Kaieteur News
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KAIETEUR NEWS Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: ADAM HARRIS Tel: 225-8491, 225-8458, 225-8465 Fax: 225-8473 or 226-8210
Editorial
THE ABILITY TO LEAD In Guyana the onus is on the media, institutions and the general public to constrain the unfettered exercise of executive power by a ruling party. The other real prospect of limiting the exercise of executive power is losing it through an election. The Parliament, independent institutions, public opinion and the media, especially the print media have indeed provided an effective check on the reckless exercise of power by the previous administration. The citizens may recall the 28 years of unbroken rule by the People’s National Congress (PNC) between 1964 and 1992, followed by 23 years of uninterrupted rule of the PPP from 1992 to 2015. Both parties were considered to be corrupt, and partisan. They made little attempt at diversifying the economy and improve the well-being of the masses. The last administration was crude and vulgar, as a result, it was voted out of office in 2015. The new government should grab the opportunity and diversify the economy and reform the constitution in order to preserve the rudiments of democracy. Given the present economic situation, high unemployment, the crime rate, and the high-level of poverty among other issues, the challenge for the government is formidable. It has to revisit its vision for the society, reach out to the people outside its core support base and pursue its objective of change, building alliances, unity, develop the economy and provide a better life for all. However, it seems that the current leadership in government has not done a good job at inspiring the people, especially the youths. The government has remained silent to the almost daily vicious attacks by the opposition while its base of support in the City is being torn apart by senior officials at City Hall who continue to mistreat the vendors. So far, the government has not formulated any credible policies and has not been communicating effectively with the people. Neither has it been proactive nor has it used the media efficiently to inform the people of its plans. The health of the nation’s democracy depends on the government undertaking its responsibility to govern in the interest of all. The last administration did not rise to the occasion. There are questions as to whether this government has risen to the challenge to solve the country’s problems. Others are concerned that mismanagement of the economy, corruption and the lack of discipline would prevent the development of the country and truly move it into the 21st century. During the 2015 election campaign, the current leadership embraced the principles of good governance which involves transparency and accountability. In office for 20 months, it has been pursuing this course albeit in the face of distractions by the opposition. Even measures to bring the tax dodgers to book are being seen in a political light. In fact, every effort to correct a flawed economic system and to remove cronies of the previous administration is dubbed attacks on supporters of the political opposition. It is as if every business enterprise is owned by supporters of the opposition. But the government is not advertising its work. Its lack of communication with the public has led to a decline in popularity. The same wave of discontent from the last administration is now confronting the government and there seems to be no solutions in sight. The success of the nation depends on the policies developed and advanced by the government, its accessibility to the print media to inform the public, and its tenacious resolve to solve problems. It has the ability to lead and it must do so urgently.
Sunday January 29, 2017
Kaieteur M@ilbox Send your letters to Kaieteur News 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown or email us kaieteurnews@yahoo.com
Time for an investigation into Ronald Waddell’s death Dear Editor, January 30, 2017 will mark the eleventh year since the assassination of my brother and comrade, Ronald Waddell. There were several reports from eyewitnesses, who spoke about hearing rapid gunfire and seeing, illuminated on the sky line, (tracer bullets) as the sound of the deadly gunfire rang out. In the aftermath, it was discovered that the victim of that vicious attack was Ronald Waddell and by then, the gunmen had made good their escape in a waiting motor car. When the news broke that Waddell was killed and the manner in which the execution was carried out, public opinion was that the PPP regime was responsible for the killing. People concluded that the rulers conspired with their then ally, the infamous drug lord, Roger Khan, to take him out. The regime, faced with widespread public
condemnation, was forced to release a statement condemning the killing as unfortunate and promised to bring to justice, those responsible. The statement was deemed an act of hypocrisy on the part of the regime. It was far from convincing. Only the politically-naive at the time believed that there was no government involvement in the killing. The fact that Waddell was an uncompromising critic of the regime and an advocate for the empowerment and liberation of Africans could not be denied. He seized on every opportunity to make his positions known and he fearlessly spoke out against the PPP government’s oppressive policies, which marginalised the African poor and powerless. His advocacy on these issues offended the rulers and their allies in the drug trade. As a result of incurring their wrath several death threats were
directed at him. There was a deliberate and systematic policy by the regime and their allies to ostracise and deem him a racist. Waddell was also subjected to public verbal attacks by officials of the government, including then President Bharrat Jagdeo. The extent of the PPP’s disaffection with Waddell and, confirmation of the State and Roger Khan’s involvement in his execution was revealed in a US court in 2010, during the trial of Khan‘s American Attorney, Robert Simmels. In Simmels’ criminal trial Selwyn Vaughn, a self-confessed former member of Khan‘s phantom/death squad, who gave a sworn testimony as a prosecution witness, said that elements of Roger Khan’s death squad, acting under instructions from Khan, carried out the execution of Waddell. Vaughn further (Continued on page 05)
Sunday January 29, 2017
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WPA oversees group wants explanation from the President
What about Royston King’s East Street parking lot?
DEAR EDITOR, The Working People’s Alliance Overseas Associates (WPAOA) have been following the issue surrounding President Granger’s rejection of the list of candidates for Chairman of Gecom submitted to him by the Leader of the Opposition as constitutionally required. The WPAOA is concerned by the manner in which this process has developed. This is the first time that a list was ever rejected; even if President Granger felt that some names were unacceptable there must have been a few that met the criteria of “fit and proper”. As a result we in the WPAOA feel that this matter requires President Granger to publicly address the nation explaining his rationale and his expecta-
tions. A meeting between former Attorney General Anil Nandlall and Attorney General Basil Williams cannot suffice. No one would want to be on a list for consideration when the criteria for appointment are not clearly enunciated and even in their succinct form appear to have been violated, and inevitably the process is allowed to degenerate into narrow party manipulation. The President should also explain to the people why someone with the qualifications, experience and independence of Mr Christopher Ram was rejected from the original list. Keith Branch Press Secretary WPAOA
Time for an investigation into Ronald... From page 4 testified that he was the lookout man in the operation. He told the court that after the execution, drug kingpin, Roger Khan, immediately called a Senior Minister in the PPP government, and informed him that the operation was successful. Vaughn also testified that Khan instructed the Minister to ensure that no medical attention should be given to Waddell when his body arrived at the Georgetown Public Hospital. In his sworn evidence at Simmel’s trial, which was not refuted by the defence, Vaughn stated that Khan indicated to the Minister that he must “Let him (Waddell) die”. Vaughn’s unchallenged testimony at Simmel’s trial was a clear indictment of the PPP regime and Roger Khan’s collusion in the assassination of Waddell. Comrades involved in the struggle against the PPP’s oppressive behaviour understood the political context of the execution and were not fooled by the regime hypocritical statement on the killing. It is now 19 months since a change in government in Guyana and surprisingly, there is no indication that the incumbent coalition government intends to treat the matter of Waddell’s assassination as one of high priority. Throughout the country and particularly, in the African community, there is growing uneasiness that the execution of Waddell and the killing of the more than four hundred citizens, who died extra-judicially, the majority of them at the hands of state sponsored killers, during the PPP’s rule, have been put on the back
burner. For many Guyanese this is a troubling development given the commitment by the APNU+AFC coalition, who while in opposition committed to pursue and bring to justice those responsible for these blatant acts of murder. It is understandable that while the PPP was in office the law enforcement agencies never carried out any serious investigations to find Waddell’s killers. But, in the new dispensation ushered in by the results of the 2015 elections the fact that there is no statement emanating from the powers that be, that these killings will now be treated with the seriousness they deserve is at best, extremely worrying. Over the years many persons within the African community have, on the occasions of great disaster, personal and national, been consoling themselves and each other with the saying “God works in mysterious ways”, in making these statements they have been implying that God, in periods of great distress, will deliver justice when the authorities fail to act. Notwithstanding the value of faith, I have over the years
told myself that those of us who expect God to intervene as they want, have to take to the streets and demand justice for Ronald Waddell, Courtney Crum Ewing and the more than 400, mainly Africans men killed extra-judicially when the PPP was in office . It is then more likely that divine intervention will be manifested. We must remember it is written that God help those who help themselves. It is my conviction that it is our ongoing patriotic duty to continue to expose the wickedness of the former rulers and demand justice for our martyrs. The Guyanese nation we have to keep reminding ourselves of the horrors of the past, and ensure that the past is not repeated. We owe this to those who perished as a result of the PPP’s reprehensible behavior, we owe it to ourselves and we owe it to future generations. We must say no to statesponsored political killings. In the absence of a national agreement on the establishment of a truth commission, we must bring to justice those responsible for these crimes, including the intellectual authors, many of whom were officials in the former regime. Tacuma Ogunseye
DEAR EDITOR, I call on the Town Clerk of the Georgetown Municipality, Royston King, to explain his position on the privately operated parking lot, on East Street. After all, it’s the very Town Clerk who by way of a questionable letter (attached to this letter to the editor) granted permission to Astrolobe Technology Inc. (the said company that signed the first contract for parking meters in Georgetown. Surely, the Town Clerk should be aware that he has no power (absolutely, no power) to act on behalf of the Georgetown City Council, unless an issue is brought before the council for discussion, followed by a majority decision in favor of, or against. Unfortunately, the controversial Town Clerk seems to enjoy violating the laws that
govern the city (Chapter 28:01) and more importantly, individuals’ Constitutional Rights, with impunity. Of course, there’s a preponderance of evidence to substantiate his often times unacceptable actions taken, without the council’s approval. Regarding to the now white elephant parking lot, on East Street, I wish to remind the Town Clerk, the Mayor, and the entire council, that they have an obligation to first consult with residents, and to execute projects that are beneficial for the council, and residents. In closing, here’s a reminder of how the affected East Street residents feel about the parking lot: “A resident, who has been living in the community for over a decade who has preferred to speak on condition of ano-
nymity said that the Council never held discussions with residents before they implemented the facility. She stated that people are now parking along the road, which is causing traffic congestion on the busy week days. “If you got to go to the hospital and the doctor take six to seven hours to look you after, these means you to pay a set of money just to leave you car in there”, the woman added. Another resident, who gave her name as Akeisha said that she feels cheated and disrespected by the Council’s move. She stressed that City Hall should not go in the area and do as they please without interacting with residents. Inow await a response, or swift decision on the King’s East Street Parking Lot. Mark A. Benschop Team Benschop
Improvements needed on roads in Sophia DEAR EDITOR, In the past 20 months, there has been a flurry of infrastructural works in the suburban area comprising sub-sections Sophia, Pattensen, Liliendaal, South Turkeyen and Cummings Park, commonly referred to in general as Sophia. Asphalted roads have been constructed where tracks and dams once existed, and street lights installed under what I think is called the Sophia Ring Road project. Habitation of this vast area on the eastern outskirts of Georgetown, with an estimated population of 30,000, was encouraged by the late Dr Cheddi Jagan even prior to his ascension to the presidency in 1992. It saw the evolution and
transformation from what was likened to a huge squatter settlement to a modestly regularized housing area. Regrettably, Dr Jagan’s successors virtually forsook this section of the capital in the 20 years prior to 2015. Any infrastructural work done during that period was of a shoddy nature by contractors who seemingly disappeared leaving incomplete works behind. I know of a particular street that eroded and developed potholes less than a month after its construction. The recent infrastructural works by the current APNU+AFU coalition government have been timely and particularly good, given the high density population comprised of a mainly youthful lower to middle class component. It gives the inhabitants a sense of belonging and
inclusivity. Notwithstanding the improvements, the infrastructural works seem to have come to a sudden halt without explanation. The stretch of road, commonly called ‘B-Field’ road, running north to south from Dennis Street to the Lamaha Canal, which was resurfaced, has deteriorated significantly due to the volume of traffic detoured from other accessways previously under construction. Erosion is at its worst closer to the 10th field. This is just one of the many motorways without revetment, sandwiched by parallel canals, where high volumes of traffic cause deterioration over time. The B-Field road undoubtedly has the highest volume of traffic since it is also used as alternative (Continued on page 6)
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Kaieteur News
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Rule of law and good governance under threat by the APNU+AFC DEAR EDITOR, From the inception of the APNU+AFC government, the rule of law and good governance in Guyana have been under threat. It has become necessary for me to issue the reminder that the Constitutional and Rights Commissions, namely the Indigenous Peoples Commission, the Women and Gender Equality Commission, the Rights of the Child Commission, the Human Rights Commission, the Ethnic Relations Commission
and the Public Procurement Commission are all entitled to independence afforded them by the constitution. Their autonomy, financial and operational independence must be preserved and respected by the executive, their agents, servants and the legislature. No one who is not a commissioner or the commission acting as a whole has any right or authority or privilege to interfere in the staffing, fixing of work programmes or giving any di-
rections whatsoever as it relates to their functions. The chief executive officers and all staff members must be aware that they are protected and are not beholden to any authority outside of the commission. They are expected to perform their duties impartially and free from fear. They cannot be sanctioned by anyone outside of their respective commissions. As it relates to the Ethnic Relations Commission, Article 212 B (6) states: “The Ethnic
Relations Commission shall appoint a Chief Executive Officer who shall serve as Secretary and such other officers as may be necessary for the efficient discharge of its functions, on such terms and conditions as may be determined by the Commission, save that the remuneration of the officers and employees shall be subject by the approval of the National Assembly”. As it relates to the Constitutional Rights Commission stated above, Article 212
Incompetence of City Hall highlighted once again DEAR EDITOR, Every Guyanese from the youngest child has been taught in school that Guyana has two rainy seasons, one during the Christmas period and early in the year and in the other in the May/June period. In fact who had forgotten that lesson, learnt the hard way in December 2005 when the rainy season really made its presence felt. How could the members of the Georgetown City Council forget this episode, which we now call the ‘Great Flood’ or are they just blissfully waiting for another one. From all appearances that is exactly what they are doing. Fast forward to last December the day before Christmas Eve, the heavens opened and rain poured ‘cats and dogs’, while at the same time the Council claimed that there was a high tide. Despite all that has gone on before, and in spite of the advanced technology avail-
able to us in weather forecasting, the Council like 2005, again seemed to have been taken by surprise. Persons in their well decorated homes for the Christmas were forced to pick up and dry out their carpets, rugs, linoleum and furniture from the lower flats, while many businesses lost millions of dollars in stocks that were stored on the ground in their stores or stalls in the municipal markets but Council bore no liability. In some places like Bel Air Park and South Ruimveldt water took days to drain off, so some persons spent Christmas Day and beyond wading through their lower flats. What was most disappointing however was that the Georgetown City Council claimed they spent nearly eight hundred million dollars of our tax dollars cleaning up, however for just a few millions more, several of the pumps and sluices were left
in a state of disrepair. Such ineptitude in a city government should never be tolerated by the citizenry or central government. Georgetown has a system of interconnected canals and sluices that, if maintained and utilized properly, there would hardly be flooding, and thus the absolute necessity for the Council’s engineering and drainage staff to ensure that these structures are maintained, modernized and rebuilt when necessary. However, instead, they have left pumps to lie inactive for want of spare parts and repairs, allowed squatters to take over the reserves next to the drains preventing effective maintenance of those drains, and have actually filled some of those drains and canals whilst in other cases they have just allowed some sluices to become totally abandoned. It should be noted that everyone suffers from the in-
Improvements needed on roads in... From page 5 by motorists from the East Coast to access South Georgetown and vice versa. The lighting of streets has also been a positive feature, but the distribution is somewhat mind-boggling. Some sections are so heavily lit that you can find a fine-pin on the road at night, while other sections have no light-
ing installed at all. A good example is the D-Field road, where darkness stretches from the Dennis Street junction with the ‘Red Shop’, past the Turkeyen Police Station for about 1,300ft or ¼ mile going south. On that same stretch of road, however, lights prevail from the Mosque going south into Cummings Park. If the lights
allocated are limited then the spread should have been broader to allow for greater coverage. I believe that the tidying up of this infrastructural project is imperative if the current government wishes to score full points for the developmental works at hand. Orette Cutting
competence of a few at City Hall particularly those who live in bottom-flats and who in many instances fall ill from the stagnant dirty water. And as usual City Hall sings the same tune that the cow died on, and that is that sluices cannot be opened when there is high tide, but they are not talking about or taking action against the errant officers whose neglect caused two pumps to be inoperable. While we are willing to concede that our low lying Georgetown will flood given its geographic situation, the fact is that the flooding should not and will not be so dire, if the systems that they inherited from the Dutch are allowed to work the way they were designed to. But of course systems cannot work themselves, rather they have to be operated by people, that are the engineering and drainage staff of the Georgetown City Council. Why are we paying them if they don’t constantly clear and desilt the drains and canals when there is dry weather and if they don’t check and maintain the pumps. When these municipal officers are found to be in dereliction of duty in these crucial areas they should be dealt with condignly, but rather it seems they are given a pat on the back. Deodarie Putulall
P (1) states: “Each commission established under Article 212 G(1) shall appoint on such terms and conditions as may be approved by the National Assembly a Chief Executive Officer (who shall serve as its secretary) and the secretary and assistants to the Chief Executive Officer..”As it relates to the Public Procurement Commission Article 212 Z(2) states “The Commission shall appoint a Chief Executive Officer who shall serve as secretary, and such other officers and employees as may be necessary for the efficient discharge of its functions. The terms and conditions of the Chief Executive Officer and the two most senior officers shall be subject to the approval of the National Assembly.”It is instructive to note that all these commissions receive financing as a direct charge from the Consolidated Fund and are not subject to the same treatment as other budget agencies. Further, Article 226 (1) of the constitution states: “saved as otherwise provided in this Constitution, in the exercise of its functions under this Constitution Commission shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other person or authority”. As a result of the stated above I offer the following guidance: 1- No member of the executive, the Speaker or any member of the National Assembly or staff can interfere with the work and functions of these commissions. 2- The National Assembly is responsible for the process that leads to the naming of the commissioners; once that is accepted by the National Assembly their role is completed. 3- The President, according to the constitution is responsible for the swearing in of these commissioners; once that is done the President’s role is completed. 4-These commissions are to work independently and they provide their reports to the National Assembly. 5- It is the commissions
that advertise, interview, recruit and sign contracts with their staff. The government or any of its servants or agents has no role in staffing these commissions since these commissions are expected to review and pronounce on government’s actions. The staff cannot be beholden to the executive as a contract with the executive compromises the staff, who is the recipient. This should not be allowed and should be rejected by all parties concerned. 6 -It is the various commissions that will determine the remuneration of members of staff subject to the approval of the National Assembly. It therefore follows that it is the various commissions that will determine the contract and terms and conditions of those contracts, not an external authority. 7- It is expected that all commissioners, once sworn in and duly appointed, function independently, impartially, without fear and favour in the execution of their duties and should ensure that their support staff are suited and are free from political interference. 8 -The general public, particularly members of civil society organizations who participated in the process that allows for the appointment of commissioners should not sit in silence and allow these constitutional bodies to be undermined, hijacked or influenced by the executive or any other authority. Breaches must be exposed, condemned, addressed and it is expected that the constitution be upheld as the supreme law of the land. I write this letter as the former Chairman of the Ethnic Relations Commission and as a Member of Parliament and member of the parliamentary Committee of Appointments and Public Accounts Committee. I will be carefully following and publicly speaking on this matter even as we now have in place the Public Procurement Commission and we are getting ready to name new commissioners for the other rights and constitutional commissions. Bishop Juan Edghill
Sunday January 29, 2017
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Many more questions about fraud at the Rice Board
“Thou hypocrite, cast out the beam of thine own eyes”
DEAR EDITOR, I was happy to read in your newspaper that finally the GRDB audit report came out however, the little comments made by the minister is of much concern to me as there is no mention made on the 8 billion dollar margin that was made on the freight of paddy and rice to Venezuela. No mention on the one billion social fund and what happened with it, also what was taken from the “Oil for Rice” contract and the lavish spending of the additional 2 billion charges to the millers etc. All to the detriment of the millers and farmers. It was the undersigned who brought the fraud and mismanagement to light before and during the election and it is my duty to make sure that what I said is substantiated as I have provided all
documents to the auditors unasked. I am a witness who can be called upon and with me many witnesses; therefore prosecution cannot be a problem. Given the magnitude of the fraud I am afraid that there is a chance that much will be swept under the carpet as the persons involved are loaded with money now and money talks. I state this also referring to the new GRDB board which tried to do a questionable deal with Jamaica which we have managed to stop. This was a deal which your newspaper has extensively published which I sincerely thank you for and also the given fact that the new GRDB general manager is on so called administrative leave. I am very much upset as he now relaxes home with a one million dollar salary and perks (new landcruiser etc.)
I call on the minister to make the report public as we as citizen have the right to see it and if the mentioned frauds and grand theft are not highlighted I will lead a private sector team to sue GRDB and the government for the stolen billions . Needless to say that we have no faith in the new GRDB as they are contrary to the Act, handpicked people and clearly with political motives taking this good industry further down . Example - the minister did not know that the Act allows 13 directors; the minister appointed 15. There is the failed Jamaica deal now in court etc. I stand ready for any explanation on the GRDB. Thank you for your continued support to highlight corruption and your effort to make Guyana a better place. Dr.Turhane Doerga
Central Government needs to stop City Hall’s ongoing failures DEAR EDITOR, Well the much touted launch of the infamous parking meter system got off to a rather bumpy start, indeed expectant motorists were quite confused this week when they failed to see any parking meter maids, any constables and the meters standing idle. Hardly the fizzle and pop that was expected. It is only at the Georgetown Municipality that such incompetence, such stupidity, such venality could occur. But then again there may be some other plausible reason for what occurred. As the boys would say, “there seems to be more in the mortar than just the pestle.” Maybe someone is dissatisfied with the whole deal. It is unfathomable that after all of those months of publicity, promotion and advertising that the administration would have failed to submit the requisite municipal bylaws for ministerial approval until the day before. What were they expecting? The Minister blindly signed these new regulations the same way they recklessly signed the contract; which instead of being prepared by them as any sensible city would do, but
which was instead created by the contractor that was skewed considerably in his favour? The time spent by municipal officials flying all around Latin America and posing in front of parking meters and dining with officials from the parking meter company, could have been better spent by them doing their work including drafting the new by-laws that were needed. And why is the Council spending millions of dollars engaging and retaining the services of high priced and fancy law firms when at the end of the day they are made to look so ill-advised? Will the parking meter project be another colossal failure like the many other miscarriages that we have become so accustomed to coming from City Hall such as The Green Conference and Expo, The Flea Market on Regent Street, The Presidential Park, The Parliament View Mall, The Petting Zoo and the list goes on and
on Citizens realize quite clearly the lack of good sense and judgement shown by the Council in entering into this contract which gives the city whose roads, parapets, sidewalks, street lighting it is, a paltry 20% return whilst the contractor whose only investments are some old second hand meters, some galvanized pipes, some cement, some signs and stickers a whopping 80 %. What more will it take to make the Councillors, the Minister of Communities and the President to realize that the administration of the Council is filled with square pegs in round holes and get rid of them. The Council should hire a retired City Manager from one of the cities in a developed country, who would have the experience, the knowledge and would stand apart from the corruption to pull our capital out of this complete mess it has found itself in. There is just no other way out. Nadine Jerrick
DEAR EDITOR, Permit me to respond to the article in Stabroek News, January 26, 2017 by Clement Rohee “Where were the women on Saturday? Yes, where were they? I feel that an appropriate Guyanese saying juxtaposed alongside a biblical exhortation may provide the answer. It na good foh pick up other people fire rage,” and “thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye “ (Matthew 7:5). Do the women in Guyana need overseas impetus, led by Caucasians to jolt their awareness of what is taking place right in their own part of the world?. If as stated by the writer, almost every issue raised (with very few exceptions) affect women in every Caricom country including Guyana, then pray tell me what have they all done thus far? Do they lack the skills to mobilize and spread awareness, or have they become complacent with their lot? Are there no local clarions to be sounded? No leaders to spur them into action? A question was also leveled at the respective Guyanese organizations as to their stand on the issue of women’s demands and struggles. It is time that these organizations in whatever form they exist abandon their Houdini acts and become visible and accountable. Incidentally, it is blatantly apparent that these so- called organizations are not in the same book or on the same page as Mr. Rohee hence their displayed inertia and unconcern. Had they been of the same ilk and fervor, then a different picture would have emerged. In a democracy, demonstrations of any form serve a useful purpose, however this holds true only when clarity
of purpose is present. The latest marches and cities across Africa, Asia and Europe the day after Donald Trump was sworn in, was merely a physical exercise in desperate need of a cause. Of poignant note is the fact that the idea of a march, that would bring together women from all walks of life began to surface on social media like yeast in flour, the morning after the election, when it was blatantly apparent that Hilary Clinton did not become America’s first female president, and a loud mouthed sexist, misogynist, xenophobic did. Initially the event was called the Million Women March, but this had to be quickly abandoned after the three original organizers, all Caucasians were called out for cultural appropriation, as seeming they were guilty of stealing the heritage of the Million Woman March for black women that took place in 1997. Also it was inferred that such a march would also encroach on the famous 1963 I had a Dream March of Martin Luther King Jr. on Washington. The March was touted as the voice of women, which is somewhat absurd as 42% of women and 62% of non-college educated white women actually voted for Trump. Though not much publicized, men were also invited to join the march against the rising xenophobia, normalization of racism, sexism, misogyny and the hate and division that Donald Trump puts forward
as politics. The March is over! The women have been seen and heard? A critical but opportune question remains: What happens now? Organizers (the females) are now faced with the challenge of how to convey the commitment and anger of a protest into action that produces political change, a goal that has evaded other popular movements. It will be more challenging or discouraging now that the Republicans control the Presidency, the Senate and the House. What says Guyana and other Caricom nations? The truth be told or the fact be laid bare, opposing Donald Trump calls for focused alertness, and collaborative militancy that is intelligent, targeted and fittingly calibrated. Merely joining in and prematurely promoting the false concerns of a feminist lobby would make it somewhat difficult to embark on a serious resistance movement. Needless to say, this will cause Trump to see his female critics and protesters as agitated hysterics and disregard the concerns of genuinely targeted groups. To my Guyanese women, a word of advice, Look around the environment as far as the eye can see, so much needs changing, so much to set free. Know your right, stay in your light and fight your own fight. To each their own battle! Yvonne Sam
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Adequate level of foreign currency in the market – Finance Minister Responding to extensive reporting in the media on the existence of a foreign currency shortage in the local market, Finance Minister Winston Jordan, assured Guyanese that there is an adequate level of foreign currency in the market to meet demands. Jordan was at the time addressing the recent opening of a new Citizen’s Bank branch at the corner of Camp Street and South Road, Georgetown. The Minister said that the foreign exchange market in Guyana functions in a liberalized environment, with free currency in the market. “The main intermediaries encompass six banks, 13 nonbank cambios and the Bank of Guyana. Exporters, importers and other participants in the foreign exchange market conduct business with the
commercial bank or cambio of their choice. “The structure, conduct and performance of the foreign exchange market have provided for a relatively stable rate of the Guyana dollar.” He said that recent reporting in the media of a foreign currency shortage created a climate of speculation and hysteria that has been cultivated by some market participants which led to some unwelcomed developments. “As an example, some major companies have been seeking to pay for imports and repatriate profits earlier than required in the usual business cycle. This has created a surge in demand for foreign currency, thereby clogging the market. On the supply side, some exporters are withholding sales of foreign currency to the system, quite
possibly in the hope of provoking a depreciation of the domestic currency so as to maximize their Guyana dollar profits.” Further, the Minister said that the situation has been aggravated by the action of some net foreign exchange earners who are demanding foreign currency from the market while hoarding their foreign currency holdings. “Some companies are even purchasing foreign exchange to facilitate trade for their counterparts outside of Guyana, while a few exporters and importers are conducting foreign exchange transactions bilaterally, outside of the foreign exchange market.” Jordan added that large spreads between the buying and selling rates for foreign currency, particularly by bigger banks, have led to some
level of disintermediation. He said that these banks act as the pacesetters in the pricing of foreign currency and interest rates. “They have great influence in creating uneven competition for smaller banks. These developments have artificially stressed the foreign exchange market. They have the potential of destabilizing Guyana’s fragile economy that is finally recovering from the post General Elections stress of 2015.” The demand for foreign currency, according to the Minister, can be met with the level of foreign exchange in the system. He said this is so even with the fall-off in export earnings of sugar, rice and timber. He reported that the foreign exchange reserves of the Bank of Guyana have increased to US$616M at December 31, 2016 from US$598M at the end of 2015. Additionally, he said that the foreign reserves in commercial banks stand at US$315M at the end of 2016, roughly the same level as in 2015.
