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Kaieteur News
Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Adam Harris Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
EDITORIAL
GOVT. ALONE CANNOT SOLVE THE DRUG PROBLEM! Anyone who regularly reads the local newspapers or listen to the news would have noticed that hardly a day goes by in Guyana without someone appearing in court on a drug-related charge. The offences would range from having or smoking marijuana, possession of a small amount of crack cocaine or having crack pipes or other apparatus used to smoke the white powdery stuff, to having large quantities of illegal drugs with the intent to sell. And hardly a week would pass by without one or two drug mules being apprehended at the airport as they are about to leave the country with either a sizeable quantity of marijuana or cocaine concealed in suitcases, inside their stomachs or, in the case of some women, tucked away inside their private parts. Hardly a week or two goes by without the police or Coast Guard arresting persons with large quantities of marijuana or cocaine either at sea or on land. But for every one caught, it is reasonable to assume that that many others may have succeeded in slipping illegal drugs through the airport or by boats to neighbouring countries. Numerous attempts to smuggle illegal drugs out of the country either by land or by sea have placed Guyana under relentless assault on almost every front by a drug problem that seems to be getting worse, even though many have been caught over the years. Despite the best efforts, the authorities, be losing the battle against the illegal drug trade. The time has come for the government to do a comprehensive review of its existing strategy to enhance the effectiveness of the nation’s antidrug efforts. Those at the top of the drug trade are not consumers but they profit the most. Then there are the drug lords who oversee the distribution and sale of drugs to the people at the community level. In Guyana as in most countries, many young men and women are addicted to drugs. Their lives are so destroyed that in many instances because of their addiction, some will lie, steal or engage in other antisocial behaviours such as selling their bodies to support their habits. Some are mentally unsound and can be seen walking the streets. They rummage through garbage bins looking for food or begging passers-by for money to purchase drugs. It is the most painful and pitiful sight to see mostly young men and women in such awful condition. However, when all is said and done, it was their choice which produced such dreadful consequences. Youths are the victims of the rising drug trade in Guyana, which has become burdensome on the public at a time when the country’s resources are very scarce to help them. Guyana’s anti-drug efforts continue to focus primarily on cutting off the supply, but the government ought to concentrate more on the demand side. Sales for drugs only exist because of demand and the appetite for getting high. If there is no demand, there would be no traffickers trying to get drugs in and out of the country, knowing quite well that they could end up in prison. Guyana may have already lost an entire generation to the drug trade, but there is an opportunity for the government and society to save the next generations through interventions at an early age. Efforts must be made to demonstrate and convince children that using drugs is destructive and should be avoided at all costs. However, the task cannot be left to the Government alone. Everyone including the family and all stakeholders must play a part to end the drug trade and save the next generation.
Saturday February 06, 2016
Letters... Where your views make the news
I don’t own property in NY, can Tony Vieira say if he does? DEAR EDITOR, In a KN letter of Feb. 2, Tony Vieira, a former Manager of Versailles and Schoonord Sugar Estates stated that his family had sold the Versailles sugar factory to Bookers in 1956. It was later nationalized by the then PNC Govt. in 1976. He made no mention in his letter what became of the Versailles and Schoonord sugar lands but claimed that in 1978 his father, then Chairman of Versailles factory and himself were called to GuySuCo’s office in Georgetown and told that the Versailles factory would be closed at the end of that year crop. The conglomerate of sugar estates with their assets which were nationalized became GuySuCo with Harold Davis as Chairman. Therefore, it is inconceivable that Tony Vieira’s father could have been chairman of Versailles factory at that time although it may well have been that Tony was the Manager as no Corporation has two Chairmen
simultaneously. In his missives Tony Vieira has given readers the impression that as a Director he speaks for the Board of GuySuCo which evidently makes group decisions subject to the approval of its owner - APNU+AFC Govt., unless of course he had been authorized by the Chairman of the Board to make preliminary policy decisions public although they are still under consideration. It appears however that he had broken protocol by giving assurances in a Stabroek News letter of Jan. 27 that no worker from the Wales estate will be displaced. In another KN letter of Feb. 3, he claimed that he never proposed diversification for Wales estate. However, in a Stabroek News letter of Jan. 27 para 2, he stated,”I saw an opportunity for using a part of the sugar cane lands at Wales through a diversification process to bring wealth to my country”. These and other
contradictions have made Guyanese apprehensive of claims that he has unquestionable knowledge of the industry. Finally, I would like to give him credit for his observation during a recent visit to my lodging that as a space conscious New Yorker I live in a one bedroom apartment with a large living room with a divan for overnight guests should the need arise as I lack the means to own luxury apartments/condos in Florida and Upstate New York. Can I ask Vieira if he owns real estate or apartments in the US? Also, I do have regular check-ups but so far my doctors have not detected the onset of senility as he claimed I have although I do have some of the other ills seniors have to endure. I wish him well and trust he gets a good attorney to vet the veracity of my letter before making a false filing for legal action. Charles Sohan
This a very cruel, uncaring country DEAR EDITOR, There are so many things that manifest themselves daily, highlighting and reminding us that democracy is much more than just having people casting a vote. That “of the people by the people for the people” phrase as it is supposed to be is hardly ever played out in its fullness. There are just too many failings and short falls. Once votes are cast, counted and winner(s) declared, that seems to be the end of democracy. As have become the norm no one pays attention to the fine prints and other details/aspects of it in which its fullness thereof is addressed. No wonder it becomes confused and interchangeable with hypocrisy. We read of so many accounts about the trials/tribulations and distress of ordinary folks, the everyday people as I
like to call them – myself included – and wonder aloud: do ministers, top functionaries, those relevant authorities and their overstaffed offices/officers see and read about them? Are they ever moved by them? Do they discuss them and point them out to their superiors or vice versa? Come on wasn’t for such purpose these ministries and department created and their employees-employed? Editor, let’s take for example Aubrey Squires and Milton Massiah, two elderly citizens living on the streets. These two men like so many others have reached the age for pension but they are not receiving any. As reported one of them said he made an application to have his but because of not having a birth certificate it is a severe difficulty, even though he
gave to them all relevant information which they can use to investigate and rectify. He said they promised to contact him but never did. Frustrated, he doesn’t even bother anymore. But that is his entitlement, a need even moreso he lives on the streets scraping a dollar any which way. That they have his address, know where to locate him, then why can’t the relevant authorities have their field personnel check him out and put thing in place so that he can have his entitlement. This kind of action is a vital aspect of democracy; not sit in office and say you have to come in to us, there are so many situations that demands a different kind of approach. I’m not saying that they should be going all around looking for these (Continued on page 23)
Clinton William’s chairmanship of BIT is a competent one DEAR EDITOR, Last Monday’s Kaieteur News carried a letter by T. Sandiford which was critical of Mr. Clinton Williams’ leadership roles in two businesses and the Board of Industrial Training (BIT). I am not in a position to comment on Mr. Williams’ performance as a business leader but I feel obliged to do so regarding his performance as Chairman of the BIT of which I was the Vice Chairman since mid-2013. In doing so I wish to remind readers that the success of any organization is dependent on a number of factors and incumbents in a variety of positions at several levels of the organizational hierarchy; the effectiveness of the chain of actors also vary depending on the nature of the organization with bureaucratic, government-controlled organizations being more circuitous if not obscure than others. Admittedly,
smart leadership can cut through contextual constraints but sometimes, even the Jack Welches, Jock Campbells and Yesu Persauds of the world can stumble at obstacles in their paths; their secrets lie in their ability to turn these obstacles into challenges to be overcome. The Board of Industrial Training is not a unitary outfit; it is comprised of Governmental nominees representing various interests with the prime focus being on articulating and overseeing governmental policies and objectives for Industrial and Vocational training actual implementation of which is vested in the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and staff of the BIT, all of which/whom fall under the purview of the designated Permanent Secretary and Minister of Government. I have had the pleasure of seeing for two years how Mr. Clinton Williams wisely operated within this maze in
order to achieve improvements by and within the BIT despite an apparent stubbornness against necessary change in attitude, approach and programmatic priorities. His was a refreshing style of democratic, participative and consensual leadership without which nothing would have been achieved. Among the top achievements during my two years was a refocus on ‘hard’, basic “industrial” training as opposed to pressures for more marginal ‘soft’ training in things like “cosmetology, hairdressing, catering etc. Much work was also done in streamlining the financial and business controls and disciplined reporting of same. In concluding, let me clarify that I have no personal brief or interest in defending Mr Williams, but I view an attack on his Chairmanship of the BIT as an extension to me and my colleagues on the Board, hence this letter. Nowrang Persaud
Saturday February 06, 2016
Kaieteur News
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Letters... Where your views make the news Letters... Where your views make the news
Where is the decision in A police constable’s the Jagdeo libel case? desperate plea for help DEAR EDITOR, The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) has again spoken out against the delay by the Barbados judicial system in delivering decisions in a timely manner. But it is not only the Barbados courts that are guilty about delays. The judges should remember that justice delayed is justice denied. The CCJ used strong language on Wednesday in granting leave to appeal to four persons to quash their conviction for drug related offences and sentenced to lengthy prison term. The CCJ said there is a serious disappointment with
the delay of the justice system and urged that steps be taken to remedy the situation. The highest Court of the land also clarified the interpretation of a crucial statutory provision which had prior to the ruling never had been judicially ventilated. The CCJ ruled that “21 days after conviction” should be interpreted as “21 days after sentence”as the sentence ultimately entails a judicial determination of guilt. The Guyana Courts are also being criticized for inordinate delay although there is a Time Limit Act requiring judgment to be delivered
DEAR EDITOR, I was skirting the newspapers for an article when I bumped into a headline in the Guyana Times of February 05 – Sukhai to Govt: Prove you are better! - says provisions not enough for Amerindians. Well, look who’s talking - the provisions for Amerindians cannot be enough because when Ms. Sukhai had stewardship over the provisions for Amerindians she took 2.1 million dollars to do her teeth. At that time there were thou-
sands of Amerindians who needed dental work done especially for the school children. Poor Amerindians, they have now become very important to the PPP who only visited them around elections time to pay them what appeared like ‘plenty money’ to get their votes and leave them in abject poverty afterwards. Golden rule of the PPP – give them a fish every five years and don’t even try to teach them to fish. Agatha Kirton
DEAR EDITOR, During the turbulent sixties the late Peter Stanislaus D’ Aguiar is quoted as saying “the masses are the asses” after failing to penetrate the strongholds of the P.N.C (People’s National Congress) and the PPP (People’s Progressive Party) that could have catapult him to the highest office of the land. But today the PPP/C with the ‘Cuss Down Macaw” and the “Goat AINT BITE MEH MAN” at the helm appears stuck in this “Masses are the Asses” theory as they continue their propaganda mission contradicting themselves and misleading their supporters. When the announcement of the closure of the Wales Estate came, the PPPC said that the closure of Wales Estate is an attack on the economic base of their supporters. Is not this, the same PPP that had closed down the Diamond Estate and La Bonne Intention Es-
tate? There is no doubt that Wales Estate was functioning at a loss and even an elementary student in economics would tell you that the object of running a business is to make a profit as well as to raise the standard of living. The cost of production of sugar in Guyana has made Guyana’s sugar incompetent on the world market as regards price. When the PPPC lost the May 2015 elections they cried “CHEATED BUT NOT DEFEATED” and even protest in front of GECOM, but to the dismay of the populace their leader admitted in December 2015, that the PPPC lost the election because of arrogance and complacency. The PPPC must stop opposing for the sake of opposing or put up and shut up, stop taking the support of your supporters for granted and contradicting themselves. Brent Griffith
Isn’t Pauline Sukhai ashamed?
Cuss down people in the PPP
within thirty days. In the Darnley v Reid matter decision was not delivered until 17 months after hearing was completed. There are several decisions yet to be given by the High Court and Court of Appeal including the libel action brought by Bharat Jagdeo against columnist Freddie Kissoon and the 2011 Budget Decision where CJ Chang ruled that the then opposition cannot reduce the Budget ,but can vote against the entire Budget The situation is not different in the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC).Dominica is the only OECS state which has abolished appeals to the Privy Council and accepted the CCJ as the final court. Antigua and Barbuda will soon make a decision since a referendum is being put in place to pave the way for the regional court. Decisions from the CCJ are binding in Guyana, Barbados, Belize and Dominica, the four countries which so far accepted the regional court as final. In the other jurisdictions, ruling from the CCJ will be persuasive. It is surprising that in the Eastern Caribbean justice is not dispensed with expeditiously although there are 17 High Court judges in the nine circuits as well as four Appellate judges. Incidentally 80% of them are females including the Chief Justice. Twelve years ago the number of judges was far less than the present composition, but the court docket was not as heavy. Oscar Ramjeet
DEAR EDITOR, Thank you for space in your column since according to the wife of another police constable in your column recently it is the only way someone would listen to our concerns. I am also currently based at the Tactical Service Unit at Eve Leary Georgetown under investigation for quite some time now; I am willing to spend my time there so my innocence can be proven. My problem is I have a number of court matters whereby I stand as evidence in court at my past division, sometime almost every week I would have to travel from TSU via a long distance mini bus at a costly sum. I would fill out the necessary travel imbursement form and have the relevant offic-
ers sign it up and take it in to the police finance office in the same compound as TSU. There is where the trouble starts. At TSU when ‘A’ group works one day they are off for ‘B’ group to work the next day and if you happens to be off and want to go home you would have to wait on finance office almost all day to collect that little travel re imbursement, if you choose to drop in the form and collect it on return you are told that time is gone and it was forfeit since you already travelled. This is not fair I know the money was not forfeit someone collected it; if not why am I not given back the forms I filled out. This nonsense has been going on for far too long and it needs to stop. Someone in authority
needs to put things in place so officers travelling on police funds are treated fairly and in a better system rather than have to wait almost a day or being robbed of the benefit. Sometimes it is the only travel money we depend on and barrow because we wanted to travel early and it is heartbroken to hear the Nancy story of forfeit. Again I quote from the officer wife’s appeal to the police force, where else can police constables go for someone to listen to them? Can the relevant authorities please address this situation as early and place a structured system in place for the benefit of other officers who go through the same. Police Constable (name submitted)
DEAR EDITOR, I made a report to the Anna Regina Police Station concerning an eyewitness, seeing someone jumping my fence not for the first time, it turned out I lost a number of layers (small chickens). First thing went wrong I was told my matter was discussed at a rum shop and tried right there and the outcome already known before the first day in court. Was told there was police collusion to institute the wrong charge knowing very well it would not hold up in court. Instead of serve and protect a rank his own thing go-
ing on thereby protecting criminals and thieves. The Guyana Police Force should do in investigation and see how many go to C.I..D. and how many go to court and how many are thrown out because C.I.D. helping the criminals, to continue tormenting hard working people on the Essequibo Coast. Who can’t serve and
protect should go home. Who don’t know policing work should go back to training school or get a job that they can collect money easy. I know public relation will respond as usual but before you respond do your investigation. If you got money you not going to court that is the order at Anna Regina. Abiola Garraway
Are there police depravities at Anna Regina station?
UG continues with its incompetent ways DEAR EDITOR, I am pending you this letter with great concern over the starting of the online programs offer at the University of Guyana. The University of Guyana is offering online programs in different programs areas. Some of these programs have not started since last year. Many students paid their monies since the first semester of last year; also, many
online students have not received their grades for the first year. The University of Guyana needs to communicate with students as to why the online programs have not stared as yet. Many students are frustrated and depressed over the issue. Many calls were made to the student’s body also, which seems to be relax on the matter. Concerned student
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Saturday February 06, 2016
Plans in place to improve systems - Finance for business and investment Minister
To make Guyana more business-friendly, Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, said that Government has a number of plans in the main stream. One of these is support for private businesses by cutting bureaucratic red tape and making official procedures easier to navigate. “Jordan said that Government intends to seek financing to implement the Single Window Automated Processing System (SWAPS). When established, he said that the SWAPS will link licensing bodies to the Custom and Trade Administration to facilitate the sharing of information and to enhance the efficiency with which trade transactions are carried out. The Finance Minister said that these improved procedures will not only reduce the time that private businesses
- Says upgrading and building of industrial estates to be done at Belvedere and Lethem
spend mired in paperwork, but also increase government accountability, reduce corruption and make data and information more accessible. He noted that the Ministry of Business is also establishing a Help Desk for businesses, which will act as a single point of contact for information and advice for businesses, traders and the Government. While consumers and large businesses can access loans, Jordan said that small businesses commonly face a financing gap. However, this will not continue for much longer as Jordan said that for 2016, Government intends to further
reduce bottlenecks in accessing finance through the implementation of the Micro and Small Enterprise Development (MSED) initiative. He said that to build generic and sector specific skills, training opportunities for entrepreneurs will be expanded to cover all ten administrative regions, with special emphasis on business operators in the mining and forestry sectors. This year, Jordan said that 400 entrepreneurs will be targeted for training. As a small economy, the Finance Minister said that everyone must work to enhance the country’s brand and visibility as an invest-
ment destination. The Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest) is also working feverishly in this regard, said Jordan. He said that the entity is working to improve agency websites and develop partnerships with other investment promotion agencies worldwide. In 2016, the Finance Minister said that GOInvest will increase its engagements with the Diaspora to re-invest at home. Jordan said that publicizing Guyana’s unique advantages will attract new and diverse industries. He said that in 2015, GOInvest facilitated 148 projects across seven economic sectors— agriculture, light manu-
Finance Minister, Winston Jordan facturing, tourism, services, forestry, information and communication technology and energy. He said that the potential value of the invest-
ment facilitated amounted to $89.3 billion, while the total potential jobs numbered about 8,400. Jordan said that GO-Invest also facilitated 44 Foreign Direct Investments. In 2016, the agency hopes to facilitate 160 new investments worth a total of $11 billion. The Finance Minister said that another challenge that investors in Guyana face is finding adequate facilities with full utility services. He noted however that the Granger administration intends to address this problem by upgrading and building industrial estates at Belvedere and Lethem which will facilitate business ventures in such areas as light manufacturing, woodworking and fabrication, creating over 3,000 new jobs.
