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September 08, 2013

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Essequibo Coast, Wakenaam, Leguan, Bartica will not receive electricity from Amaila Hydro …GPL would also have to generate electricity for 3 months annually - Dindyal Bandits robb, shoot Wakenaam resident last night

Money paid, no work done Many contracts are not being executed and this one on West Berbice is no different. The contractor was supposed to complete a revetment, but two months later the planks were still on the roadside.

CJIA contractor advanced US$20M

‘Ugly Man’ throat slit in chic-chic brawl - as CJIA’s political standoff continues

From a nurse to a preacher, Wilbert Daniels is a 'Special Person’

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Kaieteur News

Sunday September 08, 2013

Sunday September 08, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Essequibo Coast, Wakenaam, Leguan, Bartica will not receive electricity from Amaila The Amaila Falls Hydro Electric Project, whenever it is completed and becomes operational, will not be supplying any electricity to Essequibo.

At present the project seems dead but recently the government has been saying that it is only delayed for a year.

The non-supply of electricity would be extended to villages along the coast between Supenaam and Charity, Bartica or the two largely populated islands — Wakenaam and Leguan.

This was confirmed on Friday last by the Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL), Bharat Dindyal, when the top brass for the power company met with members of the public to discuss its performance over the past year and the first half of this year.

According to Dindyal, it

…GPL would also have to generate electricity for 3 months annually - Dindyal would have been too expensive to have a transmission line erected and strung to supply that county with electricity.

He said that the cost of a transmission line to supply that section of the country with electricity would be in the vicinity of US$32M Dindyal in providing some clarifications on aspects of the Amaila Falls Hydroelectric project further told members of the public that based on the projections, for three months annually the water levels will not allow the hydro plant to generate all of the required electricity.

He said that GPL will have to generate about 12 per cent of the electricity requirements for the national grid. This

Your life today is the result of your attitudes and choices in the past An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer, a building contractor, of his plans to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family. He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by.

His employer was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but it was easy to see that his heart was no longer in his work. He had lost his enthusiasm and had resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career.

When the carpenter finished his work and his boss came to inspect the new house, the contractor handed the front-door key to the carpenter. “This is your house,” he said, “my gift to you.”

What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built none too well.

So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important points we do not give the job our best effort. Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built for ourselves. If we had realized, we would have done it differently.

Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Build wisely. It is the only life you will ever build. Even if you live it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived graciously and with dignity.

The plaque on the wall says, “Life is a do-it-yourself project.” Who could say it more clearly? Your life today is the result of your attitudes and choices in the past.

Your life tomorrow will be the result.

would be outside of the Essequibo region.

The areas between Supenaam and Charity will still have to be supplied with electricity by the Anna Regina generation plant operated by GPL. Dindyal said that consumers or electricity will not be charged a “pure hydro tariff but a slightly blended tariff.”

Aeshwar Deonarine, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the power company, also sought to venture clarifications on the Amaila Falls Hydroelectric Plant.

Officialdom, including Sithe Global, had said that the generation cost of electricity in Guyana would be reduced by almost 40 per cent down to 11 US cents per kilowatt hour.

According to Deonarine, while the plant will be

generating 165MW the guarantee of what would reach the national grid in 140MW. He said that this level of electricity over a 20-year period at US$122M is what worked out to the 11 cents figure.

Defending a reduction on the actual tariff to be paid by consumers, Dindyal explained that during this year the company is projected to spend US$24.5B on fuel, which would work out to an average of 20 US cents per kilowatt hour.

He said that if the company reduces its average production cost down to 11 cents per kilowatt hour then inevitable it would be reduced.

In commenting on the matter of the hydrology for the plant, the Argentinebased Mercados Report had

Bharat Dindyal raised questions over the reliability of the water supply as well as the fact that it was done using data from the Potaro River and not the actual river to be used for the Amaila Plant.

On the matter of the Mercados study done on the hydrology for the Amaila

Hydro Plant, Dindyal said that “it is true that the design of Amaila was premised on measurements done in the Potaro Basin which is a contiguous basin.”

He said that what Mercados did was to transpose the data gathered in the Potaro Basin to the Kuribrong River.

Dindyal said that when the study began the accuracy of transposing the data was questioned and “nobody could say.”

In that case, he said that the base points used were reduced when being applied to Amaila.

He said that even with the watering down of the available level of water in the Amaila Basin there was still 88 per cent reliability for the plant during the dry seasons.

This, he said, meant that GPL in those three months would have to generate the shortfall in electricity.

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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

G-20 distracted

After the western economies were rocked by the meltdown of their economies in 2008 and pushed into a recession, their leaders expanded their cozy G-8 club to include the emerging economies that were now ascendant and G-20 was born. Their annual meetings since the first one in Washington, hosted by the outgoing US President George Bush, became institutionalized as they attempted to find common ground in coordinating their economies, which constituted two-thirds of the world’s GNP. The two-day meeting scheduled for this year has just wrapped up in St. Petersburg, Russia. But even though there were pressing economic matters on the agenda, they were all literally pushed to the side by the US insistence on going ahead with military action against Syria. Among the leaders present, only France has indicated that it would support a unilateral US action. Britain’s “special relationship” with the US was not enough to persuade its lawmakers from voting against support for military action.

On the economic front there were widespread fears expressed that any attack on Syria would lead to higher petroleum prices from the region. This would further dampen Europe’s lagging recovery programme and which is already threatened by the shifting monetary policy in Washington, D.C., after signs that its economy was improving. The U.S. Federal Reserve has signalled its intention to “taper” the stimulus program it put in place to pull that country out of recession.

What this means in the real world is that the Fed would rein back its US$85 billion-a-month bond-buying programme, which releases cheap money into the system. This decision has roiled the global financial markets as investors pulled funds from the emerging markets back into the US in the expectation of higher interest rates there.

The most deleterious effects were felt in India where their Rupee fell to historic lows and their growth rate has dropped to half of the double digit rates they were shooting for. In his welcoming speech, the host, Russian President Vladimir Putin tried to remind G-20 of its goal: “Our main task is returning the global economy towards steady and balanced growth. This task has unfortunately not been resolved. Therefore systemic risks, the conditions for an acute crisis relapse, persist,” he warned.

The BRIC group of emerging economies – Brazil, Russia, India and China – criticised the unilateral action of the US in its monetary policy reversal and in a joint statement, cautioned, “The eventual normalization of monetary policies needs to be effectively and carefully calibrated and clearly communicated.”

On the sidelines of the G-20 meeting they attempted to take direct action to confront the challenge. They announced they will contribute US$100 billion to a fund meant to steady currency markets destabilized by an expected pullback of U.S. monetary stimulus.

China would be contributing the largest portion of the funding. Some decisions were made on dealing with the multinational companies’ use of legal, highly complex tax minimisation systems that end up squeezing their home governments’ efforts to deal with their domestic social programmes. Not much is expected, however.

Another issue that has distracted the G-20 summit is the spying conducted by the US via their NSA on many of its erstwhile allies. While some like India have not raised too much of a public stink, others such as Brazil are demanding an explanation from the US after spying tactics were revealed by whistleblower Edward Snowden. Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff met with Barack Obama on Thursday, prior to the meeting, to discuss revelations that the US had spied on her private communications. Rousseff has threatened to cancel her planned trip to Washington in October unless the US issues a written apology to Brazil.

What the entire episode reveals is that the role of the UN as the arbiter of relations between states will continue to be undermined by the stronger powers that insist on the “might is right” approach. This is as true in economics as it is in international relations.

Sunday September 08, 2013

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

To retain any credibility as a public servant, Mr. Brassington must show evidence of the way he safeguarded the nation’s money DEAR EDITOR, This refers to the letter published by Kaieteur News from Christopher Ram under the caption “Brassington dodged... questions...” One suspects that Stabroek News is awaiting legal advice before publishing that letter, in which Mr Ram suggests on many grounds that society should be protected from Mr Brassington.

If what Mr Ram says is true, Mr Brassington should be disciplined or even on trial

for misdirecting public money, and any agreements he made on Amaila are null and void. If what Mr Ram says is untrue, he has said it in print, and both he and the publisher should be on trial for libel.

To protect his own reputation and that of his several employers, Mr Brassington must instigate such legal proceedings now.

But Mr Brassington is indeed already on trial, in the court of public opinion. He is not only entitled, he is

obliged, to lead a defence, for continued silence or bluster would be an admission of guilt. To retain any credibility as a public servant, he must now show evidence of the way he safeguarded the nation’s money, past, present and future. Of course he is innocent until proved guilty, but justice must be seen to be done.

Personal attacks on the questioner will not do. If Mr Brassington does not answer Mr Ram’s questions to the

satisfaction of the public, he is unfit for office and an embarrassment to the Government.

Let him answer quickly, for the whole of Guyana will be looking to the Government to remove the mounting embarrassment.

I sincerely hope it can do so by ordering Mr Brassington to truthfully answer questions from the people, including Mr Ram’s.

For a start.

Gordon Forte

Sunday September 08, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur M@ilbox Kaieteur M@ilbox Leaders are responsible for the welfare of all of the people DEAR EDITOR, In furtherance to my letter directed to the Minister of Education Priya Manickchand captioned, “The Minister needs to wake up or bow out”, I draw your attention to a recent study conducted in the UK that found that persistent poverty negatively affect the cognitive development of Children at: http://www.cls.ioe.ac.uk/ news.aspxitemid= 2013&itemTitle= Persistent+ poverty+ damages+young+ children92s+cognitive+ development,+study+ finds&sitesectionid= 905&sitesectiontitle=P ress+ Releases.

I am not, by any means, advancing an argument that poverty is the sole impediment to the cognitive development of kids, that parental responsibility is not important to their educational performance, or that every kid whose existence is affected by poverty will not or cannot learn and show creditable achievement academically.

Back in the day, in the midst of poverty, racial discrimination and marginalization in education

and every cultural, social and economic sphere, African Americans can be credited with giving to the world inventions and creations that have enhanced our living standards in the world.

For example, George Washington Carver, a former slave, developed hundreds of products from peanuts, sweet potatoes, soybeans and pecans that benefit agricultural production and the health and well being of the world today.

Doctor Charles Richard Drew, a medical doctor, pioneered the system for long term preservation of blood plasma, a process that was revolutionary in the medical field at that time, and is today instrumental in surgical and other health processes.

And less we forget, Garrett Agustus Morgan was the first person to patent a traffic signal, an accomplishment that was mentioned by William Jefferson Clinton in his 1999 Presidential State of the Union Address.

And we can cite innumerable examples of Guyanese, including Walter

Rodney, Cheddi Jagan, Eusi Kwayana, Ivan Van Sertima etc, whose earlier less than egalitarian circumstances, did not impede their later academic, intellectual and professional achievements.

The fact is, one cannot simply dismiss anomalies in educational achievements by attributing it to a segment of a population’s lack of values for education, which is, in effect, where, unfortunately, Madam Manickchand went.

In analyzing data drawn from a study of children born in the United Kingdom between 2000 and 2001, the researchers found that quote, “....seven year olds who have experienced poverty since infancy perform substantially worse in a range of ability tests than those who have never been poor, even when family circumstances and parenting skills are taken into consideration....”.

Most social scientists would agree that one cannot exclude the availability of resources as a causative factor from any understanding of how we develop as humans. And the identity of such resources

cannot be limited to the material necessities we normally associate with our livelihood.

The quality of our lives depends on both material and non material factors, and to the extent where availability is intersected by political, socio and economic circumstances as those that currently exist in Guyana, one should not simply jump to prejudiced and stereotypical conclusions that the absence of values among a certain segment of the population are causative factors for a lack of educational achievement from their kids.

The researchers opined that quote, “...Much is made of the importance of parenting for Children’s cognitive development, and our study supports these claims.

But importantly, our analysis shows that low income has a two-fold effect on children’s ability: it has an effect on children regardless of anything their parents do, but it also has an effect on the parenting itself..”.

Why this is instructive in light of Madam Minister’s comments, is that the

concerns expressed by the opposition did not single out its constituents. The concern, in my understanding, addressed the anomalies in the performance in English and Math from children that took the tests.

Madam Minister herself reduced the discussion to one of ethnic performance in her comments. She did not charge the opposition to counsel the parents in our national community to value education.

She singled out the constituency of the opposition, who everyone but the non compos mentis knows and would admit, largely comprise of African Guyanese. In that context, she excluded parents in her party’s ethnic constituency, and others in the population mosaic, whose kids also under- performed in English and Mathematics. So the question becomes, is the Minister saying that only African Guyanese parents need counseling in valuing education?

I am neither a social or psychological scientist, and my views represent thoughts

that are products of commonsense, the ability to understand what makes sense and what does not, and an affinity with morality and ethics that are not relative or convenient.

I have begun an electoral pursuit of becoming the Mayor of the Capital City of Guyana on the political platform of the Independent Party. Regardless of the outcome of that election after it is concluded, I understand this to be a position of leadership and representation of a city that is comprised of the gorgeous mixture of the Guyanese people. I would consider it injudicious, prejudiced, and certainly inappropriate, to respond to the concerns of a Councillor from another party in the district of Kitty about the garbage situation in the city, by admonishing him or her to educate their constituency on the values of environmental cleanliness. It does not require a college degree or tertiary academic accomplishments to understand this construct of (Continued on page 08)

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Kaieteur M@ilbox

Sunday September 08, 2013

Kaieteur M@ilbox

Were the PPP 2013 congress elections manipulated?

DEAR EDITOR, Were the 2013 PPP congress results fixed and manipulated? Was there fraud at the PPP congress elections?

Election fraud and manipulation is illegal and unfair interference with the electoral process that can and do affect the outcome of the elections.

We know there were smear campaigns, mudslinging and influence peddling at the recent PPP congress.

Donald Ramotar and Clement Rohee have commented on it (see “Probe likely into campaigning for PPP Central Committee elections”, Demerara Waves, August 19, 2013).

Moses Nagamootoo and Ralph Ramkarran have spoken and written about this vulgar, poisonous, vitriolic and manipulative pressure practice to try to alter the outcome of PPP congress votes.

Then there is the grave concern raised in Dennis Scott Chabrol’s article in Demerara Waves titled “PPP to declare election results Sunday; Nokta didn’t seek office” (August 3, 2013).

This article noted there were 1,097 delegates were eligible to cast ballots for the 35 Central Committee members and five candidate

members but there were 1,599 ballots!

Now, if this information is correct, this is very troubling, shocking, dangerous, abominable, an assault on democracy and a denial of the democratic expression of PPP supporters and members and potential fraud.

You cannot have 1097 eligible voters and have 1599 ballots. No election can be democratic with such a fraudulent and unfair structure.

The cornerstone of democracy is one person one vote or one ballot for one voter. To have 1097 eligible voters and 1599 ballots is to practise electoral fraud and democratic denial.

If somehow the PPP 2013 congress election allowed some of those delegates who voted the right to cast more than one ballot, it was a fraudulent election, inconsistent with the principles of democracy and with the Constitution of Guyana and warrants a police investigation and constitutional challenge by PPP members.

The third concern with the PPP congress elections is what appears to be a denial of the right to vote by some PPP delegates.

Apparently, at the last minute before the actual vote, chosen and handpicked delegates were given a special delegate yellow card which allowed them to vote while others were excluded.

The fourth signal to potential fraud and manipulation at the PPP’s

recent congress is the delegate selection process.

The last congress in 2008 generated swirling accusations of delegate selection manipulation by the individual in charge of it in order to pad his votes and popularity.

This is nothing new to the PPP but the outrageous results gained by Ramotar and Jagdeo with 886 and 851 votes respectively and other bizarre occurrences like the election of Kwame McKoy to the PPP Central Committee in 2013 raise heightened suspicion of electoral manipulation.

Let us examine the numbers to see if these stupendous returns by Ramotar and Jagdeo meet the statistical smell test, particularly after it was evident that before the Congress some PPP members openly campaigned against some, including Jagdeo, seeking position on the Central Committee.

In the 2008 congress where there was no active agenda and campaign against Jagdeo and others before the congress and where Jagdeo was at the height of his popularity following the 2006 election result, Jagdeo got 777 votes, the highest ever vote count in a PPP congress.

How could Ramotar and Jagdeo, the two pariahs responsible for the political shame and humiliation of the PPP with its tumultuous fall from grace since 2011 amidst scandals and corruption, get 886 and 851 votes in a PPP congress post-2011?

Based on statistical experience from the 2005 and 2008 congresses where between 1000 and 1100 delegates were eligible to vote, it is obvious that in order to garner the stupendous numbers Jagdeo and Ramotar obtained (886 and 851 votes respectively), the actual votes cast had to be incredibly high.

However, this was certainly not the case in 2013.

Votes cast for the 35 Central Committee (CC) members were as follows for the following congresses: 2005 (14,476), 2008 (15,378) and 2013 (15,909).

There are no statistics for how many were eligible to vote in 2005 and how many actually voted. In 2008, 1020 were eligible to vote and 913 actually voted. In 2013, 1096 were eligible to vote but the PPP never revealed how many delegates actually voted, another red flag.

In 2013 there were 531 more CC votes cast than in 2008 although there were 76 more eligible voters with 35 CC votes each for a maximum of 2660 more possible votes.

This alone confirms the voter participation rate in 2013 was lower than 2008 and further confirms that the Jagdeo and Ramotar results are a shocking statistical outlier based on past experience!

Further, if we look at the average of votes cast by eligible voter for the selection of the CC, it is patently obvious that eligible voters voted at a lesser rate than in 2008 (15.08 versus 14.51 based on 15378/1020 vs 15909/

1096).

Yet, in statistically stupendous, shocking and bizarre fashion, Donald Ramotar and Bharrat Jagdeo soared to staggering, neverbefore-seen and neverbefore-produced heights.

2008 produced the highest average of votes cast by eligible voter yet the highest vote getter (Jagdeo) got only 777 votes.

Donald Ramotar has never obtained more than 637 votes at any PPP congress. Kwame McKoy has never ever been elected to the Central Committee before 2013 and he remains one of the most unpopular figures with PPP members.

Yet in 2013, Donald Ramotar and Jagdeo received 886 and 851 votes respectively and McKoy was elected to the CC. A question to those in the know – where do the loyalties of the 10 new faces to the Central Committee lie (Nigel Dharamlall, Shyam Nokta, Vishwa Mahadeo, Desmond Kissoon, David Armogan, Omar Sharif, Mohammed Haroon Hussein, Brian Allicock, Kwame Mc Coy and Chitreka Dass)?

Are they Jagdeoites or Ramotarians, meaning they got their break, promotion, ascendancy and hold on position and power through or under Jagdeo and not Ramotar?

After all, this is 29% of the vote in the Central Committee and they arrived in the CC after an election that stinks of manipulation, hijacking, fraud and fixing.

The silence of the lambs who support and vote for the PPP was expected on this overpowering stench emanating from the PPP congress election. So was their hypocrisy. There has not been a peep from them about this PPP congress election.

It is only fitting for people who elected a former PNC-ite in Kwame McKoy the highest office of the PPP. After this debacle of willingly accepting highly questionable internal elections, do PPP supporters have any moral basis to demand the PNC apologize for rigging elections?

Will PPP supporters and members be ever taken seriously if the PNC returns to power and rigs elections again? Will the international press and world powers ever listen to the PPP if it loses power and is rigged out of power forever?

Do PPP supporters and members, predominantly Indians, think of the repercussions of their immoral posturing and the grave consequences of their silence to internal PPP atrocities?

These mute prevarications from PPP supporters to grin and bear democratic and electoral debasement of their own will encourage tyranny and debasement by others.

This is a dangerous journey unfolding in this nation and it will have tragic consequences if the political apple cart ever gets overturned.

M. Maxwell

Sunday September 08, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Sunday September 08, 2013

Kaieteur M@ilbox Is the CJIA expansion another scheme to plunder the coffers?

DEAR EDITOR, A few months ago you were kind enough to publish my letter questioning the wisdom of expanding the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) for the stated reason “to attract tourists and to develop Guyana.”

As I said then and I repeat it here, I have never heard of expanding a business to attract business. Quite to the contrary one expands to accommodate a growing business.

Since my last letter two things of great significance have emerged. The first being the opening of another international airport at Ogle Airport, nearer to the city of Georgetown, and the economic hub of the country.

Secondary Mr Editor did you see the size of the plane the Venezuelan president arrived on and successfully took off in? Not only that the President promised to establish a direct air link twice weekly between our two countries, with our present facilities apparently quite suitable for the job.

Mr Editor, for years we have been unable to attract a regular carrier over the long haul and yet still the government is hell bent on an expensive programme which everyone to whom I have spoken to have used words like beal deal – Marriott – Amaila – in other words, another scheme to plunder the coffers.

Randolph Eleazar

Leaders are responsible for the welfare of all of the people From page 5 leadership. Leaders are servants of the people, and responsible for the welfare and quality of life of the people, not just those they consider to be their kith and kin.

As I have pointed out in my previous missive on the subject, Madam Minister’s comment and prejudiced stereotype attributions represent a microcosm of the general direction assumed by

her party since coming into Government. It is one that exhibits dismissive arrogance and intolerance for the concerns of those that have not traditionally been under its political umbrella.

Its attitude and conduct, from its inception into office, demonstrate that those who it considers to be “at the bottom” of the economic, social and cultural pyramid have no rights or concerns which it is obligated to

respect, despite its facetious proclamations of being a Government for all of the people.

The abhorrent monopolizing of the public media as a partisan political propaganda tool, despite the fact that the public tax payer funds that goes into its operation comes from all sections of the population, including those who gave the opposition a combined majority at the last polls, represent unimpeachable evidence of that mindset.

Elections do not necessarily assure a true democracy. There are many other foundational pillars that must be in establishment to harness and contain the absolute corrupting of electoral power.

Unfortunately those additional pillars either do not exist in Guyana, or have been co-opted or are being arrogantly and rudely ignored.

This kind of dystopian national management of the affairs of the nation is reflected across the entirety of our social and economic existence, and most particularly in the academic and educational performance of all of our kids. Please Ms. Manickchand, wake up and take you political blinkers off.

Mark A. Benschop

Sunday September 08, 2013

Kaieteur News

Eight Magistrates and Seven prosecutors later …escape trial still in court after five years It has now been heard by eight Magistrates and seven different Prosecutors, not to mention different defence attorneys, and after five years there is no end in sight for the summary trial of two police ranks, who are charged with facilitating the escape of former murder accused Onika King, way back in November 2007.

The matter started in February 2008 before Magistrate Yohhannseh Cave and its most recent call up was last Tuesday before Magistrate Sueanna Lovell at the Mahaica Magistrate’s Court.