Finance Minister, Winston Jordan “Last year, the Bank of Guyana sold approximately US$30 million to commercial banks to smooth out spikes during seasonal demand. Indeed, for the period November - December 2016, the Central Bank sold some US$12 million to the bank cambios to ensure adequate flows of foreign exchange to the market. The Bank of Guyana will continue its interventions in the market as warranted.”
To guarantee that the situation does not get out of hand, Jordan said that despite efforts of commercial bank cambios to ensure orderly market behaviour; other main stakeholders such as nonbank cambios, exporters and importers also have a responsibility to ensure their conduct does not have a negative impact on the foreign exchange market and the macro economy. He said that in a market with limited players in which one or two are dominant, it is incumbent on all to act responsibly to avoid disintermediation and interruption of orderly flows of foreign exchange. Jordan assured that his government continues to stand ready to act decisively if current appeals fail. Meanwhile, this publication was informed by a number of commercial banks that they are not able to service certain transactions. When the Camp Street branch of Republic Bank was questioned Kaieteur News (Continued on page 12)
Sunday January 29, 2017
Dem boys seh...
Donald Trump will be another Donald Dumb Time longer than twine and nuff people don’t remember that saying. Trump, de erratic, is one of dem; Jagdeo, that scamp, is two; and Donald Dumb is de third. Yesterday, Trump ban all visas to people from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen. Some of de people from dem country already had visa and actually travel to de States. Some of dem sell out all dem property and when dem land de immigration tell dem that dem can’t come in; how Trump seh suh. Dem boys seh that is what you call discrimination. Dem have Muslims in Russia, in Saudi Arabia; and in Indonesia, de largest Islamic country. He didn’t touch dem because Russia got something wha he can’t talk hard to.As for Saudi Arabia, dem got black gold (oil); Indonesia got textile, paper and most of de world’s materials for manufacturing that Trump need. Trinidad got Muslims; in fact terrorists left Trinidad and go and fight for ISIS in Iraq and Syria. But dem got oil too. Guyana got Muslims too, but Guyana just find oil. Dem boys seh, put you pot pun de fire he not touching Guyana or Trinidad. De most he gun do is single out one and two people. De way Trump behave is exactly how Jagdeo, that scamp, use to behave. Trump never disclose he taxes and Jagdeo never disclose he earnings and how he get dem. De same way how Trump don’t have regards for de law and people’s rights is de same way Jagdeo disregard de laws of Guyana and disrespect de constitution and people’s rights. Dumb Trump would seh something today and seh he never seh suh tomorrow. Jagdeo do de same thing. He agree to change de constitution to limit de presidential term; then he sign de change and mek it law. Then he tun round and put people to go to court to challenge de same term limit wha he mek into law. Now he seh wha he agree to yesterday, unlawful today and that the he didn’t sign that law; is Donald Dumb sign it. De same man who Jagdeo seh sign de term limit thing, get he car clamp when he park outside Freedom House, like a dummy, yesterday. Talk half and watch how Donald Trump gun walk out he office just like Donald Dumb Ramotar.
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Kaieteur News
AFC hosts 5th Biennial conference on West Demerara
Former Deputy Mayor of Georgetown, Sherod Duncan (centre) and an AFC representative posing for the camera. The colour of Vreed-enHoop, West Demerara, was yesterday green and yellow as the Alliance for Change (AFC) held its Fifth Biennial Conference at the community’s Primary School. The event was held under the theme “In Unity; Improving Governance; Focused on the Vision’. The
event saw delegates and observers from all corners of Guyana coming out in their numbers to appoint a new Leader, Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, General Secretary and Treasurer of the 12-year-old party. The party has an Electoral College system comprising 275 delegates with
Region Four (Demerara/ Mahaica) with the largest number (75) followed by Region Six (East Berbice/ Corentyne), 40 delegates; Region One (Barima/Waini), 10 delegates; Region Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam), 20 delegates; Region Three (Essequibo Islands/West Demerara), 15 delegates;
Region Five (Mahaica/ Berbice), 20 delegates; Region Seven (Cuyuni/ Mazaruni), 10 delegates; Region Eight (Potaro/ Siparuni), 10 delegates; Region Nine (Upper Takatu/ Upper Essequibo), 10 delegates; and Region 10 (Upper Demerara/Upper Berbice), 20 delegates; Women For Change (WFC), 10 delegates; Youths For Change (YFC), 10 delegates; United States of America Chapter, nine delegates; Canada Chapter, six delegates; Caribbean Chapter , six delegates; and the United Kingdom Chapter, four delegates. The Returning Officer for the elections was Clayton Hall. The roadways leading to the venue were lined with vehicles stretching to Plantain Walk to the South, and to the intersection of the Western Bank and Coast of Continued on page 71
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Sunday January 29, 2017
Kaieteur News
GPL ready to purchase power from independent producers Weeks after scathing criticisms over a series of outages, the state-owned Guyana Power and Light (GPL) is upbeat about a number of major changes which will impact not only the way it operates but also how it manages its assets. On Friday Chairman, Robert Badal, outlined major accomplishments of the oneyear-old board and strategies to be taken in 2017 to deliver a more reliable service to its customers. During last year, there was better financial management in organizing all its financial assets into a consolidated account. From cash sitting in many bank accounts across the country, GPL’s finances are now transferred weekly into one central account. With regards to the Central bank account, Badal
- to save $$millions in overhauls to procurement, inventory disclosed that in the past, there were huge sums being kept in separate accounts for payments made at different locations across the country. The creation of a consolidated account is part of the moves to strengthen GPL’s financial management. Inventory management was ensured with improved procurement procedures. Full computerization of its inventory started and is expected to go live by July 2017. From a completely manual operation of its $3.5B inventory the new system will facilitate better accountability, lower inventory levels and improved cash flow. It’s procurement policy has been reviewed and would soon be submitted to National Procurement and Tender
Administration Board (NPTAB) for approval. The new policy would remove the old system of open tendering for everything to more selective tendering which facilitates standardization. With GPL practicing an open tendering system before, it was faced with some major issues. Many of the supplies were coming in quickly and some of it appeared not to be of the required international standards. It created a nightmare situation for GPL which in some cases were ordering them by the thousands. As a result, along with the computerization, GPL has introduced systems that will allow for quarterly delivery of parts and other supplies
GPL has made some major changes to its operational and financial management systems over the last year, Chairman Robert Badal says.
instead of annually. This will reduce wastage and damage and improve cash management, Badal noted. To ensure that parts are standardized to meet international requirements, GPL will be looking to work with companies that have established a track record in quality, with customer support and warranties critical. The new policy focuses on buying directly from manufacturers or their appointed distributors Not Necessarily Cheap With the new systems in place, Guyana can expect better internal efficiency at GPL, he said. Meanwhile, in terms of generation, Badal announced that three new engines, of 1.7 megawatts each, and costing US$5.2M, are to be installed at Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast and operational by September. The new German-made MAN engines will be a major improvement for a region that has been neglected for years as far as new capacity is concerned, Badal disclosed. The region was hit by a series of outages last year as the generators went down on a number of occasions. At Bartica, Region Seven, a riverain mining community in the Essequibo River, three smaller units are being purchased for that area that will have the capacity of integrating with alternative
energy like solar. GPL is currently assessing a number of options for the engines there. Another major development expected to come on stream in as early as two months, will be a grid code which allows independent producers to sell power from different sources. The grid code is being implemented by Siemens, an international company, which has been engaged with GPL, who is expected to advertise for independent power producers shortly. Already Giftland Mall has offered to sell its extra power. So too have a number of other companies. According to Badal, his personal preference is for GPL to attract a number of these producers. The rates and other details will have to be approved by the Public Utilities Commission. Enough Power According to the GPL chairman, the company is currently looking good with its present power supply. With its operating engines carrying a capacity of 140 megawatts, there is a 114 megawatts peak demand, which has left GPL with some leg room. With some of GPL’s engines over 20 years old, over the next year, moves will be made to buy new engines that will have total capacity of up to 33 megawatts. These will replace the old ones. Badal noted that the major problem facing GPL is not in the generating department,
but rather with its aging transmission and distribution section. GPL is planning to train a number of its technicians to conduct “live” maintenance work. This will include special protective suits for workers, and no longer will require an entire section to be shut down to carry out emergency works. Badal argued that more than 90 percent of the instances of outages are simple trips that see power coming on back in 10 minutes. There are a number of technical fixes being carried out that will result in reduction of system trips, he said. These included the installation of covered conductors and connectors which normally are exposed to rain and sun and can erode quickly causing shortages. Automatic re- closures, distance fault detection systems will also reduce trips. A major project is also expected to start, shortly, to change out the old low and medium voltage lines- almost 900 km- and the introduction of smart meters moving its grid forward to a smart grid using communication technologies to read meters and reduce losses. Eventually, visiting homes to read meters would be something of the past. New sub stations and refurbishments to old substations under the Power Utility Upgrade programme will ensure better reliability and lower losses.
Sunday January 29, 2017
Kaieteur News
Company’s negligence caused electrocution of construction worker Investigations into the death of Leroy Francis Harris, a construction worker, who died after he came into contact with live wires while working on top a three-storey building at Lot W ½ Evans Street, Charlestown, have revealed that his death was due to the negligence of Ready Mix Concrete, his employer. Harris, formerly of Plaisance, East Coast Demerara, was pronounced dead on December 3, 2014 at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), after being rushed there by his co workers. He was electrocuted. Harris had been employed as a construction worker for the company located at Eccles Industrial Site, East Bank Demerara, one year prior to his demise. At the time of his death he fathered a sevenmonth-old son. It was reported that Harris, 25, was doing work on the building with a ‘flex’. His co-workers claimed that the object came into contact with electrical wires. Investigations into this fatality were conducted by the Ministry of Social Protection, Labour Occupational Safety and Health Department. It was revealed that it was the
negligence of the company for not adhering to good occupational health and safety practice that lead to the death. According to the findings of the investigation, Ready Mix Concrete failed to report the fatality as required by Section 69 (2) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act #32 of 1997. It was also revealed that there was no Occupational Safety and risk management done prior to the commencement of the job by the company at the location where the incident occurred. It was also found that there was no training provided by the company in the area of Occupational Safety and Health for employees. Further, the probe found that the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) high voltage power cable was approximately two feet away from the building where the incident occurred; no attempts were made to have GPL cut power to the area, while Ready Mix was pouring concrete mixture on the top floor of the building. The company also has no standard operation procedure for lowering the discharge of steel pipe from the top of the building. It was highlighted in the report, that investigation was limited because there was no eyewitness
to the accident. Shortly after the fatality, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company had offered Harris’s mother, Patricia Kirton, a cheque worth $400,000. Kirton had told Kaieteur News, “He (CEO) give me the cheque and tell me that he wants to see my son’s child mother and his baby. “He also said that he gonna give the child milk and see in whatever way he can assist.” She continued, “The boss said that $300,000 is for the funeral and $100,000 for the wake. However, the mother refused to accept the cheque and said that her son’s life is worth more than $400,000. She had stated, “This is so unfair to (Harris) and the baby. I wonder if that man (CEO) has children. I am thankful for the help but my son’s life is worth more than that so I will not accept that money.” Kirton recounted that she received a phone call around 17:00hrs on the day in question from her son’s coworker. She said that she was informed that her son had encountered a problem with some electrical wires. “They did not tell me that it was that serious, that he had been shocked and was in bad shape.”
AFC Congress elects Trotman ... (From page 3) conceptualization of the party, he along with the late Sheila Holder and Trotman were mocked and scoffed at. “We knew that the effort of forming and sustaining such a movement was indeed going to be perilous and strewn with struggles. And that this unfinished journey to real democracy and development for our beloved Guyana will indeed be most difficult. But we found sustenance in the good people you were and who you continue to be. We were of the belief, too, that somewhere in the Heavens there was a Guiding Hand.” He continued, “We got numerous letters and a multitude of emails, some demanding, others cajoling, that this movement must happen.” He said that this was the reason for the AFC; a new political movement which wanted an alteration of the political landscape; a party which saw the nation being removed from the then existing doldrums to new energy and activity. After the AFC joined forces with the APNU, and won the 2015 elections, Ramjattan said that the entire country exulted and celebrated. He said, “We had begun realizing the dream. But the leadership knew it was not going to be easy especially as we found out how drained the Treasury’s finances were, as a result of the PPP’s massive corruption in almost every institution and Government Agency. I don’t have to
remind you of the findings of the Forensic Audits done by the Rams and Goolsarrans and others.” The politician continued, “We knew, too, that it was not going to be easy because of the poor state of the world economy which was suffering from jobless growth as the experts call it which affected the performance of our commodities like rice and sugar and bauxite. The fear of our citizens, too, made the task challenging as the crime rates were spiraling out of control.” He noted however that the National Conference in Vreeden-Hoop must seek to unite and consolidate the strengths of the AFC, further its identity and spread its relevance to all quarters of the country. Ramjattan said that from the very inception, and more so the 2015 elections, the Alliance for Change has been a relevant party in what must be frankly described as an ethnic-based society as Guyana is. He stressed that the AFC as the third strongest political force in Guyana contributed significantly to the People’s Progressive Party having a minority government for the first time in 2011. “And although there are many reasons cited, history has shown that the introduction of a third party enhances the positive consequences of the two partysystems in that it could prevent gridlock, increase voter turnout, hold the party in power to its promises and make sure that it caters to the needs of every racial group-
ing and not only to its own.” With the two major parties in Guyana, drawing their support from their respective ethnic blocs, Ramjattan argued that third parties must seek to promote the interest of all the differing groups and blocs in a divided society if they are to enhance their chances of electoral success. To this end, he said that third parties must seek to win the support of the citizens of both races and of mixed ancestry. In this context, they are relevant because they provide an “emotional bridge” for voters who are weary of supporting one major party based on race but are not yet ready to vote for the other. As for the challenge which lie ahead, theAFC Chairman said that he has come to learn that removing a Government is one thing; but governing is quite another. He stressed that governing requires perspectives, capacities and dexterities which were never needed in Opposition. The former leader of the party said that he has also come to realize that in this political realm, the public blames democratic leaders and democracy itself for failing to meet economic and political expectations; even when what was inherited was massive corruption and abuse. But to attain the good life, a green economy, and a sustainable democracy, Ramjattan said that there must exists an effective party with credible leadership which can inspire Guyanese that these goals are possible.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday January 29, 2017
Cheddi Jagan Research Centre disgusted Adequate level of... by comments from APNU-AFC leaders The Cheddi Jagan Research Centre yesterday expressed its disgust at utterances made by leaders of the A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change administration concerning the Red House matter. In a press release the CJRC said that it is appalled by the statements made by these APNU-AFC functionaries who challenged the manner in which the lease to the land and building which housed the centre was obtained illegally. The statement read, “The
inference to be drawn from those statements is that the lease was not only improperly obtained but that there were hidden and ulterior motives on the part of those who were involved.” Further, the company described comments made by some persons as distasteful since they once claimed to embrace the legacy of Cheddi Jagan but have betrayed same and are now in bed with those who conspired to deny Dr. Jagan his rightful place in history. “They are now seeking to justify their betrayal by mak-
ing wild and unsubstantiated statements.” The Centre was established not as a profit making organization but to promote the legacy of one of the finest and most outstanding sons of Guyana, “someone who dedicated his entire life for freedom and democracy and for the building of a united and prosperous country,” the Red House statement said. ouse sgatment saidHHh —— With this in mind, the company believes that the former President is deserving
of a special place in the history of Guyana. “The granting of a building and a piece of land in his honour and memory pales into insignificance when compared to the monumental contribution and sacrifices Dr. Jagan made for the overall good of this nation.” As such, the CJRC finds it bad enough the use of disparaging statements regarding the legacy and contributions by the uninformed and those who historically stood on the opposite side of the political divide. Moreover, (Continued on page 71)
From page 8 was told that a transaction of US$30,000 or even US$2,000 could not be done. A supervisor subsequently said that there is a shortage and that checks should be made at the Republic Bank branch at Water Street; but this too proved futile. Representatives at the branch stated that the amount was not available and that there seems to be a shortage for quite a while. At other banks, it was stated that customers would have to be placed on a waiting list and the time to facilitate requests is not guaranteed to be completed within two or three days. Central Bank Governor, Gobind Ganga, recently insisted that there is no shortage. “I don’t know what they are going on with, but there is no shortage. All the banks
have money. What is happening is that some of them are just holding on to their money. The foreign currency situation has even improved significantly from last year to now!” As a result of the conflicting reports, members of the private sector, specifically the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce raised concerns about the shortage claims being made by commercial banks and had agreed to meet with the Banking Association on the matter. Following a meeting with the GCCI’s Executive Management Committee (EMC) and representatives of the Bank of Guyana, the Chamber reported that the Central Bank has assured them that there is no shortage of foreign currency and produced evidence that the foreign reserves of commercial banks and central bank remain relatively unchanged.
Sunday January 29, 2017
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Kaieteur News
RICE BOARD FORENSIC AUDIT...
Former Rice Board General Manager breaks his silence By Brushell Blackman Former Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) General Manager, Jagnarine Singh, has spoken for the first time since a damning audit found a number of irregularities at that entity during his tenure. Yesterday, Singh said that he has nothing to hide and that he was willing to answer any question by the police or the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) whenever they are ready to speak to him. Responding to the slew of allegations made, the former GM said that he knew when the audit by Nigel Hinds Financial Services was ongoing and at no point was he contacted to clarify anything. He said that he was never interviewed. He said the first time he learnt of the allegations was when he read about them in the press while on a trip in Jamaica. “Upon reading this, I returned four days sooner than I should have so that the
wrong impression would not have been gleaned from his absence.” Responding to the allegations, he said that there are things that were said in that report that were new and surprising to him. Singh said that in 2014 an external audit of the board was done by the Auditor General’s Office and a clean bill of health was given to the entity at that time. The former GM said anything that was done was above board and in accordance with the policies that govern the entity. He said receipts were provided for all transactions and that he was never complicit in any way to these alleged wrongdoings being peddled in the press. He said that he knows that he will be tried in the court of ‘public opinion’ but in due course the facts will be made clear. He is confident that the correct decision will be made and he will be exonerated. Singh said that SOCU has his contact details and they
know where to find him and he is not going anywhere until all is laid bare so that justice is served. There is one thing that is emerging from the scandal, another source has made mention of an official that was sent to the GRDB by the Ministry of Agriculture and who was responsible for the management of the organization. He, along with an accountant that has since resigned, controlled all of GRDB’s financial matters and excluded all others. The official performed the duties of the General Manager (GM) while the legitimate GM (Jagnarine Singh) was still there. Some employees said they were shocked when they read the newspapers yesterday and did not know all “this thiefing did going on”. The Audit report found, among other things, that former GM, Jagnarine Singh, lied to his employers and to the Venezuelan government
to receive monies from the Petro Caribe Fund. Additionally, the GRDB paid air fares and “per diem” for Saj Rice Mill Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Carlos Colombia, contrary to the board’s policy. There were also instances when loans were disbursed and promissory notes were used as official documents for the transaction.
Further, the report found that GRDB employees cashed cheques to the values of G$9.8M there “on behalf of suppliers” but there is no way to know if those monies found their way to these “suppliers”. The damning nature of the report resulted in the Junior Finance Minister, Jaipaul Sharma, asking the police to investigate.
Former General Manager, Jagnarine Singh
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Kaieteur News
Sunday January 29, 2017
Bartica Massacre trial...
Defence Attorneys to present closing arguments Closing arguments will be presented on Monday, by the attorneys representing the three persons accused in the Bartica Massacre. The defence represented by Attorneys -at -law Peter Hugh, Saphier Hussain and Roger Yearwood will present their final submissions following weeks of trial before
Justice Roxanne George and a mixed- twelve member jury. The three accused, Roger Anthony Simon, called ‘Goat Man’; Mark Royden Williams, called ‘Durant’ and ‘Smallie’; and Dennis Williams, called ‘Anaconda’, are accused of being among a number of gunmen, who attacked the mining community of Bartica,
Essequibo, killing 12 residents. The three accused are said to have murdered Lance Corporal Zaheer Zakir, Constable Shane Fredericks and Constable Ron Osborne; Edwin Gilkes, Abdool Yassin Jr, Deonarine Singh, Errol Thomas, Ronald Gomes, Baldeo Singh, Ashraf Khan,
Irving Ferreira and Dexter Adrian. After murdering the three police officers, the gang is said to have stolen cash, arms, ammunition and a vehicle from the police station. Using the stolen police vehicle, they drove through the streets of Bartica shooting at civilians. They proceeded to CBR Mining, where they stole arms and ammunition, and removed two safes containing cash and gold. After their one-hour rampage, the gunmen departed Bartica by boat. On Thursday, Brian Chase, the proprietor of a mining operation in Region Seven told the court that Bartica massacre accused, Roger Simon, was with him at Cornfield, Kaburi mining district, Potaro River on February 17, 2008, the same date the mass murders took place. The dredge owner was called to the stand by Attorney, Peter Hugh. The businessman explained to the court, he has known the accused for some 15 years. The witness said that Simon called “Goat man,” was
working on his dredge operation in February 2008. Asked specifically about what he remembers about February 17, 2008, the witness said, “Goat Man was among the men working with me at the time.” He pointed to the prisoner (Simon) seated in the docks. The accused remained with his head bowed for most of the time. The dredge owner went on to tell the court that on February 18, he received a message for Simon and he (Simon) decided to leave the camp to head home to his family after the information was relayed to him. He said that he later learnt that the man was arrested while coming back to work on the dredge. As a result, the dredge owner said that he and a team went to Bartica to tell the police where ‘Goat man,’ was at the time of the killings. “And where was ‘Goat man,’ at the time of the massacre?” asked the Attorney. “In the camp, my camp,” the witness stated firmly. Under Cross examination, by State Attorney Diana
Kaulesar, the businessman remained resolute that he knew where the accused had been on February 17, 2008. The Prosecutor questioned the witness about his relationship with the accused. “What you mean by my relationship with him? He worked for me. He is not my friend,” Chase stated. “I am suggesting that you are here to help Roger Simon,” the Prosecutor said. “I am here to help Roger Simon by telling the truth,” the witness retorted Chase’s evidence followed the testimony of the accused, himself. The accused had elected to give an unsworn statement. He stood from the Prisoner’s Docks and recounted that he was at Cornfield, Kaburi mining district working at a camp when the shootings occurred at Bartica. Simon said he only left the area after he received a message from his boss on February 18, 2008. “After the message come, I say ah got to go see my wife and family,” he added. The accused recalled that Continued on page 71
Sunday January 29, 2017
Kaieteur News
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Sunday January 29, 2017
Kaieteur News
118 graduate to fill skills shortage
The Guyana Sugar Corporation (GUYSUCO) together with the Board of Industrial Training on Friday hosted its graduation ceremony for the fifth batch in the National Training Project for Youth Empowerment. The graduation exercise saw several persons attached to various organizations, private and public, excelling in different skills areas. Present at the ceremony was the Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, Keith Scott, who in his brief address to the graduates and attendees charged that “the fact that you have been able to stay the course from last year to now tells me that you have what it takes to be a success.” He emphasized that Guyana is taking off at a fast pace in development and as such it gives persons the opportunity to utilize skills garnered for further development. Scott stressed that for too long the country was tied to
- emphasis placed on diversity in Guysuco to save industry sugar, rice and gold. “We are seeing on the horizon a brighter future; your skills will not only be demanded in Guyana but Suriname and throughout the West Indies.” It is his view that with the shortage of entry level skills, the graduates will now be able to fit in to all sectors, private and public. Also addressing the gathering was the Manager of Rose Hall Estate who placed much emphasis on diversity within the industry. He noted, “In order for the corporation to grow and become profitable once again it has to diversify, it is clear that sugar on its own will not survive, sugar as it is presently will not survive; therefore we have to make changes.” Clinton Williams, Chairman of the Board of Industrial Training, said that with Guyana’s development programme it will continue to be widely influenced by the
Best performer, Keeon Playter receiving his trophy from Minister Keith Scott availability and competency of its technical occupational skilled workforce. He stressed that with the gap between work place needs and work place capabilities the mismatch continues to be largely influenced by the stigma attached to Technical and Vocational Education and Training, “TVET is viewed as the last resort for
One of the few females receiving her certificate in the course of Supervisory and Management academically weak students hence the prevalence of low standards by skills generated.” According to Williams there is a “dire national skills deficiency syndrome” since the demand for TVET skills are increasing with new sectors emerging such as Oil and Gas, Hydropower Development, Spin-off Industries from Guyana’s
LCD’s initiative such as Eco Tourism and Clean Energy. He underscored that the goal of the project is to “contribute to the national demand for occupational skills by the training and development of youths particularly disadvantaged youths to become self-employed or to access gainful employment.” One of the students from the batch, Keeon Playter, an insurance agent who received the award for Best Performance in Electrical Installation 1, and also scored a distinction told this publication that having gained the skills in such a field is a plus for him. “It is definitely a bonus to me in terms of qualifications. It will help me in the future to get a job I always wanted in the electrical field. It is also a very good initiative introduced by the last administration and it is wonderful to see that the present administration has continued with such a programme”. The programme which commenced last April ran until November. There were six courses— Electrical Installation 1, Basic Fitting and Machining, Welding and Fabrication, Motor Vehicle Servicing and Repairs, Refrigeration and Supervisory Management. Seventy five persons gained distinctions in their respective courses; 18 secured passes and 25 graduated with credits.
