Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday February 27, 2018

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

PRACTICING DIRTY POLITICS

T

he government is midway through its five-year mandate which means that general elections are two and a half years away. Notwithstanding the history of such elections in Guyana, it is often a national truism that many, if not most of our politicians, who call for clean elections are frequently the practitioners of some of the dirtiest and most deceptive politics just to gain power. While most of us are honest and are intoxicated by naïveté or a tunnel vision of the possibilities of the goodness of man, others insist that a clean general election is an oxymoron. The truth is the phenomenon of clean general elections is hard to find in the history pages of local politics. And if there were such occurrences, the infrequency gives little hope that there will be one in the future. Modern history suggests that the ideal is anachronistic. Politics and power are high stakes games for winners who know that the spoils are significant. It is the opportunity to place their names in the history books. For the loser, the frustration and vexation and the unwanted apparel of powerlessness are difficult to bear. The nature of politics and the attainment of power dictate that politicians and the political process cannot be clean. It is the people who must make sure that general elections are clean and fair and devoid of rigging, mudslinging, slander, lies, innuendo and distortions. History has shown that this is a difficult task for the people, who are aware that politicians have not been known to have clean hands and are not seen as paragons of civility and honesty. This government like its predecessor has been soiled by scandals, corruption, arrogance, selfishness, vindictiveness and nasty deeds. But they often tap into the people’s weaknesses, make empty promises and avoid the truth, because it is ugly and unpleasant, and they do not want the anger that comes with it. In the next general election, great promises will be made by all political parties and persons seeking power, because that is the nature of our politics. Irrespective of whatever negative social, political or economic situation exists, every politician will have the right solutions for them, even if all are different. Currently, the nation is faced with an oil contract with ExxonMobil that could spell disaster for the country and affect the lives of people for decades. Many cannot afford a university education or proper health care or access to decent paying jobs and affordable land and housing; the foreign reserves are shrinking, production has reduced; imports have skyrocketed and the value of the dollar is declining. That is the reality. But the ruling elite who signed such a lopsided contract with ExxonMobil are seeing a different reality in the country. They are of the firm belief that they have a very good contract and that ExxonMobil is a very generous company despite evidence to the contrary. They believe that they have all the solutions to these problems and know what is best for the country. They believe that the oil revenue will provide an oasis to the citizens. But the fact that many believe so is pitiful. It is known that political parties make promises during general elections in their quest to win. Yet our politicians say they do not engage in such practice and have called for codes of conduct to govern elections to make sure that no one engages in such fantasies. But the politics they sell and reality on the ground are blurred They want the masses to believe that they are clean and will address the issues facing the nation if elected. Such is the construct of our democracy that our politicians are vitally important, if not omnipotent, as some unwisely view them to be. To do otherwise would be to consign our reality to Hobbes’ notion that we are doomed to a life that is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short.

Focus on how Oil Revenue will be spent DEAR EDITOR, At this point, it’s probably reasonable to conclude that there are several deficiencies with the Exxon contract that should be remedied when the opportunity presents itself in the future. However, while it’s easy to second guess the decisions of our negotiators, it should be noted that negotiating with one of the largest companies in the world when it is in control of the capital, people and technology to make or break

a deal, is no easy task. Whether we like it or not, Guyana needs Exxon more than Exxon needs Guyana. Exxon is fourth on the Fortune 100 list with innovative technologies, huge revenue, market capitalization and asset bases. It can easily take its resources and go elsewhere. What the government needs is leverage and it will get that once Exxon starts pumping and has an incentive to keep competitors out and revenue on its

books.So where do we go from here? Focus needs to shift from the contract itself, to what will be done with the estimated $360 million in revenue that will hit government coffers. How will this money be spent? What protocols are being put in place to ensure the Guyanese people are not shafted by corrupt politicians and bureaucrats? Will we invest in infrastructure, education and agriculture? Will parliamentary oversight be put in place? How do we control inflation?

By the way, controlling inflation may require investments with borrowed capital ahead of 2020. Do we have projects ready to go now? I can go on, but you get the drift. Most countries that fail to make good use of oil revenue do so not because of a bad contract with a multinational, but because of poor governance, corruption and bad investments. We need to return our focus to governance now. Darren Braithwaite

City Hall must produce the plans for housing in some areas DEAR EDITOR, Of recent, there has been much ado, and quite justifiably so, about a vulgar attempt at land grabbing by the Town Clerk of Georgetown. First, there was the issue whereby residents of Subryanville had to robustly voice their concerns about the use of the Farnum Playfield when they observed the proprietor of a school in the area, which is an anomaly in itself having a school located in a residential area, developing a portion of the ground for exclusive use by her students, thereby restricting the use of the ground by residents of the community. Following this defilement in Subryanville came the fiasco in Bel Air Park, in which members of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council, (M&CC) have raised questions over the actions of Town Clerk, in relation to the de-

struction of the green space earmarked as the Bel Air Park playfield. The playfield is at the centre of a legal battle between the M&CC and an Attorney-at-law who is representing the residents of the community. Council had intended to sell or lease the reserved community lands to a private developer. It was discovered that representatives of the Council were in negotiations with a local housing developer, to transfer to him prime community lands despite a restriction on the transport of the property for use for community purposes only. Even more alarming, it was discovered that plan was for the developer to use the land to construct houses for members of the city administration, including the Town Clerk. The ruling of the Court, which is being appealed by

the Town Clerk without the knowledge and or permission of the Council, essentially blocked the M&CC from carrying out its intentions for the land. However, there is a third and correspondingly egregious situation existing, whereby the Town Clerk and some of his colleagues have built two model houses in the south of the city on the City’s reserve. The intention is for many more of these houses to be constructed on these designated open green spaces or state land for additional municipal employees to occupy and own. A situation similar to the one in Bel Air Park, but in a more advanced stage exists. Unfortunately the residents of this area have not been as proactive as those in Subryanville or Bel Air Park, which has apparently emboldened the Town Clerk.

I sincerely hope that the City Councillors of Georgetown would also launch an investigation into this unhappy and unlawful state of affairs just as they will do as it relates to the other two more affluent areas that were referred to. Also it is hoped that the Minister of Communities who would have written at least two letters to the Mayor of Georgetown about the City Council’s reported attempts to repurpose community playgrounds, but who has not received a response, would also write to her again specifically requesting that Council turn over to central government all documentation relating to its plans to build these houses for its employees within the green spaces in the south of the city. Sincerely Sean Levius

One World, One Human Race is that for which We, People of African Descent, Should be Working DEAR EDITOR, As this Black History month, February 2018, draws to a close, in this the fourth year of the UN proclaimed decade (2015 to 2024) for “People of African Descent”, I hasten to yield to a challenge to write a letter on this subject. We understand without question that the UN proclamation of this decade is directed at speeding the dissipation of the adverse legacies of that historical period of some 250 years when tens of millions of Black Africans were taken as chattel slaves, by Europeans of that era of their global expansion and dominance, to provide enslaved labour for their plantations in their newly discovered and conquered lands of the Americas and the Caribbean.

What should be the attitude today of People of African Descent to that period of horrible slavery? That period cannot be erased from the history of Mankind, but in time it ought to become a bald fact of history: much as England, along with a great part of Western, Middle and Eastern Europe unto the borders of Asia, and North Africa were brought under the dominion of Rome: much as we were taught in our Christian Sunday Schools about Moses leading the people of Israel out of their bondage in Egypt. It was his brothers who had sold Joseph into slavery in Egypt but fortune made Joseph, a slave, the right hand man of Pharaoh, and Joseph’s people were afforded a place of honour through that dynasty. However, as happens in

the course of time, in the rise and fall of peoples and nations, there arose a new dynasty of Pharaohs who knew not and would pay no heed to the special honoured place of the people of Israel in Egypt. They made them slaves. Slavery has been, it can be argued, one of the most common practices amongst Humankind: making forced servants of conquered people. There is probably no one who does not have a number of enslaved as well as slave-holding persons amongst his ancestors, but the European slavery of Black Africans had a number of particularly pernicious features. During a tour of ancient sites in Greece in1978 (after a bauxite conference) the tourist guide pointed out the columns on which the names of

erstwhile slaves were enscribed as they were freed. Most of these slaves were from other Greek City States, who had been on the defeated side in one of their frequent battles. In such circumstances, the fact of having been a slave might be lost within a generation with little if any adverse effects. My mind turned to that quote from Alex De Tocquville, “the institution of slavery has disgraced the race and the physiological peculiarities of the race has perpetuated the disgrace”. There was an interesting nuance in a quote from a Brazilian (Iberian) author, “The propensity to discriminate is a function of the degree of separation of the ideals of physiological beauty”. For him however, the ideal (Continued on page 6)

The police need behavioural centres DEAR EDITOR In a report appearing in Kaieteur News, February, 19, 2018, Crime Chief, Paul Williams was quoted as stating that the main suspect in the recent series of carjacking was a policeman. However, he was very quick to point out that the suspect was dismissed while he was a recruit because of his unacceptable behaviour. Sometimes, I wonder why accused or suspects who served as career policemen or who spent a very short time in the force are quickly labelled as ex or former members of the force by the media. On occasions when ex or former members of the force excel on matters not related to crime that label disappears. The senior crime fighter who was a Force Recruitment and Training Officer also explained some steps to be taken before applicants are recruited into the force. Generally they are: successful completion of written examinations, passed medical tests, and received acceptable background reports. So, to put it another way, as long as the applicants successfully completed the three

steps mentioned above they have an automatic entry into the Guyana Police Force. This system appeared to be geared to produce quantity rather than quality when it should be the other way around. Examination of the recruitment system revealed that the Final Interview for Selection conducted by the police is very limited and is not designed to address behaviour, particularly psychological behaviour. Psychological behaviour is a major phenomenon that the policeman must deal with in the execution of his duties. A policeman must not only deal with the behaviour of the criminals, he must deal with the behaviour of his superiors, his peers, his subordinates, members of the public, his family, friends and his own behaviour. According to Ho (2002), “Undoubtedly, psychological testing has become a crucial element in the police officer recruitment process.” In their effort to recruit suitable persons for the force the police should establish what is known as Assessment Centres. They are nothing new. During World War 11

both the Allies and Axis used them to train their spies. An assessment center is a place where a series of events or exercises occur. The candidates are put in situations where among other things behaviour, particularly psychological, can be observed by trained assessors. This process can identify applicants who display unacceptable behaviour for the job although they may have satisfied all other entry level requirements. It can prevent undesirables from becoming members of the force. Tinsley (2002) posits “The assessment center was - and still is - one of the best methods available for selecting suitable candidates for either employment or advancement in law enforcement agencies.” I clearly recall several years ago during my groundings in Jamaica with my brothers from the Jamaica Constabulary Force I attended a few assessment centres. I found them to be very interesting. On one occasion a candidate with a degree from the University of the West Indies participated. (Cotninued on page 6)

Economic Revolution Dear Editor The political leadership in Guyana should have adopted the old Chinese adage which says; PLAN THE END OF THE ROAD BEFORE YOU START IT. If this was done, the calamity we now see would not exist. Pressing economic concerns demand urgent plans to develop vertically Integrated Oil platform by partnership with State, Private, and International Bodies for oil refinery to make ultimate use of all by products of which Plastics are a major feature. Others are too numerous to mention in this space. If this is not done Guyana will be known as just another “oil hole country”. The same goes for LNG Plants in optional sizes for different locations will be needed. Does anyone think President Donald Trump would “negotiate”, I mean consent to any contract with a foreign company on the same basis as the one Guyana now has with EXXON MOBIL and the likes of the others? They would be out of his face faster than a speeding bullet. Leaders! Try with all effort to make Guyana great as it can be. The Money is in the ground. Sir Winston Churchill said once: Capitalism is about the unequal distribution of wealth, Communism is about

the equal distribution of poverty. When Communists make deals for their country this mantra produces what we have today with “Oil” extractors. Guyana has a record of Nationalisation where the causative factor is shown to be abusive and inimical to National Interests. No selfrespecting company would or should want to wear the mantle of plunderer albeit through poor negotiation by host country which may be traced back to its parliamentary deficiencies. The lesson is clear here. EXXONMOBIL was nationalised next door and that is why they are in Guyana today. It is disclosed on the Internet that extracted oil will be held in floating tanks to be transferred to ocean going tankers. Reservoir volumes are indicated to be larger than what is declared so far. Not one drop of this oil will ever be seen by the Guyana nation. We have to determine who really owns the Seabed out there as the limited visitation Rights boldly asserts. They want us to believe they are only pumping muddy water. This makes the EXXON country Manager’s pronouncement of US$7 Billion petered out for 40 years total rubbish. This situation bespeaks

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of a Battle of Sovereignty of the Foreshore in the making. These people are as friendly as Centipedes and Snakes. Effective control of this Project has eluded the Government. Not a Fit and proper venture. Absolutely iniquitous! Not if, but when the people realise that economic emancipation comes through their own efforts and not relying on political ideologies then all oppression will vanish from sight. IF we understand that companies trading share capital assets on proven Guyana oil reserves some respectful percentage of these values ought to be passed on to the State of Guyana. Trade Laws are likely being infringed by this activity.Be the judge of this parable- A well driller is asked to drill a well on piece of land by the Owner. The driller is paid for his services. Does the Driller now own the Products of the same well? Well? John De Barros

The Mash route has a lot to do with the crowd DEAR EDITOR, I ventured out to witness the Guyana Mash Celebrations 2018 to capture my ‘Kodak Moments’ and my first point of placement was the National Park because I am almost certain that I heard the float parade was starting from that point. However, I was informed that the starting point is at Thomas Lands and Camp Road. If I am correct, it got started after 11 am instead of 10 am. Well, that’s a norm with most events in Guyana. My first impression and my personal belief was that it was a dead zone. I was expecting persons in the hundreds taking up spots on the lawns of the National Park and the roadways but it was not evident. The persons I saw were like a few rain drops in the Atlantic Ocean. I stand firmly and say publicly with absolutely no apology that until Mash is given back its original route of the Church Road then we will not have the full blown Mash celebrations as it should be and was over the

years. I always remember the late President Hoyte and Former First Lady sitting on the balcony of their historic building enjoying the Mash Parade and waving to the citizens as they pass by. I reiterate that the National Park is the original home for the Mash Parade and I appeal to the government of the day to return that home to the general public. Perhaps they can transform the National Park and have cushioned seats for the President, Government Officials, Diplomatic Corps and implement a seating facility like the Providence Stadium for the citizens.If the government of the day is bent on having the Mash Parade headed to the ‘Cuffy Backdam,’ I will accept but at least return the Church Road route and they can turn off to the new venue. Also,if it is a case that the government of the day insisting that it doesn’t wish for citizens to use the Malls on that day, it can have it locked off in some way and I am sure citizens will work on using the roadways and stand around.

