Kaieteur News

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November 17, 2013

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Guyana’s largest selling daily & New York’s most popular weekly

icon International Icon Dr. Yesu Persaud retires at 85 See pgs.

14 and 15

WHAT THE MEDIA LANDSCAPE AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY WILL SOON BE IF THIS IS ALLOWED TO HAPPEN Dr. Bobby Ramroop is Director of

Global Technology Inc., Jagdeo approved their Licences for, Cable, Radio, and Telecommunications just before leaving office

TVG, Radio Guyana Inc., One Guyana Radio Inc. and Guyana Times Inc.

Dr. Yesu Persaud

Ex-Army

Officer riddled with bullets ‘Ghost Company' MOU must be terminated, officials

disciplined - APNU

Ramotar condoning an illegality with E-Networks drug purchased from Ramroop - Harmon

5 Radio frequencies were issued to Robert Persaud

5 Radio frequencies were issued to Dr. Bobby Ramroop

Quark Communication Inc. operates out of Ramroop’s Versailles property and these are the shareholders

Close associates and business partners

Keith Evelyn

Winston Brassington

Brian Young

Jagdeo’s niece, Sabrina Singh

Cable and Telecommunications Licences approved for all three companies, E-Networks, Global Technology and Quark Communications

Vishok Persaud

Rakesh Puri

SEE THE BIG PICTURE?

Special Education Needs specialist, Sherwin Fraser, is a ‘Special Person’

Rudiana Bunbury

Shareholders

5 Radio frequencies were issued to the PPP

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Kaieteur News

Sunday November 17, 2013

Sunday November 17, 2013

Food for thought Break Out With a Flood of His Favour My friends, Craig and Samantha have a son named Connor. He's a very handsome, fun little boy. Connor has been diagnosed with autism. At five years old, he didn't speak in complete sentences. He would speak phrases here and there, maybe three or four words together, but nothing much more than that. Day after day, Craig and Samantha just kept speaking faith into Connor, telling him that he was more than a conqueror, that he could do all things through Christ. Every night at bedtime, Craig or Samantha would sit down and read two or three books with little Connor. Then they would pray together before they went to bed.

One night, just as Samantha was about to turn off the light in Connor's room, she heard him speaking. He went on and on, so clearly and fluently. She ran and found the video camera and captured his first real complete sentence. Here's what he said: "This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. I have what it says I have. I can do what it says I can do…"

What happened? Like a flood, the Creator's favour came on little Connor—a flood of healing, a flood of restoration, a flood of wisdom. Little Connor broke out of his limitations. Now, Craig and Samantha have a new confirmation of the Creator's faithfulness. That's a night that they will never forget. Even though little Connor still doesn't speak perfectly clear, they know he is well on his way.

What Creator started, He will finish.

In this moment, the Creator gave Craig and Samantha something to talk about. They were so excited about it, and they constantly tell people what the Creator has done for little Connor.

Whenever they're tempted to be discouraged, all they have to do is put that video in, and they can see the favour of the Creator in their family like a flood.

Today, know that the Creator wants to release a flood of His power in your life. Not a trickle. Not a stream. Not a river. He wants to help you break through to a new level. He wants to give you something to talk about. Get ready for a flood of restoration, a flood of healing, a flood of promotion.

Get ready to break out with a flood of His favor in every area of your life! (By Joel Osteen)

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Kaieteur News

Ex Army Officer riddled with bullets By: Javone Vickerie and Romila Boodram Scores of partygoers were early yesterday sent scampering for cover after gunmen opened fire on a 21year-old former army officer just as he was about to leave a city night club.

Dead is 21-year-old Denzil Mingo of Lot 39 Third Street, Alberttown.

Mingo had just stepped into his car with two of his friends, Joseph Barker and E a r l s o n M u r r a y, a f t e r walking out of the Edge Night Club on Main Street, Georgetown.

Barker was shot multiple times about his body and has been hospitalized at a private hospital, while Murray managed to escape with a bullet graze to his neck.

Police in a press release said that around 04:30hrs, two men armed with firearms opened fire on Mingo and his friends while they were in a motor vehicle on Main Street.

The release further added that Mingo was hit several times about the body and was pronounced dead on arrival at the GPHC. Ye s t e r d a y, w h e n Kaieteur News visited the scene, an eyewitness said that a little after 04:00hrs, Mingo and his friends had just stepped into his white Toyota Allion PPP 6164 when one of the gunmen proceeded towards the car and an argument ensued between the gunman and Mingo. Eyewitnesses at the scene said that although they could not hear what the

- Friend shot multiple times argument was about, it seems as if Mingo and the man he was arguing with might have had some connection.

“The two of dem been cussing out one another long, long so I say must be some nonsense that happen in the club and they thrashing it on de road because most time dem people does do dat.

“Then all of sudden I see three men walk up to he (Mingo) with big guns,” the eyewitness said. The source added that after Mingo saw the men approaching the car with the weapons he attempted to escape but was trapped by a car which was parked in front of his vehicle.

“The men dem start shoot up the car and the man (Mingo) go fuh drive away but he crash into a car in front of he.

“Then all yuh see is the men dem position themselves, one in front the car, one go at the side and another one go at the back and start fire off about 30 shots to the vehicle,” the eyewitness recalled.

The eyewitness added that before the gunmen riddled Mingo's car with bullets, one of his friends managed to escape.

Kaieteur News was told that dozens of partygoers, some of whom took cover in the nearby hotel, ran to safety as the gunmen repeatedly riddled the car with bullets while the two men were inside.

After the five-minute ordeal, loud screams filled

Dead: Denzil Mingo

the air as the bullet-riddled body of Mingo was left slouching in the driver's seat while the other occupant was rushed to the Woodlands Hospital and has since remained in an unconscious

state.

As family members of Mingo learnt about his sudden death they flocked the Georgetown Public Hospital's compound and (continued on page 51)

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Kaieteur News

Kaieteur M@ilbox

KAIETEUR NEWS Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana.

Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: ADAM HARRIS Tel: 225-8491, 225-8458, 225-8465 Fax: 225-8473 or 226-8210

Editorial

The suicide dilemma About a decade ago, psychiatrist Dr Frank Beckles commissioned a study on suicides in Guyana, perhaps the most comprehensive study ever done. The findings were not surprising since one would expect most suicides would use the chemical most available to them.

Indeed, most of the suicides occurred in Berbice where the major activity was agriculture and where one would find some of the most toxic chemicals. Gramoxone was found to be the drug of choice and indeed it was readily available since it was a weedicide on which farmers relied heavily.

There was a time when the most common pesticide was monocrotophus, closely followed by Malathion.

The then Minister of Health, Dr Leslie Ramsammy, organized a march in Berbice to sensitise people to suicides.

He also organized seminars, one of which was a trainer of trainers programme to teach people to recognize a potential suicide and to prevent the death.

These trainers of trainers were also supposed to work with the relatives of potential suicides and even with those in whose families a suicide would have occurred. Whether this programme is working is unclear because not much if anything is being spoken about it.

Dr Beckles’s study further found that Region Three, particularly West Coast Demerara and East Bank Essequibo were not far behind Berbice. Again the suicide relied mainly on the toxic substances. It also found that while most of those who took their own lives were alcoholics, a number of people infected with HIV sought what for them was the easy way out. The argument was that they could not live with the embarrassment and the possibility of rejection if their relatives became aware of their status.

The study further found that people of a certain age were more prone to commit suicide than older people although older people with some disability that hampered their movement and caused them severe pain could be pushed to that ultimate level.

Last week, two very young people hanged themselves and caused consternation among their schoolmates. Why the girl hanged herself is still a mystery but then it is said that some social workers met with the young boy in the absence of his parents and soon after he too hanged himself.

There are many things that need examination here. If indeed the social workers proceeded to interview him about a sensitive issue in the absence of his parents then they should be sanctioned. There is a basic rule that stipulates that children should not be interviewed in the absence of their parents. Perhaps, given the nature of the country where untrained people are often placed to do sensitive tasks there is the possibility that a very unprofessional approach was adopted.

But the issue goes beyond these social workers. It is time teachers be trained to deal with social issues especially at a time when young people in school are resorting to drastic issues. There was the Neesa Gopaul issue during which a girl cried out for help and while the teachers did the best they could the social services did not respond in a manner that could have saved the life of a 16-year-old girl.

All too often there are signs but unless one is trained to recognize the signs, unless one has communicating skills and unless one can relate to a suffering person, then there will always be these suicides.

A person who commits suicidal person is often a person who wants attention but we often are too busy in our own little world that we cannot bring ourselves to share some of our time with the people who really need help. This attitude is extended to the home where today many parents simply cannot relate to their teenage children with the result that the result is harsh and frightening.

At the level of the state, one can safely conclude that Guyana was never prepared to deal with these major social issues. For a country with some 700,000 people there are a mere four psychiatrists and no more than six psychiatric nurses.

Unless the nation takes notice it is going to lose even more people by way of suicide at a time when the roads and criminal activity already account for a sizeable number.

Sunday November 17, 2013

Send your letters to Kaieteur News 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown or email us kaieteurnews@yahoo.com

The GPF had a duty to ensure that these ranks were protected and equipped DEAR EDITOR, Please allow me to first extend my condolences to the loved ones of the victims who died in the recent gun rampage. Secondly, I do wish to respond to Mr. Harold Hopkinson who authored a letter printed on the 15th November and titled “Entering the firefight without protective gear is irrelevant”.

Mr. Hopkinson argues that the two police officers who died were quite brave.

This may be so, but they are also both dead.

Mr. Hopkinson, would you send your loved ones into a combat zone without the necessary protective

gear? Mr. Hopkinson, would you agree with me that jumping out of an aeroplane without the necessary protective parachute and head gear is also brave ?

Mr. Hopkinson, would you agree with me that such an act is not only stupid but shall surely result in certain death? Mr. Hopkinson, have you ever heard of the concept “duty of care”? Mr. Hopkinson, do you agree that the GPF had a duty of care to those officers to ensure not only that they are adequately trained for the job but also adequately protected and equipped?

What about “risk assessment”, is this a concept the right and honourable

gentleman is familiar with?

I do agree with you Señor Hopkinson that “Only an idiot would not know that “Incoming fire has the right of way!”. Does this not also apply to the police officers?

I am not saying that they should have abdicated from their responsibility. I am humbly proposing that the commander should have recognised this, made the necessary risk assessment, taken necessary steps to minimise risk to the public and the officers, but most importantly, recognised that he/she has a duty of care to those under their supervision.

Mr. Hopkinson, have you heard of the case in the UK, a

few years back where a fire commander sent his officers into a burning building. The building subsequently collapsed and they all died.

Weren’t those officers also very brave? Mr. Hopkinson, just for your information, that commander is presently in jail for manslaughter. Do you think anyone in Guyana would be held accountable for those officers’ death? No is the answer. So yes, I do agree with you Master Hopkinson that the officers were very brave, but should I add that they are now dead.

Dr. Mark Devonish MBBS PG Dip ed MRCP ( UK) Acting Consultant Acute Medicine

Sunday November 17, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur M@ilbox Kaieteur M@ilbox Freddie replies to Harripaul on race and inferiority complex DEAR EDITOR, I refer to Malcolm Harripaul’s attitude to my column in his letter titled (“India’s space programme is an investment in the future,” KN, Nov. 13, 2013).

He was responding to my pontification on the leadership of Brazil, China and India (see my Nov 10th article, “Some world leaders are heartless people.”)

Malcolm Harripaul is someone I have known for forty years now and is a friend. He is someone whose political integrity I respect.

But friends do disagree and the young ones can learn from polemical exchanges of this kind.

I refer to the three last lines in his letter which went like this; “I am proud to be of Indian origin so should you Freddie.” I don’t see the philosophy in such a statement.

There is nothing in my evolution as a Guyanese that would lead me to proud of any type of ethnicity.

I am devoid of ethnic consciousness not because of my growth in Guyana but because of my philosophical growth. I don’t see why I

should be proud of my ethnic inherence because I do not have any ethnic/race consciousness in me.

And I don’t see the ontological (as against the cultural and historical) purpose of any citizen being proud of their racial origin.

Now I accept people’s attitude to their race and I see nothing wrong with Malcolm’s pride in being Indian. I also believe people have a congenital right to admire their racial origins but for me there are considerations I elevate higher than my racial birth Love of country is one. I was born in Guyana and Guyana nurtured me.

I will not turn my back on Guyana and I have no regrets being a Guyanese although I feel Guyanese have thrown away years of opportunities of being a great Caribbean country the way the world sees Barbados and Jamaica.

I believe as part of the human race, I came into this world to help others irrespective of their race.

Because of that philosophical conceptualization, I cannot make room in my soul for selfadmiration of my genetic

antecedents, nor am I fascinated of being a Guyanese. Honestly Malcolm, I don’t see these issues as being important in my life.

My life is dedicated to serve mankind and I do so with the same dedication and love in serving a white man, an African or an East Indian.

Outside of that I have nothing but respect for other races and the race I was born into. As for India, it is one of the globe’s most fantastic nations, although I would not rate it as numero uno.

It has a great culture which is strongly enduring. I would love to visit India. My wife did and loved it.

As with all other nations, India has some stomach churning negativities of which I would just list three, (1) unbearable poverty that has no ending, (2), an extraordinary fascination with white skin, and (3) a dangerous acceptance of political dynasty.

I believe Jawaharlal Nehru’s great grandson will in the near future be the PM of India, making it four generations of a political dynasty that has ruled India.

Indians should denounce

these three blots that are extremely ugly.

As for Malcolm’s argument that “Freddie has unwittingly betrayed an inferiority complex by proposing that India should rely on the whites, who not so long ago had conquered, colonized, enslaved and decimated the peoples of the Americas, Africa Asia,” well what can I say?

Malcolm, I am surprised and this is putting it mildly, that you don’t know the extent to which India, Asia and Africa copy from the white man. All of India’s major pharmaceuticals are naked remakes of discoveries by white American and white European scientists.

China is the most barefaced stealer of the white man’s knowledge.

Malcolm, no other country in the world is in a rush to copy the white man than China. China has a replica of Manhattan, the Eiffel Tower, Venice, etc.

The list is long. Malcolm, Bollywood scripts are barefaced stealing of Hollywood stories. Once a popular Hollywood hit is made, the Indian screen

copies it. Get real Malcolm, you have an incisive mind, you must know by now that Indians from India dote on white people.

All of Bollywood actors want to have white skin. You can hardly find an Indian who migrated to Guyana and married a dark-skinned Guyanese.

Finally, Malcolm, colonialism has damaged the psyche of the colonial world.

The most sickening display of an inferiority complex comes from the Arab world.

The Arabs love American

and European cultures and would choose a white person any day over a non-white.

I am going to stop here Malcolm because I know that you know which are races in this world that have the inferiority complex.

I am off to see a Hollywood movie starring a globally popular actor that is darker that you, me and my editor, Adam Harris. His name is Wesley Snipes. Is there a Wesley Snipes on the Bollywood silver screen, Malcolm?

Frederick Kissoon

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Kaieteur News

Kaieteur M@ilbox

Sunday November 17, 2013

Kaieteur M@ilbox

If a people can justifiably dismiss its parliament, now is our time DEAR EDITOR, Permit me to use your forum editor to suggest to the Guyana Elections Commission that the ballot paper for future elections, in both Local Government and General Elections should bear an option entitled “None of

the above.”

This way, citizens can give a demonstrable vote that is indicative of their confidence level of the parties being considered. In the past citizens could have only done this by staying away from the poll which I believe has a

dissociative effect on the citizen in relation to the electoral process.

This Dissociative Electorally Acquired Disorder is not good for an individual in a society, to which the right of self determination, at least in the form of casting a ballot,

surely has significant impact on the perception of justice and general social structure.

This Dissociative Electorally Acquired Disorder is certainly not good for democracy.

This Dissociative Electorally Acquired Disorder

cannot be good for Guyana.

Further, I submit that the failure of our parliament to produce legislation to address the international requirement supportive of an Anti Money Laundering policy is a glaring indication of the functional and intellectual bankruptcy of the custodians of Guyana’s development.

None of the parties can escape this verdict irrespective of whatever excuse they may be willing to tender. They are all aware of the political environment, much more than the rest of us, and as such it behooves them to find a way to get their work done.

If a people can justifiably dismiss its parliament, now is our time.

It may be particularly instructive to conduct keen observation of this unaccomplished bunch so that we the people do not allow a replication of this period of non-productivity.

There are various models of leadership and skill sets required at this juncture of our country’s development.

We are far beyond the phase where any ambitious

fluffmonger should be granted opportunity of stewardship of our country’s future. Good intentions are good, but they must be accompanied with the requisite expertise and competencies in order to develop the specific brands of leadership that are characteristic to the macroeconomic and multisector journey of a developing society as ours.

Were we enjoying any of this currently then we certainly would have benefitted from a well constituted developmental policy.

The expired National Development Strategy was such an instrument. No attempt has been made since to formally and inclusively charter the country’s developmental path for the next 20 or 10 or 5 years even.

Comrade editor, we need fewer noisy parrots in parliament and more functional leaders with technical backgrounds who are accustomed to real work and accomplishments without the fluff mongering that is all politics, self interest and nothing else.

Arun Sudesh Richard

Sunday November 17, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Sunday November 17, 2013

Kaieteur M@ilbox A clear case of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer DEAR EDITOR, In reading the Stabroek News of Saturday November 9th 2013, in an article titled EXECUTIVE AGAINST TAX –FREE SALARIES ACROSS JUDICIARY, I read that the Chancellor of the Judiciary is receiving tax free dollars.

What kind of a society are we living in when poor persons who are working for thirty five thousand dollars per month (the government’s new minimum wage) that they cannot survive on have to pay VAT, and if they work over time and the money passes the tax ceiling they have to pay PAYE, while persons in high positions get tax free pay?

Mr. Editor, how is it that the Chancellor (and I am pretty sure that he is working

for more money than $35,000 dollars per month and that there are many others like him) benefits from a tax free salary while poor people who are catching their tail to survive have to pay tax?

This is advantage. This is a clear case of the rich getter richer and the poor getting poorer.

What a double standard we are seeing, where mothers have to leave their children unprotected in order to do two or more jobs so that they can barely survive, and yet we have people in high positions who are allowed to get tax free dollars, robbing the treasury of money that could be used to give poor women and children a better quality of life.

Lastly, Mr. Editor, I want

to look at the housing problems in Guyana.

The landlords / landladies are charging a lot of money for their houses.

On top of that the persons renting these houses have to pay the water bill, light bill and in some cases maintain the yard, and their rents are raised if the owners have to do needed repairs that they should have done a long time ago before renting, Landlords are doing this because the Government is not putting systems in place to correct this wrong, and when I ask myself the reason why the answer I come up with is that it is mainly poor people who have to rent these houses.

The Government of Guyana is selling house lots for low and middle income

persons from three hundred thousand to one million dollars. I always laugh out loud when they say that they are putting systems in place so that low income earners could own their own home.

What a joke, the money that you are working for is not enough to live on much less pay a mortgage.

Where are we heading to?

Could somebody please tell me what they think would happen if the governments of the USA, London, Canada and the rest of the developed countries ban persons from sending barrels and money to their families and friends in Guyana?

Mr. Editor, these are real serious times.

Wintress Morris Red Thread

The building of this road should be of concern to all Guyanese DEAR EDITOR, A letter appearing today 16th November signed by the Guyana Human Rights Association is beyond shocking news.

A road built by Brazilian miners anywhere in Guyana should be of very great concern to all Guyanese, far more one deep in the heart of South Rupununi where there is little infrastructure and little policing.

We are already almost colonized by the Chinese and other Asians. Are we about to be colonized now by the Brazilians? Whose idea is it to leave us wide open to be ripped off, raped and become second class survivors in our own country while we are sold down the river by secret deals? Is this what it boils down to? Our national identity is under assault.

Because we no longer know

who we are, we are rapidly self destructing.

Those who can’t physically and violently kill others and kill themselves are either sucked into the corruption or living povertystricken lives, or helplessly looking on. Which is 90% of the nation.

The other 10% is the fat cats, their families and cronies in all the top (lucrative) jobs.

Who said “Things are falling apart. The centre is not holding”?

Kaieteur News deserves a medal for exposing this outrage.

We must all feel outraged and press the President to address the nation on this very serious matter.

In fact, Government Ministers should address the nation on TV when serious issues arise, such as frequent maternal deaths and other negligence to women at the GPHC, the wanton use of tax payers money to build a useless hotel with casino.

Ownership of the Berbice Bridge is another scandalous matter, and many other breaches.

Why is the Government silent on these things?

The nation has a right to be informed. Who has allowed this violation of our rights?

Devanand Prashad

Sunday November 17, 2013

Dem boys seh

GREEDY PEOPLE DOES GET CHOKE Mankind never satisfied. De more dem get is de more dem want. Give dem de moon, de sun plus de daady and de mooma and de stars and dem gun still want more.

Dem got some people who after a time does seh that dem got enough and dem does thank de Creator but dem got de other set who never got enough. Dem is de people who got dem hand full, dem mouth full and other parts full yet dem want to grab more. That is when greed steps in. That is when dem does choke.Greedy people are bastards. They believe that dem alone should eat, wear and drink; that dem alone should have everything.

Dem didn’t want to see nobody to eat. Dem is de people who would throw away food by de tons while dem neighbour hungry fuh a plantain. This fit anybody you know? If you don’t know, look at page 15.

Dem is greedy people. Dem got more than wha dem great grandchildren, if de Creator bless dem wid any, can spend but dem still trying fuh grab. It reach a stage wheh people talking all over de country. We shouldn’t ask wha else dem got dem hand in, we should ask wha else dem nah got dem hand in. Is only time before jail door gun pick dem and everybody praying fuh that, including dem boys. When that time come de whole world guh gun know all wha dem got, and wha dem do and all wha deh in dem mind fuh do. Jail does mek de dumb talk and de blind see. Ask Roger de Khan why and how he sing.

Dem gun talk and sing Bhajjan and carols wha dem never hear. Dem gun behave just like de deaf and dumb man in Berbice. De man and he friend thief till dem get ketch. When de man stand up in court and de magistrate ask he if he understand de charge, he behave like if he can’t hear she.

De friend seh that he understand de charge, that he innocent and that de one who dumb know everything. De magistrate seh, “Ok, you innocent suh he got to go to jail.”

When de man who playing dumb and deaf hear how de magistrate seh that he got to go to jail, he seh, “Nah, nah. Me nah know nutten, too. Me innocent.” De magistrate seh “Ok Go sit down in jail; when I sure that you can hear and talk good you gun come back before me.”

Dem boys ain’t sure that dem bastards, including Rob de Earth, Irfaat and now Jenny, as well as de Bees gun get that option from Judge Dora or Judge Joan in Uncle Sam. Dem days coming close to an end. A diplomat whisper in dem boys ears.

Talk half and watch wheh dem gun spend dem other half.

Kaieteur News

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1,000 ALLOTTED HOUSE LOTS IN COVENT GARDEN Exactly 1,029 house lots have been distributed for Plantation Covent Garden during the Ministry of Housing and Water’s penultimate ‘One Stop Shop’ activity for this year. The activity was held earlier this week.

At the Guyana National Stadium at Providence, East Bank Demerara, the Ministry guaranteed that more than 4,000 Guyanese will now have access to housing as the government’s housing programme takes effect.

According to Housing and Water Minister, Irfaan Ali, the accomplishments within the Housing Ministry are record-breaking, and are attributed to the efforts of the staff of the Ministry and the Central Housing and Planning Authority.

Total investment on East Bank Demerara for this year amounted to $6B and this has seen the development of several housing schemes including Plantations Providence, Farm, Perseverance, Eccles, and now Covent Garden.

According to one of the recipients, Samantha Lucky, she has been waiting since 2006 for a plot of land, and has been living with her parents.

“I now own my own house lot and I will have my own home. This is a great

achievement for me.” Lucky said.

Omar Carvio said, “I feel proud today; my dreams have come to pass and I feel happy about it. I have been waiting for more than four years and this will definitely benefit my wife and two sons...This is a gift for the holiday. I got my gift early.”

After seven years of waiting, Byghman King said that he feels exceedingly proud because after many tries, his family will hopefully be in their own home by next Christmas.

Meanwhile, although happy, Lukrecia Basant said that she was displeased about the fact that she received a low income house lot.

“The Ministry staff worked with me to make sure that I was given a lot that I could afford. I have four children and I need somewhere for them, so I am happy.”

Michael Welch commended the ‘One Stop Shop’ initiative. “It is a very good idea that we have all of the activities under one roof.

It takes a lot of stress and hassle out of the process.”

“Definitely I hope that this continues so that people will be able to get their house lots in a more efficient manner,” Welch added.

At a previous ‘One Stop

Shop’, Minister Ali announced and commended the staff of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) for the work they have been doing.

He also made it clear to President Donald Ramotar, that the CH&PA’s technical staff has been saving the Government of Guyana millions of dollars annually.

Ali explained that since CH&PA staff would do all the work themselves, the government does not have to invest in hiring consultants and contractors.

During that exercise, residents of Farm, Phase Two were catered for; in excess of 1695 new house lots are being developed there.

Ali pointed out that approximately $1.4B will go towards the provision of electricity, roads and water in that area.

He said that several years ago, people would have reached the age of retirement and still not be able to own their own lands and house, however, with the government’s housing policy, persons below the ages of 35 already have their own.

“Only those who have

struggled in this regard would know,” he said, adding that the government’s successful development and implementation of the housing plan has been a tremendous accomplishment which is often being taken for granted.

Minister Ali informed that the government has been subsidizing lands up to about 45percent.

He pointed out also that the work of those employed with the CHPA goes beyond clearing and issuing lands, but entails day and night work.

In highlighting some of the issues currently being faced, Minister Ali said that nobody wants a “low income” lot, and that people would therefore sometimes lie on their application forms.

He said that persons would be given lands based on their application, thus, they should not be lying. Ali warned also that should they be found guilty of misrepresenting information, money paid for their lands will be forfeited.

Common law couples who apply for lands separately will also be penalized.

We cannot determine our destiny, but we do have a choice of a philosophy that will influence the direction of our life.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday November 17, 2013

Sunday November 17, 2013

Kaieteur News

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GTUC calls for investigation World class Kayaker makes... into Local Government Ministry - Reported misrepresentations of the Osman led Natural Globe Incorporation should immediately prohibit them from acquiring a contract - GTUC The Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) is calling on members of the public to speak out against “white collar criminals.” It is upon this platform that the Alliance said it wishes to bring to the spotlight, the Natural Globe Incorporation which is led by Mohamed Osman.

The Congress asserted that based on the reported misrepresentations of the Osman led Natural Globe Incorporation, it should immediately prohibit them from acquiring a contract for the Waste Recycling Project and future government contracts, as it violates the framework of public accountability.

It noted too that the attempts by Local Government Minister, Ganga Persaud to represent the Guyana Registered version of Natural Globe Incorporation should be seen as trying to cover up the failure of his Ministry and an open act by Mohammed Osman, Adrianna Webster and Imzamam Osman to either front or perpetuate business fraud.

This, the Union posited, is a blatant act of mismanagement and financial impropriety.

They also strongly urged for an investigation to be launched into Persaud’s Ministry due to its disregard for public finances.

“Signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU)

with an investor with a shady, inexperienced, hastily-puttogether organization, reeking of distortions, entails questionable acts and intentions of the parties involved. Also, the actions of the daughter of the Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Ms. Webster, suggest that there is a need for ethical review of government business practices and awarding of tenders. The issue of awarding contracts to family and friends of Government officials and politicians must undergo serious scrutiny and cease immediately,” the Union said.

GTUC is also calling on the Members of Parliament to exercise their powers to ensure that taxpayers’ monies are strictly accounted for and used for the benefit of all Guyanese.

It said that Government’s obsession to have Cabinet retain a no-clause objection in awarding contracts cannot

be viewed in isolation to the continued corruption and public thievery which this nation is being subjected to.

The Union said that retaining a no-clause objection means, that any Minister, at any time, in this or any future government, under any political party, can override a decision to ensure financial probity.

It then reiterated its position for the Public Procurement Commission to be established immediately, as it reminded that the commission and other constitutional bodies help manage our economy and improve government accountability.

‘GTUC remains deeply concerned that the rape of the Guyana coffers and public thievery that this nation experienced under Bharrat Jagdeo is continuing unabated under President Donald Ramotar,” the trade union body said in a release.

From page 8 for nature, particularly the sea, “I just love to Kayak.”

When she’s not travelling or sea kayaking around the world, Hoffmeister is choosing whether she will sleep in her 7.5 metre van, her tent, or rental car.

Independence is her lifestyle.

Since much is not known about kayaking in this part of the World, Hoffmeister explained that it employs the use of a canoe type- boat used originally by the Indigenous people in parts of Alaska.

She described kayaking as an adventurous sport which she also teaches.

Hoffmeister will leave for Germany, where she will spend two months before returning to South America to finish the third leg of her journey.

Paddling clockwise, on August 30, 2011 Hoffmeister headed South on the Atlantic Ocean towards Cape Horn, (the southern tip of the continent, Tierra del Fuego, Chile.)

Heading north, she travelled through the Pacific Coast of Chile before concluding the first phase of her journey in Valparaiso, the main harbour just off Santiago

de Chile.

Having paddled roughly 8,000 km in the space of eight months, Hoffmeister returned to Husum, Germany to spend time with her 15-year-old son and cater to her business operations.

Beginning the second leg of her journey, on September 2012, Freya headed north along the West Coast, along the mountainous countries of Peru and Ecuador, crossing the equator, paddling by Colombia, and through the Panama Canal, through Venezuela before she marked the end of the second stage of her exploration in Georgetown, Guyana.

Upon her return to South America, Hoffmeister plans to venture into the murky waters of tropical Suriname, Brazil and Uruguay and back south to Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Altogether, Hoffmeister has paddled along 13 countries, traveled as far south as the 55th latitude and as far north as the 15th, and crossed the equator twice.

The trip around South America, (the world’s fourthlargest continent) will be recorded as her fourth big adventure.

Her previous trips took her in 2007 around Iceland in a record 33 days. Three months later, she became the first woman to round the notoriously-rough South Island of New Zealand in a record 77 days, solo and unsupported.

