Kaieteur News
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Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Adam Harris Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
EDITORIAL
After the celebrations, what? May 26, 2016 marked 50 years since Guyana gained its political independence from Britain. It was at midnight on May 26, 1966, when the Union Jack was lowered for the final time and the Golden Arrowhead was raised with grace for the first time above the newly independent Guyana. It was an historic and significant occasion in that it captured the imagination and spirit of Guyanese far and wide. It was also a solemn moment as tears streamed down the faces of many because they waited for a long time to release their patriotic feelings. And many became emotional when the National Anthem “Dear Land of Guyana” was played for the first time. Guyanese were proud of their leaders, the late Cheddi Jagan and Forbes Burnham who fought tirelessly for Guyana’s independence. Based on the lyrics by Abigail James “This is the day the Lord had made,” the tens of thousands who witnessed the raising of the Golden Arrowhead at the National Park on May 26, 1966 would agree that was indeed the day the Lord had made. It was a cool, simmering night in which everyone enjoyed the pageantry and performance of the armed forces; especially the soothing renditions of the national anthem. The people were definitely in good spirits as friends, relatives and even foes greeted one another. The raising of the Golden Arrowhead fifty years later at the newly built Jubilee Park (former D’Urban Park Race Course) was a euphoric moment for the more than 50,000 present. After more than a decade of turmoil and hopelessness experienced by many, a new day, indeed a new era has dawned on the Cooperative Republic of Guyana as the government honored many for their strength, courage and dedication to nationhood. Guyanese were ecstatic. The anniversary imbued a feeling of pride, selfconfidence, a sense of patriotism and a time for all to unite and live in peace and harmony. It also had a profound impact on the nation as it ended an era of greed, desperation vindictive and corrupt politics and heralded the transformation of a new society in scope and depth. Such transformation is evolving at an exponential rather than at a linear pace. This jubilee celebration ushered in an era of goodwill in which all must dedicate themselves to overcoming their differences, strive for unity and build a prosperous nation for a better life for all. Since independence, many changes, some for the worse, others for the betterment of the nation have taken place. As one of the original signatures of CARICOM and a prominent member of the Non-Aligned Movement, Guyana had demonstrated leadership and foresight as it serves this worthy cause to strengthen international and regional integration. The theme of the Jubilee Celebrations “Celebrate, Reflect and Inspire” has provided Guyanese the opportunity to rejoice on this landmark occasion and to appreciate the nation’s achievements and to work for change towards greater progress in the future. The process has already begun with the cleaning up of Georgetown and the restoration of its status as the Garden City. Many believe that the change that is about to take place in Guyana will fundamentally alter the way we live, work and relate to one another. The recent introduction of 4G technology speaks to the changing communication trends that will determine the kind of society that is likely to emerge in Guyana. While some progress has been made after 50 years, the country has not made the kind of progress that was expected. Education and health care have been in decline, the population is stagnant, illiteracy rate is up, the use of illegal drugs is rampant, and corruption is widespread. Honesty has replaced dishonesty within the political gambit. Today, the talents and skills that were there fifty years ago are no longer available and there is no plan in place to replenish those critical skills needed to develop the economy and move the country forward. But after the celebrations what?
Tuesday May 31, 2016
You mean 50 Years IN dependence? DEAR EDITOR; Guiana or Guyana - a femme fatale, she seemed - changed hands from the Dutch to the British, then to the French, and back to the Dutch, then British again, then Dutch once more, and then the British one final time during her 350-year colonial dominion. Quite the coveted prize she seemed, with breasts of lush forests and hips of abundant natural resources and potential. Unsatisfied with centuries of captivity, Guyana seemed to desire some alone time and selfdetermination. And after a persistent, convincing appeal, Britain agreed to let her enjoy conditional separation - a decree nisi. She became pregnant with political struggles and racial disease, but despite the complications, she gave birth to offspring adamant that her divorce should become final, and binding. On May 26, 1966, the decree
absolute was granted. The Union Jack was lowered, and the Golden Arrowhead hoisted. It marked the genesis of a new revelation. Fifty years onward, many questions have been asked about Guyana’s existence post-Britain; whether she had sought, prematurely, to journey on her own without the requisite preparation and resource foundation. Many have proffered strong, persuasive views that she would have been better off in her marriage with Britain. Others have offered the utopian philosophy that the feeling of selfness is of disproportionately greater satisfaction - despite many setbacks than the security of dependency. Whatever the proposition or opposition to her transition from dominion to self-determination, Guyana has been plagued by myriad challenges, principally among them racial divisiveness. Her development has been stymied
by lack of cohesion, lack of vision and an abundance of corruption. Fifty years have provided citizens of Guyana and the world an opportunity to appreciate how a beautiful entity of abundant resources and envied potential can be reduced to rubble and unimaginable ignominy; how divorce can lead to polygamy and promiscuity; how slavery can destroy with impunity perpetually. Guyana - for 50 years - has been a cesspool. She has begged and borrowed; aided and bailed out. She has struggled to fashion an identity her own. No, wait. Jonestown and Roger Khan have gained her notoriety; and a state of ‘dependency’ is her identity. Until social cohesion and true patriotism become the threads that w e a v e o u r n a t i o n a l t a p e s t r y, ‘independence’ will never truly be a Guyanese reality. May 26, 2016 is merely an ‘in-dependence’ jubilee. Alvin Doris.
Disagreements about Hindu culture in Guyana DEAR EDITOR, A rebuttal letter by Mr. Balbadhar was carried in the 5/23/16 CHRONICLE, referencing the Mother’s Day Festivities orchestrated by the youths of the Tuschen South Shiva Mandir, Tuschen, EBE, in response to my letter in SN 5/20/2106. What I found extraordinarily meretricious is Mr. Balbadhar’s attempt to extrapolate and adulterate two segments of my letter, in his most feeble attempt at redemptive rationalization, to wit: (1) He quoted: “Bollywood-themed songs were crooned by various artistes. To create a convivial atmosphere, a Bollywood video of songs and dances was shown as guests were filtering in.” Firstly,, lest the truth be distorted, if the crooned songs like “Your Mothers Love, “Sawan Ka Mahina Pawan Kare Soar,” “ Achi Achi Pyare Pyare Bole Wale Maa,” “ Usko Nahi Dekha,” and others of a similar genre were/are deemed sacrilegious in Balbadhar’s jaundiced view, I offer no apology. Secondly, a religious construct that may be apropos thirty years ago, may now be rendered obsolete. To explain further, Bollywood songs and video have exponentially proliferated Hindu, Christian and Muslims homes alike. If God, by any definition, is all seeing/ all knowing, then where is the
degeneration? Also, Mr. Balbadar, Sir, there was no dancing to any of the Bollywood songs crooned, including “Maa Teri Mamta Kitne Pyare.” “Also, Maa Teri Mamta” is of Bollywood origin !!!! With the exception of a few singers, notably Hari Om Sharan, Pradeep Kumar, Anuradha Paudwahl and Anup Jalota, MOST OF THE HINDU DEVOTIONAL BHAJANS ORIGINATED FROM THE INDIAN/ BOLLYWOOD FILM INDUSTRY. Your intended or unintended hypocrisy, Balbadhar, is most unfortunate. 2) Dancing took place in the Mandir. He again quoted: “As dinner tailed off, DJ music (sic) wafted through the air, and a few mothers swayed to the rhythmic beats.” AGAIN, exhibiting circumcised intelligence, Balbadhar omitted the word “SLOWLY” from the second extraction even though KN italicized the word for crystallized comprehension. All else being correct, I, again, offer no apology to Balbadhar, because a construct in his so called Hindu Organization that may be relevant thirty/forty years ago, may now be obsolete yet it’s irrelevancy is stubbornly denied by Balbadhar and his ilk. Mr. Balbadhar mentioned that his organization comprises of 21 acolytes, some still in training. Could you
publicly mention the name of one of the Teacher/Guru in possession of, at least, a Master’s or PhD. in Hindi or Sanskrit AND English from an accredited University AND is there a standardized exam at the end of the Chela’s (student) training? After-all, linguistically speaking, one must be able to read, comprehend, transliterate, analyze and deliver in the language of the masses, to effectively communicate and influence changes in Hinduism and/or Dharmic ways. In the absence of such, if you ask 100 lettered and unlettered folks about Hindu Dharma, you are sure to receive multiple interpretations- all correct in some ways, yet none definitive. Apparently, you are creating a “tempest in a teacup” either for political patronage or financial gain, or both, by attempting to hijack Hinduism in Guyana and force feeding your monopolistic ideas to the Hindu masses. This is the age of technology and information and the youngsters (65% of the population) are a savvy bunch and change agents, and will see through the antiquated smoke screened argument you proffered. On a personal note Mr. Balbadar, I attended two Hindu wakes in February, 2016, at Leonora, WCD. You were present at both, but, lo and behold, I was mystified as to why you were decked in a polo necked T-shirt and jeans and not the traditional “Pandit” Kurta and Dhoti or Kurta/Pajama, when (Continued on page 23)
DEAR EDITOR; Dana Seetahal is a household name in the region. She was a member of a commission of inquiry in Guyana a few years ago, a outstanding jurist, a law lecturer and Senator, who was gunned down in Port of Spain four years ago. Charges against 14 persons who were charged under the Anti Gang Act were dismissed on Friday because they were
bad in law. Ironically the magistrate used the text book Caribbean Practice and Procedure written by Seetahal as the authority to dismiss the charges. Fortunately all of them except one are facing murder charges and are remanded to prison. The DPP office admitted to laying the charges indictably as opposed to summarily as prescribed by legislation and sought
leave to amend which was denied by the magistrate on the ground that the amendment would be prejudicial to the accused. Magistrate Cedano in her excellent ruling called on Parliament to review the gang legislation, as she said there was a mix up in varying sentences for the two trial processes, as summary trials carry lesser penalty. Oscar Ramjeet
The irony in the Seethal murder trial
Tuesday May 31, 2016
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Kaieteur News
An open letter to all Pastors/ The time Rohan Kanhai Church leaders in Guyana was dropped
DEAR EDITOR; Perusal of recent letters to the Editor has left me with the impression that the majority of the population tend to believe that we can fix the country by putting the right politicians into power, or by implementing certain economic or social reforms. Let’s face it; the reality of the matter is that our problems go much farther than that. Yes, a moral collapse is gnawing away at the foundations of our society like cancer, and if it continues like it is, unchecked it will inevitably destroy Guyana. Sadly, however, fixing moral decay is by far much more difficult than switching out political parties, because it is in the hearts of so many individual Guyanese. In addition, the truth be told most people do not want to hear anything about a moral collapse because every day Guyanese like to think and believe that things are well on the way to change, and will even continue to improve further once our fiftieth celebration is over. If we are honest with ourselves we see the evidence of this moral collapse all around us every day. Let us look at some of the news stories that we have seen recently · What would cause youths to premeditate and
cause a young first-time visitor, the British teen Dominic Bernard to lose his life in such a cruel manner? · What would cause a 15 year old female to participate in the murder of Dellon Bardford a father of three? · What would cause a high school kid to stab his peer on the school premises. · What would cause a 17 year old to round up her crime posse of four other teenagers, one female as young as fifteen to carry out the robbery/ murder of Guyana- born American University professor, Perry Mars? · What would cause an adult to sodomize his two year old baby niece? · What would cause two teenage girls to lure 64-yearold Roger Manikam to the kitchen of his Non Pareil, East Coast home where a boyfriend of one of the girls chopped the pensioner with an axe? One of the teens also confessed to helping in the murder. · What would cause someone to kill Wesley Holder called “ Oraysha” a male commercial sex worker, and leave his body in St. Phillips Green compound. · What would cause a father of three from Region Six (East-BerbiceCorentyne) sexually molest a 17 month old baby girl.
· What would cause an adult to not only have unprotected sex with a 13 year old minor but also impregnate her, forcing her to give birth to premature twins? There are a lot of people who still regard these kinds of stories as isolated incidents, lost in the glitter and glamour of a country currently on the verge of celebrating fifty years of independence from British rule. But then again, who’s being fooled? Do not be fooled they are actually representative of a much larger trend. Like it or leave it. Believe it or not! As a society, we are decaying from the inside out, and we need to start facing the truth if we are ever going to get this turned around. Here are a few more facts about the moral collapse of Guyana that may seem too farfetched to believe. · Guyana has the fourth highest murder rate in South America (behind Venezuela, Colombia, and Brazil). Guyana’s murder rate is three times higher than that of the United States. · The murder weapons of choice are handguns, knives, machetes, or “cutlasses” · Regarding teen pregnancy Guyana has the second highest rate in both the Caribbean and South (Continued on page 23)
Donald Ramotar must answer these questions DEAR EDITOR, It was with both seriousness and amusement that one read the recent letter (Stabroek News 27/5/ 2016) by former PPP President Donald Ramotar. The title of the letter was, “Guyana can prosper if democracy is the foundation of government”. No one can disagree with the title of his letter. However, we have several questions for him. If Mr. Ramutar believes so much in democracy then; (i) Why does his party believe in Communism, the antithesis of democracy? (ii) Why did the PPP in-
sist on monopolizing all political power in Guyana during the past 23 years? (iii) Why does his party believe, like Stalinists and the worst kind of Communist, that power comes through the barrel of a gun? (iv) Why did the PPP deny the people of Guyana democracy, in the form of Local Government Elections, for the past two decades including while he was the President? (v) Why did the PPP insist on denying the citizens of Guyana (such as the residents of Linden but not only those citizens) freedom of ac-
cess to information, and essential condition for a functioning democracy? (vi) Will the PPP work with the APNU-AFC to ensure that the vestiges of Communist/Socialist ideologies are removed from the Constitution of Guyana, and that an instrument is created which is truly the foundation of a functioning democracy? Ivor Carryl
DEAR EDITOR; I read the article on part of the playing life of Rohan Kanhai, one of most superlative batsmen who ever graced the playing fields of the world. I thank the writer of the article for taking us back to the years of super enjoyment and support with pictures of that era. It seems like yesterday that Kanhai was improvising his shots and falling on his back at the completion of the stroke; there is no doubt that Kanhai must be one of the most exhilarating and exiting cricketers Guyana has produced. But like many other older folks I seek information and or correction from the ones who have been analyz-
ing this great game as to whether Kanhai really retired after the drawn series with England in 1974. I vividly remember that West Indies won the first Test and lost the fifth, both at Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad and Tobago. From my memory too, Kanhai was dropped for his poor performance with the bat. It is to be noted that Kanhai for once did not score a fifty, his highest being 49 at Bourda, and I believe he was bowled by Tony Greig in that rain-ruined game; I was there at that game. By the time the next series with India came around, the selectors named a new captain, Clive Lloyd, and rightly so, with an almost brand new
team which proved in years to come to be world beaters. I thought that the writer should have highlighted the fact that when Kanhai took over from the great Garfield St Aubyn Sobers, the West Indies had not won a Test in twenty matches. He did mention the two nil loss to the touring Australians in 1973, and the series win in England later that year where he scored his first Test hundred in England. That series brings back memories: Sobers’ hundred in partnership with Kanhai and Bernard Julien’s century. My main point though is that Rohan Kanhai did not retire, he was dropped, and as the writer mentioned he was recalled to play in the final in the first World Cup and made 55 not out. Ivan John
Audit the City Council; you will find corruption DEAR EDITOR; So City Hall is broke once again! I hope no one is surprised. The gravy train with the biscuit wheels had to grind to a halt sometime. Now they owe the contractors except for one who is very close to a senior administrator, so soon there will be garbage everywhere. They owe the security company that was not needed in the first place, but which was given a contract to supply over sixty guards to locations where the City Constabulary should have been posted instead of harassing vendors, without going through a tender process. They owe the Guyana Revenue authority and the National Insurance Scheme whilst putting up grand but
unnecessary edifices on Merriman’s Mall. They owe the workers who have not been paid in time for the 50th Independence celebrations. What a shame and disgrace. They owe the Power and Water Companies, yet they have adorned the Stabroek Market with hundreds of bulbs further carrying up the electricity bill. How unintelligent. All of this is happening and yet the promised forensic audit has not yet started. Does the government not yet understand according to Murphy’s law “things will go wrong in any given situation at City Hall, if you give them a chance,” or more commonly, “whatever can go wrong, will go wrong at the Georgetown
City Council”? And that is because the administration there is run by incompetence, corruption, nepotism, favouritism and cronyism. Will the Government continue to fiddle while Georgetown burns? Kindly do something. Carry out an audit, remove the incompetent and corrupt administration, in fact have a commission of inquiry about City Hall for the last 21 years. Deodarie Putulall
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Tuesday May 31, 2016
Kaieteur News
COI ordered as teen buried alive in another mine cave-in
FILE PHOTO: Rescuers remove a dead mining worker from a pit cave-in last year in Region Eight.
