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Kaieteur News
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
Saying no should be an option In Guyana, AIDS continues to take the lives of many. In 1988, the United Nations declared December 1, as World AIDS Day. On this day, people around the world pay tribute to all those who have lost their lives to AIDS. They pledge to renew their resolve to eliminate the disease once and for all. World AIDS Day provides an opportunity for all to focus on the epidemic, raise awareness of HIV, show solidarity with those living with HIV/AIDS and celebrate their survival. Many have associated the day with the red ribbon; an instantly recognizable symbol. Wearing a red ribbon is one way to show support, but there are also many other ways in which one can get involved. Several world leaders have pledged to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic in their respective countries by the year 2030, as part of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. They have adopted the theme “Getting to Zero.” The 2030 goal may sound like a pipedream, but everyone should take note of the progress made in the last twenty-five years to reduce the HIV/AIDS virus. This ambitious yet wholly attainable goal represents an unparalleled opportunity to change the course of history forever, something this generation must do for future generations. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has stated that the window of opportunity to act is closing, and the world leaders must adopt the fast-track approach to front-load investments to eradicate this dreadful disease. Despite the large number of national and international agencies involved in the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS, the virus continues to be a death sentence for millions around the world. As of 2013, HIV/AIDS has killed more than 36 million people worldwide (1981-2012), and an estimated 35.3 million people are living with HIV, making it one of the most deadly global public health problems in recorded history. Despite easier access to antiretroviral treatment in many regions of the world, the AIDS epidemic continues to claim an estimated 2 million lives each year, of which about 270,000 are children. In the Caribbean, the new infections of the HIV/AIDS virus have declined sharply. In 2014, there were about 280,000 people living with HIV in the Caribbean with an estimated 13,000 new HIV infections each year. However, new infections have declined by more than 50 percent between 2000 and 2014. Some 8,800 people have died of AIDS-related causes in that period, a decline by 50 percent compared to the period 1988 and 2000. Although AIDS infections and related deaths have declined in Haiti, yet that country accounted for about half of 8,800 AIDS-related deaths in the region. In Guyana, the first HIV/AIDS case was discovered in 1987, but by 2004, there was an estimated 18,000 to 20,000 people, aged 0 to 49 years living with HIV/AIDS. In that period, Guyana had one of the highest prevalence rates of HIV infections in LatinAmerica and the Caribbean, second only to Haiti. Since then, HIV/AIDS has declined by more than half to 9,700 in 2014, with women accounting for 5,400. Today, approximately 500 children aged 0 to 14 years are infected with HIV, most of which were transmitted to them by their mothers at birth. However, the primary mode of HIV/AIDS transmission in Guyana is through heterosexual means. Less than 15 percent of all HIV cases are transmitted by other means. Based on data from the Ministry of Health, about 200 persons died from AIDS in 2014 and there were 751 new cases reported that year. HIV/AIDS is no longer a serious threat to the nation but the fear of testing due largely to being stigmatized and discriminated against remains a major problem. Education should also be provided to the general public about the consequences of discrimination against HIV/AIDS patients. Complacency and or discrimination could lead to the HIV/AIDS rebounding.
Thursday December 17, 2015
Letters... Where your views make the news
The long history of colour prejudice in human society DEAR EDITOR, I write in relation to Freddie K i s s o o n ’s a r t i c l e “ C o c a - C o l a withdraws advertisement that Guyanese would find acceptable” in the Kaieteur News of December 13, 2015. Once again, Mr Kissoon is on his hobby horse of misrepresenting Hinduism in general and especially in Guyana. In his article he writes “One can say that the Hindu caste system has won in Guyana”. Apparently, he came to this conclusion after seeing an advertisement for carpenters, etc. in one
I am puzzled about this Maths change DEAR EDITOR, Having to deal with my grandson of eight years, I always try to keep abreast with any new developments in the education system, so that I can communicate easily with him. He brought to my attention there is a new form in delivering an answer to a Maths problem. For example, if you have 500+1, it should be expressed as five hundred, 1 and not five hundred and one, which means that you drop the “and.” He is puzzled, I am puzzled, and others that I have spoken with are also puzzled. What I would like to know is, 1 Where does this originate from? 2 What does it benefit the Mathematical system as a whole 3 If a student used ‘and’ in the near future at an exam, would he be marked as incorrect. I hope not. Please whoever is in authority, do explain what is it at all. Vibert Kirton
of the local papers which featured “a Whiteman in a three-piece suit”. Now, is Mr Kissoon’s statement supported by the facts provided by Guyanese history? Let us compare his statement with the writings of the late Professor Emeritus Raymond Smith, an Englishman, one of the world’s foremost social anthropologists, an expert on Guyana’s history and politics, and someone whose works Mr. Kissoon claimed, in a previous column, to have studied at the University of Guyana. In his book British Guiana, published by Oxford University Press in 1962, Professor Smith wrote that in the West Indies (Guyana included) there is “ a whole range of categories such as ‘fair’, ‘dark’, ‘red-skin’, ‘good hair’ (i.e. straight), ‘bad hair’ (i.e. kinky), and many more which serve as criteria for placing individuals on a long scale from black to white” This was exactly the situation that existed when all Indians, not just Hindus, were brought as indentured immigrants to then British Guiana. Specifically in relation to Guyana,
Professor Smith wrote “If the Negroes strove towards ‘whiteness’ in word and deed and devalued whatever they felt to be peculiarly their own, they looked down even more upon the Indian immigrants who were brought in to replace them as cheap labour on the plantations.” The writings of Professor Smith as well as Guyanese historians and sociologists clearly indicate that all Indian immigrants, despite of the Hindu caste system, started out at the bottom of the social hierarchy upon arrival in Guyana and then adapted to the existing environment. With this history where a social hierarchy based on skin colour predates Indian immigration, is it that “the Hindu caste system has won in Guyana” or simply the continuation of a practice that was already in existence before the arrival of Hindus in Guyana? Kissoon continues “Since its birth, the Hindu film industry never had even a light-brown leading actor. Only the thieves, villains and drunkards in Hindi films are dark-skinned”. In the first (Continued on page 5)
Are pensioners not entitled to a ‘Christmas bonus’? DEAR EDITOR, I am a pensioner who has served my country for more than 30 years in the public sector. In the past I was able to benefit when Government announced its retroactive pay increase to public servants which was usually payable in the month of December. However, it’s December again but this time the new Government that was voted into power to bring about much needed change, has announced a
$50,000 one-off pay for public servants. Mr. Editor, there are many pensioners who have served this country for many years with distinction and I believe we too should be entitled to a ‘Christmas bonus’. I would be grateful if the relevant authorities could enlighten pensioners if there is anything in store for us this Christmas too. Curious Pensioner (Name supplied)
Thursday December 17, 2015
Kaieteur News
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Letters... Where your views make the news Letters... Where your views make the news
Disturbing accusations I was a Hindu then Jesus came into my life against this police Commander DEAR EDITOR, Pandit Charranlall Nandalall misreads or overreads my letter KN letter “Wesleyan pastor is guilty of Pharisaic blindness” (Dec. 10) as an “attack” on Hindus. On the contrary, I undergirded respect, honour and love for the Hindus; I stand by every word in that missive. Apparently, the Pandit Ji is indignant because I stated that Christians ought to be ‘salt’ and ‘light’ – in a Hindu temple. I’d like to point out that Jesus taught his disciples that they are “salt of the earth” and “light of the world” (Matt. 5:13-16; 45). Because we are all made in the image of God, each of us is blessed with a degree of ‘salt’ and ‘light’. Moreover, Christians should surely show these traits – especially if they are in a secular or religious environment. Growing up as a young boy in Guyana, I was enthusiastic and passionate about my Hindustani(Indian) roots, traditions and philosophy; I was not interested in other religions. However, God con-
fronted me about my relationship with him, and my life was transformed as Jesus Christ came into my heart and life. Unfortunately, I was conditioned to think that following Jesus meant to despise and disparage my Hindustani culture. Praise God, I now know better – and relish opportunities to express my love for, and faith in God in the Hindustani culture (donning a kurta, singing Hindustani songs, and expressing my faith in the Indian culture) – in every place, including other religious places of worship. I would like to address the Pandit’s question of whether I would allow him to sing of “Krishna’s love” to my ‘congregation’ and share “Good News” to them. First, I would dearly love for the Pandit Ji to elucidate on “Krishna’s love”; this is the first time I am hearing about this concept and would love to know more. Similarly, I would like to know what is the “Good News” that the Pandit would like to share. If I feel that the parameters of his ruminations would attune or relate to my ‘congre-
gation’, I would surely welcome him! (I find some ‘Hindu’ prayers such as Asatomaa deep and invigorating, and help me to focus on the One who is the Light and Life). It is somewhat baffling that the Pandit is incensed that a religious person would sing bhajans (about God’s love) in a Hindu mandir. In Guyana, there is a popular locution among Hindus that proudly proclaims, “Hinduism is not a religion; it is a way of life”. Does the Pandit subscribe to such a declaration? If not, I have also have a simple question that I would like the Pandit to answer: who is a “Hindu”, or how do you define a “Hindu”? I proudly assert my new life in Christ and express my devotion to him in Hindustani culture; I apologise for neither. For me, it is a case of declaring, YeshuMasihki – jai (In Jesus Christ, there is victory!) To the Pandit Ji and all my Hindu brothers and sisters, I joray my hands and salute you with a sincere “namaskaar/ pranaam”! Devanand Bhagwan
DEAR EDITOR, May I take this opportunity to congratulate and welcome Madame Justice CummingsEdwards on her recent appointment as Chief Justice (Actg). At the same time I wish to bid farewell to Honorable Justice Ian Chang S.C. and to thank him for doing a wonderful job during the (10) ten years he has been acting. One of his good qualities is that he was always approachable and helpful. Always taking home on a daily basis work so that he could give timely decisions. I know for a fact that our new Chief Justice (Actg) Honorable Justice CummingsEdwards is a very efficient and
meticulous person and she is expected to do well. But I must state that being Chief Justice is not a bed of roses, its hard and consistent work ahead. One of the first things I would like to see done is for the Full Court to be properly organized. By that I mean that there should be regular sittings. A problem right now is getting matters done urgently at the Full Court. Let me give one example of a matter that is appealed in the Magistrate’s Court say for possession. The Appeal is not a stay of Execution. An Application has to be made to the Full Court in Order for a stay to be granted. Sometimes it takes months
after an application is made for the Full Court to hear the Application. Failure to act within a short time leads to the possibility of an Eviction Order being given in the Magistrate’s Court before the Appeal is heard because the Appellant did not get a chance to obtain a Stay of Execution. This kind of situation is very prevalent and leads to injustice towards Appellant’s who get thrown out of their occupation before their case is properly determined in the Full Court. I trust that the Honorable Chief Justice (Actg) will look into this matter very early. Jonas. M.F. Coddett Attorney-at-Law
Attorney–at-Law pleads for more Full Court sittings
Different take on Martin Carter DEAR EDITOR, So sorry to read that “Literature died a long time ago in Guyana’s education system” (KN, December 15), and many may endorse the ‘ode’ to Martin Carter and his poetry that followed. I knew Martin personally - we were virtual neighbours in Queenstown in the 1950s. A pleasant, polite chap. But, I suspect, many people, like me, find it hard to stay with his poems, described as “rich in symbolism, philosophy, theology and some very profound and complex imagery”, with its “vision of optimism as a dream to change the world”. I find “the range of his poems expressing moral anger and outrage too deeply introspective and metaphysical” for personal comfort. Perhaps, as a protest, befitting the social and political times when they were written.
Many lovers of poetry prefer poems that are easy to remember, verses with lines that rhyme and can be easily remembered, quotations that can be remembered and used decades later. I am still able to quote poems and texts I learnt at primary school, many from the West Indian and Royal class readers and from Shakespeare’s plays. Blank verse, hardly ever. Poetry is something to relax with, as I see it. However, for those who wish to be taken back to those times, and are not afraid of anger, Martin’s poems are fine. Incidentally, I would not like my hair to be combed to look like “the green crown of a tree”. And be admired for it! But it is a good sign that Martin’s poetry is being used for research purposes in a British University. Geralda Dennison
DEAR EDITOR, Please allow me space in your newspaper vent my frustration at being used by the Commander of the Police of A Division who seems bent on building his personal image at the expense of the junior ranks. I believe that I can speak for many ranks of the Division, who like me feel that something must be done if our morale and dignity are to be maintained. I wish first to address the matter of the Commander being the head of the Georgetown Football Association. Editor, our beef is not with the Commander wearing two hats and whether he can divide his time to suit the two portfolios; it’s with that fact that he has drawn us into the football fray. We are now being told that we as ordinary police ranks, especially those in the Traffic Department are being force to contribute financially to offset football related expenses, such as providing Gatorade for footballers. If we don’t, we are subjected to verbal abuse. It would also appear that our prospects
for promotion are jeopardized. How could this be fair? Another concern stems from the recent children’s party hosted by the Division. The invitees were our own children and the youths from the various youth groups in the city. Sir we had to go out like beggars and solicit the assistance from the business community to secure gifts for the guests. Yet when the gifts were distributed, the first recipients were the children from the youth groups, while our children had to wait on the crumbs which turned out to not be enough. Then to crown it off our Sergeants and Inspectors were forced to fork out $9000 to contribute to a party at the Marriott hotel, even if they did not attend. These things are not right. We are living in a democracy where everyone is free to make choices and not be dictated to. I hope that by exposing these practices, we the hardworking ranks of A Division will see some change in the attitude of the administration. Concerned police rank Name supplied
From page 4 place, Mr. Kissoon seems to be deliberately provocative. I am sure that he knows there is no such entity as a “Hindu film industry”. Secondly, what is the relevance when Guyanese Hindus have nothing to do with the casting and producing of Indian films? Yes, Guyanese Indians (Hindus, Muslims and Christians) like to see Indian films. But, so do Russians, Germans, Middle Easterners and Far Easterners. And even in the USA, Britain and Canada, Indian films are gaining popularity among non-Indians. Does this mean that the Hindu caste system has taken over in these countries? The Indian film industry, now popularly referred to as Bollywood, was pioneered by Hindus, Muslims and Christians. Even after the partitioning of India, Muslims continued to be prominent in the industry. Some of the most popular Indian films seen in Guyana were produced and/or directed by Muslims such as A.R. Kardar, Mehboob Khan, Nasir Hussain, Amir Khan, and Shah Rukh Khan. In fact, two (Mother India in 1957 and Lagaan in 2001) of the only three Indian films ever nominated for a Hollywood Oscar in the foreign film category were produced and directed by Muslims. Currently, and for many years now, the three top actors, Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, and Amir Khan, are Muslims. So, the selection of white-skinned actors in Indian movies is not a matter of the Hindu caste system but more of what Kissoon has himself acknowledged: “Colour has a long
history in the psyche of the human race. It is part of civilization. It will not go away”. Again, Kissoon writes “On the question of skin colour, the argument that it arose out of the slave trade and colonial domination is utter nonsense. Ancient Hindu texts are punctuated with disdain for things that were black”. I am not a brahmin nor a scholar of ancient Hindu texts. However, based on my limited knowledge of Hinduism, I am not aware of any ancient Hindu texts “that are punctuated with disdain for things that were black”. I am aware of certain disdainful statements against some groups of Hindus (referred to as low castes) but the texts make no reference to skin colour. What I know for sure is that when the meaning of the word ‘krishna’ is checked on Google, the result shows the meaning as ‘black’ in Sanskrit, the language of ancient India and of ancient Indian texts. Likewise, Lord Krishna is depicted in black. Those familiar with Hinduism know that Lord Krishna of the ancient texts, the Bhagavad Gita and the Mahabharata, is recorded and worshipped by Hindus as an incarnation of God. It is difficult then to imagine that ancient Hindu texts would consider black to be disdainful when a Hindu God is black. And in the Ramayana, contrary to popular belief, the villain Ravana is not black or low caste. His father was a brahmin. I hope Mr Kissoon will now help to educate us by informing us of the ancient Hindu texts and quotes that are disdainful of things black. Harry Hergash
The long history of colour...