On January 18, 2009, she paddled out of Melbourne, heading east to become the first woman solo and just the second person rounding Australia by sea kayak.

Once having circled South America, Freya will probably have paddled more miles than any expedition sea kayaker ever has done.

Hoffmeister has made distinguishing marks in other sporting careers, given that she participated in 10 years of competitive gymnastics, five years of competitive body building and 10 years of skydiving with 1500 jumps.

She was the first German female tandem pilot with 500 passenger jumps, and part of many huge record formations.

Her most exotic place to skydive was over the North Pole, getting washed out of a Russian jet plane with 300 km, with a racing bike passenger strapped to her chest.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday November 17, 2013

Anti Money Laundering Bill…

Opposition’s actions are clearly intended to halt Guyana Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr. Roger Luncheon in his most recent press briefing articulated that both A Partnership of National Unity (APNU) and Alliance For Change (AFC) dealt their “latest blow” to Guyana’s development by not supporting the passage of the Anti Money Laundering and Countering of Financing Terrorism (AML/CFT) Bill.

Making reference to other projects that have not been approved by the combined opposition, Luncheon said

that APNU and AFC in ignoring the impact that their none support would have on the business and standard of living of the current and future generations have taken their “anti Guyana practices to unprecedented heights this time with the rejection of the Anti Money Laundering and combating the Financing of Terrorism amendment bill.”

According to Luncheon, disclosures have been made, sounded and provided about the consequences and immediacies about the impact

of the failure to enact the bill.

He said that the opposition opted to disregard those warnings and disclosures and repeatedly disregard the interest and expressions “displayed by the broad possible cross section of Guyanese.”

“Up to today APNU has not provided nor published anywhere their specific amendments to the bill, their specific objections to the current Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) provisions in the bill endorsed

by CFATF incidentally, or

have they submitted additional provisions that exist in Anti money laundering laws in other jurisdictions” said Luncheon.

Luncheon further elaborated that the Parliamentary Special Select Committee, the stakeholders nor the Guyanese people were “privy to this secret of ANPU that one would have to believe would have such profundity it would have caused them to reject the enactment of the bill.”

“Its cabinet’s contention that the opposition’s actions

- Luncheon are clearly intended to halt Guyana and our national interest and it is obvious that that hurt is to be spread indiscriminately.

Their strategic objective it seems is Guyana and its future and it seems also they are prepared to destroy Guyana in their efforts to remove the PPP from office” said Luncheon.

Leader of APNU David Granger in a invited comment articulated that “it was the Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon business of the Select Committee not to come up with pre-conceived plans, but to listen to advice and we were in the process of receiving submissions from stakeholders and that is what was taking the time, we didn’t come with a readymade basket of amendments, we were receiving evidence from the Bar Association, University of Guyana and from other stakeholders so I don’t feel that Dr. Luncheon’s comments are relevant in this case.”

According to Granger “it was the business of the Select Committee to take evidence and we are taking evidence so that we can come to conclusions. If we knew the answer to all these questions then we wouldn’t need to go in the Special Select Committee, we went into the committee to find out and that’s what we were doing.”

Granger posited that what has happened is that the government’s Chief Whip Gail Teixeira, made a “strategic blunder”, because “three weeks have elapsed and we haven’t received evidence because she brought the committee to the end.”

Granger said that the deadline could’ve been met if the committee was kept intact and functioning.

“But it was a blunder to terminate the committee and bring the incomplete bill as far as we are concerned back to the National Assembly” said Granger.

Sunday November 17, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 13

Anti-Money Laundering Bill...

ImmigrationINFO (Immigration News For Our Community)

AFC will facilitate passage if there is compromise

Short Trips to U.S. & Long Trips Abroad Terminate Permanent Resident Status

The Alliance For Change is “cautiously optimistic” that steps to have the AntiMoney Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism amendment Bill (2013) returned to the National Assembly would end in a win-win for all.

The party wants Government to set up a Public Procurement Commission and to do more work at the level of the select committee to have amendments made to the Bill in question.

The AFC and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) all say that they want to see an anti-money laundering Bill in place, but the AFC call makes it now seem as if the party and the APNU are holding ‘one head.’

At the party’s most recent press conference, AFC General Secretary, David Patterson, told media operatives that the party may be willing to consider the suspension of the Standing Orders of the National Assembly in order to facilitate the Bill being taken back to the House.

AFC’s General Secretary, David Patterson He said, however, that that would depend on the assurance that there will not be another stalemate.

Patterson said that there needs to be the operationalization of the Public Procurement Commission under the existing Procurement Act. This means that the AFC is still not in for the government proposed amendment to the Procurement Act that will secure Cabinet’s “no objection” role in the process of awarding contract.

Patterson told the press that the PPC can be put in place simultaneously as a Special Select Committee reviews the amendments to anti-money laundering Bill.

The politician reiterated that there is no reason why Guyanese should not benefit from the protection offered by a Public Procurement Commission and stronger anti -money laundering legislation.

He added, “It must be noted that the anti-money laundering legislation speaks of politically exposed persons and it is in this context also that a Procurement Commission is necessary, to provide safeguards that would help protect politically exposed persons.

The General Secretary said, “It is in the best interest of all the people of this country; private citizens, businesspersons and persons at risk of corruption that the Alliance For Change repeats that Guyana needs to have both the Public Procurement Commission as well as a stronger anti-money laundering legislation.

More Government resources needed for Region Eight - Regional Chairman

A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Member of Parliament (MP), Ronald Bulkan, had concerns and wanted clarification from the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, in the tenth Parliament.

The concern centered on the marketing of agricultural produce from Region Eight, particularly the North Pakaraimas Sub-Region.

The Agriculture Minister said that the Ministry of Agriculture continues to provide technical assistance to farmers in every community in the country. In case of marketing, the role of the Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) is to link farmers with markets. For North Pakaraimas, the GMC stands ready to link the coastland as well as other hinterland markets to the North Pakaraimas agriculture producers (farmers).

“The Guyana Shop will purchase any quantity of processed agriculture product, for example, farine, cassareep, cassava bread, honey, peanuts and spices produced in this area.”

However according to the Region Eight Chairman, Mark Crawford, as far as he knows no p r o c e s s e d p r oducts are being purchased from Region

Attorney Gail S. Seeram The United States Court of Appeals issued a ruling that should send a strong message to lawful permanent residents who take short trips to the U.S. and spend the majority of their time abroad.

The message or ruling in the Lateef v. Holder decision states that if a lawful permanent resident is deemed to have abandoned his/her residency due to long trips abroad, then the Immigration Courts can terminate status with an order of removal.

Usually, when a lawful permanent resident is seeking entry into the U.S., the Immigration officer will examine the length of time the permanent resident has spent abroad.

If an Immigration officer deems that the permanent resident has abandoned his/ her status then he can take away the green card and refer the case to Immigration Court.

In these types of cases, the government has the burden to prove by clear and convincing evidence that the permanent resident abandoned his or her status.

Typically, the government will seek to show the permanent resident lacks family, financial, employment and property ties in the U.S. Additionally, the government will document the lengthy trips abroad and repeated trips abroad which have resulted in short stays in the U.S. Lastly, the government will provide other evidence in the record to document the

A mini health check is the first step to donating blood

Minister of Agriculture Dr. Leslie Ramsammy

Regional Chairman Mark Crawford

Eight.

Crawford said that farming in Region Eight is mostly done on a subsistence level since there aren’t so many viable markets that would warrant large scale development of products.

He added that the GMC or the Minister should tell the populace of Region Eight where they should go or whom they should contact to get their processed goods marketed, since he is not aware of any processed goods leaving Region Eight.

A lot of Citrus produce is being wasted since the cost to transport the goods to

Georgetown is not economical.

As such he is calling for the government to either make subventions for transportation of the perishable citrus produce or provide an industry in Region Eight that would allow the citrus produce to be converted into juice so that it can be exported to increase the economic growth and provide employment to persons living in Region Eight.

According to Crawford, “We only have the plans; the Government has the resources to carry it out.”

permanent resident’s intent to maintain his/her permanent status in the U.S. Lawful permanent resident status may be lost through abandonment, whether intentional or unintentional.

What are some common mistakes that are red flag indicators that a lawful permanent resident is not living in the U.S. and has abandoned his/her status?

Here is my list based on past and current client’s mistakes: 1. Lawful permanent resident that buys a one-way ticket from the U.S. to destination country abroad (it shows no intent to return to the U.S. within a short period) – there should always be a roundtrip ticket with final destination in the U.S.; 2. Lawful permanent residents who spend six months abroad, one month in the U.S., six months abroad, one months in the U.S., - this is a definite red flag to an officer.

3. Lawful permanent residents with no job in U.S. and no lease property or home ownership in the U.S.; 4. Lawful permanent residents who have not filed tax returns in the U.S., but

Gail S. Seeram have filed tax returns abroad for income earned abroad; and 5. Lawful permanent residents who take short trips to the U.S. for purposes such as giving birth to child in the U.S., filing tax returns, doctor visits, attend weddings or funerals and then return to longer time spent abroad.

Remember, as a lawful permanent resident, you MUST be permanently residing in the U.S. and not visiting the U.S. after long trips abroad. The U.S. government and immigration authorities have taken a tougher enforcement position on this issue.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday November 17, 2013

THE HEIST OF GUYANA...

WE HAVE NOW EXPOSED THE HEIST OF THE COMMUNICATIONS SECTOR IN GUYANA BY FORMER PRESIDENT BHARRAT JAGDEO Kaieteur News has already exposed the Marriott Hotel scheme, the Berbice Bridge scheme and the Sanata Complex scheme involving Queens Atlantic.

Bharrat Jagdeo

Dr. Bobby Ramroop

In 2008, President Bharrat Jagdeo 1. ordered cable TV providers to cease operations?

Among them was one company that was offering wireless internet services?

The operators then begged for a meeting with Jagdeo who told them to put together their ideas and a proposal for the way forward?

After several meetings during which the ideas/proposals were presented to Jagdeo, the operators were told that they could resume operations, but must not expand or make any further investment. Jagdeo also emphasized that he had to put new legislation in place and could not guarantee that any of them would be granted License?

The internet service provider, however, was allowed to expand his operation countrywide?

Armed with the ideas presented to him, Jagdeo set about to hatch the scheme to steal the communications sector in Guyana?

Winston Brassington

The objective of this series is to outline to the nation what Guyana will be like in the coming months when it comes to radio, television, cable, internet and wireless services (cellular phones, VOIP, security systems) and landline telephone services.

Kaieteur News has connected the dots on this scheme that was planned and carefully

GT&T at US$20 per month, they will be raking in US$1.8 MILLION monthly?

This works out to approximately US$22 MILLION a year?

The Govt. contract for the free laptop stipulates that the owners will face a penalty if they break the computer, lose it or sell it, meaning that they have to keep it to pay the internet?

GPL, headed by Winston Brassington, 5.announced that Govt. would be spending a further US$42 Million to string a transmission line from Parika, East Bank Essequibo, to Moleson Creek, Berbice?

Embedded inside of this Transmission Line is a fibre optic cable and this was only mentioned 'by the way?’

This brings the total investment so far

by Govt. for the so called E-Governance to US$112 Million, which is equal to about 10% of Guyana's 2013 budget?

Jagdeo then announced that he would be 6. While government was laying its fibre 2.distributing 90,000 free laptops to poor families optic cable and transmission line across across Guyana at a cost of US$30Million?

He then said that Government would pay for the first year for their internet service?

This was a calculated move by Jagdeo to create a huge demand for internet service thus paving the way for them to become the supplier?

US$30 MILLION OF YOUR HARD EARNED TAX DOLLARS WAS USED TO CREATE THIS DEMAND? THE FREE LAPTOP COMPUTERS WERE IN FACT USED AS THE BAIT? Six months before he announced the 3. Laptop project, Jagdeo said he would be bringing a fibre optic cable from Brazil that would cost taxpayers in excess of US$40 Million?

At the time he claimed that the cable was for E-Governance and is part of a larger plan to speed internet access across Guyana?

His real intention was unmasked when Government announced that it would lease bandwidth from that cable coming from Brazil to local private cable operators?

Taxpayers have now spent US$70 Million and still counting--US$30M for laptops and now US$40M for the cable?

The scheme to enrich his friends is beginning to unravel; it is the private operators who are being positioned to benefit using the cable to supply internet service for the demand Jagdeo created?

4.

Internet is like a drug, VERY ADDICTIVE? The lowest internet fee offered by GT&T is US$25 per month?

When the private operators begin to sell internet service to the 90,000 laptop users ALONE, let’s say a little lower than

the country, select private operators were at the same time busy expanding their own cable operations nationwide?

The administration turned a blind eye to this and allowed them to use GPL’s Public Utility Poles free of charge?

This lawless and corrupt practice continues despite the fact that none of them is in possession of a Telecommunications Licence?

Jagdeo secretly issued two cable 7. licences to E-Networks headed by Vishok Persaud; and Quark Communications Inc., headed by Brian Yong?

The Broadcast Authority created by Jagdeo then imposed an unrealistic fee of $2.5Million a year on all existing TV stations across Guyana?

The same Broadcast Authority then announced that everyone else (except those that Jagdeo gave licenses to) must reapply in order to be considered? That this bought Bobby Ramroop enough time to expand his TVG all over the country?

This was a clear indication of Jagdeo's intentions to restrict all private television stations with the exception of Dr 'Bobby' Ramroop's TVG which was allowed to expand to provide countrywide coverage?

The $2.5 Million fee and the two cable licences that Jagdeo issued secretly was the last nail in the coffin for the private television stations?

Jagdeo's aim was obnoxious; with Ramroop's TVG station countrywide, coupled with the two cable operators providing hundreds of channels, who would want to look at the other local TV stations?

orchestrated by former President Bharrat Jagdeo.

He used millions of tax dollars to further enrich his friends and close associates and to control the media landscape.

The numbers 1-10 represents each day that Kaieteur News presented this expose which began last Friday.

The same scheme orchestrated by 9.

Govt. sold its profitable shares 8. Jagdeo to dominate TV and internet was GT&T which holds the monopoly also applied to Radio and Newspapers?

He gave Five Radio Frequencies to Bobby Ramroop allowing countrywide coverage at present?

Minister Robert Persaud, the husband of Jagdeo’s niece, also received five radio frequencies which he is currently sitting on?

Jagdeo gave his own party, the PPP, five radio frequencies so that they can have countrywide coverage; they too are hoarding it while established media houses are forced to go through a frustrating process or are flatly denied?

The others that he gave single frequencies to, have LIMITED geographical reach to broadcast their signals?

Who would want to advertise with a few ‘village radio stations’ when his friends and party have nationwide coverage?

How long would these few ‘village radio stations’ be able to survive before being forced out of business?

Jagdeo’s greed and desire to stifle independent voices led to a barefaced attempt to push Kaieteur News and Stabroek News off the media landscape when he brought into being the Guyana Times?

He started pumping hundreds of millions of tax dollars into that newspaper through state ads to sustain it?

Realizing that the newspaper was a non-entity from the inception, he then ordered that ALL Govt. agencies buy copies of that newspaper daily?

10.

in to supply internet services and international calls?

This deal was made in secret with the Chinese by Jagdeo's crony, Winston Brassington?

That decision made absolutely no business sense and in fact left Guyanese more than US$30M poorer?

After selling the shares, Jagdeo moved to change the Law to break this monopoly and to allow new operators into the market?

This proposed change in the law MANDATES that Bobby Ramroop, Brian Yong and Vishok Persaud be each granted Telecommunication Licences also?

A Telecommunications Licence allows an operator to provide a range of services including cellular, internet, radio, security and hundreds of Television Stations?

Jamaica recently moved to auction its cable frequencies because its Govt. recognised the value of this national asset, which is worth millions of US dollars?

This was not even considered by the Jagdeo Government, then lo and behold, Brian Yong and Vishok Persaud, two unknowns, as well as Bobby Ramroop, were suddenly gifted this prized national asset, for FREE?

Did You Know that

The Telecommunication spectrum and national airwaves are two of Guyana's most valuable assets. They are worth millions of US dollars. Jagdeo gave these to his friends, family and party for FREE? The known beneficiaries are; E-Networks: Shareholders-- Keith Evelyn, Rakesh Puri, and Vishok Persaud. Dr Vindhya Persaud, MP, is a Director. She is also a Director of Ramroop's New GPC. Quark Communications Inc: Shareholders --Jagdeo's niece, Sabrina Singh, Winston Brassington and Brian Yong. This company operates out of the Versailles, West Bank Demerara property, owned by Dr Ranjisinghi 'Bobby' Ramroop.

Global Technology Inc: Directors Bobby Ramroop, his Secretary Valerie Khan, his QAII Director, Roopnarine Ramcharitar, George Melville, Jude Philipneri and Orson Smith.

All THREE of these companies were mandated to be granted Telecommunications Licences.

Bobby Ramroop, Robert Persaud and the PPP were each handed five radio frequencies by Jagdeo days before he demitted office.

Besides raking in all of the revenue from this telecommunications industry, this clique, with ties to Jagdeo, will effectively be in control of the entire media landscape in Guyana.

Do you see the danger this situation poses to all Guyanese?

SEE THE BIG PICTURE?

Sunday November 17, 2013

Page 15

Kaieteur News

WHAT THE MEDIA LANDSCAPE AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY WILL SOON BE IF THIS IS ALLOWED TO HAPPEN Dr. Bobby Ramroop is Director of

Global Technology Inc., Jagdeo approved their Licences for, Cable, Radio, and Telecommunications just before leaving office

TVG, Radio Guyana Inc., One Guyana Radio Inc. and Guyana Times Inc.

5 Radio frequencies were issued to Robert Persaud

5 Radio frequencies were issued to Dr. Bobby Ramroop

Quark Communication Inc. operates out of Ramroop’s Versailles property and these are the shareholders

E-Networks Shareholders

5 Radio frequencies were issued to the PPP

Close associates and business partners

Keith Evelyn

Winston Brassington

Brian Young

Jagdeo’s niece, Sabrina Singh

Cable and Telecommunications Licences approved for all three companies, E-Networks, Global Technology and Quark Communications

Vishok Persaud

Rakesh Puri

SEE THE BIG PICTURE?

Page 16

Kaieteur News

Sunday November 17, 2013

International Icon, Dr. Yesu Persaud retires at 85 By: Kiana Wilburg “In order to run any business successfully, there are three key things you should do; have good interpersonal relations, have good human relations and never believe you know it all.”

That was the sound advice of one of Guyana's international icons, Dr. Yesu Persaud to his successor, after he informed members of the media corps yesterday, that after 48 years of service, he would be retiring from his position as Chairman of the Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL).

Dr. Persaud's retirement will be effective from December 31st making way for Mr. Komal Samarro to assume the position of Chairman on January 1,

2014.

During the press briefing yesterday at the Pegasus Hotel, Rudy Collins, one of the directors of the conglomerate, said that the Board formally accepted the notice of resignation of Dr. Yesu Persaud last Friday at a statutory meeting.

This is after almost five decades of sterling service to DDL. He reminded that Dr Persaud is solely responsible for catapulting Guyana on the international market with its Eldorado Rum which is globally recognized as one of the best in the world.

Dr Persaud also provided guidance for corporate expansion and the development and acquisition of several subsidiaries in a variety of sectors including, financial services and food processing.

This sterling icon has received several local and international awards for his impeccable leadership and service.

Dr. Persaud's contribution to the rum industry in particular and to Guyana's development in general has been outstanding. It only bears, noting that DDL today is the one nationalized entity that remains comfortably afloat after the turbulence experienced during Guyana's formative years.

DDL and its related companies became Dr. Persaud's family, some conceived by him, but all cared for with the love and attention that only a devoted parent can give.”

While speaking on the significant contributions made by the business icon Collins noted too that Dr. Persaud's timing is impeccable in everything he does, and he leaves the company at a time when it is experiencing a level of sustained growth on a highly competitive market.

The feature address by the retiring business tycoon w a s e x t r e m e l y heartwarming as he informed the audience of his trials with the company as he flipped through the pages of “his-story.”

He said when he took over the company in 1975, it was bankrupt but said that

Dr. Yesu Persaud during his feature address at the Pegasus Hotel

the challenge was extended to him to reshape the company and many knew that he would never disappoint. And he didn't.

Not only did he restructure the company and mould it into a monument of success, but he added it to a part of Guyana's history that will always remain a shining star even in the face of its shaky past.

Dr Persaud however expressed concern about the current state of the sugar industry against the backdrop that many of the company's products are

made from the by-products of sugar.

He said that in 1969, Guyana produced 369,000 tonnes of sugar whilst today, it produces about 190, 000 tones which is below the target that Guyana has agreed to supply its European market which is its largest customer.

He also spoke to the fact that millions of dollars have been expended on the Skeldon sugar factory which is unable to reach its expectations.

“I mean, China doesn't do sugar and they went and

got the Chinese to construct a factory. If they wanted to get a proper plant, then either Brazil or India would have been able to do a better job.

Now you have a factory that is just sitting there using up t a x p a y e r s m o n e y, ” expressed Dr. Persaud.

Nevertheless, while the industrialist can choose to live in any part of the world, he has decided to settle in his country, as he said that he “simply enjoys helping people to help themselves.”

The 85-year-old said, “I have been going on the fast lane for too long, I need to slow down a bit.”

He also highlighted that he is extremely proud that the company has been able to stand out among the best of the best as it expanded over (continued on page 55)

Sunday November 17, 2013

Kaieteur News

Meet the beautiful Rudiana Bunbury who describes herself as a phenomenal young lady with high expectations in life. Her hobbies include playing volleyball, modeling meeting and interacting with new people. Her favorite quote: 'A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.’

Page 17

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Kaieteur News

Sunday November 17, 2013

Special Education Needs specialist, Sherwin Fraser, is a 'Special Person’

By Leon Suseran

U

sing his life and skills for the benefit of special needs children in Guyana has been the hallmark of Sherwin Anthony Fraser, an Australian-trained Special Education Needs specialist.

He has spent years honing his skills in this critical and high demand area in education in Guyana.

Apart from his work with the children at the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre in Georgetown and other special needs schools, Fraser has been an advocate for regulations and laws that call on our leaders to enact legislation to make access to public and private buildings easier for persons with disabilities.

He is also a teacher employed by the President's College and an Examiner of the Caribbean Studies subject area. Fraser has also helped to design two new courses for the University of Guyana, courses that would benefit students in gaining crucial knowledge in the area of learning disabilities and special needs.

His story is one of working tirelessly in a country where the issues of special needs and persons

with disabilities do not come up very often to the discussion table. But this certainly does not stop him from making his voice heard through his work.

EDUCATION & CAREER CHOICES His early education took place at Mazaruni where he attended Sibley Hall Nursery followed by Mazaruni Primary. His father, Gerald Fraser, was stationed at Mazaruni Prison at that time.

By age 9, Sherwin moved to West Coast

changed my mind…Later, I was approached by one of my cousins, Emelda Fraser, to serve as a replacement teacher for her since she was leaving the country.”

He then began to teach at Bush Lot Secondary in West Berbice, after which he pursued his Trained Teacher's Certificate at the Cyril Potter College of Education. “By this time, my passion for education and my insatiable desire for knowledge had increased greatly that my focus was set on becoming an education

“Every child has the potential to achieve great results, but this can only be done if knowledgeable methods and techniques are involved in working with these children. A good teacher should be able to work with students with any ability and help that child to overcome the difficulties he or she may be experiencing in learning.”

Berbice where he completed his primary education at Number 29 Primary before pursuing studies at Bygeval Secondary. He continued to excel in various subject areas, gaining distinctions.

In 1991, Fraser was the top CXC student at the school.

He related that in 1992, he had a desire to become enlisted in the Guyana Defence Force “but by the time the process began, I

specialist.”

In 1999, he started to teach at St. Rose's High and remained there until 2003.

Afterwards, he was employed as a part-time teacher at President's College, but Mr. Stanley Lewis, “the principal back then was so impressed with my work that he made efforts to have me on the staff as a full-time teacher.”

During this period,

Fraser pursued a Bachelor of Arts Degree at the University of Guyana after which he graduated in 2004, and then pursued a PostGraduate Diploma in International Studies and continued teaching.

“Many of my colleagues had been migrating to the UK, US and Bahamas, but I continued to teach.”

HOW IT ALL BEGAN Fraser's work with children with disabilities and special needs all began with him volunteering in 2005 at the Drop-in Centre at Brickdam.

“Between 2005 and 2006, I had given hundreds of hours in voluntary work with these students.

Many of the students who were housed at the centre were unable to read, write or compute, and the task of providing remedial instruction was at first very challenging, given the fact that these students had multiple [learning] difficulties.” Fraser's task, though, became easier when he employed a number of teaching strategies, including rehearsal, and cooperative learning using a Learner Centred Approach (LCA).

“They were able to perform tasks that proved difficult prior to the teachings

With other facilitators and participants at the Trafalgar/Union Community Special Needs/Children with Disability Workshop in August 2013.

Sherwin Fraser

they received,” he asserted.

“As a young teacher, your greatest satisfaction is working with a child whose percentage is below average and helping him or her to a level where the percentage is above average.”

“Every child has the potential to achieve great results, but this can only be done if knowledgeable methods and techniques are involved in working with these children. A good teacher should be able to work with students with any ability and help that child to overcome the difficulties he or she may be experiencing in learning.”

A PASSION FOR HELPING Working with those children moved him in a big

way to wanting to educate himself further in the field so that he could have helped those children in a better way. He left these shores a short time after to pursue a Master of Educational Studies Degree with specializations in Behaviour Management and Inclusive and Special Needs from The University of Queensland, Australia. He graduated last year. He recalled some good memories studying and working in Australia.

Fraser, to date, is the only person in Guyana with such specialization in the two fields, in a single Master's Degree. And his work has intensified with the Ptolemy Reid Centre and with special needs children across Guyana. After his return from Australia, the children there “have benefitted tremendously from the interventions conducted.”

The primary focus at the centre is working with children who have Down's syndrome and Cerebral Palsy.

“I have been able, over the last year, to help a number of students, particularly those who remain at the Centre on weekends, to make significant progress in the areas of phonics, writing, and self-regulation.” He added, though, that the biggest challenge for teachers in special needs schools across Guyana “remains training in this specialized area to effectively deal with children who have special needs.”

“As such, there should be a shift from best results (exams) to educational outcomes that are enduring, such as skills development.

The capacity of teachers to become more effective in the special education classroom should be enhanced.

Quality education hinges on effectiveness and effective teachers who develop a mastery of the (continued on page 47)

Sunday November 17, 2013

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Is US$30M enough?

W

aste is big business; has been so for many years. There is a global trade in the dumping of waste. And while much of the concern has been on the dumping of the developed world's toxic waste in other countries, there is equal concern about a second country accepting a first country's waste.

Some countries have been known to accept waste for countries to engage in recycling. This happens in countries such as India and China, where electronic waste from the developed world is big business.

Guyanese would also know that China is a major buyer of scrap iron waste. In fact, the collection of scrap iron waste for export to other countries has become a thriving business in Guyana.

Just before it demitted office, the then PNC government was considering a proposal to have Guyana become a dumping ground for foreign waste. There was such a large public outcry when that proposal was made that it was quickly put on the backburner.

For many years, Guyana did not have a waste problem. During the years when imports were highly restricted due to foreign exchange shortages, waste generation was not that of a major problem because there was not that much waste at all. In the city, the municipality used to collect the waste and have it incinerated.

Later, a dumpsite was created at the former Guyana Sports Club Ground, opposite the National Park. For households in other areas, the waste was simply burnt in yards.

Consumption patterns have however radically changed, and a huge amount of garbage is being generated.

This created a need for a larger and more modern dumpsite, and in collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank, a

facility was set-up behind Eccles. Much of the waste being dumped comprises non-biodegradable material, and thus another need has arisen, the need for recycling.

This need was intensified after a great number of plastic bottles and Styrofoam boxes found their way into our drainage canals, blocking the flow of water and causing flooding. There is equally a major problem with waste collection, with the entire coastal belt now in need of wastecollection services.

This has become an urgent need, because it is known that in the absence of adequate wastecollection services, Guyanese are dumping refuse into the Atlantic, into our rivers, and some squatters are dumping their feces into canals.

The threat of a major outbreak of an epidemic remains high.

The manner in which solid waste is dumped in Guyana also represents a problem. This waste is not sorted, nor is it recycled.

When the question of the recycling of waste was raised with the government, it was pointed out that investors in waste recycling plants needed far more waste in order to establish a recycling plant. In other words, while we did have a problem, we were not generating sufficient quantities of solid waste to allow for investors to make an investment.

It is known also that there is a facility in Guyana that exports crushed plastic bottles.

The bottles are collected, crushed and rolled into sheets and then exported.

All of this added to the view that from an economic point of view, there was insufficient local waste generation to attract the establishment of a waste recycling plant.

In this context, the recent announcement by the government that it has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with a company for the recycling of waste has come as something of a surprise. It

is also being reported that some US$30 million is likely to be invested in such a facility.

This begs the question as to what has changed.

How come the excuse is no longer being made that we do not have enough waste being generated to attract a modern wasteprocessing facility.

What has changed?

And what assurances will be given to the public that

Guyana will not import solid waste from other countries so as to ensure the viability of any waste-processing plant.

Since Guyanese have historically been opposed to the importation of waste from other countries, it needs to be asked whether this country will also exhibit a similar aversion to the export of unprocessed waste to other countries. What is

good for us must be good for other countries. If we do not wish for foreign waste to come here, we should not ever contemplate exporting our waste.

These are important considerations in analyzing the decision of the government to undertake a MOU with a firm for the recycling of waste, because a US$30 M investment would seem to be insufficient to create

the type of modern recycling plant that is necessary to generate energy, fertilizers and waste products from the processing of waste.

Or are we simply establishing a waste collection and sorting facility?

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Sunday November 17, 2013

Sunday November 17, 2013

Kaieteur News

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WOMEN ACROSS DIFFERENCES

- working towards empowerment

By Sharmain Grainger While some of us may have the luxury of having caring arms to run to in times of distress, there are others who are less fortunate, to an extent that they are neglected and even viewed as outcasts of society.