I will admit that there were some quite impressive costumes for Mash 2018 but many of the ‘FLOATS’ were disasters. The one that blew me away was the ‘Egyptian Queen’ in her carriage. I hope that float is accredited with a prize. The other impressive scene was to witness a Chinese national revelling on the road. That was a knock out. Perhaps the Chinese should be contracted to design floats for the 2019 Mash Parade. Respectfully GTT, I was totally disappointed...When I heard that GTT was hitting the road for the 2018 Mash, my first thought was that the company was coming with a bang and will showcase a band with its newly added colour of ‘ORANGE. I don’t think the colour orange was evident and I wish you had contracted your independent music band rather than merge with the Pulse Music Band. Well, perhaps funding was not available. Yours Faithfully T.Pemberton

Minister Holder cannot shirk DEAR EDITOR, The GAWU has recognized from reports appearing in several sections of the media that Agriculture Minister, Noel Holder, informed that GuySuCo is no longer under his charge following the decision to transfer responsibility of the sugar company to NICIL which falls under the Ministry of Finance. While our Union did hear about the transfer of GuySuCo we also recognized recently that Minister Holder was speaking to matters concerning GuySuCo. Just about two weeks ago, Minister Holder is reported in the February 6, 2018 edition of Guyana Times, speaking about the Wales cane cutters demand for severance. If it is that the Minister was not in charge then why did he not inform the press to seek an audience with the relevant Minister, in this case Minister of Finance Winston Jordan.

GAWU sees Minister Holder’s sudden, and obviously belated, announcement being linked to a picketing exercise outside of his Ministry by the affected cane cutters of Wales Estate on February 21, 2018 who are demanding that their severance payments be honoured. It seems that the workers spirited and vociferous picketing probably got under the Minister’s skin and thus his quick resort to the media. Though Minister Holder is no longer responsible, he cannot wash his hands when it comes to this matter. He was, since August, 2017, asked by President David Granger to respond to the workers call for their severance. Though having clear instruction from President Granger, Minister Holder had never responded to the workers demand until a few weeks ago when he said that the matter has to be addressed by

the Judiciary. Even though the GAWU did appropriately respond to Minister Holder’s misguided contentions, he, even at that late stage, did not see it fit to advise that he should not be speaking on matters concerning GuySuCo. The fact that the Minister is now ignominiously seeking to extricate himself says a lot about the respect he has for the workers. It clearly seems that the Minister only responds to determined and collective demands as shown by the February 21, 2018 demonstration by the workers of Wales. Yours faithfully, Seepaul Narine General Secretary GAWU

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WE MUST PUT DR. Sealey had absolutely nothing SHAHABUDDEEN IN CONTEXT to do with publication of letter DEAR EDITOR, The great philosophers remind us that, “if we forget the lessons of the past, we shall be condemned to repeat them.” Now that we have all collectively and formally paid our tributes to Dr. Mohamed Shahabuddeen’s remarkable life, the public record and national interests demand that we consider a few thoughts in perspective relative to the common good, the historical record, and the future development of Guyana in the context and consequence of Shahabuddeen’s opus magnum (greatest achievement). Indeed, Dr. Shahabudeen’s own words put his life, and this letter, in perspective, “I shall not pretend that my life has been a triumph. I cannot even lay claim to the loser’s glory in coming through bloodied but unbowed. The case is that I have been blessed with luck in my career and satisfaction in work. I hope that I have not spoiled my good fortune. If I have, I ask forgiveness from the Lord; if I have not, I give him praise.” The hard truth is that Shahab, burdened, or liberated by these admissions which could not have been lost on him, seems to be ac-

knowledging that he used his gifted intellect to legitimize and consolidate the Forbes Burnham dictatorship with impunity, when he authored and shepherded the present Guyana Constitution, replete with all its farcical bells and whistles, preambles and schedules, to become the supreme law of Guyana, and dumped the Westminster model-and all democratic and legal processes-into the dustbins of history. This supreme law now inures to the benefit of Guyana’s past, present and future dictators and cronies, and those in-between, but more so to the pain, marginalization, mass migration and suffering of the Guyanese people. Shahab himself seems to accept that he can gain no virtue in his previous act of using his craft to fortify a dictator’s legitimacy to the detriment of an entire nation and country of nearly a million people. Dr. Jagan once remarked that “all of the gold coins found after the Jonestown tragedy would not have been enough to pay Shahab for his dubious legislative masterpiece, nor constitute the price for which he re-sold his own people into legal bondage,

turning back the clock on true independence.” Psychologists and grief counsellors opine that the deceased often crave forgiveness and redemption in their final years of reflection when they prepare to meet the Almighty, which may be the case with this great Guyanese intellect, especially given that many Burnham loyalists and he and his family abandoned the very duty he himself conjured and drafted in the CONSTITUTION OF THE CO-OPERATIVE REPUBLIC OF GUYANA as the supreme law of the land, that “all Guyanese people have pledged to defend our national sovereignty, to respect human dignity and to cherish and uphold the principles of freedom, equality and democracy and all other fundamental human rights.” Shahab may have made it possible today, despite his demise, for many crimes to be visited upon his fellow countrymen, such as treason charges against those who refuse to defend Guyana. Contrary to his son Sieyf’s assertions, these actions define “the essence of Shahadudeen,” and constitute a mixed legacy. Laurie Ganpat

The police need behavioural ... From page 5 During the assessment he displayed some amount of psychopathic behaviour. He was not selected for enlistment in the JCF. After the assessment Francis Forbes, the Head of the Jamaica Constabulary Staff College who later became a Commissioner of Police said to me, “Him can come from Mona with honour’s degree, but if him ah wan

psycho, him can’t be a police.” On the other hand applicants for the GPF who passed the police written examination, are medically fit, are cleared by background checks, are highly qualified academically but has abnormal traits which are not picked up because of flawed recruitment procedure can easily slip into the GPF.Even if there are slippages and abnormal

behaviour is detected after recruitment there should be a department in the force to deal with such behaviour. The department should not only deal with recruit behaviour but the behaviour of all the ranks at the various levels of the force. Hence, I again make a clarion call for the establishment of a Behavioural Science Unit in the GPF. Among the subject areas it should cover are: effective communication, anger management, conflict resolution - Do you resolve conflict by resorting to the 3Bs - boots, baton or bayonet or through the barrel of a gun? Self-esteem, effectively dealing with people, policing multi-cultural and diverse society, effective investigation, problem solving, people skills, cultural awareness and sensitivity, critical thinking, capacity to act, ability to apply knowledge and emotional intelligence are necessary ingredients. Yours faithfully Clinton Conway Assistant Commissioner of Police (Retired)

DEAR SIR, Reference is hereby made to the above caption as it relates to: “Justice delayed is justice denied” Guyana Chronicle- 14-02-18 by R. Trim. It has been brought to my attention that an allegation has been made against me as the purported letter writer. In debunking the “wild accusation, it must be made crystal clear that R. Trim is known to me in excess of 25 years, and was once the manager of the now defunct Thomas United”. But the individual, who is a citizen of the USA, isn’t the letter writer, since Richard and I frequently interact via mobile phones. And in most of our conversations, he would enquire about local football. As a con-

sequence Editor, it’s my sincere desire for R. Trim, to reveal his/her true identity, which would dispel any notion of “Sealey being involved in assisting with the contents of the letter and its subsequent publication”! Suffice it to say, that not being involved in the day-day administration of football as an executive since 2010, it would be extremely dishonest and unprofessional of me to ask the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) to “Conduct an investigation into sexual molestations of young boys and female football referees by a football coach and officials” respectively. Respectfully yours, Lester Sealey.

World, One Human Race ... From page 4 of physiological beauty is the physiology of the conqueror, the winner, the successful – and he argued that Iberian people who had seen Black Africans in the conquering Moor armies from North Africa, saw beauty in the Black African physiology and were less inclined to discriminate against Black Africans, as absolutely as northern Europeans many of whom only knew of Black Africans as disgraced chattel slaves. There was a lot unconsciously inherent in that cry in the 1970s, about Angela Davis, “Bright, Beautiful and Black”. I welcome the work being done to make available a history of Black Africa before and beyond that of the land from which captive Black African slaves came - the emerging stories of ruling families and kingdoms and intrigue in Black Africa, which would be the match of similar ones from Europe. Black Africans in Africa insist that they are not descendants of slaves - quite true – but black Africa was not unaffected by African Slavery. Apart from not being distinguishable, my main take-away from my reading of Walter Rodney’s “How Europe Underdeveloped Africa” was that in the loss of so many of its citizens, the drain of scarce capital inherent in their loss and in the very distraction of the domestic trade that fed the transshipment of captive Africans, Africa might have been prevented from reaching a point where population density and other consequential social pressures might have sparked a sustained agricultural and industrial revolution of its own. And it should be noted, as I learnt from Bobby Moore in my 1959/60 Modern Britain

history course, for many in England and Europe during those years of agricultural and industrial revolutions, which years were more or less contemporaneous with African slavery, their lives, in tangible material ways, may have been little better than the lives of slaves. Spare a thought for English girls of twelve years or so pulling small trolleys of coal out of narrow coal seams; the conditions of work in those dark satanic mills; having nothing but the discarded heads and tail bones of the fish caught to live on. Life in the poor house was really a life of last resort. There has been lots of enforced and self-imposed hard times in the growth and development of Mankind, in our journey of sustaining, growing and developing Humankind. However as adverse as the conditions were for working people in Europe they could hold the hope of their children rising and enjoying some of the benefits of their labours. Today, whilst, we the people of African descent in the Americas and the Caribbean have left slavery 150 years and more behind, the consequences of that period of Black African slavery are still largely with us. A recent series on BBC World chronicled how slaveowning families benefitted, and how their descendants still do. On the other hand, too many of the descendants of Black African slaves are trapped in a cycle of discrimination, poverty and needs. What is to be done? Reparations? From whom to whom? There may be as many answers as the many experts with whom you might choose to consult. How is the success of this

UN decade to be assessed? It may be considered escapist but I see the answer in a greater awareness and commitment to the idea of “One World, One Human Race” and this is what I urge my fellow People of African Descent to work towards. I will argue that this would be what Dr. Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela, both inspired by the Mahatma, were working towards and would have us continue. And, as Bob Marley reminds us freeing ourselves from slavery is not merely a material thing. It is essentially a mental thing. True, when we recall the period of Black African Slavery, a great rage, a great anger, a great bitterness can well up within us; a rage and anger and bitterness that must be safely vented. Let us set aside a day or two a year to rage, to be angry and to rail at the hand fate served us, but for the rest of the year let us be what we should be aiming to be, just members of the one Human Race: earnest, conscientious, responsible; not devoid of fun and laughter; no better no worse than others as we make our contributions. There has been much progress won through the lives and sacrifices of many persons of whom King and Mandela are the best known. Keep the faith brothers and sisters that by our work and through the traditional values which all Mankind hold sacred, we can and will get this period of Black African Slavery behind us. Yours truly, Samuel A. A. Hinds Former President and Former Prime Minister

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Exx onMobil a grees to gi ve Ghana ExxonMobil ag giv quar ter epor ts on all tender acts quarter terlly rre ports tendered contracts ed contr

In order to prove to the Government of Ghana that it is using local products and services to a significant degree, U.S. oil giant, ExxonMobil agreed to submit reports on all tendered contracts. But Guyana’s Government would not benefit from this kind of information, since the deal it signed with Exxon is dissimilar on this front. In fact, ExxonMobil has no specific procurement or purchasing guidelines in the contract it has with Guyana. In the African State of Ghana, however, the situation is quite different. Exxon

Mobil agreed that following consultation with the Petroleum Commission, it would submit an annual Local Content Plan. That plan would include the engagement and utilization of Ghanaian subcontractors for the provision of goods and services, and the employment and development of qualified Ghanaian citizens. Both parties agreed that the capacity of local suppliers in the Ghanaian market will be assessed periodically by a qualified international third party and the results of the assessment will be presented

…makes no provision for this in Guyana’s oil deal to the Petroleum Commission as part of the Local Content Plan of the operator. Furthermore, ExxonMobil is also expected to require its Subcontractors to acquire materials, equipment, machinery, and consumer goods produced or provided in Ghana by an Indigenous Ghanaian Company which are: (1) equivalent in terms of quality, quantity, availability, delivery, safety, and other commercial terms as foreign materials, equipment, machinery, and consumer goods; and (2)