Chemical used in Mosquito Fog ‘environmentally friendly’ Countless speculation, raised eyebrows and numerous articles have been published in relation to Vector Control protocols used during fogging exercises. David Williams, Chief Inspector of Vector Control Services (VCS) has revealed vital facts about the principles used by his organisation. He has also affirmed that the chemical used in the fog, is environmentally friendly. Mosquito Fogging is an exercise conducted by the Ministry of Health (MoH) in an attempt to eradicate the mosquito threat experienced by many communities across Guyana. Since the 1940s the then Mosquito Control Centre in collaboration with MoH has been providing a service to Guyana. The organization has been using a chemical called DDT (dichloro diphenyl trichloro ethane) that led to many health problems. It was subsequently banned. Guyana uses it in a limited way. Under the advice of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and MoH, the control centre started to use
- says Vector Control Services a mixture of Malathion which is extremely low to human toxicity, with Diesel. When asked to explain the process of how the chemical is dispersed into the atmosphere, Williams said, “Our men would pour the mixture of Malathion and Diesel into the fogging machine. Adhering to safety procedures they are required to wear protective gears due to the fact that they are in direct contact with the released chemicals.” He also shared a few key tips to follow when the fogging exercise is been undertaken. He explained that during the exercise persons are asked to open all windows and doors; cover all drinking water; secure all food(cooked or uncooked); secure all pets, poultry and keep all asthmatic cases away from the fog(droplets). No fogging is done when raining because the chemical needs breeze to disperse. “The public has nothing to worry about, the mixture we are using is 100 per cent envi-
ronmentally friendly and certified by PAHO,” Williams said. He added that the mixture is certified by PAHO and has been extensively used among farmers to kill insects damaging their crop. He related, “We distribute the product and they are also known instances when rice farmers have purchased the product online in bulks to help eliminate insects affecting their crop.” VCS is located next to the Malaria Health Centre in the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) compound and their major priority is securing the health of individuals nationwide. They are also tasked
with finding solutions to mosquito menace. When questioned about what can be expected from the organisation in tackling the Zika Threat, he said that fogging exercises have been increased nation-wide. According to him, the organisation in due time will cover all heavily affected mosquito areas. “We have already started fogging villages on the borderline of Guyana along the Essequibo River”. However, Williams said that they are alternate solutions to help destroy mosquitos. “There is Abate, a powder that can be dissolved in water to kill mosquito larva. There is also a process known as ‘Net Impregnating Mosquito’. A ‘netting’ is mixed with the chemical Fen-
David Williams: Chief Inspector of Vector Control Services Dona and soaked in water for five minutes. It is then cooled in an environment absent of sunlight. Any vector or insect that comes into contact with the netting will die.” The Inspector has revealed that a fogging exercise would cost the Government approximately $200,000 per
session. He related, “We have to take into consideration man power, fuel costs for vehicles used and the fog machine.” Williams has presented the 2016 Fog Schedule to this publication and reassured that his company will tackle even the smallest of communities in Guyana.
Natural Resources Ministry tackles El Niño impact on hinterland, mining areas The Ministry of Natural Resources is collaborating with other government agencies to bring relief where possible to areas hardest hit by drought conditions as a result of El Niño. This weather pattern is currently prevailing in Guyana and other South American countries. According to Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, his Ministry is coordinating with the various agencies to see how best a response can be made to “ameliorate the effects of drought, particularly in Re-
gions Eight and Nine”. These areas are facing what the Minister described as “acute drought conditions”. Interventions will see the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) transporting water to affected communities. The Ministry will also assist, where necessary, the National Parks or Protected Areas Commission with efforts to save animals such as the Arapaima, or other species, if their habitats are endangered. With regard to mining areas, Minister Trotman said
that El Niño has resulted in some of these being flooded and others facing a severe lack of water. He explained that where there is no water available, “mining grinds to a halt and there is nothing you can do about that”. The heads of agencies have been tasked with compiling reports on the affected areas. The reports, the Minister stated, will be presented to his ministry within days. Among the agencies that are collaborating to bring relief to possible areas hardest hit by drought conditions are
the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), the Ministries of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs and Communities, and the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI). Citizens are being urged to conserve water and avoid wastage as the water level in conservancies has dropped significantly. GWI has been forced to reduce pumping hours in Georgetown as a result of the reduced level in the East Demerera Water Conservancy (EDWC). The drought conditions are expected to last until March.
Saturday February 06, 2016
Kaieteur News
U.N. panel: WikiLeaks’ Assange ‘ arbitrarily detained’, should be freed
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange addresses the media holding a printed report of the judgement of the UN’s Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on his case from the balcony of the Ecuadorian embassy in central London yesterday (AFP Photo/Niklas Halle’n) (Reuters) - WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange called on Britain and Sweden yesterday to let him freely leave the Ecuadorian embassy in London after a U.N. panel ruled he had been arbitrarily detained and should be awarded compensation. Assange, a computer hacker who enraged the United States by publishing hundreds of thousands of secret U.S. diplomatic cables, has been holed up in the embassy since June 2012 to avoid a rape investigation in Sweden. Both Britain and Sweden denied that Assange was being deprived of freedom, noting he had entered the embassy voluntarily. Britain said it could contest the decision and that Assange would be arrested if he left the embassy. Assange, an Australian, appealed to the U.N. panel, whose decision is not binding, saying he was a political refugee whose rights had been infringed by being unable to take up asylum in Ecuador. It ruled in his favour, although the decision was not unanimous. Three of the five members on the panel supported a decision in Assange’s favour, with one dissenter and one recusing herself. Brandishing a copy of the U.N. panel’s decision from the balcony of the embassy in the Knightsbridge area of London, Assange called on Britain and Sweden to implement the ruling. “How sweet it is. This is a victory that cannot be denied,” said Assange, wearing a loosened gold tie with the top button of his shirt undone “What right does this government, or the U.S. government, or the Swedish government have to deny my chil-
dren their father?” he said below the yellow, blue and red Ecuadorian flag. When a heckler persistently asked whether he planned to stay for five more years in the embassy, Assange quipped: “Can someone close that person up.” Assange, 44, denies allegations of a 2010 rape in Sweden, saying the accusation is a ploy that would eventually take him to the United States where a criminal investigation into the activities of WikiLeaks is still open. “The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention considers that the various forms of deprivation of liberty to which Julian Assange has been subjected constitute a form of arbitrary detention,” the group’s head, Seong-Phil Hong, said in a statement. “(It) maintains that the arbitrary detention of Mr Assange should be brought to an end, that his physical integrity and freedom of movement be respected, and that he should be entitled to an enforceable right to compensation.” Ecuador’s foreign minister, Ricardo Patino, said Assange must be allowed to go free. “What more do they want to be accused of before they start to rectify their error?” he told South American broadcaster Telesur, in reference to Britain and Sweden. Patino said Ecuador was analysing its next steps. NO CHANGE The decision in his favour marks the latest twist in a tumultuous journey for Assange since he incensed Washington with leaks that laid bare often highly critical U.S. appraisals of world leaders from Vladimir Putin to the Saudi royal family.
In 2010, the group released over 90,000 secret documents on the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan, followed by almost 400,000 U.S. military reports detailing operations in Iraq. Those disclosures were followed by release of millions of diplomatic cables dating back to 1973. The U.N. Working Group does not have the authority to order the release of a detainee - and Friday’s ruling in unlikely to change the legal issues facing Assange - but it has considered many highprofile cases and its backing carries a moral weight that puts pressure on governments. High-profile cases submitted to the U.N. panel include that of jailed former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed and of Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, an Iranian-American jailed in Iran until a prisoner swap last month. But governments have frequently brushed aside its findings such as a ruling on Myanmar’s house arrest of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi in 2008, a call in 2006 for the Iraqi government not to hang former dictator Saddam Hussein, and frequent pleas for the closure of the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay. “Julian Assange is a fugitive from justice. He is hiding from justice in the Ecuadorian embassy,” British foreign minister Philip Hammond said. “This is frankly a ridiculous finding by the working group and we reject it.” Swedish prosecutors said the U.N. decision had no formal impact on the rape investigation under Swedish law. A U.S. Grand Jury investigation into WikiLeaks is ongoing.
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Saturday February 06, 2016
Berbice man found dead in house Leguan vendor goes missing with bulb and socket in hand - Suspected electrocuted
Ian Andrews Investigations are ongoing into the death of a 22year-old man whose body was found in the house where he lives alone along the Palmyra Public Road, East Coast Berbice. It is suspected that he was electrocuted, because he had a bulb and socket in his hands. This was even as he was preparing to attend church. According to relatives, the man, Ian Andrews, worked at the Guyana Beverage Company also in Palmyra. He was originally from Sans Souci, Wakenaam, but moved to Berbice along with his only other sibling Vivian some six years ago. According to his uncle, Clyde Mayers, his nephews came to Berbice after finishing school in order to find employment, because jobs were not available in Essequibo. Ian was employed at the Busta Company as a clerk for over a year while his brother is employed with Demerara Distillers Limited. The two brothers, who,
The house in which Andrews met his demise along with other family members are staunch Jehovah’s Witnesses, used to live together at different places before settling in the house where Ian was found. Vivian had subsequently married and moved to another location. Information revealed that Ian was a good worker and worked until 14:30 hrs on Thursday before he left to go home to return. But he never did. According to his aunt, Melvina Mayers, she made the discovery. The woman stated that she was at home around 08:00 hrs when she received a call to go and check if all was well with Ian. The woman said that she was told that Ian’s mother and his workplace were trying to make contact with him, but were unsuccessful. She was asked to go and check. The aunt said that she went to the man’s residence, not too far away. The woman said that after calling for some time she decided to return home.
She then returned with a member of the church and decided to call again. After not getting any answer they decided to take a walk around the house. She saw the back door open and thought that he had gone to use the outside toilet. However upon venturing upstairs she was shocked by what she saw, her nephew (Ian) was lying on the kitchen floor with a bulb and socket in his hands. The young man was all dressed for church in his tie with his bible and other literature nearby. It is understood that a light in the house was giving problems and Ian may have attempted to fix it before leaving for church and was electrocuted. It was stated that the house has a series of electrical problems and constant complaints to the landlord did not bear any results. Ian Andrews was described by relatives as simple and hard working.
US changes entry requirements for C’bean agricultural workers WASHINGTON, (CMC) – The United States Department of Homeland Security says it is eliminating the non-immigrant visa exemption for certain Caribbean residents coming to the United States as H2A agricultural workers. The Department of State said the new rules will come into effect on February 19, and as a result certain Caribbean residents seeking to enter the United States as H-2A agricultural workers will be required to have both a valid passport and visa.
“Eliminating this visa exemption, which was originally created to address labour shortages during World War II, will ensure those traveling to the United States, like other H-2A agricultural workers, have been sufficiently screened via the Department of State’s visa issuance process prior to their arrival,” the State Department said in a statement. “This visa requirement will also better ensure that these workers are protected from potential employment
and recruitment-based abuses,” it added, stating that the spouses and children who travel with these workers to the United States will also be required to have both a valid passport and visa. The State Department said the change applies to British, French, or Netherlands nationals, or a national of Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, or Trinidad and Tobago, who has residence in British, French, or Netherlands territory located in the adjacent islands of the Caribbean, or has residence in the four Caribbean countries. “The H-2A non-immigrant classification applies to an alien seeking to enter the United States to perform agricultural labour or services of a temporary or seasonal nature,” the statement said.
Monalisa Atala, called Monalisa Moore, a vendor from Phoenix, Leguan has been declared missing by her family. Her sister, Jennifer Jonas, told Kaieteur News that the last time she spoke to her sister was last week Saturday. Jonas said that her sister, who normally stays in Howes Street, Charlestown, with another sister, called her complaining that she could not get into the house to get her bag, and she was in a hurry because a taxi was waiting for her. Monalisa Atala Moore was not heard from since. The missing girl’s mother, Ann Jonas, said that it is unlike her daughter to go missing for long periods without informing family members, especially her siblings. “She never had any problems with her; she’s always on Whatsapp, or she always answers her phone” The concerned mother said that Atala Moore sent her a picture of a female, saying
Missing: Monalisa Atala that she was in her company. However, the individual is unknown to the missing girl’s family. Ann Jonas said that she made a report to a police station and the ranks informed
her that they will send a report to all the stations countrywide. The family’s tension is boiling, the woman said, as every attempt to locate Atala has been futile.
Rubena Marshall, who said that it was commendable that Linden, which currently has the least incidence of suicide should be among the first to organize a walk against it. Several children recited poetry against taking one’s own life, while some composed songs. The initiative was supported by the Ministry of Education, and various businesses including Bella’s Lumber Yard and General Store, Banks DIH, Divine entertainment, 104.3 power fM, Stag Bar and Divine Entertainment. Lester Glen, whose initiative it was for the march, said that he was overwhelmed by the support. Glen was assisted by CEO of Divine Entertainment, Devin Sears and others. He thanked the Ministry of Education for releasing the children for the walk and expressed hope that the awareness would not just remain a walk but would influence hope. Devin Sears, a Teacher by profession said that the ini-
tiative received the blessings of the Ministry of Education, for which he was thankful. Sears also expressed gratitude to all for their support. He said that the turnout was great despite the weather, which however worked in their favor as it helped to cool down the place. “To know that as a community, we can stand up and say no to suicide and no to abuse is a plus for us as and that shows we are in solidarity and we empathize with those who are affected or are victims of abuse. This sends a message to the entire country and the world that if we could put our arms and hearts together we can accomplish anything. “Today was amazing, because even if we would have reversed the thought of one person who was in the march or on the sidelines looking on, we would have done a good because we cannot put a price to life. Persons were encouraged. (Enid Joaquin)
Linden children march against suicide
School children across Linden took to the streets, on Wednesday, in the first ever walk against suicide and abuse. The event was organized by the Youth for Change, Lester and Friends and the Department of Education. The event which saw primary and secondary schools closed for the day drew tremendous support from both students, teachers and parents, some of whom made the trek from the Bayrock Community Centre Ground on Wismar to the Mackenzie Sports Club. Anti suicide chants, and exhortations of hope reverberated throughout the walk. Upon its culmination at the Mackenzie Sports Club the children were addressed by various religious leaders, personnel from the department of welfare among others, including Lisa Punch, entertainers Linden ‘Jumbie’ Jones, the FIYB dance group and Chowpow. Kirk ‘Chow Pow’ Jardine spoke of his personal challenges that included drug addiction and even his two attempts to take his own life. He related that he was fortunately helped by a religious leader who encouraged him and gave him hope. The man also paid for his rehabilitation at the Salvation Army, Jardine said. He sought to encourage youths to choose life. The initiative was applauded by all, including Welfare Officer for Region Ten,
Nude body found on Whim, Corentyne foreshore The police are asking people to help identify the body of a male East Indian descent that was discovered around 09:00 hrs yesterday morning at the Whim, Corentyne, Berbice Foreshore. According to a release
from the police the deceased is about 5’ 6" in height, brown complexion and appears to be in his mid-forties. The body is at the Port Mourant Hospital Mortuary awaiting a Post Mortem examination.
Saturday February 06, 2016
Kaieteur News
Million$ seized, three detained in SOCU’s money laundering raids In stepping up operations to address money laundering, ranks of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) on Friday conducted operations on four locations. According to a police press statement, during the operation, a significant quantity of foreign and local currencies was found at two of the locations. People were detained pending further investigations into money laundering. A man and a woman have been arrested and are in custody assisting after the SOCU ranks swooped down on a house in Happy Acres. That operation netted
US$75,000 ($15M) and just over $500,000 in local currency. This publication also understands that miner Paul Persaud was taken off a LIAT flight to Barbados where he would have been in-transit to St. Lucia. Persaud who was donning a gold chain and a bracelet was taken to the SOCU Head Office. Like his mother-in-law, Persaud is also a miner who purchases gold regularly in the hinterland. Up to press time he remained in custody. Reports from relatives are that they have been denied permission to speak with him.