These oftentimes are the young among us – teenage girls in particular – who become pregnant because of acts of immaturity and are even at times taken advantage of, but yet are subjected to rejection within the environment they exist.

And so it was in light of the need for not only the protection, but also the empowerment of females in general, that Women Across Differences (WAD) was established in 1996.

The Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) was however officially launched in March of 1999 under the Companies Act of Guyana. It was driven by several outstanding women, the likes of Dr Janice Jackson, Patrice La Fleur, Andaiye and Ameena Gafoor, among others.

Although she was not involved from the inception, Clonel Samuel-Boston, who currently holds the position of Coordinator of the NGO, recalled that its introduction was crystallised during a poverty reduction conference at the Pegasus Hotel.

At that forum, the visionaries decided that there was a need for a platform from which to discuss issues concerning vulnerable women.

“From what I was told they were meeting from time to time at different locations and they were calling the group at that time ‘Women Thing’...” Samuel-Boston recalled.

The group was later formally established with a new name – Women Across Differences.

And the intent was to have an avenue for women of any level of society, age, ethnicity, political affiliation, to vocalise matters of concern to them. The premise of the group was in fact to empower women through access to social and economic resources.

According to Samuel-Boston, the group has over the years considerably expanded, so much so that it has impacted women in a number of communities across Guyana.

But though women were noticeably benefiting from the empowerment programme offered by WAD, it was recognised that more could and should be done to further propel women, particularly younger women.

Moreover, in 2008, WAD, in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), implemented a pilot project to reduce unplanned pregnancies among adolescent girls. Samuel-Boston recalled that at the time, the focus was on girls between the ages of 15 and 19. The target was 25

The police seem bent on keeping crime off the streets but the reality is that they cannot, simply because too many people are profiting from criminal activities.

Drug seizures are at a minimum because the shippers realize that it is easier to pay.

That is how one of the recipients of pay in the drug trade would be exposed by a law enforcement agency.

The scandal would be covered up, because after an initial court appearance the matter would simply disappear, courtesy of another pay-off.

teenage girls drawn from Georgetown and its environs.

The WAD Coordinator related that a snowball method was utilised which was characterised by house-to-house visits to find these girls. This move was in fact guided by a baseline study which was earlier conducted

by UNFPA that sought to shed some light on the needs of teenage girls, and by extension, the way forward in terms of creating a programme especially for them.

The study was quite revealing and informed WAD that many of these girls, some even as young as 12, were desperately in need of support, as some were victims of rape, committed by persons thought to be trustworthy, including relatives and close family friends. Some of them were not even being supported by family members, because of their pregnancy, and were therefore forced to fend for themselves and young children.

A programme to support these vulnerable teenagers was soon successfully implemented by WAD, catering to their needs, in terms of upliftment, through strategic training programmes that not only seek to foster personal development, but also to enlighten them about the importance of sexual reproductive health.

Entrepreneurial development was also seen as a major area to facilitate empowerment of more than 100 teenage mothers, most of whom hadn’t family and even partner support.

“We also incorporated some basic aspects of functional literacy, because of the fact that we are sending our girls back to school and we need to make sure where they are in terms of their academic level,” said a passionate Samuel-Boston, who is a qualified Social Worker.

In addition to her expertise, WAD utilises the efforts of one other full-time staffer and that of volunteers. However, there are plans being streamlined to gain additional support from CUSO International, a Canada-based Volunteer organisation.

WAD’s operation is centred at 34 Anira Street, Queenstown, Georgetown, where training and counselling are held for the teenage mothers who attend sessions with their babies.

And even as WAD prepares to graduate its fourth batch of teenage mothers next month, the Coordinator disclosed that there is much to be proud about.

She disclosed that some of the girls have not merely settled for the fundamentals, in terms of their academics, but have moved on to the tertiary level, in some cases the University of Guyana.

“These were girls who were very shy and

Traffic accidents are no longer the things to create alarm. They have now become part of the routine and the nation has come to accept them as such.

That is why when a speeding car driven by a young man strikes a child, the people behind the driver

would turn up with a sum of cash as a settlement.

The police, quick to avoid anything that entails serious work, would seek to avoid prosecuting the errant driver. Onlookers would then begin to wonder at the cost of human life. ** A robbery would see a clash between the bandits, public-spirited citizens and the police. This robbery would occur on the outskirts of the city. The bandits would not cater for a roving patrol, nor would they cater for armed civilians in the vicinity.

WAD Coordinator, Clonel Samuel-Boston (second from right), and other staffers thought they had nowhere to go...They thought that their situation was the end of their lives. But after coming here (WAD) their whole attitude and thinking process really changed...” Samuel-Boston asserted.

“They can now identify with what they want and are able to go after their goals...not all of them are education-inclined, but some are definitely developing their own businesses.”

However, she explained that at least 50 per cent of the teenage girls opt for furthering their education after their encounter with WAD, even as she boasted that the overall success rate of the programme as it relates to reducing unplanned pregnancies is 90 per cent.

“Ninety per cent of our teenage mothers have not had a second pregnancy...and that makes this programme very successful for us...” Samuel-Boston said.

In order to achieve the reduction in the rate of teenage pregnancy, the girls enrolled into the WAD programme are introduced to family-planning methods and they are closely monitored. This, according to the Coordinator,

is one of the key factors in reducing unplanned pregnancy and has also helped to build their selfesteem and empowerment competence as well.

“Our girls can stand up at different forums and represent themselves...We have had our girls go to Mexico, Jamaica and Dominica...We have had them participate in Youth Parliament and other workshops and seminars, and they are able to really advocate for what they want to see happen.”

Although constrained by some shortcomings, including cramped operating space in Queenstown and the need for further collaboration with agencies such as the Ministries of Health and Human Services, Samuel-Boston is confident that “we (WAD) are indeed doing a good job and the programme is very effective. We are grateful to UNFPA for giving the girls another chance”.

The work of WAD was amplified on Wednesday when the UNFPA launched its State of the Population Report which gives much focus to combating the challenge of teenage pregnancy.

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Sunday November 17, 2013

Devoured by nature’s irresistible expanse - Will the Mazaruni ever reveal its secret about the three men who vanished five years ago?

By Michael Jordan Flying over Guyana’s interior in one of those tiny, flimsy-looking planes, you look down on that vast jungle so far down below, and you can’t help wondering: What would happen if this plane went down? Will I survive, slamming into trees and hurtling down like a stone?

And if I were to survive, would I ever be found? Or will I wander through square mile upon square mile of jungle, lost forever?

Looking for that tiny plane would surely be like searching for a needle in a massive green haystack.

And you would be right in giving it some thought, because that has been the fate of several unfortunate pilots who have ventured over the splendid yet unforgiving terrain.

The old-timers will tell you that one pilot crashed in the Mazaruni area over two decades ago.

Neither plane nor man was found. They will reminisce that another plane, with its pilot and about six European passengers, vanished without a trace while flying between Anna Regina and Mount Roraima.

A third disappeared while flying to Kaieteur.

And that would bring them to speculating about the fate of three men who ventured into the Mazaruni in a plane a little more than five years ago and were never seen again.

At around 14:14 hrs on Saturday, November 1, 2008, a Beechcraft King Air plane departed the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri, for the interior. On board were pilot, Captain James Wesley

Barker, 28, First Officer Chris Paris, 23, both US citizens, and Canadian Patrick Murphy, a Geophysics technician.

Their mission: to conduct aerial surveys on behalf of Prometheus Resources (Guyana) Inc. a Canadian Company that was hoping to locate uranium deposits in the vicinity of Chi Chi, Cuyuni/ Mazaruni. The aircraft had enough fuel for five hours 30 minutes and the crew was scheduled to conduct their survey in the Chi-Chi/ Imbaimadai area for approximately four hours 30 minutes before returning to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.

At 15:06 hrs, the crew reported to the Control Tower at the airport that they were commencing normal operations over the survey area. No further reports were received from the aircraft.

When the plane failed to return at the scheduled time, or the crew report on their whereabouts, Air Traffic Control staff alerted other aircraft in the vicinity to try to establish contact with the Beechcraft.

The US MCC Southern Command was also contacted for any reports of distress signals from the area.

But no one had heard from the crew, and by afternoon, there was no doubt that they were missing.

Officials from the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) were alerted to the crisis, and the longest and Guyana’s most intense search for a missing aircraft began, The initial search team included the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Air Corps and Special Forces, along with two British helicopters also involved, along with five

other planes. These were supported by two aircraft chartered by GCAA from Air Services Limited and two other private aircraft.

But cloud cover and bad weather caused the search to be delayed until the following day. Ground searches were also conducted by the army.

Officials of Prometheus Resources (Guyana) Inc., the company which had sent the men on the survey expedition, organised their own search party.

But no trace of the plane was found the following day, or the next.

At first, the rescue team had been picking up signals from the missing plane’s Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT). An expert in locating ELT signals arrived in the country with sophisticated equipment. But he was unable to locate the area from which the ELT signals were emanating.

After seven days, the ELT signals ceased, and hope of finding the men alive began to fade.

Veteran Guyanese pilot, Captain Gerald ‘Gerry’ Gouveia who had survived a crash some miles from Timehri, knew that hope was running out for the crew. The Mazaruni area where they had disappeared was harsh terrain. Even uninjured survivors would be exposed to cold, to inclement weather, and a shortage of food and water. And they would also be running out of hope.

On November 16, 2009, some two weeks after the Beechcraft King Air plane disappeared, Minister of Transport, Works and Communication, Robeson Benn, reluctantly announced that the aerial search had been called off.

“As difficult as it may seem, we have expended all the resources, the time and the effort that we could at this stage. There is nothing more that we can do…We aren’t in a position to recover them. We have no specific knowledge of whereabouts.

“The basis of our calling off the search is that we believe that they have perished.”

Nevertheless, officials from Prometheus Resources (Guyana) Inc. decided to continue the search, even if that meant merely recovering the wrecked plane and the bodies of its crew. Fliers were distributed to residents of the Middle Mazaruni area, where the plane was believed to have crashed.

Pilots took aerial pictures which were later posted

online and scrutinized by a barrage of pilots. This was backed up by a team conducting ground searches.

In late November 2008, the search shifted to an area in the Kurupung after a Brazilian miner claimed to have heard an explosion in the location shortly after seeing a plane flying overhead. But they found nothing.

Hope rose again in December 2008, when some pilots examining aerial photographs identified what appeared to be the tail of the Beechcraft King Air aircraft protruding from trees in an area in the Middle Mazaruni jungle. This information led to suggestions that the pilot had crashed while flying over the escarpment which borders the Middle and the Upper Mazaruni.

According to this theory, the pilot underestimated the steepness of the escarpment and was forced to climb faster than he actually could. But the aircraft stalled and then dived down into the dense vegetation. It had most likely plummeted nose-first, hence the failure to create any significant clearance in the vegetation and so make the crash site easily visible.

But to their immense disappointment, when the search party reached the suspected crash site, they discovered that the “tail” of the aircraft was actually part of a dead tree. Undaunted, the team continued searching into the new year.

In August 2009, aided by specially-trained cadaver dogs, a US search-and-rescue team of ex-army personnel, ventured into the MidMazaruni area for one final attempt to recover the victims.

But, like others before them, they found no trace of the plane or victims. They finally acknowledged that the victims may never be found.

The team then dropped wreaths over the area where the plane is believed to have disappeared.

That was acknowledgment that the treacherous Mazaruni jungle would be their final resting place.

If you have any information about an unsolved murder or disappearance, please contact us at our Lot 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown location.

You can also contact us on telephone numbers: 2258465, 22-58491 or 2258458.

You can also contact Michael Jordan on his email address: mjdragon @hotmail.com.

Sunday November 17, 2013

Kaieteur News

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== THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN ==

Guyana: penetration in a failed state Even in the most socially disheveled country, you are not going to find some of the abominable forms of social and political absurdities that obtain in the Guyanese society.

There are territories where military strongmen rule and their politics are brutal, but they would not tolerate the forms of political indiscipline that have completely taken over this country.

Where it will end, no one knows, but two solutions may be possible. One is a new government that will be forced to confront the social lawlessness that the present government itself has encouraged.

One argument against that was put to me last Thursday by a journalist at this newspaper. She asked me if it is not possible that the very people that condemn the social degeneracy will not find it strategically useful to tolerate when they get into power.

My answer was no. But there are people who believe it can happen. The other solution is a national government. If I had to choose, I would say that the only future guaranteed to this

country will be in an all-party administration.

What cannot be denied is that unless we change the way power is exercised in this land, we are going to have more of the dangerous slackness that allowed Deryck Kanhai to have those guns that he used to kill two brave policemen and two innocent citizens.

The question that is being asked is against the background of his troubled past with the law, how did he secure a valid gun licence?

The answer lies in the penetration of state security and the government by a particular layer of the Guyanese society - the cabal of very wealthy people that all and sundry know as the nouveau riche.

These are extremely rich people who have accumulated vast wealth based on their collusion with the power people.

The nouveau riche have penetrated the inner recesses of state security and the apex of the political establishment, and have become virtually untouchable. These moneyed people are beyond the law and through their connections they do not almost, but

anything they want. They can get away with all types of criminal behaviour.

They can secure any concession they want from any state institution without even spending a minute in the bureaucratic environment.

They can buy any piece of land or any building they desire. There is no way the police force will arrest or charge any erring member of the nouveau riche. They will not because their tentacles are all over the police force.

Another layer of society that has enormous connection with State security comprises the normally wealthy folks. Though the word “penetration” is not appropriate to their relationship with the police and the government, they are still above the law. Here is an example of how unbelievably low this society has sunk.

This is an example that is an innocuous situation, and nothing personal is intended against this particular person.

I cite it here to demonstrate that if a member of a traditionally wealthy family class can behave like this, think of what the decadently nouveau riche class can and will do.

There is a man in this

country that as a matter of policy does not use a helmet when riding.

This man never, I repeat, never uses a helmet and can be seen all over Demerara (maybe Guyana) riding without a helmet. Ten years ago, I saw this man ride through a police roadblock on the Linden highway.

With me were the editor of the Catholic Standard, Colin Smith; William Cox of the Office of the President and businessman David Isaacs.

We all saw when the police didn’t even blink an eye. Since those ten years, I and maybe countless other citizens have seen this man on his expensive machine without a helmet.

The deduction here is if he can flout the law so openly then his motorcycle (or car) doesn’t need to carry a road licence document and certificate of fitness from the police.

Mr. Kanhai was a rich citizen. He could easily have procured through normal channels any gun he wanted.

He had the resources to do so. The nouveau riche have absolutely no respect for the ordinary ranks of the police force. They know where their contacts are and those

connections will exempt them from the hands of justice.This macabre descent into chaos differentiates Guyana from most countries in the world.

There is only one concept to describe this modern day nihilism – failed state.

It is not that a few wealthy folks don’t try a thing when they violate the law in many developed countries, but it is surely not the norm. There is no way any super-wealthy citizen can get away with

Frederick Kissoon egregiously violent crimes as we in the media know they do in today’s Guyana.

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Sunday November 17, 2013

Book Review… A Journalist’s Diary bleeds

corruption, violence and desperation CONTRIBUTOR, Dr Glenville Ashby Thibault Ehrengardt pens a provocative work that transcends the violence and mayhem that bleed through its every page. This is clinical journalism. It is insightful, investigative and written with sheer brilliance. It is how a story should be told. It is raw and cutting, dragging the reader into the trenches of an urban battlefield.

Gangs of Jamaica: Babylonian Wars reads like Ehrengardt’s intimate diary.

Given rare access to the gangs that litter Jamaica’s urban landscape, he is mindful of not overplaying his hand with sensationalism.

He is measured, deftly detailing the cesspool of wanton viciousness that weighs heavily on Jamaica Constabulary Force, an agency that is mandated to hit back at urban warlords. But

BOOK: Gangs of Jamaica: Babylonian Wars by Thibault Ehrengardt when they do, we are reminded of Friedrich Nietzsche’s famous quote: “Be careful when you fight with monsters, lest you become one.”

The dramatic capture and extradition of Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke that resulted in damning political repercussions for the JLP, does not escape the writer’s radar. It is a defining moment.

It is also the underbelly of Jamaica’s violence – a sacrilegious marriage between career politicians and hoodlums.

Here, crime is the offspring of corrupt politicians who carve out garrisons or fiefdoms, doling out cash, contracts and even guns for enduring political

support. It is an internecine quid pro quo that germinated in the 1970s and grew to incorrigible proportions in the 1980s and 1990s. The “Dons” collected taxes and supposedly maintained law and order.

With crime on the decline over the last two years and concerted efforts made to weed out crooked cops, we must ask if civility will return to Jamaica, especially with the downfall of the island’s biggest “Don” and the return of the PNP? This is the $64,000 question.

The writer is not overly hopeful. Jamaica is a violent society and crime is systemic and institutionalised, he argues. In the 1980s, it had spread like a deadly virus,

destabilizing the inner cities of the US with the proliferation of drugs and guns, courtesy of the Gulleymen, the Yardies and Vivian Blake’s Shower Posse.

“The Gangs of Jamaica” chronicles a society turned on its head. Poverty, despair, greed, drugs, prostitution and murder create a social catacomb. Crooked cops and politicians add to an asphyxiating crisis - one that will take years to remedy.

Not that law enforcement isn’t trying. The Major Organized Crime and Anti Corruption unit has nabbed scores of “dirty” cops and PNP’s political brass has vowed to clean house. But skepticism persists.

The Constabulary Force is hamstrung by a shortage of advanced technology in intelligence gathering, logistical problems, corrupt personnel and officers who have psychologically unraveled under the pressures of an unforgiving profession.

But there are officers who are worth their salt. The reader is introduced to hard working officers such as, Sasha and Sergeants Adams and McKenzie of the Mobile Reserve.

And the legend of Trinity and Renato Adams - the ‘Schwarzeneggers’ of law enforcement in earlier years are juxtaposed with Rico, Ricardo Hilton, Duane Waxteen and ‘Dudus,’ some of the most notorious gangsters. And in a twisted way, in this business of gangsterism, “until you are known as a monster you are not a star.” In this battle of wills, we hear all sides including the views of National Security Minister, Peter Bunting and those of Commissioner Owen Ellington.

After decades of strife, the Jamaican is psychologically scarred.

When law enforcement personnel and “Dons” collide, M16s, Glocks, MP 5s and AK 47 blaze ammo with abandon. The outcome is predictable. Blood.

Urban Jamaica has become a laboratory for the criminal psychologist, the child psychologist and the sociologist.

Ehrengardth wrestles with the burgeoning of Jamaica’s violence. Political power, greed and nepotism have led to the creation of uncontrollable monsters, but “when you create a monster

you don’t whine when it stumps on a few buildings.”

As politicians lose control of their garrisons the pitch battles among gangs shed their political carapace and violence is now fueled by pure greed.

Guns, drug trafficking, and extortion are rife. Even rabid homophobia propelled by pop culture is embraced by supposedly enlightened politicians who must dance to the hooliganism of the streets.

It is a sickening, revolting degradation of office.

The author is clearly bent on exploring the root of this deadly social malaise. His qualitative research pays dividends. He is told of Trenchtown’s fabled past, the Machiavellian politics of Edward Seaga, whose purported dance with the occult conjures flashes of Haiti’s Papa Doc. The famous truce and peace concert, the attempted assassination of Bob Marley and the defiance of Peter Tosh who described any peace overtures as “hypocrisy,” are detailed. In many ways the latter Wailer proved to be a visionary.

Interestingly, violence cannot be divorced from the island’s musical culture.

“Bob Marley himself beat up his manager while a friend was holding his victim at gunpoint,” and “the late musical Don, Gregory Isaacs who went to prison several times for possession of coke and guns and who was feared by the bravest....was a close friend of Lester ‘Jim Brown’ Coke, Dudus’ father.”

The reader peels through

the emergence of reggae, a musical gem that was twisted and layered with a violent streak, against a backdrop of a counter cultural Rastafarian movement that lost its messianic and apocalyptic appeal.

Unfortunately, dance hall music has added a markedly perverse element to the mix.

Throughout, the dehumanization and hopelessness of Jamaica’s youth glares at you. You are troubled, your soul perturbed, but you are helpless. Children are swooped up in a perpetual cycle of violence and preyed upon by gang leaders who were themselves errant and intrepid youths ripe for plucking.

Crime may have been smothered in Tivoli Gardens but Spanish Town, the home of One Order and the Clansmen, still poses a threat to peace. And Montego Bay is now the nerve centre of professional scam artists.

Jamaica Gangs is a literary juggernaut. It is riveting, grabbing and holding the attention of the reader. Alas, it leaves a trail of uncertainty and trepidation. If only Ehrengardt’s social prognosis was more hopeful.

F e e d b a c k : glenvilleashhby@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter@glenvilleashby The Gangs of Jamaica by Thibault Ehrengardt Publisher: Dread Editions 2013 ASIN B00FAOFXU8 Available: amazon.com/ www.jamaica-insula.com Rating: Essential

Sunday November 17, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 25

MY COLUMN

There is something called hoodwinking I cannot help but conclude that people are intolerant of the views of others, especially of those views that do not coincide with those held by the other person. I find that it is not a case of people attempting to reason and therefore try to analyse the other person’s views; it is simply a case of discarding those conflicting views.

I was surprised that the political opposition did not make an effort to have the antimoney laundering Bill in place for whatever that Bill was worth. For one, there would have been an immediate investigation of the possible suspects. Today, there is precious little one can do, except monitor the suspicious transactions. But then again, as one person later said to me, having the law in place guarantees nothing.

“Adam, we have the trafficking In Persons legislation and had it not been for international pressure nothing would have happened.” I acknowledged the point, even as I recognized that those who are bent on protecting people from the scourge are running into problems with the very lawmakers who are supposed to protect them.

One woman spoke of two police ranks actually threatening her. Another managed to get two policemen charged with demanding sex from the very

people they were supposed to prevent being trafficked.

There are laws governing taxation. I see scores of tall buildings shooting up in and around Georgetown. A casual check revealed that the Guyana Revenue Authority does not even know the names of the people erecting the structures.

When I asked a GRA staff member, the man simply said that the person may be paying taxes on his least profitable enterprise just to maintain a public perception. I then asked about the GRA moving to the site of the construction to conduct a tax inspection.

That was when the person said that they do not have enough staff to go chasing after everything.

This is likely to be the very argument that would be made if and when Guyana gets the anti-money laundering Bill.

Then I began to think about this new investigative unit that Cabinet sees as being important in the wake of the failure to pass the anti-money laundering Bill. This unit, to be named the Special Operations Crimes Unit (SOCU), will be headed by the Police Commissioner.

I thought that it was a good thing that the acronym was not SOCA, because the country would have concluded that the government was merely having a party with the nation. This body would have

to be equipped with specially trained financial investigators. I then heard that they would be working with the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU).

If that is to be the case, I am left to wonder at the inability of the FIU to spot even one suspicious transaction. Surely, if Adam Harris walks into a bank and deposits $3 million, that would be a suspicious transaction. It might be a legitimate transaction because someone from overseas sent US$15,000 to begin payments on a house.

But it is still suspicious.

I know of a few cases like this, yet the FIU never detected any suspicious transaction. The commercial banks must have provided the information. What is there to effect a change in this situation?

Perhaps the FIU might find it so much easier to pass everything to the SOCU. But the skeptic that I am, I could not help but recall that the Guyana Elections Commission discovered what the officials considered an attempt at fraud by way of multiple registrations. The information was passed to the police, who could not even mount an investigation. No one was ever prosecuted.

SOCU may very well land in the same boat.

However, I am certain that any probe would have uncovered a large extent of money laundering. Everyone

I know contends that the structures going up is a reflection of how much drug money there is in the system.

They say that with the announcement that there must be anti-money laundering legislation, people are making desperate efforts to legitimize their money.

They take the cash and they go to the various manufacturing firms. They pay cash and they take home the material which they use in their construction. In the end, the money becomes clean. The bank would be reluctant to question Gafoor’s or Toolsie Persaud about any deposit the company makes.

There was also another bit of nonsense that I failed to grasp and it had to do with the introduction of the $5,000

note. The police, the private sector and just about everyone, except the government wants people to use plastic-credit cards, debit cards, and even cheques.

Earlier this year, or it might have been late last year, when asked about the need for the new note, the Deputy Governor of the Bank said that it had been more than a decade since Guyana had a new currency.

It has been decades since the United States considered having a currency note larger than the $100. And even that the great United States is thinking about phasing out.

Some stores do not take them.

But Guyana has to be different, although as the people from the Finance Ministry said, the new note has

Adam Harris nothing to do with inflation.

In my book the new note allows people with cash that they cannot take to the bank, to use less space to store this money. And it also aids the criminals since they would have to escape with less load and even more cash.

Is the government on the side of the criminals?

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Kaieteur News

Sunday November 17, 2013

More suffering due to substandard work

By Daniel Fraser The Alliance Road, properly named Reid’s Avenue, Timehri, East Bank Demerara, is in urgent and dire need of repair.

This road underwent over G$9M rehabilitation sometime before the 2011 Regional and General Elections, and a few years before that over G$5M to do the same repairs!

This was the declaration of residents, who are faced daily with the herculean and tedious task of plying that public thoroughfare to commit to their livelihood.

In this instance the residents were expressing

their anger and concern to a delegation of the AFC headed by the Party’s Chairman Mr. Nigel Hughes on Sunday October 27 last.

Residents explained that around 2008, the Ministry of Public Works supposedly assigned a contract to a private contractor that saw thousands of cubic yards of materials including the 4-6 inches concrete slabs that made the road from the Timehri Public Road to the first bridge, excavated and dumped.

Over four inches of materials that formed the road was just removed and distributed to anyone at a cost.

This was replaced with

white sand/loam mix and crusher run.

At no time was there any overseer/Clerk-of-Works to attest to quality and quantities provided or the compaction required to ensure a standard necessary for a proper job.

In 2011, when work was being undertaken on the road, they raised serious concern about the quality and standard of work being done, to the extent where they blocked the road to stop the work and therefore called attention to the respective ministry.

The media came into the matter which saw a senior engineer from the Work

Service Group of the Ministry of Public Works, who said that he was the Project Officer, coming into the site and declaring that the works were being conducted as per the Bill of Quantities which formed part of the contract entered into by that Ministry.

“There was an angry standoff between the residents who were fighting for a proper standard of road that would allow for some relief to positively affect their daily livelihood, and the Ministry’s workers and agents whom seemed anxious to just complete the project regardless of …, It was on TV” chided one of the residents.

Alliance Road has been in existence for several generations and houses the Bitumen Plant, with both freehold and state lands for agriculture and residential purposes.

The aged, (over 100 years) sewage system pipes, inherited by the American Army during their occupation of the (Hyde Park) Timehri Base during World War ll runs through that road and discharges into the Demerara River.

The mixed population of over 2,000 residents earn their livelihood from traditional agricultural activities, working with the public and private

sectors, including the Guyana Defence Force, Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Fire Service.

Because of its proximity to the Demerara River, a private boat landing is established and is used and provides river transportation to folks trekking the Demerara River.

The condition of the road is prohibitive to small vehicles in instances due to the extremely large potholes and extensive indentations along the thoroughfare.

Obviously, the lamentable condition of the road impacts with tremendous negativity on the lives of residents and visitors thereto.

Complaints about access in cases of emergency, damage to vehicles, and the prohibitive prices required to take residents to and from their homes by use of special hire taxis add to, and ultimately compounds the frustration of the residents.

Residents living beyond the second Bridge are allegedly told by the Public Works Minister that the mud (earthen) dam they use to access their homes cannot be upgraded because those lands are private lands.

Attention was then drawn to other such situations where the Public Works Ministry

built roads, like at Friendship, EBD, that has a 700 feet road leading to a party supporter’s house off the public road.

One resident asked if road construction being undertaken is based on the votes the PPP government received in any given area.

It was also posited by some residents that the condition of the road allows for all forms of illegality and nefarious activities, as the police cannot access the road in any manner timely enough so as not to alert perpetrators of criminal undertakings.

The Party Chairman advised the residents that complaints of these nature are heard throughout the country and that the Alliance For Change through its Parliamentarians, and the media will be highlighting their concerns and make efforts to have them addressed in a manner that would bring ease to them.

The Party delegation included Daniel Fraser Region 4 Management Committee Chairman, Anil Mohanlall – Vice Chairman East Bank District Management Committee (EBDMC), Sherlanda Daniels – Secretary EBDMC, Dominic Gaskin - Party Treasurer and Beverley Alert - PRO .

Sunday November 17, 2013

Kaieteur News

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SUNDAY SPECIAL AG REPORT UNCOVERS….RAMROOP’S NEW GPC GIFTED MORE THAN US$15M IN DRUG CONTRACTS …OVERSTOCKING LEADS TO MORE THAN US$1.4M IN WASTE – AG The Auditor General flagged the New Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation (GPC), owned by Bharrat Jagdeo’s best friend, Dr Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop, for questionable transactions last year as it relates to drug purchases.

Speaker of the National Assembly, Raphael Trotman, made the report public this past week and it has revealed that Ramroop’s New GPC received in excess of $3B to supply drugs to the Ministry of Health and the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Another $1B was spread across more than a dozen local and international companies. Ramroop received the largest chunk of the drugs purchased by Government last year and according to the Auditor General, this was done based on the fact that he was pre-qualified since 2010.

This means that in 2010 Ramroop’s New GPC would have been selected to supply drugs to Government without having to go to public tender until that prequalification status expires.

The government, through the Ministry of Health and GPHC, spent just over $4B in drug purchases last year. The Auditor General in his report did have cause to question several of the transactions given that they were undertaken without valid Bank Guarantees.

ANTI MONEY LAUNDERING LEGISLATION …GOVT. WILLING TO RETABLE BILL IFASSURED OF OPPOSITION SUPPORT …APNU/AFC STILL WANT CHANGES Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh, says that the government is willing to return the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Bill to Parliament before the November 18, deadline, provided it receives a commitment from the political opposition that it will be supported in its current form.

Both A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance for Change (AFC) have rejected this notion, saying that their concerns still need to be addressed. APNU’s David Granger said that the coalition can provide no such

service, Paul Raman, in a fit of rage that reportedly stemmed from his anger as a result of his 25-year-old lover walking out on him a week ago.