Union stresses importance of non-salary compensation for teachers The public education system has been thriving even in the face of many challenges, some of which have the potential of impacting the performances of pupils and students alike. But teachers have remained committed to the task of moulding the minds of their charges through it all. This approach, which has been adopted by many dedicated teachers, has been fully endorsed and well supported by the Guyana Teachers’ Union [GTU] – the body entrusted with the role of representing the public school teachers across the country. The GTU currently has within its membership in excess of 6,000 teachers. Keen on ensuring that its membership is not taken for granted, the GTU has been relentless in its advocacy for Government, through the Ministry of Education, to address some of the shortcomings in the system. While increases in salaries have for the past few years been para-

General Secretary of GTU, Ms. Coretta McDonald mount in the union’s advocacy, it has also been ardently making representation for non-salary compensation for teachers as well. This disclosure was recently made by General Secretary of the GTU, Ms. Coretta McDonald. Such issues, according to McDonald, were brought to

the fore during recent negotiations at the level of a Government-appointed Task Force which was established to fast-track the realisation of a wages and salary package for teachers. The GTU had inked a multi-year agreement with the previous administration, with the last concluding at the end of 2015. Although the union had since then presented a proposal for a new agreement, reports suggest that negotiations commenced in earnest towards the end of last year. The negotiation process, which recently came to an end and is now dependent on the approval of Cabinet, saw non-salary compensation for teachers among the matters brought to the table, McDonald said. Among these, she revealed, were issues such as the shortage of teachers in the public school system. Another issue that has been up for discussion, (Continued on page 22)

available for sale at prices which are no more than 10 percent higher than the imported items, including transportation and insurance costs and customs charges due. Its subcontractors are also required to contract local services provided by an Indigenous Ghanaian Company to the extent to which: (1) the services they provide are equivalent in terms of quality, availability, safety, and other commercial terms as those available from foreign contractors; and (2) their prices, when subject to the same tax charges, are no more than 10 percent higher than the prices charged by foreign contractors for similar services. When ExxonMobil is finished with that, it must submit to Ghana’s Petroleum Commission, a report on the services it contracted on a quarterly basis. POOR PROVISIONS Guyana’s local content provisions have come in for scathing criticisms, since there are no strict reporting requirements as mentioned above, nor is there any requirement for Exxon Mobil to use to the maximum extent, local goods and services. With this mind, the call for strong local content policy

and legislation has been increasing. But even this is still far from complete. The current Local Content Policy is still receiving the finishing touches. The draft speaks nothing of how to avoid procurement fraud, conflict of interest and favouritism, among other crucial areas. Instead, the Local Content Policy framework seeks to address, the suite of opportunities that may arise and the approaches to be taken in selecting and developing opportunities related to enhancing the capabilities of Guyanese nationals and businesses. The Policy articulates that this will be done through; training, development and employment initiatives (Capacity Development), ensuring availability of ownership participation for qualified Guyanese equity interest (Ownership Value), supplier development provisions for goods and services by locals to support sector operations (Local Content); and well-tailored social contributions for greater impact and benefits (Societal Benefits). It also describes what will be done to ensure that the activities in the petroleum sector are conducted in a manner that transparently secures

the maximum benefit for the people of Guyana, while recognizing the limitations of the country and holding all actors accountable to the present and future generations of Guyanese who are the owners of the nation’s petroleum resources. Additionally, the draft policy recognizes that the petroleum resources of Guyana belong to all its citizens, and represent an asset of significant intrinsic value which, once removed, diminishes the wealth of the nation, unless there is transformation in value from resources below the ground to improved quality of life above it for current and future generations of Guyanese. The draft says, “Guyana will approach the development of its petroleum resources, people and businesses in a pragmatic, transparent and accountable manner. This will be conditioned by existing circumstances and an analytical approach to understanding the resource, the activities it engenders and our input capabilities. We shall pursue strategic opportunities for local capacity development and participation that give us the maximum possible benefit now and in the future.”

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday February 27, 2018

New board installed as senior GuySuCo officials axed A number of senior officials of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) have been axed in the restructuring process. GuySuCo has also been ordered to freeze all hiring and to not renew any employees’ contracts that are expiring. Over the weekend, the state-controlled National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) disclosed that the life of the board of GuySuCo came to an end on February 14. NICIL’s Board of Directors, in a special meeting, made the decision to install a new GuySuCo board. Since the beginning of the year, NICIL has been given control of the sugar corporation with the shares transferred. NICIL explained that the shares in GuySuCo were recently vested in NICIL by an order signed by Finance Minister, Winston Jordan. “The NICIL board also instructed GuySuCo to freeze all hiring and to not renew any employee contracts that are expiring at this time. NICIL has begun working with the management deal at the corporation to implement management changes, some of these changes are already being implemented and more are expected to follow in the coming weeks.” In the shakeup, the portfolio of Chief Executive Officer (ag) was reduced. He is no longer in charge of finance. Rather, the handling of

GuySuCo’s finance has been delegated to another official, Kaieteur News was told. While NICIL will be handling the running of a threeestate GuySuCo, it has a special department – the Special Purposes Unit (SPU) to handle the privatization and divestment of four estates which were closed in the last 15 months. The four estates under SPU are Skeldon, Rose Hall, Enmore and Wales. GuySuCo, via the directions of NICIL, will be handling the operations of Albion, Blairmont and Uitvlugt. With signs last week that the previous GuySuCo’s board was getting ready to hold a meeting this week on a number of issues, both the SPU and NICIL on Sunday made it clear that SPU is leading the charge. Speaking after a recent meeting between the two teams, SPU Head, Colvin Heath-London said, “the one thing that is paramount right now is that we work together. We must work together to ensure that we get the best deal from the process the estates put up for privatization, and that GuySuCo is successful in turning a profit with the estates it has retained.” Bhim said that “the objective behind the closure of some estates was to make them available for privatization and ensure that GuySuCo becomes profitable. The best way to achieve that

today is for GuySuCo management and the SPU team to work together for the greater good.” Another area of immediate collaboration between the two teams is the restarting of the Enmore Estate. GuySuCo management closed this estate as part of their plan to downsize the corporation. However, the SPU is concerned that there is cultivated cane in the Enmore Estate fields that need to be harvested and processed, since it represents significant revenue potential. It is said that almost 30,000 tonnes of cane is on the ground at Enmore estate. “While the SPU will provide the management for the restarted estate, GuySuCo will provide the technical support. In addition, Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) had voiced concern over the anticipated shortfall in molasses and its impact on their production and global market commitments. The SPU and DDL have been exploring the possibility of DDL investing in the current crops in the fields at Enmore through advance payments on molasses supply, and also participating in the management of the estate to keep it as a going concern.” According to a joint NICIL/SPU statement, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), the international financial services provider working on the valuation of the GuySuCo assets now under the control of the SPU for

- halt ordered on hiring employees

Skeldon factory, built at almost US$200M, was unable to function because of numerous problems. It was closed in December. privatization, is concerned that in order to attract the best investors and secure the highest price for the estates, they need to be seen as fully functioning operations and facilities. “Closed estates will not be attractive to potential investors. The deal with DDL, if approved by the boards of DDL and NICIL, would allow the SPU to meet the PwC recommendations for a quality privatization of the estate.” It was also noted that the second major area of collaboration is the securing of funding for GuySuCo’s current and short-term operations. “As indicated by Finance Minister Winston Jordan recently, the SPU is seeking to

secure loans, investments and other financial arrangement to support GuySuCo. NICIL-SPU has the responsibility for securing new capital for GuySuCo’s operations.” The funding being sought by the SPU to support GuySuCo is $30B to cover a four-year period, it was disclosed Sunday. “These funds will provide a much needed capital injection, support infrastructure maintenance and upgrades at Albion, Blairmont, and Uitvlugt, and develop new co-generation capacity to support estate operations and sell to the national grid. The SPU is confident in its business case for GuySuCo

and expects positive results with respect to securing funding for the sugar operation.” GuySuCo at the end of 2016 was racking up major losses, with at the end of 2017, some $32B being plugged into the corporation by the Coalition Government. At the end of 2016, the century-old Wales estate was the first to go. At the end of last year, it was Skeldon, Rose Hall and Enmore. About 5,000 workers were sent home. A number of them are being rehired for the restarting of Enmore estate in a few weeks’ time. The administration has made it clear that it cannot allow GuySuCo to be a drag on the rest of the economy.

Pregnant woman remanded for attempted murder A pregnant mother of six who allegedly dealt a man several stabs about his body with a broken beer bottle was yesterday remanded to prison on an attempted murder charge. Thirty-one-year-old Vanessa Crighton of Baramita, North West District, appeared before Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. She was not required to plead to the indictable charge which alleged that on February 23 at First Avenue, Bartica, with intent to murder, she wounded Cecil Hope. The woman was represented by Attorneyat-Law Latchmie Rahmat, who asked that bail be granted to her client in a reasonable amount. She added that her client who is six weeks pregnant was attacked by the victim who choked her and dealt her a severed beating. However Police Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield, strongly objected to bail being granted to the accused citing the serious nature of the offence and the penalty the charge attracts. The prosecutor added that the victim is still hospitalized at the Bartica Hospital in a critical condition. Facts presented by the prosecutor stated that on the day in question, Crighton and Hope were involved in an argument, and Crighton armed herself with a broken beer bottle and

Remanded: Vanessa Crighton dealt Hope several stabs about his body. The prosecutor’s objection was upheld by the Magistrate and the accused was remanded to prison, she will make her next court appearance on March 8 at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court.

Tuesday February 27, 2018

Kaieteur News

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Tuesday February 27, 2018

Union stresses ... FOR RENT

FOR SALE LARGE QUANTITIES OF PLANNING AN EVENT? HIGH PURITY MERCURY BIRTHDAY PARTY, (QUICK SILVER) GRADUATION, 99.99995% PURITYW E D D I N G S , $19,000 PER POUND CALL: ANNIVERSARY, ETC. 592-227-4754. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: Unregistered DAF trucks: 216-1043; 677-6620 Dump trucks, Flat bed, Flat bed with crane & Hauler. Call: Visa Application: U.S.A, 659-3100. Canada & UK;Guyanapassport application. G r a p h i c s Plant-closing down sale: design, advertisement. Tel: potting soil, plant pot, flower plant at Garden Centre, 626-7040; 265-4535. ICONIC MARKETING & Plantation Schoonard WBD PRINTING –TEL: 600- #615-2346/627-3443/15004212: We create A/works, 1600 logos, busi ness cards, Supari palm, Lipstick, Royal, posters, etc, placements of Foxtail. Exora 4 for $1000 Ficus 4 for $1000. Organic ads included. potting soil. Tel: 626-1044 Budhram’s Landscaping & Tree cutting service. Free Lenovo desktop with 17" advice, Free design, Free after Acer monitor, keyboard and care follow up. Tel#626-1044 mouse -$35,000. Call: 624-7155 One champion generator 4500 Repairs to refrigerators, gas KVA one portable air stoves, A/C units, washing condition unit $120,000 (neg) machines. Call Lindon: 641- #655-3400 1086/ 694-2202 1- Caterpillar skid steer 3.2M Austin Powers Repairs & 1-Leyland daf cement mixer Services: Regas Fridges, 2.2M 1-canter 3.6M Land at Freezers, AC, Washer, Dryer Blankenburg 2.9M Contact & Wiring. Lot 114 Brushe #650-0402/603-1402 Dam Friendship. E.C.D 6000 pound ice box (1) 48 Tel#685-2588/613-1711 Yamaha engine 13.4 length House plans and estimates. fishing vessel. Four hundred # 6 1 3 - 5 6 2 8 / pound sein. Tel#690-8089 sirachenterprises@gmail.com Video games and consoles at affordable price. Repairs to video game system .Call:6722566/265-3231 (1) new Mistubishi canter with excellent conditions with type of engine 4msl, long base, 2004 model, contact: 696-7664 LAND FOR SALE One miller welding generator, 80 x 100 ft. Call: 692-3904 one diesel generator, 10 KVA Sophia front 3.5, Corner 4.9, one mig weld 240 V. Contact: Herstelling front 5M. Land of Canaan 6 per acre. Call GME 699-4300, 228-2734 1- 320 BL cat Excavator 1- 215 231-2199, 618-7483. B cat Excavator 1- 428 cat TOLET Back-hoe 1- 450 Honda Atv. Spacious 2 bedrooms and 3 Contact: 275-0367, 683-7225 bedrooms top and bottom 1 Double steel wheel roller 1flats at Mon Repos ECD. Call: Pneumatic roller 1- Leyland 645-2395/668-7986/629-5300. Daf truck 1- Hand spray 2 Bedroom apartment in bitumen kettle. Contact: 275Eccles. Tel: 225-3234. 0367, 683-7225 1 5-bedroom house 570 Good 1-320 CL- Bucket 1, Hydraulic Hope ECD, 4 Self-contained pump 1, 4 Hydraulic Ram. #628-1832 rooms #225-3234 Gold & Diamond for sale or percentage, Berbice river Mazaruni. #690-5300 or 6220036 SERVICES

SALON Make-up Courses with Mac, Bare Minerals, etc. -CosmetologyCourses:$90,000 Nail Technician Course: $35,000. Call: 647-1773/6880009

TAXI SERVICE GR TAXI SERVICE. CALL: 219-5000; 227-1982 & 2257878 (24HRS)

PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY,ETC.-CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 2161043; 677-6620 Complete Building for business. Prime location in Lethem. #692-3573 Vreed-en-hoop junction. Lessons place, church, storage bond, office, other. Call: 603-6400. Petboy shop at Howes & Ketley streets, Charlestown. Call: 231-1851 Fully furnished two bedrooms apartment in providence & three bedroom in Diamond. Tel: 672-1906, 216-2299 3 bedroom apartment top flat, Lusignan ECD. contact: 629-8240 Business place/Store for rent, located at Grove EBD.Contact 684-6331

