Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Adam Harris Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

This society cries for clean governance

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Sunday April 28, 2019

Kaieteur News

resident David Granger has acted. It took a while, but the leader of party and nation has earned a well-deserved reputation of being deliberate to the point of excruciating meticulousness. Now he has moved. There may be-should be-more presidential action to reassure the public that its best interests are served. The philosophies, standards, decisions, and actions have to flow from the top, the very head, as in the president. When a president is clean, honest, and principled in the dealings of the state and its peoples, then it is imperative that he is surrounded, and surrounds himself, with a wide circle of men and women of proven character and ideals. There must also be those committed to the highest expressions of public office. They must be of him and like him, starting from the smaller confines of the inner circle and rippling outward to encircle a veritable Palace Guard of ministerial servants dedicated to reflecting the leader’s values and visions and visceral instincts. The latter could be manifested through policies and practices perfected, and the actual financial undertakings on the ground before friend and foe, inclusive of the cynical and the critical. To reflect well on a president, his supporting cast must be ready at all times to embody and project that quality of servus servorum dei; that is, by each operating as a servant of the servants of God. Or to emphasize this point, and as Seneca, that renowned Roman statesman, did counsel, “Live among men as if God beheld you. Speak to God as if men were listening.” In any administration, whether that of David Granger, or of any other, this is the standard that has so long eluded the people of this country, and has left it the worst for wear. There is only the wearing of patience, of spirit, and of any belief that things can change for the better on a consistent basis, and actually be better for those who need it the most: the struggling citizens left on their own in the trenches, and many times taken advantage of for personal benefit. The President was first embarrassed; now he must be insulted by this foolishness of “promotion.” The critics will say that the president took too long, and that this is still too little. Those positions really cannot be strenuously or successfully challenged. Yet the head-of-state must be given some credit for acting and especially at this sensitive time of elections, intense vigilance, and swirling tensions in all political corners. It could be an indication of more of the same (“promotions”) in store, should there be electoral success whenever such process is satisfactorily concluded. Elections are also the mechanism and forum for eligible voters to make that fateful mark and place their handwriting on the wall. The words should be simple enough: a certain caliber of leader, a particular cadre of ministers, and a different brand of representation are all demanded. From a purely historical and pragmatic perspective, that might be futile expectations and realizations, since this is a Guyana of a known and entrenched kind, with a special strain of voting obsession. This society has been scourged, time and again, by the kind of leadership that is evidently self-serving. Too often local circumstances have been rife with leaders of unethical and immoral dispositions, which bring about two situations: cabals that steal and plunder; and a leader in such likeminded company delighted that he has closets with skeletons. Today, this society cries for clean governance. Purges should be unsparing; they must be forthcoming. Guyanese could only benefit.

Kaieteur M@ilbox Send your letters to Kaieteur News 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown or email us kaieteurnews@yahoo.com

If that is a promotion, then I am the King of England DEAR EDITOR, I never thought that the mighty PPP marketing machinery would be bested and made to look seriously wanting. Well, I stand corrected. I never thought that the day would come when I could need help from linguistically challenged fellow Guyanese with the English Language. In this particular instance, I do. When I learned that the Hon. Minister of Housing was “transferred” to the Office of the Presidency, my first belief was that the real politick of political parties, comrades, damage control, and easing out to pasture were in motion at full throttle, with everything under management. In my book, that transfer represented a second lease on political life, and an oppor-

tunity to save face for all concerned, including an obviously embarrassed and disgusted president. I mean if this were the army, it would have been the brig, followed by a court martial, followed by who knows what next. I would have recommended life in the prison in the political wilderness. But what does a dumb ‘fella’ like me know? For now, I hear this astonishment and aberration of “promotion.” Has somebody lost his or her mind? Is somebody kidding me? Is somebody taking me and the rest of Guyana for being a pack of jackasses? What about a president struggling valiantly to hold the fort and to herd a bag of wayward cats into some semblance of honesty? Somebody should have had the decency not to add more

salt to his wounds. This rises to the level of adding insult to injury; but I am so convulsed with laughter that I have pardoned the part about insult. That is neither euphemism nor exaggeration nor hedge; it an outright abomination, this development about promotion. Just to be ultra-careful, I went back and looked hard at that telltale word one more time: promotion. There is nothing Creole about it, so I do not have to chastise myself, as to lack of vocabulary and understanding on that score. If that is a promotion, then all Guyana could use one of the same kind; and then the President has just incurred the risk (and wrath) of condoning what apparently amounts to wrongdoing; or at least unpardonable conduct.

Moreover, the whole apparatus of the Office of the Presidency comes under sharp scrutiny (and hilarity) as to what it really is at the core. A vibrant, upward career path for the worthy and trustworthy? Or an annex to Congress Place and Sophia? Or a shelter for homeless political operators? To state my position clearly, with few exceptions, I have never seen it as other than being a banishment, resting place, and ward for the politically terminal, when they are lateralled there. Nobody wants to pull the plug, so if the life support of a roof and a salary and an opportunity for the radical therapy of experimental cures. But no return to the land of the living. Editor, I think that the (Continued on page 5)

Sunday April 28, 2019

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Kaieteur News

Kaieteur M@ilbox

Kaieteur M@ilbox

I AM A PENSIONER AND A VICTIM OF GWI’S BULLYING TACTICS DEAR EDITOR, I am a seventy-eight yearold pensioner living alone at my residence. During my decades of service with GWI, I have never defaulted in my payments or cited for any infractions. In February 2019, GWI submitted their usual bill: Total Amt. Due: $ 6,388. representing services rendered for the entire preceding month, January 2019. Payment due date - February 15, 2019. I paid the full amount on February 6, 2019. On February 26, GWI crew disconnected my service, attempts to engage them proved futile, “don’t want to see or hear anything”. An immediate visit to GWI (Vlissengen Road) with a request for an engagement with an official was flatly denied. I was routed to the staff designated to deal with routine complaints - “the source of the problem to address the problem.” The youthful female, name unknown (the staff don’t provide names), took my pertinent bill and con-

ferred with someone in an enclosure, returned and prepared “Request for re-connection Form” for me to pay the prescribed fee”. I reminded her in no uncertain terms that my purpose there was to report an “illegal disconnection” and whether anyone is willing to address it. The staff was not very receptive; I sensed they were desperate in finding a reason to justify, first identifying an outstanding balance of $ 2,278 per Ex. Bl. However, that was shown to have been already paid. They then claimed an outstanding unpaid BILL, of $ 7,920 per Ex. C. Note: Ex. C is for services rendered for the month of February 2019 with a payment due date of March, 18, 2019. In an effort to bring a resolution, I agreed to pay this BILL in full there and then, though it was not yet due and month of usage (Feb.) was not yet finished. Trying to assert your rights, seems to make matters worse. Finally, it was agreed,

If that is a promotion, then ... From page 4 (comrade) leader bent over backward to be accommodating by finding a place for the vacillating, weak-willed, seemingly compromised, and rather questionable. If my measure of the man is on the money, then I would believe that he was privy to much more than has been ventilated in the public domain. He would have decided that enough is enough. I, for one, would have sent people packing and in the most scathing and ignominious manner. But Mr. Granger is not that much of a hardliner and ballbuster. That is why I take so much issue with this patented nonsense about ‘promotion’. If that is a promotion, then I am the King of England, and I am not. Sometimes, it is way better to keep one’s mouth shut and stay quiet; wiser to go gently into the fog. It obscures and allows the storms to blow over soothingly. Let the clouds roll by. Stay quiet and be thought of as a fool instead of opening mouth and proving it. And now proving so beyond a shadow of a doubt. Where do they get characters like these from anyway? God bless Guyana. I need some of those for myself, too. Sincerely, GHK Lall

GWI will re-connect, at no cost; they deter the term “illegal disconnection” in preference to error. I was faithfully promised, re-connection either later the same day or very early the following day (27th) but it did not happen. On February 28, I sought help via the PUC. A female officer having examined my documents made telephone contact at GWI. Resulting from that conversation, she assured me it was none of my fault, further that GWI, gave an undertaking that re-connection will be done later that same day. Re-connection took place until late evening of the following day March 01. On April 09, 2019, I paid my next BILL - $ 5, 890. Ex. “D”. representing services rendered for the month of March 2019. Payment due date April 15, 2019. Hours after this payment, GWI reappeared and disconnected my water supply again. I was livid. In the face of all the irrefutable documentary evidence, they continue to attempt spurious explanations to the contrary. On this occasion, in their mad desperation produced an immediate print out of a new BILL Ex. ‘E’ with all figures being consistent with Ex. ‘D”, exception that ‘E’ is reflecting a balance outstanding payment of $ 2, 780 comprising what I deduce as fictitious meter

readings for the months January and February, which were already tabulated for and paid. In any event, this claimed $ 2,780 was already accounted for and paid. I must admit, I find it difficult to comprehend their computations in arriving at the amount due and outstanding for payment. Experience has taught me not to challenge those computations, it is akin to “flogging a dead horse.” I assume the term “Total amount Due” represents my current total obligated payments. I always pay the stated amount due in full, no partial payments. In the heat of these confrontations, a burly male Security Officer (Frank) was summoned, I suspected to arrest or evict me from the premises, but to his credit, in a very cordial approach, having ascertain my problems, collected my bills and queried with pertinent staff in my absence. He later returned my bills and blurting. I, Sir, on behalf of GWI, I would like to extend an apology, arrangements are being made to reconnect your water”. I thanked his courtesy but explained, it is not his place to apologise as he is not the source, it is for the person or persons in that office who needs to. Again, I was faithfully promised an almost immediate restoration but as

usual it was not done on that day, neither the next nor the next. On Friday, April 12, reluctantly, I reached out the PUC once more, hoping to have an audience with the Chairperson, unfortunately, she was not in office. The officer who dealt with me previously, offered her intervention, I initially declined, having regard to my prior experience, that is to say, it is apparent that GWI has no regard for mid level PUC Officers. Unable to ascertain if and when the chairperson will be available, in view of the approaching week-end. I consented for the PUC mid level Staff to intervene, which to my surprise yielded positively. Thus far, I have received no coherent explanations, for this wanton and reckless termination of my services. I, for my part, have been faithfully adhering to my obligations. On the converse, GWI, armed with their coercive authority, to assist in executing their mandate, has been abusing their authority with impunity, as is clearly demonstrated in this case. I refused to accept that this was an error, negligence, oversight, call it what you will. This more fits the description of malicious and deliberate acts, bordering on criminality. Common sense dictates that such authority corresponds with care and responsibility

and dare say consequences. It is reasonably expected that disconnection should be employed as last resort when all other attempts have failed. It is apparent, GWI mercilessly and without hesitation terminates and then imposes the draconian re-connection fees as a first resort, shifting the onus on the customer to provide evidence to the contrary. When the reverse occurs, who compensates the customer? GWI and its complacent staff should be categorically made to understand that they are not a law on to themselves and unaccountable to anyone. Their behaviour does not demonstrate an iota of remorse. 1 am aware that there are systems in place to deal with this type of dereliction but somehow it appears that system is not functioning as it ought to. In the meantime, I am prepared to go the extra mile of lodging funds in advance for potential future use of my water supply, hopefully, to avoid future similar harassments. By this medium, I am also seeking an assurance that there will not be a repetition. Finally, I am patiently looking forward to a timely response in anticipation of a positive redress, failure of which will force me to seek other options. Yours respectfully, Dissatisfied Customer

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Sunday April 28, 2019

Kaieteur News

Kaieteur M@ilbox

Kaieteur M@ilbox

ATTEMPTS ARE BEING MADE TO ROLL BACK THE REAL TRIUMPHS OF OUR NATION’S WORKERS DEAR EDITOR, This year, the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) and the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) – two of the leading voices of our nation’s workers – will once again observe Labour Day 2019 under a one banner. As has been the case, Labour Day will be celebrated with a march that commences at the Parade Ground and which will wind its way through several streets of the city to the National Park where a joint rally will be held. That rally, will see speakers from both the FITUG and the GTUC addressing the workers gathered. Invitations

have been extended to both the Government and the Opposition to nominate representatives to deliver remarks to the workers of Guyana as well. Our trade union bodies are again heartened to celebrate Labour Day – a day with a history filled with landmark events, sacrifices and victories for the workingpeople. This day will be celebrated in an atmosphere of unity and togetherness. We firmly hold that this comingtogether being displayed augurs well for our nation’s workers and the country as a whole. In more recent times, our bodies have heightened our co-operation and collabo-

ration in the interest of the nation’s workers. Our speaking with one voice not-toolong ago on the struggles of the bauxite workers and then before on the battle of the nation’s teachers, saw those contingents of the workingclass attaining their reasonable and justifiable demands. Indeed, we go forward in the future optimistic that the bonds we have developed will be consolidated. This year’s event is being commemorated under the theme “A long journey for Social Justice- Together we can achieve”. The wreath ceremony is Sunday 29th April at Parliament Buildings, starting at 4:00 p.m. The

March and Rally is Wednesday 1st May, with the march moving off from Parade Ground at 8:00 a.m., and Rally held at the National Park at 11:00 a.m. All are invited to participate. Labour Day this year, for us, has taken on even greater importance as we observe the centennial anniversary of the Trade Union Ordinance of British Guiana, which allowed for trade unions to be registered as legal entity. We well recognise that over the last one hundred (100) years, the working-people have realised several successes in their march towards betterment and social justice. Today, though pleased about those worthwhile and notable developments, our movement cannot ignore, at the same time, that challenges have appeared and attempts, whether below the surface or otherwise, are being furthered to roll back the real triumphs of our nation’s workers. Undoubtedly, the need for solidarity cannot be underscored at this time as we seek to advance the just

causes of our workers. Preceding the Labour Day activity, the Trade Union Movement will pay tribute to the Father of Trade Unionism, Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow. As we have done in the past, the movement will gather on April 28, 2019 to lay wreaths at the statue of Critchlow at the Public Buildings. Our bodies will also pay tribute to the yeoman work of Critchlow who, history has recorded, faced great adversity and daunting challenges in his efforts to establish the first workers organisation in the British Colonial Empire. Incidentally, our Critchlow activity comes on World Occupational Safety and Health Day. Indeed, when we consider the times of Critchlow to now, we well recognise that much advancement have been scored and our workers today enjoy greater protections from occupational hazards. In as much as that may be, we also cannot ignore that workers, day in and day out, continue to face dangerous, and sometimes life-

threatening, situations at work. We recall several workplace accidents which have led to serious injuries and in some cases death. This is a disturbing feature of our times especially recognising the hardships that sometimes can be created by such incidents. Undoubtedly, we must, once more, reiterate the need to re-double our efforts regarding such matters especially recognising that the newly established oil and gas production industry should be fully operational in the not-too-distant horizon. As we march and rally together on Labour Day, the FITUG and the GTUC will continue to seek to work together on other matters which are of concern to our nation’s workers. We recognise that they are still many pressing issues that remain unresolved and which continue to affect our working-people and their families in one way or another. We take this opportunity to wish all Guyanese a Happy Labour Day 2019! GTUC

EULOGIZING A CONVICTED INTERNATIONAL TERRORIST DEAR EDITOR, The 26th April 2019 will surely be recorded as a day of infamy, for it is the date when the Granger Administration - Members of Parliament successfully passed a motion to eulogize convicted international terrorist Abdul Kadir. What message has our nation delivered to a World reeling from terrorist attacks on a seemingly daily basis? The headlines screamed of hundreds dead from suicide bombings in Sri Lanka; of the deadly s h o o t i ng deaths in New Zeeland; uncertainty pervades every major city on the planet, nowhere is safe and

amidst all of this, our National Assembly is offering an official seal of approval to a disciple of the infamous Iranian terrorist Mohsen Rabbani . Abdul Kadir had indeed served as a PNC MP but the shame he brought to our dear land with his involvement in terrorist activities, negates that service. Abdul Kadir is a blot on our book and he should not be celebrated as a highlight. The specific charges Kadir was convicted of were: conspiracy to attack a public transportation system, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2332f; conspiracy to destroy a building by fire or explosive, in vio-

lation of 18 U.S.C. §844(n); conspiracy to attack aircraft and aircraft materials, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 32; conspiracy to destroy international airport facilities, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 37; and conspiracy to attack a mass transportation facility, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1992(a)(10). Editor, it is now up to Guyanese not connected to the Granger Administration to let the civilized world know that we do not share the sympathies nor do we endorse the actions of those MP’s who delivered this message ostensibly on behalf of our nation. I can categorically state that endorsement of terrorism, in any shape or form is not representative of my view and urge all persons and organizations to make their position known publicly. President George W. Bush after 9/11 at the launch of his anti-terrorism campaign said, “Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists”. I never thought there would be a day that any segment of Guyanese would side with Evil in its worst manifestation. Respectfully Robin Singh

Sunday April 28, 2019

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Kaieteur News

Meet Shaunette Wilson, the Guyanese actress who plays a brilliant surgeon

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ast year, on the eve of the release of Marvel’s Studios Black Panther, Guyanese across the globe beamed with pride as actress, Letitia Wrigh, got ready to light up the big screen in her starring role as Shuri. But many didn’t know that Shaunette Renée Wilson, another Guyanese woman, acted in the movie as well. She played one of the Dora Milaje, an elite group of female bodyguards and special forces in the fictional African country of Wakanda. Wright has won the hearts of many – and rightly so – but Wilson is also making waves. Wilson was born in Guyana but raised in New York from the age of two. She is the daughter of Deberah and Wesley Wilson. She attended the Yale School of Drama. Her Yale School of Drama credits include Cardboard Piano, Paradise Lost, The Seagull, and The Children. Shaunette received her BA in Drama and Theater from Queens College. Wilson acts in the Fox medical drama, The Resident. Though the medical drama has polarised critics, with comparisons to other hospital shows like the everlasting Grey’s Anatomy and The Good Doctor, The Resident is creating its own spark in a flooded television market. Characters like Dr. Okafor makes it enjoyable. That show is said to routinely terrify its viewers out of wanting to set foot in a hospital. The fictional series focuses on the lives and duties of healthcare professionals at Chastain Park Memorial Hospital, while exploring the bureaucratic practices of the healthcare industry. Shaunette Renee Wilson plays Dr. Mina Okafor, a Nigerian surgeon. Dr. Okafor’s mother is a famous Nigerian surgeon, Dr. Josephine Okeke, and she has been carrying on her mom’s legacy in America. Wilson’s character does a lot to educate viewers on the experiences women face with workplace sexism, the experiences Black people face with racism, and by extension, the intersection of those systems of oppression on Black women. Despite those struggles, Dr. Okafor maintains her reputation and skill as a brilliant surgeon. As her co-star, Matt Czuchry, once said, quite candidly, “Dr. Okafor is just a badass”. In episode 3 of the show’s first season, Dr. Okafor is sitting in a bar, when a man approaches her and asks what she does for a living. “I work at the hospital nearby,” she says, nursing her drink. “Oh, you are nurse.” the

Wilson [holding umbrella] who is from Linden, is seen in this photo, on a trip to Guyana Shaunette Wilson as a member of the Dora Milaje [left], on the hit Marvel film, Black Panther

Wilson as Dr. Okafor on the medical drama, The Resident man quips, a common assumption about women in healthcare. “No. I’m a surgeon,” Dr. Okafor corrects, and the man, contemplating the fallout of his assumption, walks away, clearly intimidated. Her co-star, Manish Dayal said, “Dr. Okafor is an example of someone who has so much strength and restraint.” Wilson, in an interview said that Dr. Okafor is a per-

fectionist, “very demanding of herself”. “She’s about saving lives and ensuring that it’s done the right way, quickly and efficiently.” But Wilson’s character is in trouble. In this week’s episode of The Resident, Dr. Okafor is getting checked out for a head injury that is now causing mild amnesia. Tune in to see what happens to Dr. Okafor, on Fox.

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Sunday April 28, 2019

Kaieteur News

Women-led gangs pounce on victims in vicinity of Demico House, Public Buildings

Demico House, captioned as’ the Demico House walkways where the robbers congregate by night

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nnocent passersby and intoxicated men have now become the prey of some new gangs that is headed by female actresses. One gang, which sometimes numbers between five and six has been driving fear into practically everyone with their daring nighttime robberies on persons traversing the Stabroek Demico House and Parliament Building areas. This new gang would seek out persons (particularly intoxicated men) inside the Demico House Rooftop bars, and elsewhere, and would observe their alcohol consumption and spending capacity. The members will then after trail the victims as they leave the bars, and then pounce on the unsuspecting prey. At the right interval, the girl would rush up to the victim, grab his collar (maybe his pants) and feigning great anger (and even tears) demands money for sexual services she pretends she had provided. Before the terrorized man can begin to fathom what is going on, the males would rush in, slap the victim (using profanities) and demand that the woman be paid for the sex she never provided. The victim would then be relieved of cash and other values, and the gang would leave (most times with the female leering about the quantum of the booty). That aside, the public has become very fearful of male sex workers who have now taken up station outside the Parliament Building (close to Stabroek Demico House). They are working in unison with their band of male robbers as well. As innocent citizens pass by that area at night, the sex workers will pounce on them

openly robbing them of valuables. Every time this happens, they are well assisted by their male counterparts who are always ready to render assistance. Sources are informed that these men are there for two purposes— aiding in the robberies and providing security if the sex workers are overpowered by their prey. What are the police doing? While the police must to be commended for their campaigns on the touts, one cannot help but wonder what in heaven’s name they are doing about these brazen nighttime robberies? On many occasions, people observed police walking around and passing the groups of criminals liming by the Public Buildings fence and did not even stop to enquire of their reasons for being there. These groups are increasing night after night as the sex workers and their ‘pimps’ continue to encourage and recruit more robbers to join their gangs. One does not need binoculars to observe the activities of these nighttime gangs, and they are getting more brazen because of one reason only…the police are failing miserably to stage proper campaigns. Officers placed on the streets in many cases are just lukewarm, and lackluster in their approach. Gangs are robbing people right under the walkway at the Demico House, and police officers are sometimes just a few rods away, maybe on the Timehri, Linden or South Ruimveldt bus parks. There is a lot to ponder on the effectiveness of the police campaigns, or the calibre of the ranks that they put on our streets to protect citizens. For this situation to be rectified, it will take nononsense police officers with a sustained approach to rid the Stabroek area of men liming on the Demico House walkways, sex workers operating outside the Parliament Buildings perimeter fence, and young men walking the city by day and night looking for citizens to rob and brutalize. Contributing Factors There are quite a few contributing factors that are visibly fuelling the activities of criminal in the city. Among those are the street styled

parties that are alleged to run full-fledged on the bus parks and other locations. The East Coast Bus Park becomes a large “Passa Passa Street Fair’ on Friday nights, creating congestion, and creating the perfect breeding ground for criminals. And even though the Police Traffic Chief just two weeks ago assured this publication of an ongoing noise nuisance campaign, the music on this park is deafening. And it churns up bile in the stomach to watch police officers in uniform traversing in and out of the crowd without attempting to have them lower the music or do anything about the madness on this bus park on Friday nights. Not so long ago, Police Crime Chief, Leslie Alves, promised a sustained and intensified campaign in the fight against crime. If this has been initiated, why are criminals allowed to run loose and wild around the Stabroek areas at nights? The food vendors, pedestrians and commuters alike are very disappointed by the level of police protection in this area at nights, but would not dare intervene for fear of their safety. When a group of food vendors was asked why no one intervenes when the robberies are happening, one woman’s response was very disturbing. “Intervene!!! Intervene!!! You fuh real big man? Any one ah we open we mouth or try to step in is just signing we death warrant. Me ain’t get nothing fuh seh. Because dem would kill any informer. Me ain’ see ah coffin wha me like as yet. “Let de police do dem wuk and do it properly. Dem place is to get ranks around the clock in dis place by night, and I mean serious police ranks.” Gambling continues unchecked just in front the doors of the Demico House (Sophia Bus Park area) right under the noses of police officers who operate on the bus park just close by. Scores of riotous young men lime each night on the walkways of the Demico House Outlet… What are the police doing about it? Gangs of men and women traverse the said areas each night, and so many fights break out.