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Kaieteur News
Thursday December 17, 2015
Permanent Secretary makes preliminary recommendations for formation of Staff College Permanent Secretary of the Department of Public Service, Reginald Brotherson has made preliminary recommendations for the formation of the Public Service Staff College. Brotherson was responding to questions, in a follow-up submission to the Commission of Inquiry, (COI) at the Ministry of the Presidency, Public Service Department, Waterloo Street, Georgetown Main Office, held on Tuesday. During the discourse with Commissioners, Harold Lutchman, Sandra Jones and Samuel Goolsarran, the Permanent Secretary (PS) said that based on his observations; there is room for several aspects of staff training within the sector. According to the witness, this training can be obtained locally or overseas through bilateral relations with the relevant countries. Brotherson noted that the department must first identify the persons to undergo short or long term training. He explained that in terms of accessing overseas training, this can be made available through submissions from friendly donor countries. The PS also recommended that there be continuous interactions and consultations with stakeholders such as the Public Service Commission, (PSC). He said that the engagements should be held at least twice annually. He added that in a professional public service, persons must strive to minimize conflict. Speaking specifically
about the period since his appointment as Permanent Secretary of the Department of Public Service, the witness told the commission that a team has been working assiduously to ensure, the working environment and conditions for staff has improved. Brotherson was appointed Permanent Secretary of the department some five months ago. Prior to his appointment, the PS said that he noticed that staff that were demotivated and under tremendous stress. “The department managing the affairs of the Public Service was under stress,” the witness emphasized. He said that following his appointment, the department had to undergo major restructuring. The Permanent Secretary told the COI that there were at least two truckloads of rubbish coming out the department. According to him, since the staff was starved of resources and had a number of atrocities committed against them, it was his role to create an environment, where employees could function in their department of work and yield better results. The Public Service Officer also pointed out that the direct control by political heads plagued the management of the sector resulting in chaos. He expressed optimism that trained independent management will be restored in every department, in the reformation process- which will allow for the type of guidance in the wider sector.
PS of the Department of Public Service, Reginald Brotherson
Commenting further on the interim progress of the Department, Brotherson told commissioners that there have been a number of quick fixes in to achieve some semblance of order in the agency, following his appointment, five months ago. The PS said that since then, at least five senior staff members have been sent on
overseas training and the junior employees were also given the opportunity to address issues related to their qualifications. In answer to a question by Commissioner Sandra Jones, the witness disclosed that in the past five months, the department has completed the budget for 2015, managed its spending and prepared estimates for
2016. The official also noted that within the short period, there were a number of audit reports to be answered, police investigations on aspects of financial irregularities and the issue of accounting for assets in the department. He said that the department has also made preliminary preparations for the Public Service Staff College. According to the witness this process requires consultations between the unions and other stakeholders. Brotherson also pointed to the need for revamped and upgraded guidelines to govern the sector. He told the commission that civil servants currently operate in accordance with rules outlined since 1987. Principal Personnel Officer, Andrew Grant, also supported the recommendations of the PS. He noted that there should be continuous engagement and the consultations to improve the efficiency of the Public Service. Chairman of the
Commission, Harold Lutchman, also pointed out the need for follow up dialogue. The COI was established as part of a plan to support President David Granger’s vision for a modern Public Service and the establishment of a Public Service Staff College. Following his appointment to office, President Granger stressed the need for a more efficient and satisfactory sector. According to President Granger, Public Servants must possess expert knowledge and high standard academic education. He expressed his intention to introduce a Public Service Staff College, in which persons entering the administrative branches of the Guyana Public Service are required to undergo training. The President had promised, too, that this would ensure that persons serving the nation would be more equipped with the basics of Public Service delivery and a better understanding of how the Public Service is meant to operate.
PPP refuses to consult with Govt. on 2016 budget
Guyana’s parliamentary opposition, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), has said that it recently rejected an invitation by the government to consult on the 2016 budget, until a number of outstanding issues are addressed. This is according to General Secretary of the party, Clement Rohee, during a press conference at Freedom House, yesterday. He said that on November 24, he and a delegation were invited by Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, via letter, to meet on Friday, November 27. “(The purpose was) for what he described as a meeting (for the) exchange of views and ideas on how best to shape the 2016 budget,” Rohee said, “(in order) that it touches the lives of all Guyanese. And he (Jordan) concluded by saying that we
…unless specific conditions are met should prepare a paper to have a guided discussion.” Rohee said that a reply was sent to Jordan, making it clear that the party would not proceed with any budget discussion unless certain information is provided by the Government, as the discussion would not be “meaningful” otherwise. “If you are asking us to prepare something to engage in a discussion with you, we need to be prepared,” the General Secretary said. “So we made a request for the Commission of Inquiry report into GUYSUCO (Guyana Sugar Corporation).” Rohee related that the party also requested the government’s five-year public sector investment programme, the latest Bank of
PPP General Secretary Clement Rohee
Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan
Guyana report statistical bulletin, the submissions made by the ten administrative regions to the Ministry of Finance and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) article four strategy reports. The General Secretary added that the party had requested the income, expenditure and revenue statements from the government from the end of October 2015 and projections to the end of the year. Rohee also called for the release of copies of the Government of Guyana sector strategy reports, dealing with
rice, sugar, Information Communications Technology (ICT), mining, quarrying, education, health and tourism. According to Rohee, these background documents would ensure that the PPP would be ready for “meaningful discussions”. Rohee also revealed that in the correspondence to Jordan, the party had also suggested some agenda items for any proposed meeting. These agenda items included the reduction in corporate tax, the nine-point plan for the rice industry, the Public Procurement (continued on page 23)
Thursday December 17, 2015
Kaieteur News
Govt. hopes to raise millions from taxes on cell phone use BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - CMC – The Barbados government has introduced legislation amending the Value Added Tax (VAT) to allow for a 22 per cent tax on voice and other transmissions from cell phones. Finance Minister Chris Sinckler told legislators on Tuesday night that the tax, which goes into effect from January 1, next year, will raise BDS$14 million (One Barbados dollar =US$0.50 cents) annually that would go towards funding university scholarships. Sinckler said the proposed changes are meant to “increase the efficiency of tax administration, provide for the imposition of Value Added Tax on certain mobile services and enhance the enforcement provisions in the Act and for related matters”. He said contrary to popular belief, the imposition would not only affect cell phone calls, but all mobile transmitting services and that
following his initial announcement in June of his intentions to introduce a tax on cell phone services, “there was some discourse . . . largely driven by the media in Barbados, that we were just only applying the tax when people make calls in the use of their cellular phones”. But Sinckler told legislators that “that is one form of mobile airtime. “In the definitions that were provided mobile airtime was taken to mean all services conducted across the bandwidth on the usage of a cellular phone,” the Finance Minister said, noting that “an expanse of capabilities that go beyond calling and sending the average text messages to somebody”. He said the range of services to be covered by the new levy included use of the Internet and other transmissions that facilitate email, Whatsapp, Skype and much more.
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Kaieteur News
Thursday December 17, 2015
Thursday December 17, 2015
Kaieteur News
Stranded scrap metal containers cleared to leave Guyana - special Govt-appointed team to overlook trade resumption More than 40 containers stranded on the wharf since June will be allowed to leave, Government announced yesterday. According to Minister of Governance, Raphael Trotman, the decision was taken by the Cabinet on Tuesday. Speaking at the postCabinet briefings at the Ministry of the Presidency, Trotman explained that in June, shortly after the David Granger administration took office, a decision was taken to halt the scrap metal trade and suspend operations of the Scrap Metal Unit pending a forensic audit. From the time of suspension, 42 containers have been sitting on the wharves. The approval is a one-off transaction and should not be seen as a full resumption of the trade, Trotman warned. Rather, the Cabinet will be appointing a special team that will review the trade and work out the details for the resumption. Shortly after taking office in May, the new administration disclosed that it had found almost $200M lying in an account at a city
bank. It belonged to the Scrap Metal Unit, the body which monitors the trade. There were some suspicious transactions, including fees paid by dealers, so the bank account was frozen and an audit ordered. “There seems to have been a deep level of corruption. There seems to have been a deep level of money laundering too and some degree of compromise with the management of the trade. We have to regularize the process,” said Minister Keith Scott. His ministry is charged with the housing sector. The scrap metal trade had been moved from the Office of the Prime Minister to the Ministry of Trade under the previous Government. It was taken under the control of the Ministry of Housing, which under the former Government, was headed by Irfaan Ali. While under the direct control of Ali, the unit’s daily operations were left to CH&PA Director of Finance, Taslim Baksh. Baksh, in addition to his salary at CH&PA, was supposed to receive a ‘stipend’.
Dem boys seh ...
Some of de crooks buy out Soulja Bai right hand people When you build up people hopes and then drop dem down put you pot pun de fire, you goose cook. De next time you want dem same people to support you, dem gun watch you and suck dem teeth. Dem might even kick yuh. Is de same thing when a man promise a woman de moon and de stars. When he get wha he want and don’t deliver pun he promise he know that he would never get another chance wid de woman. That is de situation wha Soulja Bai finding heself in. Before de elections Soulja Bai, Moses and Rum Jattan talk bout jailing all who thief. De people listen and vote fuh dem. Now when is time to deliver pun de promise is another story. Soulja Bai did tell everybody that if you do de crime then fuh sure you got to do de time. Dem boys sit down and watch how dem auditors dig and find out fuh now enough of all de scampishness what was going on; all who hide money in special account to thief later, and who spend when dem wasn’t even supposed to. Billions disappear like that and de fat crook was the chief player. Of course he had to be wukking under instruction. Luncheon did seh suh when he was HPS. Jagdeo was de one who give de instructions. Now when everything skin up and de criminals get expose dem boys hearing that nobody ain’t got to pay fuh dem crime. Dem boys hear that dem same crooks done buy up some of Soulja Bai right hand people. Dem boys gun call dem name soon. Dem boys seh that it look like if everybody got a price and Soulja Bai people got a low price because if de fat crook can buy out so many of dem it mean that dem cheap. Dem boys hear that Soulja Bai done decide not to charge none of dem who tek Pradoville 2 fuh next to nutten but he seh that dem must pay de right price fuh de land. Dem boys agree; pay de right price. Dem boys seh that if that is Soulja Bai decision dem fully agree.But all Guyana gun get vex if nobody ain’t get charge fuh all de scampishness, plus de wholesale thiefing and other crimes. Dem boys hear that de audit report deh wid dem ministers fuh study and fuh discussion. De only discussion that should be going on should be to decide who going in which cell. That is wha dem boys seh. Talk half and watch how this will play out.
Minister Keith Scott The unit was allowed to purchase pickups and pay other expenses and use staffers from CH&PA. What was strange about the Cabinet’s decision was that it also authorized the transfer of the bank account of the Scrap Metal Unit from Bank of Guyana to a private commercial bank. It was highly unusual for this to be done, an official close to the investigations said. The scrap metal trade had been under the jurisdiction of former Prime Minister, Sam Hinds, but alleged irregularities into the trade saw it being halted after utilities companies and other stakeholders complained that copper was being stolen from telephone cables. The Scrap Metal Unit had come into existence to address the concerns of Government. It was collecting up to $35,000 to $60,000 for 20-foot and 40-foot containers being exported by scrap metal dealers. Almost 25 dealers across the country are involved in the trade with some of them shipping scores of containers monthly. The payment of the fee was critical for the processing of Customs export documents. According to Scott, who did not want to disclose too many details, auditors will be zeroing in on the spending of that “private” bank account. Under current arrangements, dealers have to (continued on page 23)
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FORCED TO SELL ON THE PAVEMENT Last Saturday morning, on one of the local radio stations, a caller made some startling comments which if they are true, require an explanation from the Georgetown Municipality. The caller said that she was a businesswoman on Regent Street and that persons attached to the Municipality were charging store owners who were selling outside of their stores on the pavements, the sum of $2,500 per day, while vendors operating were being asked to pay the miserly sum of $1,000 per week. The caller said this was unfair more so, since the monies had to be paid at the start of the working day. If this is true then it raises a number of questions: Firstly, is this fee that the caller said that is being collected lawful, and if, or under what regulation or statute is it being imposed. It was announced earlier in the year that vendors would be required to pay a sanitation fee but no one has questioned whether this fee in itself is lawful. Is it? And if it is, then how does one determine the amount to be paid by vendors and the amount to be paid by legitimate sellers who because of the illegal vendors squatting in front of their premises, are forced to vend their wares on the pavement in front of their stores. These store owners are not vending on the pavements because they are greedy. They are doing so because if they do not, vendors will swarm the pavement in front of their businesses and take it over. Secondly, why was it
considered necessary to collect a “cleaning fee” from vendors? If they are illegal, will the collection of this fee not be seen as granting them some form of legitimate status on the pavements? Would collecting a small fee not also be seen as a means of legitimizing the operations of illegal vending? Just asking! Thirdly, if what the caller said is true, how were the fees arrived at? Why the disparity between what legitimate businesses pay for vending on the pavements and what illegal vendors pay. Why this big difference? Why should people who have invested millions, who pay their taxes have to pay more than those who are illegal and who are squatting on the pavements? Fourthly, what sort of message is being sent in this society if what the caller said is true? What message is being sent about establishing a business? If vendors, who do not have to invest in buying properties or the risk of taking a loan to do so, or the risk of having to carry high
inventories are going to be allowed on the pavements to sell, then what message does this send to legitimate businesses, those who just in order to sell have to invest hundreds of millions, who have to pay massive overheads and who have to employ staff are being discouraged. What message are we sending to young people? What message are we sending to those restaurants that have to invest in costly equipment because they handle food and have to obtain food handlers certificate, yet we can have vans being converted into caravans that sell food at the sides of streets and nothing is being done to discourage this activity. The answer to all of these questions is that vending is a complex issue. This is the answer that is offered time and time again. But everyone knows there is an agenda at work here. That agenda has been at work for over thirty years. It has failed. The only thing is those who are still pushing it, do not realize this.
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Kaieteur News
Thursday December 17, 2015
=== The Freddie Kissoon column ===
An unsuccessful politician at Success Maybe, and I stress, maybe, this country has not produced a mindset that is exasperatingly unacceptable as the collective psyche of the PPP. Has this country produced another leader with the type of character as Bharrat Jagdeo? Mr. Jagdeo was in the village of Success last week, and what he told his audience was beyond belief. Did they believe this man whose presidency, compared to the other two longreigning presidentsBurnham and Jagan – was deploringly unsuccessful? How could someone, with that kind of unsuccessful career go to the East Coast and talk down to his supporters like that? Without
wanting to be insulting to the villagers of Success, for them to swallow the nonsense, that utter mumbo-jumbo that Jagdeo dished out, makes them unworthy to be part of the 21st century. First, Mr. Jagdeo in enumerating the reasons for the PPP’s loss of power completely exonerated his policies, behaviour and output for the long years of his domination of the State. He accused the PPP membership of becoming too arrogant. One cannot help but wonder what kind of people was Jagdeo speaking to; certainly not those who lived under his administration. To go to a village and tell your hosts that the PPP lost the election
because they, the supporters, became too arrogant is moral depravity of the worst kind. Mr. Jagdeo was telling these ordinary folks that they were the fault and failed to mention even one of the pompous mandarins that sat on top of the PPP’s hierarchy when it was in power. If ever a political entity produced a politician that is arrogant stretching back from the 1940s when the first political party – the Political Affairs Committee - was born, it is Clement Rohee. If there is anything about Clement Rohee that is detectable by even the blind is his arrogance. From the time I became a teenager, I would say the most arrogant political activist I have ever
met in my entire life is Clement Rohee. I don’t have to think even for a second to choose number two. It is Charles Ramson Senior. I would contend that the hubris and hauteur of these two men exceeded anything that this country saw even in the colonial era. Surely, the Governor would have been elitist and stand-offish, but nothing matching the conceited air of Rohee and Ramson. In fact, the man, who represented the white plantocracy; who symbolized the hegemony of the Booker Empire in this country, Sir Jock Campbell had a modesty about him that was unbelievable. Surely, the people of Success couldn’t be so stupid to believe that the PPP
activists around the county became too arrogant and that caused the election loss. They must know that the PPP was defeated because the pomposity of power became the pomposity of the mind, and Jagdeo was no exception to this cultism There was no mention by Mr. Jagdeo of the hubris and hauteur of Robeson Benn. I saw for myself, Mr. Benn walked into Kaieteur News to berate the editorial staff over the way it carried a news item about his son’s arrest by the police. Ask Mr. Adam Harris if he did not have to restrain me. There was no way I would have allowed Benn to get away with that; maybe in his office or his home, but not at the Kaieteur News. Benn walked in to the NCN studios and ordered the
Frederick Kissoon operator to cease playing a calypso critical of the PPP Government. Benn now sits as a GECOM Commissioner where he will get a lesson known as “monkey knows which limb to jump on.” Jagdeo as President virtually let loose his Patrice Lumumba University fellow student, Nirmal Rekha on the Guyanese people. Yet Mr. Jagdeo has the temerity to lecture the villagers of Success on arrogance in politics. Secondly, Mr. Jagdeo told his audience that PPP supporters lost touch with the party “bases” (his word). If anyone lost touch with the grassroots of the PPP membership it was its hierarchy on top of which sat President Jagdeo. It was Jagdeo who employed VSO volunteers in Guyana at the Office of the President and each one earned more than a million dollars a month. Where were his grassroots’ connections to his party when he was dishing out this largesse? Did the grassroots in the PPP benefit? Mr. Jagdeo rounded off his chastisement of his party supporters at Success by advising them that if the PPP is to regain power, it has to restructure and reform itself. Jagdeo avoided the word, “democratize.” The PPP perhaps, is the only party in the world that doesn’t elect its leader directly from its delegates or membership.