VEHICLE FOR SALE Bluebird 2012- 2.6M Axio2.5M Tida-2.2M All vehicles unregistered and have reverse camera. #655-3400

CAR RENTAL DOLLY’SCARRENTAL-CALL: 225-7126/226-3693 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL@ YA H O O . C O M / W W W. DOLLYSAUTORENTAL.COM PROGRESSIVE CAR R E N TA L : S U V F O R RENTAL- $4,000 & UP PER DAY- CALL:6435122/656-0087, ,EMAIL:PRO_AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO.COM AIDAN’S CAR RENTAL:PICKUP,9-11 SEAT MINI BUS, GOOD FOR AIRPORT & FAMILY OUTINGS, CHEAPEST RATE . Call: 698-7807 WING’S CAR & PICKUP RENTAL: LOW DOWN PAYMENT, CHEAP RATES,SPECIALOFFERS! . CALL: 690-6494 Reliable rentals. Cars, SUV at low rate and security deposit special rates for long term. #227-2322/601-2622

WANTED 1 maid for East Bank area. Call: 614-4358 Experienced articulated dump truck drivers to work in the interior. Kindly contact: 223-7165 for futher details. Experience curry cooks, counter servers, drivers, roti/ puri cooks. Apply Hack’s Halaal. 5 Commerce St. Experienced Sand Truck Driver. Apply to Christine’s Variety Store, Lombard Street or Call 227-8529, 626-8003. Live in waitress to work in bar. Call: 604-6606/ 692-4649 Seeking a live in caregiver preferably from the East Coast area. For more information call: 592-690-0122 One accounts clerk, must have knowledge of QuickBooks. All applications must be sent to info@cevons.com Experienced Handyman, porter all below 40 years. Apply with written application. Keyfood McDoom Village. Do you need a good driver? very responsible and reliable, has an excellent driving record. Call:650-5913 Experienced General Manager to operate stringer (string gold) in the interior. Contact number: 223-7165 Hire & Private car drivers. Contact: 225-3234 2 reliable responsible delivery guys for full time deliveries with own motorbikes. Also 2 food servers. Call Tonya: #644-5884

EDUCATION CXC adults classes (Business & Science subjects) Form 1-5 lessons, Grade 2-6 lessons (slow learners, personal tutor) #690-5008,618-0649 Electronic classes beginning March 6th. Enroll early, limited spaces. Abdul Electronics. Tel: 226-6551/ 225-0391. PROPERTY FOR SALE House and land available @ La Parfaite Harmonie, Providence, Etc. Financing assistanceavailable. ContactPacific Development: 223-6035/ 604-4909 Yorrowkabra, Linden Highway, House, Chicken pen, New foundation, Land 200' x 100' Fenced, water & light. 6.5M neg. Contact: 6867180

From page 7 too, is that of accommodation for those teachers who are from the coastland, but are required to render their teaching services in the hinterland. But a crucial non-salary issue that many teachers have long been looking to benefit from is that of the housing revolving fund. This has in fact been one of the matters that the Union had brought to the attention of the APNU+AFC administration since it took office in 2015. But following a meeting with union representatives, Minister of State Joseph Harmon had explained that there isn’t much that Government can do to fast track the implementation of the re-

VACANCY Hair station & Barber station rental, New market street #638-1106. Experienced persons preferable. Room attendant, age 25-45 Tel#225-0198 or visit 233 South road, Lacytown. Chef, Assistant chef, Cashier - Waiter call: 611-5615, 2257933 or visit us at 173 Sheriff street. KITCHEN ASSISTANT (HOUSEKEEPING DAYSHIFT) REQUIRED AT AAGMAN RESTAURANT. CONTACT: 219-0158 BETWEEN 9AM - 5 PM (WEEKDAYS) Experienced salespersons 2545 yrs needed for store on the East Coast Demerara. Call #642-1141 Accounts clerk- knowledge of NIS,PAYE,VAT and QuickBooks. Call: 614-4358 Female cleaner for office in Eccles. Call: 233-2745 Experienced sales persons with CXC qualifications. Apply @ Christine’s Variety, Lombard Street. Contact: 2278529/626-8003 Vacancy for sales girl. Apply in person to Alabama Trading 65 Robb Street Bond. PROPERTY FOR SALE Lot 15 Public road #2 Village. West Coast Berbice. 49ft by 10,314ft. $20M. Contact:6487109/686-4818 166 4th street, Alexander Village. Tel#691-6201 2 story transported house for sale, located in a residential area, Atlantic Gardens ECD. Contact: 684-4936

volving fund project. The project is one that saw money being collected each year from Government in order to disperse to 20 teachers, $2 million each, annually, as a form of assistance towards the construction of their homes. But McDonald had told this publication that “We have not been able to get a financial agency, one of the commercial banks, to carry through with it for us.” This is due to the fact, McDonald explained, that attempts were made to ask of teachers to pay interest on the $2 million offered. “We are saying that we cannot accept that, because rather than our teachers taking $2 million and having to pay interest as if they were taking $10 million, we might as well send them to take a $10 million loan...” McDonald added, “On that issue, Minister Harmon said he couldn’t decide which agency we should use. He said what we should do is try to seek out other agencies to see if they are willing to take the project on.” The General Secretary disclosed that the Union was anticipating the support of the Ministry of Finance. But according to Harmon, McDonald said, “the Ministry of Finance has its own issues, so it couldn’t take on the project. As it is right now the money is in the bank and we are just waiting for an agency which will be willing to roll out this project.” The Union is, however, hopeful that it could eventually solicit the involvement of Coop Societies to help bring the project to fruition, McDonald related.

Bodywork man, son face charges ... From page 12 and replace them with new ones. The Toyota Spacio belongs to Samuel Munroe, 59, a chauffeur of Lot 2369 Non Pareil, East Coast Demerara and the Toyota Allion is owned by Trechel Powers, of Lot 198 Eve's View, Annandale, East Coast Demerara. The court heard that both vehicles were identified by the respective owners at the station. The Chungs were released on $200,000 bail each. They were instructed to make their next court appearance on March 5. Condition of the bail is that they report every Friday to the CID Headquarters until the completion of the trial.

Kaieteur News

Tuesday February 27, 2018

Late disbursement of Govt. funds affecting work of Municipalities & NDCs Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Communities, Emil McGarrell says he is following the law on the disbursements of funds for local municipalities and Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs). There have been widespread criticisms that central Government is releasing the capital expenditure allocated through Parliament too late, and this in turn has frustrated the work of the local organs. The PS faced a series of questions regarding the disbursements when he appeared before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), since a number of local organs held unspent funds from government in special accounts. In several cases, some organs received their final tranche on the last day in December, which was obviously way too late to execute a project earmarked for that fiscal year. This meant that millions were rolled over into the new year. The local organs were mandated by law to return the funds to central government and resubmit their capital projects for approval. Some held on to the funds. For instance, in 2016, the ministry budgeted $401M under capital subvention to

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Communities, Emil McGarrell the nine municipalities and 62 NDCs. By the end of that year, auditors found an unspent balance of $75.5M which was not refunded to the consolidated fund. Mabaruma in Region One (Barima-Waini) had $4.7M left from the remaining sum of $10M at the end of 2016. Linden still has $12.8M remaining, which is unchanged from the end of 2016 and Rosehall Town which had a remaining sum of $11.3M at the end of 2016, still has $8.9M in a special account. PAC Chairman, Irfaan Ali, made it clear that unutilized central government funds

have to be returned to the consolidated fund at the end of the fiscal year. McGarrell responded that approval was not given by the Financial Secretary. He stated that discussions are ongoing between the Audit Office and the Ministry of Finance to determine the correct approach to the unspent funds. According to McGarrell, the concluding thought is that the ‘authority is with the local council to retain the funds’ based on Section 216 of the Constitution. “These disbursements are made into the accounts of the local organs...once disbursed into the accounts it can only get out of the accounts by a resolution of council only, and many of them sought to retain the resources,” McGarrell explained. Ali made the case that if the funds can be retained then there is no need to disburse it in tranches. He believed that all funds should be provided to the local organs at the start of the year. McGarrell agreed that disbursing the funds in the last quarter basically makes it ineffective for the local organs to complete their programmes within the financial year, but noted that the Fiscal Transfer Act specifies how the monies should be disbursed.

PAGE 23

2013 murder of dredge owner Victim died as a result of blunt trauma, injury to the head Dredge owner Timothy Adams died as a result of an incised wound compounded by blunt trauma to the head. This was revealed by Government Pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh during his testimony before Justice James Bovell-Drakes and a mixed jury at the High Court in Georgetown yesterday. Adams was allegedly killed during a row over an outstanding payment he had with Marlon Freeman, his former employee, who is on trial for the murder. The killing occurred on December 22, 2013 at Turtle Creek Road, Five Star Backdam, North West District. Last week Police Detective Corporal Brian James recounted that on Christmas Day 2013, he contacted Freeman and put an allegation of murder to him. According to the detective, he cautioned the suspect in accordance with the judge’s rule. He said that the man elected to give a statement. “I told (Freeman) of his rights; that he can have a lawyer or family member present. He (Freeman) said that he don’t want to have any lawyer or family member present.” “I told him that he could write the statement himself or have anyone of his choice to do so for him. He asked me to write down what he wanted to say.”Corporal James said that Freeman told him that he went into Five Star Backdam for the first time in October 2013 to work with Adams. He said that Freeman told him that he worked with Adams for about a year before they “got wrong” after Adams accused him of stealing some gold.The police witness said Freeman explained that he quit working for Adams, who had owed him some money. The detective added that Freeman related to him that he asked Adams for his payment and he promised that he would get it

– Pathologist tells court

Marlon Freeman within a week’s time. Corporal James said that Freeman related to him that on the day in question, he was making his way to another backdam when he saw Adams, who was behind him on an All Terrain Vehicle (ATV). According to Corporal James, Freeman recounted that he asked Adams for his outstanding salary and an argument broke out between them during which he stabbed him to the neck with a spoon he had sharpened. “I see he (Adams) go by he waist and I didn’t know if he had a gun,” Corporal James said Freeman told him. The witness recalled that the murder accused told him that he got nervous after Adams collapsed, so he ran into the backdam.

Ongoing road works in Berbice

Ongoing road works being undertaken by the Ministry of Public Infrastructure in East Bank Berbice. This is Republic Road in New Amsterdam.

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Kaieteur News

Government’s move to oust former prime minister from Parliament adjourned to next month

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, CMC – A High Court judge has adjourned to April 20, the hearing of an application filed by the St. Kitts-Nevis government to have former Prime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas removed from Parliament on the grounds that he is now a citizen of Dominica. The Timothy Harris government, through the Attorney General, Vincent Byron, is seeking a declaration from the High Court that, since the election to the National Assembly on February 16, 2015, Douglas became disqualified from being elected as a member of the National Assembly and was accordingly required to vacate his seat in the National Assembly by reason of his becoming a person who, by virtue of his own act, is in accordance with the law of

Dominica, under an acknowledgment of allegiance, obedience or adherence to a foreign power or state, namely, Dominica. Additionally, the government is also seeking a declaration that Douglas has vacated his seat in the National Assembly; an injunction restraining him from taking his seat in the National Assembly and from performing his functions as a member as well as costs, and other relief as the court may deem just and expedient. Prime Minister Dr Timothy Harris has described the matter of one of grave constitutional, political and parliamentary significance to the Commonwealth. But when the matter came up for hearing on Monday, the lawyers representing the gov-

ernment sought and obtained a postponement from Justice Trevor Warde on the grounds that the Trinidadbased Senior Counsel Douglas Mendes was not available. The lawyers said that Mendes had also requested more time to respond to the affidavit filed by the Opposition Leader. Douglas later described the situation as “ridiculous” adding “they are now asking the judge not to give two weeks as is allowed by the court administration, but three weeks in order to respond to our affidavit which we submitted. “This is ridiculous. They brought the case. They said they were ready for the February 26 trial,” Douglas told reporters.

Tuesday February 27, 2018

Regional media workers to discuss disaster issues BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – More than 40 journalists and representatives of regional and international organisations will meet in Barbados on March 2 and March 3 when the Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM) hosts a Disaster Reporting Symposium in the face of last year’s devastating hurricane season. Several Caribbean countries, most notably Barbuda, Dominica, British Virgin Islands, The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands were severely impacted when Hurricanes Maria and Irma passed through the Lesser Antilles in September last year, killing at least 30 people and leaving damage estimated at billions of dollars (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents) In addition to representatives of the ACM’s 14 national associations and focal points and other journalists, the symposium will include resource personnel from the Caribbean Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), Caricom Secretariat, Caricom Climate Change Centre (CCCCC), Regional Security System (RSS)

and the Public Media Alliance (UK). The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), UN Information Centre for the Caribbean (UNIC), Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU), Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) and Latin American and Caribbean Alliance of the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX) will also be represented. The event is being supported through an IFEX grant and will focus on media involvement in management and coordination issues through all phases of both natural and man-made disasters. ACM president Wesley Gibbings said one of the highlights of the symposium will be “the development of protocols to identify the rules of engagement between journalists and disaster response agencies and personnel.” Gibbings said this was “important to ensure that an efficient and reliable stream of news and information reaches affected populations and interests beyond that might be in a position to render assis-

tance in saving lives and preserving existing public infrastructure.” The ACM has also long advocated for inclusion of natural disasters as one of the more serious challenges to media development in the developing world. Since its establishment in 2001, the organisation has been involved in activities in support of colleagues affected by disasters; notably in Grenada following Hurricane Ivan of 2004 and in Haiti, after the 2010 earthquake. In response to the serious impacts of Hurricanes Irma and Maria last year, the ACM arranged the provision of equipment to affected journalists in hard-hit Anguilla, Barbuda, Dominica and Tortola. “In all instances,” a concept note for the symposium says, “considerable damage to media plant and equipment and injury/displacement of journalists and other media workers critically undermined the ability of conventional media to play a role in response and recovery efforts, whatever the part they played in mitigation and preparedness activity.”

