the Commission.

“The vacancies we have would not have any negative impact on our current operations because we have been getting by without them for some time. It is just that if they were in place, we would have been better,” said Justice Patterson.

He noted, however, that there should be at the very least a legal officer stationed

moved away from the independence dream of an integrated nation whose creative energies and intellect are put to the service of the collective!

Our heart goes out to Johnson and his young team who made us proud even in this moment of disintegration and alienation from beyond the boundary. Rohan Kanhai, Clive Lloyd, Basil Butcher, Joe Solomon, Lance Gibbs and the player-patriots of that time, long ago, who are still alive must surely be proud of the team’s performance.

Roy Fredricks must be looking down with a smile on his face and saying: “Well Done, my boys.”

We still hope for the glory days to return, when we would flock to the grounds again to cheer our boys on.

We still hope that a Sobers or Lara or Kanhai or Richards or Headley or Weekes would return to blast their way to the West Indian heart again. Or a Holding, Roberts, Hall,

at the Commission. “I have some concerns that there was not a legal officer in-house and I invite as much applicants who are qualified to have a go,” he stated. While he was unsure of the exact period to which GECOM did not have an in-house attorney, the GECOM Chair said, “There must be some reason for them not having one.”

Having legal experience himself, Justice Patterson said there is a great need for an attorney to be hired.

Notwithstanding, he is optimistic that with the series of advertisements, the Commission would soon be able to fill the existing vacancies.

“We are looking to take on persons as soon as possible,” he said noting that the decision in this regard does not rest solely with him. It is the Commission that makes a collective decision. When asked how he has settled in so far in his post as GECOM chair, Justice Patterson responded, “The prognostication of gloom and doom has not arrived.”

There was much controversy and opposition about his appointment with the Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) objecting strongly to President David Granger’s decision to appoint him.

Justice Patterson was appointed in October 2017.

Marshall, Ambrose, Garner or Croft would glide to the wicket again with awesome pace. Or a Gibbs, Ramahdin or Valentine would mesmerize again with sheer guile from the wrist or fingers. Or a Constantine, Lloyd or Harper would hunt the ball in the field like free citizens wanting to protect their freedom. Or a Worrell, Rowe or Hooper wielding a cricket bat with beauty and grace that could only come from these special West Indian spaces. Leon Johnson’s team possessed no Kanhai, Lloyd, Kalicharran, Gibbs or Croft. But they showed grit and determination within their own limitations. For that, they deserve our recognition and thanks. We must give thanks for small mercies. Maybe, just maybe, from this team would emerge the core of a Caribbean cricket renaissance. It is long overdue. But, for now, let us salute our winners.

Disclaimer: Disclaimer: views opinions expressed in articles in this newspaper TheThe views andand opinions expressed in articles in this newspaper are are those of the authors andand do not necessarily reflect the policies and and those of the authors do not necessarily reflect the policies views of the management of the NewNew YorkYork Edition of the views of the management of the Edition of Guyana the Guyana Chronicle.

Chronicle.

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending January 26, 2018

T&T foot care company opens branch in Guyana Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending January 26, 2018

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…offering new specialised podology services

By Lisa Hamilton GUYANESE suffering with diabetes and complications in the lower extremities are now being offered comprehensive leg and foot care following the launching of the Trinidad-based Rovon Home Health Care Incorporated.

The company’s expansion was introduced at the Herdmanston Lodge on Sunday and will begin offering its services from next month at the Mercy Hospital. There, Guyanese will be offered services ranging from ingrown nails/brace, corns, heel fissure, thick nail, onychomycosis, tinea pedis/athlete’s foot, callus and fish eye/verruca and diabetic foot care. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and owner of Rovon Home Health Care Inc., is Yvonne Brathwaite, a Guyanese living in Trinidad, a nurse and a certified master Pedicurist who holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Podology.

Brathwaite says diabetes remains a major problem in both countries and, in expanding her services to Guyana, she aims primarily to provide amputation-preventative services, regardless of the disease. “Podology will be the first service offered to the people of Guyana, because my goal as a podologist is to prevent amputation of the lower limb in diabetic patients.

There are too many amputations!” she said firmly.

She then proceeded to give statistics on how pressing the situation is: “Guyana is ranking number one in the Caribbean with Trinidad under it. In Trinidad and Tobago, we have 200,000 people affected with diabetes and there are 500 amputations per year.”

Her remarks coincide with the Chronic Disease Research Centre and Port of Spain non-communicable diseases (NDCs) 2017 Evaluation report, which states that of 54 countries, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago have the highest mortality for diabetes in the Americas. Present at the company’s launching was Minister of Public Telecommunications, Cathy Hughes and her husband, Attorney-at-Law, Nigel Hughes, who made comments on the severity of the disease and the need for better foot care in Guyana.

The minister told the Guyana Chronicle of close friends of hers suffering terribly with the disease to the point of having vision complications; this she says, among other reasons, contributes to her ability to relate to the gravity of the situation. “I can understand, and I know the importance of any limb and therefore if there are other remedies that one should be considering as opposed to losing a limb or going the way of amputation, I certainly would encourage that,” she commented.

She then went on to add: “Quite often we don’t really understand how important our health is…we take our feet for granted. We get up, we put on extremely high shoes and we walk around thinking we’re looking ‘hot,’ but all of these things can have negative impacts on us.”

These negative consequences are preventable, says Brathwaite, who listed exercise, taking care of the feet and healthy eating as well as avoiding fast foods, sweet and aerated drinks, as ways to prevent diabetes. When it comes to care of the feet, she recommends that young women especially, desist from wearing tight-fitting shoes which do not take on the shape of the feet and can cause callouses.

The sole of the feet has 7,000 nerve endings called reflexes, which correspond to every organ and system in the body.

The CEO lamented that is also one of the most neglected parts of the body, when it is responsible for taking us all over the world. While welcoming the commitment of Brathwaite and her team to Guyana, Attorney-at-Law Nigel Hughes agreed that there are many practices which must be discontinued in order for the country to reduce its fatalities from the disease.

“The area of service that you’re getting into is one that is very overlooked and taken for granted,” Hughes said, adding: “In Guyana you will find that there are so many cultural practices that we have that we need to change which result in diabetes. “I’m happy that you’re a leader in this industry and that you’re coming here hopefully to expand the knowledge base, so that we can avoid unnecessary amputations and look after ourselves a lot better.”

After the formal segment of the ceremony, guests were invited to receive foot massages from the team of five Trinidadians who came along with Brathwaite, and, the

Telecommunications Minister was one of the first to be pampered. Rovon Home Health Care Inc. was founded 15 years ago in the twin-island republic and there they provide nursing services, therapeutic massages, ambulance services and medical equipment rentals. The CEO has expressed plans to expand the company’s services to countries such as St. Kitts, St. Vincent and Jamaica with the overall goal to exceed international standards becoming the leading primary health care provider in the Caribbean.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and owner of Rovon Home Health Care Inc., Yvonne Brathwaite, cautions the audience about the harmful effects of unhealthy eating and foot care practices

Minister of Public Telecommunications, Cathy Hughes, ( bottom right), enjoys a foot massage from Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and owner of Rovon Home Health Care Inc., Yvonne Brathwaite (bottom left) as her husband, Attorney-At-Law, Nigel Hughes (far right), looks on. Brathwaite’s Trinidadian team (centre) and invited guests are far left at the Herdmanston Lodge

EMPHASIS ON TRAVEL AND TOURISM

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Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending January 26, 2018

Hand-en-Veldt residents receive water for the first time Residents of Hand-enVeldt, Mahaica, are receiving potable water through their taps for the first time due to an intervention by the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI).

In keeping with its mandate of delivering an efficient supply of water to all homes across the country, GWI has expended $3.3M to run pipelines in the community so that residents can receive water. In an interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI), Engineer Technician, GWI, East Coast of Demerara (ECD), Carl Philadelphia said works commenced last year and were completed in December. “However, some persons didn’t manage to get the service into their homes because of some financial constraints; but, they managed to get the paperwork and money in place, so we have just com-

pleted the final installation,” Philadelphia explained.

Residents in the community told DPI that it has been over a decade they were without pipelines and resorted to purchasing water or using treated creek water for their daily activities. They are currently receiving a 24-hour supply of approximately five pounds per square inch (psi) in water pressure. Philadelphia has adamantly stated this is expected to be increased to 15 psi since plans are already in place for same.

“We’re looking to give each resident a manageable psi. One of the things that you will find is that some people are not getting the kind of pressure they like.

That will change shortly because we have more things to do to boost the pressure of the pump station. We will also be putting in meters so that the residents can receive better

GWI Technician, Carl Philadelphia

water,” he underlined.

The Engineer Technician boasted that the 24hour water supply system came on-stream in May 2015 when the new Managing Director took office. Philadelphia advised the residents to ensure that there are no leakages within their internal networks in order to

Guyanese gunned down in T&T

A Guyanese man was shot dead in Port-of-Spain on Saturday, the Trinidad Guardian has reported.

Dead is 30-year-old Troy Henry of San Juan. Homicide detectives in the country are working on the theory that Henry's murder was linked to the killing of Luke Adams,

19, on Thursday. Adams was killed when a gunman opened fire on the occupants of a car stuck in traffic along Duke Street during the lunch-time rush hour. Adams was seated in the front passenger seat of the car.

According to reports, Henry was shot around 6

am. His body was found along Nelson Street, Portof-Spain, by officers of the Duncan Street police outpost.

Henry was rushed to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital but succumbed to his injuries. Investigations are continuing.

A resident of Hand-en-Veldt receiving water through his tap

maintain consistent water pressure. GWI has already completed works in Ann’s Grove on the ECD and is currently undertaking works in Sparendaam also along the coast, all geared

at providing residents with water. The government, in its 2018 budget, promised to continue the expansion of the water supply capacity and improve the efficiency of the existing

water distribution systems.

Communities in Regions Three, Four and Six are among those targeted. The sum of $3.2B was allocated to GWI to bring this promise to fruition.

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Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending January 26, 2018

9

‘Be the best you can’ …President urges youth at inaugural luncheon

President David Granger with the young people who attended the luncheon at State House

REMINDING them of their critical role in nation-building, President David Granger urged the nation’s young people to seize every available opportunity to be the best they can, when he hosted his first youth luncheon since taking office in 2015.

“You can be whatever you want to be and I do hope that while I am here, I will be able to give you that vision and that sense of purpose, so that you can want to use the resources to venture into your profession of choice,” he told the youths, who were present at the luncheon held at State House on Wednesday.

Acknowledging that youth unemployment remains a challenge, President Granger said his administration has made job-creation a priority with the focus on youths. It was on this note that the President disclosed that his government is in the process of consolidating all of the youth programmes, including initiatives such as the Hinterland Employment and Youth Service (HEYS) and the Youth Entrepreneurial Skills Training Programme (YEST).

President David Granger addressing youths at the luncheon at State House

“We are bringing all the youth programmes together to have a common core curriculum so that every child, whether or not he or she is a school dropout, who enters that programme will get common training, which will prepare him or her to get employment in Guyana. I don’t like to see young children, some of them who have left secondary school in the Rupununi for example, drifting over to Brazil to do menial work. I think they can stay here and get a good living,

not only because oil is on the horizon, but also because we can produce practically every food that the Eastern Caribbean needs,” the President said.

In this regard, he outlined the prospects and the many opportunities that lie in entrepreneurship such as value-added and agro-processing ventures. The President also took note of the importance of education, which is intrinsically linked to employment. President Granger urged students and

young adults to pursue higher education, noting that tertiary education is mandatory for most jobs today. “The country is wide open and it is open to you…Your education will not only equip you for employment, but it will also equip your for entrepreneurial activities so that you can become rich,” he said.

Speaking of the environment, the President reminded those in attendance that they are the ones who will inherit the national patrimony and therefore, they must develop

a greater appreciation and love for their country. “You will inherit this country…

This is the most beautiful, the most bountiful country in the Caribbean…I want you to love your country, I want you to own your country, I want you to be the best you could be,” he said.

The event was coordinated by Brian Smith, who holds the post of deputy director of sport. He expressed his appreciation to the President.

The coordinator also gave the assurance that this event

will be expanded to include an even wider cross-section of youths. “Whilst we have not been able, this year, to have more members from the outlying regions, it is definitely something that will be done next year,” he said.

He added that this luncheon, which will be an annual feature, enables the President to interact with young people and in many ways, remove any impression of a veil of mystery regarding State House and the presidency; in other words, opening up the country’s highest office to youths.

Representatives from the President's Youth Award Republic of Guyana (PYARG), the Department of Youth and Sport, Director of Youth, the Volunteer Support Platform, African Cultural and Development Association (ACDA) Youth, the University of Guyana’s International Affairs Association and Student Association, the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTYSC), Guyana Environment Initiative and young professionals and entrepreneurs attended the event.

They were drawn from Regions Three, Four, Five, Six and 10.

10

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending January 26, 2018

GMC in move to resuscitate exporters association

10

EXPORTERS from across the country are expected to meet on Thursday as the Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) forges ahead with plans to resuscitate the Guyana Non-Traditional Agriculture Exporters Association (GNTAEA) with the aim of increasing their market access and bargaining power.

The meeting is set for Thursday at the Central Packaging Facility at the National Exhibition Complex in Sophia. With more than 50 exporters operating under the umbrella of the Guyana Marketing Corporation, the Manager of the Central Packaging Facility Celestine Butters is hoping that the association will be resuscitated on Thursday, and executives elected to spearhead the work of the body.

Butters explained that approximately five years ago, the exporters association became defunct on the passing of its president. According to her, several attempts were made to resuscitate the association but the exporters were met with several challenges.

It was originally re-estab-

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending January 26, 2018

lished in November 2003.

This time around, Butters, who is working closely with the exporters, said the GMC will be giving the exporters the necessary support to ensure that the association is functional. It is intended that when GNTAEA is re-established, it will increase market access, increase the bargaining power of producers and buyers and increase members’ financial capacity.

Butters explained that through the association, exporters will have greater access to markets in the Region and even farther afield, even at better prices.

“The association can create linkages and network with potential markets and suppliers,” she posited. Butters noted that as an association, exporters will be able to meet market demand by pooling their produce for export, explaining that while a single producer or exporter may not be able to meet a demand, collectively they can.

Access to finance is one of the many challenges facing exporters of non-traditional agricultural produce, she noted, while stating that the

Celestine Butters, Manager of the Central Packaging Facility, Guyana Marketing Corporation Photo by Samuel Maughn

association will be able to assist in this regard through the establishment of a revolving fund. Additionally, Butters noted that the association would be able to negotiate and strike contracts with importers on behalf of exporters, resulting in better prices

and arrangements.