Kaieteur News understands that all seven police witnesses have testified in the trial but the constant adjournments and Magistrate changes have resulted in several aborted trials.

A source at the Mahaica Magistrate’s Court informed that the witnesses have testified before all the magistrates that have dealt with the matter so far and are still awaiting cross examination by the attorney for Constables Ertest Ivan and Sandra Cordis, the accused.

Another main witness, Ashanti Schultz, called ‘Blondie’ has reportedly left the jurisdiction.

“Over three years is too long for a summary matter. But

it is the defendants’ fault through their lawyer, who is not making himself available to cross-examine the witnesses,” a senior judicial official who spoke to this newspaper, explained.

Apart from the Magistrates Cave and Lovell, the matter has been before Magistrates Heymant Ramdhani, Judy Latchman, Clive Nurse and Alex Moore.

“If the Magistrate should go ahead and finish the matter without the cross examination, you will hear how unfair they were,” the judicial official stated.

The two police ranks are currently on bail and are still receiving half their monthly salaries, having been interdicted from duty.

“It is too long to be trying one matter,” a defence attorney pointed out.

It is alleged that on November 2, 2007 at Handen-Veldt, Mahaica, Constable Ivan, who was attached to the Tactical Services Unit and Constable Cordis, a former Police Impact Base rank, “assisted Onika King in escaping, while she was in lawful custody.”

At the time of his charge, Ivan had been a member of the Guyana police force for 13 years.

The court heard that on November 2, 2007 at Handen-Veldt, Mahaica, while being on a criminal charge,

Onika King King escaped from custody.

On that day, King had attended court in Georgetown and was being transported back to the New Amsterdam Prison when she escaped. At the time, the 22-year-old King of Lot 1830 North Ruimveldt, Festival City, Georgetown, was facing charges for the December 13, 2006 murder of Selvin King.

According to reports, the police vehicle transporting King and another female murder accused, Ashanti Schultz, had stopped at the liquor restaurant.

The ranks and the two murder accused allegedly entered the liquor restaurant where the policemen ordered drinks.

While there, King

reportedly told the ranks that she wanted to relieve herself and they allowed her to go to the restaurant’s washroom.

It is alleged that while the ranks remained at their table, the accused crawled through a hole in the fence at the back of the premises and disappeared.

King managed to remain at large while the police ranks faced the court.

But after almost two years on the run, King was arrested in French Guiana for simple larceny and subsequently deported back to Guyana.

Ironically, while the murder charge against her was dismissed, she too is still facing trial for the escape from lawful custody matter.

“I don’t know if they will use her to testify against the two ranks in their trial or if they will use the ranks to testify against her in her matter,” the source at Mahaica told Kaieteur News.

Whatever the case, another local legal mind believes that the accused are being unfairly treated because of the length of time they are facing trial.

“It is the system’s fault not the accused. After a while it becomes unfair to try the people. A man is entitled to a hearing within a reasonable time,” the attorney at law said.

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Dem boys seh

JAIL DE KAVAKAMITES DEM Corruption got different form. De Waterfalls paper get ketch up in that. Some reporter use to wuk wid other media house and still stretch dem hand to de Waterfalls paper. De boss man use to pay dem fuh one, one story.

But that was in de old days. Dem was de days when dem reporters had permanent job wid other media houses and de Waterfalls paper was still a shaky ship. De boss man use to pay dem reporters up front fuh a story at de weekend.

That was considered an extra small piece in dem reporter pocket. This was upfront payment that he learn in China. He seh that is suh dem people in de east does operate. Dem does pay up front.

If you give dem a contract dem does pay de kickback way in advance before de contract sign. De kickback does reflect in de contract cost.

Wonder why dem fighting so much fuh de hydro seed?

Plenty money done pay as kickback. Nuff done spend or invest and dem don’t mean to pay back.

Some of dem boys talk pun de road how de Chinee come wid spin kick and drop kick and side kick and front kick. De airport is a special kick because de US$20 million done gone and no grass ain’t even weed yet.

Dem ain’t even throw a wheel barrow sand anywhere near de contract site. And de sand deh just next door.

Dem boys seh that is suh de Rat and he followers deal wid contracts. Dem followers include Brazzy, Ash Knee, Irfaat etc. Of course dem boys can’t forget Rob Earth who mek dem reporter walk after he carry dem and lef dem in de backdam. All dem reporter did want to do was to see wha contract he seh he give out.

Bishop de Ten Edghill fall in because he give out contract in de east and he live in de west. De contractor tek he money and disappear. De man ain’t give none of dem a kick back and he disappear.

Talk half and jail these kavakamites dem.

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Kaieteur News

Cuban Five…

Guyana Solidarity movement reiterates calls for release President and Founder of Guyana Solidarity movement with Cuba, Halim Khan, joined calls with the International Committees for the release of the Five Cuban Anti-terrorist fighters convicted in the United States.

September 12, will mark the 15th anniversary of the detention of Gerardo Hernandez, Ramon Labañino Salazar, Antonio Guerrero, Fernando Gonzalez Llort, and Rene Gonzalez Schewerert.

It is expected that “not only in the United States but also throughout the world, people carry yellow ribbons in marches, sit-ins, events, and vigils in front of the White House and the Washington embassies in those countries, as the families of the Five and all the Cuban people will use. They are waiting for the return of their children to homeland,” the Committee said in a statement Friday last.

“There has been 15 years of unjust imprisonment, 15 years of revenge for the crime of being honorable and defend the right to life of their people, 15 years that are a disgrace for the most basic

The Five Cuban Anti-terrorist Fighters principle of justice, 15 years of perverse manipulation, of violations to them and their families,” the text stated.

“And despite that, the Five, as they are worldwide known, bear no hatred, or bitterness, and all we ask is to give the truth to the U.S. people,” Khan noted.

In a speech released this week through the Cuban television, Rene Gonzalez, requested that the country be full of yellow ribbons on September 12 “and any visitor

or foreign correspondent who is in the island cannot ignore it” and cannot stop reporting that the people of the island await four of their children who still remain in U.S. prisons. The yellow ribbon is a symbol for the American people, based on a legendary love song, whose story has been adapted, but has endured for over a century.

The Five were detained while monitoring from the city of Miami the movements and activities by violent groups and individuals engaged in planning terrorist acts against Cuba, as those that have left more than 5,000 deaths and people with disabilities for more than 50 years.

This case is a political case and the Cuban Five are political prisoners. Their freedom will depend not only on the arduous work of the defence team but just as importantly, on the public support that can be organized. Over 350 committees have been established in the United States and around the world, demanding immediate freedom for Gerardo, Ramón, Antonio, Fernando and René.

Sunday September 08, 2013

City Hall owes GPL $800M for street lighting The Mayor and City Council (M&CC) owes in excess of over $1 billion to Guyana Power and Light (GPL). Some $800 million of this amount is for street lighting in Georgetown, said Bharat Dindyal, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Mr. Dindyal was reporting on GPL performance for 2012 and for first half of this year at a Public Meeting at Duke Lodge.

Responding to a question about the security and poor lighting in public places within the city, the CEO stated that GPL does not have responsibility for public lighting. In Georgetown the authority for public lighting would be the Mayor and City Council.

He added that GPL empathizes with those involved, stating that GPL held a session in 2005 with the Mayor and the administration stating that they understood the challenges they have with providing public lighting in Georgetown and thus a proposal was presented for energy efficient lighting since at that time M&CC had capital coming in.

“We suggested to them that we do a demonstration project for them from Pegasus along High Street to the Parliament Building.” The expectation was that having done that, the savings that they would have accrued from reduced billing for that area could have been invested to provide further energy efficient lighting throughout Georgetown.

Even though the M&CC accepted the proposal it did not implement it, Dindyal stated.

According to Dindyal, he met with the Mayor two months ago and reminded him of the proposal

presented to the council. Had the council implemented it M&CC would not be in the position that they are in today, with $800 million owed to GPL for street lighting alone.

While this was the case the CEO expressed that management is looking into the street light policy and the role that GPL could play is one where GPL can help by setting up proper standards for public lighting and facilitating also for the implementation of this by buying energy efficient lights.

He said the law was amended in 2010 so that individuals could come to GPL and apply for public lighting with approval of the City Council and the Licensing authority.

According to Dindyal, GPL wants to play a role in providing public lighting to the people since it recognizes the security needs of persons wanting such lighting.

By way of investigation GPL found that countrywide there are currently 6000 illegal street lights with 1700 of those illegal connections located in Georgetown.

Sunday September 08, 2013

Kaieteur News

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CJIA contractor advanced US$20M

- as CJIA’s political standoff continues

A model of the proposed terminal building at CJIA.

By Leonard Gildarie The Chinese contractor hired to build a brand new terminal building and longer runway at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) is working with Government to finalise designs but the blocking of monies by the Opposition earlier this year

has left the project in limbo.

The US$150M project, the country’s second largest project to date after the US$200M Skeldon Sugar Modernization Project, was thrown into doubt after the Opposition voted down $5.3B (US$27M), representing advances to the contractor.

Both the Alliance For Change (AFC) and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) said they wanted more information on how the monies will be spent.

Already, China Harbour Engineering Company Limited (CHEC) is in the country and two months have passed since the June start

date that was planned.

A Board member of CJIA disclosed that CHEC is currently mobilized and preparing the site office and accommodation for its employees. Actual excavation works for the new terminal building is expected to commence sometime in October 2013.

Last year, Government advanced US$20M ($4B), to CHEC representing 15 per cent of the contract price.

The project is being funded by a US$130M loan from China with the rest coming from the Treasury.

Government has insisted that the current runway is too short to attract larger, widebody planes, and the terminal building too small to handle the passengers. There have been constant problems with sewage overflow and increasing complaints of the congestion by airlines like Caribbean Airlines.

A new terminal and longer runway will also allow Guyana to tap into markets of Asia and Africa because of the country’s strategic location at the tip of the South American continent, the government insists.

Last week, Transport Minister, Robeson Benn, said that he remained open for talks with the Opposition with the contractor already paid monies to start work.

Government would fear a Continued on page 51

Transport Minister, Robeson Benn

AFC’s Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan

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Sunday September 08, 2013

Yacht convoy to arrive in Guyana shortly A convoy of yachts will be gracing Guyana’s shores as they make their way from Trinidad and Tobago to French Guiana, as part of the Nereid’s Rally.

The first of seven vessels arrived yesterday while the remaining yachts in the fleet will sail up the Essequibo River by Wednesday, and will be welcomed in grand style at the Hurakabra River Resort, owned and operated by Mr. Christopher Nascimento and his wife, Gem. This welcome activity, sponsored by the Ministry of Tourism is being facilitated through an inter agency collaboration with the Coast Guard, Customs and Immigration, the Guyana Police Force, MARAD and other Private Sector

stakeholders.

The joint approach being employed is in keeping with Tourism Minister Irfaan Ali’s commitment to ensure that all systems are in place to make the inaugural event a success, with safety, security and ease of access of principal importance.

He said too that the Ministry’s aim is to use this event to catapult the Yacht Industry in Guyana and to harness the influx of yachts to develop the necessary infrastructure to further support the industry.

A second convoy is expected in October; this will be led by former international sailor, Simon Wall.

When the vessels arrive, they will make their way to Bartica, at the center of the confluence of three great

THAG President Mr. Christopher ‘Kit’ Nascimento addressing the gathering in Chaguaramas last month rivers, the Mazaruni, Cuyuni and Essequibo, some 40 miles up the Essequibo River; this is an official port of entry and welcomes the arrival of cruisers.

Meanwhile planning for this highly anticipated event

began months ago and a team travelled to Trinidad and Tobago, in early August, to promote the event and to encourage maximum participation from yacht enthusiasts there.

GUYANA A SAFE HEAVEN During the meetings with the yachtees in Trinidad, GTA Marketing Manager, Mrs. Carla Chandra and now Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana President (THAG) Mr. Christopher Nascimento made presentations on Guyana’s Tourism Product including visitor tips and travel information such as

visa and customs clearancewhich are to date, the most efficient and straightforward in the Caribbean.

Cruisers may now sail up the Essequibo River, about a four-hour motor sail from the estuary, to clear customs, immigration and health authorities within an hour of checking in by completing the simplest of customs clearance forms to be found at any cruising destination in the Caribbean and South America. Close to 50 persons attended the session and almost all the participants there expressed excitement at the possibility of sailing into the mighty Essequibo River,

which is featured prominently in the third Edition of the Chris Doyle Cruising Guide for Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and Guyana.

Doyle, regarded as the guru of pleasure cruising in the Caribbean and North Eastern South American, decided to feature Guyana in his guide. The Doyle Guide (www.doyleguides.com) provides full chart and waypoint navigational advice on approaching the Essequibo River and sailing upriver to Bartica and the attractive anchorages in the vicinity off Baganara Island Resort, Hurakabra River Resort and the Shanklands Resort. Addressing this aspect of the journey, Mr. Nascimento provided details about technical sailing information for the Essequibo including tide, draft, waypoints etc.

The Baganara and Hurakabra Resorts, in particular, now cater to receive cruisers anchored close offshore. These resorts are exceptionally beautiful nature destinations which offer exceedingly comfortable and well appointed accommodation, jungle walks, birding, beach front dining, well stocked bars, recreation facilities, water sports and dingy docking.

Sunday September 08, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Former accountant Iris Cox is Guyana’s latest centenarian

By Javone Vickerie As my former English teacher told me once during a class “many of us grow old but only a selected few get to be 100 not out”. At the Gentle Women’s Association I met a remarkable woman on Friday whom I will remember for years to come.

As a journalist, I am always ecstatic about interviewing centenarians because you get to know a lot more than what your parents or grandparents usually tell you about the past. I remembered one time a centenarian told me that he met the late President of Guyana, Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham. There are only a selected few Guyanese who met that man.

So I was assigned to interview a woman by the name of Iris Cox who resided at the Gentle Women’s Association located on Brickdam, opposite the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company.

So there I was recorder, camera and notepad ready to record everything I needed to know about this woman whom I was elated to meet the day before her birthday.

As I opened the door to

Centenarian Iris Cox

her room there she was, sitting in a chair in front of the television while her head rested back in a comfy chair and her caretaker who welcomed me to sit and proceed with my interview.

As anxious as I was to learn what she was in her younger days, the caretaker briefed me that this very frail

lady suffered from memory loss and that I needed to keep asking her questions as her memory came back to her.

“Mrs. Cox the guy from the newspaper is here to interview you for a special on your 100th birthday tomorrow (Friday) so you need to talk to them about your life, ok so be nice,” the caretaker told

Ms. Cox. “Be nice” is not something I expected a caretaker to say but the words which came out of this woman’s mouth made me realize why she said that.

“Who come to talk me?

Why they come to mind me business, it deh in the archives let them check it there if they want know about me,” Mrs. Cox said in a very strong voice.

At that moment this woman refused to speak to me stating that she was not in the mood to talk. After a few desperate tries Mrs. Cox told me that she could not remember most of her life but she remembered as a young girl she attended a Catholic School on Brickdam.

The centenarian said that while at the school she studied in the field of Accounts and Business which she used in her field of work after school.

“You got to see with me son I can’t remember things too good but I gon try and tell you as it come back to me,” Mrs. Cox said.

The woman told me that after graduating from high school, she later found work at the Ministry of Finance where she worked as an accountant. “I remember sitting in an office and balancing books and checking on different accounts. I loved doing it as a job and I spent most of my time there,” the woman said.

Mrs. Cox said that during her career in the accounting field, she met a “very handsome” young man whom she later married. They had one child. “Well I can’t remember how we met but I know he was a very good man to me,” Mrs. Cox said.

The woman who is originally from Bent Street, said that after the birth of her son, both she and husband moved back to the community where she lived but she decided to be a stay at home mother. “I had my son to take care of; my husband agreed that I should stay at home and be a house wife,” Mrs. Cox said.

Mrs. Cox told me that while being a stay at home

mother she found herself using her hands, sewing a number of outfits for herself and other’s which later became a business of her own.

“I can’t remember anything else from my past”.

Questions started to ring in my head as to why this woman resided at home and how long she has been a resident. The matron was not in at the time of my visit so I was not able to ascertain the facts I needed to know. I was told however that Mrs. Cox was known as one of the best seamstresses in her time.

I also found out the whereabouts of her only son but getting him to answer my unanswered questions proved futile. I tried both office numbers and even resorted to leave my number with officials of the home; no calls were returned.

In preparing for her photograph to be taken, Mrs. Cox had her caretaker apply make-up, red lip stick and a few fixtures to her hair. “I can’t give you a bright smile because muh teeth ain’t proper,” Mrs. Cox said.

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Centenarian enjoys birthday with 67 grand, 120 greatgrands This year, Ramjohn Mohamed Khan, who turned 101 on August 16, last, enjoyed a party that was reserved for only close family members. The previous year in observance of his 100th birth anniversary, a massive thanksgiving service was held at his son Farouk Khan’s residence at Aurora Village.

The elder Khan recently returned from Canada for his birth anniversary with his many grandchildren.

Farouk Khan, one of the elder Khan’s 11 children said that his father is independent and practically executes all of his personal duties unattended.

Khan also noted his father would weed the yard at times once he is in the mood.

Khan, who cemented 43 years service as an Imam, was born at Aurora, in 1912.

His parents were Faqueerbuksh Mohamed Khan and Bibi Woulfath.

Khan’s father, an indentured laborer came to British Guiana in 1898 and worked as a rice farmer,

Ramjohn Mohamed Khan primarily in the Essequibo District.

Khan attended the Scotland Aurora Church of Scotland and the Kitty Christ Church Schools for several months.

At age 12, Khan worked on plantation Sophia alongside older men to supplement his parents’ income which assisted in taking care of his siblings.

At 24, Khan married Mabel Khan, a/k “Betty” his second wife. That marriage produced twelve children.

Khan has two other children from his first marriage.

The respected Imam speaks fluent Urdu, Hindi and English. Khan can read Arabic too.

Khan’s son said that on any given day his father would read the Holy Quran at least once. He added that his father has a sharp memory and at 101 avid memories of various events that would have unfolded during his life time are still reminiscent.

Khan, who believes in adequate rest and in consuming the right types of food, eats only in small portions. He is a consumer of large portions of green vegetables. However meats are consume in small portions.

“His desire is to live many more years and he prays everyday for long life”, said his son.

The centenarian is the recipient of several awards, namely from the provincial Parliament of Ontario, Canada and also for being a Canadian citizen.

Recognition was shown to Khan on his 100 birth anniversary by Ms. Roxanne James (MP) and by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Spencer.

Khan has 67 grandchildren and 120 great grandchildren.

A mini health check is the first step to donating blood

Sunday September 08, 2013

ImmigrationINFO (Immigration News For Our Community)

Rights & Responsibilities of a Green Card Holder Attorney Gail Seeram A green card is issued to all permanent residents as proof that they are authorized to live and work in the United States.

If you are a permanent resident age 18 or older, you are required to have a valid green card in your possession at all times.

Current green cards are valid for 10 years, or two years in the case of a conditional resident (married less than two years to your spouse), and must be renewed before the card expires.

A green card can be used to prove employment eligibility in the United States when completing the Form I9, Employment Eligibility Verification.

It can also be used to apply for a Social Security Card and a state issued driver’s licence. A green card is valid for readmission to the United States after a trip abroad.

You may lose your permanent resident status (green card) if you commit an act that makes you removable from the United States under the law, as described in Section 237 or 212 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).

If you commit such an act, you may be brought before an immigration court to determine your right to

remain a permanent resident.

You may be found to have abandoned your permanent resident status if you: (1) move to another country intending to live there permanently; (2) remain outside of the United States for more than one year without obtaining a re-entry permit or returning resident visa.

However, in determining whether your status has been abandoned, any length of absence from the United States may be considered, even if less than one year; (3) remain outside of the United States for more than two years after issuance of a reentry permit without obtaining a returning resident visa.

However, in determining whether your status has been abandoned any length of absence from the United States may be considered, even if less than one year; (4) fail to file income tax returns while living outside of the United States for any period; and (5) declare yourself a “nonimmigrant” on your tax returns.

You have certain rights and responsibilities as a permanent resident. As a permanent resident (green card holder), you have the right to: (1) live permanently in the United States provided you do not commit any actions that would make you removable under immigration law; (2) work in the United States at any legal work of your qualification and

Gail S. Seeram choosing; and (3) be protected by all laws of the United States, your state of residence and local jurisdictions.

As a permanent resident, you have the responsibilities to: (1) obey all laws of the United States, the states, and localities; (2) required to file your income tax returns and report your income to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and state taxing authorities; (3) expected to support the democratic form of government and not to change the government through illegal means; (4) if you are a male age 18 through 25, to register with the Selective Service; and (5) notify U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services of a change of address within 10 days after you move by filing Form AR-11.

After continuously residing in the United States for five years or three years if married to a United States citizen, the next step for a green card holder is to file for U.S. Citizenship.

Sunday September 08, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Sunday September 08, 2013

From a nurse to a preacher, Wilbert Daniels is a 'Special Person’

By Leon Suseran A young and dedicated nurse and trained midwife Wilbert Daniels decided to leave his love for nursing behind to pursue his new passion. He left administering to people's health to administer to their spiritual needs instead, since he felt the calling. After numerous spiritual battles, he gave himself over to the Ministry of the church, where he has made a huge impact today.

He was born to James, a miller at Rose Hall Estate and housewife, Lucille Daniels at Goed Bananen Land, East Canje, a community in which persons were predominantly employed by the sugar estate at Rose Hall.

Wilbert attended St. Patrick's Anglican School, Cumberland Methodist (today Primary) School, Overwinning Primary from 1973-1975 and Berbice High School from 19751979.

Daniels spoke about his

A family portrait

Wilbert Daniels

religious experiences which began during his teenage years. Participating at a debate at Berbice High dealing with spirituality made him dig deep into his own life. Then he began to feel depressed.

“I lost interest in going back to school and my parents would ask me what

was going on...they did not understand but within me, there were a lot of battles and struggles.”

In 1977, one of his aunts, a Pentecostal Christian invited him to her church for prayers. “During my struggles, I tried to pray and talk to God but all I knew was the Lord's Prayer; I did not know to articulate my feelings.”

He remembers truly enjoying the Pentecostal Service at Mahaicony where everyone was singing and praying and dancing.

“It was an eye-opener for me...and it was the first time I heard spontaneous prayer… so I took note of all of that.” He eventually joined the Pentecostal Church where he felt more comfortable and “found meaning and purpose in life”.

good in that you had good mentors and they ensured you had to toe the line. I worked mostly in the pediatric ward for a number of years and the maternity unit, as well as a midwife.