Thursday December 17, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 11
Brothers on the run after battering peacemaker A father of one died at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) yesterday, after he was beaten unconscious by two brothers, when he tried to settle an ongoing dispute between the suspects and his nephews. The incident occurred around 18:10 hrs on Tuesday at Farm, West Coast Demerara. Dennis Martin, 36, of Lot 5 Public Road, Farm, WCD, was pronounced dead around 14:20 hrs. He had been clinging to life on a life support machine in the hospital’s Accident and Emergency Unit. The suspects, who are from the same village as Martin and are known to his relatives, are on the run. According to information received, the suspects and Martin’s nephews had an altercation twice during which the nephews were wounded by the two brothers. Tuesday night, while on his way to the shop, Martin saw one of the suspects and confronted him. During the confrontation he was brutally attacked by both brothers. Martin, who works as a cook in the interior, was first taken to
(the second suspect) came out from his yard with a piece of wood and hit my uncle on his head from behind.” Kaieteur News was told that the father of one collapsed on the roadway. “He (Martin) fall down and they keep on beating he with two pieces of wood. They beat he in he head, back, hand and everywhere else,” Drakes recalled. He said that when the
Dead: Dennis Martin
the West Demerara Regional Hospital after which he was transferred to the GPHC where he later succumbed. At the hospital yesterday, a relative of the dead man, Melvorn Drakes, said that he and a cousin were sitting on a parked Canter truck along with one of the suspects when his uncle approached them. “(Martin) went to him (suspect) and tell (the
suspect) that he hear that he violating his nephews and that it is the second time he violating them. The suspect then jump off the canter and start pushing up his finger in my uncle face,” Drakes said. He further revealed that the suspect pushed his uncle after which Martin “chuck him back.” “The two of them start to cuss out and then his brother
GGMC Chairman vs. Commissioner …
Allegations confirm terrible state of mining regulations Governance Minister, Raphael Trotman, said yesterday, that the recent allegations of corruption leveled against Commissioner of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), Rickford Vieira, and GGMC Chairman, Clinton Williams, underscore the sorry state of the mining sector. During a press conference which was held at the Ministry of the Presidency, Trotman asked if he has made any decision regarding Vieira did not offer many details. He said that the matter is still being reviewed by the board. Trotman holds some responsibility for the mining sector. Vieira was recently sent on administrative leave pending an investigation. The decision for the Commissioner to be sent on leave was based on a GGMC Board declaration of “no confidence” in his ability to carry out his duties. The Governance Minister, asked to provide his take on Williams’s future with the GGMC board especially when one takes the recent revelations by the media into account, said, “I think what we see playing out in the media confirms everyone’s belief that the regulation of mining in Guyana is in a terrible state. There is no
- Governance Minister
GGMC Chairman, Clinton Williams
GGMC Commissioner, Rickford Vieira
denying that and steps have to be taken to clean it up if we are to move forward on a healthy footing.” Trotman continued, “In so far as the allegations against Vieira and Williams, I will withhold any comments publically because I have seen comments and accusations against both individuals. At the end of the day the President as the responsible Minister wants mining cleaned up. “I’m just a delegated officer. So in the interest of transparency and accountability, many of the comments we have seen thus
far, are helping us to form a position. Cabinet is yet to make a determination but we are not going to pronounce for or against any of the parties involved.” There had been criticisms that Williams, as Chairman of the Board, abused his authority to help his friend, Ivor English, acquire eight blocks of mining lands last year. Days before general elections in May, Williams was granted control of those mining lands via an “Irrevocable Power of Attorney” (POA). Williams (continued on page 12)
brothers finished with his uncle, he was unconscious and covered in blood. The dead man’s wife, Nykedia, said that she and her husband left home together Tuesday night to go to the shop. “He left me in the shop and he said that he going to buy cheese at another shop. A while later I hear about a fighting up the road and when I go, the road was already clear so I went by his
(Martin’s) sister and asked her what happened.” She said that it was at this point she was informed that it was her husband who had been beaten and that he was taken to the hospital. “When I go to the hospital, the doctor said that he was very low and that if they take him off the ventilator, he will die,” Nykedia explained. Marin leaves to mourn a daughter, wife and siblings.
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Kaieteur News
Shot minibus driver loses kidney Jermaine Burrowes, the bus driver who was shot Tuesday night by one of two armed bandits during an attempted robbery at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara (ECD), has lost a kidney. The 28-year-old Plaisance, ECD, resident is battling for life in the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC)’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU). He is scheduled to undergo another surgery some time today. Kaieteur News understands that the driver was shot in the back. The bullet exited his right side abdomen. Yesterday, the wounded man’s sister could hardly speak. She would only say that her sibling is very critical at the hospital. Burrowes, a father of one, was shot around 22:00 hrs, shortly after he had picked up passengers at the Giftland Mall at Liliendaal. He managed to drive his vehicle for a short distance before veering into a trench at
- battles for life in ICU Blygezeight Gardens, ECD. Reports are that after picking up passengers at the mall, the bus was flagged down by a man. When he stopped, another appeared at the driver’s side of the mini bus. One of Burrowes’ passengers suspected that the two men were robbers and pulled the door shut, preventing the man from entering the bus. At that point, the bandit, who was at the driver’s side pointed a gun at Burrowes and shot him. This occurred in the vicinity of the “Steel Bridge.” This newspaper understands that with passengers screaming and telling Burrowes to drive, the wounded man continued in the direction of Georgetown, before losing control of his vehicle and ending up in a trench. Kaieteur News understands that Tuesday
Allegations confirm terrible ... From page 11 was appointed in January last year as Board Chairman. As regards the criteria for the appointment of board members, Goolsarran said that the schedule to the GGMC Act states that “The persons appointed by the Minister as members of the Commission shall be persons who, in his opinion, are qualified for
appointment by reason of their experience of, and shown capacity in, matters relating to the functioning of the Commission or matters which will be advantageous to the Commission in the performance of its functions.” It does not necessarily follow that members of the Board have to be the holders of mining permits.
night’s robbery was the second to have occurred in two nights at the same location. Monday night, a bus driver stopped at the mall to pick up passengers. Shortly after, he was flagged down by a man. When the driver stopped, another individual appeared by the driver’s side and pointed a gun at him. “While he got the gun at the driver, two persons robbed all the occupants,” a police source said. The matter was reported to the police by one of the passengers. Persons visiting the mall have expressed concern about the level of security at the entrance of the main street leading to the mall. Some say at night, the area is dark and desolated. “First of all, they should put a camera and bright lights in that area where people wait for transportation. In the nights, it’s usually really dark there and lonely,” a frequent visitor to the mall opined. Another said that when the last movie finishes a little after 23:00 hrs, some persons would have to wait on transportation which usually takes some time. “There are these guys at the mall just looking at persons and observing them. It’s scary because they follow these people out of the mall and rob them through that street,” another person said.
Police Wives brighten sick children at GPHC
Thursday December 17, 2015
IT is now an integral part of crime fighting - says 2015 Best Cop Another specialist in the field of Information Technology has copped the Best Cop award for the second year in a row. Deputy Superintendent Shivpersaud Bacchus copped the coveted award yesterday, in the face of stiff challenges from ranks of the Criminal Investigations Department. Bacchus, who is attached to the Police Computer Training Centre at the Felix Austin Police College, won the award thanks to his excellent working in designing, developing and delivering training programmes for the ranks of the Guyana Police Force from Constable to Assistant Commissioner of Police. In all it was revealed that since he has embarked on the programmes, 1,637 ranks have been trained along with residents in various parts of the country who have been benefitting from their close interactions with the police. Bacchus also manages three Zara Computer Centres in each of the counties of Guyana with very little supervision. “This officer continues to perform at an extremely high standard. He delivers excellent results,” said Assistant Commissioner of Police, Balram Persaud. In accepting the award, Bacchus said that the decision to join the Guyana Police Force was one of the best he has ever made. He credited his wife for her support, which has been unwavering, especially with
2015 Best Cop, DSP Bacchus receives a trophy from a representative of the Roraima Group of Companies. regard to the kind of environment Bacchus operates in. He said that his award is made more satisfying, since in the past the Best Cop was mostly selected from among hardcore crime fighters like ranks from the Criminal Investigations Department. He said that now that the force is placing a lot of emphasis on Information Technology, it should not be a surprise that those who play an integral role in the field are recognized. “Information technology is very important to the crime fighting strategies of the Guyana Police Force. A lot of crimes have been solved through IT,” said Bacchus who has been in the Guyana Police Force for more than 15
years. Bacchus’ award follows that of Inspector Jermaine Johnson, another IT Specialist who copped the award last year. The award comes with a cash prize of $250,000, plus a return ticket to New York and a dinner for two at the Duke Lodge Restaurant. Another prize is the trip for two to Arrowpoint resort. The Deputy Superintendent beat off the challenge of Detective Corporal Derwin Eastman, who also turned in a special performance throughout the year. Several other ranks were rewarded for their crime fighting efforts, among them was a female rank from the Corentyne, who single handedly orchestrated the arrest of a drug trafficking suspect while they were travelling in a minibus.
Slain cops’ spouses receive monetary donations
Foundation President Pastor Raphael Massiah presents the donation to Ms. Enola Pantlitz, the spouse of Corporal Sherwayne Pantlitz.
Members of the Guyana Police Wives’ Association handing over a gift to a patient The Guyana Police Wives’ Association on Tuesday donated several gifts to the residents of the Paediatric Ward at the Georgetown Public Hospital. The donation is an annual event carried
out by the Association in an effort to bring Christmas cheer to the children. Most of the bags contained toys, snacks and books for the children. Donations were garnered from Giftland, Continental and Food for the Poor.
Members of the Police Force’s Fallen Heroes Foundation Inc., led by its President Pastor Raphael Massiah, made its first set of donations on Tuesday, last, to relatives of four police ranks who were killed in the line of duty. Receiving significant monetary donations at their residences were the immediate relatives of Corporal Sherwayne Pantlitz, who was shot and killed during a confrontation with a licenced firearm holder who
had gone berserk at Middle Street, Georgetown; Corporal Romain Cleto who lost his life during an armed confrontation with criminal elements atAvenue of Republic, Georgetown; Corporal Silburn Elias who was shot and killed while making efforts to recapture a prisoner who had escaped from police custody and had taken away a firearm from a police rank; and Constable Antonio Dawson who was fatally stabbed during efforts to arrest an alleged mentally
unstable man. The Guyana Police Force with the support of religious leaders of the Cops and Faith Community Network and members of the business community, had established the Fallen Heroes Foundation on November 5, 2015, with the aim of providing adequate assistance to the relatives of those ranks who had lost their lives in the line of duty with emphasis on providing educational facilities for their children among other initiatives.
Thursday December 17, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 21
UNICEF promises support for Guyana toward AIDS-free generation Noting that stigma and discrimination against persons living with HIV has decreased in Guyana, UNICEF’s Resident Representative to Guyana and Suriname, Marianne Flach assures that her organisation will continuously support the Government and People of Guyana in their efforts to combat the virus that has threatened and taken the lives of millions globally. “Love, respect and dignity are essential to achieving an AIDS-free generation, unfortunately for many people living with HIV, stigma and discrimination persist despite global efforts to reduce the burden for those affected by this disease. In many instances, children are usually the ones who are disproportionately affected.” Addressing a gathering of thirty Civil Society Organisations at a Children’s Rights Workshop hosted by SASOD in collaboration with the USAID’s
Advancing Partners and Communities (APC) Project at the APC’s Georgetown office on Friday last, Flach focused her speech on the vulnerability of women and children. Sensitive, child-friendly services she said are needed to protect treat and respond to children affected by HIV, which she opined is absolutely critical. Twenty-five children globally still acquire HIV every hour despite the majority of pregnant women in low and middle income countries living with the virus are receiving treatment to remain healthy, and to avoid transmitting HIV to their babies. This prevents 1.3 million new infections among children since the millennium year. UNICEF, she said is actively supporting the Ministry of Public Health to reduce and prevent mother-tochild transmission. Current and future projects she revealed are
UNICEF Rep. for Guyana and Suriname, Marianne Flach the integration of HIV education and care into maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health services; support of male partner involvement, and case-tracking management systems, and ensuring that all babies, children,
Salvation Army distributes Christmas hampers
First Lady Sandra Granger handing over a hamper. Almost 500 persons – mostly senior citizens – were recipients of food hampers as the Salvation Army held its annual Christmas hamper distribution at its South Road and Alexander Street Headquarters. The proceedings kicked off with a musical interlude by the Worship Band, which had persons jumping out of their seats, grabbing a partner and waltzing, as those who remained seated rang bells and cheered. First of the guest speakers to address the gathering was the Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, Volda Lawrence, who said that she was delighted to be in the presence of her “boys and girls”. She commended the Salvation Army on its “unwavering effort to provide help and care to the most vulnerable” especially during the season of love, laughter
and joy. She also spoke about the government’s commitment in improving the lives of senior citizens and urged that they too, must take their rightful places in society as teachers and as models. “The Ministry of Social Protection is committed; we are committed to improving the lives of our boys and girls. We cherish and value your contribution, and wish to assure you that we will not renege on our promise of a better life for all; and that includes you. “This Ministry will continue to work in close collaboration with you, our senior boys and girls and the young population, so that you can enjoy improved living conditions for all – How yuh like how de city lookin’?” Lawrence asked as the gathering applauded. First Lady, Sandra Granger said that the elderly
are precious, deserved to be honoured and recognised for the contributions that they have made over the years. She also reflected on the many instances where the Salvation Army would come to the rescue of those in need of help. She also said that she will be working with the Ministry in ensuring better lives for the elderly. In closing she extended Christmas wishes to the gathering on behalf of the President and herself. Major Carolinda Cumberbatch said that the hampers were made available due to contributions made by persons through donations to the “kettlers” and whatever resources the Salvation Army had. She also pointed out that distributions are also scheduled to commence in New Amsterdam, Linden, Vergenoegen, Mahaicony and East La Penitence.