Election Date Announced in Antigua

Regional leaders meeting against warning to maintain a united front in changing global environment PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti, CMC – Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders began a two-day inter-sessional summit here Monday amid concerns that the regional integration movement was being fractured by some countries not adhering to decisions taken “behind closed doors”. Grenada’s Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell, who is facing a March 13 general election, told the ceremony that regional leaders needed to adhere to decisions taken during the summit in order to deepen the 45year-old grouping. “We cannot continue to agree on positions behind closed doors only to publicly push a different agenda,” Mitchell said, adding that he is able to “speak like this” because he has been around for many

years and possibly ‘would receive another five years,” a reference to the upcoming general election in his country. But he said while discussing the issue of unity within the grouping “we must highlight, rightfully the disappointment of our failure as a body to commit to a unified position while abiding by the principles of noninterference on the political challenges of our friend and neighbour country, Venezuela. “The time has come for us as a region to have a blue print in my opinion on how we address certain issues within the Community and with our allies. While he made mention of no particular country, in recent weeks the United States has stepped up its efforts to ostracise the Nicolas Maduro government in

Caracas and has sought the assistance of CARICOM in that regard. Earlier this month, US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, visited Jamaica and the two countries later appealed to Venezuela to uphold human rights and allow for free and fair elections in the South American country. “As to any future steps the US might take regarding sanctioning oil or products to put more pressure on the Maduro regime, we are going to take in the full consideration the impacts on regional countries as well,” Tillerson said, adding that he had “a good exchange” with Holness regarding that issue. He said the meeting had provided an opportunity of getting not only Jamaica’s position “but the prime minister’s perspective on other countries on how they might be affected.

Prime Minister Gaston Browne made the announcement at a rally at which he introduced his Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party’s candidates for the polls. (Photo credit: Antigua Observer) ST JOHN’S, Antigua,– Residents of Antigua and Barbuda now know exactly when they will be asked to elect a new government – and those contesting the poll will have less than a month to convince voters to give them their ‘X’. After hinting late last week that elections would be held “in coming weeks”, Prime Minister Gaston Browne announced March 21 as the date for the polls at a rally of his Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) on Saturday.Parliament was due to be dissolved yesterday and the election writ will be issued today, Browne told supporters, as he expressed confidence that the ABLP would be victorious over the other political parties and take all the seats in Parliament. “I am giving them 21 days to give them 17-none,” he declared before giving the election date.

Browne explained that the reason he called the election a year early was to protect the EC$1.5 billion in projects that his government has earmarked.“Our primary purpose for calling the election early is not about politics, it is about development….We can’t allow the destructive forces to stymie the progress we have made,” he said.Browne urged candidates not to be complacent, despite the “weakness” of the main opposition United Progressive Party (UPP), and to ensure they hit the campaign trail.The ABLP, the UPP, the new Democratic National Alliance, and the Antigua and Barbuda True Labour Party will contest the general elections.The ABLP won 14 seats in the last election in 2014 while the UPP took the other three.UPP leader Harold Lovell, responding to the election announcement, said the early polls were a sign of a failed ABLP government.

Kaieteur News

Tuesday February 27, 2018

Parents in Nigeria are wondering whether the government can keep their schoolgirls safe Lagos, Nigeria (CNN)Garba Tela’s wife did not want him to send their daughter to school in Dapchi. She feared Zainab would be an easy target for insurgents. “They take girls there,” she told him. Her prediction has proved accurate. Their 14-year-old daughter is one of 110 schoolgirls feared kidnapped by suspected Boko Haram militants in a raid on their school last Monday. Tela, who lives in Dapchi, now says his other children are refusing to go to school after last week’s attack. “The situation we are in now, we don’t know what to do. Her sisters say they won’t go to school again,” he said. “My wife had told me before that it was not good to take her to a girls school, that they take girls there. And this now happened. “I have tried to pet (cajole) them now. What can I do? I leave everything to Allah,” said Tela, who works as a tailor. “We’re village people, we don’t have the power to

chase the people who take our girls,” he added. “Government should just help us get our daughter.” The Government Girls Science Technical College school, which their daughter attended, is about 275 km (170 miles) from the site of the infamous Chibok girls kidnapping in 2014. When Boko Haram abducted 276 schoolgirls from the Chibok school in northeast Nigeria, it sparked global outrage and reignited the fight against the ISIS-aligned terrorist group. First lady Michelle Obama, Malala and other celebrities joined forces to protest the kidnapping in a social media campaign that went viral. Some of the girls were finally freed three years later, following negotiation talks between the Nigerian government and Boko Haram. But more than 100 of them remain in captivity. Now, nearly four years after that kidnapping, Nigeria finds itself in the global spotlight again over missing schoolgirls. This time,

#Dapchigirls is trending online. But the momentum that gathered online around the Chibok girls is so far largely missing this time. Officially, the Nigerian government is saying the girls are unaccounted for. But eyewitness accounts say armed men, dressed in military gear, stormed the school and herded girls into trucks. Thirteen-year-old Hassanha Mohammed told CNN: “I had a sprint on my ankle but kept on running, holding the hand of my sister. We saw Boko Haram gunmen in military uniform and wearing turbans. They kept calling on students to come to them, that they were going to rescue them. “We did not listen to them and continued running. I was limping,” she continued. “I lost grip of my sister’s hand in the confusion. I managed to return home in the company of my two classmates but my sister has not been seen since then. I believe she was among the girls taken by the gunmen.”

Crime and Violence High on Agenda as CARICOM Heads Meet PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti,– Prime Minister Freundel Stuart has given the assurance that CARICOM leaders intend “to get to the bottom of some of the issues that are spawning the level of violence that we are seeing across the Caribbean today”. Speaking prior to the start of the 29th Inter- sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government underway in Haiti, he said the Caribbean had been witnessing a gradual and, at times, rapid deterioration in the state of the societies as a result of crime and violence, and the issue will take centre stage at the summit. “At the regional level, crime and violence have become a serious issue for us. It’s actually threatening the stability of our societies and, therefore, not without significance, the distinguished Prime Minister of Jamaica re-

quested at the last Heads of Government meeting in Grenada, that rather than just discussing the issue of regional security, that we should also discuss the issue of crime and violence since that was a pressing issue for him in Jamaica from day to day,” Stuart said. “And, therefore, that is going to be an important agenda item at this meeting.” The Barbadian leader was optimistic that regional leaders would come to a consensus on adopting measures “to counteract these tendencies and to create a more peaceful civilization for our people”. The CARICOM Conference officially opened Sunday evening with a reception at the Karibe Hotel, hosted by CARICOM Chairman Jovenel Moïse and First Lady, Martin Moise.The formal business session started today at the Marriott Hotel. (Caribbean 360)

Grenada PM Promises Speedy Implementation of National Health Insurance ST GEORGE’S, Grenada,– Confident of his New National Party (NNP) being returned to power in the March 13 general election, Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell has promised to move speedily with the implementation of the National Health Insurance (NHI) after the polls. Under the NHI, Grenadians will be able to access a range of health services. The government said the insurance plan is geared towards making health care affordable and accessible. Speaking at an NNP rally, Prime Minister Mitchell said the implementation of the NHI will be a top priority after the polls. “We have watched our health care system in this country over the years – governments go, governments come. We have seen the fundamental problems…

“I want to tell you, in the next term of our Government, starting March 14, we are going to move speedily and implement a National Health Insurance,” he said. Mitchell pointed out that healthcare is an election issue not only in Grenada or the Caribbean, but internationally as well. The NHI Secretariat was officially launched in October last year at the same time that the government signed a deal with the St Augustine Campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI) to provide technical support for the NHI. (Caribbean 360)

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Slovak investigative journalist and fiancée murdered, authorities say (CNN) A Slovak investigative journalist and his fiancée were found shot dead Monday, the first time a reporter has been murdered in the country, according to police. Jan Kuciak, 27, reported on tax evasion and fraud among Slovak businesses, including people connected to the Slovak governing party, Smer. The journalist for news website Aktuality.sk and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová were found with bullet wounds to the chest and head respectively, said the International Press Institute (IPI). The couple was shot at Kuciak’s apartment in Velka Maca, western Slovakia, some time between Thursday and Sunday, according to police. The head of the Slovak Police, Tibor Gaspar, said it was “likely” the murder was

Investigative journalist Jan Kuciak connected to Kuciak’s work as an investigative journalist. Kuciak reported on tax fraud connected to luxury real estate businesses, sometimes involving politicians from the ruling party. According to local media, Kuciak received threats from

Slovak businessmen about his investigations and reported these to the police last autumn, the IPI said in a statement. The editors-in-chief of a dozen Slovak media outlets signed a joint statement calling the killing a “serious sign that crime is turning against one of the most important pillars of freedom: freedom of speech and the right of citizens to control those in power and those who disrespect the law,” according to IPI. Ringier Axel Springer, the publishing company of Aktuality.sk, described the “vicious execution” of Kuciak and his fiancée as “shocking” and “terrifying” and offered its sympathies to the victims’ families, friends and colleagues. “We will do everything in our power to support (the) investigation and identification of the culprits,” said the company in a statement.

Leicester e xplosion: Fi ve explosion: Fiv people conf ir med dead confir irmed

Crews are searching through debris strewn across Hinckley Road Five people have died in an explosion at a shop in Leicester. Residents said they heard “a big thud, like an earthquake” at the time of the blast in Hinckley Road at about 19:00 GMT on Sunday. Five other people remain in hospital, one in a critical condition, Leicestershire Police said.Supt Shane O’Neill said police believe there may be more people unaccounted for and rescue efforts were continuing on MondayAt this stage the explosion is not being linked to terrorism, he added. The building consisted of a shop premises on the ground level and a two-storey flat above. The shop had gone through many owners but recently became a Polish supermarket called Zabka. It is believed to have only been trading since the New Year. Store owner Aram Kurd, who was on duty with another member of staff, said he had gone

to the storeroom when the explosion happened. “I heard a big bang, I thought ‘What was that?’ and found myself on the floor. “My eyes were open, looking up and my body was half covered in rubble. I couldn’t breathe, I was lying...I don’t know how long for.“Everywhere I could see fire, like I was inside hell.” Mr Kurd said he did not know what happened to the member of staff. Krishna Rungen, who lives nearby, said his brother-in-law lived at the address with his wife and three sons. Mr Rungen said his brother-in-law, who was at work when the explosion happened, was at the hospital with his youngest son, who was not seriously injured. “I am still waiting for news from the hospital and from the police,” he said.

Tuesday February 27, 2018

Kaieteur News

Putin orders daily pause in fighting in Eastern Ghouta

(CNN) Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday ordered a daily five-hour pause in hostilities in the besieged Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta, amid reports of chlorine gas attacks. Putin ordered the humanitarian pause — from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time — to start Tuesday, in a bid to prevent civilian casualties, according to state-run news agency Tass. The report said a humanitarian corridor would be opened to allow civilians to leave.Russia is the Syrian regime’s key ally in a civil war that has plagued the country for almost seven years, with heavy fighting now focused on the rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta. Russian intervention — with troops and weaponry —

has helped tilt the balance in President Bashar al-Assad’s favor.A United Nations resolution on Saturday calling for a 30-day ceasefire in Syria appears to have done little to halt the intense bombardment of Eastern Ghouta, which has now entered its second week. Several people in the suburb were treated for exposure to chlorine gas, opposition groups said, as airstrikes and artillery fire from the regime continued on Sunday. The Syrian oppositionrun Rural Damascus Health Directorate said the people were admitted to medical facilities showing signs that were consistent with exposure to “toxic chlorine gas.” In a statement, RDHD said that the smell of people in the area, ambulance drivers, and victims all had the clear and

known smell of chlorine gas.”A tweet from the Syrian American Medical Society said that 16 patients, including six children, were treated in a hospital “suffering from symptoms indicative to exposure to chemical compounds.” The White Helmets, a volunteer rescue group, said in a tweet that one child was killed in a chlorine gas attack in the city. CNN is unable to independently verify claims that chlorine was used as a weapon in Eastern Ghouta. Both sides of the conflict have in the past accused one another of the use of chlorine as a weapon. The government has repeatedly denied claims that it has used chlorine as a weapon on civilians.

Far-right terror threat ‘growing’ in UK as four plots foiled The retiring head of counter-terrorism policing in the UK has warned of the growing threat of far-right terrorism. Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, who will retire from the Met Police next month, said four extreme-right terror plots were disrupted last year. Ten Islamist-inspired plots have been foiled since March last year, he added. In a speech made at Policy Exchange, the Met Police’s Mr Rowley also warned that far-right extremists are working in similar ways to Islamist extremists. He said they create intolerance, exploit grievances, and generate distrust of state institutions. One of the four

alleged far-right plots disrupted was that of white supremacist Ethan Stables. Earlier this month, he was convicted of plotting an axe and machete attack on a gay pride event at a pub in Barrow. Mr Rowley said: “Islamist and right-wing extremism is reaching into our communities through sophisticated propaganda and subversive strategies creating and exploiting vulnerabilities that can ultimately lead to acts of violence and terrorism. “Ten conspiracies of an Islamist nature were stopped since the Westminster attack. “And I can tell you today that over the same period police have been able to prevent a further four extreme, right-

wing inspired plots in the UK.” He said it was “important we make these figures public in order to illustrate the growth of right-wing extremism”. Referring to the banned group National Action, he said: “For the first time we have a home-grown proscribed white supremacist, neo-Nazi terror group, which seeks to plan attacks and build international networks.” Last year, the security service MI5 joined the fight against the right-wing terrorist threat. There are currently more than 600 live investigations and more than 3,000 people of interest at any one time.