Sunday January 29, 2017
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Kaieteur News
Screening for your own protection By Sharmain Grainger There are many challenges that face the health sectors of the world. But the notion that is continually being touted is that individuals should seek to take responsibility for their own health. While eating healthy and exercising are among the key elements that can help to promote good health, the importance of undergoing thorough medical screening, at least once, annually can never be overemphasized. Screening for the various types of cancers is among the measures highly recommended by doctors. Cancer from time immemorial has been rated as one of the leading causes of death worldwide. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), tobacco use has been listed as the most important risk factor for cancer globally. The organisation has been able to deduce, too, that the five most common sites that cancer is diagnosed in men are: lung, prostate, colorectum, stomach and liver. The breast, cervix, stomach, lung and colorectum are the main areas that cancer is diagnosed in women. Moreover, WHO has asserted that “cancer is a generic term for a large group of diseases that can affect any part of the body. Other terms used are malignant tumours and neoplasms. But one defining feature of cancer is the rapid creation of abnormal cells that grow beyond their usual boundaries, and which can then invade adjoining parts of the body and spread to other organs, the latter process is referred to as metastasizing. Metastases are the major cause of death from cancer.” Many people are understandably very wary of this disease. But particularly troubling is that even though people may deliberately embrace a great deal of health conscious activities, these may not be able to thwart the development of cancer. Cancer is certainly no respecter of persons. It has no regard for race, creed, complexion or status for that matter. An individual can be predisposed to cancer for a num-
ber of reasons including the fact that it may already be in their genes, that is, a parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle, or all of them might have developed cancer at some point in their life. In such a case, future generations will have to be alert and take care. But one of the notions that has been amplified throughout the years, whether your family is predisposed or not, is that regular screening could allow for early diagnosis, prompt treatment and by extension, help to reduce the mortality rate linked to cancer. Usually women are more inclined to embrace the practice of early screening. In fact it is well known that the majority of men are far more likely to seek medical attention after they develop some form of complication. Leroy Rodney can attest to this state of affairs quite well. However, this did not mean that he wasn’t aware that the possibility existed that he could become a victim of cancer. You see Rodney, now 67, recalled that his father was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer and had subsequently passed away, because of complications he developed. “I knew about prostate cancer and I used to check for that because my dad died from that,” recounted the Waterloo Street, Georgetown resident. But each year he’d check there was no sign of prostate cancer. The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system that makes most of the semen that carries sperm. The walnut-sized gland is located beneath the bladder in the male anatomy and surrounds the upper part of the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder. Among the signs and symptoms of prostate cancer are: burning or pain during urination; difficulty urinating, or trouble starting and stopping while urinating; more frequent urges to urinate at night; loss of bladder control; decreased flow or velocity of urine stream and blood in urine. Rodney never developed any of these signs and symp-
toms. He, however, recalled that it was around 2013 he started to suffer from constant diarrhoea. There was simply no explanation for the constant diarrhoea he suffered. The condition was so severe that he had to seek medical attention. Doctors simply prescribed antibiotics and other treatment but were never really able to ascertain the root cause of the problem. But before long, Rodney was no longer suffering from diarrhoea. This should have been great news, but it wasn’t. He, almost immediately, started to experience severe constipation. “I had to go back for medical attention; I went to public, private hospitals too. I went everywhere for help,” recalled Rodney. He was eventually advised to undergo a colonoscopy. Colonoscopy is a test that allows a doctor to look at the inner lining of the large intestine (rectum and colon). He or she uses a thin, flexible tube called a colonoscope to look at the colon. A colonoscopy helps find ulcers, colon polyps, tumours, and areas of inflammation or bleeding. Rodney revealed that after much probing, a blockage was found in his rectum and a sample was removed to be sent for further examination. The sample was found to be cancerous. Rodney was essentially diagnosed with colon cancer, a form of cancer that can develop in males as well as females. The cancer was well advanced (stage four) and required that he undergo surgery urgently. His surgery was conducted at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) on July 7, 2016. From all indications it was a success and Rodney is on the road to recovery. Regular chemotherapy offered at the Oncology Unit of the GPHC is currently a requirement for his recovery. He is confident that after he makes a full recovery he will be able to resume activities that he was forced to put on hold because of the complications he developed as a result of colon cancer. Today, Rodney is not
The Baccoo Speaks Desperate times are here for some gun-toting young men who are bent on preying on hard-working Guyanese. There will be another attempt that will be thwarted by civilian action and the police. ** A violent relationship will end when relatives of an abused woman decide to take the law into their own
hands. They will be there when the suspect in an inebri-
ated condition will threaten violence again. The relatives will attack him with a vengeance only reproduced by angry people. The suspect will succumb to his injuries. ** Another river accident will send people into the rivers. But for the presence of another river vessel, there would have been casualties.
hesitating to tell people, his fellow men, and women too, that simply by being screened a great deal of medical hardship could be averted. He recalled that he had all the telltale signs of colon cancer long before he was diagnosed. Topping the list of the signs and symptoms of the disease is a change in bowel habits, including diarrhea or constipation or a change in the consistency of stool that lasts longer than four weeks. Rodney’s symptoms had continued for years before he was finally diagnosed. However, research suggests that many people who develop colon cancer have no signs or symptoms during its early stages. “I think people should get screened early...even if you have no signs or symptoms,” Rodney preached last week from his chemotherapy chair. He said that he has since learnt that people, even with no history of cancer, should especially seek to be thoroughly screened when they hit the age of 50. “If you catch it early, at
Leroy Rodney undergoing chemotherapy last week stage one, you can have it treated and get things done early and you may not even have to do surgery,” Rodney
announced as he considered how he had to learn his screening lesson “the very hard way”.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday January 29, 2017
The Pastor’s premonition It was Sunday night, December 2nd, 2007, and four members of the Prophecy One Deliverance Ministry were gathered in the church, located at Lot 45 Hadfield Street, Lodge. Among them were 41year-old church leader/pastor Ian David, his fiancée, Kendra Dalrymple, his adopted daughter, Shondell Williams, and Williams’ husband, Pastor Alwyn Williams. The congregation had already left and the small gathering was counting the night’s offerings. It was then that a stranger entered the open western door. The man was wearing a cap, he had a rag around the lower portion of his face, and he was carrying a gun. “All o’ y’all lie down on the ground,” the gunman said. It must be a prank, Shondell Williams thought. Some church member is pulling one on us. But when the man with the gun repeated his order, she realized that he meant business. All of the church members immediately lay face down on
the floor; everyone, that is, except Pastor David. He was backing the door when the man entered. But on hearing the command, Pastor David turned to the stranger. Some of the eyewitnesses would later reflect that the man of God appeared to recognize the gunman. “The blood of Jesus,” the pastor said, still standing. He then began to speak “in tongues”. This appeared to infuriate the gunman, who responded by hitting the pastor on the head. This silenced Pastor David, who joined his members on the floor. After ensuring that no one else was in the building, the gunman began to rummage through his victim’s bags and pockets. He removed $35,000 from Shondell Williams’ bag, and a gold bracelet she was wearing; $17,000 from her husband’s wallet, and a substantial sum of cash that Pastor David was carrying in the event of an emergency. The gunman then collected all his victims’ cell
Pastor Ian David phones and switched them off. He’s leaving now, Shondell Williams thought. But then, inexplicably, the man walked over to Pastor David’s fiancée, Kendra Dalrymple. He placed a chair on her head. Two gunshots then rang out in the church, followed by silence. Williams could feel her heart pounding as she lay
on the floor. Those shots were not in the air, she thought. A human being was shot! Several minutes passed before the small gathering was certain that the gunman had left. Eventually, they scrambled to their feet, only to be greeted by a horrifying sight. Pastor Ian David lay face down and motionless on the floor in a gathering pool of blood. Williams immediately ran outside and raised an alarm. A nearby resident transported the injured pastor to the Georgetown Public Hospital. He was accompanied by his fiancée and other church members, who prayed for his recovery. But at 01:45 hrs on Monday, December 3rd, 2007, doctors announced that Pastor Ian David was dead. An autopsy revealed that the man of God had been shot at close range in the back of the head and between the shoulder blades with a .32 pistol. Crime scene detectives recovered two .32 shells from the scene. Investigators soon concluded that robbery was not the gunman’s primary motive. All evidence suggested that the pastor was the victim of an execution-style killing. They began to look into the victim’s background. Detectives learned that Pastor David had moved out of his matrimonial home six months before he was murdered. He had divorced and
had intended to get married in February 2008. Information reaching the detectives suggested that jealousy over the relationship could have led someone to pay a hit-man to kill the pastor. All investigations suggested that the killer was a professional, since he had appeared to be unhurried and unflustered during the entire ordeal. Acting on this information, investigators questioned the pastor’s ex-wife, but learned nothing that could assist them in their case. Ballistic tests on the .recovered 32 shells failed to help them trace the murder weapon. Reflecting on that fateful night one year later, his adopted daughter, Shondell Williams says that she still has no idea why anyone would have wanted to kill her father. But she remembers some puzzling things that have caused her to wonder whether her father somehow knew of his fate. Mrs. Williams revealed that her father had appointed her to be Assistant Pastor, and placed her in charge of the church for a month. She also recalled that on the fateful night, Pastor David shook the hands of several members
of his congregation and informed them that he was “passing on the mantle”. And she suspects that her father knew the gunman’s identity. Mrs. Williams and her husband subsequently took over the operations of the church. But she said that at first, several church members were afraid to return, and some even left the congregation. However, many later returned. And she is convinced that the man who committed the brazen execution will eventually face justice in a higher court. Meanwhile, church members reportedly still keep a wary eye out while worshiping at their Hadfield Street sanctuary, least an unwelcome stranger enters… If you have any further information on this case or any other, please contact us at our Lot 24 Saffon Street office or by telephone. We can be reached on telephone numbers 225-8458, 225-8465, 225-8473, or 2258491. You need not disclose your identity. You can also contact Michael Jordan at his email a d d r e s s : mjdragon@hotmail.com.
Sunday January 29, 2017
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Kaieteur News
The heart makes choices, yet it makes the same mistakes The place at home that I spend in serious conversation with my wife is the kitchen. Most of the times my wife and I chat about my politics, it is in the kitchen. She likes to cook and I like to eat, so we end up in the kitchen together every day. After that we hardly see each other; I am in the study where I spend endless hours. This week we had some indepth discussion about my politics now that I believe the APNU+AFC construct has failed. I was speaking to her about David Granger’s lacklustre performance, the unstoppable decline of the AFC, and the evaporating legacy of Moses Nagamootoo. She asked me what I am going to do with my politics, since I feel so strongly about what is taking place. Then she looked at me with piercing eyes and said, “I hope you are not going to campaign in 2020!” My answer was I doubt it very much. I sincerely believe that the APNU-AFC opportunity has passed. I cannot see innovative transformation, the kind this country needs. I want to be honest to my readers. I want to be honest with the dozens that stop me every week and seek explanations. The moment has passed. There isn’t going to be visionary, humane, caring, considerate and compassionate governance in this country. I don’t accept that the
APNU+AFC Government will even go beyond being mediocre. I invited AFC councilor Carlyle Goring and AFC executive, Leonard Craig to a fish and chips dinner on Thursday night at Nicky’s on Drury Lane in Campbellville after passing by the AFC head office, heading home from Kaieteur News. Obviously the topic was the AFC’s upcoming national conference (held yesterday) and who should win what and who should be in what position. I offered my studied advice to these two young men who have a passion for politics and want to have a political future. Carlyle’s father, Keith Jonas, was a PNC Parliamentarian. We were friends during our UG days in the seventies. Life is funny; now I am the friend of his son. My thoughts were that they should seriously assess their political future, because I do not think the Coalition Government will perform credibly, want to perform handsomely and want to take Guyana to higher horizons . I was blunt, but I was honest. What this entire nation wanted from the APNU+AFC Coalition after the fall of the PPP will not happen now or anytime near to 2020. As we were about to rise from our seats, I told those two prospects for the future that they should come to the realization that Guyana is jinxed.
Just before he left at the beginning of this month, over lunch, Dr. David Hinds told me he heard about there being a third party in the pipeline. He asked if I would help. My answer was that I was gone; gone to my home, gone to my family, gone to my pets, gone from politics. The 2015 campaign with the AFC was my last hurrah. Deep down I had high hopes, so high that they could have mingled with the clouds. My hopes were that Granger, a brand new PNC, Nagamootoo and the AFC would transform Guyana, and that greater freedoms were awaiting us. I see the opposite sadly and tragically creep-
ing on us. The leadership of the government is an uncaring one. I see a creeping contempt for the poorer classes. I see banality, mediocrity, aridity, stupidity and corruptibility slowly taking over power in my country. I have made my decision. I know the heart makes choices, but it makes the same mistakes. The story of my heart is the story of perpetual mistakes. Will my heart make the same mistakes as we draw closer to the 2020 elections? This time I am staring at the abyss, and I have the philosophical toughness to walk away. Whatever third party is
coming up, I can only wish them well. The Guyanese people deserved better from Granger’s remodeled PNC, the voices of those in the WPA that made promises to Walter Rodney, and the AFC that promised a better future. Maybe the Guyanese people deserve a third party, but will the third party fall victim of that lust that Shakespeare chronicled so beautifully in his three plays – Julius Caesar, Macbeth and Hamlet? They say home is where the heart is. I grew up without a settled home, roamed my life without a settled home.
Frederick Kissoon But Guyana will always be my home. My heart will always be in Guyana. But my head will remain in journalism and philosophy.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday January 29, 2017
YOUTH CONGRESS TO FOLLOW NATIONAL CONFERENCE Following yesterday’s biennial National Conference of our Party, the Youth For Change (YFC) group will host their own executive conference later this year. Apart from electing the President, Vice President, General Secretary and Treasurer, the youths are expected to present their own menu of measures that should enable young people to play the roles prescribed for them under this Coalition government. The primary aim is for every able, young person
across the length and breadth of Guyana, to participate fully in the forward movement of this nation. As the Alliance for Change’s youth arm, the YFC wishes to sustain a place in the decision-making mechanisms nationally, regionally and at community and village levels. In fact, YFC regional youth groups that existed since the YFC was established have received culinary training, trade development skill training, basic remedial programmes for school dropouts, and guidance in the de-
velopment of other life skills. YFC has also been collaborating with non-governmental organizations since 2006 to help deliver better health education to residents in inland areas, focusing sometimes on the contraction and spread of HIV, TB and other communicable diseases. One of the pillars of this very versatile grouping of young people is their devotion to education in all its permutations, and ensuring its accessibility to youths living
and working in urban and rural communities. They have been very vocal about the plan to raise the tuition at the University of Guyana, and they continue to lobby for more robust consultation between the UGSS with the institution’s administration. Their concern is mainly for students living in ‘depressed communities’ who have little to no access to scholarship funds or other kinds of financial assistance from the private sector. Actually, YFC was delighted to learn about the $100M that the Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) plans to plug into a serious initiative to modernize the curricula at the University and at TechVoc institutes. The latter includes the Linden, Essequibo, New Amsterdam, Corentyne, Georgetown and other technical institutes. This, they are sure, is going to begin to pave the way for Guyana to have a skill pool of highly qualified petroleum industry operatives. The $500M that Budget 2017 has allocated to subsidize the much needed changes at the University has given the young people more comfort that their party and our coalition partners are really serious about engaging them directly, to make sure that they are capable of taking the reins of nation building in the foreseeable future. YFC is taking their advocacy further by seeking 5-year scholarships for worthy young people at institutions in and outside of Guyana which offer world-renowned training facilities for Petroleum Engineers, Geologists, Mineralogists, Geochemists and related skills in exploration, oil well maintenance and petroleum processing, to
name a few. This is to ensure that in a few short years, Guyana would be prepared to satisfy at least some of the demands of the imminent oil and gas industry. YFC wastes no time in reminding the nation’s youths of the wide range of probabilities in the hydrocarbon industry. The key word is opportunity, so the YFC has established a strong alignment with the government’s push for higher quality education. Their catch phrase is: “Rebuilding a nation needs educated people”. These youths are very unwilling to compromise on their belief that every authority from Region 1 to Region 10 must weave in Education as the main thread of their work programmes any field - from Agriculture, to culinary development, to mining, and especially that skill that every single industry needs a lot of – ICT. On this subject they have no need to convince anyone, not the people living in hinterland communities, not high school graduates in and around the city or in the towns and the near inland areas, of the unquestionable need for every person to become at least computer literate. YFC has no need to convince the young people who are so inclined to pursue higher education in Computer Programming, software development or advanced computer science. They now have set themselves the task of encouraging private sector companies to include scholarships in their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes, then to look to the youth-based organizations to help identify the people with the best aptitude to develop these skills. After all, ICT has become
the bedrock upon which the world pivots. By the time our Ministry of Public Telecommunications and its satellite agencies get through installing networks across this nation and setting every Guyanese from the grassroots to trade their Made-inGuyana goods and services on the world market, we will have a larger pool of ICT skills. For sure, this will change the international image of Guyana. It is going erase the perception of Guyana as that poor, broken country with corrupt rulers. That was indeed our reality in 2015. Instead of being known as the bread basket of the Caribbean (circa 1970), the world had branded us as the under-developed transit country for South American narcotics. So our youth group is embarking on a rebuilding campaign to re-energize the youths to take charge of the engines that will fuel their future. The YFC provides one platform from which our youth could gain access to the programmes designed for their development. They should use them to energize neighbourhood sports teams, computer training classes at community centres, or the reading, phonics, and Maths lessons for anyone in the communities. YFC had held its inaugural Youth Conference in May 2010 under the theme “Making it happen now!” Over 500 energetic and expectant young people representing all of Guyana’s Regions had blended together then to discuss the plethora of issues affecting them and identify mechanisms to resolve them. This year the goalposts have shifted, but the game remains the same.
Sunday January 29, 2017
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Kaieteur News
My column
The things people did with unbridled power A first time visitor to Guyana would conclude that the government is doing nothing right. He would not have been aware of the atrocities performed by the previous administration. Instead, he would be adorned with talks of victimization and witch-hunting. He would hear complaints about the move by the government to procure special prosecutors away from the ambit of the Director of Public Prosecutions. He would also hear that the economy is on the downward slope because of poor administrative practices. But for those of us here, the truth would be drastically different. I was chatting with a friend who happened to be close to some of the happenings and doings of the previous government. He told me some horror stories that I did not even know occurred. For example, Kwame McCoy who never worked a day in the media was thrust into the position of a media czar. He dictated what happened in the state media and made no bones about the fact that his word was law. Not even the then presidents, both Bharrat Jagdeo and Donald Ramotar, would do anything to overturn a decision by McCoy. For example, McCoy took the decision that the late Raschid Osman and Lloyd Conway, two men who spent
almost all their adult lives in the media, should be fired immediately. The Editor-in-Chief was the PPP-installed Michael Gordon. Gordon was reluctant and to his credit he tried to talk McCoy out of the decision. In the end he arrived at a compromise position. He slashed the men’s salaries. Everyone knows that people’s salaries are never reduced unless by agreement. It was not until the change of government and the installation of the new board that this came to light. There was this Board meeting and the men took the opportunity to report the slashing of their salaries. When the board asked Gordon about the reason for this action he told them that McCoy had ordered him to fire the men. Slashing the salaries was a compromise position. Their salaries were reinstalled, but Osman died a broken man; he never recovered from this decision by the PPP administration. McCoy’s action killed Osman. If that was all things would not have been so bad, but there was the blatant theft of state resources. Gordon was always repairing the car entrusted to him even though it later transpired that nothing was wrong with the vehicle. His gasoline bill was also astronomical. Most people would use no more than $15,000 a month on fuel for their vehicles, espe-
cially if they are largely office bound. Gordon was spending $125,000 a month on gasoline. His accountant could say nothing and the people who audited the accounts of the company found nothing wrong with the expenditure. The PPP will say nothing about the blatant dishonest act at the Chronicle; it will say nothing about the discrimination. I was at the Chronicle and I never for one moment ever thought about my staff as being anything less than professional. The Chronicle was just one place where such things happened. The arbitrary sacking and discrimination occurred in just about every department and Ministry. My schoolmate, Dr Roger Luncheon, once said to me that I was one of the lucky ones to find a job outside of the government, that there were my colleagues who were kicking bricks. He showed no remorse. People who dared to oppose anything that the government proposed were made to pay. Even the late Doodnauth Singh, SC, had to move to the courts to get monies owed to him by the government. Justice Jainarayan Singh was another. Jagdeo refused to confirm him as a means of controlling him. These are the people who tell the world that they have a right to run Guyana. The issue of special pros-
ecutors was another talking point, until someone punched a huge hole in former Attorney General Anil Nandlall’s arguments. He said that the DPP must designate the special prosecutors. And that is correct. She gives a fiat to the person so appointed or designated. Was Nandlall her choice during the prosecution of Mark Benschop for treason? He did get the fiat and bodyguards paid for by the state. The same thing applied to my friend Sanjeev Datadin, who lived at the Pegasus for the duration of the trial. The cost was astronomical. To his credit, when asked about his appointment as special prosecutor, Nandlall told me that it was irrelevant. Suffice it to say that the DPP has given a fiat to a special
prosecutor in one of the cases before the court. Glenn Lall was the victim of Jagdeo’s discrimination. His newspaper had begun to expose the shenanigans of the PPP and Jagdeo was angry. Stopping short of killing Lall and the people at Kaieteur News, Jagdeo simply recalled the firearm that was granted to the company for protection. The guards were left naked. Public servants whose pay increase and promotions were politically directed now have a free hand, to the extent that they are as vocal as they ever were. The businessmen who are complaining about bad business are asked to pay their taxes, which is like giving a dose of medicine to a child. Correcting the ills has not
Adam Harris been easy and is ongoing. Each move to correct something would be met with criticisms and condemnations. People are no longer getting rich by pocketing state funds. Imagine what would happen if Jagdeo and his cohorts get their hands on the oil money scheduled to come in a few years.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday January 29, 2017
Human safety and national development (Excerpts from an address by President David Granger to the Annual Police Officers’ Conference on January 27, 2017) Change is compelling and inevitable. The nature of crime, particularly trans-national crime, demands new attitudes and techniques. Continuous reform of the criminal justice system is necessary to stem the incidence of violent crime, including domestic terrorism and inter-personal violence. Continuous reform is needed to professionalise the officers of the Guyana Police Force in order to prepare them intellectually to provide the leadership needed to reposition the Force to effectively counter the transnational threats which impact on domestic crime. Continuous reform is imperative to allow the Force to remain relevant, to rebuild public trust and, together with the government, citizens and civil society, to make our country safer and more secure. The ultimate objective of our policy is to ensure that
every citizen is safe – safe from anti-social behaviour, from crime, from disorder and traffic accidents. The government is committed to providing the support needed to ensure human safety of all citizens and the national security of the state in order to create the framework for national development. We will launch, this year, a process of reforms, assisted by our international partners and supported by civil society, aimed at improving policing. The reforms, in general terms, will involve: - preventing crime by improving intelligence and by pro-active deployment; - protecting victims or vulnerable persons from criminal behavior or disorder; - promoting greater public confidence in officers through ethical conduct; and - promulgating measures aimed at building the Force’s capacity and capability. The reforms which the government proposes must first, discover the causes of crime and, second, implement measures and provide re-
sources to reduce crime. This does not ignore the traditional approach of policing based on crime prevention, crime detection, crime interdiction and criminal prosecution. It goes beyond. It does so by attempting to determine causation. Violence in Guyana today represents, in part, the effects of the ‘secondary impact’ of a dark period of the first decade of this millennium. Many persons may not have understood or may have forgotten the period of ‘the Troubles.’ The ‘Troubles’ spawned the emergence of drug cartels. Phantom squads were participants in the murders of more than 1400 of our citizens between 2000 and 2009. Guyanese society endured an orgy of bloodletting, including beheadings and summary executions. Guyana is still reeling from the aftershocks of that period. Police officers must understand this period because, at no other time were so many Police Officers killed on duty. A monument here in Eve Leary was constructed to their memory. It was not that
the problems were unknown. It was simply that the responses were insincere, ineffective and incomplete. Examine a partial chronology of events: - 1999: Paul Matthias, United Kingdom Regional Advisor, visited to initiate security assistance from Britain. - 2000: The Symonds Group Limited, consultants for the UK Department for International Development, presented the report “ Guyana Police Reform Programme, known as the Symonds’ Report. - 2000: Establishment of the National Security Strategy Organising Committee. - 2002: President Bharrat Jagdeo: - promulgated a $100M menu of measures to improve the Police Force; - travelled to London to meet the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police to seek help; - established the Border and National Security committee; - established the National Consultation on Crime; - established the National Steering Committee on Crime; - 2002: Passage, by the National Assembly, on 19th September, of four Anti-Crime Bills: - the Criminal Law (Offences) Amendment Bill; - the Prevention of Crimes (Amendment) Bill; - the Racial Hostility (Amendment) Bill; and - the Evidence (Amendment) Bill; - 2003: Presentation, by the UK Defence Advisory Team, of a study of the security sector. - 2004: Presentation, by the Disciplined Forces Commission, of its Report to the National Assembly. - 2004-2005: The Scottish Police College executed several projects: - a scoping exercise to assess the Police Force’s training requirements; - a series of management training programmes; - an assessment of the impact of the previous training programmes; - a scoping exercise in May 2006 - June 2006; - the presentation of the Guyana Police Force Strategic Plan in partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank as part of the
Guyana Citizens Security Programme; - 2005: Promulgation, by President Bharrat Jagdeo, of the National Drug Strategy Master Plan. - 2006: Promulgation, by President Jagdeo and Baroness Valerie Amos, of a Statement of Principles as the basis for the UK Department for International Development consultancy. - 2007: Signing, by UK High Commissioner Fraser Wheeler and Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon of an Interim Memorandum of Understanding for a Security Sector Reform Action Plan; - 2007: Establishment, by Paul Morisetti, International Policing Advisor for Latin America and the Caribbean, of a task force of police officers from the National Policing Improvement Agency International Academy at Bramshill and the Scottish Police College to implement the action plan following the signing of the MOU. - 2007: Establishment of a project to assess the Police Force’s operational capability; - 2008: Establishment of a framework for the “Formulation and Implementation of a National Security Policy and Strategy”. - 2009: Promulgation of the Liliendaal Declaration on Crime Prevention. - 2012: Promulgation of the Citizens Security Programme. - 2013 Establishment of a Strategic Management Department to ‘oversee’ police reform. Had these so-called initiatives been implemented, Police Officers would not have died; the high rate of murders would not have occurred and the country would have been safer. It is now time to move beyond ‘woulda’, ‘coulda’ and ‘shouda.’ It is time for ‘will.’ It is time to introduce real reforms that will transform the Force. The past offers lessons for the future. Mistakes must be corrected now and avoided in the future. Police reform strategy has three short-term objectives: - Community partnerships: We will strengthen partnerships between the police, communities and nongovernmental organizations aimed addressing the causal
factors of crime and for creating information and intelligence networks to aid in preventing and solving crime. The improvement of community relations will encourage increased cooperation between the citizenry and the police. - Capacity-building: We have reengaged with the British-sponsored Security Sector Reform Project to place emphasis on capacity-building of the Police Force. We will be investing, also, in the training and personal development of officers in order to enhance their work ethic and efficiency. We have already launched two major plans - the National Drug Strategy Master Plan and the draft of the Trafficking in Persons Master Plan. These plans will serve as guides for a more professional response to the serious threats which they address. The National AntiNarcotics Agency (NANA) was established last year. It will become the country’s premier anti- narcotics agency. · Crime Intelligence: We will rebuild the Force’s intelligence and investigative capabilities. The Integrated Crime Information System (ICIS) will be expanded and strengthened to allow for improved information-sharing among the various law enforcement agencies and to connect more police stations to the central data centre. The Government, above all, seeks to enhance officers’ professionalism. The three elements of professionalism will mean emphasizing: - Education, to ensure that officers receive appropriate training before they are advanced in rank; - Ethics, to ensure that officer behavior conforms to the ‘Values and Standards’ of the Guyana Police Force; and - Social responsibility, to emphasise officers’ obligation to serve society and the country. We will boost the human resource development of the Force so as to produce a more versatile police officer. The police officer of the future must be equipped with a wide range of skills and competencies. He or she must be able to operate in different environments. He or she must be capable of working and living on the coastland or in the hinterland. Police reform is aimed at improving public trust and confidence, developing a stronger organization, boosting the Force’s intelligence and investigative capabilities and producing a more versatile police officer.