Minister Simona Broomes Safety in mining operations has again come under the spotlight with the death of a teenager. According to the Ministry of Natural Resources yesterday, it is with “deep regret” that it learnt of the unfortunate mining pit accident which resulted in the death of 18year old Ramal Williams.
Police reported that about 18:00hrs on Sunday, Williams of 58 Miles, Mabura Road, was working in a mining pit at Konawaruk Backdam, Potaro, Region Eight, when it allegedly collapsed. The teen was trapped. “Every effort was made to rescue and resuscitate Mr. Williams, but despite these
efforts, he was pronounced dead on arrival at the Mahdia Hospital. Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, Honorable Simona Broomes has been tasked by Minister of Natural Resources, Honourable Raphael Trotman, to immediately visit the area to ascertain the circumstances leading to the death of the miner.” The team will also include representatives from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC). “A Committee of Inquiry (COI) will also be launched to fully investigate the matter within 72 hours. The Ministry expresses its condolences to the family, colleagues, and
friends of Mr. Williams.” Mining deaths took front burner last year after 10 mining workers were killed on May 17 in Mowasie, Potaro, in one of the worst accidents in recent times. The new administration immediately ordered a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) with a report that came to light last September revealing that 25 deaths had been recorded from 16 accidents within the previous 12 months. Among the findings were that the principal causes of pit failure accidents were the neglect of safe mining practices, as well as shortcuts being taken in a bid to grab as much gold, in the shortest time possible. From 2010 to 2015, a total of 62 miners, particularly young men, have died in the industry. It was found that there was an absence of controls
to make the mining wall area safe when miners washed the ore. This was coupled with the fact that a lot of miners were practicing shortcuts including the non-removal of overburden (waste earth deposited from digging operation), contributed to the mining pit collapses. In addition, there was an absence of proper entry and exit points to the mine, making it almost impossible to safely escape when there is danger. The report described the current operator-inspection system for wall cracks and instability as “woefully inadequate” since there was a lack of experience with mining pit requirements. Among the recommendations put out of the COI findings to address this shortcoming was for operators to
receive more “robust” guides and predictive tools. In addition, the report noted, engineering support must be mandatory for these operations in order for it to even be continued. Another recommendation was for all operations using earth moving equipment to file a plan. Noting that it is not enough for operators to just go out and dig, the report observed that plans must include everything- location of waste/overburden, tailings management plan, camp and other infrastructure around the mine. The COI last year was chaired by Dr. Grantley Walrond with its membership comprised of representatives from the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) and the Ministry of Social Protection.
PM’s office fires embattled West Berbice representative The Office of the Prime Minister yesterday announced that it has terminated with immediate effect, the services of Abel Seetaram as Regional Representative of the Office Prime Minister for Region Five (West Berbice). According to the statement from the office, an announcement with regard to the operations of the Office for the Regional Representative of the Prime Minister for Region Five will be made shortly. The statement said that Office of the Prime Minister thanks the representative for his services during the period of his engagement and “extends best wishes to him in his future endeavours”. In recent weeks, Seetaram came under fire after a vehicle he was driving ended in a late night accident in Berbice. He ended up the hospital. He refuted reports that he was intoxicated at the time of the accident. This week also, a Facebook posting he allegedly made, criticised the Government. However, Seetaram claimed that his account was hacked. In those Facebook postings, Seetaram claimed that he wanted to go public and that the Alliance For Change rigged elections in 2016. He allegedly claimed that he was not invited to his party’s recent outreach in Region Five, where he was located. Seetaram was one of several persons appointed by the Office of the Prime Minister to take complaints from residents and report back for further actions.
Fired: Abel Seetaram
Tuesday May 31, 2016
Kaieteur News
China’s Xi says hopes to get Philippines ties back on track (Reuters) - China hopes to get relations with the Philippines back on track, President Xi Jinping has told new Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, after ties were affected by an increasingly bitter spat over territorial claims in the South China Sea. Xi sent a message to Duterte late yesterday congratulating him on his formal election victory, and said the two countries had a long history of friendly exchanges and a deep traditional friendship, China’s Foreign Ministry said. “The friendly, stable and healthy development of SinoPhilippine relations accords with the basic interests of both countries and both peoples,” Xi was quoted as saying in the ministry statement. Both countries had the responsibility to deepen cooperation, he said. “(I) hope both sides can work hard to push Sino-Phil-
Chinese President Xi Jinping ippine relations back onto a healthy development track,” Xi said. China and the Philippines are locked in a territorial dispute in the South China Sea, a strategic waterway through which $5 trillion worth of ship-borne trade passes every year. Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims. Tension between the Phil-
ippines and China has risen as an international tribunal in the Hague prepares to deliver a ruling in the next few months in a case lodged by Manila in 2013. The Philippines is seeking a clarification of United Nations maritime laws that could undermine China’s claims to 90 percent of the South China Sea. China has rejected the court’s authority.
Netanyahu says willing to discuss Arab initiative for peace with Palestinians (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held out the prospect yesterday of reviving a 2002 Arab peace initiative that offers Israel diplomatic recognition from Arab countries in return for a statehood deal with the Palestinians. Netanyahu’s comments were a formal response to a speech last week by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah alSisi, who promised Israel warmer ties if it accepted efforts to resume peace talks. “The Arab peace initiative includes positive elements that can help revive constructive negotiations with the Palestinians,” Netanyahu said, echoing comments he made a year ago to Israeli reporters. “We are willing to negotiate with the Arab states revisions to that initiative so that it reflects the dramatic changes in the region since 2002 but maintains the agreed goal of two states for two peoples,” he added. His comments were made also in English in a speech that was mostly in Hebrew - a device Netanyahu often uses when he wants to make a statement to the international community. Netanyahu spoke moments after ultra nationalist Avigdor Lieberman was sworn in as
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Israel’s new defense minister and Israel’s fragile right-wing coalition gained vital support in parliament. Lieberman concurred and Netanyahu appeared to indicate that the new far-right defense minister’s inclusion in the government did not spell an end to peace efforts with the Palestinians. The original Arab plan offered full recognition of Israel but only if it gave up all land seized in the 1967 Middle East war and agreed to a “just solution” for Palestinian refugees. But in 2013, after the initiative’s terms were softened to include possible land swaps between Israel and the Palestinians, Netanyahu signaled a readiness to consider it. Previous attempts to engage the adversaries have come to nought. The Palestinians say Israeli settlement expansion denies
them a viable state they seek in the occupied West Bank, the Gaza Strip and a capital in Arab East Jerusalem. Israel has demanded tighter security measures from the Palestinians and a crackdown on militants who have attacked or threaten the safety of Israeli citizens. In the last half year, Palestinian attacks have killed 28 Israelis and two visiting U.S. citizens. Israeli forces have shot dead at least 195 Palestinians, 134 of whom Israel has said were assailants. Others were killed in clashes and protests. France is set to host a peace conference of to revive peace efforts on June 3 with the participation of ministers from the Middle East Quartet - the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations - the Arab League, the U.N. Security Council and about 20 countries.
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Tuesday May 31, 2016
Tuesday May 31, 2016
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Kaieteur News
Publish scholarships that were ducked - Rohee to Seelall Persaud Former Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee, is refuting assertions by current Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud that while in Government, he ‘ducked’ invitations Guyana received for overseas training for members of its police force. According to Rohee, who took Persaud on during his party’s weekly press conference at Freedom House yesterday, rather than make an accusation that he has not substantiated, Persaud ought to publish whatever information he has at his disposal including information on who were denied opportunities. “It is totally inaccurate, and I debunk it. It is a falsehood,” a vehement Rohee said. “We were sending lots of people abroad. And then I turned to the Permanent Secretary –the deceased Angela Johnson- (and said) but we are not publicizing it.” According to Rohee, an agreement was reached with the now dead Permanent Sec-
retary to publicize the event, whenever a police rank or a group of ranks were traveling abroad to participate in training. However, he claimed that some media houses were not publicizing these events, Pointing out what may have gone wrong in some in-
The administration of the Guyana Police Force is being asked to probe the prevalence of theft of gasoline from its depots around the country.
Kaieteur News understands that the pilfering of gasoline is becoming increasingly widespread, as it is being perpetrated by both
stances, the General Secretary stated that sometimes the invitation would arrive late or there would be a protracted process to select someone to go on training. However, he was adamant that he had a good recollection of who went where and
that there must be a paper trail dating back from those days. “If Mr. Persaud is serious about what he is saying, then he should go into the records of the Force Headquarters and publish all of those fully funded scholarships, which he said were ducked at the Ministry of Home Affairs. And then we will see fact from fiction.” Asked about whether there was a rift between himself and Persaud, Rohee would only say that he would “write about it in his memoirs.” Persaud had recently stated that current police successes can be attributed to increased training opportunities. He had also lambasted Rohee for stymieing the training process of officers when he was Home Affairs Minister. “You know how many fully-funded courses we lost because he (Rohee) didn’t like who was recommended for the course? He did not process them. We needed cabinet approval to leave the
country to attend these courses, and they were all stuck at his Ministry,” Persaud told Kaieteur News. He said that in many cases he had to be following up requests for approval for overseas training with Rohee, but by the time the approval came,
the courses would have already started. According to Persaud, in his 31-year-career in the Guyana Police Force, the organization met its lowest ebb under Rohee’s stewardship as the political head of local law enforcement.
junior and senior ranks. For expediency sake, the police force has established fuel depots at several of its locations to facilitate the fueling up of official police vehicles. According to a senior police officer, the personal vehicles of ranks are prohibited from refueling at these depots.
However, within recent weeks, it was observed that ranks are circumventing the system and are illegally accessing fuel from these depots. While some are being done clandestinely, others can be seen openly refueling their personal vehicles with fuel allocated to the Force. The latest cases of pilfering have been occurring
in Berbice at the Central Police Station, the headquarters of the Police B Division. And according to a source, the perpetrators are mainly senior ranks. “They would hang us if we are caught taking gasoline from the depot,” a junior rank told this newspaper. Kaieteur News was told that the matter in Berbice was
brought to the attention of the force’s administration before but nothing was done. However, a senior police official informed that the practice of fueling up police vehicles at some police depots was discontinued because of pilfering by ranks. In Georgetown, most police vehicles have to go to the Guyoil fuel station to refuel.
Commissioner of Police, Seelall Persaud
Former Home Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee
Fuel theft increasing at police depots Dem boys seh...
Bring out de hang man from retirement Dem boys know bout crime but dem can’t even imagine a crime like this. Not even Fine Man who chop off Gurple head was so bad. At least people believe that Gurple do something to Fine Man. De only crime worse than this one was de one wheh dem soldiers kill de boy going to Bartica wid a box of money. Dem did throw de man in de whirlpool in de river, tek dem boat and keep circling him to see when de water gun suck him under. When he wasn’t going down dem shoot him and watch him sink. Wha mek this killin de worse in dem boys book is because military people got to protect everybody. This set corner five fisherman, throw de captain overboard, tek de other four and use dem to rob two other boat and fetch de goods over to dem boat. When dem done dem tie up de four to de anchor of de boat and dump dem overboard. One stick in a fishing net. Dem boys seh de Man above don’t sleep. He mek de captain survive to tell de tale. Dem boys want ask Soulja Bai to hand over dese uncaring murderers to dem. If not, at least try dem in town in front Justice Navindra Singh and bring de hang man out of retirement. Dem boys notice that this whole pirate thing begin under Jagdeo. Is he create de condition. From small he use to go to Mahaica foreshore and tek way fish from dem poor fisherman. That is how this pirate thing start. Today it get out of hand. Dem boys notice that Jagdeo never visit any of dem people who family lost dem love ones to pirates. Dem hope that he don’t mek de mistake and go to anybody this time. No man’s life, property or liberty is safe once Jagdeo and Joe ShanL is around. You very safe wid Donald Dumb and Sam Blind. Soulja Bai is a good bai too and de people who safe is all dem crooks wha de audit expose. Talk half and join dem boys in saying a li’l prayer fuh dem fishermen and dem families.
A rank refueling a personal vehicle from the fuel depot at the Central Police Station, New Amsterdam.
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Tuesday May 31, 2016
Kaieteur News
=== The Freddie Kissoon column ===
50 years of the Over-Developed State It is more than sad; it is downright tragic that Guyana is a pathetic example of intellectual vacuity. One must give credit to the late founder of the Stabroek News, David de Caires. To galvanize intellectual debate, he spearheaded a committee to landscape the Camp Street Avenue that runs from Church to Quamina Streets. When this was done, he used the nicely spruced up avenue which now accommodated (permanent) seating arrangements as the venue for weekly alfresco discussion
on a wide range of topics. When he died, his attempt to resuscitate polemical exchanges died with him. Guyana is such an intellectually barren wasteland. This must be the only country in the world where you open the newspapers and there isn’t even a paragraph of a public comment from a university academic on something in the country that is creating nation-wide interest. You pick up the newspapers for most countries, and you will find some academic from some discipline making
Cyclist killed, biker injured in WBD crash A 43-year-old pedal cyclist was killed and a 19-year-old biker injured in an accident at L’Heurese Public Road, Canal Number One, West Bank Demerara. Police identified the dead man as Godfrey Forte, of Lot 21 Inner Bagotville, West Bank Demerara. The injured cyclist was identified as Nial Persaud, of La Parfaite Harmonie, West Coast Demerara. According to reports, Forte was cycling west along the L’ Heurese Public Road, when he suddenly swerved on the roadway. Persaud, who was riding some distance behind, slammed into Forte, and both men were hurled onto the road. Forte was pronounced dead on arrival at the West Demerara Regional Hospital, while Persaud was admitted to the same hospital with injuries to his head, chest and back.
a public comment. Read the Barbadian or Trinidadian or Jamaican newspapers and the UWI lecturers are always voicing their opinions on some topic or the other. There are literally two UG lecturers that offer polemical interventions publicly. One is Sherwood Lowe who ironically is not a social scientist but an engineer but he does write on social issues. The other is Dr. Thomas Singh, an economist. If we had a living academic culture, Guyanese would have been educated by now in the concept of the Over-Developed State. I have written about this theory which is a brilliant analysis of post-colonial counties many times in my columns and for those who missed those pieces I will briefly describe it once more. For me, it is the most relevant paradigm to use to understate the 50-year absence of democracy and the 50-year mistreatment of the poorer classes. Birthed by the Pakistani political theorist, Hamza Alavi, in the early seventies, it posits that the State in postcolonial lands carries out the same coercive, non-demo-
cratic functions in post-Independence societies as it did in the colonial era. But there is a special dimension to the post-colonial state that is of special interest to Third World people. It is its over-developed nature. What is meant by overdeveloped? Alavi wrote that the colonial government was a stranger in a territory that disliked it and wanted it removed. The colonial government then invested in a large state machinery to protect colonial interest, protect the physical colonial society and to intimidate the local population. When Independence came, that large state with its brutal functions was retained by the post-colonial elites. Alavi used the term “overdeveloped” because in terms of population, size and economy, the state machinery in the newly independent countries was too large. It had to be large in colonial times because the governor and his officials were afraid but after Independence, small states poor in economy and small in population didn’t need such extensive state machinery. Under President Burnham,
you had an expanding army, a uniformed National Service, the People’s Militia, the police and the youth arm of the ruling PNC had to do select military training. And another layer was added to the Judiciary which other CARICOM countries do not have. Apart from the Chief Justice, we have a Chancellor of the Judiciary The Over-Developed State in Guyana never went when the Governor and his entourage departed Guyana and the Union Jack was replaced. The Over-Developed State swung into action after 1966 and it has been in action since then and by then, I mean right up to May 31, 2016. Some of its victims included Walter Rodney, Ohene Koama, Dr. Josh Ramsammy, Father Bernard Darke, Vincent Teekah, “Sash” Sawh, Ronald Waddell, Courtney CrumEwing, Mark Benschop, Oliver Hinckson, Carol and Bruce Munroe, and Leonard Wharton. The list here consists of those who were murdered and those charged and jailed for their political activism. I have left out state brutality directed at critics either
Frederick Kissoon through employment termination, dismissal, libel and legal harassment, discrimination, and physical attacks. Sadly, the poor is always the most pitiful causality of the Over-Developed State. As I stated in my last Saturday column, my opinion and belief is that central government directed the City Council to evict those three hundred vendors from Stabroek Market Square so the Golden Jubilee float parade could have moved off from there. The celebrations for the Golden Jubilee have demonstrated with acute, graphic and vivid visibility that after fifty years of sovereignty the State is incompetent and cannot organize anything, even a little parade. What it is perfect at is the organizing and use of power. That is all the Over-Developed State can do.