Daniels spent nine years as a nurse where he worked stints at N/A as well as the National Psychiatric Hospital (NPH).

His wife, June, back then (and still is today) the nursein- charge at the Rosignol Health Centre would also share experiences working

“I left dealing with people who were physically wounded for dealing with people who were spiritually wounded. Dealing with the latter is far, far more demanding.”

His school work-study stint was spent at the New Amsterdam (N/A) Hospital.

In 1978, Daniels felt the need to enter the world of work, more specifically, the nursing profession.

“I found that was my nature...I was more on the sympathetic side. In 1980 I joined the School of Nursing at the N/A Hospital. I completed the Professional Nursing Programme three years later after which I enlisted and completed the Midwifery Programme in 1985. I still cherish my years as a nurse,” he recalled.

“The standards and levels of nursing practice in those days were very, very

in the health field with her husband.

And then the change occurred. The Full Gospel Fellowship (FGF), having no branch in New Amsterdam, decided to use Daniels to start its mission in the town in 1978. He became actively involved in the work of the church while he was still a nurse. Juggling two professions was tougher than he imagined.

“As I got more and more involved in the church work, my pastor ended up returning to Georgetown and there was a void. I worked as a nurse and took care of the assistant pastoring of the (continued on page 48)

Sunday September 08, 2013

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Kaieteur News

LOCAL WORKERS NEED FOREIGN COMPETITION If finding good workers is not enough of a problem, employers now have a new worry: ensuring that workers turn up to work five days a week.

The government recently amended the laws of Guyana to create a forty-day work week. Any work outside of this is considered overtime.

But many persons in the construction sector will tell you that most Guyanese construction workers are only working, on average, three days a week.

When the workers are paid on Friday afternoon, they do not turn up on Saturdays for overtime work. Monday is usually a day in which they will absent themselves, because they usually are stale-boozed from drinking all weekend.

As such, the workweek on many construction sites, including home construction sites, usually begins on Tuesday and ends on Friday, that is, if you are lucky, because some workers also miss Tuesdays.

And to add insult to i n j u r y, t h e s e w o r k e r s demand a jewel and a crown for their work. Labourers are now calling a minimum of $3,500 per day for simply moving a wheelbarrow. And some workers who can hardly hammer a nail straight demand a starting pay of $6,000 per day. If you have some painting to be done, ensure that you have enough work for the painter to last eight hours, because if he has to work four hours, you still have to pay him a full day's pay which can be as high as $6,000 per day.

This is just one of the reasons why construction costs are so high in Guyana.

You would think that with such high pay there would be a large reserve pool of workers waiting to be employed in the construction sector. Think again! Workers

are in short supply and good productive workers are even more difficult to find.

There used to be a time when you could estimate construction costs at about one-third of the cost of materials. Not anymore.

Contractors are now demanding millions of dollars for ordinary jobs.

This is because there is a shortage of workers and a greater shortage of quality workers.

The shortage of workers, coupled with the limited number of quality workers and the high pay being demanded, has led to many companies having to import labour. Yes, that is true. It is impossible for many major projects to be completed in Guyana unless labour is imported.

Unfortunately, it is only the large companies that have the ability to import labour and to be able to go

through all the paperwork that is necessary for work permits and what have you.

A small company cannot afford to import labour.

But many small companies and even individual homeowners would love to enjoy the benefits of imported workers. Many, in fact, are dreaming of the opportunity to employ some of these imported workers who came to build the Marriott Hotel.

If some of these workers, after they would have

finished their stint could be deployed to assist small companies and even homeowners complete their construction, it would make a great difference, because these workers are very efficient and they work every day. You can be certain that you will get value for your money from them.

Already we have seen how foreign nationals working in the health sector have put their local counterparts to shame. The work ethic of these foreign

workers and the care and diligence that they display is something that locals need to imitate.

If the government is keen on supporting local industry, it should take steps to allow small local companies and private individuals to make use of those imported labourers who are working on major construction sites, after these workers complete their contracts. This may not necessarily reduce how much is paid per day, but it will certainly increase the

amount of work that is done per day.

Local workers are taking advantage of the fact that there is no large reserve pool of workers. Once there is competition from foreign workers, a great deal of slackness will be abolished and construction costs will be reduced, thus benefiting everyone in the economy.

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Kaieteur News

Meet the beautiful Naomie Samuels who describes herself as being adventurous, hardworking, caring and very loving. She is also part of the Borathau Youth Group, which will be launched this month; the main aim of the group is to empower young Amerindians throughout Guyana.

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Sunday September 08, 2013

THE EXECUTION OF ‘BIG SIX’

By Michael Jordan It took me two days to find the spot where they killed ‘Big Six.’ After all, it had happened 17 years ago, near a narrow wooden bridge in Savage Street. This is a long road stretching from NorthEast La Penitence to the West La Penitence area known as ‘The Island.’

But I couldn’t find that bridge, and I eventually learned why. The authorities had torn it down years ago.

An ugly concrete bridge, located between Savage and Sussex Streets is now in its place. I couldn’t help wondering whether ‘Big Six’ might still be alive if that concrete bridge had been there on the night the gunman ambushed him.

He wouldn’t have had to dismount from his bicycle and present himself as an easy target.

But Big Six’s mom doesn’t believe in untimely deaths. So I guess she would just say that it was her only son’s time to go. His real name was Adrian Williams, and at an early age he knew that he wanted to be a policeman like one of his uncles, whom he held in high esteem.

Immediately after leaving school, the18-year-old from Friendship, East Coast Demerara, enlisted in the Guyana Police Force. He was now Constable 15418 Adrian Williams.

Joan Williams had no concerns about her son’s safety, since, “at that time they weren’t killing police.”

But by 1996, after just two years in the Force, Constable Williams was wondering if he had made a career misstep. He had reportedly told some relatives that the job was becoming dangerous.

His mother would later receive reports that her son was threatened after he and some colleagues had raided a house and found drugs on the premises.

He decided that he would enroll in the Guyana Technical Institute the following year.

At around 8.00 p.m. on Saturday, July 6, 1996, Constable Williams visited his mother at her stall outside the Stabroek Market.

He then bid her goodbye, before setting off on his bicycle to the East Ruimveldt Police Outpost to work the night shift. He was immediately summoned to go

The late Constable Adrian Williams (at left) with two colleagues out on duty. A woman had alleged that someone was threatening her life. She pleaded with the ranks to accompany her to her West La Penitence home.

Williams, accompanied by Rural Constable Sean Jack, set out on their bicycles to investigate.

According to reports, the woman suggested to Williams and Jack that they take the Punt Trench route to her home. Instead, Williams and

Rural Constable Jack took another route through Savage Street.

William and Jack eventually reached a narrow wooden bridge separating Savage Street from Sussex Street. According to reports, the two ranks dismounted and were crossing the bridge when two men who were standing on the bridge confronted them.

There was the sound of rapid gunfire and a bulletriddled Constable Williams fell dead. Rural Constable Sean Jack dropped his bike and escaped without a scratch.

Meanwhile, the woman who had made the complaint began to wonder why the police ranks had not turned up. She then returned to the East Ruimveldt Outpost, where she received the grim news. But why had the gunmen murdered Constable Williams? There was no crime wave back then, and the

killing of a policeman was a rarity.

Investigators questioned the sole eyewitness, Rural Constable Sean Jack. They found nothing to implicate him in Williams’s death.

Detectives later received information that suggested that Constable Williams had an unfortunate encounter with members of the triggerhappy Michael Craig Gang.

Craig was one of the most feared gunmen of that era. He committed brazen armed robberies and he seemed to relish killing. In the late nineties, Craig and his gang trailed a jewel store owner’s son and gunned him down.

They later turned up at a fair at Linden wearing the stolen jewellery. The local cops never caught him.

Craig fled to the United States but it was a short-lived stay. Craig entered a New York store and tried to stick up the owner. The New York cops riddled him with bullets.

But police believe that the individual who actually pulled the trigger on ‘Big Six’ was a Michael Craig associate known as ‘Green Man’. He was killed at Nismes, West Bank Demerara.

One cop suggested that Williams may have ordered the loitering men on the bridge to disperse, and they responded by killing the uniformed cop.

Joan Williams has received similar information about the identity of her son’s killers. But that doesn’t mean that she believes that the real perpetrators were ever apprehended.

“He might be out there still. People in the area called a name. One of his (Constable

Williams’s) friends called a name of a man who used to live in Albousytown and escaped to French Guiana. I don’t know if there was any investigation. They go willynilly and kill about six people…some known criminals; one ‘Green-man’ and others.

“I kept going to Eve Leary and they say that they looking into it, and that they have no leads. They offered me a job, which I refused. My son get kill and you want to kill me too? I asked for compensation.”

But Mrs. Williams said that she had to wait until 2002, when other policemen were being slaughtered, before the Home Affairs Ministry awarded her $1M in compensation.

She now makes the yearly journey to Eve Leary to lay a wreath for her son, during the memorial service for fallen police ranks.

“I remember him every day. He was jovial person. He would always say something to make you happy. I grieve no more. I don’t believe in untimely death. Death is inevitable, and you have to let them go and hold onto the memory.”

If you have any information about these or any other unusual cases, please contact us by letter or telephone at our Lot 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown office. Our numbers are 2258465, 22-58458 and 2258452. You need not disclose your identity.

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

The Savage Street area where Constable Williams was slain

Sunday September 08, 2013

Kaieteur News

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== THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN ==

Give talk a try Mr. Ramotar.

There’s a legacy waiting In Marseille, gangland murders have been wreaking havoc in that part of France.

The latest murder victim is the son of one of France’s big names in football administration.

The Government of France decided it is time for crisis talks about the future of Marseille. The Interior Minister has summoned all the political parties.

This is European nationalism as it was hundreds of years ago and still is. When it comes to country, European leaders don’t mess around.

Sadly, one of the countries in the world where nationalism has become a hopeless victim of tribalism is Guyana. No other example is more graphic than the fiasco on hydropower.

If from the beginning, Mr. Jagdeo had called in the opposition and told them that Guyana is about to embark on its most expensive State investment and if they can put politics aside and look at the project, maybe the hydropower process would have gone beyond its teething problems, and been gaining pace by now.

This is the road Mr. Jagdeo did not take. This is

the direction Mr. Ramotar should go and I honestly believe a legacy is waiting for him. In all the confusion about the Amaila Falls thing, the entire nation forgot something.

But first let us mention the name Ramon Gaskin.

All, not most, Guyanese who read about the pitfalls of the hydropower investment deal would recognize that Mr. Gaskin played a huge analytical role in the debate, for which no one can claim that it he was just propagandizing.

Mr. Gaskin presented an analytical critique of the Amaila Falls investment that was very impressive. I admit that I am no economist and therefore people like me would be guided by Gaskin’s skills. But the nation did not see a point by point rebuttal of Gaskin which is the work of government. They have to use statistics to prove the statistics of their opposition are misleading.

Now the thing that most Guyanese forgot is that Ramon Gaskin undertook a study last year for the Government to examine the financial records of the Georgetown City Council.

This is public knowledge. The State didn’t hide it nor did Mr.

Gaskin. If he was asked by the Government to undertake an assignment and he didn’t refuse, then Gaskin showed that he was not opposed to talking to the Government.

In the same vein I don’t believe any doctor, lawyer, engineer or technical person aligned to the opposition will refuse an approach by the Government if their particular skill is requested. They may want to consult their organization first, but I doubt he/she will tell the Government to go to hell.

The Amaila Falls project began under Mr. Jagdeo.

There is a new president and he needs to consult most stakeholders if he is going to embark on a new hydropower scheme or another investment of that magnitude.

He has nothing to lose politically by such a new approach.

Mr. Ramotar needs to proceed in ways that would lead the nation to believe that he is his own man.

Even if Mr. Ramotar has no new big investment project on stream, it is in the nation’s interest for him to resurrect the tripartite formula.

Obviously APNU and AFC will ask for time tables and deadlines, and this is

commonsense.

No opposition will dialogue with the Government and as months drag on and a year is reached you are still talking.

There is a plethora of issues that the tripartite framework could achieve agreement on and the country as a whole can benefit and Mr. Ramotar’s legacy can begin to take shape. One obvious beginner is the restoration of Georgetown.

All stakeholders in this country, maybe one should say all of Guyana’s citizens, must be ashamed of what Georgetown has become.

I don’t believe there is a

single Guyanese who does not know that the state and image of Georgetown are horrible.

Any foreigner who comes to Georgetown and sees the ubiquity of garbage, clogged drains and alleyways and the mountains of overgrowth must wonder what kind of country is this. The Brazilians and Chinese are pouring into Guyana and you just wonder what they say about Georgetown, because it is doubtful they come from cities in Brazil and China that even remotely resemble the mess that is Georgetown.

Why can’t the

Frederick Kissoon presidency, APNU and the AFC, collaborating with important stakeholders, meet and plan together the restoration of Georgetown?

What can be the basis for disagreement?

This is my choice for the first item, because I think it is politically a non-contentious one. Donald Ramotar should begin in small ways to start the talking process.

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Sunday September 08, 2013

Interesting Creatures... The Dragonfly A dragonfly is an insect belonging to the order Odonata, the suborder Epiprocta or, in the strict sense, the infra order Anisoptera known to have uneven wings because the hind wing is broader than the forewing. It is characterized by large multifaceted eyes, two pairs of strong transparent wings, and an elongated body.

Dragonflies can sometimes be mistaken for damselflies, which are morphologically similar; however, adults can be differentiated by the fact that the wings of most dragonflies are held away from, and perpendicular to, the body when at rest.

Dragonflies possess six legs (like any other insect), but most of them cannot walk well. However they are among the fastest flying insects in the world. In general, large dragonflies like the hawkers have a maximum speed of 10– 15 metres per second (22–34 mph) with average cruising speed of about 4.5 metres per

second (10 mph).

They are important predators that eat mosquitoes, and other small insects like flies, bees, ants, wasps, and very rarely butterflies. They are usually found around marshes, lakes, ponds, streams, and wetlands because their larvae, known as “nymphs”, are aquatic.

Some 5680 different species of dragonflies (Odonata) are known in the world today.

Though dragonflies are predators, they themselves are subject to predation by birds, lizards, frogs, spiders, fish, water bugs, and even other large dragonflies.

Formerly, the Anisoptera were given suborder rank beside the “ancient d r a g o n f l i e s ” (Anisozygoptera), which were believed to contain the two living species of the genus Epiophlebia and numerous fossil ones. More recently it turned out that the “Anisozygopterans” form a paraphyletic assemblage of morphologically primitive

relatives of the Anisoptera.

Thus, the Anisoptera (true dragonflies) are reduced to an infra order in the new suborder Epiprocta (dragonflies in general).

The artificial grouping Anisozygoptera is disbanded, its members recognized as extinct offshoots at various stages of dragonfly evolution. The two living species formerly placed there—the Asian relict dragonflies—form the infra order Epiophlebioptera alongside Anisoptera.

Female dragonflies lay eggs in or near water, often on floating or emergent plants. When laying eggs, some species will submerge themselves completely in order to lay their eggs on a good surface. The eggs then hatch into naiads.

Most of a dragonfly’s life is spent in the naiad form, beneath the water’s surface, using extendable jaws to c a t c h other invertebrates (often mosquito larvae) or even vertebrates such as tadpoles

and fish. They breathe through gills in their rectum, and can rapidly propel themselves by suddenly expelling water through the anus.

Some naiads even hunt on land, an aptitude that could easily have been more common in ancient times when terrestrial predators were clumsier.

The larval stage of large dragonflies may last as long as five years. In smaller species, this stage may last between two months and three years. When the naiad is ready to metamorphose into an adult, it climbs up a reed or other emergent plant.

Exposure to air causes the naiad to begin breathing.

The skin splits at a weak spot behind the head and the adult dragonfly crawls out of its larval skin, pumps up its wings, and flies off to feed on midges and flies. In flight the adult dragonfly can propel itself in six directions; upward, downward, forward, back, and side to side. The adult stage of larger species of dragonfly can last as long as five or six months.

Damselflies (suborder Zygoptera), typically smaller than dragonflies, are sometimes confused with

A Dragonfly emerging as an adult newly moulted dragonflies.

However, once a dragonfly moults, it is already fully grown. There are other distinctions that set them apart: most damselflies hold their wings at rest together above the torso or held slightly open above (such as in the family Lestidae), whereas most dragonflies at rest hold their wings perpendicular to their body, horizontally or occasionally slightly down and forward.

Also, the back wing of the dragonfly broadens near the base, caudal to the connecting point at the body, while the back wing of the damselfly is similar to the

front wing. The eyes on a damselfly are apart; in most dragonflies the eyes touch.

Notable exceptions are the Petaluridae (Petaltails) a n d the Gomphidae (Clubtails).

The largest living odonate by wingspan is a damselfly from South America, Megaloprepus c a e r u l a t u s ( D r u r y, 1782) while the second largest are females of the dragonfly Te t r a c a n t h a g y n a plagiata (Wilson, 2009). The female T. plagiata is probably the heaviest living odonate.

(Source: Wikipedia – The Free Online Encyclopedia)

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MY COLUMN

When men prize women above their own lives I was having a drink one day when my friend Henry Jeffrey, the same Dr Henry Jeffrey, became embroiled in a conversation I was having about smoking. He was not a smoker and I was, as were some of the boys I happened to be with at the time. The occasion was one of the anniversaries of Queen’s College and we had repaired to the Georgetown Club.

There were those among us who had quit smoking and had different symptoms of withdrawal. Henry explained that smoking had become physiological, so the attempts to stop would be hard for some. What he was saying was that cigarettes somehow got into the system (not that I don’t know how) and pretty soon the body craved it in the same way it craves food.

Henry said that physiological things are hard to get rid of. For example, sex would be a driving force for some people, especially when they are young. I suppose that is why the Maker opts to let the older folk tone down by simply toning down the physiology. But these days there are Viagra and Cialis that make older men continue on the race track, living the

dream they once did as youngsters.

That is why I thought that life had lost all meaning for some people, when I heard that a man pumped fifteen bullets into another because the man was sharing his woman. Different men would react differently and I know many who did. I would never see it fit to spend one minute in jail over a woman. I tell my friends that no matter the pain, it will ease with each passing day. That too is the human physiology.

Another friend once said to me that it is in men to chase, conquer and then flee when it comes to women. Marriage, in his book, merely represents a break in the chase, but it does not mean that the man stops chasing when he gets married. Tiger Woods is one of the famous cases, although I didn’t see why there was all the need for the publicity. In Guyana there are many such cases and they will not make the news.

I will not try to imagine what went through the mind of the shooter. Some say that he was extremely close to the victim—that they were actually friends. From the woman’s point of view, she

must have been seeking those things that she found missing in her partner, because that is what they all say when they are caught, if they get a chance to talk.

So there it is, the shooter is hiding and the woman is now left vacant. I also know that some men do not consider their absence an opportunity for the woman to move on. I know a man who spent a long time in jail and came out to kill the woman because she simply could not sit and wait.

All the cases I seem to hear about these days are rooted in infidelity. The male is so much more aggressive that he would kill to preserve what he considers his property.

There are organisations that seek to make men react differently, but these organisations seem to ignore the nature of the human mind.

One trend that some people are working on involves working with mothers.

It makes sense. Women raise their sons and it behooves them to see that their sons treat women in a certain way.

I have two sons and none of them would hit a woman

because I taught them to walk away rather than assault the woman. I even told them that men like to sleep and that women can be excellent planners. This is no joke.

When a man opts to get married the woman fixes the date and many men do not know why. The answer is simple. The woman ensures that she is not on her period during her honeymoon.

Similar planning takes place when a man beats a woman. She knows that he must sleep and that is when he is most prone to harm by way of retaliation.

One of my ex-wife’s cousins was the victim of domestic abuse and one day she decided that enough was enough. The man beat her and then went to bed. She placed a pan of oil on the fire and every time he nodded she would sprinkle some water in the pan. The man would jump out of his doze to see a tearful wife by the fire with this pan of boiling oil.

In this case the man did not sleep all night; daylight could not come fast enough.

He left that house never to return. I could picture his face the next morning as he fled his home.

Another friend, a policeman, got scalded with hot oil too. This happened at Nabaclis a few years ago.

People said that he screamed like a pig. The bottom line is that men should not hit women; neither should they incriminate themselves over a woman.

The fact that one man got stabbed to death this past week because a passing motorist made a comment to a woman he happened to be walking with is also so unnecessary. For me, the comment would have been seen as a compliment and the issue would have passed.

Reasoning plays a significant role in the way people behave and reasoning is best among the persons with the most schooling.

Yet sometimes the physiology of the person can make him or her forget all about the reasoning.

Fifteen bullets.

Somebody lost all sense of reasoning. Some lawyers would want to plead temporary insanity. Quite frankly, a senseless loss of life. My friend Mike Baptiste reminded of a case of a Kingston resident whose wife was cuckolding him. Mike

Adam Harris said that the man was a frequent traveller and the woman could not wait until the man was out of the house.

One day the man left for an overseas trip but changed his mind when he reached the airport. He returned home and caught his wife in flagrante delecto. Suffice it to say that the man literally softened and froze.

This husband simply got him to put on his clothes and leave. For his wife, he asked her to leave as she came into his life, with the clothes on her back, although Mike embellished the situation by claiming that the man put his wife out naked.

There was no loss of life and all parties went on to live either happily thereafter or as best as they saw fit.

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Sunday September 08, 2013

The AFC Journey…

A political road less travelled …a responsibility we must own

By Nigel Hughes, AFC Chairman Guyana has long wanted to develop a hydro-power project. God has blessed us with abundant natural resources, however to date we have not been able to completely convert this gift for the mutual benefit of the nation.

Since Forbes Burnham’s 1970s efforts to build the Mazaruni Hydro project, this country has flirted with selfsufficiency in energy generation, with no tangible

success to date.

Our country’s development and the prosperity of our people will continue to be stifled unless we can ensure low cost energy and energy security.

In this context, a properly developed hydro-power project would provide great momentum in both lowering energy costs and providing energy security.

I contend that if we make the right decisions, we will become the number one economy in the Caribbean.

One of the key and critical

reasons for the difference in development between Guyana and Trinidad is the cost of energy.

In light of the foregoing, the Alliance For Change, after considerable review, has determined that its parliamentary actions in relation to the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project were consistent with its commitment to the Guyanese electricity consumers, as well as its commitments to renewable energy and to making Guyana an attractive venue for investors.

In light of what has since transpired, the Party is convinced that it acted in a patriotic, rational and responsible manner to safeguard both the people of Guyana and the project, by approving a parliamentary action to increase the debt limit.

