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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
A DIFFICULT TIME FOR BOYS Recently, it became very difficult for boys to grow up in Guyana and not be involved in criminal activities. Almost every day, parents, especially mothers, are struggling to keep their sons alive and away from crime. The challenges facing boys are enormous. They range from drop-outs from high school to joblessness to being involved in crime and be marginalized in society. Many communities throughout the country have become virtually battlegrounds for criminals and gang warfare by mostly young boys. Some of them may have the best intentions of becoming a decent citizen, but they are having a very difficult time to avoid being involved in crimes and gangs. Poverty and the lack of a father figure in the lives of some young men have caused many boys to become hopeless and emotionless. They are seething with anger against a system which they believe is stifling them and in which they see no future. Anger among boys has become a major issue and if not dealt with urgently, will affect all in society. But most parents do not know how to deal with their sons’ anger and frustrations and schools are not equipped to address them either. While education is important, it does not deal with the emotional issues affecting most young boys. Many poor communities are filled with angry young men and the police are having a difficult time to deal with them because they do not trust the police who they believe are against them. They also believe that the police harass and target them unfairly for simple infractions rather than trying to solve major crimes. On the other hand, society does not offer much support to young boys. Yes, there are individuals and NGOs that provide some services to them, but society as a whole has not provided a role model for a teenager. And the government is at fault for not holding deadbeat fathers accountable for their children. It has not provided adequate social services to deal with their anger and frustration so they can live up to their obligations and take responsibility for their actions. Every year a number of boys with brilliant minds have either quit or were kicked out of school. They could have continued their education if the schools had done a better job of meeting their learning needs. Educators and teachers are not very compassionate. Most schools do not offer relevant education that addresses important themes like love, friendship, family, caring and commitment. Most school curricula do not address issues that deal with anger, crime, bullying or responsibility. In Guyana, the abuse and sexual exploitation of children and the impact of crime on boys are both chilling and troubling. Statistics have shown that children as young as ten years old are raped and 14-year-old boys are engaged in crime, gun violence, and are in control of gangs. These are not just a few juvenile boys looking for trouble, insidiously committing evil deeds, but in a telling way, it is the grim reality of what a serious problem boys have become in the country. Something must be done before it gets worse. Decisive action must be taken to save our boys before they turn to crime or redeem those who are already involved in criminal acts. They must be given the proper tools and education to become productive citizens. The question, is what is society prepared to do about it. Society involves parents and guardians who must help their sons avoid those things that could prevent their dreams from turning into nightmares.
Sunday January 17, 2016
Kaieteur M@ilbox Send your letters to Kaieteur News 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown or email us kaieteurnews@yahoo.com
The Liberal Democrats object to the other Liberal Democrats DEAR EDITOR, My name is A. Malek Abubekr Cave, Leader of Liberal Democrats (LD), a political party born in Guyana in 2004. I have noted in recent times articles appearing in your news paper under the stringer “The voice of The Liberal Democrats” in the name of one Sase Singh. I wish to inform that the person writing under the name “The Liberal Democrats” has no affiliation to our party, Liberal Democrats and I am advising your news paper to desist from printing any article under the said name; Liberal Democrats
Please be advised that Liberal Democrats is a political party registered with the Guyana Elections Commission and has also contested the 2006 General and Regional elections under the said name. The articles of Mr. Singh do not in anyway express our views and therefore we wish that your newspapers desist from publishing same using the said name “The Liberal Democrats”. While our party appears to be inactive, please note that we have quietly supported the last change of government and did not find it useful to contest the last two elections owing to
the tightness of those polls. Having not contested those elections does not in anyway mean that our party is defunct. In fact we are organized and are quiet prepared to reenter the political fray, as such we advise that the name The Liberal Democrats not be associated with Mr. Singh who is unknown to me or any of the party’s Executives, Members or Supporters. Failure to do as is requested in this email would require us to seek legal advice to effect our stated desire. Thanks for your co-operation. A. Malek Abubekr Cave
Sunday January 17, 2016
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Residents appeal to How to proceed with national awards President Granger DEAR EDITOR, Your Excellency, we the residents and occupants of East Street hereafter appeal to your esteemed office, the President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana to discontinue the implementation of a paid parking area along East Street, North Cummingsburg, Georgetown, Guyana and the removal of steel barricades. BACKGROUND & CURRENT SITUATION The Government of Guyana in collaboration with the Mayor and Councilors of the City of Georgetown and the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation had tarred over the surface of the lawns and pedestrian footpath between the eastern and western half of northern East Street and paved the entire area with concrete asphalt with the intention of providing improved parking facilities for doctors, nurses, students, all employees of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation and visitors to the institution and neighbouring establishments. Moreover, the paved area serves as an aid for residents who live in back houses without driveway along East Street to park their motor vehicles off the streets. Today, in our society, motor vehicles are not a luxury but a necessity for single parent families and extended families as we are striving to fulfill rental obligations, mortgages, utility bills and motor vehicle hire purchase payment installments. The additional tax of ‘pay for parking’ in Guyana is overwhelming as we continue to work tirelessly for the devel-
opment of Guyana by paying property rates and taxes, Value Added Taxes, payments to the National Insurance Scheme and Pay As You Earn tax scheme. Further, the barricaded area encroaches on the shoulders of the road, is poorly designed for easy ingress and egress, grossly inadequate for easy navigation within and is another avenue for gross financial corruption among officials of the Mayor and Councilors of the City of Georgetown and the City Constabulary. We, the undersigned, loyal supporters of the Government of Guyana, echo our call to Your Excellency, Honorable - President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana for your compassion and righteous judgment in issuing the command to disassemble the East Street Paid Parking Area. We appeal and beseech your fotth with attention, since this infrastructure is an additional hardship and a gigantic burden in numerous ways on our citizenry, commuters and individuals seeking economic livelihood, medical and social care and assistance. By disassembling the East Street Paid Parking Area, thousands of Guyanese will be once again be benefiting from the generosity of the Government of Guyana as we live in an environment of peace and justice with adequate security and freedom as we seek free medical care from the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation and the opportunity to enjoy a better life for all Guyanese. Affected residents (100 signatures)
DEAR EDITOR, Shortly after Guyana became a republic in February 1970, Forbes Burnham, the Head of Government removed British awards such as knighthood (Sir), OBE, CBE, MBE, etc and replaced them with local awards such as OE (Order of Excellence), OR (Order of Roraima),CCH (Cacique Crown of Honour) etc and he had been constantly announcing awards until his demise in 1985 and his successors continued it until 2002. There was a lull for nine years by the PPPC/ administration,and thereafter a few awards were made in 2011 Last year when Brigadier David Granger took over as Head of Government and State in his capacity as Chancellor of Honours awarded Honours to more than fifty nationals and announced that he will continue the Burnham trend to announce awards on an annual basis. I seem to recall that in the 1970s and 1980s the names of the proposed awardees were announced on February 23 the anniversary of our repub-
lic and the presentations of the awards were done on May 26 - the independence anniversary. If President Granger is to pattern himself on the first President, he and his advisors should start thinking of the names of possible nominees. Moreover they should hand out awards to persons who deserve them and not name persons because of their political affiliation. There were a few critics in the 1970s that Guyana should have retained the English tradition dating back to the ancient Rome several centuries ago, and Barbados and Antigua and Barbuda, former British colonies award “Sirs” and “Dames” in their local awards thus in my view mislead some people that those awards originated from London. Cricketers like Clyde Walcott, Conrad Hunte, Wes Hall, and others were awarded the local knighthood as well as academics, Hilary Beckles, Keith Hunte, lawyer Richard Cheltenham et al were so honoured. I must mention that cricketers, Sir Frank Worrell, and
Garfield Sobers were knighted by Her Majesty the Queen. Over in Antigua and Barbuda, cricketers Andy Roberts, Richie Richardson, Curtley Ambrosewere “knighted” by the Antigua government and several years ago similar award was bestowedon former acting Chief Justice, Bryan Alleyne of Dominica, as well as brilliant Guyanese born lawyer Sir Fenton Ramsahoye. Ron Sanders was also awarded a local knighthood, but he also received the high honour from Her Majesty the Queen of England and Head of the Commonwealth. Back in Guyana, President Granger should take time and
consider carefully who he should nominate and do not allow political affiliations to cloud his judgment. I had advocated for Wordsworth Mc Andrew for more than a decade to be given recognition, but unfortunately it came after his demise. I also called for Hugh Cholomondeley, the man who placed Guyana on the broadcasting map for introducing “inserts” in new items, but he too has passed without being honoured. There are a few outstanding lawyers who should be awarded silk and be admitted to the inner bar and I hope this will soon be addressed. Oscar Ramjeet
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The time has come to own land A blueprint for curbing suicide DEAR EDITOR, I believe that the time has come to call a spade a spade by this I mean that the Nation of Guyana must understand that Africans have just as much ability as any other ethnic group to efficiently get involved in large scale business. First I want to point out that after Slavery was abolished in 1834 the then Slaves who were all Africans had money which they put together to purchase land. The history of land ownership in Guyana supports this contention. This money the Slaves had gained from throwing box hand. However, the Africans were not able to succeed in farming because they were not able to get proper drainage and irrigation. The reason for this is that the owners of the sugar estates who were close to the Government in power at the time deliberately did not want
Africans to succeed in farming since they left the sugar estates and Indian labor had to be imported. Africans have always been as intelligent people and so they decided that instead of farming they encouraged their children to become educated and in doing so many became teachers, professionals and others civil servants. This resulted in their children leaving their village to live in the city and elsewhere wherever they were employed. Over the years the land of the people went abandoned and up to today this younger generation is trying to regain title to their inheritance. I say all of this so that young Black people could understand why their parents are not in big business is not because of their inability to do business but because of a deliberate effort in earlier years to prevent them from succeeding.
Now that we have a Coalition Government which is striving to achieve good for all the people of Guyana, I hereby wish to encourage young Black men African women to become focused and concentrate on getting involved in business activities. In 1947, when I was still at primary school in New Amsterdam, Berbice I can recall several religious folks from India visiting Guyana and encouraging their followers to own land you own the country. As I travel to work each day using public transportation I can hear people talk that because there is a new Government things will go better. However, I want to point out that you better start to own businesses and land. We must stop pulling down one another. Jonas Coddette Attorney-at-Law
Shaping the next generation DEAR EDITOR, Once again, I would like to commend your publication for its consistency in highlighting and making the case for urgent interventions to be found in order to arrest and reverse the dire circumstances facing the youth of this nation. I deeply share this concern and have a similar passion to see a cohesive national response to this most pressing priority. Nearly 20 years ago, as a youth myself, I started working with the youths in my community of Plaisance. I took the initiative by organizing after school clubs, street basketball competitions across communities, after school tutoring and homework helper, provision of scholarships, and I even got involved in the PTA (when I wasn’t even a parent). For a period of time I also led the Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association. All of this was done outside of the other efforts my church was making in the community. To d a y, m y j o b a s a teacher at Marian Academy, the work we are doing
through Youth Basketball Guyana and the National School Basketball Festival, as well as being chairman of the Church of God body, continues to provide me with a front line position in this major crisis and the opportunity to make a difference. So, I want to personally thank all of the NGO’s, churches, agencies, clubs, youth workers and individuals who have been working overtime, under very difficult circumstances, to try and curb this problem through their counsel, guidance, investments, support and love toward our young people. I exhort all the helpers and stewards to please don’t give up; I understand the challenges, frustration, loss and cost, but we also know the joy of seeing those who pull through and doing well. That is an immeasurable blessing. It is why I say to one and all: Be of good courage, let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. In my own experiences, I find that mentorship has proven to be the biggest factor between success and fail-
ure. Those who pull through often do so because of good mentors in their lives; individuals who have been intentional, long suffering, patient and full of unconditional love. I would like to see, if not recommend that more intentional efforts be concentrated in this vital area. I would also like to challenge others to step forward and volunteer as mentors, take it on yourself to mentor a youth and get involved in your community, in your school, in your church, in your family. It makes a big difference. I have developed a habit over the years of reaching outinitiating contact with young people, taking an interest in how they are doing, and in seeing that they do well; constantly looking for opportunities to encourage and add perspective to difficult questions and situations. This is a good place to start. I pray that we will not relent in, but take hold of our responsibility to train, enlighten, inspire, and shape the next generation. They need us, and we need them! Rev. Chris Bowman
DEAR EDITOR, We are all deeply saddened by the scourge of suicide that has reached pandemic proportions in our country. Region Two alone had about nine suicides and two attempts since the beginning of 2016 while other Regions had lesser amounts. Whether the number is large or small, we as a country need to deal with this plague in proactive ways. It is of little use to be fiddling, theorizing and lamenting if we do not find pragmatic ways of curbing this crime; we have to identify and implement practical ways. All stakeholders and this means literally everyone, have vested interest in preventing suicide and, therefore, all should be involved at various levels in preempting it. Having said that, I would now outline my suggestions to drastically reduce, if not completely reduce suicide. I will focus on a three-prong approach—schools, home and community—which by no means is exhaustive. SCHOOLS Since most suicides are committed by young people, schools should be totally involved in tackling the situation. Ideally each school should have a trained counselor. In the absence of this, the available counselors, psychiatrists, social workers and psychologists, religious and other leaders (who can be considered as role models) should visit schools regularly and deliver motivational talks to the student body. Also, these professionals and leaders should educate the staff at staff meetings on how to detect students who may be prone to suicide. Certain signs and symptoms should send warning signals that all is not well. For instance; 1. Behavioral Changes. Changes in mood: from jovial to sad; sociable to withdrawn, becoming a loner; full of life and active to loss of interest in activities, etc. 2. Physical Changes. Signs of bruises, cuts, welts and other marks; wearing long-sleeved shirts, buttoned up, possibly to cover marks of violence; neglect of neat-
ness and appearance. 3. Economic Changes. Economic abuse when the breadwinner shortchanges dependents usually results in poor quality of food or not food at all, lack of school supplies and low self-esteem. These and other signs and symptoms should raise red flags which should be obvious but are oblivious to an untrained, casual observer who looks but does not see. Therefore, what should be overseen is overlooked. Additionally, schools should: 1. Have zero tolerance to bullying which can lead to depression and psychotic issues. The rules should be clear, emphasized often and strictly implemented. 2. Abolish corporal punishment which is archaic and can lead to serious problems if a child is already abused at home-physically, psychologically, economically, verbally and otherwise. Use alternative forms of discipline. 3. Schools should raise funds and have school feeding programs for the deserving students. 4. All schools should have vibrant clubs-sports, drama, poetry and writing, art and craft, newspaper, yearbook, gardening, etc.-to bring out students’ potentials, keep them occupied constructively and boost their self-worth. 5. Test for illegal drug use, with the consent of parents, with the aim of intervention, 6. Have a Parents’ Day each term/semester to educate parents on parenting skills and best practices. PARENTS Children spend more time with their parents who are the first ones to socialize them. Therefore, they are molded by their parents in their formative years. This kind of conditioning can have lasting effects on the children. My advice to parents: 1. Show love to your children; they did not asked to be born. 2. Don’t beat your children. Use other forms of disciplining-grounding (taking away certain privileges temporarily), giving extra chores, etc.; do not starve you children as a form of disciplining them. 3. Monitor your children’s activities and make sure they keep the right friends, and do the right things, watch appropriate TV programs and listen to good music. (The generation gap may cause difference of taste, but you should recognize moderate from extreme) 4. Spend quality time with your children; ask them probing questions about school, social activities and friends.
Go to church, parks, resorts and other places with them. COMMUNITY In the modern world it is no longer our business, like before, what others do in public. However, we can still be good samaritans and be our brothers’ (and sisters) keepers. If our objective is to have a good quality of life and prevent suicide, we all can contribute to the betterment of others. MYTAKE: 1. Businesses, especially big ones, should put back something into the community from where they accrue their wealth. They should provide scholarships, provide supplies for school feeding programs, contribute to the building and upgrading of parks and assist the police and medical clinics with equipment. 2. The Education Department should employ Truant Officers to monitor absenteeism; the officers who seek out school age children at home and on the streets and liaise with the parents and other authorities. Neighborhood Police can assist in this. 3. We can all help people truly in need, whether financially or emotionally-by cash or kindness - (do not provoke differently-abled, the mentally ill or physically infirm, just to have a kick) so that their lives can be worthwhile, for we do not know what karma have in store for us as the world goes around. 4. Crimes are committed due to means, motive and opportunity. We should not only get rid of the motive, but also of the means and opportunity. Poisonous substances such as gramoxone, as well as all medication, should be secured with locks. Better yet, the location of poisons should not be disclosed to everybody; parents are culpable for carelessly placing these substances where everyone can easily access them. Also, pharmacies should not dispense certain drugs without prescription. While overdose cannot be easily monitored, accessibility can be. Editor, I do hope that the people read, digest and implement these ideas which I accumulated from years of being in schools in five countries and from decades of training in education and counseling. While we may not be able to save everyone, as crime of passion can be spontaneous, it is my fervent hope that this scourge will come to an end, sooner rather than later. Karan Chand Educationist Region Two
Sunday January 17, 2016
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Iran, U.S. free prisoners as end of international sanctions nears Reuters - Iran freed five Americans including a Washington Post reporter yesterday as the two countries staged a series of goodwill gestures ahead of the expected announcement of the lifting of international sanctions against Tehran under a nuclear deal. U.S. President Barack Obama pardoned three Iranian-Americans charged for sanctions violations, and U.S. officials said four others would be released, in a thaw in relations between the two nations that has shaped the Middle East since Iran’s Islamic Revolution of 1979. The ending of sanctions would bring the Middle Eastern country of 80 million people back to the global economic stage after several years away, and increase Iranian influence in a region torn by sectarian strife. The International Atomic Energy Agency was expected to announce in Vienna that Tehran had complied with a deal reached last year to curb its nuclear programme in return for the lifting of sanctions imposed by the United States, United Nations and European Union. Ahead of that announcement, Iran is releasing five Americans and the United States is freeing seven Iranians charged with sanctions
John Kerry
violations, in what U.S. officials described as a humanitarian gesture. Among the Americans being freed are Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian and Christian pastor Saeed Abedini, while Iranian news media said seven Iranians held for violating sanctions would be freed. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who developed a close rapport during months of unprecedented talks hammering out last year’s deal, met in a Vienna hotel before the expected sanctions announcement. “Implementation day” of the nuclear is a turning point in the hostility between
Tehran and Washington, and is a prize for both Obama and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. The two leaders have faced strong opposition from hardliners at home in countries that have called each other “Great Satan” and part of the “axis of evil”. “Today, with the release of the IAEA chief’s report, the nuclear deal will be implemented, after which a joint statement will be made to announce the beginning of the deal,” Zarif was quoted as saying in Vienna by state news agency IRNA. “Today is a good day for the Iranian people as sanctions will be lifted today,” the ISNA agency quoted him as saying.
PM Modi launches $1.5 bln fund to support start-ups Reuters - Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a number of initiatives yesterday to support the country’s start-ups, including a 100 billion rupee ($1.5 billion) fund and a string of tax breaks for both the companies and their investors. India, which already has a handful of new generation success stories, is seeking to encourage more cutting edge technology and other start-ups - supporting new businesses in a country which badly needs to accelerate a still sluggish economic recovery and create millions of jobs as the workforce expands. Modi’s high-profile event in New Delhi attended by hundreds of investors and entrepreneurs, including the founder of taxi-hailing app Uber, Travis Kalanick - promised a shot in the arm for the sector, with exemptions from tax and compliance inspections for three years. “I urge all entrepreneurs to create companies that solve India’s problems and create jobs,” he told a packed auditorium in New Delhi, speaking in Hindi. “Start-up does not mean a billion dollar company where thousands of people work. It is about employing even 5 people, and developing India.” Online companies such as e-commerce marketplaces Flipkart and Snapdeal, along with ride-sharing company Ola, have highlighted the potential for home-grown technology successes in a country best known for
capitalising on cheap engineering talent as the world’s back office. However, the push by Modi’s government is the first time Indian policymakers have announced a set of policies directly aimed at promoting start-ups and entrepreneurship. Modi said yesterday start-up companies would benefit from cheaper and faster patent applications, enjoying 80 percent rebates on the cost of patents. A mobile app would allow companies to be set up within a day, he promised. Moreover, they will be exempt from income tax for the first three years in which they make a profit. Their investors could also benefit: recognised funds of funds could see exemptions from capital gains tax, Modi said. The announcements, at a governmentorganised conference on start-ups in New Delhi, comes months after Modi made a whirlwind tour of Silicon Valley, meeting the chief executives of Facebook Inc, Google Inc and Apple Inc. India, with a rapidly expanding population of Internet users, is seen as one of the world’s fastest growing start-up hotspots. Venture capital funds including Sequoia and Tiger Global have raised multi-billion dollar funds for their Indian investments in recent years. The National Association of Software and Services Companies estimates the number of new companies launched in India grew by 40 percent in the last year.