Tuesday May 31, 2016
PAGE 11
Kaieteur News
GMC audit report…
Engineer insists he had too little time to oversee construction By Jarryl Bryan The Engineer at the center of what was described as collusion in the construction of the Guyana Marketing Corporation’s (GMC) Guyana Shop and Head Office - highlighted in a recently released forensic audit report into the agency - has stepped forward to give his side of what transpired. Engineer Hanniel Madramootoo, who was assigned by the Ministry of Agriculture to oversee the work of Trinidad contracting firm Constantine Engineering and Construction Services on the building, conceded that his workload would have impacted his ability to fulfill his mandate. He stated that because of instructions given by the then Director of the Agriculture Sector Development Unit (ASDU) and the contractor’s inexperience, “It was obvious that the work would not be of the best quality.” “When the construction got underway I was asked to overlook the project,” he said yesterday. “However given my workload at ASDU, clear instructions were given by the Director of ASDU at that time, (that I) should only be spending (time) on projects for external agencies (such as GMC, NAREI, etc.) after 16:30hrs and on weekends.” “Nevertheless, every attempt was made to have the project completed satisfactorily, although this did not happen,” Madramootoo claimed. “Defective work was identified and payments were withheld from the contractor, which subsequently led to him leaving the job as he was unable to remedy the defects.” The engineer stated that the defects that he identified at the time were a leaking roof and the wrong type of wood used for the internal walls.
Ministry of Agriculture Engineer Hanniel Madramootoo
The Guyana Marketing Corporation building at Alexander and Robb Streets
This, he claimed, led to a sum of $1.6M being withheld from the contactor. According to Madramootoo, the change in ceiling material was a decision that was taken in collaboration with GMC’s management, from a technical standpoint. This is a point of contention that the auditor was unable to confirm, as nothing in his examinations or the contract indicated that such a decision was taken. Madramootoo also denied that old zinc sheets were used on the roof, but admitted that a few of the sheets were placed badly and had to be removed and repositioned, which he said led to holes in those sheets. “With regard to the problem of peeling paint in certain areas,” he said, “No such problem existed at the time up to the end of the defects liability period. As such I cannot be held responsible for that.” “With regard to the flaking of concrete, the only area where this occurred that I know about is in the vicinity of the generator which was as a result of the generator ex-
haust being bolted to the masonry wall which was not designed for the vibration from the generator.” CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS Back in 2011 the contract had been awarded, through the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), to Constantine Engineering and Construction Services of Trinidad and Tobago. It is understood that Hanniel Madramootoo, an engineer from the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), was also assigned to oversee the construction of the building. In forensic auditor, Saykar Boodhoo’s report, it was noted that throughout the building, located at Robb and Alexander Streets, substandard work was evident. For instance, the auditor stated that the wood used to con-
struct the internal walls was poorly manufactured, while the concrete walls were chipping, with paint peeling and falling off the walls. “Within a few months after the building was handed over to GMC, there were leaks throughout the building via the roof,” the auditor stated. “A contractor (had to be) hired by GMC to repair the roof.” The auditor had also detailed that old lumber and old zinc sheets with euroband were in fact used to construct the roof of the building. This,
the auditor said, is despite the bill of quantities for the contract stipulating greenheart lumber be used for the building’s roof, and that PVC panels be used for the ceilings. Boodhoo, in his findings, had recommended that Hanniel Madramootoo, the engineer who reportedly served as GMC’s ‘eyes and ears’ while he carried out the work, not only be fired from the Ministry of Agriculture, but also be blacklisted from performing functions on behalf of Government. He had
also recommended criminal proceedings. “The police should be called in to investigate the fraud of using incorrect materials and fraudulent billing for the construction of the building,” the auditor had stated. “Since payments (to Constantine Engineering) were made based on certification made by Madramootoo, he should be charged criminally and brought before the courts for his participation in conducting fraud against the Government of Guyana.”
PAGE 12
Tuesday May 31, 2016
Kaieteur News
New code of conduct to govern MPs, public servants The APNU+AFC government is looking at the possibilities of amending the Integrity Commission Act to include the newly developed Code of Conduct. Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, yesterday handed the document over to Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo. The simple handing over ceremony was held at the Prime Minister’s Office located within the Compound of the Ministry of the Presidency. In May last year, Nagamootoo appointed a committee to review and strengthen the draft code of Conduct. Trotman, who at that time served as Minister of Governance, was asked to head that committee. Members of that special committee included Simone Ramlall, Dela Britton, Tamara
Khan, Carlyle Goring, Darlene Christian and Sasha Rajkumar. The Committee took one year to complete its work with the first meeting being held on the 1st, April and the last on the 13, May. Handing over the document, Trotman still described it as a “draft.” He said that the decision was made at the first meeting to request the assistance of the Office of the Integrity Commission in acquiring broad based public feedback. A notice was placed in the four public newspapers inviting public feedback both by physical and electronic delivery. Trotman said that given the apparent high public interest on the matter, the committee was expecting to be flooded with hundreds of recommendations. However, he said the committee received just about 12 proposals. Nev-
ertheless, Trotman said that all proposals were examined and considered. He said that members of the Commission approached the task with alacrity and interest. The Minister said that members reviewed similar documents that exist in Africa, Europe and other parts of the Caribbean. He said that the experiences of those in other parts of the world were considered. Trotman said that the Code is now ready to be used to regulate the lives of all Members of Parliament and holders of public office. Nagamootoo reminded that Cabinet had examined the first draft. He said that it was then circulated to interested parties including the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) and the Guyana Press Association. He said that recommendations were subsequently sent to Cabinet. Nagamootoo told the media of plans to expand the Integrity legislation so as to include the Code of Conduct. The Prime Minister noted that the Integrity Commission Act provides for declaration and justification of assets in
the name of persons who hold public Office. He said that his government thinks that the Act should be broadened to include prescriptions of the Code of Conduct. The Prime Minister said that he will be looking to send the document he received from Trotman to the Chief Parliamentary Counsel for legal advice as to whether or not the draft Code can be incorporated as an amendment to the legislation. Nagamootoo said that the purpose of this would be to have one consolidated law and give full strength to the Code. He further stated, “If you incorporate this with the law then it must be with the intention of having it enforced.” Nagamootoo said that there is no timeframe as to when the Code would be incorporated in the existing law. He said that expediency is not his concern; his concern lies with the “integrity of the process” of having it become enforceable law. Asked about the use of the Code of Conduct during the period before it becomes law, Trotman told the media
From left: Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo receives Code of Conduct from Minister Raphael Trotman that any Minister who violates the Code will be sanctioned by President David Granger or Prime Minister Nagamootoo. The media was not given
copies of the code. Members of the media were told that the document will eventually be public. (Abena Rockcliffe-Campbell)
Five years later…
Former NBS Manager’s wrongful dismissal case nears end After some five years in the courts, the legal drama involving former Manager Maurice Arjoon of the New Building Society Limited (NBS) and the financial institution may be nearing its end. Arjoon, a former Chief Executive Officer, (CEO) of NBS had sued the financial institution for wrongful termination and for withholding of Pension after allegations of fraud were brought against him. Along with Kissoon Baldeo, 38, of 86 Zeeburg, West Coast Demerara (Assistant Mortgage Manager of NBS); and Kent Vincent of 1247 Canje Pheasant Lane, South Ruimveldt (Operations Manager); Arjoon had been accused of conspiracy to defraud the NBS of $69M. That court case has been protracted over the past five years with only four witnesses listed to testify; Arjoon and three defence witnesses, including Director of the New Building Society Limited (NBS) Seepaul Narine. Narine, also General Secretary of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU), is expected to be last witness in the matter.
Dismissed CEO of NBS, Maurice Arjoon He testified before Justice Brassington Reynolds at the Georgetown Supreme Court, yesterday. His evidence was led by Attorney at law Ashton Chase, (S.C). In his evidence, the witness essentially told the Court that Arjoon had been invited to several meeting with the board to discuss issues relating to the matter but he did not attend. The NBS Board Director claimed that the Board then
met and determined what course of action should be taken against the then CEO. On August 14 of that year, Narine said that he was at a fully attended NBS Board meeting when a decision was taken to dismiss Mr Arjoon. Asked specifically by his Attorney whether the Board‘s decision to dismiss Mr. Arjoon was spilt, he replied, “It was a unanimous decision.” Narine then stated that the reason for Arjoon’s dismissal was negligence. The Director was also asked if Arjoon had been a contributor to the pensions fund at NBS. He responded in the affirmative, but noted that the Board decided that Arjoon’s pension would have been decided after his indebtedness to the Society had been settled. He said, however, that the Board could not proceed with this course of action since Arjoon had filed immediate legal proceedings against the Board. There was several objections by Arjoon‘s Attorney, Edward Luckhoo (S.C) during yesterday’s proceedings.
Director of NBS Seepaul Narine Luckhoo objected to tendering of evidence he labeled ‘hearsay ‘or ‘opinion evidence’ given its third party nature and content. There was some amount of back and forth between the two Attorneys but in the end Luckhoo’s objections were upheld by Justice Reynolds. The matter subsequently came to an adjournment with Luckhoo yet to cross-examine the witness. He is expected to question Narine at the next hearing on the case (Continued on page 24)
Tuesday May 31, 2016
PAGE 21
Kaieteur News
Gold miner refused bail Essequibo rapist still at large on intent to commit murder charge A 26-year-old gold miner was remanded to prison on a charge of intent to commit murder, after he made an appearance before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan yesterday, in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. It is alleged that on May 24, last, at Komung Landing, Puruni, Samuel Boucher of South Ruimveldt Park, Georgetown with intent to commit murder, wounded Shanella Rodrigues. The unrepresented man was not required to plead to the indictable charge. Police Prosecutor, Inspector Neville Jeffers told the court that the accused and complainant are known to each other. He said that Rodrigues operates a shop in the area where the incident occurred. According to the Prosecutor, on the day in question, the woman and the accused were involved in an argument over money Boucher had owed her. It was during this exchange that she was injured. Jeffers strongly opposed bail for the accused citing the fact that the victim is still hospitalized. His objections were upheld by the Magistrate, who refused to grant bail to the accused and transferred the matter to the Bartica Magistrate’s Court for June 15.
Supenaam residents in particular are becoming worried about the fate of other vulnerable women now that the man who brutally raped a young Supenaam mother of two remains at large. Residents have concluded that the individual in question is a dangerous character to the community. They are appalled at the fact that the police are still unable to apprehend and charge the man. The mother of two who was physically attacked and raped Friday night was released on Monday from the Suddie Public Hospital, after she was admitted and treated for a cut she sustained while at-
Samuel Boucher
Home-Care Agency employment launched … Provides and training for Community Care Agency, a home care institution that has being providing services to the elderly population in Berbice and Georgetown, officially opened its doors to the public in New Amsterdam, Berbice two weeks ago. The agency has been providing opportunity for single parent mothers across the country, along with unemployed young women to be trained and integrated in caring for the elderly and children. It will offer services such as Elderly Care, Child Care, Domestic Help, physiotherapy, and counseling to the public at cheap rates. Managing Director, Nikita Wong, stated that the organization is one of a kind because it offers employment to women most people would overlook, and train them to become specialize workers in the care sector. “Today begins a new chapter in the long story of Community Care. The journey to this point hasn’t been an easy one but all great changes are preceded by chaos. We are opening our doors to empower, motivate and create employment for women and young ladies whilst providing the best home care services in this community,” Wong said. She said that the company’s plan is to transform home health care service and reach as much women as they can. “Our health care system has always been challenging, however I assure you all today that we will do the best we can to minimize any concerns as we grown we grow,” she promised. She said the business is a small venture that was established at the cost of $2M, along with a lot of donations. She said the most exciting aspect of the company’s future is not standing alone as an entity but collaborating with the government and non-governmental entities. Wong said that they were already receiving support from the government and from the Mayor of New Amsterdam. The company has a health care consult-
single-parent mothers. ant that would be working along with the young women and mothers that access their service for training. “Our main goal is to work with women in this very community, firstly by enrolling them into our empowerment and motivational training,” consultant Abigale Lonke said, adding that she believes that Community Care would help these women to have defined goals for themselves. “Once they have done this portion for the training we would then offer them basic training in Customer care, Elderly Care and child care. Staff can then be placed into permanent employment. However we do still need to do our due diligence by ensuring that every person that comes on board has a full background check, police and reference checks and are thoroughly interviewed.” Afterward, the women will return to their communities to help the residents. She stated that there are a lot of elderly people living alone in Berbice who cannot take care of themselves properly. So the demand for such an agency is necessary, especially for children who are unable to care for their parents and would prefer for an in-home service instead of confining them to a resident home. A representative of the Mayor of New Amsterdam, Ron Elcock, stated that the Mayor’s office offers its full support to the management of Community Care. “After meeting with the ladies and discussing their plans we were impressed by their idea and vision and so is committed to working with them,” he said. Community Care is also operating in Georgetown, Essequibo and Bartica and would be opening soon another office in Linden. The service can be accessed at info@communitycaregy.com or contacted on telephone number 659-1630.
tempting to ward off a knife which was placed to her throat by the rapist. According to the woman, she had ventured into her yard to use the bathroom when she was attacked and raped by a man who had frequented her shop on several occasions. The woman believed that she was being trailed and even threatened by the rapist. She said that she recognized the man since he called out her name and warned her not to scream. After the brutal incident, police at the Suddie Police Station were alerted. Investigations proceeded but to date, the rapist is still on the prowl much to the annoyance of residents.