It was our considered opinion that this course of action would have given a lifeline to the project and would have paved the way for the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to conduct a thorough review so that we could make a decision on the viability of the project.

The IDB stated that its due diligence would be conducted on three principal areas: 1) Whether GPL has the capacity to handle the administering and management of the large amount of electricity after Amaila is completed; 2) Whether there is economic viability of the project, that is, if Guyana’s economy can sustain it to become viable for the tariffs not to increase; 3) The environmental feasibility.

After analyzing the outcome of the IDB’s due diligence, the AFC would then have sufficient information to determine our final position on the project.

The AFC believes that this Project was handled badly from the inception, with no formal project document being laid in the National Assembly, and no attempt made to seek early political consensus.

Further, there is no evidence of a formal and transparent tender process leading to the identification and selection of the project’s developers.

The failure to share critical information on the project with the political opposition, while negotiating with the developers for the last six years calls into question the sincerity of the government’s last minute efforts to achieve support from all political parties.

The AFC is today rising in the conscience of the Guyanese people, as we say and do what is in their interest. We share and feel the people’s heartbeat for affordable renewable energy

Nigel Hughes security not only from hydropower but from a portfolio of sources including ethanol, wind and solar power, and cogeneration using bagasse and wood waste.

Therefore we have every reason to support the development of hydro-power in Guyana but with the clear caveat that it must be environmentally, socially and economically feasible.

We are not going to support any project that throws good money over the waterfalls.

The AFC leadership has had serious consultations which have revealed that AFHP could satisfy the minimum requirements of the IDB’s Environmental and Social Management Report [environmental, hydrological, biotic, topographic, social management issues including the displacement and compensation of any community during and after construction.]

We believed we had enough evidence to support the Hydro Electric Power (Amendment) Bill 2013 and remain committed to our principled position.

This Bill which the AFC voted in favour of guaranteed the protection of the flora and fauna surrounding any future hydropower project in Guyana.

We have come to recognize over these last two weeks that this has been misinterpreted by many to have been a vote for the Amaila Falls project itself.

Nothing could be further from the truth and one must recognize that the AFHP has never come to the parliament for debate, consideration or approval. Unfortunately given our current political landscape many have deliberately taken advantage of this misunderstanding.

This we find most regrettably.

However, this does not mean that we must surrender our concerns that the AFHP must be sound and good for Guyana.

Our biggest concerns remain the key debt assumptions, the cost of finance, the lender’s fee structure and the advisory costs.

We provided our word to the Government to respect the confidentiality of the details and thus professionally we cannot release those details in this presentation, but the numbers do not add up to our satisfaction.

In this regard, we have made our position clear: our full support would be reserved until the IDB completes its Economic Feasibility Technical Report (economic due diligence).

Notwithstanding this, the AFC, in recognition of the advanced stage of the project financing process, and an appreciation of what it takes to bring a project of such magnitude to this stage, took a position to approve two parliamentary measures intended to support the project.

Neither of these measures, as approved, presented any risk whatsoever to the people of Guyana. The party wishes to make it clear that it had by no means endorsed this project in its current form.

The sad episode is now over but we must not lose the lessons of the experience.

1. Projects of national nature which involved substantial investment must include all stakeholders from its conception.

2. Every effort must be made to recruit and involve the best negotiating team to represent the country in any negotiations on the project.

3. Foreign investors in substantial projects in Guyana now require the approval of all major stakeholders.

Sunday September 08, 2013

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GUYANA-VENEZUELA: A great leap forward but need for vigilance remains

By Sir Ronald Sanders A visit to Guyana by Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro Moros and a Joint Declaration issued by the two governments on August 31, represent a great leap forward in relations between the countries, but not without antagonism from within Venezuela.

Shortly after Guyana’s President Donald Ramotar joined President Maduro in expressing “optimism for the potential that exists for an enhanced relationship between CARICOM and Venezuela that would redound to the benefit of their peoples”, El Universal – a major Venezuelan newspaper – carried a story on the Internet claiming that the Venezuelan Navy had “raised the alarm” about an oil concession granted by the Guyana government “in front of the Venezuelan Atlantic front of Orinoco Delta”.

The newspaper quoted only “a spokesman who asked not to be named”, thereby raising misgivings about the motives behind the story.

But it said the unnamed source “revealed that the Navy was concerned about the way this issue is being tackled, namely, Venezuela’s claim over the Essequibo and its silence over multiple actions carried out by Guyana in the area”.

According to the newspaper, its unidentified source “also remarked that some officials at the Venezuelan Foreign Office were worried about this issue, particularly in the Border Division. Notwithstanding, Foreign Minister Elías Jaua has ignored their recommendations”.

Whether or not the content of the El Universal story is reliable, the fact that it has been carried indicates that groups in Venezuela are ready to maintain and heighten a Venezuelan claim to much of Guyana’s territory.

Were it one newspaper story alone, the fomenting of discontent could be ignored, but an Internet trawl produced other statements and writings indicating that there may be a concerted effort by elements in Venezuela to maintain hostility over the VenezuelaGuyana controversy, even as the governments of the two countries “recommitted that the search for a peaceful and practical settlement of the controversy in accordance with the Geneva Agreement of 1966, was one that should be pursued under the (UN) Good Offices Process.”

In this regard, Presidents

Maduro and Ramotar have wisely agreed to the reappointment of Jamaicanborn Professor Norman Girvan as the Good Offices representative of the UN Secretary-General. Girvan is a former Secretary-General of the Association of Caribbean States (2000-2004) and was first given the Good Offices role in 2010.

The border controversy has existed in its second incarnation since just before the independence of Guyana (formerly British Guiana) from Britain in 1966.

At that time, the then Venezuelan government reopened the “full, perfect and final” settlement of the border dispute by an Arbitral Panel of distinguished judges in 1899.

Subsequently, an agreement between Britain, Guyana and Venezuela signed in Geneva in 1966, agreed to an amicable resolution to the controversy and established a mixed commission which would seek ‘satisfactory solutions for the practical settlement of the controversy between Venezuela and the United Kingdom which arose as a consequence of the Venezuela contention that the Arbitral decision of 1899 was null and void’ because of an alleged fraud.

For its part, the Guyana government did not accept that the 1899 decision was invalid and held that Guyana’s participation in the discussion was only to resolve Venezuela’s assertions.

In the event, the controversy has persisted despite several attempts to resolve it. When the mixed commission’s four-year term expired, the governments of Venezuela, Britain and Guyana signed the Protocol of Port of Spain in 1970 to allow the parties to explore the possibility of improving their relations while effectively putting the border claim into abeyance for 12 years. Then the matter passed to the Good Offices process of the UN Secretary-General.

Over the ensuing years, there have been several border incidents and, in its attempts to develop the Essequibo region, Guyana has had to endure the uncertainty of Venezuelan reactions. Consequently, the country’s economic development was retarded.

Even the first government of then President Hugo Chavez maintained the Venezuelan claim to territory within Guyana. It was after he launched his Bolivarian Socialist Revolution that Chavez altered his stance on the border controversy and became open to development activity by Guyana in the area that Venezuela claims.

It has long been known that the Cuban government did not support border wars between non-aligned states, and actively promoted the notion of a strong alliance of Latin American and Caribbean states to secure the region against external influences, particularly from the United States.

Chavez would undoubtedly have taken account of Cuba’s position in modifying his stance on the Guyana border issue, according Venezuela’s acceptability and security in the region greater magnitude than an unconvincing territorial claim.

If Chavez’s new position brought a thaw to what had hitherto been lukewarm if not cold relations between the two countries, Maduro’s joint declaration with Ramotar and his subsequent public statements have brought new warmth to the relationship.

Maduro is reported as saying “we are ready to work through the United Nations as the sole process” in settling the border issue.

His remarks were strengthened by a statement in Venezuela by his Foreign Minister Elias Jaua reported by the Venezuelan News Agency on September 3.

Jaua said: “If there is something that affects our sovereignty we will go to the Good Officer.

We’re not going to invade Guyana because that does not make a Bolivarian government. Venezuela is a

country of peace who knows how to defend its sovereignty and the right of the Venezuelan people through the mechanism of good offices”.

To all this must be added the new impetus set out in the joint declaration of Presidents Maduro and Ramotar for increased trade, a bilateral drugs agreement, Spanish language training for Guyanese and English language training for Venezuelans, and a direct air link between the two countries.

Of wider significance, the easing of tension and the implementation of cooperation measures between Guyana and Venezuela present an opportunity for collaboration between the 15nation Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Venezuela, including in areas such as drugs trafficking, air and sea transportation, and energy.

Undoubtedly, despite the positive and constructive declaration of the Presidents of Guyana and Venezuela, the border controversy remains a problem in relations between the two countries.

The elements in

Sir Ronald Sanders Venezuela who appeal to jingoism and nationalist sentiment on the issue, however uninformed and lacking in legal foundation it may be, will not go away nor will they end agitation of the issue. Therefore, while a great leap forward has been made and President Maduro should be congratulated not only for the practical and positive position he has adopted but for going to Guyana to express it and for sticking to it once he got back to Venezuela, the need for vigilance remains.

(The writer is a Consultant, Senior Research Fellow at London University and former Caribbean diplomat) Responses and previous commentaries: www. sirronaldsanders.com

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Sunday September 08, 2013

Amerindian development began long before 1992 The Government Information Agency (GINA) reported that President Donald Ramotar, while addressing the opening ceremony for ‘Amerindian Heritage Month’ on Sunday 1st September, claimed that “only under the People’s Progressive Party Civic administration did Amerindians experience development.”

He claimed, also, that education and health services “disappeared or, at best, stagnated after 1964.”

He claimed, further, that Amerindian development only resumed “in 1992, with the return of democracy to Guyana and the PPPC Party to the administration.” These claims were all wildly uninformed.

The President, in making these claims at a major, national event, attempted to disparage the achievements of the previous People’s National Congress administration.

His attempt to do so, however, revealed his total ignorance of what happened

in the period 1964 - 1992.

The enhancement of the quality of life, the increase in educational and economic opportunities, the empowerment of traditional leaders and councils, the improvement in public services to the indigenous communities and the progress made in hinterland development are a matter of incontrovertible historical record.

The most fundamental issue and the chief desire of all of the indigenous nations has always been their desire to reclaim their ancestral lands. The PPP administration did nothing in this regard during its 1957-64 administration.

The ‘Amerindian Lands Commission’ was established only in September 1967 under the chairmanship of Mr P A Forte. The Commission began the task of demarcating and facilitating Indigenous land rights, a process which the PPP is still to complete after 21 years.

The central government recognized the importance of

indigenous issues.

The ‘Toshaos’ Conference’ - a four-day, 28th February-3rd March 1969, consultation held in Georgetown, facilitated communication between indigenous communities and the central government.

That Conference provided 170 indigenous leaders with their first and best opportunity until then to discuss the problems affecting their widelydispersed villages at the highest level.

It was the first government effort aimed at formulating a far-reaching programme for indigenous peoples’ development which was subsequently put into effect. The appointment of Mr Philip Duncan, a member of the Wapichan nation, first, as parliamentary secretary and, later as Minister, for Amerindian Affairs, was another step in this direction.

One outcome of the conference was the recognition of the role of traditional, indigenous leaders, their formal appointment as

‘captains,’ their assignment of responsibility for community development and their entitlement to the payment of stipends by the government.

These administrative changes facilitated community development and self-help projects, based on the local, grass-roots participation of the residents.

Scores of self-help projects were launched.

These included, for example, a communal farm at Aishalton; community centres at Annai and Kurukabaru; a bridge at Sawariwau; wells at Massara and Toka; a medical outpost at Wakapoa; a paddock at Karasabai; windchargers at Marunanau, Sand Creek and Shulinab; a co-operative shop at St Cuthbert’s Mission; schools at Akawini and Mashabo and water supply systems to Itabac, Massara and Moco-Moco.

Community development was accompanied by a progressive education policy for the indigenous people in a way which differed from that of the previous PPP administration.

The idea was to take ‘secondary education to the indigenous people’ rather than forcing them to leave their families and communities to study on the coastland.

The construction of residential schools at St Ignatius in the Rupununi and Hosororo in the Barima-Waini Regions gave indigenous children access to secondary education.

Primary education was expanded by building schools in the Aranaputa Valley and Monkey Mountain, partly through self-help. Eleven new

government-aided, all-age schools were built at Konashen, Maruranau, St Ignatius, Sand Creek, Toka and Yakarinta in the Rupununi; Kamarang in the Cuyuni-Mazaruni Region; Baramita, Matthew’s Ridge, Port Kaituma, Kwebanna, and Waramuri in the Barima-Waini and Orealla in the East Berbice-Corentyne Regions.

There were 92 primary schools in indigenous communities by 1968, a great improvement from the scant legacy bequeathed by the PPP in 1964.

The hinterland scholarships policy was also expanded.

Five-year scholarships – which funded tuition, allowances to buy books and clothing and return passages to their homes during the Christmas and August holidays – were provided for selected students.

A hostel was constructed on Princes Street and, most spectacularly, the Umana Yana was erected on High Street, Georgetown.

Health services were enhanced with the building, equipping and staffing of health centres in the Mazaruni, Moruca, Pomeroon, Potaro and Rupununi.

The training of midwives and medical rangers was augmented. Immunisation programmes were extended and the incidence of malaria infection was reduced.

Economic production was transformed from the traditional, slash-and-burn, subsistence mode of farming to a modern, market-oriented model of production.

This was done training of farmers in new techniques, improving the cultivation of

crops and introducing new crops. Farmers were trained in practical courses at the Hosororo Agricultural Station in the Barima-Waini and at the Guyana School of Agriculture at Mon Repos.

Peanut cultivation was started at Achewib, Aishalton, Awarewanau, Karaudanawa, Marunanau and Shea in the Rupununi; cabbage production flourished at Paruima in the Upper Mazaruni and oil palm was grown at Wauna in the Barima-Waini.

The Guyana Marketing Corporation guaranteed stable prices in the villages and reliable air freight to Georgetown. Indigenous farmers, as a result of this policy, were able to produce and ship 594,712 lbs of cabbage and tomatoes to Georgetown by air in 1971.

The next year, large quantities of corn, black-eye peas, peanuts were transported from the hinterland to markets on the coastland.

Transportation and communications were augmented by the construction of ten airfields – at Coomaka; Ekeraku; Enachu; Eteringbang; Kaikan; Kurupung; Paruima; Shea; Velgrad and Waramadong – between 1966 and 1969 alone. Roads were built at Hosororo, Potarinau and elsewhere. A radio communication network was established to link administrative centres with defence and security stations.

The President, in summary, cannot truthfully claim that the development of hinterland and indigenous peoples stagnated between 1964 and 1992. The evidence proves otherwise

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SUNDAY SPECIAL “NO ONE WILL COME BETWEEN US” – VENEZUELAN LEADER TELLS GUYANA Guyana and Venezuela have recommitted to stronger ties and increased cooperation in areas of transportation and trade.

In his first official visit since becoming leader of neighbouring Venezuela, President Nicolas Maduro Moros also joined President Donald Ramotar in opposing possible military strikes by the US against war-torn Syria.

The Venezuelan leader said that nothing gives US the right to be the judge and decide the future of another country.

Maduro’s visit came at a time when Guyana would want reassurance about the PetroCaribe agreement – an oil-for-rice deal that was forged by former Venezuela leader, Hugo Chavez. Under that deal, Guyana buys oil under concessional terms from Venezuela and provides rice in return.

Also raised during the meeting was the issue of Venezuela’s claim on a part of Essequibo which Maduro committed to have addressed under a United Nations process. Jamaican Norman Girvan has been appointed since 2010 as the “Good Officer” to deal with the claim.

The visit also cements Maduro’s intent to carry on the legacy of Chavez, who wanted a strong regional integration.

BOND BLAZE LEADS FIREMEN TO BUSINESSWOMAN’S BODY IN HOUSE - SURVEILLANCE TAPE DISAPPEARS, ENTIRE UPSTAIRS DOUSED WITH DIESEL Police and firefighters on Saturday last (August 31) stumbled upon the body of a businesswoman, minutes after they went to investigate

Kaieteur News

a fire that had broken out in her storage bond at 2430 Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara.

The victim who was identified as Pavita Singh, 48, also known as Sirmattie Ramnaress, was found lying face down in her garage around 08:30 hours. The garage is separated from her house by a glass door.

Singh’s body bore two stab wounds – one to the neck and another to the hip.

Bloodstains on the floor indicated that the mother of one was attacked somewhere in her living room and was then dragged by her feet to the garage.

From all indications, the woman put up a fierce fight with her attacker(s). “The house was ransacked and it would appear as if whoever did this, attempted to set the house on fire.

The whole place had what appears to be diesel,” a police source told this newspaper.

The source suggested that the perpetrators were desperate to destroy all evidence of their work, since the surveillance footage which would have been recorded when Singh’s attacker entered and exited the building, disappeared.

Her motor car, which was missing, was later found abandoned on the Liliendaal Public Road, ECD, a few hours after the gruesome discovery. Nothing was stolen from the car, but detectives indicated that they were able to lift several fingerprints from the vehicle.

MONDAY EDITION MORE SHOCKING REVELATIONSABOUT AMAILA HYDRO PROJECT While the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) would normally make loans available to Guyana and other countries at concessional rates in the vicinity of one or two per cent,

Sunday September 08, 2013

President Donald Ramotar holds aloft a portrait of Simon Bolivar presented to him

by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro at the International Conference Centre. the loan to the Amaila Falls Hydro Electric Project was set at a whopping 9.5 per cent.

This would mean that the IDB’s loan was being made at a higher interest rate than that of the Chinese Exim Bank, which the opposition and some sections of civil society had already labeled ‘prohibitively high.’

The China Exim Bank was asking for 8.5 per cent on for its US$500M that it had promised to lend for the Amaila Hydro Electric Project, while the IDB was asking for 9.5 per cent.

This was confirmed last weekend by Winston Brassington, who served as Guyana’s lead negotiator for the project. One analyst explained that the reason the IDB was asking for such a

high rate of return is because it was for a private company, Amaila Falls Hydro Inc, and not a government that would normally receive concessionary rates.

Leader of the Alliance for Change (AFC), Khemraj Ramjattan when contacted for a comment on the IDB rate of return for its US$100M said that it was shocking and even more prohibitive than the Chinese loan.

The AFC Leader had met with the Chinese Ambassador in a bid to query the ‘prohibitive’ 8.5 per cent it was asking for.

TUESDAY EDITION PRESIDENT’S NONASSENT TO BILLS…ROHEE ADVISES APNU TO GO TO COURT - SAYS OPPOSITION WANTS TO BULLY THE HEAD OF STATE Newly elected General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party Clement Rohee has advised the main opposition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) to take their grouse over the President’s non-assent to Bills, to court.

APNU is determined to have its Bills come into effect, and is holding President Donald Ramotar responsible for his choice not to assent to the legislation that the party dubbed as enormously crucial. On Monday morning at a PPP press conference, held at Freedom House, Rohee said that his party is fully behind President

Ramotar ’s decision as it relates to his decision not to assent to the Bills. He added that the government is of the opinion that the “threats” from the Opposition are purely designed to bully the Head of State into passing “unconstitutional” legislation.

Separate and aside from the four controversial Local Government Bills, which statues are unclear, APNU is also canvassing to have two other Bills, which they had proposed, assented to.

Those two Bills are the Former Presidents (Benefits and other Facilities) Bill 2012, and The Fiscal Management and Accountability (Amendment Bill) 2012.

The Fiscal Management and Accountability (Amendment) Bill 2012, seeks to restore the Constitutional status of the “independent entities”, under the Constitution.

These include the Guyana Elections Commission, the courts and the Office of the Ombudsman and other such agencies.

The Former President (Benefits and other Facilities) Bill of 2012 seeks to cap the various benefits granted to former Presidents and thus protect taxpayers’ money.

SURINAM AIRWAYS EYES GT/NY ROUTE Surinam Airways Guyana Station Manager, Rudi Westerborg on Monday confirmed that the airline is currently eyeing the

Georgetown/ New York route.

Surinam Airways currently operates the Georgetown/ Miami route which flies out twice per week.

Westerborg explained to Kaieteur News that company officials are hoping to begin operations between the two destinations in November of this year. He said that Surinam Airways recently acquired another aircraft, thus providing space to travel to other destinations.

According to Westerborg, the move is to satisfy persons who have been continuously asking about whether they would buy into the New York market. He further told Kaieteur News that management has taken their discussions to Surinam and once everything goes well Surinam Airways will be willing to serve the Guyanese public further.

Last year Surinam Airways began their direct flights between Guyana and Miami. The airline flies on Tuesdays and Saturdays from the airline’s base at the Johan Pengel Airport in Suriname to Georgetown.

WEDNESDAY EDITION ECCLES MAN KILLED EXECUTION-STYLE A 31-year-old Eccles, East Bank Demerara resident was gunned down around 21:45 hrs on Tuesday, reportedly by a man who called him out of his home. Kurt David, of Seventh Street, Eccles, was (Continued on page 39)

Sunday September 08, 2013

From page 38 shot at least eleven times at close range in the chest and back while standing near his front door. The police said that the victim was found inside his home.

He was pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital. Kaieteur News understands that a male relative of the slain man was at the premises at the time, but he and other relatives who rushed to the hospital declined to comment.

One relative would only say that the slain man was self-employed and the father of one. A resident told Kaieteur News that she was at home when she heard several gunshots.

When people dared to emerge from their homes they saw David’s bullet-riddled body outside his house, disputing the version offered by the police about the position of the body.

Police were unable to give a motive for the executionstyle killing. David’s death comes after a lull in executionstyle killings this year.

THURSDAY EDITION FIRE STRIKESAT CANAL SCHOOL For the second time this year, fire has struck at a West Demerara public school, this time affecting over 600 students. On Wednesday, education officials scrambled to find alternative measures for the students of the L’Aventure Secondary School, Canal Number One, West Bank Demerara.

The fire completely destroyed the middle section of the school, including the administrative offices, a number of classrooms and the Home Economics Department. This setback came almost six months after a similar fire destroyed the

Kaieteur News

Kudo: Tremendous effort by firemen and residents

middle section of the newly built, $60M La Parfaite Harmonie Primary School, located just half mile away.

Repairs are still to start on that school.

Just two days after the new school year began, worried parents mainly from the new housing schemes, bordering Canal Number One, supported several fire trucks and a small tender from Wales Sugar Estate that had raced to the scene and managed to contain the blaze.

An exploding gas cylinder within the Home Economics Department sent the crowds scurrying to safety. The Canals Polder road was blocked to traffic for several hours.