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Parole Board meets on former death row inmates’ release - but Ramjattan has final say By Dale Andrews Several death row inmates who had their sentences commuted to life imprisonment are holding their breaths hoping that the Parole Board finds favour with their application to be released from prison. But the Parole Board may not be the end of the road for them, as Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan has the final say on the matter. He is prepared to exercise his powers under the Parole Act. The Parole Board headed by Justice Oslen Small met last Thursday to consider the application of some of the convicted killers for release from incarceration. The convicts, some of whom were sentenced to die by hanging for some of the most heinous murders, have had their sentences commuted to life, after their executions were delayed as a result of a constitutional challenge. The main reason offered was that the men had been on Death Row for too long and
Bharatraj Mulai
Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan to execute them now would be inhumane. Their stay on Death Row for such a prolonged period meant that they would have served a life sentence and to hang them would be to punish them twice. This was the view of then Chief Justice Ian Chang, who had made the order. Generally, life imprisonment is
Dem boys seh... Scamps attracted to Guyana like Bees to honey De world is a place full of smart ass people. It don’t have room for fools. Guyana must remember that at all times. If you foolish people gun ride you all over. Sam Blinds and Donald Dumb prove this. Both of dem was sailors. Is a wonder dem pirates didn’t ketch and do bad things to dem. Then you got de smart ass like de head scamp, Jagdeo. He bring every crook to Guyana. He bring Keric and de only thing that save de Guyana Police Force is that Uncle Sam jail Keric before Jagdeo even buy he ticket. He bring Sun and Sand fuh build hotel just to justify Marriott. He tun and try to play smart ass so people gun believe that de hotel business was profitable. He tell Ashni, de Shaat Scamp, fuh justify that. But de Sun and Sand man was one game ahead of Jagdeo. De man really come fuh dig out de gold we got here. He use de hotel plan to get a foothold in Guyana. That is wha Jagdeo did glad for. De man con him and de hotel still floating in de air and de man flying out wid de gold by de tons. Then he bring Surendra, de pump man. Dem boys hear, Surendra pump didn’t only pump out water, he also pump some in dem and disappear wid billions of taxpayers’ dollars. After Surendra disappear he bring BaiShan and others. Nobody didn’t know wha BaiShan was doing in Guyana, until recently dem boys see hundreds of containers of lumber leaving Guyana. When dem boys find out de truth it turn out to be that BaiShan was just like Surendra. It was not only tekking out lumber, it was leffing lumber in some of dem. And like Sun and Sand dem deh in de gold bush tekking out de gold by de tons. Dem gun talk later bout de rest of dem scamps and con artists who Jagdeo bring. De Germans see wha de Americans, de Chinee de British, de Canadians, de Indians, de French man and even de mad man, do to Guyana suh he decide fuh bowl a ball, too. Dem want to introduce a special number plate that can be tracked by computer 24-7. Dem boys hear that this same company involve in bribery and corruption in other countries that corrupt just like Guyana. That is how dem end up here. Jagdeo give dem de signal and tell dem to come to talk to him. Dem come too late. Dem was to come when Jagdeo was in power. He out of power and now dem got to face Soulja Bai and Rum Jattan. Talk half and keep and keep an eye pun de scamps who coming.
considered about 18 calendar years. Most of those seeking release would have been in prison for more than 20 years. Among them are Muntaz Ali; Terrence Sahadeo; Hafiz Hussein; Bharatraj Mulai and his brother Lallman; Ganga Deolall (Crankshaft); Oral Hendricks; Bryan Vandeyar; Lawrence Chand; Colwyn Smart; Vivekanand Singh; Kornel and Daniel Vaux; Derrick Calendar and Compton Tryell. Hussein, whose sentence was commuted to a life sentence in 2012, after spending 17 years on death row was convicted for a murder committed at Black Bush Polder in 1993. According to information received by this newspaper Hussein was promised release on December 18, last, but is still to hear from the Parole Board. Terrance Sahadeo, Ganga Deolall, Bharat Raj Mulai and his brother Lallman Mulai, Kornel Vaux and his brother Daniel Vaux all had their death penalties commuted to life sentences the following year. Kaieteur News understands that Lawyers for Deolall met with the Board on Thursday last but there is no indication if they have decided on the possibility of him being released any time soon. Ironically, some inmates have become so frustrated that at least one of them had considered committing suicide by hanging himself. Some have claimed that they have now become a burden on the state which has to expend no less than $25,000 for their monthly upkeep. The process for their release starts with Attorneys for the convicts making an application to the Parole Board which in turn sits to consider the applications. The law also provides for the relatives of the victims who were killed by the convicts to make representations before the Board to show cause why the death row inmates should not be released. Ever since the commuting of the death sentences,
Lallman Mulai Hafiz Hussein Some death row inmates who are seeking release. opinion has been divided. Some proclaim that the men had indeed suffered and that it was a good thing that the sentences be commuted. There were people who said that the judicial system has been known to make mistakes and that it was not unusual that innocent people were put to death. And once the sentence was executed there was no way it could be reversed. But there were those, especially the relatives of the victims who say that the courts never take their loss into consideration. One relative pointed to the case of 18-year-old Roshana Kassim who was killed in her home even as she was preparing a meal for the household. In the wake of her death, her father died months later, a victim of a condition that developed as a result of the girl’s murder. Her mother did not last long either. Some believe that the mother died as a result of a combination of her daughter and her husband’s death. Then there was Lawrence Chan - one of those to have his sentence commuted. He was sentenced to
death in 1995 and has been on Death Row ever since. He was
Ganga Deolall convicted for killing two (Continued on page 63)
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Code of Conduct underway for broadcasters Given the widely perceived biased coverage and “unhealthy content” of some of the stories reported by radio broadcasters during the May 2015 General and Regional Elections, the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) is pursuing a Code of Conduct for broadcasters. This is according to reliable sources close to the officials on the GNBA. The source said that given the “toxic reporting” from certain broadcasters during that time, there is certainly a need for there to be a code of conduct to guard against this in the future. The source said that preparation of the document is already underway. The code will contain some strict penalties. “Some of it caters for election time and the law gives us the authority to monitor for balanced reporting. So they can get warning letters from us if they report stories that are not substantiated. If they don’t follow the warning they can face legal corrective ac-
tion from us.” During the elections, former President Bharrat Jagdeo’s controversial approval of radio licenses to close friends and party members in 2011, came back to haunt the APNU+AFC. The first report of the elections watchdog body, the Media Monitoring Unit (MMU) of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), for the period of March 1 to March 31, 2015 was the first to document how this occurred. Monitoring coverage of the radio stations revealed that they were overwhelmingly in favour of the Government and the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C). Four radio stations were monitored- NTN 89.1 FM owned by Anand Persaud; I’Radio 90.1 Love FM owned by the sister of Minister Robert Persaud; 93.1 Real FM owned by Maxwell Thom and the Government-owned NCN 102.5FM. MMU did not explain, in its report, why it did not monitor Radio Guyana Inc. (RGI)
89.5/87.5 FM, a radio station owned by Dr Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop, and accused of being heavily biased in favour of Government. However, the first three stations were the ones approved by Jagdeo. According to the MMU report issued this week, NTN 89.1 radio news gave Government and the PPP/C more than 75 percent coverage with only a small portion going to the then Opposition A Partnership For National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC). Its general programmes were 100 percent positive for Government during the period March 1- March 31. With regards to I’Radio 90.1FM, its general programming was 97 percent coverage for Government and PPP/ C with three percent coverage, all negative, for the APNU+AFC. That station, while its newscasts gave Government and the PPP/C some 70 percent coverage, it did allow some amount of positive for the then Opposition – 10 percent.
The talk shows/interviews were more positive to the then Opposition, giving them 39 percent positive coverage and 26 percent negative. Government and the PPP/C received 19 percent coverage. The general programming of Thom’s 93.1 FM gave Government full coverage, with nothing for the Opposition. I’Radio 90.1FM gave Government 60 percent positive coverage with the then Opposition getting the rest. The state-owned 102.5 FM news saw Government and the PPP/C receiving 70 percentage of the coverage with APNU+AFC receiving 22 percent negative. The station’s talk shows and interviews did not include the Opposition. Only 14 percent of the content was deemed negative to Government. In terms of 102.5 FM general programmes, some 88 percent of them concentrated on Government issues with 12 percent considered negative
coverage for the then Opposition. The issue of new radio stations was an embarrassing one for the Donald Ramotar administration, after revelations that Jagdeo bypassed a standing agreement with the Opposition and unilaterally granted several radio and cable licences to not only his friends but also to close party members and even to the ruling PPP newspaper, The Mirror. It was widely seen as part of a bigger plan by Jagdeo to gain control of the airwaves. Several prominent media houses were ignored by Jagdeo, leading to condemnation locally and internationally, and to protests. Among those granted approvals for radio licences were Telcor and Cultural Broadcasting Inc, the former owner of I’Radio 90.1 FM, the company closely linked to Minister Persaud. Five frequencies were granted to Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop, Jagdeo’s close buddy. He was also allowed to buy over a television Channel (28), from its former owner Tony Vieira under controversial circumstances. The Mirror, owned by the PPP, was also granted five frequencies through applica-
tions from Dharamkumar Seeraj, a senior member of the ruling party. Single frequencies were granted to Thom, singer Rudy Grant, Hits and Jams, and NTN, among others. The approvals came two months after signing the Broadcasting Act in September 2011. It was not until months later that the regulatory Broadcasting Authority was appointed and even then, it was lined with government MPs, and other party officials. The granting of licences has been roundly condemned by media associations. Several media houses like HBTV, Kaieteur News, Stabroek News, RBS Channel 13, CNS Channel 6, MBC Channel 46, WRHM Channel 7, GWTV 2 and Capitol News, were among those that complained about being sidelined by Jagdeo. The APNU+AFC had expressed alarm over the licences, saying that the stations will be used as propaganda weapons against them. Since those approvals by Jagdeo, Government has not issued any other radio licence. The Broadcasting Authority is continuously saying it is considering new applications.
Sunday January 17, 2016
Kaieteur News
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Teleperformance Guyana complements Government’s telecommunication sector plan The launch of Teleperformance is being dubbed a complement to Government’s plan to enhance the telecommunications sector by Minister of Public Telecommunications, Cathy Hughes. Speaking at the launch on Friday last, Minister Hughes said that the ceremonial launch and the creation of 1500 jobs is “an exciting time for Guyana. It shows that we have the ability to compete in an international, very competitive industry.” In her first official engagement as Minister of Telecommunication, Hughes added, “This is a huge US billion-dollar company and the fact that they have chosen Guyana to invest in, speaks volumes”. Employment is a major factor and the company has created employment for a very unique youthful group of Guyanese that is internet and technologically savvy. Hughes commended the company leaders’ vision of “Transforming Guyana through Education and employment” and noted that the move is close to the current administration’s heart. “We are convinced that the only effective way to do this, for the benefit of all our people is to ensure that we create a fully functioning information society and knowledge economy, one in which we must fast track the use of Information Communications Technology (ICT) as the mechanism of transforming life in Guyana.” By investing in the requisite infrastructure, it ensures that the latest technology, education and training can be acquired that will produce citizens that are equipped to be c o m e t h e n e w e n t r e p r e n e u r s a nd drivers in today’s fast moving digital world, Minister Hughes said. “From the experiences of other countries we can transform the services we are able to provide in the public sector, and this will enhance competitiveness and growth among our private sector.” She said Government’s vision is to ensure that all of Guyana is Internet ready – with main cities and towns becoming Internet hot spots which she believes can be achieved with the collaboration of established service providers. Minister Hughes said that the government wants to ensure that students in Moruca or at the Bena Hill Institute in the Rupununi are given the same opportunity to learn and to succeed as the students at Queen’s College
- says Minister Cathy Hughes
Minister Cathy Hughes cutting the ribbon or The Bishops High School or St. Rose’s High. The Minister said that Teleperformance has started on the road through the development and operation of the call centre with its many goals and objectives, Customer Service Representatives and employee development programmes, are very similar to the government’s own trajectory and objectives with respect to the growth of human resources, particularly the youth population. “I was impressed when I learnt about the programmes that Dr. Dale A. Dan, Vice President of Operations, has espoused and which she intends to implement here to ensure that your employees are continuously trained; that their qualifications are consistently upgraded so that Teleperformance could retain your Number One global spot in this field of e-service. “I commend you for this initiative and will not hesitate to encourage other companies and agencies in the public and private sectors to emulate it.” Hughes said that the new enterprise encompasses customer care, technical support, debt collection programmes and business process operations for international clients. Though it’s not new to Guyana the operations raise the bar very high and established a universal standard for the growth of the ICT sector in Guyana. At present, Teleperformance employs 60 from more than
5000 applicants but promises that some 500 locals will be on staff by February 14, Valentine’s Day, to run the call centre, take calls, answer emails and manage chats. The Executive Vice President of Operations, Mike Corrigan, said that the building will hold up to 1500 employees to complete the company’s 24-hours daily operations. Additionally, “Vacancy is always there and as we add clients we will expand upwards of 1500 employees. We will utilize the initial building and based on supply and demand from clients we may expand.” The global company that focuses on skills development, customer service and enhancing of computer skills training for Teleperformance started as a company in Guyana in November of 2014 and hired its first employees in March of 2015 while its official production began in Oct of 2015. Dr. Dale A. Dan said that the opening of the Teleperformance Centre, started with a 1984 promise to God and her mother to return to Guyana with education and jobs. In 2011, she returned with new educational opportunities and USD $3.5M in scholarships through the Bakke Graduate University (BGU) resulting in today’s groups of graduates at the Masters and Doctoral levels. Dr. Dan said it took years to find the right university and now the right company to bring jobs to Guyana ... Teleperformance (TP). “Both
organizations are deeply rooted in the types of values that can result in national transformation for Guyana. Through a marriage of TP & BGU, members of TPGuyana Family can experience a true Joy-at-Work (JAW) environment where they enjoy a home away from home and a desire to return to work the next day. Dr. Dan said JAW is not
just about being joyful in the workplace. “It is about taking time to understand each other and the organization. It is about not just getting the right people on the bus but also ensuring the right people are in the right seats on the bus for maximum performance purposes, based on their unique calling and gifting. It is about love, respect, commitment, teamwork and empowerment where everyone feels a sense of value and ownership through daily decision making. “Each one is a leader whether in the capacity of leading people or projects or both.” Part of what is offered from these various leadership roles is assuring customers that they are the only focus on any given day, where each feels welcomed, loved, respected and well treated. Dan noted that the location is one where no customer feels that they are standing in a line but is served immediately upon reaching out.
REASONS FOR CHOOSING GUYANA The reasons for choosing Guyana were many, says Dr. Dan. These include the fact that Guyana is the only native English-speaking country in South America; high literacy and proficiency rates and educated workforce; cost model comparable to the Philippines; high US cultural affinity and neutral English accents; ideal geographic and time zone location and accessibility to service US market; political and economic stability and growth and no major natural disaster risks; heavy government investment and support of technology, communications and education and close proximity to a multi-lingual South American region. Through a partnership with The Language Institute in Guyana, we are able to provide authentic multilingual customer service agents who are endorsed as bilinguals through in-depth proficiency tests. (Mondale Smith)
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Sunday January 17, 2016
German Licence Plate Company under scrutiny With the worrying number of road fatalities over the past few years, the Guyana National Road Safety Council (GNRSC) and the Guyana Police Force (GPF) as well Government Officials, after witnessing a demonstration by a German license plate company, were impressed however, all that glitters have over time, proven not to be gold. The company called The
UTSCH group – according to its website – is a system provider, whose range of products and services extends to the production of “vehicle license plates and beyond”. “Regardless of the task at hand, for the identification and registration of the vehicle and the driver, UTSCH concepts provide future-orientated solutions based on state-of-the-art
technology; innovative strength, consistent market orientation, tailor-made systems and service solutions to meet customers,” the site stated. Meanwhile, after Kaieteur News brought to light that the company was planning to send a proposal to Government to have its tech implemented – in an article captioned “German company to send proposal on
...allegedly involved in string of scams overseas ‘special’ vehicle plates”, information in the form of extracts and online publications have been provided, indicating that the company was involved in a series of scams in India, Guatemala, Egypt and the Philippines. During the Guyana National Road Safety Council and Guyana Police Force Year End Press Conference held at the Traffic Headquarters in Eve Leary on December last, representatives of the Council and the Police Force were enthusiastic about the initiative. They said that the
“special plates” would aid the police in their mission to curb traffic misdemeanours such as hit and runs, hijackings, etc. It was further mentioned at the briefing that the feature would also assist in pinpointing persons of interest and persons involved in tax evasion. The information provided to this publication revealed that in Manila, Philippines three years ago, an anticorruption “Watchdog” asked the Philippine government to investigate a $3.85 billion contract for vehicle license plates by their
Land Transportation Office (LTO). The Watchdog called on the Philippine Government, particularly their Government Procurement Policy Board Executive Director, Ruby Alvarez, to blacklist UTSCH – representatives of the same company which conducted the demonstration in Guyana – and to prevent the firm from conducting further business in the country since they claim that UTSCH had been involved in a number of high profile corruption cases involving bribery to government officials in exchange for the contract to produce motor vehicle plates. In 2011, Egypt’s Attorney General charged former Prime Minister, Ahmed Nazif, and (Continued on page 63)
Rape murder accused fit to stand trial A man who raped and murdered his great aunt has been declared fit to undergo trial for the capital, offence. Devon Griffith, called “Two Kick”, 23, of Cemetery Road, Hopetown Village, who is on trial for the brutal raping, sodomising and killing of his great aunt, Vaulda Britton, called ‘Auntie Vaulda’, 78, of Lot 9 Main Street, Hopetown, West Coast Berbice had pleaded insanity during the trial. He became uncooperative and refused to answer questions. Magistrate Rhondell Weaver sitting in the Fort Wellington Magistrate’s Court ordered a psychiatric evaluation which was conducted by Psychiatrist Dr. Maida Creajah who concluded that the accused was fit to stand trial. Griffith, a deportee and an alleged drug addict, is accused of the brutal murder of his great aunt. The man is alleged to have committed the act
between Saturday October 3 and Sunday October 4 2015. He is alleged to have raped and killed Britton in the course or furtherance of rape at the above address. The elderly woman was allegedly brutally raped, strangled, sodomised and murdered by the deranged man. The elderly woman would usually sleep with her eightyear-old granddaughter and another relative. Griffith would usually stay with his grandmother, but from time to time sleep at the great aunt. On the night in question the deranged man reportedly visited and queried who was at home. When told that it was the elderly woman and her granddaughter alone he decided to stay over. Around 03:00 hrs on Monday the little girl reportedly awoke and saw her relative standing naked over her grandmother who was lying on the floor. The startled child began
Devon Griffith to cry, but Griffith covered her mouth and told her to be quiet. The child fell after he hit her. He then picked up the elderly woman and placed her on the bed and fixed her neatly before leaving the premises. Griffith, who it was reported once lived in Antigua, is wanted in that country for allegedly raping another elderly woman. He is alleged to have been recently released from jail after serving a four-year sentence.
Sunday January 17, 2016
Kaieteur News
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Battling emerging viruses -
An unavoidable role of the health sector By Sharmain Grainger Aside from struggling to deal with the regular complexities of trying to heal the sick and maintain gains made over the years, the health sector has had to deal with a number of emerging viruses. From battling the then little known, Chikungunya virus in 2014, and simultaneously warding off entry of the Ebola virus, to putting into motion ramped up tactics to tackle threats of both the Zika and H1N1 viruses last year, the Public Health sector has undeniably been challenged. It could be easily deduced that this is the sector on whose shoulder the country’s development rests. Without healthy citizens a country’s development is nothing but doomed. Moreover, it has not been optional for the health sector to take on the emerging threats, at whatever costs. And sizeable sums have been plugged into such efforts. Even more has been plugged into the sector with the detection of the Zika virus, and the fact that one of our own was recently sent to an early grave because of complications evoked by the H1N1 virus (which is referred to as the swine flu). While the H1N1 case has been deemed an imported case, the case of the Zika virus is a bit more troubling, as the infected person did not travel outside of Guyana during the perceived period of infection. “Obviously there might be more people walking around with this virus. So I have alerted all of the institutions in Regions Ten, Six, Five, Four and Three to continue to do surveillance work so that the doctors can look out for symptoms and signs so that we pick up cases early,” said Chief Medical Officer with the Public Health Ministry, Dr. Shamdeo Persaud. He noted that while
Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Shamdeo Persaud.
An Aedes aegypti mosquito which can spread the Zika virus the disease might be milder in adults with good immune systems, it has been discovered that those likely to be most at risk, if infected, are women during the early stage of pregnancy. “We have learnt that it can have some adverse effects on the developing fetus, such as small heads...the babies heads don’t develop,” Dr. Persaud related. CLOSE TO HOME An outbreak of the Zika virus, which is transmitted through the bites of infected Aedes species of mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus), was reported in
Brazil last year causing Guyana to take close note. The mosquito can only become infected if it bites an infected person. And according to Dr. Persaud, the period between bite and occurrence of symptoms is between three to 12 days. “That is our biggest challenge, dealing with the Aedes mosquito,” said Dr. Persaud during an interview. According to him, the health sector has long been trying to control the presence of the Aedes mosquitoes through fogging activities and raising awareness among
THE BACCOO SPEAKS While the politicians focus on things national, they have taken their eyes off the mental illness part of the society. Indeed the society has not placed a lot of attention on mental illness, so we have a rash of suicides. There will be a few more as the copycat syndrome takes hold. The best efforts of the government would not be good enough, because there is no support from the relatives of the victims.
** The fear lingers about a criminal attack. What is not
known is that the criminals have been nullified for now. The police have done a lot in the central parts, but that would not stop another young group from trying to execute an armed robbery. ** The dry spell created conditions for fires. Many homes with faulty electrical works are under threat. Another house is going to go up in flames when there will be a feedback from a refrigerator.