‘Junkie’ allegedly paid $50,000 to torch building with sleeping victims - file on deadly Robb Street fire with legal advisor
Feresa Rozario, 12
Theresa Rozario, 15 By Michael Jordan The net may have finally closed in on the individuals who hatched a diabolical scheme to set fire to a disputed Robb and King Streets building in November 2014. Two sisters and their father were burnt to death. Kaieteur News has learnt that the police have detained a drug addict who was allegedly paid $50,000 to torch the property, which had been at the centre of a prolonged dispute. Also in custody is an individual who reportedly allowed the arsonist to gain access to the building. Investigators are being told that a city businessman, who has claimed ownership of the property, had paid the ‘junkie’ to set the building on fire. Police believe that the building was torched to drive out individuals who were also claiming ownership by way of prescriptive rights. Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum disclosed that a file on the case was dispatched yesterday to Legal Advisor to the Guyana Police Force, former Justice of Appeal, Claudette Singh. Police have repeatedly questioned and released on bail the suspected mastermind who is a businessman, in the burning that claimed the life of Theresa Rozario, 15, her 12year-old sister, Feresa Rozario, and their father,
Hilrod Thomas Hilrod Randolph Thomas. After an apparent lull in the investigation, the businessman was detained last week, after an individual informed police that the businessman had approached him to burn the building. The businessman has been ordered to report daily at CID Headquarters, Eve Leary. His passport has also been confiscated. His stepson is among those in custody, and the businessman yesterday alleged that police are attempting to force the stepson to implicate him. Yesterday, the courts granted the police a further 72-hour extension to the time
they can hold the suspect in custody. In an interview with Kaieteur News, the businessman also refuted suggestions that he had ordered the deadly arson attack. “They said I paid people…Absolutely not,” he said, while naming other individuals whom he claimed may have set the fire. The businessman also insisted that he became the legal owner of the property after his brother’s death in 2001. Theresa Rozario, 15, and her 12-year-old sister, Feresa Rozario, were trapped in the early morning inferno that destroyed the disputed property. Their father, Hilrod Randolph Thomas, who jumped through a window but suffered second and third degree burns, later succumbed at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation. Back then, a male streetwalker had told reporters that he was standing at the corner of King Street and North Road when he noticed a car continuously traversing the area. The eyewitness said two individuals exited the vehicle and headed to the Robb Street building. One of the men kicked a door open, entered the property and made an unsuccessful attempt to set it alight. The eyewitness said the men, who had entered the car, exited the vehicle and one of (Continued on page 23)
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AN AUDIT OF THE GROWTH RATES SHOULD BE DONE Guyana has enjoyed ten consecutive years of economic growth. Nine and a half of those years were under the People’s Progressive Party. APNU had called into question the growth and inflation numbers of the PPP. When it assumed office, APNU also expressed some concerns about these rates. One would have expected that the first order of business by the Ministry of Finance would have been to undertake an audit of the growth and inflation rates achieved under the PPP and specifically to question the formula that was being used. One would have expected that the Ministry of Finance would have announced a new and more realistic growth rates and formula for calculating these rates. This has not happened. After announcing that there was only marginal growth over the first half the year, the public was told that the economy not only grew in the second half but that overall growth was 3%. This will surprise many people given that there were complaints of a dramatic slowdown in business sales in the second half of the year, inclusive of Christmas. This slowdown was symptomatic of problems in the economy and it was therefore something as a surprise to learn that the economy grew
by 3%. The growth in the production of gold in the second half, particularly by large scale miners, was responsible for the absence of negative growth this year. Sugar continues to recover but the output was not sufficient to increase economic growth. It was gold that allowed Guyana to register a positive growth rate for 2015 but there will be skeptics about the 3% announced. There have already been questions raised about the alleged deflation in the economy. The reasons given do not add up. Fuel prices at the pumped have remained high and questions have been raised about the claim about a decline in food prices. The government needs to undertake an audit of the growth and inflation numbers. The opposition should press them on this. The IMF and World Bank should be asked to send a team of experts to determine whether Guyana did enjoy a 3% growth rate in 2015 and whether inflation was negative. The consequences of deflation for workers’ salaries are serious. The government is not going to offer significant wage increases to workers in the public service so long as it can point to deflation in the economy. The unions in the country should equally join in a call for a nonpartisan audit of the growth
Dem boys seh...
All skin teeth nah laugh Music brings de world together; something to really dance about; but the sound of war is so deafening -No one listens anymore. War, strife and cheating causing nuff pain. It messing up de world. From de North Pole to de South Pole, from de east to de west; from China to Brazil, Guyana seeing nuff, nuff, scampishness. Under Jagdeo and Donald Dumb de whole country dance to Brazilian and Chinee music, especially in de gold bush and in de timber industry. Things so nice that you have more Brazilian restaurant than Guyanese restaurants; you even got more Chinee restaurant than you got Guyanese people. Both of dem fetching out de gold and de lumber. Dem boys hear a large chunk going away. Dem two forking out gold by de ton and nuff of dem officials never see. C fuh Seelall, C fuh Satar, C fuh Clement, plus C fuh Rob de Earth and C fuh Clintie,- all of dem is C and never see. Guyana use to suffer under de Bees, starting wid Jagdeo, de King of Scamps. He bring in de Cs. That is how Guyana end up wid all dem Cs - C fuh Chinee, C fuh Crooks and C fuh Canadians. Dem boys seh is one man dem know who can part de Cs and that is Moses Nah-ga-much-to-do. Dem boys also know he gun get plenty help because de Heff Bee High and de Dee Hee Hay deh right here in Guyana. As old people seh—dead nah done, cry nah done. Talk half and dem boys know who laugh lass always gat all dem teeth in dem mouth. Ask Pauline de Sookeye.
and inflation numbers for the economy Guyana has to remove the controversies and doubts that have been swirling over these numbers for years now. Even APNU had questioned both the growth and inflation numbers. It now can put things right. It can show transparency in government by committing to an audit of the growth and inflation numbers. The experts from the World Bank and IMF will willingly come and do this for free. All it will take is a mere two days of work for them to assess the data that was used to compile these indices.
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Kaieteur News
Saturday February 06, 2016
=== The Freddie Kissoon column ===
Guyana’s breakdown is connected to our high suicide rate I did a column on September 9, 2014 captioned, “Suicide in Guyana also has a political cause to it.” Here is a lengthy extract from that article; “I would have preferred to see a study of suicide done by a Guyanese academic living and researching in Guyana. The advantages to the research are tremendous, comparatively speaking. “And I suspect, the findings may not be as conclusive as they should be. The Dutch researcher found mainly sociological reasons for the high rate of suicide. But these categories could mask an underlying cause – the political pessimism that has dogged this country since Independence. A statistical analysis would reveal two salient characteristics of Guyanese suicidal acts – young people and more prevalence among rural
East Indians.” The pessimism young people feel about not achieving self-worth is present even in rich industrialized societies, much less in a poor, disheveled, horribly deprived land as Guyana is. What is driving suicidal inclinations is the uncontrollable angst among the young. They look at the pictures of the world on the net, they use social media and they see a world that they feel Guyana should belong to. But they have to face the reality that not in their lifetime will Guyana become even semimodern much less like what they see in other countries. There have been many suicides among UG students the past ten years. Students feel that they cannot cope at a University that offers absolutely nothing and is abso-
lutely bare. But they are expected to perform like students at any other resourceful University. The result is mental breakdown and suicide. I have seen this madness several times at UG. The East Indian youth has an added disadvantage. Unlike urban African kids, the parents and Hindu and Muslim leaders of rural Indians promised them a paradise after their hero and his party came to power in 1992. But it turned out to be a nightmare. The PPP that the Indian folks so idolized, has become monsters in their eyes. The rural young Indian sees a Guyana that offers them nothing and mental anxiety is what they live with. The visa valve is closed off so life becomes too burdensome to bear. Statistics show that Indians have mi-
grated in larger numbers between 2000 and 2013 than anytime after 1980.” (End of quote) This has been a long quote which has taken up much space but I found it trenchantly relevant thus its reproduction. The Dutch researcher lacked any experience in Guyana and may have wanted to stay away from anything that would have offended the government of the day. The same thing could have happened with a local scholar simply because they may obscure their findings for fear of being accused of making political pronouncements. But looked at from any angle this is academic dishonesty. There is supposed to be a group headed by Mr. Anand Boodram from a New York paper named Caribbean Voice conducting research into sui-
cide. Mr. Boodram is a strong advocate of Indian political life in Guyana. Mr. Boodram isn’t going to admit that the long years of PPP misrule contributed to the alarming rate of suicide among East Indian folks from the rural sections of Guyana. Mr. Boodram should ask his Indian rights colleagues like Ravi Dev what 23 years of PPP rule did for Black Bush Polder which is classified as the suicide capital of the world. No sociological study of suicide in this country will be complete unless it makes the connection between stress and suicide. Take the University of Guyana. Where over the long years did those students get the books, journals and manuscripts to do their research? Yet they were expected to produce top class research comparable to first rate universities. To get their grades, to get a course change, to get a clash of classes resolved, entailed terrible stress. A few of them could not cope. They committed suicide. I attended
Frederick Kissoon one such death at Crane over the West Coast. Students complained to me with tears in their eyes. Guyana is a country that is almost impossible to live in. The stress it brings to its population cannot be handled by the younger folks. I dropped off a young lady to the car park. She was going to her niece’s birthday. I asked what present she bought. She said none because getting time off from her work place is hard. People complained to me with tears in their eyes about the impossibility of getting a court document from the Deeds Registry or a Birth Certificate. Imagine what they endure at GPL or GWI or the NIS or Lands and Surveys. Guyana’s breakdown is connected to our suicide rate.
Saturday February 06, 2016
Kaieteur News
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Hotels, hospitals warned to store water as conservancy level drops further The Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) on Thursday warned city hotels and hospitals to conserve water as the country continues to buckle down for a long drought. On Thursday, senior officials of the entity met with representatives of hotels, the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), Balwant Singh Hospital, Davis Memorial Hospital, St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, Woodlands Hospital and the Guyana Fire Service regarding the changes at the East Demerara Water Conservancy and the effect on water service within Georgetown. Chief Executive, GWI, Dr. Richard Van West-Charles stated that the further decrease in the level of the East Demerara Water Conservancy has resulted in GWI reducing service within the city from 22:00hours (10:00PM). This commenced Wednesday. The Chief Executive advised that in light of the reduced service from 22:00 hours, all hotels, hospitals, restaurants and other serviceoriented entities must commence preparations to store water.
Dr. Van West-Charles emphasized, “Residents must be cautious when storing water”. He said that all water used for food preparation, brushing of teeth, etc. must be stored in a covered container to avoid contamination. The Chief Executive Officer also stated that customers must be vigilant for leaks and avoid wastage. “Leaks are a significant problem within the distribution network…we urge all customers to report leaks immediately to GWI and to ensure that all internal plumbing is functioning properly.” He also invited customers to contact GWI for advice regarding the operations of their internal plumbing. In addition, GWI has formulated a plan with the Guyana Fire Service to ensure adequate water supply is available in the event of a fire within the city. Dr. Van West-Charles also assured stakeholders that while there has been a further decrease in the level of the conservancy, GWI is working with the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority
GWI’s CEO, Dr. Richard Van West Charles, speaking to stakeholders on Thursday about the level of the EDWC.
(NDIA) to ensure adequate water is available for customers of Georgetown. “Currently, several interventions are being executed. The NDIA is pumping water from the Maduni River into the conservancy which facilitates adequate water supply distribution via the Shelter-Belt Water Treatment Facility at peak periods.” In addition, the Chief Executive stated that GWI is rehabilitating wells within the Shelter-Belt compound to complement water provided
via the Lamaha Canal. “We have also commenced drilling a new well within the ShelterBelt compound at a cost in excess of $100M. This is an additional measure to ensure the security of water supply within Georgetown.” The official also urged all stakeholders to advise their employees and customers of the urgent need to conserve on water consumption. “He further advised that GWI will provide information packages on water conservation to all stakeholders in or-
ther empower persons seeking Public Assistance. This is important, Minister Lawrence noted, as the Ministry plans to introduce conditional cash transfers in 2017, which will seek to empower families, rather than individuals. Board members are appointed by the Minister of Social Protection in accordance with the Pension Ordinances, Chapters 36:02 and 36:03 respectively. Members are selected from communities within the Regions. Several persons from the previous Boards, which recently expired, were returned to serve on the new Boards.
There are 28 such Boards across the country, all of which report to the Poor Law Commission, which also has responsibility for Public Assistance in Georgetown. The Commission’s authority includes consideration, amendment, discontinuation and restoration of the relief granted by the Local Board of Guardians. This is done based on reports presented by Social Services Officers, who are required to investigate each claim in collaboration with relevant entities, such as the National Insurance Scheme in cases of medical conditions and disability.
New Boards appointed to process Public Assistance Minister of Social Protection, Volda Lawrence, makes a presentation.
New Local Boards of Guardians have been installed across the country to process Public Assistance applications. The Boards became effective from February 1, 2016. Public Assistance is a form of temporary financial assistance issued by the Government of Guyana to specific persons, including the aged, infirmed, sick, destitute and children below the age of 14. The Local Boards of Guardians are responsible for evaluating and determining the legitimacy of the Public Assistance applications from outside of Georgetown to ensure that taxpayers’ dollars
are justifiably spent. Volda Lawrence, Minister of Social Protection, yesterday morning met members of three of the five Boards responsible for Region Three at the West Demerara Secondary School. Apprising the members of their roles and expectations, the Minister urged them to be compassionate towards people seeking assistance and at all times treat cases with the highest confidentiality. She told the members to network with other services offered by the Ministry, such as training through the Board of Industrial Training and job placement through the Central Manpower Agency to fur-
der to increase awareness of the urgent appeal for water conservation.” In addition to meeting with stakeholders, the company will also broadcast a television production which will highlight the situation at the conservancy as well as conservation methods. The broadcast will commence today, and will be broadcast via several television stations.
“We wish to assure all customers that every measure is being taken to provide adequate water supply for Georgetown. Customers must join the process and immediately reduce their consumption.”
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Kaieteur News
Saturday February 06, 2016
HIV fight attracts more Govt. spending By Sharmain Grainger “We are not out of the woods yet,” said Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr. Shamdeo Persaud, of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) situation in Guyana. He disclosed during a recent interview with this publication that currently Guyana still sees just fewer than 1,000 new cases, and a number of these are noticeably young people. “We are seeing younger and younger people being HIV-positive. The younger the people coming in, that means that we will have to care for them for a longer period of time, because the life expectancy rate among those persons has extended to almost that of non-HIV people,” related Dr. Persaud. He pointed out that once a person is diagnosed with HIV and treatment commences, this must be continued for the rest of that person’s life. He added though, “The big challenge is to keep that going and avoid complacency. So I think that the monitoring systems in place; the systems to continue to address the sexual practices and the risky behaviours, must be re-
Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Shamdeo Persaud emphasised.” And according to him, Government is playing an increasingly greater role in the national fight against HIV. He disclosed that Government has almost fully taken up responsibility in this regard. While in the past Guyana depended heavily on donor support to source medication for instance, the CMO assured, “We are buying from many of the pharmaceutical agencies, fully, and in quantities that are adequate for the number of cases that we have on treatment.” But despite the commit-
ment of Government, Dr. Persaud noted that support is nevertheless forthcoming to the public health sector. He disclosed that the United Nations agencies are altogether expected to continue to support Guyana for a while longer. This support, he explained, is trained mainly on reaching atrisk populations within Region Four. The at-risk populations are Commercial Sex Workers, Men who have Sex with Men, persons who are vulnerable because of their placement in less favourable environments, street dwellers and migrant-type workers. “They are providing a lot of support for these groups...The (US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) PEPFAR programme has been contracted based on the evidence that it has to focus a lot more on Region Four,” informed Dr. Persaud. This effort is complemented similarly in the other Regions by Government through the Ministry of Public Health. But according to the CMO, the number of positive cases found among the at-risk populations in the other Regions are significantly less when compared to
- but donor support still forthcoming
what obtains in Region Four. WORTHWHILE INVESTMENT Although unable to put a figure to Government’s spending in the area of HIV, Dr. Persaud was able to share his conviction that measures to ‘prevent mother to child transmission’ have been dubbed one of Government’s biggest and most worthwhile investments. And because of the gains that have been made through this programme, Dr. Persaud said that the programme has been extended to include all antenatal sites, nationally. “We would like to have all mothers who go to antenatal clinics to be tested. The protocol requires that testing be done countrywide, twice. (Pregnant women) must be tested for HIV during the early stages and once before delivery,” related Dr. Persaud, as he added that “HIV could be present but not detected in the early stages.” He said, “If that person is pregnant it means that person has had unprotected sex and there is a chance that that person could be infected...so we are checking that.” Based on the Ministry’s data garnered through the
National AIDS Programme Secretariat (NAPS), Dr. Persaud confided that the number of mother to child transmission cases has been reducing considerably. In 2014 Guyana’s transmission rate stood at 1.6 per cent which places it in a position to attain elimination status. But the data for last year is yet to be validated, according to Dr. Persaud. Cuba has been named the first country to achieve elimination of mother to child transmission of HIV and “we can do that too,” the CMO added. Already Guyana has been striving to sustain a safe birthing programme for HIVpositive women. This, according to the CMO, entails a mostly normal birthing procedure with some little modifications in the cutting of the umbilical cord. Caesarean section has also been deemed a good way of safely delivering the babies of HIV infected women as there is even less exposure. “We would like to be the next country to declare that we have eliminated mother to child transmission. We have started to do some of the work and there is even a programme for the male partner,” Dr. Persaud divulged. This is particularly important, he said. “There is no point you are testing the mother and the men are probably having additional contact. That can put the mother at risk...so we are looking at
all of that and then the follow-up and care of the children; we are trying to ensure that they (mothers) don’t breast feed.” Dr. Persaud noted that government has been supporting the use of breast milk substitutes in order to further its mother to child transmission programme. Breast milk substitutes are procured and distributed regularly to HIV positive mothers. “They can’t say ‘oh, baby is out of milk, so I have to breastfeed’,” said Dr. Persaud. He added too that there are other forms of nutritional support offered as part of the prevention programme. “Our (transmission) numbers have been coming down...even if we find a positive among the mothers seen, we immediately have measures that we put in place to ensure that the babies are not infected and so we think we can totally achieve elimination, at least, by 2018,” said a confident Dr. Persaud. Guyana’s health sector has therefore fully embraced the ambitious UNAIDS 90-9090 goal. This goal speaks to ensuring that 90 per cent of all people living HIV know their status; 90 per cent of all people diagnosed with HIV receive sustained antiretroviral therapy and 90 per cent of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy have viral suppression. It is the hope of UNAIDS that the 90-90-90 goal will be realised by 2020.