APC’s Chief-of-Party Folami Harris
and their mothers are able to access healthcare and information, particularly lifesaving HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. Guyana is in the validation process towards eliminating mother-to-child transmission of the HIV. Flach also noted that the Caribbean region may be the first region to eliminate this form of transmission, and this is a promising development as well as exciting achievement to look forward to. She expressed the view that children who have been made vulnerable by HIV can live difficult lives especially when they encounter various forms of violence and discrimination; these ills can prevent them from going to school, being social, and from generally enjoying their human rights. “Systems must be established and strengthened to protect and promote their [children’s] rights, and to ensure that they can grow up healthy and lead productive lives.” The Representative posited that comprehensive health and family life education, youthfriendly services and general social support can greatly reduce the spread of HIV. Recent research conducted on HIV among Young Key Affected
Populations in Guyana revealed, according to her, that children and young people are requesting more information on sexuality and because of this, UNICEF is pushing for comprehensive sexuality education in schools. Flach noted with concern that the age of consent in Guyana is set at sixteen years, which requires the authorisation of parents of sexually active adolescents, to have an HIV test which is a prohibitive factor for them accessing healthcare services; despite this, many structured programmes for adolescents have been established with UNICEF’s support to offer education and services across the country. “We must not forget the link between sexual violence and HIV, given the almost daily reports of violence perpetrated against women and children. Ending violence will have an impact on preventing sexually transmitted infections and curbing the spread of HIV, especially if the perpetrator is HIV positive” Flach said. Meanwhile Chief-of-Party of the APC Project, Folami Harris, in her opening remarks said that “we have an obligation, a moral sense to protect and respect the rights of our children, but there are not a lot of caregivers and
programmes in Guyana to assist vulnerable children in communities.” “How we respond to children is very important, but unfortunately we do not have enough people dealing with children specifically,” she related to the gathering of nurses, social workers, caregivers, counselors and peer educators in attendance. “We as caregivers don’t always do it, teachers don’t always to the extent it needs to be done, and this needs to change. We are in a very unique position. Very few of us have the capacity to offer formal dispute resolution and support. “We need to have the courage to do something, we know we should act but we don’t know how to act when we look at child abuse in its various forms – neglect, physical, emotional… no matter how we look at the statistics the figures are always bigger.” Harris posited that children’s rights, as a branch of human rights, need to be championed. “When we protect our children we protect ourselves…we protect future generations to come and we protect humanity.” She continued to say that children should be respected, their voices and opinions – not shoved aside or looked at as lesser versions of man, she called for after school programmes and counseling support, stating that children need to be listened to and guided and most of all protected from harm. “Today we will learn about children’s rights, we will value them and respect what children are entitled to as human beings so that we can render that support without conflict or malice,” she concluded. The day’s proceedings had Programme Officer of Help and Shelter, Danuta Radzik, presenting on the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of the Child; Trustee on the Board (continued on page 23)
‘Country Grill’ prepares to take Linden by storm A new business will take Linden by storm soon and create job opportunities for Lindeners. ‘Country Grill’, located in Greenheart Street, Mackenzie, Linden, will cater for family events and professional meetings. The aim is to provide customers with fast food and jerk with a rapid response time. According to the owner, Joycelyn Gilbert, it is hoped that a fast food chain is developed that will be positioned between
traditional fast food restaurants and sit down restaurants. The goal is to be the top choice for the market segment in Linden and later Guyana as a whole. She noted that in addition to take out facility, the business location will have modern seating arrangements on the lawns, where professionals can have an outdoor meeting or families can dine, or even an after work cocktail lime. According to the owner,
the concept was birthed by her work experiences with the Jamaican Jerk Centre in Jamaica. Gilbert said that ‘Country Grill’ will have a stainless steel kitchen and people can have a two-piece meal of jerk chicken, fish, pork or spare ribs with fries. Jerk Fest will be the first event at ‘Country Grill’ on Saturday. The Jerk Fest is a family event with children rides, trampoline and lots of fun for the family.
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Kaieteur News
VACANCY 1 Accounts Clerk, apply at Alabama Trading, Georgetown, Ferry Stelling.
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Thursday December 17, 2015
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FOR RENT PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 1-One bedroom apartment for rent at Grove E.B.D-Call: 2660892; 681-1047 Commercial Space for rent at Lot 12 North Road, salon & barber stations – Call: 6628715, 680-1198 2 Storey @ Robb Street Building, top flat furnished, 3 bedrooms apartment for living/office/storage, bottom flat for business-Call: 2272454
Four Mercedes Benz tyres and rims (18inches, 5 holes) –Call: 646-3427; 699-7874 Crazy Deals: Dell/HP desktop & laptop computers from $49,000, free games & educational programs @ FutureTech: 231-2206
We buy & sell vehicles for cash, also parts available & 30 seater buses; Extra Cab pickups; 2006 Tacoma- Call: 680-3154 1- New model Raum PSS Series rim AC dark interior, flair kit, TV & DVD deck, price -$1.7M negotiable – Call: 615-4317; 274-0086
Leyland DAF 55 Dump Truck, CAT 320 BL excavator. Call: 275-0538; 683-7225 1 New 2000 D.J Speaker with microphone-Call: 2230065; 618-4872
Soman Son & Outar Driving School at Maraj BuildingTel:644-5166; 622-2872; 6150964; 689-5997
Smart Choice Auto: Premio, Allion, Bluebird, 212, IST, Fielder, Spacio- Call: 6523820/ 665-4529
One Daihatsu Bego/RushContact: 691-1161
Offices to rent @ 220 South Road, near the High CourtCall: 691-8420; 227-1042
Aidan’s Car & 4WD Vigo pick up, cheapest rate, low security- Call: 698-7807 LEARN TO DRIVE
Toyota Dyna (enclosed), never registered, lift gate (hydraulic), back camera, excellent condition, low mileage -$2.6M –Call: 629-4494
Unregistered Fielder Wagon, fully loaded, rims, camera, bodykit, HID, dark interiorCall: 617-5536
CAT 930- Front End Loader, CAT D4H bulldozer, 9wheeled Pneumatic, Roller – Call: 275-0538; 683-7225
Wing’s Car & 4WD Vigo pick up rental- Call: 690-6494
Toyota 2 RZ BTT Series, power window, sunroof, TV, fog, mint condition, owner leaving country- $1.6MCall: 612-6121
Hobart Bread Mixer for sale $3.4M, in good condition with accessories, price negotiable –Call: 696-9399
PS3 -$35,000, XBOX360 $25,000, XBOX one-$100,000, plastic barrel -$4,000-Call: 621-7497; 603-8643
DOLLY’SCARRENTAL-CALL: 225-7126/226-3693 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL@ YA H O O . C O M / W W W. DOLLYSAUTORENTAL.COM PROGRESSIVE CAR RENTAL:CARS&SUV FOR RENTAL- $4,000 & UP PER DAY- CALL: 643-5122, 6560087 , EMAIL: PRO_ AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO. COM
One Honda CRV, immaculate condition –price $1,650,000- Call: 626-2884 1 RZ mini-bus -$750,000 negotiable, down payment & installment acceptedCall:694-8322; 223-1506
One property in Nandy Park and one complete dredge for sale- Call: 642-3808, 644-7207
1 Bedroom apartment preferably working couple or single person. (Light, water and garbage included) $35,000 monthly- Call: 638-8858
CAR RENTAL
VEHICLE FOR SALE
One Axela Mazda -$1.550 negotiable, one Nissan Titan, one Audi A4; all vehicles in excellent condition-Call: 6653038; 226-4356
Used Fridge compressor, imported from Canada for sale and other types of motorsCall: 613-8800; 233-2008
Land @ Sunshine Villa’s & lot 262 Land of Canaan. Call Bibi: 220-6799; 666-8901
WANTED Live in domestic must know to cook Salary $70,000$80,000 monthly –Call: 6105043 FOR SALE/RENT American Pools table-Call: 277-0578
One 2011 Honda ATV Bike, only used for prospecting, air cool. One Model M Bush Truck with Winch Call: 6882597 One 928 F Caterpillar Wheel Loader $ 7.1 M, Price negotiable -Call Us Today On #650-0402/260-4988
1- Two Bedrooms apartment to let for $50,000 per month at Linj Street. Call: 669-7203
House and land for sale. Call Molly on 669-3683; 234-1241
Land at Parfaite Harmonie $1M, $1.6M, $2M 50X100, Tuschen 11th Street -$2.5M, Phase 2, $1.2M, term available. Call: 604-6724 Zeelugt (100ftx50ft) - $2.2M, Parfaite Harmonie -$1M, Farm -$2.5, Eccles$5M, Herstelling -$4.5M- Call: 6042207, 611-7223, 223-1443
FOR SALE LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754.
Bloodline German Shepherd puppies for sale-Contact: 612-6672; 697-1141 Spare for washing machine, microwaves, fridges, stoves, timers, gearbox, motors, etc Call: 225-9032, 647-2943 250 Rebel Motorcycle, one 250 nighthawk motorcycle, for more information contact: 662-8715; 680-1198; 771-538887 One Massey Ferguson 165 Tractor in excellent working condition (first owner) –Call: 679-8454 TO LET Rooms in Albertown and apartment in Eccles–Call: 225-3234 Apartments for rent @ Nandy Park -$90,000 negotiable –Call: 227-5194
AT192, 212, Allion, unregistered Premio, Hilux Surf, BNN, RZ & Pit-bull, 7 seater super custom. Cash / terms- Call: 680-3154 2008 PTT series, Allion, 17" rims, TV, Viper alarm -$2.9M negotiable. Call: 669-7298 Toyota Raum, L-Touring Wagon, AT192, EP71 Starlet, Nissan 4 Door pickup, Yamaha R1 & R6, Honda 600RR-Call: 644-5096; 6971453 2013 Mercedes C250 turbo AMG coupe, retractable glasstop, mileage 15K, alcantara leather interior, brush aluminum acc- Call: 650-5136 Toyota Raum with press start alarm system -$900,000 negotiable-Call: 693-8192 ACCOMODATION Inner Retreat Hotel Restaurant & Bar, Retreat Road Parika. Indoor / Outdoor bar in Picturesque setting – Phone: 260-4504; 685-6934 Saturdays & Sundays after lunch @ Inner Retreat Hotel Parika: Bar-B-Que & games: pools, darts, table tennis etc – Phone: 260-4504. Continued on page 23
Thursday December 17, 2015
Kaieteur News
No bail for security guard accused of drug trafficking Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan refused bail for a Campbellville security guard, after he was allegedly found with 612 grams of marijuana in his possession for the purpose of trafficking. Appearing in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts yesterday was Abdul Bennett, 38, of Lot 30 Stone Avenue, Campbellville,
Georgetown. He is accused of having the illicit substance in his possession on December 14, at Campbellville. Bennett, who had no legal representation, was remanded to prison until January 12. Police Prosecutor, Corporal Deniro Jones did not reveal any facts about what transpired on the day in question to the court.
UNICEF promises... From page 21 of Directors for the Guyana Responsible Parenthood Associa t i o n ( G R PA ) , Attorney-At-Law Dela Britton on the Legal Framework in Guyana on Children’s issues; Director of the Childcare and Protection Agency, Ann Greene on State Services available for Children in Guyana; and Other Services and Support Offered to Children was presented by Kean Chase, Project Officer of ChildLink. Minister within the Ministry of Education with
the Responsibility of Youth Affairs, Nicolette Henry sent her regards, noting that the work of the SASOD must be commended, and the workshop held is testimony of the organisation’s commitment to addressing the rights of all Guyanese. She expressed her Ministry’s solidarity with the organisation, noting that the Government of Guyana looks forward to continuous engagements in the future, and that the initiative of the workshop will blossom into sustainable activities.
‘Give another chance foundation’ begins... From page 16 feet tall, formed part of the festive atmosphere through an initiative of Miranda ThakurDeen, the Founder of GACF and her family. They wanted to ensure residents of Wakenaam enjoy the same sentiments as other Guyanese. At dusk, the switch to light up the tree flipped on by the founder’s children; Javier Deen as well as Abeeda and Arthouro Murrell much to the amusement of the children and elders. This was a first in Wakenaam’s history. The day’s program was called to order by Regional Councilor, Perry Birbal and included inspirational remarks from Trustee of GACF Hon. Justice Donald Trotman and Ameena Hinds, Assistant Regional Executive Officer, Shameer Shahid and the Regional Education Officer, Penolope McIntoch. The attendees were well entertained by cultural items from students of the Arthurville Primary School, GACF Executive members Simeon Dowding and Melissa ‘Vanilla’ Roberts who doubled as chairperson of the program. On Sunday, last, the GAC Foundation also ensured that more than 150 children of the North Sophia Pentecostal Holiness church were treated
with gifts and toys. Hopetown Village on the West Coast Berbice is also included on the cheer giving calendar of activities, and on December 20, all teachers will be honoured as well as children of Hopetown Primary School who placed first to third in the end of term exams. There will also be distribution of clothing to the less fortunate in the community. The GACF is not cost centered and so residents of Region One, in the community of Baramita will also benefit from the cheer drive on December 22. It is therefore fair to conclude that the GACF has ensured children and residents of four out of the ten Administrative Regions of Guyana realize the sentiments of this joyous season. The ‘Give Another Chance Foundation’ is engaged in benevolent activities through assistance from cooperate sponsors: Courts Guyana Inc, Digicel, Scotia Bank, Micky Harilall, the Ferguson sisters and the members of all the communities, The Regional Administration of Region Three, The Chairman and Councilors of the Wakenaam Neighbourhood Democratic Council, the Station Sergeant and members of The Sans Souci Police Station among others.
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Spain’s PM Rajoy punched in face on election walkabout Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy was punched in the face during a campaign event for Sunday’s general election in his home region of Galicia yesterday, TV footage showed. The prime minister, 60, was unhurt, a People’s Party spokesman said, but Rajoy appeared later with a deep red mark on his face. A young man punched Rajoy hard on the side of his head, knocking his glasses off, as he walked through the town of Pontevedra. The young man, a minor, was subsequently arrested, police confirmed separately. Rajoy sent a message on Twitter, thanking his supporters and reassuring the public. “I’m fine, and on the way to a rally in Coruna,” he said. The aggressor had been standing next to Rajoy when he suddenly struck out, catching the premier by surprise. Rival candidates also sent
From page 22
PROPERTY FOR SALE
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy messages of support via text, the Ciudadanos party said. Rajoy’s ruling People’s Party is expected to win the election, even though it has presided over one of the worst economic slumps in decades. But it may short of the parlia-
mentary majority it has enjoyed since 2011. Spain has one of the highest youth unemployment rates in the European Union, with almost half of all jobseekers under 25 unable to find work.
Stranded scrap metal containers... From page 9 visit CH&PA to pay the fees. He said that an audit is also set to start into the accounts of the CH&PA. Not many staffers at CH&PA were said to be aware of the workings of the unit which fell directly under the control of the former Minister and Baksh. The trade has been lucrative for hundreds of entrepreneurs who employed a significant number of persons. As a matter of fact, in 2012, some 32,000 tons of metal was exported from the country. It has not been without
controversy. The trade has been linked to illegal business. There are reports that US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) officials cooperated with Greek police to smash a drug ring attempting to smuggle cocaine from South America into Europe. Authorities arrested three suspects accused of having used a scrap metal import business as a front to disguise their operations. The suspects allegedly first shipped containers with scrap metal from Guyana to a rented warehouse in Aspropyrgos, west of Athens. During a police raid at a
central Athens hotel, Greek authorities arrested a 38-yearold Guyana-born Dutch citizen, who is believed to be the kingpin of the racket. His name has not been made public, but he was reportedly dubbed by police as “fat guy” because of his physical appearance. Police also arrested two more suspects, a 38-year-old Greek baseball player and a 48-year-old Guyana national, as accomplices. They were arrested at the Aspropyrgos warehouse after they turned up to collect a container. Police found 27 kilos of cocaine hidden inside a metal compartment.
PPP refuses to consult with... From page 6 Commission and reduction of Value Added Tax (VAT). “That was sent November 26,” Rohee said, regarding the party’s reply. “We are yet to get a response from the distinguished Minister.” Jordan had indicated earlier in November that government would welcome discussions with the PPP, provided the ideas presented by the party are viable and within the government’s agenda. Jordan had also expressed hopes that this time around budget talks would be fruitful and less confrontational. The two sides have a rocky history when it comes to budget discussions, as according to Jordan, the 2015 budget discussions were dominated by Rohee
accusing the government of “witch-hunting”. Jordan had also stated that in his interactions with the opposition at the time of the one on one discussion, the party had put forward no new proposals for the 2015 budget. “My door is always open,” Jordan said last month. “The outcome of discussions on the 2015 budget was indeed disappointing. But I have high hopes that it would be better, because the opposition is now constituted in a parliamentary sense.” The party spokesperson on finance and head of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Irfaan Ali, has already indicated that, as the government has paid scant regard to the nine point rice
plan, it could be seen as an indicator of how government would treat PPP recommendations. President David Granger recently said, during a recent interview on the Ministry of the Presidency’s Public Interest forum that Government is likely to spend big on several projects. He had also indicated that these projects will be provided for in the 2016 budget, with the estimates being ready by early January. It is understood that among the projects that Government will be eyeing in 2016 are the Del Conte road project, linking Parika on the East Bank of Essequibo (EBE) with Goshen. It is a project that is expected to provide increased access to mining communities such as Bartica.