members of the public of ways to reduce the prevalence of the mosquitoes. These mosquitoes have credited with transmitting the Chikungunya Virus and Dengue Fever here. Since conditions here are conducive for the Zika vector to thrive, the aim of the health sector, according to Dr. Persaud is to engage prevention measures by being more vigilant at the ports of entry. Brazil is Guyana’s neighbour to the south. Therefore the outbreak there caused the local public health sector to be on high alert and put preventative measures in place. But detecting the entry of cases is not an easy task. While the public health sector has embraced an approach whereby blood samples are taken and sent to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) in Trinidad for testing, the real-
ity of the situation is that samples cannot be taken from all patients presenting with symptoms consistent with the emerging viruses. This, therefore, could mean that some patients could be misdiagnosed and administered incorrect treatment as a result. Moreover, battling emerging health challenges such as Zika is invariably no small task for a developing country. ZIKAINFILTRATION In the National Assembly on Thursday, a sombre Minister of Public Health, Dr George Norton made the first official announcement of the presence of the Zika Virus in Guyana. He said that a blood sample sent to CARPHA tested positive for the Virus. The victim, a 27-year-old woman who presented with very mild fever, a skin rash and conjunctivitis (red eye), was seen at a private health facility. According to the
Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, symptoms consistent with the Zika virus include: fever, rash, joint pain, and or conjunctivitis. Other known symptoms are muscle pain, headache, pain behind the eyes and vomiting. Because of the associated risk, the Public Health Ministry has been distributing treated mosquito nets to all pregnant women throughout the country who attend antenatal clinics. While Guyana is now learning about the virus, Dr. Persaud disclosed that it has been affecting sections of the world for many years. “It is a rather old virus...Many years ago there were outbreaks across Micronesia, while in 2013 there were reports of cases in French Polynesia. Then there was an outbreak in Brazil, South American last year.” He disclosed too that (Continued on page 46)
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Kaieteur News
Sunday January 17, 2016
Is there a missing US citizen buried on the East Coast? By Michael Jordan If you find this headline misleading, or if you think it’s sensational, then it probably is. But this is exactly what seems to have happened to the 67-year-old man with the strange name that I’m writing about. It’s been almost seven years. He hasn’t been spotted anywhere. His body hasn’t been found. He seems to have literally dropped off
the face of the earth, and if you know differently just tell me. The mystery of Kwame Rumel Jobronewet, also known as Romie Johnston, began on the morning of Friday, June 12, 2009, when the United States citizen arrived in Guyana to bury his mother, a well-known Buxton resident. A Guyanese by birth, Jobronewet had lived some 46 years overseas, and had returned to Guyana some two
years before this second visit. On his arrival, Jobronewet first stopped at relatives in Goedverwagting, East Coast Demerara. But the elderly man wanted to visit his mother’s former home at Company Road, Buxton, so his brother took him there by car. At the time, the house was occupied by Phyllis Browne, a cousin of the elderly American. Ms. Browne told me that
Mr. Jobronewet arrived at around 10:00 hrs and took a bath shortly after. According to Ms. Browne, she was in the yard tending to her dogs at around 15:00 hrs when Mr. Jobronewet came downstairs. He was toting three small bags. She says she asked him where he was going, and he said that he was going to visit his uncle in Goedverwagting. But she claims that he also said something puzzling. If Ms. Browne is to be believed, Mr. Jobronewet also mentioned an area in the United States, which he said he would visit after going to Goedverwagting. Mr. Jobronewet reportedly then left through the back gate, which led onto Middle Street, Buxton. Ms Browne says that was the last time she ever saw her cousin. Meanwhile, at the Goedverwagting residence, relatives waited for Mr. Jobronewet to show. When he failed to turn up, they assumed that he was exhausted from his trip from the US and had opted to rest in Buxton. It was only on Saturday, June 13, that they realized that he was neither in Buxton nor Goedverwagting. Despite checks at hospitals and in various areas, they failed to locate the elderly man. They contacted the U.S. Embassy here and informed officials that Mr. Jobronewet was missing. Some relatives believed that the elderly man might have been suffering from some memory loss and had gotten lost. Initial reports appeared to support this theory. Several East Coast residents claimed that two boys had seen Mr. Jobronewet in Beterverwagting. Realizing that he was lost, they had reportedly directed him to the East Coast Demerara Public Road so he could catch a bus to Buxton. As days passed, relatives also received reports that the American was seen in a Timehri-bound minibus and that he “was wet and looked mad.” They were also told that he was seen near Lusignan. Relatives also heard that a man fitting his description was seen at a funeral service at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Brickdam. Some of his relatives assumed that because of his memory loss, Jobronewet believed that he was attending his mother’s funeral. But there was also a disturbing report which suggested that Kwame Jobronewet had never left
Buxton. A Buxton shopkeeper revealed that on the night of June 12, 2009, a man fitting Jabronewet’s description, and speaking with an American accent, had visited his shop on Company Road. According to the shopkeeper, the man had a ‘speedy’ look and appeared to be restless. The shopkeeper told me that the elderly man had tried to buy a drink with US coins. But the shopkeeper says he told the stranger that the coins had no value in Guyana and the man had left. Now suspecting foul play, detectives on the East Coast of Demerara took the shopkeeper into custody. They also detained Jobronewet’s cousin, Phyllis Browne. However, they were released the following day, with the detectives getting no new leads on the missing man’s whereabouts. Then on Tuesday, June 23, 2009, it appeared that the search for Kwame Jobronewet was over, when a man’s bloated and decomposed body was found in a bushy area behind the Cheddi Jagan International Airport. However, the victim was eventually identified as a suspect in a number of armed robberies. Hopes of finding Kwame Jobronewet surfaced again in early July 2009, after an emaciated, elderly man, who was barely alive, was found at a dam at the back of Mocha Arcadia, East Bank Demerara. But then the man was identified as 84-year-old Albert Van Vield, of Supply, East Bank Demerara. He passed away the following day. A few weeks later, Jobronewet’s relatives received a call from someone who claimed to have knowledge of his whereabouts. According to the relatives, the caller claimed that Jobronewet had contracted malaria. The caller also demanded $1.6M from the relatives. The caller never contacted them again. Since then, there have been reports which strongly suggest that Kwame Jobronewet was the victim of foul play. One report indicated that he was seen at an East Coast Demerara residence. At one point, police scoured a remote section of Buxton for possible signs of a shallow grave containing
the missing man’s remains. They found none. Three months after his disappearance, police arrested two brothers from Friendship, East Coast Demerara. This happened after the police received information that suggested that the brothers had vital information about Jobronewet’s whereabouts. The information indicated that the US citizen had been murdered. The brothers, aged 25 and 31, and known as ‘Psycho’ and ‘Madman’, had had previous brushes with the law. But the siblings denied having any knowledge of the missing man’s whereabouts. Detectives searched the backyard of a house belonging to the suspects’ mother, but found nothing. They were forced to release the brothers after searches in other areas yielded nothing. One of the missing man’s relatives, in particular, believes that Mr. Jobronewet was abducted shortly after his East Coast Demerara visit. It is believed that he was carrying a substantial sum of currency to assist with his mother’s burial, although relatives had already made their arrangements before he arrived. Dismissing suggestions that Jobronewet may have be suffering from the onset of Alzheimer ’s disease, the relative said he corresponded regularly with the elderly man who always appeared to be mentally alert. The relatives subsequently posted a reward for information on Jobronewet’s whereabouts. No one responded. After three years, there is still no clue about his fate. Kwame Jobronewet was reportedly last seen wearing a white shirt, blue jeans, a pair of black shoes and a white Kangol cap. He was also carrying three bags, including a red one marked ‘California.’ If you have any information on this case, please contact us at our Lot 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown location. You can also call us on telephone numbers 2258465, 22-58491, and 2258458. You can also contact Michael Jordan at his email a d d r e s s : mjdragon@hotmail.com You need not disclose your identity.
Sunday January 17, 2016
Kaieteur News
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== THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN ==
Should Guyana execute these three teenagers? There comes a time in your life when a contradiction confounds you and you are paralyzed philosophically and morally. You simply do not have the answer for this complexity. I find myself in this position at the moment. I never thought I would. I support the abolition of the death penalty. I would not depart from that belief. I did pen a column in which I offered an exception. I still do. I believe leaders who use power to murder critics should be executed. I say with all the threads of decency in my character, I believe the state of Guyana should execute those three teenagers who went on an uncivilized orgy of violence in Berbice, if they are found guilty. The State should not accept the guilty plea to manslaughter. They should be hanged. I am still psychologically jaded at the reality that these three teenagers come from among the population I live among. Is it possible during the 2015 election campaign I saw them in Berbice? How could Guyana produce these monsters? The agricultural based economy we have with our small population does
not give rise to such bestial and pathological crimes. Such crimes are committed by alienated people in large populations running into hundreds of millions in advanced industrial societies. The nature of the bestialities revolts you to the core. I am so emotional about what happened that I want these young men removed from civilization. They have forfeited their right to live in the modern world. It is the nature of their crime that sickens you deeply and it becomes inhuman when you take into account their age. Not satisfied that they brutalized a mother and her child, they tied them up and lit the house burning the mother to death. Three young men took advantage of an elderly woman who couldn’t even fight back with one of them if she was up on her feet. This is savagery unheard of in the English-speaking Caribbean. Death comes instantly when you are shot. To know that you are going to be burnt alive is too horrible to contemplate. These three monsters days later invaded a home; robbed a couple and hacked them to death. The morbid
cowardice was again displayed by these three genetic freaks when they chopped a victim that was eighty years old. If this aged man was up on his feet, he couldn’t even fight with one of them, yet they chopped him to death. One of them previously faced a murder charge for a 13-yearold victim. The philosopher would tell you that Homo sapiens is not the higher animal we have been scientifically brought up to think he/she is. When you live among animals and see their “humanity” then you begin to question how higher than the lower animals is Homo sapiens. I have read Arthur Koestler. I find Kostler’s beautiful and haunting description of the lower nature of Homo sapiens not only persuasive, but deeply compelling. You have to live closely with members of the lower species to see how gentle and kinder and more loving they can be than Homo sapiens. One of our pets is Gypsy. My daughter named her Gypsy. Gypsy is a cat that causes you to believe that those three teenagers are unfit to be called higher animals. Gypsy behaves like a human. When my wife and daughter are in
bed watching a movie, Gypsy would jump in between them and watch at the television. Gypsy plays hide and seek with my wife. When my wife is in the living room reading the newspapers, to get my wife’s attention she would give off a faint cry. When my wife looks in her direction, she would withdraw further from behind the chair and stare at my wife with one eye. She repeats her antics until my wife goes to get her. Then the hide and seek game
begins. When we cannot find her, we would perambulate the entire house yelling out for her, but she would not show. She does that deliberately until we get into panic mode and she emerges from her hiding place. Gypsy reminds me of how “human” some animals can be. The other pet cat, Dusty, shows strong emotions of jealousy. Our pet dog kisses us all the time and refuses to be alone. You have to be with her every minute of the day. This is the
Frederick Kissoon behaviour of what we humans call lower animals. But how lower are they when you compare them to Homo sapiens? After what those three teenagers confessed to, I think you should read Arthur Koestler. And get some pets if you don’t have any. You would see and love the difference.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday January 17, 2016
Gold miners make their pitch for duty free concessions The Ministry of Natural Resources has begun a series of ‘hearings’ with miners of gold and diamonds who have requested duty-free concessions on machinery, fuel, vehicles and other related paraphernalia. The Ministry is collaborating with the Tax Concession Review Committee (TCRC) and last week, Minister Raphael Trotman, supported by the Technical Officer and other staff of the Guyana Geology & Mines Commission (GGMC), began to meet with miners one-onone to discuss their applications. This initiative is in response to the current slump in which the precious metals industry worldwide finds itself with extremely low world prices for gold, a pending (in some places) ban on the use of mercury, which miners (porkknockers) in Guyana have been using for as long
they could remember to bind the particles of gold found in stone, sand, mud and sludge. The new technologies recommended include the Shaking Table. GGMC has been promoting environmentally safer and more technologically advanced methods of reclaiming gold, but miners have complained that these new methods require them to make substantial capital investments in a time when their revenue has reduced. They find themselves between the devil and the deep blue sea. It is very necessary that the Government finds ways to lessen the burden on our miners. After all, their work and their products now account for a considerable percentage of national revenue earnings. Actually, miners had been asking for concessions on land, equipment and fuel for quite some years, but the pre-
vious ‘administration’ couldn’t be bothered. One of the promises our coalition did make to our fellow citizens was to create ‘enabling environments’ so that every sector of our economy could operate as freely as the nation’s circumstances allow. We’re keeping that promise to our miners. We are fully on board to assist them to make changes in their operations to protect the environments they work in; to avoid interfering with the lives and livelihoods of citizens residing in the vicinity; to ensure that the miners’ overhead expenditures are not burdensome; among other things. This is a welcome departure from the way things used to be. Pre-2015, the erstwhile government had demonstrated that they did not give a hoot that gold mining in many rivers resulted in toxic pollution of the only source of fresh water for a number of
interior villages; or that sections of some rivers became so silted up that they became narrow creeks; or that at least one river actually ‘died’. Dead fish, shrimp, and other underwater growth first began to show up on the banks of the river, then the flow of water grew less and less until the sandy, poisonous silt rose higher than the river banks. Still there was no action from the government, even with a minister ensconced at the then Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment raking in record levels of revenue from gold mining that was topping the traditional sectors (rice, sugar, bauxite). So the ball is rolling and Minister Trotman, Ms. Euliene Watson and other functionaries met the first ten (10) miners last week to discuss duty-free and other concessions.
The miners were given the opportunity to present their cases and they answered questions about their operations. At the close of the reviews, they were assured that a decision would be taken and communicated to them within ten days. The Ministry’s directive to establish the Tax Concession Review Committee was prompted by complaints by miners about sloth, along with allegations of impropriety in the procedures for approval of concessions. Minister Trotman also made it clear to the miners that Government was concerned that in some instances, the privilege of tax waivers that some miners had already received was not always respected by some miners. He informed the miners that the deliberations for concessions would also include other factors such as the amount of gold and diamonds declared, health and welfare practices, safety record, mine construction and environmental management before making decisions. After meeting with the miners, the Minister of Natural Resources is expected to make recommendations to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA). These meetings meet with miners applying for tax waivers will take place every fortnight. On its assumption to office in May 2015, the new Government began a partnership with the Guyana Gold & Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) that first yielded a
list of mining equipment and spare parts that would be eligible for tax concessions. This team also came up with an acceptable mechanism for approval of requests for tax/ duty exemptions. Meanwhile, last Sunday, a team led by Ministers Raphael Trotman and Simona Broomes, spent the day with Region Eight miners at Mahdia. At a town hall-styled meeting they gave the miners the assurance that the Coalition Government is determined to ensure that they are able to work, maintain healthy lifestyles, and secure their fair share of Guyana’s national patrimony. The visiting team comprised the two Ministers and officials from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC), the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, the Region 8 Administration and Commander of ‘F’ Division, Mr. Ravindradat Budhram. Among the topics discussed were: • Roads and infrastructure • Mining pit accidents • Prevalence of alcohol and narcotics consumption • Mining and Land boundaries These discussions continued during a subsequent symposium for small-scale miners at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre (ACCC) at which the miners were invited to make recommendations for forward movement of the sector.
Sunday January 17, 2016
Kaieteur News
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My column
We have dumped what once worked The year started badly with a rash of murders. By the time the dust settled, it turned out that the killers of at least three people were teenagers who had become drug addicts. When the police made the first arrest, I was stunned at the age and the callous nature of the killer. He had gone to the home for money, obviously to feed his habit, in the company of two others, one of them a 24year-old. The police turned up at his home to catch him washing the blood from his body, while his clothes were soaked in a bucket. The third of the lot kept running until he was spotted on a mudflat. It took the valiant efforts of police recruits, with the support of their more senior colleagues, to catch him. I remarked at the fact that he was taken alive because in days gone by, when Bharrat Jagdeo was president, such wanted persons were shot out of hand. They never lived to stand trial. My shock deepened when they appeared in court on Friday. There were the media people trying to capture the images and there were the young criminals showing them the finger. There was no remorse, no regret at snuffing out the lives of three ordinary people who simply wanted to live. We don’t hang people anymore, so these young men would spend a part of their lives behind bars and then be released onto the streets again. By then they would have matured and perhaps become even more seasoned.
They would have been exposed to hardened criminals; they would be supplied with drugs in prison, and some of them would enjoy the luxury of cell phones. I asked Clement Rohee, the former Home Affairs Minister, about the reaction of the residents after they found out who the killers were. His answer was that the people were angry at the government and the current Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan. He said that they were also angry at the police. Needless to say, I found this to be hogwash, because people tend to vent their spleen on the criminals and their relatives. I do know that many people still have the mindset that killers are predominantly people of African ancestry who live in the city. I know that Rohee and certain members of his party help to perpetuate that image in the minds of their supporters. They said as much during the elections campaign, causing the people to believe that if they did not vote for the People’s Progressive Party, then the government would release these black criminals on them. And I hasten to add that in the wake of the killings, there was the belief that such was indeed the case. Since then, there have been calls for a return of the death penalty, which remains on the statutes but which is not invoked. The sociologists and the psychiatrists would talk about dysfunctional families being the cause. They would not talk
about the failed education system and the failure of the social organisations to make an impact on young lives. This is a widespread problem. There was a time when inspectors visited the schools to ascertain that teachers performed as they should. There was also a time when priests, pastors, moulvis and pandits would visit the homes of people, on request, because the parent had some problem dealing with an errant child. These are things of the past, but I hasten to add that there was never so much crime when those things were done. People had values; older people were quick to scold young children. These days it is a case of people insisting that they mind their own business. Take the case of the missing British teenager whose body turned up in a shallow grave. Except for the mother of a woman who shares a relationship with the killers, everyone is a young person. How did the society get like this? In a matter that is before the court, again a group of young people had no compunction about entering the home of a member of judicial system and brutalizing that person. Another young man entered the home of a former crime chief and terrorized the man and his family. As fate
would have it, when the identity of the victim became known, that young man’s mother handed him over to the police. Crime apart, we now have a rash of suicides. I always say that if I am suicidal then I can take my life at any time. I don’t have to do so today; I can wait for tomorrow which promises to be better. But this seems not to be the case of the people who are in a mad rush to make the headlines as dead people. There have been no fewer than a dozen suicides already for the year. There was one just Saturday morning. Guyana has already earned the sobriquet of being the suicide capital of the world. We tend to become known for
all the wrong reasons. Alcohol has fuelled many of the suicides but then again, there are those fuelled by people who have no skill at problem solving. How can I begin to explain the case of the 14-year-old girl who joins her 20-year-old partner on a table with a rope around the necks of both of them, then agreeing to kick the table aside? We talk about counseling centres, but more than this is needed. For one, we need to talk more to each other. There was a time when the oral tradition kept many people sane. People simply poured their guts out to others. These days people say that when they tell their story, the people to whom they speak turn
Adam Harris around and use the information to cuss them out. I say, we are each other’s keepers; we need to talk more with our neighbours. We need to pay attention to the young people around us, because when all is said and done, Guyana is all we have and without good people the country is nothing.
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Sunday January 17, 2016
SUNDAY SPECIAL
powers. But a few hours later when one of the teens, Neeman Rafeek, confessed to killing the couple, the entire village went in a “silent mode”. They questioned how this “young, vibrant and soft spoken boy” could be so heartless. ”Meh na know how we nah see this. When you look at this bai (Rafeek) you would feel sorry for he because he is quiet. He would go and come without saying anything to anyone,” one of the residents said. Others, though, were not so surprised. They said that the teen is a small drug dealer in the village.
GROCER, 81, WIFE, 49, BUTCHERED BY DRUG-CRAZED YOUTHS -TEEN CONFESSES TO BRUTAL KILLING, CAUGHT TRYING TO WASH OFF BLOOD In one of the most shocking confessions in recent times, an 18-year-old boy on Saturday last (January 9) related to police how he and two others tortured, robbed and finally hacked an 81-year-old grocer and his 49-yearold wife to death at Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice. The victims, Doodnauth Rajkumar and Dianne Chammanlall, who own a grocery and beer garden, were terrorized and repeatedly chopped, after the young robbers, all drugcrazed youths, broke into their Lot 93 ‘A’ Bush Lot, Middle Dam, West Coast Berbice property. Mr. Rajkumar, with throat slashed from ear to ear, and with one arm partially severed, was found dead in the hallway. Police reportedly found his wife, Dianne Chammanlall, badly injured and lying in the verandah of the two-storey home. She succumbed while receiving medical attention at the Fort Wellington Hospital. The teen, who police identified as Neeman Rafeek, called ‘Shazam’, of Bush Lot New Scheme, Berbice, was captured at his home shortly after fleeing the scene. At the time, he was washing off the blood of the victims. Detectives also found bloodstained clothing soaked in a bucket. MURDER OF BRITISH TEEN…KILLERS DUG GRAVE TWO DAYS BEFORE VICTIM ENTERED COUNTRY Two days before 18-year-old British national, Dominic Bernard, landed in Guyana, the men who plotted his death rented a car and dug his grave. And when Bernard finally arrived, people lured him to the Nurney, Corentyne, Berbice backlands at night, under the pretext of having buried something valuable there. They then struck him repeatedly at the back of the head, even stuffing his mouth with a sock when he screamed. That is the shocking confession that police have allegedly received from the two prime suspects, his godbrother Aaron Hing, and alleged accomplice Staymon George. Hing, 23, was captured on Friday January 8 in a City hotel, while George, also 23, was nabbed in Tucville. They were both held last Saturday. MONDAY EDITION COPS HALT KILLING SPREE…GANG WHO BUTCHERED COUPLE ADMITS TO BURNING WOMAN IN HOUSE Just when it seemed that the deeds of the youths that butchered Arthur Rajkumar and Diane Chamanlall couldn’t get more twisted, one of the suspects Sunday confessed that the gang also tied, tortured and burned 49year-old Anita Baichan in her Plantation Hope, West Coast Berbice home a week earlier. Police broke the case wide open on Saturday night, when they arrested 18-year-old Gokun Madanpaul, a fisherman, at a West Berbice barber shop. Madanpaul, under interrogation, reportedly admitted that he and two others had not only killed Arthur Rajkumar and Diane Chamanlall, but Anita Baichan as well. Already in custody is his 18-year-old accomplice, Neeman Rafeek, called ‘Shazam’, of
WEDNESDAY EDITION WEST BERBICE ROBBERY/ MURDERS…FINAL GANG MEMBER CONFESSESAFTER CAPTURE – WAS FREED OF KILLING GIRL, 13, WHEN HE WAS 16 Bush Lot New Scheme, Berbice. He was captured at his home on Saturday shortly after fleeing with two others from the murdered couple’s home. FIERYMURDER It was two Sundays ago that Anita Baichan,49, and her son, Moshim Khan, were awakened by masked intruders in their Plantation Hope, West Coast Berbice house. They were beaten, bound with duct-tape and their home set alight while they were still inside. The son managed to escape, while his mother was burnt alive. Police had initially suspected that persons close to the family had committed the deed, and that it was linked to the slain woman’s insurance. But when a gang of drug-crazed youths killed Arthur Doodnauth Rajkumar and his reputed wife Diane Chamanlall at Bush Lot, West Coat Berbice home, police began to suspect that both cases were connected. Adding to that suspicion was the fact that a ski mask was recovered at the home of the slain couple. Detectives recalled that the perpetrators in the fiery murder of Mrs. Baichan had also worn ski masks. Like the youths who had butchered the couple, Mrs. Baichain’s killers also appeared to be drug users, since they had reportedly ‘smoked weed’ in her home prior to setting her property alight. The statement by Gokun Madanpaul, the fisherman held on Saturday night, is said to have irrefutably connected him and two others to both crimes. MURDER OF BRITISH TEEN…KILLERS’ ACCOMPLICE LEADS COPS TO VICTIM’S BURIED BELONGINGS – CAMERA, TRIPOD, MONITOR AMONG ITEMS RECOVERED An accomplice of the men who bludgeoned British national, Dominic Bernard Sunday led police to an area at Nurney, Corentyne, where he had buried the slain teen’s belongings. Police recovered the victim’s camera, a monitor, a tripod, and other components. Kaieteur News understands that on the day that police found Bernard’s body, his Godbrother, Aaron Wilfred Hing, contacted the accomplice, who lives at Nurney, and instructed him to dig up the items from the area where the gang had buried them, and stash them at another spot. The accomplice is among five suspects who are in custody. Two women are also said to be among those detained. Police reportedly received detailed con-
fession statements from some of the alleged killers. TUESDAY EDITION VILLAGERS BLAME THREE GRUESOME MURDERS ON RAMPANT DRUG USE -FEAR REPRISALS FROM REST OF ‘KILLING SPREE’ GANG Shock, disbelief, anger and mostly fear were some of the emotions that were expressed by residents of the villages of Bush Lot and Plantation Hope, West Coast Berbice, when they learned that a group of young drug addicts from their com munities were behind three recent gruesome murders in Bush Lot and Hope. On Monday, this newspaper visited the usually quiet community of Bush Lot and had a brief chat with residents after an 18-year-old that many described as “quiet”, confessed to robbing and murdering 81-year-old Doodnauth Rajkumar and his wife, Dianne Chammanlall, who resided in the same village. The teen was identified as Neeman Rafeek called ‘Shazam,’ who was held minutes after the couple was slain. Another teen, Gokun Madanpaul, is said to have linked the gang to the killing of 49year-old Anita Baichan who burned to death in her burning Plantation Hope, WCB home after the building was set alight. On Saturday, news of the couple’s death sent shockwaves throughout Bush Lot village since everyone lived as family and 81-yearold Rajkumar, the slain grocer, was like a ‘father-figure,’ who did not hesitate to help the needy. Later that day, when two young villagers were taken from their homes by police, the residents were equally confused, and questioned whether the police were abusing their
He was just 16 years old when he was charged with murdering a 13-year-old schoolgirl and dumping her corpse in a trench. Five years after being freed of that grisly crime, 24-yearold Rooplall Abrahim is being accused of helping to kill two women and an octogenarian male in a nine-day, bloody orgy. He’s reportedly told police that he and two 18-year-old drug addicts butchered 81-yearold grocer Doodnauth Rajkumar and his wife, Dianne Chammanlall in their home last week Sunday. One of Abrahim’s accomplices has also implicated him in the murder of 49-year-old Anita Baichan who was bound and burned to death in her Plantation Hope, West Coast Berbice home, two Saturdays ago. Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum said that Abrahim, called ‘Vijay’, was captured just before noon Tuesday on the Number 4 Village, West Berbice foreshore. The area is six miles east of Bath Settlement, where the first home invasion and murder took place. The ‘B’ Division ranks, supported by recruits of the Police Training School at Adventure, had reportedly been searching the area since around 08.00 hrs for the fugitive. Fishermen in the community also assisted the ranks by lending them a boat. Abrahim used his knowledge of the mudflat and the bush to elude the cops for several hours. But the chase eventually ended at around 11:15 hrs, with the cops taking the suspect into custody. Abrahim was taken to the Fort Wellington Cottage Hospital for a medical checkup before being placed in a cell at the Police lockups. Residents in the area were loud in praise for the work of the police and flocked the station to offer their (Continued on page 27)
Sunday January 17, 2016
Kaieteur News
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(From page 26) congratulations. Abrahim was previously charged with the murder of Kavita Panday, 13, whose body was found in a canal at the back of Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice, on September 8, 2008. Indications from the post mortem indicated that the girl was submerged, while still alive, in the canal. He was freed of that murder in September 2011. With Abrahim’s capture Tuesday, Crime Chief Blanhum said that police have now rounded up all three men who are linked to the recent killing spree that has shocked residents along the West Coast of Berbice. Also in custody and facing three murder charges are Gokun Madanpaul, 18, and Neeman Rafeek, called ‘Shazam’, also 18, of Bush Lot New Scheme, Berbice. NCN CEO, ICT AND H.R. MANAGER RESIGN -BOARD ANNOUNCES EVITALISING PROJECT FOR 2016 Even as the National Communications Network (NCN) continues to run at a major loss, the positions of the Chief Executive Officer, Human Resources (H.R.) and ICT Manager, have been voluntarily vacated. The current situation at NCN however indicates that 150 persons remain within the company’s employ, with the board announcing a major revitalising project for 2016. Via a communiqué issued Tuesday, the board announced that advertisements will soon appear for suitably qualified persons to fill various posts within the entity. Chief Executive Officer Molly Hassan has already tendered her resignation to the company’s board giving three months’ notice, as stipulated by her contract. Hassan has served in the position for just over a year and a half. Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, who has responsibility for the state media, had wanted Hassan to be transferred to the Marketing Director’s position while a new CEO was being sought. But Hassan has reportedly decided to completely move on. Information from within the NCN is that following a meeting, the staffers were asked to submit their list of duties Tuesday. Additionally, the Daren Khan H.R. Manager, who also doubles as the ICT manager, was reportedly asked to tender his resignation. Staffers confirmed that he walked out of the NCN compound just after 14:00hrs. Meanwhile, the Board of NCN via a statement extended its gratitude for the service of those moving on and wished them well in their future endeavours. The statement noted that the newly appointed Board, having reviewed the strategic direction, operations and conditions at the state entity, has upon the onset of the New Year embarked on a ‘four pillars revitalization project’. THURSDAY EDITION FORMER PM, IRFAAN ALI, TEIXEIRA, DHARAMLALL QUESTIONED IN NICIL PROBE The Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU) has brought in former Prime Minister, Samuel Hinds, and at least three Members of Parliament from the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), for questioning regarding the revelations from the forensic audit into National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL). This was confirmed by PPP Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira, during a press conference at the
PPP headquarters on Wednesday. She said that former Minister of Housing and Tourism, Irfaan Ali, Member of Parliament, Nigel Dharamlall, and herself were also questioned. According to Texieira, Ali was the first to be questioned, on January 6. Texieira and Dharamlall were questioned by the unit on Monday, while Hinds was questioned on Tuesday. Relating the events, Teixeira stated that on Monday last, she was paid a visit at home by the operatives. “They came to my house on Monday and said they had been checking on me and looking for me since last week. And they asked if I could come down,” she said. “So I came down, accompanied with my lawyer. Three of us have lawyers; we have not gone in to be interviewed without legal representation.” She said that while she had asked for leeway to be able to come down the next day, the operatives had insisted that she come down that very day and she had complied, accompanied by her lawyer, Bibi Shadick. While she admitted that the police who came to her house were polite and identified themselves, she juxtaposed this with the fact that everyone else was given dates to come in, but she was not afforded this. BERBICE TEENS CHARGED WITH BRUTALMURDER OF BUSH LOT COUPLE Two teens who sent shock waves in Guyana by executing two brutal murders within seven days, have been remanded to jail. They have been charged with murder. The teens, Gocoul Madanpaul, 18, called ‘Clown’, of 175 Block B Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice, and Nazamadeen Raffick, 19, called ‘Shazam’ of Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice, appeared on Wednesday before Magistrate Rhondell Weever, in the Fort Wellington Magistrate’s Court, West Coast Berbice . They were charged with the grisly murders of Doodnauth Rajkumar, 81, a businessman and his reputed wife, Dianne Chammanlall, both of lot 93A Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice. The two youths who are known to the authorities, stood expressionless when the charge was read to them. They are accused of between Friday January 8, and Saturday January 9, last, of murdering the couple, Rajkumar and Chammanlall, at their home in furtherance of a burglary. They were remanded by Magistrate Weever until February 3, when the matter is expected to be heard again.