Saturday February 06, 2016
Kaieteur News
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Guyana Foundation distributes 11 to clash for Junior Kaiso Monarchy tonight school supplies to Moruca students Tonight from 19:00hrs all roads lead to the National Cultural Centre as the Culture Department of the Ministry of Education kick starts the song competition for Mashramani 2016. Eleven young singers representing Berbice, Linden and Essequibo are carded to take on each other for the coveted junior Calypso Monarch crown and a first prize purse of $300,000 cash plus other prizes. Second and third place finishers will walk away with $175,000 and $100,000 respectively. The most promising contender will walk away with $50,000 and a trophy. Mashramani 2016 Coordinator, Lennox Canterbury, has assured that a lineup of ten contenders is carded to take on defending Junior Calypso Monarch, William Plowell. “Plowell is hoping to hold onto the title with an infectious rendition titled ‘No More Licks’ but the other competitors are obviously hungry to dethrone him. Among them are fellow Lindeners Niosi and Niomi Alsopp,” Canterbury said. The two sisters are competing individually with renditions titled ‘Life’ and ‘Choose Life’ respectively.
Other hot contenders taking aim at the Monarchy tonight are Treshana Cort from Essequibo, Berbician Michael Small and Georgetown citizen, Ryan Jagnarain, who will be rendering calypsos such as ‘I have hope’, ‘Racial politics’ and ‘Champion of the Earth‘. The East Coast Demerara contenders are Sheba Moses who addresses the topic of ‘Beast treatment,’ Nevalena Caesar who is ‘looking for wolf in sheep clothing’, Dominique Heywood with his ‘No access mode and Akeem Adams with ‘regrets’. “The event for the public is free and I promise you that from what I have seen during rehearsals it is going to be a tough competition for the participants,” Canterbury assured. Mash coordinator, Canterbury said that this line up has the most competitors who bring experience to the table. “We have contenders representing notable arrangers the likes of Burchmore Simon from the Kross Kolor Records as well as Bonny Alves from SSignal production and both arrangers are noted for fielding monarchs in years gone by.” (Mondale Smith)
Pomeroon fire victims seek help The Tyndall family of Grant Providence in the Lower Pomeroon River is now forced to seek assistance from the public to rebuild their lives after they lost their house Wednesday evening to a fire, the origin of which is yet to be determined. Arthur Tyndall said that he was attending a funeral some distance from his community and his wife had gone to a back dam in the Pomeroon River to pick mangoes. Tyndall, who said he
does not know how the fire started, mentioned that his wife told him that she first noticed smoke emanating from the house during her journey back home. He said that before she could have reached home and attempt to save her household amenities, the house was quickly engulfed in flames. Tyndall added that while everything from his washing machine, gas stove, television set, chairs, bed and sewing machine were all destroyed in
the fire, he barely managed to save his generator and the clothes that he and his family were wearing at the time of the fire. A report was lodged with the police at the Charity Outpost. Tyndall is a father of seven. Some of his children were at school while the others were at home but because almost everyone in the community had gone to a funeral in the Pomeroon River, no neighbors were at home to help fight the fire. (Yannason Duncan)
Suriname army arrests nine for fishing in the Corentyne River Government has expressed concern over the arrest of nine men by the Surinamese military late last month. The villagers, from Orealla/Siparuta area claimed that they were fishing in the Corentyne River area on January 22, when they were detained by officials of the neighbouring country and taken 30 miles up-river toApoera. They were processed and released and forced to paddle for hours to get back home. Expressing alarm yesterday, the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs said that on Friday, January 22 it received reports that nine residents of Orealla/Siparuta were arrested and taken into custody by Suriname’s military. The men’s names were given as Armaan Edwards, Genovese Davair, Alistair Peneux, George Edwards, Ackley Felix, Bob Peneux, Rodrick Herman, Edward Herman and Clifton Edwards. The Ministry said that the men were engaged in subsistence fishing in the Corentyne River at the time. “They were using hooks
and lines and were in small boats and canoes. Subsistence fishing is part of our Indigenous peoples’ culture which has been practised for centuries. In the Amerindian Village of Orealla/ Siparuta, subsistence fishing forms a part of the village life and economy. The Corentyne River is the sole source of fresh fish for the village.” The matter was immediately reported to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where it is being investigated. “In the meanwhile, the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs engaged the Toshao of Orealla/Siparuta,
Mr. David Henry, and some of the affected fishermen. In the process, Vice President, Sydney Allicock, was properly briefed on the issue. Mr. Allicock who is also the Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs continue to engage the Toshao and remains in close contact with Vice President and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge.” The Corentyne River has been a source of contention between Guyana and Suriname for decades before a UN ruling settled the matter in 2007, allowing a stalled oil exploration by this country to continue.
Students of Santa Rosa Secondary School holding up items received from The Guyana Foundation. The Guyana Foundation is taking an active role in helping to make life easier for students in Region One. On Monday, the group distributed seven barrels of stationery and school supplies to students in Moruca, Region One. While this annual project was previously limited to students in the village of Santa Rosa, it has expanded this year to include students from St. Nicholas Primary School, in the village of Manawarin. Managing Director of the Guyana Foundation, Anthony Autar, said, “Moruca is a very special community for our team, as it is the place
where this Foundation conducted its very first project. We keep returning to this community because we have seen the positive impacts that our efforts have had there over the past years.” “Our team was moved by the very warm welcome and appreciation shown by the recipients of these donations in Santa Rosa and Manawarin. We remain grateful to the team of hard-working donors in Canada, coordinated by Mr. Gary Wills, who work tirelessly to send these donations to Guyana every year to bring joy to so many students.”
“The Foundation would also like to thank the Toshao of Santa Rosa, Sherwin Abrams for assisting with getting several barrels and our team to Manawarin, the teachers of Santa Rosa Secondary and St. Nicholas Primary Schools, Whanita Phillips, James Deeges, volunteers of the Foundation, and the financial donors who made this distribution possible. The Foundation remains committed to collaborating with donors around the world to bring urgently-needed supplies to students in various communities across Guyana.”
The hungry jaguars that have been devouring residents’ dogs and other domesticated animals including ducks, parrots and goats at Lima Sands, Essequibo Coast, have now turned their attention to cows. Recent reports stated that two cows belonging to farmers in Somerset and Berks were eaten by the hungry jaguars, some time last week. According to a watchman who was on duty in that area, the jaguar was seen attacking and later devouring two cows that were grazing in the field. On Tuesday, another Lima Sands resident com-
plained that the jaguar ate his dog. Recently, Lima Sands residents were warned by members of the Guyana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals not to kill the endangered animals. But the residents are contending that those persons who are advising them not to kill the jaguars do not live in Lima Sands, and those other affected areas where the jaguars roam. The jaguars came out of the Savannahs in search of food due to the prolonged dry spell that the country continues to experience. Lima Sands residents are
indicating that the jaguars are fewer in Lima Sands and are however more active in neighbouring Mainstay. (Yannason Duncan)
Essequibo jaguars now attack larger prey
Page 22
Kaieteur News
SALON - Make-up Courses with Mac, Bare Minerals and Black Opal - Cosmetology Courses - Nail Technician Course Call: 647-1773/660-5257 SERVICES
WANTED
PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. – CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620
Rider for 3 wheel motorcycle to deliver water- Call: 6869296; 655-1534 Part-time maid (35-40yrs) from 8-1pm, text information (name & address) to 6420418, we will get back to you.
Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK; Guyana passport application. Graphics design, advertisement. Tel: 626-7040; 265-4535. Repairs at low cost: Fridges, air- conditioners, washing machines, TVs, microwaves, freezersCall:629-4946 or 225-4822 Repairs at affordable prices: fridge, air conditioner, washing machines, dryers, TV, microwaves & freezerCall: 610-5846 or 661-8158 Building Construction: house plans & estimates, floor sanding, lacquering & painting, boat for Santa Mission –Call: 650-4362 Guytec Speacialised in air condition unit, washing machine, dryer, pizza oven, convection oven, pressure pump- Call: 684-2119; 6802377 Guytec Specialised in stove range, water heater, dish washer, deep fryer, treadmills refrigerator etc. Call: 6842119; 680-2377 Repairs & spare, fridge, freezer, A/C, washers, stoves – Contact Nick: 6831312, 627-3206 Building Contractor: drawing of house plan, general home maintenance, free estimates-Call: 216-0671; 692-0267; 692-8464 We repair fridge, freezer, AC, washer, dryer-Call: 231-0655; 683-8734. Omar Cleaners’ R’ us: janitorial cleaning including: window cleaning, office cleaning, pressure washing, etc. Call: 660-9478; 672-0865 or 2236544 Tax Services: custom brokerages, individual income tax, property tax, value added tax, compliances certificates, etc. Call: 660-9478
Live in waitress to work in a bar and hotel. Call: 604-6606 Urgently! Garbage company needs experienced drivers must have police clearances, two reference one picture. Call: 223-7012/670-7920 EXPERIENCE SECURITY GUARD, MUST BE FIT & ALERT. SOME MILITARY BACKGROUND & POLICE C L E A R A N C E @ RUIMVELDT. CALL: 2318529 / 231-8344 Experienced cake decorator, roti/puri cooks, counter servers. Apply at Hack’s Halaal, 5 Commerce St. 1 Mechanic welder to work in the interior, interested persons can call 625-5136 on Mon-Fri between 8am-4pm. Salesgirls, porters and security guard. Apply with written application at Lot 1E Dennis & Middleton Street, Campbellville. Live in general domestic 2535yrs salary- $60,000- $70,000 monthly - Call: 610-3974 Experienced dispatcher and hire car taxi drivers @ Princess Hotel-Call: 265-7076, 265-7075; 616-5419 Cleaners: persons living in the areas of Soedyke E.B.D to Timehri. Call: 223-6544; between 9:00am-5:00pm We want land in Eccles. We are paying cash, we pay between $2M-$4M. Call: 6117223; 604-2207 Coal Burners & body workman to work in Yarrowkabra. Call: 226-0395
GR TAXI SERVICE. CALL: 219-5000; 227-1982 & 225-7878 (24HRS)
PROPERTY FOR SALE Church and 2 storey building Lot 180 Charlotte Street Bourda-Call: 227-6817; 6247341 One family house at Kuru Kururu. Call: 664-2576 Property for sale, Grove $20M / Rent: $50,000 per month. Tel: 625-5461. Transported property @ Tuschen Housing Scheme $7M negotiable. Call: 2641050; 683-7045/669-3553 1 Acre land (37X1200) with flat house, chicken pen & fruit trees -$11M negotiableCall: 642-7898 Brand new 2 storey concrete building in 5th Avenue, Diamond, E.B.D, all modern amenities - Call: 662-9335; 612-3244 FOR SALE BY OWNER: FLORIDA DESIGN, WATER FRONT PROPERTY LOCATED AT MADEWINI RESORT COMMUNITY. CALL: 6245048; 624-5042 One two bedroom storey 6 bedroom house for sale at Guyhoc Park. Call: 618-8498; 626-0709 Property at lot 19 Good Hope Gardens. Call: 652-3525 or 234-0046
Live in or live out, babysitter/ domestic –Call: 223-7500 Monday-Saturday, between 8:15-4:15pm
FOR SALE LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754.
VEHICLE FOR SALE STAR CARS AUTO SALE: 30-06 PREMIO, 03-07 FIELDER, NEW RAUM, IST, BLUEBIRD, AXELA, PITBULL. CALL: 679-3140; 268-3509
FOR RENT PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620
Wholesale & Retail quantity of all types of belts Call: 670-2343
AT212 HIRE car, HC 1042, good condition- Call: 6999381
ADORABLE PUPPIES FOR SALE. CALL: 6004212 Crazy Deals: Dell/HP desktop & laptop computers from $49,000, free games & educational programs @ FutureTech: 231-2206 Lots @ Blankenburg behind the gas station- $3.9M- Call Us Today: 650-0402
4X4 PFF 6163 (Green) 4 door LHD,3 liter 3VZ engine, good condition – G$1.6M- Call 657-6063
Lodge (Vlissengen/ Durban): Professional/Office/ Business space, (no food retailing). Call: 677-9638. Vreed-en-Hoop Junction: lessons places, st o r a g e bond or church -$25,000 per month.Call: 603-6400/264-2123 Lodge apartments (Vlisssengen/Durban): unfurnished $40,000-$90,000 monthly, furnished (for visitors) USD$600-USD$1,000 monthly- Call: 677-9638 Two bedrooms, bottom flat, with A/C, hot & cold, security in business area, overseas clients only, asking $600USDCall: 226-1519
Minibus, SUV, Pickup 39.8 rear deferential & 14.5ft fiberglass boat with trailer and 35HP motor- Call: 678-9536 One slate pool table, price $300,000- Call: 228-2098; 6285796
WANTED
Dispatcher- Call: 661-2824; 223-1377
Wanted 1 experienced Fish Processing Plant Supervisor and Fish Processing Plant Workers, attractive salary offer, contract number 697-5221 / 225-8645
1 experienced computer literate Office Assistant and 1 Accountant; attractive salary offered; msg or whatsapp 697-5221 / 225-8645
Supervisor with experience for Fish Processing Plant; attractive salary offered; msg or whatsapp. Tel: 670-4623 / 697-5221
Toyota Ipsum, fully loaded, music system – 5,800 watt, 7 seater, excellent condition – Call: 653-1003 Sliver Nissan Murano, late PNN series- $6M –Call: 6815548 or 695-5701 RAV4 2001, 91000km, crash bar & roof rack -$3M negotiable- Call: 216-1893 2 HB Allion for sale, “as is, where is”, best offer. Call: 6902250
1-620-240 DAF Engine, foreign used, 1 Canter GNN 722, 1 Twin Steer CF DAF, GSS 5964. Call: 228-5655; 628-1756
Black Toyota Celica 2002; 2 door sports car, immaculate condition- Call: 614-8870; 222-2431 To y o t a R a u m , S p a c i o , AT192, Allion, L-Touring Wagon, EP71-starlet, IST, Nissan March & Pickup 4X4 (4door). Call: 6445096; 697-1453
50X85 house lot in Grove/ Diamond Scheme, property @ Yarrowkabra, land size100X200- Call: 676-0931
One new shape Allion, very clean condition, for sale at bargain price. Call: 678-8035
Pure bred Akita pups, fully vaccinated, parents imported, one Cummings generator 350KVA. Call: 6941418; 260-4157
Toyota Hilux 2.5LTD 2010 carry boy tray, Goodrich, immaculate condition, silver, UK import, price -$5.2M- Call: 629-2200 5 Bedrooms; 2 bath, fully furnished, transported property located @ Rosignol W.B.Berbice. Motivated seller- call: 602-6333; 6793496; 699-4689; 666-2528 Pure bred pit bull pups, 8 weeks, fully vaccinated and de-wormed. Call: 661-1715; 669-2434 XBOX one with games, kinect and controller, XBOX 360E. Call/whatsapp: 683-8386 Dachshund pups mix with Pekingese for sale – 7weeks old -$20,000, males only. Call: 677-2476
Sales person and canter drivers wanted for a food distributing comp. application & police clearance. Call: 231-8529
Live in couple: husbanddriving/mechanical skills, wife- domestic. Call: 227-1830
TAXI SERVICES
Earn a Certificate in cosmetology, nails, wig designs & hair cutting etc. Classes commencing February! Register Now! Call: 666-5241; 619-7603
Saturday February 06, 2016
One Toyota starlet engine 1500cc complete with gearbox and computer box, never used in Guyana. Call: 690-5827 1-40ft Keel Boat, 700lbs 5" seine, 3000lb ice box, 15 Yamaha Engine – ($1.6M)Call:660-1825 Computer games for sale, wholesale and retail, largest selection-Call: 675-2239 One D8K Caterpillar Bulldozer, in e x c e l l e n t c o n d i t i o n , ready to work, price $14M. Call: 611-4775; 220-5192
Honda CRV (RD5), PNN series, stick gear -$2,350,000 negotiable, Toyota IST, PSS series, candy pink $1,650,000. Call: 691-1198 Unregistered Spacio, Allion: dark interior, TV, fog, rear spoiler, 2004-Call: 617-5536 1AT 212 PRR, 1 Allion PRR Series, 1 Premio PPP, owner leaving country. Call: 6422645
Self-contained rooms in Prashad Nagar. Tel: 227-2993 One 2 bedroom apartment in Alberttown- $50,000. Call: 691-2727 One bedroom bottom flat: fully grilled, self contained bedroom, A/C room, parking for one. Call: 650-2708 4 Bedrooms house in Bel-Air Gardens; all modern conveniences; no agents!Call: 231-7839 during working hours House in Bel-Air Park: 3 bedrooms upstairs/downstairs, all modern conveniences $1600US monthly-Call: 2317839 during working hours Enmore Public Road: office space/2 bedrooms apartment, ideal for Doctors with AC & fully grilled. Call: 270-6260 FOR SALE/FOR RENT American pool table – Call: 277-0578
1 Toyota Landcruiser Prado, PMM series. Call: 219-5354, Monday-Friday 8:15-4:15pm & Saturday 8:15-1:15pm. Allion 2010, PTT series. Call: 626-7464 1 Toyota 4X4 Hilux Surf, 3Y engine, excellent condition$1M negotiable. Call: 6619447 1 Super Custom RZ minibus (Diesel) very good condition, price $1M negotiable. Call: 613-7798
FOR SALE One 2 door refrigerator, in excellent condition, 240volt. Call: 689-6170
CAR RENTAL DOLLY’S CAR RENTALCALL: 225-7126/226-3693 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL@ YA H O O . C O M / W W W. DOLLYSAUTORENTAL.COM PROGRESSIVE CAR RENTAL: CARS& SUV FOR RENTAL- $4,000 & UP PER DAY- CALL: 643-5122, 6560087 , EMAIL: PRO_ AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO. COM Vehicles for rental: cars, SUV, pickups etc, long term only @ Ray’s Motor Spares and Auto Sales. Call: 231-7839 Continued on page 23
Saturday February 06, 2016
Kaieteur News
‘Junkie’ allegedly... From page 9 them returned to the building with a bottle-lamp and again attempted to set the building alight. The men both ran back to vehicle and made good their escape.Rosemary Rozario, the mother of the two girls, has claimed that a businessman had threatened to torch the building. She said that someone had also made previous attempts to burn the building.