City Hall seeks permission to commence parate execution The City is preparing to take drastic action against defaulting taxpayers as they seek legal permission to commence parate execution. This was announced by Town Clerk Royston King who said that the Council is currently engaging the courts to acquire the requisite permission that would allow the Municipality to sell the properties of defaulting tax payers. The Council recently announced that delays in the payment of salaries and other obligations were due to ‘a combination of factors’ which included the ‘non –payment of rates by certain Corporations.’ The Georgetown City Council is said to be owed some $2 B in property taxes. Some defaulters were prosecuted so far recovering some $300 M to be paid over to the Municipality. To date, these payments have not been forthcoming, the Town Clerk said. This is despite warnings of parate execution against persons and business names being publicised. It was noted that some businesses who owe the Council were even paying meagre sums for their properties due to the City’s failure to adequately conduct property evaluations, since several private or domestic properties within the city have now become commercial properties. However, years of disregard for this civic obligation would
have resulted in increasing indebtedness to the Municipality. Since the court passed judgment for the Municipality’s payment, with its permission, the Council will commence the sale of properties belonging to delinquent customers. This legal process will allow the Municipality to auction off the property and recover the money it is owed. The Municipality is still
open to all customers against whom judgment was passed, King said. “The Council is asking that these persons make contact with the body in relation to repayment since any possible amicable resolution is best preferred by the Municipality.” He said the work of the city must not be stopped because persons refuse to honour their financial obligations.
Former NBS Manager’s wrongful dismissal case... From page 12 scheduled for July 7 at 9:30 hours at the Georgetown Supreme Court. The case dates back to 2007, when criminal proceedings were filed in Magistrates’ Court against the three managers in relation to the withdrawal of large sums of money from a savings and prosper account at NBS in the name of Bibi Khan. The matter was later dismissed after the main witnesses in the trial stopped attending court. But in 2011, Arjoon of 1-2 La Fleur Road, Eccles filed a lawsuit against
the bank noting that he was on the verge of retiring when the charges were instituted and he was dismissed from NBS, losing his pension and other benefits. The former CEO had also claimed that he was framed after he refused to illegally endorse the lending of $2B, in 2006. A recent report by the Ombudsman had outlined that Arjoon’s decision to only lend an amount in keeping with Guyana’s financial laws, apparently angered former President, Bharrat Jagdeo, who allegedly threatened to deal with the CEO.
PAGE 22
PROPERTY FOR SALE Transported property @ Grove $16M negotiable. Call: 625-5461
SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY,ETC.-CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 2161043; 677-6620
Property @ Cummings Street; 4 storey building, club, 8 self contain rooms. Call: 628-0016; 667-2536 SALON - Make-up Courses with Mac, Bare Minerals, etc. - Cosmetology Courses: $120,000 - Technician Course: $45,000. Call: 647-1773/660-5257
Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK; Guyana passport application. Graphics design, advertisement. Tel: 626-7040; 265-4535. INNOVATIVEMARKETING& PUBLISHINGINC–TEL:6004212: We create A/works, logos, business cards, posters, etc, placements of ads included. Repairs at low cost: Fridges, air- conditioners, washing machines, TVs, microwaves, freezers- Call:6294946 or 225-4822 Passport, permanent & visitor visa application, Professional Immigrant Consultant – Sabita Immigration Services. Call: 225-6496; 662-6045
Property @ Enmore – Hope West: building overlooking Foulis. Call: 602-2818; 649-1434
Golden Jubilee Sale: Reduced Prices!! 2005 Toyota Premio -$2.5M, 2005 Toyota Allion -$2.4M, 2007 Toyota Rav4 -$6M. Call: 6093650; 226-8953; 226-1973 1 Leyland DAF LF HIAB truck 5 ton HIAB new, hardly used GTT 2960 -$4M. Call: 622-6746
Live in waitress to work in a bar @ Berbice- Call: 6046606;692-4649
1 FUSO Crane GTT 20 -$4M; 1 HINO ranger wrecker GVV1890 -$4M, 1 HIAB Canter GTT 7140 -$3.5M. (negotiable) Call: 622-6746 AT192, 212, Allion, Premio, Hilux Surf, BRR, RZ & Pitbull, Pajero Junior, Spacio: Cash / terms- Call:680-3154 We buy & sell vehicles for cash, also parts available & 30 seater buses; Extra Cab pickups; 2006 Tacoma- Call: 680-3154 Toyota Hilux 5L Diesel Engine, stick gear 18” mag rims. Call: 692-9577; 229-2379
Porters to work at Grocery Stall @ Stabroek Market. Call: 226-9800 Experienced barman, 1 general domestic $2500 @ Hilton Crest , 12 Henry Street Werk-en-Rust. Call: 2259211; 223-6284
General domestic with cooking experienced, age 2545yrs. Call: 629-9450 One live in female housekeeper, over 35yrs old and from outside Georgetown. Call: 223-0654
Pick up GJJ Nissan. Call: 6956466; 673-1013 2005 Mazda RX8 -$1.7M negotiable, excellent condition. Call: 601-8612; 276-0006
One maid - Call: 691-7271
Contract cars and taxi drivers (salaries paid), also dispatchers. Call: 231-0002; 231-0316 Persons to sew. Call: 2254673; 666-3208
CAR RENTAL PROGRESSIVE CAR RENTAL:CARS&SUV FOR RENTAL- $4,000 & UP PER DAY- CALL: 643-5122, 6560087 , EMAIL: PRO_ AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO. COM DOLLY’S CAR RENTALCALL: 225-7126/226-3693 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL@ YA H O O . C O M / W W W. DOLLYSAUTORENTAL.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
Female domestic to work in Trinidad, must be educated and know to cook. Between 25-55 years. Call 1868- 683-1528 2 Skilled carpenters to build one bungalow garage roof $7,000 per day- Call: 676-2524
LEARN TO DRIVE Soman, Son & Outar Driving School at Maraj BuildingTel: 644-5166; 622-2872; 6150964; 689-5997
Golden Jubilee Sale: Reduced Prices!! 2007 Nissan BlueBird -$2.4M, 2007 Toyota Rush $2.9M, 2003 Toyota Verossa -$3.3M. Call: 609-3650; 2268953; 226-1973
La Parfaite Harmonie -$6.5M, $20M, Tuschen -$10M, V/ Hoop -$16M. Call: 604-6724
One able bodied clerk. Call: 231-2029; 219-4533
FOR SALE/RENT American pool table - Call: 277-0578
Golden Jubilee Sale: Reduced Prices!! 2004 Toyota IST- $2.0M, 2007 Toyota Auris -$2.5M. Call: 609-3650; 226-8953; 226-1973
Golden Jubilee Sale: Reduced Prices!! 2005 Toyota Raum -$2.3M, 2006 Mazda Axela -$2.3M, 2008 Toyota Hiace -$3.3M. Call: 609-3650; 226-8953; 226-1973
WANTED 1 Live in waitress 18-25yrs with secondary education$70,000-$80,000 monthlyCall: 610-3974
Live in or live out babysitter/ domestic – Call: 223-7500 Monday –Saturday between 8:15am-4:15pm
VEHICLE FOR SALE
Corner property in Grove, 1 block from Main Road- Flat House, price negotiable. Call: 1905-626-2572 House & Land @ Uitvlugt $4.5M. Call: 642-1252
Attractive live in waitressCall: 327-0252/674-4665 TAXI SERVICES GR TAXI SERVICE. CALL: 219-5000; 227-1982 & 225-7878 (24HRS)
Tuesday May 31, 2016
Kaieteur News
LAND FOR SALE Houselots, gated community, West Bank of Harbour Bridge, concrete road, concrete pave & drain, light & water. Tel: 650-0402/ 260-4988 House lots, Blankenburg, Concrete road, concrete drain, light & water, also 3bedroom houses -$16M. Tel: 650-0402/260-4988 Corner lot transported lot 58.4’X30.89’, Garnett & Republic Streets Newtown Kitty Georgetown. Call: 645-0616
LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754.
Cook/baker for the Interior location, applicants must be experienced. Call: 618-2020
Toyota Hilux Vigo, ex cab 4WD, gas, 2700cc, 2TRAuto cc, 2006. Call: 616-5595; 674- 0434
I.T Network Technician, Email CV to jobs@awngy.com
Rotweiler pups - 622-6646/ 652-8511
Handyman between 30 to 45 years old contact 223-5274
One dump truck GMM series, reasonably price. Call: 220-3044
Supervisor to work at Xenon Hotel Charity Essequibo email rtilak@adamantium holdings.com RA Soda Factory Rosignol, Berbice: bond & billing clerks, experienced accountants, machine operator with mechanical ideas. Call: 330-2399/623-5920 Hopetown Gas Station (Guyoil): Pump attendants for night and day shifts. Call: 330-2399 Nail technician, Must know to do airbrush @ Nalline’s Beauty Salon @ Vreed-enHoop Junction. Call: 2640034; 625-3899 One driver Expediter must have a lorry license contact # 223-5273 Accounts Clerk 5 CXC, Maths, English & Accounting. Apply rtilak@ adamantiumholdings.com Experienced cleaner bartenders. Call: 225-8572 between 7:00-9:00AM Two experienced pastries maker, apply at Humphrey’s Bakery & Farm Products Ltd, 38 Ketley & Sussex Streets Charlestown. Call: 225-7864; 227-8607
2009 ALLION -$2.8M, 2009 RAUM -$2.2M, 2010 IST$2.6M, 2009 FIELDER $2.5M, 2011 AXELA $2.6M. CALL: 617-2891
Full time pharmacist for two weeks & part time pharmacist for evenings @ Pharma Choice Pharmacy @ Durban & Lousia Rowe. Call: 6613124
1 Toyota Caldina Wagon, good condition. Call Benji: 612-3706 Unregistered Toyota Allion 2005: dark interior, HID lights, rose light - $2.2M negotiableCall: 617-5536
Site Engineer- experienced needed; safety engineerexperienced need, age 25-45, very good salary and conditions. Call: 261-2280; 261-2280; 668-7104
1 Mitsubishi Galant -$900,000, 1 Short based canter -$1.5M, 1 Long base canter -$2.3M, 1 Leyland dump -$500,000. Call: 604-6724
Houselots @ De Grout Scheme, Uitvlugt -$2.5M, Tuschen -$1.2M, Zeelugt$1.2M, La Parfaite Harmonie -$1.3M &1.2M. Call: 642-1252
EDUCATIONAL
La Parfaite Harmonie -$1M, $1.4M, $2.5M, $1.6M, Leonora -$3M, Stewartville Public Road-$8M, Providence $5M, Eccles -$5.5M. Call: 604-6724
$20,000 Discount For CXC 2016 Student, 9 Course Diploma in Computers @ MicroGraphics; Vreed-EnHoop/Parika. Call: 264-3057
FOR SALE
VACANCY Cashiers for supermarketCall: 624-0033. 1 Cook & 1 maid. Call: 624-0033. Security In store (daytime) –Call: 6803863.Driver for water truck. Call: 680-3863
Operator (grader) experienced needed, age 2545, very good working conditions. Call: 261-2280; 261-2280; 668-7104
1 Houselot @ Crane Housing Scheme; 1 two storey house @ La Parfaite Harmonie. Call: 626-4841 or 683-6674 Transported property @ East Bank Public Road triple lot for sale- Call: 233-6517; 622-1957; 638-0595 1 Complete high volume 3 stage water purification system, UV light, water tanks, reasonably price, owner migrating. Call: 649-8430 Wooden pens & craft - Call: 223-0654 Six hole- 20” mag rims for Tundra/Tacoma, steering rock for tundra-Call: 6381829; 220-1630 Bedford Model M Truck with Winch GRR Series, 1 Complete 6" dredge with extra engine & generator. Call: 655-2385; 600-3518 One arch-welding set for sale. Call: 618-9010
FOR RENT PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Vreed-en-Hoop Junction: church, office, lessons place, storage bond, private school, others -$20,000- Call: 603-6400
Mechanic for TM and model M trucks contact 223-5274
Lower 2 bedrooms apartment @ Paradise Public Road, E.C.D. Security Deposit required -$40,000 monthly. Call: 625-9939
Efficiency Taxi Service: vacancy for drivers and dispatchers. Call: 226-9500/ 226-9700
1 Semi furnished studio apartment & 1 fully furnished 2 bedrooms apartment in Industry. Call: 619-2388
EDUCATIONAL
Commercial Public Road property located @ Eccles, Access to Harbour Bridge & East Bank Public Road. Call: 233-6517; 622-1957; 638-0595
Computerized Accounting 4 Courses $35,000.00, PCRepairs $35,000, Graphics Courses $35,000@ MicroGraphics, Vreed-EnHoop/Parika. Call: 264-3057
House for rent @ Eccles, E.B.D-Call: 655-0700
Tuesday May 31, 2016
Kaieteur News
PAGE 23
President Granger Notes on the decline of must intervene in the education in Guyana City Council madness DEAR EDITOR; In spite of a new Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown being elected at the last local government elections in Guyana held on March 18th 2016, things have not gotten better; in fact they have gotten a lot worse. There seems to be a complete lack of ability or a lack of desire by the new Council to bring a halt to the illegal behavior and unlawful activities at City Hall. First, could someone say how the Georgetown Municipality could enter into an agreement with a purported service provider carrying the name National Parking Systems, to install and monitor parking meters in Georgetown, which is owned by a Guyanese living in the United States and which has no prior record of installing parking systems, without a public bidding and tender
process? And worse doing so while already engaged by way of an existing contract with a locally based company for the same purpose by the name of Astrolobe Technology Inc. Of course the Mayor and the Town Clerk will pretend to be ignorant of the legal ramifications just as they suggested that they were ignorant of the court matter involving the ‘Dread Shop’. Then again, why bother? It would just be the citizen’s money going down the drain and not theirs, when Astrlobe Technologies takes the matter to court. Second, could someone say how one security company could have been given the contract to supply over sixty guards at a time to municipal locations without a bidding process for these services? And worse how could some of these guards be
posted at one of many residences owned by a very senior officer which is located way outside the boundaries of Georgetown on the East Bank, whilst the City Police guards another of his properties, the one that he resides at in Georgetown? Such extravagance on the backs of the citizens of Georgetown. Third, how could City Hall just pay out over eighty million dollars to its favourite contractor, who is a close friend of a senior administrator at City Hall, whilst being unable to pay its workers, the garbage contractors, the security company, the GRA and the NIS and many others. This is the highest level of corruption taking place, whilst no one is raising a finger to stop it. I beg the President of Guyana to intervene and bring this madness to a halt immediately. Shanta Singh
An open letter to all... From page 5 America according to the state of the World Population2014. Report. 2014. · Guyana has one of the highest prevalence rates of HIV infection in Latin America and the Caribbean, second only to Haiti. · In 2014 The World Health Organization named Guyana as having the highest suicide rate in the world. · More than 60% of female sex abuse victims “are abused by someone known to the child or the child’s family. · At this point more than half of the children in Guyana are living in a home without a father. Guyana has become unglued. Currently there is a crying need for morally based, socially cohesive, godly spirituality in our culture and institutional social structure. But, all of us know that no society can effectively legislate and enforce the morality of one’s conscience and
moral codes of conduct. Morality must be taught and exemplified within family structures and reinforced in religious and educational institutions, something that is certainly not being done. Guyanese politics has become confusion on top of more confusion because of political polarization. Politics is in the church but should not be of the church. The problem currently facing Guyanese culture is simply this—how do people live in unity and peace with each other from a godly understanding of the Bible, rather than individualized understanding. This is where the church comes in and must stay in, regardless of how and when the billows roll, the anchor should hold. The church can and must play a profound role in helping to develop a focused, godly moral imperative; by keeping with God’s will of loving Him and loving each other, because the will of God
is only realized through love and service to others. In my opinion far too many pastors/ church leaders have been far too silent while the beaver of turpitude gnawed feverishly through our moral foundation. Politics should maximize the common good in our culture by honoring the godly tenets of the Bible. As a country reveling in the fact that we are 50 years free of colonial rule, let us at the selfsame time celebrate our resolve to save our country from drawing its last breath. No, we cannot allow the place where I drew my first breath, that once knew such greatness, sink to depths that were once unimaginable. Once and for all I appeal to all pastors to answer the call. The writing is already on the wall, but our once great country must not be allowed to fall. There must be continuous orations during the celebrations. Yvonne Sam
Disagreements about... From page 4 you made your speeches, and further disappointed when your speeches, quoted from our Gita, lacked relevancy to the death of a Hindu, the deceased journey to the thereafter, how the family can cope with their loss, how man can use the reality of death to add quality of life to themselves, family, community etc, . Woefully, your hollowed speeches were but mere rhetorical ramblings. By contrast, even if Swami Aksharananda
is called upon extemporaneously, he is cogent, succinct and always appropriately garbed as befitting a man of the cloth. For pragmatism’s sake, should you and/ or you group wish to continue this dialog further, I will be willing to organize/ finance a televised debate on the merits and/or demerits of your stated position on Hinduism. My phone number will be residing with the Editor. Jonathan Subrian