Further charges are pending against the duo who are also fingered (one has confessed) in the brutal murder arson committed on Anita Baichan, 49, whose home was torched following a burglary at her Bath Settlement home on January 3. The third suspect, Rooplall Abrahim, who was captured on Tuesday is expected to be charged soon. He has also confessed to the murder/arson of Ms Baichan at Bath Settlement. He was up to Wednesday being held pending charges. FRIDAY EDITION POLICE, DPPAT ODDS OVER WESTFORD FILES Confusion seems to be the order of the day as it relates to the investigation involving former Public Service Minister Jennifer Westford and her assistant Margaret Cummings. The 24 police files compiled on the matter are getting no rest – moving back and forth from the police to the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). From all indications, the police seem unaware of what they are supposed to do. On Thursday, the DPP had cause to clarify the Chambers’ position on the matter, claiming that the file has been sent back to the police yet again with specific instructions. ”The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions wishes to state that the 24 police files captioned: “Alleged Larceny by Public Officer Committed on the Public Service Ministry By Dr. Jennifer Westford and Margaret Cummings” were received from the Guyana Police Force on the 9th, 23rd, 28th and 30th December, 2015. These 24 files have been returned to the GPF (Guyana Police Force) today (Thursday 14th January), with legal advice given to the police for them to complete their investigations.” The DPP’s Office noted that this is the third occasion that the 24 files are being returned to the GPF, with specific instructions for them to comply with previous legal advice given, pertaining to the clarification of issues and the conduct of further investigations. When asked about this situation Thursday, Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum told reporters, “I intend to go through those files. I also had a discussion with the DPP recently pertaining to the return of those files. I will be able to update you some time later on some of the things that she would have highlighted.” The matter has to do with $500M-plus in state funds that were discovered missing shortly
after the May 11 General Elections which saw a change in Government. GODBROTHER, FRIEND CHARGED WITH MURDER OF BRITISH TEEN – COPS RECOVER VICTIM’S PHONE At around 16:40 hrs Thursday, with the sun emitting its rays on the stairway of the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, the two men accused of bludgeoning British teen Dominic Bernard to death before burying him in a shallow grave at Nurney, Corentyne, Berbice, were brought to face a City Magistrate. They were jointly charged. The victim’s 23-year-old godbrother, Aaron Hing, also known as Neutral, and his 24-year-old friend Staymon George called Sherwin, both of Kildonan Village, Corentyne, Berbice, were not required to plead to the indictable charge, which alleged that they killed Bernard on October 14, last. Magistrate Judy Latchman remanded the men to prison. Bernard’s decomposed body was found on January 9, 2016. The victim was fully clothed and his body appeared to have been mutilated. A post mortem showed that he had been clubbed at the back of the head until his skull fractured. According to reports, Bernard had arrived in Guyana on the day in question, for a threeweek vacation with his godbrother. He was scheduled to fly back to England on November 5, 2015, but failed to do so. It was reported that his father, Andrew Bernard contacted his godson (Hing) about his son’s whereabouts after he did not return home. However, Hing reportedly told his godfather that he was unaware that the teen was coming to Guyana. This raised suspicions and the older Bernard flew to Guyana to locate his eldest child. British and local law enforcement were called in to investigate. Several CID ranks from Georgetown and Berbice, acting on an anonymous tip via phone, found the teenager’s decomposed body in a shallow grave at Nurney, Corentyne Berbice. NAT’LASSEMBLY HEARS OF FIRST DETECTED CASE OF ZIKA VIRUS IN GUYANA The mood was tranquil in the usually turbulent National Assembly Thursday as Minister of Public Health Dr. George Norton announced that the feared Zika Virus has been detected in Guyana. During a short but informative address, (Continued on page 28)
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(From page 28) Dr. Norton indicated that on Tuesday (January 12), his Ministry was informed by the Caribbean Public Health Agency’s Laboratory in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago that it had detected the presence of the Zika Virus in a sample of blood from Guyana. The sample was taken on January 4. Dr. Norton gave details of the case. He said that the virus was detected in a 27-year-old female who hails from Rose Hall, Corentyne, Berbice, but also resides at Covent Garden, East Bank Demerara. According to Dr. Norton, his Ministry has already taken measures to arrest the potential outbreak. He told the House that the patient was located at the East Bank address the day after it was confirmed that she was infected. He said that a subsequent visit was made to ascertain the condition of the patient and status of other family members. The Health Minister said that vector control measures were recommended to the local authorities in both areas, and inspection and fogging have commenced in Rose Hall. Dr. Norton also informed his colleagues in the House that fogging exercises continue according to schedule in Region Four and household inspections, education and larvicidal treatment in areas where the patient resided commenced Thursday. SATURDAY EDITION ACCUSED KILLERS SHOW MEDIA THEIR MIDDLE FINGERS REMANDED FOR TYING, BURNING WOMAN IN HOUSE… Smiling, waving and even showing journalists their middle fingers, 24-year-old Rooplall Abrahim, and 18-year-old Gocoul Madanpaul appeared in the Fort Wellington Magistrate’s Court for the murder of 49-yearold Anita Baichan, whom they allegedly tied
and left to die in her burning house after they had set the house on fire. Abrahim, called ‘Vijai’, of Murphy Dam, Rosignol, West Bank Berbice and Madanpaul, called ‘Clown’, of Bath Settlement, were remanded after appearing before Magistrate Rhondell Weaver. They are to return to court on February 3. Madanpaul had appeared in court on Wednesday, charged with Nazamadeen Raffick, who is also 18, for the murders of Arthur Rajkumar, 81, and his reputed wife, Dianne Chamanlall. The couple, who owned a grocery store and beer garden, was beaten and chopped in their Bush Lot Village, West Coast Berbice home between January 8 and January 9, 2016. Abrahim, who was captured on Tuesday on the Number Four, West Berbice foreshore, is likely to be charged with the murder of Rajkumar and Chamanlall. Magistrate Weaver gave the police up to February 3 to adjust the charges accordingly and thus include Abrahim as the third person to be charged for the Bush Lot murders. Abrahim told Magistrate Weaver that he was a fisherman. He also said that he was married and was a father of four. The case for the prosecution, as presented by Corporal Rochelle Mars, is that Abrahim and Madanpaul, between Sunday January 3 and Monday January 4, 2016, at Plantation Hope, West Coast Berbice, murdered Anita Baichan in the course of committing arson at a dwelling house. The intruders had tied Mrs. Baichan and her son, Moshim Khan, 28, before setting the property alight, but the son managed to escape. During Friday’s court appearance, Abrahim and Madanpaul were seen smiling and laughing and waving to the few relatives who gathered. They told relatives not to be bothered because they will be back soon. The men then showed their middle fingers to the media, as
well as victory signs. THREE MORE CHARGED FOR MURDER OF BRITISH TEEN Friday was a gloomy day for the three coconspirators who thought that they could have eluded law enforcement after aiding the murderers of young British photo enthusiast, Dominic Bernard. Twenty-year-old Krystal Thomas a/k Kathy, a housewife; 39-year-old vendor, Sinfine Henry a/k Coreen; and 18-year-old Jahmeil Sinclair a/k Fross and Bacchus, appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court in the early hours of Friday morning, charged with murder. They were not required to plead to the indictable charge which stated that between January 4 and January 6 at Kildonan, Corentyne, Berbice, while being known to Aaron Hing, they had assisted in committing the murder, as well as maintaining and harbouring Hing. Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan remanded the trio and ordered them to make a next court appearance on January 21, in the Whim Magistrate’s Court. According to the prosecution, Thomas is in a common-law relationship with Hing, while Henry is Thomas’s mother. Sinclair is a friend. A missing person report was filed and consequently led to the investigation which revealed that British National, Dominic Bernard, was murdered by his godbrother Hing,
Sunday January 17, 2016
after he arrived at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) on October 14, 2015. On the said date, Hing, accompanied by Staymon George, picked up Bernard from CJIA and thereafter committed the murder. Sinclair, along with George then assisted Hing in the disposal of the body and property of the British national. Thomas was contacted and asked to hide the victim’s property. She was reportedly assisted by her mother, Henry. Attorney-at-law, Ramesh Ramcharran is representing Thomas and Henry, while Nigel Hughes is representing Sinclair. The lawyer stated that due to the particulars of the charges which alleged that Thomas, Henry and Sinclair plotted the murder and hid evidence of the crime, they should have been charged with conspiracy to commit murder and the obstruction of justice. Hughes questioned the reason for all five individuals to be charged for murder. After Sinclair was arrested, he subsequently took police ranks to an area behind the Nurney Village and directed them to the exact location where he hid Bernard’s camera and its components. Sinclair later disclosed that payment was promised to conceal the belongings of the deceased, the evening of the murder. Also in the wake of the recovery of Bernard’s cell phone a number of other persons are in custody and investigations are still ongoing.
Sunday January 17, 2016
Kaieteur News
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Bridging the Gap - One Nation (The following are excerpts from speeches made by H.E. Brigadier David Granger on Hinterland Development) The four major, hinterland, regional administrative centres - Bartica, Mahdia, Mabaruma and Lethem - will shortly be upgraded to townships with their own mayors and town councils. Central government policies over the past two decades divided Guyana into a East-West divide that separated the lands west of Fort Island on the Essequibo River from those to the East. That policy has perpetuated the disparities, divergences and divisions which hinder development. It is no secret that educational standards in many parts of the hinterland are low. Notorious newspaper photographs of students in the Potaro-Siparuni Region - at Kato, fetching wood to cook their meals or at Paramakatoi, fetching water to wash their clothes, tell their own story of maladministration and neglect. Parents, students and teachers at Kwakwani, St Ignatius and elsewhere have had to mount protests to complain about abuses. Dropout rates for boys and girls in Primary and secondary schools in the hinterland regions are double the rates of the rest of the country. Failure rates at the National Grade Six Assessment examinations are a scandal,
with the majority of children failing all four subjects. The previous regime’s recourse was to blame the victim. Claiming that hinterland children performed poorly because of “emotional problems, early adult responsibilities, learning disabilities and parenthood” which were said to be major contributing factors to children dropping out of schools. Human safety in the Hinterland is parlous. Crime, especially banditry, contraband, smuggling, robbery under arms, narcotics-trafficking and gun-running are commonplace. The crime of trafficking in persons received scant attention until the Guyana Women’s Miners Organisation shamed the Peoples Progressive PartyCivic (PPP-C) government into acknowledging the extent of the problem. A resolution not supported by PPP-C was passed in the National Assembly demanding a Commission of inquiry into the scourge. Hinterland infrastructure is inadequate and can be unsafe. Safe sturdy structures are necessary for present day heavy-duty vehicular traffic. The collapse of the MocoMoco Bridge temporarily halted travel in the Rupununi. The Kumaka-San Jose Bridge became an expensive nightmare for Maruca residents. Stellings are essential to the economies of riverain communities. Many of the
stellings, built of wood decades ago, have been damaged or are in a state of disrepair. The Parika stelling on the Essequibo River, for example has become one of the busiest and most important commercial hubs in the country, but its infrastructure is inadequate for the increasing volume of daily traffic. Isolated but potentially productive communities are heavily dependent on airstrips for services, supplies and the evacuation of medical cases. Several dozen frequently used airstrips in the hinterland have been neglected, and this has been a contributory factor to aviation accidents. The ‘frontier conditions’ which were tolerated in the hinterland by the previous administration have led to catastrophic consequences for the citizens who live and work there and have divided the country into two - the moreand less-developed regions. A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) administration intends to change this situation. The hinterland must no longer be regarded as ‘bush’ but as part of ‘One Nation’- Guyana. The former
administration’s hostile attitudes and divisive policies impaired social cohesion, undermined our sense of solidarity and impoverished a large section of the population, alienating the hinterland regions and gradually creating ‘two countries’ instead of cementing our people into One Nation. The APNU+AFC administration wishes to promote greater integration between the hinterland and the coastland. We promise to preserve cultural identities, to ensure social cohesion, to promote economic prosperity. This government intends to bridge the gap in the standards of living between residents of the coastland and the hinterland. We want rapid economic convergence between these
two zones. We must improve the physical infrastructure within the hinterland, where the vast majority of our indigenous people reside in order to achieve this convergence. The Hinterland Infrastructure Extension Programme will see improved communication through better aerodromes, bridges, roads, stellings, ferries and other forms of air, land and riverine transportation. This will allow farmers’ better access to markets and all residents to enjoy a better life. Public services must be extended to all corners of our country. Public services must promote vibrant and thriving communities. The Government Information Agency, the National Communications Network and the National Radio Service and the Newspapers must reach every
single community. Citizens, whether they live on the coastland or in the hinterland, in town or village, or whether they are poor or rich, should have access to good health care. The primary health-care system was meant to promote equity and social justice. Primary health care should be seen as an initiative to make health services more accessible. It should be seen as an investment in human development that avoids expensive transportation or expensive medical treatment at the secondary and tertiary stages. The negligent and absentminded approach to the way the hinterland must be developed is now a thing of the past and Guyanese, East and West of the Essequibo, can look forward to a better life.
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Caricom conducts “Free Movement” Workshop With the aim of sensitising the Private Sector, Employers and Trade Unions on “Free Movement” within the Caricom Single Market Economy (CSME), the Caricom Secretariat conducted a two-day workshop at the Grand Coastal Hotel, Le Ressouvenir, on the East Coast of Demerara on Wednesday and Thursday last. The workshop was cited as being one in a series to be held across 12 Caricom member states in an aim to bring together representatives of the Private Sector, employer bodies and Trade Unions to look at the CSME’s free movement regimes, particularly the movement of skills and labour; also the facilitation of travel, the right of establishment as well as the free movement of services. Providing the Keynote Address at the start of the recent workshop was Minister responsible for Labour, Ministry of Social Protection, Volda Lawrence. The minister stated that the workshop was organised to sensitise all members of states and stakeholders to one of the fundamental principles; free movement of labour, which she pointed out “is timely”, since it allows the Caribbean to reflect and reposition its economies and workforce to compete effectively in a constantly changing globalizing world. Lawrence opined that free movement is a pillar of any genuine single market economy, and in order for that market to function effectively,
all the policies and regulations governing the free movement of resources must be understood and adhered to by all stakeholders. She continued that the workshop was “crucial” because it provides opportunities for reflection; for examining the “inroads” that the CSME has made on the international front, and for pinpointing the challenges and barriers that still exist within member states that may have compromised its smooth running. Lawrence said that no market is without upheavals and fluctuations, however, it is the Community’s interest to ensure that the administrative and procedural framework is in place in each member state, and relevant legislation and regulations are enacted so that there will be no contravention as the free movement of nationals, goods, services and capital is being undertaken. While citing that the success of any venture is principled on the “robust nature of the human element”, she said that it is therefore essential to ensure that the nationals are not disadvantaged in any member state; that they enjoy the same rights and benefits they would receive in their respective homelands. Sharing the same sentiment was the General Secretary of the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) Lincoln Lewis. “CSME is not just about trade, it’s about people; how they should be treated. It’s about the movement of people. The fundamental
rights of people must be respected, which are enshrined in constitutions and law.”Lewis said. Having worked in the region for nine years in the Labour Movement, Lewis stated that they can safely say – as a movement – that “tremendous” work has been put in place by the “technicians”, however, they have lacked, over time, the political will to ensure that what was developed, has been successfully implemented. Speaking on behalf of the Private Sector Commission (PSC) was the Chairman Norman McLean, who said that they have been charged by the President, David Granger, to carry out a National Economic Forum. As it relates to labour in the Caricom Region, he stated that Guyanese have been ahead of the game, because of their overwhelming presence in member-state countries. “We are everywhere, he said. Adding that, in this regard, the sensitisation of free movement of skilled Caricom nationals is very critical to the whole Caribbean, but Guyana in particular. McLean who was also Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Government Technical Institute, stated that they are trying to address a National Vocation Qualification (NVQ) which he said was “nearly the same as CXC, but instead of academics and the normal subjects”, the NVQ would be offered to graduates of technical institutes.
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Anxiety Disorder: The missed illness By Dr. Zulfikar Bux Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine Our mind can be our greatest friend and yet it can become our biggest enemy. Persons who suffer with anxiety disorders tend to be fighting their minds more often than anything else in their lives. The reality is that we all get anxious from time to time;
when speaking in public for instance or during a personal financial difficulty. We tend to worry and become stressed and depressed. Then we get over our worries and move on with our lives. Unfortunately, for persons with anxiety it’s not that easy. Their minds worry so often that it begins to take over their lives. How common is anxiety?
We may think that it’s not a big deal and it’s not something we have to worry about. Anxiety is a true medical condition and affects 40 million adults in the U.S. That’s 18% of their population. I am quite certain that we are not that far off here in Guyana either. As common as it is in the U.S, only one third of those suffering receive treatment. My worry is that
quite a number of persons in Guyana are not even sure that they have an anxiety disorder. Either they are not sure of what’s going on with them and blame another medical condition, or they are bewildered by their anxiety and abuse medications, drugs, alcohol, others, or sometimes become so overwhelmed and commit suicide. SYMPTOMS/
SIGNS OFANXIETY Persons suffering from anxiety may have one or more of the following signs/symptoms: Excessive worrying – this is the hallmark of anxiety. Persons with anxiety disorder tend to worry about everyday things, large and small, for most days of their lives. . Sleep problems – persons with anxiety tend to take their worries to bed regularly. They end up having difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. Muscle tension – anxiety sufferers tend to have near constant muscle aches and stiffness and are prone to muscle and ligament injuries during activity. Chronic indigestion anxiety sufferers are at risk of having irritable bowel syndrome, a condition characterized by stomach aches, cramping, bloating, gas, constipation, and/or diarrhea. Stage fright - The fear of addressing a group of persons is so strong in some anxiety sufferers that it overwhelms them. Even if they end up addressing the group, they worry about the event constantly after. Self consciousness – persons with anxiety disorder tend to feel like all eyes are on them, and they often experience blushing, trembling, nausea, profuse sweating, or difficulty talking. Constant panic attacks – a panic attack is a sudden, gripping feeling of fear and helplessness that can last for several minutes, accompanied by scary physical symptoms such as breathing problems, a pounding or racing heart, tingling or numb hands,
Dr. Zulfikar Bux sweating, weakness or dizziness, chest pain, stomach pain, and feeling hot or cold. Persons with anxiety tend to have repeated panic attacks. Recurrent flashbacks – someone with anxiety may constantly relive traumatic moments of their life and get depressed over it. Self-doubt - Persistent self-doubt and second-guessing is a common feature of anxiety disorders. Feeling of not belonging - a person with anxiety disorder often feels they are different from everyone and can isolate themselves. Over time they may develop suicidal thoughts which if not addressed, can lead to them taking their lives during a stressful situation. We all may have one or more of the mentioned signs and symptoms from time to time. A person with an anxiety disorder has to repeatedly experience these episodes, which often overwhelms them. If left untreated, anxiety sufferers can become a victim of their mind and it can lead to catastrophic consequences for them and their loved ones. We will dwell into the management of anxiety in next week’s article.