Dr Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop

President, Donald Ramotar

commitment, given that there are still a number of deficiencies in the law that need to be addressed. He said that APNU cannot return the Bill to Parliament given that it is a Government Bill, but upon its return it will be sent to the Select Committee.

Granger told this publication that the Opposition is willing to miss the November 18 deadline given that there is no guarantee that Guyana will not be blacklisted. He said that Guyana has been in default for a number of years now. Granger said that passage of the amendments suggested by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) will not guarantee that the country will not be blacklisted, given that the international body was more interested in enforcement rather than just passage of the amendments.

Granger said that he cannot recall any prosecution in Guyana related to Money Laundering. Further it was only the previous Thursday that there had been any report to the House by the Financial Intelligence Unit.

District. However, the employee betrayed the trust by first converting some of the money he was given to his own use. He then had to find a way to recover it and in order to do so, he hatched a plan.

According to a source, he arranged with a well known convict called “Roland” from Blairmont, Berbice, to carry out his plan which was to stage an attack on the camp he and other workers were staying in at Port Kaituma and steal the gold. The source said that the convict hired his crew, including a boatman, to transport him to Port Kaituma through the Pomeroon River.

It is alleged that the mastermind somehow managed to administer sleeping tablets to his colleagues in the camp to facilitate the heist; so when “Roland” and his crew turned up it was easy pickings for them.

MONDAY EDITION SEVEN IN CUSTODY AS…POLICE RECOVER MILLIONS IN CASH AND GOLD AFTER STAGED ROBBERY Police have rounded up at least seven persons who were involved in a staged robbery, in which millions of dollars in cash and raw gold were stolen from a local gold buyer. The police have also recovered the loot which comprised about $40M cash and 90 ounces of raw gold in what has been described as excellent investigative work.

The heist reportedly took place two Fridays ago at Port Kaituma in the North West District and was reportedly masterminded by an employee of the gold buyer.

According to reports reaching this newspaper, the employee was entrusted by the gold buyer to conduct his business in the gold mining area of the North West

RAMROOPADMITS TO HAVING ITEMS RECORDEDASALREADY DELIVERED TO GPHC Bharrat Jagdeo’s best friend Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’Ramroop, who owns New Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation (GPC), has lashed out at the Auditor General of Guyana over the discrepancies raised in his 2012 reports. Ramroop last Sunday accused the Audit Office of “sloppy fieldwork by junior officials in the Office of the Auditor General.”

But the Auditor General found among other things that there were several million dollars worth of drugs still to be supplied by Ramroop.

These drugs were part of the more than US$15M worth of drug contracts Ramroop received from the Ministry of Health and the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). Ramroop admitted this and called on the Ministry of Health and GPHC, “to remove its goods from the corporation warehouses as soon as possible.”

In seeking to explain the non-supply of the drugs, Ramroop has also conceded

that the New GPC is still currently storing a very large volume of items for the Ministry and GPHC, which New GPC recorded as delivered.

Ramroop said that contracts, particularly the larger orders, sometimes overlap from a consumption point of view into the following financial year.

Hence, it is not unusual that some items are not collected by the Ministry at the end of the fiscal year. However, it is unusual that these items would be recorded by New GPC as delivered. He said that national budgets are approved some time between March and July, hence the quantities being ordered sometimes cater for this overlap.

TUESDAY EDITION YOUTH SLITS LOVER’S THROAT THEN HANGS SELF A 21-year-old man slit his 27-year-old lover’s throat before hanging himself in the upper flat of a West Ruimveldt house around 17:00 hrs Monday.

The bodies of Kenroy Sebort Crandon and Bibi Sherriza were found in the upper flat of the Lot 27 Two Pickets, West Ruimveldt Housing Scheme premises.

Two of Crandon’s relatives, who broke into the upper flat after hearing suspicious noises, found Sherriza lying on a blood soaked-bed. Her throat had been slit and her body bore two stab wounds to the stomach. Police, who retrieved a knife from the scene, said that the body bore bite marks on the arms.

Crandon was found hanging from a rope attached to a beam near the entrance of the bedroom. Reports indicate that the murder/suicide stemmed from accusations of infidelity.

WEDNESDAY EDITION TERROR IN MIDDLE STREET…TWO COPS AMONG FIVE DEAD IN SHOOTOUT The death toll stood at five at the end of an almost three-hour gun battle between police and a berserk miner in a usually busy section of the capital city.

From 13:30 hours to about 16:00 hours on Tuesday, the scene at the junction of Middle and East Streets, South Cummingsburg, resembled that of some parts of the Middle East ,as battleready cops with highpowered weapons surrounded a house in which the man had secured himself and traded bullets with him.

In the ensuing shootout, Police Lance Corporal 20293 Michael Forde of Dennis Street, Sophia and Constable 18053 Sherwin Pantlitz were shot dead by the businessman, Deryck Kanhai, who was eventually taken out. This was after Kanhai had killed 38-year-old mother of three, Vanessa Vyphuis, of North Ruimveldt, a dispatcher at Crown Cabs Taxi Service, which is headquartered in the bottom flat of his house on Middle Street, and 75-year-old security guard Hugh Paul popularly known as Bonny.

Kanhai had also wounded a taxi driver attached to the

DRUGS PURCHASE LIBEL CASE…US JUDGE TELLS NEW GPC …‘KAIETEUR NEWS NEVER LIBELED YOU’ - PUBLICATIONS WERE IN PUBLIC INTEREST, NOT MERE GOSSIP In a huge slap to New GPC in its libel cases filed against Kaieteur News Inc. (Publishers of Kaieteur News’ New York Edition), a Supreme Court Judge in Manhattan, New York, Justice Joan Kenney, ruled that the New Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation (New GPC) never established that it was libeled.

The lawsuit involved reports published by Kaieteur News and highlighting the questionable pricing policy for drugs purchased by Government from New GPC. Filing the claim for libel was Company Secretary Paul Stanislaus Braam on behalf of owner of New GPC, Dr Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop.

The action filed both in Guyana and the US, was intended by New GPC to stop media probes into the deals that Ramroop’s New GPC had made with Government.

Judge Kenney, in a decision handed down November 4, said that New GPC failed to present evidence to show that Kaieteur Newspaper Inc. (KNI), a New York-based sister company of Kaieteur News, deliberately published false information regarding the prices of the drugs.

Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop is a close friend of former President Bharrat Jagdeo. His company has controversially been granted sole sourcing—the single right—to supply billions of dollars in drugs to the Ministry of Health and the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.

Judge Kenney noted in her ruling, “Here, it is undisputed that KNI is a media defendant, and that Kaieteur News published the statements alleged by New GPC. THURSDAY EDITION GOVT. INKS MOU WITH ‘GHOST COMPANY’FOR US$30M PLANT …OWNER SAYS COMPANY CANNOT BE FOUND, BECAUSE IT DOES NOT PUT ADS ON INTERNET The Company, with which (Continued on page 37)

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Kaieteur News

Sunday November 17, 2013

The PPP learnt nothing and has forgotten nothing about the labour movement The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) seems to have learnt nothing and to have forgotten nothing about the labour movement over the past sixty years. It is repeating the same old, failed anti-union actions and expecting different outcomes.

The PPP does not seem to recognise that its attitudes and actions have actually demotivated and demoralised workers, particularly in the public services.

Strong trade unions and a united labour movement are

essential to effective governance, social security, a fairer society and national development. A ‘social contract’ that encourages collaborative relations among the government, employers and trade unions is needed at this time. Such a ‘social contract,’ rather than social conflict, can contribute to improving productivity, strengthening democracy, reducing poverty and enhancing the quality of life of the population. There is much to lose, on the other

hand, by fostering conditions for permanent confrontation and crisis.

The PPP, however, seems to thrive on discord. This became evident particularly during the Bharrat Jagdeo presidency and in the wake of the massive eight-week public servants’ strike of 1999 and the five-week teachers’ strike of 2003. Both unions are affiliates of the Guyana Trades Union Congress, which the PPP thinks was politically opposed to it in the past and continues to be.

It was in the wake of the government’s having been forced to make concessions to its public servants as a result of these two powerful strikes that the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana – FITUG - was sharpened as a tool to split the labour movement. FITUG had originally come into being 25 years ago in October 1988 to oppose the People’s National Congress administration’s agreement with the International Monetary Fund and the launch of the Economic Recovery Programme at that time.

The PPP’s masterstroke in dividing the labour movement was the passage of the controversial Trade Union Recognition (Amendment) Bill 2008. The Bill was passed by the National Assembly in January 2009 in the face of resistance by the entire opposition – PNCR, AFC and GAP-ROAR parties.

It was the device used to replace the GTUC with FITUG. It has deepened the divisions that plague the labour movement to this day.

The subvention to the Critchlow Labour College, administered by the GTUC, was gratuitously withheld as part of the plot to weaken the GTUC. The consequences of the PPP’s actions have been to enfeeble trade unions, frustrate workers and fracture the labour movement.

Under the PPP at present, only 50,000 of Guyana’s 250,000 workers, or about 20 per cent, are unionised, the lowest level in memory. The PPP, however, does not seem

to care that its attitudes and actions are actually harming workers. Low morale has made government less effective and workers less happy. ‘Wildcat’ strikes proliferate even by workers of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union – GAWU – a pro-PPP union.

Conflict in the labour movement is not inevitable.

Cooperation is possible.

The Presidents of the Guyana Trade Union Congress (GTUC) and the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) showed the way to closer collaboration when they signed a Communiqué in January 2013 to resolve several issues which afflicted public servants.

The unions committed to a ‘covenant’ that included working towards appointing the Public Service Appellate Tribunal; upholding and restoring collective bargaining agreements in the public sector; protecting and enhancing the National Insurance Scheme; reducing the Value Added Tax; rectifying the contract worker system of employment and repealing the 1999 amendment to the Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act. The labour movement today is in a state of unease and uncertainty. Numerous issues – the high cost of living, low wages and pensions, oppressive valueadded tax, underemployment and poverty – affect workers.

Every day, workers somewhere are obliged to protest against unbearable conditions. This is evident in

their continuous picketing, protesting and work stoppages.

Workers are concerned about several serious issues, most of all, the high cost of living. The PPP continues to ignore the impact that the imposition of the callous 16 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) has had on households. VAT caused the cost of living in Guyana to spike, thereby undermining the ability of our workers to provide adequately for their families.

The PPP’s dismissive attitude to collective bargaining and its collective labour agreement with the GPSU has emboldened other companies to try to treat trade unions with similar contempt.

The state-owned Guyana Sugar Corporation and the Russian-owned Bauxite Company of Guyana Inc., once went so far as to threaten to ‘de-recognise’ the legitimate unions in those industries, but those threats were thwarted.

The PPP has been slow to protect the rights of Guyanese workers in foreign companies which have recently entered the country.

Workers have faced dismissals, deaths and injuries, suspensions and industrial accidents.

A Partnership for National Unity is convinced that trade unions can contribute much more to enhancing the quality of workers’ lives. They are the best guardians of fair employment practices. The PPP must learn to respect all trade unions and to desist from further dividing the labour movement.

Sunday November 17, 2013

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Interesting Creatures...

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Kaieteur News

Oarfish O

arfish are large, g r e a t l y elongated, pelagic lampriform fish that belong to the small family Regalecidae. Found in all temperate to tropical oceans yet rarely seen, the oarfish family contains four species in two genera. One of these, the giant oarfish (Regalecus glesne), is the longest bony fish alive, growing to up to 11 metres (36 ft) in length.

The common name oarfish is presumably in reference to either their highly compressed and elongated bodies, or to the former (but now discredited) belief that the fish "row" themselves through the water with their pelvic fins. The family name Regalecidae is derived from the Latin regalis, meaning "royal".

The occasional beachings of oarfish after storms, and their habit of lingering at the surface when sick or dying, make oarfish a probable source of many sea serpent

tales.

Although the larger species are considered game fish and are (to a minor extent) fished commercially, oarfish are rarely caught alive; their flesh is not well regarded due to its gelatinous consistency.

The dorsal fin originates from above the (relatively small) eyes and runs the entire length of the fish. Of the approximately 400 dorsal fin rays, the first 10 to 12 are elongated to varying degrees, forming a trailing crest embellished with reddish spots and flaps of skin at the ray tips. The pelvic fins are similarly elongated and adorned, reduced to one to five rays each.

The pectoral fins are greatly reduced and situated low on the body. The anal fin is completely absent and the caudal fin may be reduced or absent as well, with the body tapering to a fine point. All fins lack true spines.

At least one account,

from researchers in New Zealand, describes the oarfish as giving off "electric shocks" when touched.

Like other members of its order, the oarfish has a small yet highly protrusible oblique mouth with no visible teeth. The body is scaleless and the skin is covered with easily abraded, silvery guanine. In the streamer fish (Agrostichthys parkeri), the skin is clad with hard tubercles. All species lack gas bladders and the number of gill rakers is variable.

Oarfish colouration is also variable; the flanks are commonly covered with irregular bluish to blackish streaks, black dots, and squiggles. These markings quickly fade following death. The giant oarfish is by far the largest member of the family at a published total length of 11 metres (36 ft)—with unconfirmed reports of 17 metres (56 ft) specimens—and 270 kilograms (600 lb) in weight.

The streamer fish is known to reach three metres (9.8 ft) in length, whilst the largest

recorded specimen of Regalecus russelii measured 5.4 metres (17.7 ft).

The members of the family are known to have a worldwide range. However, human encounters with live oarfish are rare, and distribution information is collated from records of oarfish caught or washed ashore.

Oarfish feed primarily on zooplankton, selectively straining tiny euphausiids, shrimp and other crustaceans from the water.

Small fish, jellyfish and

squid are also taken. Large open-ocean carnivores are all likely predators of oarfish.

Oarfish are most likely responsible for many mythical sightings of sea serpents. Rare encounters with divers and accidental catches have supplied what little is known of oarfish behaviour and ecology.

Apparently solitary animals, oarfish may frequent significant depths up to 1,000 metres (3,300 ft).

(Source: Wikipedia – the Free Online Encyclopedia)

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Sunday November 17, 2013

From page 27 Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), to set up a US$30 Million recycling plant here, could not be found on any Canadian business registration listings. Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon announced the MoU, last week and said that it was a Canadian Company. That Company was later identified as Natural Globe Inc headed

by Mohamed Osman.

When Kaieteur News contacted O s m a n o n We d n e s d a y seeking clarification about his company and the fact it could not be found registered in Canada, he claimed that it is in fact registered in Guyana.

Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Ganga Persaud, also claimed when contacted that the company is Guyanese with a Canadian owner. Osman, by telephone, told Kaieteur News that his company, Natural Globe Inc, was registered in Guyana five years ago. According to Osman, Natural Globe Inc has a Canadian parent company that has several branches. He was however unable to give this publication a name for this company, only to say that it

Kaieteur News

operates in Ontario, Canada.

Osman said that ‘Mogford Llc’ is one of the branches under that Canadian parent company. It is the one that is working in collaboration with Natural Globe Inc. However a search online also failed to unearth any record of this company, Mogford.

FORENSIC LAB EQUIPMENT DISAPPEARS One month after cabinet approved a $49M contract for the supply and delivery of apparatus for the soon-to-becommissioned forensic laboratory at Turkeyen, the Ministry of Home Affairs has announced the disappearance of a quantity of equipment for the facility.

The discovery was made on Saturday last when checks were made at a storage area at the Citizen Security Programme Office located at Ogle, East Coast Demerara.

Among the items missing are computers and related equipment and according to the Ministry, the Guyana Police Force is currently conducting investigations into the matter.

FRIDAY EDITION MINISTER’S DAUGHTER TO INVEST US$15M AS BUSINESS PARTNER – SAYS CANADIAN INVESTOR MOHAMED

OSMAN Natural Globe Incorporated, the company, with which Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), to set up a US$30 Million recycling plant here, was only registered in Guyana three months ago. This is a clear contradiction to what the CEO of the Company, Mohamed Osman, told this newspaper on Wednesday.

He had previously claimed that the company is six years old but public records have since revealed this as not being factual and that Osman only registered the company, Natural Globe Inc., three months ago, on August 13, 2013. He had said too that the proposal for the recycling plant was submitted 14 months ago.

Osman Thursday told Kaieteur News that the company, registered locally, has as its directors himself, his son and another female, whom he refused to name. Public records revealed that the other director and shareholder is in fact Adrianna Webster, the daughter of the Human Services Minister, Jennifer Webster.

HOTEL OWNER FOUND MURDERED IN ROOM The owner of one of the

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last remaining brothels in Georgetown was found bound, gagged and apparently strangled Thursday in one of the rooms of his South Road property.

Joseph ‘Joey’ Jagdeo, 62, was found at around 06:00 hrs, in Room 10 of the South Central Guest House, located at Lot 218 South Road, Georgetown. His wife, Faiza Hack, said that his hands were bound with cloth, and a piece of cloth was also tied across his mouth. Blood was oozing from his nostrils. Robbery is believed to be the motive and Kaieteur News was told that police detained a barmaid at the guest house and four other persons.

Jagdeo reportedly only kept small sums of cash on the premises. Reports indicate that the guest house owner was slain some time on Wednesday.

SATURDAY EDITION MINISTER CONFIRMS DAUGHTER’S LINK TO ‘GHOST COMPANY’ Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Jennifer Webster, has confirmed the link between her daughter and the

company pursuing a US$30 Million recycling plant in Guyana, but insists that her daughter is not the US$15 million investor.

On Monday Government inked an MoU with Natural Globe Incorporated, the company, which has proposed to set up the recycling plant.

Webster yesterday responded to the claim by Chief Executive Officer of the company Mohammed Osman, that her daughter, Andriana Webster, would be investing half of the money in the project.

The Minister vehemently denied this and said that her daughter was only a director in the Company and not a shareholder in the project.

The Human Services Minister on Friday held a press conference in the boardroom of her Ministry and distanced herself from the company entirely saying that she has no ties to it. She added that “every person is entitled to live his or her separate life regardless of the affiliation of his or her family members.”

According to Webster, she does not exercise any control whatsoever over her daughter’s decisions in respect of her personal or professional life.

Despite distancing herself from the project the Minister did provide some insight into the proposed financing structure for the project.

She said that it is not a case where a person’s personal money would be invested but rather it was the company that is investing the money.

Minister We b s t e r however failed to address the fact that this company was only registered in Guyana three months ago while the proposal for the recycling plant was submitted to Government 14 months ago.

The Minister said that the company would be using a debt and equity structure to build the plant, meaning that the Company would invest a certain amount and the remainder of the money would be borrowed from a Bank. How did the Minister know that this is another matter up for contention?

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Sunday November 17, 2013

Addiction Specialists Wary of New Painkiller Addiction experts protested loudly when the Food and Drug Administration approved a powerful new opioid painkiller last month, saying that it would set off a wave of abuse much as OxyContin did when it first appeared.

An F.D.A. panel had earlier voted, 11 to 2, against approval of the drug, Zohydro, in part because unlike current versions of OxyContin, it is not made in a formulation designed to deter abuse.

Now a new issue is being raised about Zohydro. The drug will be manufactured by the same company, Alkermes, that makes a popular medication called Vivitrol, used to treat patients addicted to painkillers or alcohol.

In addition, the company provides financial support to a leading professional group that represents substance

abuse experts, the American Society of Addiction Medicine. For some critics, the company’s multiple roles in the world of painkillers is troubling.

Dr. Gregory L. Jones, an addiction specialist in Louisville, Ky., said he had long been concerned about financial links between the group and the drug industry, adding that the Zohydro situation amplified those potential conflicts.

Dr. Stuart Gitlow, the current president of the American Society of Addiction Medicine, said he had been unaware until now of Alkermes’s involvement with Zohydro. Dr. Gitlow, who is affiliated with Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, said that the group would seek more information from Alkermes about the situation and then decide what, if anything, to do next.

Officials of Alkermes appear to recognize the issue they face. In recent years, the company has been trying to increase sales of Vivitrol, a form of a drug called naltrexone, that is used to treat both alcoholism and opioid addiction.

Women may have harder concussion recovery than men After a concussion, women tend to have worse symptoms than men. That’s the case even when athletes were injured playing the same sport, according to a new study of young soccer players.

Some recent studies have found gender differences in memory and other symptoms after concussions, with women generally doing worse.

The new results support findings that women take longer to recover than men, Tracey Covassin said. She led the study at Michigan State University in East Lansing.

“Results from this study may impact sports medicine clinicians on being more cautious when returning female concussed soccer athletes back to participation,” Covassin told Reuters Health.

“Moreover, healthcare professionals need to be aware that females could report more total concussion symptoms compared to male concussed athletes,” she added.

The researchers looked at 39 male and 56 female soccer players who sustained a concussion. All were in high school or college.

The athletes took computer tests that measured their learning and memory skills, reaction time and physical symptoms before the soccer season started and again eight days after their concussion.

On the preseason tests, men and women scored fairly similarly.

But eight days after their

concussions, women scored lower on a test that measures a person’s ability to remember visual images - 69 percent, on average, compared to 77 percent among men. Scores on other thinking and memory tests were still comparable.

Women also reported more total symptoms postconcussion than men.

Both men and women said they had minimal amounts of body pain or mood changes.

But women reported migraines and sleep difficulties more than twice as often as men, according to results published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine.

“This study presents data from a large bank of injuries in a young population and those data will ultimately help answer some of the questions of how and why there are differences,” Susan Saliba said.

Saliba is a physical therapist, athletic trainer and associate professor at the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. She was not involved in this study.

One very similar recent study did not find thinking and memory differences between men and women after a concussion.

The author of that study, Dr. Scott Zuckerman, was surprised the results did not align.

“It’s a well-done study, and thorough, but we can’t draw global conclusions from the body of evidence yet,” Zuckerman, from Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, told

Reuters Health.

The only difference in the studies was that this time, Covassin and her colleagues accounted for athletes’ body mass index (BMI), a measure of weight relative to height, in their results.

They suggest larger people have more neck strength and are better able to stabilize the head on impact, suffering a less severe concussion as a result. But in their study, women had a slightly higher average BMI than men, yet had poorer memory recovery and more symptoms post-injury.

At the moment, theories on the role of body size in concussion recovery are just that: theories.

“I do believe that size can contribute to concussion severity, incidence and recovery, but I’m not sure how,” Saliba told Reuters Health. “Larger individuals may have better neck strength, but they also have more mass, which is a factor in transmitting force.”

Other ongoing studies are investigating this issue, she said.

“Teachers, parents and athletes need to be aware of all the signs and symptoms of a concussion in order to recognize an athlete who incurs a concussion,” Covassin said.

Although there may be differences in symptoms between men and women, she said, it’s more important to know that every concussion, and every athlete, is unique and requires individualized treatment. (Reuters Health)

In a statement, Rebecca Peterson, a spokeswoman for Alkermes, said the company was “evaluating its role with respect to Zohydro” as a result of the drug’s approval.

She declined to elaborate.

The tie between Alkermes and Zohydro had not drawn attention because the company did not initially own the drug, nor was it apparently involved in the efforts to get it approved in the United States.

A small California-based company called Zogenix purchased the right to market Zohydro in the United States from another drug maker, Elan.

Then a year later, in 2011, Alkermes bought a unit of Elan that included Zohydro, among other products, and inherited the existing

agreement with Zogenix.

In their presentation to the F.D.A., officials of Zogenix said they would closely monitor the drug’s use for signs that it was being abused and quickly move to stop such problems. Agency officials said they had approved the drug to give doctors another long-acting opioid to use when treating patients with chronic pain.

A few days after the drug’s approval, Zogenix announced that it had signed an agreement with another company, Altus Formulation, under which Altus would develop a formulation of Zohydro that was less vulnerable to abuse than the one just approved.

The development of drug

formulations that are less prone to abuse can take years and are not always successful. Currently, drugs like OxyContin are designed so their consistency changes when they are crushed, making them difficult to inject or snort.

Zogenix began running a clinical trial of Zohydro in 2010. In a statement, the company’s president, Dr. Stephen J. Farr, said that the F.D.A. only recently laid out guidelines for the types of features it would like to see in opioid formulations that deter abuse. “Zogenix is fully engaged in efforts to bring an abuse-deterrent-form formulation of Zohydro,” to market, he said. Dr. Andrew J. Kolodny, the chief medical officer of Phoenix House, which runs drug and alcohol treatment centers in 10 states, said he believed that the American Society of Addiction Medicine should not take money from a company whose product would most likely worsen this country’s drug abuse problem In addition, Dr. Kolodny, who is a member of the group, said that while Phoenix House will continue to use Vivitrol when appropriate to treat patients, Alkermes officials will find the door closed.

“Representative of Alkermes are not welcome,” he said. (New York Times)

Questions for a New Class of Cholesterol Drugs New guidelines governing the use of cholesterol-lowering medicines are a huge change for doctors and a vast number of patients, but the impact on the drug industry is expected to be less tumultuous.

There are more than 25 million prescriptions for Crestor, the statin by AstraZeneca.

The products that stand to gain the most from the new advice, statin drugs, are mostly sold as inexpensive generics and bring in relatively little revenue for the major pharmaceutical companies. Brand-name drugs that don’t fare as well in the guidelines, like Zetia by Merck and Vytorin, were already viewed with skepticism.

“From a Wall Street perspective, we don’t pay any attention anymore to statins,” said Mark Schoenebaum, a pharmaceutical analyst for the ISI Group. The focus instead, he said, “is on the next generation of still-unapproved drugs.”

It is those drugs — a promising new class of cholesterol-lowering drugs known as PCSK9 inhibitors — whose fate is most thrown

into question by the new guidelines, released Tuesday

by the two major heart associations.

Sunday November 17, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Rapper Jay Z keeps clothing line at ‘Daily Show’ comedian Barneys despite claims of racial profiling John Oliver gets HBO series

Rapper Jay Z said on Friday that he will go ahead with his clothing collaboration with upscale retail chain Barneys New York Inc, but will also join a council fighting racial profiling, as authorities investigate Barneys and other major retailers accused of discrimination against black shoppers.

Jay Z, 43, one of the bestselling rappers and an entrepreneur, collaborated with Barneys on the BNY SCC clothing label. Initially 25 percent of the proceeds were to go to Jay Z’s foundation but not 100 percent of profits will be donated.

But Jay Z came under fire for his partnership when two black shoppers alleged they were detained by New York police and accused of fraud after buying luxury items in Barneys.

Jay Z, real name Shawn Carter, released a statement on his Life + Times website saying his team was being kept updated on the investigations of the two detained shoppers, and that he would sit on a council “specially convened to deal with the issue of racial

profiling.”

“I am in a unique position to use my voice to affect change to this disturbing issue. The easy position would have been to walk away and leave policy making to others hoping that someone addresses the problem. I will not leave the outcome to others,” he said.

“I will take this into my own hands with full power to

recommend, review and revise policies and guidelines moving forward. I am choosing to take this head on,” the rapper added.

Barneys has also pledged to donate 10 percent of all retail sales from Barneys stores nationwide and online on November 20 to Jay Z’s foundation.

Barneys said the amount the company would raise for the foundation on November 20 would amount to at least $1 million.

“Moving forward, Mr. Carter’s leadership in this process will further strengthen the industry’s ability to ensure that anyone who walks into a retail establishment is treated equally and with respect,” the company said in a statement.

“We welcome Mr. Carter’s input and recommendations to our future policies and guidelines.”

Barneys is being investigated alongside Macy’s Inc in what has become known as “shop-andfrisk,” as multiple reports emerged of black shoppers allegedly being detained due to racial profiling. (Reuters)

John Oliver, a satirical news correspondent on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” will be leaving the show to star in a weekly comedy news series on HBO beginning next year, the U.S. premium cable network said on Thursday.

HBO, a unit of Time Warner Inc, said the show will air on Sunday nights and be a satire of topical news and politics. The network did not announce a start date.

The British comedian, best known for his wit on politics and current events, won over HBO with his performance as a fill-in host this summer for Jon Stewart on the Comedy Central program, said Michael Lombardo, HBO’s president of programming.

“We weren’t otherwise searching for another weekly talk show, but when we saw John Oliver handling host duties on ‘The Daily Show,’ we knew that his singular perspective and distinct voice belonged on HBO,” Lomba r d o s a i d i n a statement. “ We are extremely excited that John has agreed to make HBO

his home.”

Oliver, 36, joined “The Daily Show” in 2006 and has shared three Emmy awards as a writer on the program that helped launch careers of comedians Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert.

“I’m incredibly excited to

be joining HBO, especially as I presume this means I get free HBO now,” Oliver said jokingly in a statement.

Oliver’s final day on “The Daily Show” was not announced. Comedy Central is owned by Viacom.

(Reuters)

Sunday November 17, 2013

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Addressing the Caribbean's “grave economic crisis”

By Sir Ronald Sanders

I

n a commentary on the statement by St Lucia Prime Minister Dr Kenny Anthony that there is a grave economic crisis gnawing away at Caribbean countries and “governments are busy looking inward rather than pursuing a Caribbean solution”, I drew attention to several possible areas of practical action that governments of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) could take immediately.

One of the suggested actions is to revisit a paper entitled “Re-energising CARICOM” that leaders set aside at a special retreat in May 2011 in Guyana.

Although the retreat was called to discuss the “way forward for CARICOM” against a background in which, just three months before, leaders themselves had acknowledged “a loss of the momentum with regard to the regional integration agenda”, they decided to “pause” development of a Caribbean Single Economy.

What does the “Reenergizing CARICOM” paper say?

Authored by Professor Norman Girvan, Economist Havelock Brewster and others, it covered a number of critical areas that have been repeatedly discussed by leaders but never implemented. But, it is the paper's proposals to prioritize

the benefits of economic integration that are urgent for governments to consider, and it is these that I précis below for the information of a wide Caribbean audience.

The paper proposed that revitalizing efforts be focused on three sectors: a regional agricultural and food security programme, a regional maritime transport programme and a regional renewable energy programme.

On agriculture and food, the paper pointed out that in 2009, import of food products

by CARICOM countries amounted to US$3.5 Billion, having increased 350% over the period 2000-2009. Yet, on a regional scale, there is no shortage of fertile land and non-saline water. Huge opportunities are available for pooling these resources with the aim of satisfying a substantial portion of regional demand, and supplying extraregional markets.