FRIDAY EDITION ECCLES EXECUTIONSTYLE MURDER…SHOT WOMAN ‘SCREAMED OUT SHOOTER’S NAME’ The woman at the centre of the affair that caused Kurt David’s death reportedly screamed out the shooter’s

name when he opened fire.

Police have confirmed that they have received reports that this same woman was struck in the foot by a stray bullet during last Tuesday night’s deadly confrontation between David and his alleged killer.

However, any hopes of matching the warhead to those recovered from David have been thwarted by the fact that the bullet passed through the injured woman’s limb.

Police believe that the killer is a Water Street, Georgetown, store owner, who has disappeared since David was slain. Providing similar information as the police, close associates of 31year-old David told Kaieteur News that the popular motorcycle dealer was having an affair with a woman whose husband is a city store owner.

David and his killer were said to be close friends.

Associates of the slain man have provided Kaieteur News with photographs of the

alleged killer with David.

However, the friendship reportedly soured after the businessman received reports about the affair between David and his spouse.

It is alleged that the suspect sent threats to David last Saturday after being told that the Eccles, East Bank Demerara resident had kissed his wife in a popular night club. According to sources, the suspect was further infuriated on Tuesday after seeing a text message that David had sent to his wife.

BUSINESSES LIST 20 BIGGEST HURDLES FACING GUYANA’S DEVELOPMENT - TAX AND SECURITY REFORMS, TRANSPARENCYA MUST

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The private sector has listed 20 main barriers that are affecting the business environment, including security and tax reforms and the holding of local government elections.

The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) has since prepared a “Competitiveness Manifesto” which it hopes will spur remedial action.

The advocacy body, comprising over 100 top businesses, met earlier this week with A Partnership For National Unity (APNU), the largest Opposition bloc in the National Assembly.

According to APNU, Leader of the Opposition, (R’td.) David Granger and Policy Adviser, Lance Carberry met with the GCCI’s President, Clinton Urling; Immediate Past President, Komal Ramnauth, Executive Director, Bonita Lowden, and the Marketing and Communications Officer, Roderick Bascom, on the issue.

“The purpose of the meeting was to enable the GCCI to make a presentation of their Competitiveness Manifesto which identifies their Top 20 Barriers to Guyana’s Competitiveness and provides An Agenda for Action,” APNU explained Thursday.

“The meeting enabled the elaboration of the concerns of the GCCI and for the issues identified to be commented on and clarified. It was agreed that the APNU Shadow Cabinet would review the document and, at a mutually convenient time, there would

be a follow-up meeting with the Executives of the GCCI.” SATURDAY EDITION GOVT SPENDS US$42M TO SAVE 2% LINE LOSSES ….POWER COMPANY TOLD TO STILL PREPARE FORAMAILA HYDRO— DINDYAL Guyana Power and Light (GPL) will go ahead and prepare for the Amaila Falls Hydroelectric Project given that it has been advised by the administration that the project has only been delayed by a year.

Chief Executive Officer of the power company, Bharrat Dindyal, met Friday with members of the public and supported by his top lieutenants, provided a briefing on the operations of the company in the past year and the first half of 2013.

Dindyal, during the presentation, said that the administration had informed the power company that it was in search of additional partners to ensure the completion of the project.

The power company boss also disclosed that on the matter of technical and commercial losses which stand at some 31 per cent, now that GPL has done a significant amount of work on the generation side of things they can now focus on loss reduction.

He said that the massive US$42M upgrade to the distribution network being undertaken by the Chinese, when completed, will reduce the losses by about two per cent.

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ALIENS ATTACK President Dubya was awakened one night by an urgent call from the Pentagon.

“Mr. President,” said the four-star general, barely able to contain himself, “there’s good news & bad news.”

“Oh, no,” muttered the President, “Well, let me have the bad news first.”

“The bad news, sir, is that we’ve been invaded by creatures from another planet.”

“Gosh, and the good news?”

“The good news, sir, is that they eat reporters and pee oil.”

DRINKING BUDDIES Two men are sitting next to each other in an Irishstyle pub in New York City. They both order pints of Guinness. One of them turns to the other and says “So where are you from, then?”

“I’m from Ireland.””Me too! I’ll drink to that.” They both finish their pints and order two more.

“Where in Ireland are you from?”

“Dublin.”

“Me too! I’ll drink to that.” They both finish their pints and order two more.

“Where in Dublin are you from?”

“The East Side.”

“The East Side? Me too! What a coincidence! I’ll drink to that!” They both finish their pints and order two more.

“Where on the East Side are you from?”

“McDonagh Street.” “Me too! This is incredible! I’ll drink to that.”

As the bartender pours them another two pints, another customer at the bar says to him, “That’s amazing! I can’t believe they’re from the same street in Dublin. What’s going on?”

“Oh, it’s nothing amazing,” says the bartender,”it’s just the Ferguson twins getting sloshed again.”

FINAL EXAM FAILURE Last semester I took macroeconomics and didn’t have a clue what I was doing (as cited on the final exam).

There were 80 multiple choice questions. For some reason I decided to play the game of probability and choose the letter “A” for everything. In that game, the only thing probable was that I failed.

The following day, the professor asked to see me after class. “Is everything okay?” “Sure,” I said, “why? “Well, here’s your test,” he said and handed me a piece of paper that was covered with red ink. “Can you explain why you chose an ‘A’ for everything?”

Knowing that there was nothing I could do at this point, I said, “Well, I’ve always wanted to be an ‘A’ student.”

A MEAL TO DIE FOR There was an Englishman, a Scotsman and an Irishman working on the top of a cliff. The Englishman said, “If I have cheese in my sandwich tomorrow, I’ll jump off this cliff.”

The Scotsman said, “If I have jam in my sandwich tomorrow, I’ll jump off the cliff.” The Irishman said, “If I have ham tomorrow, I’ll jump off the cliff.”

The next day, the Englishman had cheese, the Irishman had ham, and the Scotsman had jam. So they all jumped.

At the funerals, the wives of the Scotsman and Englishman said, “Why didn’t they just tell us they didn’t like their sandwiches?”

The Irish lady said, “I don’t know why my husband jumped off the cliff. He made his own sandwiches.”

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Sunday September 08, 2013

BOOK REVIEW:

BRIAN LARA: THE STEEP PRICE OF GREATNESS

By Dr Glenville Ashby James Fuller embarks on a literary journey that showcases the unfathomable prowess of Brian Lara, one of the most celebrated batsmen of the modern era. His unauthorised autobiography is detailed and balanced.

It chronicles the rise of the cricket superstar from a prodigious, overly confident lad in his hometown of Cantaro, to a record-breaking phenomenon. And for good measure he taps into festering inter-island rivalries that are always tamed by the clarion call of “Rally round the West Indies.”

However, what eventually surfaces from Fuller’s work is a psychoanalytic and psychodynamic glimpse into the mind of greatness. Sure, it is all well and good to rifle through Lara’s career with awe. The concentration, the mental and physical stamina, his resolve and prophetic

musings are well documented. Fuller pens a laudable if not flawless presentation of the Trinidadian’s heroics. But what stands out above all is Fuller ’s exploration of greatness concomitant with the fragility of a mind grappling with the pressures of adulation and criticism.

No doubt, Fuller did his homework, interviewing Lara’s Cantaro neigbours who recalled the young Lara’s proclivity for the spectacular.

That he was a natural is debatable. The axiom that greatness is born hardly explains the long arduous hours of practice, the ingenious props used to hone his batting skills, the technical guidance of coaches at Harvard and Queens Park cricket clubs, and the unswerving support and encouragement of his father and the sagacious Joey Carew.

Is greatness nurtured or is it a gift bestowed by

Providence? Lara proved himself a student of the game and also a historian with a peerless mind for enquiry. His steely determination not to capriciously lose his wicket was evident even at the pedestrian level of the game.

He recalled: “When I played in my backyard I would bat for a week sometimes.....if my mates didn’t get me out on one day I would carry on batting the next.”

In one indelible exchange with Brian Davis, he asked, “Gary Sobers’ record of 365 not out, how come it lasted so long.” After the explanation, he (Lara) said, “I’ll break that.”

And with a personal tally of 250 not out in a county match, Hanif Mohammed’s 499 was already in his cross hairs, as he went on to score the first quintuple century.

Later, he summoned an unyielding will to reclaim his record for the most runs in Test cricket. Greatness

constitutes, among other elements supreme assuredness of one’s ability.

Great men and women are determined, obdurate, pugnacious and ever ready to hoist all responsibilities on their shoulders.

Some deride such posturing as cocky, arrogant, and aloof - a distraction to team work. In fact, one sports journalist argued that “once Viv Richards is around, Lara wasn’t getting a run in the Test team because Richards recognised that...he wasn’t a team player,” that “he wanted to do well for himself first and foremost and Richards didn’t want that.”

Although this was disputed, self -centeredness dogged Lara for years. In fact Lara hinted that much giving fodder to his detractors, “I have got to ensure that the team benefited from my batting now....in the past you wanted to maintain yourself as the best batsman in the world…..”

True or not, it is undeniable that in any situation where a unique talent emerges, more experienced personnel bristle, become self conscious, concerned about being upstaged. Envy simmer and efforts are contrived to stymie, to undermine the newcomer. But destiny is never trumped by the wiles of men. Scurrilous attacks have been levelled against many a great player in every sport. Lara became the target of an investigation regarding the damning allegation of match fixing which proved unsubstantiated. In the world of entertainment, business and technology, visionaries are praised but also maligned for their so called personality defects.

Many also succumb to fame.

It’s a tragic reality. It’s the Jekyll and Hyde fabric of

BRIAN LARA: An authorized biography by James Fuller stardom that touched young Lara. Pulled by the demands of the game, hounded by the media and besieged by endorsers, Lara whittled, serving notice of his early retirement after his highly successful 1994 season. Yet, his defenders were many, especially those who experienced first-hand his magnanimity, noting his establishment of a cancer foundation in his parents’ honour.

Lara encapsulated greatness with all its behooves and shortcomings.

It’s a paradox that splits opinions, creating die hard supporters and naysayers.

People are enthralled by over achievers but can be equally disdainful of undue braggadocio.

Despite all his accomplishments, Lara showed signs of cracking under pressure. With the walls closing in many speculated that the loss of his father, his very compass left him vulnerable. Calypso legend David Rudder offered his analysis: “Everyone in Trinidad and Tobago needs someone to not just look up to but to hold on to because it’s a small society. When he became the Brian Lara I

though uh-oh they are going to grab on to him now. It’s that extraordinary level of expectation and if you don’t handle it you can buckle.”

But the reality was that Lara’s stock rose beyond the shores of the Caribbean, adding an even greater burden on his psyche.

Despite his mediocre run at the helm of the once indomitable West Indians, his more human performances with the bat and his wrangling with the WICB, Lara’s footprints on the sport are forever etched.

More importantly, though, is that he departed from the game, resolute and august, and with little signs of outward capitulation. Very much indicative of the complexity that accompanies greatness.

F e e d b a c k : glenvilleashby@gmail.com/ Follow him on Twitter@glenvilleashby Lara: The unauthorized biography by James Fuller Publisher: Macmillan Publishers Ltd. w w w. m a c m i l l a n caribbean.com ISBN 978-0-230-71559-2 Available: amazon.com Rating: Highly recommended

Sunday September 08, 2013

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From a nurse to a preacher ...

From page 18 church and there were growing demands. I felt that I just could not cope with both-- I had to be working shifts, nights.”

He decided to resign from his initial pursuit in 1989 and stated that it was not an easy decision.

“The opportunity never provided itself fully for me to go back to it [nursing]. If I was called upon in a crisis situation to give my services, I still would do that, but I still cherish those years [in nursing].”

After resigning, he had a lot more time to administer

to the needs of the church for which he was responsible.

Daniels worked hard to build the FGF in New Amsterdam.

He pointed out that the denomination does not have headquarters or affiliations with overseas churches, since it is indigenous to Guyana, “but we have connections and a networking relationship with other ministries overseas, but they are not obligated to finance the work here.”

He began to officially represent the church in 2005 in Trinidad and other territories at conferences. In 2006, he attended another

event, a prayer Conference in Trinidad where he met Youths for Christ President Mr. Frank Porter, “a very, very gifted, Godly man.” He also met with another influential man of prayer, Pastor Neil Ricketts in Jamaica in 2007. He said he learnt much from Ricketts.

In 2008, he visited Brazil where he toured the country for a series of meetings with George Otis, a Christian researcher. Daniels says these individuals strengthened his own personal faith in God and propelled him into further action.

“The role of ministers in any country is critical. We try our best to be advocates for good and we work towards that. No nation is a perfect, but at the same time you have to work with people to advance that.

“I see ministers as persons who need to intervene in other problems of life...We are called to pastor a community, so we must feel for the community in such a way that we must want to do something.”

Today, the father of three daughters - Reshanna, Ronette and Abigale - is the Senior Pastor at the 200-

Delivering the feature address at the N/A Lions Club's 51st Installation Ceremony in June strong congregation Shalom Full Gospel Fellowship Church in New Amsterdam and also oversees other churches in Berbice.

A typical day is quite busy for him. It begins with family devotions and prayers. Having taken his wife to the N/A Stelling for transportation to the Rosignol Health Centre, he then prepares his schedule for meeting with people; writing sermons and preparing for meetings at church in the afternoon. In the evening, he returns to pick his wife up and prepares for church services and Bible Studies.

Pastor Daniels is also a part of the National leadership of the FGF in Guyana, so he is required to serve on the [Berbice] District Levels, overseeing over 15 churches in the Ancient County.

Daniels says he has no regrets about leaving nursing for the spiritual ministry.

“I see it as serving another aspect of humanity.

If I were to do it all over again, I don't think I would

change anything really. I left dealing with people who were physically wounded for dealing with people who were spiritually wounded.

Dealing with the latter is far, far more demanding.

“You could treat a person and send them home and see that wound heal and get better and they are back on their feet again, but when you deal with people, you are trying to change behaviour and attitudes and deal with issues--- it is much more demanding.”

His advice to fellow spiritual leaders: “See your call as very important and as not a call from man but a call from God. We are not involved in the ministry for financial gains but first of all to see lives changed...Every life that is changed means a better world, so I would encourage my fellow ministers to take the call as serious, and whatever they are doing, to remember that God is with them.

Be reminded that their labours are not in vain and eternity will prove this, so do the best that you can do.”

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Govt. is the best reference for TIP information

W

hile the international community is free to access information on Trafficking In Persons (TIP) in Guyana from various stakeholders, Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee believes that for international courtesy Government's views should be overarching and fundamental.

He made that assertion on Wednesday at a TIP Tr a i n i n g o f Tr a i n e r s workshop held at the Guyana International Conference Centre, which was attended by representatives of the international donor community including the United Nations Development Programme, and United States Embassy, Georgetown.

According to Rohee, because Government is a signatory to conventions and treaties in relation to TIP it is accountable to international organizations such as the United Nations, the Organization of American States and Commonwealth of Nations.

Rohee pointed to Guyana's adherence to treaties and conventions to which it has signed onto.

“And, were we not to be

Home Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee accountable to these treaties and conventions to which we are part then obviously the international community would have something to say about that,” he said.

Rohee stressed that Government does not underestimate or over estimate the extent to which human trafficking exists in Guyana. However, because Guyana is a democracy if someone wishes to exaggerate a matter he or she is free to do so, he added.

“But, there will be others that have another view and the question is whose views you take into consideration.

It would seem to me that the view of the government is always critical because it is

the government that signs conventions and treaties,” the Minister noted.

In June, the 2013 U.S. TIP Report released by the U.S. State Department of State, Guyana is recorded as both a source and destination for men, women and children being subjected to sex trafficking and forced labour. A continued enabling environment for human trafficking has landed Guyana on the Tier 2 Watch List.

Days after, Cabinet S e c r e t a r y D r. R o g e r Luncheon said Government believes that the United States Embassy in Georgetown is the source of inaccurate reports of TIP in Guyana that are reflected in the US State Department's 2013 TIP Report.

Apparently, Guyana's Ministerial Task Force on Trafficking in Persons (MTFTIP) had expressed deep concern that the 2013 State Department's Report on TIP in Guyana has not reviewed the country fairly.

“The Government of Guyana regrets that the US Embassy, though it requests every year responses of the Government of Guyana to a questionnaire on TIP, does not accurately reflect these

responses in its Annual Report…Consequently, the

Government of Guyana wishes to make it clear that

in the future it will not be (continued on page 55)

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TWO WEEKS ON…

Speaker still to write President Ramotar on the non-assented Bills While continued efforts made by this publication to contact Speaker of the National Assembly, Raphael Trotman, proved futile, it is understood that he is still to write the President on the four stalled Local Government Bills.

Two Fridays ago, Trotman confirmed his intention to write President Donald Ramotar concerning his non-assent to the four Local Government Bills that have been unanimously passed in the National Assembly. He said that he had to discuss his intentions with the Clerk of the National Assembly before taking action.

However, Kaieteur News understands that more than a week after that confirmation, Trotman is still to carry out the task.

The only development learnt of by this newspaper is that Trotman is now to attach the four Bills to his letter to the President.

So essentially, the Bills will go from the Speaker to the President, directly.

The constitution has provided the President with a 21-day period to assent to a Bill. The President has to act on or before those allotted

House Speaker, Raphael Trotman

President, Donald Ramotar

days have elapsed. He has the right to withhold his assent and return it to the National Assembly. If a Bill is not assented to, it remains ineffective.

The four Bills that currently remain ineffective are critical for the holding of Local Government elections.

Quite a few politicians on the opposition’s side have expressed the opinion that the government is stalling the movement to avoid “reform.”

The government of the day has been in power since 1992. Nineteen years after the last Local Government Elections was held in Guyana, the National

Assembly, on August 7, approved a suite of legislations to pave the way for a fresh round of elections.

The House approved the Fiscal Transfers Bill, the Municipal and District Councils (Amendment) Bill, the Local Government (Amendment) Bill and the Local Government Commission Bill.

This was after a 12-year period of attempting to reform the process.

The 21-day constitutional mandated for the President to take actions on these Bills have long elapsed. It is now the 38th day since the piece of legislation has been passed

in the National Assembly.

Word is that the Bills are still sitting in the office of the Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, for some form of accreditation, something that is not constitutionally prescribed.

It is still not clear why the Parliament administration sends Bills to the AG in light of the fact that it is not constitutionally required.

The argument regarding the power the AG has with regards to Bills having to pass through him for his “input” before it reaches the President is an old one.

The opposition had maintained that the AG is not mandated to “inspect” Bills after they were passed in the law making entity. However, Nandlall’s take is that he is merely following the actions of his predecessors and doing something that he said was the norm since the PNC era.

Yesterday, Nandlall said that he is overseas and is therefore not in a position to speak about the very Bills that are said to be in his care.

However the AG gave all assurance that he will provide an update once he arrives on local soil.

Relatives question ‘accidental’ death of BK worker Relatives of Lemuel Lynch, the 23-year-old man whose lifeless body was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation last evening following a freak accident, are seeking information on his death.

Lynch, a former employee of BK International from Lot 146 Back Street Stewartville, West Coast Demerara, reportedly drowned in a pond near the Haags Bosch dumpsite, Eccles East Bank Demerara around 14:00 hours, on Friday afternoon.

He was pronounced dead on arrival at Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). However according to initial reports, Lynch’s body was transported to GPHC by his workmates, who left before police investigators could conduct interviews to ascertain how he died.

As investigations continue, suspicions into Lynch’s death have heightened.

His aggrieved mother, Aretha Lynch, says that she is left to wonder what caused the sudden death of her only son.

She explained that her son left home around 6:30

Lemuel Lynch hours on Friday in the best of health but never returned.

“I want to know because no one told us anything tangible or substantial to (make us) understand what might have happened to my son,” the woman told Kaieteur news yesterday.

Lynch’s cousin, Marcia Bakker, said that news of his death came as a shock to the entire family.

“Someone called the house around 4 pm on Friday asked for Lemuel’s mother to come down to the Dumpsite at Eccles. The caller said that something serious had happened to him.

“She sent his father.

Another call subsequently came. This time the person

said the body is at the mortuary. That’s when his mother realized that he was dead. Nobody has said anything practical to us since.”

Bakker explained that Lynch’s family and friends are left to figure out the details of his death.

We have received a number of conflicting information. That’s only after we probed to get information; one person told us that Lemuel was warned not to go into the pond, which he and another worker were standing near.

“Workers told us that my cousin apparently drown because they had fished his body from the bottom of the pond. My cousin can’t swim; he won’t go into the water like that.”

Bakker said that she was also told that a co-worker who walks with the aid of crutch also helped in the search.

“Something ain’t adding up, we have received no word from officials of BK International; we can’t understand that. It would be decent if they would have at least contact the family and said something to us,” Bakker

added.

According to Bakker, while details remain s k e t c h y, p o l i c e h a v e questioned several persons, who were at the scene of the incident. Noone has been detained.

Lynch leaves to mourn his parents, his grandmother and three younger sisters.

Page 51

CJIA contractor advanced...

From page 11 repeat of the Amaila Falls hydro fiasco in which two pieces of legislation suffered defeat in the National Assembly, forcing the US developer to announce its pullout. That 165-megawatt project has been “killed” until another financier comes to the table.

Should the CJIA contractor be forced to pull out because of no monies, Guyana may very well have to compensate them for work done.

Earlier this year, CHEC had brought down a team to conduct critical soil tests.

They have already procured equipments and with at least 10 technical staff stationed in the country at any one time.

PENALTIES, HURDLES The airport official said that any penalties that Guyana will face may have to be decided at the arbitration level.

In addition to wrangling at the political level, the airport expansion has also been facing hurdles from another direction.

Several homes and shops located in the vicinity will have to be moved to make way for the extended runway and expansion. In February, Government said it counted 325 homes with about 60 of them in the critical areas.

The Ministry of Public Works said that talks are ongoing with these 60 homes. The residents, some of whom claim to be living there for over 30 years, are refusing house lots offered to them.

They say that they want more information on plans to compensate them.

This week, there will be meetings with the other group of residents.

Several shops located along the roadway leading to the current terminal are also slated to be removed.

The CJIA official said that the airport remains “very optimistic” about this project - there is too much to lose if it were to be cancelled. No airline would bring larger aircrafts if the terminal is inadequate to process their passengers in a timely manner.

“One of the main hallmarks of each airline is to process their flights and get the aircraft into the air in a t i m e l y m a n n e r. A t t h e moment we struggle to process passengers during the peak due to capacity constraint - CAL can easily verify this. It makes no sense extending the runway without having the terminal capacity to handle the additional passengers.