Sunday January 29, 2017
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Kaieteur News
Hernias: What you need to know about them By Dr Zulfikar Bux Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine I can recall growing up and hearing of guys having hernias (sometimes mistakenly called “goady”) and being ridiculed by others. Even now patients tend to be very sensitive if they have hernia. It is not something to be ashamed of, as it can occur in anyone, and it is a condition that can be reversed once you seek help. WHAT IS A HERNIA? A hernia occurs when part of an internal organ or body part protrudes through an opening into another area where it normally should not be located. There are many different types of hernias, but the most common is when a portion of the intestine protrudes through a weak area in the muscular wall of the abdomen. This causes an abnormal bulge under the skin of the abdomen, usually near the groin or the navel. Hernias occur in various locations. Some hernias are present at birth, while others develop during adulthood. Hernias may enlarge due to increased pressure inside the abdomen, such as during straining, persistent coughing, obesity, or pregnancy. There are different types of hernia. The most common ones occur around the umbilical (navel), inguinal (groin) or post-incision site of the abdomen (after surgery). WHATARE SOME SYMPTOMS OF A HERNIA? Most hernias cause a bulge under the skin. The location of this bulge depends on the specific type of hernia. For example, an inguinal hernia appears as a bulge in the groin, while an umbilical hernia appears as a bulge near the navel. Some
hernias can cause twinges of pain or a pulling sensation, but most do not cause pain. Hernias are usually easier to see with coughing or straining. They also tend to be more prominent with standing and often disappear with lying down. A hernia is considered “incarcerated” if a portion of intestine becomes trapped in the hernia and is unable to slide back into the abdomen. Rarely, the trapped intestine can “strangulate.” This means that the contained intestine dies because its blood supply has been cut off by the constriction of the hernia. This causes severe pain and requires urgent surgery. HOWARE HERNIAS DIAGNOSED? Most people discover their own hernias by noticing a bulge. Sometimes, however, your doctor will find a small hernia as part of a routine examination. Your doctor makes the diagnosis by physical examination. He or she may ask you to strain or cough (especially while standing), which may make the bulge easier to see or feel. Rarely, you may have symptoms that suggest a hernia, but the doctor will be unable to find one at the time of examination. In these circumstances, your doctor may recommend a computer tomography (CT) scan or an ultrasound of the abdomen. HOW LONG CAN THEY LAST? Most hernias stay the same or slowly get larger over time. Umbilical (navel) hernias, however, are a special situation. Most small umbilical hernias that appear before a baby is 6 months old will disappear before the child’s first birthday. Even larger umbilical hernias may disappear
Dr Zulfikar Bux
before age 3 or 4. HOW CAN THEY PREVENTED? Losing weight is helpful if you are overweight. If you frequently need to strain when you move your bowels, speak to your doctor. Your doctor may prescribe stoolsoftening medication or suggest that you modify your diet to include more high-fibre foods. Doing exercises to strengthen your abdominal muscles is also a good way to prevent your muscles from getting weak and acquiring a hernia. You should always practice proper techniques when lifting weights and should always avoid lifting heavy weights by yourself. WHATARE THE TREATMENT OPTIONS? Although not all hernias need to be operated on, hernias that cause symptoms or that become larger should be repaired by a surgeon. The technique used to repair your hernia depends on its type, size and location. The surgical options include: - Simply stitching the defect closed - Using mesh plugs or
patches to repair the defect - Performing laparoscopic surgery to fix the defect. (The surgeon makes a small incision in the skin and performs the surgery using a telescope). If you are considering having a hernia repaired, you and your surgeon will discuss which technique is most appropriate for you. Hernias that become incarcerated or strangulated require immediate medical attention. Your doctor will try
to massage the hernia back through the hole in which it is stuck. If this cannot be done, emergency surgery may be needed. Otherwise, most hernia repairs can be done on an outpatient basis as a non-emergency. Umbilical hernias in infants usually are not treated surgically, unless the hernia continues past the child’s third or fourth birthday, becomes larger, causes symptoms or strangulates. Umbilical hernias are
more likely to need surgery if the opening through which the hernia passes is greater than 2 centimeters in diameter. WHEN TO CALLA PROFESSIONAL? Call your doctor right away if there is significant pain at the site of a hernia. This can be the first sign that a hernia is incarcerated or strangulated. See your doctor if you notice a new, painless lump or swelling in a location where hernias typically occur. When surgery is used to repair hernias, the outlook is generally very good. If you suspect you have a hernia, do not hesitate to get it checked. The earlier they are treated the better.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday January 29, 2017
SUNDAY SPECIAL
man was transported to Berbice to await charges. Shondel Williamson, 26, of New Street, New Amsterdam, a mother of two boys aged six and three, is said to be in a stable but critical condition after suffering first degree burns to her face, hands and abdomen, following the acid attack. She is reportedly still unable to open her left eye. A close relative told Kaieteur News that at around 20.00hrs on the night in question, Shondel Williamson was returning home and noticed a man clad in women’s clothing coming towards her. The victim identified the man as her estranged reputed husband, 34year-old Alfred De Jonge, called “Not ah Bai.” The relative said that the man threw a white substance on Williamson and escaped in a waiting car.
PROBE MANAGEMENT OF GPHC – FORMER CHAIRMAN URGES “The whole place is administratively wrong.” This is the assessment offered by former Chairman of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), Dr. Carl ‘Max’ Hanoman, who is convinced that an investigation of the management of the institution is likely to yield some damning findings. Dr. Hanoman was moved to make this deduction following recently publicised articles that the management of the hospital has been allowing things to occur at the public health institution that are tantamount to “lawlessness”. Among management issues that continue to persist at the GPHC, and that are a bother to the former Board Chairman, is the fact that there are currently two Finance Directors employed at the institution, a state of affairs which he says, “completely breaches the management structure”. Added to this, revelations of an abrupt dismissal of a senior official who has served the hospital with distinction over the years has been particularly troubling to Dr. Hanoman. In speaking of the official, he reflected, “this is one of the people at that hospital who did not cower in the face of adversity”. He is convinced that it was because of the official’s unwavering professional stance that might have resulted in the termination. It is for this reason that Dr. Hanoman said that an investigation into the management of the hospital would not only be revealing, but highlight that the institution is in dire need of an intervention. ”There has been too much interference at that hospital; there have been too many instances of irregularities at that hospital, and I said as much when I was Chairman,” said
MONDAY EDITION Dr. Hanoman, as he disclosed that he had cause to question many decisions taken at the hospital without the blessings of the Board. ”People are placed in positions that they are not qualified for…people are moved and terminated at times because they don’t condone irregularities and that simply is not right, not for the Georgetown Hospital or any reputable institution for that matter,” Dr. Hanoman asserted during an interview with this publication. ”We need to investigate Georgetown Hospital, I don’t think it is running right at all…the whole administration is bad; there are too many hiccups and many shortcomings…the use of money there should be in a way that is useful to the taxpayers, not to specific people’s pockets,” Dr. Hanoman underscored. He disclosed that although he tried during his short tenure to improve some aspects of the hospital, there is yet a great deal more to be done. In fact, he lashed out at some individuals who have belatedly
shared plans of how the hospital could be improved. NEW CJIA EXPANSION DESIGNS MADE PUBLIC AS YEAR-END DEADLINE PLEDGED -RESIDENTS RELOCATED Residents who were affected by the expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) US$150M expansion project, Timehri, were relocated to a new housing scheme by the Ministry of Public Infrastructure. The new housing scheme was developed right in Timehri, within walking distance of the CJIA, to accommodate persons who were affected by the project, a government release said. Displaced persons were given house lots and some were relocated within Timehri North. Approximately 19 residents are expected to be moved, according to Ministry of Public Infrastructure Project Manager, Carmichael Thorne. Thorne was speaking during a
recent Labour Department visit to the airport project. Currently, five out of the 19 residents have received houses from the Ministry. Thorne explained that the other persons will not be affected for now since only the runway project is currently on track. Other allotments will be done in due course, if and when it becomes necessary. Thorne noted that the CJIA expansion project entails the construction of a new terminal building, which will begin at the end of the month. Additionally, the existing terminal building will be modernised to house departures only. Both ends of the runway have been extended by 710 metres to the North-East and 840 metres to the South-West, with sand filling and concrete filling to commence soon. Works are currently ongoing to relocate two cargo hangers and a Rubis filling station; these are buildings between the control tower and current departure building. The construction is complete for the new diesel generator room, while construction of a new fire pump station and the implementation of a new boarding corridor with bridges are to begin shortly. ACID-DOUSING SUSPECT ARRESTED FOLLOWING ACCIDENT IN LINDEN The man who allegedly doused his reputed ex-wife with a corrosive substance was detained early last week Saturday, January 21, after he was injured in an accident at Linden. Commander of ‘B’ Division, Ian Amsterdam, said that the some of his ranks, acting on information, worked with law enforcement officers in Linden to arrest the suspect. According to reports, 36-year-old Alfred De Jonge was involved in an accident and immediately after receiving medical attention, was taken into custody by police stationed there. Amsterdam confirmed that the
MECHANIC KILLED, OPERATOR INJURED IN FISHING COMPLEX EXPLOSION A 52-year-old mechanic suffered a gruesome death while an operator miraculously escaped with minor injuries, after a gas explosion rocked the B.M. Enterprises fishing complex in Houston, East Bank Demerara at around 10.30hrs last Sunday. Carlton Meghan, a father of two, of Diamond Housing Scheme, was hurled some 25 feet from a twostorey structure. His neck was almost severed. Another man, identified as Ukesh Persaud, sustained minor injuries to one of his legs and was treated at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation. According to reports, Meghan and Persaud were using welding equipment while fixing the compressor from an ice-making machine when the compressor exploded. There are reports that Meghan was bending over the compressor at the time. Some who visited the scene said that they heard the blast all the way in Georgetown. Employees that were working nearby ran for cover because they thought a bomb had exploded. When Kaieteur News arrived at the scene, Meghan’s mangled body, with head almost severed, was on the wharf, while parts from the exploded compressor were strewn nearby. The force of the explosion had also ripped a gaping hole in the zinc sheets at the top of the building where the men were working. Guyana Fire Service Divisional Commander Compton Sparman said that the Fire Service responded with three fire trucks and an ambulance on receiving a call about the explosion. From what Sparman was told, the men were repairing an ice-making machine when the explosion occurred. ”They were looking after an ice box engine. They were welding and there was gas in the area and there was a semi-explosion that pelted him (Continued on page 33)
Sunday January 29, 2017
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(From page 32) (Meghan) off (the building) and broke his neck,” Sparman said. The Fire Service official said that after examining the area, he concluded that there was some negligence. “There was gas in the area (where the men were working), and a lot of gas bottles there.” B.M Enterprises owner, Doodnauth Rasiawan told Kaieteur News that he established his firm some three years ago and this was the first tragedy of this nature to occur there. SUGAR INDUSTRY SHOULD NOT BE A BURDEN TO GUYANESE TAXPAYERS – PRES. GRANGER “We are not going in there with any prejudice, except for the fact that the sugar industry must not be a burden to the Guyanese tax payer any longer.” Those words were uttered by President David Granger when asked about his position on the issue of the future of the sugar industry during his televised show, the Public Interest. Granger said that the main focus right now is to arrive at a consensus with all stakeholders and the best way forward in addressing the issues of the industry. ”The government’s position is that we should seek consensus that is why we have embarked on talks with members of the opposition and civil society. We realise that sugar is one of the oldest industries in Guyana a n d m a n y o f o u r foreparents were brought here to cut sugar cane. In dealing with the pressing issues affecting the industry, Granger said that his government will not be rushing ahead. “It is a large employer, it occupies a large part of our land space, so we are not rushing ahead, we have some clear ideas on what has happened to sugar over the years, we know what has happened to Skeldon, that was a financial catastrophe, we know of the mismanagement which has taken place and brought sugar to the present situation.” According to the President a lot has been done to assist the industry in the form of spending billions of dollars in bailouts every year. As such, Granger said that his administration feels the burden on the country should be brought to an end. “…so in all good faith we have sought dialogue with the Opposition and the unions and we would like them to bring up ideas, we’d like civil society to bring up ideas so we arrive at a consensus that all Guyanese can be satisfied with.” He stressed that his government wants to save the jobs of the persons working in the industry and further, that Guyana can continue to have a viable sugar industry. He added that whatever the outcome is, it must be acceptable to the Guyanese people. “So we will continue meeting and I hope that the dialogue comes to a conclusion as quickly as possible.”
The first set of consultations were held on December 31, 2016 among members of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE), government officials and representatives of the parliamentary opposition, the People’s Progressive Party.
the cops, which resulted in lawmen raiding the neighbourhood frequently for guns and drugs.
TUESDAY EDITION
A taxi-driver and his family are struggling to cope with a double tragedy that struck them in the wee hours Monday at 795 New Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara. Not only are Chitendra ‘Veeru’ Singh, his two children and wife now without a home, but they have to also deal with the tragic loss of an uncle who was burnt to death in the early morning fire. Dead is 59-year-old Thakoor Singh. The blaze saw fire fighters arrive almost an hour and a half after being summoned (from the West Ruimveldt station in the city) as the nearby Diamond crew were out busy fighting another deadly blaze in the neighbouring community of Kaneville. Chitendra Singh told a harrowing tale of leaving his wife and daughter upstairs to fight what he initially thought was a small blaze downstairs. The wife and daughter, both trapped by the flames, were forced to jump from a back balcony to their safety as the flames grew. On Monday, a dejected Singh was seated at an unfinished building opposite what remained of his home, surveying the site of the tragedy. He was surrounded by a number relatives and friends.
TODDLER BURNT TO DEATH; GRANNY CLAIMS RUTHLESS NEIGHBOUR TORCHED HOUSE – 10 LEFT HOMELESS An eight-month-old baby boy was burnt to ashes and 10 other persons were left homeless after an early morning fire, suspected to be arson, destroyed a three-bedroom house at Third Field, Kaneville, East Bank Demerara. The blaze started around 02:30 hrs Monday after a bitter neighbour and a friend allegedly threw “fire balls” into the Lot 462 B Kaneville house in which the infant, Romain Seth, and his family were sleeping. Those now homeless are the baby’s mother, Holly Seth, 17; his grandmother, Michelle Menezes and her children, Biella, 8; Carlos, 11; Neid, 13; Gabriel Sampio, 5; Akeem Hinds along with other relatives, Tiffany Babb, Randy and Ansell Lyken. The fire is believed to have started as a result of a bitter battle between two neighbours. According to information, a teenage neighbour reportedly accused the toddler’s grandmother of ‘snitching’ on him and his gang to
PHYSICALLY-CHALLENGED MAN DIES IN DIAMOND FIRE – FAMILY MEMBERS FORCED TO JUMP FROM BURNING HOME
The taxi driver disclosed that his family lost everything, except his car. A minibus parked in the yard and belonging to someone else was burnt. Singh managed to escape with just a pair of trunks and was given clothes by friends. According to the taxi driver, the fire is believed to have started around 02:00hrs. He was with his wife in one of the bedrooms. His daughter, Amesha, and son Sachin, were sleeping in other rooms. The man said he was alerted to noises and thinking it was bandits, came out of his bedroom but was greeted instead by thick smoke. According to Singh, residing downstairs was his uncle who was physically challenged and probably had been drinking before the blaze erupted. The man believes that his uncle probably left his kero stove on and fell asleep. OMAR SHARIFF, WIFE CHARGED FOR FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH CJ’S ORDER …ALLEGEDLY DID NOT PROVIDE DOCUMENTS TO POLICE Three days after Government terminated the service of Omar Shariff, former Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of the Presidency, he was brought back to court again Monday to answer to a charge of failing to comply with a Production Order. Shariff, 46, and his wife Savitri Hardeo, 32, both of 36 Dowding Street, Kitty, Georgetown, were slapped with the charge when they
appeared before City Magistrate Fabayo Azore. It is alleged that on or after October 14, 2016, in the Georgetown Magisterial District, Shariff failed to comply with a production order dated October 6, 2016, made by Chief Justice (CJ) Yonette CummingsEdwards, to produce certain named documents stated therein to Assistant Commissioner of Police, Sydney James (Head of the Special Organized Crime Unit) not later seven days after service, which order was served by a marshal of the High Court, on the said Shariff by leaving same with him, who contravened the said order without reasonable cause, which he failed to produce. Shariff and Hardeo, who were represented by Attorney Sanjeev Datadin, both pleaded not guilty to the allegation after it was read to them in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. They were released on their own recognizance (self-bail). The charge against them was recommended by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. Attorney Datadin told the court that Shariff is a businessman. He said that his clients have no prior involvement in matters involving the police. The couple has three children together. Attorney Patrice Henry represented the prosecution and had no objections to the defendants being released on self-bail. Henry however requested that Shariff and Hardeo lodge their passports and report to Superintendent of Police Robert Tyndall, who is attached to SOCU, every Monday at 10:00hrs. Prosecutor Henry disclosed that (Continued on page 34)
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Sunday January 29, 2017
(From page 33) he will be calling six to seven witnesses to testify. Before the matter concluded, Attorney Datadin requested for statements to be disclosed and a certified copy of the case docket. Shariff and Hardeo will return to court on February 1, for statements.
According to information, the teenager reportedly accused the toddler’s grandmother of ‘snitching’ on him and his gang to the cops, which resulted in lawmen raiding the neighbourhood frequently for guns and drugs. COLD RESPONSE TO ‘PAYFOR-PARKING’LAUNCH …WIDESPREAD CLAIMS OF LACK OF AWARENESS
BANKS DIH SUES GRA FOR $28.5B A lawsuit has been filed by Banks DIH against the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) for some 28.5 billion worth of consumption taxes and interest which the company says it overpaid to the tax body due to a legal error. The beverage company is claiming the sum as a refund for the period of 2001 to 2007. During a press conference yesterday, People Progressive Party/ Civic General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo commented briefly on the issue. He stated that the APNU/AFC Government had set a bad precedent by settling a court matter with another beverage company, Demerara Distillers Limited. The Opposition Leader opined that the court action vindicates his stance on the matter. Banks DIH is claiming its sum on the basis of overpaid consumption taxes and interests due to a legal mistake. The company essentially calls the issue one of unjust enrichment for the GRA. WEDNESDAY EDITION SARA BILL FOR NATIONAL ASSEMBLY MONDAY After 20 months of waiting, the State Asset Recovery Agency (SARA) Bill will finally be taken to the National Assembly next Mon-
day. This is according to the Order Paper for the 60th sitting of the House. Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams, is expected to present the Bill on behalf of the Government. The Bill will pave the way for the official establishment of a State Assets Recovery Agency (SARA) in consonance with the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) 2003. It is to be headed by a Director who shall be a corporation sole. The Agency will be empowered by way of the legislation, to recover through civil proceedings, State property which was unlawfully acquired by a public official or any other person. The entity will also provide for investigations leading to the granting by the High Court, Restraint and
Civil Recovery Orders in respect of unlawfully acquired property. SARA will also have the power to engage in international cooperation in the recovery of stolen assets of States within the contemplation of the Act, and for related matters. At the moment, this agency is in the form of a State Asset Recovery Unit (SARU) – a department of the Ministry of the Presidency. It is headed by Professor Clive Thomas. Its Chief Executive Officer is Major (rtd.) Aubrey Heath-Retemyer. WOMAN ARRESTED FOR DEADLYKANEVILLE BLAZE A woman, who was believed to be among a gang that torched a house at Lot 462 Kaneville, East Bank Demerara, which resulted in the death of eight-month-old
Romain Seth, was arrested. She was interrogated by ranks at the Grove Police Station as investigators sought to ascertain the whereabouts of the other suspects. Kaieteur News understands that the young woman was seen at the house from where “fireballs” were thrown. Gasoline and newspapers, which were reportedly among items used to start the fire, were found in the property. The police are now looking for at least two suspects, including a teenage neighbour, who is said to be a career criminal. Investigators have received reports that the blaze started around 02:30 hrs on Monday after the teenage neighbour and his friends threw “fire balls” into the house in which the infant and his family were sleeping.
The much talked about ‘pay-forparking’ system was launched Monday, and was met with a less than enthusiastic response from the public and drivers. When Kaieteur News visited downtown Georgetown to see how people were dealing with the new development there were a number of concerns that were raised by the public. The majority of people had no knowledge that the launch was Monday. They did not know where to get the parking meter cards, and the vehicles that parked in the designated bays openly disregarded the need to purchase a parking ticket. One male individual opined that much more needs to be done on the ground, since people do not know how to use the meters. ”I walked the length of Regent Street and I could not see any ticket on any of the cars that were parked in the demarcated parking bays. There were a number of empty bays, an indication of people’s response to this unpopular project,” the man said Many taxi drivers expressed displeasure about the $232 dollars per hour being charged to park. They said that they will not be able to pay it and emphasised that there should be special provisions for taxi drivers. THURSDAY EDITION AG DENIES CLAIMS OF ATTACKS ON JUDICIARY …AND SAYS JAGDEO’S REGIME EMASCULATED IT Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams, was Wednesday asked to respond to allegations made by General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), Bharrat Jagdeo, about alleged attacks on the judiciary if decisions are not made in favour of the administration. Williams refuted this claim during a press conference hosted at his Chambers, Carmichael Street Georgetown, saying that all he made comments on were in regards to how the Government was going to appeal the two cases at the Caribbean Court of Justice. He posited that perhaps, his comments were being confused with those made by other commentators with regards to the acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Carl Singh. Williams took aim at the PPP/C more particularly, – the former President of Guyana – saying that it was under his tenure that the judiciary (Continued on page 35)
Sunday January 29, 2017
(From page 34) was emasculated. The AG said that under the PPP/C regime, the powers were removed from the Chief Justice’s office to the Office of the Chancellor. ”Why? Because he (Jagdeo) prepared a wicket; removed all the powers from one office to the next and let me say, it is important that there is a dichotomy between the Chief Justice’s functions and the Chancellor’s functions in terms of sharing the work in the judiciary so that one person would not be in charge of the entire judiciary – administratively. That has affected us a great deal because it meant that when the Chief Justice had supervision over the judges of the High Court, and the Chancellor had supervision over the judges of the Appellate Court and I think the magistrates, we have a situation where the checks and balances that we had, was removed.” The AG said that Guyana’s Constitution is premised on the separation of powers – that is, the Judiciary, the Executive of Government and the Legislature -which all have their independent roles and “no one should trod on the work of the other.” GRATO VIGOROUSLY CONTEST TAX CASE WITH BANKS DIH In light of the writ filed by Banks DIH Limited against the Guyana Revenue Authority, the tax entity said that it is fully prepared to vigorously contest this matter and looks forward to a thorough ventilation of the issues in a court of law. The revenue authority has been named as the second defendant in the case. In a statement issued by the GRA Wednesday, it was indicated that Commissioner-General of the Guyana Revenue Authority, Godfrey Statia, has indicated that the writ was served on December 16, 2016. According to GRA, the company
Kaieteur News
is seeking declarations that Consumption Tax paid for periods 2001 to 2006 were paid under a mistake of law and alternatively seeks an Order for repayment by the Government of Guyana of the said taxes. It was noted by GRA that the company has not filed its statement of claim. “A Statement of Claim is a written statement by the plaintiff, in which he/she must state their case: the facts on which they intend to rely upon and the relief they seek, to the defendant and for the public record, for which they seek a civil trial and judicial determination.” Banks DIH has approached the High Court to declare that it had paid $12.8B in consumption taxes for the aforementioned period under a mistake in law premised on a Court of Appeal decision handed down on July 31, 2008. This case was a motion filed by Demerara Distillers Limited against the revenue authority. In April 2016, DDL announced that it had come to an amicable settlement with the GRA regarding a longstanding dispute over Consumption Tax that began in 2002. The settlement followed an extended legal battle between DDL and GRA arising out of the consumption Tax assessment levied against DDL by then CommissionerGeneral Khurshid Sattaur in January 2009 in the sum of $5,392,020,753. DDL and GRA were able to recommence negotiations for a resolution of the methodology for a calculation of Consumption Tax (and its successor, Excise Tax), and were able to arrive at consensus to fully and finally settle all claims by the GRA and liability by DDL for both Consumption and Excise tax up to March 9, 2016 in the sum of $1,500,000,000. This sum was payable over 12 months. DDL, in good faith, effected the payment of $100,000,000 in compliance with the settlement terms.