DEAR EDITOR; The decline of education in Guyana since the 1980s has been a major concern for every educated Guyanese citizen. As our political and economic condition deteriorated many of our qualified teachers left the country seeking better jobs with better pay and better job incentives. When teachers are poorly paid, the education system cannot attract and keep qualified teachers. The effect of these conditions on student performance is reflected in failures at the primary, secondary and university levels. Performance at Grade Six Assessment as well as CXC and GCE is very disappointing. Failures at the University of Guyana have now become a major concern for the business sector as well as government institutions. Students who are qualified with 6-12 subjects and even university graduates cannot function properly on a job. Many of them cannot write a report or a proper job application letter; they cannot do basic arithmetic, yet they are given a certificate. I know of a student who passed 8 subjects including Maths but cannot recite his seven times table and do simple multiplication and fractions. My daughter currently attends St.Stanislaus College in Georgetown she told me a girl teaching her English who is not a trained teacher and many times they have no teachers for a number of subjects. What bothers me most is the amount of projects she has to get done that involves painting, colouring, making demonic objects like a masacurman, I saw her making a little wooden house then she asked for paint to paint it. One day I shopped over $25,000 in things for her so called projects. I am wondering if that College and all our top A schools have now become trade schools rather than a real rigorous studies in a variety of great subjects including a foundation in great literature from Shakespeare to Walcott. Our system of education is producing more and more dunces all because our politics is the major cause of this to “duncify” the next generation to control them. The true foundation of education is reading. Today students are seen with ipods, blackberries and all sorts of technical equipment attached to their ears, but a good book for them is something obsolete. My visit to several libraries has proven this, because I haven’t seen a great number of students reading and doing research. Today, television and DVDs as well as vulgar music have taken a toll on our young generation. We are just one generation away from complete illiteracy. The school discipline that was in the Ministry of Education 30 years ago is now thrown out of the school windows. The removal of corporal punishment from our schools created more disobedient pupils and students. Teachers are unable to deal with indiscipline students and thus the teachers are now afraid of some students and their parents. A child without a proper education and great moral upbringing will be another nuisance in society. Most of the problems we have seen in the form of domestic violence, drug addiction, prostitution, stealing, etc, are the direct result of illiteracy and poor parental guidance. A survey among the religious community found that over 60% of families attending churches cannot read or write at a very competent level. Many of our young people today cannot write their own names properly. As a legal marriage officer I discovered that a great many of our young Guyanese citizens will spell their own names wrongly
when they write them, while some will write a ‘call name’ but cannot spell out their real names which are on their birth certificates. While I am not against technology, I believe this age of technology has helped to create more illiterates. Our poor education system has failed since the late LFS Burnham introduced free education from nursery to secondary school. This free system of education failed because our schools cannot produce textbooks for students writing CXC, thus their parents are pushed to buy thousands of dollars worth of illegally photocopied books from some store owners. Where have we failed in our education system? First the free education mentioned above did not push our system of education to be competitive with our Caribbean neighbours. Our country failed to produce better graduates than Barbados, Trinidad, Jamaica, etc. The Caribbean is a very small space of about 6.5 million people, and our people are very far behind that small space. In many of our institutions in Guyana lots of nonGuyanese are working for higher salaries because our people are under-qualified to do the job. For us to better equip our people academically we will have to return to the old colonial system of back to basics such as Grammar, Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Spelling, English, Reading, Dictation, Geography, History, etc. Today even some well qualified teachers cannot teach proper grammar to a child. Many students told me teachers are not taking time off to correct their assignments, so how will that child recognize his/her mistakes? Many of the subjects that are offered at high school level are business subjects and not really tough subjects which will improve the student’s intellect and thinking power. The teaching of classical literature from Homer to Shakespeare should be re-introduced into our education system. The study of Latin, French, Spanish, Economics, Ethics, Logic, Literature, Astronomy, Biology, Physics, Political Science, Jurisprudence, Religion, Mathematics and the Social Sciences should be in our academic curriculum. All of these subjects will give our students a very comprehensive understanding about education. The nation’s wealth and prosperity comes from the value of her educated citizens. Rome ruled and governed the world once because of her supreme intellectual aptitude and power. We cannot compete with a modern civilized world without a classical education. What we need are dedicated teachers who will work for their salaries and not collect the government’s money by false pretences. The economic progress of this nation comes from education that is the key to our GDP and prosperity. We also need moral education which will include religious education in our schools and universities to build and improve the character of students. The end of education is good character; that is the key to our moral, spiritual, intellectual and economic development. Rev Gideon Cecil
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Essequibo jury Fishermen were split on rape tied to anchor and A rape case which started some weeks ago in the Essequibo high court, ended recently in hung jury after the 12 jurors failed to establish a unanimous decision. The decision was split down the middle. The current sitting Judge, Justice James Bovell-Drakes has ordered a retrial before a new panel of Jurors and Judge. In the meantime however, the Judge ordered the prisoner to be remanded. According to the police report compounded with a caution statement submitted and signed by the accused, it was revealed that the victim failed to recognise the accused contending that the place was dark when the alleged rape did occur. The accused stated that
Tuesday May 31, 2016
Kaieteur News
he and the victim were engaged in an intimate relationship and that the sex was consensual. The incident allegedly occurred in August 2014, at Charity, Pomeroon. Meanwhile, another rape trial will begin tomorrow at the Suddie High Court before Justice James Bovell-Drakes. The accused is a Richmond, Essequibo Coast man who is accused of raping a woman who lives in the same Village. The man was implicated last year, after the woman told the police that she was repeatedly raped. However the man claimed that he was in the interior working when the allegations were levelled against him. The accused was arrested and charged and eventually placed on almost $500,000 bail.
thrown overboard
From page 2 a captain and crew of four of over $600,000 in fish. Owner of that vessel, Clet Natoo stated that according to information given to him by his crew members, the hijackers doused the entire boat with gasoline and threatened to set it alight but did not carry out the act. “Dem throw two bucket gasoline all over on me boat and den dem seh 'leh we bun it up and go away' but me nah know wha happen cause dem ain't bun it. Dem just go away,” Natoo explained. The pirates then went on to rob another vessel owned by Hazrat Ali where the same actions were carried out but
threats were not made. Natoo added that his crew men left their seines at sea and returned ashore fearing the men would return to complete the job. Natoo mentioned that his crew men disclosed that the men who offloaded the stolen fish were the missing crew members of Seepersaud's boat. Information revealed that the pirates, after carrying out the attacks, allegedly sold the stolen fish to the captain of another boat they previously attacked. Both crews returned to land unharmed. The missing boat (Rosanna 665) was recovered by its owner drifting in the No. 52 foreshore area. Commander Amsterdam disclosed that the pirate boat captain is the mastermind but the other suspects are being implicated. Meanwhile, the search is still ongoing for the missing fishermen who family members hope are still alive. Investigations are continuing.
50 educators honoured as Guyana celebrates... From page 15 of the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU), Mark Lyte, who also spoke at the event, shared his conviction that all teachers possess some essential qualities. Among these he listed knowledge, professional skills and personal qualities. “These teachers and education officers who are being awarded here today would not have been here, had we not recognised that in some valid way they would have brought to the classroom and the education sector knowledge, professional skills and personal qualities,” said Lyte. Quoting the expression “give me a fish and I'll eat for a day, teach me to fish and I will eat for a lifetime,” Lyte said, “This must be a philosophy of a good teacher.” He added that the qualities of a good teacher should include being “patient, kind, flexible, resourceful, tolerant and open-minded with a good sense of humour, enthusiastic, enjoys teaching, should be honest, imaginative and creative, efficient, self-disciplined, helpful, humble and modest.” And Lyte asserted that the selected teachers have easily demonstrated the ideal teaching ways. He asserted too that “good teaching is not about fashion, it is much about our teachers enabling themselves to work within the classroom setting and provide opportunities for the learners.” But the GTU President observed that it could not have been an easy task selecting the teachers from among thousands across the country. As such he concluded that those recognised yesterday can in fact be described as the elite among the teachers...” Lyte considered yesterday that teaching has long been recognised as a noble profession which helps to mould the minds of the young. As such he noted that the GTU is extremely pleased with the Ministry's initiative to award the educators. “It is certainly a step in the right direction towards the motivation of teachers across Guyana,” said Lyte who added that “some might argue that this is not motivation but I choose to
disagree.” Also present at yesterday's ceremony was Director of School of the Nations, Mr. Brian O'Toole. He during brief remarks noted that teachers were long recognised as important assets to education. He recalled that in the old model of teaching, teachers were regarded as the narrator who would make deposits into empty vessels. But with a new teaching model O'Toole said that there was a transformation of individuals in society that helped to create a new world order based on moral and spiritual values. The honoured educators were nominated by their respective Regional Departments of Education. Among the teachers honoured were: Cindy Iesha Bourne, Edward Inniss, Ingrid Jeffrey and Lizan Fernandes (Region One); Dhanwattie Persaud, Jeneffer Agatha Drakes, Pearlette Veronica Bholo, Veronica Pansy Jones (Region Two); Denise Zelina Dazzel, Juliet Elizabeth Augustus, Shaundell Nicola Fresco and Verna Johnson (Region Three); Indrani Ramnarine, Lesmeine Denise Collins, Maureen Allison Philadephia and Pamela Bowen (Region Four); Cindy Marsha Nelson, Clavil AnnLetitia Mitchell, Lalta Paul and Mauricia Areka Semple (Region Five); Deoharie Narine, Roquel Alicia Saul, Savitri Marimootoo and Yvonne Hazel McAlmon (Region Six); Ann Elaine Williams-Holmes, Carmel Williams, Pamela June Daniels and Paulette Evadney Peters (Region Seven); Barry Don Jon, Mariam Edwin, Odessa Nadira Paul and Shauneille Jourdain (Region Eight); Cousma Mary Frank, Lennox Thyrian Henry, Loreen Jarvis and Virgil Harding (Region Nine); Charlyn Duke Agard, Judith Forde, Rita Fox and Vernelle Razack Giles and Allison Melinda Cosbert, Ayana Tanisha Williams, Diane Peters and Sharon Angela Trotman (Georgetown). The honoured education officers were: Mr. Carl Benn, Ms. Donna Chapman, Ms. Doodmattie Singh, Ms. Francesca Vieira, Ms. Genevieve Whyte-Nedd and Ms. Savitri Balbahadur.
Tuesday May 31, 2016
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Kaieteur News
Drowned baby picture Iraqi army storms to edge of captures week of tragedy Islamic State-held Falluja in Mediterranean
A German rescuer from the humanitarian organisation Sea-Watch holds a drowned migrant baby, off the Libyan coast. (Christian Buettner/Eikon Nord GmbH Germany/Handout via Reuters) A photograph of a drowned migrant baby in the arms of a German rescuer was distributed yesterday by a humanitarian organization aiming to persuade European authorities to ensure safe passage to migrants, after hundreds are feared to have drowned in the Mediterranean last week. The baby, who appears to be no more than a year old, was pulled from the sea on Friday after the capsizing of a wooden boat. Forty-five bodies arrived in the southern Italian port of Reggio Calabria on Sunday aboard an Italian navy ship, which picked up 135 survivors from the same incident. German humanitarian organization Sea-Watch, operating a rescue boat in the sea between Libya and Italy, distributed the picture taken by a media production company on board and which showed a rescuer cradling the child like a sleeping baby. In an email, the rescuer, who gave his name as Martin but did not want his family name published, said he had spotted the baby in the water “like a doll, arms outstretched”. “I took hold of the fore-
arm of the baby and pulled the light body protectively into my arms at once, as if it were still alive ... It held out its arms with tiny fingers into the air, the sun shone into its bright, friendly but motionless eyes.” The rescuer, a father of three and by profession a music therapist, added: “I began to sing to comfort myself and to give some kind of expression to this incomprehensible, heart-rending moment. Just six hours ago this child was alive.” Like the photograph of the three-year-old Syrian boy Aylan lying lifeless on a Turkish beach last year, the image puts a human face on the more than 8,000 people who have died in the Mediterranean since the start of 2014. Little is known about the child, who according to SeaWatch was immediately handed over to the Italian navy. Rescuers could not confirm whether the partially clothed infant was a boy or a girl and it is not known whether the child’s mother or father are among the survivors. Sea-Watch collected about 25 other bodies, including another child, according to testimony from the crew
seen by Reuters. The SeaWatch team said it unanimously decided to publish the photo. “In the wake of the disastrous events it becomes obvious to the organizations on the ground that the calls by EU politicians to avoid further death at sea sum up to nothing more than lip service,” Sea-Watch said in a statement in English distributed along with the photograph. “If we do not want to see such pictures we have to stop producing them,” Sea-Watch said, calling for Europe to allow migrants safe and legal passage as a way of shutting down people smuggling and further tragedies. At least 700 migrants may have died at sea this past week in the busiest week of migrant crossings from Libya towards Italy this year, the UN Refugee agency said on Sunday. The boat carrying the baby left the shores of Libya near Sabratha late on Thursday, and then began to take on water, according to accounts by survivors collected by Save the Children on Sunday. Hundreds were on board when it capsized, the survivors said.
White House back to normal after security lockdown (Reuters) - A brief, partial lockdown at the White House was lifted yesterday after a metal object tossed over the fence was tested and determined not to be dangerous, the U.S. Secret Service said. President Barack Obama was at the White House during the incident. An individual threw the object over the north fence of the complex, Secret Service spokesman Shawn Holtzclaw
said in an emailed statement. That person was apprehended without incident, he said. “All protective sweeps of the metal object were met with negative results. The White House has returned to normal operations,” Holtzclaw said. The north side of the White House was placed on a security lockdown for a couple of hours after the inci-
dent, which took place on the U.S. Memorial Day holiday. Reporters were not allowed to leave the White House compound through its northwest gate and flashing lights from emergency responders could be seen nearby. Obama had visited Arlington National Cemetery earlier in the day as part of the annual commemoration for armed services members.