City Hall records show that a number of persons are laying claim to the property. In 2015, Attorney-at-Law Saphier Husain had told Kaieteur News that relatives of arson victim Hilrod Thomas had secured his services. He said that the family has reasonable evidence to identify the individuals behind the attack that killed Thomas and his daughters.
This a very cruel... From page 4 unfortunate folks but this form of action in itself can to some extent energise some to become a bit more vibrant for their own good. I’ll say democracy is more of a service and not just hinges on a set of cold, callous rules within a system. Editor and dear reader here is another for your consideration – a somewhat touching one to rile up anyone except one having a heart of stone. It is about two young women this time, one Lukeisha Clarke and Althea McPherson. These two young women who reside at Pouderoyen on the West Bank Demerara sustained burns to their bodies after they were shocked by live wire on October 10th. McPherson was treated and sent home. Clarke who was seven months pregnant then suffered the worst and was admitted at GPHC. As we were informed the two friends who were standing together heard an explosion, saw a cable overhead on fire and began to run when the cable on fire fell and entangled them, they fell and were unconscious on the road between the sparkling cable. Clarke who is expecting her baby next month (February) had a series of skin surgeries grafts for burns sustained. McPherson has been unable to walk because of burns to her feet as a result she has been on continuous sick leave as a security guard since. Having no source of income her sister is helping to take care of her and her two children. The burns require daily treatment, so her trans-
portation cost is stressful. As for Lukeisha Clarke her mother lost her job because she was forced to take care of her – obviously she is in bad shape. Now this is what riles one up: it was a member of the Guyana Police Force whose action was/is responsible for these two young women unfortunate state of affairs as it is right now, yet they are left on their own, no one gives a toss; no one to turn to they both said – as reported – “we never even see this person-the policeman responsible – never showed up to inquire about them if dead or alive.” You mean to tell me that the Police Commissioner knows nothing about this; that no other senior officer read about it? They (police) are issued with all our dailies as is every government institution/ organisation. This is not the way a democracy is supposed to function, what then is the purpose of the Ministry of Social Cohesion? The Ministry of Citizenship? Of Social Security, the Ministry of Health? Are they not people oriented? Send your field workers to work damn it! See why everyday people get betwixt and between democracy and hypocrisy. Poor folks have to master the art of walking between the raindrops. May Jesus be their shepherd. Frank Fyffe
Page 23
LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE
2016-HC-DEM-CIV-D-36 IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE DIVORCE AND M AT R I M O N I A L JURISDICTION DIVORCE BETWEEN:CAVE (DAWN AFRI) nee HOUSTON Petitioner -and CAVE (THEOPHILUS ANTHONY)Respondent NOTICE OF PETITION To: THEOPHILUS ANTHONY CAVE Lot 135 Diamond New Scheme, EAST BANK DEMERARA. TAKE NOTICE that a Petition for dissolution of Marriage has been filed in the Supreme Court of Judicature of Guyana by DAWN AFRI CAVE Nee HOUSTON, against you. UPON APPLICATION in person or by letter to MS. KESHIA A. CHASE, Attorney-at-law, of Lot 228 South Street, Lacytown, Georgetown, sealed and certified copy of the Citation and a sealed copy of the Petition will be sent or delivered to you. IF WITHIN 28 (TwentyEight) days after the second and final publication of this Notice no application has been made nor appearance entered the Court may proceed to hear the said Petition and pronounce Judgment in your absence notwithstanding. Dated the 27th day of January, 2016
2015 HC-DEM-CIV-J-107 DEMERARA IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE CIVIL JURISDICTION BETWEEN: GUYANA WATER INCORPORATED., a company incorporated under the Companies Act 1991 of the Laws of Guyana with its registered office situate at Vlissengen Road & Church Street, Bel Air, Georgetown, Demerara. Plaintiff, -and MOHAMED YUSUF trading under the name and style of YUSUF GENERAL CONTRACTING with its registered office situate at Lot 1 Harlem, West Cast Demerara, Guyana. Defendant , NOTICE OF PUBLICATION TO: MOHAMED YUSUF trading under the name and style of YUSUF GENERAL CONTRACTING TAKE NOTICE that a Judgment Summons with Affidavit in Support of Judgment Summons has been filed on the 2nd day of December 2016 in the Registry of the High Court of the Supreme Court of Judicature, Georgetown, Demerara by GUYANA WATER INCORPORATED in which the claim is as follows: That you be examined on oath touching what means you have or have had since the making of an Order against you to pay the sum of $6,600,000.00 (six million, six hundred thousand dollars) with interest thereon at the rate of 6 per centum per annum from the 7th day of January, 2014 to the 28th day of May 2014 and thereafter at rate of 4% per annum until fully paid together with costs in the sum of $16,500.00 (sixteen thousand, five hundred dollars) to the Guyana Water Incorporated which you have been in default in paying, what or any debts which are owing to the Guyana Water Incorporated, and whether you have any property and/or means of satisfying the said judgment AND ALSO to show cause why you should not be committed to prison for failing to obey the Order of the said Court. IF you desire to defend this action you shall appear before the Honourable Justice Mr. Rishi Persaud in the High Court of the Supreme Court of Judicature on Wednesday the 24th day of February 2016 at 9:30 a.m. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that in default of your so doing the Court may proceed herein and judgment may be given in your absence AND IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that this matter do stand adjourned to the 24th day of February 2016 at 9:30 a.m. before the Honourable Mr. Justice Rishi Persaud Dated at Georgetown, Demerara This 25th day of January 2016.
LEARN TO DRIVE Soman Son & Outar Driving School at Maraj Building- Tel: 644-5166; 622-2872; 615-0964; 6895997
WANTED Food caravan to purchase or for rental. Call Renie: 6894339; 227-4646 1 Chief Security Officer to manage a Security Service; attractive salary offered; msg or whatsapp. Tel: 670-4623 / 697-5221
From page 22
LAND FOR SALE Double lot 9950 Sq. Ft @ VACANCY Republic Gardens, price -$25M Cook/baker and truck driver (negotiable). Call: 624-7686 for the Interior location, Gold & Diamond blocks for applicants must be sale or rent in the Ekereku, experienced. Call: 618-2020 Puruni & Siparuni area. Call: 1 Driver- apply at Technical 615-8810 Services; 18-23 Industrial Herstelling -$5M (with Site, Eccles. foundation), $1.6M Zeelugt (100ftX50ft), and $2.6 M 1 Professional nail technician Parfaite Harmonie (with to work at new spa- Call: 696foundation) - Call: 611-7223; 7337 for details. 604-2207 One 1 driver/purchaser; Land @ La Grange Public must have experience in the Road to sea dam, 4 acre, could said area, must be between use for housing ages 35-48yrs. Call: 226-9768; development-Call: 625-1514 625-1413 Land @ Providence -$5M, La Experienced bartender, Parfaite Harmonie: $1.8M, waitresses, cooks and $1.6M, $1.3M, 11 St. Tuschen bouncers needed. Call for - $3M, Phase2- $1.4M, Parika appointment @ Eden’s Bar & -$65M, terms available. Call: Lounge, Tel: 652-0074 604-6724 Security Officers; apply in person. Massey Security (Guyana) Inc, Lot 0 Ruimveldt, Georgetown. Call: 225-5773-6 Hairdressers, nail technician, barbers, also hair & nail stations available for rental TO LET location: New Market StreetModernized 2 bedrooms Call: 638-1106 apartment at Vreed-en-Hoop, Popular East Coast Gas W.C.D . Call: 698-6496 Station: day/night: pump 3 Bedrooms apartment in attendants, sales clerk & gated community @ office assistant. Contact: 669Versailles W.B.D. Call: 618- 4755; 695-9880, Non-Pareil 5070 Female clerk. Call: 265-3586 One bedroom apartment ‘B’ Local & International Field Sophia. Call: 627-3879 e m p l o y m e n t : Spacious 2 bedrooms www.jobfairworldwide.com. apartment in Festival City, Call: 233-6517/622-1957/638parking etc, asking $80,000 0595 between the hours of monthly. Call: 616-7366 or 9am-5pm Mon –Sat. 619-2141 Experienced: female bar/shop Apartments for rent @ worker & handyman for Nandy Park, 2 bedrooms, Ekereku Bottom (Interior), recently renovated, free Wi- ages 17-30yrs. Call: 231-0363 Fi, $80,000-$90,000 negotiable. Call: 227-5194 CARPENTERS AND LABOURERS. 676 6700 One upper flat to rent at lot 580 Golden Grove, East Bank M A R K E T I N G Demerara- Call: 625-4195; ASSISTANTS, DRIVERS and 624-8120 WELDER/FABRICATOR. 676 6700 Prime business place in Lethem, storage bond & Handyman, domestic/maid, living quarters included. Call: male receptionist, carpenter 692-3573 @ Hilton Hotel. Call: 2234597; 225-9211 Western Union CSR, evening shift cashiers, computer literate, 5 CXC subjects. Apply: Survival, 173 Sheriff Street, C/Ville G/Town. Tel: 227-5286-90 MASSAGE Happy Touch Day Spa: come & experienced heavens touch with new attendants: Kala & Lisa. Visit us today! – Call: 690-6079
FOR OUR ADVERTISING RATES - CALL US ON TEL: 2268210
Page 24
Kaieteur News
Saturday February 06, 2016
Saturday February 06, 2016
Kaieteur News
Page 25
No LGEs for four NDCs, 149 Constituencies based on approved lists – GECOM There are four Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) and 149 constituencies in which Local Government Elections (LGE) will not be held because of unopposed lists. This was revealed during a Press Conference hosted by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) at the GECOM Media Centre in Waterloo Street, Georgetown yesterday. Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, said yesterday that the LGE law states that where the lists are unopposed, the lists/Candidates are deemed to have been elected. The four NDCs are Mocha/Arcadia, Kintyre/Borlam, Black Bush Polder and Crabwood Creek/Moleson Creek. The Commission stated that they have commenced work on compiling the list of Polling Stations and a draft will be submitted shortly by the Secretariat for approval. Having concluded all activities associated with Nomi-
nation Day, GECOM stated that it has been engaged in the designing of the Ballot Paper, Statement of Poll and Tally Sheets for all the Local Authority Areas – except for the four with unopposed lists. It is in the process of dispatching the templates for production overseas. As it relates to staffing on Elections Day, the Commission noted that it began training September last year. It is at a stage where it is comfortable having acquired the required numbers to work. GECOM also stated that it is currently engaged in conducting an analysis relative to the engagement of staff to work at Local Authority Areas and Constituencies. VOTING FOR THE DISCIPLINED FORCES Elections Day is set for March 18, 2016 for civilians while the Disciplined Services (DF) will cast ballots on March 8, 2016. GECOM stated yesterday that the respective Lists of Electors who are members of
the Disciplined Forces are currently being prepared by the Commission in collaboration with senior Representatives from the Guyana Police Force (GPF), the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the Guyana Prison Services. The packing of Ballot Boxes to be dispatched to the Ballot Stations in each Municipality or NDC will be carried out under “adequate” supervision of GECOM personnel and witnessed by Agents/Representatives of the contesting Political parties/Voluntary groups/Individual Candidates, the commission sated. GECOM continued that all Ballot Boxes will be returned to the commission after the DF voting and kept in the “secure” custody of the Chief Elections Officer under guard by members of the Guyana Police Force. The ballots cast will be sorted by Local Authority and Constituency to be dispatched to the respective Returning Officers for intermix-
From Left: Public Relations Officer; GECOM Chairman, Dr. Steve Surujbally; Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield and Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO) Vishnu Persaud. ing on Elections Day on March 18. GECOM informed that the Polling Stations identified for the intermixing of the DF ballots will be gazetted. The Ballots cast by the members of the DF will be distributed on Elections Day by the Returning Officers to the relevant Presiding Officers to be inter-mixed and counted at the identified/gazetted Polling Stations.
Movietown construction site shooting
Guards believe that they were shot to make way for site robbery Even as police are continuing investigations into what really happened, the two security guards shot to their instep on Thursday morning at the Movietown construction site, Turkeyen believe that the shooting was to disable them to allow for another robbery at the site. The two men are attached to Sentinel Security Service which is contracted to provide security for China Harbour Engineering Company at the Turkeyen construction site for night shift workers. At that location, works are progressing for the Movietown Cinemas. From his hospital bed, Stanley Brown, 50, of Mahaica, East Coast Demerara nursing injury to his right leg explained that both he and David Barrow, 53, of West Ruimveldt, the other guard, were caught off guard as one of the gunmen looked a lot like one of the workers from the construction site, until they were attacked and shot to the instep. He was shot once while the other guard was shot twice to his instep. He puts the time of the attack unfolding between 3:00 and 3:30hrs Thursday morning and that the men wore no masks. Neither did they say or ask any questions. “They just fire three shots to me and the other guard foot.
Stanley Brown
David Barrow
Browne was adamant that in hindsight, “Is the same people who tried to rob the Chinese last week when we prevented them from doing it… So is like they come back to get rid of we cause we de shoot at dem and they de shoot back and then escape on that occasion.” The injured man from his hospital bed yesterday said he believes that the gunmen had a plan to ensure that the security guards were injured to prevent them from securing the site to make good a plan to rob the location of valuable equipment. “The last time they come and thief about six truck batteries and another time they thief about 12 other batteries one night, plus they thief a
surveyor tool valued at about US$15,000, some laptops and other computers.” All told Browne said that the gunmen fired three shots and in retaliation he attempted to fire back using a shotgun but the gun failed. “It was an old shotgun so it ain’t crank to put the bullet in the breach so I continued cranking till it go up and I get to lick a shot at them and they run away.” While Browne has no plan to end his career as a Security guard he is hoping for compensation ,”We ain’t gonna be working back at that site because they done take on somebody else already but we risk we life and based on what I hear the China Harbor company done terminated the
contract.” He said originally his company’s contract was to have been terminated on February 25 but following the shooting the contract was terminated. Confrontation David Barrow the other security guard who was shot twice to his instep said he was once an Army Special Force rank and on the night he also saw two men approaching the guard hut but recognized one as a thief before shots were fired. “When I say he is a thief the man up he gun and point at me and I push he off and he hand drop and he give me two rounds in me foot and one in me partner foot…No questions asked then he escape.” He confirmed that an attempt was made to fire the security shotgun gun but the gun snapped. He is optimistic that he will be returning to his job as a security guard. He noted that the two shot he received “just sharpened up back me ideas as a former special force man in the army who accustomed to these things.” As at yesterday, one site official told this publication that an official comment regarding the shooting will be made by the media communications department. (Mondale Smith)
The respective Lists of Members of the DF will be scrutinised to determine electors who would have voted on March 8. GECOM Chairman, Dr. Steve Surujbally said yesterday that persons wishing to be local observers can apply to GECOM. He continued that the commission has developed a protocol which he said is “quite comprehensive”.