Sunday April 28, 2019

Staffers worry about job losses

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Kaieteur News

…as Task Force begin work consultations to restructure Forestry Commission Work has begun to restructure the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC). A key meeting was held with scores of employees on Friday. During the almost twohour meeting at the GFC’s Training Centre, Kingston, scores of workers from the nearby head-office were present. During the meeting, there were questions especially about plans to merge the Forest Monitoring Division (FMD) and Forest Resource Management Division (FRMD). There were also concerns about the absence of the human resource specialist on the restructuring team. The exercise was announced early April with Government naming former Commissioner, Clayton Hall, as the convenor of the task force for the restructuring. With Guyana placing more of its forests for conservation purposes and with moves to ‘green’ the economy, the Ministry of Natural Resources, which has portfolio responsibilities, said that the restructuring would be in keeping with the national objective of moving towards a ‘green’ economy and the consequent realignment of critical agencies of state. The approval came from

Cabinet. Guyana has an area of 214,970 km2 of which nearly seventy-five percent is covered with natural vegetation. Of this area, approximately four-fifths is classified as state forests under the jurisdiction of the GFC. Almost a decade ago, Norway in a ground-breaking arrangement, agreed to pay Guyana US$250M for keeping the country’s forest intact while at the same time taking steps to reduce deforestation rate. The arrangement was to reduce the impact of climate change using the forest and the greenhouse gas that is trapped. Under the Coalition Government, consecutive national budgets have unveiled a “green” economy. According to the Ministry, the Task Force will include the technical and administrative talent and personnel of the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Board, and the Commission who will examine the structure and functioning of the GFC to make recommendations to the Minister, Raphael Trotman. He in turn is mandated to present a report to Cabinet. The Task Force’s mandate shall include, but will not be limited to, an examination and evaluation of current job descriptions and

Staffers and others at the meeting on Friday.

performance standards, personnel procedures, conditions of employment and appointment, wages and salary structures and payroll administration.”It will further aim at improving the efficient performance and effective management of the commission by identifying training and development opportunities for staff,” the ministry had said. On Friday, it was disclosed that conservationist, Dr. David Singh; Fred McWilfred of the Ministry of the Presidency; Beverley Alert;

Dem boys seh ...

Trump got people sweating bullets Nuff people who run to de States now scared. Dem hardly sleeping when de night come. And all of a sudden dem finding relatives who live all over de country. In short, dem frighten to stay one place too long. All of dem sweating bullets. But dem boys notice dat some of dem getting kick out of some house because anodda one who hiding already tun up. Was nice time when people use to pick up demself and run to de States. Since dem boys tun, all dem hearing somebody gone to live in de States or Canada. Yesterday, dem was looking fuh a fellow name Martin who use to wuk at NCN. He was de man who tek cheques from GTT, put dem in he account and claim he

was merely passing de cheques through he account. Dem boys hear he deh in Canada. He probably file fuh self-sponsorship. But he cousin who live in New York got problems. And talking bout problems, some people only embarrassing Jagdeo. De talk is dat Jagdeo surrounding heself wid scamps. He had nuff of dem wukking at NCN. Eddie who run down de Layne was one who mek he hand fast wid de people money and he get knock off. De story was big and bold all over de papers. Now he deh hugging up Jagdeo and spreading all dem rumours you hear bout Soulja Bai and who shoot Brian O’Toole. Dem like de boy so much dat dem give him a whole tele-

vision programme. He was de space man art NCN. When you watch him, you see him in de compound all de time but dis man actually travelling and going places. Dat is why when he send in he accounts claim dem fire him but dem didn’t realize de man was faster than Flash Gordon and Speedy Gonzales. But is Trump some people got to worry about. He promise to ketch and deport all who overstay dem time. Dis might be a good thing because normally people who wouldn’t come home to vote gon ketch de plane fuh good. Is only if Soulja Bai beg fuh dem dat dem might have a chance. Talk half and wait fuh see who coming back from farrin.

Ricky Ramsaroop of the Forest Producers Association and GFC’s Simone Benn and legal officer, Jacy Archibald, will all be part of the Task Force. There were over a 100 staffers present.According to Hall, the idea is to prepare GFC for the future with the new forest plans and policies in place. He told staffers that the Cabinet has ordered the restructuring and a report has to be submitted by the end of July.In September, Hall

submitted an outline of a new structure.The management of GFC had reportedly met on the proposals, it was disclosed. With regards to merging of the two departments, there were concerns about the possible conflict of interest that would arise. One division issues permits while another manages. It would be difficult to have one department handling that, staffers told the Task Force. It was also pointed out

that a human resource official should be assisting the task force. There were also burning questions that threatened to derail the meeting over the possible loss of jobs. It was recently disclosed that GFC, as the regulator of the forests, is facing major challenges to raise enough money from royalties and fees to pay staffers. Several staffers say they have money owed with a number of them already leaving.

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Sunday April 28, 2019

Kaieteur News

CJIA fires back to IATA…

We have no agreement with you T

he recent increases by the Cheddi J a g a n International Airport (CJIA) of fees, that saw passengers’ tickets increased by $4,000 has attracted criticisms from different quarters. In addition to the Department of Tourism, there were also criticisms from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), a body that has almost 300 airlines as its members. IATA had written the airport asking for more time and noting that there were little consultations. However, the airport, which is currently modernizing under a US$150M expansion programme, However, yesterday, the airport made it clear that IATA has little legal standing to make such demands. The strong statement by CJIA noted that the association has one member it is aware of— Caribbean Airlines. Below is the full statement of the CJIA on the fees increase- one for security and the other for passenger handling:

Corporation responded to many queries raised by IATA and even met with its representatives in Canada on the 13th February 2019. Unfortunately, IATA appears to have made it a precondition to facilitating the airlines, that CJIAC provide information to them including the presentation CJIAC made to its Board or line Ministry for the increase of fees so that they could better understand the reason for the fee increase. No customer airline has requested the information sought by IATA and generally appear to be disinterested in their requests. No legitimacy IATA without any cloak or shroud of legitimacy is demanding that CJIAC make what can only be

CJIAC provide the information requested by IATA. This notwithstanding, CJIAC has engaged with IATA as a matter of courtesy on numerous occasions. Indeed, when CJIAC and GRA disbanded the tax collection booth in the check in area, which incidentally was accompanied by a small fee increase, there was no insistence on justification coming from IATA. Over the last few years, the CJIAC has been meeting with its stakeholders on a weekly basis and collectively discussing and agreeing on all aspects of the modernization works at the airport. The short and medium term plans for the airport including the substantial capital outlay for 2019/2020 were also discussed.

airlines, in keeping with the provisions of the terms and conditions of the Air Carrier Agreements between the Airport and the airlines, informing them of proposed fee increases effective from the 1st April, 2019. The airport also provided explanations for the fee increases. CJIAC had budgeted $2B in Capital Works for 2019/2020 to improve the services offered to the passengers and its airport stakeholders. Increase in Costs The larger terminal with Passenger Boarding Bridges has seen a significant increase in operational cost inclusive of power consumption. The notification satisfied the agreed terms and conditions set out in the respective Air Carrier

it made to the Board or line Ministry for the increase of fees so that they could better understand the reason and recommended that the effective date of the fee increase be postponed to allow a selling date at least three months prior to travel dates. CJIAC hastens to point out that no ICAO policy document can override the national laws governing CJIAC nor the express provisions of the Air Carrier Agreements between the Airport Corporation and respective airlines. The Air Carrier Agreements expressly provide for the airport to impose fees and for the airline to pay, on demand, or as the same otherwise fall due all applicable fees specified from time to time by the Airport. In

Statement on Fee Increase at CJIA The Cheddi Jagan International Airport Corporation (CJIAC) finds the statement made by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and published in various media outlets on the 23rd April, 2019, through its representative Mr. Peter Cerda, very unfortunate and not reflective of the required engagements between the Airport Corporation and its Stakeholders. Mr. Cerda is reported to have said amongst other things that:“It is completely unacceptable that passengers are being inconvenienced in such a manner. This is a direct result of the airport’s management refusal to engage with IATA on a process which is standard practice across the globe. As a consequence, our member airlines have unfortunately no choice other than to manually collect the additional fees and charges.” CJIAC would like to emphasise that it has no arrangement or agreement with IATA. Its arrangements are with the airlines. Further, there is no contractual arrangement or requirement between the airlines and CJIAC which requires CJIAC engage with IATA.Despite not having any legal obligation to engage IATA, the Airport

Newly renovated CJIA

characterized as an airport fee application filing to them providing full justification and explanation of the basis on which the fees have been determined. Unfortunately, CJIAC is a public corporation and its officers and employees are prohibited at penalty of law from amongst other things, providing information to entities for the purposes of certifying the basis on which the corporation determined the fees it would charge. Much less in this case where there is no legal relationship between IATA and CJIAC. CJIAC would like to assure the travelling public that there is no legal requirement for it to make an application to IATA for the introduction or increase in airport fees. Further, there is no legal requirement that

Commencing as early as October 2018, the CJIAC met with the airlines and held discussions on proposed fee increases. The preference indicated by most or the airlines was to have these fees included in the ticket price. CJIAC notes that not all airlines plying the Guyana route are IATA members. For those airlines that are not IATA members, there is no need for IATA to make arrangements regarding the inclusion of the fee in their tickets. The non-IATA make their own arrangements that have airport fees collected and paid over to the CJIAC. Although there may be some inconvenience during transition to the fees this is usually resolved in a relatively short period of time. On 25th January 2019, the Airport Corporation wrote the

Agreements. No objection was raised by any airline. After issuing the letter of the 25th January, CJIAC received an email from Annaleen Lord of IATA dated 29th January, 2019 in which she represented that their members had complained to them regarding the fee increase and requesting that CJIAC shares the presentation it made to the Board or line Ministry for the increase of fees so that they could better understand the reason. Thereafter, there were regular exchanges of email correspondence on the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 7th, 8th, 12th and 20th February, 2019 and as stated earlier, CJIAC and IATA representatives met on 13th February, 2019 in Canada. On 20th February, 2019 IATA repeated its request that CJIAC shares the presentation

the case of Caribbean Airlines, the airport is required by the agreement to give them two months’ notice of any new fee or fee increase. In response to the CJIAC letter of 25th January 2019, notifying the airlines of the proposed increases, Caribbean Airlines replied more than a month later, by letter dated February, 21st 2019, a soft copy of which was received by CJIAC on the 1st March, 2019, followed by the hard copy delivered on 4th March, 2019. In that letter of February 21st, Caribbean Airlines made a series of demands of the airport including a demand for A Caribbean Duty Free Lounge, a Club Caribbean Lounge and designated customer service centers, where refreshments can be offered during delayed

flights, or early morning or late night services. CAL requested that the fee implementation be delayed to July 1 2019, a date more than five months after the notification of the 25th January, 2019. This is not the first time that there have been increases in airport fees and charges. On the last occasion in 2017, IATA was able to implement the new fees in as little as 6-8 weeks. Notably, there was no demand from the airport to provide its internal documents. The letters and correspondence informing the airlines were sufficient for IATA to act on in the case of airport fees, whilst a copy of the legislation was requested in respect of the increased government taxes. On that occasion too, there was a transition period during which passengers were required to pay fees and taxes at the airport pending IATA completing The Airport does not know what agenda IATA is adopting, but it is inconsistent with the laws of Guyana, the Air Carrier Agreements and ICAO recommendations in cases where there are valid Air Carrier Agreements. It appears that IATA intends to interfere with the contractual relations between CJIAC and its customer airlines including those which are not IATA members. Three months have passed since the notification of the 25th January, 2019. The Airport is firmly of the view that had IATA acted with the alacrity and competence it usually displays, the fee codes could have been fully implemented by the 1st April, 2019. The Airport’s past experiences with IATA corroborate this belief. Authority overreached IATA in seeking to have CJIAC justify the increases to them have sought to exercise a regulatory function it does not have. In so doing IATA has overreached its authority. It must be noted that the decisions of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport Corporation are guided by the Public Corporations Act, the CJIAC Order, relevant ICAO recommendations, and the Air Carrier Agreements between the Airport and the airlines. It is clear from the position taken by IATA that they are unaware of laws and agreements by which the airport is bound. Further, ICAO Policy Document 9082 recommends that airports recover costs associated with the provision of services and maintenance (Conitnued on page 14 )

Sunday April 28, 2019

Kaieteur News

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EITI Report reveals...

All Mineral Agreements must be made public Guyana’s first report, which was handed over the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) has firmly recommended that all mineral agreements must be made public. The document notes that this suggestion is in accordance with Requirement 2.4 (a) of the 2016 EITI Standard, which states that implementing countries are encouraged to publicly disclose contracts and licences that provide the terms attached to the exploitation of oil, gas and minerals. Further to this, the report notes that while the Mining Act (1989) does not include any expressed restrictions on the public disclosure of mineral agreements and licences by the government, mineral agreements are not currently available electronically. Furthermore, the report states that a common model agreement that provides the standard terms attached to the

management of mines does not exist. On this ground, it was recommended that the EITI Secretariat in Guyana maintain an archive of copies of all active mineral agreements is available. Additionally, it was recommended that the MultiStakeholder Group of the local EITI chapter set out a work plan for the publication of all mineral agreements in the mining sector. The report says that this work plan may include the following: defining how the electronic publication of mineral agreements can be undertaken; the steps required for all mineral agreements to be published electronically and how to make these accessible to the public; a realistic timeline as to when such data could be available; and performing a review of the institutional or practical barriers that may prevent such electronic publication.

EITIAND GUYANA The EITI is an international body that requires implementing countries publish comprehensive reports, which includes the full disclosure of government revenues from the extractive sector, as well as the disclosure of all material payments made to the government by companies operating in the oil, gas and mining sectors. The objective of Guyana’s first report is to help in the understanding of the level of contributions of the extractive sector to the economic and social development of the nation in order to improve transparency and good governance at all levels of the extractive industry value chain. BDO LLP, a United Kingdom (UK) Accountancy and Advisory firm, was appointed as the Independent Administrator to prepare the first GYEITI Report for the year ended 31, December 2017.

Illegal savannah fire at Waikin Ranch threatens wildlife

Fire ravaged the Savannah environment at Waikin Ranch, Upper Takutu, Region Nine. It destroyed the bush island and savannah habitat that many wildlife call home and use as their sanctuary. Long term damage of life and environment, according to the Ranch, are at a high cost to conservation efforts, to livelihood and most of all to the environment we rely on. Ranch officials said that they fought the fire for three days and nights. (Kevin & Cornelia Facebook photos)

Sunday April 28, 2019

Kaieteur News

Documents destroyed before auditors stepped in with NCN Berbice probe One day after a senior Berbice official, Donna Mathoo, was sworn in as Member of Parliament (MP) to replace former Business Minister, Dominic Gaskin, more documents have surfaced which is raising even more questions. Mathoo is the Berbice Branch Manager of the National Communications Network (NCN). She is also a Regional Democratic Councillor of Region Six. On Friday, shortly after being sworn in as an MP in the National Assembly, where laws are made, documents of NCN surfaced, which indicated she was implicated in systematic fraud at the Berbice branch starting in late 2015. NCN manages a network of television and radio stations on behalf of the state. In a letter to Mathoo dated April 13, 2017, from then NCN’s chief, Lennox Cornette, who has since died, she was implicated by employees in a racket to hide cash received for advertisements. In the letter captioned “Financial Irregularities at Berbice Branch”, an audit of transactions at the NCN branch expressed the opinion that staffers have defrauded the state-owned media company in excess of $500,000 monthly starting in December 2015. The staffers used fictitious invoices, receipts and broadcast logs. Internal auditors found that among other things, there were verbal instructions for staffers to air advertisements and private programmes and other unofficial means even though these were not recorded on the officials logs. There was no retaining of any copies of the daily

attachments to the logs, Cornette had said in his letter to Mathoo. However, more alarming was what auditors found in early 2017, and the NCN’s chief included this in his letter to Mathoo, the Branch Manager. He said that there was evidence that orders were issued for the destruction of the fake logs and receipts before the auditors came in to conduct a special exercise in 2017. Kaieteur News has copies of the audit report, which clearly indicated a widespread, systematic fraud. Mathoo in a public statement, which was carried by Kaieteur News in April 2018, said that she was asked in 2017 to proceed on leave to facilitate an investigation. “I proceeded on leave on March 29, 2017 after which date the investigation commenced. During the course of the investigation, Mr. Omadatt Ramnarine’s services were terminated by the NCN. I was provided with a copy of the findings of the investigation. No allegation of misconduct against me was contained in the findings. After due consideration and deliberation, I was invited to resume duty on 5th March 2018.” According to the NCN chief, in the letter to Mathoo, staffers gave statements, “which implicate you as part of the financial irregularities.” Mathoo was given until April 18, 2017, to respond to the findings of the audit. She was told to remain on administrative leave. Cornette disclosed then that in addition to paper trail evidence, NCN and auditors were in possession of two video ads to supplement the evidence.

MP for the Alliance For Change, Donna Mathoo

The letter sent by the previous NCN chief, Lennox Cornette to his branch manager of NCN, Donna Mathoo in 2017, sending her on leave. The advertisements were related to the Country Pride programme. Among other things, the internal audits found that there were several instances of fictitious receipts to customers, creation of separate logs to air ads and the concealing of cash paid for the ads and verbal instructions to staff to air advertisements and private programmes. There was also evidence that staffers were made to sign blank petty cash vouchers for travelling and then a higher amount was inserted. “Specifically, the audit has found evidence of 724 advertisements on fake broadcast logs as well as several fake receipts. The matrix that follows gives details of 300 advertisements, aired for which revenues collected were not handed over to the company,” Cornette said in his letter. In April 2018, the issue of Mathoo resuming her job at that Berbice branch was raised at the monthly statutory meeting at the Regional Democratic Council, Region Six. Several persons including the Regional Chairman, David Armogan, and the Community Development Officer for Region Six, Barbara Pilgrim, expressed their disapproval at the status of the investigation. Zamal Hussain, the PPP Councillor who raised the issue at the meeting, stated that it was noticed that Mathoo who was under investigation was back at the job. Yesterday, Hussain called on the police to investigate Mathoo. “This is a serious matter…Hard evidence was put forth in the media and I also have evidence against (Continued on page 14)

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Documents destroyed before auditors stepped in with NCN Berbice probe... From page 10 this woman and yet she sits there as a representative of the people. What can she do for Berbicians?” He said that the evidence was presented which shows that money was collected with fake receipts. “This is nothing less than a criminal act,” Hussain stressed. He opined that when the

Sunday April 28, 2019

Kaieteur News

matter was investigated it should have executed by the police and not the very entity that she reportedly stole from, “This matter is not a matter for (any) committee or NCN board to handle; it is too big.” It is his belief that this particular matter against Mathoo “is like you trying the devil in hell”. Hussain mentioned that the outcome of the case, which led to Mathoo having her job back and ultimately promoted to a higher position- Member of Parliament only occurred because “senior persons

intervened and I know what I am talking about.” He wants the persons who investigated Mathoo to bring forth the evidence and the findings so that the people can decide. “…because we know for sure people from the government and high level people made input to ensure that this person is being cleared although there is evidence out there to prove otherwise.” He called for a thorough background check to be conducted and there are strong indications that all is not well.

Twist in Kuribrong trail murder…

‘Abducted’ miner in custody after changing story - reportedly linked to one-legged mastermind Investigations into the murder of truck driver Peron Nicholas Bobb have taken a surprising turn, with a miner who claimed to have been abducted now turning out to be a suspect. Kaieteur News understands that the man, who had claimed he was abducted by Bobb’s killers, has admitted that he was actually in the camp of the alleged one-legged mastermind when Bobb was slain. The miner had initially claimed that he was travelling in a truck with Bobb when the driver was shot. He had also claimed to have escaped after being abducted. Police now have him in custody as they continue to pursue a one-legged man known as ‘Pak’, who is believed to have shot Bobb. Two other men are also in custody. “Once we arrest ‘Pak’ we will get to the truth of what happened,” an official told Kaieteur News.

DEAD: Peron Nicholas Bobb Reports indicate that Bobb, of Carabese Hill, Bartica, was shot in the stomach by a group of men whom he had seen stripping spares from one truck and placing the spares on another vehicle, which is said to be owned

by ‘Pak.’ It is alleged that Bobb was shuttling dredging equipment in the Kuribrong Backdam when they saw a truck heading towards them. Bobb allegedly stopped to allow the other truck to pass when the men shot him.

Kitty residents picking on Sheriff Street farepickers The constant nightly scene at Sheriff and Sandy Babb Streets has become a nuisance to the residents in the area as they are now tired of the sex workers who frequent the area. According to the residents, these sex workers would use their trade as a mask to rob and create a spectacle. “They usually come out around 12:00hrs in the night about 10 to15 of them,” One resident stated. “They would stand at the corner of the road and wait as vehicles approach; because the street is like a crossroad you would have to slow down to carry out a turn and that is where they run up to the vehicles.” “All of them carry long knives in their handbags and when approaching a victim, their words would be, ‘You owe me; you just shame and don’t want to give me my money’. Then they would make advancements to the person, if the victim resists, they would pull out their weapons.” Another resident also indicated that their victims are lone occupants of a vehicle, drunken persons and patrons at bars. The resident added that the sex workers have men with them who act as ‘pimps’ who would often

step in to aid in the robberies. Some businesses have closed down or put in place high security to ward of the heinous acts that are committed within their vicinity. “Business persons are tired of what’s happening because it’s bad for business. If now they try one of their stunts on one of our customers, this affects the reputation of our business because persons will say, ‘Don’t go here or there; that place does get a lot of robbery.’” In a video, a sex worker can be seen approaching a motorcar and entering it through the passenger side. The driver could be heard say, “Why you coming in my car? I don’t know you.” The sex worker in return shouted, “You have my money; I want my money.” The driver then stepped out of the vehicle and attempted to remove the uninvited guest when the sex worker whipped out a long knife with its steel blade shining in the night light. The individual then started to make advancements at the victim and the poor fellow had to run for his dear life while the worker calmly walked away, unsuccessful.

We have no agreement with... From page 11 of airport facilities. The Airport Corporation made every effort to have the aircraft operators collect these fees as recommended by ICAO; unfortunately, IATA through its actions, thwarted every effort to make this process work for the benefit of all parties. The Cheddi Jagan International Airport Corporation remains committed to working with its stakeholders to provide a seamless and gratifying experience for the travelling public and

hopes that IATA will also assist in this regard. As far as CJIAC is aware, Caribbean Airlines is the only IATA member that is presently collecting the new fees from the travelling public. The other airlines seem to have taken a different approach. CJIAC offers an open apology to travelling public for the inconvenience being caused. It should be temporary. The ball is in IATA’s court.

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Thirty-one farmers receive land leases through Region 5 ministerial outreach Several Ministers of government and representatives of government agencies brought their services to the people of West Coast Berbice, Region Five at the compound of the Fort Wellington, Regional Democratic Council, last week. This was part of a ministerial outreach campaign staged in several locations in West Berbice and East Coast Demerara on Thursday. From several interviews done, it can be said that scores of patrons left satisfied, having their issues resolved. Many who applied for land and were waiting for more than a decade, left with allocation letters having been issued house lots at Experiment, West Coast of Berbice. Thirty-one farmers also received leases for land in the Mahaica- Mahaicony- Abary Agricultural Development Authority (MMA/ADA), and scores of others had their outstanding issues settled. The Ministry of Public Health also engaged dozens of young people who applied for training programmes offered by the ministry. An amputee, Ptolemy Blackman, from Recess, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara, also received assistance from the ministry. He was assured of much needed dialysis treatment. The Ministry of Social Protection and National Insurance Scheme (NIS) were commended by patrons for their efficiency and the relief which they brought. Many received requisite information of the status of their NIS claims, pensions and social assistance. Utility issues were also addressed, and a promise fulfilled by Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr. George Norton when he donated sports equipment to a group of youths. The outreach continued later in the afternoon as ministers and their teams fanned out to various communities to have up close and personal contact with residents. Public Service Ministerdesignate, Tabitha SaraboHalley, and outgoing Minister of Business, Dominic Gaskin, engaged a well-attended meeting of residents at the Number Five Primary schools. Matters raised there included the need for a more efficient supply of potable water, maintenance of the community ground and

assistance for farmers of the community. Sarabo-Halley assured those in attendance of her commitment to having the issues resolved. She also encouraged the establishment of a farmers’ co-op and a return to self-help as a means of aiding the government’s efforts to bring relief of the once-neglected community. At Rosignol, Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, was well received by scores of residents. He pledged to illuminate the community streets with proper lighting, have an engineer assess the drainage situation to bring relief to the community, and also pledged for the resuscitation of the community’s playground. Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, pledged to personally look into matters of concern raised by the residents of Calcutta. Among these is rehabilitation of the Burma Road, the elevation of the Abary road, the construction of a bridge between Calcutta and Fairfield and streetlights, rehabilitation of CATRECALAB recreational ground and the fencing of the Calcutta Nursery and Primary school. Commitment was also given by the minister to provide resources for the clearing of drains in the community. Residents of Lovely Lass engaged Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Annette Ferguson, as they sought solutions to their concerns. They were promised an immediate assessment of roads in the community, infrastructural development in 2020 and the government’s continued engagement with

the residents. Regional Chairman, Ovid Morrison, also informed residents of the more than $7M for ground enhancement in the community. This, he assured, will create employment for residents as the programme unfolds. At Perth, Mahaicony, Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo, spoke to a large turnout of residents after commissioning three streets and one bus shed. Several residents raised concerns about drainage and irrigation, house lots allocation and the need for an additional school bus to service the area. The Prime Minister assured residents that he would engage the various government departments to have the matters resolved in the shortest time possible. A Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) representative dealt with land-related issues on the spot. During her visit to DeHoop, Minister of Social Protection, Amna Ally, assured of the government’s commitment to improving their lives and livelihood through education, infrastructural development, drainage and irrigation and potable water. She encouraged the young people to become involved in entrepreneurial development and to access the government’s sustainable livelihood entrepreneurial development programme. Young people were also encouraged to become involved in the Guyana Youth Corps. Several communities were engaged and received commitments for improved delivery of services and community development.