“For example, I have an exporter and he wants to buy some coconuts, but the farmer is saying he does not know him, and cannot supply 20,000 coconuts to someone he does not know, so I had to intervene and assure the

farmer that he is an exporter. If the association was in place, the request could have been made through the association and the farmer would have willingly supplied the coconuts,” Butters explained.

It also provides opportunities for exporters to partici-

pate in training programmes, exhibitions and trade shows locally, regionally and internationally, Butters noted. In February, the GMC will be hosting a training forum for exporters and potential exporters. “We focus on things like packaging, cleaning of your produce, post-harvesting as you call it, those are some of things we focus on.

We will also be training exporters on how to wax their products to improve the shelf life. We are also going to introduce the hot bath treatment to show them exactly how you go about getting rid of anthracnose,” she posited.

Questioned as to how exporters have been responding to the call for revival of the association, Butters said many have signalled their interest. She said it is important for exporters of non-traditional agricultural produce who will be participating in the upcoming meeting to have their voices heard. It was noted that once the association is resuscitated and executives elected, the marketing corporation will assist in having all the legal documents in place.

Sugar workers urged to form ‘co-ops’ Government’s decision to revitalise Co-operatives should be viewed as an opportunity for sugar workers to pool their resources and form

businesses.

This is the view of Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, Keith Scott. Scott made the comments during

a meeting with a delegation from the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associ-

ations (IUF) recently.

At that meeting the IUF delegation led by its General Secretary, Sue Longley.

Expressed much concern about the well-being of sugar workers who were recently made redundant as a result of the down-sizing of the sugar sector here. Government has taken a decision to consolidate production within the industry in an effort to preserve the sector which has been ailing for years. In fact, government has poured approximately $32B into the industry over the past 30 months. Scott told the visiting delegation that it is within that context that co-operatives can be seen. He stressed that while the sugar industry remains a vital economic sector for Guyana, its ailing nature could not be ignored by his administration.

The minister within the Ministry of Social Protection made it clear that sugar is deeply rooted in the country’s history, and his administration will take all requisite steps to ensure

that it is preserved and the welfare of those affected is safeguarded. Last week some $1.931B was passed in the National Assembly to pay out severance to affected workers. That aside, government has already been involved in assisting the sugar workers with training as well as facilitating the borrowing of loans.

The Board of Industrial Training (BIT) has been conducting training in several areas such as engineering, building-masonry, carpentry, information and communication technology, forestry, home economics and health services. The Ministry of Natural Resources along with other stakeholders will provide additional training opportunities with a focus on oil and gas.

The Social Protection Ministry’s micro-credit unit located on Lamaha and East Street can also be of assistance to affected sugar workers, as the unit provides micro-financing for start-up projects.

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending January 26, 2018

11

Ease The Tension — Enjoy A Laugh SAUSAGE AND POTATO BALLS Ingredients: 2. Form into 25 balls. Coat with mashed potatoes.

1 lb. sausages crushed 3. Beat eggs, add 2 tsps. water 2 lbs. potatoes mashed 4. Roll balls in beaten egg wash 1 tbsp. mustard then in breadcrumbs.

1/4 tsp. salt 5. Fry in hot oil until golden brown.

2 wiri-wiri peppers chopped 6. Serve hot on tooth picks 1/2 tsp. black pepper 1 tsp. soy sauce 1 onion, grated 1 clove garlic, grated 4 ozs. dried breadcrumbs 2 eggs oil for frying Method: 1. Season sausage with mustard, salt, wiri-wiri peppers, black pepper, soy sauce, onion and garlic.

FIVE MINUTE MANAGEMENT COURSE LESSON 1 man is getting into the shower just as his wife is finishing up her shower, when the doorbell rings.

The wife quickly wraps herself in a towel and runs downstairs. When she opens the door, there stands Bob, the next-door neighbor.

Before she says a word, Bob says, “I’ll give you $800 to drop that towel. “ After thinking for a moment, the woman drops her towel and stands naked in front of Bob. After a few seconds, Bob hands her $800 and leaves.

The woman wraps back up in the towel and goes upstairs. When she gets to the bathroom, her husband asks, “Who was that?”

“It was Bob the next door neighbor,” she replied.

“Great!” the husband says, “did he say anything about the $800 he owes me?”

MORAL OF THE STORY: If you share critical information pertaining to credit and risk with your shareholders in time, you may be in a position to prevent avoidable exposure.

A

IT’S A FACT

by JAMES SYDNEY

SOUNDS OF GUYANA’S MIGHTY KAIETEUR THE FALLS AND THE LEGEND

K

aieteur, the most famous of Guyana’s numerous waterfalls, is situated on the Potaro River, a tributary of the great Essequibo River. The water roars in a rainbow of color over a 450-foot ledge of flat sandstone into a deep gorge in one long ma-

jestic drop of 741 feet — which makes Kaieteur the largest singledrop waterfall in the world.

The sound the Kaieteur makes is strong and thundering and the legend surrounding the falls is captivating.

No wonder A. J. Seymour wrote the epic poem, “The Legend of Kaieteur” and that the gifted Philip Pilgrim worked at setting it to music before his early passing. Described as a choral fantasy, the music is demanding.

Guyana considered its presentation to be of great importance and went to enormous lengths to lavishly present it at the then new National Cultural Centre in Georgetown, for the first FLASHBACK: The Legend of Kaieteur Falls being Caribbean Festival of Culperformed by the Woodside Choir at CARIFESTA ture and Arts (Carifesta) in 1972. The Conductor was 1972 — Conductor: Bill Pilgrim.

Bill Pilgrim, the composer’s equally gifted brother

THE LEGEND BEGINS: Now MAKONAIMA, the Great Spirit dwelt in the huge mountain rock that throbbed and felt The swift black waters of Potaro’s race Pause on the lip, commit themselves to space And dive the half mile to the rocks beneath.

Black were the rocks with sharp and angry teeth And on those rocks the eager waters died, Above the gorge that seethed and foamed and hissed Rose, resurrected into lovely mist.

The story is about Kaie, a chieftain of the Patamona tribe of Amerindians, who heroically sacri-

LESSON 2 priest offered a Nun a lift. She got in and crossed her legs, forcing her gown to reveal a knee. The priest nearly had an accident. After controlling the car, he touched her knee.

The nun said, “Father, remember Psalm 129?” The priest removed his hand.

But, changing gears, he let his hand touch her knee again.

The nun once again said, “Father, remember Psalm 129?”

The priest apologized “Sorry sister but the flesh is weak.”

Arriving at the convent, the nun sighed heavily and went on her way.

On his arrival at the church, the priest rushed to look up Psalm 129.

It said, “Go forth and seek, further up, you will find glory.”

MORAL OF THE STORY: If you are not well informed in your job, you might miss a great opportunity.

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NEXT WEEK: Lessons three to five.

ficed his life by canoeing over the Kaieteur Falls to appease the Great Spirit, Makonaima, so that his people could be spared destruction.

THE LEGEND ENDS: The frail boat bobbed and bucked within the grip Of the live waters that hurried it to the lip Over the abyss. Kaie then raised his tall Huge bulk in the boat and towered over the fall, A cruciform over the flaming mist.

Then with a force that nothing could resist The boat rent all that misty veil in two, Drawing a dark line down the rainbow hue.

But of Kaie’s body never showed a trace, He sat with Makonaima, before his face.

The Falls and the legend continue to challenge generations of not only poets and musicians, but writers, painters and other artists.

Meantime, for many members of the Patamona tribe, Old Kaie still lives. The misty vapors even now rising from the Falls are for them evidence that he is still alive and cooking.

12

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending January 26, 2018

Sheryln Wilson – first female Maritime Captain ready to serve her country

to receive a response, and when I was finally called for the interview, I found out, the program was being offered to persons who wanted to become marine pilots. I was one of the first women to embark on such a career. I willingly wanted to get started. I was wowed at that moment, it was monumental, I felt joy, and was thrilled at the opportunity.”

“After being accepted, I completed an exam, and since I already had a good background in geometry, I was successful, and here I am today, a trainee Marine Captain.

“I feel good that I have made such a step, so monumental,” said Wilson, who after being questioned as to whether she would leave Guyana to Maritime Captain Sherlyn Wilson. study abroad in the field, was maritime field and pave the way for adamant that she had no plans to leave other women to follow. I love my job.”

Guyana.

With her sights set high, Wilson, “I want to help to develop the who attended classes with male counterparts and three other female trainees at the Ports and Harbors Division of MARAD and at MATPAL Marine Institute, while being trained aboard Transport and Harbors Department vessels, the MARAD’s dredge and small commercial and coastal vessels, is passionate about her new profession.

She is grateful for this opportunity that came along, since it would have cost millions of dollars, to study aeronautics, at the Ogle Airport on the East Coat of Demerara. This program instead, trained citizens who in return, are expected to share their skills in Guyana. Wilson said she is proud to serve her country.

Aye, Aye Captain Wilson, may Maritime Captain Wilson on the job. you have continued success.

the University of Guyana, who had her sights set on becoming a doctor, was recently in the United States to attend the 100th birthday anniversary of her great aunt, Lydia Grannum Whyte.

This is where I met Sheryl and had an She made history last September, enthralling conversation about her as a pioneer marine pilot. She was also serendipitous encounter.

One of eight children, born into a the recipient of the Exxon-Mobil secrich ancestry, Wilson said she always ond prize, for best graduating female wanted to enter a professional field that brought her adventure. She had

By Sandra Clarke plans to either become a doctor, bestudent, of the Maritime Administration cause of her love of science, or an (MARAD) — marine inaugural cadet aeronautic pilot. However, by sheer coincidence, the path of success led to program, that began in 2012.

The 30-year old, a graduate of her becoming a Maritime Captain instead.

After taking time-off from her studies to bond with her now eight-year-old daughter, Pia, Sheryl who was under contract at her previous employment, was still looking for that adventurous job opportunity she craved, came upon an advert in the daily paper that sought pilot trainees.

The call did not specify in which field of operation persons would be trained.

She nevertheless jumped at the opportunity, and applied to become a trainee, with the belief it would be a dream profession in aviation. After a lengthy wait, she received a reply. Fortunately, or unfortunately, when she arrived for the interview, she discovered the call was instead for persons Sherlyn Wilson, extreme right with her family members at the 100th Birthday to be trained in maritime anniversary of her great aunt Lydia command.

“I waited for a while Grannum Whyte.

(Pic by Sandra Clarke)

S

herlyn Wilson, who was born in Linden, considers herself fortunate, and very committed to serving her country, and inspiring other women to follow in her footsteps.

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending January 26, 2018

13

Hundreds gathered at New Life Center of Truth to memorialize Rev. Dr. Evelyn Rose John

R

everend Dr. Evelyn Rose John’s family and friends were joined by hundreds of mourners at her Home-going Service on January 19.

Her eldest child, Reverend Helen John, led the moving, celebratory rites at the New Life Center of Truth on Snyder Avenue in Brooklyn, where Rev. Evelyn John pastored for 35 years.

“She is not alone, she is walking with her savior, like she did in her earthly journey,” preached Rev. Helen John. “God will continue to guide, guard

By SANDRA CLARKE

and protect her. Our grief will turn to joy, if we look beyond our feelings.”

“Let us release our dear mother, grandmother, aunt, friend, minister, knowing that only good awaits her. Rev. Dr. Evelyn Rose John is free and unlimited. Any stone of hindrance has been rolled away. She now knows the peace that passes all understanding, she has transcended and shred her earthly garment and she is now dressed in heavenly splendor,” were the words of Rev. Helen John.

Dyese Drigo, read a scripture, while Avril Mayers performed an interpretive dance to honor the loving memory of their grandmother, who touched the lives of thousands with her soothing personality.

She was a fabulous, world-class soprano who sang to sold-out crowds, and flawlessly belted out notes that wowed audiences in her homeland of Guyana, said Marie Drego, of her mother, who won the talent competition - ‘In search of a Star’ at age 10.

“My mother did not speak Italian, but she studied the language to make sure her pronunciation was on point. A calling to serve the Lord was not enough, she wanted to lead, and after migrating, she started a church with just 50 members, later acquiring an old warehouse to grow her church that we see before us today, her legacy. She was

a visionary.”

“She encouraged us to dance in church and sing lustily, said Marie, who noted that her mother inspired hundreds of people she had personal relationships with.

Rev Dr. Evelyn R. John, who was the first person ever to sing Guyana’s National Anthem, did so at Independence in 1966, and was, catapulted into international prominence due to her many achievements. Her gospel album - “Roll the Stone of Hindrance Away” with hit single, “Lead Me Heavenly Father”, performances at the National Cultural Center, and a duet with then Governor General of Guyana the late Sir David Rose, made her a talent to be reckoned with.

Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke honored the godly woman with a citation that chronicled the life of this remarkable woman, which was read by Patricia Jordan Langford, President of the Guyana Tri-State Alliance.

Rev. Dr. Evelyn Rose John, who delivered invocations at opening sessions of the New York Senate and the New York State House Assembly, was also honored posthumously with a citation from Hon. Eric Adams, Brooklyn Borough President.

Dr. Una S. T. Clarke, in turn, called the former Doctor of Divinity, a sister, and praised her for the contributions she has made to the community. “We have noting to worry about, she has created a path for us. If we could be as half the example she was, we will all be that example to the community.”

“Let us continue to support her work, to show our community the life she lived. It is on us to carry on her work of love, brotherhood, sisterhood, and unity in the community,” said Dr. Una Clarke.

Senator Roxanne Persaud said.

A procession with Rev. Helen John behind usher. At right is the late Rev. Dr. Evelyn John’s husband, Attorney-at-law Llewelyn John.

New Life Center of Truth, overflowing with mourners at the Homegoing Service for the Rev. Dr. Evelyn Rose John (from left) Rev. Lloyd Andries, Dr. Una S. T. Clarke, Hon. Barbara Atherly and across the aisle, family members of the late Dr. Evelyn Rose John.

“We have lost a giant” and told mourners, “she will be watching over us. “It is said that the true essence of time is not measured by the length of days but by legacy,” said Sen. Persaud, before recit-

diplomat.”

Rev. William Lloyd Andries gave a moving tribute in word and song, while Rev. Eddie Alleyne of St. Gabriels Church, a Barbadian native, remem-

Rev. Helen John conducting the service for her departed mother, Rev. Dr. Evelyn Rose John.

ing the poem "When Tomorrow Comes."

Honorable Barbara Atherly Consul General of Guyana to New York, expressed condolences on behalf of the Government and people of Guyana, by saying.