(Reuters) - The Iraqi army stormed to the southern edge of Falluja under U.S. air support yesterday and captured a police station inside the city limits, launching a direct assault to retake one of the main strongholds of Islamic State militants. A Reuters TV crew about a mile (about 1.5 km) from the city’s edge said explosions and gunfire were ripping through Naimiya, a largely rural district of Falluja on its southern outskirts. An elite military unit, the Rapid Response Team, seized the district’s police station at midday, state TV reported. The unit advanced another mile northward, stopping about 500 meters (yards) from the al-Shuhada district, the southeastern part of city’s main built-up area, army officers said. The battle for Falluja is shaping up to be one of the biggest ever fought against Islamic State, in the city where U.S. forces waged the heaviest battles of their 2003-2011 occupation against the Sunni Muslim militant group’s precursors. Falluja is Islamic State’s closest bastion to Baghdad, and believed to be the base from which the group has plotted an escalating campaign of suicide bombings against Shi’ite civilians and government targets inside the capital. As government forces pressed their onslaught, suicide bombers driving a car and a motorcycle blew themselves up in the capital. Along with another bomb planted in a car, they killed more than 20 people and injured more than 50 in three districts of Baghdad, police and medical sources said. Separately, Kurdish security forces announced advances against Islamic State in northern Iraq, capturing villages from militants outside Mosul, the biggest city under militant control. The Iraqi army launched its operation to recover Falluja a week ago, first by tightening a six-month-old siege around the city 50 km (30 miles) west of Baghdad. Falluja, in the heartland of Sunni Muslim tribes who resent the Shi’ite-led government in Baghdad, was the first Iraqi city to fall to Islamic State in January 2014. Months later, the group overran wide areas of the north and west of Iraq, declaring a caliphate including parts of neighboring Syria. On Monday, army units were “steadily advancing” to
An Iraqi Shi’ite fighter fires artillery during clashes with Islamic State militants near Falluja (Reuters/Alaa Al-Marjani) Falluja’s southern outskirts under air cover from a U.S.led coalition helping to fight against the militants, according to a military statement read out on state TV. A Shi’ite militia coalition known as Popular Mobilisation, or Hashid Shaabi, was seeking to consolidate the siege by dislodging militants from Saqlawiya, a village just to the north of Falluja. The militias, who took the lead in assaults against Islamic State in other parts of Iraq last year, have pledged not to take part in the assault on the mainly Sunni Muslim city itself to avoid aggravating sectarian strife. Between 500 and 700 militants are in Falluja, according to a U.S. military estimate. The U.S.-led coalition conducted three air strikes near Falluja over the past 24 hours, destroying fighting positions, vehicles, tunnel entrances and denying the militants access to terrain, it said in a statement. ISLAMIST MILITANT STRONGHOLD Falluja has been a bastion of the Sunni insurgency that fought both the U.S. occupation of Iraq and the Shi’iteled Baghdad government that took over after the fall of dictator Saddam Hussein, a Sunni, in 2003. American troops suffered some of their worst losses of the war in two battles in 2004 to wrest Falluja back from Al Qaeda in Iraq, the insurgent group now known as Islamic State. The latest offensive is causing alarm among international aid organizations over the humanitarian situation in the city, where more than 50,000 civilians remain trapped with limited access to water, food and health care. Falluja is the second-larg-
est Iraqi city still under control of the militants, after Mosul, their de facto capital in the north that had a prewar population of about 2 million. It would be the third major city in Iraq recaptured by the government after Saddam’s home town Tikrit and Ramadi, the capital of Iraq’s vast western Anbar province. Falluja is also in Anbar, located between Ramadi and Baghdad, and capturing it would give the government control of the major population centers of the Euphrates River valley west of the capital for the first time in more than two years. On the northern front, the security forces of the autonomous Kurdish region launched an attack on Sunday to oust Islamist militants from villages about 20 km (13 miles) east of Mosul so as to increase the pressure on Islamic State and pave the way for storming that city. The Kurdish forces, known as peshmerga, have retaken six villages in total since attacking Islamic State positions on Sunday with the support of the U.S.-led coalition, the Kurdistan Region Security Council said on Monday. That represents most of the targets of their latest advance. Prime Minister Haider alAbadi hopes to recapture Mosul later this year to deal a decisive defeat to Islamic State. Abadi announced the onslaught on Falluja on May 22 after a spate of bombings that killed more than 150 people in one week in Baghdad, the worst death toll so far this year. The worsening security in the capital has added to political pressure on Abadi, struggling to maintain the support of a Shi’ite coalition amid popular protests against an entrenched political class.
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Tuesday May 31, 2016
Kaieteur News
Brazil’s Temer pressed to drop Second airline suspends flights to Venezuela anti-corruption minister
Brazil’s interim President Michel Temer (Reuters) - Brazil’s interim President Michel Temer is facing pressure to drop his anti-corruption minister, the second top official in his administration accused of trying to derail a sprawling bribery and kickback probe before taking office. Transparency Minister Fabiano Silveira, the man tasked with fighting corruption, and Senate President Renan Calheiros became the latest officials ensnared by leaked recordings secretly made by a former oil industry executive as part of a plea bargain. Those tapes led to the resignation of the planning minister last week, dealing a blow to Temer’s efforts to build a stable government in the wake of the May 12 suspension of leftist President Dilma Rousseff. A government source told Reuters on Monday that Silveira will stay in his job for now. He took over the post almost three weeks ago. In parts of the recordings, aired by TV Globo on Sunday night, Silveira criticizes prosecutors in the probe focused on staterun oil company Petrobras, which has already implicated dozens of politicians and led to the imprisonment of top executives. In the conversation, recorded at Calheiros’ home three months before Silveira became minister, Silveira advises the Senate leader on how best to defend himself from the probe. The former head of the transportation arm of Petrobras, Sergio Machado, who is under investigation as part of the graft probe and has turned state’s witness, re-
corded the meeting and conversations with other politicians to obtain leniency from prosecutors. Silveira was a counsellor on the National Justice Counsel, a judicial watchdog agency, at the time of the meeting. In its report, Globo TV also said some audio indicated that Silveira on several occasions spoke with prosecutors in charge of the Petrobras case to find out what information they might have on Calheiros, which he reported back to the Senate leader. Silveira is heard saying prosecutors were “totally lost.” A spokesman for Silveira confirmed the conversation took place but said the excerpts were taken out of context. “Temer’s initial decision was that Silveira can continue in his post for now because he did not interfere in the investigation, he was just giving Calheiros advice,” the spokesman said. He said Silveira was meeting his lawyers. On Monday, Ministry of Transparency staff marched to the presidential palace in Brasilia to demand Silveira’s ouster and restoration of the comptroller general’s office, which Temer renamed to show his commitment to fighting corruption. All employees with management duties at the ministry resigned their posts to press their demands, union leader Rudinei Marques said. Earlier, protesting employees prevented Silveira from entering the ministry building. They then washed its facade with soap and water to
symbolize Temer’s need to clean up his government. GOVERNMENT’S LEGITIMACY Temer, a centrist who was Rousseff’s vice president, will meet with Brazil’s prosecutor general later on Monday to discuss the leaked recordings. Several members of Temer’s cabinet are under investigation in the Petrobras probe. Rousseff, facing an impeachment trial in the Senate on charges of breaking budget laws, and others have said Temer plotted her downfall to stifle the investigation. Temer strongly denies the allegation. But the recordings add weight to the argument that the new government is illegitimate and may undercut s u p p o r t f o r R o u s s e ff ’s ouster in the Senate, which needs a two-thirds majority to convict her in a trial expected to last through August. Last week, one of Temer ’s most important confidants, Senator Romero Juca, was forced from his new role as planning minister after a leaked audio, also recorded by Machado before Rousseff’s suspension, revealed him suggesting a pact be made across party lines for politicians to weaken the investigation. The two-year probe into billions in graft at Petrobras has led to jail for executives from Brazil’s top construction firms and investigations of dozens of politicians, including several members of Temer’s Brazilian Democratic Movement Party, or PMDB, and Rousseff ’s Workers Party. Temer served as Rousseff’s vice president after she took office in 2011, and the PMDB was the strongest coalition partner for the Workers Party since 2006, when former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was in power.
(BBC) - The largest airline in Latin America, Latam, says it is suspending its flights to Venezuela because of the worsening economic situation. The suspension came a day after Germany’s Lufthansa said it would suspend its services to the country. The German company said Venezuela owed it millions in ticket revenues. Oil-rich Venezuela has been hit hard by the global drop in oil prices and suffers from high inflation and a chronic shortage of basic goods. Several airline companies have said that currency controls in Venezuela made it im-
possible for airlines to convert their earnings into dollars and send the money abroad. In a statement, Latam airlines said it would suspend its operations to Caracas airport “temporarily and for an unspecified time”. It said flights on its Sao Paulo to Caracas route would end first, within days, and the other routes it runs to Caracas from Lima and Santiago would be halted by the end of July. Strict currency controls were first imposed in Venezuela in 2003 by late President Hugo Chavez. The restrictions were further tightened two years ago, forcing several airlines to re-
duce their operations in the country as they struggled to repatriate billions of dollars in revenue held in the local currency - the Bolivar. Some airlines are now requiring passengers to pay their fares in dollars. Venezuela’s government says it is using its foreign reserves - which are now scarce - to pay for essential items such as medicines and industrial machinery. Recently Coca-Cola said it would be halting production of some of its soft drinks because of a lack of sugar while the tyre and rubber products company Bridgestone also ended its more than 60-year relationship with the country.
Very active hurricane season predicted for Caribbean ROSEAU, Dominica (CMC): A two-day Caribbean Regional Climate Outlook Forum (CariCOF) began in Dominica yesterday with the region being told to brace itself for wetter than usual season and chances of more hurricane activity this year than in past five years. Climatologist with the Dominica Meteorologist Service, (DMS) Annie CarretteJoseph, who presented the Wet/Hurricane Season Outlook for 2016, said that between the period June to August, there would also be a gradual drought alleviation across the region and that “surface water reservoirs will recharge, there will be soil moisture replenishment and an increased in river flow. She predicted that water shortage related problems in agriculture will disappear in many places and that “where it has not already started, the wet season may start abruptly in June”. The outlook noted that the second half of the wet season will be wetter or usual in countries like Belize and the Leeward Islands with Carrette-Joseph warning that “moist conditions may favour mosquito breeding”. The outlook, which was prepared by the DMS in collaboration with the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH), also warned of extremely wet spells occurring with “serious potential for flash flooding and landslides. In addition, for the period, September to November, these months will be wetter than usual and that there will also be chances of more hur-
ricane activity than in the past five years. There are predictions for 12 named storms this year with US based scientists Klotzbach and Gray indicating the region having to deal with at least one major storm in the Category of either 3, 4 or 5. There is also the forecast that the temperature during the next six months will be above to normal and that “both nights and days will be warm”. The implications as a result will be enhanced health risk from heat exposure and higher than usual energy costs for cooling. The DMS climatologist said that La Niña increases chances of a wetter dry season and that “this could be similar to dry season of 2011, where some said there was no dry season”. The outlook for the Caribbean was presented at the conference where delegates will discuss how Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS) can build resilience to extreme weather and climate events, with a focus on the pivotal role that national and regional health and disaster risk management agencies play in building a climate resilient Caribbean. The two day event is organised by the regional climate services provider, the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH), in collaboration with the Dominica Meteorological Service and other stakeholders including the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) CIMH head, Dr David
Farrell told the opening ceremony that for the past 12 months, the Caribbean has had to deal with the drought experience saying “we could not stop the drought … but we were able to mitigate the impacts of the drought on the region. “In doing so we would have saved livelihoods, help governments to really tailor their decision making process,” he added. In her address to the conference, Dominica’s Minister of Public Works and Transport, Miriam Blanchard, said that weather events significantly impact the economies of the Caribbean and made reference to the passage last year of Tropical Storm Erika that left more than EC$1 billion in damages as well as causing the death of more than 20 people. She said the weather situations have “brought hardship to our peoples and countries as invariable it seems that every other year we are required to divert funding allocated for development projects to prepare for or respond to these weather events. “As we approach the 2016 hurricane season this government is extremely concerned about the possibility of yet another wet system coming to our shores. “We are cognisant of the vulnerability of Dominica to such events and we are pressing ahead using all available resources to mitigate the likely effects of the increasing risks to some of our communities and infrastructure left behind by Tropical Storm Erika,” she said.
Tuesday May 31, 2016
Kaieteur News
France’s Hollande holds ground on contested labour reform bill (Reuters) - President Francois Hollande said there was no turning back on a bill to loosen France’s rigid labour regulations and that the principles behind the most contentious proposal handing firms more scope to negotiate working conditions must remain in place. France, the euro zone’s second biggest economy, has been rocked by violent street protests and walkouts in the transport and energy industries over the labor bill that proposes making it easier for firms to hire and fire. With just 10 days to go until France hosts the Euro 2016 soccer tournament, the government is under intense pressure to find a way out of its standoff with the CGT union, which is spearheading demands the labour bill be scrapped. A key sticking point is Article 2 of the bill which hands companies more power to negotiate pay and working conditions and could weaken the influence of trade unions in the work place.
“The bill will not be withdrawn,” Hollande was quoted as saying in an interview published in the Sud Ouest newspaper late yesterday. “The principles of Article 2 will be kept.” The bill awaits debate in the Senate after the government forced it through the lower chamber without vote, faced with a rebellion by its own lawmakers. It will then return to the National Assembly lower house for a final vote. Asked if he would pass the bill into law by decree, Hollande said in further comments: “I would prefer that the text be adopted without having to do so. But not at the price of abandoning it.” The reforms have driven a wedge into the ruling party, pitting Hollande and his more reformist ministers against its hardline socialists less than a year before presidential elections. Hollande says he will only run for a second term if he brings down unemployment, stuck at about 10 percent.
“The French will be able to judge for themselves,” Hollande was quoted as saying. His comments came as some CGT unionized rail workers began another nationwide strike and Paris metro employees staged a walkout. Six of France’s eight refineries remain shut down due to oil worker strikes. Hollande recognized the right to strike but said protest movements should not bring the country grinding to a halt. He sought to play down the risk of social unrest derailing the Euro tournament. The month-long tournament opens across France with a state of emergency still in force after Islamist attacks last November that killed 130 people in Paris at several sites across the capital. “The real threat comes from terrorism,” Hollande said. About 90,000 police, soldiers and private security agents will be deployed across the country, with the government citing potential “terrorist” attacks and acts of hooliganism as the main threats.
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GFF updates Media following Ordinary Congress (From page 30) independent bodies were recommended to and approved by the Congress – Ethics, Disciplinary and Appeals Committees. These are now all fully-constituted. Approval of the 2016-2017 Budget / Presentation of the New FAP Support show the annual FAP has been increased from $USD250,000 to $USD1.2m with the possibility of earning another $USD250,000. This is part of the promise made by current FIFA President Giovanni Infantino during his election campaign. There will be more oversight and scrutiny to ensure accountability. Capacity building will be afforded to GFF Member Associations to fa-
Associations but the Executive Committee feels more can be done in this regard. Meanwhile, touching on the suspension of striker Gregory Richardson, the GFF President again refuted the news story carried by a News entity as completely inaccurate. “The incident which occurred at Leonora featuring the game (Pele Football Club vs Alpha United) had a measure of threat and violence to the officials of the game. The Executive Committee, when they got the facts and the report from the Match Commissioner, felt that for something that serious, we cannot allow a player to go on and represent the country when there are issues of threat
cilitate compliance to the accountability systems to be established. Review of Contracts of Member Associations: All members engaging the corporate world for sponsorship and other engagements will have to submit draft contracts to the GFF for review prior to final sign-off in order to ensure that the said contracts protect the interests of football and speak to the development agenda of the game. Financial Assistance to members is to be referred to the Finance Committee for review, recommended to the Executive Committee and later to be endorsed by the Congress. The GFF funds electricity and rent to the Member
Tuesday May 24, 2016 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Tell them to get out of the mess they are in and then you'll consider getting together with them. You'll find travel or involvement in large groups gratifying. Don't make large purchases or investments. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Sudden good fortune will help you cover your debts. You will find that uncertain individuals will want to draw you into joint ventures. Make any necessary changes to your insurance policy. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Anger could lead to problems. Spend time getting into physical activities with your lover. Your persuasive nature will win the heart of someone you've had your eye on.. CANCER (June 21–July 22) Your greatest enjoyment will come through social activities and pleasure trips. If it can make you extra cash, it will be even better. Try not to push your philosophies on others. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Make decisions about your professional objectives. Your persuasive nature will win the heart of someone you've had your eye on. Do not overexpand if you have your own business. Sit tight. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Be sure to spend time helping children with projects that are too difficult for them to accomplish alone.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) You don't want to give anyone fuel for the fire. Exhaustion combined with overindulgence could result in minor health problems. You will be able to make financial gains. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) You will be tempted to shop till you drop. If you go shopping, only take what you can afford to part with. Partnerships will be successful. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) A residential move may be necessary to get a better job. You will be overly sensitive today. Use your inventiveness to find solutions. CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) Get involved in the activities of children. They will teach you far more than you expect. You have more than enough on your plate already. Move into a leadership position if you are determined to do so. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Take time to help children with projects that may be too hard for them to do on their own. Situations you can't change should be forgotten for the present. Don't be too eager to spend what's left over; more unexpected expenses are evident. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) However, you must not neglect your family. You will benefit through hidden assets and property investments. Your outgoing charm and obvious talent will be admired.