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Tuesday February 06, 2018

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Kevin Durant powers Warriors past Thunder LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Kevin Durant delivered 28 points and Stephen Curry finished with 21 points and nine rebounds as the Golden State Warriors improved to 46-14 with a 11280 win over Oklahoma City. After a see-saw first half the defending league champion Warriors got in a groove, going on a 21-1 run spanning the third and fourth quarters to seize control and turn Saturday’s contest into a blowout. The Warriors also avenged a pair of losses to the Thunder in November, and just before the NBA AllStar Game break earlier this month. “We’re champions. We’re 46-14 and we’ve got one of the best road records in the league,” Durant said. Thunder star Paul George was held to just five points,

while a struggling Carmelo Anthony scored only 14. Russell Westbrook led Oklahoma City with 15 points and 10 rebounds. “He’s played at such a high level offensively for such a long time, a night like tonight’s going to happen,” coach Billy Donovan said of George. Anthony’s frustration boiled over when he got into a testy exchange with the Warriors’ Draymond Green. Green was given a technical foul — his 15th of the season — for swatting the head of Anthony who then threw his blue headband down on the court before engaging Green. Elsewhere, the Miami Heat used a balanced scoring attack to halt a three-game losing streak by rolling over the struggling Memphis Grizzlies

Kevin Durant scored 28 points for Golden State while avenging an embarrassing home loss to his former Oklahoma City team. 115-89. Tyler Johnson scored 23 points for the Heat, who are battling for a post-season spot after winning for just the second time in their last 10 games.Memphis has lost nine games in a row, the longest current losing streak in

Tuesday February 27, 2018 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Misinformation is likely to spread like wildfire today, causing a lot of unnecessary upset either among your neighbors at home or your colleagues at work. TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) You're finally setting in motion some longstanding goals of yours, Taurus. Good for you! But even though everything is in place and you're ready to go GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Beware lawyers, bankers, and stockbrokers today, Gemini. One of them is likely to try and mislead you with some inaccurate information. CANCER (June 21–July 22) A family member or other loved one may not be telling you the truth. In this person's defense, he or she likely thinks they're protecting you by shielding you from the truth. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) You have an active mind and an even more active imagination, Leo. Today you risk short-circuiting your brain as you struggle to keep up with all the ideas and information swirling inside your head. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) If a family member is in a bad mood but not confessing why, it's up to you to step in and help. He or she is carrying that big black cloud around, casting shadows everywhere they go.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) If a friend or colleague seems to be in trouble, you may not want to interfere for fear of being too intimate. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Your career may be sidetracked by petty gossip, rumor, and office politics. It's likely that someone is pushing forward his or her agenda without any thought or concern for its impact on others. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Some bad news about your financial situation may not really be as bad as it first appears. Even so, it throws you for a loop. Doublecheck the information before spiraling into a panic CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) n an unpleasant situation, your inclination is to protect your loved ones from the truth. This would be a mistake, Capricorn. Even though you're acting out of love AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) You may be feeling tired and a bit wrung out today, Aquarius. Although you're a workaholic by nature, even you are forced to admit that this is a day to stay in bed. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) There could be a missing person very much on your mind these days. Is it possible that the relationship is over and you're the last one to know?

the NBA. Justise Winslow scored a season-high 17 points for the Heat while Wayne Ellington drained five three pointers and finished with 15 points. Miami veteran Dwyane Wade got into foul trouble and played just 18 minutes. Andrew Harrison scored 17 points for the Grizzlies, who played without injured leading scorer Tyreke Evans. The Heat took the lead for good at 28-26 and their margin reached 92-70 by the end of the third quarter. Miami outscored Memphis 50-30 in the paint, 13-2 on fast breaks and 26-8 off turnovers.In Portland, Damian Lillard scored on a driving layup with ninetenths of a second to play as the Portland Trail Blazers rallied to beat the Phoenix Suns 106-104.

Regal Masters... From page 33 13. D. Ramnauth captured 327, Chien Gittens 2-4, N. Boodhoo 2-12 and D. Deonarine 2-23. Success threatened but fell for 115 in 15 overs in response. N. Boodhoo clobbered five fours and two sixes in scoring 40, while Anand Rooplall made 14; the duo added 57 for the third wicket. Sachin Singh grabbed 3-18, Fazal Rafiek 2-16 and Amir Nizamudeen 2-27. (Zaheer Mohamed)

Berbice claim... From page 31 the score on three. Nicholas Rajpat came in at number three but fell for eight while Romel Datterdeen was caught for 2. Chandrapaul Ramraj top scored with nine as Isia Thorne captured 3 for 18, while Budhram Rampersaud had 2-5 and Jonathon Rampersaud 2-15. The leading run-scorer for this tournament was Zyunl Ramsammy with 63 runs. Jonathon Rampersaud walked away with both the Man-of-the-Match and Most Valuable Player awards with a total of 15 wickets in the tournament, a best of 5 for 12.

Thierry Henry eyes ‘dream’ job as Arsenal manager LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Arsenal’s alltime top scorer Thierry Henry said it would be a “dream” to manage the club, whose season is threatening to unravel after their capitulation to Manchester City in the League Cup final. Arsene Wenger’s side crumbled 3-0 at Wembley on Sunday and languish 10 points off the top four in the Premier League, with the Europa League their only chance of silverware this season. Wenger is under contract at Arsenal until 2019 but a failure to qualify for the Champions League for a second straight year would ramp up pressure for him to step down. Asked on-air after the game about whether replacing Wenger would appeal to him, the Sky Sports pundit, who is also a member of Belgium’s coaching staff, said: “I still have a job to do with Belgium, but let’s see what’s going to happen. “It will be a dream for me, but I’m still with Belgium. “Interested? Yes, who

wouldn’t be? But I can’t talk about that out of respect for the man that is in charge still and my job that I’m doing right now with Belgium. But who wouldn’t be interested?” Henry, who was brought to Arsenal by Wenger in 1999, believes a lack of consistency is the key to the club’s troubles, with the Gunners having lost six games in all competitions since the turn of the year. “With Arsene, what is difficult is when you have bad momentum,” the 40-year-old told Sky Sports News on Monday. “The consistency is not always there and you need to be consistent. You need to also sometimes have some good games away from home. “The feeling with the fans is that you cannot brag about the win because next week we might be in trouble. “What’s difficult when you start to lose is getting that energy and commitment back. When you don’t win the league for a long time — 14 years running — that doesn’t help.”

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Association do Shotokan Karate – Guyana hosts mammoth grading at the YMCA The Association do Shotokan Karate – Guyana (ASK-G) on Sunday last held another successful Grading exercise which saw 153 students graded yet again by Head of the IKD, 9th Dan Shuseki Shihan Frank Woona-Tai at the YMCA. Accompanying Shuseki Woon-a-Tai to Guyana were Mrs. Mureen Woon-a-Tai 8th Dan Shihan Vice Chairman of the IKD and 7th Dan Shihan Bernice Hughes. Before the exams commenced, tensions were high with some students being well hyped up, while others were very nervous, especially among those taking black belt exams. Graciously Shuseki Woon-a-Tai allowed the white, yellow, orange and green belts to leave after their exams were over as well as the presentation. Meanwhile, Dan Diplomas were presented to five of the eight successful students at the November 2017 exams. Shian Amir Khouri and Shian Jeffrey Wong were presented with their Masters Dan Diploma after being successful at their 7th Dan exams, November last.Following are the full results from the Grading Exercise: Successful Dan students: 2nd Dan promotions: 1. Patrick Gurahoo – YMCA 1st Dan promotions: 1. Kishan Ragubeer – YMCA, 2. Nikhil Sookraj – YMCA, 3. Christine Ramkissoon – YMCA, 4. Aolione Griffith – YMCA. 5. Doodnauth Jairam – GFK. Outstanding KYU Grades promotions: 10 KYU to 8 KYU: Carl Funga-Fat, Antwan Chester, Nelicia Higgins, A’Oife Baird, Samuel Klass, Nathaniel Higgins, Yan Xi Chen, Sven Douglas, Ezekiel Jones, Gianna Majeed, Godfrey Gibson, Aishah Persaud, Rhea Winter, Isaiah Anderson, Gurav Ram, Oskary’s Jacobis, David Harold, Joshua Rampersaud. 10 KYU to 7 KYU: Ronaldo Khoshall, Alex Penniston, Kunte Bishamber, Tessie Laud, Rromario Jaisingh, Kristen Samaroo, Dharamraj Mohabir, Jeremiah Pile. 10 KYU to 6 KYU: Christopher Jones. 8 KYU to 6 KYU: Jaiya Harricharan, Zhuohong Yang, Adrian Bhawanidin, Zareezyah Levans, Tamera Hughes, Malini Jainarain,

The six successful Dan Students seated in front of the examiners following their accomplishment.

The 153 Students who were graded at the ASK-G Grading exercise on Sunday last. Cindy Sookwah, Savitri Persaud. 8 KYU to 5 KYU: Julietta Jarvis. 7 KYU to 5 KYU: Kevin Fraser, Leandre Holder, Rohan Sookwah. 4KYU to 2 KYU: Mark Henry, Anya Insanally, Jeremy Hargobin. Total KYU grades promotions: 18 students to Yellow Belt (8 KYU), 28 students to Orange Belt (7KYU), 21 students to Green Belt (6KYU), 30 students to Blue Belt

(5KYU), 18 students to Purple Belt (4KYU), 7 students to Brown Belt (3KYU), 14 students to Brown Belt (2KYU), 11 students to Brown Belt (1 KYU) = 147 KYU students. A total of 5 students to 1st Dan (Black Belt), 1 student to 2nd Dan (Black Belt) = A total of 153 Students examined. ASK-G is extending congratulations to all the students who were successful, also to Instructors Roger Peroune and Patrick Gurahoo (YMCA), Clinton Moriah (New Amsterdam), Hazrat Ali (Albion and Blairmont), Laurence Lowe (GKF), Mahadeo Ramotar (GFK) and Parmeshwar Persaud (Canaan) for their dedicated efforts.Shuseki Shihan Frank Woon-a-Tai will be holding intense Instructors and Judges Training sessions at the GKC and ASK-G YMCA until Tuesday March, 6.

Walsh named Bangladesh’s interim head coach ESPNcricinfo Courtney Walsh has been named Bangladesh’s interim head coach for the Nidahas Trophy as the BCB is yet to narrow in on a replacement for Chandika Hathurusingha. Wa l s h j o i n e d t h e Bangladesh coaching group in September 2016 as a bowling coach on a threeyear deal. He is currently the senior-most coach in the group and was an obvious candidate. Meanwhile, Khaled Mahmud will no longer be a part of the support staff. Formerly the technical director, he is now expected to return as team manager. The former Bangladesh captain made public his displeasure at the function of the team earlier this

month, calling the environment “dirty.” “Since I will be going to Sri Lanka, a lot of the directors also will come with me. I personally feel that [Khaled Mahmud] Sujon should go as team manager,” said BCB president Nazmul Hassan. “We still haven’t talked to him about it. We have finalized on the other roles like we have also decided to give the batting duties to someone which we will announce on Tuesday.” Hassan is also likely to have a more hands-on involvement in the team’s affair. “I didn’t bother about playing XI selection in the last series. I left it to everyone else, including players and management,” he said.

Courtney Walsh oversees Bangladesh’s training session. (Getty Images) “This time we have made a squad after considering who will play in the playing XI. So since there is a final decision being taken, there is obviously a direct involvement.”

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Bartica All Stars and Agatash All Stars prevail in one night contest Competitive senior football returned to Bartica By Franklin Wilson Football fans in Bartica on Saturday night turned out in their numbers to support a one-night 4-team football card that saw the return of competitive senior football to the once football crazy region. The efforts of Mayor Gifford Marshall, Sports Officer Mark Ambrose, Banks DIH and the fans combined for a memorable night that saw Bartica All Stars and Goshen All Stars emerging victorious in the two matches that were contested. All Stars prevailed in a ding dong battle against Rivers View All Stars on sudden death kicks from the penalty mark after the two battled to a pulsating 3-3 tie at the end of regulation time. Agatash were 3-2 winners over Potaro All Stars in the first match of the night which set the tone for the main event. These matches the main players are hoping will re-ignite the passion for the game in Bartica and by the turn out

the organisers have agreed that the show of confidence by the players and fans is more that heartening. They have also disclosed that they are willing to work with the Bartica Football Association (BFA). “We are committed to bring back this beautiful game with the support of the BFA.” The organizers further pointed out that teams only played for trophies which further underscores the passion and desire to get back into the competitive mode. ”We are trying to get youth and senior games off every weekend. The fans really show how badly football is missed in our region,” One of the organisers opined. The Police and Business Community in Bartica also came in for praise for their support for last Saturday night’s matches. Whitney Welcome netted all three goals for the Bartica All Stars which had looked like they were going to wrap up an easy win but a late surge by the Rivers View team al-

Goshen Captain, Andrew Simmons receives the winning trophy from Bartica Mayor Gifford Marshall in the presence of teammates. most saw them winning the war.Omarieo Lake had handed Rovers View the lead in the 6th minute but Welcome drew Bartica level in the 25th minute. Welcome’s second and third goal in the 47th and 65th minute gave his team a comfortable two goal cushion but Rivers View never lost faith in their ability to be worthwhile opponents.