“Reverend Dr. Evelyn John, a dear daughter of our beloved homeland, Guyana, was a visionary, a woman with great entrepreneurial skills and an extraordinary woman of God, who will be remembered for her spiritual leadership both in Guyana and the United States of America.”

She said Rev. Dr. Evelyn John’s teachings, brought enlightenment, empowerment and hope to many Guyanese, especially women.

“The demise of such a great leader is indeed an immense loss to the Guyanese and Christian communities.

May your hearts be filled with wonderful memories of joyful times together, and the tremendous legacy of the life of this distinguished Guyanese, said the

bered his spiritual sister, devoted to her church and community, adding that Rev. Dr. Evelyn Rose John should be honored with Guyana’s highest award.

Guyana’s oldest practicing Attorney-at-law, Llewellyn John, 92 flew from Guyana to celebrate his remarkable wife, whom he praised for the indelible legacy she has left behind.

Beverly Grannum-Arthur, New Life Center of Truth choir, Jelessa Josiah, Rev.Gary Arthur, Council Member Mathieuu Eugene, and Assembly Member Nick Perry, and many, many others memorialized Rev. Dr. Evelyn Rose John, who was laid to rest, on January 20, at Canarsie Cemetery, Brooklyn.

Children: Helen, Richard, Dina, Marie and Hanna; grandchildren: Monique, Daniella, Tariq and Dyese; sisters: Patricia Fraser and Joanne Williams and brothers: Eton and Ronald Arthur; huge church family, relatives and friends, survive her.

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN.

16 14

SUNDAY January 28,2018 2018 Guyana Chronicle New York Edition weekCHRONICLE, ending January 26,

$59M standoff …police arrest top executives, guards of NBS …as bank closes door with staff, customers to avoid levy

By Alva Solomon SEVERAL executives of the New Building Society (NBS) were on Tuesday evening detained by police after a drama-filled afternoon at the bank in which the financial institution prematurely closed its doors, falsely imprisoning several persons inside including customers, a police officer, an attorney and two court marshals during a standoff with the police.

The incident stemmed from a move by the court to enforce a levy as marshals moved to seize assets relative to a court’s decision in which judgment valued $59M was awarded to former CEO of the mortgage lender, Maurice Arjoon on the claim of wrongful dismissal. During the events on Tuesday, the bank reportedly hurriedly wrote a cheque of the amount the court awarded to Arjoon last year and handed it to his daughter.

DRAMA UNFOLDS Court marshals also seized a vehicle from the financial institution. The drama unfolded around midday on Tuesday, when several court marshals turned up at the bank’s headquarters at the corner of the Avenue of the Republic and North Road to enforce the levy when the bank’s management decided to close its doors. At the time, several customers who were inside the bank, including Arjoon’s daughter Gina, were trapped while an attorney, a police rank and two court marshals were also caught up in the lockdown.

Police Deputy ‘A’ Division Commander Wendell Blanhum and other police ranks were on the scene while several lawyers, including Attorney Sanjeev Datadin, Arjoon’s lawyer, stood haplessly outside the bank. Datadin later told reporters that the police were investigating the issue along the line of false imprisonment.

He said the police took statements from the bank’s management as well as persons who were kept against their will. He said the levy proceedings were stayed after the bank signed a cheque for $59M which reportedly represents pension owed to Arjoon. The man’s daughter collected the cheque.

Earlier, Datadin said an appeal was pending after the bank had filed for a stay of execution of the court’s order. "The order is made for judgment, the Court of Appeal affirmed that there is no stay of execution on that judgment,” he said. “Mr Arjoon has waited 12 years for this,” he said.

He said that once a levy has started, one cannot interfere, noting that the bank acted in contempt of the court’s order on Tuesday. Attorney for NBS, Pauline Chase, told reporters that the move on Tuesday by the court was “irregular.” She said that it is usually a matter of courtesy of the counsel, in this case Arjoon’s lawyers, not to “do anything" during the period when an application is pending in the court, as she added that stay has been granted in part. "There is an application pending in the court, so our position is that we ought to await the hearing and determination of the full bench of that matter before the levy is executed,” Chase said. She said that professional courtesy dictates that the courts “ought not to proceed” with the levy.

SECURITY GUARD ARRESTED As the afternoon progressed, the customers who were

An executive of the bank being detained as Deputy Commander for “A" Division, Wendel Blanhum walk alongside him

The New Building Society at the corner of North Road and Avenue of the Republic

wrongfully held in the bank were allowed to leave via a back entrance. Later, the police and attorneys entered the bank and after discussions, three security guards were arrested; two employed by the bank and another attached to the Professional Guard Service. Staff members of the NBS, many of whom appeared tired, relieved and traumatised by the events of the day were also allowed to leave the bank’s premises.

Arjoon’s daughter Gina, who was also allowed to leave the bank during the afternoon, told reporters that no one can imagine “the pain my parents have gone through for the past 10 and a half years.”

She said the payment represents a step in a process which the family is proceeding with in the courts, noting that the payment on Tuesday was a “small victory,” for her family. Joseph Allen, a reporter attached to NewsSource, was also among the persons

Additional court marshals march towards the bank

who were held against their will inside the bank. He provided a detailed account of his experience, in which he noted no hostility was made by bank staff towards anyone. However, two men who were also caught up in the melee told reporters after they were allowed to leave the bank that they were told by bank guards that they would have to remain in the bank indefinitely. The men seemed relieved after they were released.

Last July, after more than six years of legal battle, Arjoon was expected to be compensated by the bank for wrongful dismissal by the then Bharrat Jagdeo-led government. The former CEO had sued the financial institution back in 2011 for wrongful dismissal in 2007. He was fired after being accused of conspiring with two others to defraud NBS of $69M – a case which went to trial and was subsequently dismissed. The money reportedly belonged to

Attorney–at-law Sanjeev Datadin addresses the media

one Bibi Khan.

The other two accused were the then Assistant Mortgage Manager Kissoon Baldeo, and Operations Manager, Kent Vincent. Initially, a decision was expected to be handed down by High Court Judge, Justice Brassington Reynolds on November 29, 2016. After that time had elapsed, July 10, 2017 was announced to be the new date for a ruling. That deadline was also missed. The court ruled that month that the former NBS boss had been wrongfully dismissed by the then PPP-government and is entitled to his pension and other benefits, which were snatched from him. Justice Reynolds awarded Arjoon a total of $79,282,801 after ruling that he was entitled to recover all benefits that were lost as a result of the dismissal. In more recent developments, the NBS lost in its attempt to stay the $79M judgment made in Arjoon’s favour. Judge Rishi Persaud held back $20M of the original $79M judgment handed down last year by Justice Reynolds.

Customers and a police rank, court marshals, and a reporter as well as an attorney were detained inside the bank

SUNDAY January 28,Edition 2018 GuyanaCHRONICLE, Chronicle New York

week ending January 26, 2018

Police called for back-up as the afternoon progressed

15

A bank guard is detained by the police following the standoff

17

Bank staff leaving the institution after discussions among the bank’s managers, police and lawyers.

NBS to ‘safeguard’ $59M

…defends locking down customers in building

DESPITE paying $59M owed former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the New Building Society (NBS) Maurice Arjoon on Tuesday following the move by Arjoon’s lawyers to levy on the bank’s property, NBS Wednesday said it will take measures to safeguard the GY$59M in pension benefits paid by cheque to Arjoon.

“While the Society paid over the said sum to avoid a confrontation, it will be taking steps to safeguard that sum, given the fact that the matter will continue in court until a final resolution,” the bank said in a statement. Arjoon along with two other senior officers of the NBS were fired back in 2007 for allegedly conspiring to defraud the bank of $69M. Arjoon had sued NBS in 2011 for wrongful dismissal and after six years in the court system, the High Court ruled last year that he should be compensated all his benefits which totalled $79 as he was wrongfully dismissed.

Justice Brassington Reynolds had ruled that a total of $79, 282, 801 be paid over to Arjoon. NBS had attempted to stay the ruling.

However, recently, Justice Rishi Persaud ordered that only $59M of the original judgment handed down last year be paid to Arjoon.

NBS defended its decision to “lock down” its main office on Tuesday, following the arrival of court marshals, police and the representatives of Maurice Arjoon, the Bank’s former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to levy on the bank’s property.

The bank said that on Tuesday

of the Society’s Office and opened the door of a Nissan Vehicle, owned by the Society and driven by an employee. The said employee was reportedly ordered out of the vehicle and the keys were forcibly taken away. NBS described the entrance of court marshals onto the bank’s premises as “the storming of its Chief Office by unknown individuals,” who later identified themselves as marshals of the Supreme Court, lawyers and relatives of Arjoon.

At the same time, the bank’s board of directors said persons were seen coming out of a vehicle with building-breaking equipment outside of the Society’s building perimeter. “This caused some panic among employees of the Society, who thought that a robbery was about to take place.”

This the bank said resulted in several of its cashiers moving away from their posts and “the management quickly took a decision to lock down the entity.” It was reportedly after the ranks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) arrived, that management of the bank was informed that the persons who took possession of the vehicle, and were in and around the building located on North Road and Avenue of the Republic

Attorney-at-law, Pauline Chase, counsel for the bank is accompanied by Senior Counsel, Ralph Ramkarran through the bank’s doors as a police officer looks on

A bank executive smiles as he was being detained

at around 12:30hrs, a group of men arrived at the back entrance

were court marshals.

Given the alleged fear and the absence of a court order, the bank’s management said it took a decision to safeguard the money while allowing customers an opportunity to leave the bank through one of its entrances. “The

NBS at no time prevented persons from leaving the office and in an effort to ensure the safety of cash, there was some inconvenience,” the statement said.

However, some persons who were locked in told reporters on Tuesday that they were prevented from leaving the bank’s premises for about two hours by officials of the institution. The bank contends that due to the lack of a court order, “the management took the right decision to protect the interest of the Society, its staff and customers.”

The board of directors stated

Reporter, Joseph Allen details his experience to colleagues after he was allowed to leave the bank

High Court was appealed on January 9, 2018 and a request was made for the Court of Appeal to set the order aside. Deliberations are yet to begin at the Court of

Daughter of former NBS CEO Maurine Arjoon, Gina addresses the media

Bank officials as they were being detained

that the marshals and others “came in unidentified like ‘thieves in the night’” and in an unprofessional manner that resulted in panic, chaos and misunderstanding. This notwithstanding, the bank said should it be “properly served with any instrument or order of the court” it would readily comply with the said instructions.

On Jan 4, 2018, the NBS as well as the other appellants, including Trust Company (Guyana) Limited received a court order directing that the sum of $59,033,281be paid over to Arjoon. That sum represented the former NBS CEO’s pension benefits. “This benefit should have been paid from the Pension Scheme funds held by the Trust Company (Guyana) Limited assuming it was the final award,” NBS stated. The decision of the

Appeal on the matter.

But despite the fact that the matter has been appealed and no court order was produced to the bank, the bank took a decision to pay to Arjoon through his lawyers and representatives the $59M after they secured an order to levy on the bank’s properties.

The money paid over to Arjoon came from the bank’s funds and now the bank said it has to await a refund from the Trust Company (Custodial Trustees) of the Pension Scheme.

“Assuming that they were correct to levy for the Pension Benefits, this payment ought to have been made from the Pension Scheme Funds and not the NBS assets.

The Society will therefore seek to redress this illegal and improper conduct of Mr. Arjoon’s representatives, his Lawyers and the Marshals,” The statement added.

Meanwhile, the financial institution said what it regards as the unprofessional conduct of the Marshals will be communicated to their superiors for an inquiry to be held. Additionally, the large presence of police officers, some of whom were “armed with high-powered rifles, makes it appear that they may have been apparently under the instructions of someone or persons bent on embarrassing the Society”.

NBS said it will also seek to have a “proper explanation” from the appropriate authorities on the seizure and impounding of one of

its motor vehicles. That aside, the bank said that the delay and detention of its three security personnel and managers as a result of the lock down is of concern because the bank was left exposed.

That aside, the financial institution said it remained silent on the matter in a bid to respect the sub judice rule despite the many “speculative reports and accusations” surrounding the dismissal of Arjoon and two other former employees of the bank.

NBS denied that political motives were responsible for the dismissals and noted that the three senior officers’ dismissal “had nothing to do with the Berbice Bridge or the intervention of any government officials at that time.”

“The Board of Directors of the Society at that time unanimously agreed to the dismissal of the three officers for serious infractions, including gross misconduct and negligent performance of their duties,” the statement said. The payment of $69M by the trio “in an unauthorised manner and under highly suspicious circumstances caused the Society to suffer a loss by re-imbursing the account holder via a court order in the sum of $71M.” Additionally, the bank contends that its investment in the Berbice Bridge “is a very lucrative

Another bank official who was detained after the standoff

one and has been proven to be a correct decision” and labelled the claim by Arjoon and the duo a “mere smoke screen to garner public sympathy and to cover up their failure to follow standard operating procedures in the performance of their duties.”

The financial institution said it will remain steadfast to defend its interest.

16

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending January 26, 2018

The Handel Andrews Column

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

THE EARLY TRADE UNION MOVEMENT IN GUYANA

T

he emergence of the trade union movement in Guyana gave workers a voice to address their grievances and allowed them to press their demands in an organized manner.

1905 STRIKE

The 1905 strike was caused by the workers’ dissatisfaction over wages and working conditions. In “History of the Trade Union Movement in British Guiana”, Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow notes: ”We asked the employers to change these conditions and the reply was that we must take them or go. I organised a strike on the water-front. Our claims were for a decrease of working hours, an increase of pay, which was very low (truckers – called boys although adult men) – two shillings a day, and could scarcely get a whole day’s work. Dockers loaded on to the ship. In those days we had a stevedore in charge of storing the ships.

He stored by the ton and was paid by the day, and up to eleven o’clock the same night the men could not get paid. In 1905 when we pitched, we demanded the abolition of the stevedore. The firm mostly paid when the ship was stored. The reason for the quarter-day was that the firm need not hire a man for a whole day, and just paid him for the quarter-day. Stevedores got 80 cents a day.”

The strike began November 28, 1905. Strikers remained in front of Sandbach Parker’s office without disturbances; but threatened to assault strikebreakers.

The following day, stevedores from other wharves and hundreds of workers in other parts of Georgetown joined them and marched throughout Water Street, the business section of the city.

The large number of workers on the streets caused alarm within law enforcement ranks. Consequently, on the evening of November 30, 1905, Magistrate Mr. J. Brummell read the Riot Act, which temporarily restored some order.