FRIDAY EDITION WARLOCK DRIVE-BY SHOOTING LEAVES ONE DEAD, ONE INJURED Terror struck the community of Warlock, East Ruimveldt on Thursday evening when the occupants of a heavily-tinted vehicle opened fire on two men resulting in one being killed and the other injured. According to eyewitnesses, the shooting occurred around 20:15 hrs in front of a food stand on Genip Lane, as the victims were buying porridge. Dead is 30 year-old Andrew Fraser, a Water Street Arcade vendor, of 565 East Ruimveldt. The other man, who was injured, was identified as 26 year-old Junior Abrams. According to one male resident, who lives a stone’s throw away from where the shooting took place, he was in his home tending to his son when he heard a cracking sound. Initially, he believed it to be a ‘squib,’ but the volley of shots which followed confirmed to him that it was a shooting. The man said that he sought cover under his bed and only emerged after he heard police ranks shouting “Look a man lie down deh”. The man said that from what he heard from other residents is that two suspicious vehicle – a Toyota AT 212 and a Toyota Allion – had passed by the shop and circled the area. He said that the two vehicles returned and the occupants opened fire as the cars drove by. According to the man, a police patrol took away the injured Abrams in their vehicle and one rank pointed to a spot where the other victim was lying. According to him, after examining Fraser’s body it was difficult to say how many gunshots he received. Fraser’s body was later taken to
PAGE 35
the Georgetown Public Hospital with a private car. He was pronounced dead on arrival. Another resident said she was watching the evening news when she heard about 10 gunshots ringing out. According to reports, Fraser was shot five times while Abrams was shot three times. Based on information received by this newspaper, Fraser might have been mistaken for a close relative who apparently has a questionable background. FORENSIC AUDIT REPORTS OF GPL, GEA, GRDB…EVIDENCE POINTS AT ILLEGALTRADING WITH PETROCARIBE FUNDS – MATTERS TO BE HANDED OVER TO POLICE Government is set to hand over a forensic audit report to police investigators after a number of worrying findings of transactions at the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB). In one instance, there are indications that large sums of money were used by staffers of the board to illegally trade in foreign currencies. GRDB is the authority charged with overseeing the rice industry throughout the country. More than six years ago, Guyana entered a ground-breaking agreement with Venezuela trading rice for oil. Under the agreement, Guyana would advance a portion of the oil money on every shipment to Venezuela and pay the rest over a number of years at a minimal interest rate. The money to be paid to Venezuela was kept in special accounts. Guyana in turn shipped hundreds of thousands of tonnes of paddy and white rice and would every so often cancel out the payments. It appeared that GRDB kept
large sums of money in its accounts, lending some of it out without proper paperwork. Upon entering Government in May 2015, the David Granger-led administration immediately ordered a number of forensic audits to determine the health of the state agencies – among them were GRDB, the Guyana Energy Agency and the Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL). On Tuesday, the Cabinet of Ministers, led by President David Granger, considered the three forensic audit reports. On Thursday, during a postCabinet press conference hosted by Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, it was disclosed that in all the cases, there were issues raised during the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday that warranted further investigations into “financial irregularities”. Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, has since been ordered to follow up on GPL audit report. Both the GRDB and GEA reports were ordered to be handed over to the police for further investigations. This will be done by the Ministry of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, it was disclosed Thursday. With regards to the GRDB report, Trotman noted, over a three- to fouryear period, more than US$500M from the PetroCaribe proceeds (Venezuela rice-for-oil deal) would have passed through the accounts of the entity. Among some of the “anomalies” found included loans without proper paperwork or promissory notes. There were other instances of persons in the agency using GRDB’s monies to trade in foreign currency. The losses for the Government would have been significant, especially if the money was traded for less than it should have been. According to Minister Trotman, (Continued on page 36)
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(From page 35) the losses would have been staggering if the spread on the exchange rates were two or three dollars…the multiplying effect is millions of dollars. These were among some other instances that prompted the Cabinet on Tuesday to send the reports for more attention. MORE COMPANIES WANT ENVIRONMENTALTAX REFUND FROM GRA –ATTORNEY GENERAL According to Attorney General Basil Williams many companies have now signalled their intentions to approach the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) for environmental tax refunds. Williams made this disclosure at a recent press conference at the Ministry of Legal Affairs. He said that these companies, who he did not name, claim to have mirrored facts in relation to those of Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) and Rudisa Beverages. Addressing the issue of the DDL refund that seem to have triggered a slew of other claims, Williams says he would not say if the settlement was proper or not since a number of considerations had to be taken into account. The AG noted that the problem that they are now experiencing is what they have inherited from the previous administration. Williams said that had it not been for the en-
Kaieteur News
vironmental tax that was introduced by the previous administration this situation would not have existed. He explained that the tax was in breach of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas and the previous administration still went ahead with it. When contacted, Opposition Leader and Former President Bharrat Jagdeo asserted that he has now been proven right when he said that the floodgates will open with the settlement made to DDL by the present government. Jagdeo said that when his government sought to amend the related Act, it was rejected by the opposition, who now is in government. He said that Williams is confusing the issue and should take responsible for the “sweetheart deal” his government made. The opposition leader said that this new development is poised to bleed the public coffers of billions of dollars. In the Rudisa Beverages case, the CCJ ruled that the Guyana Government breached the regulations of the Treaty of Chaguaramas. This led to a US$6M ruling in favour of the applicant. After Rudisa won its case, the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) criticized the then government for not fighting the case in a proper manner. GMSA had said that Government should have taken into account the gross unfairness to Guyanese, who would be forced to pay twice, since they already paid Rudisa’s environ-
mental tax with every purchase of a bottled beverage. SATURDAY EDITION NO PAID PARKING FOR TEACHERS IN FRONT OF SCHOOLS Following a joint meeting between the Georgetown Mayor and City Council, Guyana Teachers Union and Smart City Solutions (SCS), it was agreed that teachers will not have to pay to park in front of public schools. According to a joint statement circulated yesterday and endorsed by the parties involved, the agreement came after due and special consideration of the critical and fundamental role that teachers play in the education and development of the nation’s children. As such, vehicle parking spaces immediately in-front of public schools will not be regulated for the purpose of metered parking by SCS. Additionally, according to President of the GTU Mark Lyte via a Facebook status, there will be no new parking meters placed in front of schools. He said, “Those schools where parking meters have been placed already will see them being removed. We wish to thank the Mayor and City Council along with Smart City Solutions for granting our request as a union for the removal of parking meters in front of schools”. Lyte also thanked the Deputy Mayor Sherod Duncan and Prime Minister
Sunday January 29, 2017
Moses Nagamootoo for their meaningful interventions in the matter. The GTU had raised concerns about the placement of meters in front of public schools even going further to conduct candlelight vigils along Main Street. Public Relations Consultant of SCS, Kit Nascimento did not clarify whether the meters would be physically removed from in front of schools. However, he did say that the instruments which have already been placed outside the schools will not necessarily regulate parking for that area. If teachers were being made to pay for parking it would have seen them paying almost $24,000 monthly at a rate of $200 per hour. In recognizing the valid concerns of the nation’s teachers, the company had decided to meet with the union to arrive at an agreement which would be beneficial to all stakeholders. Speaking with this publication following one of those meetings, Nascimento said that there were specific areas of collaboration regarding the parking meter locations discussed. He described the engagement as being very constructive. Parking meters went into effect on Tuesday after Minister of Communities and Local Government, Ronald Bulkan, signed the by-laws for the parking meters to officially and legally come into effect. Full enforcement is expected to come on stream from Monday where persons failing to pay for parking will have a wheel on their vehicle clamped by parking meter wardens. Vehicle owners in default will be fined $8000. Failing to pay would mean that vehicles will be towed away until all debts can be cleared. BUSINESSMAN SHOOTS BANDIT DEAD A businessman with a licenced gun turned the tables on two wouldbe bandits yesterday, shooting one dead and causing the other to flee empty-handed during a confrontation at McDoom Public Road yesterday. Police identified the slain man as Gary Koster, 38, of Norton Street, Bagotstown, East Bank Demerara.
Eyewitnesses said that Koster and another man, who were riding a motorcycle attempted to rob the businessman, who is a licenced firearm holder, but the attempt was foiled when the man opened fire. There are reports that there was an exchange of gunfire between the businessman, who was a passenger in a truck, and the men, when the suspected bandit was killed. The other man escaped on foot into a nearby village. When Kaieteur News arrived at the scene the motorbike was still parked on the road and a pair of slippers lay nearby. Police are still looking for the other suspect. A release from the Police Public Relations Department stated that ranks are investigating an assault with intent to rob which occurred at 14,45 hrs on Dharmendra Deen, 48, a businessman, of Anna Catherina, West Coast Demerara, who is a licenced holder of a .32 Taurus revolver and owner of D&D Supermarket and Bar at Annai, Region Nine. Enquiries disclosed that Deen was a passenger of motor truck GTT 5907, which was driven by Safraz Ali, who stopped at the junction of Houston, East Bank Demerara, to allow vehicles to come out of Rome Access Road, when two identifiable males drove up on a black and grey motor cycle and the pillion rider dismounted the cycle, drew a handgun, and struck Dharmendra Deen to his face and discharged a round in his direction. Deen then pulled out his licenced firearm and discharged several rounds in the suspects’ direction, hitting one of them, who fell on the roadway. The other suspect ran south along Mc Doom Public Road, and escaped. One 9mm and three .32 spent shells were found at the scene. The wounded suspect was picked up and taken to Diamond Diagnostic Centre where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The body was examined and two gunshot wounds were found in his left side temple and behind his neck. The motor truck was examined and a bullet hole was seen on the left side windscreen.
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ExxonMobil says Liza to flow at 100,000 barrels per day - 17 production wells planned Trinidad (Oil and Gas Journal)- ExxonMobil Corp.’s giant Liza discovery offshore Guyana will have an average production of 100,000 b/d of
oil when it begins flowing in 2020 according to the company’s Country Manager Jeff Simons. It also expects to produce 165 MMscfd of natu-
ral gas that will be mainly used for re-injection into the wells. Speaking last week at the Energy Chamber of Trinidad and Tobago’s annual energy conference, Simmons said the company will use a floating production, storage, and
offloading (FPSO) unit to produce the oil and would then export it, and raised the possibility of it being refined in nearby Trinidad and Tobago. He told delegates that the company planned to drill 17 production wells with subsea
tiebacks to the FPSO and that ExxonMobil was confident it could meet the early start up deadline because of its use of “cutting edge” technology. Simmons said no decision had been taken as of yet on whether ExxonMobil would use one or two drillships during the development stage. He noted that ExxonMobil has always been committed to the maximum use of local content but admitted that during production very few jobs will be created in Guyana because a total of 60 people will be required for the production of the oil. ExxonMobil’s Country Manager said the company has had to use Trinidad and its services during the exploration phase due to the Caribbean island’s relatively close proximity, its long history in oil and gas, and its capacity to service the industry. Asked if he thought that the company’s production out of the Stabroek block could increase with additional discoveries in the offing, Simmons was careful to point out that there was no certainty in exploration and pointed to the Skipjack prospect, which he said was a geological lookalike to Liza and turned up a dry hole. “Before drilling Liza our partner left us and we were looking for a new partner because we were not prepared to take the risk alone. Luckily we got Hess and Nexen and luckily we drilled Liza 1 before we drilled Shipjack, which, if you look at them, they look like a mirror image, and one was a massive find while the other
failed. So I hope we will find more oil but I can only speak to what we know is there.” Simmons told the conference. Earlier this month ExxonMobil and its partners announced its Payara-1 well offshore Guyana as its second discovery on the Stabroek block (OGJ Online, Jan. 12, 2017). The Payara-1 well targeted similar aged reservoirs that were proven successful in the Liza discovery. The well was drilled by ExxonMobil affiliate Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Ltd., and encountered more than 95 ft of high-quality, oil-bearing sandstone reservoirs. It was drilled to 18,080 ft in 6,660 ft of water. The Payara field discovery is about 10 miles northwest of the Liza discovery. ExxonMobil also announced that in addition to the Payara discovery, appraisal drilling at Liza3 identified an additional highquality, deeper reservoir directly below Liza field, which is estimated to contain between 100150 million boe. The Liza 1 well encountered more than 295 ft of highquality oil-bearing sandstone in May 2015. With the second well on the block, Liza 2, the company confirmed the finding as significant with a potential recoverable resource of 800 million-1.4 billion boe of high-quality oil. Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Ltd. is operator and holds 45% interest in the Stabroek block. Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd. holds 30% interest and CNOOC Nexen Petroleum Guyana Ltd. holds 25% interest.
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Bounty on her head…
Guyana-born Brexit campaigner says death threats could force her to leave UK United Kingdom (mirror.co.uk) - Gina Miller, who won a legal battle to stop Theresa May bypassing Parliament while taking Britain
out of the EU, says she is constantly looking over her shoulder Mrs. Miller, 51, who has now won her legal battle with
the Government, said: “We’ve had graphic letters where they’ve taken the time to cut and paste images of me being shot, beheaded, gang
raped. “They send very long messages on email or through LinkedIn. One person put a £5,000 bounty on my head for me to be run over. “They have this idea that I’m not human – I should be beheaded, or I should ‘go back to slavery’. “It’s quite extraordinary the depths it goes to. People pick up the phone and actually shout and scream at us. These are genuine threats. These are people who know where my office is and can see me walk in in the morning.” She has also been warned she will be the “next Jo Cox” – the MP who was shot and stabbed to death – and will have acid thrown in her face. The shock outpouring of hatred follows Mrs. Miller’s legal battle to stop PM Theresa May bypassing Parliament while taking Britain out of the EU . The businesswoman was one of several campaigners whose challenge was upheld by the Supreme Court last week. But now she fears she may have to move abroad to escape her vicious trolls. She said: “It makes me so sad, because this is my home. This is what I’ve been fighting for. That’s the thing that upsets me most, the idea my security could be so at risk that I would have to leave the UK. “I don’t want to leave my home, my friends, my family. I’ve been here since I was 10. Why would I want to do that?” The Guyana-born fund manager added tearfully: “I
Gina Miller
don’t want to leave the UK. But the choice would have to be Britain, or my children and my family’s safety.” She is the daughter of former Attorney General, Doodnauth Singh. Panic buttons have been installed in her home, a protection team has been hired to work with the police, and cyber security has been stepped up amid attempts to hack her websites. Eight cease and desist letters have been issued through the Met Police , two arrests have been made and at least 12 other inquiries are ongoing. She no longer uses public transport and spends weekends locked in her London home with husband Alan and their family.
Her children do not have access to social media. But she added: “My son was walking past my laptop when I was working one day. He saw an email and got very concerned. “I thought my daughter was coping, but one Sunday we’d run out of food. I needed to nip to the end of the road and said I’d be five or 10 minutes. But it was obviously too long – she had a complete meltdown. “She was screaming at my husband, ‘You’ve got to go and get Mummy. Something has happened to Mummy.’” She said: “I’m frightened, fearful and I’m always looking over my shoulder. That’s how we’re living our lives every day.”
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Starting menstrual periods at a young age and childlessness increase risk of premature and early menopause
Women who had their first menstrual period when they were aged 11 or younger have an increased risk of an early or premature menopause and if they remain childless the risk is increased even more, according to results from the first large scale, multi-national study to investigate the links between age at puberty and menopause and whether or not a woman has had children. The study, which is published in Human Reproduction, one of the world’s leading reproductive medicine journals, looked at 51,450 women who had agreed to take part in nine studies in the UK, Scandinavia, Australia and Japan that contribute to
the Life course Approach to reproductive health and Chronic disease Events (InterLACE) international collaboration. It found that women who started their menstrual periods aged 11 or younger had an 80% higher risk of experiencing a natural menopause before the age of 40 (premature menopause) and a 30% higher risk of menopause between the ages of 40-44 (early menopause), when compared with women whose first period occurred between the ages of 12 and 13. Women who had never been pregnant or who had never had children had a two-fold increased risk of premature menopause and a 30% increased risk of early menopause.
The risk increased even further for women whose periods started early if they had no children: the risk of premature or early menopause increased five-fold and twofold respectively compared to women who had their first period aged 12 or older and who had two or more children. In the general population of women in high-income countries (and also in this study) the prevalence of premature menopause is 2% and early menopause 7.6%. Therefore, the combination of starting periods early and having no children, means that the absolute risk of premature or early menopause for these women is 5.2% and 9.9% respectively.
Half of breast cancer patients experience severe side effects Nearly half of women treated for early stage breast cancer reported at least one side effect from their treatment that was severe or very severe, a new study finds. While it might be expected for women undergoing chemotherapy, researchers found onethird of women who didn’t receive chemotherapy experienced severe side effects of treatment. Side effects led to additional doctor’s appointments, trips to the emergency room, delays in treatment and reduced dosages. “It’s in patients’ best interest to receive their treatments on time and on schedule, whenever possible, to give them the best possible outcome. Unscheduled care for toxicities - including clinic visits, emergency department visits and hospital stays - are expensive, inconvenient and disruptive to both doctors and patients. We need to avoid them whenever possible,” says study author Steven J. Katz, M.D., MPH, professor of medicine and of health management and policy at the University of
Michigan. Researchers surveyed a diverse group of 1,945 women diagnosed with early stage breast cancer. Women were surveyed an average of seven months after diagnosis. They were asked to rate the severity of seven common side effects of breast cancer treatment: nausea/ vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, pain, arm swelling, shortness of breath and breast skin irritation. The survey also asked patients what kind of help they sought for their side effects from discussing it at a routine visit to scheduling additional
appointments or seeking emergency care. The study is published in Cancer. Overall, 93 percent of women said they experienced at least one of the seven side effects, with 45 percent rating it severe or very severe. Pain, skin irritation and constipation were most frequently severe or very severe. Most patients sought help for side effects during routine doctor ’s appointments, but 9 percent scheduled an additional appointment and 5 percent went to an emergency department or hospital.
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Vanilla starts Mashramani Feva with ‘Mash up de Place’, ‘We Run Tings’ As Mashramani draws closer, music fans will be happy to know that their favourite local artiste, Vanilla, is back at it again with new music. Now, her newest single ‘Mash up de Place’, which was released just days ago, has already gained popularity on the airwaves by being featured as Song of the Day, Song of the Week and Booming 9. The highly anticipated music video for this chart topper will also be released on Friday, January 27, 2017. On January 26, 2017, Vanilla continued the momentum by launching a second single for the Mash season, ‘We Run Tings’, then later in February, fans will see a third track being released to add to
the road march soundtrack. Though the artiste has been taking a step back on the music scene, several factors spurred her creativity which led to these new projects. Chief among these was calls from fans and support from her producer and writer Mr. Burchmore Simon to release new music. She also made the observation that the airwaves needed local music to support the Mashramani festival. “So ‘Mash up de Place’ kind of revived it and now I have noticed more songs are being released for the season,” Vanilla said. Vanilla also credits the efforts of Hits and Jams for helping the song to catapult to popularity, and admitted that
this is the first time she has received such avid support for her music from the company and she looks forward to their continued support. These tracks are also part of her upcoming album, which, Vanilla said, is “coming along beautifully”. Set to be released this year, songs for the album will be recorded in the Sound Garden Studio and will be a product of Kross Kolor Records. The finished product, she said, will see a fusion of sounds and a step away from her old material. Referring to it as “an experiment”, Vanilla said that the album will also feature some crossover work, including from fellow Kross Kolor Artiste, Gavin Mendonca. “I’ve
Selena Gomez and The Weeknd Take Their Romance to Italy
Selena Gomez and The Weeknd are taking their romance to a different continent. The couple traveled to the Italian city of Florence, E! News has learned, where they dined at Trattoria Borgo Antico for lunch. Plenty of pictures have popped up on social media, showing Selena and The Weeknd in the airport and getting into a car in an Italian piazza. Their Italian getaway vacation comes only two days after E! News obtained exclusive pictures of their date night at Dave and Buster’s in Los Angeles, which also featured French Montana and Jaden Smith. “Selena looked so happy and Abel was very chill, very relaxed,” an onlooker dished to us. “They held hands as
they left and it was very warm, you can tell they are really enjoying each other’s company...[Selena] seems very at ease with him and you can still see the stars in her eyes. They are clearly smitten!” The eyewitness also added that SelGo and her “Starboy” looked “smitten” as they left the arcade at 3 a.m. holding hands. Although a separate source has told E! News that “they are just having fun and enjoying each other,” it’s clear that they definitely like spending time together! Selena and The Weeknd were even spotted kissing outside of Los Angeles hotspot Giorgio Baldi. “He really likes her. They text every day,” another in-
sider revealed. “They have a really sexy and flirty relationship. They laugh and like each other’s personalities.” Since the “Secrets” crooner recently split from Bella Hadid, he and Selena are going to take it one day at a time. “They are taking things slow and getting to know each other,” the insider dished to us. “Selena was focusing on getting herself back together and The Weeknd was just getting out of a relationship, plus putting out his new album.” Still, the insider added, “He thinks she is extremely talented and sexy.” Buon viaggio, Selena and The Weeknd! http:// www.eonline.com.
been working to build the brand Vanilla and so these mixtures of things will look to make the brand stronger, and that includes crossovers and mixed genres,” she said. Speaking of her brand, a large part of what Vanilla is about also includes film and fitness. She revealed that she is currently working on some new film projects, while continuing to build her fitness portfolio. She currently serves as an instructor at Space Gym and Fitness 53 and also leads the annual Digicel Mash Fit event – which is another project she is passionate about. Digicel Mash Fit This is the third year that Vanilla will be hosting Mash Fit- the six week long fitness extravaganza that allows gym buffs to work on that ‘Mash’ body or just lose some weight through an intense daily workout.