These persons will then be accredited. However, if the protocols are broken, these persons will be disaccredited. On the question of the possible presence of foreign observers during the LGE, the Chairman stated that the Government will have to decide that however, it is his knowledge that the Government has not done so, nor was there any requests made by foreign bodies to present.
Berbice criminal assizes open with ceremonial march past …36 cases set to be heard; a whopping 31 for murder The police contingent led by Deputy Superintendent Lyndon Isles and Inspector Charles, and comprising Sergeant Stephen Gobin and 24 other ranks from the Police B Division participated in the ceremonial opening of the Criminal Session of the Berbice High Court on Wednesday. The ranks did a commendable job during the traditional parade march past and ceremonial opening of the February Criminal Session of the Berbice Assizes which opened on Tuesday and was held in front of the Berbice High Court on Esplanade and Vryheid Road, New Amsterdam, Berbice. The police contingent which marched off from Police Headquarters at Coburg Street and Strand before proceeding along Strand, New Amsterdam to the High Court was accompanied by the police drum corps. Justice Roxanne George, standing in for Justice Franklyn Holder, who will be presiding over the criminal session of the Berbice High Court took the salute and inspected the Guard of Honour. Justice Roxanne GeorgeWiltshire is presiding over the civil court. The judges were accompanied by Police Commander of ‘B’ Division; Assistant Commissioner Christopher Griffith and escorted by Cadet Officer Keith Will-
iams. Accompanying the parade were Deputy Superintendent Boodnarine Persaud, Assistant Superintendent Guy Nurse and Sergeant Marlon O’Donaghue among others. A total of 36 cases are to be heard during the session including a whopping 31 for murder. All are men. Four of the persons charged for murder have indicated their willingness to plead guilty. They are Omar Bacchus, Navin Sugrim, Roy Lewis and Charles Goodluck, 64. The first matter is expected to begin on February 9, when Justice Holder is expected to return. However, Justice George in addressing the jury went through the duties of the Jurors and their importance in the criminal justice system in Guyana. She congratulated them for turning out in large numbers. She however warned them of the consequences of not attending. Employers who do not allow their employees to attend for jury service could be brought before the court and sanctioned.
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Kaieteur News
Saturday February 06, 2016
Brazil finds active Zika virus in urine, saliva
Travelers walk past a poster with information about the Zika virus during a campaign by Peru’s Health Ministry at Plaza Norte bus station in Lima, Peru, on Feb. 4, 2016. (Mariana Bazo | Reuters) (CNBC) The head of a top Brazilian health research institute said its scientists have discovered the presence of the active Zika virus in urine and saliva samples. Paulo Gadelha said at a press conference yesterday that the virus’ ability to infect other people through the two body fluids requires further study. However, he noted that the discovery calls for special precaution to be taken with pregnant women. Brazilian researchers have pointed to a suspected link between pregnant women’s infection with the virus and a rare birth defect in babies. The discovery does not yet merit any additional health recommendation, added Gadelha. After confirming that the first case of the Zika virus was in a non-traveler in the continental United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued new guidelines for pregnant women, and men with pregnant sex partners who have traveled to Zika-affected areas yesterday. One of the new recommendations mentions that men with a pregnant sex partner who reside in or have traveled to an area of active Zika virus transmission and their pregnant sex partners should
consistently and correctly use condoms during sex or abstain from sexual activity for the duration of the pregnancy. The CDC also provided updated guidance for healthcare providers who are caring for pregnant women to include a recommendation that even those without the symptoms of the Zika infection should be tested after returning from areas affected by the outbreak. The suspected link between the Zika virus and a birth defect known as microcephaly appears “stronger and stronger” as researchers study whether there is a causal connection, CDC Director Tom Frieden said yesterday. “I wish we knew more about Zika today. I wish we could do more about Zika today,” said Frieden. “I understand that this is a stressful situation for women and families.” In response to the reported discovery of the Zika virus in urine and saliva, Frieden said that the CDC would need more information in order to provide further guidance. “The bottom line is this is a mosquito-borne disease,” Frieden told reporters. In the continental U.S., there have been about 50
cases of travelers who were diagnosed with the Zika virus, including three pregnant women. Since there is no vaccine or specific drug to treat Zika, stopping travel to locations that have Aedes mosquitoes is the primary form of preventing the virus from spreading to the United States. To stop the further spread of the virus, the CDC has issued a travel alert to 30 countries and territories, which include popular vacation destinations such as Puerto Rico, Mexico and Barbados. “Zika is a virus that can be spread in so many different ways,” said Dr. Fiona Gupta, a neurologist at the North Jersey Brain and Spine Center. “We still have a lot to do before we truly understand it.” If people are living in places with Aedes mosquitoes, they are advised to use insect repellent, wear longsleeved, light-coloured clothes, and use insect screens or mosquito nets while inside. To help control the mosquito population, people should cover domestic water tanks, unblock drains, avoid accumulating garbage and avoid allowing water to stagnate in outdoor containers such as flower pots. “I am encouraging my patients to exercise their judgment and caution before traveling. The higher-risk patients should really avoid going to the affected areas at all costs,” said Gupta. “The virus is totally out of control right now.”
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Kaieteur News
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World athletics body to probe Chinese letter pointing to systematic doping by Ma SHANGHAI (Reuters) World athletics body IAAF said on Friday it would investigate the authenticity of a letter signed by 10 Chinese athletes that says a Chinese Olympic coach ran a systematic doping program up to the mid-1990s. Signatories to the 21-yearold letter, published for the first time on private news portal Tencent Sports, included women’s long-distance runner Wang Junxia, an Olympic champion and world record holder. The allegations in the document, which Chinese TV channel CCTV and other state media also reported, date back to before the IAAF presidency of Lamine Diack, who took over in 1999. Reuters could not independently confirm the au-
thenticity of the letter and was unable to reach Wang or the coach the document named, Ma Junren. The letter, sent in March 1995 to journalist Zhao Yu but never previously publicized, suggests Ma ran a systematic doping program in China some two decades ago. Reuters was unable to reach Zhao for comment. The IAAF said its first action would be to verify that the letter was genuine. “In this respect, the IAAF has asked the Chinese Athletics Association to assist it in that process,” it said. An executive at the Chinese Athletics Association declined to comment. The release of the Chinese letter comes as Diack, the former head of world ath-
(IAAF) Lamine Diack (Reuters/Jason Lee/files) letics, is under investigation by French authorities for corruption. According to a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) report, Diack ran a clique that covered up organized doping and blackmailed athletes while senior officials looked the other way. The WADA report found
Saturday February 06, 2016 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You will have difficulties spreading yourself between your work and your home. Try to understand both sides of the issue before taking sides.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Relatives will be cordial. Your tendency to dramatize may be a little much for your partner to take constantly. Don't exhaust yourself or minor health problems will set in.
TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Travel and entertainment will be pleasurable. Try to convince a good friend to take a holiday with you. You can make life easier for an older member of your family.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Travel will be to your advantage; however, it might be expensive. Listen to the advice given by others. Changes regarding family members will set you off.
GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Dig deep, ferret out any hidden concerns before you sign your life away You can get ahead if you are willing to take a partner. You will have an interest in foreigners and their cultures.
SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) You will find good buys and you will lift your spirits. You may find that children are not as accepting as you have been.
CANCER (June 21–July 22) Don't vacillate about asking for assistance if you need it. You need to get involved in groups that offer physical activities. You will be in a high cycle regarding work. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) You may exaggerate your emotional situation. Your uncanny insight will help you make the right choices. Someone you care about may not be too pleased with you. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) . Be honest in your communication and don't lose your cool. This is a turning point. You should be able to get a lot done.
CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) Tell them to get out of the mess they are in and then you'll consider getting together with them. Your talents are likely to be discovered. Make sure any presentation you have is ready. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) You can ask for favors but don't take them for granted. Eliminate situations that are no longer to your advantage. You'll only hurt your lover if you don't. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Someone you live with will get angry if you are neglecting your duties. Be sure to take time for old friends or relatives you don't get to see that often.
a “deeply rooted culture of cheating” in Russian athletics, leading to the country’s athletes being banned from the sport indefinitely. ‘CHANGING PERCEPTIONS’ Wang, whose 1993 world records for 3,000 and 10,000 meters still stand, was among a team coached by Ma, who for years had been dogged by doping allegations. “For many years, (Ma)
forced us to take large doses of banned drugs, it was true,” the letter signed by her and nine others said. “Our feelings are sorry and complex when exposing his deeds. We are also worried that we would harm our country’s fame and reduce the worth of the gold medals we have worked very hard to get.” Ma has consistently denied the drug claims and said his athletes reached such levels through hard work and natural remedies, including turtle’s blood. However, in 2000, Chinese authorities fired Ma from the Olympic team after six of his athletes failed drug tests. The organization confirmed that any athlete admitting to taking an illegal substance at some time prior to setting a world record would have the mark removed. Tencent Sports said details of doping had been de-
leted from a book on Ma that Zhao had published in 1993. However, these details were reinserted in a recent republication. “We (author and editors) previously believed that the doping part was too sensitive, but now it’s a better time as Chinese people’s perceptions toward sports have changed substantially,” Zhao told the news website. In 1993 alone, Ma’s team broke 66 domestic and world records, CCTV said. They took all three medals in the 5,000 meters and gold and silver in the 10,000 meters at the Stuttgart world championships. His athletes smashed three world records at the Chinese national championships, with Wang taking 42 seconds off the 10,000 meters mark. She went on to win 5,000m gold and 10,000m silver at the 1996 Olympics.
Over 65 horses entered for... (From page 28) Limited, Jumbo Jet Auto Sales, KP Jagdeo Construction, Fiesta Guinness Bar, Inshan Bacchus Trucking Service, Chester Fried Chicken of Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice, Anirude Construction, Sunil Chicken outlet of Rose Hall Market, Poonai Pharmacy of Rose Hall Town and Friends of Port Mourant Turf club among others The race will be run under the rules of the Guyana Horse Racing Authority (GHRA). Last minute information can be accessed by contacting Kris Jagdeo on number 322-0369, Rajendra (Jim-Jo) Jagdeo on 618-7278, Ramnauth on numbers 337-
New Amsterdam/ East Canje... (From page 29) ground. This will go a far way in making sure that the tournament is successful. Special thanks also for the major sponsor Jameel Mohamed of City Bias, New York, USA. Albion Cricket Club will host the key final round match between West Berbice and Lower Corentyne today at the historic Albion Sports Complex, while New Amsterdam/ Canje/East Bank will take on Upper Corentyne at the Cumberland ground. The winner of the first match will take on the NA/Canje/East Bank team who have already qualified for the final set for Saturday February 20, 2016.
5311 Fazal Habibulla on 6577010 or Dennis DeRoop on
640-6396. Race time is 12:30hrs. (Samuel Whyte)
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African confederation backs Salman for FIFA job KIGALI (Reuters) Bahrain’s Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa received a major boost in his bid to become the next FIFA president when he received endorsement from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Friday. Salma n a n d S w i s s Gianni Infantino now appear to be the front-runners to win this month’s presidential election at soccer’s ruling body FIFA, which has been embroiled in a huge corruption scandal that has seen 41 people and entities indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice. The governing body of soccer in Africa, which has 54 full voting members, said Asian Football Confederation president Salman was its preferred candidate for the poll in Zurich on Feb. 26 that will determine who succeeds Swiss Sepp Blatter. “CAF will give full support to Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa toward his candidacy for the FIFA presidency,” vice-president Suketu Patel told reporters before declining to answer questions.
Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa Salman already has the backing of his own Asian confederation while Infantino, general secretary of UEFA, has the support of his European organization along with the 10-member South American confederation CONMEBOL. “I am deeply honored to have earned the trust of many of our African friends at this crucial stage of the campaign effort,” Salman said in a statement. SECRET BALLOT “The two endorsements only mean there is a strong
groundswell in favor of my candidacy. What they don’t mean is that I can sit back and relax. This campaign will be decided on the day of the vote, not before. “Naturally I am confident I now have a reasonably strong position to work from with such support,” added Salman. The FIFA poll will be a secret ballot and the support of executive committees for candidates does not necessarily translate into a united block of votes. The decision is a blow to South African candidate Tokyo Sexwale who had been aiming to get the support of his own continent but has recently been under pressure to withdraw. A spokesman for Sexwale was not available for immediate comment. CAF listened to presentations from Salman, Sexwale, Infantino and Frenchman Jerome Champagne, the former FIFA deputy general secretary, who all traveled to Rwanda to attend the meeting. The fifth candidate, Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein of Jordan, did not attend.
Saturday February 06, 2016
Charles slams half century in ECB U15 trials Sheldon Charles struck a fine half century when the Essequibo Cricket Board U15 trial matches commenced recently at Imam Bacchus ground. Charles scored 52 as Lance Roberts XI defeated Bumeshwar Ramkissoon XI by eight wickets. Ramkissoon XI managed 116 all out in 29.3 overs, batting first. Ramkissoon scored 31 and Hamel Lam 20; Devendra Ramdahin claimed 3-10 and Sheldon Charles 2-8. Roberts
XI responded with 117-2 in 21.5 overs with Charles leading the way. In another match Amos Sarwan XI overcame Badesh Parsotam XI by 22 runs. Sarwan XI got to 148-8 off their allotted 30 overs, taking first strike. Mark Fredericks made 17 and Romario Stephen 16. Saeed Hack and Parsotam snared two scalps each. Parsotam XI responded with 126-5 in 30 overs. Hack scored 27 and Azim Mohamed 22. Randy Raghubeer had 2-20.
Bumeshwar Ramkissoon The final game will be played today at the said venue before the selectors name their team for the intercounty tournament.
Zakir, Mehedi fifties guide Bangladesh U-19s to semi-finals
Letter to the Sports Editor
Imam Bacchus cricket ground is among the best in the country Dear Editor, The Essequibo populace should be proud as having one of the best cricket grounds in the country. With the exception of the Providence Stadium, the newly built Imam Bacchus cricket ground stands in a class of its own. I would have played on several grounds across the country and very few in my estimation can compete with this ground in its present form. Situated on the western end of Affiance on the Essequibo Coast, the ground boasts of having an immaculately lush green and lightning fast out-field on approximately eight acres of prime land. The permanent grounds-man has also done an excellent job in preparing and maintaining a responsive pitch which is adaptable and securing its consistent bounce and evenness. This picturesque facility has the potential of hosting national matches and I am convinced that this is the intention of the Bacchus family since they have been at the forefront in promoting sports in Essequibo for over two de-
cades. Historically there was another ground within close proximity to the new one which was much smaller but it was also neatly kept and proved hospitable to the fans and cricketers. While I am fascinated by the playing area, more infrastructural work has to be done which perhaps should also include partnerships with the Government, other stakeholders including the private sector and even the Guyana and Essequibo Cricket Boards. Quite admirably though, the Management and Directors of the Imam Bacchus Group of Companies must be applauded for their vision, commitment and proven competence by procuring such an invaluable investment that has the potential to propel sports to another level and in the same breath provide Essequibians with a ‘world class’ facility to enhance their game. Presently the ground has been made available to any responsible group or team that wishes to either play there competitively or practice without any demanding
conditions attached. As a result, the ground is actively pursued on a daily basis and the sight is quite encouraging given that not many cricketers from other parts of the Region practice regularly. The Bacchus family must be proud to have contributed in a significant way in the elevation of players to national status including Latchman Rohit, Yogeshwar Lall, Yodhanlall Sukhlall, Parmeshwar Parasotam; all of whom represents the Imam Bacchus Sports Club which is quite a formidable force in club cricket within North Essequibo. Since the Coalition Government has proclaimed that it will heavily invest in sports, particularly in rural areas such as Essequibo, I am hopeful that much attention can be paid in partnering with the Imam Bacchus Group of Companies towards realizing the goal of making the Imam Bacchus ground a national treasure and one which in time to come will host international matches. Yours Faithfully, Elroy Stephney.
Mehedi Hasan works one on the leg side during his unbeaten 55, Bangladesh Under-19s v Nepal Under-19s, Quarter-final, Under-19 World Cup 2016, Dhaka, February 5, 2016 ©ICC ESPNcricinfo - A splendid 113-run fifth-wicket stand between captain Mehedi Hasan and Zakir Hasan steered Bangladesh Under-19s to the semi-finals after completing a six-wicket win against Nepal Under-19s in Dhaka. The pressure steadily built on the pair after Joyraz Sheikh was dismissed for a patient 38. However, they found the boundary, rotated the strike and compiled fifties in the process as Bangladesh reached the target with 10 balls to spare. Earlier in the chase, Nepal had chipped away at the wickets and gained a slight edge despite contributions from Joyraz and Pinak Ghosh (32). Offspinner Sunil Dhamala was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 2 for 33 from his 10 overs. Raju Rijal had set up Nepal’s score of 211 with a fluent 80-ball 72, which featured eight fours and a six. He strung handy stands of 44, 51 and 32 with Dhamala (25), Arif Sheikh (21) and Rajbir Singh. Some useful cameos lower down the order helped eke out 51 from the last 10 overs. Fast bowler Mohammad Saifuddin picked up 2 for 38.