On December 1. 1905, trouble erupted at LaPenitence and Ruimveldt, where workers went on strike for an increase in pay to 8 cents per bed for weeding. At the time, they were being paid a penny a bed or 10 cents for five beds weeded.

Some workers, cutlasses in hand, approached the manager to voice their demands. He refused to meet with them and blew his whistle. Immediately the police arrived and told them to lay down their cutlasses and disperse.

When they refused, the police arrested George Henry, one of the strike leaders and imprisoned him at the Manager’s Yard. The strikers attempted to enter but were prevented by police with drawn bayonets and guns, who fired into the crowd, killing two strikers and

wounding several others.

When word of the deaths reached strikers in Georgetown, large numbers of strikers converged on Regent, Robb, Church, Middle, Murray and other streets in the city Later that afternoon, the rioters moved along Main and High Streets, attacking and looting homes of Europeans.

To disperse the crowd, police opened fire that resulted in serious injuries and four deaths. The strikers placed the dead onto carts and paraded through the city.

The rioters attacked and damaged the telephone exchange. Water Street was closed to prevent looting. Rioting broke out at the Public Buildings. When police

The Governor met with various delegations of employers seeking a favorable settlement to the workers’ demands.

After much discussion, he met with a representative delegation at the Public Buildings.

The delegation agreed to a quarter day minimum work for waterfront workers. Under the then current system a worker was paid for the actual time worked. Short periods of half hour or an hour were not paid and there were no special rates for overtime. The delegation also planned an early meeting with the Chamber of Commerce to decide on new tariffs for workers on wharves and ships.

The strikes ended in disarray on December 6, 1905. No coordinated leadership emerged. They were “really spontaneous uprisings against atrocious conditions of work and wages?

The strikes were neither planned nor coordinated, but the cumulative effect of this mass rebellion against conditions so demonstrated the effective power of workers that the capitalists and the State crushed them with every severity of the law.”

Some writers refer to the 1905 strike as the first official urban-rural alliance, because workers of the two main ethnic groups joined in protesting against ruling interests.

When the strikes HUBERT NATHANIEL CRITCHLOW STATUE ended, labour relations in killed two persons, strikers’ tempers the colony were decisively changed. Preflared, and they looted business places. A vious rebellions and strikes —the Berbice newspaper report of the day‘s events said: Slave Rebellion of 1763, the Demerara ‘Three-fourths of the populace of Slave Rebellion of 1823, the Angel Georgetown seemed to have gone stark, Gabriel Riots of 1856, the Indian Indenstaring mad.” tured Labor Riots in 1872 and the famous The British Government dispatched “Cent Bread” riot in1889 —did not two warships to the colony to restore change the structure of labour relations. order. The Governor, Sir. Frederic Hodg- The 1905 Riots achieved this and more. son, addressed the strikers on the comThe strikes taught the workers that pound of the Public Buildings. He they could become a powerful force if thanked them for coming to see him, they organized. They had forced Sir Fredpromised an inquiry into their grievances erick Hodgson, the Governor, to address and pledged to do his utmost to redress them and to promise an investigation into them. their grievances. They had even forced However, the crowd was dissatisfied mighty Britannia to a far-off outpost of its with his promises and only departed Colonial Empire to match her bayonets when he agreed to meet with six of their and bullets against mere cutlasses. The representatives the following day.

1905 riots were also significant, because Acts of vandalism continued they led to the formation of the Trade throughout the city. Special constables Union movement.

THE BGLU were drafted to cope with the situation.

Fr. Cary Elves and Dr. John Monteith In 1905, Hubert Nathaniel Fritchlow Rohlehr, persons well respected by the and Dr. John Monteith Rohlehr held a strikers, addressed them at the Parade meeting at the Georgetown Industrial InGround. They urged them to be concilia- stitute to discuss forming a trade union. tory in their demands and to behave or- However, it took 14 years for their idea derly. Mr. E. A. V. Abraham, Mayor of to materialize.

Georgetown, also distributed coppers This union was the first legally reg(money) and tobacco to the strikers.

Part One of Two

istered trade union in Guyana and the British Caribbean. The British Guiana Labour Union (BGLU), now Guyana Labour Union (GLU) was founded January 11, 1919 and gained legal status on July 21, 1922 under the Trades Union Ordinance. During the next 15 years, it was the only registered voice of labour in Guyana. Between November 5, 1937 and the end of 1939, 12 other trade unions were registered.

By 1928, the organization had 1,073 members, of whom 341 were women. It was a member of the International Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU) and the Labour and Socialist International (LASI).

HUBERT NATHANIEL CRITCHLOW

Although A. A. Thorne and Dr. Monteith Rohlehr made sterling contributions to the new movement, Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow was its undoubted leader.

He was born December 18, 1884 in Georgetown. His father, James Nathaniel Critchlow, emigrated from Barbados and was employed as a wharf supervisor by the Booker Group of Companies. His mother, Julia Elizabeth Critchlow, nee Daniels, was a Guianese native.

In 1931, Mr. Critchlow represented BGLU at the International Committee of Trade Union Work Conference in Germany.

In 1949, he represented the Trade Union Council (TUC) at the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) Conference in London. He was selected substitute member of the Executive Council to represent the West Indian group.

That year, the Legislative Council gave him a check for $353.00 in recognition of his outstanding services for workers’ rights.

In1950, BGLU rules were revised and a clause was inserted, which made him Secretary for life. He resigned in 1952, due to failing health and received a union pension of $60.00 per month.

In 1955, the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council approved a special pension of $60.00 per month to him, effective August 1, 1955.

The Father of Guyana and British Caribbean trade unionism died May 10, 1958.

In 1963, at the request of Premier Dr. Cheddi Jagan, E. R. Burrowes, the great Guyanese sculptor, sculpted a statue of him, which was placed on the lawn of Parliament Buildings, where it still stands.

On 30 November, 2005, the Guyana Parliament voted unanimously to declare Mr. Critchlow a national hero and No(continued on page 19)

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending January 26, 2018

17

CH&PA to tackle unauthorised construction THE Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) will be upping enforcement activities as it moves to bring down the high numbers of unauthorised construction of buildings across the country.

On Wednesday, CH&PA Chief Development Officer, Germeme Stewart warned of punishment against developers who continue to act in contravention of the Town and Country Planning Act, stating that one matter is already before the court. Stewart was at the time speaking with reporters on the sideline of CH&PA’s first outreach session with municipalities at the Regency Suites – a programme designed to enlist greater support from Local Government Organs--as the authority ups its nationwide campaign.

Backed by Senior Development Planner Fayola Azore and Development Planner, Mariella Khirattie, Stewart said there are numerous cases in which lands are developed without any permission, and in some

cases when permission was granted, developers failed to comply with the Building Regulations.

“For example, set back distances; a lot of persons are complaining that people are building too close to their boundary lines,” the Chief Development Planner pointed out.

Khirattie added that the development of land in highly residential areas for commercial and industrial purposes remains a major stumbling block as she cited an example.

“You establish a furniture making facility but you are bothering your neighbour. You have dust, you have noise, you have odor, you did not get planning permit, because if you had applied for that before, you would have learnt that the site was not suitable,” she explained.

It was noted that in other cases, non-residential buildings are construction without any parking or offloading area; creating chaos.

In an effort to have a greater level of enforcement

and proper land development, Azore explained that through the outreach, CH&PA will be building the capacity of Local Government Organs with focus on the Planning and Building Regulations and provisions provided under.

“At the end of the day, the planning process is not just with the Central Housing and Planning Authority. We have our partners which are the local authorities, so we are starting to deal with the municipalities, and after this we will be going out into the other regions, the NDCs,” the Senior Development Planner explained.

She noted that from the inception, the local authorities can stop breaches before they escalate.

“They can actually stop it from the beginning. They will see when these buildings are going up and they can stop it and then we can still have the contravention served at our end because most times when it comes to us, the building is already up and sometimes it is really difficult,” Azore

A section of the municipal officials present during the outreach at Regency Suites

explained.

During the opening ceremony, CH&PA Senior Development Facilitation Officer, Denis Pellew said that the outreach stemmed from the National Planning Forum 2017.

The forum had discussed the roles and responsibilities

of the agency in forward planning for sustainable wholesome communities.

It is the Legal and institutional mandate of the CH&PA, under the Town and Country Planning Act, to prepare development schemes (spatial development plans) to guide all fu-

ture development, including housing development and regulate land use through the planning permission process.

At the forum it was noted that the mandatory forward planning function was mostly ignored and overshadowed by the agency’s housing function.

Burger King opens outlet at Giftland Mall

THE Burger King Franchise opened an outlet at the Giftland Mall on Wednesday.

Burger King, the latest fast food franchise acquired by the Corum Group, was officially launched December last at a location on Regent Street, Georgetown.

Burger King is an international food icon with 15,000 stores across the globe. The Corum Group which holds the Pizza Hut franchise, plans to establish six Burger King outlets across the country.

Marketing Director and Vice President of the Corum Group, Navin Singh said

that the feedback for Burger King in Guyana has been amazing. He said the second location will take some of the pressure off of the first one as the company seeks to open a third location this year.

He said the Giftland Mall location has added 45 jobs out of the overall 120 jobs the group has created. “We are definitely having a positive impact on the economy,” he said. Other venues in the Mall that have opened recently includes: Team Stoby, Color Vine, Foodmaxx, Global Technology, Kards Plus and Sanjay's Jewelry Inc.

Smiling faces started the line at the new Burger King outlet located in the food court of the Giftland Mall. (Adrian Narine photo)

Miner crushed as pit caves in

Handel Payne

A MINER met an untimely death on Monday when the pit he was working in at the Konawaruk backdam in Region Eight (Potaro/Siparuni), collapsed Reports are that 22-year-old Handel Payne called “Daggie” of the East

Bank of Demerara, was working in the pit at 35 miles Konawaruk with others when the walls caved in.

Payne’s lifeless body was retrieved from the pit while another miner who was also injured, was rushed to the Mahdia Hospital for treatment. Hospital

sources said the injured man was subsequently treated and sent away.

Payne’s death is the latest of several mining fatalities to have occurred at Konawaruk. The mining area has reportedly recorded the worst mining-related accident in the country’s

history, when 10 persons were covered in a pit in May 2015. Since then, there have been a number of other fatal accidents at other locations involving the collapse of mining pits.

Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes

had in June 2016 visited the Konawaruk area where she met and had discussions with miners on a number of issues relative to their safety.

The authorities have since called on the miners to place greater emphasis on safety.

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending January 26, 2018

18

Emphasis on Real Estate, Taxes and Business The Edgar Henry Column

O

utsourcing occurs when a business pays an outside supplier to provide goods and services, rather than doing the work in-house. It is an agreement in which one company contracts-out a part of their existing internal activity to another company such as payroll processing, claims and operational processing, to another party. This practice provides a way for companies to reduce their internal cost structure.

Businessmen, are you fed up with rising labor costs, and all the headaches surrounding employee / employer relationships? Well, a new generation of entrepreneurs launch-ed millions of tiny companies which differ from business in the past. Thanks to technology; they don't necessarily want employees.

In place of paid employees, owners harness new methods to outsource work, often linking up with other likeminded entrepreneurs to get jobs done in a virtual assembly line, spanning the globe. However, at times you can only outsource that much.

MICRO BUSINESS vs.

SMALL BUSINESS In outsourcing two words have emerged called “micro business.” The rise of micro businesses come as corporate giants shed workers and fight for revenue increases. A micro business is a subset of the small business community based on the number of employees within the company. While your company can technically be considered a small business, even if it has dozens of employees, your business is a micro business if you employ less than six people. If you are a sole trader, self-employed and have no employees, you are considered a micro business. There are other guidelines that can also define whether your company is micro or small. If your company required less than $50,000 to start or if your company does not access traditional capital loans, you are running a micro business.

MICRO BUSINESS TAXATION

The taxes you pay on the earnings of your micro business are potentially not treated too differently than any other small business. If you incorporate your business, it is taxed at corporate tax rates. If you choose to operate as a sole proprietorship, you are taxed at your personal tax rate.

Today, the mantra is to outsource as much as possible so you can focus on the core business. For growing companies, it's not a question of deciding what to outsource. It's a question of what can they outsource? Outsourcing TO BE OR NOT TO BE

everything but your core competencies is the key to the success of an entrepreneur today. Every month, you should be saying, are we at scale, or are there new systems and services that allow us to outsource certain functions?

Outsourcing only makes sense when the cost to buy goods or services from an outside vendor is much lower than the cost to deliver the service or manufacture the product in-house.

However, many companies have discovered that cost is not the only con-

sideration when evaluating outsourcing as a strategy. For instance, outsourcing knows no bounds; you can start a network to produce your goods, from a graphic artist in Miami, to a watch designer outside New York City, to a San Diego cartoonist, and a website technician in Wisconsin. Like many small businesses, billing by the hour is a parttime venture for most micro businesses, since it's lucrative to have another income stream.

ARE YOU IN OR OUT? Deciding what's best to outsource can be a challenge, especially when entrepreneurs can mistakenly outsource functions that simply require better delegation, communication or technology.

Often, it's an information problem, and by outsourcing it, you can complicate the problem. Before you outsource, determine that you really need to in the first place.

TECHNOLOGY EDGE New and cheaper technologies are flattening the business landscape,

What is Outsourcing? spurring entrepreneurs to launch companies in their spare time without employees. Most are in service industries such as retailing, accounting and public relations. The technologies include websites powered by free software, internet phone services and computers.

With this new technology people would rather have a slightly smaller business and not have the headaches of personnel by utilizing these smaller companies to fill the holes. Of course there is a litany of reasons where it makes good sense to outsource, which includes workers' compensation insurance, health benefits, federal and state payroll taxes, and complying with workplace regulations. Also, employers of all sizes have a certain amount of overhead for legal advice, accounting and other expenses to comply with fed-

eral employment regulations.

THE HOLLYWOOD MODEL

Eliminating those costs, the new micro businesses follow the Hollywood's model. Film producers would assemble teams of actors, writers, set designers, stage managers, electricians and other craftspeople to create movies. They come together, do the work and then disperse. Micro business owners work together using new collaborative software to share and update text documents, spreadsheets, videos and other files on remote computers.

GOING OVERBOARD ON OUTSOURCING

When growing your business, you know you can't do it all on your own.

But could you be outsourcing too much? Outsourcing is a good option, from media buying to accounting to copywriting in any full-service marketing agency. This allows the company to grow and take on bigger pieces of work over time.

If outsourcing is placed in order,

certain functions may require a personal touch and are kept in-house such as payroll, ideas, strategies and technical jobs. In fact, small companies are less likely than large firms to outsource business processes that directly affect their suppliers and customers.