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Dancing on Black Ice: That legal threat over a
nonjusticiable constitutional provision It is hard to think of a more flawed interpretation of an expressed constitutional provision than what we are currently witnessing in the feud over the selection of a Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). President David Granger offers one interpretation of the Constitution and former President Bharrat Jagdeo treats us to a juvenile understanding of the Supreme law of the land. The controversy that is brewing may not have occurred had Mr. Granger handled the matter judiciously but, be that as it may, the response from the parliamentary opposition is a perilous waltz on slippery ground. Jagdeo bristled at the rejection of the list he submitted to the President, threatening litigation and declaring that the Caribbean Court of Justice should be the arbiter. The threat to litigate the rejection of the List of nominees for the Chairman of Guyana’s Elections Commissions, is misguided. The selection of the Chairman of the Elections Commission by the President is nonjusticiable. Nonjusticiable matters are those that the judicial branch cannot impose a remedy on the executive under the separation of powers doctrine. No court could compel the President to accept the list of nominees submitted to him. This is one instance where
authority delegated to the executive, is outside the reach of the judiciary. Even in countries such as the United States, there are categories of cases that are excluded from judicial review. The political question doctrine is a canon of statutory and constitutional interpretation that restrains courts from enquiring into the exercise of authority by the executive. The simple fact is that there are instances where the discretion of the executive is absolute. The selection of the Chairman of the Elections Commission is one such case. The President is the ultimate arbiter not the court. No judge could overturn his decision or direct his action. It is clear from the reading of the Constitution that the selection of a Chairman of GECOM is outside the purview of the courts. It is in the realm of the political question doctrine not individual rights. There are overwhelming precedents crystallizing the principle that a court can never be called upon to be the umpire in questions that are merely political in nature. Political question cases are those that involve issues that are delegated to the executive for resolution. They are also characterized by the absence of manageable standards by which the judicial branch could serve as umpire. A clear test is whether the judicial branch could provide
cognizable and meaningful remedy without usurping authority delegated to another branch of government. In the case of the selection of the Chairman of GECOM, the Constitution delegated authority to the President with utmost clarity. It is an issue unequivocally delegated to the President for resolution. Article 161 is clear that the President “shall” appoint the Chairman. As to who the President may appoint and how the appointment is made, Article 161 commits the issue to the President as the ultimate arbiter. Even where it outlines the required qualifications for appointment, it defers to the President, stating that notwithstanding the requirements, the List must not be “unacceptable to the President”. This means that even a list that satisfies the “fit and proper” requirement could be rejected by the President. Bottom line--the court cannot order the President to accept any list of potential nominees. Surely, this is a case where the principle of judicial deference also applies. It is also clear from the wording of the Constitution that there is NO manageable standard by which the court could resolve a dispute. Former President Jagdeo and Former Attorney-General Anil Nandlall are glossing over the part of Article 161 which states “not unacceptable to the President”. This clause introduces a
highly subjective element that does two things. First it renders the discretion of the President absolute. Secondly, and perhaps more critically, it gives rise to the absence of manageable standards for judicial intervention. No judge could enter the mind of the President to determine what is or is not acceptable to the President. Critically, NO judge could impose his or her own standard of acceptability upon the President. This is the
essence of what constitutes a nonjusticiable matter – impotence on the part of the court to fashion a remedy. It is important to note that historically, the Constitution vested the President with sole and unilateral authority to appointment a Chairman of GECOM. This is indicative of the political question doctrine outlined above. Further, when the Constitution was amended, it retained the authority historically vested in the President as the
ultimate arbiter with the controlling clause “not unacceptable to the President”. The PPP was in power at the time of the amendment and controlled a majority of seats in Parlaiment. The PPP therefore, opted to retain the broad delegation of powers vested in the President, so it has no moral standing to complain now. Article 161(2) is a creature of the PPP that has come back to haunt. (To be continued)
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Guyanese Hall of Famer to build US$100M Sports Academy in Region Ten By Jacquey Bourne During his second visit to Linden within one year Guyanese Hall of Famer, Alex Bunbury, announced last Wednesday in the Linden Enterprise Network (LEN) Boardroom that he will be building a Sports and Academic Academy in Region Ten. The US$100M multipurpose facility will be built on the Ituni road, about 15 minutes drive from Linden. It will be the flagship for the
other Regions with satellites mirroring them. “It will be a multipurpose facility for all sporting disciplines, not just football. It is for cricket, basketball, cycling, swimming, hockey, track and field and the list goes on. We want to touch the lives of every young boy and girl to realize their dream,” Bunbury said. According to Bunbury the reason for him and his team visiting Linden and Guyana as a whole, is because he wants to give
back to the country of his birth. He said he left Guyana at age nine but got his athletic foundation from Guyana. “I am not loyal to GFF, I am not loyal to football; I am not loyal to Canada, and I am loyal to the truth.” He said he was offered state of the art facilities and opportunities and he took advantage of them. “So my vision is to bring something here that is not rocket science. I am trying to make a marriage between academics and sports. Put them together, do not leave
them apart and that’s what’s been happening in Guyana.” Bunbury claimed that in his opinion sports has been put on the back burner and because of that the most important thing on the face of the earth has been neglected. He noted that his Company Alex Bunbury Sports and Academic Academy (ABSAA), has a public/ private partnership with the government. It will enable them to utilize the resources to mix with what they have to build a state of the art training facility in the region. He said the objective is to give something that will not only give boys and girls the opportunity to maximize their God-given ability but to create sustainable jobs. “We need your support; we need you guys to keep pushing the politicians. I am not a politician; I don’t want to be a politician. I am a lover of Guyana and the people of Guyana especially young people; that’s what I am here for.” Bunbury pointed out that all he can remember of Guyana is playing around the village of Plaisance at seven, eight and nine years old, but he got to see the vast beauty of Guyana. “We are blessed. “This country has all the natural resources that you need to make you a powerhouse economically; so that only tells me one thing; we had a lot of greedy people, we had a lot of selfish people and a lot of people who are
more interested in power than wealth. “The Government needs to be pushed; the government needs to understand that you folks are not feeling it and you need to feel it. Guyana needs something more, our project is bold and progressive and it will create thousands of sustainable jobs and we need to have your support. When we leave here I don’t just want you guys to clap and say ‘wow’. Just go do it and let the Government know you want it right here right now.” President of the Guyana Football Federation, Wayne Forde, told the gathering that Alex Bunbury is the International Ambassador for football, Hall of Famer. He said in context of what Mr. Bunbury has brought in this bold, progressive plan to build a facility, it will create job opportunities for many builders and engineers and it will also produce of some of the best quality athletes the nation will ever yield in the next couple of years; that is the forward thinking of the Executive Committee of the Guyana Football Federation. “The Federation wants to unite itself quick. We have been dogged for many years by narrow- minded, small thinking people that occupy the office of power within this country in almost every position of power that wants to keep relegating to the amateur society. We have to make bold and courageous decisions if we
Alex Bunbury are to get away from this. Who would have thought that a young man would have travelled all the way to Portugal to be looked upon by some of the best coaches in Europe, Who would have thought that we would have someone returning to Guyana after forty years to create those opportunities.” Mr. Forde noted that when the executive committee took the decision to bestow the title on Mr. Bunbury people called and literally ‘cussed’ them out because they felt that there were other players who were more deserving, but he claimed the notch behind it was too complex for their simple reasoning. “Mr. Bunbury has the international credentials to overlook these opportunities. Yes there are players who play well and exceptionally well and I will always honour them. So the GFF pledged their support to Mr. Bunbury for the tremendous work he and his team are doing.” Financial Investor and (continued on page 69)
Serving Guyana has given me great ... (From page 64) Judiciary he thought that he had reached the pinnacle of his career. Serving his country was not yet over, for after a few months’ vacation, he was appointed Chairman, Police Complaints Authority - a different kind of legal work. When he became Chairman of the Authority, the public hardly knew of the Authority. Due to the lack of work, his predecessor only worked half-days. After the assumption of Justice Kennard to the seat as Chairman of the Police Complaints Authority, he appeared on radio and television to enlighten the public about the Authority’s work. He does not believe that life is about waiting for the storm to pass, instead it is about learning to dance in the rain. He then established outreach programmes across the country to sensitize the public about the role of the Authority and to take complaints against the Police. He also printed leaflets which he distributed to people on his visits in various places
across the country. On his outreach programmes, he appeared on television where it was possible to host call-in programmes so that people, who would have been reluctant to make complaints against the Police in person, could have called in to air their complaints where advice was given. Justice Kennard has visited all ten regions of Guyana: places like Mabaruma, Moruca, Port Kaituma, Anna Regina, Charity, Leguan, Vreed-en-Hoop, New Amsterdam, Springlands, Bartica, Linden, Mahdia, Annai and Lethem. Wherever he went, he would instruct the Police in those divisions as to their role in society and what service they should give to the public - their motto being “Protect and Serve”. He also spoke to the Toshaos whenever they had their conferences so that they could relate to their people in their own language. His office, situated at 39 Brickdam, is always open to
anyone who is desirous of making a complaint against the police. He also lectured frequently to the police at the Police Training School, Eve Leary. Since his assumption as Chairman of the Police Complaints Authority, he spoke vociferously about having his own investigators instead of having Police investigators from the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR). Even the Chang Commission advised that the Authority should have its own investigators so that the people would have confidence in the Authority. After repeated requests, former Minister Clement Rohee who was Minister of Home Affairs heeded his requests. As a result there are now four investigators with a few more to be added through an IDB Programme. Besides his work at the Police Complaints Authority, Justice Kennard sat as Chairman of the Board of Inquiry into the escape of five prisoners from the Georgetown Prison on February 23, 2002.
Sunday January 29, 2017
By Dr. Neromini Fagu The development of our teeth is a multistage process that begins very early in life during the embryo stage. It is important for all parts of a tooth to develop during the appropriate stages to avoid abnormalities. Several factors influence the proper development of our teeth and these include genetic, environmental and nutritional. Our primitive mouths begin to take form after the third week of conception. After this, the tongue, jaws and palate will develop. During the sixth week after conception, the buds to form our baby teeth will start to develop and by the eight week all these tooth buds will become recognizable. The tooth buds for the adult teeth will begin to form at about the twentieth week. Initiation Stage The first stage of tooth development, occurring at the sixth week, is the initiation stage. Twenty enlarged areas, the future tooth buds, will begin to form at this time. The most common developmental issue in this stage, hypodontia, is the failure of a tooth to form. Bud Stage The next stage is called
Kaieteur News
Embryological stages of tooth development
the bud stage and it occurs during the eighth week of pregnancy. This stage results in the formation of ten tooth buds in the upper and lower jaw of the fetus. Developmental anomalies that occur in this stage are related to the size of one, multiple, or all of the teeth. These anomaly conditions are called microdontia, which is smaller than normal tooth size, and macrodontia, which is larger than normal tooth size.
Cap Stage The third stage of tooth development is the cap stage and it occurs between the ninth and tenth week of pregnancy. As the tooth bud grows it takes on the appearance of a cap, hence the name. The defects that can occur in this stage typically involve enamel formation and include Dens in Dente (tooth within a tooth), Gemination and Fusion. Bell Stage The fourth stage of tooth development is the bell stage. The most important function of this stage is the finalization
of the shape of the crown. Two developmental anomalies that can occur in this stage are the formation of supernumerary (extra) teeth, and the development of an odontoma which is calcified tissue in the upper or lower jaw. Apposition and Maturation Stage Apposition and maturation are the final stages of tooth development. The most significant development here is the formation of the enamel, dentine and cementum layers of the tooth. Because this is such a critical stage it is prone to a number of anomalies including enamel hypoplasia and enamel hypocalcification. This stage is also very vulnerable to illness as fevers can produce malformed enamel and exposure to the drug tetracycline can permanently discolour enamel. Also, consumption of too much fluoride in this stage will cause white patches of hypomineralizaton in the tooth known as fluorosis. Root Development Once the crown has fully formed then root development begins. There are a number of anomalies that can happen during this
STANDARDS IN FOCUS
GNBS – Maintaining accuracy in the Petroleum Sector The Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) which is empowered under the Weights and Measures Act of 1981, has been mandated to check and verify the accuracy of bulk meters, fuel pumps and other measuring devices used in the petroleum sector. Verification ensures that the quantities of fuel dispensed using these devices are within the acceptable tolerances. Hence, vehicle owners and other consumers can continually rely on the quantities of fuel provided to them during purchase. The Bureau continues to verify fuel pumps at gas-stations countrywide, bulk storage tanks and meters and the compartments of tanker wagons owned by the large fuel companies such as Sol, Rubis and GUYOIL. In addition, the compartments of a significant number of privately owned fuel tankers (trucks) were verified and inspected during the last few years to ensure accuracy and safety requirements are maintained based on the National Standard for Road Tanker Wagon. During the verification process, test measures are used to determine the accuracy of the petrol pumps, bulk meters and wagon compartments; that is, whether these measuring devices are under delivering, over delivering or are within the acceptable tolerances. For devices that are inaccurate, the necessary adjustments are made and security seals are affixed to the adjusting mechanisms.
This is to maintain the integrity of the verification process. If a subsequent check is conducted by Inspectors of the GNBS and the affixed seals are found to be tampered with or removed, the operators or owners can face prosecution. Further, if for one reason or another, a verified measuring device is not functioning properly, and cannot be verified immediately, the Inspector would seal the dispensing nuzzle to prevent further usage until its accuracy can be verified. The entire verification process is intended to protect both suppliers and consumers. When a pump is over delivering fuel, the station is selling at a financial loss. If a pump is under delivering, then drivers are being short-changed. Similarly, fuel terminals also need to supply the correct quantities of fuel to petrol stations that are their customers so that they too can be satisfied. The Bureau of Standards, therefore, serves as an effective interface between sellers and consumers, thus ensuring fair trade and business practices and ultimately, protection for all. Consumers are advised to make purchases in metric quantities and to check fuel pumps for the GNBS approval seals. The presence of an approval seal on a fuel pump indicates that the pump was checked for the corresponding period. For further information on this subject, call the GNBS on Telephone number: 2190065 or 219-0069 or visit the Bureau’s website:www.gnbsgy.org
process and they include root dilacerations, dwarfed roots, and taurodontism. Also, enamel pearls which are small, circular deposits of enamel may form on the root. Additionally, supernumerary roots can form due to trauma, pressure or metabolic diseases. Factors needed for Tooth Development
Nutrition plays an important role in the embryonic stages of tooth development. Calcium, Phosphorus and Vitamins A, C and D are needed for a healthy tooth. Calcium and Phosphorus are needed for the formation of the hydroxyapatite crystals. Continued on page 69
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Dr. Neromini Fagu
PAGE 68
PROPERTY FOR SALE Transported property @ Grove and Diamond $16M negotiable. Call: 625-5461
SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY,ETC.-CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 2161043; 677-6620
SALON - Make-up Courses with Mac, Bare Minerals, etc. - Cosmetology Courses: $120,000 - Technician Course: $45,000. Call: 6471773/660-5257
Visa Application: U.S.A, C a n a da & UK; Guyana passport application. Graphics design, advertisement. Tel: 6267040; 265-4535.
Register Now! Cosmetology, Nails & Wig designs courses, classes commence February 20th 2017. Call: 6182417
INNOVATIVEMARKETING & PUBLISHING INC –TEL: 600-4212: We create A/ works, logos, busi ness cards, posters, etc, placements of ads included.
New Creation of Hair is offering courses in Cosmetology & Nail arts design. Call: 616-6221/ 2705074
Passport, permanent & visitor visa application, Professional Immigrant Consultant – Sabita Immigration Services. Call: 225-6496; 662-6045
EARN A CERTIFICATE IN CERTIFICATE IN COSMETOLOGY AT ARTEE’S BEAUTY SALON (W.C.D) - $75,000 & WATCH REPAIRING SERVICES .CALL: 2750267/ 680-0156
Repairs at affordable prices: fridge, air conditioner, washing machines, dryers, TV, microwaves & freezerCall: 610-5846 or 661-8158 B U D H R A M ’ S LANDSCAPING SERVICES: FREE ADVICE, FREE DESIGN. CALL: 656-1326
VACANCY
Eagle’s: Re-gas -$8,000, Washing machine repairs, Gas Stove, Plasma flat Screen & more. Call: 697-2969/646-0966
Driver/Salesman, lorry licence, residing on East Bank Demerara. 266 4427
Brian Moe @ 642-3543: Computer Technician, FB: Brian.Moe.165; Home and office visits at your comfort!!
The #1 Plant Shop, sale staff and general maintenance and sales persons 20-30yrs. Call: 643-7193
St Hill Electrical Service, Electrical Maintenance Works to all buildings, BS 7671 testing Certification. Call 604-9596 or 646-9087
Live in/live out waitresses. Call: 643-9007/ 666-4647
Repairs at low cost: Fridges, air- conditioners, washing machines, TVs, microwaves, freezersCall:629-4946 or 225-4822
Driver/General assistant for city location and cook/baker for interior location. Call: 618-2020 Male supervisors (housekeeping Dept) 3255yrs @ 233 South Road, Lacytown. Call: 225-0198 All rounder person to work in salon at Lot 6 North Road . Call: 666-6917/ 223-1821 EDUCATIONAL
TAXI SERVICE GR TAXI SERVICE. CALL: 219-5000; 227-1982 & 2257878 (24HRS) TOURS Need a weekend getaway? Pay just $36000 for a return trip to Suriname. February 2326, 2017. Contact: 600-5509/ 268-2507/600-0312
Sunday January 29, 2017
Kaieteur News
Classes for slow learners in Reading, Spelling, Mathematics, and much more for children all ages. Call: 6754379
1-2 Story building: top flat4 bedrooms, 1 self contained, air-conditioned, 2 apartment bottom flat, 2 bedrooms each apartment. Call: 645-9157 Aubrey Barker Road, triple lot -$27M, campbellville, DaSilva Street, Diamond Bungalow 12.5M, East$11.5M. Call GME Realty: 231-2199/ 618-7483 1 Front building & a 2 storey building on 1 (lot) 180 Charlotte Street Bourda W30XL120 $55M negotiable. Call: 6247341/227-6817/226-5183 1-2 Storey building 3 bedrooms upstairs, 2 apartments downstairs, all self contained, Avenue ‘B’, Diamond, E.B.D- Call: 6585452 1-2 Storey building 3 bedrooms – 1 self contained, Water Street, Agricola, E.B.D- Call: 658-5452 Planning on Buying a Property from Eccles to Timehri? Give us Call:6585897/651-1969 Are you selling your property From Eccles to Timehri? We Do It Without A Commission. Call: 6585897 651-1969 2 Storey house 35X45 3 bedrooms, 1 self-contained @ 5th Avenue Diamond, H/ Scheme. Call:677-0583/6645052 Newly built @ Craig E.B.D land size 91X50feet; house 40X28, 3 rooms, 1 selfcontained. Call: 718-2136496/617-7691 Property @ 28 Johana Cecilia Essequibo Coast, suitable for supermarket, bar etc $12M. Call: 630-4744 One two storey building and business for sale @ Anna Catherina W.C.D. Call: 6619880 Property @ 3rd Street Montrose, East Coast Demerara: Two story property with business on the lower flat. Call: 677-1310 One concrete building (incomplete) south Amelia’s Ward Linden -$6M negotiable. Call: 644-1869
FOR SALE LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754. Cheap! Cheap! CCTV Security Surveillance Kit, 8 Channels DVR with built in Hard Drive, 8 bullet cameras – Tel: 621-4740/686-3500
VEHICLE FOR SALE 1 Toyota Allion PVV series: TV Camera, HID, lights, alarm & remote start $2.1M negotiable Call: 649-0956 Nissan Bluebird 2011 model -$2.7M, Toyota Rush 2006 model -$2.8M. (unregistered vehicles) Call:655-3400
1 Big music set, owner migrating. Call: 690-5225
2009 RAUM -$2.2M, 2009 SIENTA -$2.3M, 2011 MAZDA AXELA -$2.7M, 2011 NOAH & VOXY $2.6M. CALL:617-2891
Popular taxi service for sale located on Sheriff Street Georgetown, includes 16 radio sets. Call: 695-0704
3 TON OPEN BACK CANTER, NEVER REGISTERED -$3.5M. CALL: 617-2891
Cat 928F Loader $7.3M, 3406 Caterpillar Engine $1.3M, 3306 Caterpillar Engine $1.3 M - Contact: 6500402\260-4115
1 Toyota Verossa, PTT series. Call: 657-8843
3116 Caterpillar Engine$1.1M, 3208Caterpillar Engine $700,000, Diesel Welder, BMW 318I $2.5M, IST $2M. Contact: 650-0402\260-4115 Leyland DAF 75 Hauler in good condition GNN series -$2.2M. Call: 655-5117 or 623-3839 Imported German Shepherd & Huskies dogs, fully vaccinated and processed through G.L.D.A, make bookings early. Whatsapp: 615-5343 1 Brand new pool table 8ft (slate). Call: 691-1161 One 6 inches dredge owner is ill. Call: 673-7883/ 619-5784/ 610-6738 One complete sawmill situated at Yarrowkabra Industrial Site Soesdyke/ Linden Highway. Call: 6441190/ 609-8041
Toyota Sprinter Vintage AE110, A/C, all wheel drive, fully automatic, privately owned by pensioner. Call: 234-0510/ 674-0278 One Towa ace small bus, in working condition. Call:6751787/ 614-4275 1- Toyota Fielder Wagon, automatic, 15 inches magrim & automatic remote start, price $1.650M negotiable. Call: 668-8431 Land Rover, Suzuki Sport X90, Chevy Cargo Van, Grand Jeep Cherokee. Owner Leaving! Call: 227-8519/ 6534287 Silent diesel generator 10KVA (1 with welding set), Jackhammer, used Indian Costumes and accessories. Owner Leaving! Call: 2278519/ 653-4287 One Toyota Verossa- $2.4M negotiable. Call: 614-0694
One Perkins 27 KVAGenerator $1.2M negotiable. Call: 644-1869 Elevator very good condition, price negotiable. Call 231-1284 DRESSMAKING Learn to cut & sew at Enid’s Dressmaking, course range from elementary to advance @ 66 6th St. Alberttown, G/ town. Call:223-9106/ 6437966
Phonics & Reading classes for 4-8yrs, Common Entrance Lessons- Grades 4 & 5, full time school, Grades 7-9. Call: 677-0296
Property @ Flourmill Road, E.B.D, Land 120X30 wooden & concrete building – price $15M. Call: 611-2751/ 617-0585
Earn while you learn. Classes in designing and sewing. Call: 676-6312/626-2629 LAND FOR SALE
FOR SALE/RENT American Pool Table. Call: 277-0578
Transported property @ Cane Grove, serious inquiries. Call: 611-4512
50X198 located in Friendship E.B.D –price $4.3M (negotiable). Call: 645-6498
1 live in waitress with secondary education, starts at $70,000 monthly, boarding and lodging free. Call: 6103974 Live in or live out babysitter/ domestic. Call: 223-7500 Monday-Saturday 8:15-4:15 Experienced drivers, waiters, roti/puri cooks, day shift only. Apply at Hack’s Halaal with written application, 5 Commerce Street. Cook & Cashier for snackette, attractive salary. Call: 697-5387/ 677-9279 1- Honest Driver salesman, must have lorry license, CXC subjects. Mail application to 10 La Grange, W.B.D. Need immediately dry cow mold 400 bags, preferably from Berbice Area. Call: 6437193 We buy land in Eccles, Providence, Hersteling, Farm, La Parfaite Harmonie, Zeelugt & Bartica.Call:6585897; 651-1969 Experienced cook & pastry maker, salesgirl. Call: 6266835 Experienced sandpit truck driver. Call: 227-8529 Urgently wanted a professional cosmetology at Natural Beauty salon and spa, Grove, Market Street, E.B.D – Call: 652-5800 Driver, porters experienced in water sales. Call:682-1048 Bartender, cook & waitress. Call: 227-4897 1 Waitress, 1 bartender & 1 bar supervisor. Call: 6965768/ 218-0013/601-1949
Great Deals on video games & all gaming consoles. PC, video games & repairs – Call: 672-2566; 265-3231 Houses at Blankenburg$12.9 M and Up. Contact # 650-0402/260-4124
WANTED
LAND FOR SALE Land @ Soesdyke, 6 lots measuring 135’X175’ -$24M negotiable. Call: 627-3334/ 696-8935, email:fcranmore@ guyanavoice.com Land @ La Parfaite Harmonie -$1.2M, $1.4M, $1.6M, Uitvlugt- $2M, Tuschen School Street -$3M, Providence -$5M, Eccles $5M. Call: 604-6724 Parfaite Harmonie $1M, $1.3M, $1.6M, Uitvlugt (100FT X 5OFT) $2M & $2.5M, Eccles $5.5M Cuyuni Mining Block $2.5M. Call: 658-5897/ 651-1969 Eccles New Scheme (100FT X 50FT) $5.5M, Semi Concrete Fenced, Safe and Secure Area (Upfront).Call:658-5897/ 651-1969
Arc/Acetylene welder with fabrication, driving and mechanical experienced. Call: 227-1813/ 227-1830 Carpenter/painter. Call: 2253234 Experienced sewing machine operator (heavy duty) from West Coast/West Bank Demerara. Call: 676-6312/ 626-2629 Labourers for wood concession -$5,000 per dayCall: 618-0487 Handy boy, must have police clearance. Apply to Shanta’s @ 225 Camp & New Market Street Live-in housekeeper to care for sick person; cook and general care. Call: 603-3571 between 7:00am-7:00pm Continue on page 69
Sunday January 29, 2017
PAGE 69
Kaieteur News
CONSUMER CONCERNS
UG’s extension offering again impacts By PAT DIAL Last Tuesday, the University of Guyana led by its visionary and creative Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ivelaw Griffith, and his hard working team of academics like Dr Paloma Mohamed, launched the fifth of its public lectures cum discussion series. The theme of the evening’s offering was Health: Non-communicable Diseases Matter and the large audience was very receptive and lively, responding to the very able and thought-provoking presentations by the specialist panel. The theme is one in which consumers and the general public have an abiding interest since it concerned their welfare as well as their children’s in a very real way. The presentations and discussion covered the whole gamut of non-communicable diseases and would be far too extensive to be covered in this article. Among the noncommunicable diseases discussed were Heart Disease, Diabetes, Kidney ailments, Dementia and other
mental problems such as stress and suicides, and even traffic accidents which are responsible every year for several hundred deaths and permanent physical and mental disabilities. In an article of limited size, we could not deal with the details of the discussion and will mention only some of the main general conclusions. The University has been able to place permanently on line the proceedings. Among the main points which came out of the proceedings were that parents must be conscious and alert that their young children could be affected by these non-communicable diseases and that if they are not discovered and treated early, they could become even worse as the child grows into adulthood. Many of these diseases could be cured or eliminated during childhood but become chronic in adults. When these diseases afflict adults for the first time, they need to seek medical help to know precisely what is afflicting them and begin treatment as early as possible. Very often such diseases could be cured with early
Embryological stages... From page 67 Vitamin A and C are needed for the formation of the protein Keratin, and Vitamin D is needed to maintain the levels of Vitamins A and C in the bloodstream. Fluoride, in certain amounts, is also important for the development of teeth. Fluoride is incorporated into the hydroxyapatite crystals of a developing tooth and this makes the tooth more resistant to demineralisation and tooth decay. For more information contact OMNI DENTAL at 295 Quamina Street, Georgetown Tel: 227-0025, Parika Tel: 2603133 or send emails to nerominifagu@hotmail.com.
Guyanese Hall of Famer... From page 66 CEO of ABSAA Les Logsdon said he is behind the project because he had the opportunity his parents didn’t have. “I was the only one to go to college and the only reason I could go to college is because of sports.” Logsdon said it is not his intention to remain the CEO of ABSAA. He noted his intent is to train people under him to take over the Academy. “It has never been our goal for me to be the all-time CEO. We will train people to take over right here and that will be my pride. It is my distinct pleasure to be associated with the project.” Investment Officer Linden Enterprise Network, Walt Glasgow, said that although Alex Bunbury is from Plaisance he decided to open his state of the art Sport Centre in this Region. That is referred to as a very strategic and significant decision. “It is a good thing
because we don’t have sport stores and sport therapists here but he will put the sporting facility here then let the economics of the sport follow it. That is throwing faith in the future.” Glasgow said that with such a facility located in the region there will be need for stores that supply sports equipment, of high quality and in sufficient quantities. He also remarked “I would not like to see the facility in Linden and somebody from Georgetown coming and setting up a sports store in Linden.” Also present was the Mayor of Linden Mr. Carwyn Holland who thanked Mr. Bunbury and his team and the President of the GFF for making it possible and said sports is one of the biggest revenue earners in the world. At the end of the briefing Mr. Bunbury held clinics with school children and coaches at the Mckenzie Sports Club Ground.
treatment. A good example of this dilatory attitude is tooth decay or gum damage which is almost always treated when it is too late. Diet is important in avoiding and controlling these diseases. A large proportion of the urban population eats “fast food” commonly known as “junk food.” Children in particular are fond of these “junk foods.” These foods consist of a surfeit of sugar, salt and cheap oils which help to break down health. Even if people do not eat “junk foods” their diet very often is not balanced with enough proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and so on. It is comparatively easy and affordable to have balanced diets and there are numerous programmes and leaflets propagated by the Ministries of Health and Education giving recipes as to what a balanced diet could be. One of the foods to avoid is red meat. Good wholesome food always turns out to be far less expensive than food bought from restaurants. It has become a culture for sufferers to attempt to treat their ailments with drugs of which they have little real knowledge. One such drug is antibiotics whose reckless and uninformed use could be dangerous and even disastrous. Though there are laws compelling pharmacists to sell certain drugs, including antibiotics, only on a doctor’s prescription, such drugs are usually treated as “over the counter.” Some ailments could be treated or controlled by less
expensive older drugs, as for example sulphur drugs, or even remedies from alternative medicine as against antibiotics. These older drugs and alternative medicines have far fewer sideeffects. In all treatments, discipline in following the doctor’s prescription is a necessity for success. Also, regular and methodical physical exercise helps successful treatment. There was a strong body of opinion in the proceedings which felt that disproportionate time and funds were devoted to communicable diseases as for example, AIDS and there was a call for equal or more focus be put on non-communicable diseases The Public Health System with its hospitals and health centres should be made more use of by persons afflicted with these diseases. Many people fail to use this free System because they underestimate the quality of the service offered. They often wait until there is a crisis and then they have to go to expensive private hospitals or return to the Public Health System.