The paper contended that action should be centered on a regional investment plan for food production that at the same time catalyzes action in other necessary areas such as research and development, sanitary and phyto-sanitary measures, quality standards, market information and intelligence, and transport.

On regional maritime transport, which has been the bane of moving agricultural and manufactured products around the region, the paper noted that Caribbean regional

maritime transport services are both inadequate and very expensive compared with other parts of the world. And it pointed out that substantial opportunities are available for: intra-regional cargo and passenger shipments, transshipment services, crossroads port and shipping services and containerization.

Acknowledging that substantial investments are required, the paper emphasised that such investments need to be organized around a holistic approach to expanding and modernizing maritime assets, c r e a t i n g l a rg e r s c a l e , specialized vessels, and upgrading seaports within a regionally harmonized, regulatory, legal and policy framework.

On the huge sums of money spent on the importation of oil and gas by every CARICOM country, except Trinidad and Tobago, the paper proposed a regional renewable energy production program.

Pointing out that imports of petroleum (oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals crude) amounted in 2008 to about US$6.0 billion, it argued that there is a huge resource base in the region that can support substantial production of renewable energy: solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, bio-fuels. Not only are there opportunities for sharing renewable energy resources and technology but also for inter-connectivity

among interested Member States.

What is required to achieve these goals that would save every CARICOM country tens of millions of dollars every year is a regional investment programme. Governments would have to take joint action on fiscal incentives, harmonization of the legal basis for the sale of excess power to the main power grids serving the region, training, standards and testing.

The big questions would be how to finance the investment programme and how to implement these three crucial initiatives? The paper provides a very practical answer: the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has an explicit mandate to promote regional integration.

The CDB in collaboration with other CARICOM agencies and the private sector should be brought together in the form of a public-private partnership to devise a programme to attract local and foreign investment in these potential growth sectors.

Setting out a structure for such a partnership, the paper suggested it should be composed of the President of the CDB as Chair, appropriate Private Sector Representatives and other relevant agencies. The CDB would have responsibility for the organisation, coordination and execution of the investments required for

the priority areas, and would work closely with the regional private sector including through a Joint Commission on Regional Development. The CDB would be expected to establish clear time-lines for the execution of the programmes and to report regularly to the relevant CARICOM organs on execution, particularly to Finance Minsters and Heads of Government.

With regard to external assistance, the creation of such a Joint Commission should find favour with donor agencies and governments, particularly because it will be a body comprising both the public and private sectors, and would be subject to the international 'best practices” rules that guide the CDB. An important effect of such a joint approach would be support for projects that promote new investment.

Another benefit would be that the blessing of official donor agencies would encourage additional financing in loans and equity from the external commercial market.

It would be necessary for CARICOM governments to agree with the donors, such as the European Union, that contribute to Regional Cooperation and Integration programmes to co-ordinate and focus such regional programmes under the umbrella of the proposed Joint Commission. Such an agreement would not affect contributions to individual

Sir Ronald Sanders national programmes.

Those basically are the proposals contained in the “Re-energising CARICOM” p a p e r. N o C A R I C O M country would lose by its implementation and every CARICOM country would gain from reduced costs for food, oil and gas. They would also gain from structured, regular and reliable maritime transportation for agricultural and manufactured goods and, therefore, an increase in interregional trade.

Additionally, both in the build-out of programmes in the crucial areas of food production, renewable energy and maritime transport, and in their eventual operations, existing businesses would expand, new businesses would be created, and new employment generated.

One blueprint for using regional tools to achieve national growth exists, in the “Re-energising CARICOM” paper. What is required is the political will to do it.

(The writer is a Consultant, Senior Research Fellow at London University and former Caribbean Diplomat) Responses and previous c o m m e n t a r i e s : www.sirronaldsanders.com

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Sunday November 17, 2013

Sunday November 17, 2013

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Special Education Needs specialist, Sherwin ...

From page 18 skills needed to transform the lives of those to whom they have a duty of care.

Good teachers' support and motivation are pivotal to the success of students.”

TECHNICAL AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE In 2002, Fraser was invited to serve as an Assistant Examiner for the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) script-marking exercise in Jamaica.

“I was the only Guyanese on the marking team for Caribbean Studies at that time and as a new subject, it was still evolving in Guyana.”

A few years later, he was promoted to Examiner, and continues to serve in that c a p a c i t y t o t h i s d a y.

Currently, he is the longestserving Examiner for Guyana in Caribbean Studies, which is now the subject with the largest entries at the CAPE. His impressive performance continued to catch the eyes of specialists and in 2010, he was selected to serve as a Panel Member for the CXC Syllabus Review Committee for the CAPE Caribbean Studies.

The reviewing process, which took place in Barbados, comprised prominent teachers from Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago and St. Vincent “and I was the only representative from Guyana.”

The new syllabus was completed in 2012 and students were first tested on it during the past CXC Exams.

Fraser is currently coauthoring a CAPE Caribbean Studies book which is approaching press date very soon.

The text is being published by one of the UK's leading educational publishers, Nelson Thornes.

Upon publication, the book will be available across the Caribbean, especially to students preparing for the CAPE, and it will be accompanied by a CD loaded with exam-type questions and answers for Caribbean Studies.

He was also involved in designing and preparing the Course Description for the new UG Course ESE 4101—Autism and Specific Learning Disabilities for the School of Education from November 2012 to January 2013.

Fraser has also served as a Project Coordinator for the Literacy and Numeracy intervention programme for children with Learning Difficulties for students of the Trafalgar/Union Community on the West Coast of Berbice.

That programme took off in August of this year. The project was funded by the Australian Government and utilized a three-tier model of intervention to arrest poor performances in Dyslexia, Dysgraphia and Dyscalculia.

During graduation at The University of Queensland (Australia) in 2012

Working with kids at the Ptolemy Reid Rehab Centre earlier this year

“This historic programme in Guyana utilized a model in helping students who were underperforming and was a tremendous success. Many students who were unable to identify letters, read and perform basic problemsolving tasks prior to the programme were doing so by the end of the programme.”

Today, Fraser is a member of the International Association of Special Education (IASE) based in Washington DC. He also communicates regularly with the Down's syndrome Association and Autism Awareness Association, both based in Australia. He plans to join the Commonwealth Association of Public Administration and Management, an international body based in Ottawa, Canada.

ACCOMMODATION OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES “Given the local scenario in Guyana, two fundamental issues affect the development of people with disabilities,” he related. The attitudes towards to those who have disabilities and equal access to the physical space were the issues he outlined.

“There is an urgent need for the adoption of the Universal Design concept to our buildings, parks and other public places so that people with disabilities can enjoy the same rights, privileges and access as other individuals. Access to

all parts of a school should be possible for children with disabilities, and as such, for inclusive education practices to work, schools should be re-designed; curriculum modified; and more specialist teachers and learning support specialists placed in the school system.”

Fraser agrees that there should be no discrimination whatsoever on the basis of race, class, gender, religion, ethnicity and especially disability.

“In some Caribbean countries, national policies focusing on people with disability remain unimplemented.”

Article 9 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities, he reminded, mandates countries to “ensure that people with disabilities have the same access to services such as transportation, information and communication technologies, health and

education, among others.”

Many countries, including Guyana, are signatories to that convention which was established in 2006 and ratified in 2007.

“Many people with disabilities are unable to access employment, recreational facilities and other services and this affects the lives of many individuals.

A good starting point in the mitigation of this problem is that every organization and institution in Guyana, including schools, should develop minimum standards for dealing with people with disabilities.”

He said that currently, many agencies and organizations in Guyana “do not have systems in place to effectively deal with people with disabilities, particularly those with profound disabilities.”

A young, vibrant Guyanese and advocate for the voiceless, how does he

find the time to do all this and more, on a daily basis?

“Time management…I manage my time and plan my activities so that I am able to complete tasks on time.

Organizational skills…This is something I am able to master when doing work and being able to organize my tasks, it becomes easier to complete them; and commitment and dedication…I have a great deal of self-motivation and this enables me to stay on tasks to ensure that the objectives are achieved. I am also committed to whatever I do.”

Passionate about what he does, on a purely volunteer basis, surely Guyana can move forward in the areas of special needs education and in the framework of persons with disabilities with the continued contributions and application of the skills of those like this week's 'Special Person', Sherwin Fraser.

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Sunday November 17, 2013

Shopping for Christmas?

Know your rights Competition & Consumer Affairs Commission In light of the upcoming Christmas season, the Competition and Consumer Affairs Commission (CCAC) has embarked on its most recent campaign which involves notifying commercial entities in Georgetown, the country's primary marketplace, of their legal obligations under the Consumer Affairs Act (CAA).

Clifford Zammett, CCAC's Consumer Affairs Officer informed that the Commission is currently in the process of dispatching an excerpt of the Act to every commercial entity along Regent Street. The excerpt includes citations of sections of the Act that the Commission identified as being most commonly breached, based on complaints of consumers; including the relevant

sanctions that will be applied for non-compliance of the law.

The excerpt, seen by Kaieteur News, includes citations directed to misleading notices and statements in stores, the provision of warranties, the provision of refund on goods, the process involved in the return and exchange of goods and the return of defective goods, among others.

Zammett said that the exercise came about after it was found that many businesses are in breach of the Act. As such, he said that the Commission saw it necessary, especially in light of the ensuing 'Christmas season', to inform and remind business owners of what is expected of them as well as to remind them of rights that are

A commercial section of Regent Street afforded to consumers.

Haroon Khan, an Economist at CCAC, also present during the discussions, said that this is in fact acting in harmony with the two-fold mandate of the Commission which is to protect consumers from exploitation as well as to examine and advise businesses, equipping them to

protect themselves while adhering to the regulations set out in the law.

On the matters of returns, exchanges and refunds notably some of the most prominently breached sections of the law - Zammett said that the Act sets out specific guidelines to deal with these accordingly.

He said that notices and bills in stores which declare items to be non-exchangeable and non-returnable are absolutely prohibited. Section 24 (1) of the Act says, “A supplier shall not post notices stating that goods are not returnable [or] that no refunds will be given for goods returned.”

“What they should have now is an exchange policy.

That is, the law states that if you buy a product and for some reason need to return it, you can do so within seven days, given that the product has not been worn, tampered with or damaged in any way,” the Consumer Affairs Officer explained.

According to Section 21 (1) of the Act, “A consumer may return goods if the purpose for which the goods were bought or intended to be used have changed or ceased to exist immediately after goods were bought”.

The law states that in this case, the goods should be returned within seven days from the date of purchase; it must not have been used, tampered with or treated in a manner to cause damage and be returned in its original package.

Having returned the item, it is stated in the Act that the consumer may elect to make a purchase of other goods of same value in lieu of a refund.

However, it was explained that in the event the consumer requests a refund rather than an exchange, the business is obliged to provide such.

According to Zammett, the law does not compel a consumer to take another product in exchange, as so many businesses demand.

He said however, that if the consumer prefers a refund, the business entity is allowed to deduct ten per cent of the cost of the item to go towards restocking fees.

According to Section 21 (6), “the supplier may charge a

restocking fee not exceeding ten per cent of the purchase price of the returned goods.”

Similarly, on the matter of warranties, Khan noted that every customer must be provided with a warranty of at least six months where there is no manufacturer's warranty; or up to one year where a manufacturer's warranty is present.

He noted that while some businesses do provide consumers with warranties, the time period permitted is often times insufficient. He mentioned instances where consumers are given a 30 days warranty period instead of the six months period mandated by law.

Khan referred to Section 22 (1) of the Act which states that in the event a supplier sells goods to a consumer and the goods “fail to provide to the consumer the uninterrupted enjoyment for which they were intended”, once the item has been returned, “the supplier shall at no cost to the consumer replace the goods within fourteen days of the goods being returned to the supplier, repair the goods or return the receipted payment for the goods (a complete refund).

Khan noted that failure to comply with the legislation can result in a fine of “not less than $20,000 or more than $1 Million”. He said that the law even includes imprisonment of up to one year.

On this note, the E c o n o m i s t u rg e d t h a t business entities do their best to comply with the given regulations as it is in their best interest. “We have found that a business taking a proactive approach to the adherence of the Act will be profitable in the long run.”

He said that upon completion of covering the Regent Street area, the Commission will take a decision to identify another area to distribute excerpts.

Sunday November 17, 2013

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Ramotar condoning an illegality involving New GPC The Public Procurement Commission is the answer to the dilemma that Guyana finds itself in. Without it one man can be handed 75 per cent of the contracts for drugs and further be pre-qualified for years at a time.

This is according to Executive Member of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Joseph Harmon, who said that while former President Bharrat Jagdeo, would have put the system in place the current Head of State, Donald Ramotar, is condoning that level of illegality.

Harmon insists that it has to be unlawful for one person to be handed contracts for such long periods without any competitive bidding.

“When you say to one man I am going to give you a contract for three or five years what are you doing to the rest of the market there?”

Harmon suggested that Government through this practice has locked itself into a position where Head of the New Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation, Dr. Ranjisinghi 'Bobby' Ramroop, can now spike the price of the drugs that he sells, “which he did.”

He said that under this arrangement Ramroop can

deliver drugs late, or close to expiry with no recourse and would still seek to challenge the Auditor General.

Harmon said that the arrangement with Ramroop has to be revised and “this is why we have to put in place a Public Procurement Commission.” According to Harmon, the President and his Cabinet have to act constitutionally “because this country will go nowhere when the supreme law of the land can be dealt with in a manner with which they are”.

He said that offices such as that of the Ombudsman, an effective Integrity Commission and the Public Procurement Commission are not matters for political negotiations or bartering.

“The Constitution makes provision for a Public Procurement Commission and therefore the opposition parties need not have to beg for it or barter for it, it is the law.”

Harmon accused Ramotar of being in violation of his oath of office because he swore to uphold the constitution which makes provision for those bodies.

He said that were there a proper procurement commission in place then the

- Harmon nation would not be experiencing the turmoil it finds itself in and pointed to the US$30M recycling plant.

“The whole episode is ridiculous…We have people sitting at the Cabinet who don't know a thing about what is happening.”

He suggested that for a 'no objection' to be given to this project, then one can imagine the level of scrutiny and due diligence that would have engaged projects such as the Amaila Falls Hydroelectric Project, the Expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport and the Specialty Hospital among others.

“This Cabinet is displaying a certain level of incompetence; it seems incapable of dealing with the most rudimentary of things…negotiation is terrible.”

Harmon said that on many occasions what in fact happens is that Winston Brassington would be tasked with putting together a number of deals and once he has signed off they are approved.

This, he said, leaves a situation where projects are

negotiated without the input of lawyers or accountants and other professionals “to see if this is in the best interest of Guyana…If we have a proper Procurement Commission a number of these things would not be there.”

He said, “If we had a proper Integrity Commission with the authority to investigate the statements when they get it a lot of these Ministers who are living large from the wealth they are accumulating would have to explain it.”

Asked about the statement by Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon, that the government had the support of the APNU for the passage of an amendment to preserve the 'no objection' status for Cabinet in the Procurement laws, Harmon denied this.

“Luncheon could say anything he wants; we never pledged any support…We have no arrangement with Dr Luncheon for the passage of this legislation.”

Harmon insists that the

APNU’s Joseph Harmon Constitution requires certain bodies be put in place. “What we are saying and what we will continue to say let them put it in place and the President must do it.”

He was adamant also that the Integrity Commission must be properly staffed and charged with the ability to investigate and be able to report back to the National Assembly.

Harmon suggested that “these Ministers got children,

husbands and wives and what they are doing is putting things in their names so you have to draw a circle around all of these public officials.”

The APNU Executive said that in the United States some years ago he benefitted from a programme in law enforcement and drug seizures. He said that in the US there is law called the “doctrines of relations back”.

He explained that in the USA, if a person is found with any large quantity of drugs and convicted then a circle is created around that person.

There is a revert to ten years prior where any and all of their connections including family members, would have to explain their wealth.

He said that when this recommendation was put to government the reply was, “Don't worry with this.”

According to Harmon, “too much of the wealth of this country has been frittered away on friends and family while the people of this country continue to be in a level of poverty.”

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‘Ghost Company' MOU must be terminated, officials disciplined - APNU A Partnership for National Unity's (APNU) Joseph Harmon, yesterday, described the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Mohamed Osman, and Government, to build a US$30M recycling plant as “disgusting and disturbing.”

According to Harmon, what makes the matter more interesting and questionable is the obvious link with a sitting government Minister's daughter.

Public records show that the business which was registered a mere three months ago has as its directors Mohammed Osman, his son Izaman Osman and Adriana Webster, the daughter of Human Service Minister Jennifer Webster.

According to Harmon, all of the parties are giving contradicting statements which could only mean one

thing; that the MoU should be terminated and withdrawn i m m e d i a t e l y. H e t o l d Kaieteur News that it seems as though cabinet is derelict in their duties.

Harmon stressed that “deals” like this will continue to come about in the absence of a Public Procurement Commission.

He said this “deal' shows clearly that the “no objections” given by Cabinet are absolutely ridiculous. “I cannot believe that all those government Ministers sat down and passed no objection to a project with a company that doesn't even exist.”

He stressed that the information published about Osman alone should be the main reason why that MoU must be recalled.

“This is crazy….it's like anyone could walk off the road and present a proposal and get a MoU signed with Government,” Harmon

opined. He said that this new development is like Déjà. Vu. “Remember what happened with Fip Motilall….a man that had no history of building a road but was given a multi-million dollar project, but years after the road still cannot be completed,” Harmon said.

The APNU executive is adamant that the persons at the local government ministry who actually dealt with the proposal should be disciplined. Kaieteur News recently highlighted that the National Globe Inc with which Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding to set up a s US$30M recycling plant here was a ' ghost company' Minister Webster on Friday confirmed the link between her daughter and the company but insisted that her daughter is not the $US15 million investor.

In vehemently denying

this, the Minister said that her daughter was only a director in the Company and not a shareholder in the project.

The Human Services Minister distanced herself from the company entirely saying that she has no ties to it. She added that “every person is entitled to live his or her separate life regardless of the affiliation of his or her family members.”

According to Webster, she does not exercise any control whatsoever over her daughter's decisions in respect of her personal or professional life.

“I do not have anything to do with this company, either personally or in my capacity as a Minister of Government.

I in no way attempted to influence any decisionmaking process, nor did I ever participate in any negotiation process whatsoever in any form or fashion,” Webster stressed.

Despite distancing herself from the project, the Minister did provide some insight into the proposed financing structure for the project. She said that it is not a case where a person's personal money would be invested but rather, it was the company that is investing the money.

M i n i s t e r We b s t e r however failed to address the fact that this company was only registered in Guyana three months ago while the proposal for the recycling plant was submitted to Government 14 months ago.

The Minister said that the company would be using a debt and equity structure to build the plant, meaning that the Company would invest a certain amount of money and the remainder would be borrowed from a bank.

Questions are being raised as to how the Minister knew that this issue was up for contention.

This is also in stark contrast to what the CEO of the Company had said one day earlier. Osman visited Kaieteur News last Thursday and said that the company had the entire US$30M required for the project. He has stated that he along with the Minister's daughter would be making the investment.

Minister Webster said that she would be advising her daughter 'accordingly' should it be proven that Osman did indeed say that.

In further defending her daughter, Minister Webster said that her daughter, Adrianna Webster is a 28year-old information technology consultant who does not have that “kind of money.” She said that her daughter has been living in Canada for several years and is also a consultant for Mogford Enterprise.

Osman told this newspaper that he is the Vice President of Mogford Enterprise which is said to be the Canadian counterpart for Natural Globe Inc. A visibly upset Webster contended that the article was intended to expose her personally, her office as a Minister of Government, and bring the Government of Guyana to public ridicule “as well as to perpetuate the perception of conflict of interest and corruption on my part and that of the Government of Guyana”.

However, this publication's article never dealt with the issue of the Minister having anything to do with the company Natural Globe Inc.

“She maintained that when the MoU came up for consideration at the level of the Cabinet, she was not present and in fact travelling at the time.”

Minister Webster also read a statement which she claimed was from the said daughter which denied that she was the female investor providing US$15M to any recycling plant.

“I have my own income and my own liabilities and my decision to work with the firm is merely on a professional basis…The proposed solid waste recycling project to be undertaken in Guyana, of which I am a registered director of the company-Natural Globe Inc, is purely being undertaken by the company…In fact, the financing for this project is already in place.”

The names on the local business registration for Natural Globe Inc are Mohammed Osman, his son, Imzamam Osman, and Andriana Webster.

When asked about the source of his finances to back such an ambitious project, Osman claimed that he is the Vice President of a Canadian C o m p a n y, M o g f o r d Enterprises, and that he owns half of this company along with a man he identified as John Mogford.

A statement from the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development contradicted this position by announcing that he was merely a consultant with the company.

When questioned further about details about the company such as contact information, among other things, Osman said he could (continued on page 55)

Sunday November 17, 2013

Page 51

Kaieteur News

Pakistani Scholar takes up Former Queen's College student admitted to the bar three year attachment with ACIC Former Queen's College student, Suzanne Bullen, was recently admitted to the local Bar. Bullen, 27, had her petition presented by retired judge Mr. Winston Moore before Justice James Bovell Drakes.

Bullen had attended St. Margaret's Primary School and Queen's College. While at Queen's College she was a n a v i d d e b a t e r. S h e participated in three consecutive J.O.F Haynes debating competitions. She was awarded Best Speaker on various occasions. After

completing her studies at Queen's College, she went to the School of the Nations to study for her 'A' level examinations.

In 2003 while she was studying Law for 'A' levels at the School of the Nations, Bullen said she decided to leave those studies to go to Cuba to pursue studies in Nutrition Science. After being in Cuba for two years, she returned home in 2005 and then decided to study Law. Before commencing her law studies here in Guyana,

Bullen taught Spanish until 2006, then worked at a bank while doing her pre-Law studies. She started the Law programme at the University of Guyana in September of 2007, and was admitted to the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad in 2011. She graduated from Hugh Wooding Law School last October.

Bullen intends to practise both in the public and private spheres. Teaching Law is something that she wants to do in the future, she told Kaieteur News.

Justice James Bovell-Drakes along with Attorneys at Law Suzanne Bullen and Justice Winston Moore

Pakistani Muslim Scholar, Maulana / Qari Muhammad Mujahid Raza has arrived in Guyana to take up a three year attachment with the Anna Catherina Islamic Complex (ACIC) and the Guyana United Sadr Islamic Anjuman (GUSIA/SADR) as an Islamic teacher.

Maulana / Qari Mujahid was born in Lahore, Pakistan and graduated from Kanzul Iman Islamic College in Pakistan. He is an excellent reciter of the Holy Quran as well as a beautiful Qaseeda Singer. Maulana Mujahid, visited Guyana during the last Ramadan and also released his first CD of Qaseedas done in Guyana.

Before coming in

Guyana, he served as a teacher in Trinidad & Tobago. While in Guyana, Maulana Mujahid will serve as the Head of Guyana's First S u n n i M u s l i m school—Madrasa Nooranie—located at ACIC. This school was established in 2003 (and declared open by then President of Guyana, Bharrat Jagdeo) under the tutorship of another Pakistani Scholar—the Late Maulana Noorul Hadi Haleem who served until his death in 2008. Madrasa Nooranie recently established a branch of Trinidad & Tobago's Markaz al Ihsan Institute of Higher Islamic Education.

Maulana Mujahid will also be the Spiritual Advisor and Teacher of the Anna

Ex Army Officer riddled with bullets From page 3 could have been heard screaming from a distance.

“Oh God when we go in fuh see he, all I see is a set ah holes all in he face, he chest, he shoulder, all over.

Why they do that to he? It didn't call for all of that,” a family member lamented.

Mingo's mother was heard asking her husband, Patrick Mingo, why he gave his son a car when he was aware that the young man should not have been

on the road.

The older Mingo told this newspaper that his son left home around 19:00hrs on Friday to go hang out with his friends.

“He does normally go at Sixth Street, Alberttown, to lime with his friends,” the father said. The man added that his son has a lot of haters.

Denzil Mingo, who was a Second Lieutenant in the Guyana Defence Force, was interdicted from duty

after he found himself before the court on several occasions facing assault charges.

In September 2011, Mingo was charged after he punched radio announcer a n d d e e j a y, N e r i s s a Pearson.

He was also charged for assaulting three police officers and for gunbutting a man in Alberttown.

Mingo's car which was damaged by the gunfire has been detained by police.

The bullet riddled car (back view)

Catherina Sunnatul Jamaat and will be associated with activities, classes and programs organized by the Guyana United Sadr Islamic Anjuman (SADR) and the ACIC. The appointment of Maulana Mujahid, who is a full Sunni (Hanafi) scholar, is a great boost the Muslim community in Guyana, because of the dire need of such a scholar in Guyana.

He will be based at the Anna Catherina Islamic Complex but will travel extensively throughout Guyana, especially in Berbice and Essequibo. He will concentrate greatly on the teaching of Urdu as a language to both Muslims and non-Muslims. Maulana Mujahid will also serve as an integral resource to the relationship between the Muslims of Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago, Holland, USA, Canada and England.

M a s j i d s a n d organizations within Guyana desirous of having Maulana Mujahid conduct classes or Khutbats / Lectures at their venues are asked to contact any executive of the ACIC / SADR. The organizations have expressed their thanks to the Government of Guyana for the granting of permission for Maulana Mujahid's appointment.

Page 52

Kaieteur News

Sunday November 17, 2013

Are Granger and Ramjattan protecting money launderers?

BY Ralph Seeram The only picture that stuck in my mind of the deadly shootout with police and a miner this week in Georgetown is that of a policeman with gun raised behind a wooden fence. He has NO protective head gear, NO bullet proof vest, and I am saying to myself that is crazy.

The wooden fence is definitely no protection, and he has no protection for his vital organs in the chest area.

Guyanese in the Diaspora have been “burning up” social media about the shootout and the greater consensus was why no protective gear for the police in such a situation. People also wanted to know if they are trained to handle such situations.

That’s because they are accustomed to seeing officers in bulletproof vest, especially here in the US. In Orange County, Orlando, where I reside, it is compulsory for police officers to wear

bulletproof vests on duty, they wear it under their shirts even though the temperatures here are similar to Guyana.

If we are going to ask policemen to put their lives on the line we should spare no expense equipping them with the necessary tools to protect them.

No amount of money is too much to spend to protect officer’s lives, and I am not talking of bulletproof vests alone. I recall a similar situation here in Orlando where a killer was holed up in a house firing away at police.

By way of heat penetrating sensors they saw precisely which part of the house he was located and were able to take him out. Of course the question of a Guyana Police S.W.A.T. team arises again; there can be no doubt now that such a specialized unit is needed to handle such situations.

This is a stark reminder for the public and critics of the Guyana Police Force that there are good officers, that there are dedicated police

officers who are willing to put their lives on the line to protect the Guyanese public.

The least the government can do is to equip them to do the job. I would hate to know if the Post Mortem reveals that the two policemen died from head and chest injuries, which we know could have been avoided with the right protective gear.

My sympathy goes out to the immediate family, relatives and friends of the four killed.

Now we come to the antimoney laundering Bill that both David Granger and Ramjattan blocked in Parliament. I am all for the opposition demanding accountability and transparency from the government; I have no problem with them using their political leverage via their majority of one in Parliament to get concessions from the government.

That is fine up to a point, but national interest takes precedence over self interest, and this seems to have been lost on the opposition, either they are not aware of this or they deliberately blocked the bill for other reasons than what they stated.

The opposition is claiming that the government is protecting “drug dealers” but some would argue that it is the opposition who are protecting “drug dealers” and money launderers by not

passing the Bill.

Let’s examine this issue carefully.

The PPP government position is that the legislation met the requirements of Caribbean Financial Action Task Force.

Both APNU and AFC were not satisfied. APNU wants some strong enforcement language while AFC wants the Procurement Commission to avoid corruption in contracts.

Fine, they used their majority in Parliament to send the Bill to a select committee.

They know Guyana is facing a deadline (which by the way is a few days away).

The opposition has been using delaying tactics for five months making no meaningful contribution, staying away from meetings, knowing that there is a deadline to pass the Bill. Now the opposition is claiming the PPP wrapped up the works of the committee without an opposition presence.

My question to the opposition is - why were you not present? What have you been doing for five months?

Why could the opposition not make amendments to the Bill incorporating the many concerns, use its majority in Parliament to pass it and send it to the President to sign, or table its own Bill in Parliament incorporating its concerns along with the requirements Caribbean Financial Action

Task Force and send it to the President.

Then the “ball would be in the President court” for him to sign. If he really needs to comply with the deadline he has to sign and everybody gets want each wants.

By refusing to even to do that would give the impression to some that it is the opposition who want to protect money launderers/ drug dealers.

APNU and AFC are over simplifying the disastrous consequences of what I would describe as their unpatriotic actions. The smooth flow of business would be seriously disrupted, the PNC/APNU completely demolished the private sector during their dictatorial reign, and it seems that they are on the way to doing it again.

Do we now have to go back to the old PNC days of getting money out of the country? Do we have to go back to the bartering days and suitcase traders?

For the young in the PNC days there was no foreign exchange. What some people did was for someone in Guyana to give his family or business in Guyana the money in Guyana dollars while the person in the US gives the money to his or her family here. It was a system I used to send money to Guyana in those days.

Now I am afraid when I go

to send money to Guyana (if blacklisted) that I will be looked upon as a suspected drug dealer and money launderer. Now I will have to answer more questions, undertake more paper work.

I can see the clerk at Moneygram, asking me, in front of all the people in line Clerk—”Who is this money for?”

Me—”My family” Clerk—”Your family has ties to a terrorist organization” Me— “No but I think they belong to a Party that is supposed to represent Poor People” Clerk — “Is that organization suspected of dealing in drugs? Did your family try to get drugs from them” Me—”They tried, but the New Amsterdam Hospitals got no drugs; the employees sold them to the stores so I am sending money for them to buy drugs at the store” Clerk—”What, I see your Country is blacklisted and this look like a suspicious transaction. I have to report this, step aside and wait for the OFFICERS.” Me protesting—”No, no you don’t understand it’s medication they buying, we call it drugs in Guyana” Clerk—”SECURITY “ Ralph Seeram can be reached at email ralph365@hotmail.com

Sunday November 17, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 53

Soil testing Lab to be ready in six months A state of the art Soil Testing Laboratory which is expected to enhance agronomic practices in Guyana is likely to be ready in a matter of six months.