Your outsourcing strategy may change over time. You may have in mind to start a company with the intention of outsourcing everything. Later you may only find need to outsource payroll, media buying and projectbased work. But as the company grows you may find need to pull some functions back in-house. How do you decide when to outsource and when not to? This is a management decision.

After you take a look at your budget and determine if you are outsourcing too much, you should check your strategic priority and risk tolerance for outsourcing; check the local marketplace for outsourcing firms willing to work with you; decide which tasks you're most comfortable performing inhouse and how many tasks you're comfortable outsourcing and finally, running a cost analysis.

If you're spending half your time doing HR (Human Resources) related tasks, you can estimate the time and salary you spend on it annually, then add in any investments in HR and payroll software. The resulting number is an estimate of what the HR task costs to keep in-house and you can compare that with the cost of outsourcing it.

Failing to measure the overall cost is a risky thing to do because you don't have an actual measure as to how effective the outsourcing provider has been.

Ultimately, deciding what's best to outsource depends on your comfort level and whether outsourcing will allow you to focus on boosting your bottom line. This enables you to keep your overhead costs in check, which in turn enables you to provide fair value to your clients.

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

WEIGH THE SITUATION

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

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending January 26, 2018

19

Jail for Cubans with fake Canadian resident cards Tahimi Batista

CHIEF MAGISTRATE Ann McLennan on Tuesday sentenced two Cubans to nine months’ imprisonment for forging Canadian Resident Cards.

Tahimi Batista, 25, and Jose Rodriguez,

29, were separately charged for uttering the cards purporting to be issued by the Government of Canada, to Stacy Morriah, a Customer Representative of Caribbean Airlines, on January 20 at the

Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).

With the aid of an interpreter the duo each pleaded guilty.

According to the facts, the two people arrived in Guyana legally on January 17 via

CJIA and three days later, on January 20, they tried to travel to Canada with the fake resident cards.

Batista told the court that her boyfriend applied for the resident cards over the internet

and paid US$2,000 The Chief Magistrate imposed a ninemonth sentence each on Batista and Rodriguez, and ordered that they be deported after completing their sentences.

Jose Rodriguez

THE EARLY TRADE UNION MOVEMENT IN GUYANA

(from page 16) vember 28 as Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow Day.

The great man had his detractors and rivals. Many of the more educated union officials and members felt that he was not educated enough for the position he held. In January 1920, he was accused of misusing union funds. A motion was introduced for him to surrender all union funds to Dr. T. T. Nichols and two lawyers, J. S. Johnson and McClean Ogle. It was unanimously defeated.

There are two stains on Mr. Critchlow’s record. He opposed granting Franchise to East Indian immigrants, who had become Guianese residents.

In the 1947 municipal elections, he ran in the North Cummingburg ward against Mrs. Frances Stafford, an expatriate white, whose husband was a prominent Guyanese lawyer. His campaign manager R. B. O. Hart, founder/principal of Enterprise High School, openly claimed and Mr. Critchlow repeated that Mrs. Stafford had been convicted of kicking an African child and fined $5.00. The incident never occurred. A petition, claiming that Critchlow used racial bias and defamation of character to be elected, was filed and upheld and Critchlow’s election was declared null and void. In “A History of Trade Unionism in British Guiana”, Ashton Chase says that the loss of his seat in the Legislative Council depressed Critchlow, and “he was never his old, fiery self again.”

BRITISH GUIANA WORKERS LEAGUE Critchlow helped form the BGLU, but one of his colleagues, A. A. Thorne, formed the British Guiana Workers League (BGWL) in 1931 and held the presidency until his death. This union concentrated its activities mainly in representing the interests of factory workers of the sugar estates, municipal workers in Georgetown and ward-maids at the Public Hospital Georgetown (PHG).

MANPOWER CITIZENS ASSOCIATION (MPCA) This union was founded November 5, 1937 and registered in 1948. Its founder/president was Ayube Mohammed Edun, president of the British Guiana East Indian Association

(BGEIA). It was an effective organizing force among sugar workers, enrolling 20,000 in its first five years and became the country’s largest union.

Edun was known nationally through his newspaper articles in the Guyana Review, which championed the interests of sugar workers. He continued to write after he founded the union and most of his articles were also published in the Labour Advocate, the official organ of the MPCA. In 1943, the Governor, Sir Gordon Lethem nominated him to the Legislative Council as an unofficial member to represent the interests of sugar workers.

Other prominent members of the union included Charles R. (CR) Jacobs, a member of the Legislative Council, and Eleanor Sewdin who was vice-president in 1939 and treasurer in 1940. She was the first woman to hold such high office in a national labour organization in Guyana’s history.

The MPCA was the undisputed

voice for sugar workers during its first five years. After it was discovered that one of its executives was on an employer’s payroll, it lost much of its support. Nevertheless, it remained the Sugar Producers Association’s (SPA) choice to represent sugar workers.

Dr. Cheddi Jagan was one of MPCA’s early members and, for a time, its treasurer. During the 50s and 60s, under the presidency of Richard Ishmael, the union was totally anti-PPP. TRADE UNION COUNCIL

On April 8, 1941 the British Guiana Trade Union Council (BGTUC) was formed. Mr. Theophilus Lee was its first President and Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow its first General Secretary, a position he held until his resignation in 1952.

GUIANA INDUSTRIAL WORKERS UNION In 1947, the Guiana Industrial Workers Union (GIWU), which later changed its

name to Guyana Agricultural Workers Union, was registered and became the sugar workers’ choice to represent them.

Its first President was Dr. J. P. Latchmansingh, then President of the BGEIA and Ms. Jane Phillips-Gay its first General Secretary.

The CIWU is best known for supporting the historic Enmore Strike. Cane cutters at Enmore sugar estate went on strike April 22, 1948. They demanded that the “cut and load’ system be abolished. This system forced cane cutters to load the cane they had cut onto punts.

The cane cutters wanted the cut cane to be loaded onto punts by other workers.

Additionally, the Enmore workers demanded higher wages better living and working conditions and full recognition of the GIWU. Six workers were killed during the strike. They were: Lallabagee Kissoon, 30 years, 19-year-old Pooran, Rambarran, Dookhie and Harry. These men, through the years, became known as the Enmore Martyrs.

20

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending January 26, 2018

Gold’s the new bauxite --with Lindeners playing a major role in gold-mining

IT’S no secret that the bauxite company is no longer the sole breadwinner for Linden. With the reduction in bauxite production, the employment of 600plus employees at Bosai Minerals Guyana Group (BMGG) can only suffice for so much of Linden’s employment status; thus, the unemployment rate is still very high.

The mining town of Linden not only got the title from bauxite-mining, but that many of the males also possessed the many technical and engineering skills needed in the mining sector. Many of these skills were garnered from the then DEMBA TRADE SCHOOL which was operational in the 1960s. After nationalisation of the bauxite company in the 1970s, thus making the town self-sufficient, the Linden Technical Institute has since been providing this wide array of skills needed for the mining industry.

With the downsizing of bauxite and the establishment of several expatriate gold-mining companies in Guyana, those skills possessed by Lindeners were needed and today, many Lindeners, especially young people are employed with these companies. In fact, according to Public Relations Officer of the Guyana Gold Fields Incorporated, Leon Roberts, approximately 60% of the company’s total em-

ployment is Lindeners. This huge amount spans the entire sector of the AGM Inc with Lindeners filling positions in all technical and administrative departments, as well as filling managerial positions.

Statistics coming out of Troy Resources show that there are approximately 150 Lindeners employed at the company, which totals about 30% of the entire work force.

There are also about 30 Lindeners who are employed with contractors on the mine site. One employee of Troy Resources, Paul Mc Gregor, who just landed himself his dream job as well as was recently promoted, said that being employed at Troy is one of the best things that happened to him. “I applied for the job, but with little hopes I would get through and long after I got called and I couldn’t believe it.

Now I have a very good job, because for a while I was doing odd jobs in Linden to make in through, though I had my skills, because there was nothing for me,” he said adding, “It took patience and I recently got promoted too.”

Not only are Lindeners filling positions in the private companies, but about 15% of the employees at the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission are also Lindeners. For those young men who cannot get into the companies because of the lack of academic qualifications and even the vocational skills, they still

play an integral role in Guyana’s gold-mining sector by being regular pork-knockers in the ‘gold bushes’. Whether it is being employed by an established dredge owner, being part of a syndicate or managing their own pumps on their own, many residents of Linden are ‘running the gold bush.’ For many, though it may be risky, see it as having no choice, given the high unemployment rate in the town. For others, it is just a way of staying out of the lime light and keeping out of trouble. Ryan Carter,

GOLD-MINING NOTHING NEW FOR LINDENERS While it may seem that this is the new trend for Lindeners, history shows that upon the establishment of Omai Gold Mines, many Lindeners had also secured employmentwitht the company. In fact, according to one former employee, a large percentage of the entire work force was from Linden. This he said, was because Lindeners possessed the skills needed for mining gold. “Yes I can recall actually everyone

Paul Mc Gregor

one young man who became a pork-knocker after leaving school, said that it was not his dream but was one of the few legal options available. “I never saw myself going into the bush, but out here in had much options so I decided to buy a pump and take the gamble and it didn’t turn out too bad, is just that you does got to be away from home for long periods, but for me, being away is like being out of trouble,” the young pork-knocker said.

was from Linden, a lot, a lot, especially in my department, I was a welder and most of my squaddies were Lindeners,” the pensioner Lester Clarke said. When asked why he felt this was the case, Clarke said confidently, “Because nowhere else you can go in this country and find skilled people like Linden people. Linden people are the most skilful people when it comes to technical skills and engineering skills, they fit in easily. You have

to remember that everyone looked at the bauxite company for work so from young you grow up with this aim of working at the bauxite company. When many people finished school, they try to acquire the skills back then to get into the company, so when the company start collapsing, everyone still had the skills and they could have fit in to any other kind of mining,” he explained.

It is safe to say that OMAI played a major role in the development of Linden and when the company closed operations, things had down-spiralled a bit for the Linden town. Many persons

lost their jobs and had to seek other avenues for employment. “Many persons decided to buy cars and started to do taxi work, many persons opened welding shops, many persons opened businesses, some man migrate, different things,” Clarke said. When Bosai started operations in 2007, many of these were rescued and regained meaningful employment prior to the establishment of the present gold-mining companies. Not only are these companies contributing significantly to the economy of Linden, but this has positive ripple effects in many ways to the livelihoods of Lindeners.

New garbage collection fee not yet finalised --mayor says matter still under discussion

GEORGETOWN Mayor Patricia Chase-Green has corrected statements made by City Hall’s Director of Solid Waste Management, Walter Narine that citizens’ garbage will not be picked up if they fail to pay the $200 fee.

“That’s not the message that we want to get out there. We’re only consulting at the moment; nothing is written in stone,” said Chase-Green at Monday’s statutory meeting.

Although there have been reports that some trucks have already started to charge for collection, the Mayor clarified that the Council has not yet agreed for any payments so far.

Mayor Patricia Chase-Green

“This message did not originate from the City Council. If that’s the opinion of an officer, it’s not of the Council. We couldn’t say that at all, because there would be other implications,” Town Clerk Royston King responded.

At a public consultation recently to discuss the implementation of the garbage collection fee, Narine was quoted in some quarters as saying: “In terms of you paying and your neighbour is not paying, we have the by-laws coming on stream where we are going to put everybody on board.

We will not be collecting garbage from those households if they did not remit that payment to Council, and all payments to Council will

be done at Council; not on the streets or any refuse collector or any revenue collector.”

He was also quoted as saying that once residents support the initiative and the systems are put in place to collect the fees, those who do not pay would be prosecuted. “We’ll have bylaws to govern every household. Once this is on board, every household will have to pay, or they will be fined and summoned to court,” Narine reportedly said.

At the time, the Town Clerk had told the Guyana Chronicle that within the first quarter of this year, City Hall will be moving to charge residents a fee for the collection and disposal of their household

waste. “We are now moving to ask residents in local communities to help us, as we subsidise the collection of waste by paying a small fee.

I understand that they are looking at perhaps $200 a barrel,” he said, adding that the figure at reference was still within the realm of discussion within the Council’s Finance Committee.

While the modalities are still being worked out, King said residents will be required to visit the Treasury’s Department and pay the fee at the same time as they would pay their rates and taxes.

King said that the M&CC will give appropriate notification, and will also have consultations.

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending January 26, 2018

New York Chronicle Horoscope

21

CROSSWORD CROSSWORD

ISSUE 85 CROSSWORD ANSWER

ARIES (Mar. 21 - April 20) Don’t be too quick to judge those you live with. It’s time to let loose. You can purchase items that will enhance your appearance. Limitations will set in if you haven’t followed the rules. Your luckiest event next week will occur on Wednesday.

TAURUS (Apr. 21- May 21) If you can work at home, do so. You have two choices; Get out on your own, or bend to your mate’s whims. Be prepared to have relatives or close friends introduce you to new and exciting individuals. Rewards for past good deeds will highlight your day. Your luckiest event next week will occur on Sunday.

GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) You will do your best work on your own. Plan to do things with your faithful pet or with youngsters who have interesting hobbies. If they’re too demanding, reconsider this union. Problems with financial investments could make you nervous. Your luckiest event next week will occur on Thursday.

CANCER (June 22 - July 22) Don’t bang your head against a wall. If they want help that’s great, but if they try to take credit for your work, you will have to set them straight. Invite friends in for a visit. Beware of individuals who are not that reliable or well known to you. Your luckiest even next week will occur on Thursday.

LEO (July 23 - Aug 22) Do not get upset about situations you cannot change. You must consider yourself for a change. Over-indulgence may be a problem. You will have an interest in foreigners and their cultures. Your luckiest event next week will occur on Wednesday.

VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept. 23) Insincere gestures of friendliness may be misleading. Attend seminars that will bring you in contact with the right people. Visit friends or relatives who have been confirmed. Empty promises are evident and deception probable. Your luckiest event next week will occur on Friday.