From page 68
CAR RENTAL
FOR RENT
PROGRESSIVE CAR RENTAL: CARS& SUV FOR RENTAL- $4,000 & UP PER DAY- CALL: 677-7827, 6435122, EMAIL: PRO_ AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO. COM
PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620
WING’S CAR & PICKUP RENTAL: LOW DOWN PAYMENT, CHEAP REATES,SPECIAL OFFER FOR THE SEASON. CALL: 690-6494 DOLLY’S CAR RENTALCALL: 225-7126/226-3693 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL@ YA H O O . C O M / W W W. DOLLYSAUTORENTAL.COM AIDAN’S CAR RENTAL:PICKUP,9-11 SEAT MIN BUS, GOOD FOR AIRPOTR & FAMILY OUTING, CHEAPESTRATE . Call: 698-7807
Bottom flat house @ 25 North Road & Oronoque Street, fully furnished/ air condition/residence / business. Call: 226-7012 1 Salon Station & 1 Barber station to rent, also wanted nail technician with clientele. Call: 270-5074/616-6221 Newly renovated, grilled, self-contained apartments for rent (light & water included) in Sussex St. Charlestown. Price-$35,000. Call: 689-8757/659-3597 One two bedroom apartment for rental, price -$45,000, location- Diamond, New Scheme. Call: 604-2431/ 2162339 2 Bedrooms apartment to rent @ Providence -$45,000. Call: 265-7180
TO LET VACANCY Administrative Assistant. Send resumes to gtcareers592@gmail.com or call 600-4212.
One bedroom apartment for local & two bedrooms furnished apartment for overseas guest or short rentals. Call: 2273626/ 627-8900 Rooms in Alberttown. Call: 225-3234
WANTED Wanted Urgently! 1 Houselot in Diamond between 7th to 11th Avenue. Call: 610-5957
KITTY APARTMENTS: FURNISHED, GRILLED, 2BR, NEW, GRANITE, SECURE $120,000 MONTH, NO AGENTS CALL: 672-4532 KITTY APARTMENTS: UNFURNISHED, GRILLED, 2-BR, NEW, GRANITE, SECURE $70,000 MONTH, NO AGENTS CALL: 6724532 Three bedrooms (selfcontained house) furnished, 1-2 bedrooms apartment at Lot 59 Prince William Street, Plaisance E.C.D. Call: 2181107/ 673-4745/ 603-4466 Apartment for rent, overseas guest only @ 266 Atlantic Garden, E.C.D – Call: 220-3735 Bottom flat to rent for store, shop, etc at Lot 117 Bagotville front, W.B.D. Call: 647-1347/ 665-3512 LAND FOR SALE
PEN PAL Male seeking single female for relationship ages 25-32. Text or call: 592-697-9268 Male looking for female 3555yrs old, if possible, companionship and mariage, preferably widow. Call/ whatsapp:: 668-9020 ir Facebook
Concrete structure (upper flat) 24X40, Diamond New Scheme -$7.5M. Call: 6533381 High income houselot in Uitvlugt, price negotiable. Call: 676-4051 Transported corner lot with approved building plan @ 90 Garnett & Republic Streets, Newtown Kitty. Call: 6016000
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Kaieteur News
Sunday January 29, 2017
Sunday January 29, 2017
Kaieteur News
Car breaks red light at junction on ...
Mom, sons killed
Carl Maxima is led away from the Forensic Science Centre in St James yesterday, after viewing the bodies of his daughter Carla and grandchildren Amani and Kamari, who were killed in an accident at Mausica on Thursday. PHOTO: KERWIN PIERRE (Trinidad Guardian) Had two-year-old Kamari and his young brother Amani Collins, eight months, been in car seats, they may have survived a late night accident on Thursday in Mausica. The boys, along with their mother Carla Collins, were killed instantly when they were thrown from their father’s car, after a car driven by a 28-year-old man ran a red light and slammed into them. According to the autopsy reports, both children died as a result of massive head trauma and brain contusions.
Their mother also suffered severe head injuries. She too did not have a seat belt on. The lone survivor of the crash, the boys’ father Keston Collins, a cook with the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard, survived with minor injuries. He was buckled in. Police reports indicate that around 11 pm Thursday, the Collins family were heading to their Callis Street, D’Abadie home after visiting Collins’ parents at Darwil Gardens, Arima, when the accident happened. While Collins was driving south along the
Mausica Road, a car heading east along the Priority Bus Route slammed into their vehicle, which then hit another vehicle. The driver of the car that broke the red light was in a serious condition at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt Hope, last night. The accident was recorded on Close Circuit TV cameras and widely shared on social media yesterday, as were pictures of the two children’s bodies in nearby drains and their mother on the side walk.
AFC hosts 5th Biennial...
A section of the gathering yesterday. From page 9 Demerara, to the North. Large buses bearing zones from far-flung areas were also seen. Model ‘M’ trucks and Canters were also present apparently used to transport participants. Meanwhile, the mood of the proceeding was somewhat sombre as supporters eagerly awaited the second session of the conference during which they were required to vote. That mood began to dissipate after the respected
speakers rose to give these presentations. The applause offered up as encouragement to the presenters, occasionally drowned out the cacophony of car horns and the loud vendors’ advertisements commonly associated with Vreed-en-Hoop. Party Spokesperson, Imran Khan, told Kaieteur News that the number of delegates and observers to the conference was over the 800-mark.
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Sunday January 29, 2017
Kaieteur News
AG orders Deputy Solicitor General off all State cases ...Ms Kissoon accuses him of verbal abuse, vilification and libel ...seeking to find a reason lawful or unlawful, to oust her from her post Days after the stateowned newspaper, Guyana Chronicle, carried a critical piece, insinuating that she was to be blamed for Government recently losing a race-baiting appeal case against former President Bharrat Jagdeo, a senior official of the Attorn e y General Chambers has filed an official complaint against Minister Basil Williams. Deputy State Solicitor, Prithima Kissoon, in her undated letter to the Public Service Commission, claimed that she was ordered to cease all cases on behalf of the AG Chambers. Kissoon now wants the commission to investigate the case and also allow her to proceed on leave and grant permission to leave the country. According to the complaint against Attorney General Basil Williams, Kissoon was hired by the commission as Deputy Solicitor General in February 2013. Before that she worked with three previous Attorneys General. Kissoon said that her first three months with the new AG starting in May 2015 were “somewhat” cordial. However, the AG was slow in granting his approval and signature on a number of cases and decisions. The official claimed she represented the AG Chambers in the majority of cases even
when it was Williams who had undertaken to appear. “The Attorney General, Mr. Basil Williams, has failed to approve or sign written submissions prepared by me or examine pleadings despite those documents being sent to him via email or being given to his Confidential Secretary, Ms. Demi Hipplewith, Ms. Andrea Marks and other assistants he has retained over the past year,” Kissoon claimed. Kissoon claimed that Minister Williams even instructed his secretary and his other assistants to refuse to accept any documents or correspondences from her, and as a result, “I have had to resort to registering or express mailing him my correspondence and at all times emailing him and carbon copying relevant recipients.” Denying she was to be blamed for race-baiting case being tossed out, Kissoon said that Williams despite being reminded that he has to file an affidavit in response, did nothing. “Adjourned dates are continued to be given in which I have to appear and I am duty bound to the Court who enquire about my course of action. In the Attorney General v Bharrat Jagdeo, I sought to make oral submissions which were put in writing and sent to the Court as well as copied to the
AG.” The lawyer said that she was sick between the January 5, 2017 to the January 21, 2017, for which she submitted medical reports and case lists on all matters to be heard in her absence. “On the date of the ruling he did not appear in Court but sent Ms. Stuart, my subordinate, for the first time to take the decision which was duly made by the Court dismissing the appeal as the wrong party was the Appellant and not Ms. Artiga. Here I must emphasize that the Appeal in this matter was prepared and approved by the Solicitor General, now resigned. I sought to remedy the mistake.” This matter, Kissoon said in her complaint, caused him to abuse her, vilify and libel her in the press. Kissoon said she resumed duties on January 23, 2017, with the intention of reporting directly to the AG. “I discovered that he was at a meeting so I went to my office and cleared it of accumulated documents. Legal Officers came to my room to discuss cases touching and concerning cases in Court. Lo and behold, at 1.30 pm I received a memorandum from the Permanent Secretary directed by the AG of my insubordination for not reporting promptly, my
resumption to work.” Kissoon said she attempted to meet Williams but he was not available. She said that the memo directed her to cease conduct of all court matters involving the AG Chambers until further notice. “On the 23rd of January, 2017, I received a further memo questioning my conduct as to the non filing of the Affidavit in answer in the case of AG v BJ. That memo was duly answered.” She claimed that the next d a y, t h e A G f u r t h e r attempted to humiliate her and sought “to find a reason lawful or unlawful, to oust me from my post. He sent members of his admin staff to record from my office all the cases that are contained therein. Whatsoever that means I don’t know for I deal only in court cases, for which all pleadings and documents are a matter of public record,
AG Basil Williams
Deputy Solicitor General, Prithima Kissoon
having been filed.” The Deputy Solicitor General said that the AG has effectively ensured that she is prohibited and restrained from perfo r m i n g h e r functions. “Commissioners, I respectfully wish to inform you that the course of conduct administered unlawfully by the AG, personally upon me, are reprehensible, unbearable and malicious, initiated and executed by the AG, Basil Williams SC, so that I leave
the office which I consider through the opinion of my lawyers as CONSTRUCTIVE DISMISSAL.” She asked that the commission grant permission for her to proceed on her deferred leave from 2016, that was denied by the AG, while a remedy is found. “I await your directions within a week and also permission to leave the country.” The letter was copied to Minister of State, Joseph Harmon.
US, Mexican Presidents Try to Mend Fences Over Wall
Trudeau says Canada will take refugees banned by U.S. TORONTO – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has a message for refugees rejected by U.S. President Donald Trump: Canada will take you. He also intends to talk to Trump about the success of Canada’s refugee policy. Trudeau reacted to Trump’s ban of Muslims from certain countries by tweeting Saturday: “To those fleeing persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength #WelcomeToCanada.” Trudeau also posted a picture of him greeting a Syrian child at Toronto’s airport in late 2015. Trudeau oversaw the arrival of more than 39,000 Syrian refugees soon after he was elected. A spokeswoman for Trudeau said Trudeau has a message for Trump. “The Prime Minister is looking forward to discussing the successes of Canada’s immigration and refugee policy with the President when they next speak,” Trudeau spokeswoman Kate Purchase told The Associated
Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Photo by Chris Bolin/Reuters Press. Trudeau is expected to the visit the White House soon. The prime minister has refrained from criticizing Trump to avoid offending the new president. More than 75 percent of Canada’s exports go to the U.S. Toronto Mayor John Tory also weighed in, noting that the city is the most diverse in the world. “We understand that as Canadians we are al-
most all immigrants, and that no one should be excluded on the basis of their ethnicity or nationality,” Tory said in a statement. Trump signed a sweeping executive order Friday that he billed as a necessary step to stop “radical Islamic terrorists” from coming to the U.S. Included is a 90-day ban on travel to the U.S. by citizens of Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia or Yemen and a 120-day suspension of the U.S. refugee program. Trump’s order singled out Syrians for the most aggressive ban, ordering that anyone from that country, including those fleeing civil war, are indefinitely blocked from coming to the United States. The Syrian refugee crisis became a major issue in Canada’s election in late 2015 because of the haunting image of a drowned 3-year-old Syrian boy washed up on a Turkish beach. The boy had relatives in Canada. Trudeau’s tweet quickly received more than 150,000 likes. “Welcome to Canada” trended in Canada.
Mexico’s President Enrique Pena Nieto and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump shake hands after a joint statement at Los Pinos, the presidential official residence, in Mexico City, Aug. 31, 2016 After Mexico’s leader canceled a Washington visit over U.S. President Donald Trump’s authorization this week to extend a border wall that he said would come at the southern neighbor’s expense, the two heads of state are trying to mend fences. Trump reported Friday that he and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto spoke by phone for about an hour in the morning. “We had a very good call,” Trump told reporters at an afternoon White House briefing with visiting British Prime Minister Theresa May. A statement from the Mexican president’s office concurred, citing a “constructive and productive conversation about the bilateral re-
lationship between the two countries.” The talk touched on the U.S. trade deficit and the need for collaboration to halt drug trafficking and the illegal flow of arms. But the statement also noted “both presidents acknowledged their clear and very public differences” over the border wall, calling it a “sensitive issue. ” It said that they agreed to resolve those differences through comprehensive discussion on all aspects of the bilateral relationship — and that related talks between their respective administrations would be private, not public, for now. Pena, under political pressure to reject Trump’s bidding, announced Thursday
that he would not come for a scheduled visit Tuesday at the White House. The U.S. leader responded by tweeting that, unless Pena was prepared to talk money, he wasn’t welcome. Mexicans were furious over Trump’s insistence that extending the wall, which many don’t want, would come at their expense — whether in new tariffs on goods imported from Mexico or some other form. They saw it as continued hostility from Trump, who as a candidate characterized some Mexican immigrants as “rapists” or people “bringing drugs” and crime. Mexican newspapers Friday reflected broad national indignation.
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Muslim leader wants T&T to name known local terrorists PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – Leader of Trinidad and Tobago’s Islamic Front Umar Abdullah is calling on the Attorney General Faris AlRawi to name the people whom Government has labelled as terrorists. Al-Rawi, speaking on television here on Thursday night, said that within the last five months the number of “entities” listed as terrorist bodies in Trinidad and Tobago under local anti-terrorism laws had increased from 80 to 333. “If you want to prosecute in Trinidad and Tobago you have to cover all of those bases already. So you have to list… Boko Haram…all of these entities as entities under our anti-terrorism laws. “The 333 entities listed include locals and we have about nine more on the table to come to court right now, which would be very specific listings. We’re working with our interna-
tional partners on some very pinpointed local involvement and that will be coming before the courts quite shortly as well,” Al-Rawi said on CCN TV6 News. He said part of the matters to go before the courts are based on the report of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) that from 2015-2017, at least 182 locals were suspected of involvement in financing terrorist activities. “I will be bringing significant amendments to the antiterrorism legislation very shortly to the Parliament as we continue to focus not only on legislative introduction but also operationalisation of laws,” he told television viewers. Last August, Al-Rawi said applications were filed in the High Court for terrorist entities being listed in Trinidad and Tobago based on the UN’s ISIL (Da’esh) and AlQaeda Sanctions List, dated July 15, 2016. But Abdullah, speaking
on a radio programme here yesterday, said Al-Rawi must make known the names of people and entities linked to terrorism activities overseas and that he must also indicate what definition is used to classify someone as a terrorist. He has also urged Al-Rawi to meet with the various sects of Muslims here before making statements, adding that he would not stand idly by and allow Muslims to be victimised. “I want the attorney general to sit with the Muslim community of Trinidad and Tobago and have a discussion with them,” he said, adding that the discussions should not just be with selected Muslim organisations. “He needs to sit with the groups who have a knowledge, who have information about what he is talking about, about what he is attempting to talk about,” said Abdullah.
Defence Attorneys to present... From page 14 sometime after, while returning to the backdam, the police picked him up. “They tell me that they holding me for de Bartica Massacre. I tell them that I don’t know anything about that.” However, Simon said that he was placed on an identification Parade and was later informed by Police Officers, including Seelall
Persaud, who was Crime Chief at the time that he was picked out on the parade. The accused said that he continued to deny the allegations but he faced a beating from the police. He claimed, “Dem beat me and throw three buckets of water in my cell. I keep telling them that I ain’t know what they talking about. Me ain’t know nothing about Bartica Massacre.”
Cheddi Jagan Research Centre ...
From page 12 the company finds the unpleasant comments from those who professed allegiance to the ideals and vision of Dr. Jagan to a level of hypocrisy and opportunism. “The Cheddi Jagan Research Centre has lived up to, and will continue to be a Centre of reading and research into the large body of writings and speeches made by Dr. Jagan and in the preservation and promotion of his great legacy at its current location in accordance with our 99 years lease.” The occu-
pancy of Red House has become a controversial issue whereby some sections of society believe that the High Street building should be designated to house solely the documents belonging to the late President Cheddi Jagan. However, President David Granger has ordered the revocation of the lease allowing CJRC occupancy of the building. The revocation has been challenged and the matter will come up once again in court on February 20, 2017.
Sunday January 29, 2017
Iran to ban U.S. visitors in retaliation to Trump move DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran said on Saturday it would stop U.S. citizens entering the country in retaliation to Washington’s visa ban against Tehran and six other majority-Muslim countries announced by new U.S. President Donald Trump. “While respecting the American people and distinguishing between them and the hostile policies of the U.S. government, Iran will imple-
ment the principle of reciprocity until the offensive U.S. limitations against Iranian nationals are lifted,” a Foreign Ministry statement said. “The restrictions against travel by Muslims to America... are an open affront against the Muslim world and the Iranian nation in particular and will be known as a great gift to extremists,” said the statement, carried by state media.
The U.S. ban will make it virtually impossible for relatives and friends of an estimated one million IranianAmericans to visit the United States Earlier on Saturday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said it was no time to build walls between nations and criticised steps towards cancelling world trade agreements, without naming Trump.
Georgia Town Leaders Apologize for 1940 Lynching of Black Teen On Sept. 8, 1940, a group of white men wearing hoods dragged a black teen named Austin Callaway out of a jail in LaGrange, Georgia, shot him multiple times and left his dead body in a rural area of the county, according to city officials. For over 76 years, the brutal lynching was never investigated by authorities and remained unacknowledged by the city leaders. But this past Thursday night, LaGrange’s mayor, police chief and community leaders finally acknowledged that “justice failed Austin Callaway” during a remembrance service for the teen. They also apologized for the lynching in front of Callaway’s surviving family and the black community. “I, on behalf of the LaGrange Police Department, and the city of LaGrange, want to acknowledge the police department’s failure to take crucial action in its obligation to protect Austin Callaway,” LaGrange Police Chief Louis Dekmar said at a remembrance service for Callaway. “I am profoundly sorry. It should never have happened.” Dekmar said he sincerely regretted and denounced the
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Georgia Town Leaders Apologize for 1940 Lynching of Black Teen (ABC News) ( saved as apology) role police played in the lynching “both through our action and inaction.” He admitted the “record of the police department’s efforts to locate Austin after he was kidnapped is absent,” and that “not surprisingly — and, sadly — so is any investigation into his murder.” It was not clear what Callaway had been jailed for at the time. The police chief also said he owed an apology to the black community “that has lived the burning frustration of injustice.” “An acknowl-
edgment and apology is necessary to aid in healing wounds of past brutalities and injustice, so we can build a better future,” he said. LaGrange Mayor Jim Thornton said at the remembrance service that it is important to “know and understand the historic injustice ... else we are threatened by the possibility of repetition.” “Undeniably, progress has been made on issues of racial injustice and discrimination, but there is much more work to do,” Thornton said.
Trump’s immigration ban applies to up to 500,000 green card holders The executive order President Donald Trump signed Friday night was titled “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States.” But by issuing a broad temporary ban on entries to the US from any national of 7 majority-Muslim countries, it turns out, the executive order is also “protecting” America from permanent residents of the United States. Cases have been reported of permanent residents (green-card holders) being denied entry into the US at the border, or being refused to board planes, because they’re nationals of Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, or Yemen — countries that are covered by the 90-day ban Trump signed into effect on Friday night. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed to Reuters that it was applying the ban to green-card holders. The department doesn’t publish statistics on how many people in the US currently hold green cards. But ProPublica estimated, based on statistics about who’d received green cards over the last 10 years, that 500,000 legal permanent residents of the United States might be banned from re-entering the
country if they left, or if they’re currently abroad. (People are eligible to apply for citizenship after five years as green-card holders in most cases, but many don’t do so immediately — so while some of the people who got green cards a decade ago might be citizens already, there are also probably people who have had green cards for over a decade and now will be affected by the ban.) In some cases, greencard holders are being allowed to enter the US even if they’ve come from a “banned” country. An administration official confirmed Saturday afternoon that they’re making “case-
by-case” exceptions to allow certain green-card holders into the US. “We are hearing that some [legal permanent residents] are being admitted after lots of questions” from Customs and Border Protection agents, says William Stock, the president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. But the possibility of being able to get into the US by qualifying for a “case-bycase” exception isn’t exactly reassuring to people who are trying to decide whether it’s safe for them to leave the country. Abed Ayoub of the Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee called it the “luck of the draw.”
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Entries for GSCL Inc Republic Cup 4 close on February 2 With the Georgetown Softball Cricket League Inc. Republic Cup 4 set to commence on February 3, teams desirous of participating have until February 2 to enter. Entries can be made through Russel Jadbeer on 225 4802, Mahendra Hardyal on 623 2704 or Samuel Kingston on 619 5103 or 692 8815. The tournament will be played in the Open and Masters’ (Over 40) categories with an entrance fee of $50,000 in each division. According to Organising Secretary of the GSCL Inc, Kingston, the first eight teams in each division will be accepted. He added that the winning teams are likely to take home a trophy and $250,000 and second place a trophy and $50,000, provided that eight teams entered in both category. He said that there will also be prizes for the man-of-the-match in the finals as well as the MVP in both divisions.
The Open category will be played with the supreme balls and only round handed bowling will be allowed, while the Masters’ segment will be played with the white ball and both round hand and wrist bowling will be accepted. Each team will be required to submit a list of 15 players at the time of registration,
while passports will be used to verify the age of players competing in the Masters category. Everest CC, Eve Leary, DCC, GNIC and GCC are the venues indentified for the preliminary games which will continue on February 4, while the finals will be contested on February 5 at the Everest CC.
NSC performing better than ever... (From page 78) very skilled with canoes. These provide scope for Guyana’s sports product, but the policy document, which ought to address these issues, is touted for later this year. However, Jones indicated that the ‘Light It Up Project’, which began at the National Gymnasium last year will continue at several grounds across Guyana. The Gymnasium is earmarked for some transformational works that will make
it a modern multi-purpose venue. Apart from those, another synthetics track will be built in Linden as Government continues to be pro-active in fulfilling its role as it relates to the development of sports at the macro level. These efforts, as indicated before, need grassroots support to succeed, but those grassroots architects of support at the association level are adverse to development, counter-productive and indifferent to say the least.
Sunday January 29, 2017 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) People love to be with you because you have such natural charm, Aries. But today you may not feel especially charming or like talking to anyone. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Your partner may be all over you today, Taurus! Are you in the mood to listen? Are you interested in some love? Probably not. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) You're often moved by emotion, Gemini. You like situations that make you feel alive. CANCER (June 21–July 22) You're a helpful person, Cancer, yet in your relationships, you often seem to confuse helping with parenting. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Everyone needs to be loved, Leo, but it shouldn't be your only objective in life. It isn't the end of the world if your charms fall flat every once in a while. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) There are days when a little humility can be good for you, Virgo, and this might be one of those days. It's as if the planets are talking to you about sincerity and taking
you far away from the trappings of superficiality and popularity. LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Your fiery willpower can help you move mountains, Libra. But you already know that. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Today could discourage even the most ardent of passions. Even if some people say you're a bit cold, know that there's a veritable volcano burning underneath all that ice. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Sagittarius, you should try to be tolerant of other people's social and political positions. You may have to deal with certain people whose personal plans are jeopardized by events beyond their control. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) This is a day for doubts, for asking those hard questions that you need to answer. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) It may seem that you've been accumulating a lot of excess nervous tension and stress. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) You may feel physical and emotional tension today, Pisces. Are you taking the time to care for your body? Has someone been putting a lot of pressure on you lately?
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Pride crush ICC Americas for second win BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Barbados Pride effortlessly notched their second win of the Regional Super50 after spinners Ashley Nurse and Sulieman Benn combined to destroy ICC Americas and set up an eight-wicket victory here yesterday. Off-spinner Nurse captured four for 26 and left-armer Benn claimed three for 20 as ICC Americas were bundled out for a paltry 103 off 34.2 overs at 3Ws Oval. Bermudian opener Kamau Leverock top-scored with 21 but was the only batsman to pass 15 and just one of four in double figures. Test opener Kraigg Brathwaite then extended his recent rich vein of form with an unbeaten 42 as Pride strolled to their target off 29 overs. He faced 86 balls and counted four fours, putting on 49 for the first wicket with lefthander Anthony Alleyne who struck 27 from 34 balls with two fours and a six.
When Alleyne and Shai Hope (6) fell in the space of 20 balls to leave Pride on 64 for two in the 17th over, Brathwaite added a further 41 in an unbroken third wicket stand with left-hander Jonathan Carter who finished on 24 not out. Opting to bat first, ICC Americas made a decent enough start when Leverock and Srimantha Wijeyeratne (13) posted 30 off 42 balls for the opening stand. But once fast bowler Kemar
Roach (2-32) had Leverock caught at the wicket, the innings quickly unravelled as wickets fell steadily. Tottering at 61 for six, Timroy Allen (13) and Akeem Dodson (8) tried to bail the innings out with a 23-run stand but those hopes were dashed when Benn had Dodson stumped in the 28th over. Scores: ICC AMERICAS 103 off 34.2 overs (Kamau Leverock 21; Ashley Nurse 426, Sulieman Benn 3-20, Kemar Roach 2-32).
STSC basketball and football on today The South Turkeyen Sports Committee (STSC) in collaboration with the Black Stallion Football team will be hosting a 3-a-side basketball competition and a 4-a-side small goal football match today at Vryheid’s Lust basketball court. The basketball gets underway at 15:00hrs, while the football match, which will see Black Stallion past and present teams facing each other, will commence at 16:00hrs. Trophies are being donated by Tent City and Trophy Stall of Bourda Market.