Scenes from the Ministers outreach initiative on Thursday.

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Sunday April 28, 2019

Kaieteur News

Man suffers stroke after alleged beating by supermarket owner A resident of Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara, has been hospitalised after a reported beating at the hands of a supermarket owner just recently. Gregory Sanmoogan, 59, was admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) on Monday after being picked up from the tarmac of a Chinese supermarket in Diamond, E.B.D, after being allegedly beaten by the facility’s owner, Xiooxi Qu. Sanmoogan said that on Monday last, around 19:00 hrs, he had visited the supermarket and had purchased grocery items. He said he chatted briefly with his daughter who works at the entity then proceeded to cash his items at the cashier. He said after the male attendant (who packs bags for customers) had packed up his items, he paid and was about to leave when a Chinese male who later turned out to be the proprietor, stormed up to the counter and began accusing him of stealing a bag of cash he (the proprietor) had left on the counter . He said the man called him a thief and as such, he allowed them to check his bag to verify the supposed bag of cash was not accidentally placed among his groceries.

He said the man was accusing him of stealing GYD$200,000 that was accidentally forgotten in a black plastic bag on the counter at which several customers had been trading in items all day. Sanmoogan said no bag of cash was found in his belongings, and as such, he left the premises. He was standing in the parking lot when he was suddenly struck on his neck from behind. He said as he spun around, dropping his groceries, he was greeted by the sight of the angry supermarket owner who proceeded to rain kicks and cuffs about his body, vehemently calling him a thief. He said the man dealt him cruel blows on his right shoulder and neck, and he soon felt dizzy, and fell to the ground. The man said he blacked out. A male relative of the injured man said that he was in Diamond at the time, and after being summoned by the man’s daughter (who is employed at the supermarket), he hurriedly drove over to the location. He said his brother was picked up unconscious and rushed to the GPHC, but regained consciousness before arriving at the institution. He said the man was admitted at the GPHC and

The injured Gregory Sanmoogan at the GPHC medical staff there informed that he had suffered a stroke. Sanmoogan’s relatives related that right after the incident, the supermarket’s management dismissed the man’s daughter without an explanation. However, they provided a

telephone WhatsApp conversation between the owner and the young girl. There he was expressing his regrets, apologizing for his actions, and admitting that he made a mistake. The relatives said that after the incident, the owner disappeared from the supermarket and folks there kept saying that they had no idea of his whereabouts. One relative said he used

Supermarket owner Xiooxi Qu kept blocking his face as reporters attempted to snap his photo. his police affiliations and befriended the supermarket owner, under the pretext of dropping the matter, but instead marched the man to the Golden Grove Police Station where he was subsequently arrested. According to police sources, the accused has so far admitted to attacking and beating Sanmoogan, and is assisting ranks with the investigation.

Police sources told this publication that when they attempted to secure footage of the incident (in the parking lot), they were told that the camera located there was not working. However, relatives of the injured man said that credible sources at the supermarket informed that the footage was deleted from the camera by management after the incident occurred.

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Kaieteur News

CARICOM meeting in Guyana to discuss single market economy this week

Ministers of Trade and Foreign Affairs of CARICOM, in Guyana, last year The Forty-Eighth Regular Meeting of Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) will be held in Georgetown, Guyana, from Monday, at the Marriott Hotel. COTED, which is a secondary organ of the

Caribbean Community (CARICOM), exists to promote trade and economic development of the Community and to oversee the operations of the Single Market and Economy. Among the matters on the agenda of the Meeting

are the implementation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME). CSME was noted and envisioned in the Grand Anse Declaration and work programme for the advancement of the integration movement, in

GPHC holds Doctor’s Day On Friday, the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) held its Doctor’s Day in its East Street parking lot, to show appreciation to the doctors and their hard work. Dr. Fawcett Jeffrey, Director of Medical and Professional Services, said that over the past 20 years since the hospital has become a corporation, overseas management of patients was significantly reduced. “Patients that come and succumb arrive in a poor state.” He admonished the staff as well as patients to leave ethnic, political and sexual orientation at the gate. He reminded them that the patient is always first in a doctor’s life and they should continue to strive to achieve the theme for this year’s celebrations, “Striving for Excellence in Health Care Delivery”. CEO, Retired Brigadier George Lewis, had quite a mouthful to say. He made note of all the activities held to commemorate the 20th anniversary as a corporation from the church service to the health fair. He then hinted that the health fair may become an annual event based on the feedback from the public. The CEO then provided an idea of what the hospital achieved last year.

CEO of GPHC Retired Brigadier George Lewis Last year, the GPHC had only five maternal deaths. Accident and Emergency saw 85,593 patients that year; the health centres treated a total of 161,468 patients. General surgery saw 6,573 surgeries performed with 4,452 being scheduled. The remainder were emergencies. The lab conducted 987,000,100 tests and there were 1,482 Post Mortem Examinations done for the said year. Internal renovation was done at the maternity ward. Brigadier Lewis said that, “next Monday the hospital will receive a $50 million grant

for additional works on the maternity unit.” They intend to construct a four-storey building to house a staff canteen, improved record keeping as well as services that will be relocated there. He told the staff that it’s not what they say but how they say it and the mistakes that can cost a lot, even the loss of licence. The corporation saw approximately ten lawsuits last year. He reminded them of their duties and to keep eyes out for that canteen hopefully by the end of the year.

Grand Anse, Grenada in 1989. That vision has three main features: Deepening economic integration by advancing beyond a common market towards a Single Market and Economy; wide n i n g t h e membership and thereby expanding the economic mass of the Caribbean Community (e.g. Suriname and Haiti were admitted as full members in 1995 and 2002 respectively); and

progressive insertion of the region into the global trading and economic system by strengthening trading links with nontraditional partners. Although CSME has been established, it is yet to be completely implemented. The completion of the CSME with the Single Economy will be achieved with the harmonisation of e c o n o m i c p o l i c y, a n d possibly a single currency. Other items on the

agenda are intraregional trade, as well as external, economic trade relations. COTED Chair, Sandra Husbands, Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Barbados, and CARICOM Secretary-General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, are expected to address the opening ceremony of the Meeting. The previous regular meeting of COTED was also hosted by Guyana, last year.

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Sunday April 28, 2019

Kaieteur News

Driver killed, passenger injured in Liliendaal road accident

The crashed car in the drain

A fatal accident on Friday evening left one dead and another with injuries after the motorcar in which they were travelling toppled into a nearby drain on the Rupert Craig Highway in the vicinity of Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara. Dead is Lakeram Singh, called ‘Videsh’, of Lot 36, Sandy Babb Street, Kitty, Georgetown. The 37-year-old father of two was an office assistant at Ryan's mining company. The other occupant of the vehicle was 20-year-old Rakesh Ramsaroop, a Qualfon customer service representative who resides at Lot 1 Non Pareil Railway Embankment, East Coast Demerara. According to reports, the incident allegedly took place around 23:00hrs. Motorcar PLL 4706, which was in-

volved in the accident was owned and at the time driven by the deceased. Enquiries disclosed that Singh was proceeding east at a fast rate of speed along the northern lane. It was while Singh was reportedly negotiating a turn that he lost control of the vehicle and toppled, coming to a stop in a nearby drain. Singh and Ramsaroop were taken from the crashed vehicle and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation where the office assistant was pronounced dead on arrival. Ramsaroop who was treated at the Accident and Emergency Unit was yesterday discharged from the hospital. According to the survivor, who suffered some bruises and claimed to be experiencing pain, while negotiating the turn by Liliendaal,

DEAD: Lakeram Singh the steering wheel locked. This caused the car that was going at a fast rate to skid off the road and topple several times until it ended up into the drain.

Implant Contraceptives Available Nationwide - Dr. Umadai Rattan - New in arm implant preferable by women Implant contraceptives are now available nationwide to ensure easy access and that unmet needs are met. Dr. Umadai Rattan said that the implants are fairly new on the market. She said, “Women prefer it; it’s quick and lasts up to five years. It also has few side effects which most time goes away within three to six months.” The implant in question is a tiny, thin rod about the size of a matchstick that a doctor inserts under the skin of the upper arm. Removal is done just like the insertion. The hormone that is slowly released is called progestin and it prevents pregnancy in two ways. Progestin thickens the mucus on the cervix, which stops sperms from reaching the egg. Secondly, it also stops eggs from leaving the ovaries, so there is no ovulation. Some women may miss their period after getting the implant. This is no reason for alarm as it just means that the ovary is not producing eggs. No fertilization, no pregnancy. When asked about the effects it has on fertility, Dr. Rattan explained that it doesn’t affect fertility at all. “As soon as it is removed, fertility returns. There are a number of different brands but all are just classed under con-

traceptive implants to avoid promotion of a brand.” Even though the implant prevents pregnancy it does not prevent sexually transmitted diseases, so it is advised that condoms still be used during sexual intercourse. As implants are the most effective types of contraceptive, it is practically impossible to get pregnant while it’s inserted, the doctor said. The implant Contraceptives programme comes under the Women’s Health Unit and Dr. Rattan is responsible for ensuring that providers of the implants are trained to certification level. She said, “We have already trained persons and we are doing well as some sessions are still ongoing.”

Sunday April 28, 2019

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Kaieteur News

---Hinds’ Sight by Dr. David Hinds---

No, Donald…the PPP’s embrace of adherence to the constitution is rank opportunism I have known former president Donald Ramotar from afar for almost forty years. During those years, we have chatted from time to time, and I find him to be one of the least offensive PPP leaders. We generally disagree on most of the defining political issues of our time, but we always manage to have civilized conversations. I, for example, don’t believe that Ramotar willingly allowed Jagdeo to run his government. This past week, I found out we differ on another defining issue—constitutional reform. President Ramotar disagreed with my recent linkage of the current political impasse to the absence of constitutional reform over the last two decades. He instead locates the impasse in the PNC’s refusal to obey the constitution. You see, Ramotar is a party animal—he defends his party at all cost. From Cheddi and Janet Jagan to Jagdeo and Ramotar, PPP leaders think the party is incapable of mistakes. So, even when the

mistakes are manifest, they are incapable of seeing them. Although, there are elements of this behaviour in some sections of the PNC, it is not as deep-seated. Frankly, I have heard far more acceptance of party mistakes from PNC leaders. In that regard, I think the cultures of the two parties are different—there is much more self-critique from PNC members. PPP leaders, for example, believe that Indian Guyanese support the party not out of ethnic identification, but because the party is pro-working class and correct on the issues. For them, the PNC is anti-working class, authoritarian, and wrong on the issues and, worse, the party is unchanging. The logic follows, then, that only the PPP is capable of governing Guyana. Therein lies this weird notion of manifest destiny that guides the PPP. It is why PPP leaders reject any analysis, which concludes that the PPP and PNC are similar in political culture—they call it “false

equivalency”. I am always very frustrated with this PPP praxis, because it intentionally and unintentionally ignores the ethno-racial genesis. If the two ethnic groups identify with their respective parties, but one does so for class reasons and the other for racial reasons, then the conclusion is that the latter group is flawed. But I suppose if you are steeped in this divine sense of self, then you are oblivious to where the logic takes you. This is the background against which I read Ramotar’s location of the current problems—it can’t be anything else but the PNC’s recalcitrance. My argument was clear—our constitution is out of step with the ethnic nature of our society. Majoritarianism cannot be fair in a society riveted by competition between a majority and a minority group—it is the recipe for instability. I do not ignore the government’s failures and shortcomings, but to think that our deep-seated problems

The Baccoo Speaks Road accidents continue with alarming regularity. There will be another in the coming days. A vehicle would crash while negotiating an obstacle in the road. The reason would be too much speed that made the vehicle uncontrollable. ** An outing will turn deadly. A group would travel to a popular weekend location for a day of relaxation. One member would encoun-

ter difficulties in the water but this would go unnoticed until it is almost too late.

** Home invasions are not as regular as they once were. However, the criminals are still active. Small groups on motorcycles and on bicycles would harass people on the streets. One group would be caught because public-spirited citizens would respond to a cry for help. After the customary beating, the criminals would be handed over to the police.

result solely from one party’s refusal to obey the constitution is, at best, disingenuous. I am old enough to remember when the PPP disobeyed the constitution because they did not like the government in power—Donald Ramotar was right there in the leadership. Although the PPP did not dislike the constitution, it joined with the rest of the opposition in rejecting it on the grounds that it was meant to perpetuate an authoritarian State. Donald refuses to remember that the PPP was always a champion of constitutional reform. Therefore, its rejection of reform today is opportunistic—the PPP is not an unconditional champion of constitutionalism. Mr. Ramotar argues that the 1999-2001 constitutional changes got rid of the ugly elements of the 1980 constitution. But he knows better than that. Although there were some useful changes, they did not fundamentally alter the nature of the constitution. He also omits the uncomfortable truth that although the masses recommended far-reaching changes such as the inclusion of constitutional power-sharing, the PPP joined with the

PNC in blocking it. The truth is that the PPP embraces adherence to the constitution when it suits them. Their newfound respect for the constitution is not born of any genuine respect for the rule of the law. How can you honestly characterize the right to judicial review as disrespect for the constitution, when the right to judicially review any act of the National Assembly is universally protected? This Coalition government has pushed the envelope a few times, but I challenge Mr. Ramotar to show the pattern of abuse that he refers to. I have been a critic of this government from a position of principle—”if you wrong, you wrong.” But, pound for pound it has a better human rights record than the PPP. Ramotar accuses me of blaming the constitution. I do not blame the constitution; I blame the PPP and Coalition leaders for not agreeing to constitutional reform. The PPP blocks real constitutional reform because it feels the current constitutional arrangements are in its favour. And the government plays into the PPP’s hand by

Dr David Hinds refusing to push harder for such reforms. So nice try, Donald but the issue is not adherence to the constitution in its present form, it is about revising the constitution to ensure it addresses the country’s ethnic problems and facilitates a level playing field.Donald forgets that I was around when the PPP chided Walter Rodney for calling the PNC government a fullfledged dictatorship—the PPP preferred to refer to it as a “creeping dictatorship.” So, it’s blatantly misleading to say that the WPA waited on the 1980 constitution to label the then regime as authoritarian. More of Dr. Hinds’ writings and commentaries can be found on his YouTube Channel Hinds’ Sight: Dr. David Hinds’ Guyana-Caribbean Politics and on his w e b s i t e www.guyanacaribbeanpolitics.news. Send comments to dhinds6106@aol.com

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Sunday April 28, 2019

Kaieteur News

Who killed the peeping tom? By Michael Jordan Radio announcer Matthew Allen loved to tell the story about a notorious peeping tom who roamed the seawalls many years ago. They called him ‘the moving blacksage’ because he would reportedly cut clumps of blacksage bushes and hide behind them while creeping up on unsuspecting lovers. Bill Rogers even made up a calypso about him. But his luck reportedly ran out one night when an irate man caught the ‘moving blacksage’ and beat him with a bull-whip. “And that,” Matthew Allen would say, “was the end of him.” Like I said, that was many, many moons ago, so let’s turn to another ‘peeping tom’ who met an ignominious end just a year ago. The Safari Inn at Friendship, East Bank Demerara, is one of Guyana’s oldest hotels. It is where handyman Victor Ramsabad, also called ‘Tun Tun’ worked and sometimes slept. The Safari Inn is owned by Francis and Yvonne Correia, and 37-year-old ‘Tun Tun’ had been doing odd-jobs at the couple’s hotel since he was a teen. Yvonne Correia told me that ‘Tun Tun’ was paid $3,000 for a day’s work. He was well treated, and the business couple even put up with his heavy drinking and his habit of stealing alcohol and other beverages from the bar.

The passageway where the body was found

It was said that whenever he misbehaved, ‘Tun Tun’ would stay away for about a month, but then return and ask the Correias “for another chance.” But while they put up with Ramsabad’s pilfering, Mrs. Correia claimed that he had a particularly nasty vice. He was also an incurable ‘peeping tom’. According to Mrs. Correia and some of her staff, Ramsabad would peep into the bedrooms and into bathrooms of the hotel guests. The businesswoman alleged that ‘Tun Tun’ would even “bore holes” in the bedroom walls to get a view of the guests. As if that wasn’t enough, he would joke with his friends about his escapades. Mrs. Correia would say, “Tun Tun, stop peeping the customers,” and even com-

plained to his mother. Despite being occasionally caught by guests, and despite pleas from his mother, Tun Tun apparently just couldn’t stop ‘peeping.’ Eventually, the hotel proprietors ordered their handyman to stay off the premises whenever he was drunk. Nevertheless, ‘Tun Tun’ would still sneak into the unfenced compound. At around 10 p.m. on Sunday, August 18, 2003, a couple came to book a room at the Safari Inn. A female tenant gave the customers a room key. She then looked outside and saw Ramsabad in the yard.The tenant reportedly said, “Tun Tun, Auntie Yvonne ain’t say that she don’t want you in the yard after hours?” It is alleged that the tenant then went inside, so she

The shed from which Yvonne Correia believed the handyman fell

Victor Ramsabad called ‘Tun Tun’ was unable to say whether the handyman had left. It is believed that he was intoxicated at the time, since he had visited a wedding house in the area earlier in the day. It is alleged that on the afternoon of Tuesday, August 20, 2013, proprietor Francis Correia was strolling in his compound when he spotted his handyman’s motionless body near a passageway at the southern section of the premises. The body bore what appeared to be a gaping wound to the back of the head and lacerations about the body. Police, who eventually arrived and examined the body, surmised that the handyman had died sometime between

Sunday, August 18 and Tuesday, August 20. Because he had found the body, the police took Mr. Correia into custody, while awaiting a post mortem.Ramsabad’s mother later said she had received reports that her son had gotten into an altercation with someone at the Safari Inn after taking several bottles of beer from a freezer. According to this report, the handyman had taken the beverages under the pretext of giving them to a customer on credit. This was refuted by individuals at the hotel. Meanwhile, businesswoman Yvonne Correia had her own theory about how the handyman had died, and she suggested that he had caused his own demise. Taking me for a stroll around the sprawling compound, she showed me a shed and explained that this was where they had found ‘Tun Tun.’According to Mrs. Correia, her handyman would often climb onto the shed. From there, he got a good view of the bedrooms of the hotel guests. Mrs. Correia believed that

the heavy-drinking handyman had clambered onto the shed. But this time, the intoxicated ‘Tun Tun’ slipped and tumbled to his death. She suggested that the body was not discovered immediately because the area where he fell was not frequently traversed. But then a post mortem revealed that Ramsabad had died from a fractured skull and brain haemorrhage. According to the police, someone had murdered the handyman. But detectives were unable to make any headway in their case. They released Mr. Correia, and, to this day, no one knows how Victor Ramsabad, the peeping handyman, met his end. If you have any information about any unusual case, please contact us by phone or at our Lot 34 Saffon Street location. We can be reached on telephone numbers 592225-8458, 592-225-8465, 592225-8473 and 592-225-8491. You need not disclose your identity. You can also contact Michael Jordan at his email address: kamarangnight@gmail.com

Sunday April 28, 2019

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Kaieteur News

==THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN==

Now I am referred to as a Trumpian narcissist One of the major flaws of Homo sapiens, which is compellingly present in politicians, is how they accuse others of bad habits that they boldly embody. The latest in this line-fault of humans is former PPP minister and current co-leader of the political party, ANUG, Henry Jeffrey. Jeffrey wrote that I got annoyed with him because as my Dean, he was not supporting me in UG’s attempt to end my contract in 1989. Nothing could be further from the truth. I joined the UG staff in 1986, and my contract renewal problems started in 1996. By that time, Jeffrey was a minister in the PPP government. But that is not an important note, so let’s move to more philosophical things. In my 50 years of social/political activism and 31 years of media experience, I have been called many things. I have a new label. Jeffrey thinks I am a Trumpian narcissist. One just has to juxtapose my life with Henry Jeffrey’s in Guyana to see who the labels of Trumpian mentality and narcissist character more fit. In terms of Trumpism, I have never sought political office, political power and organizational membership. I never held a party card in my entire life. I never contested any general election as a candidate. I never held a state or private job that carried bureaucratic authority. In my 26 years at UG, I declined to accept the position of deanship

or head of department. In my long years at Kaieteur News, I never held any decisionmaking position; at all times, being just a columnist. After the AFC, in which I had close friends, came to power in 2015, I never sought state employment. I never raised employment prospects with any AFC minister. Not one AFC minister has ever spoken to me about a job after 2015. It was only after two years since the AFC came to power, that I had a conversation with Khemraj Ramjattan who was a good friend at the time. This record hardly fits someone who wears the tag of Trumpian personality. Now, the narcissist accusation. You do not have to be an educated person to know there are certain traits associated with narcissism. Narcissists are people who here, there and everywhere throw themselves openly in all circumstances and possess paraphernalia that make them noticeable. The opposite to narcissism is introverted personality. I am one of the most, if not the most, introverted public citizen in this country. I can be seen nowhere, only with my dog. I have never been to the Marriott Hotel. I was at the Princess Hotel once and that was for the 50th birthday of Glenn Lall. I was at the Palm Court once and that was with Glenn Lall. I have never been to Kaieteur Falls. I have never

been to the National Stadium. I have never seen the inside of the Caricom Secretariat. I have not been to any national sporting or cultural event in the past forty years. I never saw what a rodeo is like. I never saw what a regatta is like. I have not travelled outside of Guyana since 2000. I do not wear designer clothes. I do not use any designer thing whatsoever, be it aftershave, cologne, joggers etc. No one can claim they have seen me dining at this or that restaurant. No one can claim they saw me at this or that

cocktail event. I have never been to any social function hosted by any embassy in Guyana. In my entire life, I kept away from the company of the Joneses. My car is 22 years old. I can remember in 2012 at the People’s Parliament, Chris Ram jokingly said, “Freddie, you have to get a new car.” I remember outside of Survival Supermarket, Khurshid Sattaur saying to me, “Freddie, you have to get a new car.” I use a $5,000 phone. I don’t have a self-contained bedroom in my home. Now here is the one that

will cause you to laugh at me. I have never been to a barber. I am married forty years now. Before marriage, I butchered my own hair. Since marriage, my wife is my barber. I never ever visited the socialite middle class milieu. I hate that ambience. When I eat outside of my home, it is always at working class restaurants in working class districts with ordinary friends. My columns over the past two decades are replete with such descriptions. How do you pin the label of Trumpian narcissism on such an existence? But Jeffrey has done just that in Kaieteur

Frederick Kissoon News. Maybe Jeffrey was expressing his Freudian mind, meaning he was thinking of himself. Jeffrey and others like him think I am a narcissist because I am not afraid to criticize the untouchables.