LIBRA (Sept. 24 - Oct. 23) You will have good ideas for home improvement projects. Relationships will form if you get out and do things that you enjoy. You may be ill-treated if you have to deal with institutional environments. Your ability to take hold of a situation will surely bring you popularity and leadership. Your luckiest event next week will occur on Thursday.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24 - Nov. 22) Do not lend money to friends, or contribute more than necessary to groups unworthy of your cash. Your emotions may be hard to control if your mate is forcing you to undergo drastic alterations in your relationship. Get help setting up a reasonable budget. Look into ways of making extra cash. Try to do your job and then leave. Your luckiest event next week will occur on Saturday.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23 - Dec. 21) You can make sound financial investments if you act fast. Time spent with family, children, or good friends will be regenerating and positive. Trips, educational pursuits, or projects that could lead to new outlooks should be on your agenda. Offer love and affection instead of conflict and rejection. Your luckiest event next week will occur on Saturday.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22.- Jan. 20) Don’t blow situations out of proportion or you could find that others will misinterpret what really happened. Expressing yourself in novel ways should lead you down new avenues. A little overtime may help you reduce the workload. Spending too much time talking to friends or relatives could easily turn into a debate that could lead to estrangement. Your luckiest event next week will occur on Friday AQUARIUS (Jan. 21 - Feb. 19) Make money using your ingenuity and creative talent. Plan events like camping or any other outdoor activity. You may want to make changes that will turn your entertainment room into a real family affair. You must not allow them to force you to rush. Your luckiest event next week will occur on Monday.

PISCES (Feb. 20 - Mar. 20) Travel is evident, but be cautious while in transit. If you go shopping, only take what you can afford to part with. Your mate may not have been honest with you. Try making some changes to your appearance and your attitude that will reinforce just that. Your luckiest event next week will occur on Friday.

ACROSS 1. Faucet noise 5. Start for sphere 9. Drenched 11. Opposite of going 13. ___ uno 14. Squabble 15. Computer’s ___ port 16. Santa Fe’s locale (abbr.)

18. Understand 19. Salon goop 20. Art course (abbr.)

21. Alley yowlers 22. Judicial order 24. Evils 25. Breathing need 26. Tax figurer (abbr.)

27. Word on a cottage cheese container

W O R D F I N D

ANCILLA

T U L I P S

ANGELIQUE BALLADE

BALLERINA

BLUE DIAMOND CHINA PINK CLUSIANA

CONCERTO COORS

FUSILIER GAVOTA

GREENLAND

5. Fraud 6. “Oz” aunt et al.

7. Prayer book 8. Bays 9. Not loose 10. One of Santa’s reindeer 29. Thingamabob 11. Atkins or Huntley 32. Abrade 12. The Bee ___ 33. Bland 17. Dais y___ 34. Close a sleeping bag 20. Waterless 36. ___ bind (2 wds.)

21. Wearing clothes 37. Spaghetti sauce brand 23. Freshwater fish 38. Roofing material 24. MP3 player from Apple 39. Opposite of allow 26. Part of the Parthenon 41. Actress Rita ___ 27. Easily tipped boats 44. Hen, e.g.

28. Military branch (2 wds.)

45. Sister’s daughters 29. Search for fossils 46. End of a 12/31 song 30. Montezuma’s subjects 31. Ladd and Keaton title 32. Guitarist’s short phrase 47. Profit and ___state33. Manufactured ment DOWN 35. Golf teachers 1. Drenched 37. Annoy 2. Roam 40. Prohibit 42. Garage floor residue 3. Mamie’s man 43. Car named after Ransom E. 4. Part of MPH Olds

ICE STICK

LITTLE BEAUTY

LITTLE PRINCESS MARIETTA

MASCOTTE

OLYMPIC FLAME PINOCCHIO PURISSIMA

REDRIDINGHOOD ROCOCO

WHITE PARROT

ISSUE 85 WORDFIND ANSWER

EMPHASIS ON CARIBBEAN AFFAIRS

22

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending January 26, 2018

Surveying works kick-starts Sheriff/ Mandela Avenue road project THE Sheriff Street/Mandela Avenue area is being surveyed in preparation for massive expansion works to be conducted by Sinohydro Corporation Limited.

Work Services Group (WSG) Coordinator, Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Geoffrey Vaughn explained that these measures will set the pace for the infrastructural works which are expected to commence before the end of the first quarter of this year.

“Sinohydro is mobilising, as we speak. Surveying works are being done and this is basically to stake out the area in terms of width and centre lines etc. So we’re doing the preliminaries before we go into the actual works,” Vaughn told the Department of Public Information (DPI).

The contract for the Sheriff/Mandela Avenue road project was awarded to Sinohydro Corporation Limited in November and signed in December 2017. The project

will cost US$31M, which is being provided by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Vaughn indicated that the removal of utilities, before the construction begins0 is critical to ensuring that the project is completed on time.

“So, we’re hoping that we can engage the Guyana Telephone Telegraph (GTT) and Guyana Power and Light (GPL) to have their utilities removed. We know we have contracts already with GPL

and we’re trying to finalise the one with GTT. Once that is done we will have them onboard; with GTT we know we will have some chambers that will have to raise, which may be on the corridor itself.”

According to the WSG Coordinator, one critical factor that will be taken into consideration during execution of the project and that is proper traffic management.

He disclosed that in order to ensure that there is less

disruption of traffic during construction, the contractor is expected to have prepared an appropriate traffic management document which will be shared with the Ministry.

“We will have to look for all the alternatives that will come out in terms of people having to use the corridor to execute business,” Vaughn stated. The existing carriageway will be upgraded and resurfaced from the northern end of Sheriff Street through to Homestretch Av-

enue. From that point to the Mandela Avenue-Hunter Street junction there will be four lanes of traffic.

The completed roadway will also be outfitted with the requisite road safety amenities, including sidewalks, bicycle lanes and “hopefully” adequate parking spaces. Bridges will also be upgraded. In the vicinity of East Ruimveldt and North Ruimveldt Secondary Schools, there will be a pedestrian overpass. (DPI)

Hugo Chavez Centre main supplier of food to benevolent homes THE Hugo Chavez Centre for Rehabilitation and Reintegration is now fully self-sufficient, following the successful implementation of its ‘Self-Sufficient Agricultural Economic Services Project’, which was launched in June 2017.

Minister of Social Protection, Amna Ally last week visited the facility at Onverwagt, Region Five, where she lauded the successful implementation of the project. The Hugo Chavez Centre which is one of the main food suppliers to State benevolence centres, produces organic vegetables, chicken and fish.

Minister Ally explained that in less than a year, the centre was able to produce and supply chickens to cen-

tres such as the Palms, the Mahaica Children’s Home, and the Mahaica Hospital.

“I am proud of the facility’s self-sufficiency. What I love about this programme is that we have our agencies being the beneficiaries of this project…and I am very proud and happy that this is a seven-and-a-half-month achievement since the president commissioned this facility. It is a very proud moment for us,” Minister Ally told media operatives.

The project also forms part of the reintegration programme for the more than 80 residents at the facility, who are being trained in the field of agriculture and farming.

Both the staff members who overlooked the project and

the residents, have played a major role in the success of the centre.

Minister Ally also took the opportunity to express gratitude to the agencies that played a role in bringing the project to fruition.

These include; the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA),the National Agricultural Research & Extension Institute (NAREI),Food for the Poor (Guyana) Incorporated, the Mahaica-Mahaicony-Abary-Agricultural Development Authority (MMA-ADA) and a number of private sector companies and individuals.

The Economic Centre has three fish ponds along

The vegetables being produced at the centre

with several pens filled with livestock and poultry including ducks, chicken and sheep, and a shade house where a number of crops are planted, in-

cluding tomatoes and peppers and other vegetables.

There is also a modern plucking machine. Minister Ally was accompanied

by Minister within the

Ministry of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes, Government’s Regional Member of Parliament (MP),Jennifer Wade and other officials.

— WANTED — Suddie Hospital to get new ADVERTISING SALES EXECUTIVES $35M operating theatre

The New York Edition (Guyana Chronicle, Inc.) is looking for motivated sales representatives to join our team, selling print and online advertising to an established account list.

The New York Edition of the Guyana Chronicle is a weekly newspaper, carrying news, views and comments from the Diaspora, Guyana and the Caribbean. It is circulated every Friday in Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx, as well as on our webpage (www.guyana chronicle.com).

Do you have experience meeting and exceeding sales goals, anticipating challenges and continually seeking new customers. If you are goal-driven, we want to talk to you.

EMAIL YOUR RESUME TO: DENNIS NELSON @ dennisnelson.nychronicle@yahoo.com or call: (917) 379-6590 to schedule an interview.

RESIDENTS of Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) will no longer need to go to Georgetown to perform surgeries as regional administration will soon be spending $35M from its Capital budget to construct a new operating Theatre at the Suddie Public Hospital.

This announcement was made by the Regional Chairman, Devanand Ramdatt during an interview with media operatives recently. Ramdatt said the project is intended to benefit residents living in Region Two and also the Riverine communities. The Regional Chairman further stated that at the moment the theatre in place is in a deplorable condition and as such most emergency cases are transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). He however said that he admired the commit-

ment and dedication from the staff and also the patience being displayed by residents.

"Most of the cases are being transferred to GPHC due to the condition of the Threatre. I admire the way staff at the hospital are handling the matter, as well as the patience that is being displayed by residents," the Regional Chairman said.

When asked how soon the project is expected to commence, Ramdatt said it is based on the Regional Tender Board and how fast project is awarded. The chairman however hopes that the project can be awarded in a timely manner so that it will be done by mid of 2018.

The Chairman further concluded that the construction of such facility will boost the region and will assist residents tremendously.

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending January 26, 2018

23

Land for law school inadequate- AG says

ATTORNEY GENERAL Basil Williams said the 15 acres of land allocated by the University of Guyana (UG) for the construction of the Joseph Haynes Law School is inadequate and he again stressed that Guyana will go ahead with plans to establish the institution despite an administrative hold up at the level of the Council of Legal Education.

Williams told reporters on Monday at the sidelines of the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) assessors training session at the Pegasus Hotel that though UG would have identified the land; the identified plot is not adequate for the law school. “They have shown our valuation person an area contiguous to the forensic laboratory, but that won’t be adequate for a law school. It is right now with them and we are hoping they see the light,” he told reporters.

He assured reporters that Guyana has permission to establish the law school and is currently conducting a feasibility study in this regard. “We have not been refused …they (Council of Legal Education) don’t have an archive…the decision was taken quite clearly and the conclusion is, looking at material they had, permission had to have been granted.”

The Attorney General said all factors are being examined, including the criteria for the establishment of the school under the auspices of the CLE. “Nobody can stop us from

building a law school; it is just that we are community-minded,” the Attorney General stated, when asked whether Guyana had been given the clearance to build a law school.

He reminded that Guyana is a founding member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and as such has a right to establish its own law school. Moreover, Williams noted the struggles of Guyanese law students who seek admission to the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad. There are law schools in the Bahamas, Jamaica and Trinidad “and we want to build a law school here; it is too tough for our students.”

Williams assured that efforts are being made to have the feasibility study completed soonest and noted that as soon as possible, their Jamaican counterparts (the University College of the Caribbean (UCC) and the Law College of the Americas (LCA) l) will be informed about the land, and value of the land among other things.

PERMISSION GRANTED Meanwhile, the Attorney General maintained Guyana’s position that permission was granted for Guyana to establish its own law school. He said the recent assertion that Guyana was never granted permission to establish its own law school by the Council of Legal Education (CLE) was heavily flawed. Earlier this month, Wil-

liams told reporters at a press conference that should the Chairman of the CLE, Reginald Armour, S.C. continue to interfere in the matter, it is likely that Guyana would resort to taking the issue to the CARICOM heads. “We don’t have to submit nothing to the CLE until we are ready. Mr. Armour is not in charge of the CLE. Mr. Armour is a servant of the Council including the Council of Ministers who told him that he couldn’t publish the statement that he did, and he had to withdraw it,” Williams himself early December had announced that a Review Committee of the CLE has agreed that the Council should defer the establishment of new law schools; a move he believes is as a result of the opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) intention to sabotage Guyana’s efforts to establish its own law school. He said Armour of Trinidad and Tobago relied on a report of a Review Committee which included former Chancellor Carl Singh, to say that the CLE never gave permission to Guyana to establish its own Law School. Singh has denied ever being part of the committee. Williams had described Armour’s actions as “strange”, noting that he never afforded Guyana a hearing on the matter. Former Attorney General Anil Nandlall had contended that Guyana never received permission to establish a law school.

Williams said it was at Nandlall’s behest

that Armour placed the matter on the CLE’s agenda. “We are saying that no international organisation is driven by the opposition and we have an e-mail sent from him to Nandlall assuring him that he will put the item on the agenda without consulting me, the sitting Attorney General for Guyana,” Williams stated.

The CLE committee has to, in the future, engage with Guyana’s committee which comprises the Chancellor of the Judiciary, Chief Justice, Retired Justices Duke Pollard, Claudette Singh and Rudolph James, Professor Harold Lutchman, the Deputy Vice Chancellor of UG and the Registrar. The APNU+AFC coalition government in January 2017, had announced that the project for establishment of the JOF Haynes Law School of the Americas was launched. The project comes after some two decades of lobbying for an alternative to the Norman Manley Law School in Jamaica, the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad and Tobago and the Eugene Dupuch Law School in The Bahamas.

The JOF Haynes Law School is being established through a Public-Private Partnership between the Government of Guyana, the Law School of the Americas (LCA) and the University College of the Caribbean (UCC) and will add to the existing options available to holders of a Bachelor of Laws (LLB), and who intend to pursue their Legal Education Certificate (LEC).

‘Nothing done in secrecy’ --Mayor puts to rest Bel Air Park playground claims

GEORGETOWN Mayor Patricia Chase-Green has declared that nothing the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) did relating to the now controversial Bel Air Park Playground was ever shrouded in secrecy.

At Monday’s statutory meeting, she reminded councillors that it was the Investment and Development Committee that had brought this matter to the Council.

The Council, she recalled, subsequently granted its approval, subject to greenlight from the Central Housing and Planning Authority, among other agencies.

Town Clerk Royston King similarly commented that the Council had agreed in principle that the Bel Air Park land be reviewed and repossessed.

Since that time, the matter has attracted the attention of the court, and an order has been issued. However, King said City Hall’s lawyers are now studying the matter, and that the Council’s intentions were in keeping with the Municipal District and Council Act. So far, King said, works have started on clearing the land and digging the drains. Over-hanging trees

Residents believe that it is a private housing developer that has started works on the land (Photo by Adrian Narine)

are being dealt with, along with garbage pile up. One person has even lighted a fire to burn refuse, King disclosed. “We want to fence it and keep it in good order,” he said.

Councillor Alfred Mentore stood up to say that as the constituency representative, he should have been informed about the works that the City Council is currently undertaking.

He said that in this way, he could have been in a position to “appease” all those residents who have

been contacting him, thinking that the works were being done by a private developer.

Mentore reasoned that even though King may have had good intentions, the manner in which he went about it can backfire and cause the City Council harm.