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GWI moving towards 24-hr water supply nationally stressed that GWI wants to ensure that the customer is happy enough with the service provided to pay their bills. Citing an example of rationing, the CEO said when he took office he met the case
GWI CEO Dr. Richard Van West-Charles By Mondale Smith Guyana is no different from the rest of the world as regards to the need for accessibility to potable, safe water at all times. It is against this backdrop that while water rationing has been a major source of concern over the years to various communities, this policy will no longer be the order of the day. GWI Chief Executive Dr. Richard Van West Charles emphasised this position which he said is shared by his management team. He told this publication that while it may have been a policy of the previous administration to reduce electricity cost by rationing water to sections of the society, “Guyana is a land of many waters and water rationing days are at an end”. “Our analysis shows that rationing to save electricity cost does not make sense, because when you run the pumps for a shorter period of time, shut them down and then re-activate them, the energy cost would peak.” Other issues that resulted in water rationing were efforts to address quality and reliability of the service. Dr. Van West-Charles
- CEO says rationing was senseless of Agricola receiving nine hours of water supply daily, which to him did not make sense, as it is imperative that
the company meet the people’s demand for water to reduce public health problems related to water-
borne diseases etc. In light of this, he said that “in recent times we have increased the delivery of water from eight and nine hours to 18 hours, and before year end, we are moving to 24
hours of water accessibility through taps to homes, offices and institutions in all areas on our network.” The 18 hours of water delivery runs from 05:00hrs to 23:00 hrs daily.
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CELAC summit to highlight strategies to combat poverty and economic inequalities By Odeen Ishmael Ecuador will host the fourth summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) on January 27. The country’s foreign minister Xavier Lasso said in Quito on January 6 that 22 out of the 33 CELAC leaders already confirmed their attendance, while his country was expecting to receive confirmation by some others. Ecuador is currently the protempore president of the bloc. The summit will convene in the headquarters of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), located at Mitad del Mundo, a tourist resort some fifteen kilometres north of the capital Quito. Lasso revealed that the summit will discuss various issues such as technology transfer, connectivity and actions to alleviate the impact of climate change. In addition
to a political declaration to be issued at its conclusion, the forum is also expected to reach agreement on some 20 documents on specific issues, he explained. He said that during his country’s chairmanship of CELAC during the past year, efforts were made to strengthen the grouping. He agreed that strong economic challenges face the region, but it must revitalize efforts to lower high poverty levels especially since the area suffers from the widest economic inequalities compared to other world regions. A main focus for discussion will be the importance of the UN 2020 Agenda in the effort to reduce poverty and hunger, and to improve the region’s education, science and technology, environment. The agenda, which has undergone thorough
UNASUR Headquarters in Ecuador, the site of the CELAC summit discussions by CELAC representatives over the past four months at the UNASUR headquarters, also covers objectives in respect to climate change, infrastructure and connectivity. With the expectation that it will be
approved at the summit, this will enable the implementation of a regional action plan to bring more than 70 million Latin American and Caribbean citizens out of poverty. Also as part of the summit’s agenda, Cuba will introduce a declaration demanding the return of the territory occupied by the US naval base at Guantanamo while Argentina will propose another asserting its sovereignty over the Malvinas (Falkland) Islands. Resolutions supporting Argentina’s claim to the Malvinas have also been approved at previous summits. It is not yet known if Caribbean Community (CARICOM) members of CELAC have proposed any items for the summit agenda. However, it will be interesting to hear how they will respond to the Argentine proposed declaration since some of them are unabashedly supportive of British ownership of the South Atlantic islands. Guyana, under the current post-May 2015 administration, will be participating in the CELAC summit for the first time and, no doubt, will look forward to contribute effectively during the deliberations. At previous regional summits, such as those of UNASUR, Guyana made positive interventions on issues such as climate change, poverty reduction and food production and it is expected that this trend will continue when the CELAC leaders meet in Ecuador. The upcoming summit will, no doubt, assess the
organization’s achievements over the past year. At its third summit held in Costa Rica in January 2015, CELAC agreed to major decisions, including a plan of action to eliminate hunger by 2025 in the bloc’s aim to reduce poverty and inequality in the region. It praised the decision by the United States and Cuba to restore diplomatic relations and urged President Obama to end the blockade on Cuba. But it also called for an end to US “meddling” in member countries and reiterated its proclamation from its 2014 summit declaring Latin America and the Caribbean as a zone of peace. At the same time, it called on the international community to “respect this proclamation in its relations with the member states of CELAC, including the commitment to nonintervention, direct or indirect, in the internal affairs of any other state and to respect the principles of national sovereignty, equal rights, and the selfdetermination of peoples.” Significantly, the regional leaders also approved 27 special declarations covering a wide range of topics affecting the region, including a proposal to erect a permanent monument to honour the victims of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade. Established in 2010, CELAC is an intergovernmental mechanism for dialogue and political agreement, which includes 33 sovereign nations in Latin America and the Caribbean, (with the exception of the United
States and Canada.). As the successor of the Rio Group and the Summit of Latin America and the Caribbean on Integration and Development, its creation was widely perceived as a means to counter the “USdominated” Organization of American States, which does not include Cuba as an active member. The organization was created with a commitment to advance the gradual process of regional integration and unity and carefully balancing political, economic, social and cultural diversity of the 650 million people of Latin America and the Caribbean. It has since helped to deepen dialogue among its members in areas such as social development, education, nuclear disarmament, food production, small scale farming, culture, finance, energy and the environment. By mandate of the heads of state and government, CELAC has become the unified voice of the region on issues of consensus. With this directive, it now takes the lead on behalf of the memberstates to discuss and negotiate mutual political and economic issues with other countries and regional blocs, such as the European Union, the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, the African Union, China, India, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Korea, Turkey and Japan. (Dr Odeen Ishmael, Ambassador Emeritus (retired), historian and author, served as Guyana’s ambassador in the USA (1993-2003), Venezuela 2003-2011) and Kuwait (2011-2014). He is currently a Senior Research Fellow at the Washington-based Council on Hemispheric Affairs. He actively participated in meetings of UNASUR from 2003 to 2010 and has written extensively on South American integration issues).
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An unavoidable role of the health sector From page 21 there have since been reports of outbreaks across South America including in Colombia, Venezuela, Suriname and French Guiana. “Since the outbreak in South America we have been sampling persons who fit the criteria,” said Dr. Persaud, who noted that since the symptoms of Zika are very similar to that of Dengue and Chikungunya, cases were cautiously sent to CARPHA. Guyana is a signatory to CARPHA which was established by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in 2011 to service member states. Added to this, care must be taken that one single territory does not over overwhelm CARPHA with cases. “We certainly can’t test and take samples from everybody, but as the criteria fits, we have been sending samples,” said Dr. Persaud. He noted that it was from among a batch of four samples that the positive result was detected. The positive sample was collected on January 4, 2016 and returned on January 12, 2016. And according to Dr. Persaud, efforts to contain the virus have already commenced, including fogging and examining those close to the infected patient. The patient, the CMO said, has two listed addresses – Rose Hall Town, Berbice and Covent Garden, East Bank Demerara. “We have teams going out doing household inspections and checking for breeding sites. As we know the Aedes mosquito is domesticated, it lives around house...in vases, discarded tyres and other vessels,” the CMO informed. DEALING WITH H1N1 Meanwhile, the Ministry is currently encouraging regular hand-washing and sanitising of the hands to help guard against further cases of H1N1. According to Dr. Persaud, the viral influenza is
predominantly spread by direct contact with persons who are infected. “Most of the time it is spread by droplets. Those droplets can get on the hands, they can get on door handles, car seats, in public transportations and pretty much everywhere...So one of the principal things that we are encouraging everyone to do, including health workers, is to wash your hands as frequently as you can,” the CMO cautioned. According to him, taking hygienic precautions could in fact reduce a person’s chance of being infected with H1N1 by as much as 99 per cent. “There is a small chance you can get it from the air, but most infection is through direct contact,” Dr. Persaud informed. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has reported that the H1N1 virus is believed to have originated in swine. WHO has noted that most human infections have been mild and the viruses have not spread further to other people. A businessman was the recent casualty of the virus, and Dr. Persaud has asserted that no one else has been found to be infected with the virus. He however noted, “We are continuing to maintain surveillance of the persons who came in contact with that person. We have done followups and so far we have not had anyone who has come down with it. “There were people who developed respiratory symptoms, but no samples were tested positive,” the CMO assured. Nevertheless, preventative treatment was administered to at least four persons who were exposed to the victim. Dr. Persaud disclosed that the Public Health Ministry has been seeking to forge closer collaborations with private institutions in order to encourage efficient reporting of the Zika and H1N1 viruses as well as all other emerging cases.
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Wisdom teeth By Dr. NerominiFagu Wisdom teeth are the last set of teeth to erupt in our mouth. In dental speak these teeth are called our third molars and they are located at the very back of our mouth. They develop far later than our other teeth, usually in our late teens or early twenties and for some people they never even erupt at all.
Sometimes there isn’t enough room in the mouth for the wisdom teeth to come through properly and this can then lead to many complications including severe tooth and gum pain. Our teeth develop in a very organized way over the course of years with the first molar erupting around the age of six and the second molar erupting around the age of twelve. Wisdom teeth, which begin forming around our tenth birthday, are the last set of molars on the toothdevelopment timeline and usually begin erupting between the ages of seventeen and twenty-five. It is for this reason that they got the name wisdom teeth. Back in the seventeenth century, these teeth were commonly referred to as “teeth of wisdom” until that gradually changed to “wisdom teeth” in the nineteenth century. The name was given because the teeth erupted at a time in a person’s life when they are
thought to be older and wiser. So why do we have wisdom teeth? Scientists believe wisdom teeth were the evolutionary answer to our ancestor’s early diet of coarse, rough food such as leaves, roots, nuts and meats. These foods required more chewing power and resulted in excessive wear of the teeth. During evolution over the centuries as our brain
expanded in size, our jaw had to become narrower so that it could still connect to the lower part of the skull. But the genes that controlled the number of teeth evolved separately from those that control brain development, so that today the human jaw is often not large enough to give wisdom teeth enough room to erupt and sit properly in the mouth. The modern diet with its softer, processed foods, along with advancements such as forks, spoons, and knives, has made wisdom teeth unnecessary. As a result, evolutionary biologists now classify wisdom teeth as vestigial organs, being body parts that have become functionless due to evolution.
Some people never get wisdom teeth, but for those who do, the number of teeth may be anywhere from one to four – and on very rare occasions more than four, according to a study published in the Journal of the Canadian Dental Association. Because human jaws have become smaller, when wisdom teeth form they often become impacted, or blocked, by the other teeth around them. Also, if the tooth partially erupts, food can get trapped in the gum tissue surrounding it which can lead to bacteria growth, and possibly a serious infection. According to the American Dental Association, wisdom teeth removal may be necessary if you experience changes in the area of the wisdom teeth such as: • Pain • Repeated infection of soft tissue behind the lower last tooth • Cysts • Tumors • Damage to nearby teeth • Gum disease • Extensive tooth decay The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons estimate that about eight five percent of wisdom teeth will eventually need to be removed. They strongly recommend that patients remove wisdom teeth when they are young adults, in order to “prevent future problems and to ensure optimal healing.” People who have oral surgery after the age of thirtyfive have higher risks for
complications, harder surgeries, and longer healing times than those who get them removed in their late teens or early twenties. It is suggested that the best time to have the removal is when the roots are about two-thirds formed, which is generally between the ages of fifteen and eighteen years. If you have concerns
about your wisdom teeth talk to your dentists. They will be best able to advise you on the proper course of treatment. For more information contact OMNI DENTAL at 295 Quamina Street, Georgetown Tel: 227-0025, Parika Tel: 260-3133 or send emails to nerominifagu@hotmail.com.
Dr. Neromini Fagu
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PROPERTY FOR SALE Property for sale, Grove $20M / Rent: $50,000 per month. Tel: 625-5461. Brand new 2 storey concrete building in 5th Avenue, Diamond, E.B.D, all modern amenities –Call: 662-9335; 612-3244 SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. – CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK; Guyana Passport application. Graphics design, Advertisement. Tel: 6267040; 265-4535. Building Construction, house plans & estimates, floor sanding, lacquering & painting, boat for Santa Mission –Call: 650-4362 We repair fridge, freezer, AC, washer, dryer-Call: 231-0655; 683-8734. Omar Repairs at low cost: Fridges, air- conditioners, washing machines, TVs, microwaves, freezers- Call:629-4946 or 225-4822 Building or renovating for quality construction services from foundation to fine finished. Call Carlos: 592-6829935; 592-223-2695
WANTED Damage batteries in any quantity, best price offeredCall: 696-5728, 656-2783, 6225941, 648-9395, 223-1111 1 Experienced male to look after layer birds in the Interior. Call: 678-0565 1 Experienced cook for a family in the Interior. Call:6780565 One tutor to teach student ‘A’ Level Physics & Pure Maths. Call: 222-2475 or 6216006 We buy land in Parfaite Harmonie, Eccles, Herstelling, Prospect and Farm- Call: 6117223; 604-2207 One live in or live out maid, assistant salesgirl- Tel: 6035416, 644-9802 Security to work in the Interior, must have past military/police experienced, ages 40-50. Call: 226-9768; 615-6172 Security to work in Georgetown- Call: 227-1717
Repairs & spare, fridge, freezer, A/C, washers, stoves – Contact Nick: 683-1312, 627-3206
Female domestic to work in Trinidad, must be educated & know to cook. Between 25-35 years. Call/ text 1868-6831528
Building contractor, drawing of house plan general, home maintenance, free estimateCall: 216-0671; 692-0267; 6928464
Urgently needed one complete house to rent in Parfaite Harmonie. Call: 6042207; 611-7223
Repairs at affordable prices: fridge, air conditioner, washing machines, dryers, TV, microwaves & freezerCall: 610-5846 or 661-8158 Brian Moe @ 642-3543: Computer Technician: FB/ Brian.Moe.165: Home and Office visits at your comfort!! Mahadeo Construction for all construction, carpentry, masonry, pluming, painting etc. Free estimates and plan Contact # 669-7376 Building Contractor, foundation to roof, free estimates. Call: 646-7979
Attractive live in waitressCall: 327-0252/674-4665 CHICKEN FARM WORKER NEEDED IN TRINIDAD, FREE HOUSING, SALARY TT$1000 WEEKLY. CALL KELVIN: 868-287-4454 / 868-647-3785 / 718-6411252 One experienced domestic to work at resident –Call: 6970157 Taxi drivers and contract car (dispatcher) salary paid for drivers. Call: 231-0316 1 Domestic worker to work 2 days a week in Campbellvilleage 35-50 yrs. Call: 658-2866 Part time driver for afternoons, age 40-50, Must be responsible, courteous, reliable- Call: 648-1821
DRESSMAKING Turn your flair for fashion into an exciting career or hobby. Clas s e s s t a r t i n g January –Call: 626-2629; 676-6312
Live in couple: husband – driving/mechanic, wifedomestic, retired contractor supervisor, skilled in trowel tex masonry- Call: 227-1830 Farm on Lower Soesdyke Highway, Seeking large quantities of cow mold. Urgent! Call 219-0468
3 Bedrooms concrete house 22feetX48feet, land 50X90feet @ Vision Garden, Versailes, W.B.D – $11M negotiable. Call: 609-1367; 658-5803 Church and 2 storey building Lot 180 Charlotte Street Bourda-Call: 227-6817; 6247341 House for sale with 3 bedrooms upper & bottom flat, @ Lot 153 Green Acres, Stadium Road- Call: 681-7366 Hutson Ville E.B.D Bungalow- 3 bedrooms (1 self contained) A/C, hot & cold water, secured-$16M negotiable .Call: 622-3736; 697-4131 2 Storey 45x35 concrete property, lower flat incomplete. Land 65x120 @ Diamond N/S 5th Avenue, E.B.D- Call: 664-5052 2-Storey building for sale at Herstelling E.B.D –Call: 2271309; 665-6298 Property @ 650 Section ‘A’ Block Great Diamond East Bank Demerara. Call: 2254792; 609-1114 If you are planning on buying or selling a property in Parfaite Harmonie, call Ron: 604-2207; 611-7223 Property @ Lot 87 Albert Street- Call: 669- 8701 2 Storey wooden houselot 20ftx38ft in Kitty, transported land, price $15M negotiableCall Monday 18 th January onwards 8:00am-6pm: 6666934 One roadside, 2 storey building @ V/Hoop, ground excellent for restaurant or other business –Call: 654-0779 2 Storey house @ Tuschen New Scheme, with kitchen bathroom & toilet, (2) 3 bedrooms apartment near Public Road & Call CentreCall: 650-2982 2 Bedrooms house in Georgetown, not far from Ashmin’s Supermarket $35,000,000. Call: 645-6498 2-Flats, 2 bedrooms each, back house –upstairs wooden, downstairs concrete @ 55 Hadfield Street Stabroek, Georgetown. Call Cheryl Ogle: 218-2192; 651-8151 ACCOMMODATION Harmony Inn Apartments: accommodation, internet, hot & cold water, 24hrs tea/ coffee, $5,000-$10,000 –Call: 668-0306; 218-1400; 694-7817
Sunday January 17, 2016
SALON - Make-up Courses with Mac, Bare Minerals and Black Opal - Cosmetology Courses - Nail Technician Course Call: 647-1773/660-5257 Earn a Certificate in cosmetology, nails, wig designs & hair cutting etc. Classes commencing February! Register Now! Call: 666-5241; 619-7603
VACANCY Exist for supervisors, cashiers, counter staff, cleaners. Bring application to Hot & Spicy. Call: 226-9000 Cook/baker and truck driver for the Interior location, applicants must be experienced. Call: 618-2020 Urgent: Cleaner & kitchen helper (dayshift) required at Aagman Indian Restaurant. Apply at aagmanrestaurant@gmail.com or call: 219-0158 Driver/Salesman- Five CXC and license for a lorry. Telephone 624-0092 email info@fernandesgy.com
LAND FOR SALE Parfaite Harmonie -$ 1.6M, 1.8M, $1.5M, 1.3M, Tuschen 11 street -$3M with foundation, Phase 2 – $1.4M, Uitvlugt $3M, Terms available – Call: 604-6724 We are buying lands –Call: 639-8474 or 604-4945 K&R Realty
BARTENDERS & WAITRESS, APPLY IN PERSON TO MIDTOWN HOTEL, RESTAURANT & BAR @ 176 MIDDLE STREET G/TOWN Security officers wanted by security company-Contact: 672-1920, between 8:00am5:00pm
Prime corner lot @ Main Road (85ftX50ft) -$1.3M, Pafarfaite Harmonie - suitable for church-Call: 611-7223; 604-2207
1 Experienced barman & chief cook –Call or text Sheik on: 621-9759 or Donald: 673462
22 Acres@ Silver Hill, 5 minutes from Highway, land cleared and planted, good for mix farming. Call: 689-0003 House lot for sale, located at 246 Mon Repos, E.C.D. Foundation and columns completed-Call: 233-2486 House lot 50X100, for sale in Gated Community, Land of Canaan -$4M negotiable-Call: 694-7817; 668-0306 50X100 houselot at Uitvlugt, De Groot Housing Scheme W.C.D, price $3M negotiableCall: 698-8617 Residential: Ramsville Court, Cove and John 50’X100’ corner, quiet neighbourhood. Call: 2267585 Transported Corner Lot Garnette & Republic Streets Newtown Kitty 58.4X30.8, ideal for business – Call: 6450616 (no agents) Providence Scheme (115ftx81ft) located on a Cul de Sac close to Bai Shan Lin $8.2M negotiable. Call: 6014163; 223-0719 1-Houselot @ lot 18 Kingston Berbice Corentyne –Call: 676-2174
GR TAXI SERVICE. CALL: 219-5000; 227-1982 & 2257878 (24HRS)
D’Aguiar’s Park: original house in gated community, unfurnished -$120,000 negotiable. Call: 600-2031 1-3 Bedrooms upper flat @ Section ‘A’ Diamond, H/ Scheme E.B.D, fully grilled & concrete fence with parking space- Call: 662-9335; 612-3244 One 3 bedrooms, bottom flat at Lot 28 Church Street Stanleytown, West Bank Demerara, with parking-Call: (592)698-5185; (592)672-2591 Self contained rooms in Prashad Nagar, Wi-Fi available. Call: 227-2993; 6593865 Office Space at Camp Street –Call Naz: 639-4499 2 Bedrooms fully furnished apartment in Queenstown, free light and water, AC$160,000. Call:645-6498 3 Bedrooms furnished house in Farm E.B.D - $160,000 monthly. Call: 645-6498
Labourers & Porters, apply in person to Alabama T r a d i n g , 4 Bedrooms house in LBI Georgetown Ferry Stelling. $60,000 monthly. Call 6456498 Network technician to install Apartments for rent @ outdoor internet wireless Nandy Park- 2 bedrooms, antennas. Email CV to recently renovated, free Wijobs@awngy.com Fi asking $80,000-$90, 0000Call: 227-5194 1 HR Personnel: 3-4 years experienced in Human SD Real Estate: executive 2 Resource & Project bedrooms Apartment, in Management, age 26-35yrs- exclusive residential area with all modern amenities. Call for Call: 668-7104 appointment Tele 653-2920 1 Male engineer: Vocabulary, Fully furnished apartment Comprehension & Literacy, with A/C, Wi-Fi @ Festival Grade 1-3 in CXC English age City North Ruimveldt, price 26-36yrs. Call: 668-7104; 614- $120,000 monthly-Call: 6689511 0306; 694-7817 One Trainee A.C, Upstairs: 2 bedroom Refrigerator, Technician – apartment @ 306 BB Eccles Call: 231-0655 $65,000, 2 Bedrooms 1 Sales representative,3 office apartment $35,000 @ 306 BB assistant & 2 bag packers. Eccles- Call: 233-2607; 618Send application & passport 1225; 618-1557 picture size to Survival, 173 One exclusive three St C/Ville bedrooms apartment @ First Accounts clerk: experienced Bridge Diamond -$80,000in QuickBooks, accounting Call: 225-5533 software, VAT, NIS & PAYE, Lodge apartments @ Technical Services, 18-23 ( V l i s s s e n g e n / D u r b a n ) : Industrial Site, Eccles. unfurnished $40,000-$90,000 monthly, furnished (for 1 Female cleaner apply visitors) USD$600Technical Services, Lot 18-23 USD$1,000 monthly- Call: Eccles Industrial Site E.B.D 677-9638 Sales Assistant/Truck Porter Contact Fernandes Guyana Enterprise Inc. telephone 6240092 email info@fernandesgy.com LEARN TO DRIVE
TAXI SERVICES
FOR RENT PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620
Soman Son & Outar Driving School at Maraj BuildingTel:644-5166; 622-2872; 6150964; 689-5997
Lodge (Vlissengen/ Durban): Professional/Office/ Business space, (no food retailing). Call: 677-9638. TO LET 1- Two bedroom fully furnished apartment for overseas rental-Call: 682-9021 Continued on page 63
Sunday January 17, 2016
Kaieteur News
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German Licence... (From page 12) two ex-ministers with illegal profiteering and corruption in a case involving UTSCH. Nazif, former interior Minister Habib el-Adly, and former finance minister Yousef Ghali are alleged to have illegally granted public contracts to UTSCH. Prosecutors found that UTSCH had been contracted to supply Egypt with metal licence plates for cars at inflated prices, the state-run news portal Egynews reported. Nazif is alleged to have acted illegally in directly granting the contract to the company while Ghali and elAdly are accused of having been involved in the deal. An UTSCH’s representative, a German national, was also indicted, Egynews reported. Some months later, an Egyptian Court, after a call for
retrial, acquitted the former government officials. In both cases, the company displayed a characteristic of getting a public figure or person in public office to buy in to their initiative. That person in turn - now committed to the company - will begin to lobby for the company influencing governments, agencies and institutions resulting in improperly favouring and other forms of corruption. In the past, foreign companies have come to Guyana seeking investment opportunities and have even managed to partner with other local entities however, most promises that were made, were not often carried out hence, causing an outcry from activists, observers and ultimately, the “man on the street”.