This is according to the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, who said that such a move is necessary since it will not only significantly reduce the cost to farmers, but also allow the sector to be more effective.

The development of this “comprehensive soil laboratory” is being done in partnership with several agencies which fall under the Agriculture Ministry.

These include the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB), the Mahaica-MahaiconyAbary/Agricultural Development Authority (MMA/ADA), the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), the Fisheries Department and the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA).

It was noted that the lab is necessary, since Guyana is a country which depends highly on the Agriculture industry. It was also highlighted that presently the

- expected to reduce farmers’ expenses prior, has to be sent to Miami.

The soil laboratory is expected to eliminate the need

Agriculture Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy Agriculture Industry contributes 23 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Dr. Ramsammy said that soil analysis is a valuable tool for farms, as it determines the input required for efficient and economic production.

Soil tests help to ensure application of enough fertilizer to meet the requirements of the respective crop, while taking advantage of the nutrients already present in the soil.

He added that GuySuCo can only perform limited soil tests at the moment, and that the lab, when completed, will have the capacity to analyze various soil samples which,

Deaf mute talks in court

There was some drama in the courtroom of Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus on Friday when a man purported to be dumb started to talk when he realized that he was going to jail.

Two men, Navin Arjune, 28, of Sheet Anchor Village, East Canje, Berbice and Raphael Stuffie, 31, of the same village were brought into the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court being presided over by Magistrate Isaacs-Marcus on a joint charge of break and enter and larceny.

When the Magistrate called on Arjune to read the charge to him the man remained mum. Prosecutor Sergeant Philip Sheriff was then asked to get the man’s attention, by asking him his name, but he remained mum.

The court orderly was then asked to get the man’s attention, but he still remained oblivious to what was going on.

The Magistrate then asked the court orderly to repeat the charge to the man after she read same. Yet he

still remained unmoved.

At the end of the charge which read that on Wednesday, November 13, 2013 at Sheet Anchor the men are accused of break and enter on the dwelling house of Khiroon Artiga and stole one Sharp television, one gas bottle, a quantity of window blinds, a set of bed sheets, a set of clothing, a set of plates and a number of towels to the value of $165,000 all the property of Khiroon Artiga.

The charge was subsequently read to Stuffie.

Stuffie informed the court that he is a fisherman and pleaded his innocence. It was around this time that Arjune, much to the amusement of those in court, blurted out that he was innocent and was being constantly harassed.

He pleaded with the Magistrate for leniency.

They men who were scantily dressed and were barefooted were placed on $120,000 bail each and told to report to the Central Police Station every Friday.

The matter continues on 13th December.

A mini health check is the first step to donating blood

for sending samples overseas. The inclusion of the laboratory will

significantly reduce the cost farmers endure to have a proper soil test carried out. A

Technical Management Committee will also be established with representatives from the respective agencies to manage the lab.

Page 54

WANTED Contract cars- Contact City Taxi Service- 660-1100 / 226-7150 One driver for the interior must have bus license Contact: 681-6044 GREENHEART AND PURPLE HEART LUMBER - TEL: 653-9752 Labourers for wood concession. Accommodation Provided, $5,000 per day Tel: 618-0487 One Cummings and Perkins mechanic to work in interior contact:681-6044 Experienced counter servers, roti/puri cooks, curry cooks, pastry makers & handyboys Apply Hack’s Halaal, 5 Commerce St. Security guard to work in Georgetown (Shift System) Apply in person – Tel:2185105 One person to look after layer birds in interior- Tel: 681-6044 1 working male to share 2 bedroom apartment – Contact:662-1414 Land to buy @ Non-Pareil, Eccles & Herstelling - Tel: 675-7292; 218-5591 One gasoline mechanic for interior must know to fix RZ, solid deff pick-up: Contact: 681-6044 East Bank Sawmill needs a woodmizer operator immediately. Accommodation provided if needed – Tel: 609-8727; 683-5759 Attractive live in waitressCall: 327-0252; 674-4665 Looking for motels, actors, dancer, singers, videographers and photographers. Male or female contact:592-609-0845 Eccles 3 bedroom (one master) House - $25M Call Diana:227-2256; 626-9382 Need land to buy in Parafaite Harmonie- Tel:2185591;675-7292 Chain saw operator with own saw - Tel: 618-0487 1 Labourer – Call:226-3736 One cook for the interior to cook in a home- Tel:6816044;666-6836 Drivers for Albion Good Hope & Rosignol Branches RA Soda Factory – Tel:6235920; 330-2399 Porters to work on truck preferably from ECD - Tel: 222-3927; 649-9876 Labourer, Arc/Acetylene welder – skilled in Grill work.

Driving an asset, Georgetown area – Tel:6102978; 613-3091

Kaieteur News

VEHICLE FOR SALE

VEHICLE FOR SALE

VEHICLE FOR SALE

2 – 2007 Toyota Avensis – Tel:698-0674

Dump Canters, Long & Short Canters, Pitbull & RZ minibuses, Sienta, Voxy, Liteace – Tel:257-3178; 650-5657

1 Toyota AE 100 Sprinter; automatic, fully powered mag-rims – Price: $850,000 – Contact Rocky – 621-5902; 225-1400

Cheapest- Premio, Pitbull, Manual Buses & HiluxCall:616-7635 AE100 Toyota Corolla $610,000, Price negotiable – Tel:677-4558 HILUX SOLID AXLE PICKUPS, unregistered, in excellent condition – Call:691-2077 Leroy Trident car 250 CC, 4 doors, power window, $495,000 cash or credit Tel 227-3939, 621-4000 Hilux surf 4 doors, minor parts needed, sold as is $750,000 Tel: 227-3939, 621-4000 Nissan Maxima, fully powered needs repairs sold as is $300,000 cash 227-3939, 621-4000 Mitsubishi 3000GT sports car, fully powered, $1.7 cash or credit available Tel: 227-3939, 621-4000 Trike Can- Am style motorcycle, 200cc new, unregistered $450,000 neg or credit Tel 227-3939, 621-4000 Stretch limousine, Lincoln Town car, fully powered $6.5 million or credit available Tel 227-3939, 621-4000 Mitsubishi Pajero (Immaculate condition); automatic, fully loaded, 4×4, price $2.8M- Contact Rocky:225-1400 or 621-5902 AT212 Carina (private), automatic, fully powered, A/ C, CD player, price $1.350Mcontact Rocky:225-1400 or 621-5902 Toyota extra cab pick-up (22 R engine) manual, (EFI) 4×4, (GPP series) price $2.5MContact Rocky 621-5902/2251400 1 Toyota Ceres (4 doors car).

Automatic, fully powered, mags, alarm $775,000Contact Rocky 621-5902 or 225-1400 Toyota Tacoma (2006 model)VVTI engine, automatic, fully loaded, 22" chrome rims $4.1M- Contact Rocky 6215902/ 225-1400 Honda CRV 2002 model, automatic, fully loaded alarm.

Price $3.2M- Contact Rocky 621-5902/ 225-1400 1 Toyota RZ bus - $1.6M. Immaculate condition – Contact Rocky: 621-5902/ 225-1400 1 Toyota extra cab pick-up automatic (3RZ) 4x4 $3.7M – Contact Rocky: 621-5902/ 225-1400 1 Toyota Double cab pickup (4door) manual (5l- Diesel) 4x4 -$3.5M Contact Rocky: 6215902/225-1400

Smart Choice Auto: Premio, Allion, IST, Runx, FielderCall:652-3820/665-4529 First Class Auto: Premio, Axio, Passo, Runx, Allex, IST, Fielder, Raum – Call:609-8188; 602-6307 1 Suzuki 600 GSX-R, 1 Nissan Virgo Mini Van, PKK series Tel: 644-5096, 697-1453 Norpan Auto: Premio, Raum, Fielder & Vitz, never registered.

Tel: 269-0432; 686-0323 3 Ton Toyota Toyoace with hydraulic lift at the back Excellent Condition - Tel: 685-0889

17ft fiber glass 175 Yamaha Seadoo jetski – Tel:651-8870 2005 Tacoma 1995 V6 4x4 Tacoma – Tel:651-8870 1 Toyota 212, 1-Toyota AT212, 1- 91 Corrola, 1 – Corrola Axio 4WD (new model) never registered – call:259-0836, 621-7838 Driven Auto Sales: New Arrivals Sale! Unregistered fully loaded Toyota Sienta $2,250,000 & Madza Axela $2,350,000 – Tel:643-6565; 226-9931

AT192, 212, Allion, Premio, Hilux Surf, BNN & cheap RZ buses, 7 seater super custom.

Cash / terms- Call:680-3154 ALYEA’S AUTO SALE: PREMIO 2003/2004. ALL PRICES ARE NEG. 40 CROAL STREET STABROEK- TEL:2317284/ 622-3823 Toyota Passo PNN Series $1.8M – Tel:681-6066 Mitsubishi Galant Car, fully loaded – Tel: 227-7544; 6122542, 614-6011.

1.5 & 2 Tonne open back canter, power gate $2.4M, unregistered - Tel:617-2891 1 Toyota Caldina & fielder wagon, IST, fun cargo, AT212, AT192, AT170, Ceres, Hilux pick up 4x4 – Tel: 644-5096; 697-1453 Toyota Tacoma 2006, 4WD, Manual, Lift Kit, Off road Tyres – Tel:615-8128 Crash Toyota Vios. Asking $650,000 as is- Call:617-7113 One registered NZE Corolla - Call: 652-3820; 665-4529 2008 Fielder – $2.7M, Premio$2.5M, Spacio $2.1M, Unregistered – Tel:617-2891 Honda CRV, mag rims, flair Tv, 12 Dics changer DVD player – Tel:233-2808; 621-7657 White 2008 Tacoma 4x4 lift kit, off road tyres. Excellent condition- Call:610-5370 Toyota NZE mag rims, flair, leather seats, 10 Disc changer Tv - Tel: 233-2808; 621-7657 We buy & sell vehicles for cash, also parts available & 30 seater buses; Extra Cab pickups; 2006 Tacoma- Call: 680-3154 BUY/SELL VEHICLES OR PROPERTY; SAVE TIME + MONEY USING PHOTO ADS – WWW.GYTRADER.COM ; TEL:651-4300, 670-4300

Sunday November 17, 2013

FOR SALE

FOR SALE

LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY $19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754.

One 290 Massey Ferguson, 4 Wheel Drive tractor Tel:688-1789

Cheapest Online Vehicles!!!

– Tel:626-2771 One 330 Bedford Engine, excellent condition – Tel:6874490 5 Head & 7 Head Moulders, 150Kw Genset, CC Saw, Resaw – Tel:626-0024; 6165595; 665-3676 NISSAN WINGROAD PRR SERIES – TEL:695-4785 1-320 Cl excavator excellent condition – Tel:699-3992

PROPERTY FOR SALE VERSAILLES: Furnished 5 bedrooms, self-contained rooms, modern facilities, generator, beautiful landscape, gated community- Call:592-6248704/592-684-9203 Section K C/Ville – 2 Flat 3 bedroom solid building $22M negotiable Contact B&G’s Realty: 227-4125; 6179717

Ladies boutique closing down have dresses, tops, etc for sale, made in USA. Going cheap! – Tel:624-7333 1 New ASCO automatic change over switch, 200 amps Tel: 694-7817; 612-1351 Clearance Sale: greenheart lumber, slabs, strips & firewood. Toolsie Persaud Ltd, Lombard St. Georgetown - Tel: 226-4920; 226-4071-5 Smoothe machine , Ice machine – Tel:231-0655; 6838734

2 Flat concrete 5 apartment semi furnished building, on land 77x73 @ Bel-Air Springs Contact: B&G’s Realty-2274125; 617-9717

Pure bred Doberman pinchers pups - $50,000 - Tel: 609-2815

Property for sale- Call:6275416

1 TATA Truck GEE 9962 – Contact: 629-9286; 219-2395

One babysitter for 16month old – Tel:664-3405 (Kitty C/ Ville area)

2-50 Feet fishing boats complete with 400 LBS bangamary nets, 2-48 Yamaha engines. Call: 2202259; 220-9325; 220-3133

Live in waitress to work in bar - Tel:665-7865 One live in domestic – Contact:658-9495; 6272550 Paradise (land) - $1.4M, Kitty - $28.5M, Alberttown - $31M, South - $28M Call Diana:2272256; 626-9382 Prime Property for sale Light Street, Alberttown Contact: 639-3619, 619-7299 Three bedrooms @ Guysuco Gardens - $45M Tel: 617-4261 Two flat 6 bedrooms house $12.8M negotiable – Tel:6044174; 619-5332 Prime 2- storey concrete building dimensions 80x23, 6 bedrooms, 2 master bedrooms @ Leonora opposite to Primary School – Tel:652-0709; 268-3572

Pups for sale - mixed with French and Tibetian Terrier Call: 696-7467 Cheapest iPhones!!! - Tel: 626-2771 Panel Doors & Arch Frame as low as $19,995 – Tel:6641109;626-8141 Massey, Yanmar Ford 5000 Logging/ Agriculture Tractors, parts, Loader & Ford Truck- Call:615-1578/ 694-3595: Tools & Chainsaw668-2831 One registered Yamaha R1 motorcycle. In immaculate condition. Price:$1,100,000 Tel: 600-3177 Clean Garden Earth & builders waste also Bobcat rental, excavating, clearing and leveling done- Call:6160617 or 663-3285

Potting soil, top soil and quality cow mould - Call: 6561326; 678-0058 Laptops, 4GB from $85,000Tel: 611-3038 Mix male German shepherd 18 months - $70,000 & female pure bred pit bull $40,000 4 Months – Tel:6398924; 227-4674 Massey Ferguson 6140 4X4 Turbo - Call: 688-6274 / 6913851 Spare for washing machine, microwaves,fridges, stoves, timers, gearbox, pumps, etc call:225-9032,647-2943 Playstation 2, Playstation 3 and X-Box 360 consoles for sale - Tel: 644-6012.

1 New Model Tacoma, 1 12" Aluminum Boat, 1 14" Aluminum Boat.

Contact:220-1981; 690-1945 Live and pluck chicken - Tel: 220-9203; 650-4421 Playstation 2, Playstation 3 and PSP games for sale – Tel:644-6012 One CAT 320 BL excavator in good working condition Tel: 275-0578; 660-4021 1 22-RB long boom aircontrolled dragline in good working condition with 3.5ton hammer, helmet & drag bucket. Tel: 275-0578; 6604021 One CAT 120G Motor Grader with Scarifier in good working condition Tel: 2750578; 660-4021 Honda ATV 500 4X4 DBL shocks – Tel:688-6274; 6913851 Power fists 6500 watts gasoline generators (brand new) 110/240 volts, Ac/Dc current on wheels – Tel:6172205; 225-6584 One pure bred female Rottweiler pup - Call: 2206879 Live/pluck chicken call:6504421, 220-9203 One 3 wheel motorcycle 6 month old Call:675-3718 SAWMILL COMPLEX design to produce 40,000 BM per week export & local market. Wanted log Kabakallie, etc. Tel:684-5868 (Continued on page 56)

Sunday November 17, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 55

Importance of integrity emphasized as UG... ‘Ghost Company'...

From page 8 Georgia, United States.

He couldn’t resist enlightening the audience of how reminiscent his return was even as he recalled being a student and a student leader in the late 1970s.

“Of course the people who taught me are all gone into retirement, abroad or to the Great Beyond...” he noted even as he commended the efforts of the graduates.

However, he reminded that “no achievement by any of us derives from only what we put into the pursuit...We all stand on the shoulders of giants...”

He listed parents and other family members and individuals as supporting giants some of whom he noted hadn’t themselves been able to reach such

The proud Valedictorian, Eileen Selima Marray. academic heights.

“Whoever has been your giant, this convocation should be about recognizing

them too. They are the people some of whom might have gone to the great beyond before this day who helped

Sunday November 17, 2013 ARIES (MAR 21 - APR 19): It’s no fun for others to wait for your response to issues that are important to them. You may not think it imperative to give answers to propositions or reply to correspondence, but someone else may disagree. ****************************** TAURUS (APR 20 - MAY 20): You’re heavily involved in family affairs and keen to encourage a loved one’s schemes and dreams. Your support is appreciated but don’t fall into the trap of giving so much to others you forget about yourself. ****************************** GEMINI (MAY 21 - JUN 20): Your time is at a premium, you’re already working to a strict schedule and further demands come your way.

Make an early start in sorting out your priorities and stick to your original intentions. ****************************** CANCER (JUN 21 - JUL 22): Nervousness or timidity can blight relationships and cause unnecessary misunderstandings. Don’t hold back if you know the answer to a problem someone is trying to solve. ****************************** LEO (JUL 23 - AUG 22): Refuse to allow trivial matters to distract you from what you should be getting on with.

Impulsive acts should also be avoided.

A moment’s extravagance could for instance have a bonus or one off payment spent almost before you’ve got it in your hot little hands. ****************************** VIRGO (AUG 23 - SEP 22): You’ve always had faith in your judgement; but dare you rely on intuition alone today?

Your sixth sense will be your greatest asset in situations where it’s difficult to make up your mind.

LIBRA (SEP 23 - OCT 22): Not everything will go according to plan and patience is needed to get through some aggravations. At the same time, not knowing what you might be doing from one moment to the next will prove extremely refreshing. ****************************** SCORPIO (OCT 23 NOV 21): You need to be one step ahead of those who are inclined to be manipulative or controlling. Impatience or carelessness with details could lead to mistakes and provide others with the chance to take charge. ****************************** SAGITTARIUS (NOV 22 - DEC 21): Don’t make any new and unnecessary agreements or take on obligations which you may come to regret. You’re inclined to say what others want to hear without thinking about what you are agreeing to or letting yourself in for. ****************************** CAPRICORN (DEC 22 JAN 19): Pay no heed to those who accuse you of being old fashioned and conservative. If you prefer to stick to familiar routines and traditional methods, why let anyone talk you out of this? ****************************** AQUARIUS (JAN 20 FEB 18): Allowing your partner to have his or her say won’t mean anything if you aren’t really listening. You have your views and they’re unlikely to change but at least make it look as if you’re considering what they have in mind. ****************************** PISCES (FEB 19 - MAR 20): Tension and unease mars a close relationship. Cast your mind back over the past few weeks and you will see where you’ve been going wrong.

to make today possible for you,” Dr Lloyd noted.

And even as he admonished the graduating students to list their giants, he emphasized that their dreams to succeed were coming through even as the University celebrated its golden jubilee which is in fact a realization of institutional dreaming by individuals most of whom are deceased.

“I refer to the dreaming and doing by then Premier Dr Cheddi Jagan whose brainchild it was to create a basis for citizens of the thencolony of British Guiana to leverage tertiary education for individual social-economic mobility, and to provide a fillip to national economic and social development,” recounted Dr Lloyd.

“The dreaming and doing

by Minister of Education, Cedric Nunes; founding Chancellor Edward Mortimer Duke; founding Vice Chancellor and Principal Lancelot Hogben and countless other nationalists and educators, bureaucrats and businessmen and international agencies and foreign governments. “ But according to him even as moves are made for higher educational heights with a view of earning more and even becoming rich he urged that it must not be devoid of integrity.

In appealing to the graduates he said, do not sacrifice integrity on the altar of wealth, Dr Lloyd quoted a line from musical icon Bob Marley that “the greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively.”

From page 50 not recall at the time and would text Kaieteur News the information. He is yet to do so.

Questioned about whether any investigation was undertaken by the Local Government Ministry into the background and ability of the Company to undertake what it has promised, subject Minister, Ganga Persaud re-

sponded that government is “satisfied” with all the information which was submitted by the company.

“We just needed a recycling plant which is in keeping with the needs we outlined,” the Minister said. He said that he does not know about the technical capabilities of the company, or about its business in Canada.

International icon...

From page 16 the years. Today, the company produces and distributes a variety of globally recognized beverages. These include soft drinks such as Pepsi, 7UP, Mountain Dew and Gatorade.

The Chartered Accountant also holds some of the most prestigious awards both locally and internationally.

These include; The Golden Arrow of Achievement [AA] in 1981 for the development and expansion of the distilling industry in Guyana and

the Cacique Crown of Honour [CCH] in 1983 for the development of new industries in Guyana.

Also significant is that the University of Warwick named the centre for Caribbean Studies after him as it is now called The Yesu Persaud Centre for Caribbean Studies.

In addition, the Board of Directors, Management, Staff and Shareholders of DDL thank Dr.Yesu Persaud for his service and wish him long life and continued achievement.

Page 56

Kaieteur News

Sunday November 17, 2013

(From page 54) LAND FOR SALE

FOR SALE

SERVICES

House lot for sale on the West Bank of Demerara Harbour bridge in Harbourville contact # 6500402

Curtains and carpet for sale Call: 219-3732 after 6PM Sale on black leotards and tights from 6 pairs up @ Roxie’s Fashion – 301 Church St S/ Cummings Burg.

Professional and affordable landscaping and tree trimming services. BUDRAM’S LANDSCAPINGSERVICES Call: 656-1326; 678-0058

Gold & Diamond Land, Ekeruku, Berbice District 1, Kurupung - Tel: 600-0036, 223-1719 Non- Pariel, Eccles, Herstelling 100ftX60Ft - $4M-$5M – Tel: 218-5591; 675-7592 Promising Gold and Diamond mining lands in various areas – Tel:699-3992 Soesdyke: Land 166.00’X 131.98’ - $4.5M negotiable – Contact B&G’s Realty: 2274125; 617-9717 Soesdyke – 57.21 Acres of land 215’.36X8,755’.2 – near Linden H/Way Junction $125M Negotiable Contact B&G’s Realty-227-4125; 6179717 Land on Highway to River side 28acres @400,000 per acres Call Diana:227-2256; 626-9382 Lot 349 located in Craig Public Road EBD with river view – Price negotiable – Call: 690-9763; 695-6641; 602-0287 5 Acres, 3 lots $15M @ Canal #2- Call:227-7734 32 Acres for sale, Lot 5 Content Mahaicony, E.C.D: US$175,000: Call:813-3194219: rpooran@ tampabay.rr.com DRESSMAKING We specialized in making ladies germents, curtains etc - Call Sharmela: 626-2629; 676-6312 WANTED Maid to work on lower East Bank. Call:671-7878 between 6 to 9pm, on weekdays and weekends.

One experienced Nail technician, specialized nail art design, air brush and hair extension – Tel:231-6000 One snackette attendant.

Experience necessary! – Tel:223-0092; 689-5169 Live in female domestic 3045 years old – Tel:610-2978; 613-3091 Female to work night shift in bar, must know to cook. Age 20-30, Tel:223-5798; 647-7432

New designs, dance wear, long lasting USA Fabrics @ Roxie’s Fashion – 301 Church St S/C.Burg – Tel: 622-4386 Four way stretch costume made dresses & more @ Roxie’s Fashion -301 Church St S/Cummings Burg.

Spandex Everything: Leotards, Design tights, unitards, skirts, swim suit.

Just name it! – Tel:622-4386 1 Used 3304 Caterpillar engine, diesel injecter tester – Call:645-0279; 624-2561 Cummings fuel pump PC type for logging truck and injectors – Call:645-02-79; 624-2561 Cheap earth delivery to spot E.C.D and E.B.D- Call:6279977, 698-0182 Chicken Hatchery (Robbins), 28,000 eggs capacity fully ready, $ 5.5 million or credit available Tel: 227-3939 621-4000 Diesel Generator, 3 cylinder Lister pitter (England) key start, 15 kva, $650,000 cash or credit 227-3939, 621-4000 Generac Generator 15 kva, portable, $500,000 cash or credit available Tel 227-3939, 621-4000 Clarke forklifts 2000, 3000, 4000 Lb, lifting capacity $450,000 and up Tel: 2273939, 621-4000 Diesel Generator silent 28 kva SDMO John Deere engine, missing Fuel Pump, Panel, Avr $900,000 227-3939, 621-4000 73" 3D TV Mitsubishi Like new $450,000 227-3939, 6214000 60FT Antenna (Mass) for Radio, TV, Cellular, with cables, brackets, sky light $500,000 227-3939, 621-4000

We repair fridge, freezer, AC, washer, dryer call:2310655,683-8734 Omar Permanent & Visitors Visa Applications, Professional Immigration Consultant Room D5 Maraj Building Call:225-6496,6626045,223-8115 Repairs, sales & spares air conditioning, microwaves, washer, fridges & stoves. Ultra Cool, call:225-9032,647-2943 Technicians available for appliance repairs – washers, dryers, microwaves, stoves, deep fryers, etc – Tel:6190793; 218-0050 Safe Heaven Animal Clinic: Vaccination, de-worming, surgeries, pet grooming, export certificates arrangements. Tel: 223-3866; 691-9179 Send for a free Gospel package. Text name & address Tel: 675-7292 Have a water tank, vehicle part, boat etc to repair call Mr. Kellman- Tel:690-0035; 627-7161 Professional Pressure Washing: We clean homes, driveways, gutters, parking lots, business, equipment, machinery, cars etc - call Kevin: 592-696-5424 Come in & see our new design & fabric, no one else have (or has) – 301 Church St S/C.Burg Are you a special size or difficult to get the correct fit?

– Call Roxie: 622-4386 Only you will have it, one of a kind dresses, tops, tights etc @ 301 Church St S/ C.Burg

PENPAL

Bodywork man, handyman, maid (under 30 yrs) Apply Guyana Variety Store Tel 2273939

Fluffy Dachshund pups – Tel: 642-6664 TOUR

Businessman in Trinidad seeks Guyanese woman for friendship & marriage between ages 30-40; email:ramphal mahadeo@ live.com – Tel:0011-868-7243155; 0011-868-4681075

For the best rates, call us on 225-8458, 225-8465, 225-8491

Suriname pre-Christmas trip returned tour etc. Nov 28th - Dec 1st – Tel:6440185; 639-2663; 665-5171; 227-8290

Meet your match! Lifelong partners, confidential: Rules Apply Tel:592-223-8237; 592648-6098 (8:30am-5:00pm), (both phones same time)

Seamstress from West Bank/ West Coast Demerara – Tel:626-2629; 676-6312

One Furnished Two bedrooms bottom flat @ Uitvlugt - Contact: 680-4990

FOR RENT

VACANCY

Furnished short term apartments - Tel: 687-3017

Canter Drivers & Porters from East Coast & EBD, Male Security Guards for Land of Canaan location. 266 4427

Harmony Inn: Apartments fully furnished, airconditioned apartments: As low as $5000 per nightCall: 668-0306/602-8769/ 694-7817

Executive property in gated community at Houston D’ Aguiar’s Park, fully furnished. Tel: 609-2876 or 623-0425

Fully furnished short & long term apartment - Contact: 687-3792

One 2 bedrooms house for rent in Tuschen E.B.E - Tel: 684-3195

Fully furnished Vacation home with all amenities- Call during working hours- 2271218

Furnished top flat house, Queenstown, generator, A/C, Grille & parking -Tel:227-1218 or kpthomas7@gmail.com

One 3 bedroom upper flat at Zeeburg West Coast Demerara – Contact:613-8928

Ground Floor Office space, Queenstown, generator, A/ C, grille & parking - Tel:2271218 or kpthomas7@gmail.com

Kitty -$65,000, Meadowbrook - $100,000, Bel-Air - $1000, Providence - US1300 - Call Diana: 227-2256; 626-9382

One 2 bedroom apartment @ Samatta Point, Grove $35,000 Contact:613-7596

One bedroom unfurnished apartment -$35,0000, Grove New Housing Scheme, EBD - Call: 642-1956

One fully furnished two bedroom house in Bougainvillea Park, Farm, E.B.D. ContactAdrian 678-1234

One bedroom apartment to rent at Parafaite Harmonie WBD - $18,000.00 per month – Tel: 668-0306; 394-7817

One two storey newly built house situated at Section A Diamond, Price $70,000 & $60,000 – Contact Numbers: 223-4281; 678-4072.

3 Bedrooms including 1 self contained hot & cold bath, grilled windows, parking available in yard $90,000 –Tel:618-7750; 661-5992 Short term rental (fully furnished 2 bedroom apartments – Tel:222-9202; 609-9202.

Place to rent at Leonora next to the Primary School – Contact:625-9743 1 bedroom apartment, next to SOL, BB Rome EBD $35,000 – Call:658-5452

Brian Moe @642-3543: Computer Technician: FB/ Brian.Moe.165: Home and Office visits at your comfort!!

Prime CommericaL Property, Albertown, 3 lots with business, (Nut Centre) price neg. Tel 621-4000, 2273939 1 Circular sofa (suite), 1 recliner, 1- Toilet bowl set, one wash basin & Indian/ Western wear – Tel:613-0836 between 9am-7pm

TO LET 2 bedrooms apartment inside toilet, grilled, yard space, parking - $35,000. ECD 35ft X 30ft: secured for bond business- Tel: 616-6711; 6743139

EDUCATIONAL Private tutor – teaching, reading, writing, grammar at home - Tel: 696-7467 English as a second Language (ESL /EFL) Personalize for children/adults - Tel: 612-4821 or 274-0437 Nehemiah Comprehensive School; evening classes: Integrated Science, Human and Social Biology - Call: 2260847 for more details.

SALON Make Up Courses, Artist Trained & Certified in Trinidad. Call: 660-5257, 647-1773 Enroll today @ Nalini’s School of Cosmetology.

Classes starting January 2014. Full course only $80,000 - Call: 614-6655; 2266705

B & C Driving School: Lot 5 Hadfield streer Lodgecall: 225-0150,229-7258, 680-6826

Professional & affordable salon service: Hair care, nail & skin care – Contact Amrita: 680-2609

Ultravoilet Driving School Tel: 226-0765; 602-2583 (Gwenette)

Vacancy exists for 1 experienced Accountant & Accounts clerk with 5 years experience. Apply @ Alabamba Trading, Georgetown Ferry Stelling.