NO TALKS Yesterday, AFC’s Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan, when questioned about the Opposition’s backing of the project, said that there has been no word recently from Government on the issue.

“We would like to continue forward with the development of this country but the Government continues to behave like a majority despite being in minority. It can no longer be a situation of doing as we please. We have to find consensus. They have provided information which at best is sketchy.”

Under the contract, CHEC has 32 months to complete the project.

Government has also decided to keep the current terminal building and not tear it down as was indicated before.

Page 52

Kaieteur News

Sunday September 08, 2013

Caribbean Airline the worst and most incompetent airline

By Ralph Seeram It was the worst flight I ever made to Guyana in fact the worst I ever made, and I must have done more than a quarter million air miles in my time. It was so horrible that I wonder why I go through this torture with Caribbean Airlines. To add insult to my frustration I opened the airline’s magazine to be confronted with the caption “the best airline in the Caribbean”.

Personally I think the folks at CAL are confused.

They may be the only major airline in the Caribbean but certainly not the best.

My visit started with a three-hour ordeal at Orlando International Airport in Florida. Before I even get into the details of the trip, let me state that this was the most expensive trip I ever made.

The fares cost over 40 per cent more than I normally paid, and these tickets were booked about six to eight weeks before the trip. The word gouge comes to mind.

We were a party of six, four adults and my two grandkids— a nearly fouryear-old and a ten-month-old baby. We arrived the usual three hours before departure time of 5.20 pm.

I handed the six passports

to a pleasant young lady who began to process the tickets.

I sensed something was wrong when she called another clerk for assistance.

From that point it was downhill; I heard the word “conflict” used. From clerk number two the situation then escalated to another person.

So we are waiting, no explanation about what is the problem. After about 45 minutes we were asked to stand aside. “We are working on it”. Clerk number three summoned another person who it would appear was the manager; I demanded to know what was the problem.

She explained the computer was not printing the tickets or baggage claim tags. She gave it a “shot” and said that she had to call CAL headquarters in Trinidad and then disappeared in the back.

It is only so long that you can keep a little child in one place at the airport— baby getting irritable, one hour elapsed, two hours elapsed, still no answer to the problem.

“We have one thing as our focus, providing you with the best Caribbean experience every time”, the magazine boasted. We still have ten suitcases to check and five carry on cases plus a stroller for the baby.

At this point the station closed; every passenger was checked in except us, the counter was being cleared making way for use by another airline; all CAL logos were being removed. At this point I became very concerned and demanded to see the manager for an explanation.

She emerged from the “back” and said they are speaking to the programmers to see what the problem is and disappeared at the “back” again. Another clerk emerged, checked the entire luggage and said she will give me the baggage claim forms later.

Its now going on 5pm; the plane is scheduled to leave at 5.20. At this point I am thinking we cannot go on this flight; it’s too late. Besides we still have to do security check.

I inquired from one of the clerks who assisting us, if we would still make the flight.

She assured us that the flight will not leave without us, as they delayed the plane.

I expressed my concern about the carry on cases, and she promptly called the gate and asked them to keep space for our carry on. Meanwhile the clerk who checked our baggage said that she gave us our baggage claims tags, which she did not. We had an argument; she swore she gave me.

Finally near departure time the manager came up with the boarding passes, for the first leg Orlando to Jamaica; she said we will uplift the ones to Guyana at Jamaica. At this point I asked about the baggage claim tags, she said she has them. I told her the other clerk swore she gave them to me.

It’s about time for the flight to leave, we are still at the counter; the ticket counter clerk said she will escort us to the plane. When I saw the security lines I said no way, this will take at least an hour, but she bypassed us straight to the scanner, where

we spent a few minutes, and unto the plane.

As we moved down the aisle all eyes were on us, and I can guess what they are thinking; we delayed the plane because we came late.

As we were about seated another clerk rushed in and brought us the boarding passes for the rest of the trip.

I inquired whether the problem was solved and she said yes, “No more problems even for the return trip.”

Now it’s on to Jamaica; we are told that we do not have to disembark. But before the plane arrived in Jamaica we are informed, not only do we have to deplane but we have to go through Immigration and Customs and security again in Jamaica.

At Jamaica you literally walk a half mile maze to get back to the same gate you deplaned; not to mention there are two immigration clerks and one customs clerk to process the in transit passengers. If you think our problems were over, think again. They gave us a boarding pass short in Orlando, so they had to go over the manifest and do a hand written boarding pass.

But wait; now the seats are not together, now the family is scattered with three-yearold in a separate seat from the parents and grandparents.

I told the clerk that this was unacceptable, that our seats were booked together, that I am not going to have my grandson sitting by himself a few seats away.

They did some “shuffling’ and placed us three seats together and another two

seats together.

To make a long story short we had to disembark again in Trinidad and go through security again, arriving in Guyana after 2am.

You would think that is the end of the ordeal. A week later the family is back at the ticket counter at 4am for the return trip. The ticket clerk called another colleague and uttered the dreaded word “conflict”. Here we go again; problem was not solved. Her rude co-worker told her, “Tell dem to wait aside, we will look after dem later.”

My blood boiling I turned to her directly and said, “I am not moving aside, you will deal with this problem now, you will take care of this issue now, not later.” She saw I was determined, probably thought better of it and called someone who I assume was a senior employee. He did whatever he had to do and a little later the boarding passes were produced.

Suffice to say we had to go through security again in Trinidad and Immigration and Customs again in Jamaica.

Caribbean Airlines boasts it is the most experienced in the region, yet it cannot process tickets for a family of six. If this happened to us you my readers can imagine how many other travelers have been subjected to this horrendous ordeal.

I am making the four-hour trip to Miami next Easter with Surinam Airways. Bye Bye CAL, it was nice knowing you.

Ralph Seeram can be reached at email ralph365@hotmail.com.

Sunday September 08, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 53

Tamika Henry is Guyana’s youngest Forensic Analyst

By Kiana Wilburg From being described as the secluded nerd in high school to “bombshell beauty queen…and still nerd,” Tamika Affia Henry has made it implicitly clear that she is determined to make a difference in the lives of others.

Some of us, if not all, recognize this slimly built woman as being the articulate delegate that won Miss Guyana Universe 2010 or from the regular Digicel advertisements. But what is kept under cover, for very important reasons, is that this Guyana scholar is our country’s youngest and only analyst who specialises in Forensic studies.

Henry, who works along with local law enforcement officers, has three sisters and five brothers.

The Tucville-born damsel attended Tucville Primary school and was transferred to Stella Maris Primary School because her mother believed that she was not being challenged enough.

In 1999, she attended Queen’s College and wrote the Caribbean Secondary School Examinations in 2004.

She was to emerge as the top student of that year. “I wrote eleven subjects then and with these kids writing so many subjects now, my eleven sounds so…regular,” said Henry.

“My school life was very difficult, though, because I was very asthmatic. I remember being very ill. It was a very painful period of my life. I would get horrible migraines and nosebleeds.

Sometimes I would fall unconscious and wake up in a hospital, hours later. But thankfully I grew out of it, thanks to a lot of prayers and medication,” Henry said She moved on to sixth form at Queen’s College where she wrote her General Certificate Examination (GCE) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) and emerged as the top student for both exams.

The 26-year-old said, “I took a year off to work. I did not want to attend the University of Guyana for they were not doing anything that I wanted to do. However, I applied to different colleges abroad. As I awaited a response, I applied for my first job with the Human Rights Association. I had other jobs during that period.

I guess I bounced around a bit but all this was in an effort to save money for school.”

Of all studies, why forensics? “Since I was a child, I was always determined to know who broke what in our home. I knew I liked solving mysteries but I never knew the name for

Tamika at work such a study or career. I was on the internet on day and I found the name of the career and right there and then I realized that forensic studies was what I wanted to pursue.”

Moreover, Henry describes forensics to be a “mind blowing” field of study.

“It is thrilling to see that you can start with a small fragment of something and literally work backward and create an entire story.”

In 2007, she left for school again. This time she was heading to the University of Miami and though it was not her first choice, she said, “I have no regrets.”

“I graduated from the University of Miami in 2010 which is earlier than I should have but I did extra courses and also had my A’ levels transferred to University credits. I basically just wanted to get started with my work.”

Today, Henry has a Bachelors Degree in Health Science, with a major in Forensics and a minor in Chemistry and Criminology.

The Guyana scholar was also an Honour student at the University where she also completed a course in Public Management. The television host described her return to Guyana in May 2010, as bitter-sweet. “I was sad because I know I was getting

accustomed to a certain lifestyle and didn’t want to leave. I met some of the most amazing people as well. But, I was happy to return because I would be able to meet with my friends and family whom I have missed so much.”

Life, however, took quite a turn when Henry’s sister encouraged her to enter the Miss Guyana pageant. “A big part of my entering the pageant was due to my sister, Keisha, who believed that I had the all the ingredients of a perfect queen. After I applied, it became my personal goal.

The pageant was certainly an eye opening experience as it unlocked a different side of me which I am still learning about.”

Was Henry a different person before the pageant?

Definitely! “I mean if you saw me before; High heel shoes?

Never. Make up? Never, Eyebrows done? Never. None of that stuff. The pageant made me more girly. It made me care a lot more about myself physically and it has made me a lot more outgoing,’ explained the once “semiintrovert.”

But apart from the glitz and glam of pageantry, the queen noted that it was her best and worst kind of “wakeup-call.”

Tamika Henry in biology class at Queen’s College “While winning was great, when you examine the way the other countries prepared their girls, it makes you realize that we really don’t value our own. We don’t invest in them. And that was difficult for me to accept.” “There is no prepared portfolio after you win the Miss Guyana pageant. Honestly, you win

the pageant, you compete internationally and when you come back that is it. They cut you loose. So whatever you do is entirely of your own initiative. So when a queen disappears after the international appearance, it is not entirely her fault. There isn’t a programme prepared for her.”

Currently, Henry has

started a teaching class, which is basically a community project called the, “IQ Lessons,” founded by a childhood friend, Denisha Victor, and herself.

She said that while this may be a challenging task at times, the fact that you are making an irreversible difference in the lives of others is simply “priceless.”

Page 54

Kaieteur News

SERVICES Repairs, sales & spares air conditioning, microwaves, washer, fridges & stoves.

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Cam AM style bike 200cc new unregistered $325,000 cash- Call:621-4000 Dell laptops & desktops complete computers from $45,000 Futuretech call: 2312206 Daily Pork wholesaleCall:266-2711/609-4594

100 Watts Blitz amplifier and subwoofer- Call:622-0108

Original Games for PS3Call:625-6070

Excellent Gold land priced to sell owner leaving country, lucrative investmentCall:682-0365/614-1669

Massey, Yanmar Ford 5000 Logging/ Agriculture Tractors, parts, Loader & Ford Truck- Call:615-1578/ 694-3595: Tools & Chainsaw668-2831

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Exclusive designed Sarees blouse inclusive. Made in India. Price range between GY$6000- GY$7000- Call:2161210 or 648-8961

1 Cabin cruise boat (31 ft) 450LB nylon seine and engine (15 Yamaha)- Call:2593155/649-0045 German Shepherd pups. Tel: 619-6086/699-7077.

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1 Leyland DAF 60 single axle & dump- Call:216-1315/6136615 Toyota Altezza, PNN, tiptronic- Call:622-0108

Sunday September 08, 2013

NOTICE URGENTLY REQUIRED removal of 3 stands at the GCC Ground, BourdaCall:226-3130 for more information FOR SALE/RENT VEHICLE FOR SALE Cheapest- Premio, Spacio, Hilux, Stick Gear Buses- Call: 616-7635 Toyota Premio PRR series $2.2M- Call:642-3185 1 Toyota Marino: A/C, music, mag rims, alarm, press start etc. $650,000 negotiableCall:622-4700/223-6490

1 Leyland DAF single axle hauler truck with 40ft Trailer Call:683-0632 EuroLuxAutos: 2011 Mercedes Benz C250 AMG Sport from Germany. 8,000 miles, like new $11MCall:667-1051/604-7806 (1) JL150T-3 motorcycle new, recently crashed- Call:2232812/661-1717/645-6413

EuroLuxAutos: 2009 UK made Vauxhall Tigra 2 doors convertible, 12,000 miles $4M- Call:667-1051/604-7806

Leyland DAF 150-45 21ft tray length. GNN seriesCall:673-9996/255-0618 (first owner)

One Tractor Ford driven 600 HRS. Excellent condition price $3 million negotiable- contact Junior:261-5304/261-5030/ 665-4611

New RX8 (red) rotary 7 speed engine: new rims, tyres, music (kickers), lambo doors- Call:627-8786 1 Hilux pickup solid DEF, 2 ton winch, crash bar etc.

Call:644-5096/697-1453 2006 BMW 320i unregistered- Call:660-6799 2008 Toyota Premio- call: 615-4114 2- 2007 Toyota AvensisCall:698-0674 Female driven Honda CRV 2003: Leather seats, Tv/Nav Immaculate condition $3.1M - Call:622-4107 A.V.S Auto Sale: 2009 Ford F150 newly registered $6.6M negotiable, like brand newCall:688-9078/227-3728 1 Low Bed (hauler & trailer), 1 Freight Liner Hauler, 1-48ft trailer- Call:613-6979 Tractor from Canada: 285MF $2.5M, 265MF $2M, 165MF $1.8M, 135MF $1.3M, Ford Ranger pickup $1.5MCall:682-5230/628-9596

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Excellent condition $1.8MCall:667-1051 or 604-7806 One Mitsubishi canter.

Latest series, 15ft trayCall:254-0247/613-2150

One Nissan 4x4 4 doors pick up, excellent condition price $3 million negotiable- contact Junior:261-5304/261-5030/ 665-4611 1- Unregistered 2003 Toyota Tundra fully accessorized, step, crash bar, CD player, mag rims. Price $2.975MCall:601-0706/225-0024 1- New Model 212. First owner, PNN series. Excellent condition, alloy wheels, alarm. Price $1.5M negCall:601-0706/225-0024 BUY/SELL VEHICLES OR PROPERTY save time and money using photo ads www.gytrader.com- Call:6514300/670-4300 One Toyota Raum PKK series, A/C, remote start, excellent condition $1.275 Neg- Call:612-6693

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DRESSMAKING Enid’s dressmaking certificate classes from Elementary to advance: 66 Sixth St. Alberttown: 223-9106/6953876: sewing done here Classes in Designing and Sewing - Schoonord, W.B.DCall Sharmela (CanadianTrained) @ 626-2629 (Continued on page 56)

Sunday September 08, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 55

Page 56

Kaieteur News

VEHICLE FOR SALE

PROPERTY FOR SALE

1 Leyland GNN 2131 reconditioned $4M- Call:2591370/650-3447 Toyota extra cab pick-up (22 R engine) manual, (EFI) 4×4, (GPP series) price $2.5MContact Rocky 621-5902/2251400

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sale-

LAND FOR SALE House lot for sale: Friendship, Diamond EBD & drafting of house plans call: 223-0733, 223-0730, 692-8513

VACANCY Vacancy exists for driver, carpenter and porter. Apply at Alabama Trading G/Town Ferry Stelling

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1 Large 5 bedrooms house with Business @ DiamondCall:627-3902

Business land for sale Soesdyke Linden HighwayPlease Call:678-7355

Republic Park 2 storey 4 bedrooms, including masterCall:609-6516 One two storey concrete building & land 48 x 500ft @ La Jalousie Public Road, W.C.D- Call:269-0778 serious inquires only

400 acres land for sale in the Demerara River; suitable for agricultural- Call:622-7881/ 658-1426

Paradise, E.C.D: Concrete modern 2 bedrooms, front and rear verandah. Concrete fenced large lot- call:2252626/ 225-3068 Paradise, E.C.D: Concrete modern 2 storey, 4 bedrooms2 master. Concrete fenced large lot- call:225-2626/ 2253068

46 House lots residential area between Charles & Peter Sts. Parika, E.B.ECall:622-6971 Wa i a k a b r a , Linden Highway: 1,409’ x 403’ or 13.73 acres. Concrete house thereon. West of Highway- Call:619-4152

Haslington, E.C.D: Building ‘A’, concrete/ timber modern 2 storeys, 7 bedrooms, grilled & fenced. Building ‘B’, 3 apartments, fenced- call:2252626/ 225-3068 Two storey house, six bedrooms & two kitchen @ block ‘8’ Tushen, E.B.ECall:650-2982 2 Storey transported property at 311 Herstelling, E.C.D- Call Sonalall @ 718843-1691 or Datsy @231-2284

1 Jailing Scooter CF74 first owner- Call:268-3468/6667908 FOR RENT 30 Acres of land for farming or lumber yard or to do business at long creekCall:223-8229/672-5985 1 B a r b e r, S a l o n c h a i r n a i l station $5,000. LG space for office etc. $2,500- Call: 602-7960 Store front for rent or unit at 12 North Road- Call:680-1198

Transported corner lot 58’x30’ at Garnett and Republic streets, NewtownCall:601-6000

Bel-Air $28M, Cummings & Robb $75M, Bredia & Durban Streets $37MCall:600-0036 2369.664 Sq/ft of land @ Victoria village, E.C.DCall:225-2626/225-3068 32 Acres for sale, Lot 5 Content Mahaicony, E.C.D: US$175,000: Call:813-3194219: rpooran@ tampabay.rr.com

24 Hour East Coast Guyoil needs night pump attendants, salesgirl & office assistant- Call:663-1751/6842838 2 Receptionists, 1 Salesgirl & 1 Cashier. 4 CXC subjects required for cashier: Apply with application @ 27 Norton & Creen streetsCall:225-5501 One operator to work at Ice factory in Meadow Bank.

Training provided- Call:6429191 1 Maid – must be good in Indian cooking & experienced in housekeeping – Call:223-5451/227-4799 Cool Square Inn lot 30 Daisy street We s t Ruimveldt for security/ handyman, apply in person- Call:225-7407 Night Dispatcher for a Foreign Trucking Company: UG Graduate, 7 days a week 12 midnight to 8am. $120,000 monthly- Contact:673-5475/ 624-0001 Industrial Electrician, We l d e r s , F a b r i c a t o r s , Skilled Machinist & Tr a i n e e s : Te c h n i c a l Services Inc. 18-23 Eccles Industrial Site, E.B.D (1) Male Accounts Clerk.

Experience in preparing VAT, NIS & P.A.Y.E, must be computer literate- Call:6144358 for more info Cleaner/Janitor @ Shakoor’s Seafood- Call:233-2546 S e c r e t a r y, written application @ Shakoor’s Seafood 80 Industrial Site Eccles, E.B.D Sales Clerk, written application @ Perfume Dazzle 137 Regent Street

SALON Make Up Courses, Artist Trained & Certified in Trinidad. Call: 660-5257, 647-1773 Natural beauty salon & spa: Grove Market Street EBD tele:265-4138,652-5800 specialized in everything for women & children MAKE-UP For any occasion amazing transformations.

Lowest prices.

Appointments Call:647-1773

Sunday September 08, 2013

(From page 54)

WANTED Counter clerk- Call:629-4946 1 General domestic. Must be able to prepare vegetarian meals. Apply @ Alabama Trading G/Town Ferry stelling Stabroek 2 Carpenters with own tools & 2 mason with own toolsPlease call:265-3586 One sewing machine for upholstery - Call:643-8905 Male & female to work in Electronics store: Guyana Variety store & Nut Centre 38 Cummings street, Alberttown TV technician must be able to repair projection & regular TVs. Full time/ part time @ Cummings & MiddleCall:225-5239

Dish washer, apply to Shanta’s 225 Camp and New market street Georgetown CONTRACT CARS @ CITY TAXI SERVICE CALL: 660-1100 One live in & one live out babysitter from 12-8pm- Call: 225-6070 Workers to work on farm at Yarrowkabra- Call:265-3586 Urgently needed 1 plot of land to buy in DiamondCall:675-7292 One experienced person to look after layer birds in the Interior- Contact:666-6836 1 Cleaner must know to cook to work in snackette, age 2035- Call:647-7432/223-5798 Counter help @ Fast Food restaurant- Call:223-1719 Cleaner- Call:225-3234

EDUCATIONAL Lessons Classes: Phonics, Reading (A Beka System), Language & Mathematics (4-12 years) @ 197 Roxanne Burnham Gardens- Call: 6194355/218-2076 Institute of Academic Supremacy: Form 1-5 CXC adults/ lesson classes. CXC Maths, Engilsh, HSB & Business- Call:690-5008 I.A.E (Camp street): Forms 15, lessons & adult CXC classes: Maths, English, Business & ScienceCall:223-0604/683-5742 Wr i t i n g C X C M a t h s / English, Business subjects, Social-St/HSB, Biology. Jan/June, 2014.

Forms 1-2 inclusive- Call Mr. Lee 231-2076

Cashier: Apply to Marcos Trading, experience would be an asset. Address:11 North road LacytownCall:225-9445 Pump Attendant @ Shell Service Station Providence, E.B.D: Must be able to work shift (5am-3pm & 3pm-12pm)Tel:265-7305 1 Administrative Assistant: Experience with Word, Excel, QuickBooks & Typing. Send resume @ Unit#7, 162-163 Lamaha St C u m m i n g s b u rg , G / T. before 13/09/2013

WANTED Live in domestic & waitress, living accommodation free, salary $50,000 monthlyCall:610-5043

Experienced Dispatcher, contract cars & driversCall:613-0419/600-4066 Spaces to rent in La Grange, Vreed-En-Hoop, Tuschen & Diamond (for lessons).

Preferably by main roadCall:684-7403 Tutor needed at E.B.DCall:657-8732 Female for live in domestic duties, salary $55,000. Small family. Care taking duties.

Driver- Call:610-2978 Attractive live in waitressCall:327-0252/674-4665 One live-in or live out maidcall:668-3985/264-3355/6837936 Security Guard With Police Clearance For Night, Truck Driver And Sales Person With CarCall:231-8529 Workers wanted for wash bay, male & female- Call:6694676 Skilled carpenters. Must be able to work with limited supervision- Call:602-9469/ 615-7526

CAR RENTAL A i d a n ’s C a r R e n t a l & Pickup- Call: 645-7981/ 698-7807 Wings Car Rental- Call:6431131 Premio, vitz call: 679-7139

One live in domestic to work in Mahicony River. Serious inquiry- Call:225-6571 One Welder must know to do grill work- Call:613-3879 Attractive live in WaitressCall:228-5129

Sunday September 08, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 57

Ravi Dev Column

Growing up in a Hindu home, there was never any doubt about one’s attitude to acquiring wealth.