Property for sale, Grove $20M / Rent: $50,000 per month. Tel: 625-5461. Property @ Lot 134 Block 2 Waterloo W.C.B and lot 169 2nd Street Woodley Park, W.C.B-Call: 328-7416; 6923912; 674-4184 Brand new 2 storey concrete building in 5th Avenue, Diamond, E.B.D, all modern amenities - Call: 662-9335; 612-3244 Herstelling Deal: land (100ftx50ft) & house (brand new with fence), two bedroom-$8M-Call: 6042207; 611-7223 Church and 2 storey building Lot 180 Charlotte Street Bourda, between Albert & Oronoque Streets -Call: 227-6817; 624-7341; 226-5183 Business & residential property @ EBD Public Road, all amenities including security camera & grilled, best cash offer accepted – Call: 684-2119 2 Storey 45x35 concrete property, lower flat incomplete. Land 65x120 @ Diamond N/S 5th Avenue,E.B.D- Call: 6645052
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Kaieteur News
Thursday December 17, 2015
More time granted to Repeat Psychiatric offender on bail for another car theft complete NGSA curriculum A patient of the National Psychiatric Hospital made another appearance before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan, yesterday, to answer a charge of carjacking. He was deemed unfit to stand trial by State Psychologist, Dr. Bhiro Harry. Raymond Samaroo, 24, a minibus driver, of 20 Owen Street, Kitty, Georgetown, had to answer the charge which read that on October 28, at Station Street, Kitty, he stole one Toyota Allion valued $3 million, property of Eon Pearson. The accused has been previously charged with three similar offences, including one instance of stealing one CRV Motor Car valued at $5 million, while the driver was purchasing a meal at a Chinese restaurant. The Magistrate had remanded him and ordered that he be evaluated by Dr. Harry to determine whether he was fit to stand trial. Dr. Harry’s report stated that Samaroo is incapable of standing trial. Attorney Paul
- Assessments to be conducted in late April 2016
Raymond Samaroo Fung-A-Fat made an application for the file to be sent back to the Director of Public Prosecutions for advice. Samaroo was placed on $10,000 bail and has been admitted to the Psychiatric Clinic.
Additional time has been granted for the completion of the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) curriculum. This announcement was yesterday made by the Ministry of Education by way of a press statement. It was outlined that the Ministry has decided to extend the dates by one month to give teachers sufficient time to complete the NGSA curriculum and give pupils more time within which to prepare for the Assessments. The NGSA will therefore be held on Wednesday April 27 and Thursday April 28, 2016. Previously the Assess-
Cutlass brawl lands man before court A resident from West Ruimveldt made an appearance before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan after he was charged with felonious wounding. The charge was read to Joshua Joseph, yesterday, in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. Joseph, 20, of 68 Laing Avenue, West Ruimveldt, is accused of unlawfully and maliciously wounding Dexter Beckles with intent to maim, disable or cause him grievous bodily
harm. The incident allegedly occurred on December 3, at High Street. Joseph pleaded guilty to the charge but was released on $20,000 bail. He will make another court appearance on January 15. Police Prosecutor, Corporal Deniro Jones told the court that on same day in question, Beckles saw the defendant and another coworker fighting. He said that when Beckles saw the altercation he attempted to
stop the fight, but was dealt several chops to the hand by the defendant. According to the Prosecutor, Beckles was immediately rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and was discharged four days ago. Joseph, who was not represented by a lawyer, explained that he was not involved in a fight with the complainant. He said that they had an argument and Beckles armed himself with a
Barnwell North to receive water service for first time in more than 15 years Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Richard Van West-Charles at a community meeting organized by residents of Barnwell North and Farm New Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara last Sunday, addressed the concerns of residents regarding the service improvements being implemented in the communities. The GWI Chief Executive Officer was joined by Chairman of the Barnwell North Farmers’ Group, Samuel Joyce, Executive Director of Operations, GWI, Joseph Codette, Divisional Manager East Bank Demerara, Orion Dhanraj and Asst. Divisional Manager, Laurie David. After listening to concerns raised by residents about sections of Barnwell North without access to
water service for more than 15 years, the GWI Chief Executive explained that the programme is being implemented in phases and within three weeks, the water distribution network will be installed in Fields two (2) to fifteen (15). The community has in excess of 100 households. Dr. Van West-Charles indicated that GWI will offer a payment contract for families who may be unable to pay for the installation of the new service connections. The residents and the Chief Executive agreed to the terms of the payment contract. ‘‘Our aim is to provide for the many families in urgent need of potable water,’ stated the GWI Chief Executive, ‘GWI is offering a flexible payment contract so that families can afford to pay for the new service connections required to provide the community with water service’. The proposal was accepted with applause from residents who were advised to visit the GWI Customer Services Office at Peter’s Hall, East Bank Demerara to sign up for payment contracts.
Addressing residents of the Farm New Housing Scheme, which has in excess of 1000 households without access to water service for more than two (2) years, Dr. Van West-Charles indicated that GWI is prepared to install new water service connections to all Farm residents, but the process is hampered by the vandalism of pipelines installed by the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA). Dr. Van-West committed to discussing the matter with the Management of the CH&PA with the aim of rectifying the damage caused by the vandalism and commencing the installation of new service connections. “Residents should be proactive in guarding the infrastructure,” stated the Chief Executive Officer, ‘vandalism significantly affects our ability to provide the community with service. Residents must take ownership of the infrastructure and guard against these criminal acts to ensure that the service will be available for generations to come’.
cutlass to attack him. He stated that he disarmed Beckles and dealt him several lashes to the right hand, which caused him injuries and landed his hand in a cast. The defendant said that he ran down to the Brickdam Police Station after he was attacked by a mob. He added that some female officers hid him in a corner and told him not to come out because he would get killed. On hearing this, the Magistrate entered a not guilty plea and released the defendant on bail.
ments were conducted earlier in the month. It was noted that the teachers have been advocating for additional time to be granted for some time now. In the meantime, logistical preparations and quality assurance mechanisms are being put in place for the efficient administration of Assessments in April 2016. Moreover, parents and candidates preparing to take the assessments are asked to note English Language Paper Two will be administered on the morning of Wednesday April 27 at 09:00-09:55 hours; English Language Paper 1 will be administered at 10:30-11:40 hours. The afternoon of the same day will see Science Paper One being administered at 13:00-14:10 hours after which Science Paper Two will be administered at 14:30 – 15:25 hours. The following day (Thursday April 28) Mathematics Paper One and Paper Two will be administered at 09:00-10:00 hours and 10:45-11:40 hours respectively. In the afternoon of the same day, Social Studies Paper One and Two will be administered at 13:00-14:10 hours and 14:30-15:25 hours respectively. Meanwhile, the Ministry reminded that with immediate effect, the inclusion of the Grades Two and Four Assess-
ments will no longer be considered to ascertain the NGSA score. This therefore means that NGSA 2016 will not include grades obtained from the recent Grades Two and Four Assessments. The Grade Two and Four Assessments will be used strictly for diagnostic purposes, as was initially intended. Previously five per cent of each candidate's National Grade Two Assessment scores in Mathematics and English and 10 per cent of the National Grade Four Assessments scores in the same subjects were added to 85 per cent of each candidate's NGSA score in the same subject areas. The combined scores in Mathematics and English were added to the scores gained in Science and Social Studies. In the statement disseminated yesterday, the Ministry urged that schools put the necessary systems in place for the results of these Assessments to be the basis for strategic interventions aimed at overcoming identified weaknesses of pupils. The Ministry also encouraged parents to continue to work with their children to ensure that they improve in any subject area that is considered a challenge to them.
Guyana welcomes UNAIDS ... From page 20 decline in the number of HIV positive cases in the country. “Treatment and care services are available throughout Guyana at 22 sites…at the end of last year 5041 persons (55.8 percent women and 44.2 percent men) were listed on the register of the care and treatment programmes; with 4295 receiving antiretroviral treatment. This figure is equal to 50 percent coverage for people living with HIV.” Within the national cohort of people accessing ARV treatment, the survivability within the first 12 months is over 80 percent. For the 24, 36, and 60-month periods, the survivability rates are 75 percent, 72.2 percent and 63 percent respectively. This indicates that
people with HIV are living longer. Further, the country is on its way to achieving recognition for the elimination of the prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT). Since 2008, the reported cases of HIV in children under the age of one year, has remained below five. Minister Cummings, turning her focus to the strategy, expressed gratitude to the UNAIDS for the good work it has been engaged in. She then stated, “Countries should refocus their approach and give focus to those who are being left behind. There are many who don't know their positive status nor are they accessing treatment…at our current pace we shall not end AIDS
as a public health threat but instead, work on goals of ending AIDS by 2030.” She added, “Quickening the pace towards working on this issue is pivotal to the global target of eradicating theAIDS epidemic, continuing at the same pace will leave people behind, resulting in inequality and compromising social justice.” To support her point, she reiterated that “an ambitious social strategy is required to take us forward, focus resources, political support and accelerate progress.” At the ceremony were members of the diplomatic corps along with other dignitaries and staff of the various partnering agencies and bodies. (GINA)
City Hall takes control of parking From page 19 empowers the Georgetown Municipality to regulate and control the Council's roads. “A Council shall have power, subject to the provisions of the Town and Country Planning Act, the Road Act and the Motor Vehicle and Road Traffic Act to construct, maintain, repair, protect and carry out works for the
betterment of Council roads in Council area and to regulate and control traffic thereon”. Section 274 of the Municipal and District Council Act States that the Council can “establish, maintain and control parking; erect and maintain parking meters; regulate the standing and parking of vehicles on Council roads; erect and maintain traffic control signals and
traffic signs on council roads; regulate the speed of vehicles on council roads; designate particular council roads as one-way roads or one specified direction; require vehicles to stop before entering or crossing any council road or to yield to other traffic; and also restrict the use of any council roads to vehicles of specified type or weights”.
Thursday December 17, 2015
Kaieteur News
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Kaieteur News
Thursday December 17, 2015
PM: T&T’s quality of life in danger Trinidad Guardian - Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley says the quality of life of citizens in T&T is in great danger and the Government will be brutally honest with citizens to save them from what was pending. He also said he would address the nation on the matter soon. Speaking at Tuesday’s launch of Women’s Institute for Alternative Development (WINAD) report of its Women’s Conservations Caravan: Making Our Voice Count, at the Rotunda, First Citizens Bank, Queen’s Park East, Rowley said he was disturbed about a pending situation involving the United States with respect to its self-imposed embargo on exporting hydrocarbons. The PM said he took note of moves by the Democratic and Republican parties in the US to agree “to lift the embargo on the US to allow it to become an exporter of hydrocarbons.” Rowley said if that was to happen the market was going to change in a fundamental way as commodity prices continued to decline. “We have always been a seller and if one of our main markets becomes a seller the thing would have changed,” he added. He said that matter was expected to be determined in the next few days, adding that T&T could only wait and see the outcome as “we are not influencing it.” Rowley said he would await the reaction of one of the world’s leading oil exporters, Saudi Arabia, on the matter. “Do they hold the line and continue to depress the price hoping to knock the US out of the market to maintain their market share or do they give in. We don’t know. We are just there being buffeted in the wind. “So we are required to be honest about our circumstances and to take the necessary steps to rectify it. And in that context I intend to address this nation in the near future to address this matter about being honest about our circumstances,” he added. The PM said the existing conditions required that citizens adopt the right kind of behaviour. Rowley used the doctor and patient analogy to stress the need to be honest, saying “some medicines require absolute honesty or your life might depend on it.”
Dr. Keith Rowley
He said citizens must be honest and determine what they could afford under the existing circumstances, adding they must at least do what they can to preserve “the quality of life that we enjoy now.” He stressed: “That quality of life is in great danger if we don’t behave properly and that is the honesty I talk about. “As the Government, we intend to be brutally honest with the people of T&T to make sure we do what is going to save us from what is pending.” Earlier, Rowley heard the executive director of WINAD tell the launch that the most serious problem affecting women in T&T was violence. Burt Rowley said: “Every time you hear some bad news about somebody being killed in T&T, very frequently it is a male and very often it happens when he was liming somewhere. “I don’t usually hear about women liming anywhere and being part of the statistics...and the reason might very well be it is because they are the ones with their shoulders to the wheel holding us together as a nation.”
Thursday December 17, 2015
Kaieteur News
Cameron wins Merkel boost before facing EU leaders
Britain’s PM David Cameron (L) walks around the rose garden with German Chancellor Angela Merkel during a meeting at the prime minister’s Chequers residence near Ellesborough, northwest of London, October 9, 2015. (REUTERS/JUSTIN TALLIS/POOL) (Reuters) - David Cameron won encouragement from Europe’s powerbroker Angela Merkel as he prepared for a summit today that could set Britain on course to stay in or quit the European Union. But though the chancellor vowed to help Germany’s “natural ally” Britain secure reforms to the bloc that the prime minister says he needs to win a referendum on EU membership, she warned that Cameron’s push to curb immigration by Europeans must not breach the bloc’s core principle of free movement for workers. With polls showing failure to secure a deal could swing a tight vote against continued EU membership, Merkel said it would be “very challenging” to reach an accord, which EU officials hope to conclude by the next summit in mid-February. But noting past EU flexibility towards members’ needs she added: “I am therefore confident we can do it this time.” The comments in Berlin by the most powerful of the 27 other national leaders he will face across a Brussels dinner table underscored the messages Cameron can expect to hear at the first discussion of his demands by the full European Council, where chairman Donald Tusk wants an open debate with “no taboos”. One message is that no one wants the EU’s second-ranked economy and a major military power to quit. But Cameron will also hear that his call for workers from other EU states to wait four years before receiving the same state benefits as Britons may breach EU treaties forbidding national discrimination. Tusk pinpointed welfare as the most divisive of the British reform demands in a letter to EU leaders last week following a month of consultations with national governments. There is no final agreement on any of the four topics on which Cameron asked for change in a letter to Tusk in November and officials said there will be no discussion of legal details on Thursday. Diplomats hope, however, that the political leaders closeted over dinner can break through some of the legal logjam facing officials and provide guidance on where to compromise. But they cannot make agreements that breach existing EU treaties. Diplomats said Cameron would emphasize that some of the solutions he wants will need change to treaties — probably via binding promises rather
than in a way that could oblige some states to ratify changes in tricky national votes any time soon. OPEN TO IDEAS Cameron has rejected suggestions he will drop his demand on the four-year benefits delay but has made clear he is open to alternatives that would achieve the same result of cutting immigration from poorer European states in the east and south. Various ideas are circulating among diplomats in Brussels, though British officials say most fall short. “The prime minister is going there not with a Plan B in his back pocket but with the proposals that we have already announced,” a source close to the negotiations said. “He will want to assess the reaction of his colleagues.” Possible alternatives include more change to British national welfare laws, focusing on curbing benefits for unemployed EU citizens — less protected by the treaties — or mechanisms to discriminate on the basis of residency rather than nationality. In a rare public manifestation of the bureaucratic machine in overdrive on these issues, the EU commissioner in charge of labour issues, Marianne Thyssen, explained to the European Parliament why she was delaying proposals to overhaul EU rules for migrant workers. Her plan had been expected this month. “When exactly we will be tabling it also depends on the political context,” Thyssen said, saying the timing would be considered again after Cameron’s discussions on Thursday. Cameron, who has promised a referendum within two years, says he wants to stay in a reformed EU but makes clear he might campaign to leave if he fails to get what he wants. POLLS One opinion poll yesterday showed that few voters think he can deliver his full range of changes, which include giving more protection for sterling-using Britain in an EU dominated by the euro zone, more power in the EU for national parliaments and clearer limits on future European integration. The poll also showed clear support for staying in the EU, however. Another survey found that failure to secure reforms on migration or the euro could swing opinion so that the result would be too close to call.