to the safety of an official on the field. The only time that person can go on to participate in any football activity is after they are cleared by the Disciplinary Committee. Mr. Richardson and the other members of his team that were mentioned in the Match Commissioner’s Report have all been referred to the Disciplinary Committee. The only time that they will play any role on the field locally or internationally is after the Disciplinary Committee would have cleared them and discharged their own disciplinary action against them. So CFU has many weeks ahead of it; if Mr. Richardson is successful in his defence when he goes before the Disciplinary Committee and the National Team Management feels that he should be called up for further engagement, then Mr. Richardson’s right will be protected to represent Guyana on the field of play. So the decisions we take at the Executive Committee are never personal; we have to protect the image of the game and we understand that some of these players have a very strong and passionate following. We have to look at the image of football, both locally and internationally, we simply cannot have a situation where a referee is threatened to the extent that security is needed to take the field to restrain players and, within a matter of days, allow that player to be a part of the national setup. That will be sending the wrong message to other players. We will not, at any time, tolerate that; to the extent that we can act as an Executive Committee, we will, and what we have done is the limit of our action. We simply say, in our correspondence to the players and the club, that until they go before a Disciplinary Committee, they cannot
Regal claim GSCL Inc/ NSC... (From page 31) and his executives for making their venue available as well as the sponsors. John noted that the competition was a historic one given the fact the Guyana celebrated its 50th Independence Anniversary. The competition was sponsored by Trophy Stall, Ink Plus, WJ Enterprise, Regal Stationery and Computer Centre and Regal Sports.
be involved in any football,” Forde explained. The GFF boss made an appeal for corporate sponsors to partner with the GFF to support the Golden Jaguars in the CFU Caribbean Men’s Championship. He underscored the value of this sponsorship. “We went through the CFU tournament (Round 1) finishing as a best team within our group. We played that entire (Round) without conceding a single goal. We went three consecutive international engagements with victories so the Guyana Golden Jaguars (are) doing very well.” He added, “I’m very optimistic about our chances of going far in this tournament and even coming away with the championship but we simply need some timely support to make this happen. Every engagement that requires travel sets the Guyana Football Federation back close to $USD 3.5m, that’s really challenging for us. Yes, a lot of that will change over the next couple
of months because of the promise that has been delivered on by President Infantino but as it is, we are challenged financially. We do not want a situation to arise where we cannot go any further because we simply cannot afford it.” And the GFF-NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour Power Under-17 Tournament will kick off this weekend, June 4, 2016. Total investment will be $G30M dollars over a fiveyear period for youth football development. The GFF expressed gratitude to the National Milling Company of Guyana. Meanwhile, Richie Richards (Alpha United FC) has been called to the national squad as a second Goalkeeper and Mr. Anthony Abrams has been called to replace Christopher Nurse who has indicated his unavailability. Samuel Cox has been appointed Golden Jaguars Captain for the two upcoming matches against Curacao and USVI.
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Delaying Rio Games would give ‘false security’ on Zika - WHO panel head GENEVA (Reuters) Postponing the Rio Olympics due to fears that the event could speed the spread of the Zika virus would give a “false” sense of security because travellers are constantly going in and out of Brazil, a senior World Health Organization (WHO) official said. More than 100 medical experts and scientists called last Friday for the Rio Games to be postponed or moved due to fears over the spread of the virus, which is linked to serious birth defects.. The WHO rejected their call. Extensive travel in a globalised world is the issue, not the Games that start on August 5, said David Heymann, chair of the Health Protection Agency in Britain who also leads the WHO panel of independent experts on Zika. “The problem is not the Olympics, the problem is other travel besides the Olympics, if there is a problem,” Heymann told Reuters in a telephone interview from London on Monday. “People go in and out of Brazil all the time for holiday, for business, for whatever. And the Olympics is much less travel, it would be onetime travel. It’s actually in the winter months when hopefully transmission (of the virus) is less.”
A dancer performs as he wears one of the 2016 Rio Olympics team’s uniform that were presented by Rio 2016 Organizing Committee in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, May 12, 2016. (REUTERS/PILAR OLIVARES) “So it’s just a false security to say that you’ll postpone the Olympics and postpone the globalisation of this
disease.” Heymann called for careful surveillance by countries of their athletes who return
from Brazil, though he added that diagnostic tests for Zika were “very difficult to obtain right now”. SAFE SEX National health authorities should advise their athletes and citizens of childbearing age to protect themselves against mosquito bites with repellents while in Brazil and to practise safe sex on return for at least three weeks, Heymann said. This is a precaution to prevent women from contracting the mosquito-borne virus, which can cause microcephaly and other serious abnormalities in babies. The connection first came to light last year in Brazil, which has confirmed more than 1,400 cases of microcephaly. “This infection is a predicament for all people of child-bearing age who live in Brazil or who travel to Brazil. And that includes both men and women,” Heymann said. “Women could get infected and come back and become pregnant within three weeks or four weeks, or they could be pregnant when they get there. And men could go there and come back with the infection and infect their sexual partner back home.” Heymann is a U.S. epidemiologist and former senior official at WHO who headed its response to the deadly
Kidnapped Mexican Soccer Star Alan Pulido Found, Rescued Safely Good Morning America Kidnapped Mexican soccer star Alan Pulido was found and rescued safely by police, according to authorities in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. Pulido, 25, was kidnapped over the weekend by armed men after he left a party in his hometown of Ciudad Victoria in northern Mexico, officials said. The rescue happened shortly before midnight involving federal and state forces, the Tamaulipas Coordination Group said in a statement released early yesterday morning. Pulido also received a medical evaluation, the statement said. Gov. Egidio Torre Cantú visited the player to make sure he was OK and congratulated police for the successful operation, the statement added. Pulido is a forward for
Alan Pulido (left) was found and rescued safely by police. (AP)
Olympiakos of Greece. He was a member of Mexico’s World Cup team in 2014. The Greek team tweeted this morning that Pulido was
with his family “safe” and “healthy.” Details, including a potential motive, are still unclear. Ruben Dario of the
Tamaulipas state attorney general’s office did not elaborate on the investigation, telling ABC News the family has requested privacy.
SARS virus (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) in 2003, when the agency imposed travel restrictions to try to curb that deadly outbreak. Referring to Zika, he said: “Women of child-bearing age who are not pregnant should understand the risks before
they go.” “It’s not a recommendation not to go (to Brazil), it’s a recommendation to balance between the risks of getting pregnant and the risks of getting Zika,” he said. “But for those women who are already pregnant, there’s a clear risk.”
KFC sweetens pot with ‘big deal’ injection in Racers Grand Prix
Jamaica Observer - Local franchise holder of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), Restaurants of Jamaica, has spiced up the inaugural staging of the Jamaica National (JN) Racers Grand Prix with a US$25,000 ($3.1-million) contribution. The meet, scheduled for June 11 at the National Stadium, promises to be an explosive festival of speed and will feature a number of Jamaica’s finest against some of the world’s other elite athletes. With the objective of the Grand Prix aimed at garnering funds to assist with the development of the next generation of athletes, Andrei Roper of KFC believes the partnership with the Track Club was naturally a “big deal” in more ways than one. “We are extremely excited to be a part of bringing what is a world-class track meet to Jamaican shores, and we at KFC are looking forward to it. This partnership with the Grand Prix is only natural, because Jamaica’s track and field athletes are icons and are truly a big deal, which fits in line with our many iconic items,” Roper told the Jamaica Observer at a press conference at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel recently. He continued: “We definitely understand the importance of Racers Grand Prix getting the required infrastructure to better help the athletes prepare for Rio (Olympics) and beyond, as well as to keep the track club at the top, producing quality athletes. “So this meet is just the start of what we hope will be a partnership with Racers, but
definitely ensuring that we help to put on a quality track meet.” The Racers Grand Prix is a critical plank in the club’s development and is anticipated to be a never-to-be forgotten event, which is aligned with the club’s vision to become the world’s number one. Roper, who dubbed Jamaica’s athletes, particularly those signed to Racers Track Club, the “biggest deal in track and field”, explained that KFC will be on the ground living up to its slogan and doing their part to make the meet a “big deal” indeed. In addition to their cash sponsorship and a performance by their “big deal” artist Chris Martin, patrons will be able to enjoy their favourite KFC meal items at the Stadium, among other activities. “I don’t want to give away too much, but we are always thankful for the support we get from the Jamaican public after more than 40 years in Jamaica. The brands continue to grow strong, and so whatever way we can give back to the Jamaican community, whether through sports, education, entertainment or culture, we will continue to do so,” Roper noted. “We will be helping to ensure that there is a nice entertaining package to enjoy. We have done a lot of sporting ventures, and we are also involved in culture and entertainment. So we are looking forward to making sure that it is a big deal meet with big deal athletes right in line with our big deal KFC menu items,” he ended.
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Cook reaches milestone as England win to clinch series (Reuters) Alastair Cook became the first Englishman to reach 10,000 test runs before leading his team to an emphatic nine-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the second test on Monday to wrap up the series. Cook scored 47 not out as England eased to their target of 79 after Dinesh Chandimal made a fine century to lift Sri Lanka to 475 in their second innings on the fourth day. Having been bowled out for 101 first time round, however, the tourists only delayed the inevitable and England took an unassailable 20 lead in the three-match series with a day to spare. “It’s a very special moment for me, but the game is not about personal milestones, it’s about winning games and scoring runs to do that,” Cook said. “But it’s a real special day and it’s great that my family are here to see me do it.” Sri Lanka had resumed on 309 for five and England’s only success in the morning session was the dismissal of Milinda Siriwardana for 35, well caught by Alex Hales at third slip off James Anderson to end a sixth-wicket partnership of 92. Anderson found the in-
battles to retain his place at number three in the order. “Broad and Anderson are world-class bowlers and you’ve got to show a lot of skill to handle them,” Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews said.
Alastair Cook salutes the crowd after victory at Chester-le-Street, England v Sri Lanka, 2nd Test, Chester-le-Street, 4th day, May 30, 2016 ©PA Photos side edge of Chandimal’s bat when the right-hander was on 69 but wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow spilled a simple chance and the 26-year-old took full advantage, reaching his sixth test hundred with a thick outside edge for four off Chris Woakes. He received excellent support from Rangana Herath in a seventh-wicket stand of 116, Herath making a breezy 61 be-
fore he was trapped lbw by Anderson, the England fast bowler’s 450th test victim. Anderson bowled Shaminda Eranga for one to complete another five-wicket haul and Stuart Broad ended Chandimal’s defiant knock on 126 with a clever slower ball that clipped the top of his off stump. Suranga Lakmal was the last man out, skying a catch
to Broad off Woakes. Cook, needing five runs to get to 10,000, clipped Nuwan Pradeep to the midwicket boundary to reach the milestone before raising his bat to all corners of a sparsely-populated ground. Hales was bowled by spinner Siriwardana for 11 but Cook calmly completed the job with Nick Compton, who finished unbeaten on 22 as he
FIFA president found $2 million pay ‘insulting,’ report shows Bloomberg - FIFA’s recently elected President Gianni Infantino told its governing council a salary offer made to him by the soccer group’s compensation committee was “insulting,” according to report by German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. The newspaper’s report, based on the leak of a recording of a board meeting held before the 211-member FIFA Congress in Mexico City, bring renewed focus on Infantino’s governing style. The former European soccer administrator unexpectedly found himself in soccer’s top job in the wake of criminal indictments issued last year against some of the sport’s top leaders by U.S. authorities. Infantino has been under pressure since the May 13 Mexico meeting, his first as FIFA leader after his election in February. Just a day later, FIFA compliance head Domenico Scala quit, saying governing changes promoted by Infantino imperiled efforts to eliminate corruption. Scala was on the commit-
tee that proposed Infantino’s salary. The 45-year-old was offered $2 million a year, according to its former ethics adviser Mark Pieth. The figure is less than the $3 million base salary Infantino’s predecessor Sepp Blatter earned in the year before he was ousted. “I did not accept the proposal,” Infantino told the council, according to the Germany daily, known as FAZ. “It was a proposal I found insulting.” A FIFA statement on Saturday reaffirmed a promise made by Infantino that he’d disclose his salary once an agreement was reached, declining to comment further. Infantino’s staff didn’t make him available for an interview. The FIFA president is at Champions League final in Milan. Scala and Infantino had a troubled relationship and, according to newspaper, the new FIFA president discussed ways to remove him, including getting a member organization to proposal his dismissal and seek a vote by the Congress. In the end, the
FIFA President Gianni Infantino gives a press conference following the closing of the 66th FIFA Congress in Mexico City on May 13, 2016. (Rebecca Blackwell / AP) Congress decided on the statute change that expanded the power of the ruling council to hire and fire its independent oversight committees. Scala walked of the Congress before the vote. “We can’t operate this way,” British council member David Gill said during the council meeting, according to FAZ. “We can’t dismiss people without a piece of pa-
per and facts.” Gill declined to comment on the events of the meeting. Scala declined to comment. FIFA said that the decision to change the rules that prompted Scala to resign was made to allow vacant positions to be filled. “Any allegation that this decision would be the result of a ‘plot’ is ludicrous,” FIFA said in the statement.
“It’s just the Sri Lankan fight that we’ve lost in the past couple of weeks and we’re looking to bring back. There were lots of positives in the last couple of days, Chandimal and Herath showed a lot of character.”
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Local athletics coaches urged to focus more on importance of starts By Rawle Welch Despite the disappointing turnout, local athletics coaches who attended Sunday’s clinic, which was conducted by US-based International Athletics Federation (IAF) Level 1 Coach Kenrick Smith at the Leonora Synthetic Track facility, benefitted tremendously according to the general feedback received from them. Smith, a Guyanese currently residing in the USA agreed to volunteer his expertise to local coaches on the art of starting, while he also shared tips on how best to prepare an athlete before heading into competition. The experienced Athletics Coach speaking with Kaieteur Sport shortly after concluding the session said participants were apprised on many aspects of the importance of starts, especially for sprinters and according to
him it usually decides success or failure. Smith, who frequently returns to Guyana and has always declared his passion to give back, spoke of the three important parts of starting which comprises coming out of the blocks into the transition and acceleration phases. According to him, the start is critical for the smooth execution of the race, adding that the athlete who reacts the best in terms of explosiveness, positioning and acceleration, most likely stands the best chance of reaping success. Smith, who is also a USATF certified Level 1&2 Coach also engaged the coaches in practical demonstrations of how best to position yourself in the blocks, the importance of practicing the set position, foot positioning and the lead arm among other aspects to enhance an athlete’s chances of winning.
Athletics Coach Kenrick Smith makes a point during his interaction with local coaches on Sunday. He said many local athletes are very good runners, but lamented the poor techniques that they display when in competition; an anomaly he pointed out must be rectified if
success is to be reaped. “I’ve watched many Guyanese athletes in competitions overseas and they can run, but their starts are atrocious and this can be the dif-
‘Roof essential’ as French Open suffers first washout in 16 years Paris (AFP) - The French Open suffered its first rain washout in 16 years Monday, leaving tournament chiefs venting their frustration at Roland Garros’s isolation as the only Grand Slam without a covered stadium. There could be more problems on Tuesday with further heavy rain forecast throughout the day in Paris before conditions brighten on Wednesday. Monday’s washout left the French tennis federation having to refund around 30,000 ticket holders. It also prompted tournament director Guy Forget, a former player and Davis Cup winner, to warn that France is getting left further behind the sport’s three other majors — Wimbledon, the Australian and US Opens. All three tournaments have stadiums with roofs. But Roland Garros will not see a roof built over its showpiece Philippe Chatrier Court until 2020 at the earliest. “It is very frustrating but it is proof that the roof is a necessity and that we have to do it,” said Forget. “We cannot be like this for many more years. We hope to have the roof by 2020. People have to realise that nobody can stop the process. “The world is moving fast — we were talking about the roof 15 years ago.” Eight last-16 matches
Roland Garros has its first washout in 16 years. (AP) planned for Monday plus two more which had been held over from Sunday will now be played on Tuesday. Two quarter-finals are also due to take place Tuesday — Andy Murray against Richard Gasquet and defending champion Stan Wawrinka facing Albert Ramos-Vinolas. Play had been set to get underway at 1100 (0900GMT) on Monday but was eventually called off just before 1400 (1200GMT). The last washout in 2000 also happened on May 30. “Tuesday looks better so I am fairly positive,” added Forget, who explained that play will start at 0900 (1100GMT) rather than the traditional 1400 (1200GMT) on the second Tuesday.