The Mayor said with the feedback Mentore received from his constituency, he should have made contact with the Town Clerk to clarify matters.

She reminded that the land

Constituency Councillor, Alfred Mentore believes that he should have been informed about works ongoing on the playground

is owned by the M&CC, and that the land was there all along and no one was doing anything with it.

“I am not aware that anyone by the name of Taljit is doing any work there,” the Mayor stated.

Terrence Taljit is a local housing developer whom the City Council was allegedly in negotiations with to transfer the land to him despite a restriction on the transport of the property for use as a playground and for other community purposes only.

Justice Gino Persaud earlier

this month handed down a decision that blocks the M&CC’s intention to sell or lease the reserved community land to a private developer.

The application was filed in 2017 by lawyer Devindra Kissoon, a resident of Bel Air Park.

Kissoon, a founding partner of London House Chambers, sued the M&CC and Central Housing and Planning for seeking to prohibit the development of a community reserve property for the purpose of housing.

24 24

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending January 26, 2018 Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending January 26, 2018

National telecommunications agency in effect --NFMU to be dissolved, workers to be absorbed by the new agency

MINISTER of Public Telecommunications, Catherine Hughes has announced that she has signed a commencement order on Friday last, paving the way for the formal establishment of the National Telecommunications Agency (NATA).

According to the Telecommunications Act 2016, the agency will be responsible for the finalisation of licensing procedures in preparation for liberalisation and issuance of new licenses to telecommunication entities.

The commencement order, which took effect on the day it was signed,has cleared the way for the Ministry of Public Telecommunications (MoPT)to make the necessary administrative arrangements for the agency to function effectively when the entire Telecommunications Act is brought into force, said Minister Hughes during a press conference at her Camp Street office on Monday.

“Some of the things that the agency needs are its internal governance arrangements such as financial regulations, human resources policies and rules and procedures for the board,” Minister Hughes said, adding that the Telecommunications Act stipulates that a Board of Directors be appointed to govern the affairs of the agency.

Telecommunications Consultant, An-

dre Griffith explained that the Board will discharge the functions of the agency and regulate its own procedures.

“A lot of recommendations for the agency that were prepared by us at the ministry will be brought into effect by the Board, which will be responsible for reviewing, refining and amending them,” he said.

Prior to the establishment of the agency, the National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU) was in charge of regulating the spectrum. But according to the Telecommunications Act, once the agency is active, the NFMU has to be dissolved.

Griffith told reporters that one of the main reasons for activating NATA so early,is to ensure that the staff from the NFMU is absorbed by the agency.

Minister Hughes was confident that most, if not all, of the staff from the unit will be retained, since there will be a heavy need for services in terms of spectrum management,frequencies and even pricing.

“I do not envision people being laid off,” the minister said, adding that the function of transitioning the staff will be carried out by the soon-to-be-appointed Board.

That announcement brought another

Griffith: Telecommunications Consultant, Andre Griffith

constitutional body, the Public Utilities Commission(PUC)under scrutiny,since that entity was responsible for pricing.

The telecommunications consultant explained that under the Telecommunications Act 2016, Sections 19, 20 and 21 outlines the separation of duties among the minister, PUC and the agency.

“There is a separation that is specified in the act…I do not think there is scope for confusion among the three regulatory entities and therefore the PUC will remain responsible for pricing,’’ he said.

He reiterated that the Act on the other hand will allow the agency to enforce the necessary provisions; and empower the minister to give policy directions to the agency.

Minister of Public Telecommunications,Catherine Hughes speaking to members of the media on Monday

All of those issues will be sorted out during the preparatory period, while the ministry continues its negotiation with the Guyana Telecommunications Telegraph (GTT) Company, said Griffith, noting that they hope to bring it to a close to allow for the implementation of the Liberalisation Act. Minister Hughes also referred to the negotiations, stating that the Liberalisation Act must be fully in place before the agency is required to start regulations.

Although the minister said they are not focused on getting the negotiations done in a short space of time, she did say that they hope to finish soon, but with a result that suits everyone and a deal that the government is happy with.

First local transport sector energy audit for Bartica

-electric vehicles expected to be part of discussions

BARTICA, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) is closer to realising the dream of its leaders to become the first “green” town in Guyana, especially now that the Guyana Office of Climate Change is expected to conduct the first local transport energy audit this year in that part of the country.

In June 2017, the Government of Guyana received a US$650,000 grant from the Government of Italy in support of its model ‘Green’ Town, Bartica Project. The primary objective of the grant is to establish a reliable point of reference for the existing state of energy use in Bartica.

Project Manager of the Bartica transition to national energy security project, Gavin Bovell told this publication that the energy audit will focus on the use of energy in the transport sector, since that sector accounts for high energy consumption.

“When analysing the sector, our main focus will be on opportunities to reduce the carbon footprint,” he said.

Project Manager of the Bartica transition to national energy security project, Gavin Bovell

The audit will take into account motor vehicles, including boats because according to him, they do not want to limit the types of vehicles they analyse since residents in that area use boats to ply their trade.

Bovell believes that they will be able to identify the level of consumption and by extension provide opportunities for cutting costs. One of the likely outcomes of the audit is expected to be the recommendation of electric vehicles as opposed to fossil fuel vehicles, he said.

The project manager told the Guyana Chronicle that they hope to conclude the audit by June this year. He said they have started discussions with the various stakeholders, after which they intend to hire the consultants to conduct the audit.

“Once we have concluded the evaluation project, we’ll start the hiring and go into the fields and get the job done,” he said.

The information and data gathered will not only guide Bartica, said Bovell, noting that it will also guide any agency in its move to implement strong renewable energy activities. In addition to the audit, the project also includes the sensitisation and awareness of Bartica’s populace; conducting of a Household Baseline Survey Study; energy audits of public institutions, facilities; and street lighting in Bartica.

At the end of the entire project, a database will be established in Bartica where all the information will be stored.

Guyana Chronicle ChronicleNew NewYork YorkEdition Editionweek Week-ending January 2018 Guyana ending January 26,26, 2018

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OUR RICHMOND HILL SUBWAY ELEVATOR IS HERE!

O

ur fight to secure and complete the only subway elevator in the Richmond Hill/ Ozone Park community has been won, and it is now working! Thanks to all, including the New York Edition of the Guyana Chronicle, Daily News, the West Indian, Caribbean Life, Queens Chronicle, By ALBERT BALDEO Times Ledger, Kaieteur News, Indian Panorama, Stabroek News, Guyana Times, and other media for publishing our petitions and public appeals to deliver and complete this important asset in our community —an absolute necessity for seniors, the physically challenged, babies, kids and pregnant mothers.

This $29 million project, which commenced since 2014, was scheduled to be finished at the end of

2016, but excuses have abounded each time we enquired about the completion date. Anyway, better late than never! The MTA must be reminded that prompt and proper maintenance is a necessary component of public transportation and services.

We also wish to remind the Mayor to deliver on his promises to increase the amount of senior centers, deliver better schools, hospitals, city services and personnel, transparency in how benefits are awarded in our neighborhood, and to stop the over criminalization of New Yorkers — like stop making criminals of poor people who cannot afford the fare to travel to work on the trains — while transforming this city into a beacon that is in solidarity with the poor and working-class. He must also audit and scrutinize the many failing city agencies that routinely waste and abuse our tax dollars, while preserving New York as a “sanctuary city.”

Community advocate Albert Baldeo opens the door for these babies and parents to access the A train.

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

Region Five rice farmers up in arms against NDIA …concerns raised over non-functioning excavator, blocked channel

By Clifford Stanley

RICE farmers of Branch Road, Mahaicony and of Foulis and Profitt villages on the West Coast of Berbice (WCB) on Monday expressed concern about the quality of service by excavator machines deployed to these areas by the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA).

Residents at Foulis and Bath, WCB, said that a machine was taken to desilt the secondary drainage channel leading to the Atlantic coast façade drain some time last week, but the machine instead blocked the channel and then was promptly taken away to another location. “So what we are now facing is a situation where the main drainage channel has been deliberately blocked by an NDIA machine. There is now no drainage south of the public road and the other result is that as at yesterday, the blocked drain had already begun to overflow its banks, causing a growing flooding situation of the access dam,”

The blocked channel between Profitt and Foulis, WCB

one resident said.

Residents surmised that the action may have been taken by the operator to facilitate a build-up of water for a neighbouring rice farmer, but protested that the NDIA should not facilitate the needs of one farmer to the detriment of several other areas. “The entire drainage system for Profitt and Foulis village makes its way to this channel and now it is blocked.

We are demanding that the channel be cleared and that there be an investigation as to how this could be

allowed to happen in the first place,” a prominent farmer in the village said.

At Plimpler Basket, Branch Road Mahaicony, rice farmers said that over 1,000 acres of rice was currently under threat because an NDIA machine which was deployed in the area to clean channels in December last had broken down immediately on arrival and has not worked since then.

“What was annoying about this, is that they sent a machine here before and then took it away and sent it to an area at Mahaica and

The non-functioning machine at Basket Plimpler, Branch Road, Mahaicony

then sent this broken-down one which has not worked since it arrived,” Chairperson of the Hamlet Chance Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) Ms. Paula Morris complained.

Prominent rice farmer Sampson Gibbons said that as a result of the nonfunctioning of the machine, channels which were designed to provide irrigation to over 1,000 acres of rice in the area remained clogged up and the cultivated plots with crops were starving for water.

He estimated that if there

is no relief, farmers could begin losing their cultivations within less than a week. Regional Executive Officer Ovid Morrison who responded to the complaints and visited the two areas, said that he had contacted the NDIA about these two matters and they responded by sending two junior officials, whom he said were not capable of making the decisions which had to be taken, so the meeting was not held.

He said that the regional administration was very concerned about the ad-

verse impacts facing rice farmers within the two areas.

He said he hoped for a meeting with senior staff of the NDIA, while at the same time the regional administration would review the situation and see, given the high anticipated costs, how it could assist.

On Monday, Acting Chief Executive Officer of the NDIA Mr. Dave Hicks, when contacted, said he had not been informed of the situation but promised to investigate and take remedial action where necessary.

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Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending January 26, 2018

Chand sees beginning of smear campaign against him

By Zena Henry PRESIDENT of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) Komal Chand has promised to launch an investigation into what he believes is the beginning of a smear campaign against him, following a ‘dubious’ article in the Guyana Times on Tuesday, which claimed that workers want him out as president and that he had poorly represented them in the ongoing down-sizing of the sugar industry.

Observers say that the opposition might have been taken aback by the positive meeting between government and the sugar unions on Friday and would make any attempt to minimise its impact on workers by going after Chand, a long-standing executive member of the PPP and veteran trade unionist.

The Guyana Times article quoted anonymous sources claiming that Chand has lost his “zeal” and can no longer serve the interest of the workers. It accused the union leader of accepting that only some retrenched sugar workers would get their full severance at the end of January. The article stated further that workers felt betrayed and were generally upset over Chand’s handling of estate closures and severance payments as union head.

DELIBERATE ATTACK Chand is of the view however, that there is a deliberate attack against him. The union leader does not believe that sugar workers called for his resignation and explained that the article itself is “false,” since statements attributed to him were never made. “It’s a lot of false contentions… they used adjectives the workers would never use,” Chand told the Guyana Chronicle. He opined that the article was concocted and vowed to “probe” the matter since according to him, he did have a conversation with a reporter from the Guyana Times, but the topic of his resignation and the alleged claims of poor representation by workers were never discussed.

Since last Friday’s meeting between the government and GAWU, some amount of dissatisfaction had been expressed from the opposition side since it is the view by some that the government may have gotten the best out of the discussions, especially where

it is now being said that the GAWU and the opposition party have conceded that the down-sizing of the sugar industry, including the closure of some estates, was necessary.

Following intense pressure by the People’s Progressive Party over the closure of failing sugar estates, party leader Bharrat Jagdeo stated last week that the party has changed its position to support government in getting decent investments for the loss-making industry; a more conciliatory and understanding stance from the hostile and resistant posture previously taken.

The government on the other hand has explained the financial pressure being placed on the state to garner the $2B needed for severance payments. They therefore requested the support of the union in paying out severance in parts. Chand said the government offered to pay all workers who were earning $500,000 and less in full, while those with more than half a million will receive their sums by month-end and then the latter part of the year. “I won’t even ponder on this wicked and malicious act to call for my resignation,” Chand told the Guyana Chronicle.

He said workers have not complained to him and they do not believe that the union has been lax in representation. He said that prior to the meeting with government, all the necessary consultations were had with relevant representatives. He said a delegation of some 10 persons represented GAWU at the meeting, while the National Association of Agricultural Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) may have had seven persons. Chand said all representatives were well informed and refuses to take blame for the outcome of last Friday’s meeting.

UTTERLY FALSE Meanwhile, in a statement GAWU debunked some of the contentions made in the article, one of which posits that the union agreed with the government to partially settle some 4,000-odd workers severance payments.

“This is completely and utterly fallacious.

When the matter was raised by the government, both GAWU and NAACIE reiterated that severance payments should be settled in full to all workers at once, as it set out in the Termination of Employment and Severance

Pay Act (TESPA). It would not only be cynical, but utterly foolish, for us to do otherwise.

But further than that we disagreed with the Finance Minister’s arguments that should the

President of GAWU, Komal Chand

full payment be made, it would fuel inflation and result in depreciation of the Guyana dollar. We also pointed out to the Government’s delegation that the workers had an expectation to receive their payments and which expectations were fortified by the public comments of the Agriculture Minister, among others.”

According to GAWU certainly, “Had we reached such an agreement, both the GAWU and the government would have undoubtedly made such announcement in our respective media statements. Even the Minister of Finance Winston Jordan, speaking in the National Assembly on January 19, 2018 with respect to the supplementary paper, informed the House that GAWU and NAACIE did not agree to the partial settlement of the severance payment to the redundant sugar workers. It is disappointing that despite this wide body of evidence and knowing of GAWU’s consistent view on this matter that some persons have chosen to engage in a campaign of misinfor-

mation.”

The article also says “GAWU should have been fighting for estates to remain open”.

“We find this statement strange as all and sundry have known about the sustained battle we have waged in the streets, in the media, even in the Judiciary to see that the estates remain opened. Even after the closure at the end of 2017, our union maintained that the estates should be re-opened. This is a matter we also reiterated to the government during our meeting. Again, we must say the proof is in the pudding,” the union said in its statement.

The article also states that Chand “presided over the firing of thousands of workers.” This statement is unbelievable and clearly distorted. It is incredulous to make such an assertion and it makes one wonder about the real motivation and purpose of such a distortion. At no time was the GAWU involved in firing any worker.