Karim Janat smashed a 132-ball 156 to propel Afghanistan Under-19s to a massive 226-run victory against Fiji Under-19s in the ninth-place playoff in Cox’s Bazar. After being inserted to bat, Afghanistan piled on 340 for 9 and then bowled out Fiji for 114 in the 32nd over. Perwez Malakzai (74 off 69) combined with Janat to add 130 in a fourth-wicket stand to rescue Afghanistan from 47 for 3. The middle and lower order all contributed with handy cameos to help add 73 in the last 44 balls. Peni Wuniwaqa picked up three 3 for 41 and T Veitacini claimed two scalps. Fiji were never really in the chase after losing Delaimatuku Maraiwai off the first ball of the innings. They were soon reduced to 18 for 5 before Malakai Cokovaki (25) and Josaia Baleicikoibia (29) shared a 50run stand. Another clump of wickets soon fell and Fiji were bundled out. Nijat Masood returned figures of 6-1-6-3, while Rashid Khan claimed 3 for 16. A collective bowling effort, led by Jeremy Ives, followed by a fifty from opener
Shaun Snyder helped Zimbabwe Under-19s seal a comfortable win against Canada Under-19s in the ninth pace play-off quarter-final. After having opted to bat, Canada were quickly reduced to 21 for 2 and then 56 for 3. Harsh Thaker (23), A m i s h Ta p l o o ( 3 7 ) , Abraash Khan (32), Arslan Khan (31) all got starts in the middle order, but gave it away. Slow left-arm spinning allrounder Ives was the pick of the bowlers for Zimbabwe with figures of 3 for 30. The lower order also struggled for momentum as Canada crawled to 186 for 8. Ives starred with the bat as well, making an unbeaten 43 off 55 balls to steer his side home. It came after a strong opening partnership of 89 between Snyder and Wesley Madhevere. While Madhevere was dismissed for 31, Snyder went onto stroke his second successive half-cent u r y. Ives and William Mashinge added 46 together to ensure that the chase was completed in 31.4 overs with six wickets in hand.
Saturday February 06, 2016
Kaieteur News
Letter to the Sports Editor
Peter Green responds to ‘distasteful’ letter on young lifter Dear Mr. Editor, Kindly allow me to respond to a letter recently published in the letters section of your newspaper and captioned “Guyana Powerlifting Federation misleading the Public”. Likewise I and the PRO Mr. Denroy Livan are in receipt of a registered mail with the exact typing right down to the unsigned name “Chitra Ramlochan’ and no return address. The Ms. Chittra Ramlochan known to the Federation has informed me via her husband that the author of the letter is an imposter using her name as a front. Several discrepancies in the original letter lead me to support his statement. Nevertheless, in the absence of a Public denial we will have to assume that it was indeed the said person.Yet the timing is suspicious in light of coming NSC awards. Powerlifting is a strength sport. The measure of the lifter’s Pedigree is in his / her total at a given bodyweight and Wilkes formula. It is a physically demanding activity not a beauty contest or track and field event. Some seventeen Events worldwide are hosted in a calendar year by the International Powerlifting Federation and its regional affiliates of which Guyana is a full member. Rankings are then established from the best lifts achieved in the Open categories at the end of the Calendar year. This is advantageous to lifters and Nations who can’t afford the costs of travelling too often but can gain a recognized international ranking based upon their best effort whether lifting against an army of many or of one. “Over hyped?” In order for Ms. Mack (listed in the Open rankings as 47th of 65, junior category as 22nd of 27 and Sub junior category 12th of 12 which is misleading) to gain her medals and international ranking she had to compete. Period. Full stop. At the Pan American and South American Championships the liftercompeted in two categories. It is seemingly convenient that the letter writer failed to acknowledge that Ms. Mack also competed in the Open earning 2 Bronze medals. Likewise a close look at the Commonwealth games results will also reveal that some of Lifters from the bigger developed Nations enjoyed the same fortunes as Ms. Mack. All over the world this happens in this type of sport. The lifter still has to compete. The measure of the achievement is in the listing of her final world ranking. It’s no fault of hers that no one showed up with the pedigree to challenge
her. She came ready to battle. And battle she did despite being the lightest and smallest of the open lifters! She won spectators and judges over alike. She did it for herself, family and Country. Too often we take something for granted. We don’t even recognize our very own diamonds in the rough. Only when they migrate and represent another country then we sing another tune. It is also convenient that the writer failed to mention that Ms. Mack starts 2016 as the highest ranked sub junior at number 1 for the NAPF, CPF and FESUPO. Prove me wrong. “Waste of funds?” Financing of the Powerlifting teams that participated internationally in 2015 were by and large self-sourced or selfsponsored along with contributions from Sponsors and supporters of the Sport. In essence Lifters had to raise their own funds. The Federation provided logistic and administrative support. In the case of the Commonwealth Championships, the NSC contributed a sum which enabled the Federation to send Winston Stoby and Karel Mars in the absence of the injured Vijai Rahim.Ms. Britny Mack and others who accompanied the two were self-sponsored. Her parents in particular made tremendous sacrifices to get her to the Championships.What has also been overlooked were the indirect benefits and potential investment for Guyana from attendance and participation on the World stage in front of millions of viewers via the electronic mediawhich has raised awareness of Guyana’s location and her capacity to become a sports tourism destination. Favorable reviews have already been given by the governing bodies of South America (FESUPO) and the Commonwealth (CPF) for a championship to be hosted at home once we have tendered. Incidentally Powerlifting was among the first to utilize Princess Hotel as a sports tourism venue (the NAPF Caribbean Championships in 2010).One has only to read the respective websites of the said Federations to appreci-
ate the volume of lifters and support personnel, including fans capable of travelling to Guyana for an international event. “Essentially the only team?” This claim deserves no response. A check of the results on the website give the listed teams in the Commonwealth as representing Australia, Canada, England, New Zealand, Scotland, Sri Lanka to name a few. Which Planet is the author on? “Are we getting confused with the males and females? etc” the article in question to which the writer refers was written as Powerlifting’s condensed contribution to Kaieteur news annual year in review articles by local Associations and meant to highlight both the male and female athletes whom the Federation considered as outstanding locally and internationally with the input and contributions by the female lifters taking the spotlight (Just note the honorable mentions). Naturally the headline may have confused the writer due to her / his myopic view. Britny Mack must be given the well-deserved accolades for her stellar efforts at the age of 16 (when most girls can hardly focus on one let alone two activities). Inably balancing her academic studies with the sport she loves along with the responsibility of being a role model to other young ladies in just her first year of competition locally and internationally she has demonstrated the attributes of a real champion. Who knows, maybe somewhere some young woman having read of her exploits may have taken great courage in turning from thoughts of suicide to that of emulating her achievements. Britny Mack needs to be encouraged by her sister lifters and not vice versa. The letter writer of the distasteful article needs to enlighten the reading Public as his / her true identity and the credible contributions made to Powerlifting and not just his / her negative sportsman / sportswoman behaviour. Peter Green President GAPLF.
Providence victorious
Providence chalked up 84 games to beat Strikers and Gangster when the Roy Davis Memorial dominoes competition continued recently at Strikers SC. Deon Telford marked 15 games for the winners while Shellon Collymore and Dereck Collymore scored 16 each for
Gangster who finished with 80 games. Rodrick Harry made 16 and Lindon Boston 15 for Strikers who ended with 78 games. The playoffs will commence tonight at Gaulding Place, South Ruimveldt while the finals will take place on Sunday at the said venue.
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Instructor Ryan Daniels officially authorized to teach Martial Arts
Instructor Ryan Daniels (left) receives his Certificate of Authorization from Shihan Abdool Nazim Yassim. Black belt, Instructor Ryan Daniels of St. Cuthbert’s Mission/Pakuri received his Certificate of Authorization (Registration number GY-0100006-Y) to teach Martial Arts at the launching of the Pakuri Martial Arts Academy (PMAA) on January 23, 2016 last from Shihan Abdool Nazim Yassim. This Authorization and Promotion is in recognition of Instructor Ryan’s outstanding Progress, Knowledge, Ability and Skill through diligent study of the Martial Arts/Ka-
rate for the past 16 years. Shihan Nazim and the Board of Directors of the Little Diamond International Martial Arts Academy (LDIMAA) have expressed their deep appreciation to Daniels for his loyalty, support and dedication to martial arts. Instructor Daniels said of his accomplishment, “I’m very happy to be recognized by Grandmaster NazimYassim and the LDIMAA” as he promises to continue his work in martial arts and to serve on the LDIMAA board of direc-
tors. The toshao, parents and members of the community are happy with his achievement and urged him to keep up the good works with the youths of the community. Daniels and his students would now be preparing tocompete in the LDIMAA Junior National Martial Arts Championship on May 8, at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, then to Suriname in August and to take his Shin-KaiRyu /Kyokushin-Kai 1st Dan Black belt exams in November this year.
Pooran Seeraj and Tristar innovations band to perform at Mobile Wizard 10/10 finals The Mobile Wizard 10/10 Softball Cricket tournament organized by The Guyana Softball League culminates with the semifinals and finals at the Tuschen ground tomorrow and will see chutney Singer Pooran Seeraj of “Every day ah drinkin meh run”, “Chutney Daggering” and “Sonia Gyal” fame along with Tristar Innovations band performing live for the spectators. The organizers have planned a packed programme which is billed as the best cricket show on the West Demerara area and aims to ensure that patrons gain in every way as they set the stage for GSL Finals. The day will begin with welcoming remarks by The President of the Guyana Softball League Mr. Halim Khan and opening remarks by the Regional Chairman Region # 3 Mr. Julius Faber. The teams will then take to the middle for the first game - a Masters’ game between West
Coast and East Bank Demerara followed by the female match between Linden and Georgetown. The two semifinals will then take place and the proceedings end with the finals interspersed throughout with acts by Granny Ivelaw and the dancers. The one ball manto will also be a feature in between the games which goes for a top prize of $60,000 compliments of Miss Love (West Coast) Trading. The games will have the MCs’ Nazim Hussain and WR Reaaz keeping the public informed of the scores and other segments of the programme and also asking some questions from the patrons where they would be giving away various prizes. There will be lots of Kid Games as well as the ring games where kids can win lots of prizes. The patrons can expect to have T shirts being given at the gate randomly compliments of Mobile Wizard. The music
side will see Slingerz Family along with Hi five and 71 sound system accompanying the games. The chutney show begins at 6.00 pm with the chutney sensation Pooran Seeraj along with Pamela London and other artistes performing live on stage accompanied by the Tristar innovations band. The Tristar band, which originates from Cornelia Ida, has a wealth of experienced entertainers who will certainly woo the crowd. The likes of Ravi Persaud, Kamla Rampersaud, Aamir Khan and a host of others know how to hype the crowd as they have been around for a long time. The man of the day will receive one footstool Pouf compliments of Rohan Furniture Establishment. The tournament is sponsored by Mobile Wizards, Wolf ’s Furniture Store, Trophy stall , Miss Love (West Coast) Trading, Imtiaz and Imran Hack and others.
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Kaieteur News
Saturday February 06, 2016
$3.5M Stag/GFA Premier League unveiled GFC host opening double header tomorrow By Franklin Wilson Following a hiatus of just over one year, Premier League football is set to make a grand return to the City tomorrow when the Stag/GFA Premier League kicks off with a double header at the Georgetown Football Club Ground. A new champion will be crowned when the dust would have been settled following what is anticipated to be keen rivalry among the eight competing teams; Santos, Camptown, Western Tigers, Riddim Squad, Beacons, Police, Northern Rangers and Flamingo. Former champs Fruta Conquerors is now an Elite League team. At the launch of the League yesterday, attended by Georgetown Football Association (GFA) President Clifton Hicken, VPs Charles Greaves and Frank ‘English’ Parris, Secretary Ms. Althea Scipio along with Ansa McAl’s PRO Ms. Darshanie Yussuf and Stag Beer Rep. Shawn Abel, the two entities pledged to cement a strong partnership towards the development of the sport. While voicing the company’s appreciation at being able to collaborate with the GFA for this league, Yussuf noted that her company is sincere in its desire to
Commander Hicken makes a point during yesterday’s press conference. at right is Ansa McAl PRO Darshanie Yussuf. see the sport played throughout the length and breadth of Guyana, stating that Georgetown is one part of the whole. ”We are very committed to football, as you know we are committed to the East Bank league, to West Demerara and on the East Coast of Demerara we are located. But you’ll notice that we’re in Linden, Bartica, Essequibo and Berbice, so it’s not just that we are focusing on one area. We are also the main sponsor of the Stag Elite League which is being played in a number of areas not just the City.” Ms. Yussuf said that one of the reasons Ansa McAl got into football is to aid in honing the hundreds of talented
players that abound in Guyana. ”We see talent as one of the ways in developing people and we see that every single day. But you need support and that is what we are lending. So while the Stag Elite League has the cream of the crop, we are helping these teams throughout Guyana to get to the cream of the crop.” ”Sponsorship like these, they are twofold. It ensures that the game and it also helps these players to reach their highest potential not only for them but also for our country.” The PRO who also noted that the aim is to ensure that local players break into the international arena, posited that Ansa McAl wants to put their
stamp on structured football. ”Ansa McAl wants to own structured, organised football, so we will support football at every single level.” Mention was made of the company’s ‘Stag crown Your Community’ Promotion which will see one community in Guyana being able to upgrade their facility and field to the tune of Three Million Guyana Dollars. GFA President Hicken in his remarks thanked Ms. Yussuf and Ansa McAl for their commitment noting that he was indeed honoured to be at the helm of City football at this juncture. Hicken noted that when he took over the reins he had indicated that the game would be played structurally and football would be played throughout the year. ”We started off with the yearend tournament from a different sponsor and then we went into the youth group football under the auspices of the Commander through the GFA and now on our first approach to Ansa McAl we were greeted with open hands.” Building capacity in terms of developing more first division players who can make it to the Elite level is priority, Hicken underscored. ”In forecasting, Ansa McAl also took responsibil-
ity in terms of part sponsorship for the grassroots football which we are coming to the community with immediately after this league, so the succession is good.” Hicken also informed that tournaments would be played at the Under13, 15, 17 and 19 levels during the year. ”Like Ansa McAl, we can only ask other stakeholders from the corporate sector to come on board because we are seeing the benefits from developing football at all levels in this country. If you maximize the use of the youths especially, have them do
something constructive with their energy, I think society will develop in terms of morals. We have less perpetration of violence because we will be focused in terms of mentorship by keeping them {players} occupied.” Football, Hicken explained would be developed to a level so that Guyana can be very proud stating that there is no doubt that we have capacity, pointing out that he likes the support that is coming from the GFF and the level of communication towards the single objective of developing the sport.
Over 65 horses entered for Regal to represent Guyana Port Mourant Turf Club meet at 13th Florida Cup Festival Banks DIH Limited is major sponsor With race day set for tomorrow all systems are in place for the Port Mourant Turf Club grand one day horserace meet at the Club’s entity Port Mourant, Corentyne, Berbice. Sizzling action is anticipated with seven races carded for the day. So far over 70 horses have entered for the action which has over $4M in cash, trophies and other incentives up for grabs. The feature event, sponsored by Banks DIH Limited, is open to all imported and locally bred horses. The distance is 5F with the winner set to take home $700,000 and trophy. A star studded field has been lined up for the event with the much vaunted American Boss set to do battle against a star studded field. That includes the likes of Princess She’s Not, Plum Plum, Storm Bird, Big man Bass and Storm Mark.