- Several delays This year ’s Roland Garros was hit by rain delays on the opening Sunday when just 10 of the scheduled 32 ties were completed in a little over four hours of play. The second day was then hit by another two and a half hour delay. That in turn pushed 12 of the scheduled 66 matches back to the first Tuesday. There was a two and a half hour stoppage on Saturday followed by another hour on Sunday which meant that the planned last16 programme remained unfinished. Under the original schedule, all of the fourth round was to be completed on Monday, leaving Tuesday and Wednesday for the quarter-finals. If there are further delays
Tuesday, world number one Novak Djokovic, who is chasing a first French Open to complete the career Grand Slam, could end up playing his last-16 tie We dnesday, quarter-final on Thursday and semi-final Friday. Djokovic has suffered at the hands of the weather in Paris in the past. In the 2012 final against Rafael Nadal, he had fought back from two sets to love down to take the third set and lead in the fourth when play was halted. The final was suspended until Monday when Nadal raced to victory in just a further 50 minutes. Djokovic will be poised to become the first man to win $100 million in prize money if he makes the quarter-finals for the 10th time. Top seed Djokovic tackles Spain’s 14th seed Roberto Bautista Agut in Tuesday’s opening match. Also in last-16 action will be women’s top seed and defending champion Serena Williams who will continue her bid for a record-equalling Open era 22nd Grand Slam title. The 34-year-old takes on Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina who is being advised in Paris by Justine Henin, one of Williams’ former great rivals on the tour and a fourtime French Open champion.
ference between defeat and medaling,” Smith told this newspaper. He urged that coaches understand the significance of spending time on perfecting starting techniques because of its vital importance to the athletes. The well respected Coach also spent time with the participants explaining to them the type of drills that they must employ when preparing athletes for competition as well as the methods they must use to ensure that the drills are done safely and at what period during the preparations phase.
Among those attending the session were Running Braves Sham Johnny, Police Progressive Youth Club Lyndon Wilson, Linden’s Wanda Richmond and Johnny Gravesande, Masters Athlete Val Barnwell and Linden Phillips along with two junior athletes from the Mining Town. The Athletic Association of Guyana was represented by Mayfield Taylor-Trim. Smith promised to continue to offer his expertise in the future to improve Guyana’s fortune on the regional and international stages.
Protect the enchanted Guyana for present and future generations says CS&TC “Protect the enchanted Guyana for present and future generations” should be the watchwords for all Guyanese. The Cavaliers and Sports Club in a message to mark World Environment Day on Sunday June 5th2016, and Guyana Environment Week has called on all Guyanese to rededicate themselves to observe practices of environmental protection and to become conscious of their individual roles. “The environment is all humanity’s concern, as it transcends National boundaries, ideological and parochial emotionalism”. The CS&TC,s message emphasized that all Guyanese must contribute to its protection as it continues to provide for our needs. “There is a need for increased National awareness on environment issues, for its imperative since it embraces the very quality of our
lifestyles”. The Cavaliers Sports and Tour Club stated that every Guyanese must see the question of the environment in personal terms and translate it a manner that foster discipline in Schools, homes, workplaces and communities. The CS&TC’s message also pointed out that man cannot afford to neglect the environment for it is an integral part of our very existence. Neglect it and great harm will follow. “Every Guyanese are part of the environment and must become fully aware of the contributions they could make to protect it. The environment is real and needs to be protected.” The Cavaliers Sports and Tour Club are affiliated to the Environmental Protection Agency since August 2002 and over the years hosted a number of events country wide.
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John Lewis Styles / GNRA Independence Action Pistol Shoot
McKinnon and Lewis cop senior and junior trophies Ryan McKinnon and Joseph Lewis emerged as the senior and junior champions of the John Lewis Styles sponsored Guyana National Rifle Association (GuyanaNRA) Small Bore Section / Independence Action Pistol Shoot which was held on Sunday last at the Timehri Rifle Ranges. McKinnon tallied 131 points to win ahead of Ray Beharry (119), Mohamed Qualander (117), Gordon Richards (109) and Vidushi Persaud who brought up the rear on 88 points. In the junior category, Joseph Lewis accumulated 94 points to defeat the sponsor John Lewis who got 52 points. Third was Totaram Bishundat with 47 points, while 5th place went to Gordon Pearson who managed 38 points. The event consisted of three stages of timed shoots with limited ammunition where shooters engaged targets with speed and accuracy before the time limit expired. Two stages consisted of the use of the 9mm pistols only, while one stage included the combination of a 9mm
carbine rifle and a 9mm pistol. Meanwhile, on Saturday May 21st, a .22 Presision Pistol Match was held at the Tactical Services Range, Eve Leary where Joshua Ramlakan was the top senior with Gordon Pearson winning among the juniors.
Ramlakan had 293 points and 12 Vs winning comfortably from Delmar Rogers (277/8) and Raval Seojattan one point back with one more V. Pearson’s winning total was 270/6, Shevon Duguid was second (251/3) with Simeon Kissoon (224/2) third.
West Indies arrive for tri-nation series Members of the West Indies team arrived here yesterday for the tri-nation series which is set to bowl of Friday at Providence involving Australia and South Africa. The squad was greeted at the Eugene F. Correia International airport, Ogle, East Coast Demerara by Digicel’s Jacqueline James and Vidya Sanichara, Director of Sport Christopher Jones, Guyana Cricket Board president Drubahadur and vice president Fizul Bacchus. West Indies will face South Africa in the opening game before playing Australia on Sunday; the final game here will be played on Tuesday with South Africa and Australia, who are expected to arrive today, facing each other. The home team will have their first practice session at
Providence between 14:00hrs and 17:00hrs today. The South Africans will have their first training session on Wednesday from 09:00hrs to noon, while West Indies will at Providence from 14:00hrs to 17:00hrs. All matches start at 13:00hrs while the gates at the Stadium will be opened from 11:00hrs. Ti c k e t s w h i c h c o s t $2,000 for the Party Stand,
$3,000 for the Orange Stand and $4,000 for the Green and Red stands are already on sale and on-line for those overseas who are desirous of traveling for the first three ODIs. Australia will have their first practice session on Thursday June 2 from 14:00hrs to 17:00hrs at Bourda where tickets for Guyana leg of the series are being sold.
Kaieteur News
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Tuesday May 31, 2016
Guyana’s CBC U-16 squads intensifies preparations -Boys’ team shortlisted
The 18 Shortlisted Boys’ U-16 team takes a photo opportunity with Coaches following a training session at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall. Following an intense players’ evaluation process last weekend at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) has shortlisted 18 male players ahead of the Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) Under-16 Championships. In addition, the women shortlisted for the Caribbean’s leading junior
basketball tournament will need another week to name their 15-member squad. This is according to a press release from the GABF yesterday. A total of 74 youth basketball players (46 boys and 28 girls) participated in the selection process; 28 boys were invited to trials, with 18 more arriving as walk-ons. Meanwhile, on the female side, 22 were invited
while GABF affiliated coaches recommended eight others. The Boys shortlisted include: Yannick Tappin, Leon Benjamin (Mackenzie High School); Kevon Wiggins, Kelmar Carmichael (New Amsterdam Multilateral); Shamar France (Berbice High); Kwesi Roberts (St. Roses High); Andrew Johnson, Nigel Bowen (Plaisance Secondary);
Roydon Glasgow (Bishops’ High); Isaiah David (Kwakwani Secondary); Akeem Crandon, Kareem Boyle, Kenmon Roberts ( P r e s i d e n t ’s C o l l e g e ) ; Jordan Alphonso, Jahleel Young (Marian Academy); Z i o n G r a y ( Tu t o r i a l High); Quacey Shortt (Bladen Hall) and Jamal Persaud (North Georgetown). Lugard Mohan was named Head Coach of the
Boys’ team. He received assistance last weekend from Kevin Bonnett, Willon Cameron, Wayne Hinds and Andrew Hercules. The physical trainer was Dominic Vincente. Abdullah Hamid was named Head Coach of the Girls’ team. He got assistance from Ann Gordon, Kirk Fraser, Julian Haynes and Hercules. In addition, DC Jammers
team, High School Coach and Player Development Specialist, Kenny Avent, played a valuable role in giving instructional and tactical support to the process. Training for the 18 men named will be intensified over the upcoming weeks. Guyana will host the U16 CBC Championships at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, July 2-16.
GFF updates Media following Ordinary Congress To get increased subvention from FIFA Guyana Football Federation (GFF) president Wayne Forde updated the media on several important matters pertaining to the running of football in the country after that body would have held an Ordinary Congress on Saturday, 28th May, 2016 at Herdsmanston Lodge, Queenstown. The press conference was held yesterday in the Boardroom of the GFF Secretariat. GFF’s Ordinary Congress was described as an “exceptionally good” Congress with its success being credited exclusively to the 22-Member Associations. The conduct of the Congress was very
Wayne Forde professional; engaging, open and honest communication was had and the Executive Body is very pleased with the outcome of the Congress. “It important to make mention
that I’m convinced at this point that we have a unified football fraternity. In all of my engagements with the media and the public in general over the past six months, I have maintained one common theme and that is, the football fraternity appears to want to demonstrate that to Guyana, to the business community and wider society that we have had enough of the turmoil, we have had enough of in-fighting and we’re prepared to go in a different direction. I’m very optimistic of the future,” Forde said. Key Decisions Taken at the event include: Amendment of the Electoral Code to allow a member of the Executive Committee to be replaced, in the event of a withdrawal (providing it’s not more
than 50%), without an election. This amendment will require the Executive Committee to present the position/person to the Congress for ratification. Amendment to the Executive C o m m i t t e e ’s E x p e n s e a n d compensation provision; This amendment will seek greater oversight on any issue relative to expense and compensation that is due to the Executive Committee in the execution of their functions. This will fall under the Audit and Compliance Committee; this committee will set the oversight mechanism for compliance. The limit as submitted by the named committee will be submitted to the Congress for approval. The previous constitution had this issue very vaguely worded and was
subject to the possibility of abuse. Vacant Positions on the Key Judicial Committees were ratified. Proposed members to these (Continued on page 25)
Kaieteur News
Tuesday May 31, 2016
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Gilkes, Lewis commit to support for young athletes Former sprinters James Wren Gilkes and Gordon Lewis among other United States-based former athletes yesterday committed to supporting young athletes in Guyana, when the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) held a press conference. The forum was more or less to reflect on the contributions of Gilkes to the sport in the ‘70s and to commit support to the sport in Guyana from an overseasbased group, which held a meet at the Leonora Track and Field Centre two weeks ago. GOA presented Gilkes with a plaque for his outstanding contributions to track and field. Gilkes won a gold medal in the 200m in the 1975 Pan American Games and silver in the 1979 Pan Am Games in the same event. At the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton he finished fourth in the 100m final, then took the silver medal in the 200m, finishing behind Allan Wells of Scotland. Gilkes is still recognised as Guyana’s most outstanding international male athlete. “I had beaten Don
James Wren Gilkes (third, right) takes a photo opportunity with GOA President, K.A Juman Yassin and other officials from the GOA, AAG and overseas-based group. Quarrie from Jamaica and Hasely Crawford from Trinidad”, Gilkes said after reflecting on being unable to compete in the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, Canada that Guyana boycotted in support of the ‘African boycott’. He believes he was one of the fastest in the world at the time and would have won
a medal for the country had he been able to participate in those games. He said he had times of 10.02 seconds and 19.90s over the 100m and 200m distances. “Over the years, I had brought a few athletes from Guyana to the US”, he informed, singling out Jenifer Innis. GOA President, K. A
Juman Yassin said that R u d o l p h H a r p e r, h i s predecessor, went to his grave believing that Gilkes would have been Guyana’s first Olympic gold medalist, “but unfortunately Guyana boycotted”. “I want to, on behalf of the GOA, let you know how happy we are to have him in Guyana. We were talking
about cooperation between him and others in the Diaspora. I’m hoping that he and others could bring a little bit more”, Yassin added. Lewis said that their “purpose” in Guyana is to encourage young athletes in Guyana. He said that they want to actually give athletes an opportunity to do well via the encouragement and
financial support that is necessary. AAG President, Aubrey Hutson also spoke of how well Gilkes can help athletes in Guyana with various facets of sprinting. He said that he is hoping that the overseas-based group can organise a session for Coaches here in the near future.
Regal claim GSCL Inc/NSC Independence T20 crown By Zaheer Mohamed Regal defeated Mike’s Wellman by 31 runs to win the Georgetown Softball Cricket League Inc (GSCL Inc.)/National Sports Commission Masters Independence T20 tournament on Sunday at Everest Cricket Club. Useful knocks from Eric Thomas, Eon Abel and Troy Kippins guided Regal to 160-8 off their allocated overs, batting first. Abel and Mahase Chunilall added 59 for the opening stand to give Regal a decent start before Chunilall was run out for 18. Abel, who timed the ball well, soon followed for 32, but Thomas shared in third wicket stand of 32 with Rudolph Baker to frustrate their opponents somewhat in hazy conditions. Baker only managed four in the stand while Thomas got 33, however
Regal 50- Members of the victorious Regal Masters team with officials of the sponsors and organisers. following their separation, Mike’s Wellman fought back with some steady bowling, picking up some quick wickets to reduced Regal to 122-7. But skipper Kippins
fashioned an attractive 28 down the order to rally his team to a defendable total. Shaheed Mohamed chipped in with 13 as Kemchandra Dindyal picked up 3-17 and
Hardat Heranandan 2-28. Mike’s Wellman looked on course as Richard Persaud and Latchman Kallicharran added 27 for the first wicket before
Kallicharran departed for 12. Danger man Ramesh Narine was then run out for three before David Harper uprooted the stumps of Ramo Malone for 12,
leaving the score at 59-4. Lloyd Rooplall and Dindyal kept their team in the hunt with a fifth-wicket stand of 29 before Rooplall was run out for 22. Regal bowlers maintained their consistency, and after Dindyal departed for 24, only Greg De Franca of the remaining batsmen showed any fight as Wellman were restricted for 126-9. Kippins was the pick of the bowlers with 3-14 off fours overs to earn the man-of-the-match award, while Mohamed claimed 2-14. Regal pocketed a trophy and $100,000, while Wellman received a trophy and $50,000. President of the GSCL Inc Ian John congratulated Regal and thanked the other participating teams. He expressed gratitude to the president of the Everest Cricket Club Rajesh Singh (Continued on page 25)
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West Indies arrive for tri-nation series
Members of the West Indies team with Director of Sport Christopher (4th from left), Digicel’s Jacqueline James (2nd from right), Vidya Sanichara (3rd from left), and GCB officials Drubahadur (left) and Fizul Bacchus (right).
Local athletics coaches urged to focus more on importance of starts
IAF accredited Level 1 Coah Kenrick Smith (standing right) demonstrates to one of the participants the right position to be in the blocks during the Clinic which was held on Sunday at Leonora Synthetic Track facility.
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