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Kaieteur News
Thursday December 17, 2015
North Korea sentences Canadian pastor to hard labour for life North Korea’s highest court has sentenced a South Korea-born Canadian pastor to hard labour for life for subversion, the North’s official KCNA news agency reported yesterday, a punishment Canada condemned as “unduly harsh.” Hyeon Soo Lim, the head pastor at a Toronto church that is one of Canada’s largest, has been held by North Korea since February, and
has appeared on its state media confessing to crimes against the state. Lim admitted during the trial to “not only viciously defaming the highest dignity of Korea and its system but also possessing the wicked intention of trying to topple the Republic by staging an anti-state conspiracy,” KCNA said. The court said Lim had attempted to overthrow the
North Korean government and undermine its social system with “religious activities” for the past 18 years, China’s official Xinhua news agency reported. The prosecution sought the death penalty, but the defence asked for leniency despite the gravity of his crimes “so that he can witness for himself the reality of the nation of the Sun as it grows in power and prosperity,” KCNA said. The court sentenced him to hard labour for life, it said. In Ottawa, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canadian officials would continue to press for access to Lim. “The issues of North Korea’s governance and judicial system are well known. We are very concerned about someone being sentenced to life in North Korea,” he told reporters. KCNA did not specify
what activities Lim engaged in, but Xinhua reported that Lim confessed to helping people defect from North Korea, and had met the U.S. ambassador to Mongolia regarding the plans. Most defectors fleeing isolated, repressive North Korea travel to South Korea via China and Southeast Asia. It is also possible to defect via Mongolia. A Canadian source familiar with the file said there was no reason to believe any of the allegations were true, with the trial clearly scripted. The source dismissed the idea Lim had been plotting with the U.S. envoy to Mongolia. “Is it possible that Pastor Lim crossed paths with the small diplomatic community and the American ambassador while he was in Ulan Baator at some point on his numerous travels to the country? Maybe. Would it be un-
usual? No,” said the source. The case has drawn a lot of attention in Canada’s large Korean community and Christian churches. Rev. Imki Park, General Secretary of the Council of Korean Churches of Ontario, said Ottawa should “launch a much greater effort” to get Lim out. The court held that Lim fabricated anti-North Korean propaganda as part of a U.S. and South Korean-led “human rights racket” against the country, Xinhua said. HANDS CLASPED North Korea had previously sentenced KoreanAmerican missionary Kenneth Bae to 15 years of hard labor but released him last year after holding him for two years. Lim’s church, the 3,000member Light Korean Presbyterian Church, has said Lim had visited the North more than 100 times since 1997 and
helped set up an orphanage and a nursing home. Lim, who has lived in Canada since 1986 and is a Canadian citizen, has a “very serious health problem, very high blood pressure,” his church said. He was 60 at the time of capture. He is the only Western citizen known to be held currently in North Korea. Both North Korea and neighboring China have clamped down on Christian groups in recent years. Last year, Pyongyang released three detained Americans, including Bae and another man who had left a copy of the Bible at a club. It freed a South Korean national with a U.S. green card in October this year after holding him for six months. In June, the North’s highest court sentenced two South Koreans accused of spying for Seoul to hard labour for life. The pair are among three South Koreans known to be held by the North.
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Ministers to discuss AG not opposed to NICIL report at next non-custodial sentences for cabinet meeting small amounts of ganja
The forensic audit report on the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) has finally made its way to Cabinet. For the next week, it will be the subject of an intense review by the administration. This is according to Minister of Governance, Raphael Trotman. He told members of the media during a post Cabinet conference, yesterday, that the Cabinet members have agreed to review the report individually and will deliver comments on their position at the next sitting meeting next week. The forensic audit report was prepared by Chartered Accountant, Anand Goolsarran. The 80-page document details numerous cases of financial improprieties by the former directors of NICIL as well as its current Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Winston Brassington. In the report, Goolsarran recommended that moves be made to institute criminal and/ or disciplinary actions against all those responsible for the interception of State revenues totaling $26.858 billion in violation of Articles 216 of the Constitution and the related sections of the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act (FMA). He noted that disciplinary action is provided for under the following sections of the FMA Act: (a) Section 48 — Misuse of public moneys; (b) Section 49 — Liability for loss of public moneys; and (c) Section 85 — Liability of an official. Goolsarran also called for the institution of criminal and/or disciplinary actions against all those responsible for violating Article 217 of the Constitution by causing expenditure to be incurred without parliamentary approval. He said that charges are in order for all those responsible for ignoring National Assembly Resolution No. 32 of December 17, 2012, requiring NICIL to pay over to the Consolidated Fund “all revenues and proceeds from the sale of all State properties, except for those necessary administrative costs for maintaining and running its operations annually.” The Chartered Accountant called for NICIL to be liquidated and for the appointment of a Receiver to oversee the liquidation process. He said, too, that Government should re-activate the Privatisation Unit as a department of the Ministry of Finance to manage the Government’s residual investments after liquidation proceedings have concluded.
- Rastafarians demanding legalisation
Governance Minister, Raphael Trotman
NICIL CEO, Winston Brassington
In this regard, he noted that the existing staff of NICIL could be transferred to the Ministry of Finance. Goolsarran also recommended for his report to be forwarded to the State Assets Recovery Unit, with a view to recovering any State assets/ properties that might have been improperly and illegally transferred to third parties. He believes that there should be a further independent audit to examine in detail transactions over the last six years, given that the scope of his report covered the period 2001 to May 2015.
“In addition, considering the hostile, arrogant and demeaning response to my preliminary draft report as well as certain restrictions placed on this audit, it would be desirable for the Executive Director and the Deputy Executive Director to proceed on leave to facilitate the transaction audit,” Goolsarran added. He said that Government may wish to consider whether it wishes to retain the services of the Executive Director and the Deputy Executive Director in light of the findings and conclusions contained in the report.
Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams, yesterday said that he was not against the removal of the mandatory imprisonment for possession of small amounts of cannabis as Rastafarians call for the legalization of the herb. “Certainly possession of certain amounts should not attract custodial sentences. I thought in marginal cases considerations could be given for non-custodial sentences,” he said. He was an advocate for noncustodial sentences for small amounts of marijuana, he said. Following a lengthy meeting with the Rastafarian community at his office, Williams said the new Narcotics Drug and Psychotropic Substances (Control) (Amendment) Bill 2015, could not be tabled because it is protocol for draft legislations to be brought first to the Cabinet level. “That Bill hasn’t come to the House under the hand of the government. Cabinet has not discussed the matter; it has not been discussed in Cabinet sub-committee which is headed by the Prime Minister and the Prime Minister is
2015 was year of incredible... From page 3 Commissioner said. This year the Force has had to deal with a change of political administration for the first time in two decades, and with that came a slight shift in focus. Earlier this year, at the Annual Police Officers' Conference, the Force was charged to implement a 10point strategy to deal with crime by then President Donald Ramotar. A few months later, newlyelected President, David Granger, unveiled a five-point strategy which contained some of the basic inputs of the previous plan. According to the Commissioner, under the new plan, the Force has seen an increase in manpower and training in the Criminal Investigations Department, both detective-type as well as crime intelligencetype training. It is in this area that the force has seen the most dividends. “…so today, you see in the newspapers a high-profile crime reported and shortly thereafter, perpetrators are being arrested and charged,” the Top Cop stated. This was reflected in the number of detectives who
were publicly awarded for their work throughout the year. In fact, except for in two instances, all the Divisional/ Department Best Cops were ranks attached to the Criminal Investigations Department. Also coming out of the five-point plan was the increased deployment of ranks in the police Interior Division, which has been one of the most troublesome areas to police as a result of its vastness and the amount of new financial investments there. Lethem now has a Mounted Unit, and according to Persaud, there is likely to be an increase in security along that area at the border with Brazil. “That area according to our intelligence report has been very active in the area of smuggling…so we are seeing new air and land movements that have been seen there for a while,” the Commissioner stated. There are also increased patrols, which are being bolstered by the recently launched “Operation Dragnet” The Commissioner praised the initiative which he credits with the improved response to crime in progress. Since the launch of the opera-
tion, 40 persons have been arrested and charged with serious crimes, including murders. Wanted persons were also caught in the dragnet. The operation has also seen the seizure of 12 illegal firearms and 132 rounds of live ammunition. Persaud also spoke about the traffic situation which has seen a decrease in terms of road fatalities, but an increase in the number of cases made. And he did not forget to mention the partnerships that the force has formed with several civil society groups, such as the 'Cops and Faith' initiative, which has been a tremendous social crime prevention success. The Commissioner is very optimistic for the success of the Force in the coming year, with the addition of 1,200 more ranks and new Community Policing Groups. In concluding, he thanked his ranks and all other stakeholders in the security sector for the support they have given to the force. But while urging all to enjoy the festive season, he warned that persons should not over-indulge and become unprofessional, since “Operation Dragnet” will catch you.
the Leader in the House. He had no idea about the Bill, the nature of the Bill, the contents of the Bill,” Williams said, indicating that based on the procedures the piece of legislation would not be brought to the National Assembly at this time. Alliance For Change (AFC) parliamentarian, Michael Carrington, was expected to table the amendment to remove provisions of the Narcotic Drug and Psychotropic Substances Control Act 1988 which requires Magistrates to imprison anyone who pleads guilty to or has been found guilty of possession of marijuana. At present, the law indicates that anyone found in possession of marijuana is liable to a fine of $10,000 or three times the monetary value of the drug. If the amount is in excess of 15 grams of cannabis, it is mandated that the offender should be sentenced to a minimum of three years of imprisonment. Almost on a daily basis people are being charged for possession of small amounts of marijuana. The Bill was drafted by attorneys’ Nigel Hughes and Mark Waldron following the imprisonment of national football coach, Vibert Butts, for possession of marijuana. Williams, nonetheless, stated that he hopes the Bill would serve as a “catalyst” in addressing the issue. He stated that the decriminalization of Marijuana should be a matter for national consultation. The Rastafarians are asking that the government remove the mandatory imprisonment for persons convicted of two
ounces or 56 grams of marijuana for personal use. There are also reports circulating that the community is lobbying for the drug to be legalized. However, they stated that they were open for national consultation. President of the Guyana Rastafari Council, Ras Simeon, insisted that the criminalization of marijuana possession is a violation of Rastafarians’ religious and cultural rights. “It is a crime and a great crime for a government to stand between a people and their religion and culture and to make laws and set institutions to suffocate and strangle I-and-I for so long,” he charged. Another member of the Rastafarian community said that he hopes that the consultations would bring a positive response that will permit them to be in custody of two ounces of marijuana for religious purposes. “I love the ganja; I can’t lie about that. I love the ganja. From the 70s I smoke the ganja. Ganja doesn’t make nobody mad. Ganja is good,” he argued. Hughes does not believe that the new Narcotics Drug and Psychotropic Substances (Control) (Amendment) Bill 2015 should be sent to a select committee prior to it being tabled in the Parliament. He said that select committee deliberations were known for being notoriously “slow and protracted”. He proposed to members of the National Assembly that if there is a view from members of the National Assembly there should be a conscience vote.
A Lethem goldminer will be spending the Christmas holiday behind bars after he was remanded to prison by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan for the murder of a Brazilian man yesterday. The man, Michael Melville, 29, of Waramadong, Upper Mazaruni, is accused of murdering Jose Oliveira Silva between December 2 and December 5 at Arau, Wenamu River. The body of the 62-yearold man was found on December 5, with marks of violence. According to reports, Silva and another
man were involved in a fight during which he was chopped about his body. Melville was arrested by police last Friday, at Kaikan. He will return to court on March 21, in the Kamarang Magistrate’s Court.
Lethem miner charged with murder of Brazilian
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Teachers urged to make Guyanese “citizens of an educated nation” ...as Union honours standouts “Teachers are the foundation on which a good education system is built and a good education system is the foundation on which any nation is built,” this was the simple message conveyed by President David Granger when he delivered remarks at the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU)’s Awards ceremony on Tuesday evening to honour outstanding teachers of 2015. The event, which was held at the Georgetown Club, was held under the theme ‘Empowering Teachers, Building Sustainable Societies.’ President Granger was invited as the guest speaker, and during his address to the gathering of mainly educators, made it clear that teachers are the most important elements in a country’s education system. He emphasised that teachers are the foundation of the education system because of the critical role they play and the heavy responsibilities they bear. “Teachers are responsible for the transmission of knowledge, the transmission of values, the transmission of attitudes. Teachers support the maintenance and the safeguarding of the reputation of schools and of the standards of society. Teachers are key to ensuring that there is a sound learning environment in our country,” the President asserted. He moreover stressed that the school system will collapse without teachers, and by extension, the country too. It was at this very juncture that the Head of State observed that the education system is currently in crisis. “We know that the perfor-
President David Granger (sixth from left, front row) in the company of the awardees mance of our students, at both local and regional examinations, suggest that we need to do better; we need to look more closely at what is taking place in our schools...” “Too many of our children have been dropping out; have been failing,” said President Granger as he disclosed that more than half of the children who wrote English A and Mathematics at the 2015 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination failed to obtain Grade One to Three passes. He noted too that the performance of students in Chemistry, Physics and Human and Social Biology this year was described, even by the Ministry of Education, as unsatisfactory. The President made mention also that the
performance of the top one percent at the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) served to obscure the truth about the overall performance of pupils. “Below the tip of that iceberg there is a huge body of children who failed,” said President Granger as he added “tonight, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, you’re faced with this challenge of making Guyanese citizens of an educated nation.” Also speaking at the forum was Technical Advisor to the Minister of Education, Vincent Alexander. In supporting the President’s remarks, he noted that education is arguably the most important sector in the country. “Without education and with-
out the developers of our manpower, notwithstanding all of the resources we may have, all of the policies that we may have, we will not be able to achieve our objectives.” He moreover commended the teachers for their contributions throughout the years, adding, “We have to work together to improve conditions.” In the quest to improve the sector, Alexander said that the Ministry joins the Union as partners, and not as adversaries, in giving recognition to the nation’s teachers. “Our education system is one that requires tremendous work if we are to achieve what we want the nation to achieve,” said Alexander, as he thanked the older teachers honoured and urged that
the younger teachers walk in their footsteps. GTU President Mark Lyte, speaking directly to the awardees, also commended them for their years of hard work and sacrifice. Those selected for awards, he noted, were chosen from among their respective branches and were experiencing something that many teachers only dream of. “In some countries this recognition comes with some pretty nice perks; not so tonight, but by way of award we want to recognise your contribution to education in Guyana and your contribution to the work of the Guyana Teachers’ Union,” Lyte said. He explained that the teachers recognised for the awards, were selected because they went above and
beyond the regular duties of a teacher to make an impact in their school environment. A teacher of the year, he added, should inspire all students to learn. “Teachers who aspire for this award do not stick to the textbook or the traditional methods of teaching, they find creative ways to make materials accessible to their students and (they) stay up to date with best practices to help enhance instruction,” Lyte added. The event was chaired by GTU General Secretary, Coretta McDonald, who committed to the President that teachers will work to help improve the profession. She, at the time, also made an appeal for more support to be afforded teachers.