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Sunday April 28, 2019

Kaieteur News

We are Guyanese first and foremost…and we have a land to build

I

n the coming days, Guyana will celebrate the arrival and contributions of two major groupings of people who make up the colourful tapestry of this beautiful land. The 184th Anniversary of the Arrival of people from Portugal will be celebrated this Friday, May 3 at the Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church, Main Street, Georgetown, a location that holds strong historical significance for Guyanese of Portu-

“This nation was not built by one ethnic group, but by all persons who came to this country and who they met. Guyana is now, and always will be, multi-religious, multi-ethnic and multi-cultural. Miscegenation is forever. Our diversity is an asset, not a liability. We are proud to belong to a society of many faiths. We are proud of the tapestry of ethnicity within our country.” I took the initiative after 2015 to designate days which celebrate the plural character of our nation, not to divide.” - President David Granger, 183rd Anniversary of Portuguese Arrival Day, Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church. guese descent and on Sunday, May 5, we will celebrate again the arrival of East Indians. Today, we take a short stroll back in time to reminisce on the events that have cre-

ated this nation with such a plural character, a nation so different from others around us. PORTUGUESE ARRIVALDAY

Portuguese Arrival Day was first commemorated in 2016 after President Granger decreed it necessary to celebrate every origin of our heritage, to highlight the integration, miscegenation, and the determination of all people to enjoy the rights and privileges of their adopted homeland. The first batch of 40 arrived in Demerara from Madeira, Portugal on May 3, 1835, on the ship Louisa Baillie. The last batch from Madeira landed in 1882 and by this time, a total of 30,645 Portuguese were already integrated into British Guiana’s population. Their arrival was a significant period in our history. In 1983, the situation in colonial Guiana was unsettled because of the approaching abolition of (African) slavery. In 1838, over 80,000 Africans were fully emancipated. Naturally, freed slaves created a huge labour gap and plantation owners were trying all they could to keep a willing labour force in the sugarcane fields, the mainstay of the colonial economy at that time. The owners had even experimented with Indigenous Indians, but that did not work

out well. Incidentally, some researchers believe that the famous Explorer, Christopher Columbus, was a Portuguese Nobleman who lived in Genoa, Italy. Sugar was not new to the indentured Madeiran workers, since Portugal had been cultivating cane and producing sugar since 1452 on the island of Madeira. By 1500, Madeira had become the world’s largest producer of sugar. But the indentured Portuguese did not stay in Guiana’s sugarcane fields. Within a century of their first arrival, most had moved into commerce – wholesale and retail of foods and dry goods, and into industry. They became property owners, merchants, spare parts sellers and tradesmen, shop owners, importers, show makers, woodcutters, wick makers, among a wide array of small industry businesses. The Portuguese have been responsible for the establishment and growth of Roman Catholicism in British Guiana. Their arrival here also coincided with the birth of the Village Movement, the local banking system, the introduction of currency, and the system of the exchange of money for goods and services. THE WHITBY & THE HESPERUS On May 5, 1838, the same year that African slavery ended once and for all in the British West Indies, a small batch of 396 Indian immigrants landed at Highbury, Berbice in British Guiana from Calcutta, India, aboard the Whitby and the Hesperus. By this time, natives of India were being taken to Mauritius to work on the sugar

plantations and were proving to be very productive. Plantation owner and father of a British statesman, John Gladstone along with other British Guiana colonists first recruited 414 Indians, 150 from Chota Nagpur, and the remainder from Burdwan and Bancoorah near Calcutta (today Kolkata). Two ships, the Whitby and the Hesperus were chartered to bring them to the West Indies. The Whitby sailed from Calcutta on 13 January 1838 with 249 immigrants, and after a voyage of 112 days, arrived in Guyana on 5 May. Five persons died on the voyage. The ship immediately sailed to Berbice and 164 immigrants who were recruited for the Highbury and Waterloo plantations, disembarked. The ship then returned to Demerara and between 14 and 16 May, the remaining 80 immigrants landed and were taken to Belle Vue Estate. Of the total 244 on the Whitby, there were 233 men, 5 women and 6 children. The Hesperus left Calcutta on the 29 January 1838 with 165 passengers, and arrived in Guiana late in the night of 5 May having lost 13 souls on the way. The remaining 135 men, 6 women and 11 children were distributed among Plantations Vreedestein, Vreed-en-Hoop and Anna Regina. This was the real beginning of the indentureship system that was eventually abolished in 1917. By then, a total of some 240,000 indentured servants had come from India. Most spoke a dialect of Hindi and were recruited from the provinces of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Madras (today known as Tamil Nadu). Within a decade, Indian immigrants were considered to be largely responsible for changing the fortunes of the British Guiana sugar industry. Indian Arrival Day has been observed by the IndoGuyanese community since the 20th Century in commemoration of the first Indian emigrants who came aboard the “Whitby” and the “Hesperus” on May 5, 1838. I n d o - G u y anese have kept their culture alive from generation to generation, along with their history and religious philosophies through oral and artistic forms of storytelling. Our diversity is an asset, not a liability. We are proud to belong to a society of many faiths. We are very proud of the colourful tapestry of our country, and of the people who make Guyana so interesting to the world.

Sunday April 28, 2019

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Kaieteur News

My column

Who says there is no money in Guyana? I keep hearing that there is no money, so people cannot spend as they should. Trying to convince the naysayers is an overwhelming task. They are convinced that money is not at a premium. However, the evidence suggests otherwise. Never before has there been a plethora of fast food outlets. And they keep opening their doors. Over the years, I always found that if I spend my money in the marketplace then go home and cook, it turns out cheaper than buying fast food. Even more interesting is the number of eating houses that operate alongside the fast food outlets. There is never a day that I would enter an office and not find people eating out of food boxes. It seems as though people abhor walking with their meals, so at mealtime they would simply step out to buy food from somewhere. I hear about the excellent roadside cook-up served by some enterprising people, especially at nights. But food is not the only evidence of some disposable income. I see the growing number of Chineseoperated business places. Chinese have been operating businesses in Guyana for years. They moved from groceries to restaurants. Now there are supermarkets. Regent Street, Robb Street and parts of Alberttown testify to the growing number of Chinese businesses. Word is that the enterprising Chinese would approach a local operator and offer a rental that is difficult to refuse. After a while, the enterprising Chinese would return to the owner and seek to reduce the

rental. By then the owner has grown accustomed to making money without having to do any work. There is some agreement. Visitors to Guyana patronize the Chinese because their goods are cheaper, much cheaper than what the locals have to offer. Some say that the Chinese manage to dodge the tax collectors with some official help. I do not know. I do not hear the Chinese complaining about business being slow. There is a supermarket in Tucville. For some strange reason, no local ever attempted to open a supermarket there. The person who invested in the building did not contemplate going into business. This supermarket offers just about everything. And it has reduced the need for people to travel into the heart of the city for supplies. Another thing I keep hearing is the paucity of jobs for young people. This cannot be true. For starters, many young people seek jobs for which they are not qualified. And those who do qualify simply complain that they are not paid enough. Many opt to leave the job and do nothing. Rather than earn, they simply hang around depending on the largesse of others. Yet there are many young people who are gainfully employed, to the extent that the wages bill has actually increased. There was a moratorium on employment into the public service. This is no longer the case. Where I work in Kaieteur News, and even when I worked with Prime News, there was a steady procession

of young reporters. And the reason is simple. They simply cannot cope with the demands of reporting, simple as these are. I know that many people in the media today would boast of working in more than one media house. That is because after leaving one media house, they try to gain employment in another area, but find that things are not so easy. They simply return to the media and are absorbed. Entrepreneurship is one area that seems to be attracting some young people. Forget the numerous roadside stalls. There was a time when Guyanese were known to produce many household items. There were the various sauces, something that is not often seen—chocolate sticks, and the vegetables. Farming is still lucrative, but many young people saw it as playing in the mud. They could not bear to soil their skins - but those who do, live comfortably. Increasingly, they are the people who produce things that are in demand. The days when most young people sought to migrate seem to be coming to an end. Things are not what they once were overseas. Just this past week, United States President Donald Trump announced a campaign to go after those who have overstayed. And many Guyanese are in this bracket. And while there is the claim that no money is circulating, I still hear about foreign artistes coming in their numbers. More often than not the shows attract droves; and they are not exactly cheap.

At the same time, there are those who are trying desperately to own their own homes. I see communities springing up where cane fields once existed. The government is expected to contribute to the growing development. It is not a lending agency, but it can facilitate loans. And it does through the agencies set up for just such an eventuality.But when all is said and done, Guyana needs to get back to the basics. The education system must improve. There are the private schools who find it profitable

to keep their doors open. They are not cheap, but people prefer to spend money to ensure that their children get a start in life. In such conditions, one would assume that only the well-off could make use of the private schools, but this is not so. Ordinary working people do make use of the private schools. The money has to come from somewhere. And it does, right from their pockets. Is it true that there is no money in Guyana? Check the balance sheets of the beverage companies. And look at the operations of the commer-

Adam Harris cial banks.What we do have are those who were accustomed to spending the earnings of the drug trade. That has reduced. The money that is not there is the drug money.

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Sunday April 28, 2019

Kaieteur News

A divisive and dangerous campaign

“

The more things change; the more they remain the same.” This phrase coined by French writer, Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr in 1848 can best summarise the campaign posture of the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) in the

run-up to general and regional elections in Guyana. The PPP has launched a dirty, divisive and dangerous campaign. The party’s General Secretary and its apparent campaign manager and spokesperson, Bharrat Jagdeo, set the tone with his

address at the annual commemoration at Babu Jaan on March 10. To the uninitiated, the type of language used may seem abhorrent, but history has shown that this is exactly the PPP’s style of campaigning. One only has to look back

at the 2015 general and regional elections campaign and a clear pattern emerges. The PPP as part of its campaign strategy has also employed the tactic of peddling lies. In August 2014, President Ramotar falsely claimed that Leader of the Opposition, Brigadier David Granger, had knowledge of 155 weapons that went missing from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) while he was the Commander. Ramotar knew this to be false but it was all part of the PPP script to misinform and create fear. Recently, the Peoples National Congress ReformPNCR – had cause to strongly condemn the gross misinformation contained in a PPP press release dated, April 15th 2019. In that release the PPP erroneously and mischievously stated that the Guyana Police Force was instructed by Congress Place and the Office of the President to arrest, detain and charge Opposition Leader and General Secretary of the PPP, Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo. This was reminiscent of the PPP’s December 2014 press statement bashing APNU and accusing David Granger of being “in bed with the criminal underworld.” In its release, the PPP pointed to APNU leader David

Granger and noted his attendance at “the funeral of a criminal killed by police.” The funeral alluded to was that of Shaquille Grant. On December 4, 2014 after public outcry and a demand for an apology from Grant’s mother, the PPP apologised, saying that there was no justification for the statement made. However, the damage was already done. We are in an election cycle and once again we can see a similar pattern of behaviour coming from the PPP. Speaking to supporters of his party, General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo said… “This is the beginning of the fight to take back our country…” What dangerous message was Bharrat Jagdeo sending to this section of the electorate? It must be recalled that in 2015 the Carter Centre accused the PPP of stoking racial tensions between Indian and African Guyanese during the general and regional elections. In its report, the Carter Centre said that the 2015 elections campaign was fiercely fought, and several themes coloured the general environment: ethnic politics, as both a uniting and dividing factor; historical struggles among political parties; the need for continuity and change; and

underlying threats of violence. Since losing the May 11, 2015 general and regional elections, the PPP has deliberately set out to destabilise the Coalition government. PPP in the person of Bharrat Jagdeo has engaged in a weekly coalition bashing, hoping to drown out the symphony of progress that is taking place in every region of Guyana. Over the last forty-two months, the behaviour of this former President has harmed rather than helped the Republic. Instead of advocating for a one nation policy; working to eradicate ethnic rivalries, fear and distrust, this leader of the PPP has chosen to do the opposite. By their daily criticism of everything that is done by the Coalition government and its leaders, the PPP’s strategy is to stoke fear, doubt and hopelessness in the minds of the people. They are hoping that the people will forget their 30 years of misrule, corruption, nepotism, favouritism, murder and hate. They are hoping that their gloom and doom message will blind the gullible to the steady progress that has been made and continue to be made under this government.

Sunday April 28, 2019

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Important facts about Hypertension (high blood pressure) By Dr Zulfikar Bux Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine Patients are often in denial when they are told that they have hypertension. Some make up convincing excuses on why their pressure is high. The most common excuse is that they are not getting any symptoms. We all should know by now that hypertension is called the “silent killer,” because it may not cause any symptoms. Today, we will discuss some important facts about hypertension with the hope that it can be taken more seriously. WHAT IS HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE? Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg). So blood pressure would be expressed, for example, as 120/80 mmHg. Blood pressure has two components: · Systolic pressure is the top number. It represents the pressure the heart generates when it beats to pump blood to the rest of the body. · Diastolic pressure is the bottom number. It refers to the pressure in the blood vessels between heartbeats. High blood pressure is diagnosed when one or both of these numbers is too high. High blood pressure is also called hypertension. Blood pressure is categorized as follows: Normal: Less than 120/80 mmHg Pre-hypertension: 120/80 to 139/89 mmHg Stage 1 hypertension: 140/90 to 159/99 mmHg Stage 2 hypertension: 160/100 mmHg and above Usually, systolic pressure increases as we age. However, after age 60, diastolic pressure usually begins to decline. Pre-hypertension is not a disease. But it does mean you are at increased risk for developing high blood pressure. Although high blood pressure can cause symptoms such as headache and pounding heartbeat, it often causes no symptoms at all. So why worry about high blood pressure? Because even when high blood pressure is not causing any symptoms, it can silently damage many organs, including the: · Brain · Eyes · Heart · Kidneys · Arteries throughout the body You may not recognize the damage that silent hypertension has been doing to your body until you suddenly are stricken with a major disease. For example, hypertension increases your risk of heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure. ARE THERE SYMPTOMS

ASSOCIATED WITH HYPERTENSION? Usually, hypertension does not directly cause symptoms. When blood pressure is very high, it can cause: · Headaches · Dizziness · Fatigue · Ringing in the ears HOW IS HYPERTENSION DIAGNOSED? The diagnosis of hypertension depends on blood pressure readings. Therefore, it’s essential that blood pressure be measured carefully. To obtain an accurate blood pressure measurement: · Avoid the following for at least one hour before you have your blood pressure taken: o Strenuous exercise o Smoking o Eating o Drinking caffeinated beverages · Be seated for at least five minutes before the reading is taken. · Do not talk while your blood pressure is being measured. · Two readings should be recorded and averaged. If your blood pressure is high, your doctor should examine your eyes, heart and nervous system, to look for evidence of damage from hypertension. If there is no such evidence, you should return for at least two more blood pressure measurements. Only then should the doctor diagnose you with hypertension. That is because a single high reading can happen to anyone. If you are diagnosed with hypertension, other tests will check for organ damage. These tests can include: · Blood tests to check kidney function · An electrocardiogram (EKG) to look for: o Thickening of the heart muscle o Irregular heart rhythms · A chest x-ray to look for: o Enlargement of the heart o Fluid buildup in the lungs due to heart failure HOW CAN I DECREASE MY CHANCES OF GETTING HYPERTENSION? To prevent high blood pressure: · Get regular aerobic exercise · Limit your intake of salt and alcoholic beverages · Eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and low in saturated fats · Avoid smoking · Maintain a desirable body weight Hypertension increases your risk of heart attack and stroke. Therefore, it is important to modify your risk factors for coronary artery disease. In addition to the above actions, you should: · Quit smoking · Reduce your high LDL

(bad) cholesterol You may be able to cure your hypertension with

lifestyle changes alone. Sometimes lifestyle changes cannot adequately control hyperten-

sion. If this is the case, medication will be needed. People with diabetes, kidney disease or heart problems are at higher risk of complications from hypertension. As a result, they are usually treated more aggressively with medication. WHEN TO CALLA PROFESSIONAL? Adults should have their blood pressure measured at least every few years. If your blood pressure is higher than 120/80 mmHg, schedule regular appointments with your doctor. Have your blood pressure monitored more regularly. And get advice about modifying your lifestyle to prevent future problems. WHAT IS LIFE LIKE WITH HYPERTENSION? The prognosis for hypertension depends on: · How long you’ve had it · How severe it is · If you have other condi-

Dr Zulfikar Bux tions (such as diabetes) that increase the risk of complications Hypertension can lead to a poor prognosis even if you do not have symptoms. When high blood pressure is treated adequately, the prognosis is much better. Both lifestyle changes and medicines can control your blood pressure. The earlier you identify your high blood pressure and treat it, the better your outlook on life.

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SUNDAY Procurement Officer caught on tape prepping colleague about tampering probe-talks about $20,000 payment A few weeks ago, the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) was rocked with allegations that one of its most senior staffers was allegedly fingered in a plot to tamper with a bid document involving a project of the Ministry of Public Works. The Senior Procurement Officer was alleged to have entered an off-limits room that had sensitive tender documents stored and removed one, with the sole intention to make illegal changes. He was able to make changes to two of three copies. Someone reportedly blew the whistle and senior officials who reviewed the security cameras during an immediate probe by the Ministry of Finance, which has jurisdiction, indeed caught him entering the restricted room. He was seen with a bag later. The Procurement Officer is alleged to have made changes to a bid document for a road project, said to worth over $100M. The matter has been handed over to the police. The Procurement Officer was sent on administrative leave. Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, has made it clear from his information something irregular happened and that it is something that this administration does not tolerate. NPTAB is the body through which bids for government contracts are opened, recorded and processed. There had been accusations of wrongdoing in the past with the Coalition Government announcing plans to clean up the system. Guyana would have lost millions of dollars over time

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because of rackets there. The Public Procurement Commission, as the regulator, had reportedly expressed alarm over the incident and the fact it was not alerted sooner to the incident. There has not been an official statement from NPTAB. However, there is a shocking tape that has now surfaced in which a voice, identified as the Procurement Officer, meets with a work colleague shortly after the matter came to light, to urge him to hold his composure. The work colleague, whose name was mentioned on the tape, admitted on the tape that he was given $20,000 on the day that the Procurement Officer was allowed to enter the restricted room. The almost eight-minute tape indicates that the staffers were careful when they met, knowing that an investigation involving the Deputy Finance Secretary of the Ministry of Finance was underway. Below is a transcript of that recording which is said to be in the hands of the police: For sake of brevity, the Procurement Officer is (PO) while his colleague is (Coll). Trinidadians build their offshore platforms instead of procuring established foreign suppliers Ensuring high levels of local participation in the oil sector is not something that happens overnight. But with the right investment by oil companies and the will of the government to put locals first, remarkable outcomes can be achieved for emerging oil producers like Guyana in the long run, says International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association (IPIECA). To prove its case, IPIECA said one only has to look at Trinidad and Tobago. There, IPIECA said that local content

is a major priority of the Trinidad and Tobago Government, which aims to ‘maximize the level of participation of its national people, enterprises, technology and capital through the development and increasing use of locallyowned businesses … and human capabilities in the conduct of all activities connected with the energy sector’. Committed to achieving this, IPIECA said that Trinidad made the crucial decision to have its locals build offshore platforms that were needed. IPIECA said, “BP Trinidad & Tobago (BPTT) is that country’s leading oil and gas producer and a significant profit centre for BP globally. As part of BPTT’s expansion, the company needed a series of `new offshore platforms: Cannonball, Mango and Cashima. Rather, procuring the design and construction of these facilities from established suppliers in Louisiana, the company took a ‘strategic approach’ to this investment decision.” The Association continued, “BPTT considered the design and construction of these platforms to be valuable opportunities for building competitive local engineering and fabrication capacities. This was a challenging decision in the initial instance, because the local fabrication of the first platform (Cannonball) would incur a US$10M cost premium (on a total project cost of US$54M) relative to international fabrication; and it was necessary to enhance local skill levels in engineering, design and fabrication to support local participation.” The transparency body added, “BPTT facilitated local fabrication by supporting the creation of two Joint Ventures (JVs). One was for engineering and construction management with Fluor Cor-

poration (USA) and Summit. The second was for fabrication with Trinidad Offshore Fabricators Co. Ltd. (TOFCO), a JV of Chet Morrison Contractors (USA) and Weldfab Limited.” IPIECA said that both JVs provided the means to develop local capacities through technical training and mentoring. Since the beginning of the Cannonball project in 2002, IPIECA emphasized that the benefits of the strategic approach for BPTT have been significant. IPIECA highlighted that there was the development of competitive local suppliers. In this regard, the Association noted that TOFCO and the Summit JV won the subsequent contracts to construct the Mango and Cashima platforms through a competitive tendering process. TOFCO has also secured further platform construction contracts with BHP Billiton and EOG Resources. The Association noted that there were cost savings too. It said, “BPTT realized more than US$11 million savings on the construction of the two subsequent platforms through reduced design, engineering and procurement costs and shorter fabrication times. The company could achieve additional savings on future facilities required under long-term production infrastructure requirements.” Int’l airlines body protests CJIA fees increases Months before the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) increased a number of fees, to cater for the US$150M renovations, airlines had complained to their association. In late January, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) wrote management of the airport raising questions about the fees implementation and whether there were adequate consultations. IATA is the trade association of the world’s biggest airlines, consisting ofa almost 300 members. IATA’s Annaleen Lord, Area Manager of the Caribbean, on January 29, wrote senior officials of the airport, including Chief Executive Officer, Ramesh Ghir, questioning the process. The airport, since 2011, has launched a major expansion costing US$150M. While the works has controversially been scaled down, the airport quietly told airlines earlier this year to start charging a higher security fee and a passenger service fee. The accumulated charges- security and passenger fee- added up to over

$4,000 on every passenger ticket. IATA, in its letter to Ghir, disclosed that its members have asked for intervention regarding the planned increase to the security fee and the introduction of a passenger service charge effective April 1, 2019. ”They have requested that we contact CJIAC since no consultation with the airlines occurred in order to allow the airline users to accurately assess and agree to what could be considered fair and equitable charges at CJIA.” IATA pointed out that according to international guidelines and principles on airport charges, there should have been consultations, cost-relatedness, non-discrimination, and transparency in the process. IATA requested information on the consultations. ”As such, it would be appreciated if the presentation delivered to the CJIA Board or line Ministry in order to receive approval for the increases is shared with IATA and the airlines in order to better understand the costrelatedness of these increases. This can be done via a webinar and IATA can assist with airline participation.” The association stressed that while these are passenger fees that do not directly impact airline costs, it does have an impact. ”Please be mindful that proposed increases in fees in Guyana would increase the overall price of a ticket paid by passengers travelling to and from Guyana. As a result, passengers are likely to choose alternative destinations where no equivalent fee is applied or will just be dissuaded to fly altogether. This can ultimately have a negative overall impact on the Guyana economy,” IATA told the airport management in January. IATA said that there is a procedure to be followed for the charges to take effect.

”Finally, once the airlines have been satisfactorily informed, in order for these charges to take effect on an airline’s ticket, an airline sponsor will need to file the request to IATA’s TTBS (ticket tax box service). However prior to doing so, several items need to be clarified and agreed to amongst the airlines and the airport authority.” MONDAY French oil company operating offshore Guyana has history of corruption, bribery, inflating costs Much has been said about the attractiveness of the Guyana basin, which holds over five billion oil equivalent resources. The world’s most elite petroleum operators are flocking the now de-risked offshore play. The Government is pleased about the investments heading Guyana’s way. But what is not being spoken of is the notoriously corrupt backgrounds of some of these companies and what precautions the Government intends to take to safeguard the nation. Kaieteur News has repeatedly exposed what ExxonMobil has done to countries around the world. Exxon is also the company, which holds the puppet strings of its subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), which is operating in the Stabroek Block. The entire series on how nations have been left worse off after welcoming ExxonMobil into its shores can be seen by following this link: https:// www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/ category/what-guyananeeds-to-know-aboutexxonmobil/. Kaieteur News turns its attention to the operators of the Orinduik Block. The oil majors include: Tullow, Eco Atlantic and Total Oil which was recently allowed to farm into the Block with the approval of the government. Total, a French super major, (Continued on page 33)

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From page 32 has a foothold in three of Guyana’s oil blocks. Along with the Orinduik Block, Total has a 35% working interest in the Canje Block, located in water depths of 1,700 meters to 3,000 meters, under the terms of the agreement signed with an affiliate of Canadian company JHI Associates, Inc. and Guyana-based company, Mid-Atlantic Oil & Gas, Inc. These two companies will retain a shared 30% interest alongside operator ExxonMobil (35%). Total also acquired a 25% working interest in the Kanuku Block, located in water depths of 70 meters to 100 meters, under the terms of the agreement signed with operator Repsol (37.5%), and will be a partner alongside Tullow (37.5%). While Total, has been operating quietly in Guyana’s backyard, moving to grab up as much interests as it can in Guyana’s offshore blocks, its history which screams corruption, bribery, inflating costs underscores the need for a close eye to be kept on every move it makes within these shores. Outdated laws hinder Govt’s promise to award 20 percent of contracts to small businesses – Tender Board Head Since January 2019, the Coalition Administration had said that small contractors would have access to 20 percent of all government contracts. But this is being hindered by the unambiguous provisions in the Small Business Act, says head of the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), Berkley Wickham. During an exclusive interview with Kaieteur News, Wickham said that the Act only allows for goods and services but not “works”. Wickham said that this term has to be included. He said, too, that the amendment is before the National Assembly. Wickham said, “There is no provision in the Procurement Act to set aside procure-

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ment opportunities, specifically works, for small businesses. This affects the implementation of the requirement in the Small Business Act that at least 20% of public procurement should be set aside for small businesses. The amendment to the Procurement Act is before the National Assembly.” The official added, “When these amendments are passed, the full effect of the small business set aside programme would be implemented. It is important enough to be dealt with now while we await the wider Revision of the Leal Framework for procurement.” Turning his attention to strengthening the legal framework, Wickham said that NPTAB together with the Public Procurement Commission reviewed and gave input to the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) financial consultancy to strengthen the Guyana’s Public Procurement framework by incorpo-

rating international best practices. He said, “For example, two key areas proposed are the provision for e-procurement and framework contracts. With regard to framework contracts, this means an agreement between one or more procuring entities and one or more contractors or suppliers valid for a specific period of time, which establishes the terms and conditions in particular the price, and where appropriate quantity under which the contractor or supplier will enter into one or more contracts with the procuring entity during the period in which the framework agreement applies.” The review also seeks to recognize small business and women owned businesses in Public Procurement. Wickham said that the full set of recommendation for strengthening the Procurement Act of 2003 is now with the Attorney General Chambers for drafting. TUESDAY Govt. throws blame on PPP/C for US$150M airport fiasco… Chinese contractor worked 15 months without independent supervision-in 2015, CHEC claimed US$90M for 7% work In 2015, CHEC claimed US$90M for 7% work. The Coalition Government, under pressure to explain major modifications to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) project, came out swinging Monday, insisting that the blame has to be laid squarely at the feet of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C).