Our involvement was limited to the procedure outlined by TESPA, something we were forced to take GuySuCo to court on, whereby a union representative was present at engagements between GuySuCo and the identified redundant workers. During that process, GuySuCo explained its obligations to each redundant worker and verified their years of service among other critical information. That was the beginning and end of our involvement, which was congruent to the provisions of TESPA.” “Those who chose to level such inaccurate remarks at our union and its leaders maybe are unaware of our organisation’s modus operandi. Certainly, had they been aware they would have known that GAWU has a position that the workers must be involved and are consulted. The union’s Executive Committee and General Council are kept abreast and these bodies would consider and approve decisions regarding the GAWU’s approach and tactics. In fact, our union had a nine-person delegation engaging the government. That delegation included workers from the now closed sugar estates. Despite the disparaging remarks, the GAWU is proud of the struggle we have waged and will continue to wage in defence of the workers’ rights and livelihoods,” GAWU stated.

Over 100 feted by ‘Aunty May’ APPROXIMATELY one hundred and twenty orphans and vulnerable youths were on Sunday feted by Mrs. Miriam De Souza, popularly known as “Aunt May” and her family.

De Souza, as part of giving back to Guyana and to the country’s youth, annually treats children and young adults and the less privileged. The event was held at the Meten-Meer-Zorg School and Masjid.

In expressing gratitude for the kind gesture, Goolzar Namdar, Regional Vice President of the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG) and President of the Meten-Meer-Zorg Islamic Centre, said the CIOG places orphans with families who can protect them from societal ills. By so doing, Namdar said the children are provided with a caring and loving environment in which to thrive.

Additionally, the Regional Vice-President of

the CIOG said the umbrella organisation would feed, educate, house and in some instances pay for marriages when children attain the age of majority and are unable to afford same.

He said too that the organisation’s ability to help those in need, whether orphans or other vulnerable groups, is made possible by both the Islamic and non-Islamic community.

Namdar made it clear that it is not only Muslim children who benefit, but children of all religious persuasions and ethnicities. The orphans and vulnerable children are taught to pray in English and Arabic and are transported to and from school in vehicles provided by the CIOG. Those who attended the programme came from communities along Regions Two and Three.

Children seated at the Meten-Meer-Zorg Primary School and Masjid as elders expressed words of encouragement Sunday

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending January 26, 2018

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Court pulls plug on City Hall …issues cease order over Bel Air playground

ALL 30 City Councillors have been served with a ‘Cease and desist’ court order threatening fines and imprisonment if they refuse to desist from using the now controversial Bel Air Park Playground for anything other than for community purposes.

The document, seen by this newspaper, stated: “Failure to obey this order will result in contempt proceedings being brought against each of the named respondents which may result in the imposition of fines and/or an order of imprisonment being issued.”

Resident of Bel Air Park and a founding partner of London House Chambers Devindra Kissoon, filed the application and the High Court has since restrained the councillors from “using, leasing, transferring, assigning, conveying, licensing, selling, encumbering, dealing or permitting the use of the property

for the purpose of building residential homes or otherwise other than for community purposes.”

“We’re all going to jail if we do not desist,” Deputy Mayor Lionel Jaikarran told the Chronicle on Wednesday. Although the order mentions all 30 city councillors, Jaikarran said only some councillors were served on Monday while they were at the statutory meeting.

At a subsequent meeting with Mayor Patricia Chase-Green, Jaikarran said he was assured that there was nothing to worry about.

Notwithstanding this, he said he will be seeking the advice of his lawyers.

“I’m not going to jail for the Council or for the town clerk.

While I'm committed to serving the citizens of Georgetown, I have to draw the line at the thought of imprisonment.

I like being the deputy mayor

but I'm too old to do time for things I know nothing about,” Jaikarran said.

Last Monday, the mayor said nothing the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) did relating to the playground was ever shrouded in secrecy. She reminded councillors that it was the Investment and Development Committee that had brought this matter to the Council.

The Council, she recalled, subsequently granted its approval, subject to greenlight from the Central Housing and Planning Authority, among other agencies.

Town Clerk Royston King similarly commented that the Council had agreed in principle that the Bel Air Park land be reviewed and repossessed. Since that time, the matter has attracted the attention of the court, and an order has been issued. However, King said City Hall’s lawyers are

now studying the matter and that the Council’s intentions were in keeping with the Municipal District and Council Act.

So far, King said, works have started on clearing the land and digging the drains. Over-hanging trees are being dealt with, along with the garbage pile-up. One person has even lighted a fire to burn refuse, King disclosed. “We want to fence it and keep it in good order,” he said.

Councillor Alfred Mentore stood up to say that as the constituency representative, he should have been informed about the works that the City Council is currently undertaking.

He said that in this way, he could have been in a position to “appease” all those residents who have been contacting him, thinking that the works were being done by a private developer.

Mentore reasoned that even though King may have had good intentions, the manner in which he went about it can backfire and cause the City Council harm.

The mayor said that with the feedback Mentore received from his constituency, he should have made contact with the town clerk to clarify matters. She reminded that the land is owned by the M&CC, and that the land was there all along and no one was doing anything with it. “I am not aware that anyone by the name of Taljit is doing any work there,” the mayor stated.

Terrence Taljit is a local housing developer whom the City Council was allegedly in negotiations with to transfer the land to him despite a restriction on the transport of the property for use as a playground and for other community purposes only.

City Hall pays Constable’s bail, provides legal representation --in shooting to death of mentally unsound vendor

By Telesha Ramnarine THE statutory meeting on Monday heard how the cash-strapped Mayor and City Council (M&CC) paid the $800,000 bail that City Constable Gregory Bascom was placed on, for the unlawful killing of a mentally unsound vendor earlier this month.

Bascom was also afforded the opportunity to be represented by lawyers attached to the M&CC, Mayor Patricia Chase-Green has disclosed.

Thirty-four-year-old Marlon Fredericks was shot in the back by Bascom when he allegedly attempted to escape custody while another man was being allowed to exit the lockups.

Chase-Green explained that Bascom was afforded the foregoing privileges because the incident occurred during the execution of his duties. She pointed out that similar actions were taken for others in the past.

The mayor said both she and Town Clerk Royston King have recognised the need for more training and education for officers in the constabulary after the incident, and that King has already written to the Guyana Police Force (GPF) seeking continuous training for that department.

Councillor Bishram Kuppen questioned the use of firearms and excessive force by the constabulary officers, and noted that while they may be trained, they should be cautioned and given reminders about what is required of them.

Electing to respond, Chief Constable Andrew Foo said that members of the constabulary are trained by the GPF to use firearms, and are certified after the training programme. Each and every officer, Foo noted, is fully aware of when to fire.

He said, too, that it is up to each officer to determine what type of force to use, be it the baton, a firearm or pepper spray.

Asked by the Guyana Chronicle whether he thought that Bascom responded appropriately in the case of Fredericks, and acted in harmony with the training he would have received from the GPF, Foo said he would rather not say, because the matter is still before the court.

He, however, said that Bascom was never known to be aggressive, and that it was unfortunate that he was the one at the helm of this incident.

Bascom, 50, of West Ruimveldt Housing Scheme, appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan following the incident, and was not required to plead to a manslaughter charge, which read that he unlawfully killed Fredericks on January 14 at Regent Road, Bourda.

Police Prosecutor Celine Evans did not object to his being granted bail, but requested that a report condition be attached.

The Chief Magistrate released Bascom on $800,000 bail and adjourned the matter until February 12.

On January 13, Fredericks, of Tiger Bay, Georgetown, was apprehended by law enforcement officers from the City Constabulary on a number of simple larceny charges, during which he was severely beaten.

Fredericks was kept in custody at the entity’s Bourda Outpost and it is alleged that he attempted to flee custody and was shot.

His mother, Claudette Fredericks had gone to visit him when she witnessed the shooting.

A post-mortem revealed that the cause of death was as a result of complication to his lower back due to gunshot wound.

Eyewitnesses said his death could have been avoided, since he was in a weakened state and could not have run away; hence apprehending him should have been an easy task for the Lance Corporal.

His mom said that Marlon was a drug addict who

Councillor Bishram Kuppen making a point about the use of excessive force at Monday’s statutory meeting at City Hall

had relapsed twice following stints at a rehabilitation facility. She said that seeing her son being brutally beaten while surrendering to the police has been one of the most traumatising moments of her life.

The mother said because of the beating, her son had not eaten since he was taken into custody, and family members felt his death could have been avoided.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, January 25, 2018

By Rawle Toney HE never won a world title, but for many, more so the ‘old school’ boxing fans, Terrence Alli’s name will forever be etched in their memories as the fighter who carried the ‘Golden Arrowhead’ around the world, one ‘back flip’ after another.

Today, the fighter who finished his career with 52 wins; the most by any Guyanese professional fighter, struggles to make ends meet and relies on his farm to make a living.

Terrence Alli is actually his alias. His real name is Terrence Halley. He explained that persons began to pronounce his name as ‘Alli’ and stuck with it.

“Terrence Alli is one of the best boxers to ever leave Guyana to fight in America.

Terrence Alli was two-time United States Champion, two-time North American champion and rated number one in the world, the most wins on ESPN; Terrence Alli is a bad old man. That’s how I will describe who Terrence Alli is,” the now 58-year-old fighter told Chronicle Sport in an exclusive interview at the Lama Avenue, Bel Air, Georgetown location.

The life and career of Terrence Alli embodies both the glory and the tragedy that often lurk not far from one another in the world of boxing. He was an exciting, eccentric and socially-conscious fighter who became the world’s top super lightweight contender.

Perhaps sadder still, by all accounts he feels he has been forsaken by the country that he always proudly represented with such patriotic vigour, even when he had to go abroad to advance his career.

“Right now I’m trying to do some farming. As I graduated from Burnham Agricultural Institute years ago and now I’m putting that back in my farm in order to maintain a living, so when people see Terrence Alli coming down the street, you don’t have to turn your head thinking he will be you, because Terrence Alli don’t beg people for nothing; I’m surviving by the grace of God,” Alli said with his usual charismatic smile.

Alli finished his career with 52 wins (25 by knock out), 15 losses and two

draws but will be forever remembered as one of the best fighters Guyana has ever produced - to never win a world title.

His first shot at a world title was in 1985 against Harry Arroyo for the IBF World Lightweight Title but, the Guyanese was knocked out by the American.

Mexican great Jose Luis Ramirez and Alli fought in 1987 for the vacant WBC World Lightweight Title, his second title fight, but the Lindener lost the fight by Unanimous Decision.

Ramirez would later surrender that title to Julio Cesar Chavez - Alli’s final shot at a world title.

Guyanese at home and abroad were glued to their television screens to witness the classic showdown, hoping that Alli could take down the man who at the time had defended his title against the likes of Hector Camacho, Angel Hernandez and Meldrick Taylor.

However, Chavez punished Alli throughout the fight before putting the prized Guyanese fighter down 42 seconds into the sixth round of their 12-round encounter.

Boxing’s unsung hero Terrence Alli seeking recognition, still fighting for survival FLASH BACK: Guyana’s Terrence Alli (right) exchanges punches with legend Julio Cesar Chavez for the WBC World Super Lightweight Title. (Photo credit: Holly Stein/Allsport). member my trainer telling me to get close, so I had to ask him if he wants to step into the ring and help me take those punches.”

Asked about his accumulated wealth, Alli said it’s a preconceived notion that

STILL GOT IT! Terrence Alli showing off his moves for Chronicle Sport photographer Samuel Maughn at the Newspaper’s Bel Air, Georgetown Office.

“That man does hit like he made a lot of money in when donkey kick yuh. By his career, telling Chronifar the hardest that I’ve cle Sport “All my fights on been hit in the ring,” Alli ESPN, I never made over $7 joked when asked about his 500, and I had to take care Chavez encounter. “That of my family, kids, wife, a was a tough fight. I had house, pay mortgage, rent; so caught him with some good I never made no big money shots, but not enough. I re- until I fought Chavez where

they had wanted to pay me $100 000 and I had to get a lawyer, then I ended up getting over $300 000. That’s the biggest money I’ve ever made.”

“I had three big fights, three world title fights and I made $60 000 in one and I think $40 000 in the other.

I can’t remember properly, but Chavez fight is where I actually made money,” Alli stated.

Meanwhile, Alli was blunt when speaking about the recognition given by Guyana, telling Chronicle Sport, “Being the best boxer from Guyana, I think I deserved better from Guyana.

When I came back, people got the wrong idea; they thought I made a lot of money, but I didn’t.

“So instead of giving me a house lot, like Jagdeo gave me just a house lot, but I can’t do nothing because I’m not financially set, so I couldn’t have done anything with it.”

“They used my name to do stuff, but they’re not coming to get Terrence Alli.

Terrence Alli don’t even have a TV to see what’s going on, I just hear by people telling me that they had something with my name, so I guess people in Guyana should be more upfront and come get me when they have tournaments and boxing using my name,” the former US champion pointed out.

FIGHTING FOR SURVIVAL “I fight for survival and whatever it takes to maintain and get a meal when the day comes,” Alli sternly pronounced with his slurred speech.

Visibly shaking like Muhammed Ali in his early stage of his Parkinson’s disease, Terrence Alli explained that at first, all was well, since he had occupied the home of his late parents in Mahaicony, but things took a turn when one of his siblings, his sister to be exact, returned from the U.S. and had him f o rc e f u l l y re m o v e d with the help of the police.

“I have a sister that I took to America in 1985, and she came back to Guyana, she got the police and put me out the house; a house that I took care of because Sam Hinds had given me some money to do the roof and so on and now she’s living in the house.”

“I would like to tell All Guyanese, you’re watching the best boxer, Guyana has ever produced. Even when

I’m dead and gone, the talk will be around, Terrence Alli is the best and the ‘baddest boxer’ Guyana has ever seen.

I personally think Guyana should do something for me, because people know Terrence Alli has done so much for their country, flying the flag of Guyana throughout the world,” Alli said.

“I’m not from Georgetown; born in Mahaicony, raised in Linden but Terrence Alli is still the best Guyanese fighter. When I watch myself back, I say damn, that guy can fight.”

Terrence Alli, was over the weekend named as an inductee of the New York State Boxing Hall of Fame.

The seventh annual New York State Boxing Hall of Fame (NYSBHOF) induction dinner will be held on April 29, at Russo’s On the Bay in Howard Beach, New York.

Each attending inductee (or direct descendant of) will receive a custom-designed belt signifying his or her induction into the NYSBHOF.