174 graduate from Critchlow Labour College A total of 174 students received their certificates from the Critchlow Labour College (CLC) as the institution hosted its 40th graduation and prize giving ceremony on Tuesday evening. Scores of relatives, family, friends and well-wishers gathered at CLC’s auditorium as the students made their way to the stage to uplift their certificates in Industrial and Social Training, Effective Speaking and Writing, Management and Organisational development, Human Resources Management and Industrial Relations, Occupation Safety and Health, Social work; Care for the elderly and childcare. Other certificates that were handed out included Diploma in Occupational Safety and Health, Advance Diploma in Public Management and Advance Diploma in Human Resources Management. Present at the ceremony was Minister within the Min-
istry of Education, Nicolette Henry, who in her opening address congratulated the graduates on their achievements and applauded the CLC for its efforts in creating an avenue of quality education for workers all in assuring that skills be enhanced. Having good qualification is not enough, Henry cautioned, but in addition, soft skills and expertise must also be required to perform excellently on the job. She added that the education system has many more “pathways and many more bridges significantly more than what was available a generation or two ago.” She urged that students make use of the diversity of pathways. Henry stated that the government is investing more in schools particularly post-secondary education, all in an effort to help Guyanese on the long journey of learning. According to Principal of
CLC, Ivor English, the institution has been in existence for nearly five decades, since it was chartered on October 12, 1967. Its mandate is to provide an opportunity for workers as well as trade union leaders to improve their skills thereby, enabling them to respond more positively in their respective fields of work and other engagements. The former administration, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) and the CLC, had been on a back and forth as it relates to the institution providing its expenditure reports. Its subvention was eventually pulled by the PPP/C resulting in the CLC closing its doors back in 2007. However, the institution was reopened in 2010 by forming synergies with other organisations. It was at the 11th Parliament when the newly elected President David Granger revealed that the subvention would be re-
instated. English stated that since its reopening, there has been significant growth in population and if the institution wishes to be restored its ‘former glory’ as one of the leading and popular labour colleges regionally, a lot needs to be done. There is the restoration of the infrastructure. The Information Technology lab needs to be outfitted with appropriate technology so as to enhance the delivery of education “in the contemporary scheme of things”. English told the gathering that it seems as if a new day has dawned hinting at the government’s commitment to reinstate the subvention. The CLC had received $5M this year. “We therefore look forward to the full restoration of the subvention in the 2016 budget since CLC continues to make an invaluable contribution to education and national development,” he said.
Minister Nicolette Henry presents a trophy to Best Graduating Student, Kedon Stewart.
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Too much politics killing West Indies cricket - Bravo ESPNcricinfo - Dwayne Bravo lamented the sorry state of West Indies cricket, saying “too much politics” was killing the game in the Caribbean, and that the administrators needed to take a hard look at themselves. Bravo, who was asked about the team’s inningsand-212-run loss to Australia in the first Test in Hobart, said it was painful to see West Indies slip to one big loss after another despite having the personnel to compete. He pointed the gradual decline to a host of factors, including external interference and lack of infrastructure. “We’ve got the players to be up there with the best in the world, but there are a lot of things going on,” said Bravo, who is in Australia to play for the Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League. “We don’t have proper grounds, proper nets or a proper academy. All these things are a part of our down-
Dwayne Bravo felt administrative mess was to blame for the alarming decline of West Indies cricket © BCCI
fall. “The relationship between players, board members and management staff needs to get stronger and
tighter. They need to have a lot more honesty. There are a lot of dishonest people in charge at the moment.”
Thursday December 17, 2015 ARIES (MAR. 21APRIL 20) You should get out and meet new people today. Emotional partnerships may develop through projects you initiate. TAURUS (APR. 21MAY 21) Overindulgence may be a problem. Debates will stifle passion and result in estrangement. Social activity with friends and relatives will be most successful. GEMINI (MAY22-JUNE 21) Do your own thing and everything will settle down. You will need a little competition today. Get involved in activities that will stretch your stamina. CANCER (JUNE 22JULY 22) Don't be too quick to spend money. You may want to take a serious look at your goals and objectives. LEO (JULY 23-AUG 22) Don't blow situations out of proportion. You may be looking through rose colored glasses. You have to believe in yourself and your talents. VIRGO (AUG. 23 SEPT. 23) Your partner may not understand your mood swings but if you are willing to communicate, a lot of grief can be avoided. You will get along well in social situations. You can get your point across if you don't beat around the bush.
LIBRA (SEPT. 24 -OCT. 23) Catch up on your correspondence and reading. Opportunities may come up at prestigious affairs. SCORPIO (OCT. 24 NOV. 22) Don't overspend on luxury items. You'll feel much better when your slate is clean again. The existing problems must be dealt with one way or another. SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 23 -DEC. 21) You may have difficulties with someone who lives with you. Don't rely on others to do your work. CAPRICORN (DEC 22.- JAN. 20) You will have an inaccurate assessment of your status in society. You will find yourself tied to the phone. You will meet new romantic partners through the company you keep. AQUARIUS (JAN. 21 FEB. 19) Catch up on any correspondence you've neglected. You are best to work at home if you can. Your self esteem will come back if you take part in organizational functions that allow you to be in the lime light. PISCES (FEB. 20-MAR. 20) Problems with skin, bones, or teeth may mess up your schedule. Keep an eye on your weight. You should not get involved in joint ventures.
Bravo did not mince words when he said it was time administrators stopped talking up a glorious past and started looking ahead. His remarks follow those of Michael Holding who said the WICB was “dysfunctional, untrustworthy and not liked by the employees,” while Brian Lara squarely laid the blame on the administrators for “bad governance.” “It’s painful to see this is the stage our cricket has reached, [given] at one point in time we were the best team in the world,” Bravo said. “If those in charge keep harping on about the past and not trying to do anything for the present then we’ll always have these type of interviews, we’ll have back and forth with ex-players saying this and
current players saying that. The rest of the world will go on and we’ll always be backwards.” Bravo, who was West Indies captain until the tour of India in October 2014, was sacked after the team abandoned the tour midway over
a payment dispute with the WICB and the West Indies players’ association. He was also subsequently left out of the World Cup squad and has not played an ODI since October 2014. He announced his Test retirement in January and said that he took the decision after not getting a chance to play the longer format after 2010. “Until earlier this year, I was still interested to play Test cricket, but I have yet to hear anything from any selector, what their plans are for me, what my position is,” said Bravo. “I just decided it’s time to move on with my life and try to channel my energy in different places. I would have loved the opportunity to play Test cricket again but since being dropped back in 2010, I never got the chance and I just decided to call it a day.” Despite being in the mix only for the T20s, Bravo said he had not given up hope on playing ODIs again. “I’m not shutting down my opportunities to represent West Indies, I still 100% want to play for West Indies in one-day internationals and T20s.”
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Serena accepts Sportsperson of Platini will not attend FIFA Year, EYES MORE SLAMS ethics committee hearing
Serena Williams of the U.S.A. (Reuters/Toby Melville/Files)
NEW YORK (Reuters) Serena Williams added to one of the longest resumes in sports by collecting the Sportsperson of the Year award from Sports Illustrated, becoming only the third individual woman to claim the honour since its 1956 inception. Williams, 34, won the first three grand slam singles titles of 2015 after taking last year’s U.S. Open to hold all four
crowns at once for her second career ‘Serena Slam’. She logged a 53-3 record, reigned as world number one every week for the second successive year and took her total of grand slams to 21, one less than Steffi Graf for most in the Open Era, at an age when most players have been long retired. “I’ve been doing what I do for over 20 years profes-
sionally and that’s a long time to be playing,” Williams told Reuters before Tuesday’s awards dinner. “And this is the first time I was ever recognised as Sportsperson of the Year. “So it really, really meant a lot to me. And being a woman and being only the third to be recognised is pretty awesome.” Williams said that joining gymnast Mary Lou Retton and speed skater Bonnie Blair on the list of women to claim the award motivated her to succeed on court next year and target even more milestones. “There’s numbers,” she said at the awards dinner, referencing Graf’s 22 slams and the 24 singles titles won by all-time leader Margaret Court of Australia. “I never looked at numbers until recently. I want to at least try to reach a couple of numbers that I won’t mention. Just go one at a time and hopefully will be there one day.” Williams won out over such strong contenders as NBA star Stephen Curry, golfer Jordan Spieth and racehorse American Pharoah, the first to win the U.S. Triple Crown in 37 years, who won the magazine’s readers poll for the award. Her Sportsperson cover photo for the magazine, picturing her in a black leotard and high heels lounging on a golden throne, also generated a lot of buzz as well as delighting Williams. “The cover I thought was really amazing,” she said. “You can never be too hot.”
Samuel Eto’o given managerial chance at Antalyaspor BBC Sport - Former Cameroon captain Samuel Eto’o has been appointed interim player-manager at Turkish side Antalyaspor. The 34-year-old striker, who joined the club on a three-year contract in June, has been given three matches to impress at the helm. He takes over from Yusuf Simsek, whose contract was terminated by mutual consent on 7 December. Antalyaspor will make a decision about whether to give Eto’o the role permanently after the winter break. Eto’o will be guided and assisted by Mehmet Ugurlu, who is the club’s technical director, as the Cameroonian takes his first steps into management. The move is an unexpected one the former Barcelona, Inter Milan and Chelsea player, who has been involved in a number of controversial and damaging disputes with his country’s football federation as well as with team-mates. One of his former international team-mates, Patrick M’boma, admitted he was “surprised Eto’o has gone into management so soon”. But he revealed Eto’o, who he played alongside in two Africa Cup of Nations-win-
Samuel Eto’o (Reuters) ning sides, has long-held ambitions in that area. “I know it was in his plans to be a manager - he told me many years ago,” M’boma told BBC Sport. “But from what I know he has no experience. I hope he will be a good manager but I do not know. “He has the personality and the knowledge, but I am not sure he will have the patience. If he can improve on the areas where he is weak he could be a success.”
PARIS (Reuters) Suspended European soccer chief Michel Platini will not attend tomorrow’s FIFA ethics committee hearing in protest at what he condemns as a political process designed to prevent him running to lead the world governing body, his lawyers said on Wednesday. Platini was provisionally suspended for 90 days on Oct. 8, alongside outgoing FIFA president Sepp Blatter, over a suspicious payment from FIFA to Platini, deepening a corruption scandal that has engulfed soccer’s ruling body. The ethics panel is set to rule on their cases, and could impose much longer bans than the provisional suspensions if it finds the men guilty of violations. Blatter is due to appear on Thursday. Both men have denied any wrongdoing. Platini’s lawyers objected to comments in French newspaper L’Equipe by ethics committee spokesman Andreas Bantel that the former France captain would be sidelined for “several years”. “Michel Platini ... has decided not to attend his hearing at the FIFA ethics committee on Dec. 18, 2015, as the
verdict of this ethics committee has been announced in the press last weekend by one of its spokespersons, Mr Andreas Bantel, in disregard of all fundamental rights, starting with the presumption of innocence,” the lawyers said in a statement. By his decision to boycott the hearing Platini “intends to show his deepest indignation towards a process which he considers as uniquely political and designed to prevent him from putting himself forward for the FIFA presidency,” the lawyers said in their statement. FIFA said they noted Platini’s decision but his lawyers were still welcome to attend the hearing, which would be handled in “an unbiased manner”. “Mr Platini would miss the opportunity to present his points of view vis-a-vis the adjudicatory chamber in person,” FIFA’s ethics committee said in a statement. “However, his legal representatives would be fully able to present his case at the hearing.” It added: “We would like to clearly stress that the adjudicatory chamber of the ethics committee will deal with
the present case in the same way as with any other procedure independently and in an unbiased manner.” Platini, who has been head of European soccer’s governing body UEFA since 2002, had registered as a candidate to replace Blatter in a vote on Feb. 26. He had been seen as a frontrunner for the job before he was suspended as part of an investigation into the payment of 2 million Swiss francs ($2 million) he received from FIFA in 2011 for work he completed between 1998 and 2002. Last Friday, he failed in an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to have the suspension lifted, meaning he was unable to attend Saturday’s draw for the Euro 2016 Championship in France. FIFA is suffering the worst corruption scandal in its more than 100 years of existence, drawing in top officials and triggering investigations by U.S. and Swiss authorities. Blatter said in a letter on Tuesday that the ethics committee’s investigation was “tendentious and dangerous”, adding: “This trial reminds me of the Inquisition.”
Four officials to face IAAF hearing into alleged doping cover-up BBC Sport - The son of ex-world athletics chief Lamine Diack is one of four officials facing a disciplinary hearing this week over an alleged doping cover-up. Papa Massata Diack, a former consultant for the IAAF, and ex-IAAF anti-doping director Gabriel Dolle are charged with breaches of the IAAF’s code of ethics. Former All-Russia Athletic Federation chief Valentin Balakhnichev and coach Alexei Melnikov are also in the dock. None are expected at the three-day hearing, which starts on Wednesday. The charges relate to the payment of about £435,000 that Russian former London Marathon winner Liliya Shobukhova allegedly made to have her doping violations covered up. Her 38-month ban from track and field was reduced by seven months after she turned whistleblower for the World Anti-Doping Agency. A decision from the hearing, which will be held in London, is expected in early January. Russia have been banned from interna-
Liliya Shobukhova won the London Marathon in 2010 and came second a year later. (Reuters) tional athletics competition after a report by Wada’s independent commission alleged they were guilty of “state-sponsored doping”.
Bryant inspires Lakers to first... From page 27 games. Forward Giannis Antetokounmpo contributed 15 points, six rebounds and five assists. The Bucks did not play anything close to their performance in Saturday’s 108-95 win over Golden State that ended the Warriors’ perfect 24-0 start to the season. Against the Lakers, the
Bucks fell into an early hole and never recovered. Milwaukee also was hurt playing without center Greg Monroe, who was a late scratch with a sore left knee. Monroe apparently bumped knees with a team mate during the team’s shoot-around on Tuesday morning. He will be re-evaluated on Wednesday. The Lakers dictated the
first half en route to a 55-46 lead at the break and continued their dominance in the second half. Los Angeles opened the third quarter with a 102 surge, including a crowdpleasing dunk by forward Larry Nance Jr over Bucks center John Henson, for a 17-point advantage after a Bryant fadeaway at 8:47.
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James scores 24 points Lanferman, Somerset depart for CFU/MLS Combine in Curacao as Cavs beat Celtics
Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) drives to the hoop against Boston Celtics forward Jae Crowder (99) during the first half at TD Garden. (Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports) Reuters (The Sports Xchange) - The Cleveland Cavaliers, closing in on the return of point guard Kyrie Irving, won their third consecutive game when they beat the Celtics 89-77 in Boston on Tuesday. Forward LeBron James capped a 12-0 third-quarter run with a reverse slam dunk as the Cavs took control. James, who finished with 24 points, had six during that run and also capped a 10-3 fourthquarter spurt that made things comfortable for Cleveland (16-7). He shot 10-for-20 from the floor (0-for-3 from 3point range) and committed five turnovers, also grabbing seven rebounds. The Celtics (14-11) closed a 13-point deficit to seven, but Cleveland forward Kevin Love hit six points and James two in an 8-0 run that sent fans heading for the exits.
Love, whose 2015 postseason ended on the TD Garden floor when he was injured by Boston forward Kelly Olynyk, scored 20 points and added eight rebounds and five assists. It was a different Cav who got injured this time, as guard Iman Shumpert, who missed the first 21 games while recovering from wrist surgery, left the game with a groin complaint. “Honestly, (I am) a little bit concerned,” Cavaliers coach David Blatt said of Shumpert, who missed the first 21 games of the season. “I have no idea what the extent is but given what our recent history is, I’m concerned.” On a brighter note, the Cavs are close to getting Irving back for his season debut after his recovery from a knee injury. Blatt went out of his way to credit James’ oft-overlooked defense as a key to the
victory. “It seems like there’s nothing we don’t ask of him that he doesn’t answer for us,” said Blatt. “That’s why he’s the greatest player in the game.” Talking about the team defense, James said: “That’s one of our staples we stress every single day — defending at a high level and trying to move the ball offensively. In the first half, we allowed them to get to some of their spots. Wasn’t as aggressive, but we still played very well. “They had 46 points at halftime. But in the second half, we just locked down and then we started moving the ball. We just kind of kept them off base.” Guard Avery Bradley led the Celtics with 17 points, while forward Jae Crowder, who played strong defense on James much of the night, added 14. Guard Isaiah Thomas shot 3-for-15 from the floor en route to 12 points.