In a statement, Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, also disclosed for more than 15 months, the Chinese contractor had no independent contractor in place to overlook the work, on behalf of the people of Guyana. In fact, in 2015, when the Coalition Government entered office, it found that China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), the contractor, which was not chosen via any tender process, had claimed for up to US$90M — more than half the money– despite only finishing about seven percent of the work. The project has been dragging on now for almost a decade, spanning three different administrations. It is the biggest on-land project ongoing at the moment by the Government. Instead of a brand new terminal building with energy-saving roof to house the departure and arrival area, a much smaller one to hold the arrival has been built with the old terminal gutted and renovated. An analysis of the Bill of Quantities approved by the PPP/C in 2011 found that prices were highly inflated with local contractors insisting that the project with all the bells and whistles should not have exceeded the US$40M mark. The statement by Patterson also criticised Kaieteur News reportage of the project which has been questioning the spending of that huge amount and whether this country was receiving value for its dollars. Under the contract, CHEC, was supposed to be

paid US$138M for the construction. The balance of US$12M was coming from Government of Guyana for other works. Scrap it? According to Patterson, in 2015, his government had faced three choices- scrap the project; plug more money or use the remainder of the loan to complete it. Patterson said that the contract for the extension of CJIA was signed on November 11, 2011 between CHEC and the then Ministry of Public Works and Communications. It would have happened day before general elections, near the ending of the Constitutional two-term limit of former President Bharrat Jagdeo. Sitting at the head of that ministry in 2011 was Robeson Benn. At the time of contract signing, there were no feasibility studies done; no soil investigations executed; no site surveys and no detailed studies. Tender Board strengthens physical security of bid/ tender documents -Puts measures in p lace to detect tampering The National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) has taken several steps to improve its operations, one of which includes the strengthening of the physical security of bid/ tender documents and putting mechanisms in place to detect attempts at document tampering. This was revealed to Kaieteur News during an exclusive interview with NPTAB

Head, Berkley Wickham. The official said while there is still more work to be done, NPTAB has made crucial improvements since 2015. Wickham said that the physical and cyber security protection of the NPTAB software systems has been strengthened. He also disclosed that improvements were made to the ICT support available to NPTAB by integrating the existing software into the Ministry of Finance’s Integrated Financial Management Information Systems (IFMIS). The NPTAB Head said, “We have also assessed the existing software to capture NPTA tender/bids and letters of award details and found it generate data errors around dates which made for erroneous reporting of tenders/bids and letters of awards data. This was corrected and the software can now produce more accurate data.” ”The software is also incomplete and does not support a bidders register which holds a unique bidder’s number which captures all of the bidders information in one place including the bidder’s business registration id, TIN of all owners, small business id number if so registered, biographic data on owners to support analysis by age and gender, type of business etc. This is being addressed.” The official added, “We even engineered business processes to improve efficiency, effectiveness, coordination and value for money of the NPTA operations, clarify the required organizational structure of NPTA and (Continued on page 41)

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From page 33 task ownership to support the business processes, and to identify the time it should typically take to carry out each procurement method.” Wickham noted that there was a restructuring of the NPTA based on the business processes requirement and a recommendation for a structure for procuring entities. WEDNESDAY Roger Khan asks Florida court to shorten sentence ahead of July release Convicted drug kingpin, Shaheed ‘Roger’ Khan, who was jailed in October 2009 for up to 15 years is asking the US courts to release him early, based on new regulations. The court is fast-tracking the hearings as in any case, he is due out in months. Under the sentencing guidelines, Khan is supposed to be released by July 8th, 2019. However, he is asking a Southern Florida court, to rule that he is entitled to additional good time credits, in keeping with the enacted First Step Act passed last year in the US. Khan is making the petition via a writ of habeas corpus. He is seeking an order from the court directing the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to award him the credits. It was ordered by the court that because of the nature of Khan’s claims, the case has to be fast-tracked and therefore the parties have to respond early. The BOP’s lawyers have to notify the court within one week of receipt of the order, the name of the Assistant United States Attorney to

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whom the case is assigned. On or before April 30, 2019, the BOP has to file a memorandum of fact and law to show cause why this petition should not be granted and shall file therewith all supporting documentation necessary for the resolution of this petition. Khan’s lawyers tendered, in court documents, a notice to inmates, which informed them that on Friday, December 21, 2018, the President of the US, Donald Trump, signed into law new criminal justice legislation called the “First Step Act’. It was explained that this law requires the BOP to implement a number of changes. ”The agency is analyzing all the changes required, but taking careful note of which changes are effective immediately and which changes require additional action. We know that inmates and their families are particularly interested in the changes regarding good conduct time. The law will allow BOP in the future to apply 54 days of credit for every year a sentence was imposed, which is a change to the prior law.” However, the notice had said that while this change may result in additional credit for inmates in the future, it is not effective immediately nor is it applicable to all inmates. Khan was sentenced to 40 years’ imprisonment on three separate charges by US Judge, Dora Irizarry in 2009 after she accepted the plea bargain agreement; he had reached with prosecutors. However, two of the sentences, 10 years for an illegal firearm possession charge,

the issue with these two blocks.” Dr. Mangal emphasized to Kaieteur News that any country which cannot govern itself ethically and for the interests of its most needy, will be exploited. ”And these companies know that Guyana is fair game,” he concluded.

and 15 years for witness tampering, would have run concurrently with the other 15year jail term. Energy Dept. unfit to represent Guyana if it can’t stand up to Exxon, others – Dr. Mangal Until the Department of Energy (DoE) is prepared to challenge huge companies like ExxonMobil and French Oil Major, Total, then it cannot be trusted to look out for Guyana’s interests. This is according to Oil and Gas Consultant, Dr. Jan Mangal. During an exclusive interview with this newspaper Tuesday, Dr. Mangal commented that the DoE does not have the capacity to manage the nation’s oil industry, since it needs many more experienced petroleum professionals. In addition to this, the former Petroleum Advisor to the Government said that the Department’s stance on numerous important issues such as the need to renegotiate the lopsided contract with Exxon for the Stabroek Block, have not been encouraging. The Consultant said,

“The DoE has to be adversarial, since that is how it works across the negotiating table. It needs to be championing a re-negotiation of the Stabroek Block. It needs to hold back on issuing the permits for the Liza Phase Two Project and it need to rescind the award of the Kaieteur and Canje blocks, etc.” Dr. Mangal continued, “The DoE is allowing one company to monopolize Guyana’s offshore acreage, i.e. ExxonMobil. This should not be allowed. Guyana will be further exploited if one company owns too much and ExxonMobil already has too many interests in acreage.” He added, “They will all exploit weak countries where government officials care more about their bank accounts, or protecting their jobs, than about representing their people. Total and ExxonMobil farmed in to the Kaieteur and Canje Blocks, and we know these two blocks were most likely ‘stolen’ from the Guyanese people. Hence Total and ExxonMobil are complicit in

Fallout from US$150M CJIA renovation… Opposition demands public probe-says airport’s fixedprice contract was changed in scope, intent Amid the continuing fallout over the renovated Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), the latest of which Minister David Patterson has laid the blame on the door of the Opposition, there is strong denial coming now from the latter. Tuesday, former Minister of Public Works, Robeson Benn, of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), which is now in Opposition, called for a public investigation into the circumstances that would have seen the Coalition Government deciding in 2015 to reduce the scope of the works on a project that had a fixedprice contract. The project, since coming to light in late 2011, has been dragging on under three different administrations now, and missing several deadlines. It was supposed to be finished in December, but there have been no announcements that the controversial Chinese contractor, China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) has been given more time, although a reduced workforce is there at the

Timehri facility. On Monday, Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, in a statement posted on his Facebook page, said that the blame for what Guyana is getting should be laid at the feet of the Opposition – the PPPwhich lost the 2015 general elections. He said that on entering government in 2015, the Coalition Government after assessing the project was faced with three tough choices – scrap the project; plug more money or work with the remaining sums. He also said that CHEC worked 15 months without an independent supervising consultant and that up to 2015, the Chinese contractor had claims of up to US$90M for just seven percent of the work done. The entire project was pegged at US$150M. It is the largest ongoing project on land that is being carried out by the Government of Guyana. Last evening, Benn, who was at the helm of the Public Works Ministry in 2011 when the contract was signed, in his response to Patterson, explained that Guyana entered into a fixed-price contract with CHEC for the expansion of the CJIA. The idea was to address the clear and still present issues of congestion, aged airport terminal and safety, which beset the operations, at a time when there was a significant increase in passenger and aircraft traffic. THURSDAY Local content policies have little to no teeth-NRGI says laws necessary Quite often, policies which are aimed at ensuring oil companies make maximum use of local goods and services, have limited impact. As such several countries have adopted complementary laws aimed at increasing the size of the local supply and workforce that is used in the oil sector. Highlighting this was the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI), an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to improving countries’ governance over their natural resources. According to NRGI, these complementary laws include provisions aimed at increasing local participation via specific requirements to transfer know-how and skills to local enterprises and workers, and the requirement to train the local labor force. A related legal strategy it said is the requirement to form joint ventures with local public or private companies to ensure in a more direct way that foreign companies transfer knowledge and (Continued on page 42)

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From page 41 technology to local companies. In countries where the State is an active economic player, such as China and Brazil, NRGI said that this approach has been accompanied with an increasing share of public ownership of oil, gas and mining- related industries. These initiatives also can come from the companies themselves and nongovernmental organizations when they design and support

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programmes for private sector development. (Examples of this include The Small Business Initiative, Anglo Zimele by Anglo American in South Africa, Chile and Brazil; and Newmont’s business link programmes with the International Finance Corp. in Peru and Ghana.) NRGI said, “The impact on the local supply depends on the timely coordination of complementary industrial, educational, technological and local content policies. For instance, if there are

no significant educational investments in relevant areas, it would be difficult to identify and train suitable local workers. Furthermore, the local supply needs to be sustainable and ideally internationally competitive in terms of quality, value and scalability. “ Further to this, the Institute said that even after coordinated efforts have been made and significant revenue has been invested, the local industry can remain uncompetitive. At the sub-national level, NRGI explained that countries such as, India, Kazakhstan, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines and South Africa have mandated spending on enterprise and skills development as part of social funds that companies are required to set up. In the Philippines, it outlined that the law requires companies to not only produce development plans for the host and neighbouring communities, but also to contribute to “self-sustaining income generating activities, such as but not limited to, reforestation and production of goods and services needed by the mine and the community.” FRIDAY US$150M airport renovation…State auditors to target duty-free concessions in probe It appears that the authorities are paying attention to rising concerns over the ongoing expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), at Timehri. A major probe is to be carried out to determine whether Guyana received value for its money. It would come after almost a decade of criticisms for a project that was born in secret and has been saddled with one problem after another. According to Auditor General, Deodat Sharma, an audit is being planned at the moment. Declining to go into details, he admitted, however, that all aspects of the US$150M project will be looked at. ”The Auditor General has a mandate. We don’t have to be told to carry out audits on state entities or ministries. We can move in and conduct one.” The project has been raising alarm bells, with constant finger-pointing taking place between political parties, and no one taking the blame for what was to be the country’s showpiece. The project was secretly signed in late 2011, days before general elections and the ending of the Constitutional

two-terms of Bharrat Jagdeo. Since then, it remains incomplete, with Guyana getting a smaller-than-promised terminal building, almost a decade later. The project was supposed to last for 32 months. The quality of work and the amount of concessions that the contractor, China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), received, has been under question. There were reports Thursday that a section of the runway collapsed due to the early morning rains. In recent days, an underpressure Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, under whose remit the project falls, in response to a number of stories by Kaieteur News, disclosed that on entering office in 2015, the Coalition Government during an assessment found several things wrong. One of them was that for almost 15 months, CHEC was doing its work without any independent supervision from a consulting engineer. President Granger announces shakeup in Govt. in dual citizenship fallout *Broomes moved from Natural Resources; Patterson-Yearwood no longer at Housing *Hastings-Williams is new State Minister; Rajkumar takes Business portfolio *Resignations of Harmon, Roopnaraine, Greenidge, Gaskin effective April 24 Four months after a shock no-confidence vote against the government by one of its parliamentarians,

Charrandass Persaud, rocked Guyana, the fallout is continuing. While government has challenged the validity of the vote, the court cases saw questions raised about the issue of dual citizenship. It was found that four ministers- Joseph Harmon, Carl Greenidge, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine and Dominic Gaskin- also had foreign passports. At least three Opposition parliamentarians – Odinga Lumumba, Gail Teixeira and Adrian Anamayah – also have dual citizenship. They have reportedly resigned. According to President David Granger, Thursday, the changes are in keeping with Coalition’s upholding of the Constitution of Guyana. However, there were no details, in his statement, of what would happen to the four ministers who have resigned their positions as parliamentarians and as a result could no longer be ministers. ”Adherence to the Consti-

tution is an essential element of democratic governance and the maintenance of public trust,” Granger explained. He referred to the ruling of the Chief Justice, Roxane George, SC, in the case of Compton Reid vs Speaker of the National Assembly et al which declared on 31st January 2019, that it was unconstitutional for a person holding dual citizenship to be elected as a Member of Parliament. “This ruling was affirmed by a majority decision of the Court of Appeal on 22nd March, 2019. I have a duty to ensure that the Government acts in accordance with the Constitution at all times.” The President said that he has, in accordance with the courts’ rulings, accepted the resignations of Carl Greenidge, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Dominic Gaskin, Minister of Business; Joseph Harmon, Minister of State in the Ministry of the Presidency and Dr Rupert (Continued on page 43)

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From page 42 Roopnaraine, Minister of the Public Service in the Ministry of the Presidency. These resignations took effect Thursday, 25thApril, 2019. The men are all seasoned campaigners. Insiders indicated that they will likely be retained as advisors, with Harmon tipped to be appointed head of the Ministry of the Presidency. Gaskin is the President’s son-in-law, but not part of APartnership for National Unity, which forms the larger part of the Coalition Government. Rather, he is from Alliance For Change, the smaller faction of the Coalition. ”I thank these Ministers for their stewardship as members of my Cabinet and of the National Assembly since May 2015. Their sterling public service has been to our nation’s benefit. Video surfaces of inmates ‘pit bull fighting’ in Lusignan Prison-Authorities launch probe Prison officials are investigating an Easter Monday incident at the Lusignan Prison, in which inmates, with leashes around their necks, snarled, leapt, rolled on the ground and bit at one another while pretending to be dogs. The raucous incident occurred in the holding bay of the Lusignan Prison, reportedly in full view of prison warders. In the video, some of the inmates squatted, snarled, leapt, grabbed and bit at one another, while their ‘handlers’ and onlookers yelled encouragement to the fighting ‘animals.’ Some of the inmates were also observed clambering up the prison fence. Director of Prisons Gladwin Samuels confirmed that he learnt of the ‘dog fights’ after seeing a video of the incident. Samuels said that the alleged ringleader has been identified and has been removed from the Holding Bay. A Board of Inquiry is scheduled to begin investigations today. The investigation will also focus on ascertaining which ranks were on duty and why the ranks failed to report the incident. ”The fact that nothing was reported, all of this will be factored into the investigation,” the Prison Director told Kaieteur News. Samuels said that while the alleged ringleader and other inmates said that they were merely playing, “it is something that should not have happened and they should not have been in possession of phones which they used to make a video. ”There are limits to what you can do (while incarcerated), and the fact that all of this went on and was unreported is a matter of concern.” It is just the most recent of a number of disturbing videos that inmates have brazenly posted of their illegal activities. Last month, an online video

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surfaced of three inmates brandishing improvised weapons, cursing and threatening to ‘kill’ individuals. SATURDAY Conflict of interest debate…Favoritism can be shown when a Govt. official owns a company - TIGI -urges details of procurement process followed be made public Watchdog body, Transparency International Guyana Inc. (TIGI), in the ongoing debate over government officials and government contracts, on Friday argued that even when a minister who owns a firm has not acted directly on an existing conflict of interest, there is the possibility that favouritism can be shown to his/her firm due to the known association with the government. In a statement, TIGI said that an examination of the procurement procedures would provide important insights on the potential for such an occurrence. It was noted that recently, two cases about conflicts of interest have emerged in the public domain. These cases involve the issuance of contracts to Godfrey Yearwood, the husband of the former Minister within the Ministry of Communities with responsibility for Housing, Valerie Patterson-Yearwood, and to Videomega, a media company owned by Minister of Public Telecommunications, Cathy Hughes. The contract for the latter was issued by the Department of Energy. Patterson-Yearwood was moved from the Housing portfolio this week. According to TIGI, in the latter situation, the Minister has indicated that she had relinquished control of the day-today operations of the firm prior to the contract being issued and that she was unaware of the award before it was mentioned in the public domain. “The revised code of conduct for public officers states in Article 4 (3) that “A person in public life shall – (c) refuse or relinquish any outside employment, shareholdings or directorships which creates or is likely to create a conflict of interest.” The body said that the view that individuals should give up their private firms to take up Ministerial positions is therefore relevant based on the code of conduct. However, it advised, it is not the only approach available. “Article 4 (1) (b) of the code provides for seeking guidance from the Integrity Commission on what steps to take and this is separate from declaring interest in a firm. We are not clear on whether the actions taken by the Minister were based on guidance received from the Integrity Commission or whether they were self-determined.” The watchdog body argued in its April 22, 2017 statement on

the draft code of conduct that the appropriate steps to take to address a conflict of interest should not be up to the discretion of the person in the conflict of interest situation. “An overarching issue is that based on the code of conduct, the minister would need to have made or participated in making a decision that she ought to have known further her private interest or that of a family member or some other entity (Article 4 (2), code of conduct).” TIGI said that indicating ignorance about a contract award is therefore not enough.

However, if ignorance of the award means that the minister did not participate in any such decisions or any fora at which the matter was discussed or a relevant decision was made and did not otherwise influence the process, she would not have acted on the conflict of interest. “Nevertheless, even when a minister who owns a firm has not acted directly on an existing conflict of interest, there is the possibility that favouritism can be shown to his/her firm due to the known association with the government. Govt replacement

MPs sworn in The government had challenged the validity of Charrandass Persaud’s vote in support of the No Confidence Motion on December 21 last year. They argued that his dual citizenship rendered him ineligible to serve in the National Assembly. That challenge resulted in much public outcry over the dual citizenship of other parliamentarians. According to Article 155 of the Constitution, persons who have acknowledged allegiance to a foreign power are not permitted to serve in the National Assembly. Four of those dual citizens were government-aligned MPs, Joseph Harmon, Rupert Roopnaraine, Carl Greenidge and Dominic Gaskin. All of those MPs were also ministers of government. During the reconvening of the National Assembly on Friday, those four members of the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) coalition were absent. The Speaker of the House, Dr. Barton Scotland, informed the assembly that this was due to the fact that they tendered their resignations from the House. Since those seats were vacated, Scotland said that it was necessary to have them filled by interested persons who are on the same list as the MPs who have resigned. They were drawn from the list provided by A Partnership for National Unity + Alli-

ance for Change (APNU+AFC) coalition. Scotland said that Roopnaraine resigned effective April 4, while the other three dual citizens tendered their resignations onApril 25. Those individuals also resigned from their ministerial posts. President David Granger had said that he has, in accordance with the courts’ rulings on dual citizens in public office, accepted the resignations of Carl Greenidge, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Dominic Gaskin, Minister of Business; Joseph Harmon, Minister of State in the Ministry of the Presidency and Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine, Minister of the Public Service in the Ministry of the Presidency. Joseph Harmon, Rupert Roopnaraine, Carl Greenidge and Dominic Gaskin were replaced by Mervyn Williams, Tabitha Sarabo-Halley, Donna Mathoo and Reynard Ward respectively. Those persons took the oath of office yesterday, during the opening session. Scotland notified the assembly that he also received notice that the dual citizens from the Opposition, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), have resigned as well. When the speaker made the request for representatives of that party to fill the vacant posts, no one answered the call. As Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo stated during a press conference last Thursday, no parliamentarians from that party attended the sitting.

When Adversity Knocks

Mary was a young girl. She used to get annoyed with everything. She had a negative attitude towards life. Once, when she felt that life was unbearable, she asked her father what to do. She told him that if she was able to manage and solve one problem, another one followed quickly. Her father consoled her and took her to the kitchen. He asked Mary to take a potato, an egg and two spoons of tea leaves. Mary was surprised, and asked her father, “Do you want me to cook?” “No,” her father said. He then took three vessels and poured one cup of water in each vessel. The vessels were placed on the stove.

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Once the water started to boil, he dropped the potato in a vessel, egg in the second one and the tea leaves in the third one. “Why are you doing all these things?” Mary asked, really annoyed with her father. “Just wait fifteen minutes,” said her father. The impatient daughter managed to wait for around 15 minutes. Father removed the potato from the pot and placed in a plate. He did the same with the eggs. He filtered the tea decoction using a cup. Now, he placed the two

plates, one with the potato and the other with the egg, and the cup of tea in front of Mary. He asked Mary, “What do you see?” “Potato, egg and a cup of tea,” said Mary. “No, you are wrong,” said her father. “Look at it closely and answer me.” Mary replied the same. “Now touch it and answer me.”

The potato was cooked and was soft, the egg was boiled hard, and the tea carried a nice aroma. Mary couldn't find the correct answer. Her father said, “The potato was so hard and strong before it was boiled; now it has turned soft and smooth. Also, the egg was delicate but after boiling it became hard. Sip the tea. It is delicious!” Mary asked, “What does it mean father? I don't understand!” “Each object responded differently to water. Each object was put under the same kind of circumstances, faced similar adversities, but reacted differently. The potato, when put in boiling water, became very weak. The soft egg became very hard when we put it in boiling water. And the tea leaves are unique. It changed the water itself, giving it a unique flavour and aroma! It gave something new.” Mary understood that we can create something new and unique even when we experience adversities. So, what are you? A potato, an egg, or a tea leaf?

Junior page

Paper ladybug craft Instructions: Cut a circle shape out of red paper (it's best to use construction paper as base). Cut strips of red paper. Take one strip of paper and glue it onto the base as shown on the picture. Glue on the next one at a 90° angle to the first one. Continue with next two, placing them between the first two. Depending on the size of the ladybug you are making you will need, or better say be able to, add more strips of paper to make the body of the ladybug more full.

What you need opaper in red and black (some white) oscissors ostick glue oblack marker Cut the dots (we used the glue cap as a template) out of black paper. Also cut a half circle shape for the head and two antenna. Cut two small oval shapes out of white paper and draw the eyes with black marker. Glue on the dots and head with the stick glue.

Picture Mix-UP Cut out the squares below. Then arrange them to reveal the picture. When done you can glue the pieces onto a cardboard and start colouring.

Make time for work and play

FUN WITH POETRY by Uncle Roy

All boys and girls need time to play To keep them smart and happy, But we know that we should also find the time For the things that are our duty. So always remember to share the time, You have each and every day, Between the things you love to do, And those that will help in some way. The work you do at school and home Will help to make you succeed, And create a brighter future With all that you will need.

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Manage the Time you have to produce the maximum benefit Manage your Time

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any people fail to use the time that is available because they do not manage their time efficiently to produce the most benefit from their efforts. They either spend more time on unimportant activities, and so find that they have less time left to do the really important ones. Time becomes easier to manage when you take some time before to decide on what will be more important in your life, in your education, and in your dealings with others, and determine to use more of your resources to get these done. In deciding on this, do not fall into the error of accepting that the urgent things that come up are the most important, and spend your time on trivial things rather than what is more meaningful. One suggestion is to organise your tasks into the following categories so as to decide the order in which to do them, and the amount of time that you should spend on each one: Those of High importance: Do First, and Do Next;

Those of Low importance: Do Later, and Don't Do. You should also think of the things that you do that waste a lot of your time, like using the cell-phone and watching TV, and liming with friends for very long periods, which have become such a habit to some that they cannot help themselves unless they think deeply about them and make a determined effort to lessen the time spent on them. In the coming weeks, when most teenagers will be moving towards their final examinations, and need to spend as much time as possible in managing the time available to increase their chance of success in these, it is very important to take some time to prioritise the things you have to do, place them in the categories suggested above, and use this system to get the most benefit from this. This exercise will also equip you with the ability to make the hard choices that will most benefit you, and also prepare you for adulthood, the age when you will be faced with this need to choose between what is trivial and the things that will make life more fruitful and progressive.