Deja vu slam to climax with vintage... (From page 76) body. And while Federer has been able to rest up after his three-hour semi-final victory over Stan Wawrinka on Thursday, Nadal must recuperate as best he can after his epic fivehour victory over Grigor Dimitrov on Friday. “That’s what I’m going to try,” the 14-times grand slam champion said. “I did it in 2009. I am seven, eight years older.” That five-set 2009 victory over Federer earned Nadal his sole Australian Open crown and another would make him the only man in the open era apart from Roy Emerson to have won all four grand slams twice. Federer has four Australian Open titles but just a single French Open crown, his path
Linden’s Eagles... (From page 74) group will collect $100,000, while the respective finishers will take home $50,000, $30,000 and $20,000 apiece. The overall winner will receive $500,000 and a trophy, while the second, third and fourth placed teams get $300,000, $200,000 and $100,000 respectively. Banks DIH Limited under the GT Beer Brand, Trophy Stall and Star Party Rentals are the other entities on board. In the night’s full results: Game 1 Eagles-2 vs Uitvlugt-1 Eagles Scorer Kelon Primo-38th and 69th Uitvlugt Scorer Trayon Bobb-17th Game-2 Den Amstel-2 vs Pouderoyen-0 Gideon Payne-29th Andre Hector-53rd
to Roland Garros glory more often than not blocked by Nadal. Immediately after his semi-final, as he was finally able to ponder meeting his great rival, the 17-times grand slam champion suggested his 11-23 record against Nadal might have been in part due to them meeting on clay so often early in their careers. Afterwards, in his news conference, he was less candid, noting only that the pace of the Rod Laver Arena this year allowed him to be more aggressive.
“Now it’s a different time,” he said. “A lot of time has gone by. I know this court allows me to play a certain game against Rafa that I cannot do on center court at the French Open.” Nadal has a 6-2 edge over Federer in grand slam finals but few are making a call with any confidence over who will win Sunday’s contest. “I just know that two of the greatest players of tennis are going to square off on Sunday, and it’s going to be a freakin’ amazing match,” Dimitrov said on Friday.
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Linden’s Eagles FC sends ominous warning to all contenders -Den Amstel cruise past Pouderoyen Eagles FC out of the Mining Town of Linden and Den Amstel produced impressive performances en route to wins as play in the 2nd Annual Limacol Football Competition, which is being organised by Petra Organisation, continued on Friday night, at National Track & Field Centre, Leonora. Eagles FC squeezed past Uitvlugt by a 2-1 margin, while Den Amstel made light work of Pouderoyen in a 2-0 triumph in the presence of another admirable turnout. A power failure that lasted for over 90 minutes initially threatened to dampen proceedings, but the standard of play combined by vocal support for the two host teams cancelled out the earlier disappointment which came one minute before the first half of the opening game between Eagles FC and Uitvlugt ended. At the time of the stoppage, the fixture was locked at 1-1 after Trayon Bobb, who has returned to his home team Uitvlugt gave
them the lead in the 17th minute, hammering his shot into the goal following a cross from the right flank. Undaunted by the setback, the young Lindeners, made up predominantly of players from the celebrated multiple-times Digicel winners Christianburg /Wismar High School, maintained their composure and knocked the ball fluently around the park and got their reward courtesy of a Kelon Primo 39th minute strike. He bolted past the inert Uitvlugt defence from a ball that was lobbed into the Uitvlugt goal area and lashed it past the goalkeeper for the equalizer. In spite of the long delay, Eagles came out in the final period with real purpose, dominating the mid-field and looked threatening on every possession. Uitvlugt on the other hand seemed to be easily predictable as they looked to find their talisman Bobb on every possession and he was effectively contained by no less than two markers.
Gideon Payne (left) and Andre Hector goalscorers for Den Amstel. Primo, looking as menacing as ever, was a constant torment to the Uitvlugt backline and completed a double after firing a sizzling strike in the 6 9 th min u te p as t th e advancing goalkeeper from just inside the box. The result simply meant that Eagles returned home with the maximum three points, while Uitvlugt got none for their effort. In the feature encounter, Den Amstel proved too
strong Pouderoyen in a battle of teams from the West Side. In what could best be described as a subpar performance from Pouderoyen, Den Amstel quickly asserted their dominance with some effective buildups, but for poor finishing should have gotten an early lead. One particular chance came with a player having only the goalkeeper to beat, sprayed his shot wide of the
left upright. A similar situation was created shortly after and the effort went straight at the keeper, who made the save. However, Gideon Payne busted the stalemate in the 29th minute, sprinting on to a headed ball that went in the opposite direction, before steering it past the advancing goalkeeper. Andre Hector, one of the culprits of poor finishing earlier in the game, got another chance and this time he buried it with assurance. It came in the 53rd minute, intercepting an intended pass between two teammates to hit past the pressing goalkeeper. The win provided Den Amstel with three valuable points, while Pouderoyen
Kelon Primo would have to wait until their next fixture to see if they could gain points. Round two of the group stage starts tomorrow with a double header, at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) ground, Bourda. In the opening fixture at 18:30hrs, Winners Connection out of Linden tackle Northern Rangers in what has been billed as a Linden versus Georgetown showdown and this encounter will be followed by the clash between Guyana Police Force and Camptown. The event is being played in an initial roundrobin format, with the top two finishers advancing to the quarterfinal round. The winners of each (Continued on page 73)
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24th Ricks & Sari Agro Industries Nat. Park Cycle Meet
Greaves pedals off year in emphatic style; Crawford repeats as top Junior
Recipients of prizes from yesterday’s season opening cycle race pose with the sponsor and organiser following the presentation. Romello Crawford (right) receives the juvenile winner hamper, trophy and prize from Ricks & Sari Agro Industries Rep. Regan Rodrigues Jnr. By Franklin Wilson Roraima Bikers cyclist Alanzo Greav e s , w h o also rides for the C u r e 8 G r o u p C y cling Team of the USA, commenced the 2017 cycling season in emphatic fashion when he won the season opener yesterday at the Inner Circuit of the National Park. The event was the Ricks & Sari Agro Industries Ltd. 2 4 t h A n n u a l National Park Cycle M e e t w h i c h a t t racted
50 cyclists and was sanctioned by the Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF). Greaves showed his class and has made his intentions clear that he will be the man to beat in 2017 after ending the 2016 season on a high following his return to the saddle after serving a one-year ban for the sport for the use of a performance enhancing drug. It hasn’t taken long for the top Guyanese sprinter to take back the
limelight as he pedaled to victory in the feature school boys and invitation 35-lap contest in One Hour 18 Minutes 10.21 Seconds to better last year’s time of One Hour 18 Minutes 38.90 Seconds which was achieved by Michael A n t h o n y o f Te a m Evolution. Making a welcome return to the top flight was Alanzo Ambrose of Team Alanis who came in about 50m behind Greaves to take the 2nd place, while Marlon Wi l l i a m s o f Te a m Evolution (Digicel),
Team Coco’s Jamal John and Linden Bauxite F l y e r s C y c l e C l u b ’s Shaquel Agard and Silvio Inniss closed out the top six positions in that order. John took 4 of the 8 sprint prizes that were on offer with 2 going to Christopher Griffith and one each to Greaves and Inniss. Berbician Romello Crawford of Trojan Cycle
Club was again the top juvenile cyclist on show winning the 10-lap event, Christopher Cornelius and Nigel Duguid in that order; the top two placers sharing the two primes that were up for grabs. Regan Rodrigues Jnr. of sponsors Ricks and Sari Agro Industries Ltd., assisted in distributing the trophies and cash incentives after race organiser Hassan
Mohamed thanked the sponsor and the competitors for making the 24th event another success. Each of the first place finishers in the school boys and invitation, juvenile, veteran – under & over 50, mountain bike and 12-14 boys and girls races were presented with hampers made up of products from the sponsor.
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Deja vu slam to climax with vintage Roger-Rafa show M E L B O U R N E (Reuters) Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal take to Rod Laver Arena to reprise one of the great sporting rivalries of the modern age today, a fitting climax to an Australian Open which has sent tennis back to the future. After the thirtysomething Williams sisters play their own throwback final yesterday, Federer and Nadal will meet in a grand slam final for the first time in more than five years. Their ninth meeting in a grand slam final is all the sweeter for being so unexpected. Last October, as both men have recalled this week, Federer traveled to Mallorca for the opening of his friend’s new tennis academy. The Swiss was on “one leg” after knee surgery and the Spaniard still hampered
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by the wrist injury that wrecked his 2016 season. “At that moment, for sure we never thought that we had the chance to be in a final again, and especially in the first of the year,” recalled Nadal. “Both of us I think worked very hard to be where we are. It’s great that we are again in a moment like this.” As Nadal and Federer arrived at Melbourne Park as ninth and 17th seeds, therefore, the first drafts of the obituaries of two great sporting careers were being prepared. They were hurriedly dropped back into the files, however, as it became apparent the duo were playing vintage tennis: Federer all fluidity and peerless shot-making, Nadal at his brutal best from the
baseline. The early departures of reigning champion Novak Djokovic and top seed Andy Murray, the players who had joined Federer and Nadal to make up the “Big Four”, then opened up the path to a grand final reunion. Although it has often felt more like 2007 than 2017 at Melbourne Park this week, even great champions are not immune to the ravages of time. RECOVERY TIME At 35, Swiss Federer is the oldest men’s grand slam finalist since Ken Rosewall lost the U.S. Open final in 1974 at the age of 39. Nadal might be five years younger but has been on tour since his late teens and the effort required for his attritional playing style puts tremendous strain on his (Continued on page 73)
Serena sinks Venus to win magic 23rd slam
Serena Williams of the U.S. holds her trophy after winning her Women’s singles final match against Venus Williams of the U.S. (REUTERS/Issei Kato) M E L B O U R N E (Reuters) Serena Williams reigned supreme in tennis’s great sibling rivalry, edging an emotion-charged clash with sister Venus to claim her seventh Australian Open yesterday and a record 23rd grand slam title in the professional era. Beset by nerves early in the tense family affair, the American needed all her firepower and famed mental strength to fend off Venus, who scrapped hard to the end before going down 6-4 6-4 at Rod Laver Arena. Fourteen years after beating Venus for her maiden title at Melbourne Park, Serena’s seventh crown was sealed with a heady charge to the net that forced a desperate backhand from Venus to float wide. Eyes ablaze in joyous disbelief, Serena slumped to the court and threw her hands in the air, the world number one ranking also recaptured from Angelique Kerber. She paid tribute to Venus, her long-time doubles partner and enduring inspiration. “ S h e ’s a n a m a z i n g person, there’s no way I would be at 23 without her,” said Serena, cradling the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup. “There’s no way I would have anything without her. “My first grand slam started here, and getting to 23 here, but playing Venus, it’s stuff that legends are made of. I couldn’t have written a better story.” The win moved Serena
past Steffi Graf on the list of all-time grand slam champions. Only Margaret Court, who watched the match from the terraces, is ahead of her on 24. Serena arrived in Melbourne with only two matches under her belt, having cut short her season to recover from injury after the U.S. Open. But she roared through the tournament without losing a set and, at the age of 35, the relentless pursuit of grand slam silverware will go on, and with sister in tow. “We’re both, like I say, 30-fun,” said Serena of their longevity. “Now I just feel like I’m satisfied with where I am, although I always want to win.” Venus, 36, had already proved an inspiration by reaching her first final since her loss to Serena at Wimbledon in 2009. It made her the oldest woman to do so at Melbourne Park since tennis went professional in 1968. BATTLING HARD She lost her seventh of nine grand slam title deciders to her younger sister but won over the Rod Laver Arena crowd by battling hard to the finish. “Congratulations Serena on number 23, I’ve been right there with you, some of them I’ve lost right there with you,” said the seventimes grand slam champion, raising a laugh from the crowd. “Your win has always been my win, you know
that.” The sisters’ combined ages added up to the ‘oldest’ grand slam final in the professional era but they ran like the teenagers they were in 1998, when they played each other for the first time in a tour match at the same tournament. Nerves weighed heavier, however, and in a tense start, both dropped serve twice in the opening four games. Serena was the worst afflicted, and she smashed her racket in a rage in the third game, having slipped behind the baseline when chasing down a ball. The game’s greatest server double-faulted three times to be broken a second time, causing a gasp from the crowd. But she soon settled to forge a 5-3 lead before sealing the set with a thumping pair of aces. Venus was quickly under siege, with Serena feasting readily on her modest second serve. Serena pounced in the seventh game, breaking her in the seventh game with a searing backhand return and she served out to love to come within a game of the title. Venus pushed hard to break back at 5-4 but flung her racket away in despair after hammering a forehand into the net to give up match point. It was all Serena needed and after a furious exchange of shots, she charged in to the net swinging to claim yet another major title.
Sunday January 29, 2017
Kaieteur News
PAGE 81
Reifer, Chandrika fires Jaguars to first winCCC goes down by 8 wickets
By Sean Devers in Barbados In Association with Bounty Supermarket, Vnet Communications, Life Time Reality & Ming’s Products & Services Led by a united bowling performance and a magnificent 117-run second wicket stand between Bajan Raymon Reifer and Test opener Rajendra Chandrika, Guyana Jaguars registered their first points in the 2017 Regional Super50 tournament when they beat CCC Maroons by eight wickets last night at the Kensington Oval to end their third round encounter with five points. Left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul (3-19 from 10), leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo (2-28 from 7.5), Ronsford Beaton (2-23 from 8), Steven Jacobs (1-28 from 10), Chris Barnwell (1-9 from 4) and Reifer (0-21 from 5) combined with frugal spells to bundle out the Marooners for 129 off 44.5 overs as only Kyle Corbin who made 28 from 41 balls with three fours and Skipper Jamal Smith who faced 56 balls for his laborious 25, reached 25 on a slower track than the one used for the first games. The Jaguars, led by Reifer’s second fifty at this level, a run-a-ball 67 decorated with nine fours and a huge six off Mark Deyal and Chandrika, who faced 76 balls with five fours, reached 130-2 in 26.6 overs to secure a bonus point with 141 balls to spare. The pair fell short of the Guyana record 141 partnership between Len B a i c h a n a n d Ti m o u r Mohammed against Jamaica in Montego Bay in1979. Fudadin (8) began in positive fashion, wiping Rovman Powell for consecutive boundaries in the first over but soon edged Rovman Powell to the Keeper at 8-1 but Reifer, promoted in the order, stroked the lively Powell
gloriously to the cover boundary while Chandrika back in the side in place of Shemron Hetymer, began shakily against the pace of Powell and Keon Harding, took the Jaguars to 19-1 at the dinner break. After the break Chandrika took 18 balls to get off the mark but his innings blossomed the longer he batted, while Reifer was the dominant partner as both batsmen scored freely under a clear night sky with a large contingent of Guyanese urging them on. Chandrika imperious straight drive off Keon Harding was good, while a crouching cut raced to the backward point boundary like a scud missile With five needed for an emphatic victory Reifer was removed by Jermaine Levy but Johnson (2*) joined Chandrika as the Jaguars galloped to victory with consummate ease. Earlier, the left-handed Amir Jangoo, one of three Trinidadians in the squad and with two half centuries in the tournament, edged one that left him from Beaton and was well taken by Anthony Bramble for a duck at 5-1 in the third over. Corbin joined the tall Jamal Smith and the pair was kept in check by Jacobs who opened the bowling with
Reifer (67) and Chandrika (44) added 117 for the second wicket to give Jaguars an 8 wicket win over CCC. (Photos by Sean Devers photo)
Beaton on a track with a tinge of grass but good for batting and lush green and fast outfield. Corbin charged Reifer and his mishit went to the mid wicket boundary before a slower ball from Reifer was neatly clipped to the square leg boundary for the second four of the over. Corbin was just beginning to look good when he hit Beaton to Leon Johnson at mid-on in the 16th over with CCC on 49-2 before Smith was bowled by Bishoo in his best spell of the tournament, 10 runs and three overs later to bring Vickash Mohan to the crease. Mohan and the experienced Hinds, the only player in the tournament with 1000 runs and 60 wickets, and they took the
score to 73 before Mohan (13) swept Jacobs to Beaton at deep mid wicket and when Hinds, who faced 36 in 18 with a six off Bishoo, was removed by Barnwell at 110-6 in the 37th over, only Nino Henry (16) of the remaining batsmen reached double figures as CCC, with a single win against Guyana in eight matches, lost their last five wickets for 31 runs. The Jaguars play their next game at the Windward ground tomorrow in a day game from 09:00 hrs against ICC Americas. Scores: MAROONERS 129 off 44.5 overs (Kyle Corbin 28, Jamal Smith 25; Ronsford Beaton 2-23, Devendra Bishoo 2-28). JAGUARS 130 for two off 26.3 overs (Raymon Reifer 67, Rajindra Chandrika 43 not out).
PAGE 82
Sunday January 29, 2017
Kaieteur News
NSC performing better than ever before By Edison Jefford The Director of Sport, Christopher Jones and The National Sports Commission (NSC) performed admirably for the 16 months they have been in place, but primarily the absence of legislation that will allow them to be transformational in their leadership continues to hamstring the national and holistic development of
sports. Jones became Director of Sport following the success of the Coalition Government at the polls in May 2015; a new Commission was gazetted in September that year and since then there has been positive changes as it relates to how Government administers sports. For instance, more money has been allocated to sports and its development in
the national budget and there is a plan for the construction of at least two more major facilities this year, which allow Government to fulfil its function of providing finance and infrastructure. For Capital Expenditure, The Ministry of Education, which has responsibility for Culture, Youth and Sports received $536,979,000 for 2017, compared to $295,460,000 it received for 2016. This means that sports got $241,519,000 more than i t r e c e i v e d l a s t y e a r, representing an increase of 82 percent. NSC was awarded $215,000,000 compared to $178,699,000 last year. The Commission enjoyed an increase of $36,301,000, which works out to a 20 percent boost for 2017. In addition, a database of local athletes is being
developed and there is a stated plan to have sport organisers and coaches in every district; the NSC has doled out millions to sport associations and federations and for the first time in the history of the Commission, four athletes are beneficiaries of funding for scholarships in Jamaica. These structures were all absent from the State during the previous administration, and therefore, it would be fair to say that after just 16 months, the Commission seems to be on the right path at the macro level, but urgently needs legislative strengthening, in the form of policy, to ensure that its efforts trickle down to where it matters most – the athlete. “There is a need for a policy change at the Education level. Sports should be a subject in
-Jones puts policy in perspective
Christopher Jones schools; it would encourage parents to encourage their children to participate, and the Government policy must be to provide scholarships to the University of Guyana to students once their grades
and the performance in sports are at a high level,” Jones told Kaieteur Sport. He believes that once there are policy guidelines, then the Commission will be able to implement systems that directly impact athletes’ performance. For instance, he stated that those systems will ensure that sport associations are constitutionally accountable. Sport associations are the organs that, more often than not, interface directly with athletes, which raise the need for associations to understand Government’s vision for the development of sports and their adherence to the relevant legislative framework. But Guyana is yet to enact its sports policy because it is incomplete. Government has promised this year as the deadline for the policy. Without this all but important document, though it is not the ultimate saviour for sports, the efforts of the Commission will not reach its right destination, which can eventually threaten its success. “Government alone cannot do it; corporate support is necessary, but what are they getting back? Government should be talking to them (corporate Guyana) about tax breaks for their support,” Jones said, adding “no one should question any investment in sports because there are so many spinoffs.” The Director of Sport believes that sports is the perfect example of social cohesion because it is not race-based and has proven to be a method of bringing people together whether as spectators or to be part of one team. These are some of the transformational mechanisms that a policy will be able to guide. “We cannot develop sports in one or two regions. We have to invest in our outlying regions. It is a known fact that what obtains for sports in Region 1 would not be the same in Region 10, which means that each region demands its own unique investment,” Jones said. Jones suggested that Kayaking could be introduced in riverain areas in Guyana. It is an Olympic s p o r t a n d G u y a n a ’s indigenous population are (Continued on page 73)
Sunday January 29, 2017
Kaieteur News
PAGE 83
STAG Nations Cup KO Football
As the championship match beckons; Western Tigers, Police, Santos & Riddim Squad square off today at GFC
Job Caesar – Santos FC It would be no hold bars this evening when the semi finals of the Stag Nations Cup knock-out football championship are contested this evening at the GFC ground in the city with an all GFA cast in contention. Clashing in the second match would be old rivals Guyana Police Force (GPF) and Western Tigers with only one team set to earn in place in the championship match on Saturday which would see the winner earning a huge New Year’s gift of 2 Million dollars. This evening’s curtain raiser brings together Santos and the Mocha based Riddim
Attio Wallace (left) and Kester Dundas – Guyana Police Force FC Squad in what is anticipated to be a fierce battle between two sides that have a score to settle apart from eyeing a place in the final. The teams who have advanced and are set to thrill their fans and supporters this evening have all worked hard to earn their places in the last four of the competition which kicked off in December 2016 and should have concluded on New Year’s night but was put o n h o l d d u e t o unprecedented rainfall during the Christmas Holidays which left venues waterlogged for unusually long periods.
Competition got cracking again on January 18 last and it is now down to the real business end of the championship where all four teams are guaranteed cash with $2M for first, $1M for second, $500,000 for third and $300,000 for fourth at stake. Western Tigers and Police are favourites to win but only one would have that opportunity which makes this a battle of battles tonight. The West Ruimveldt based side have downed Pouderoyen (9-1) and Flamingo (8-0) along their journey to the semis and have displayed a no
GBA appoints Disciplinary Committee -VP Nedd Chairman The Guyana Boxing Association has appointed a five-man Disciplinary Committee tasked with reviewing all reported acts of indiscipline within the f r a t e r n i t y a n d recommending appropriate penalties. GBA president Steve Ninvalle yesterday announced that the committee comprises two members of his executive, two experienced coaches and one referee/judge. The chairman of the committee is GBA vice president Gordon Nedd who is also a captain in the Guyana Defence Force. Nedd would be assisted by Vice Chairman Clifton Moore, a coach attached to the Essequibo Gym, Three Star coach Sebert Blake, former Vice Chairman of the Referee/J udges Commission Elton Chase
Kevin Agard (right) and Kevin Gordon Riddim Squad FC
nonsense attitude in the final third blasting a total of 17 goals whilst only conceding once. Like the Tigers, Police have been just as menacing in the attacking third as they trampled Rosignol United (13-2) and Grove High Tech (3-0) with two goals against for a total of 16 for which also shows their proclivity to hammer opponents. With both sides having the type of weaponry up front whilst also showing that they are equally unyielding in defence, a mouth watering shindig is on the cards. The Tigers will look to Rensford Colridge, Shamar Wilson, Darren Benjamin, Anthony Sancho, Andre Webber, Dwayne Mc Lennon, Randolph
Wagner, Joshua Britton, Jamal Pedro and Jorell Tyrell to deliver once again with the aim of a place in the final. The fit Police unit will also harbor similar sentiments and will pin their hopes of caging the Tigers once again on Kester Dundas, Attio Wallace, Junior Gordon, Dwayne Charles, Jermaine Castello, Grayson Barker, Jermaine Grandison, Rawle Turnell and Quinsen Holder. The Riddim Squad vs Santos showdown, which start at 18:00hrs, will see nothing short of fierce exchanges as both sides will be looking to earn that available place in the final but only one will be rejoicing when the final whistle is
Randolph Wagner – Western Tigers FC blown. On their way to this stage of the competition, Riddim Squad edged Den Amstel (21) and Cougars (5-2). The Mocha side will hope their robust style of play can deliver for them a final berth. Ta s k e d w i t h t h e responsibility of leading the charge in this regard are Kevin Gordon, Sceyon Hope, Dellon John, Kevin Agard and Teon Jones. Santos’ path to this stage was earned as a result of wins over Uitvlugt Warriors (3-1) and Herstelling Raiders (40). Set to saddle to the responsibility of delivering for Santos once again are Job Caesar, Keith Cains and Orin Yard.
Horse racing dates allocated to most race clubs for 2017
Stacy Corriea
Elton Chase
and the GBA Assistant Secretary Treasurer Stacy Corriea. The committee would serve for a two year period and according to Ninvalle will hit the road running. “A well rounded team that is capable of getting the job done. There is no doubt in my mind that they will act without fear or favour,” Ninvalle declared. The committee’s first case would be one brought against Kevin Allicock by
secretary of the Barbados Boxing Association Kathy Harper-Hall. Following the conclusion of the Caribbean Development Tournament, the BBA secretary documented her concerns to the GBA president. In a lengthy report Harpy-Hall highlighted two incidents of indiscipline against the Guyana camp with one being Allicock’s behaviour after receiving his silver medal.
With the horseracing scenario in Guyana being unregulated at the moment, efforts continue to have the sports regularised as the government is being asked to play their part. The newly organised group of horseracing enthusiast led by Managing Director of the Nand Persaud Group of Companies, Mohindra Persaud, are pushing ahead with their plans to help revitalise the sport here. The body is making every effort to put systems in place to have the sport better organised. So far a number of meetings have been held and according to Persaud, soon meetings will be held with jockeys, trainers, owners, the various race tracks and the various sub committees that were once part of the now defunct Guyana Horse
Racing Authority (GHRA). So far a number of race dates have been agreed upon with the functioning race tracks, while a number of others are still to be finalised. The dates Sunday 3rd February, 14th April and the 29th Septemberaretobefinalised. The Rising Sun Turf Club (RSTC) at Arima Park West Coast Berbice has been allocated dates on the 26th February, 28th May to be followed by meets on the 27th August, 01st October, 29thOctober and December 31st. The Kennard Memorial Turf Club (KMTC) at Bush Lot Farm Corentyne has submitted dates for 19thMarch, May 14TH, August 1st, October 22nd and the traditional Boxing date meet on December 26. The Port Mourant Turf
Club (PMTC) at Port Mourant Corentyne Berbice will see action in three days with April 13th, April 23th, and August 23rd the days being asked for. The little known Budhan’s Memorial Sports Club on the Upper Corentyne has submitted dates for 19th March, the 2 3 r d M a y, t h e 1 0 t h September and the 26thNovember. The Bush Lot United Turf Club (BLUTC) at Sea View Park, Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice and the Nand Persaud and Company, Sky Plus Incorporated race track at No36, Corentyne Berbice have not submitted any request for dates so far. However, the Nand Persaud group will be having their first race met for the year on Sunday 19thFebruary.
t r o Sp 24th Ricks & Sari Agro Industries Nat. Park Cycle Meet
Greaves pedals off year in emphatic style; Crawford repeats as top Junior
Regan Rodrigues Jnr. (left) hands over the feature race winning hamper and trophy to Alanzo Greaves.
Serena sinks Venus to win magic 23rd slam
Serena Williams of the U.S. gestures while holding her trophy after winning her Women’s singles final match against Venus Williams of the U.S. (REUTERS/Issei Kato)
Linden’s Eagles FC sends ominous warning to all contenders -Den Amstel cruise past Pouderoyen
Part of the action in the clash between Den Amstel (white jerseys) and Pouderoyen on Friday night, at the National Track & Field Centre.
Reifer, Chandrika fires Jaguars to first winCCC goes down by 8 wickets 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