Alpha United’s Delon Lanferman and Jumane Somerset of Pele FC will depart Guyana tomorrow (December 17) to participate at the 2015 Major League Soccer (MLS) Combine in Curacao. Three day event (December 17 – 20), will feature players from within the confines of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU), competing in front of professional scouts for an opportunity to earn an invitation to the annual Adidas MLS Player Combine in Florida on January 8 – 13, 2016. The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) sponsored the duo’s airline ticket and 3rd Vice President Thandi McAllister upon making the presentation at the Federation’s headquarters, wished the players the best of luck on their quest to the MLS. She further added, “I want to encourage you to put Guyana first. You are ambassadors of this beautiful country of ours and we want to you to be of exemplary conduct and I wish you the
- GFF sponsors airfare very best.” According to the Attorney-at-Law, “You’re both very skilful players, I’ve seen both of you in action and I admire your advancement in the sport (of football). Remember football must win regardless of wherever you go.” Lanferman finished the League (Genesis) as the highest goal scorer (11), one more than Pele’s Gregory Richardson. He played a pivotal role in his club’s success this year, despite them finishing second in the League (Genesis) behind Slingerz Football Club. The 20 year-old Lanferman is yet to make his Senior National team debut, though representing Guyana at the U-20 and U-23 levels. Somerset, 22, is described as one of Guyana’s top defenders, but the player is also yet to make his Golden Jaguar debut. Pele FC finished third in the STAG Elite League (Genesis) and conceded a total of 14 goals in their 16
matches played. Only league champions Slingerz FC (9) and Alpha United (11) conceded fewer goals. The CFU/MLS combines caters for players between the ages of 18 – 22 years-old and is an annual showcase of Caribbean football talent organised jointly by MLS and the CFU in 2013, with the inaugural combine being held in January 2014. The combine provides opportunities for Caribbean players to be observed by MLS scouts with the hopes of being invited to the MLS Combine, an invite-only showcase event held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida prior to the annual MLS SuperDraft. The combine is part of an agreement between the two entities as they try to promote football development throughout the Caribbean region. Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson is the first and only Guyanese player to be signed by an MLS club following his 2009 deal with the Colorado Rapids.
Bryant inspires Lakers to first victory in seven games
The first father and son that played in a regional first class match Leburn and Learie Constantine from Trinidad and Tobago Yes it happened at Bourda the first time a father and son featured in the same first class match at the Regional Level was October 1922 when Trinidadians Leburn and Learie Constantine represented Trinidad in a losing cause against Barbados. Batting first Trinidad suffered an Innings and 173 runs defeat. Scorers: Trinidad first Innings 359 all out V.S. Pascall 92, C. Fraser 69 not out, G. A. Dewhurst 58, Learie Constantine 17, Leburn Constantine 6. Bowling for Barbados J. S. Hoad took 3 for 131. Herman Griffith took 3 for 101. Barbados first Innings 673 all out P. H. Tarilton 100, George Challenor 96, J.M. Kidney 73, Herman Griffith 60, H. B. G Austin 53 and Dr. L. Hutson 45.
Bowling for Trinidad V.S Pascall took 3 for 146, C. Fraser 2 for 76, J. A. Small 2 for 111. Trinidad Second Innings 141 all out W.H. St. Hill 36 and F. De Gannes 30. The historical Constantine only mustard 14 runs between them in the Trinidadians second innings. Learie scored 13, while his dad scored a single before he was caught behind off the bowling of J. S. Hoad. Bowling for Barbados Hermon Griffith took 4 for 37, and J.S. Hoad 4 for 38. The Constantines feat was emulated 92 years later when the Chanderpauls, Shivnarine and Tagenarine represented Guyana against Trinidad and Tobago at the Queens Part Oval. (Charmaine Walker)
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) defends Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant (24) as he drives to the basket in the first quarter of the game at Staples Center. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports) Reuters (The Sports Xchange) - Forward Kobe Bryant scored 22 points in three quarters, allowing the Los Angeles Lakers to snap a six-game losing streak by defeating the Milwaukee Bucks 113-95 at Staples Center on Tuesday. Rookie point guard D’Angelo Russell came off
the bench to score 19 points and record seven assists as seven Lakers reached double figures in scoring. Guard Lou Williams scored 16 points, forward Julius Randle finished with 14 points and 14 rebounds and center Roy Hibbert added 12 points and a season-high 11 rebounds
for Los Angeles (4-21), which won for only the second time at home this season. Reserve guard Michael Carter-Williams had 19 points and guard Khris Middleton chipped in 16 to lead Milwaukee (10-16), which has dropped three of its last four (Continued on page 26)
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Kaieteur News
Thursday December 17, 2015
Sports Commission host incisive forum with sport associations/federations The newly minted National Sports Commission (NSC) last Saturday met with the representatives from national sport associations/federations at the National Resource Centre at Woolford Avenue as part of continued efforts to strengthen the administration of sport in Guyana. With guidance from the NSC Act 1993, Commissioners sought to inform national associations of the role of the NSC in developing sport in Guyana and to identify some of the core issues that are currently affecting the proper administration of associations. The forum recorded an impressive turnout from associations, federations and boards as is unique to the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) and Guyana Hockey Board. The NSC had invited President, General Secretary, and Treasurer of each of the 30 plus listed national associations. The GCB, Guyana Football Federation (GFF), Hockey Board, Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG), Guyana Amateur Power-lifting Federation, Weightlifting Association, Swimming, Judo, Karate, Table Tennis, Cycling and many other associations were present. Also notably in attendance was the Guyana Olympic Association head, Juman Yassin. Director of Sport, Christopher Jones opened the forum with remarks. Jones was well received among the associations that spoke highly of his activism in sports. The associations all agreed that the allocation of funds is critical to their success; the prerequisite for associations/federations/ boards to receive funding from the Commission, according to the act is that they must have an elected Executive, a Bank Account and they must keep proper accounts and records. All associations were receptive to the point that suggested that funds should be allocated to them for their programmes. Several of the associations have submitted their projected plan for 2016 to the Commission. The Commission is also mandated to provide assistance to any sports organisation in the audit of their accounts or in relation
Vice-Chairman of the NSC, Nigel Hinds (right) makes a point during the forum while Chairman, Ivan Persaud is left along with Commissioners, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Lavern Fraser.
Some of the representatives of sport associations pay rapt attention to the presentations from the Sports Commission last Saturday at the National Resource Centre.
to any other matter where assistance may be required; to this end, the Olympic Association is in receipt of a NSC request to assist with ‘training’ for the administrative strengthening of associations available under International Olympic Committee (IOC) Solidarity Programme. The NSC is also tasked among its critical functions to establish Regional Sports Committees or Advisory Units and Offices in the three counties of Guyana. The members of Regional Sports Committees shall consist of not more than five members and must come from the representative County. The Commission will be moving in this direction. The associations posed a number of critical questions dealing with issues pertinent to the forward movement of sport; they included the development of facilities for the training, competition and en-
campment of athletes as well as anti-doping legislation. These were all addressed.
The Commissioners on new NSC includes: Ivan Persaud (Chairman), Nigel Hinds (Vice-
Chairman), Edison Jefford, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Seon Erskine, Lavern Fraser, Inga
Henry, Aliann Pompey and exofficio member, Christopher Jones.
Gains for Bravo, Brathwaite after big scores in opening Test DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CMC) — Two West Indies batsmen, Darren Bravo and Kraigg Brathwaite, have made marginal gains in the ICC player rankings following their performances in the opening Test match against Australia which ended on Saturday last. Bravo was rewarded for scoring his side’s lone century by moving up two spots to 25th while Brathwaite, who missed his century by six runs, has moved up seven places to 35th position. Bravo posted 109, the highlight of West Indies’ first innings total of 223 while
Brathwaite’s counter-attacking 94 was the only resistance in West Indies’ paltry secondinnings score of 148. West Indies lost to Australia by an innings and 212 runs inside three days. Meantime, two of the players who played large roles in West Indies’ demise, Adam Voges and Shaun Marsh, have vaulted to career best positions in the rankings. Voges, who led the charge with a first-innings doublecentury has moved up 19 places to 15th, while Marsh, who supported with a knock of 181, has risen 17 spots to 37th in the batsman rankings.
Darren Bravo... rewarded for scoring his side’s lone century.
Thursday December 17, 2015
Colours Boutique outfits Western Tigers for Banks Beer Cup
Colours Boutique Marketing Representative Robeson Brotherson left, hands over one of the team jersey’s to player, Daren Benjamin. Former city powerhouse Western Tigers Football Club now under new management and aiming to recapture their glory days in city football and by extension Guyana, has received a new set of uniforms, compliments of Colours Boutique, Robb Street. The new gear has already propelled the West Ruimveldt based side to an emphatic win in their opening match of the Banks Beer Knockout competition organised by the Georgetown Football Association; they hammered Hope FC 6-0. In handing over the gear to club player Daren Benjamin at their Robb Street establishment, Colours Boutique’s Marketing Representative Robeson Brotherson said that they were pleased to be of assistance to the re-emerging club and wish them the best going forward. Benjamin offered his executive and club’s gratitude to Brotherson and Colours Boutique for their timely assistance and promised to wear the uniform with pride.
Trophy Stall 10/10 Tapeball Final set for Saturday at Soesdyke ground
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rophy Stall in Collaboration with the Soesdyke Cricket Group’s 10/10 Tapeball finals, semi-finals and third place play-off is set for Saturday December 19 at the Soesdyke Cricket ground under Lights. The first semi-final is set to start at 13:00hrs with Rubis playing King’s XI, while the second semi-final between Airport XI Hillfoot XI is set to begin at 15:00hrs. The third place play-off is scheduled for 18:00hrs with the Final being played under lights from 20:00hrs. The winning team will collect $100,000 and Trophy, the runners-up $50,000 and a Trophy and the third placed team $25,000 and a trophy. The MVP of the tournament will take home $20,000 and a Trophy, while the best bowler and batsman will each get $15,000 and a Trophy. The Man-of-the-Match receives $10,000 and a Trophy. Meanwhile, in the Quarter finals which were played December 6, Hillfoot beat Friendship by 24 runs with Lanty Hinds (41*) and Ricky Seeamber taking 5-14 for the winners. Kuru Kururu lost to Kings by seven wickets as Mike Mickel (3-21) and David Francis (36*) led Kings to victory. Rubis defeated SVM with Jamal Hinkson (38*) spearheading Rubis to a nine wicket win while Airport, on the back of 39 from Nigel Hugh, defeated Sarah Johanna by 54 runs.
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Kaieteur News
Thursday December 17, 2015
President Granger to be inducted as 5th Honorary Patron of RHTY&SC H i s E x c e l l e n c y, President David Granger has accepted an invitation from Guyana’s leading youth and sports organisation to become its fifth Honorary Patron from January, 2016. The Club’s current Patron
Ms. Beverly Harper’s tenure as Patron officially ends on the 31st December, 2015, after serving a full five year term. President Granger would be following in the footsteps of his predecessors, the late
Hugh Desmond Hoyte, Peter Ramsaroop, Mrs. June Mendes and Ms. Beverly Harper and would serve until December 2020. As Patron of Guyana’s most dynamic youth and sports organisation,
President Granger would serve as its honorary head; a role model to members, an inspiration to members in their pursuit of a successful career in education and sports and be the public image of the Rose Hall Town
Youth & Sports Club. The President would also be expected to provide Patron’s remarks for all Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club magazines and other publications and be the main guest at important club events like its annual awards ceremony. In a press release, club Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster said that the Management and Members of the club is delighted at the President’s acceptance of becoming its Patron. The club, Foster stated was privilege in the past of having hard working patrons who functioned beyond the call of duty to assist the club in fulfilling its mandate to serve humanity. Foster expressed confidence that President Granger would follow in their footsteps. The Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club apart from being one of Guyana’s leading cricket teams undertakes a record 200-300 programmes/activities annually. Foster further informed that they have completed a total of 293 programmes/ activities in 2015 as part of
President David Granger its Silver Jubilee anniversary celebration and by the end of this month, would easily surpass the 300 mark. The Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club in 2016 would be placing special emphasis on its internal cricket development programme, assistance to single parent households, expansion of its highly successfully “Say No to Drugs, Suicide and Crime and Say Yes to Education and Sports and would also undertake major restoration work on its head office in an effort to improve its services to the general public. President Granger would be sworn into the Patron’s position early in the New Year when a large delegation from the club visits the Head of State in Georgetown.
UG honours athletes for outstanding contribution to sports
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he University of Guyana (UG) hosted its Annual Sports Award for the year 2014/2015 Friday last, at the institution’s Campus, Turkeyen. Among those present at the occasion was Sports Coordinator of UG Lavern Fraser, who acted as the moderator for the evening, while the guest speaker was Attorney-at-Law Thandi McAllister. According to a release from the University, the Sports disciplines that were awarded were Athletics, Basketball, Cricket, Domino and Rugby. Students were also awarded for outstanding performances at international events, notably the rugby team for winning the Calabash Trophy at the Carib/Tobago Sevens tournament in Tobago December 2014. Emanuel Archibald and Akeem Kanhai were awarded for their contribution in basketball at the Universities Games in Panama in August. Champion male and female athletes were Cleveland Forde and Kezia Bess. Emanuel Archibald and Kezia Bess were honored for outstanding performance in athletics internationally. Lancelot Adonis and Phibian Joseph were recognised for their contribution in rugby at the international level.
Thursday December 17, 2015
Kaieteur News
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Woodpecker Products Annual Badminton Christmas singles tournament concludes T h e Wo o d p e c k e r Products Annual Christmas Singles was played off at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall December 14 & 15, 2015 and the Guyana Badminton Association (GBA) is pleased with the turn-out with the number of participants in the Boys & Girls Under-11, 13 & 15 events. The youngest player was George Ramlall who blasted his way into the Under-11 finals and the outstanding match of the tournament was Akili Haynes winning again National Player Tyrese Jeffery in the Under-15 Boys Finals. The Finalists: Under-11 Boys Finals: Omar Samad defeated George Ramlall: 21-18, 21-8 Under-11 Girls Finals: Gabriella Pertab defeated Emily Choo-A-Fat: 21-3, 21-11 Under-13 Boys Finals: Gianni Carpenter defeated Jadon Oodit: 21-10, 21-2 Under-13 Girls Finals: Siya Persaud defeated Sudarshani Sooknarine: 216, 21-4 Under-15 Boys Finals: Akili Haynes defeated Tyrese Jeffrey: 21-18, 21-19 Under-15Girls Finals: Priyanna Ramdhani defeated Priyanka Shivnauth:21-5,21-7 Other Matches played were: Under-11 Boys SemiFinals: Omar Samad defeated John Wang: 25-23, 16-21, 21-16 George Ramlall defeated Ethan Biachini: 21-15, 21-11 Under-11 Girls SemiFinals:
George Ramlall-7 years old (Runner-up Under-11) Some of the players who participated in the event. Emily Choo-A-Fat defeated Amelia Balram: 21-9, 21-10 Under-13 Girls QuarterFinals: Angelie Balram defeated Reanna Persaud: 21-10,
21-14 Sudarshani Sooknarine defeated Jayde DaSilva: 21-8, 21-9 Under-13 Girls SemiFinals:
Walk-a-ton honouring Johnny ‘Overseas’ Barnwell set for Saturday
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he South Sophia Sports Committee’s fund raising Walk-a-Ton in honour of Johnny ‘Overseas’ Barnwell which was to scheduled for December 12 is now set for Saturday December 19 from 6:00AM. The walkers will start at Cuffy Square then go around Georgetown to finish at the National Park. A donation of $200 per mile is requested. Ten elderly persons from the Sophia will be honored and persons can make contact with Barnwell on telephone number 680-9251. Cash prizes are donated by the Kanhai’s Family, Ken Phillips, Morgan’s Learning Centre, Paul’s Business Enterprise and Dr Noel Blackman of Channel nine among several others.
Siya Persaud defeated Angelie Balram: 21-4, 21-5 Sudarshani Sooknarine defeated Sarah Samad: 2115, 21-12 Under-15 Boys SemiFinals:
Tyrese Jeffrey defeated Isaac Mallampati: 21-10, 21-5 Akili Haynes defeated Ransell Ransaroop: 21-7, 21-12 The Presentation of
prizes is on Saturday at the Guyana Olympic House at 1:00pm where prizes will be handed out to the winners, runner-ups and the two third placed winners in the different events.
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UG honours athletes for outstanding contribution to sports
Recipients of medals and trophies for outstanding performances during the calendar year 2014-15 of the University of Guyana pose with their hardware for a photo op following the completion of the awards ceremony last Friday.
Platini will not Lanferman, Somerset attend FIFA ethics depart for CFU/MLS Combine in Curacao committee hearing
UEFA President Michel Platini speaks to media as he arrives with his counsel Thomas Clay (L) for a hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland December 8, 2015. (Reuters/Denis Balibouse)
GFF 3rd VP Ms. Thandi McAllister with Delon Lanferman (left) and Jumane Somerset.
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