Vacancy exist for one experienced cosmetologist on the EBD ( Grove) Contact: Ms Rashrie call: 652-5800 Garden maintenance staff needed for Landscape Company 18-28 years. No education necessary - Tel: 648-1821 Canter Drivers & Porters from ECD & EBD, Male Security Guards for Land of Canaan location, accommodation available.

266 4427 Janitor (Cleaner) @ Shakoor’s Trading, Eccles – Tel:233-2546 Cashier & Sales Person apply in person @ Nirva Supermarket: 49 Craig & Sheriff Street – Tel:227-5771 Vacancy exists for experienced cashier & salesgirls. Apply in person @ Fabric World, 140 Regent & Light Street.

Night Security- Apply: Avinash Complex, Water Street - Tel:226-3361; 227-7828 MASSAGE American Style massage services- Call:678-7499

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First Choice Car Rental: Cars as low as $5,000 per dayCall: 668-0306 / 694-7817/ 225-6337 Wings Car Rental- Call: 643-1131 A i d a n ’s C a r R e n t a l & Pickup- Call: 645-7981/ 698-7807 Dolly’s Car Rental- Call: 2257126/226-3693- dollysauto rental@yahoo.com/ www.dollysautorental.com

Sunday November 17, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 57

Middle Street stand-off…

Cops recover cocaine from killer’s room - victims had shotgun injuries The victims of Deryck Kanhai’s drug-fuelled rampage all bore gruesome shotgun injuries, and investigators said yesterday that packets of cocaine were recovered from the Middle Street, Cummingsburg flat that the killer had occupied.

A source who viewed Friday’s postmortems said that Crown Cabs Taxi Service Dispatcher, Vanessa Vyphuis was shot at close range just below her breasts, while 75year-old security guard Hugh Paul, called ‘Bonny’, was also shot at close range below the chest. Both civilians had gaping wounds.

Kaieteur News was told that Constable 18053 Sherwayne Pantlitz’s body bore shotgun pellets near one of his eyes, while his colleague, Lance Corporal 20293 Michael Forde, was shot at the side of the head.

The wounds the two policemen received indicated that they were shot from a distance.

Dispelling some suggestions that the gunman took his own life, the source said that Kanhai’s body bore a wound to the head that appeared to have been inflicted by an assault weapon.

Police said that apart from the shotgun they recovered from the dead Kanhai, a .32 and a .22 pistol were also found after the shootout.

Although, Kanhai was

said to be a licensed firearm holder, it is not clear he was licensed to own and use all the weapons that the police recovered at his premises.

One police source said that as far as he knows, a person can legally have a shotgun and a small arm at the same time.

“However, based on influence and connections, a man can be licensed to carry two small arms at the same time. I know of people carrying two small arms at the same time,” the source said.

There are reports that Kanhai frequently discharged rounds indiscriminately, for no real reason in the vicinity of his home. But senior police officials say they had no report of such.

The only report they have however was when Kanhai shot himself with an unlicensed .357 magnum handgun back in 2010.

On that occasion he claimed it was an accident although the popular suggestion was that he attempted suicide.

Even then the police did not charge him for the illegal possession of the weapon that was recovered, nor was

he charged with attempted suicide.

Strangely enough, he was subsequently granted permission to carry a firearm.

“He really had to have connections with somebody high up. What should have disqualified him was the fact that he had previously shot himself with an unlicensed .357 magnum,” the police source said.

There are rumours that firearm licences can be bought and fingers have been pointed at a former senior officer who was in a position to facilitate it.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs has noted with utter disgust the comments made by Opposition Leader David Granger, recently, on the unfortunate shooting incident.

According to the Ministry in a press statement, that A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) would seek to blame the Home Affairs Ministry for the incident is both nonsensical and shameless.

The partnership had strongly condemned the “recent incidence of violence

Deryck Kanhai David Granger and restated its position that the safety and security of citizens under the current leadership of the Minster of Home Affairs is severely compromised. The party also condemned the Ministry of Home Affairs for its lax policy on gun ownership and control.

“Leader of the Opposition, Brigadier David Granger, referring to the Middle Street massacre on November 13, stated that a big part of the problem was the rampant gun running; lax attitude to gun licensing by the Ministry of Home Affairs; and weak law enforcement by the Guyana Police Force,” the APNU statement said.

But the Ministry said it

rejects in its totality such a brazen attempt to disparage its image and its efforts to execute its lawful mandate.

“The claims of ‘rampant gun running’, ‘lax attitude to gun licensing by the Ministry of Home Affairs’ and ‘weak law enforcement by the Guyana Police Force’ are but a clear demonstration of the level of Mr. Granger’s ignorance of the work of the Ministry, and its achievements in the security sector,” the Ministry responded.

The Ministry defended itself by pointing out that in respect of firearms licensing, it implemented the

Clement Rohee recommendation of the Disciplined Forces Commission, of which the now Opposition Leader himself was a member.

“A Firearms Licensing Approval Board was established in April 2010, by way of Regulations under the Firearms Act (Cap 16:05). This Board is actively considering recommendations made by the Police for persons to be licenced.

No one is automatically granted a firearm licence. All applicants are vetted, and stringently so,” the Ministry pointed out.

Page 58

Kaieteur News

Sunday November 17, 2013

Importance of integrity emphasized World class Kayaker makes as UG graduates more than 1,000 significant stop in Guyana Qualified in a number of areas which could effectively help to boost the various sectors of the country, more than 1000 individuals yesterday graduated from the University of Guyana.

It was characterised by a prestigious ceremony attended by people made up mainly of the relatives and friends who witnessed the graduates, decked out in matching gowns, being presented with certificates of completion.

The event marked the 47th Convocation of the University’s Turkeyen campus and is expected to be prominently etched in the annals of history as it also served to continue celebrations of the tertiary institution’s 50th year of existence.

The start of the memorable event saw eight graduates from the first convocation in 1967 as well as from 1968, 1969 and 1971, being included in the 2013 procession of graduands.

Of note too was the fact that the University, for the first time, conferred the Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Sciences and the Masters of Medicine in Paediatrics and Emergency Medicine which was offered through the Faculty of Health Sciences.

In total 1,376 students graduated from the Faculties of Agriculture and Forestry, Health Sciences, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences,

and the Schools of Education and Humanities and Earth and Environmental Sciences and the Institute of Distance and Continuing Education.

Eileen Selima Marray of the Faculty of Social Sciences who pursued a Degree in Business Management was dubbed the Valedictorian. The Berbician, who currently resides in Cummings Lodge, said, “I feel great about my achievement…It is now finally sinking in and I feel good that my hard work is paying off.”

She is currently employed at the Demerara Bank but has plans to pursue a Masters in the near future.

Marray, in her Valedictory speech, congratulated her fellow graduates.

“I believe each one of us took our first steps when we decided to enroll in the University…We have spent our time here developing our knowledge, making our dreams a reality.”

Ahead of the conferring of the various degrees, diplomas and certificates, the graduates heard an address presented by a very nostalgic Dr Ivelaw Lloyd Griffith.

Dr Griffith, a product of the local university, currently holds the position of President of Fort Valley State University in (Continued on page 55)

By Rehanna Ramsay Call her daredevil or whatever you wish, but female kayaker Freya Hoffmeister, often described as the “Woman in Black”, has her heart set on touring the global waters in her beloved kayak. Encountering salt water crocodiles, Great White sharks, venomous sea snakes, deadly jelly fish, massive surfs, and other challenges associated with daring water sport, Hoffmeister is arguably the world’s most famous Kayaker.

She has circumnavigated New Zealand, New Foundland and the continent of Australia, but her desire to paddle the entire coast line of South America, has brought her to Guyana’s shores.

Circumnavigating openwater crossings and hundreds of miles of sheer cliffs without any landing zones for several days

World Class Kayaker Freya Hoffmeister sometimes, Hoffmeister has mastered the art of dealing with tropical heat, cyclones and the challenge of obtaining drinking water and food – not to mention the physical toll of averaging upwards of 60 km per day.

The 47-year-old business owner from Husum, North Germany is scheduled to set another world record.

Having completed the second leg of her journey which she begun in Buenos Aires, Argentina, two years ago, Hoffmeister arrived in Guyana last weekend, where she was warmly welcomed by a team of Ministry of Tourism officials, as well as Mr. Ben Ter Welle, Honorary Consul from Germany to Guyana.

In her brief chat with Kaieteur News, the woman described herself as a free spirit best known for her love Continued on page 11

Sunday November 17, 2013

Kaieteur News

Haiti police appeal for peace ahead of protests

Haitian riot policemen patrol in the street during an anti-government protest in Port-au-Prince, Hait. AFC Port-au-Prince (AFP) Police in Haiti appealed for calm yesterday ahead of planned protests between supporters and opponents of President Michel Martelly, who is facing demands to resign.

Several opposition groups announced plans to march tomorrow in the residential neighborhood of Petion-ville, just to the east of the capital, Port-au-Prince, considered a presidential stronghold.

The same day, supporters of Martelly plan to hold demonstrations in the capital.

Opposition protests are also planned in other Haitian cities, including Cap-Haitien,

the country’s second biggest city, despite an appeal for calm from the president.

“We are going to take precautions with our meager resources to ensure security, but we ask demonstration organizers to work with police to avoid any violence,” a police spokesman said.

The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Haiti also released a statement yesterday urging against clashes, expressing deep concern over “the resurgence of violence and killings” in several cities and municipalities. “Such crimes are particularly disturbing as they endanger the safety of all, and the social peace that

Haiti needs to move forward on the path of strengthening Rule of Law and socioeconomic development,” a top UN official in Haiti, Sandra Honore, said in the statement.

Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas, has seen a wave of anti-government demonstrations over the past month, with protesters accusing Martelly of failing to ease poverty and unemployment and demanding his resignation.

Last week, opposition protesters were pelted with stones and shot at by presumed supporters of the president, and three people were injured by bullets.

UN human rights office condemns racist attacks on French-Guyanese born justice minister GENEVA (CMC) - The United Nations human rights office has condemned the recent racist attacks in France against French Guyaneseborn Minister of Justice Christiane Taubira.

The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OCHCR) said that the racist attacks were “unacceptable”, warning that they were another sign of rising discrimination in many European nations.

“This utterly unacceptable abuse of a prominent politician, on the basis of her colour, is a stark manifestation of the rising racism, xenophobia and intolerance aimed at members of ethnic and religious minorities, as well as migrants, in many European countries,” OCHCR spokesman Rupert Colville told reporters.

Colville noted that last month, a candidate for the National Front party likened Taubira to a monkey in a television documentary that was broadcast on October 17.

A week later, several demonstrators in the town of Angers, including children, who were protesting against gay marriage, waved banana

peels at Taubira and shouted “Monkey, eat your banana!”

This week, OCHCR said the French magazine “Minute” published a cover showing Taubira with the headline “Cunning as a monkey, Taubira gets the banana back”.

“The underlying racist intent of this play on words could not be more clear, despite the magazine’s protestations that they were just using two common French expressions, the second of which is used colloquially to describe someone who is very happy,” Colville said.

“We welcome the prompt and unequivocal condemnation of the racist attack on Ms Taubira by the Government and many other politicians and commentators in France,” he added.

Page 59

Page 60

Kaieteur News

Sunday November 17, 2013

Islamist coalition calls for dialogue to ease Egypt’s crisis CAIRO (Reuters) - A coalition of Islamists said yesterday it was ready to seek dialogue to end Egypt’s bloody political crisis, on condition that the armybacked government halt a security crackdown.

The public offer was the first of its kind by the group since the violent dispersal of pro-Islamist sit-ins this summer, and it notably did not call for the reinstatement of ousted president Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood.

The most populous Arab state was thrown into turmoil after the army overthrew Mursi on July 3.

It was not immediately clear if the move would be backed by top leaders of the Brotherhood, which is part of the alliance, the National Coalition to Support Legitimacy, or how the

military-backed government would respond.

Since hundreds were killed by security forces in the break-up of Islamist protest vigils in August, there has been no sign that either side is willing to open a dialogue to ease the turmoil, which has ravaged investment and tourism.

Yesterday’s initiative could signal a willingness by the Brotherhood to pull their supporters off the streets, limiting the chance for confrontation, ahead of another round of mass protests called for this week.

The Coalition said at a press conference that dialogue could occur only if detainees were released and Islamist protesters were allowed to demonstrate peacefully.

It also made the dialogue conditional on an end to “hate

Mohamed Mursi campaigns” by the media. It said that satellite channels that broadcast Islamist views must be allowed back on air.

State and private media have been in lockstep with the military-backed authorities since Mursi’s overthrow, helping to whip up a public frenzy against the Brotherhood and its supporters.

Mohamed Ali Bishr, a Brotherhood leader who represented the group in meetings with Western diplomats as they attempted to negotiate an end to the sitins before they were broken up, said the dialogue offer was “limited to two weeks”.

Bishr, one of the few Brotherhood leaders not in jail, is seen as someone who could possibly negotiate with the military-backed authorities.

The government has unleashed a fierce crackdown against the Brotherhood since Mursi’s overthrow, arresting thousands of its members, including Mursi and most of its top leaders.

It has accused the Brotherhood of carrying out terrorist acts and said it would only be welcome in politics again if it renounced violence.

The group has been banned, and a panel of judges on Saturday recommended that its political wing, the Freedom and Justice Party, be dissolved.

The Brotherhood, for decades a non-violent underground movement, denies espousing the use of force and says the army staged a coup and undermined democratic gains made since a popular uprising toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak in 2011.

It remains to be seen whether either the government or the top Brotherhood leaders, who have rejected dialogue outright and insist that Mursi remains the legitimate president, might be ready to compromise.

Sunday November 17, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 61

“India v West Indies – Test No. 2 – Shivnarine Chanderpaul – 150 Tests – is also a very special cricketer!”

As he celebrated 150 Tests, easily the most by a West Indian, Shivnarine Chanderpaul was not allowed accolades or platitudes, not even to enjoy this special time, for him and West Indians, as he had to contend with these inane, manufactured games, derided everywhere now, even in India, as being useless, except that an inept West Indies team had been set up as cannon fodder to celebrate Sachin’s last stand.

Another magnificent lefthander, “Prince” Brian Lara, the only other West Indian, with Shiv, to have over 10,000 Test runs, whose partner at the crease was Shiv when he made 375; v England, 1994; breaking that long-standing record held by yet another great left-hander, (Sir) Garfield Sobers; Shiv made 75 no; suggested two things recently which were pertinent and controversial.

BL sensibly agreed with me that West Indies cricket seems to be going nowhere, despite suggestions to the contrary, something I had said often since my 1st return to the Caribbean in 1993: “Unless we make firm decisions and restart from grass-roots, West Indies cricket will continue to be in a quagmire.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul and son Tagenarine Chanderpaul We have not put in the infrastructure that is necessary. We relied on the fact that greats like Viv Richards and Joel Garner came from nowhere.

The rest of the world went to technology, sports sciences and medicine, and academies, but we did nothing.

We might win a T-20 competition here or a series there, but we will have no real

consistency overall!”

Paraphrasing, our cricket’s coffers might be dark green, but lack of real leadership, planning and foresight are killing us - re Test No. 2 v India – an even much poorer effort by West Indies than in No.1.

What exactly does anyone now involved in West Indies cricket have to celebrate from this series?

So, I could only wonder if

Georgetown pugilists overwhelms rural counterparts in action ...

From page 63 with a well-planned offensive that earned him a majority verdict. At one time, Allicock walked into a series of uppercuts and recognising the effectiveness of the attack, Mulling literally overused the punch, still Allicock failed to find the right counteracting strategies and eventually lost the bout.

Two Bartician pugilists, Ali Maziel and Rawle Simon the clashed in the 75-79lbs division and the two greenhorns traded blows for the duration of the bout. It mattered not that most of the punches lacked timings and direction; all that mattered for the boxers was that they were throwing punches. At the end of it all, the judges ruled in favour of Simon.

Two other Barticians, Zeggie Edwards and Shaquielle Nurse clashed in the 90-94lbs division and after another crowd pleasing affair the former boxer came

out victorious. Kemo Small then faced off with Stevie Doprado in the 110-114lbs division and once again it was the battle between the greenhorns with Doprado having his hands raised after the final bell had sounded. Akil Mounter then registered the second victory for his club, the Essequibo, Boxing Gym, over Sheldon Bowen (Bartica) to cap an interesting night of fistic fury.

Meanwhile, President of the GBA, Steve Ninvalle was at the occasion and complemented his organizers for a very good job. He said that the tournament was testimony of the projections of his executives to expand the sport to all ten regions. Mr Ninvalle wished the boxers well and urged them to compete within the ambits of the rules while remaining disciplined. He then said that he has been in

discussions with head of Briso Promotions, Ceon Bristol who intimated a desire to promote a card in the Mining Town in April 2014.

Regional Chairman, Gordon Bradford was also at the fights and said that he was satisfied with the performances. He said that the event provided a welcome treat for Barticians and urged them to come out in their numbers and support the finals last night.

He said that the last time his town folks had enjoyed fistic action was in 1994 when Leon Moor fought against a Columbian. “Nothing would please me more than to have boxing on our yearly calendar,” said Mr Bradford.

The finals were staged last evening and the big guns the likes of Markember Pierre, Imran Khan and Eon Bancroft including female pugilists, Malika London and Dwon Thompson, were also to have been in action.

BL too will be censured. He does not need work. I certainly do!

But Brian, perhaps also trying to play that stupid game called politics too well, somehow also managed to put his foot in his mouth, suggesting that Sachin was the “best cricketer that the world has seen!”

Really? I truly believe that BL misspoke, as even the Indians themselves do not believe that!

Sachin may be the best batsman ever, depending on whom you ask, but many have also suggested that either of the three West Indians already named; Sobers, Lara, even sometimes Shiv; is better, especially when a team is in a crisis, as West Indies have been so very regularly in Shiv’s 20 years as incumbent.

One stunningly loud comment coming from several Indian supporters, no less, was: “Has Brian Lara never heard of Garfield Sobers?”

That rhetorical question needs no answer!

But these are only three of the very best left-handers ever seen anywhere, not only in West Indies.

Add Jimmy Adams, Chris Gayle, Clive Lloyd, Roy Fredericks, Larry Gomes and Alvin Kallicharran. Each had his own style - dashing, daring, defensive, destructive, even deceptive all very talented batsmen!

Shiv’s 1st Test series, v England 1993/4, was also my first as a Sports Journalist. I remember suggesting then that no-one in the world liked batting more than he did. I was proved so very right!

I should be celebrating too, since I had probably known Shiv even before he was born, so my pride, despite suggestions otherwise, is immense that one of “Ah we bhoy” at Unity-Lancaster village has really made it!

Chanderpaul’s father and uncle, “Cow-Fly” and “Bunn”, respectively, to all, were both wicket-keeperbatsmen for our village team, including me, at Mahaica (Leprosy) Hospital cricket ground.

Both were good enough to be “called to trials” to play for Guyana, with his uncle eventually playing for Guyana. Had it not been that both were fishermen by trade – we used their boats to get crabs in Mahaica Creek – and that they both also had an affinity for “dharu”, who knows how far they would have gone!

But their son and nephew, and now grand-son and grand-nephew - Shiv’s son, Tagenarine - have both played for West Indies, senior and junior, respectively.

Who knows? Perhaps in the near future we could even have a ready replacement for Shiv himself in the senior

Colin E. H. Croft says: ranks – his very own son!

Chander’s only cricketing regret and discomfort; he still continued to score heavily; would have been when he was given captaincy for West Indies, always a great honour, but at that time, more by default than by cricketing merit or even personal desire, in a seriously tumultuous time, circa 2004/5, a circumstance crystalized by the absence of many seniors like Lara and Gayle. Chanders suffered terribly through that!

He continues to persevere well, even if this series’ returns were not great; 36, 31 no, 25 and 41.

It may not be easy to copy his style of batting, but certainly Shiv’s tenacity must be admired, operating in the guise of General George Armstrong Custer, of Little Big Horn fame, fighting to his very last breath for his beloved West Indies cricket.

Let us hope that Chanders also gets a fond farewell too, whenever he leaves! Enjoy!

DeSinco Trading/Axe Apollo Body Spray help the Victoria Kings FC to celebrate The Village of Victoria is celebrating its 174th emancipation anniversary and consequently the Victoria Kings Football Club is hosting a four-team tournament scheduled to start on November 16 – 23, 2013.

In an effort to mark this important moment in the village’s history, DeSinco Trading, located at John & Sheriff Streets, Campbellville, has chipped in with part sponsorship towards football equipment and medical supplies.

In addition the winning team players will be presented with Axe gift bags. The team to capture the title will be requested to identify a youth from their respective village who has excelled in both school and an extra circular activity.

This student will be presented as an up and coming star and will be presented with a Gift from DeSinco Trading.

DeSinco Trading’s Ms. Indira Lall hands over sponsorship package to Victoria Kings Coach, Gavin Huntley.

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Kaieteur News

Mayor Green Inter-Ward/Village Football tourney reaches latter stages The Mayor Hamilton Green 79th Birthday 7-a-side Inter-Ward/Village Football tournament has advanced to its latter stages with action continuing on Friday at the Tucville ground from 7:00pm following opening night games last weekend.

All the teams appearing Friday would have won their respective matches on opening night and the scheduled fixtures read: Sara Lodge vs Wales, Crane vs Pouderoyen, Uitvlugt vs Newtown Kitty, Den Amstel vs Berlin, South Sophia vs bent Street, North East la Penitence vs North Sophia, Tuschen vs Leopold Street and Meadow Brook vs Kitty.

The winners collide on Sunday December 1 when the quarterfinals, semifinals and final are staged at the Den Amstel ground.

Joshua Kamal of South Sophia, Joshua Brown and Vurlon Mills of Meadow Brook will be some of the leading players on show representing their respective wards or villages.

Several corporate entities

Joshua Kamal

Vurlon Mills

and persons have lent their support to the event so far.

Among them are GT&T, MACORP, Chris Fernandes, Ricks and Sari, who will give hampers of their products to the winners and runner-up, Guyana Lottery Company, New Thriving Restaurant, Eddie Grant and Giftland Office Max. The winner collects $100,000 and the Trophy Stall Trophy donated by Ramesh

Sunich, with the runner-up claiming $50,000 and the Ricks and Sari Trophy. Both teams also collect hampers from Ricks and Sari.

The 7-a-side games are of 20 minutes duration, that’s two halves of 10 minutes, being contested. Three substitutions will be allowed per team during matches with penalties determining a winner in the event of a stalemate.

Sebastian Vettel snatches US GP pole position from Mark Webber From page 66 with Sauber ’s Esteban Gutierrez in 10th.

Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg was eliminated in the second knock-out session, in which he was 14th fastest. He will move up a spot as a result of Button’s penalty.

Webber looked to have a shot at beating Vettel to pole for the second consecutive race after setting the pace with his first set of tyres at the start of the final session of qualifying.

But Webber set his time first on their second runs at the end of the session and with a target to aim at Vettel edged him out by 0.103secs.

The German, who won the world championship in India two races ago, can set a new record of eight consecutive wins in a single season on Sunday.

“I’m looking forward to to-

Sebastian Vettel morrow,” said Vettel. “If you have the chance to win you want to go for it. Everything came together today and we’ll see how it goes.”

“Sometimes you’re happy you’ve done your best and sometimes you’re not,” Webber said.

“Seb put all his sectors together. I put two and a half together and just dropped it in the last sector. That’s the way it goes sometimes.”

The Australian made a mistake in the tricky Turn 19 and ran wide.

“The apex is a little blind so it’s easy to get it wrong,” Webber said. “I was in that club.”

Grosjean was a massive 0.817secs behind Vettel and beat Hulkenberg by 0.141secs, with Hamilton missing out on a place on the second row by just 0.049secs.

Alonso’s performance was better than Ferrari expected heading into qualifying after a difficult run through the practice sessions, when the team were struggling to get into the top 10.

Rosberg complained of poor balance and was just over 0.5secs slower than Hamilton in second qualifying.

Track conditions had changed from morning to afternoon, with a more gusty wind, and Rosberg was one of those drivers who appeared to struggle with the difference that made to the handling of the cars.

Sunday November 17, 2013

Shillingford hardly surprised by success WICB Media - MUMBAI, India – West Indies offspinner Shane Shillingford said his success in the two Tests against India was the result of hard work and preparation prior to the series.

The 30-year-old Shillingford captured 5-179 from 43 overs, as India were bowled out for 495 to gain a 313-run, first innings lead on the second day at the Wankhede Stadium here.

It was the sixth time that the lanky Shillingford has taken five wickets or more i n a Te s t i n n i n g s a n d followed a six-wicket haul i n t h e f i r s t Te s t w h i c h ended last Friday at Eden Gardens in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata.

“When I left home, I was up for a challenge coming to India,” he told reporters following play. “I k n e w there would be spinning tracks, but I also knew at the back of mind that the Indian batsmen play spin bowling pretty well.

“I knew it was not going to be an easy work. It was a lot of hard work and stuff.

I enjoyed every moment of it.”

Shillingford was trumped by Cheteshwar Pujara with the top score for India of 113, Rohit Sharma was undefeated on 111, Sachin Tendulkar made 74 and Virat Kohli hit 57, as India’s batsmen revelled in familiar conditions.

“The Indian batsmen use their feet very well against the spin and that is a plus for a batsman and

Shane Shillingford helps them to build confidence,” said Shillingford. “I thought they batted really well.

“I prepared for this tour the same way I always do.

I bowled a lot of balls and did some bowling at one stump.

“Before coming to India, I was also doing some work with Saqlain Mushtaq and that would have helped me a lot.

My main thing is to bowl long spells and do a lot of stock bowling and get the job done.

Shillingford hailed parttime off-spinner Narsingh Deonarine for claiming the prized scalp of Tendulkar, the retiring Indian batting great.

“It wasn’t like a definite plan (to bowl Deonarine),” he said. “As the game progressed, we wanted to rotate other bowlers.

When he got the wicket, we told him he is part of history now. Maybe that was [Tendulkar’s] last innings now and he wanted to play well.

“I thought [Deonarine] bowled well to him and was fortunate enough to get him out. After we came to the dressing room, we told him job well done in getting the master out.

On Te n d u l k a r, Shillingford said: “I think as a batsman, he uses his feet very well. Coming back and forth and getting to the pitch of the ball, that is what really works for him.

He has been doing it for so many years, he only got better and better.”

On the state of the game, Shillingford said he hoped the batsmen could put their heads down and bat long to bail West Indies out.

“Three wickets are down, but that is how the game goes,” he said. “We have to bat for two days.

There is still a lot of batting to come. It is a matter of application and the guys getting together and getting the job done.

“On the first day, the pitch was on the damp side, the ball was doing a bit and the ball was spinning more. As the day progressed, it started slowing down a bit. I still think it is a pitch, where o u r batsmen can come and get big runs.

“It is a matter of application, once you apply yourself on that pitch, you can get good runs.”

MOH/MCYS/GCF five-stage Cycle Road Race

Jeffrey set to win overall, takes 4th stage in Essequibo; Arthur & Niles also well placed With the fifth and final stage of this year’s Ministry of Health/Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport/Guyana Cycling Federation cycle Road Race set for today from Linden to the Capitol City, three new category champions are set to be crowned.

Team Coco’s Raynauth Jeffrey who won yesterday’s 67-mile fourth stage in the Cinderella County of Essequibo to follow up his first stage win in Berbice has maintained the overall lead going into today’s final stage.

Trailing Jeffrey 54 Seconds back in 2nd place in Roraima Bikers Club Alonzo Greaves. Another Te a m C o c o ’s r i d e r, Barbadian Darren

Matthews (1Min 14Sec), Carlton Wheelers Cycle Club Godfrey Pollydore (1 Min 35 Sec), Continental Cycle Club Geron Williams (1 Min 38 Sec), United Bike Shop Orville Hinds (3 Min 2 Sec), Paul De Nobrega (3 Min 26 Sec), Team Coco’s Junior Niles (3 Min 59 Sec), Carlton Wheelers CC Robin Persaud (4 Min 1 Sec) and defending champion Jaime Ramirez of Team Coco’s (4 Min 9 Sec) are the other riders trailing Jeffrey for the title.

Jeffrey took care of the experienced field in Essequibo yesterday in Two Hours 29 Minutes 55 Seconds, moving off in Supenaam, proceeding to Charity before returning to Suddie for the finish.

Greaves was a close

second in Two Hours 30 Minutes 06 Seconds the same time as the third placed Hinds. Pollydore followed next with Matthews and Williams fifth and sixth.

Junior, Shaquille Agard of the Linden Bauxite Flyers Cycle Club maintained his lead going into yesterday’s fourth stage as did Niles in the veteran category. The lone female Naomi Singh did not complete yesterday’s fourth stage.

An explosive final stage is in the making which will see the respective teams going after the leaders as they seek to outdo each other in seeking the top spot.

The presentation of prizes will follow immediately after the race at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

Sunday November 17, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 63

One of Guyana’s best groomed horses continues to show improvement Grande de Roja of the Jumbo Jet stable continues to show improvement on and off the race track and there are many reasons for such developments.

The animal, which recently won the feature C class and lower event at the Bush Lot United Turf Club (BLUTC) horserace meet a week ago, was also adjudged the best groomed horse for the feature event at the last Guyana Cup, by a set a Trinidad Horse racing officials who came to the country to observe the event.

The five man team after inspecting all the horses in the event unanimously decided that Grande De Roja was the best groomed horse.

Imported into Guyana

Grande De Roja and one of its grooms being congratulated by the Trinidad official. from the USA as a D1 Bay Mare, the name Grande De Roja by now should be a household one in the horseracing circle in Guyana by its winnings

and constant placing in the feature events.

The animal came onto the scene with a bang, when on that occasion being in Guyana less than

a month it stunned the field to win the feature C class event at the Port Mourant Tu r f Club Annual Emancipation horserace meet.

Georgetown pugilists overwhelms rural counterparts in action packed encounters

By Michael Benjamin They certainly were unable to emulate the performances of their city counterparts but several of the Simon Pures out of Bartica turned in commendable performances, much to the delight of the small but appreciative crowd when action in the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) National Champion of Champions boxing tournament commenced at the Bartica Community Centre Ground Friday evening last.

It was not an unreasonable expectation that the city boys would have dominated their rural counterparts but the disparity in skills certainly did not preclude the Barticians from fighting their hearts out. Also, the Barticians were also required to match gloves with their gym mates by dint of

overpopulation in certain divisions.