On 76 minutes, Shamar Blair blasted the nets to reduce the deficit for Rivers View and with two minutes to full time, Andel Norton fired in the neutralizing goal to the delight of their supporters. It took sudden death kicks from the penalty mark to hand Bartica All Stars the win; after the first five kicks, the score was still tied after both teams had missed once.

In the first match, Andrew Simmons scored the opening goal in the match for Agatash in the 17th minute but Potaro responded in like manner 25 minutes on, thanks to the first of two for Casey Chesney. Mario Pereira then restored the advantage for Agatash in the 44th minute and it then doubled when Elcio Oliverira converted in the 76th minute. Four minutes

later, Potaro netted their second goal off the boot of Chesney. Both sides continued the intense exchanges but were not able to penetrate the final third as the score remained the same, 3-2 in favour of Agatash. Trophies were presented by Mayor Gifford Marshall in the presence of Sports Officer Ambrose.

Petra’s third annual Corona Futsal Tournament CONCACAF announces Gold Cup expansion to 16 teams National Gymnasium comes alive CONCACAF to explore matches outside North America tonight with second match night Miami – The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) announced yesterday that the CONCACAF Gold Cup – the official national team championship of North, Central America and the Caribbean – will expand to include 16 competing nations for the upcoming 2019 edition and beyond. The Confederation is also exploring a pan-regional footprint for the 2019 Gold Cup, which would feature matches played outside the United States, including the possibility of matches in Central America and the Caribbean. By adding more teams and exploring the possibility of new host nations, the historic 15th edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, in the summer of 2019, will set highs for a number of participating CONCACAF Member Associations, providing access to the highest level of international football for 16 teams and fans from a wider representation of the CONCACAF region, after the CONCACAF Council approved the initiative. The qualifying process for the 16 teams who will participate in the 2019 Gold Cup

will be fully revealed at the upcoming CONCACAF Nations League launch event, on March 7 in Miami Beach. ”The expansion of the Gold Cup and the upcoming launch of the CONCACAF Nations League are key steps in delivering on the ONE CONCACAF Vision, to make the region’s most competitive football more accessible to more of our C o n f e d e r a t i o n ’s t e a m s , players and fans,” said CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani. “By widening access to these important tournaments for more of our Member Associations, we work towards our goal of ensuring that the football produced in the CONCACAF region is of the highest quality in the world.” The biennial Gold Cup is the region’s top prize for national teams, and for over 25 years has featured top quality stars and national teams from across North America, Central America and the Caribbean, as well as invited guests from South America, Asia and Africa. The Gold Cup has provided some of the most memo-

rable on-field soccer moments in the region, including numerous high-intensity finals between the U.S. and Mexico, outstanding performances over the years by Caribbean nations including Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica, and deep runs by countries such as Honduras, Panama, Costa Rica and Canada, which through strong Gold Cup performances through the decades, have taken their place among the region’s top national teams and earned world-wide recognition with qualification to FIFA World Cups. Panama, together with Costa Rica and Mexico, will represent CONCACAF in this summer’s 2018 FIFA World Cup for the first time in the nation’s history. During the more than quarter century since the Gold Cup was first played in 1991, matches have been disputed in the U.S. every edition, as well as in Canada (2015) and Mexico (1993, 2003). Next year, with matches involving more national teams to be played in multiple countries across the region, more teams and fans than ever will have the chance to experience the Gold Cup first hand.

The opening night of the Petra’s third annual Corona Futsal tournament, which has a total prize purse of over $2million including a Hero 150cc motorcycle which a lucky fan will win, kicked off on Saturday at the National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue with six matches and continues tonight with six more anticipated matchups. Among the big winners on Saturday were Future Stars who made light work of Campbellville Extreme 6-0, Back Circle that defeated 2/27/2018 19:00 hrs 19:50 hrs 20:40 hrs 21:30 hrs 22:20 hrs 23:15 hrs

Broad Street 6-3 and the huge upset victory for Tiger Bay who defeated the tournament’s perennial favourites Sparta Boss. Fans will enjoy Hairoun Beer special at 5 for $1,000 and Corona at 3 for $1,000, while viewing competitive group matches that will be expected tonight at the National Gymnasium since teams are due to receive incentives for their respective placing in the group stage. The top finishers will get an additional $40,000, second

Round Robin Day 2 Tucville Alpha Warriors Bent Street Old School Ballers North East West Front Road

v/s v/s v/s v/s v/s v/s

place $30,000, third place $20,000 and fourth place $10,000. Meanwhile, the championship winner will pocket $600,000, runners-up $300,000 and third place $150,000, and the MVP of the tournament, in addition to a lucky patron will receive one motorbike each from part sponsors Rose Ramdehol through their Hero brand. See below today’s fixtures for the tournament which is also being sponsored by NAMILCO.

Gymnasium Show Stoppers Kingstown California Square New Market Street Channel 9 Sophia

Match # 7 8 9 10 11 12

Berbice claim GCB Dave West Indian Imports U15 tourney Berbice were crowned champions of the Guyana Cricket Board Dave West Indian Imports inter county U15 50-over tournament which concluded on Sunday at Bourda. In a match which was reduced to 25 overs due to rain, Berbice managed 88 all out in 25 overs. Jonathan Rampersaud made 19, while

Zynul Ramsammy and Mahendra Gopilall made 15 each and Antowne Alexander 14. Shafeek Khan claimed 4-14, while Chanderpaul Ramraj and 3-15. In reply, Demerara struggled after losing two quick wickets in the first two overs with (Continued on page 31)

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Tuesday February 27, 2018

Kaieteur News

Patrick Forde Memorial Boxing Championships

Jumbo Jet Thoroughbred Committee Triple Crown Horseracing Championships

Colin ‘Superman’ Lewis wins best boxer Pot sweetened for horse owners as Triple Crown excitement grows overall, parks Ferrari in the process Colin ‘Superman’ Lewis bullied his way to a first round TKO victory over the hapless St. Lucian Nathan Ferrari on Sunday night at the National Gymnasium, during the main bout of the Patrick Forde Memorial Open which was organised by the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) in collaboration with McDonald’s Promotion. This was a rematch of the light welterweight finals of the Caribbean Development Boxing amateur tournament that punched off December last in the Caribbean Island of St. Lucia; Ferrari’s native land. And, ‘Superman’ proved that his victory in the island republic wasn’t a fluke and with support of the scores of cheering home fans that filled up the ring side admission and stands, he didn’t disappoint the Guyanese and the referee was forced to stop the contest in the first round. A straight right from ‘Superman’ Lewis that landed on Ferrari’s chin accounted for the first knock down. The St. Lucian composed himself after and fired some spirited blows in retaliation but the more dominant in form and attacking prowess, ‘Superman’, shrugged off the challenges and dealt a flurry of blows and winded Ferrari, gifting himself the TKO victory which was decided by referee Lawrence Assanah.

Guyana’s Keevin Allicock (left) lands a right on Jamal Eastman during one of the 14 bouts that punched off on Sunday night at the National Gymnasium. ‘Superman’ was awarded the Best Boxer elite and overall trophies. Meanwhile, Deeron Williams (school boy best boxer), Ravin Rodrigues (junior best boxer), Chris Moore (youth best boxer) and Alisha Jackman (female best boxer) also took home trophies and one year’s bragging rights from the event which is in its second annual year. Two of Guyana’s brightest prospects, Keevin Allicock and Desmond Amsterdam also improved their records on Sunday in exciting fashion. Allicock forced Jamal Eastman’s corner to throw in the towel in the second round, while the ref-

eree stopped the contest since Amsterdam’s onslaught on his opponent Kelvin Wielzen of Suriname could’ve been lethal. Local standouts, Chris Moore and Joel Williamson also ensured that Guyana sent back home the two other Surinamese, Toni Lin and Blond Pikienito with unanimous losses. The next local GBA event will be the National Novices set for next month. Head of the GBA, Steve Ninvalle and Technical Director, Terrence Poole, both shared the sentiments of a successful and well organised event which was experienced by all stakeholders.

Neymar injury mars PSG victory over Marseille PARIS, France (AFP) — Neymar was worryingly stretchered off with an ankle injury Sunday, marring Paris Saint-Germain’s 3-0 victory over Marseille that increased their Ligue 1 lead to 14 points. Just 10 days before the French leaders’ Champions League last 16, second-leg against Real Madrid, there was concern over the world’s most expensive player as Neymar was carried off 10 minutes from time. The 26-year-old was on his own when he innocuously rolled his ankle and flopped to the ground in pain. He was holding his head in his hands as he was taken off.It was an otherwise easy night for the big-spending Parisians as teenager Kylian Mbappe became the youngest scorer in the French ‘Classique’. Uruguayan goal-machine Edinson Cavani was also on the scoresheet while Neymar

Neymar was stretchered off the pitch with a right leg injury. had a hand in PSG’s other goal. With Monaco drawing 33 at Toulouse on Saturday and Lyon held 1-1 at home to local rivals Saint-Etienne earlier on Sunday, it meant none of PSG’s three nearest challengers managed to win. Monaco remain second with Marseille third, two

points behind, and Lyon a further five adrift. This result was never in doubt and PSG coach Unai Emery even had the luxury of bringing off Mbappe, 19, after an hour to give Argentine international Angel Di Maria a half-hour run out — Emery may now be wishing he’d chosen to rest Neymar.

The action promises to be frenetic at the Triple Crown horserace meet and will not want to miss it. Organiser Junior Mohamed has informed Kaieteur Sport that the Jumbo Jet Thoroughbred Racing Committee has decided to take another major step in assisting smaller horse owners to make the Sport of Kings to continue its growth in Guyana. Mohamed informed that they have decided to transport horses to and from the Corentyne to the Rising Sun race track for less than half of the price that is currently paid for the upcoming Triple Crown Horseracing Championships which commences this Sunday, March 4th. Further adding sweetener to the ‘pot’, the organiser disclosed that any horse that participate in the Triple Crown event and wins 3 races, even if it’s 3 races on two of the Triple Crown race days, will be granted free entry to the Guyana Cup 2018 horserace mega meet. With offers of this nature, horse owners, especially the small one, will be happy to compete in the upcoming Triple Crown events. With over $20million in cash prizes up for grabs in the three-day event, fans are excited and the various connections of the various stables are ready to let their charges go as they seek glory and the attractive prizes on offer. Action starts this Sunday at the Rising Sun Turf Club and will continue with the second event on April 1st at

Port Mourant and the 3rd and final race in the series is fixed for April 29th again at Rising Sun Turf Club. Both meets at the Rising Sun Turf Club will have the following 1st place cash prizes in the respective classes: CClass and Lower - $1 million, F class and Lower/E- Class Non-earners/Last Start $400,000, 3-year-old Guyana Bred - $350,000, H1 and Lower - $300,000, J/K & Lower $240,000, K Class Non earner last start -$230,000 and L & Lower - $200,0000. Meanwhile, the final leg in Corentyne will have the slightly bigger 1st prizes which are as follows: C-Class and Lower - $1.2 million, F class and Lower/E- Class Non-earners/Last Start - $500,000, 3year-old Guyana Bred $400,000, H1 and Lower $350,000, J/K & Lower $240,000, K Class Non earner last start -$200,000 and L & Lower - $150,0000. There will be bonuses for any horse that win all three of their races in the Triple Crown event with a maximum bonus payout amounting to $500,000. According to the organisers of the event, horses will not be promoted nor demoted for any events in their classes as to give them the opportunity to win the bonus and to be hailed the “Triple Crown” champion in their class. The three-leg championship will be competed under

the rules of the Jumbo Jet Thoroughbred Racing Committee. The drawing of the grand raffle has been fixed for the final leg on April 29th. The raffle will see the winner driving away with a 2011 Nissan Tida sedan car, which is the first prize. The other prizes on offer are a 125 motor cycle, Samsung 40" Smart TV, 2samsaung cell phones, a stove, microwave and a Refrigerator. Raffle tickets are being sold throughout Guyana and can be purchased from Soesdyke Junction, Eccles at the Jumbo Jet Auto Sales location, 92 Smyth Street Georgetown at the Jumbo Jet location, Croal Street Georgetown at the BM Soat Auto Sales, Chester Fried Chicken in West Berbice and Bush Lot Village West Berbice at the two Jumbo Jet Auto Sales locations, Punai’s Pharamacy at Rose Hall Town, The Arabian Nights Sports Bar, #22 Village Hopetown West Berbice and the Discount Store on Regent Street. Some 1000 kites will be given to the first 1000 fans that enter the ground on April 1st as a special bonus. Any information on the event can be sourced by contacting: Chandu Ramkissoon: 624-9063/608-9063/232-0633; Alan Podmore: 232-9115/ 6191909 and Nikita Ross: 6624668.

Tuesday February 06, 2018

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Kaieteur News

Narayan Ramdhani again Albion Masters defeat Floodlights endorsed by Yonex USA Masters in friendly t20 match Guyana’s Top Badminton Player Narayan Ramdhani was again endorsed by the Team Yonex Brand Contract to become their ambassador for the Yonex Corporation USA for 2018. The signing means that Ramdhani will be exclusively using Yonex rackets, bags, shoes, apparel and accessories.Yonex USA was very pleased with his Performance in 2017-2018 with Narayan Medaling at every event played on the Canadian Circuit where he is based for the last year and a half. Among his achievements were: 2-Gold - VCR Jack UnderHill Open Singles & Doubles 2018 Gold- BC Under-23 CircuitVRC Remembrance Day Open 2017 Bronze- BC Senior Circuit Shuttlesport Open in Canada 2017 Bronze- BC Under-23 Championships in Canada 2017 Bronze- BC Senior Circuit 1-VRC Jack Underhill in Canada 2017 Yonex Co., Ltd manufactures golf, tennis, and badminton equipment and offers racquets, shoes, clothing, bags, strings, stringing machines and putters. The company also provides accessories, such as over grips, replacement grips, vibration stoppers, towels

Rajin Moonsammy, captain of the winners collects the trophy from Rakesh Arjune of GFSCA.