The G and lower race over will be run over 6.5Furlongs for a winning pocket of $300,000 and trophy and will see the likes of Rosetta, Chelsea, Birdman, Comprador, Settling star, Midnight Blues, Bridle Stone Corner and Quiet Strom among others. The H1 and lower event already has the likes of Midnight Blues, Goldikova, Silver Bell, Amazing Run, Princess Maya, Cat Messiah, Quiet storm, Monsoon Bird Man, Jumbo’s Gift, Miss Lova Lova, Atlantic Storm and Weekend Surprise set top compete for the $250,000 and trophy over 6.5F. The race for Three-Year-Old maiden horses bred and born in Guyana has a winning pocket of $220,000 and trophy also over 5F and has such animals as Ready for Romance, She in control, Touch D road and Secret Thinker, Miss Chatrina, Daddy’s Dol-
lar, We Control and Golden Kiss. The ‘J’ and Lower race will see the winner taking home $160,000 over 6F and has the likes of Party time, Affinity, Massiquita Dr, Liquid lion, Red Region and Savion. The K class will see the likes of Royal Stallion, Turn about, Smarty light and Speed vision racing for a first prize of $140,000 and trophy over 6F. The L class event also over 6F for a winning take of $120,000 and trophy will see the likes of Call She Royal, Magaline, Blondie, Royal Progressive and Iron man among the 16 participants entered for the event. Among the bevy of sponsors on board include Republic Bank Rose Hall Branch, Peter Lewis Association Construction and Shaba Car Rental. They join other major sponsors in Banks DIH (Continued on page 25)
Guyana Softball Cup 5 champions Regal is slated to represent Guyana at the 13th Florida Softball Cup which will be held from March 11-13 at Brain Picelo Park. The competition is being held to celebrate Guyana’s 50th Independence Anniversary and is organised by the Consulate of Guyana in association with the South Florida Softball Cricket League (SFSCL). Members of both teams met with Director of Sport Christopher Jones this past week at his Homestretch Avenue office where Jones wished the teams well and promised his support. He encouraged the players to put their best feet forward since they will be representing the people and Government of Guyana. Regal defeated New York All Stars and Floodlight in the Guyana Cup 5 Open and Masters finals respectively at DCC in 2015. Vice Captain of the
team Samuel Kingston told Kaieteur Sport that Regal were invited by the organisers to be part of their 50th Anniversary celebrations. He expressed confidence and they are eager to showcase their talent and win the tournament. “We have a number of talented players who can hold their own in any given situation so I am confident we can go all the way,” he added. The Open side will be led by Chien Gittens and includes Richard Latif who was voted MVP in the Open segment in last year’s Guyana Cup, Safraz Esau and Fazal Rafiek, while the Masters’ team will be captained by Troy Kippins. Regal and Wolf’s Warriors of West Demerara are the Guyana teams invited to take part in the Open category of the competition, while the others are Tristate, Hurricanes, Orlando Softball Cricket League, SFSCL, New York Enforcers and Merce-
nary. In the Masters division, Regal will join Floodlight (Guyana), Tristate, Better Hope NY, OSCL, SFSCL, Brooklyn Legend. The teams dependent on the issuance of United States visas read; Open - Chien Gittens (Capt.), Samuel Kingston, Pritvinauth Motilall, Safraz Esau, Roohit Dutchin, Delroy Perreira, Seewchand Budhu, Balram Roopnarine, Sachin Singh, Navin Singh, Kawson Joseph, Richard Latif, Ricky Sergeant, Fazal Rafiek and Tyrone Sanasie. Masters - Troy Kippins (Capt.), Mahendra Hardyal, Rudolph Baker, Mahesh Chunilall, Shawn Massiah, Fazleem Mohamed, Laurie Singh, Longsford Klass, Mohamed Rafeek, Rudolph Rodrigues, Eion Abel, Peter Persaud, Raymond Harper, Afzal Haniff and Amarnauth Boodhoo. Intercab Kharamattalee manager. (Zaheer Mohamed)
Saturday February 06, 2016
Kaieteur News
Page 33
South E’bo battle East Bank E’bo for ECB Busta title tomorrow Kevon Boodie
Ryan Hercules By Zaheer Mohamed South Essequibo will take on East Bank Essequibo in the final of the Essequibo Cricket Board Busta 40-over festival tomorrow at the New Opportunity Corps ground on the Essequibo Coast. In what is expected to be a keenly contested affair, South Essequibo will be led by Royan Fredericks while East Bank will be s p e a r h e a d e d b y Ry a n Hercules. South batting will be centered on the skipper, Norman Fredericks, Brandon Cabose and Ricardo Peters who scored the first century in the recently concluded Local Franchise League 50-over tournament. Anthony Adams will lead their bowling with support from Neilan
Royan Fredericks Cadogan and Akieni Adams. Ryan Hercules is aware of his opponents’ strength but feels his side has what it takes to win the contest. Speaking with Kaieteur Sport Hercules said that his team is an experienced one and his players are confident. “We have a great team and we will be looking to bring home the winning trophy. It will also be my last game playing for East Bank so I want to finish on a high,” he stated. When quizzed as to why this will be his last game for East Bank, the allrounder informed that he wants to give other players a chance to show case their talent. He expressed gratitude to the Guyana Beverage Company for their contribution to the sport
Kemol Savory
Anthony Adams
throughout Guyana. There batting seems formidable with Kevon Boodie, Kemol Savory, Michael Goberdhan and Jason Heyliger. Left arm spinner Hemchand Persaud, Jimol Marks and Edwin Burnette are expected to bolster their bowling. Action gets underway at 09:30 hrs. Te a m s ; S o u t h Essequibo; Royan Fredericks (Capt.), Norman Fredericks, Ricardo Peters, Kurty Jones, Brandon Cabose, Anthony Adams, Rovin Dusraj, Akini Adams, Javed Azeez, Neilan Cadogan, Otis Roberts, David Williams, Romario Mohabir, Mahendra Persaud and Joel Fortune. Forbes Daniels (Coach) and Andy Ramnarine (Manager).
East Bank Essequibo; Ryan Hercules (Capt.), Kevon Boodie, Kemol Savory, Hemchand Persaud, Michael Goberdhan, Sheldon Alexander, Jason Heyliger, Trevon Garraway, Tr e v o r B e n n , E d w i n Burnette, Javed Shafeek, Rayon Hendricks and Jimol Marks. Leroy Halls (Manager).
BCB/J Z Mohamed of City Bias, New York, USA Inter Zone U-15 tournament
New Amsterdam/East Canje and Lower Corentyne record low scoring victories
N e w Amsterdam/Canje/East Bank continued their winning ways with a close two wicket win over West Berbice, while Lower Corentyne bounced back from their first round defeat to beat Upper Corentyne in the second round of the JZ Mohamed of City Bias, New York, USA inter zone under15 cricket tournament organised by the Berbice Cricket Board and were played last Sunday. Playing at the picturesque D’Edward ground, West Bank, Berbice, West Berbice won the toss and took first strike but crumbled for a modest 71 all
out in 22 of their allotted 50 overs. Berbice under-15 all rounder Nigel Deodat was the only batsman to score double figure making 15. 2015 President’s Eleven all rounder Aaron Beharry led the way, bowling for the combined NA/Canje/East Bank team taking 4 for 12 off 5.3 overs. He got support from his skipper Jevan Schultz with 3 for 12 and Nicky Noble 3 for 13. In reply, the combined team found the going tough with some discipline bowling from the West Berbice side. Only Beharry and opener Jarron France with 23 each made scores of significance and in the
process helping their team to a narrow 2 wicket win. Bowling for the West Berbice side, Captain Seon Glasgow (Jnr) took 3 for 10 off 7 overs and Nigel Deodat 2 for 11 off his ten overs. Over at the No 72 Cut and Load ground in the Upper Corentyne area, the home team lost to Lower Corentyne but no scores were available up to press time. However, the scores will follow at a subsequent press release. The Berbice Cricket Board is expressing thanks to Shabeer Baksh of Blairmont Cricket Club for hosting the game at the D’Edward (Continued on page 25)
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Kaieteur News
Saturday February 06, 2016
Action packed rugby fixed for this weekend
The competition this weekend promise to be as intense as last weekend. The excitement continues today and tomorrow in the National Park when play in the GTT/GRFU First Division 15 league scrums off once again. Today Pepsi Hornets would be looking to continue their winning trend when they take on Police falcons at 4:00 in the afternoon. Hornets are
expected to field an unchanged squad against Police who are still young in the game but would be pressing hard to win their first game in the league. According to coach Troy Yhip of the Police Falcons the team would be coming with extra fire power and would not be going down without a fight. When the league got
started last weekend Hornets pulled off a major upset when they came from behind to defeat one of the top clubs Yamaha Caribs in the second quarter of the game 38-20 to announce their intention that they are going to be a force in the league. Meanwhile, tomorrow the action is expected to be more intense when two of the most experienced teams,
UG Wolves and Yamaha clash. UG fresh from their trouncing of Police Falcon club 64-5 would be looking to extend the same to Caribs also, but Caribs led by National coach Theodore Henry would be looking to turn the tables on UG Wolves as the team is hungry to register their first points on the table.
UG’s coach Laurie Adonis stated that he expects Caribs to come strong at them but the guys are up to the challenge, he said the team would be working on several game plans to lockdown Caribs. Games slated for both days start at 4:00 in the afternoon at the National Park Rugby field. The GTT/GRFU League
would be used as a bench mark by the Guyana Rugby Union for selection of players to the National squad for international engagements later in the year. The four teams competing in the tournament are Yamaha Caribs, UG Wolves, Police Falcons, and Pepsi Hornets, while the tournament is sponsored by Telephone giant, GTT.
Ansa McAl on board with Young Warriors CC fundraiser - Mash Cup 2016 Beverage giant, Ansa McAl has once again come on board with the now popular annual fundraiser of the Young Warriors Cricket Club of Cumberland, East Canje, Berbice - Mash Cup 2016. At a simple presentation ceremony held recently, Imran Khan, marketing representative of the Berbice area, handed over the sponsorship cheque to Hubern Evans, Senior Coach of the club. Khan said that his company is proud to be associated with the cricket club, which has over the years produced many outstanding cricketers with the latest being current West Indies under-19 captain Shimron Hetmyer, who is in Bangladesh for the Youth World Cup. Hetmyer is also a senior national opener. He continued by commending the club for providing opportunities for the young people in the Canje area. He also praised the club for the level of accountability they have shown over the years. Evans in reply, thanked the company for coming on board once again after providing support for every tournament since its
YWCC senior coach Hubern Evans (left) receives the sponsorship cheque from marketing representative Imran Khan. inception. He said that despite the challenges faced, the club continues to march forward. He emphasized that Ansa McAl is one of the biggest sponsor of the annual fund raiser over the years. He called on other businesses and private individuals to follow suit. Evans warned that the pattern of crimes these days involve many youths. As such, it is important to keep them off the streets and sport is a major way of doing so. The club over the years has helped to keep many young boys off the street and got them constructively engaged, with many enjoying a better life for themselves and families. He reiterated the club’s motto of “Striving for excellence through cricket and education”. This event will form part
of Guyana’s 50th Independence Anniversary celebration with proceeds going tow ards f u r th er improvements to the club’s facilities and day to day running. In addition, funds will be allocated to three schools in the No 19 to Gangaram area. The tournament will be played on Tuesday February 23, 2016, a national holiday and will involve ten second division teams from the area. It will be five overs a side with no first division cricketer allowed. Top clubs such as Canje Pathfinders, Betsy Ground Triple Stars, Kendall’s Union A, Rose Hall Community Center and the host are expected to take part. Incentives with the value of over $100,000 will be up for grabs with lots of gate prizes on offer for the fans.
Saturday February 06, 2016
Kaieteur News
Page 35
Nightly halftime CFU has ‘good idea’ who it entertainment for will support in FIFA race Mega Mecca III
By Edison Jefford A nightly halftime entertainment show will be a fixed feature throughout the upcoming National Basketball Championships: The Road to Mecca III, which will be held for a third straight year at the mecca of local basketball, The Cliff Anderson Sports Hall. In an effort to continue the momentum that was generated over the last two years in the sport, the organising committee of what is being dubbed ‘Mega Mecca III’ is planning to engage patrons in new ways that will set new standards for the sport in Guyana. The aim is to raise the bar and attempt to eliminate all boredom and nonchalance derived from a generally low-keyed atmosphere; the planned halftime entertainment programmes are engineered to encourage fans and families to support their respective teams and players. Without giving too much away before the championships is officially
launched in two weeks, the organisers said that halftime will feature performances from popular local artistes in addition to a range of spectator-friendly games for sponsors’ giveaways. Supporters of the event that is scheduled to start early March will have a chance to win sponsors’ memorabilia and even cash once they are selected to participate in the games; one of the novelty games will be patrons shooting for cash and collectables from various points on the court, which increases with degree of difficulty. Meaning, the free-throw shot prize will be less than the three-point shot prize, and the three-point shot prize less than the half-court shot prize. One of Guyana’s foremost comics will be Master of Ceremonies (MC) t h r o u g h o u t t h e Championships. It was necessary to introduce arts and culture into the sport for more than one reason this year the organisers believe, given that Guyana will be celebrating
50 years of Independence in May. They felt it was important to celebrate that t h r o u g h o u t t h e Championships. In fact, the full tag line for the Championships is The Road to Mecca III: The Jubilee Edition. It will be launched in a trendy environment with teams, officials, sponsors and the public invited to participate in what will become a Launch Party. It is hoped that from the launch, the environment is set for a riveting Championships that will be historic in more ways than one. Already the buzz among teams is which among them will have a distinguished honour of winning the title in Guyana’s Jubilee year. The Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) has named and seeded the 16 teams, which will compete over three weekends for the ultimate prize. The teams drawn are from Georgetown, Linden and Berbice, the three active GABF subassociations.
BVA 2016 season continues tomorrow with one day open tournament at Fyrish The Berbice Volley Association (BVA) has hit the ground running for 2016 with a number of volleyball tournaments, seminars/workshops and outreach programmes. It has been one of the most active sports associations/ organisations in the country so far this and is set to continue in that vein. In that light it is continuing its busy schedule with the staging of a one day open tournament for both male and female teams tomorrow at the Fyrish volleyball court, Corentyne. The tournament, which is a joint venture between the BVA and the Fyrish Volleyball Club, is expected to attract the top teams in Berbice. Among them are Port Mourant Training Centre, one, two and three, Three Door Strikers, Port Mourant Jaguars, Albion United, No 53 Survival, Tain Humanitarian
and Corriverton Jets, host Fyrish among others. Two female teams have also been entered for the competition namely Black Birds Volleyball club and Corriverton females. Serve off time is 09:00 hrs. The tournament is all part of the BVA push to spread the game to all parts of the county. Teams are asked to turn up with their uniforms and balls if possible. Prizes and trophies are up for grabs and will be presented to the winning and runner up teams and outstanding individual players, including the best setter, best spiker, most discipline team and the team in the best uniform. The day’s competition will be played in three categories - seniors, females and juniors. (Samuel Whyte)
This combination of file photos shows (from top left) FIFA presidential candidates Gianni Infantino, Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa, Jerome Champagne, Prince Ali bin alHussein and Tokyo Sexwale. (Jamaica Observer) The 31-member bloc of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) has not yet made it public which candidate it will support in the upcoming FIFA presidential elections. But its president, Gordon Derrick, conceded to the Jamaica Observer that the membership has a clear idea as to who it is likely to collectively back in the fiveman race, which will culminate at a congress in Zurich on February 26. Four of the candidates — Jordan’s Prince Ali Al Hussein, Sheikh Salman Bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa of Bahrain, Frenchman Jerome Champagne and Italian Gianni Infantino — have made recent trips to the Caribbean in an effort to sway support. “They came and they told us what they can do to develop small island states, and each of them was saying the right things… I believe in transparency and I invited all five candidates,” Derrick said. The other candidate, South African businessman
Tokyo Sexwale, did not take up an invitation, but it’s possible that he may try to seize another opportunity to reach out to the political powerbroker, which is the Caribbean. Though the CFU has not said so, well-placed sources suggest the region could throw its support behind AlKhalifa, who is one of the front-runners in the race. The other top contender is thought to be UEFA general secretary, Infantino. The CFU, which has 31 votes of the 41-member C O N C A C A F, h a s historically been referred to as a kingmaker, as their support is seen as high value for those who previously run for football’s top job. Disgraced and longserving FIFA President Joseph ‘Sepp’ Blatter, who is serving a career-ending eight-year suspension, has often boasted of the unflinching support he has enjoyed from the Caribbean region over the years. While each territory in the CFU has the autonomy of
voting for whichever candidate it chooses, the region has traditionally thrown its support behind one candidate, and it is widely expected that this tradition will continue. “Each country has to vote, but normally we bring everybody in and we try to rally around one candidate, but we have not decided who we are going with as yet, although we have a good idea which way to go. “Campaigning is still going on and we want to make sure we make the right decision,” said Derrick, who himself is canvassing support for his bid to become the CONCACAF president at a congress in Mexico City on May 12. In the race for CONCACAF’s top post, only Bermuda Football Association President Larry Mussenden and Canadabased Guyanese-born football executive Mark Rodriguez have so far declared their interest to run for the post, although other candidates may emerge in the coming weeks.
EBDCA Executive Cup climaxes tomorrow The final of the East Bank Demerara Cricket Association Executive Cup T20 tournament will be contested tomorrow at Farm between North Soesdyke and Bayrock of Linden. North Soesdyke will depend on the likes of Leroy
Primo, Stephan Blacks, Ronald Jaisingh and Rakesh Gangaram, while Bayrock will look to Leonard Caleb, Stephan Brown, Leon Moseley and Lancelot Eastman. Action gets underway at 12:30 hrs. Meanwhile, the
a s s o c i a t i o n ’s 5 0 - o v e r competition will commence today with Laluni hosting Ruimveldt (Daniel Richmond and Andrew Allen) and Herstelling playing Uprising at Farm (Peter Montfort and Reginald Grant). Matches start at 09:00 hrs.
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$3.5M Stag/GFA Premier League unveiled GFC host opening double header tomorrow
Ansa McAl PRO Ms. Darshanie Yussuf (3rd right) presents the sponsorship cheque to GFA President Commander Clifton Hicken in the presence of from right, Frank Parris, Sean Abel, Ms. Althea Scipio and Charles Greaves.
Regal to represent Guyana at 13th Florida Cup Festival
Members of the Regal open and Masters Teams display their winning trophies from the Guyana Softball Cup 5 with Director of Sport Christopher Jones (center). Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Limited, 24 Saffon St.Charlestown, Georgetown.Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/ 226-8210