Utility Softwar

We must know we have to move along, As time waits on no one; Before you know it, if you idle, All the time you have is gone. There is time for everything I need to do, If I always take care to manage it wisely; For instance, I know when our school begins, So I must be prepared to be there early. Some don't care or value the time they have, But it is most important that you do, For all you know, if you are lackadaisical, Time has moved on without you. We grow and learn new things each day, Once we were small, now we're in our teens, So let's not waste any precious minute, Because time moves faster than it seems. If you have something important to do, Just go ahead and do it, do not wait; Make it one of the good habits in your life, To always do what is needed and never be late.

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK You save time not when you idle and do nothing, but when you spend it for a good cause.

Solutions to last week’s EASTER CRYPTOGRAM PUZZLES WHEN IS EASTER? Easter falls on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the first day of spring. The earliest date for easter is march twenty second and the latest is April twenty-fifth. WHAT IS EASTER? Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of jesus Christ. Christians believe that Jesus was raised from the dead three days after his death on the cross. ORIGIN OF THE EASTER BASKET Easter baskets originated from the germans in the eighteenth century. Instead of baskets, children put out caps or bonnets lined with straw which were filled with colored hard boiled eggs.

Across 2 3 4 5 7 8 9

Down 1 6

Easter sunday allows people to view your data protects your computer destroys viruses that could corrupt your computer opens your computer to other viruses can be grouped into three different categories a virus that pretends to be useful hack yours and other peoples computer at once

organises your data corrupts your computer

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1. A guy goes in for a job interview and sits down with the boss. The boss asks him, “What do you think is your worst quality?” The man says, “I’m probably too honest.” The boss says, “That’s not a bad thing, I think being honest is a good quality.” The man replies, “I don’t care about what you think!” 2. Why did the employee get fired from the calendar factory? He took a day off. 3. My annual performance review says I lack “passion and intensity.” I guess management hasn’t seen me alone with a Big Mac. 4. An employee is getting to know her new co-workers when the topic of her last job comes up. One co-worker asks why she left that job. “It was something my boss said,” the woman replied. “Why? What did he say?” the co-worker asked. “You’re fired.” 5. Here’s some advice: At a job interview, tell them you’re willing to give 110 percent. Unless you’re applying to be a statistician. 6. While I was out to lunch, my coworker answered my phone and told the caller that I would be back in 20 minutes. The woman asked, “Is that 20 minutes Central Standard Time?” 7. When my boss asked me who is the stupid one, me or him? I told him everyone knows he doesn’t hire stupid people. 8. I got fired from the unemployment office on Friday. My boss said, “Clean out your desk, and I’ll see you in the office on Monday.” 9. When my coworker answered his phone, the confused woman on the other end asked, “Who is this?” “This is Steve. With whom did you wish to speak?” After a pause: “Did you just say whom?” “Yes, I did.” The woman replied, “I have the wrong number,” and hung up. 10. Someone has stolen my Microsoft Office and they are going to pay for it... You have my Word. 11. Yesterday at work, I saw someone being horrifically inefficient and told him, “Dude that is definitely slowing you down.” He replied, “Well yea it is, but I’m in the kitchen remodeling business so I’m supposed to be counter productive.” 12. I refused to believe my road worker father was stealing from his job, but when I got home, all the signs were there. 13. I went for an interview for an office job today. The interviewer told me I’d start on $2,000 a month and then after 6 months I’d be on $2,500 a month. I told them I’d start in 6 months. 14. What’s the best way to make a small fortune in the stock market? Start off with a big fortune. 15. A new small business was opening and one of the owner’s friends arranged for flowers to be sent to mark the occasion and wish the owner luck. The flowers duly arrived at the new business site and the business owner read the accompanying card to find it said, “Rest in Peace.” The business owner rang his friend and told him what the card read. The friend was angry and called the florist to complain. After he had told the florist of the obvious mistake and how angry he was, the florist said, “Sir, I’m really sorry for the mistake, but rather than getting angry, you should consider this: Somewhere there’s a funeral taking place today, and they have flowers with a note saying, ‘Congratulations on your new location.’” 16. Our computers went down at work today, so we had to do everything manually. It took me 20 minutes to shuffle the cards for Solitaire. 17. An employee goes to see his supervisor. “Boss,” he says, “we’re doing some heavy house-cleaning at home tomorrow, and my wife needs me to help with the attic and the garage, moving and hauling stuff.” “Sorry, but we’re short-handed,” the boss replies. “I can’t give you the day off.” “Thanks, boss,” says the employee. “I knew I could count on you!” 18. I don’t mind coming to work, it’s the eight-hour wait to go home I can’t stand. 19. I love my job. Lately, colleagues have been writing names on the food in the office fridge. I’m currently eating a yoghurt called Susan. How cute! 20. Retirement is wonderful. It’s doing nothing without worrying about getting caught. 21. I quit my job at the helium gas factory. I refused to be talked to in that tone of voice! 22. My daughter told me she wants to be a secret agent. Based on that alone, I don’t think she’d be a good secret agent.

Kaieteur News

Sunday April 28, 2019

Sunday April 28, 2019

7-Minute Workout

The 12 exercises in the 7-minute workout target all the body’s major muscle groups: 1. Jumping jacks (total body) 2. Wall sit (lower body) 3. Push-up (upper body) 4. Abdominal crunch (core) 5. Step-up onto chair (total body) 6. Squat (lower body) 7. Triceps dip on chair (upper body) 8. Plank (core) 9. High knees/running in place (total body) 10. Lunge (lower body) 11. Push-up and rotation (upper body) 12. Side plank (core) Depending on how much time you have, you can do the 7-minute workout once, or repeat the whole series two or three times. Intensity Level: High Because this workout condenses an entire exercise program into 7 minutes, it has to be intense. The exercises are challenging, and you do them one after the other with only very short breaks in between. Areas It Targets Core: Yes. Abdominal crunches, planks, and side planks work your core muscles. Arms: Yes. Push-ups and triceps dips work the arms. Legs: Yes. There are several leg exercises, including jumping jacks, wall sits, step-ups, squats, and lunges. Glutes: Yes. Squats and lunges also work the glute muscles. Back: Yes. Although there are no specific back exercises, this is a full-body workout, and many of the whole-body exercises also work the muscles in your back. Type Flexibility: No. This workout doesn’t include a stretch, although you could add one afterward. Aerobic: Yes. Because you run through the exercises very quickly and work many large muscle groups at once, you get an aerobic workout that helps burn fat and trim down body weight. Strength: Yes. The exercises work all the major muscle groups, building strength throughout the body. Sport: No. This is not a sport; it’s a workout. Low Impact: No. The recommended aerobic exercises (jumping jacks and high knees/running in place) are high impact. What Else Should I Know? Cost. The workout is free, and there are free apps you can download to your smartphone or tablet that will walk you through the program and time the intervals for you. Good for beginners? No. It’s too intense. And because you’re doing this solo, it helps to have some experience with general exercises like crunches and planks, so you use good form and technique.

SOLUTION TO LAST WEEK’S WORD SEARCH

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Life on a farm

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Shenseea to headline UG FETE on May 21 Guyana Carnival organizers are proud to present “UG Fete” featuring the #1Trending Gyal Shensea” alongside the nation’s very own, Timeka Marshall on May 21st. For UG Fete, Guyana Carnival collaborates with PACE ( Philanthrophy, Alumni and Civic Engagement) and The Student’s Society in order to raise funds which strive to foster the rounded development of the University of Guyana’s students. This will happen through the provision of services; programmes and the facilities to complement the academic environment that is holistically conducive to learning. General tickets cost $3000 and the stage front tickets cost $10000.UG Students will be able to receive a special rate of $2500 for a general ticket and a stage front ticket at $8000.Tickets will be on sale

at the University of Guyana’s Campus and the Guyana Carnival box office located at 206 Lance Gibbs Street Queenstown.The princess of dancehall will be at the Turkeyen Campus on May 20th performing where students will also be given the

opportunity to ask questions.Guyana Carnival 2019 is slated for May 17th– 27th with combinations of cooler fetes, mega concerts, day tours, jouverts and a grand Independence Day road parade. Make sure you get there!

Reggae Super star Buju Banton to perform in Guyana on May 25 Reggae Super star Buju Banton is confirmed to perform in Guyana on May 25, 2019 as part of the Guyana Independence Carnival Celebrations. Over the past couple days, much excitement has been generated after a few popular social media sites leaked information that Buju Banton is expected to perform in Guyana in May. Well, now it is coming directly from the horse’s mouth, he is coming. After seeing how excited Guyanese were to see Buju, High Frequency Entertainment in collaboration with King Leo Promotion and the Guyana Carnival Committee decided that it is a great opportunity to make Guyana a part of the ‘Long Walk to Freedom’ tour. Buju Banton, who’s ‘Long Road to Freedom’ tour was announced late last year,

listed many countries in the Caribbean, such as, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, St. Kitts, Suriname, Grenada and his home country of Jamaica; finally, Guyana is on that list. Banton, who has always referred to Guyana as one of his favourite countries to perform in the Caribbean, has not performedhere for over 12 years, however, he will return with his full band to give his Guyanese fans a long overdue and highly anticipated con-

cert. The reggae superstar is known for hits such as, ‘untold stories’, wanna be loved’, ‘champion’, ‘deportees’, ‘not an easy road’ and much more. Tickets for this event will go on sale online and at ticket locations locally in the coming days. Stay tuned to social media sites @guyanacarnival and our website www.guyanacarnival592.com for more details.

Game of Thrones Season 8 Ep. 3 for viewing at 704 on Sunday The Third Episode of Game of Thrones Season 8 is all set for viewing at the exquisite 704 Sports Bar this Sunday at 9 PM. There will be a lineup of unique Game of Thrones cocktails such as, “Winter is Coming,” “Ours is the Fury”, “Fire and blood”, and “The Red Woman” for you to indulge in. Show up in your Game of Thrones Costume and you can get a free drink too. See you there.

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GUYANA CARNIVAL TO HOST W.E.T WEDNESDAY FEATURING MACHEL MONTANO

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uyana Carnival is proud to present, The Monk of Soca, Machel Montano on May 22. This event will be labeled “Wet Wednesday” where Machel will share the stage with reigning soca monarch winner, Mr. Killa and Guyana’s very own Jumo Primo. The venue is set for the National Park and starts at 8PM sharp. Come enjoy sounds by DJ Energy, DJ Shizzle, Patrick The Hypeman, DJ Jayand and DJ Jus Jay. Tickets cost $5000 for general and $25,000 for VIP. Visit guyanacarnival.eventbrite.com or its box office at 206 Lance Gibbs Street, Queenstown.

Wine of the week The Aqui Malbec 2015 is one of the sultriest selections from Argentina Food pairing: This selection will pair extremely well with leaner red meats, and even lighter cuts like dark meat turkey or roasted pork. It also works well with pepper, sage, creamy mushroom sauces, melted cheese, and in particular, blue cheese. This divine wine can b e f o u n d a t t h e Wi n e Va u l t l o c a t e d a t t h e Marriott Hotel for $4000 VAT inclusive. You can also find it at the Hibiscus Restaurant, Nice Restaurant and Bar, Palm Court and other leading hotels and bars.

The Aqui Malbec 2015 is one of the sultriest selections you can possess from Argentina. With its intense red color, AQUI Malbec showcases mature tannins that support fresh plum, strawberry and cherry flavors. It is the perfect balance of acidity, sustained through the lingering finish, invites repeated sips and thereby makes it a modern yet superb representation from the M e n d o z a v a l l e y o f A rgentina. It has without a doubt, earned its place among the best Malbecs.

Air Pollution Can Be Deadly for Seniors Even levels of air pollution deemed “safe” by U.S. government standards may shorten the life spans of seniors, new research suggests. In fact, hundreds of older Americans may die prematurely each year due to the effects of dirty air, the study found. The finding stems from a computer prediction analysis that correlated fine particle and ozone pollution levels between 2000 and 2012 with death rates on roughly 93 percent of all Americans who were covered by Medicare at the time. “This is the most comprehensive study of short-term exposure to pollution and mortality to date,” said senior study author Francesca Do-

minici, co-director of the Harvard Data Science Initiative in Boston. “We found that the mortality rate increases almost linearly as air pollution increases. Any level of air pollution, no matter how low, is harmful to human health,” Dominici said in a Harvard news release. During the study period, 22 million people covered by the investigation died. While the study only found an association, the investigators found that for every tiny incremental increase in either particulate pollution or ozone levels, the daily death rate bumped up between roughly 0.5 and 1 percent. Though the figures may seem small, Dominici and her

colleagues pointed out that it adds up when multiplied across the entire population of American seniors, amounting to more than 7,100 premature deaths over the study period. What’s more, the research team noted that some groups of seniors are even more vulnerable to such exposure, with low-income seniors facing a three times higher risk than more well-off seniors. In a similar vein, women were found to face a 25 percent greater premature death risk following pollution and ozone exposure compared with men. The same was true of nonwhite Americans, relative to their white peers. https://medlineplus.gov/ news/fullstory_170680.html.

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New NGO on a mission to make learning easier Happy Helpers is a Non Governmental Organization, (NGO) founded by two young Guyanese nationals, Jonathan and Brisshana Benn. It has the goal to develop educational resources that will make teaching and learning easier. T h e g r o u p ’s f i r s t initiative was the release of a book titled “Science Made Easy (A Preparation Tool for Primary Science Examinations)”. Described by many as a “game changer”, the book Science Made Easy is unique and unlike any other. Since It has been released, it has already begun to help teachers, parents and students overcome several challenges faced when preparing for the National

Grade Six Examinations. Teachers are finding it very helpful to more quickly complete revision with the children. Parents now have a clear guideline of what their children need to know and are better equipped to help their children at home. Students do not need to resurrect books from grade 4, 5 and 6 to study for the examinations; they are able to read concise notes that cover the content they need to know all in one book. Science Made Easy is just the beginning as Happy Helpers is working to develop more resources that will make teaching and learning easier. A representative of the NGO noted that Happy Helpers is excited to announce the coming of complementary workbooks for the title Science Made

Members of the group and students during a book showing event Easy. Jonathan Benn said, “In the not so distant future, we also will be releasing the highly anticipated Social

Studies book. Other than books, we will also be releasing a series of posters that will boost delivery of topics in the subject area of Science and Social Studies. There is so much more in store for our supportive schools, teachers, parents and students! “In brief, we pledge to provide educational

resources that will positively affect the lives of all children. Happy Helpers wholeheartedly thanks everyone that will purchase this book from authorized retailers for your continual support. Every purchase of an original book will help us to continue to make genuine contributions to impact the

lives of all children. We are happy to help!” To learn more about Happy Helper, the public contact the group via a facebook page Happy Helpers or call telephone # 592 688-3367 or 592-644-8007. Otherwise, visit the Andrews Supermarket located on Aubrey Barker Road, South Ruimveldt Park.

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STANDARDS IN FOCUS

ADDRESS WORKPLACE SAFETY WITH THE ISO 45001 STANDARD As we prepare to conclude our celebration of occupational safety and health month, April 2019 under the theme: “Safety and health and the future of work: Building on the knowledge and achievements accumulated over the years”, workplaces could consider the implementation of the ISO 45001 standard. Worldwide, it is estimated that every 15 seconds a worker dies from a work related accident or disease, and 153 people experience a work related injury. These statistics represent an enormous burden for organisations and society as a whole, resulting in over 2.3 million deaths per year, not to mention the more than 300 million non-fatal accidents. The ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety Standard is considered to be one of the key standards, which can guide organisations towards the implementation of an effective process that reduces accidents and incidents in workplaces. The standard is designed to help organisations of all sizes and industries put in place a safe work environment for their employees. According to David Smith, Chairperson of the Committee that formulated the standard, the ISO 45001 follows a simple Plan-DoCheck-Act (PDCA) model, which provides the framework for organisations to plan what they need to put in place in order to minimize the risk of harm. These measures should address concerns that can lead to long-term health issues and absence from work, as

well as those that give rise to accidents. For example, many suffer from psychological risk such as stress, which is believed to be one of the biggest problems of the modern age and, apart from the misery caused to workers and their families, is a huge cost to society. The ISO 45001 requires that top management take ownership and demonstrate commitment through leadership to ensure that workers have the appropriate skills and that effective controls are put in place. The standard also recognizes the value of worker’s involvement and worker’s consultations to develop and apply better OSH practices. In addition, checks to identify all the elements that should be addressed in order to ensure the system is working are address by the standard. With much experience in this field, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has provided input on those aspects of their standards that are relevant and essential for effective OSH management. These aspects include the importance of top management’s involvement and the essential role of workers in participating in the OSH management system’s development and operation. Worldwide adoption of the standard should reduce the horror stories presented in the local and international media regarding poor OSH

A mini health check is the first step to donating blood

practices that have led to the loss of life, injury and largescale disasters. Such events emphasize the need to consider the work-

ers and those, including the community, who might be affected by the organization’s activities. Finally, the implementa-

tion of the ISO 45001 standard could be the answer to stem the loss of the lives due to the collapse of pits in the mining of gold locally.

For further information, please contact the GNBS on telephone numbers: 219-0065, 219-0066 or visit the GNBS website: www.gnbsgy.org

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Victoria Village - the land of traditional cassareep and masquerade By Alex Wayne As the minibus rolled into the Victoria, Guyoil Gas Station, I experienced a sense of joyous anticipation. Visiting Victoria Village, East Coast Demerara, was always something to relish. This village holds a certain refreshing yesteryear aura. Villagers remain glued to traditions. This village, located on the Atlantic coast of Guyana, some 18 miles east of Georgetown, is sandwiched between the villages of Cove and John to the west and Belfield on the east. In this village, one can still savour pepperpot, cassava bread, black pudding and other Creole dishes at almost any time of the day. And one can still can hear the beckoning sounds of African or Masquerade drums as stalwarts stick to their roots and uphold them. There is still the fresh smell of cassareep emitting from at least two factories, and one can occasionally hear the loud slapping sounds of mothers kneeling by trenches beating their laundry with large wooden paddles. There is still the mirthful spectacle of young men gawking at the women’s ample bosoms, or staring at their thighs as their wet skirts ride higher with movement. Young girls still play hopscotch on the railway dams, and noisy lads pitch marbles under the houses. Mothers fuss over stew pots in the kitchen. Just as in olden days, the mango and genip trees still sway lazily, all laden with fruits, and young men still gather in groups, smoking cigarettes, playing dominoes, or simply bellowing at each other as they tease and taunt their colleagues mercilessly. Farmers still make their way into the backlands on bicycles, while food vendors wear bright smiles as they trade their tasty Creole items

from small stalls in front of their homes, or by the roadside. Victoria Village is almost just as it was when I visited about six years ago…It still sports small cottages and many kitchen gardens, but one has to admit that in some places new businesses and more modern homes, have emerged. My first stop was at the Guyoil Gas Station. On learning that I was a journalist, the female pump attendants all became excited. The supervisor rushed off to powder her nose and soon returned with the male security guard hot in tow, demanding that he shares a moment in any photos that were to be taken. I almost burst out laughing as a few of them forgot they had vehicles to attend to. They posed for photos. Their moments of excitement were soon short-lived as impatient drivers bellowed (using profanities) and enquired whether they were working or were on a fashion show. Roadside food vendor, Rose Moses, who was no stranger to me screamed out in delight and hugged me so tightly I thought she was going to squeeze me to death. After plastering affectionate kisses on my cheeks, she demanded that I sit down and sample one of her large cheese rolls. And my, oh my! Her fruit punch was certainly the most delicious I ever tasted. She called it the ‘Victoria Fantasy’, and it was made with a combination of ginger, cherry, watermelon and papaw pulp to which a little essence was added. The ‘magic trick’ (an ingredient she would not disclose) gave it the “come to me, stay to me flava”, as she would put it over. Rose has been trading her food items on the parapets of the Victoria Public Road, and large crowd always gather to savour the countryside delicacies she offered.

Jennifer Moses desires more market for her cassava bread

Welcome to Victoria Village, the land of traditional cassareep and cheery people

TREKSAROUND THEVILLAGE I first went in search of the popular Joker is Wild Masquerade Band in Victoria. I found them now under the leadership of Raphael Waldron. When they first came into being many, many years ago, it was first under the guidance of his talented brother, Tony Waldron who has migrated to greener pastures in Barbados. I had a great time with the Joker is Wild Band members. They were very elated at the fact that the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport and Ministry of Social Cohesion was finally taking strides to ensure that the masquerade art form be preserved. Soon after, I was on my way to the famous Major’s Cassareep Factory, located a bit deeper in the village. There I was received by the cheerful manager, Mrs. Denise Major-Worrell, who was all excited to become the focus of our newspaper. Quickly, she called out to her employees to bring her best wig, a clean apron and headwear. She had me doubling over with laughter as she practised which pose was best suited for the Kaieteur cameras. She said that the cassareep factory came into being some 70 years ago. It

‘Denise Major-Worrell (third from left) and employees proudly display products from the Major’s Cassareep Factory was founded by her mother, Edna Major, who started operating from underneath her home in Victoria. She explained that the factory over time has offered jobs to almost every able resident. “This place has a lot of history. My mother started the cassareep factory, and almost every villager worked right here. “My mother and my dad, Allan Major, kept the workers all happy. They tried to pay them the best salaries and wages. “At first, we sold just cassareep to villagers and outsiders, but soon after with expansion, we were supplying supermarkets in and around the city. “Today, we are not only doing cassareep, but many other items as well, perfectly suited to spice up your meats and your meals. “Just recently, we introduced our new Coconut Chutney, Miracle Season and our Garlic Sauce, which are very hot items in the kitchen.” Hoping to get her products on the international market, Denise and her husband Allan, are now building a spanking new factory within the village. That will see them readying for the export trade. The sun was at its high-

est, and my shirt was clinging to my body. I regretted I had not worn suitable apparel for the weather, as Victoria was all about cheery people and scorching sunshine on that particular day. Braving the heat and the dust on the railway line, I soon arrived at the Moses Cassava bread factory. I was met by many smiling faces at this family-owned business, but the minute it was time to take photos, the place was almost empty as some of the camera shy family members scooted to various areas in the large yard. With much coaxing, however, a few came forward mouthing, “Yuh betta mek me look good in dah paper. We nah want look stupid fuh dem Victoria people laugh me.” This facility has been in existence for over ten years and the owner, Jennifer Moses, 60, said that it has been handed down from generation to generation. While she enjoys what she does, she hopes to expand, and wants to secure more retail locations for their products. At this factory, they make cassava bread, ‘quinches’ (sweetened coconut pulp folded into cassava bread) and produce a small quantity of cassareep.

“I want my business to continue many years after I am gone. I hope my family will keep the tradition going. At present, we sell in the village and outside as well. “Some stalls in the Stabroek Market take our products. Vendors from other locations do the same. But we are desperately searching for other locations to take our stuff, and we would really like to get on the international market.” Mrs. Moses can be contacted on phone number 2560592. My next stop was to chat with the farmers, some of whom I found perched on a concrete culvert on the railway line. A few shied away but the majority applauded the fact that finally the RDC was cleaning a major irrigation trench that fed water to their farms in the backlands. The trench has become clogged with tall grass and weeds, which have greatly hampered the free flow of water to the farms. Persons cultivating vegetables on the reserves of the Backdam Road were also happy with the new development. VICTORIATODAY One can safely say that (Continued on page 59)

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Victoria Village - the land of traditional cassareep... (From page 58) Victoria Village earned the reputation of being a most peaceful place in which to live. And it had a right to be peaceful because enshrined in its articles of understanding were a host of do’s and don’ts which no doubt led to the enormous moral success of the village. The committee of management, which was founded soon after the slavery days, did not only plan the development of the village, but also looked over the works carried out by residents who were the shareholders. But today, things are a little bit different has villagers (especially the young at heart) have become caught up in the tentacles of modernization. The sight of young men and women swearing in the streets, young boys dressing like thugs, and many verbal outbursts amongst youngsters is rapidly becoming a norm. It’s the relentless drive by village elders and mature residents that keeps the traditional values, beliefs and practices of Victoria alive and bubbling. HISTORY OF VICTORIA VILLAGE The book, ‘History of Victoria Village’, written by William N. Arno, tells the inspiring story of how a group of recently emancipated Africans pooled their resources together in order to make an unprecedented purchase of a sizable village on East Coast Demerara. The purchase was one aspect of that inspiring story; the other aspect was that those “intrepid” ex-slaves were able to draft rules and regulations to preserve their investment.