Parole Board meets... From page 9 people during an armed robbery. The killing of one of the victims was said to be as cruel as anything could be. The relatives of this victim wanted death for the man who brought death to them. These relatives always say that the system does not take their grief into consideration; that the relatives of the victim must bear their grief alone because they do not have rights. But there could be another stumbling block to their release and it stands in the form of Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan. The Minister in an invited comment yesterday said that while he does not know the specific considerations being looked at by the Parole Board, he still has the final say. “I have the power under the Parole Board Act. I have to grant the licence for their release. But I am not bound by the Board’s recommendations. Who I feel in the public’s interest should not be released, I will not release them,” Minister Ramjattan declared. He said that he does not know when the Board will send him its recommendations. Any release of death row inmates is bound to spark public controversy, especially if one were to judge from the reaction to former President Donald Ramotar’s pardoning
of convicted killer, Ravindra Deo, shortly before he was ousted from office. Then there were voices raised after President David Granger pardoned several persons convicted for “petty crimes”. It will also raise eyebrows since there have been renewed calls for the death penalty to be reintroduced to combat the increase in violent murders.
From page 62 FOR SALE One long base RZ mini bus EFI gear shift, BKK 5784, price $700,000 negotiable. Call: 612-5738 1290 MF tractor in good work order. Call: 614-9262 Dachshund pups mixed with Pekingese for sale, males only -$20,000-Call: 677-2476
TO LET Modernized 2 bedroom apartment on W.C.D (Vreeden-Hoop, safe and healthy environment – Call: 698-6496 Fully furnished luxury apartment: 3 bedrooms for rent- Call: 603-6351 3 Bedrooms upper flat for rent at Vreed-en- Hoop –Call: 6610162 Newly renovated 2nd floor apartment in Eccles, fully furnished 3 bedrooms, private entrance & parking space- Call: 687-2180; 2333925 Business place located on Robb Street next to Bourda Market. Call: 623-7731; 6290636 Eccles furnished apartment: cable, internet, AC included, preferably short term stay. Call 233-3974; 660-9139
EDUCATIONAL Practical Electronic Course beginning 26 th January. Register early! Call: 2266551; 225-0391 Private customs brokerage, training certificate course from 2nd Feb 2016, register now & save –Call: 694-8322; 223-1506 International Language Institute Classes for adults & Children, Spanish, English as Second Language, Portuguese, Dutch –Call: 223-3556 Music 2016!! Register – learn to play musical instruments and train your voice-Call: 225-1151/ 678-9489
CAR RENTAL DOLLY’S CAR RENTALCALL: 225-7126/226-3693 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL@ YA H O O . C O M / W W W. DOLLYSAUTORENTAL.COM PROGRESSIVE CAR RENTAL:CARS&SUV FOR RENTAL- $4,000 & UP PER DAY- CALL: 643-5122, 6560087 , EMAIL: PRO_ AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO. COM Aidan’s Car & 4WD Vigo pick up, cheapest rate, low security- Call: 698-7807 Wing’s Car & 4WD Vigo pick up rental- Call: 690-6494
FOR SALE LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754. One ice cream cone van, fully equipped, very profitable business venture-Call: 2271830 Pressure washers 2800 6 inches bench grinders, plate joiners, tools kits, reciprocating saws, router angle grinder- Call: 655-3741 AMERICAN BULLY DOGS, REMYLINE & GOTTILINECONTACT HARRY: 6100068/220-7933, WHATSAPP: 667-4845 Wholesale & Retail quantity of all types of belts –Call: 670-2343 2 Complete 6" land dredge with 320 DL CAT excavator 2900hrs, everything needed for mining included. Call owner: 621-1404; 667-1967 ADORABLE PUPPIES FOR SALE. CALL: 6004212 Crazy Deals: Dell/HP desktop & laptop computers from $49,000, free games & educational programs @ FutureTech: 231-2206 1,500 lb snapper seine in excellent condition. Call: 6570044 Lots @ Blankenburg behind the gas station- $3.9M- Call Us Today: 650-0402 Chicago Multi- Function tool -$12,000,Dell Precision M60 laptop -$20,000 , e-machine desktop, PC -$40,000 –Call: 621-9604; 694-1748 Household items: wall dividers with wares, plus many more items, owner migrating-Call: 688-5446 ask for Allison. DJ Stereo equipment: power amps, juggler system, compressor, cross over, equalizer, woofers and hornsCall Anil: 698-4965
1 Toyota IST, PLL series, alarm, rims, etc. Price $1.350M negotiable –Call: 666-2027, 673-7652 1 Toyota Fun Cargo: AC, CD, 17" mags and flair kit never worked hire -$1.250M- Call: 619-1047
Combines: 7300 John Deere (2000 hours), Fiatagri L413 (2500 hours), Laverda 132 & Tractors: Massey 399, Fiat 110/90, Ford 6610-Call: 6859878; 338-4354
BMW 318i- $2.9M, BMW 320i- $4M, Audi A4- $4M, Suzuki Escudo- $4M, new model Premio- $3M- Contact# 650-0402/260-4988 Honda CRV, PJJ series GYD$1M –Call: 231-5080; 641-4704; 613-7091 2- New model Toyota Tacoma, crash bar, step, alarm, bed covering, mag rimCall: 695-6461; 639-7758 Toyota Hilux 4x4 2L, Turbo Diesel pickup. Excellent condition. Call 648-0111; 6850942 2006 325i BMW 37000 mileage, American StandardCall: 676-2174
MASSAGE Happy Touch Day Spa: Come & Experienced heavens touch, visit us today! –Call: 690-6079 Massage therapy serviceCall: 674-8147
1 Honda CRV, PLL 9565, (female driven) excellent condition (replacement by goods vehicle) –price $1.590M negotiable –Call: 623-6854 One RZ, One Town Ace BusCall: 663-4813; 614-4275
One extra cab gasoline automatic 4 wheel/drive Toyota Hilux GSS series$3.5M-Call: 654-0779 1 RZ Mini bus, BJJ series-Call: 678-5887; 677-3177 One Toyota Mark 2 Grande for sale. PKK series, excellent condition, price $1.5M negotiable. Call: 601-4163 New model Premio 2007 model $3.1M negotiable. Preorder Allion, Premio, Bluebird 2006 model- Call: 655-3400 2005 Silver Audi (A4) black leather interior, owner leaving country, great price-Call: 2311762; 642-2713 2008 Fielder- fully loaded vehicle, never registered $2.5M- Call: 617-2891 Toyota Raum with press start alarm system -$800,000 negotiable-Call: 693-8192 Noah & Voxy in ‘G’ series, fully loaded, never registered -$1.7M –Call: 617-2891 One extra cab Tacoma 2005, mag rims. Call: 687-6083; 6692887; 687-6083; 216-2465 Toyota Ipsum, fully loaded, music system – 5,800 watt, excellent condition – Call: 653-1003 1 Toyota Hilux Surf, 3RZ engine, alarm /rims, price $2.850 negotiable. Call: 6662027; 673-7652
Stalls 64-72 (47feet long x 7 feet wide) @ La Penitence Market Albouystown. Call: 663-1597; 218-4837 Pit-bull pups for sale, 3 months old, already vaccinated, price reasonableCall: 625-0356
VEHICLE FOR SALE
Venus Auto Sale New Year Sale! Unregistered 2004 We buy & sell vehicles for Toyota Premio- $2.250M-Call: cash, also parts available & 624-5617 30 seater buses; Extra Cab One Toyota new model pickups; 2006 Tacoma- Call: Avensis, fully loaded and in 680-3154 excellent condition. Call: 615- AT192, 212, Allion, 3595; 264-2870 unregistered Premio, Hilux STAR CARS AUTO SALE: Surf, BNN, RZ & Pit-bull, 7 30-06 PREMIO, 03-07 seater super custom. Cash / FIELDER, NEW RAUM, IST, terms- Call: 680-3154 BLUEBIRD, AXELA, PIT- Fantasy Auto Sales: XBULL. CALL: 679-3140; trail 2008, Mitsubishi RVR 268-3509 2010, Audi A4, pre-ordered One Accent Hyundai - vehicles & get $100,000 discount. Call: 611-1833 $225,000.Call: 695-1744
1-300 tons Japanese made cargo ship and reusable marine steel plates: ¼” 3/8"Call: 688-7256
Computer games for sale, wholesale and retail, largest selection-Call: 675-2239
TOURS Suriname tour (return): Mashramani weekend February 20 th -23 rd 2016. Shopping, site seeing and more. Call: 639-2663; 665-5171
VEHICLE FOR SALE
PEN-PAL Hindu Male is seeking female 25yrs and older. Call: 6517263
One Toyota ISIS, 7 seats, alarm, chrome rims, DVD, rev. camera, price -$3.2M negotiable- Call: 666-2027; 673-7652
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Standards in Focus Standards provide as many benefits for small businesses as they do for global enterprises. The strategic use of standards can make a significant difference to the annual profits of an SME, and can sometimes mean the difference between success and failure. For smaller firms, some of the benefits of using standards include the opening up of export markets, heightened operational efficiency and increased confidence as customers
Kaieteur News
Sunday January 17, 2016
How can small businesses benefit from the use of standards? from all over the world recognize the compliance of businesses, products and services that comply with standards. For many small businesses, making the decision to participate in a standards development process remains difficult, as managers are typically reluctant to allocate resources to a long-term process that may not yield immediate benefits. However, if a company is committed and participates actively in the process, the return on
investment can be substantial. The principal benefits of participation include visibility, in-depth understanding, innovation, competitive advantage, networking possibilities, and opportunities to access potential customers. In other words, non-participation in standardization gives away the advantage to the competition. It is however, still a challenge in many business environments locally and abroad to convince small companies to participate in
standardization. According to Kurt Blind, one of Europe’s most prominent advocate working in the field of Standardisation “Most SMEs, particularly the smaller ones, lack the necessary resources to commit to long term strategies and investments, which are only paying back in the future. “Their management is largely involved in daily operational practice, and there is no time or money available for activities not directly related to improving the daily business. They usually to have a short term view of their business and are limited in reacting to anticipated changes such as future regulations or the development of new standards.” The Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) through its technical assistance and training programmes provides an avenue for micro, small and
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medium size enterprises to be sensitized on the requirements of national and international standards. The notion that an enterprise is too small to implement standards is a myth. The Bureau believes that it is time that local businesses begin to embrace the implementation of standards as guidelines and tools which are determined by consensus as the strategies to be adopted by businesses to streamline their operations, realize profits, maintain sustainability, and most importantly facilitate access to more markets. An enterprise can implement standards and use them as negotiating tools, in addition to ensuring quality, improving customer service and reliability and reducing costs. Standards are also the common language used globally in trade negotiations and can allow local businesses to confidently export their products to other parts of the world and provide assurance of quality. The GYS 231 standard, ‘Requirements for good manufacturing practices for micro, small and medium sized enterprises’ defines the
fundamental requirements to enhance small business performance through the process of continual improvement and assurance of quality, environment and occupational safety and health requirements. The standard also reduces nonconformity. Local SMEs are therefore encouraged to consult with the GNBS to be sensitized on how this national standard can be implemented to guarantee improved business performance. Entrepreneurs are encouraged to have their businesses join the global fraternity of SMEs which are already reaping the benefits of compliance and certification to internationally recognized standards. The true prosperity of your SMEs may be hinged on the implementation of standards. Initiate that contact with the GNBS now and find out which standards can best address the needs of your business for growth and competitiveness. For further information, please contact the GNBS on telephone numbers: 2190065, 219-0066 or visit the GNBS website: www.gnbsgy.org
Sunday January 17, 2016
Kaieteur News
Merkel ally threatens legal action over refugee policy Reuters - A prominent ally of Germany’s Angela Merkel has threatened to take her government to court over its open door refugee policy as political pressure grows for the chancellor to reduce the number of new arrivals. Bavarian state premier Horst Seehofer said he would send the federal government a written request within the next two weeks to restore “orderly conditions” at the nation’s borders, through which one million migrants and refugees passed last year alone. “If it doesn’t follow, the state government will have no other choice but to file a suit at the Federal Constitutional Court,” Seehofer told Der Spiegel magazine yesterday. Seehofer has issued a series of ultimatums to Merkel in recent months to press her into taking immediate action to limit the influx of migrants, only to back down at the last minute. His comments reflect growing doubt among Germans about Merkel’s “we can do this” mantra in the face of Europe’s biggest migrant cri-
Angela Merkel sis since World War Two, especially since sexual assaults in Cologne on New Year’s Eve were blamed on migrants. Merkel’s popularity has dropped since the assaults, a poll showed on Friday. Bavaria, a conservative state that borders Austria to the south, is the home of Seehofer’s Christian Social Union (CSU), sister party to Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), and is the main entry point for migrants
and refugees. The state’s finance minister, Markus Soeder, told Der Spiegel that Merkel’s refugee policy was not democratically legitimized and said parliament should vote on the matter. Senior figures from the Social Democrats (SPD), Merkel’s second coalition partner, have also broken ranks in recent days. SPD leader Sigmar Gabriel joined the critical voices yesterday. “We have to get from a chaotic to an orderly immigration,” he told several regional newspapers. Border checks needed to be improved and refugee quotas introduced to control how many people come to Germany, he said. Germany could take in more than the 200,000 refugees proposed by Seehofer as a cap for this year, but the quota should be significantly below last year’s number, he said. Merkel has vowed to “measurably reduce” arrivals this year, but has refused to introduce a cap, saying it would be impossible to enforce without closing German borders.
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Sunday January 17, 2016
St Vincent PM wants commission to advance Africa-Caribbean relations BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves has called for the establishment of a permanent African Caribbean Commission. He said such a body is needed to advance relations between the two regions that already have strong historical ties. The recommendation was made during a roundtable last week on the second day of a Pan African colloquium hosted by the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill. “The fact that meetings between groups of African leaders and Caribbean leaders do not take place with the degree of frequency as they should does not mean that there is not an appetite for it,” Dr Gonsalves said. “There is already the question of CARICOM and the African Union having observer status with each other. That can be elevated into a permanent commission. That African Caribbean Commis-
Dr. Ralph Gonsalves sion must not only be CARICOM. It has to involve Cuba and it has to involve other countries and it can evolve into an African Caribbean Latin American Commission.” The Vincentian leader expressed disappointment with the state of the African Caribbean Pacific arrangement,
saying it has been allowed to somewhat atrophy. He also focused on the issues of travel and energy between the two regions. In fact, he said, “From my standpoint, we should not have any visas at all. In the case of Ethiopia St Vincent and the Grenadines in the only country in CARICOM that has signed a visa waiver agreement.” But despite the overall challenges, the regional leader said he remained optimistic about future relations between Africa and the Caribbean. Other members of the roundtable were Professor Serges Kamga of the Thabo Mbeki African Leadership Institute; General Ishola Williams of the Pan African Strategic Policy Research Group of Nigeria; Ras Iral Talma of the Caribbean Pan Network, Barbados; and Dr Deryck Murray, director of Barbados’ Commission for Pan African Affairs. (Caribbean360)
Obama unveils wage insurance plan to spur job seekers Reuters - U.S. President Barack Obama yesterday laid out a plan to help support the income of workers who lose their jobs and end up in lower paying positions, as part of a push to get unemployed Americans back to work. The proposal would offer experienced workers who now make less than $50,000 a form of wage insurance, allowing them to replace half of their lost pay. The benefit would cover up to $10,000 over two years. “It’s a way to give families some stability and encourage folks to rejoin the workforce - because we shouldn’t just be talking about unemployment; we should be talking about re-
employment,” Obama said in his weekly radio and Internet address, broadcast yesterday. The wage insurance proposal will be included in a broader effort to overhaul the unemployment insurance system. Details about the program’s proposed funding will be further outlined in Obama’s budget for fiscal year 2017 expected to be released next month. Obama promised in his State of the Union earlier this week to advocate for legislative action on issues with bipartisan support during his last year in office. During the address, he pointed to wage insurance as one measure where lawmakers may be able to work together.
Barack Obama The White House plan would require states to provide insurance for workers laid off from jobs they had held for at least three years. The plan would be federallyfunded, but it would be administered through state unemployment insurance programs. Other measures proposed by the White House yesterday included a requirement that all states provide at least 26 weeks of unemployment insurance benefits, and the creation of a permanent program that would automatically provide up to 52 additional weeks of federallyfunded benefits for states experiencing rapid job-losses or high unemployment.
Sunday January 17, 2016
Kaieteur News
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Burkina troops retake hotel Taiwan opposition wins after Islamist attack kills dozens presidency, China warns against independence move Reuters - Taiwan’s independence-leaning opposition leader Tsai Ing-wen won a convincing victory in presidential elections yesterday and pledged to maintain peace with giant neighbour China, which warned it would oppose any move towards independence. Tsai, leader of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), will be thrust into one of Asia’s toughest and most dangerous jobs, with China pointing hundreds of missiles at the island it claims, decades after losing Nationalists fled from Mao Zedong’s Communists to Taiwan in the Chinese civil war in 1949. Tsai said she would establish “consistent, predictable and sustainable” relations with China and not be provocative, to ensure the status quo. She risks antagonising China if she attempts to forcefully assert Taiwan’s sovereignty and reverses eight years of warming China ties under incumbent President Ma Ying-jeou of the Nationalists. “Both sides have a responsibility to do their utmost to find mutually acceptable ways to interact with respect and reciprocity and ensure no provocation and no surprises,” Tsai added, having taken around 56 percent of the vote. She added, however, that she would defend Taiwan’s interests and its sovereignty. China has not renounced the use of force to ensure eventual unification with the island. “Our democracy, national identity and international space must be fully re-
spected and any suppression would undermine the stability of cross-Strait relations,” she said. In a statement carried by state media, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said the achievements and peace of the past eight years should be cherished, and that it would not tolerate any Taiwan independence activities. “On important issues of principle like protecting the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, our will is as hard as rock,” it said. China was willing to have exchanges with any party, as long as they recognise both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one China, it added. Support for the DPP has swelled since 2014, when hundreds of students occupied Taiwan’s parliament for weeks protesting against a China trade bill in the largest
display of anti-China sentiment the island had seen in years. Outside DPP headquarters, supporters cried for joy. Optometrist David Chen, 28, said he wanted Tsai to stand up to China. “We’re not a part of China. I definitely think we should exist as two countries,” he told Reuters. “If it’s possible for Tsai, I want her to push for independence. More and more Taiwanese people want this.” Tsai, a lawyer, got an even stronger mandate as the DPP also won a majority in parliament in polls held the same day. Tsai will have to balance the superpower interests of China, which is also Taiwan’s largest trading partner, and the United States with those of her freewheeling, democratic home.
Reuters - Security forces in Burkina Faso retook a hotel in the capital yesterday from al Qaeda fighters who seized it in an assault that killed two dozen people from at least 18 countries and marked a major escalation of Islamist militancy in West Africa. Until Friday’s attack, the landlocked nation, an ally of Western governments against jihadist groups in the arid reaches of the southern Sahara, had largely been spared the violence that has plagued its neighbours. The assault follows a similar raid in November on a luxury hotel in Mali’s capital Bamako which killed 20 people, including citizens of Russia, China and the United States. The Ouagadougou assault, claimed by al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), marked an expansion of operations for Islamist militants who are stepping up their activities, echoing the growth of Islamic State in the Middle East. President Roch Marc Christian Kabore said 23 people of 18 different nationalities were killed in the 146-room Splendid Hotel and a nearby Cappuccino restaurant popular with Westerners and French soldiers based in Burkina Faso. The authorities gave no further details of the victims. One Cappuccino survivor said diners at
first mistook the gunfire and explosions for firecrackers before two gunmen, dressed all in black and brandishing AK-47 assault rifles, burst in at around 8.30 p.m.(2030 GMT), firing indiscriminately. “We heard shots, grenades, detonations. It was echoing and extremely loud. It went on for a long time,” the survivor, a Slovenian social anthropologist told Reuters. “They kept coming back and forth into Cappuccino. You’d think it was over, then they’d come back and shoot more people. They would come back and see if the white people were moving and then they would shoot them again,” she said. “My friend had a white dead person on top of her, bleeding onto her. But his body saved her,” said the woman, who asked that her name not be used. “The situation we’re experiencing since yesterday in Burkina Faso is unprecedented,” Kabore said when he visited the scene of the attack. “These are vile, cowardly acts and the victims are innocent people.” French ambassador Gilles Thibault put the death toll at 27 and said on Twitter that around 150 hostages had been freed in an operation that received support from French and U.S. forces.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday January 17, 2016
Jagdeo wants Govt. to conserve on spending but vows to pursue extravagant personal benefits By Abena Rockcliffe Opposition leader, Bharrat Jagdeo is outraged by the new government’s use of tax dollars to fund multimillion dollar city clean ups and “old year’s night bashments.” The former President said that the government should look to be conservative at a time when it is presiding over a slushy economy. But on the other hand, Jagdeo has vowed that he will vigorously pursue the court case to secure his unlimited benefits from the state. President David Granger, in his most recent address to the National Assembly, called on all elected officials to lead by example. Given his new stance on government spending, Kaieteur News contacted the Opposition Leader to find out whether he was willing to set the example by just accepting capped benefits. But the
former President said that he will not relent in his pursuit to secure what he labeled as “rightfully” his. He said, “When I speak about conservative spending, I speak of the spending in the city; while the cleanup is good, there is no transparency.” The former President added, “(Opposition MP, Juan) Edghill has shown how the increased salaries for cabinet members will cost the country close to $1B in the five years they will be in office.” Jagdeo said that the government is hiring all sorts of “foreign firms to celebrate Independence and these big splurges like Old Year’s Bash and all these things, and they made such a big issue with the PPP spending.” “That is what we are arguing against. If the country doesn’t have resources, why are we going along this
Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo path?” Jagdeo said that in light of all of that, he is fighting for his “right.”