Ron Smith (GDF) was especially brutal when he faced Bartician, Troy Sancho, in the welterweight division. The soldier made his intentions clear from the early stages of the inaugural round when he unleashed a two fisted attack that sent his man to the canvass for the mandatory count. A determined, but clearly outclassed Sancho reentered the fray but was met by another flurry that had him retreating and blocking up.

The Bartician pugilist entered the second stanza with blazing fists and connected with several unorthodox punches to Smith’s head. The latter boxer retaliated with a flurry that pushed Sancho into the blue corner even as he covered up to stem the ferocious punches. It was

1:48secs into the second round when Smith unleashed several body blows and then converted to the head. A clearly hurt Sancho attempted to fend off the blows but by then the referee decided that he had seen enough and waved off the one sided fight.

Diwani Lampkin (FYF) and Travis Hubbard (HEBG) clashed in the super/ featherweight division in a toe to toe encounter that really delighted the audience. Both fighters started the first round speedily, each connecting with wicked blows to body and head. The first round was extremely close as both pugilists gave as many as he received. The second round was a replica of the first; Lampkin connected with several right crosses with Hubbard returning the favour ten-fold. The two then engaged in a delightful

toe to toe battle with no quarters asked and none given. The fight remained close even up to the end of the second stanza and by now each pugilist had won over sections of the crowd who urged them on.

Buoyed by the chants of his supporters, Hubbard upped the ante and a wicked right to Lampkin’s temple forced the referee to institute the mandatory eight count.

Lampkin did score with a few telling blows nearing the end but a game Hubbard refused to be denied and matched his aggression right down to the bell. The judges ruled that the Harpy Eagles product had done enough to earn a close verdict.

Delroy Allicock (EBG) and Kevon Mulling then clashed in the 75-79lbs category and the latter boxer stamped his authority (Continued on page 61)

T h e q u e s t i o n being asked is Grande De Roja ready for the grand ride to the top.

Top trainer of the Jumbo Jet stable Deonarine ‘Black Boy’ Ramroop feels so.

Ramroop, who is considered one of Guyana’s top trainers and handlers at the moment, s t a t e d t h a t training and grooming horses is not easy. In fact he mentioned that it is a million dollar job to get the animals in top shape and keep winning.

It is an expensive sport and many persons can’t cope he opined.

Giving a slight run down, Ramroop noted that the animals alone cost two to three million dollars and more, to import (air dash) and all the other fineries to bring the animals and clear it takes a few more millions.

The animals must be properly fed including medication, barley, eggs, Guinness, builders, sweet feed, oats, hot water and a warm bath, muscle relaxer, ointments, liquid supplements, pain reliever and other necessities, vet, shoe for the horses for every

race, tackling’s which includes- saddle, racing bits, blankets, bridle, girth and surfing, blinkers and racing hood are all costly. Other expenses include –trainer 10%, grooms 5%, jockey 1020% and entries 12%, transportation and taxes are also additional expenses.

With those kind of expenses above it is not an easy task. Ramroop hopes to take Grande De Roja to the top of the table. Being just the best groomed horse is not all.

Winning is also important. He mentioned that since the animal was sourced from the USA over two years ago, it had all potentials of being a winner, but some animals like everything else, takes longer than some to settle in. He feels the animal is getting there.

He feels that horse racing fans will now see the real Grand De Roja in action.

He anticipates the animal next encounter with top horses such as Score’s Even and Elle’s Vision, known for its blistering finishes, Ramroop stated that Grande De Roja is now ready to take them all.

(Samuel Whyte)

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Kaieteur News

Sunday November 17, 2013

West Indies performance in inaugural ICC Youth World Cup Australia 1988 It seems like yesterday when the Brian Lara led squad departed Grantley Adams international via London and Hong Kong to compete in the Mc Donald’s Bicentennial World Youth Cup in Australia.

Now 25 years later Kaieteur Sports and Statistician Charwayne Walker looks back at the West Indies performances, starting with their first match vs Australia, February 28 at Mildura City O v a l . N o Guyanese were selected to play in this tournament, however, Rohan Kanhai, the Guyanese batting maestro, was appointed Coach of the side. Sean Devers and Barrington Browne were on the standby list.

Jamaican Robert Samuels, who is the currently the West Indies assistant coach for the Under-19 team to tour Bangladesh, was the opening batsman in this Brian Lara led side. The Windies played in Australia (50) match: result young Australia won by 73 runs.

Toss – Australia; umpires L.J. King and P.D. Parker. Young Australia made 238 for 5 off their 50 overs (189 minutes) B.D. Williams 112, D.J Playe 52, Skipper G.R. Parker no out 33.

Bowling for young West Indies, Nehemiah Perry 10 overs 2 for 51, Samuel Skeete 10 overs

Brian Lara

Rohan Kanhai

1 for 53, Kenneth Browne 9 overs 1 for 57. Young West Indies in reply 165 all out in 39.5 overs (167 minutes) Ridley Jacobs 36, James Adams 32, Samuel Skeete 25 not out. Bowling for young Australia A.E. Tucker 9.2 overs 4 for 42, A.D. Mullally 10 overs 2 for 34.

WI vs young England at Renmack Oval March 2; young England won by 63 runs. Toss young England; umpires D.R. Close and A.R. Crafter.

Young England 174 for 7 off 50 overs, Nasser Hussein 50, Mark Alleyne 31, Chris Lewis 28. Bowling for young West Indies, Dennison Thomas 2 for 28 from 7 overs, James Adams 1 for 19 6 overs, Samuel Skeet 1 for 32 9 overs.

Young West Indies in reply 111 all out 43.2 overs. Ridley Jacobs 27, Trevor Samuels 15, Nehemiah Perry 14. Bowling for young England, J. Boiling 3 for 26 from 10 overs, H.R.J Trump 2 for 12 off 6.2 overs, Martin Bicknell 2 for 14 6 overs.

WI vs young New Zealand, February 29 at Wentworth Oval: Result - young West Indies won by 34 runs. Umpires B. Guy and L.J. King.

Young West Indies 236 fro 9 off 50 overs; Skipper Brain Lara 64, Hemant Ganga Persad 28, Trevor Samuels 24.

Bowling for young New Zealand M.A. Hastings 2 for 32 from 7 overs, Chris Cairns 2 for 47 off 9 overs. Young New Zealand in reply 202 for 9 from 50 overs. Shane Thomson 44, M.W. Douglas 44 and S.J. Peterson 22. Bowling for young West Indies, Rajendra Dhanraj 2 for 28 from 10 overs, James Adams 2 for 45 from 10 overs.

WI vs India 6 March at Chaffey Park: Result - Young West Indies won by 70 runs.

Umpires P.D. Parker and L. Thomas. Young West Indies 193 for 6 from 50 overs.

Ridley Jacobs 76, James Adams 32 not out, Roland Holder 22; bowling for young India, J. Ramdas 2 for 32 from 10 overs. Young India in reply 123 all out off 46 overs, Nayan Mongia 36, S.S. Tinka 29. Bowling for young West Indies; Trevor Samuels 2 for 17 from 10 overs, Nehemiah Perry 2 for 26 off 10 overs.

WI vs Young Pakistan at Mildura City Oval, 3 March.

Result - Young West Indies won by 20 runs. Umpires B. Guy and L.J. King. Young West Indies made 121 all out in 49 overs.

James Adams 27 not out, Roland Holder 25; bowling for young Pakistan, Mustaq Ahmad 3 for 28 from 10 overs, Shahid Anwar 2 for 21 off 10 overs. Young

Pakistan in reply 101 all out in 43.4 overs; R. Faqat Ali 20 and Shahid Anwar 16. Bowling for young West Indies, Samuel Skeete 3 for 25 from 10 overs, Trevor Samuels 2 for 21 9 overs, Dennison Thomas 2 for 19 from 9 overs. WI vs ICC Associates at Wentworth Oval, March 8; Result - young West Indies won by 123 runs. Umpires -D.W. Holt and P.D. Parker. Young West Indies 272 for 6 off 50 overs; James Adams 65, Brian Lara 45, Hemant Ganga Persad 33 not out, Darwin Te l e m a c q u e 3 5 , Tr e v o r Samuels 20. Bowling for ICC Associates L.E. Dube 2 for 43 from 10 overs, Essop Adam 2 for 57 from 9 overs.

ICC Associates in reply 149 for 7 in 50 overs. T.L. Penny not out 74, E.A. Essop Adam 35.

Bowling for young West

Indies Trevor Samuels 2 for 26 from 9 overs, Rajendra Dhanraj 2 for 39 from 8 overs. WI vs Sri Lanka March 7th at Barmera. Result young West Indies won by 100 runs. West Indies 201 for 8 from 50 overs. Young Sri Lanka in reply 101 in 39.4 overs. WI vs young Pakistan in the Semifinals, March 10th at Adelaide Oval. Result - young Pakistan won by 2 wkts. Toss young West Indies; Umpires D.R. Close and L. S. Thomas.

Young West Indies 203 for 8 in 50 overs James Adams 65, Brian Lara 42, Trevor Samuels 22 not out, Ridley Jacobs 21; bowling for Pakistan Shakeel Khan took 2 for 37 from 10 overs.

Young Pakistan in reply, 204 for 8 off 47.5 overs. Shahid Anwar 76, Skipper Zahoor Elahi 43, Inzamam-ul-Haq 27.

Bowling for young West Indies,

James Adams 2 for 26 from 5 overs, Rajendra Dhanraj 2 for 30 from 10 overs.

The historic ICC Youth World Cup Squad Brian Lara Captain Trinidad Rajendra Dhanraj Trinidad Hemant Ganga Persad (wk) - Trinidad Samuel Skeet – Barbados Roland Holder – Barbados Nehemiah Perry – Jamaica James Adams Vice Captain – Jamaica Robert Samuels – Jamaica Trevor Samuels – Jamaica Dennison Thomas – Windwards Darwin Telemacque – Windwards Kenneth Browne – Leewards Ridley Jacobs – Leewards Rohan Kanhai Guyana – Coach Erskine King Barbados Manager

Albion CC win BCCDA feature hardball cricket match against RHTG&G Albion Community Centre showed that they are one of the top teams around in any form of the game when they registered an easy win over arch rivals Rose Hall Town Gizmos and Gadgets under lights in a feature match of the fourth edition of the Berbice Chamber of Commerce and Development Association (BCCDA) Corporate Business In Sports (CBIS) annual Inter Agency 10/10 cricket competition, exhibition and fun day. Playing in the specially arranged game of the mega one day activity on Saturday last at the Albion Sports Complex ground, the home team defeated RHTG&G by 41 runs.

With the boundary brought in considerably so as to

accommodate the artificial light.

National batsman, Jonathan Foo was unforgiving as he blasted the bowling to all parts of the ground, clearing the boundary at will. The pugnacious Foo heaved 13 mighty sixes in a rapid undefeated 80, with 78 of his runs coming vie the sixes route. His last nine scoring shots all went sailing over the boundary for maximums. He took 31 in the final over bowled by Sean Pereira.

Foo and former Guyana U19 batsman Kandasammy Surujnarine 65 (8x6, 2x4), blasted 103 in just four overs as their team galloped to 178-2. Test player Sewnarine Chattergoon had earlier made 15(2x4) and national wicketkeeper batsman Anthony Bramble 11(1x6, 1x4).

Bowling for the RGTG&G Pereira and Sherwin Sinclair picked up one wicket each. They in their turn at the wicket showed some fight at first by eventually fell short at 131-3 with national player Rajiv Ivan making 53 (5x6, 4x4) and West Indies batsman Assad Fudadin 45( 5x6,2x4).

Bowling for Albion, Foo took two wickets while West Indies U19 spinner Gudakesh Moti Kanhai grabbed one.

At the presentation ceremony that followed immediately after, the Albion Team was presented with the winner take all amount of $50,000 and the BCCDA trophy. Rose Hall Town Gizmos and Gadgets received a trophy. (Samuel Whyte)

Sunday November 17, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 65

WI swept as Tendulkar retires MUMBAI, India – A workmanlike half-century from Denesh Ramdin failed to inspire West Indies, and India gifted Sachin Tendulkar an innings and 126-run victory in the second Test on Saturday here to mark his retirement from the international game.

Ramdin hit the top score of 53, as the Windies were bowled out for 187 in their second innings on the third day before a Wankhede Stadium packed with fans of Tendulkar that came to wish him farewell.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul gathered 41, sharing a halfcentury stand with Ramdin, and Chris Gayle made 35, but no other batsman reached 20, as left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha ended with 5-49 from 18 overs for match figures of 1089 that earned him the Manof-the-Match award and offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin finished with 4-89 from 17 overs.

To a tumultuous roar, the result was formalised about 15 minutes past the scheduled lunch interval, when Shannon Gabriel had his middle stump spectacularly flattened by an in-swinging delivery from Mohammad Shami, the Indian bowling find of the series.

The victory meant West Indies were swept in the hastily-arranged, two-match series, following an innings and 51-run defeat in the first Test which ended two Fridays ago at Eden Gardens in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata, and brought fitting end to the international career of the

batting legend, whose exploits have inspired a nation and transformed the fortunes of the national team. Tendulkar, whose debut was against Pakistan 24 years ago in Karachi, became the first man to play 200 Tests in this match.

He finished with an incredible 15,921 runs, the highest aggregate in the history of the longest format of the game, at an average of 53.78 and struck an unrivalled 51 hundreds, the highest number ever.

ESPN-Cricinfo, the website that has become the source of all knowledge on the game, hailed him as “perhaps, the most complete batsman and the most worshipped cricketer in the World, Tendulkar holds just about every batting record worth owning in the game, including those for most runs and hundreds in Tests and One-day Internationals, and most international runs”.

He also scored an amazing 18,426 runs in 463 ODIs at an average of 44.83, including 49 hundreds, which made him the first player to score 100 international hundreds.

Tendulkar paid tribute to his family, friends and close associates that have helped to shape him into the person and the player t h a t h e became during a moving 30-minute farewell speech that was punctuated a few times by the crowd roaring his name, “Sachiiinnn, Sachin!”, which has

accompanied him for most of the 24 years that he has lived in the public eye.

Following this, members of the Indian team took turns in hoisting him to their shoulders and taking him on a lap of honour of the ground in scenes similar to two years ago, when he had helped urge them to their second ODI World Cup victory on home soil.

Members of the West Indies team also took advantage of their good f o r t u n e t o b e I n d i a ’s opponents for such an auspicious occasion to either have their photo taken with Tendulkar or have him autograph playing jerseys, other items of clothing, miniature bats, a keepsake that was published or a special commemorative plaque that had been presented to them this week.

We s t I n d i e s b a t t i n g legend Brian Lara with whom Tendulkar has been compared for most of his career and has been the subject of many “rumshop” discussions across the Caribbean also presented the Indian icon with a miniature steel-pan on behalf of the Government and people of Trinidad & Tobago in a private ceremony witnessed by members of the Windies team.

A few hours earlier, Ramdin struck eight fours and one six from 68 balls in just over 1 ½ hours, as

West Indies crumbled after they resumed from their overnight total of 43 for three.

A rush of blood resulting in a charge down the pitch resulted in Marlon Samuels being stumped off left-arm spinner Ojha for 11 in the fifth over of the day started the decline.

Opener Chris Gayle, a favourite in India due to his exploits in the Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament, exercised great restraint before he was caught behind four overs later from a top-edged cut off Ojha, who held a return catch to dismiss fellow left-hander Narsingh Deonarine two overs later, leaving West Indies 89 for six.

Ramdin came to the crease and spent close to an hour defying the Indian attack along with Chanderpaul to put on 68 for the seventh wicket.

But Chanderpaul was lbw, playing back to Ashwin, and there was token resistance from West Indies captain Darren Sammy, Shane Shillingford and Shannon Gabriel, as Ramdin reached his 50 from 60 balls with a drive off Ashwin through widish mid-off.

Rohit Sharma was named Man-of-the-Series, after scoring back-to-back hundreds in his first two Tests for India.

The two sides now play three One-day Internationals, beginning on Friday at the Nehru Stadium in the southwestern city of Kochi.

Page 66

Kaieteur News

GCA/Noble House Sea Foods cricket

Three bowlers grab 5-wkt hauls after Forrester’s ton

Trevon France

By Sean Devers A confident century from Winston Forrester and three five-wicket hauls highlighted action on the opening day in two of the four matches in the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA)/Noble House Sea Foods second division two-day cricket tournament yesterday.

At Malteenoes the 20y e a r- o l d r i g h t - h a n d e d Forrester hammered five fours and 10 sixes in a commanding 126 to register his fourth century at this level as GCC declared 15 minutes before the close at 249-9. This was after the home team were dismissed for a paltry 36, 11 months after Ace Warriors were bundled out for 50 in the

Cordel Mars same competition. Nineteen year old Pacer Clayon Critchlow snatched 6-32 from eight overs and got support from seamers Shamar Graham (2-0 from 1 over) and Bernard Bailey (14 from 6 overs). This was the second division 2nd fivewicket haul for Critchlow as Malteenoes, undermined by a string of poor shot selections on a track with a little bit of moisture, collapsed from 21-3 as only Kareem Naughton (13) and Danny Narayan (12) reached double figures for MSC, who were 6-1 in their innings needing 213 to avoid an innings defeat.

On a day blessed with glorious sunshine, GCC raced to 93 without loss by Lunch as Forrester who was

Clayon Critchlow missed stumped on 69 off off-spinner Keon Lake, and Martin Pestano-Bell who made 71 with four fours and a six, built a solid foundation for the Bourda Boys.

Forrester dumped Lake back over his head for six to reach three figures with five fours and eight sixes before Pestano-Bell was bowled by national under-19 legspinner Steven Sankar who delivered from way behind the wicket, to leave GCC on 1881. Forrester, who has been playing for GCC for the past six years, fell off Lake at 215 but GCC suffered a middle order slump losing seven wickets for 34 runs. Cordel Mars bagged 5-59, while Sankar captured 2-57 for the Thomas Lands unit.

At GYO, Third Class

Winston Forrester were dismissed for 109 as they slipped from 89-2 before the home team responded with 200-3 by the close of day one. Doodram Moniram (32), Kevin Pellew (25) Keon Bailey (15) and Alvin Castello (14) all wasted useful starts for Third Class as 21 year-old left-arm Trevon France grabbed his fifth five wicket haul at this level and first for GYO. When Chris Deonarine (39) departed at 752, Wazir Mohamed who finished unbeaten on 52 with seven fours and Kwame Krosse, who hit six boundaries before he was run out just before the close for 50, featured i n a c e n t u r y partnership for the third wicket as GYO extended their lead to 191 going into the final day today.

Sunday November 17, 2013

KMTC to stage race meet on Boxing Day Kennard Memorial Turf Club will be hosting a race meet on Boxing Day at the Bush Lot Farm, Corentyne, Berbice racetrack.

Events slated for the day are J 3 and K-WA for a distance of 6 furs with the winner pocketing $150,000, G 1 and Lower WA 6 furs, the victor will take home $400,000, 2 years-Guyana and West Indies Bred 6 furs with $400,000 going to the winner, J 1 and Lower W\A 6 furs, the champion will receive $200,000, D3 Maiden and E Lower WA 7 furs, $600,000 going to the winner, 3 years West Indies Bred Maiden and Guyana Bred (open) 1 mile, the first place finisher will cart off

$600,000.

The feature race is the A and Lower allotted (WTS) with $1,500,000 going to the victor. There is also the I and Lower – WA 7 furs, the winner will collect $250,000.

The races will be run under the regulations of the Guyana Horse Racing Authority and entries will close on December 15; no late entries will be accepted.

Horses can also be entered through Roopnarine Matadial or Ivan Dipnarine on 331-0316, Cecil Kennard on 623-7609, 225-4818 or 226-1399, Isabella Beaton on 693-7812 or Dennis DeRoop on 325-3301 or 609-9143.

Sebastian Vettel snatches US GP pole position from Mark Webber BBC Sport - Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel snatched pole position from teammate Mark Webber with the last lap of qualifying at the United States Grand Prix.

Lotus’s Romain Grosjean took third ahead of Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton.

F e r r a r i ’s Fernando Alonso sealed his best grid position for four races with sixth ahead of McLaren’s Sergio Perez.

McLaren’s Jenson Button

was 13th and will drop to 16th after a penalty for ignoring red flags in Friday practice.

Heikki Kovalainen was an impressive eighth for Lotus in his first of two races as a stand-in for Kimi Raikkonen, who ended his season two races early to h a v e b a c k s u r g e r y.

Williams’s Valtteri Bottas was an excellent ninth, a career-best performance in the dry in his rookie season, (Continued on page 62)

GNRA/Crown Mining/Queensway & Industrial & Safety Supplies Nationals

Electrifying X-Class battle; Goodluck leads by one point, Fields, Braithwaite & Persaud lurks

By Franklin Wilson The heavens above had the final say on day-two of the three-day Guyana National Rifle Association (GNRA), Crown Mining/Queensway and Industrial and Safety Supplies National 2013/2014 Championships being contested at the Timehri Rifle Ranges.

Three ranges were scheduled to be contested yesterday - 500, 600, 900 but after the X-Class shooters, the premier shots in the nation - shooting as the first detail at 600 yards were done, the rains intensified which resulted in the O-

Class shooters being unable to shoot.

Rain actually halted competition at the 600 range after the first shot was taken

by National Captain Mahendra Persaud.

Following the short break, the X-Class shooters returned and were allowed to finish but that was as far as they were allowed on an overcast day where the shooters experienced subtle changing winds.

After five (5) ranges which includes the three on day-one, last Saturday, defending champion Ransford Goodluck holds a one point lead, he led by a

single V-Bull after the first day. He has 201 points and 20 V’s closely followed National Vice Captain Dylan Fields 200 points and 13V’s.

Caribbean Champion Lennox Braithwaite is next on 198 points and 20 V’s with National Captain Mahendra Persaud on 197 points and 15 V’s.

The competition has been very intense and close so far and like the first day when Goodluck (300 and 500) and Persaud (300) shot possibles it got even better yesterday with all four XClass shooters recording possibles, Braithwaite and Fields at the 500 yards range;

Braithwaite, Goodluck and Persaud at the 600 yards range Braithwaite and Fields shooting as a pair on the first detail at 500 yards, both shot possibles of 35 points with s e v e n a n d t h r e e V ’s respectively Goodluck dropped one point with six V’s, while Persaud fell two points short with four V’s, underscoring the intense nature of the competition.

At 600 yards, Goodluck, Braithwaite and Persaud were red hot hitting the target with precision as they shot possibles of 35, each hitting the VBulls on three occasions. Fields was off by two points with two V’s.

The O-Class contest is also enticingly poised with Lt. Col. Terrance Stuart ahead after three Ranges having won at the 300 yards range, recording 34 points and 5V’s for 160 points and 13 V’s.

Inspector Dane Blair despite finishing third at 300 (32-1) is second overall, four points off Stuart with 4 V’s.

Debutant Sherwin Felicien was second at 300 with 33 points and a single V and overall is third with 150 points and 4 V’s.

Bringing up the rear is Everall Nelson who achieved 31 points and 2 V’s yesterday for an overall total

so far of 126 points and 2 V’s. All the X and O Class shooters are shooting together so that everyone will enjoy the same conditions, according to National Captain Persaud.

Today’s final day will see the O-Class shooters completing their 600 yard shoot of seven rounds after which all the riflemen will shoot at the three 10-round shoots at 300, 600 and 1000yards ranges. They will also shoot two at 700 which should have been shot yesterday. An enthralling day of shooting is anticipated.

Sunday November 17, 2013

Kaieteur News

GCA/Noble House Sea Foods 2nd division tourney

It’s important to balance academics & Sports

Everest, DCC grab first innings as Sattaur, Mc Ewan hit half centuries Everest Cricket Club and Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) grabbed first innings points from GNIC and Sophia respectively when action in the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA)/ Noble House Sea Foods second division 2- day tournament continued yesterday.

At GNIC, Everest Cricket Club batted first and scored 139 before they were bowled out in 46.4 overs. Riyad Sattaur scored a fighting 53 (5x4), Steve Ramdass supported with 22, Garfield De Roche and Wayne Walker chipped in with 18 and 16 respectively. Orlando Fraser was the pick of the bowlers with 3-38; Cavil Reece captured 2-8, Marcel Mentore 2-16 and Premchand Sookdeo 2-24.

GNIC were skittled for 105 in 34.2 overs in reply. Stephan Campbell top scored with 39 (6x4) while Ryan Shun 25 and Dwight Dodson 10 were the other batsmen to reach double figures. De Roche and Raphael Singh bagged 3 wickets each for Everest who are leading by 34 runs.

At MYO, Sophia were bowled out for 50 in 22 overs,

Says national U-15 Cricketer Darshan Persaud

Riyad Sattaur batting first. Miguel Vaughn was the only batsman the showed fight with 26 as Antonell Atwell snared 4-8 and Michael Shalim 4-16.

DCC in reply declared on 270-8 after facing 47.2 overs.

Cleon Mc Ewan was their leading batsman with 60 while Tevin Imlack scored 46, Leon Primo 42 and Shalim 39. Glenford Steven took 2-52 while there was one each for Delroy Thomas, Ronald Hercules and Malcolm Morris. Sophia were 8-1 at stumps, batting a second time.

F and H Printing Million Dollar Plus Dominoes playoffs continues 22 teams through to second round Twenty Two teams have qualified for the second round when the playoffs of the F and H Printing Establishment Million Dollar Plus nationwide Dominoes competition commenced on Friday evening at the National Gymnasium.

C 7, b 4, West Side, Police (2), R and R, Republic Bank, Rage, Ravi 6, Raiders, Mix Up, Rockets, Ansa Mc Al, Unruly Bunch, M & CC, Assassin, F and H Supreme, All Season Racing, Service, Lions, Adventure, CARICOM’s and Phantom are the successful teams so far.

The winning team will receive $500,000 and a trophy with 9 Gold medals, the runner up $250,000 and a trophy with 9 silver medals and the third place $100,000, a trophy and 9 bronze medals.

Admin Personnel of F and H tournament committee Barbara Marshall informed that Bevan June of Republic

Page 67

Barbara Marshall Bank took the prize for sharing the first double love while Ayube Khan of Lions, Sephan Duncan of Assassin and Darryl Breedy of R and R shared the first single love in the play offs.

TNT are the defending champions. The competition concludes this evening.

By Sean Devers National under-15 Opening batsman Darshan Akshay Persaud lives for cricket and travels from Helena, Mahaica to the Everest ground in the City almost every day to train or practice… even when it rains.

The 14-year-old lefthanded batsman bowls rightarm leg-spin and made his debut for Guyana in the 2013 Regional under-15 two-day tournament against the Leeward Islands in Jamaica last August and although he has not yet set the place on fire with his elegant strokeplay, his obvious talent suggests that a maiden youth ton should not be too far off.

The versatile teenager represents Mae’s Secondary School in Football and the third former has visions of becoming a Test player for the West Indies team and an Engineer like his father, 50year-old Latchman Persaud, who was forced to curtail his cricket career due to studies in England due to a lack of finance at the time.

The elder Persaud, who is married to Rohini Persaud, is the father of four sons (Darshan Yeudistir, Dhanesh and Varun) and can now afford to provide his son a private School education and drop him in his car to cricket practice.

The entire family including his mother is present almost every day at the Everest ground after school to watch her son play cricket.

“I got interested in cricket because of my dad and I get the support of the entire family although they constantly remind me of the importance of Academics for when my career in the sport is over or if I get injured and can no longer play,” Darshan disclosed.

“Even if you want to make sports a career you have to do your best at school in order to get sporting scholarships, since a good educational background is most times required,” the teenager added.

“I do 10 subjects, five per day, and my favorite subjects are Science and English.

Darshan Persaud

When I was in form one, we played cricket at school but now we only have a Football team. I also love Football but not as much as cricket and it was a dream come true for me to get picked to play for Guyana this year,” Darshan informed.

The Opener who batted at number four for Guyana, explained that two weeks after the Regional under-15 tournament, a Camp for the

Guyana team along with Trinidad and Tobago, the Leewards and Antigua was organised by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and sponsored by Sandals was held. Another similar Camp was held at the same time in St Lucia.

“My most memorable match was when we (Guy) beat Trinidad (and Tobago) in Antigua.

I took four wickets after

not bowling in Jamaica and also made 25.

I think we played our best team cricket in that match,” the Everest first division player said.

His favorite cricketer is Ricky Ponting and not surprisingly, his favorite West Indies player is Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who also hails from Mahaica.

His brother, 11-year-old Yeudistir, is the wicketKeeper for the Everest under-13 and U-15 teams.

Darshan enjoys watching Action movies, Comedies, Indian Movies and Sports on Television.

“I don’t really train in the mornings since I have to wake up before six-o-clock to get ready for school but I try to practice every afternoon after school. My advice to youths is to make an effort to balance your education and Sports because there is life after Sports and not everyone will become great,” Darshan pointed out.

For now he is trying to do just that and hopefully becomes one of those Sportsmen who attain greatness He is certainly not short of motivation! Chanderpaul, Colin Croft, Indomattie Gordial (female team) and Ganesh Singh (Blind team) all come from Mahaica and have all played for the West Indies, while Former President of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Chetram Singh and former President of Guyana Bharrat Jagdeo also hail from Unity.

t r o Sp set to win overall, WI swept as Tendulkar retires Jeffrey takes 4th stage in Essequibo;

MOH/MCYS/GCF five-stage Cycle Road Race P.62

Sachin Tendulkar is held aloft

by Virat Kohli and India

Arthur & Niles also well placed

captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni during a lap of honour. (BCCI)

P.65

Raynauth Jeffrey

Denesh Ramdin gathers runs. (BCCI)

GNRA/Crown Mining/Queensway & Industrial & Safety Supplies Nationals

P.66

Electrifying X-Class battle; Goodluck leads by one point, Fields, Braithwaite & Persaud lurks GNRA Fullbore Captain Mahendra Persaud (left) and Vice Captain Dylan Fields during competition before the rains came.

Lennox Braithwaite (left) and Ransford Goodluck share a light moment yesterday.

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