There were 20 Articles in that Agreement “for the good regulation and general benefit of said estate.” This tells us that the ex-slaves knew exactly what they wanted out of the investment; and two of the first things they wanted were a church and a school house, “which shall be used and devoted to the purposes of Religion as a School House and Church, where our children may be taught to read their Bibles and learn their several duties; and where we may offer up to Almighty God our humble prayers and thanks for the mercies we have received, and the benefits we are enjoying.” In essence, education and church were accorded top priority in the grand scheme of things. According to the book, in November 1839, eighty-three persons, including two women, bought what was then Plantation Northbrook for 30,000 Guilders ($10,284.63c). But while it was mentioned both in the book and other documentation that just two women were involved in that transaction, the actual list of names has revealed that there were other women in on the deal. In a petition (dated November 30, 1839) to the Queen through the Governor, Henry Light, the villagers wrote: “We would fain band down to posterity some token of our gratitude, and some memento of the emancipation, which we have witnessed, partaken of, and enjoyed; and we conceive that we cannot do so more effectually…than by being allowed to name our plantation after our good and gracious young Queen Victoria, entreating the governor to represent them in such a way

Farming is still a main source of livelihood for villagers

as to “obtain her Royal consent.” It is credited with one of the first codes of Local Government in Guyana, established in 1845. The village grew up to become one of the leading exporters of products made from coconuts and cassava. In May 1845, six years after the village was purchased, the owners agreed to a number of regulations for the proper management of the estate, which is among the first attempts at a code of Local Government in Guyana. The people in the village showed a great desire for church worship and used to travel as far as Le Ressouvenir, 11 miles to the west, to attend services conducted by the Reverend John Smith. At the same time, some of them were also taught to read and write. The keen desire for church worship resulted in the construction of church buildings. The first church was built by

Victoria is certainly the land of masquerade

Food vendor Rose Moses (inside stall) gets ready to make a sale of her Creole snack items. the Congregationalists in 1845 and named Wilberforce, after abolitionist who was prominent among those striving for the liberation of slaves. Other churches followed suit and soon the Wesleyans, Plymouth Brethren, Lutheran, Catholic, Methodist and An-

glicans were numbered among those functional. The cultural standards of the village improved, chiefly influenced by the churches and the schools. Associations were formed with the aim of holding debates and suppressing indulgence in alco-

hol. The Cove and John sugar plantation and Belfield coconut estates boosted employment and thus, the economy at that time. Join us next week when we take our village focus treks to Enmore on the East Coast of Demerara.

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Parliament honours ex-MP convicted for terrorism When the National Assembly convened on Friday, it honoured Abdul Kadir, a former Member of Parliament who served on the list of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R), and as former Mayor of Linden. Kadir was born Michael Seaforth, but changed his name in 1974 when he converted to Islam. He was a chemical engineer by profession. Minister Valarie AdamsYearwood noted that, “being a man who travelled extensively, throughout the Caribbean, South America, Canada, England and the Middle East, Abdul Kadir was fluent in English, Spanish, French and Arabic.” “The people of Linden and Guyana have lost a great man, a stalwart, a bold and courageous man,” she had told the Assembly. Despite those praises, Kadir’s life was marked by a controversy that reverberated across the globe. He was arrested on June 2, 2007 in Trinidad, while en route to Caracas, Venezuela, where he planned to pick up a visa in order to attend an Islamic conference in Iran. He was then extradited to America. Kadir was investigated for being involved in a plot, which resulted in him being sentenced to life in prison. It was concluded that he conspired to attack John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, New York, by exploding fuel tanks and the fuel pipeline under the airport. A US Federal Jury convicted Kadir and one of his co-conspirators, Russell DeFreitas, in July 2010, after a nine-week trial. Records from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) report that, “Kadir and his coconspirators believed their attack would cause extensive damage to the airport and to the New York economy, as well as the loss of numerous lives.” The FBI had concluded that Kadir, a trained engineer with connections to militant groups in Iran and Venezuela, provided the conspirators with links to individuals with terrorist experience, advice on explosive materials, and a bank account through which to finance the terrorist attack. It further found that the members of the plot attempted to enlist support from prominent international terrorist groups and leaders, as well as

Abdul Kadir, deceased the government of Iran, including Abu Bakr, leader of the Trinidadian militant group Jamaat Al Muslimeen, and Adnan El Shukrijumah, an Al Qaeda leader. Other co-conspirators in the case were Kareem Ibrahim and Abdel Nur. Kadir died in prison on June 28, 2018. The National Assembly presented a motion of sympathy for his death. The motion was passed with the resolution that the Parliament directs an expression of its sympathy to his sorrowing widow, children and relatives. Former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, in a release, said that, while he does not wish to speak ill of the dead, “the issue is much larger than the deceased”. Had Kadir succeeded in his plot, Nandlall said, the damage would have been monumental to “property and loss of lives and injuries, possibly, including dozens of Guyanese, who may have been passing through or who work at the said airport.” He added that Guyana would have faced multiple international sanctions, including being placed on the terror watch list. “Guyana is still not fully compliant with the international requirements regarding its anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism regime. In fact, only recently, the [current] Attorney General so conceded.” He added that Guyana was identified by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) as a country that poses a risk of money laundering and the financing of terrorism. Nandlall said that against that background and the recent spike in terrorists attacks in various countries, Guyana “did not send the right signal” by paying tribute to a convicted terrorist.

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Guyana team participates in surveying and spatial Professionals Week in Vietnam better with other agencies and have better information to support farmers, the agriculture sector, the Guyana Police Force and all other critical agencies.” Only last week the Commission informed a number of local stakeholders on progress made on the National Spatial Data Infrastruc-

At centre is Commissioner of the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission, Trevor Benn, and team members; Veit Mendonca, Senior Land Administration Officer; and Mr. Joel Trotman, Land Use Planner Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission, Mr. Trevor Benn, is currently leading a delegation to the International Federation of Surveyors (FIG) Working week conference in Hanoi, Vietnam. FIG Working Week is a conference that brings the international community of surveying and spatial professionals together to discuss key challenges within the surveying profession. During a presentation to the delegates of the conference, Mr. Benn used the op-

portunity to highlight efforts that Guyana is making to modernize its National Spatial Data Infrastructure, (NSDI) in support of National growth. The NSDI is a digital and opendata geospatial information system, which facilitates communications among different sectors and enhances decision-making processes. The Lands and Surveys Commission has worked in tandem with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to bring an NSDI action plan into fruition. Mr. Benn told the confer-

ence that he was extremely pleased with the development of the action plan. This action plan, he reminded, sets out the priorities for improving the cooperation in data and information management. Explaining why NSDI is critical and much needed in Guyana, Mr. Benn told the delegates, “The NSDI helps different sectors to combine their information and database to create one map, so that all sectors can make decisions together.” He added, “It will enable the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission to interact

First floating platform almost complete; Stabroek Block will... From page 3 capacity to produce up to 220,000 gross bpd and is expected to begin producing by mid2022. Hess said that a third development, Payara, was expected to be sanctioned late in 2019 with the first production expected in 2023. The Payara development is expected to have the capacity to produce between 180,000 and 220,000 gross bpd from a third FPSO. It has previously been said that the Stabroek block could need ”up to five FPSOs” to develop the discoveries made. However, with what seems to be a never-ending string of discoveries in the block, with Exxon last week announcing its 13th find, Hess now says there could be ”at least five,” FPSOs needed. In a conference call on Thursday, John Hess, CEO of Hess Corp said, “We have now

made 13 significant discoveries on the block since 2015, which will underpin at least five floating production storage and offloading vessels to produce more than 750,000 gross barrels of oil per day by 2025. Gross discovered recoverable resources on the block are estimated to be more than 5.5 billion barrels of oil equivalent with multibillion barrels of future exploration potential remaining.” ExxonMobil subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited is the operator of the Stabroek Block and holds 45 percent interest. Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd. holds 30 percent interest, and CNOOC Nexen Petroleum Guyana Limited holds the remaining 25 percent interest. (www.offshoreenergytoday.com)

ture (NSDI) Action Plan for Guyana. While in Vietnam, Commissioner Benn also met with the Chairman of the Vietnam Natural Resources and Environment Corporation, Mr. Le Xuan Dung, at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in Vietnam to discuss areas of cooperation for

Guyana’s successful implementation of NSDI. Accompanying the Commissioner are Mr. Veit Mendonca, Senior Land Administration Officer; and Mr. Joel Trotman, Land Use Planner. The conference which was officially declared open on April 22 ended on Friday.

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US imposes sanctions on Pakistan after it refuses to - Pakistanis likely to be denied visas accept deported nationals Washington: The US has imposed sanctions on Pakistan after Islamabad refused to take back its citizen deportees and visa overstayers from America, warning that it may withhold visas of Pakistanis beginning from its senior officials. The State Department on Friday said that consular operations in Pakistan remain “unchanged” as of now but as a result of such a sanction mentioned in a Federal Register notification dated 22 April, the US may withhold visas of Pakistanis beginning with its senior officials.

Pakistan is the latest to join the list of 10 nations that have been imposed with sanctions under a US law according to which countries refusing to take back deportees and visa overstayers will be denied American visas. Notably eight of these countries have been slapped with such visa sanctions under the Donald Trump administration. Two of them Ghana and Pakistan have been included in the list this year. The other countries include Guyana in 2001, the

Gambia in 2016, Cambodia, Eritrea, Guinea, and Sierra Leone in 2017, Burma and Laos in 2018. Under Section 243 (d) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, the Secretary of State is required to discontinue granting immigration or non-immigrant visas to a nation upon receiving notice from the Homeland Security Secretary that the country has denied or is unreasonably delaying accepting a citizen, subject, national or resident of that country. The State Department tried to downplay the impact of the sanctions on Pakistan. “Consular operations in Pakistan remain unchanged,” a State Department Spokesperson told PTI when asked about the federal register notification. “This is a bilateral issue of ongoing discussion between the US and Pakistani governments and we are not going to get into the specifics at this time,” the spokesperson added. Former Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US, Hussain Haqqani, feels that this will make things difficult for Pakistanis.

“This measure will create hardship for Pakistanis who want or need to travel to the US and could have been avoided if Pakistani authorities had not ignored American requests to respect their legal requirements for deportation,” Haqqani told PTI, days after the federal register notification. He said that Pakistan’s refusal to accept its citizen deported from the US is not new. “Pakistan’s refusal to accept every Pakistani citizen deported from the US is not new. It seems that the US is no longer willing to overlook a wide range of official Pakistani behaviour. Bonhomie has been replaced by sanctions and restrictions based on Islamabad’s policy decisions,” Haqqani said. While the law in this regard has been under existence since 1996, it is only in last several years that there had been increasing demand from lawmakers towards its enforcement against countries that had refused to accept deportees and visa over-stayers. In the last few years, India has been taking such deportees on special planes at regular intervals. The Trump administration after coming to power had said that it will strictly enforce such provisions by denying visas to people from those countries that refuse it

US Secretary of State: Mike Pompeo accepting deportees and visa over-stayers. While section 243 (d) of the Immigration and Nationality Act was used only twice before 2017, the Trump Administration has been effective in using this provision on many countries, including Pakistan. However, the State Department federal register notification indicates that the number of visa denial under this sanction is far less. Since the law was modified to cover nonimmigrant visas in 1996, 318 visa applicants have been affected, the notification said. “During this same time period, tens of millions of aliens have received nonimmigrant visas including, collectively, millions of applicants from the 10 countries affected,” the

notification said. The Federal Register notification said that there is no set formula, though, notably State has never issued a blanket refusal for visas from the country in question. “For some countries, sanctions begin by targeting officials who work in the ministries responsible for accepting the return of that country’s nationals with escalation scenarios that target family members of those officials and potentially officials of other ministries and then other categories of applicants if initial sanctions do not prove effective at encouraging greater cooperation on removals by the targeted government,” the notification said. (FirstPost story)

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No ‘cake walk’ elections…. Granger tells PNCR’s General Council to beware of arrogance, racialization

A part of the Council who were gathered yesterday.

The Peoples’ National Congress Reform (PNCR), which forms a major part of A Partnership For National Unity (APNU), held its General Council Meeting yesterday at its headquarters, Congress Place, Sophia. The council was told to be prepared for elections which will be no ‘cake walk’. APNU is the bigger faction in the Coalition Government.The General Council was chaired by Volda Lawrence, MP, Chairperson of the PNCR. According to the party, yesterday, in her address to the General Council, Lawrence welcomed the participants to the first meeting of Council for 2019. She also led the General Council in a rousing welcome of President David Granger, Leader of the PNCR. He has been in and out of Guyana since last year, for chemo treatment of cancer. In her welcome remarks, the Party Chairman reminded the council that within days of President Granger’s return from Cuba, he addressed the nation and said that “the Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana is the country’s

supreme law… your government is committed to upholding the Constitution unreservedly.” She pointed out that that statement was followed by the resignation of four parliamentarians with dual citizenship; the reassignment of four ministers and the announcement of four new Members of Parliament. The Chairman congratulated the new MPs and thanked the former ministers for their service to Guyana. “Comrades, we must not forget their many significant contributions and hard work provided as ministers of the David Granger government. We do thank them and look forward to working with them be it in other areas,” she said. In her address, Lawrence also called on all party leaders and groups “to endeavour to inform their constituents of the progress of the government, the value of our policies and their positive impact on the various communities across the country.” She said that there has been significant work for the past four years to reduce crime and corruption. “In this period, extrajudicial killings have vanished, the sale of illegal drugs is being addressed; health care, education and social services have significantly improved and we have dealt congenially with the public. We have been honest, reliable and efficient and have willingly worked the long hours needed to advance the economy, develop and move the country forward and improve the lives of the masses.” In her report to the General Council, Party General Secretary (GS), Amna Ally, brought the council up-

to-date on the state of the party and the work of the Party’s Secretariat over the last quarter. She noted that the period under review was a very active one for the PNCR. She warned members that the year ahead was going to be extremely active as the party prepares for the General and Regional Elections. The General Secretary assured the council that the party was ready for elections at any time.General Secretary of APNU, Joseph Harmon, also briefed General Council on the Coalition’s preparations for the upcoming General and Regional Elections. Harmon warned that these elections were not going to be a ‘cake-walk’ and urged members to continue mobilizing and organising at the group, district and regional level to ensure victory. The feature address was delivered by President Granger.According to PNCR, the Leader thanked members for their prayers and support over the past six months. He reminded the Council that the PNCR was a strong party in and out of season and that since December 21, last, the Coalition government had at all times adhered to and acted in accordance with the Constitution of Guyana. “We have respected the legislative branch…We have respected the judicial branch. The executive branch has continued to function.” Granger said, “There is no such thing in the Constitution as a ‘care-taker’ government, there is the government and government continues to function.” In reviewing the stewardship of the Coalition (Contiinued on page 54)

Chairperson of PNCR, Volda Lawrence addressing the General Council. Also in photo are President David Granger and other senior officials of the party.

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Bottas takes Baku pole after Leclerc crashes BAKU (Reuters) - Valtteri Bottas snatched pole position for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix yesterday in an incident-packed qualifying session that saw Mercedes lock out the front row and Ferrari favorite Charles Leclerc crash out. The Finn lapped the sixkm Baku street circuit in one minute, 40.495 seconds, just 0.059 seconds faster than team mate and championship leader Lewis Hamilton. Sebastian Vettel, the sole Ferrari driver chasing pole after Leclerc crashed out in the second phase of qualifying, will line up in third place after his fastest lap was 0.302 seconds off Bottas’s pace. Hamilton had been fastest after the first flying laps in the third and final phase but Bottas found the extra speed

just when it mattered. “It was a nice feeling getting it done on the last lap,” said the Finn, after the eighth pole position of his career and second in a row. The 29-year-old also started the previous race in China from the front. “I managed to hit the sweet spot,” added the Finn. Hamilton’s second-fastest time gave Mercedes their third front-row lockout of the season, leaving the German marque well-placed to extend their streak of three straight one-two finishes in as many races. “Ferrari have looked incredibly quick,” said Hamilton, who won in Baku last year and leads Bottas by six points in the overall standings. “This is a massively great result for us. We came here,

we didn’t have an upgrade so for us to lock out the front row, it puts us in a great position for tomorrow. Pacewise we are closer in race trim,” added the five-times champion. Ferrari had started the session looking dominant after Leclerc had led every practice session. However, the Monegasque — fired up after being ordered to move over for Vettel in China and denied a maiden Formula One win by engine trouble in Bahrain — hit the wall. He will still start ninth, however. RED FLAGS With the session running late after two lengthy red-flag delays, and with temperatures dropping and no slipstream, Vettel was unable to extract the lap time from his Ferrari.

Sunday April 28, 2019 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Your telepathy and intuition are at an all-time high today, Aries. You should find it easier than usual to tune in to others' thoughts and feelings. It might be a good idea to control your reactions. TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) Today a deep concern for others' feelings could have you lending a sympathetic ear to those in need of some understanding. It's more important to listen than talk now GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Today you might complete a difficult project that's important to your career. Acknowledgement of your dedication and hard work could find you more emotionally overwhelmed than makes you comfortable. CANCER (June 21–July 22) A long-awaited social event, perhaps a wedding or christening, could have you moved to tears, Cancer. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) An intense, emotional dream could move you so powerfully that you awaken with the odd sense that the dream was real. Write it down, Leo. Maybe it is. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Emotional discussions with your partner could move you to tears, Virgo. You've overcome any difficulties and probably reached a new understanding.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Today you may feel the need to do a lot of work around your home, Libra. Perhaps you expect visitors or simply want to spruce up the place for yourself. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Some intense communications with a close friend or lover could reveal wonderful things about your relationship. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Ancient social traditions could be a powerful part of today, Sagittarius. An emotional event concerning your family, perhaps a wedding or other milestone, could have you feeling especially moved. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) You usually place a lot of importance on self-control. Today this skill will come in handy when you receive some wonderful news that might otherwise move you to tears. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Expect some great news regarding money, possibly professional advancement. You may have to control the urge to break into tears of joy, Aquarius. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Happy events involving a close female relative might have you feeling emotional, Pisces. A marriage or birth could be involved. you've had to overcome that.

Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas celebrates pole position with second placed Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and third placed Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel after qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. (REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov) “It was quite tricky, the track cooled down, it was difficult to find the right balance,” he said. “In the end, I had a good lap but I had no tow.” Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, fastest in the second phase of qualifying, was fourth ahead of Racing Point’s Sergio Perez — the only driver to have stood on the Baku podium more than once. Russian Daniil Kvyat was sixth for Toro Rosso ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris. Alfa Romeo’s Antonio Giovinazzi set the eighthfastest time but the Italian will drop 10 places after being hit with an engine-related grid penalty. Team mate Kimi Raikkonen will therefore move up to eighth. Robert Kubica brought out the first red flag, the Pole ploughing his Williams into the barriers at exactly the same spot as Leclerc in the opening phase.

London is overall winner... From page 69 record that will be tough to beat. Hussain stated that this is due to the renewed interest in the game by their corporate sponsors such as MACORP who has started to erect a lighted driving range at the facility which he said is scheduled to open in a few weeks time. This he said has started to generate more interest in the sport. He expressed gratitude to the media for their input. General Manager of Assuria Insurance Yogindra Arjune lauded the LGC for a well organised tournament and pledged their continued support. He said that they want to keep giving back to those who would have supported their company over the years. (Zaheer Mohamed)

That crash was the latest blow on a difficult weekend for struggling Williams with rookie George Russell striking a loose manhole cover in Friday practice and wrecking his car. Several other drivers, including Vettel and Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg clipped the barriers or had close escapes at the same

turn eight. Bottas was on course for victory in Baku last year when a blown tire three laps from the end handed it to Hamilton instead. No driver has won from pole so far this season while retired champion Nico Rosberg in 2016 is the only driver to have converted pole to victory in Baku.

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Durant makes history as Warriors oust Clippers in Game 6

Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) blacks LA Clippers forward Danilo Gallinari (8) at the net during game six of the first round of the 2019 NBA Playoffs against the Golden State Warriors at Staples Center. (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports) Kevin Durant matched the most points scored in the first half of an NBA playoff game, leading the visiting Golden State Warriors to a seriesclinching 129-110 win against the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 6 of their Western Conference first-round matchup on Friday night. Durant scored 38 of his playoff career-high 50 points in the first half, matching Charles Barkley, who scored 38 of his 56 points in the first half 25 years earlier to help the Phoenix Suns finish off a firstround sweep of the Warriors. The Warriors advance to face the Houston Rockets, beginning today in Oakland. Houston flew to the Bay Area on Friday in advance of the possible Sunday matchup. Draymond Green had 16 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists, Stephen Curry scored 24 points and Andre Iguodala contributed 15 points off the bench for the Warriors, who won three road playoff games in the same series for first time in franchise history. Golden State clamped down on Los Angeles reserves Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell, who came in

Sunday April 28, 2019

Kaieteur News

LA Clippers coach Doc Rivers at a press conference prior to game six of the first round of the 2019 NBA Playoffs against the Golden State Warriors at Staples Center. (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports) leading the team in scoring during the series at 24.4 and 20 points, respectively. Williams scored eight points on 3-for-21 shooting, and Harrell was limited to 10 points. Danilo Gallinari had 29 points, Shai GilgeousAlexander scored 22 and Patrick Beverley finished with 11 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists to lead Los Angeles. The Warriors struggled early on, shooting 4-for-17 from the floor in the first five minutes while falling behind 18-8. They made five straight baskets to pull within 23-21, however, and Curry hit Golden State’s first 3-pointer on its sixth try to take its first

lead at 24-23 with 3:55 left in the first quarter. After scoring 15 points on 6-for-9 shooting in the opening quarter, Durant scored Golden State’s first 16 points of the second as the lead expanded to 51-42 with 5:30 left in the half. Durant’s 29-foot 3-pointer with 34.3 seconds left gave Golden State its biggest lead at 19 points, and the Warriors took a 72-53 lead into the break. The Clippers got as close as 12 in the first five minutes of the third quarter, but the Warriors pushed the lead back to 102-78 entering the fourth and kept the lead at double digits the rest of the way. (Field Level Media)

Thiem stuns Nadal to reach Barcelona final BARCELONA (Reuters) Dominic Thiem knocked favourite and 11-times champion Rafael Nadal out of the Barcelona Open with a stunning 6-4 6-4 victory in yesterday’s semi-final, avenging his defeat by the Spaniard in last year’s French Open final. The Austrian will meet 23year-old Daniil Medvedev in today’s final after the Russian also pulled off a surprise by edging out fourth seed Kei Nishikori 6-4 3-6 7-5 in a tight match. Thiem had lost his last two matches against world number two Nadal, at Roland Garros as well as a thrilling five-setter in the U.S. Open quarter-finals, but he won their last meeting on Spanish soil, beating the Mallorcan in last year ’s Madrid Open. The Austrian, ranked fifth in the world, broke Nadal to take a 3-2 lead in the opener and held in the next game thanks to a stunning crosscourt forehand winner before seeing out the set. He broke Nadal again and was serving for the match but Nadal dug deep to earn three break points only to lose each one, Thiem levelling the game with an ace after a marginal call from the umpire. He sealed his fourth career victory over Nadal in 12 matches with a softlystruck backhand, ending the Spaniard’s chances of a fourth consecutive Barcelona Open title. “I’m always super proud if I beat him because he’s the best player ever on this surface, and it’s always very special to beat him here

Austria’s Dominic Thiem in action during his second round match against Slovakia’s Martin Klizan. (REUTERS/Eric Gaillard) on clay,” Thiem told reporters. “We always had great matches in the past, and also today was very good and I was more lucky today and I got the win.” Nadal, long regarded as the king of clay, has struggled for form on the surface of late, losing in the semi-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters and having a poor tournament in Barcelona. He dropped a set for the first time in four years at the event in his opening match against Leonardo Mayer and conceded he has been far from his best. “COMPLICATED WEEK” “This has been a complicated week for me, especially at the start. Today I enjoyed playing tennis again, I lost against a top rival and I was competitive until the end,” Nadal said. “What I needed to do was play more games like this to have a chance of victory. It has been a good base for what is to come. There are some victories which hurt you and others which can help you

and this is one of those.” Tw i c e Barcelona champion Nishikori beat Medvedev in the final of the Brisbane International in January but the Russian took an early advantage by breaking the world number seven in the seventh game. Medvedev comfortably saw out the set but was pegged back by the Japanese, who won five games in a row to take the second set and make an ideal start to the decider. M e d v e d e v, ranked 14th, soon broke back to level the match and as both players consistently held their serve a tiebreak looked inevitable. But Medvedev earned the first match point with a down-the-line winner and needed only one opportunity, clinching an entertaining match that lasted two hours and 25 minutes when Nishikori found the net with a forehand. Today’s final will be Medvedev’s third of 2019 but his first final on clay.