“Now, all I am fighting for and other former Presidents are fighting for, is our right. The big issue has been the pension but my pension is 7/8 the salary of the President. But if Nagamootoo leaves office now and has to receive pension, it will be larger than mine.” Jagdeo continued, “It is about a rights issue; that is what we are fighting for. I do not have a problem sitting down and talking to them but they made a big campaign issue about my pension, that was the key thing.” Jagdeo pointed out the fact that he has served Guyana 12 years and Nagamootoo who has “served a few months is receiving a salary of $1.7 a month.”
Retirees getting 'fat... From page 3 expense of the broader good and interest.” The accountant said that it is a downright selfish action facilitated by a Government bent on managing the affairs of the state on the basis of loyalty, as opposed to technical/professional competence. “If ever there was one, this is a classic case of bad governance,” he noted. Overtime, the hiring policy of especially the previous administration came under severe criticisms by especially the trade unions. A significant number of
public servants were being granted contracts and given significant benefits compared to other co-workers. Unions like the Guyana Public Service Union have been complaining that contract workers have been eroding their membership base. They also argue that other staffers were not given the equal opportunities for such benefits as a contract worker. With Government complaining of an inability to pay increases to public servants, the hiring of retirees especially has been seen as demotivation for other staffers.
The former President said, “We will remain resolute in pursuit of our right, especially in light of the wanton wastage and extravagance displayed by this government.” Jagdeo and former President Donald Ramotar moved to the courts last year to secure unlimited benefits. The former Presidents have caused the writs to be filed in the High Court since November 11. But there was silence over this action. Attorney General, Basil Williams announced that the former Presidents are seeking to “in effect, receive the large sums of money” in benefits and other facilities that were capped on the recent passing of the Former Presidents (Benefits and other Facilities) Act of 2015. The other former President, Samuel Hinds has so far not complained about the capped benefits. The Bill to cap the benefits was unanimously passed in the National Assembly during the time when the People’s Progressive Party/Civic refused to take up its seats. The explanatory memorandum of the Bill says that it will repeal the Former Presidents (Benefits and Other Facilities) Act of 2009, and replace it to provide greater specificity. The burden that the lifestyle of former President Bharrat Jagdeo placed on the Treasury was the focal point of speeches presented by those who spoke to the Bill. Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, had told the National Assembly that the size of the economy and the ability to sustain such openended and uncapped benefits, were ignored when Ramotar refused to assent to a similar Bill. He said that that showed narrow self-serving interest. Jordan made reference to the fact that over the period December 2011 to February 2014, Jagdeo racked up in ex-
cess of $45M on transportation, security and electricity bills within 27 months. Jagdeo’s total electricity bill for the duration amounted to over $9.8M. His average monthly light bill was $365,766 at the time. For transportation, he utilized over $15.2M. The State spent over $20.3M for his security over that 27-month period, an average of $752,649 monthly. Jordan pointed out that Jagdeo’s electricity bill is 8.7 times the minimum wage and his security bill is 17.6 times the same and 1.7 times the salary of a sitting Minister of Government. Former Presidents will now be given $25,000 per month for electricity, a further $25,000 for water and another $25,000 for telephone. The new Bill states that former Presidents will be given services of personal and household staff, including a gardener but, the total number of such staffers cannot exceed three persons. There will be a limit of $200,000 per annum for reimbursement of medical expenses incurred by a former President for himself and his children below the age of 18 years and his spouse, provided that the money was not spent on medical attention and treatment obtained abroad or at private health facilities in Guyana, and were available in Guyana at government institutions. Former Presidents will be given full-time personal security, not exceeding two persons, including those at the place of residence. They will also be entitled to the provision of not more than two motor vehicles owned and maintained by the State; toll free transportation; and an annual vacation allowance equivalent to the cost of two first class return airfares provided on the same conditions applicable to Judges of the Supreme Court of Judicature.
Sunday January 17, 2016
Kaieteur News
Brilliant Broad lifts England to series win in S Africa J O H A N N E S B U R G, (Reuters) A venomous spell of fast bowling from Stuart Broad led England to an emphatic seven- wicket win over South Africa in the third test on Saturday to clinch the series. Broad’s brilliant return of 6-17 on a lively wicket skittled the Proteas for 83 in their second innings on the third day. England reached their modest victory target of 74 with relative ease as captain Alastair Cook (43) top-scored in guiding them to 77 for three from 22.4 overs under gloomy skies. The tourists now have an unassailable 2-0 lead in the four-match series, with the final game to be played in Pretoria. South Africa bowled out England for 323 in the morning session for a slender firstinnings deficit of 10 runs, but were no match for the bounce and movement of a rampant Broad as they crumbled to
their second lowest test score since returning to international cricket in 1991. Broad’s inspired spell after lunch was reminiscent of his 8-15 against Australia at Trent Bridge last August as he tore through the South African top order aided by some excellent catching. After removing openers Dean Elgar (15) and Stiaan van Zyl (11), Broad grabbed the key wicket of captain AB de Villiers (0) when he induced an i n s i d e edge to wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow. It got worse for the home side when their other kingpin Hashim Amla (five) clipped the ball to James Taylor at short-leg, who showed excellent reactions to take a low catch. Temba Bavuma (0) became Broad’s fifth victim when he tried to evade a lifting delivery, but only succeeded in gloving the ball on to his stumps.
Broad’s brilliant day was completed when he ended the innings with an excellent catch off his own bowling as he dived forward grab a ball that had come off the boot of batsman Faf du Plessis (14). Ben Stokes grabbed two scalps and there were also wickets each for James Anderson and Steven Finn. The latter complained after the innings of tightness on his left-side and will be assessed on Sunday. Rabada, 20, had earlier claimed his first five-wicket haul in test cricket when he bagged 5-78 to limit England to 323. It was a first home series defeat for South Africa against a team other than Australia since England won 2-1 in 2004-05. Scores: England 323 (Root 110, Stokes 58, Radaba 5-78, Morkel 3-76) and 77 for 3 beat South Africa 313 and 83 (Broad 6-17) by seven wickets.
Sunday January 17, 2016 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Be willing to listen, but don't be fooled. Plan some family outings. Be aware that you don't get anything for nothing. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Refrain from using the highway as a racetrack. It may not be the best day to confront employers or to present your ideas. Sudden changes regarding colleagues may surprise you. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) You could make extra cash through creative hobbies. You would be wise to socialize with as many people as possible. Don't press your luck with your loved ones. CANCER (June 21–July 22) Take the time to do something nice for your friends and relatives. Don't overreact to someone's advances. You mustn't make promises that you won't be able to keep. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Hard work will not go unnoticed. Try to visit a country that excites you. Someone may be trying to pull the wool over your eyes. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Try to put your money away for a rainy day. A long, quiet walk alone may help you sort out your thoughts.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) This is a great day for a family outing or just a drive. You can make favorable changes in your home environment. You may need a good friend to lean on. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Keep your thoughts and opinions to yourself and you won't get dragged into an unsavory debate. Work quietly at your own goals and forget about situations that you can do little about. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) You should catch up on correspondence. Your ability to be a self starter will help get things done and motivate others. Your confidence will stabilize your position. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Get involved in volunteer work that will bring you satisfaction, not an empty wallet. Deception is evident around you. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) You may find that your anger stems from lending or borrowing money. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Put your time and energy into home improvement. Your lover may cost you financially. Try to calm down and listen to your partner's complaints.
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UG overcome MSC by 24 runs University of Guyana (UG) defeated Malteenoes Sports Club (MSC) by 24 runs when the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA)/ New Building Society second division 40-over tournament continued yesterday. UG were bowled out for 85 off the last ball of their final over, batting first after they game was reduced to 20 overs due to a late start due
to overnight rain. Damien Vantull top scored with 35 as Dellon Darlymple picked up three wickets and Floyd Rollins two. MSC were shot out for 61 in 18 overs in reply; no batsman managed double figures. Extras contributed 23; Vantull grabbed three wickets and Darnell Douglas two.
It has been approximately two years since Roger Moe was elected President of the Western Tigers Football Club. After enjoying some amount of success, he has
signaled his intention to step aside and pave the way for another aspirant to take over the reins when that entity stages its Annual General Meeting on Sunday January 30.
Damien Vantull
Western Tigers FC to host annual General Meeting According to insiders, Ansa McAl executive, Troy Cadogan, should be the man taking charge. Activities get underway at around 10:00hrs.
Russia elects new athletics chief to clean up sport MOSCOW (Reuters) Russia’s new athletics head said his priority was to ensure Russian sportsmen and women compete at the 2016 Olympics as the sport tries to tackle rampant doping. “This is not an easy time for Russia, it is not an easy time for athletics,” said Dmitry Shlyakhtin, who was elected as the new president of the RussianAthletics Federation (VFLA) on Saturday. “Going to the Olympic Games is task number one.” Russia was suspended from world athletics last year following allegations of widespread and state-sponsored doping in a report by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), igniting the
Taylor’s batting slump... (From page 70) of nought, eight, nought, seven and two in her last five outings. Earlier, Stars reached 114 for seven off their 20 overs, after opting to bat, with wicketkeeper Emma Inglis top-scoring with 30 from 25 balls. Taylor was the leading bowler, picking up two for 20 from three overs of off-spin. At Waverley Oval also in Sydney, teenaged West Indies batsman Hayley Matthews also failed with two as her Hobart Hurricanes went down to Sydney Sixers by 25 runs in another rain-affected encounter.
country’s biggest sporting scandal in several decades. Senior officials at the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) were also involved in conspiracies to cover up the extent of the doping and blackmail athletes, a second part of the WADA report revealed on Thursday. Shlyakhtin, who is sports minister of Russia’s Samara region, was elected unanimously by over 100 VFLA of-
ficials at the federation’s conference in Moscow. Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said Shlyakhtin was an experienced organiser who could grapple with the challenges facing Russian sport. “I hope he will be the candidate who can manage the task of restoring the lost position of our athletics,” he was quoted as saying by Tass news agency.
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Sunday January 17, 2016
“West Indies Women’s Team could emulate their male counterparts in 2016!” Colin E. H. Croft In a strange twist, West Indies Men’s team is now ranked No. 1 in world T-20’s, but, on paper, it is WI Women, ranked No. 2 in ICC World Championship standings, who have a much better chance of winning ICC World T-20 2016. Also, if WI Women maintain a continuing ranking, being in the first four world’s ladies’ teams to the end of the qualifying period in the last quarter of this year, then they will automatically qualify for ICC Cricket 50-overs World Cup 2017 in England. That would be a wonderful achievement. But WI Women could even top those 2017 qualification hopes, for 2016 must be WI Women’s best opportunity to try to emulate their male counterparts’ achievement of winning ICC WT-20 2012 in Sri Lanka. It could be WI Women’s turn this year in India! Previous No. 1 ranked men’s team Sri Lanka has re-
cently been beaten by New Zealand, losing that top ranking then too, allowing WI to succeed them. Meanwhile, WI’s women, with pedigree and experienced personnel still intact, can pull off that final surprise! What is quite interesting in this short lead-up to ICC World T-20 2016 in March is that most of WI’s Men stars who made that win at Sri Lanka 2012 possible, while still playing well elsewhere, are no longer even contracted by West Indies Cricket Board. No-one even knows if, indeed, those players will be “allowed” to be included in selection processes for ICC WT-20 2016. Except for Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels and Denesh Ramdin, who have been awarded 2016 contracts from WICB, all others who won ICC W-T-20 2012 are now languishing in loose limbo. Darren Sammy, captain in 2012, Dwayne Bravo, Samuel Badree, Johnson Charles, Fidel Edwards, Chris Gayle, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard, Ravi Rampaul, Andre Russell
and Dwayne Smith are either, lustily plying their trade for private entities, injured, banned from bowling, or semi-retired. How exactly will WI replace these guys if they are not allowed to be available for selection? Most of those players named are still eligible to play for WI, even without contracts, but will they indeed be selected, given the agro of the last two years? Who, in the present WICB-NAGICO 2016 competition, plus those contracted for 2016, would be ready replacements for those WI dynamos of 2012’s win? Tough questions that must be answered immediately! Meanwhile, WI Women still have nearly all of their veterans who have had very bitter disappointments when close to that promised land of a world championship. They are now undertaking an always difficult, competitive tour of South Africa, before embarking on what could be swan-songs for many; to India. W-WT-20 2016 could be
WI Women’s very last chance at world glory in the foreseeable future, for several veterans playing in such tournaments! They recently beat Pakistan in ODI’s and T-20-I’s, but have fallen at penultimate hurdles - semi-finals three times in the last four W-WT20 tournaments; 2010 in West Indies, 2012 in Sri Lanka and probably their best previous chance, 2014 in Bangladesh. Those, though, were massive improvements from 2009, when they were eliminated in the group stages, so WI Women must compose themselves fully to scale those two last hurdles in India to get to the final, then win, ICC WWT-20 2016! It must be noted that this tour to South Africa by WI Women is a renewal of an always very tight, tough tussle between these two teams. Having played each other sixteen times previously in ODI’s, each team has won seven games, with one tie and one no-result. Hard cricket indeed! In T-20-I’s, WI Women
have won all nine meetings between the two teams, so they should be confident to again eclipse their hosts in three ODI’s; 24, 27 and 29 February; then three T-20-I’s on 04, 06 and 09 March. What excellent preparations for ICC WWT20 2016 in India! New captain Stefanie Taylor, like compatriot Chris Gayle, at least on the field, is required world-wide and continues to be excellent. Her stint in Australia could only make her better, more knowledgeable, and, as WI Women’s captain, more astute. Her leadership, batting, fielding, cajoling and encouraging her troops, will all be extremely vital if WI Women are to win in India. It is also pleasing to note that former captain Merissa Aguilleira has recovered from her injuries and have improved much this last year. Not only will her almost always superb wicket-keeping skills be necessary, but her welcomed return to batting form against Pakistan, and combative attitude, not to mention experiences, could
make her Taylor’s crutch when team chips are down. New vice-captain Shakera Selman has matured quickly, while Shermaine Campbell, Britney Cooper, Deandra Dottin, Stacy-Ann King, Kyshona Knight, Anisa Mohammed, Shaquana Quintyne and Tremaybe Smartt; all well experienced; should make waves. Hayley Matthews and Shamilia Connell are enterprising cricketers who would add value to every game for WI Women. This is the best time of our lives, and last time, perhaps, that this group of women might have, collectively, a chance to win ICC Women’s World T-20. Go girls, do it for us in 2016! Enjoy! E-mail address c.e.h.croft@gmail.com
V Net Communications extends sponsorship to Paul V Net Communications has extended sponsorship to West Indies U19 vice captain Keemo Paul. At a simple ceremony held at the entity’s office 25 Delph Street, Campbellville prior to Paul’s departure for the ICC U19 World Cup in Bangladesh, Chief Executive Officer of the company Safraz Sheriffudeen presented a quantity of gears and an undisclosed sum of cash to the Guyanese allrounder. Paul’s package also includes communications
coverage when on tour. Sheriffudeen congratulated Paul on his selection and wished him well in his future endeavours. The company also sponsors cricket and dominoes in Wakenaam and Sheriffudeen added that his cricket competition is geared towards enhancing talent on the island. “Players need exposure to develop and that’s the main reason we are supporting the sport there”, he said, adding that Paul would have played in the said tournament. “His feat will defi-
nitely serve as a motivation factor to many youths there and I have seen quite a number of them taking the sport seriously so Paul is already a role model for some,” he posited. The CEO, who hails from Wakenaam, said that he was impressed with the talent on show during his last competition there and that his company will continue to support the game as well as young players on the island, and that they are happy to be associated with sports. Paul thanked Sheriffudeen for his backing and pledged to so his best for the region. He hopes his feat will motivate young cricketers, adding that it is a pleasure to represent the West Indies more so to be named vice captain. The all-rounder explained that parents should encourage their children to take sports seriously and credited his father for his success so far. Paul feels that discipline is important in order to achieve success. V Net Communications provides satellite internet services to remote areas in Guyana. Meanwhile, PRO of the Wakenaam Cricket Committee Vickram Ramnarine congratulated Paul and stated that his achievement is as a result of the hard work he has put in over the years.
Sunday January 17, 2016
Kaieteur News
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ABSAA Project Managers set to arrive today In an effort to underline his seriousness about realising his dream of developing the Alex Bunbury Sports and Academics Academy’ (ABSAA) here in Guyana, the Canadian Hall of Fame inductee with Guyanese roots will be bringing in a team of managers who are directly related to the impending Project. According to a member of the Local Organisaing Committee Charmine Wade, a team of five Project Managers are expected to arrive in Guyana tomorrow to meet with government officials where they will make presentations on the viability of the Academy. Judging from the respective biographies of the individuals they seem to have a wealth of experience in their particular field of endeavours and appear well equipped to deliver a high quality Academy. Below is a short Bio of those who’re expected to arrive in Guyana. TIM BAKER - PRINCIPAL IN CHARGE,ARCHITECT AT BAKERBARRIOS Education: Master of Architecture, Ohio State University, 1987 Bachelor of Science in Architecture, Ohio State University, 1985 Professional Experience: 27 years With over 27 year of experience, Mr. Baker has the ability to translate Owners’ needs into design solutions that balance creativity, image and function with practical concerns of budget, schedule and operational goals. As the Design Principal, Tim will lead all design studies, including programming, planning, and concept design through schematic design. Relevant Experience Includes: American Music Resort | Osceola County, Florida 76 acres with 5 - 11 hotel (2,000 rooms), 5 performance theatres, commercial, recreation, entertainment, retail, restaurants, and parking space. USSSA Sports Complex | Orlando, Florida 12 ballfields, one multi-purpose field, PA system, concessions stands, admissions and Maintenance. Randall Hall United States Military Academy | West Point, New York 22,000 SF with locker rooms, multi-use auditorium, sports medicine center, strength development center, administrative offices for Army Basketball Teams, and special seating boxes for Army Football. WAYNE DUNKELBERGER -PRINCIPAL, PROJECT DESIGNERAT BAKERBARRIOS Education: Master of Architecture University of South Florida, 1999
Bachelor of Philosophy University of South Florida, 1995 Mr. Dunkelberger has 20 years of experience and leads a variety of projects, collaborating with clients and project teams to pursue new levels of design excellence. By adeptly blending conceptual design development with a mastery of detail and 3D visualization, Wayne integrates complex program requirements to design buildings tailored to the needs and cultures of his clients. Relevant Experience Includes: USSSA Sports Complex | Orlando, Florida 12 ballfields, one multi-purpose field, PA system, concessions stands, admissions and maintenance. Lacrosse Training Facility United States Military Academy | West Point, New York 28,000 SF with administrative offices, multi-purpose rooms, locker rooms, training rooms, lounge rooms with kitchen, support space, and storage. Randall Hall United States Military Academy | West Point, New York 22,000 SF with locker rooms, multi-use auditorium, sports medicine center, strength development center, administrative offices for Army Basketball Teams, and special seating boxes for Army Football. ROB LEDFORD - PRINCIPAL, PROJECT MANAGERAT BAKERBARRIOS Education: Bachelor of Science, InteriorDesign, Florida State University, 1994 Professional Experience: 21 years Mr. Ledford has exceptional insight into the integration of architecture, interior design and project management. Rob’s experience has given him first-hand application in the facilities planning, design, construction requirements and the contracting process of a wide spectrum of projects, both public and private, and a wide scope of requirements for interior spaces. He functions and balances superbly in working with Clients. Relevant Experience Includes: Lacrosse Training Facility United States Military Academy | West Point, New York 28,000 SF with administrative offices, multi-purpose rooms, locker rooms, training rooms, lounge rooms with kitchen, support space, and storage. Randall Hall United States Military Academy | West Point, New York 22,000 SF with locker rooms, multi-use auditorium, sports medicine center, strength development center, administrative offices for
Army Basketball Teams, and special seating boxes for Army Football. Les Logsdon, Partner at Amrita Financial, Inc EDUCATION University of Pittsburgh. MBA Indiana University of Pennsylvania, BS Applied Mathematics and Computer Science BIOGRAPHY Les has been working as an insurance industry professional for over 30 years. He has vast experience in the life settlements industry and has been involved in the development of valuation, pricing, and financial modeling for the past 11 years. He has been instrumental in the placement of approximately $2 Billion of capital into the purchase of Life Settlement policies. Approximately $7 Billion of face amount of life insurance has been purchased over this timeframe. Of the $7 Billion purchased, approximately $1.1 Billion of death benefits have been collected resulting in over $500 Million of net profit to clients. Prior to joining the life settlement industry, he has over 20 years in the insurance industry as a consultant and CFO of a large regional insurance brokerage firm. While CFO, he developed several financial models used to track and report the employee benefit claims for insurance clients. An additional component of the reporting software was to predict the future expected claims and project the estimated renewal on their employee benefit coverages. PAUL W. BOWEN, PARTNERATAMRITA FINANCIAL, INC Education BS, Communications, University of Florida BIOGRAPHY Paul W. Bowen is Partner at Amrita Financial, Inc. He and brings expertise in both relationship management and marketing and has been privileged to work with many of the nation’s top financial advisors and planning professionals. Mr. Bowen is an accomplished speaker and has conducted seminars and workshops throughout the country. Mr. Bowen earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communication from the University of Florida. Mr. Bowen earned multiple Varsity Letters and Southeastern Conference Championships as a receiver on the football team. Speaking Events and Conferences - The International Forum Annual Meetings (Now Forum 400), Association for Advanced Life Underwriting (AALU) Annual Meetings. Meanwhile, Bunbury has
already completed clinics in Berbice, Plaisance and Georgetown where in excess
of seventy (70) aspiring yopung footballers attended each session.
He is anticipated to visit Linden tomorrow and Lethem on Thursday.