Narayan Ramdhani and bands, umbrellas, and travel covers. The products are distributed in Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania, and America. Yonex Co., Ltd was founded in 1946 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Yonex has managed to become the dominant corporate player in badminton. Yonex sponsors the All England Open Badminton Championships and is a partner of the Badminton World Federation which organizes the

World Championships. Upwards of 80% of competitive players use their racquets, as it is the preferred choice amongst professionals. Yonex is significant in both the tennis and golf industry and is a major sponsor of professional athletes in all three sports. Narayan is also stepping up his training for the Commonwealth Games which will take place in Gold Coast Australia in April 2018.

On a night with perfect weather for cricket and a fast and lush green outfield, Albion Masters of Berbice defeated Floodlights Masters in a friendly T20 match by 7 wickets with 15 balls to spare at the DCC ground. The host won the toss and took first strike with opening pair of Ricky Deonarain and Ramoo Malone racing to 37 in four overs before they lost Malone for 20. Thereafter, Albion Masters fought back with some tight bowling. Aaron Beharry and Deonarain put on 33 runs for the second wicket before Beharry went for 7, followed by Deonarain for a well

played 39. The innings went into further decline as former national senior all rounder Hubern Evans and Powan Baldeo made scoring very difficult. Floodlights Masters lost three quick wickets before former Berbice allrounder Anil Beharry came to the rescue with a rapid unbeaten 38 off 15 balls with 4 sixes and 2 fours. The innings closed at 130 for 6 off 20 overs. Evans took 3 for 28 off 4 overs. Albion Masters in reply, lost Subramani Mangali without scoring before Khemraj Sumair and Baldeo put on a fine second wicket partnership of 63. Sumair who enjoyed a charmed life, went for

31 bowled by Dharam Persaud. Baldeo went for 38 but Imran Hussain contributed a rapid unbeaten 35 to see his team to victory. Persaud ended with 2 for 29. Baldeo was adjudged the man of the match. At the presentation, captain Rajin Moonsammy thanked Floodlights Masters for the invitation and promised to host the next encounter. Speaking on behalf of the host, Deonarain congratulated the winners and express gratitude to them for travelling all the way from Berbice. He also said that his team is looking forward for the return match.

MELBOURNE, Australia, CMC – Batting legend Brian Lara believes two-time former ICC World Cup champions West Indies have “no choice” but to qualify for the showpiece in England next year. The Caribbean side won the first two World Cups in 1975 and 1979 under iconic captain Clive Lloyd, and also reached the final of the 1983 edition before losing to India. Lara, who led the Windies at the 1999 and 2007 editions, said their prestigious history in the competition underlined the urgency of the need to qualify. “We have a very good record in the Champions Trophy and we didn’t have the opportunity to play (last year). The World Cup is a different story, obviously,” Lara told the Melbourne Age yesterday. “It is something much more important. History in that particular tournament is very strong, especially in the early part of it, the first three or four World Cups. It’s a situation where I think the boys have no choice, we have to pull it through.

“It (ICC rankings) is set up in such a way that we were out of that place (automatic qualification) so we have to qualify. But it doesn’t mean we can’t get there – we have to get there.” West Indies began 2017 with hopes of direct qualification but lost three of 23 OneDay Internationals throughout the year, to be ranked ninth at the September 30 cutoff date. Only hosts England, along with the remaining top seven teams in the ICC rankings, achieved automatic qualification. West Indies will now face a plethora of lower-ranked sides in a 10-team qualification tournament in Zimbabwe running from March 425, in order to secure one of the two remaining spots for the World Cup. Lara, regarded by many as the finest batsman of the contemporary era, said the Windies failure to qualify was unthinkable. “It would be a huge disappointment … I don’t want to think beyond that,” said the 48-year-old, who retired

from international cricket following the historic 2007 World Cup staged in the Caribbean. “The tournament is in front of the boys in Zimbabwe at present and they have got to pull it through.” West Indies, led by allrounder Jason Holder, will open their qualification campaign on March 6 when they face ICC World Cricket League Division 2 winners, United Arab Emirates in Group A. The top three from each group will advance to the Super Sixes, where each team will play three matches against sides they did not meet in the preliminaries. The top two sides will qualify for the final and secure berths at the World Cup from May 30 to July 15 next year.

Regal Masters, Mike’s World Cup without Windies unthinkable: Lara Wellman, Regal All Stars triumph

Regal Masters, Mike’s Wellman and Regal All Stars registered victories when the Regal Sports softball tournament continued on Sunday at Malteenoes Sports Club. Regal Masters defeated Fisherman by 30 runs. Regal Masters batted first and posted 153-5 off their allocated 15 overs. Opener Mahase Chunilall struck one four and six sixes in a top score of 46 while Rudolph Baker made 40 with one four and five sixes and Mohendra Arjune 23 including one four and two sixes. Chunilall added 63 for the fourth wicket with David Harper who was dismissed for 14. D. Thomas claimed 2-15 and Zameer Hassan 2-22. Fishermen were restricted for 123-7 in 15 overs. Ramo Malone scored 18, while Unnis Yusuf and Dennis Mangru 16 apiece. Parsram Persaud captured 214 and Fazleem Mohamed 217. Mike’s Wellman overcame Ariel by 42 runs in their encounter. Batting first, Mike’s

Sachin Singh

Mahase Chunilall

Wellman managed 114-4 in 15 overs. Lloyd Ruplall stroked two fours and a similar number of sixes in a fluent 57, Nadram Samlall 24 and Greg De Franca 18. Ariel were bowled out 72 in 14 overs in reply. R. Ramdin made 27; Sheldon Perch snared 3-9 and Hardat Heeranandan 2-11. Mike’s Wellman beat HS Masters by seven wickets. HS Masters took first strike and got to 69-6 in 10 overs. Rudy Rodrigues made 32 (2x4,

4x4); Latchman Kallicharran took 2-30. Mike’s Wellman replied with 72-3 in 9.1 overs. Greg De Franca made 36 including two fours and one six. Regal All Stars defeated Success by five runs. Regal All Stars took first turn at the crease and scored 120-9 in 15 overs. Kumar Bishundyal made 25 with two fours and two sixes while Sachin Singh made 20 inclusive of three sixes and Amir Nizamudeen (Continued on page 29)

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Tuesday February 27, 2018

Kaieteur News

GFF Elite League season three

Western Tigers take lead, Victoria Kings lose first match at hands of Conquerors The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Elite League season three continued on Sunday at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) ground with an exciting double header that was played in front of a packed pavilion. Western Tigers won the first game 2-0 against Buxton United, while league leaders Victoria Kings suffered a similar 2-0 defeat at the hand of Fruta Conquerors. Among those in the stands at the Mecca of football in Georgetown was visiting FIFA Regional Director, Marlon Glean who had a firsthand viewing of Guyana’s top tier league. Ruimveldt based Western Tigers scored during both halves of the 90-minute game with Hubert Pedro netting in the 6th minute and national midfielder Daniel Wilson hitting the target in the six minutes from stoppage time to hand the East Coast based Buxton United their third loss in four matches. With the win, Western Tigers are now top of the league with 10 points from four games. Meanwhile, Victoria Kings who led the league up to the previous round, lost to Tucville based Fruta Conquerors that recently inked the longest partnership between a football club and sponsor, Guyana Beverage Inc., in a disappointing game which was decided in the second half. East Coast based Kings

Leading goalscorer in the league, Aubrey Gibson (on the ball) was kept quiet due to limited ball supply and solid defending from Conquerors on Sunday. didn’t only lose their first match of the league after a three-game win streak, but also their lead on the points table. It was a disappointing match for Fruta because although they conquered King’s tactically, they failed to put away most of their chances with striker Pernell Schultz being the main culprit,

while midfielder Ryan Hackett had his fair share of opportunities as well; hitting the upright once during the first half but redeeming himself in the second.Conquerors played fluidly, attacking down their right side mainly, exposing Kings’ left back who looked out of sorts, but lacked the finishing the touch. It wasn’t

Alonso does six laps before a wheel comes off BARCELONA (Reuters) - Fernando Alonso did six laps of the Barcelona circuit before crashing into the gravel after a wheel came off his McLaren at the start of Formula One’s pre-season testing yesterday. The former world champions, who are starting a new engine partnership with Renault after three troubled years with Honda, played down the incident. “We had a wheel-nut issue, we’re fine,” executive director Zak Brown told reporters at the Circuit de Catalunya, with Alonso going back out again before the lunch break for a further four laps. “All the teams will have a variety of issues throughout testing, that’s exactly what it’s for,” added the American. “We’re going to lose very little time, no big deal at all.” The right rear wheel came off Alonso’s car during the first 40 minutes of a chilly morning in Spain as teams

took part in their first official test since November. The double world champion, who gave the new papaya orange and blue car a trouble-free shakedown at the Navarra circuit in northern Spain on Friday, stepped out of the stranded car as marshals waved red flags to halt the session. The Spaniard inspected the damage closely before the car was loaded on to a truck and taken back to the pits for repairs. The track action then restarted, with Red Bull’s Australian Daniel Ricciardo top of the morning timesheets with 60 laps and a fastest of one minute 20.179 seconds. Valtteri Bottas was second for champions Mercedes, and completed 58 laps with a best time two tenths off Ricciardo‘s, while Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg did the most distance with 73 laps. “There is no drama in the garage. Everyone is quite re-

laxed, getting on with it and it is quite an easy fix,” said Brown, who had said last week that he expected all eyes to be on McLaren this season. “This team is used to public pressure and having eyes on us,” he added. “We enjoy that and we like to step up to the plate and thrive on the opportunity so we are not feeling any added pressure that we don’t already put on ourselves.” Monday’s test comes a year after a nightmare start for McLaren, with Alonso managing only one lap before lunch after multiple engine failures. That set the tone for a dismal season that ended with the sport’s second most successful team languishing in ninth place overall. The season starts in Australia on March 25, with McLaren seeking their first win since 2012.

Fruta Conqueors’ Jermin Junor (left) creating many chances on the left flank during his team’s 2-0 victory against Victoria Kings on Sunday night (Calvin Chapman photo). until the 64th minute, seven minutes after his arrival, that new acquisition, Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson found the back of the net to give Conquerors the lead. Ryan Hackett then scored one minute later in the 65th to secure a comfortable 2-0 lead Kings. Although Kings have in

their ranks the leading goal scorer Aubrey Gibson that occupied the left flank, he was stifled by his underperforming left back and coupled with limited balls from the rest of the team. When Gibson did get on the ball, he exuded brilliance that led to dangerous plays but all were snuffed out by Conquerors solid defence

that included prodigy Jeremy Garret as one of the centre halves. The league continues on Thursday with another double header at the Guyana Defence Force ground. Admission is $500, children under 12 years and women are absolutely free. (Calvin Chapman)

Ricciardo leads F1 testing BARCELONA (Reuters) - Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo went faster and further than anyone else as Formula One started testing yesterday, while Fernando Alonso ended up in the gravel after a wheel came off his McLaren. Ricciardo completed 103 laps of Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya, the only driver to break into three figures on a day that started sunny but ended with rain and plunging temperatures. TROUBLE-FREE HONDA Ricciardo, whose team use the same Renault engines as McLaren even if they are branded Tag Heuer, set his fastest lap of one minute 20.179 seconds in the morning session.Red Bull had to play catch up last year after a slow start, despite ending up winning three races, but this time launched their new car a week earlier than before and hit the ground running. So too did sister team Toro Rosso, Honda’s new partners, who completed 93 troublefree laps with New Zealander Brendon Hartley, who ended the day eighth fastest of the

13 drivers on track. The test was the first since the introduction of the now mandatory ‘halo’ head protection system and drivers reported no problems with visibility.Valtteri Bottas was second fastest for Mercedes and completed 58 laps, with a time two tenths off Ricciardo‘s, before handing over to four times world champion team mate Lewis Hamilton.The Briton did 25 laps in soggy conditions.“It was a solid start,” said Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff. “It’s difficult to judge because it is very cold and everybody just collects data and sees how they get on. “It’s interesting to see there are a couple of cars that have been able to post quick times this morning so we are up for an interesting season,” added the Austrian.Kimi Raikkonen was third fastest for Ferrari, runnersup last year, with Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg fourth.The season starts in Australia on March 25, with McLaren seeking their first win since 2012. Fastest times from day one

1 Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) Red Bull-Renault - One minute 20.179 seconds 2 Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Mercedes - 1:20.349 3 Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari - 1:20.506* 4 Nico Hulkenberg (Ger) Renault - 1:20.547 5 Carlos Sainz (Spa) Renault - 1:22.168* 6 Lewis Hamilton (GB) Mercedes - 1:22.327 7 Fernando Alonso (Spa) McLaren-Renault 1:22.354** 8 Brendon Hartley (NZ) Toro Rosso-Honda 1:22.371* 9 Lance Stroll (Can) Williams-Mercedes - 1:22.452* 10 Romain Grosjean (Fra) Haas-Ferrari - 1:22.578* 11 Marcus Ericsson (Swe) Sauber-Ferrari - 1:23.408* 12 Nikita Mazepin (Rus) Force India-Mercedes 1:25.628 13 Sergey Sirotkin (Rus) Williams-Mercedes 1:44.418* * = time set on soft tyre; ** = time set on super-soft tyre; all other times on medium