All set for NA Mayor’s birthday cycle race All is set and systems are in place for the second annual cycle road race in honour of Mayor of New A m s t e r d a m , Wi n i f r e d Haywood. The event, which is organised by the Flying Ace Cycle Club (FACC) of Berbice, will be held today and will be a 10-lap affair around the town of New Amsterdam. Haywood is a retired headmistress, a former President of the Guyana Teachers Union and a practicing Pastor. The event, which is for FA C C c y c l i s t s o n l y, i s expected to pedal off from in front of the Rainbow Bar

and Beer Garden on Republic Road, proceed north and turn west into Vryheid Street then South into Main Road, left into Philadelphia Street another left onto Republic Road. That sequence will be completed 10 times before concluding at its point of origin at Rainbow Bar. The presentation ceremony will be held immediately after the completion of the race. The winner will collect the Mayor’s lien Trophy. The riders are expected to be sent on their way by Mayor Haywood at 13:00 hrs. The Mayor and Councilors and staff of the council are expected to be in attendance to assist

with the presentation of trophies and prizes. Prizes will be awarded to the first five finishers, the top veterans and the first three juveniles. There will also be eight prime point prizes up for grabs. Before the race, the riders are expected to be address by her worship the Mayor. Balram Narine is the defending Champion and is expected to get stiff challenges from riders such as former national champion and overseas based Veteran rider Wilbert Benjamin, Ralph Seenarine and Syborne Fernandes among others. The event will be coordinated by Coach Randolph Roberts. (Samuel Whyte)

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Kaieteur News

RAN South Zone Championship

Guadeloupe beat Guyana 19-5 for first title Calvin Chapman story and photos The Guyana Rugby Football Union’s (GRFU) senior men’s 15s team that is popularly dubbed the ‘Green Machine’, proved to be a bit rusty for Guadeloupe who made light work of them yesterday, 195, for the Rugby Americas North (RAN) South Zone title. Playing at the National Park’s athletics track under surprisingly lush sunshine f o l l o w i n g T h u r s d a y ’s intermittent showers, the ‘newbies’ to the RAN championship were more compact than the apparent overconfident Guyanese. Late in the first 40minute half, Guadeloupe scored two tries and converted both to leave Guyana demoralised heading into the first period. The first try was scored by Left Flanker, Pierre Brun, and his effort was converted by Thibaut Berthomieu, who occupied the Fly Half position for the RAN South Zone champions who will now have to play Bermuda (North Zone Champions) next month for the overall title. Breaking away down the right flank was Victor Jung, who breezed G u y a n a ’s F u l l B a c k ,

Lancelot Adonis, with much ease to score the second try before Berthomieu converted again. In the second half, the fresh legs of Full Back substitute, Hugo Delabroy, produced a blistering run down the right flank to give Guadeloupe their third try, but Berthomieu failed to convert for a third successive time. O’Neil Charles scored the lone try for Guyana, while Adonis missed the conversion. Coach of the team, Kenneth Grant-Stuart, who was confident Guyana could’ve gotten past the Frenchmen, spoke with Kaieteur Sport after the loss, “I Think our decision m a k i n g w a s v e r y p o o r. Guadeloupe didn’t play much but they deserved to win based to our poor decisions. It wasn’t fitness (on our part) and we had many opportunities to score. We got to regroup and come again.” Luckily for the Guyanese, who are now on a miserable losing streak in the RAN championship, there will be no promotion or relegation after these matches, since 2020 is expected to be the first qualifying round for Rugby World Cup 2023 and as such, only full members of World Rugby will be able to compete in 2020.

A line up between Guyana (left) and Guadeloupe yesterday at the National Park during the RAN South Zone championship match.

Guyana’s Ryan Gonsalves (second left) picks up the ball during the home team’s 19-5 loss to Guadeloupe yesterday.

Reifer expects ‘X factors’ and bowlers to lead Windies to World Cup glory BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Newly named West Indies head coach Floyd Reifer believes if the West Indies are to win the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup in England, a lot will depend on the performances of those ‘X factors’ and the bowling department. Speaking at the end of t h e Wi n d i e s ’ t r a i n i n g camp at the University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus, Reifer said the regional squad probably contained the largest number of game changers out of all of the teams competing at the World Cup. Even though he acknowledged that the pitches in England are good for batters, he said he would be depending heavily on his bowlers to lead the charge. The West Indies have not won the World Cup in 40 years. The last time they would have lifted the

Head coach Floyd Reifer is banking on his bowlers as well as the ‘X factors’ in the team to guide them to World Cup glory. coveted crown was back in 1979 when Clive Lloyd was captain. “Looking at the pitches in England and when you see the scores in the county circuit they are very high scoring so we expect the World Cup is going to be a high scoring

one, but I think that we will w i n t h e Wo r l d C u p o n bowling. “The team that bowls the best and fields the best will win the World Cup because the pitches are good for batting and the batters are expected to score runs, but I think

bowling is going to win it for us,” Reifer, a former West Indies captain said. Additionally, he said a very strong 15-man West Indies squad had been named with a perfect blend of experience and youth. “I think the team is a really, really, good team. It is a blend of experience and youth and I believe that in our history we blend experience with youth very well and it goes a long way in terms of continuity and junior players learning from senior players. “We have a lot of X factors in the side. Compared to all of the sides at the World Cup our side has those guys who can go out there on any given day and any given time and turn the game around, so, all in all, I think it is a very good team. The camaraderie is there and the guys are working hard at the camp,” Reifer said. The West Indies will head off to take part in a Tri-

Nations Series against hosts Ireland and Bangladesh from May 5 to 17, before turning their focus to the World Cup which bowls off on May 30. Reifer said the just concluded training camp had gone exceptionally well in preparing the team for the challenges ahead. “I thought the training camp was very good. The guys did a lot of work and we worked on a lot of specifics. We worked a lot on bowling plans and we did a lot of work in relation to depth bowling and we did a lot of fielding.

All in all, the energy levels were very high and I really thought the guys put in a big effort,” he said. While Reifer admitted that expectations for the side were high, he said his previous coaching roles had prepared him for the tasks at hand. “Expectations are very high, but I’ve been handling it very well. I’m fully prepared. The 12 years at the University [of the West Indies] have prepared me really well for this occasion so I’m ready,” Reifer said.

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Sunday April 28, 2019

Kaieteur News

GFF/KFC U-20 Independence KO Cup –EBFA Leg

Timehri Panthers outlast Agricola Red Triangle on sudden death penalties in opening salvo

The nine EBFA affiliated clubs that took part in yesterday’s march pass of team in the KFC GFF U-20 Independence Cup KO tourney. By Franklin Wilson Timehri Panthers almost give it away and can count themselves lucky having squandered numerous chances but were still able to walk away victoriously and in the process sent Agricola Red Triangle packing when the GFF/KFC U20 Independence Cup, East Bank Football Association leg kicked off yesterday at the GFF Training Facility, Providence. Following a very colourful march-past involving nine (9) of the 11 clubs that are participating, GFF President and KFC Ms. Charissa Rampersaud delivered remarks to those gathered before Ms. Rampersaud officially kicked off the EBFA leg of the tournament that would be played in all nine (9) GFF Member Associations. Panthers, despite enjoying the bulk of possession found themselves trailing the Agricola

boys following Randy Simon’s goal in the 13th minute. Thereafter, the Panthers dominated but displayed their inability to be clinical in the final third. The break came with Agricola still holding on to their lead which they gave up on 59 minutes when Tyrone Burnette finally made one of the Timehri chances count. The second half was all Panthers’ own but like in the first, chances went a begging. Based on the competition rules, if a game ends tied at the end of 90 minutes, kicks from the penalty mark would be employed in order to decide the winner. This was the case after the final score in regulation time read, Agricola 1, Timehri 1. After the first five kicks each, both clubs had missed one of their five kicks which meant that sudden death penalty kicks was the route to be taken to decide which team

moved on. Timehri’s Tyrone David buried his shot, while Agricola’s Eion Daniels sent his shot well over the crossbar to send his team packing whilst there were eruptions of joy and at the same time relief from the Timehri Panthers lads. Ms. Charissa Rampersaud, KFC’s Training and Human Resources Manager during her remarks following the march-past, noted that KFC is committed to development of the nation’s youth and their partnership with the GFF is one such way that aim can be achieved. “I’m very, very proud that KFC is a part of this tournament, we look forward to see all these teams having fun as they vie for the championship; I know every team wants to be a winner but I want to encourage you all to not just focus on winning but focus on having fun

as you take part in this tournament.” She noted that bonds would not only be formed with fellow team members but players would have the opportunity to meet and form new friendships. GFF President Wayne Forde again expressed thanks to the KFC group, informing that the federation as eager to partner with them since it has provided opportunities for the young players. “We believe that the KFC/GFF Independence Cup is a unique platform that would help most of you to contribute with your energies towards something that is positive, something that is fulfilling and uplifting; we want to invite the wider community along the East Bank corridor to come out and support the teams, and may the best team win.” Forde told the players that he wants them to understand that many lessons would be learnt from them

participating in the tournament. “You will learn to celebrate goals; you will drop your shoulders when a goal is scored against you, you will learn to win and more importantly you will learn to lose. Some of the best lessons in life comes through adversity, so while know and we hope that everyone of you would want to emerge as the East Bank FA champion, only one team will do that. It is important that the other teams enjoy the experience, follow the advice of our KFC Representative here to have fun and to cherish every moment that the 90 minutes and the other minutes. Play hard, play smart, play fair. Good luck to each and every one of you and let’s have an exciting competition.” Action will continue this Wednesday, Labour Day at the same venue with three matches.

CARIFTA athletes congratulated for outstanding performances

Minister within the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Karen Cummings with some of the CARIFTA athletes. (Keno George photo)

DPI, Guyana, Some of the athletes that participated in the 48th CARIFTA Games made a stop at the ‘government comes to you’ outreach held Thursday in Fort Wellington, Region 5. Accompanied by Director of Sport, Christopher Jones, the athletes met and interacted with several government officials who congratulated them for their outstanding performances at the games. The games, which were held in the Cayman Islands, saw Guyana sending its largest contingent to date. Guyana participated in track and field, swimming and chess, while accumulating the country’s largest medal haul to date. The athletes garnered five gold medals in swimming, 10 overall medals in track and field and placed 5th in chess. Audriel Austin, who participated in the games for the first time and copped a bronze medal in the girls U17, 800 metres race, said: “I am proud of the place I got because not many people get the chance to go to CARIFTA.” Princess Browne picked up a bronze medal in the girls’ U-17 Triple Jump competing in her second CARIFTA

games. Browne said that she faced stiff competition but will use it as a motivator come next year. “I really wanted the gold, but unfortunately I got the bronze, I am still thankful for that, but that inspired me to train harder to come back bigger, and better next year.” Jones said that with the accomplishment of Team Guyana, he is excited to see what the future holds and pledged the National Sports Commission continued support of such events. He also pointed out that several of the athletes who participated at the event are on scholarships from the NSC - Chantoba Bright, Claudrice McKoy and Daniel Williams are at the University of Guyana and Munroe College in the United States respectively.“It is testimony to the fact that once you make an investment in sport, it is like a business and you have to treat it like a business and once you invest in a business you will get returns, so we are seeing the rewards of the investment of the government and those investments will continue and increase in the future,” Director Jones underscored. (Isaiah Braithwaite)

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Kaieteur News

East Bank Blazers Cricket Club win five a side cricket competition

Captain Philbert Wilburg receiving the winning trophy from Mrs. Maureen Lyken-Edwards. The one day cricket competition which was oganised by the Edinburgh Warriors Cricket Club of East Bank Berbice was won by the East Bank Blazers Cricket. The event, which also featured a fun day, was held at Edinburgh Community Center and featured six teams. The teams that took part were Rose Hall Community Center, Edinburgh Warriors, Mount Sinai, Flying Star, East Bank Blazers and Guymine. After a day of keen competition East Bank Blazers, Guymine

The winning EBB cricket team posing with their silverware.

and Mount Sinai made it to the semifinal stage with East Bank Blazers drawing the bye to the final. In the semifinal Guymine defeated Mount Sinai CC by one run to book their place in the final against East Bank Blazers. In the final, the East Bank Blazers defeated Guymine by 28 runs. East Bank Blazers batted first and blazed away to 70 off their five overs. Guymine in reply could only muster 48. The day’s activity was held as a fund raiser for the

London is overall winner at LGC Assuria - Hanif cops best gross title Insurance tourney

Edinburgh Cricket Club which was recently resuscitated by overseas based Guyanese Mr. Egbert Lyken-Edwards and his wife Maureen Lyken-Edwards. At the end of the day’s activity the East Bank Blazers were presented with the winning trophy by the organisers, while Jamal Henry, who scored the most runs during the day, 90 runs including 55 not out off of 16 deliveries with 6 sixes and 2 fours in one game, also received a prize. (Samuel Whyte)

Sweet Point dominoes tourney commences today

The respective winners with representatives of the sponsors following the presentation. Despite some showers earlier in the week, the course at the Lusignan Golf Club was in excellent shape as golfers battled for supremacy in the Assuria Insurance tournament which was contested yesterday. Following some intense rivalry in hot conditions, Philbert London emerged as the overall winner with a net score of 69. Richard Hanif turned in a commendable performance to win the best gross title with a score of 81. Hanif also won the 0-9 flight with a score of 81 gross and 72 net, ahead of Patrick Prashad who scored 84-75. The 10-19 flight was

closely contested and Ayube Subhan with a score of 84/69 edged Dr. Joaan Deo 84/70. London was once again in winners’ lane as he won the 20-28 flight, scoring 94/69, while Jeremy Fernandes took the runner up spot with a score of 94/70. Max Persaud won the longest drive prize, while Patrick Prashad captured the Nearest to the pin title. President of the Lusignan Golf Club, Aleem Hussain congratulated the winners and thanked the sponsors. He added that they are on track for one of the busiest seasons in the club’s history, adding that it will set a new (Continued on page 65)

Shenille Haniff of All Season Racing Service presents the winning trophy to Mark Wiltshire in the presence of Telesha Dunluck.

Richard Hanif accepts his prize from Yogindra Arjune.

Sweet Point Sports bar of Orange Walk and Charlotte Street will be hosting a dominoes competition starting at 14:30hrs today. Entrance fee is $10,000 per team and the winning team will take home a trophy and $120,000, runner up a trophy and $60,000 and third place $30,000. The tournament is being sponsored by Ansa McAl under their stag beer brand, Big Boss Trucking Service and All Season Racing Service. Registration can be done through Mark Wiltshire on 665 5855.

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Kaieteur News

Hamilton Green 9-a-side Inter Ward Cup concludes May 5 - Teams urged to be at venue at 15:00hrs Following the postponement of the final on April 28 due to circumstances beyond the Organisers control, fans can now turn their attention to the new date, which is May 5 (Arrival Day) for the conclusion of the Hamilton Green Cup Inter Ward/Village 9-a-side Knockout Football Tournament, at the Den Amstel ground, West Coast Demerara. Action starts at 16:00hrs with round of 16 play, before the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final are played and Coordinator Lennox Arthur, the former National Football player and Coach, is asking all teams to be at the venue by 15:00hrs to ensure that there is a prompt start to the day’s proceedings. The opening salvo of round of 16 action will see Timehri vs Mahaicony,

Soesdyke vs Lilliendaal, Mocha vs. Charlestown, Pouderoyen vs. Bagotsville, Goed Fortuin vs. De Kinderen, Sophia vs. Bourda Blues, Den Amstel Back Street vs. Zeelugt and Uitvlugt vs. Vreed-en-Hoop. Teams will be battling for a chance to claim the John Fernandes $300,000 first prize and Prime Minister trophy along with hampers from Ricks and Sari. The second placed team will take away the Courtney Benn sponsored $100,000, third $60,000 put up by Techno mills and fourth $40,000 donated by Ready Mix along with the respective trophies. All the trophies have been sponsored by Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo. Also at stake are the individual rewards for the Most Goals, who will take home a Dinette Chair from

Tyrone Khan

Delon Lanferman

Anthony Sancho

Deon Alfred

China Trading, while runnerup will be presented with a Lazy Boy chair from AH&L Kissoon, along with the Best Goalkeeper who will claim the Minister of Natural Resources trophy. Among the sponsors so far are Techno mills, Ready mix, Sataur Gafoor, E.C Veira, BEV Enterprises, BK International, IPA, New Thriving, Ricks and Sari, E-

Networks, Star Computers, NAMILCO, Cummings Electrical, National Sports Commission, Star Entertainment, Alfro Alphonso, the Guyana Police Force, GuyOil, Minister of State, Prime Minister and Ministry of Legal Affairs. Arthur expressed gratitude to all the business entities that have supported the tournament which is

being staged in recognition of former Mayor of Georgetown and Prime Minister of Guyana, Hamilton Green’s contribution to the development of this country. With the involvement of some of the country’s top players, representing their respective villages/wards, the event is playing its part in aiding Social Cohesion among the citizenry. Among

some of the players on show are Deon Alfred, Trayon Bobb, Tyrone Khan, Jamal Harvey, Sheldon Toney, Ruel Charter, Leroy Halley and Kenroy D’Aguiar. Uitvlugt’s Trayon Bobb leads the goalscoring category with four goals and he is followed by Bourda Blues Adrian Aaron, while three players are tied on two goals apiece.

Gym gears & books donated to the New Amsterdam Prison Berbice businessman, Ameer N. Bacchus, made a generous donation of boxing gears and books, to the New Amsterdam Prison, for the benefit of both the male and female prisoners, housed there. The boxing gears were donated with the aim of resuscitating the gym, at the facility, which has become defunct for some time. The books, which amount to approximately one hundred (100), include educational materials and novels. They were sourced through a US based Guyanese, and will serve to establish a library. A trained boxer himself, and ever concerned about the welfare of others, regardless of background, Bacchus was prompted to make the contribution to ensure the inmates were provided with adequate recreational activities. He recognised the importance of the inmates being gainfully engaged, while they await their trials or while they serve their sentences. Acknowledging that it is the Easter season, Bacchus expressed the view that some people fall off the narrow path for different reasons, and, therefore, should not all be written off and forgotten. He emphasised that many of us have been given second chances in life, and if we can contribute to someone else’s second chance and to the happiness and betterment of the lives of others, we should not hesitate to do so, no matter how insignificant it may be.

Officers and inmates of the prison display the gears received from businessman Ameer N. Bacchus. Stressing the importance of reading and literature, Mr. Bacchus added that spirituality and sports or extracurricular activities can go a far way in shaping an individual’s life. Bacchus went a bit further to commit to providing the services of a private boxing coach, for the prisoners. He also took the opportunity to commit to continue donating wood for fuel, for the preparation of meals for the inmates. The Officer-in-Charge, Mr. Deoraj Gyandat, along with his management team, and the inmates who received the items, all expressed sincere gratitude for the donation. They promised to make maximum use of the items.

Several inmates with the gears received from the businessman.

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Sunday April 28, 2019

GT win Demerara Inter-Association U-19 title - As Bookie, Spooner & Bamfield shine at Wales By Sean Devers atched by a small but n o i s y gathering at Wales yesterday, Georgetown registered their second win when they beat East Bank by 151 runs to take the Demerara InterAssociation 50-over U-19 title. Half centuries from Alphius Bookie and Joel Spooner and 4-19 from leftarm pacer Dequan Bamfield fired the City side to top honours in the rain affected four-team tournament in which the first round was washed out on Friday. Bookie hit five boundaries in 59 and added 74 for the fifth wicket with Spooner who reached the boundary four times in his 50, but only Nkosi Beaton (24) and Devon Allen (16) of the others reached 15 as GT were restricted to 207-nine when their 50 overs expired. East Bank were never in the contest and despite a fighting 15 from Guyana U15 batsman Mavindra Dindyal who was spectacularly bowled as his off stump was sent cartwheeling past the Keeper off of Bamfield, were bowled out for 45 in 23.4 overs. Bamfield, who swung the ball into the right handers and bowled his five overs on the trot, had 4-19, while leftarm spinner Daniel Mootoo had 2-7 and Spooner 2-0 from his only over. Leg spinner Wayne Bollers and Mootoo kept the batsmen in shackles as they combined to bowl eight consecutive maidens from the twelfth over and captured

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three wickets between them. This was after Beaton and the fastest bowler in the tournament Qumar Torrington (1-14 from five overs) had left East Bank on 33-5 after 10 overs. Bamfield started the slide when he had Andeuesse Rodrigues (1) LBW at 1-1 in the second over and removed Navin Persaud (2), Dindyal (15) and Dwayne Dick who missed a wild swipe and was bowled for a duck, while Torrington had Yeudister Persaud (4) to leave the score on 33-5. Bollers and Mootoo then ensured East Bank were suffocated to a slow death as they remained on 36 for eight overs with three wickets falling during that period before Spooner wrapped up the innings. Earlier, GT batted first on an extremely rough ground which had water on the western boundary and as the game progressed the flooded area spread onto the playing area due to the nonfunctioning pump station and a Koker which remained closed for the duration of the one-sided contest. Sent in to bat in sultry conditions on a track which held no ‘horrors’ Akeem Hinds (13) and Garrick Persaud (10) give GT a fair start before they were both removed in the space of four runs, as Shadrack Bacon struck twice to leave the City side on 32-2. Allen and Bookie took the score to 69 before Allen was LBW to off-spinner Aaron Beharry, the 17-yearold son former Berbice 50over all-rounder Anil Beharry, then another useful

Demerara Inter-Association Champions Georgetown with their trophy at Wales yesterday. partnership between Bookie, who batted responsible and Beaton saw the 100 posted. Beaton was trapped LBW at 116-4 by National U-15 left arm spinner Zachary Jodah, the offspring of ex Guyana U-19 left-handed batsman Richard Jodah. Spooner joined Bookie and rode their luck as a substandard fielding performance from an East Bank unit, which seemed to lack energy, aided the lads from the Nation’s Capital. Both batsmen began to find their range on the sluggish outfield before Spooner was caught and bowled by the impressive Beharry at 190-5, while Torrington (0) was bowled by Joel Michaels without addition to the score. After Beharry got rid of

Spooner at 202-7, Michaels removed the next two batsmen to finish with 3-21,

while Beharry (3-24) and Bacon (2-24) also bowled well.

The inter-county 50overs U-19 tournament is set the start on Tuesday.

Pan American U-23 Elite Road Cycling championships

Guyana being represented by Jamal John, Romello Crawford and Briton John

The Guyanese trio in Mexico for the Pan American U-23 Championships from right, Jamal John, Romello Crawford and Briton John.

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GT’s left-arm pacer Dequan Bamfield took 4-19 at Wales yesterday to help his team to Championship honours at Wales yesterday.

he trio of Jamal John, Romello Crawford and Briton John are in Mexico to represent the Golden Arrowhead at the Pan American U23 Elite Road Cycling Championships which pedals off later this week. The trio arrived in Mexico since April 19th well ahead of the championships in order to get acclimatized, at the expense of President of the Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF) Horace Burrowes who will arrive in Mexico, tomorrow. Burrowes will represent Guyana at the COPACI Congress on April 30, while Jamal John will get into action on Wednesday May 1st in the Time Trials which would be 33km 3 laps on the Circuit Río de la Avenidas. John is the only rider that would be competing in the Time Trials. Briton John

and Romello Crawford will all contest the U23 Individual Road Race on Saturday May 4, this event would be for a distance of 132.3km - 9 laps around the Circuit Ciudad del Conocimiento, Pachuca de Soto, Hidalgo. Burrowes has informed that if either of the cyclists finish in the top 10 in the road race in Mexico, they would be eligible to compete at the World Championships set for September in London. The Elite-Sub 23 Pan-American Road Championship is organised jointly by the Government of Mexico, the State of Hidalgo, the State Cycling Association and the Mexican Cycling Federation, with the support of the Pan-American Cycling Confederation, under the regulations of the International Cycling Union (UCI).

t r o Sp Lance Adonis of Guyana (on the ball) attempting an enterprising run against Guadeloupe yesterday.

RAN South Zone Championship

Guadeloupe beat Guyana 19-5 for first title GFF/KFC U20 Independence KO Cup –EBFA Leg

KFC’s Training and Human Resources Manager, Ms. Charissa Rampersaud kicks the ball off in the presence of Agricola and Timehri players, GFF President Wayne Forde and GFF TD, Ian Greenwood.

Timehri Panthers outlast Agricola Red Triangle on sudden death penalties in opening salvo

The Timehri Panthers U20 players about to celebrate their triumph following Eion Daniels’ kick that sailed over the crossbar. Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd., 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown. Tel: 225-8458, 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/226-8210.