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Sunday January 17, 2016
Plaisance Guardians lasso Colts in humdinger By Edison Jefford Plaisance Guardians tamed Bounty Colts with a crunch-time lasso that was drawn tight to choke Kurt English on the free-throw line where he was blessed with an opportunity to win the game at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall Friday night. However, English missed both shots with just about five seconds left in the grueling encounter to hand Guardians an unlikely 77-76 victory in the first of the best-of-three Division I Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA) League finals. Veteran guard, Enoch Matthews scored a game high 26 points for Guardians, while point guard, Nikkoloi Smith scored 20 points to help his team to their first major Division I win against a top ranked team in the Georgetown subassociation. National guard, Dave Causway had 22 points for Colts while centre, Shane Webster and English supported with 21 and 16 points respectively. Colts is the higher ranked team in the
Nikkoloi Smith GABA final after winning two major titles last year. After English missed both free-throws that would have literally gift-wrapped the game for Colts, Causway got the offensive rebound and attempted a jumper, but Trenton Woolford emphatically rejected the shot, winning the game for Guardians on a defensive play. After trailing 74-76 with about six seconds left in the game, Smith nailed a huge three-point shot to push
Guardians ahead. However, English was fouled after Colts took possession, but made no use of the opportunity to become the hero for his team. Colts commanded the final quarter of the game, beginning with a 4-0 run to take the twelve-point 64-52 lead. But the East Coast of Demerara-based Guardians would not disappear; the team went on an 18-6 run to tie game at 70 apiece with 1:13 to play. Matthews was the leader of the band with 13 points within the time that included two huge three- pointers. The humdinger got out of hand with referees being forced to separate Matthews and his veteran Colts counter-part, ‘big man’ Kurt Elias following an altercation. Colts rampaged to a 74-71 lead when the game resumed with 21 seconds left. Smith then nailed the first of his two crunch-time three-pointers to level the score 74-74 with 14 seconds remaining in the game. Causway pushed Colts ahead with two free-throws. Customarily those three-
throws would have sealed Guardians fate, but Smith would have none of it, nailing his second clutch jumper from downtown to give his side the lead. Colts were given life from the line, but English could not convert the golden opportunity. The first quarter of the game failed to separate the teams, ending 17-17. The second quarter went to Guardians 40-29 at the halftime break
before Colts assumed a 58-52 lead in the penultimate period ahead of the mammoth showdown in the final quarter. Meanwhile, in the Division II best-of-three final, Nets defeated rivals, Pepsi Sonics 64-58 with forward, Mortimer Williams scoring 16 points for Nets and guard Darian Lewis adding 12 points in the game. For the Sonics, Jason Squires ended with 17 points while Kerwin Jackson and Earl
Buoyed by the success of last year, the Guyana Fitness Games has once again partnered with E-Networks to stage the second annual ENetworks Cross Fitness Challenge which will be held on Sunday, March 13, at the National Park. According to a release from the Organisers, plans are in full gear to stage this epic competition and E-Networks is proud to partner with Guyana Fitness Games as title sponsor. Last year’s event produced nail biting excitement that saw most of the spectators leave the relative comfort of the stands to get close to the athletes as the thrill and rivalry of the competition built
up.
O’Neil scored 14 points each. Game two action in three categories is slated for tonight. In the opening game at 6:30pm, Eagles will faceoff with Pacesetters in game two, with Eagles looking for a clean sweep in their Under-23 final. The second encounter at 8:30pm will see Nets vs. Pepsi Sonics in Division II, before Guardians take on Colts in the Division I playoff.
E-Networks 2nd Annual Cross Fitness Challenge set for March 13 Spectators under the shelter of umbrellas provided by the main sponsor were caught up in the euphoria of support for their favourite athletes and teams, making the experience of witnessing the inaugural event an unforgettable one, according to the Organisers. The release added that the competition is open to athletes and fitness enthusiasts nationwide and will test their fitness level and endurance. There will be four events that combine several different exercises and contestants will be divided into teams of three males and one female where a panel of judges will evaluate the competitors based on
their execution and speed. Ending scores will determine the E-Networks Cross Fitness Challenge fittest team and fittest individuals in the Male and Female categories. Registration is ongoing and teams that are interested in participating in the Challenge could make contact at Fitness Express on Sheriff Street to register. Registration ends on February 5. Meanwhile, Cross-Fit is a training programme that builds strength and conditioning through extremely varied and challenging workouts. Each workout will test a different part of your functional strength or conditioning, not specializing in one particular thing, but rather with the goal of building a body that’s capable of practically anything and everything. Cross-Fit is extremely different from a commercial gym workout. Event coordinator Jordana Ramsay–Gonsalves along with Noshavyah King, well known Zumba Fitness instructor and certified personal trainer and Jamie McDonald, owner of Fitness Express, one of the fastest growing fitness retail establishments in Guyana, have teamed up and formed Guyana Fitness Games the hosts of the E-Networks Cross Fitness Challenge 2016. Persons are being urged to come out and support the event and see what it takes to be called the nation’s Fittest Athlete. Entrance fee is $1000 and children are free. Members of the corporate community interested in being a part of the Fitness Challenge can contact tele#6729402 for more information.
Sunday January 17, 2016
Kaieteur News
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Meet the National Sports Commission The Ministry of Education, which now has responsibility for sport, has installed a new National Sports Commission (NSC). The Commission was officially gazetted last September for a life of two years, ending August 2017. Kaieteur Sport presents brief profiles of the members of the new Sports Commission.
Name: Christopher Jones Director of Sport – Ex Officio Member of the National Sports Commission Background in Sport: played basketball at varying levels. Administration: Incumbent Director of Sport; Shadow Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport in 10th Parliament; Member of Parliament.
Name: Ivan Persaud NSC Chairman Education: Master’s Degree in Sports Administration and Management; Bachelor of Science Degree with Honors in Professional Sports and Physical Activities; Guyanese scholar 1995; speaks fluent Dutch and Spanish. Background in Sports: played football for Guyana’s National Junior and Senior teams; played semi-professional football in Suriname; played professional football for short stints at FC Denhaag and Sparta FC in Holland; played football in England for Leyton FC in the Ryman’s League. In addition, Persaud has coached football professionally in Trinidad and Tobago and held coaching stints in Colombia; England at Leyton FC and Guyana at Milerock FC, Linden. Administration: Incumbent President of the Guyana Amateur Swimming Association; served as Vice-President of the Guyana Football Federation; member of Guyana Coaches’ Association. Name: Nigel Hinds NSC Vice-Chairman Education: Association of Accounting Technician (AAT) Graduate (1989); Bachelor of
University of Guyana (2007); represented UG at the Student World Assembly (2004), National
Science Degree with Distinction in Accounts, University of Guyana (1995); Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Graduate (1997) and ACCA Fellow (2003); Certified Public Accountant (2002); Masters in Business Administration (MBA), Everest University. Background in Sports: represented Guyana in Field Hockey 1983-1991; represented Guyana in Basketball 1985-1994; won Guyana’s Novices Power Lifting Championships in the Heavyweight Division in 1992. Administration: Secretary of Guyana Hockey Board (1988); incumbent President of the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation.
Name: Seon Erskine Education: Bachelor of Science Degree in Physical Education and Sports, International School of Physical Education and Sports in Havana, Cuba 2008 (specialised in Weightlifting); Masters of Education, Education Administration and Leadership, University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia (2014). Background in Sport: Dorado Speed Swim Club, Land Conditioning Coach; Guyana Amazon Warriors T20 Cricket Team, Weight Training Coach; Guyana Table Tennis Association ( G T TA ) P h y s i c a l Tr a i n i n g Instructor. In addition, Erskine has acted as Liaison, Volunteer, Interpreter and Chaperone for a number sport organisations and international events. Administration: Physical Education Teacher, Unit of Allied Arts, Ministry of Education; General Secretary of the Guyana A m a t e u r We i g h t l i f t i n g Association. Name: Lavern Fraser Education: Bishops’ High School; Commonwealth Youth Programme Certificate in Youth Work and Development; Caribbean Coaching Certificate; Diploma in
Public Management, University of Guyana; Bachelor’s Degree in Public Management, University of Guyana. Background in Sports: represented Guyana in Netball; represented Guyana in Basketball at Caribbean Championships; Former National Netball Coach. National Sports Awards: - Coach of the Year, Female Sports Personality and Guyana Olympic Association Award for Long and Dedicated Service to Sports and in the Field of Sports. A d m i n i s t r a t i o n : Vi c e President (Administration) Georgetown Football Association; President of the Guyana Netball Association; Sports Officer at the University of Guyana.
Name: Inga Henry Education: Bachelor of Science Degree in Physical Education and Sport, International School of Physical Education and Sports in Havana, Cuba; Trained Class 1 Grade 1 Teacher. Background in Sport: represented Kildonan Cricket Club and Berbice in senior hardball tournaments; Guyana all-rounder in the 2002 Regional Women’s 50 Overs tournament. Certified Baseball Coach; played Baseball/Softball at the University level in Havana, Cuba. Administration: started a n a t i o n a l U n d e r- 1 5 C r i c k e t Academy in August 2010 during stint as an Instructor at the National Sports Commission; currently involved in implementation of Physical Education and Sports in schools. Name: Edison Jefford Education: Central High School; Saint Stanislaus College (2002); Public Policy at California Polytechnic University (2004); Bachelor of Arts Degree in English, Diploma in Communication,
Model United Nations in New York (2006), Invitational Model United Nations in Washington D.C (2006). Background in Sport: represented South Georgetown in Track and Field at the National Schools’ Championship 19952000; National Schools’ Champion 2000; played basketball at High School level, Pacesetters and University of Guyana; UG ‘Male Champion Athlete’; Sports Journalist (2005- Present); Guyana Olympic Association and NSC ‘Sports Journalist of the Year’ (2011). Administration: Pyshical Education Teacher (2005); Worked on CARICOM in Beijing Project (2008); Founder of Sports Management (2010); Co-Founder of Boyce/Jefford Track and Field Classic (2010); Member of the Management Committee of the National Schools’ Championships since 2010. Name: James Bond Education: St. Joseph High School; President’s College; University of Guyana; Hugh Wooding Law School; Attorney-atLaw. Background in Sport: played basketball at High School and Club levels. Administration: Former
Games in addition to participating in the IAAF World Championships
five times and World Indoor Championships on four occasions. Her personal-best 400m time of 50.71 was achieved in 2009 at the World Championships in Berlin, Germany. She has the 400m South American indoor record of 51.83 seconds, a gold medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England, silver medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, India and a bronze medal at the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo to her list of accomplishments. Administration: current Sprint and Hurdles Coach at St. John’s University in New York; taught at the Harlem Academy and Urban Institute of Math and Science for Young Women, served as a Director of Development for PowerPlay, New York City and Development Associate for Harlem Renaissance High School.
Name: Ramnaresh Sarwan Education: North Ruimveldt Secondary School. Background in Sport: played cricket at the highest domestic, regional and international levels for West Indies, Gloucestershire, Guyana, Guyana Amazon Warriors, Kings XI Punjab, Leicestershire and Stanford Superstars. President of the Sunburst Camptown Football Club; former Member of Parliament. Name: Aliann Pompey Education: Cohoes High School, Albany New York; Bachelor’s Degree in Finance with a minor in Communications, Manhattan College (1999) and MBA in Finance, Manhattan College (2003). Background in Sport: represented Guyana at the 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012 Olympic
At age 28 years, 228 days Sarwan became the youngest West Indian to reach the 5000 runs when he scored a century against England in Jamaica. He has scored 5842 Test Runs at an average of 40.01 with 15 centuries and 31 half centuries and 5804 One Day International Runs at an average of 42.67 with five centuries and 38 half centuries. Administration: Succeeded Brian Lara as West Indies Cricket Captain (2007); Owner of Fitness 53 Gym at Providence, East Bank Demerara.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday January 17, 2016
Trophy Stall/GISC and Star Party Rentals cricket
Bacchus’ unbeaten 59 give GCC control An entertaining 73-run third wicket partnership between Soopaul Sinclair and Sunil Singh spearhead Transport Sports Club (TSC) to 179 on the rain affected first day of their GCA’s Trophy Stall, GISC and Star Party Rentals two-day first division game against GCC at Bourda yesterday and the close GCC had reached 1081 in reply. The 25-year-old Robin Bacchus was unbeaten on 59 decorated with eight fours and with him was Winston Forrester on 35. The pair joined forces at 28-1 when Manny Ford (7) was removed by Eworth Daniels and has so far shared in an unfinished 80-run partnership with their team needing another 71 runs for first innings points. Earlier, GCC won the toss and invited TSC to bat in bright sunshine after overnight and early morning rain delayed the start of play by three hours and they lost
Soopaul Sinclair is almost run out as Robin Bacchus’ throw misses the stumps at Bourda yesterday. two quick wickets with just some moisture. second boundary in the smashing him to midthree runs on the board. But as the scorching heat o v e r b e f o r e S i n c l a i r wicket boundary like a A f t e r C h a r w a y n e dried out the pitch and Singh survived a confident LBW bullet. McPherson (3) was caught and Sinclair tore into the new shout from Bacchus. However, Bacchus had behind off Skipper Bacchus ball pair with relish, the GCC The left-handed Singh the last laugh when Singh and Shemroy Kendall (0) Captain must have started to pulled Wade for four before missed an impetuous drive edged a catch to the Keeper question his decision. magnificently stroking off a slower ball and was off Joshua Wade to leave the Singh backed away and Bacchus back past his ankles bowled after facing just 30 score on 3-2, Bacchus must slap p e d Wa d e t o t h e and thumped him over mid- balls and reaching the have been pleased with his point boundary before off for boundaries. boundary seven times as the decision to insert the driving him gloriously Sinclair started shakily breakthrough finally came opposition on a track with through cover for his but his confidence increased with the score on 75-3. the longer he batted and he Rohan Lall skied leftsteered Wade for four as the arm spinner Anthony Adams 50 came up in the 10th over. for the bowler to hold the Wa d e i n s i s t e d o n return catch four runs later as bowling short on the flat Lall departed for a duck and track and was pulled the Bourda Boys were effortlessly for four before fighting back in their own latching on to Bacchus and backyard.
Devaugh Nandan dumped Adams onto the sightscreen before pounding him to the cover boundary. Sinclair was not to be left out as he swiveled and pulled Adams for four to bring up the 100 in 18 overs as TSC continued to score at a fast clip. Adams was roughed up by Sinclair with the lefthander smashing him for a couple of boundaries before Devon Lord, one of three left-arm spinners in the GCC side, bowled Nandan (14) and when left-arm spinner Ray Nannan sent back Sinclair two runs later, TSC had slipped to 116-6. Adrian Hinds (16) shared in a 39-run eight wicket stand with Junior Duncan (23) before Lord polished off the tail to finish with 4-35. He was supported by Bacchus (2-39), Nanan (238) and Adams (2-34). Today is the final day and play is scheduled to commence at 09:00hrs. The first day of the other game fixed for yesterday between DCC and GNIC was washed out without a ball being bowled at DCC. (Sean Devers)
Taylor’s batting slump continues SYDNEY, Australia (CMC) — Stafanie Taylor’s batting slump continued as her Sydney Thunder suffered their second straight loss in the Women’s Big Bash League with a 14-run defeat to Melbourne Stars under the Duckworth/Lewis method here Friday. Chasing a revised target of 64 off ten overs at the Sydney Cricket Ground, the hosts faltered at 49 for seven, w i t h o p e n e r Ta y l o r managing just two. Her opening partner Rachael Haynes top-scored with 20 but she was just one of two players reaching double figures as captain Alex Blackwell chipped in with 15. Their 30-run, thirdwicket stand pushed Thunder up to 45 for two in the ninth over, but in need of quick runs they lost their next five wickets for four runs as left-arm seamer Gemma Triscari picked up the second hat-trick of the Big Bash. She finished with four
Stafanie Taylor…picked up two for 20 from three overs. for 10 while seamer Natalie Sciver claimed two for nine. After a bright start to the
tournament, Taylor’s form has diminished with scores (Continued on page 65)
Sunday January 17, 2016
Kaieteur News
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Tough road ahead but GAWA carrying the ‘weights’ of development By Michael Benjamin 2015 was an eventful year for local sports with every discipline aspiring to supersede its adversaries. It was amidst such fierce competition and with the ‘weighty’ responsibilities of leading their charges that the executives of the Guyana Amateur Weightlifting A s s o c i a t i o n ( G AWA ) aspired to provide meaningful competition even amidst debilitating challenges. Deion Nurse had served as the Secretary of that entity but has since been elevated to the status of Honorary Life Member, while paving the way for his successor, Seon Erskine, to take up the mantle. Kaieteur Sport recently spoke with Mr. Nurse on the issues and challenges of administrators in their quest to strengthen the GAWA while creating opportunities for their charges. “We have been bogged down by financial issues but nonetheless, we have been
able to successfully address certain aspects of our itinerary,” Mr. Nurse replied to a question asked of him. He admitted that tournaments have been somewhat sparse and informed that the last tournament was staged at the Guyana National Service Sports Complex, Carifesta Avenue, in June last year where several schoolboys vied for honours. “We detected raw talent in that tournament that was perched for a grand takeoff provided it was nurtured,” said Mr. Nurse. He made special mention of Christopher John, a bright prospect that had won the prize for Best Lifter at the June tournament. However, GAWA executives were unable to pursue this goal since John, a student of the Guyana Industrial Training Centre, became engrossed in academic pursuits that precluded his participation in future competitions. “This is a regular occurrence w here our
stalwarts are forced to abort participation in the game in order to engage in other life defining activities and academic persuasions,” revealed Mr. Nurse. He also pointed out that many of the lifters had migrated to other countries thus creating a vacuum that is somewhat difficult to fill. At the moment, weightlifters ply their trade out of three institutions, The Michael P a r r i s F i tness Centre (MPFC) situated in the National Park, True F o u n d a t i o n i n We s t Ruimveldt and the Hardcore Gym. “Equipment is very expensive and we have had numerous challenges in acquiring these items for the various gyms and it is on this note that I’d wish to acknowledge the input of the Guyana Olympics Association (GOA),” said Mr. Nurse. He said that the Juman Yassin led organization has recently renovated the MPFC and has installed two
President of the GOA, Juman Yassin (4th R), joins Mr. Nurse (extreme R) and other officials at the handing over of the set of weights equipment.
weightlifting platforms along with much needed equipment. T h e G AWA a l s o benefitted from the intervention of the National Sports Commission (NSC) and Mr. Nurse revealed that executives of his entity has recently engaged Director of Sports, Christopher Jones, and discussed strategies t o w a r d s t h e s p o r t ’s
Bolt shocked by IAAF reports, against wiping records KINGSTON, Jamaica (Reuters) Six-times Olympic champion Usain Bolt said he felt shocked and let down by the scandal-hit IAAF, but the Jamaican sprinter was against resetting athletics world records as the sport attempts to move on from the doping crisis. T h u r s d a y ’s s e c o n d instalment of a World AntiDoping Agency (WADA) report slammed the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), accusing its former head, Lamine Diack, of running a clique that covered up organised doping and blackmailed athletes as senior officials looked the other way. The first part of the report by independent investigator Dick Pound, a former head of WADA, in November led to athletics superpower Russia being banned from competition for state-sponsored doping. Jamaican sprint king Bolt, the biggest name in athletics with a plethora of titles, records and commercial deals, said the
Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt shows his hands after making hand imprints during an event arranged by his sponsors in Mexico City, October 7, 2015. (Reuters/Edgard Garrido) IAAF had failed their athletes. “When I heard it was quite shocking for me to hear that because as far as I was concerned I think they were doing a good job to clean up the sport,” Bolt told Reuters in Kingston after collecting his sixth National Sportsman of the year award. “So for me to hear something like this was quite shocking and you feel let down as an athlete to be wanting to actually help clean up the sport, and then something like this to come up about the body. “It’s kind of a letdown, so hopefully there’s no such
thing, but we’ll see what happen (with the investigations).” Diack stepped down last year after 16 years leading the IAAF and was replaced by Briton Sebastian Coe. The Senegalese is already under formal investigation in France on suspicion of corruption and money laundering linked to the concealment of positive drug tests in concert with Russian officials and the blackmailing of the athletes to allow them to continue to compete. The reports noted that Diack “sanctioned and appeared to have had personal knowledge of the
fraud and the extortion of athletes carried out by the actions of the illegitimate governance structure he put in place”. UK Athletics (UKA) released “A Manifesto for Clean Athletics” on Monday, calling for world records to be wiped clean and drug cheats to be banned for at least eight years in radical proposals aimed at heralding in a new era for the sport. The 29-year-old Bolt, who set the 100 metre and 200m world records of 9.58 and 19.19 seconds in 2009 and shared in the 4x100m mark of 36.84secs in 2012, was against the proposal. “As far as I’m concerned it’s really pointless,” he said. “What’s done is done, you have to just move forward and try to make the upcoming championships and Olympics and the next (world) records as best as we can and just look forward to the future,” added the 11times world championship gold medallist. “You can’t worry about the past, but try to build on the future.”
development and the NSC’s input. “We have submitted a developmental proposal and from all indications, Mr. Jones is impressed; he’s approved the document and is now in the process of putting the modalities in place to address those c o n c e r n s , ” M r. N u r s e said. Additionally, GAWA officials will benefit from the chivalry of the International Weightlifting Association ( I WA ) i n ( t h e l a t t e r organization’s) drive to support the efforts of its affiliates worldwide. Recently, that entity had donated over US$15,000 worth of equipment including 4 new weightlifting sets with a total of 760kgs, 2 kids training bar (10kgs) and a commitment of further support in the near future. This gift will arrive in Guyana soon. Mr. Nurse said that this level of support was garnered after the parent body noted the hard work of the local association coupled with (Guyana’s) regular participation at (the IWA) congress over the last three years. Locally, executives are hoping to expand and encourage the inauguration of more clubs. “There is also a need to train additional coaches while expanding on the knowledge base of current ones,” said Mr. Nurse. When asked to rate the performance of the GAWA over the past year, Mr. Nurse r e p l i e d , “ We h a v e commenced the school programme and hope to continue along that line in the new dispensation.” He
said that his executives are cognizant of the benefits that can be derived while concentrating on development at the nursery level. “I would say that the GAWA executives have accomplished at least 60% of their objectives,’ he surmised. This is a new dispensation and Mr. Nurse s a i d t h a t t h e G AWA executive is currently fine tuning plans to field a team to the Pan-American Youth Championship in San Salvador, El Salvador, in April. Further, a team of administrators are preparing to attend the Electoral Congress scheduled for Santo Domingo February month end. Amidst the many ploys that will be initiated to push the fraternity forward, Mr. Nurse envisages that an incentive scheme may provide the answer. He said that the GAWA executives are currently toying with an idea where clubs and individuals could receive incentives for o u t s t a n d i n g performances. On that note he highlighted the work of Denoila Bristol, a young lifter attending St Roses High School who recently acquired a distinction in weightlifting at the Caribbean Examination C o u n c i l ( C X C ) examination. “These are the satisfying moments that encourage administrators to toil behind the development of the young lifters,” exhorted the former General Secretary.
t r o Sp ABSAA Project Managers set to arrive today
E-Networks 2nd Annual Cross Fitness Challenge set for March 13
Alex Bunbury
Marketing Manager of E-Networks Macaela Cameron (right) hands over the sponsorship cheque to Noshavyah King, one of the organisers of the E-Networks Cross Fitness Challenge, in the presence of Jordana Ramsay- Gonsalves and Jamie McDonald recently.
Brilliant Broad lifts England V Net Communications extends sponsorship to series win in S Africa to Paul
South Africa cricket team celebrates the dismissal of England’s Joe Root (R) who was caught out by Dane Vilas during the third cricket test match in Johannesburg, South Africa, January 16, 2016. (Reuters/Siphiwe Sibeko)
CEO of V Net communications Safraz Sheriffudeen (right) presents the gears to Keemo Paul prior to his departure for the ICC U19 World Cup.
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