It was right up there as one of the four fundamental “drives” of life - sensuous desires (kaam), material wealth and social status (artha), which were, however, to be pursued within a righteous life (dharma), and if successful would lead to liberation from this cycle of birth and death (moksha).

Apart from the pandit expounding this lesson in various lectures in the Mandir or in any one of the several religious functions that dot the Hindu calendar, it was driven home every day right in the home.

The wealth was to be acquired through hard work and nothing was to deter one from this pursuit.

Raised by my maternal grandfather, (Nana) I grew up with the story of his father severely injuring a finger while clearing a rice “bed” (field) which adjoined the railway line.

The old man calmly walked up to the metal rail, placed his injured finger on

There are some things that cannot change and one of them is the future. For some time now, everyone who lived in rural Guyana kept out of the city because of the fear that they might be killed. The city was the crime capital. Now the hinterland is becoming the crime capital.

The government would not increase the number of policemen needed, but the people are fast getting to the point where they would

it, lopped off the hanging extremity, bandaged the stub and went back to work.

My grandfather was born in 1896 and was over sixty when I went to live with him at the age of six.

He was at the tail end of his job on the sugar plantation, working as a shovel man. He was proud of his “false” name “Steelrod”, earned from his reputation of never backing down in the cane fields even though he was not the biggest man around. He was proud too of being a Kurmi, an agricultural caste. I never knew him not to be at work - either in his home garden or on the land his father had acquired in lieu of his return trip to India.

Even though in middle age he had acquired a “timber grant” and operated a “saw pit”, he returned to farming.

He built his “high house” in the 1930s, long before Bookers established their housing schemes, and much of the lumber came from his saw pit.

I am amused at the hullabaloo being made nowadays about “child labour”. The philosophy I

imbibed was when it came to the family earning its way to whatever lifestyle it aspired; it was a matter of every manjack putting their shoulders to the wheel. And “man jack” included women and children.

I was famous for inventing schemes to avoid manual labour, but as I became an adult, I discovered the latent impressions had sunken deeply and I too was driven to work. In whatever field one found oneself.

My grandfather and his peers might have been forced to work on the plantation and sell their labour, but their dream was always to work for themselves.

When the Indians made their move from the cane and rice fields to the professions and business, most assumed it was to acquire status in the wider society.

But it had as much to do with being independent.

I’ve also heard a lot about the “risks” one undertakes to establish a business.

Perhaps naïvely, it was felt that hard work would overcome any barrier to success in any endeavour.

But it worked. All the

exact their own vengeance. ** Fires are back and another is about to break out in a crowded area. This one, like the others would be

contained, but not before it wreaks serious damage to the homeowner. ** Suddenly the roads are even more violent because drivers are short-tempered.

One particular collision would result from a driver forcing his way ahead of others in a line during rush hour.

On a congested harbour bridge this is not the wisest thing to do. The result would be shocking

businesses in my village (mostly retail outlets of one sort or another) had been established by individuals who had no prior experience or caste history.

When I was in New York (from 1972) and observed the Indo-Guyanese community establish itself in Richmond Hill by the late ‘70’s (an aunt of mine was one of the early ones to move there in 1977) again most of the new businesses owners had no prior experience.

Just the desire to earn an independent living through hard work - and of course to acquire wealth and status.

But the end of earning wealth and status was only one side of the coin of “artha”. The other side was

how to use them: one, first of all had the responsibility to improve the lot of one’s family and then that of the wider society, in ever widening circles. The ideal was that the best son was given to “dharma” to serve and work for its spread.

This, however, was one aspect of the Hindu view of life that has been profoundly altered by the total institution of the plantation system as indentured labourers passed through it.

The sundering of the immigrants from their closeknit village and caste bonds and the implicit prohibition of the extended family through the logee-lodging for singlefamilies, steered the immigrant to focus on individual

Ravi Dev

success. This process has been exacerbated in the subsequent years as the immigrants entered a society in which this orientation was the ideal.

Today, the neo-liberal ethos that has become hegemonic encourages the focus on individual success at the expense of the group and transmuted the urge for wealth and status into greed and power. We have to work to return to the centre.

Page 58

Kaieteur News

Sunday September 08, 2013

Bermuda’s youngest ever murderer jailed indefinitely HAMILTON, Bermuda (CMC) — A teenager who was just 15 at the time — and said to be the Bermuda’s youngest ever convicted murderer — has been jailed indefinitely by a Supreme Court judge for stabbing his 18-year-old friend to death.

Rashaun Codrington, now 17, has been imprisoned “at the court’s pleasure” for the murder of Malcolm Outerbridge.

Codrington must spend a minimum of seven years in jail before he is eligible to request parole. Described by prosecutor Carrington Mahoney as “the

youngest convicted murderer in the history of Bermuda”, Codrington was 15 years old and legally a child when he stabbed Outerbridge to death on October 28, 2011.

Following the attack on the old railway trail near his home, Codrington dragged his dying victim into nearby bushes. The court heard that an unknown person helped him try to conceal the crime.

“Malcolm Outerbridge was an exceptional young man, and a friend of yours,” Puisne Judge Stephen Hellman told him before sentencing.

“You murdered Malcolm

Outerbridge, and here you are - what a wicked, stupid and senseless act.”

Noting the “ferocity of the assault”, Justice Hellman said the victim had been stabbed 27 times, three of which were mortal injuries.

From the dock, Codrington rose to address the Outerbridge family, saying he was sorry for the pain he had caused them.

“If I could change what happened that day, I would,” he added, prompting the victim’s father to rise and demand why he had murdered his son.

PM wants Crime Results Quickly Although the Prime Minister delivered her first public mandate to newlyappointed National Security Minister Gary Griffith to “bring the crime down, and bring it down fast” yesterday, Griffith told the media there would be no new crime plan coming from him.

Instead, Griffith said he will be looking at all the recommendations from varying sectors of the society, including other political parties and nongovernmental organisations, and will work with the existing initiatives and programmes in place in the People’s Partnership’s latest drive to eradicate the crime problem.

“Anybody that feels they want to be part of this, we have to circle the wagons and understand who the criminal elements are,” Griffith said yesterday after he was sworn in by President Anthony Carmona at President’s House, St Ann’s. Griffith said former national security minister Emmanuel George had handed over the ministry

GARY: NO NEW PLAN

National Security Minister Gary Griffith

to him, having laid a good foundation, and he expects he will be able to achieve his mandate by building on this. ”I will just continue the process and we will continue,” he said.

Griffith said his main goal was to provide support and listen to the people who had ideas that could help reduce crime. ”We are not going to have anti-crime plans based on ideas and hope. It is going to be clinical and based on data and analysing the threat

assessments, upon which we will then be able to implement the anti-crime strategies.” Asked whether he will be presenting his own crime plan, Griffith said no. ”We already know what is required, what we need to go out and do now is to implement,” he said. He said it took much more than blimps and OPVs to prevent crime and he will also be looking more at the social issues. Griffith said he also did not intend to overstep his boundaries and would allow the law enforcement agencies, who he claimed were the “frontline,” to do their job.

Asked about the public distrust of law enforcement officers, Griffith said he will address the issue and if necessary weed out the rogue elements in the law enforcement services.

“I would put it as a contract between citizens of T&T and the law enforcement officers, where the citizens will say, ‘I will provide you with the information that you require, once you treat me with respect and you listen to me and you work for me,’ and the police will say, ‘I am here to work for you, but you need to give me that information and the trust that I require,’” he said.

Sunday September 08, 2013

Housing and You…

Kaieteur News

Page 59

Insurance to protect against the careless contractor

By Leonard Gildarie Over the past two years, I have written almost 50 articles on homeownership and its pitfalls in Guyana.

From proper budgeting, to applying for a mortgage to window shopping first, the topics have had one common thread…protecting yourself from spending too much and making sure that the arrangement with the contractor is free from possible problems.

However, while I have been warning and advising, the complaints have continued to pour in.

People have ended up spending more money than they had budgeted. In most cases the home is left stuck at a particular phase or something like tiling or the fence has to be sacrificed.

While one of the reasons has been cost overruns from a higher cost of building material, I do have a theory as to the main cause the process has become bitter for many. Our arrangement with the contractor, I would venture, is the main reason.

And I will be hated by some contractors for talking about a public secret that many of them want to keep from getting into the sunlight.

Anyone applying for a job will put on their best outfit, as part of the process of being interviewed and hired.

You will need to present evidence of qualifications and experience and even be required to submit testimonials from your last employer.

While experience and qualifications are critical, many places, including banks and other financial companies, insist on doing background checks on the applicant.

This is to ensure that you were not fired from your last job for stealing or convicted for a criminal offence. Some companies even call the former employer to question them.

Hiring a contractor is very important and like I wrote

Homeowners can take out a Contractors’ All Risk insurance policy that can protect them from poor quality work and in cases of injuries to workers before, should follow a similar process.

Check on his last job and the one before that. Did he complete it? Were there problems? How many homes did he build before?

I saw someone write recently that many “contractors”, working only a year or so as a help, suddenly decide that they have the experience to be recognised as qualified.

Imagine having a rookie construction worker building your home that you have saved and slaved for your entire life?

Or imagine going through the nail-biting process of applying for a mortgage, getting permission to build, quotations, sleepless nights fighting with your spouse over designs, the running back and forth, then handing it to a teenager with little experience to see it through.

This is tantamount to flushing good money down the toilet bowl. A homeowner has to carefully select the contractor. There are no shortcuts. The process I have outlined is tried and tested.

PROTECTION Another scam used by contractors is the offer of a low labour and workmanship price that you believe is a good bargain. You feel good

inside because you drove a hard deal. It may be a mistake, as I have learnt.

While building, I fell for this. My contractor had one more week of work left, but he had been drawing down payments every week. I paid him the Friday and he said that he would be back the next week to finish off. Halfway through the last week, he said he required a further $125,000.

I got mad. I took a mortgage and money was tight. Where was I going to find that amount? Sad to say, he picked up his tools, highly annoyed after my angry phone call to him. We ended up paying him - after a relative helped out - to complete his job.

He was sloppy with the job too.

Many contractors have done this. There are admittedly some decent ones.

But I can count the ones I know, on a few fingers.

New house lot owners, happy to be granted a piece of the Guyana dream, and anxious to start, simply do not take the time to think the project through. This is where the element of protection comes into focus.

INSURANCE I found out last week through one of the insurance companies, that there is a way to ensure that the contractor is responsible. It is called a

“Contractors’All Risks Policy”.

I am simply amazed, with the housing market booming the way it is, that none of the insurance companies have been aggressive in pushing this product and cashing in.

When a mortgage is granted, the banks demand that you take out a life insurance or fire insurance policy. This is to ensure that should you die or become incapacitated, the mortgage is covered. However, that is to cover the banks.

With the difficulties faced by new homeowners, I examined a few scenarios and found the Contractors’ All Risks is the best option for

protection. That is, until the country’s laws and enforcement are more in sync.

Even if a contract is signed between the homeowner and the contractor, the legal process for possible claims is a major, drawn-out headache.

By the time you get the money, presuming you win the case in court, a bag of cement may have reached $3,000. In all likelihood, the contractor will also have no assets in his name that you can seize.

Contractors’ All Risks is a policy that either the homeowner or the contractor can take out. It simply allows the homeowner to claim back for work badly done and that has to be fixed again. It can also protect the homeowner against lawsuits from possible accidents and injuries suffered by workers on site.

I would recommend (as further security for the contractor to be responsible) that as part of the agreement of him being hired, a Contractors’ All Risks policy be taken out. It is the best bet for possible problems.

I would also love to see

the insurance companies and the banks collaborate and push homeowners to have contractors take out the insurance as part of the mortgage process.

The benefits are plentiful.

No longer will contractors think that they have nothing to force them to pay if they foul up. The insurance premiums will be costly in the inception and there will be mechanisms in place to ensure that the homeowner and contractor do not collaborate to fleece the insurance companies.

One of the ways the insurance companies can make the policy more attractive is by awarding points to insured persons for no claims. The points could be converted into reduced premiums in future policies. A win-win for everyone.

I will be talking to the insurance companies in the coming days about the details.

In the meantime, stay safe on the roads, enjoy the weekend and continue to send your comments to gildarie@yahoo.com.

Page 60

Kaieteur News

Sunday September 08, 2013

‘Ugly Man’ throat GWI begins upgrading slit in Chic Chic brawl service countrywide As a result of a Chic Chic board fallout, 36-year-old Sheldon Smith, known as Ugly Man, is in a critical but stable condition in Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC)’s High Dependency Unit.

Smith was Medivaced from Mabaruma during the wee hours of yesterday morning after he sustained a slit throat.

Kaieteur News understands that Smith ‘holds’ the board and won a man the money he betted. However, later on in the game, the same man won a large sum and Smith refused to “pay up.”

A source told this newspaper “That is how Ugly Man stay and de police don’t do anything about it. Even when dem see he gamble dem does ignore he and when he rob people and they complain to the police de police does say dem wrong to gamble.

“But this man different; this man ain’t tek it so easy like de rest of people, he just decide to just slit Ugly Man throat and done.”

Kaieteur News understands that a man has been arrested for the assault; but that man, whose identity was not disclosed, is saying that he is innocent.

Aircraft engineer killed in car accident An aeronautical engineer was yesterday pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital after his motorcar slammed into a utility pole on the Crane Public Road yesterday morning.

The man was identified as 29year-old Asif Hussain of Independence Drive, La Grange.

The other two occupants are now patients at the Woodlands Hospital.

According to reports

around 3:00 hours the motorcar was proceeding north along the Crane Public Road turn when the driver of the vehicle lost control and collided with a utility pole.

Hussain was found in the passenger side of the vehicle while another person identified as Masood Khan and a third person were found in the damaged vehicle.

Kaieteur News understands that the driver of

Asif Hussain the vehicle is still to be ascertained by the police.

Calls to the dead man’s relatives were futile.

- 5000 new meters and service connection for Berbice customers Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) yesterday commenced the installation of 3000 water service meters, including service connection upgrades in Gay Park, Fort Canje and New Amsterdam, East Berbice.

In addition, customers from Johns Village to Port Mourant, East Berbice Corentyne will benefit from the installation of 2000 meters and service upgrades.

GWI said that these activities form part of the company’s overall metering programme, which according to Chief Executive Shaik Baksh, is pivotal to reducing the Company’s energy consumption.

“Low consumption by our customers will result in savings for GWI’s energy costs,” stated the Chief Executive. “Utilizing less water will also assist our customers in paying less for the service. Research has

shown that persons utilizing water for domestic purposes are conscious of their consumption patterns when a meter is installed; they use only what is necessary thereby contributing to the energy conservation drive.”

The Chief Executive further stated that GWI, through its Energy Manager, is implementing strategic initiatives to reduce energy usage throughout its operations. He said, however, that conservation by customers is vital to reducing the amount of electricity utilized to distribute water.

“We are appealing to all customers in receipt of new water meters to monitor their consumption so that their bills will reflect small charges,’ stated the Chief Executive, ‘water meters function well as conservation devices, however, if customers do not monitor their consumption and reduce wastage their

water service charges will reflect high usage patterns.”

In addition to the installation of meters, Berbice customers will also benefit from the upgrading of water service connections which will improve the overall level of service.

A localized Public Awareness Campaign will also be conducted by the utility to educate customers on the benefits of water service meters; this will include advisories and outreach initiatives in areas in which meter installations are currently being executed.

GWI customers with questions about their water service meters can contact GWI’s Customer Services Call Centre on 227-8701/03/04 or via the email address customercallcentre@gwi.gy.

Alternatively, customers can post queries via social media on www.facebook.com/ everydropcountsgy.

Innovative ‘Education Month’

Woman waits over six hours at N/A Hospital campaigns attracting much support only to be told no drugs available September is designated months and years to follow Parliament Buildings, and in A woman claims that she wasted over six hours at the New Amsterdam Hospital to be diagnosed with an allergy only to be told by the pharmacist that they had none of the prescribed drugs in stock.

Barbara Gangaram traveled from Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice, on Thursday with the hope of accessing a better standard of healthcare than if she had gone to the Fort Wellington Hospital in Region Five.

She stated that she visited the hospital shortly before 09:00hrs. “I collected a

number—61—and I told them that I got to wait on my turn.”

There were over 100 persons in line that day and according to reports, only two doctors were tending to patients at the clinic.

Gangaram also said that it seemed as if some persons were being called ahead of their numbers while others just appeared out of nowhere and were given medical attention. “So eventually, your number going back,” she said.

The security guards, she added, were controlling the line. By lunch time, she stated

that the line had only moved just under the halfway point.

More than 60 persons had to be seen in the afternoon session. “They [nurses and doctors] started to work back until after 13:30 hrs.” “The line just going so, so slow”, she complained.

Gangaram noted that persons became frustrated while some even left.

Someone she knew decided to leave the hospital due to the frustration and offered to give Gangaram her space, but the nurse who controlled the numbering system said, (Continued on page 61)

Education Month and as usual, a plethora of activities has been streamlined Regionwide to commemorate the month.

Primary among the activities are two innovate campaigns – “Give a Book” and “Drop Everything and Read” – which the Ministry is calling on all Guyanese to actively embrace as the celebration takes its course.

The move, according to the Education Ministry, is intended to emphasise the importance of reading.

And already some of the persons supporting the Ministry are President Donald Ramotar, Leader of the Opposition, David Granger; AFC Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan, representatives of the religious community, top performing students and even national cricketer, Ramnaresh Sarwan.

And according to Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, “We hope that their enthusiasm and commitment to supporting literacy in Guyana will inspire others to become partners with the ministry in further advancing literacy in Guyana.”

This move comes even as the Ministry seeks to ensure that each child is equipped with the requisite literacy skills to lead a better life.

Moreover, Ministry officials are hopeful that the sustained stimulated actions in the days,

will really get the nation enthusiastically reading again.

According to the Ministry tomorrow (September 9), the entire population is being invited to participate in the “Give a Book Campaign 2013.” This campaign, the Ministry in a statement explained, is being organized with the goal of raising awareness of the importance of reading, primarily among young people.

“The Ministry encourages all Guyanese throughout all 10 administrative regions to give a book to someone else and to persuade them to read.”

“Regardless of the age, content or format of the book, all are being asked to give a book to someone else so as to support the Ministry in encouraging reading and literacy nationwide,” the statement added.

The Ministry will be joining members of the private sector in the distribution of books on Monday. Added to this, the Ministry will be erecting tents in front of its main administrative offices in Brickdam, Stabroek, Georgetown, where there will distribution of free books.

Further, the Ministry will be using a mobile unit to distribute books around the country, and will be placing several tents around Georgetown - at the Staborek Market Square, outside of

the compound of the National Library - where persons can uplift one free book, compliments of the Ministry.

And it was in recognition of the fact that reading is fundamental to function in today’s society that the idea of the “Drop Everything and Read” campaign was crystallized. According to the Ministry reading is not only important because it develops the mind but it also exposes a person to new experiences that could prove to be very stimulating for the brain.

“Reading books provide the individual with the necessary repose from the rigors of everyday life and affects their health in positive ways. With that in mind, the Ministry urges all Guyanese to also participate in the “Drop Everything and Read” campaign which is to begin on Monday at 11:00h,” the statement adds.

The Ministry is therefore proposing that the entire Guyana “experiences a beautiful interlude on Monday…to stop whatever they are doing and read something for 15 minutes.”

Persons are encouraged to read something/anything at this designated time. The entire media corps, according to the Ministry, has promised to embrace the campaign in order to help make it a success. In this regard media houses responsible for (Continued on page 61)

Sunday September 08, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 61

Bandits shoot, rob Govt. is the best reference for...

Wakenaam resident Bandits escaped with an undisclosed sum of cash and other valuables at around 20:00 hrs last night after shooting Wakenaam resident Anand Danishore in his home.

According to reports, Danishore had just returned from a wedding when several armed men invaded his premises, located near the Wakenaam Ferry Stelling. They reportedly relieved the occupants of their valuables and

shot Danishore in the left arm. Residents said that the robbers several shots while fleeing the scene. Kaieteur News understands that some residents heard a speedboat moving off shortly after. The wounded man reportedly returned to the wedding house on a motorcycle and informed the guests that he had been shot. He was then taken to the Wakenaam Cottage Hospital.

From page 49 completing and returning questionnaires on Trafficking in Persons to the US authorities,” the MTFTIP said.

However, the US Embassy in Georgetown stands by the Department of State's 2013 TIP Report on Guyana. And, even without Government filling out the questionnaires the US will still include Guyana in its reports. According to the Embassy, the report draws heavily on information pro-

vided by the Government of Guyana, which has been comprehensively incorporated into the report.

“We also draw on other sources including Government officials, local and international NGO representatives, representatives of international organizations, journalists, academics, and trafficking survivors.

“The Department of State has credible sources to support every statement in the

Innovative ‘Education...

Sunday September 08, 2013 ARIES (MAR 21 - APR 19): Changes in your work routine will keep you occupied and active these next two weeks. New job directions could take you by surprise but you will gladly adapt to what is going to be a good move for you. ******************************* TAURUS (APR 20 - MAY 20): Creative efforts will flourish, these next two weeks when your imagination is working overtime. This will be an especially inspired and resourceful time as you work towards the fulfilment of a special aim. ******************************* GEMINI (MAY 21 - JUN 20): Within the family it will be hard to go wrong over the weeks ahead. Loved-ones value your advice and opinions. Rewards for all the past effort you’ve been putting into close relationships will soon become apparent, making your home-base more secure. ******************************* CANCER (JUN 21 - JUL 22): A burst of mental energy will send you whizzing through your normal routines.

Others are taken aback by your positive attitude. They will be further amazed at the way you cope with minor problems with almost careless ease. ******************************* LEO (JUL 23 - AUG 22): New financial outlets are likely to show themselves over the next two weeks. In fact, the summary of your stars as far as your money prospects are concerned is excellent.

Brighter trends will go a long way to release past tensions. ******************************* VIRGO (AUG 23 - SEP 22): You have unusually high hopes for the future and these are matched by those around you. A feeling of optimism pervades and your unwavering outlook is bound to bring positive results.

LIBRA (SEP 23 - OCT 22): You’re disinclined to fall in with other people’s suggestions now when you want to make up your own mind. Marshal all your thoughts into sorting out your personal priorities. Make the next two weeks a time when you focus your energies into worthwhile channels. ******************************* SCORPIO (OCT 23 NOV 21): Social issues will take more of your time over the weeks ahead and you might expect this to be a busy phase.

Fun, happiness and new opportunities will come through the favourable contacts you make. ******************************* SAGITTARIUS (NOV 22 - DEC 21): Your selfconfidence is strong and the next two weeks are perfect for focusing on personal and professional goals. Recent successes will have done wonders to your self-esteem and you are able to sail through the days with confidence and energy. ******************************* CAPRICORN (DEC 22 JAN 19): You can look forward to achieving a good deal thanks to an extra boost of energy. An adventurous spirit combined with your natural talent for organisation brings a definite change of mood now. ******************************* AQUARIUS (JAN 20 FEB 18): A feeling of satisfaction allows you to make firm financial decisions with a clear conscience. A friend could repay a loan you had almost forgotten about. ******************************* PISCES (FEB 19 - MAR 20): Joint ventures and combined operations will be the theme for the next two weeks. You always work well in a team especially if you feel emotionally as well as intellectually compatible with those alongside you.

From page 60 electronic media will be pausing their regular programming for 15 minutes to broadcast reading programmes.

Minister Manickchand, in expressing appreciation for the support noted, “We at the Ministry are happy to have the support of the media in assisting us in advancing our literacy drive.”

She has requested of the operators of television stations to interrupt their regular programming to show a variety of scrolling texts which viewers are encouraged to read for 15 minutes. And in the case of radio, a number of creative methods have been decided upon so as to significantly

highlight the importance of reading. In some instances it is expected that children will be reading a variety of texts while on air.

The Ministry is urging that all Guyanese even after the campaigns would have concluded, that they encourage and support each other as it relates to reading.

This move is being encouraged in the hope that individuals, particularly the young population, would become more confident in making independent choices in their reading materials.

According to the Ministry developing as a reader is linked to positive attitudes, experiences and skills.

Woman waits over six hours at N/A Hospital...

From page 60 “She can’t switch the number.” The woman saw the doctor at 14:40 hrs. The session lasted only a few minutes after which she was diagnosed with a skin allergy.

“The medication he prescribed was Claritin, but said that he doubted whether the dispensary had it.

“I spent the whole day there just to be told that they did not have.”

“I waited at this hospital to see the doctor and they can’t even get the

prescription at the dispensary-It is sickening-I spent the whole day at the hospital and wasted the whole day!”

Sources have revealed to this newspaper that unavailability of important drugs is a regular thing at many Berbice healthcare facilities.

Attempts to reach the CEO of New Amsterdam Hospital Mr. Alan Johnson and Medical Superintendent, Dr. V. Sharma, were unsuccessful.

Report,” the Embassy said.

According to Leader of the Opposition, Brig. David Granger, for a long time unfortunately Government pretended TIP was not a problem in Guyana. “Government set up its own Ministerial Task Force on Trafficking in Persons and it was quite prepared almost every year, to criticize the US State Report, which in fact had pointed to TIP being a problem in Guyana,” Granger said.

He stated that Government must signal to the police force and the wider society that it would no longer tolerate TIP and the longer it takes the problem would continue to linger.

According to Rohee, the fact that Government has established a Ministerial task force with representatives from the most important Ministries and the Director of Public Prosecutions' chamber to have oversight of TIP sends a strong signal of Government's commitment and dedication to fight TIP. Rohee said that had there not been such a task force a call would have been for one to be established. Fortunately the Government had the vision to establish such a task force, he noted.

(Keeran Singh)

Page 62

Kaieteur News

Sunday September 08, 2013

Sunday September 08, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 63

“Representations at the very highest levels of cricket – Hail Brian, Steve and Sachin!”

Brian Lara

Sachin Tendulkar

Steve Waugh

Lanka, before taking on the Indians and New Zealand later, must be feeling the massive efforts too, to produce continuously.

But they will all want to play against India, as those two Tests will have very special relevance, the short series certainly underwritten to crown the truly magnificent career of Mumbai and India’s Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. He, along with Trinidad & Tobago and West Indies Brian Charles Lara, and New South Wales and Australia’s Steve Rodger Waugh, have been the very best of class of batting contemporaries of the last twenty years!

“The Master” will play in

those two Tests even if he has to drive to the crease, making him the first, and probably only person to have played in 200 Test matches.

Never, I am nearly sure, will this happen again!

Junior Waugh’s first Test was Boxing Day’s Test, 1985, against India. By the time he was finished with the international game, in 2004, he had played 168 Tests and 325 ODI’s, for a total of nearly 18,500 runs. Waugh averaged a wonderful 51.06 in Tests and a surprisingly relatively poor 32.90 in ODI’s.

His best innings, for me, was his only double hundred, 200, against West Indies at Kingston in 1995.

“The Prince” was easily more stylish and flair-filled, and much more productive too.

Lara’s 131 Tests and 299 ODI’s, from debut Test in 1990, against Pakistan, to final ODI, in 2007, produced nearly 22500 runs. BL averaged an excellent 52.88 in Tests and a very acceptable 40.48 in ODI’s.

His best innings, for me, perhaps the best ever played in contemporary cricket, was his 153 no, against Australia, at Kensington Oval, Barbados in 1999. Now come the last few Test games of the third of that massive batting triangle!

For Sachin to have outlasted the other two is an achievement on its own, so ferocious has each been at making bowlers worldwide suffer severely for being

born at the best time for batsmen since the 1960’s.

Sachin’s returns have been astounding, absolutely unbelievable. In, so far, 198 Tests and a mind-boggling 463 ODI’s, he has scored an incredible nearly 34,500 runs, averaging a truly impressive 53.86 in Tests and a quite enterprising 44.83 in ODI’s . His best, for me, was also against Australia; 214 at Bangalore, in 2010.

All three innings, incidentally, were winning ones!

Just to think of those numbers alone, as a bowler, gives headaches. Also, mentioning their other first class runs, outside of Tests and ODI, could make eyes run bitter tears.

Already, we miss their presence!

None of these three players ever gave any impression that they were ever tired of playing the game, or even of batting, but simply decided, on their respective days of retirement, Lara at age 38, Waugh at age 39, soon Sachin at age 40, that they had had enough. Each could have played at least another five years! There will always be conjecture and heated arguments as to whom of the three was the best!

Overall, over the last two decades, it has been extremely difficult for anyone anywhere associated with cricket, to be objective, with Sachin perhaps always winning that

From page 67 horseracing nowadays and stated that much more could be achieved if persons are prepared to listen, be more serious and less selfish. He feels that things are still done in a haphazard way, with plenty of indiscipline and too much greed.

He expressed his disgust about the amount of doping of the horses and illegal betting and stated that persons should be charged for doping the animals, because its cruelty and the Society for the protection of animals should take note. He feels that a lot more needs to be done if the sport is to get back to the glory days of Durban Park and in line with other Caribbean countries.

He is in favour of racing to be done at one venue like in Trinidad which will help to control the sport. Another recommendation is for Guyana to have its own breeding stocks, in that way more persons can get involved in the sport. To import horses are very expensive, he asserted.

He said that a Stud Book with supporting records should be introduced with urgency, which is a necessary

prerequisite for affiliation to the Jockey Club of UK and other countries. “Without a stud book our horses cannot race out of Guyana.”

The horses should be checked by the Veterinarian on every race day and blood and Urine samples must be taken as a step towards the elimination of doping.

“No matter how much money is plugged into the game, if people are not interested in learning to do things properly then things will not get better,” he stated.

Crawford is still very disappointment with the Government in that the Horse Racing Legislation has not been passed as yet. He reemphasized, “For things to get better the government must come on board and work with the GHRA, they must give concessions and pass the legislation they cannot play this laid back game.”

He stated that he personally drafted the document and it was given to the minister of Culture Youth and Sports Dr. Frank Anthony a long time ago. The minister he noted had given a commitment to have it tabled

Colin E. H. Croft Players representing Republic of Trinidad & Tobago, and others who play in other associated teams too, at Champions League 2013, must be physically tired, considering all of the cricket that some of them have played already in the long 2013 cricket season.

Yet, there is much, much more cricket to come even before this very eventful year ends!

Already, due to a special country friendship between West Indies and India, having coinciding schedules, and a small misunderstanding in another cricketing friendship, West Indies will now play two Tests in India, ODI’s too, filling a gap that has been left when India and South Africa had a slight recent fall out.

West Indies Cricket Board must be smiling all the way to the bank, the coffers an almighty dark green, for it is known to all that any fray against India always brings in good dosh. Coming so soon after the highly successful Caribbean Premier League, this short tour can be seen as lovely icing on a wonderful 2013 cake!

Also, similarly, players from other Caribbean countries, who like those from T&T, participated in CPL, happening just after Champions Trophy, then playing against India, Pakistan and Sri

Colin E. H. Croft race maybe because of India’s massive population of more than a billion.

It really does not matter.

All three will always be great cricketers! Considering those three, the guys who play in Champions League 2013 should not be complaining about the work that they will have completed by the end of that competition, then being perhaps selected for West Indies to India, then going on later to New Zealand.

Professional players must do it when they can!

Former West Indies fast bowler Ian Bishop was always pragmatic about retirement, always reminding that “retirement can be a very long time.”Considering that the average human is living much longer nowadays than ever before, all we can hope is that Sachin, like Brian and Steve, has a wonderful retirement.

Enjoy!

in Parliament.

He is still disappointed that the Government is sitting on its hands in terms of passing the necessary legislations. Most countries spend money and have properly organised systems in place, but in Guyana is only talk and politics.

Mr. Crawford has some names of prominent independent individuals who can be a part of the GHRA including Bernard DeSantos, Vic Oudit and John Quail among others.

Former Chancellor of the Judiciary Cecil Kennard, who is the President of the GHRA, feels that things have improved since he has taken over but is quite cognizant of what has to be done and is prepared to listen and assist all the way until things are set right.

Kennard had stated that things are not to the level as it ought to be and people are still doing what they feel like, and cannot be penalised because there are no legislations.

Although there have been some move he too is disappointed with the pace that things are being unfolded.

New women’s football Horseracing entrepreneur, Senior... club set for grand launch Officials of the World governing football body, FIFA, have recently underlined the importance of women’s football and have initiated several programmes to enhance the fortunes of these lasses.

Local football administrators are determined to fulfil this mandate and following close on the heels of the just concluded women’s tournament under the auspices of the Slingerz FC and the National Association of Women’s Football, local football administrators will convene next Sunday, September 15, to launch a female football club at the African Cultural Development Association (ACDA) building, Thomas Road, Thomas Lands commencing at 15:00 hrs.

The idea for the club was conceptualized by coordinator of the annual Scotiabank/Pepsi School Football Academy, Lawrence Griffith, upon completion of that tournament. Griffith also said that following the embarrassing losses suffered

Lawrence Griffith by the national female U-17 squad at the just concluded Caribbean Football Union (CFU) championship, he realized that the lasses needed to enhance their performance as they were lacking in sound tactical and technical skills.

He decided that with the formation of the club the girls would benefit from tutoring by qualified and competent coaches.

Members will comprise of mostly females under the age

of 23 years but administrators have also indicated that older players interested in playing the sport will not be turned away.

Apart from the FIFA mandate, Mr Griffith said that he was a mite perturbed by the smattering of female clubs locally. He said that current efforts to have more female clubs installed will foster the necessary development thus promoting the sport in the distaff fraternity. He feels that an increase in the number of clubs will also witness an increase in female tournaments.

Griffith said that administrators are toying with several names for the club and a final decision will be taken at the meeting. The membership will also elect office bearers at the meeting while addressing several other important matters. The organizers have also indicated an intention to approach officials of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports to utilise their grounds for training purposes.

Page 64

Kaieteur News

I South American Youth Games

Swimmers quietly confident of holding their own - Coach Baksh

By Franklin Wilson Guyana is set to participate in seven (7) of seventeen (17) disciplines at the inaugural South American Youth Games slated for Lima, Peru later this month attracting athletes in the age range, 14 -17.

The Guyana Olympic Association (GOA), which will be in charge of all the athletes and officials numbering 30 persons, met with them and the parents of the athletes on Thursday last at Olympic House to brief them on what is expected of them as ambassadors of their country.

Swimming Coach, Sean Baksh sharing information on the preparations of the swimmers, noted that so far it’s been going well, “They’ve been training really hard conscious that they are coming up against the best athletes in their age group in South America.”

The swimmers are Hannibal Gaskin, who will compete in the 50m and 100m free, 50m and 100m butterfly; Onika George, who will be aiming for supremacy in the 50m and 100m Free, 50m and 100m backstroke; Omar Adams who will seek glory in the 50m, 100m and 200m free as well as the 50m butterfly.

Cuban Coach Isabel Cousa Fals, who along with Baksh, were also in charge of Guyana’s swimmers to the recently concluded Goodwill swimming Championships in Barbados has been assisting Baksh with the preparations of the team for Peru.

“The swimmers are optimistic and confident that

Sean Baksh

Linden Johnson

they will do well against their peers from the other countries. They’ve been focused and working hard, we’ve been putting in ten sessions each week but we are presently tapering that down.”

Baksh also stated that they have been holding a number of classroom sessions centered on getting the athletes psychologically prepared and ready for the challenges ahead.

“We’ve also been doing some land conditioning to get them in tip top shape and that’s been going well too; but we are now in the fine tuning stages.”

Both Gaskin and Adams were part of the Goodwill team with Gaskin claiming bronze in the 200free. We will give a good account of ourselves – Table Tennis Coach, Johnson Both Shemar Britton and Chelsea Edghill. who will compete in the Individual events and the “Multinational” Mixed Doubles will give a good account of themselves according to Table Tennis Coach, Linden Johnson. The experienced Johnson informed that the two players were overseas

are now back in their homeland and training session will resume at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall tomorrow (Monday) up until the time of departure for Peru which will be Tuesday September 17, 2013.

Britton and Edghill were participating in training camps in the USA, Britton returned yesterday.

“We will be focusing on the mental aspect a lot, as you know both players have been very active in the past couple of weeks so they are up there in terms of match practice.”

The talented players, Johnson notes, are not far away from their peers in the South American bloc, they are separated by just a few points and with that in mind, they can do very well.

Edghill recently competed at the Senior Caribbean Championships in St. Lucia where she won Gold in the women’s double teaming up with Trenace Lowe, Silver in the 21 years and under category and Silver in the team event.

Much will be expected from these junior athletes. !

Preparations advance for Bush Lot...

From page 66 Top of the Line, Marathon man, Got To Go, Silver Jet, Another Jet, Settling Jet, It’s my Day, Nobody wants me, It’s My Turn, Princess Alicia, I Want Revenge, Rosetta, Blame The Jockey, Rosanna, Mary Ann, Royal Empire, Captain Crook and Golden Key, Traditional man, Silent Lizzy, Treacle, Prince Bayaya, Sweet Return, Smarty Light, She So Special, Gold Rush, Miss Karina, De Gump, Savion, Monsoon and Bridal Stone Corner among others.

The Feature race will be for horses classified ‘C’ and with the animals set to cover a distance of one mile for a top first prize of $1.2M and trophy.

The horses classified E and lower one mile event will be for a top prize of $600,000 and trophy.

An encouraging $500,000 and trophy over six furlongs is available for the winner in the three Year old event for the Guyana and West Indies bred and born horses.

A similar $500,000 and trophy is available for the winner of the event for two year old Guyana and West Indies Bred horses over five furlongs. The race for horses classified G3 and lower will be a six furlongs affair with the animals running for a winning purse of $400,000 and trophy.

The ‘I’ and lower event is also over six furlongs for a winning purse of$200,000 and trophy.

The J and K class match up will see the winner pocketing $150,000 and trophy over six furlongs. Among the sponsors on board so far are Banks DIH Limited, Buddy Shivraj,

Jumbo Jet, Trophy Stall Bourda Market, Inshan Bacchus Business Enterprise, Lekeram ‘Buddy’ Sukhdeo, Mohammed ‘Nanko’ Shariff Business Enterprise, Phagoo General Store, Eron Lall Civil Engineering and Construction, Baijnauth Sawmilling, Darmin Chattergoon, Romell Jagroop construction, Premo Baldeo and Rohan Oudit construction among others.

The individual performers including top jockey, stable and trainer will be presented with trophies compliments of The Trophy Stall, Bourda Market and the organisers.

Interested persons can make enquiries with Coordinator and Treasurer Lakeram B. Sukhdeo on Number 232-0558 or 672-0810 or President R. Jagit (tel 2320231). Race time is 12:30 hrs.

(Samuel Whyte)

Sunday September 08, 2013

Peter Abdool set to retain presidential post as GBBC stages AGM Even as several professional boxers intensify training activities for an invasion into Jamaica to compete against their respective counterparts later this month, the executives of the Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC) will be holding their Annual General Meeting (AGM) in the conference room of the Civil Defence Commission, Thomas Road, Thomas lands, Sunday September 15 next.

Officials are tight lipped on the various positions but from all indications, the incumbent, Peter Abdool, seems set to retain the presidency after tireless but successful efforts to enhance the fortunes of local fighters during his tenure. Apart from his commendable works in the professional fraternity where he had launched the popular Guyana Fight Night boxing cards, Mr Abdool is also credited for developmental

Trevor Arno

Peter Abdool

initiatives within the amateur fraternity where at least eight boxers were allowed to participate on each of those cards. Mr Abdool also brokered a deal with furniture giants, Courts, where each of the amateurs received a large food hamper after participation on the cards.

Activities get underway at 10:00hrs where the executives will address several other concerns pertaining to boxing development as well as reports of activities during the past dispensation before the elections of office bearers commences.

2013 IPF World Masters Powerlifting C/ships

Stoby aiming to defend, Squat, Deadlift & overall titles; to raise $325,000

By Franklin Wilson Having destroyed all in his path in Killen, Texas last year to win the World Masters 74kg M2 Overall gold medal as well as gold in the Squat (255.0kg) and Deadlift, which is also a World Record (272.0kg), Winston ‘Little Master’ Stoby is focused on defending his titles at this year’s championships set for the Hyatt Regency Hotel – Orlando International Airport, Orlando, Florida, September 23 – 30, 2013.

Speaking with this newspapers, the soft spoken Stoby said that he is confident that he will be able to repeat and even better last year’s performance; training has been ongoing since July, four days per week under the watchful eyes of Trainer/ Coach Randolph ‘The Accomplisher’ Morgan.

Stoby is aiming to also win gold in the bench press having taken bronze last year to make a clean sweep of the category.

“Training has been going well under the guidance of Randolph Morgan and this move was necessary to get the extra edge with Morgan being experienced and is also one to push you to the limits in preparations and that’s what I need now.”

Stoby’s accomplishments as one of Guyana’s most decorated powerlifters is well documented, he has medaled at every level and despite

Winston ‘Little Master’ Stoby

Randolph Morgan – Trainer/Coach being an M2 athlete now, has been proving that age is truly just a number.

In order to get to Florida, Stoby is tasked with the responsibility of raising $325,000 Guyana dollars and disclosed that with the assistance of the President of the Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation (GAPF) Peter Green, they will be approaching some corporate entities for support.

Just recently, Guyana got their first Under-18 SubJunior World Champion in the

53kg class when Gumendra Shewdas took the overall gold at the World Juniors & Sub-Juniors Men’s Championships held in Killeen, Texas, USA, following in the footsteps of Stoby.

The Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport, which had sponsored Shewdas to attend, also held a luncheon in his honour where most of the other national athletes, Shewdas’ parents and members of the GAPF executive attended.

Sunday September 08, 2013

Kaieteur News

NBS 40-over cricket

GCC, Everest register wins as Lord bags 520, fifties for Pestano-Belle, Ali-Mohamed

By Sean Devers Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) and Everest registered victories yesterday in the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) NBS 40over second division competition resumed in the City.

At Bourda, the hosts led half-centuries from Martin Pestano-Belle and Renaldo Ali Mohamed reached 287-5 against Sophia, who responded with 132 in 26.1 overs despite a 70-run opening stand between Dwayne Peters (43)and Zalim Rasheed (22) as left-arm spinner Devon Lord snatched 5-20 from seven overs.

When GCC batted in sweltering heat on a slow track and sluggish outfield, Pestano thumped a stylish 78 with eight boundaries, while Ali-Mohamed, who was adjudged Most Valuable Player of this year’s Regional under-15 tournament, supported with an unbeaten 51 decorated with five fours and two sixes.

Alex Ramalho (27) and Elon Fernandes (23) also chipped in before Gavon Charles (37) put together 57 for the sixth wicket with AliMohamed before Charles was dismissed off the final ball of

Martin Pestano Belle

Renaldo Ali Mohamed

the innings.

Peters top-scored for Sophia while Ronaldo Hercules (25) and Rasheed offered token resistance in a losing effort for Sophia, who at one stage were 101-1 before 18-year-old Lord befuddled the batsmen with his spin as the last nine wickets tumbled for just 32 runs.

At Everest, the home team bundled out GDF for a paltry 79 in 24.2 overs and replied with 80-2 to win by eight wickets.

Paul Castello (13), Marcus Watkins (12), Maxwell Fraser (11) and Randy Lindore (10)

were the batsmen who got into double figures for the Solders as former National under-19 leg-spinner Troy Gonsalves captured 4-14 from seven overs.

He got support from Garfield DeRoche (3-8) and Raphael Singh (2-20) for the Camp Road team who were spearheaded to victory by Chris Pattindin who hit two fours and a six in 31 and Khemraj Ramden who made an undefeated 23. Castello took 2-16 in a tidy eight-over spell. The competition continues today with two more matches.

Novak Djokovic beats Wawrinka, to face Nadal in US Open final BBC Sport - World number one Novak Djokovic reached his fourth straight US Open final with a stunning five-set win over Stanislas Wawrinka in New York.

Djokovic came back from a set and a break down - as he had against the Swiss ninth seed at the Australian Open in January - to win 2-6 7-6 (74) 3-6 6-3 6-4.

The Serb, 26, will face Rafael Nadal who defeated Richard Gasquet, in tomorrow’s final. Nadal won the match in straight sets 6-4 7-6 (7-1) 6-2.

Djokovic has twice beaten Roger Federer in dramatic five-set US Open semi-finals, and on a hot afternoon at Flushing Meadows he once again ended Swiss hopes in thrilling style.

A brilliant match peaked with an incredible 21-minute game at 1-1 in the decider, which saw Wawrkina fight off

Novak Djokovic (Getty Images)

five break points and both men pause at one point to take the rapturous applause of 23,000 spectators on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Several hours earlier, the first set had been an absolute disaster for Djokovic as he was broken three times, made 14 unforced errors and won only 11% of the points on his second serve, doublefaulting at key moments.

Wawrinka, in contrast, was in full flow and Djokovic was given a code violation for receiving coaching from the stands after he fired a forehand long to drop serve in game five.

After four hours and nine minutes, Djokovic finally arrived at three match points and, after netting a forehand on the first, the 2011 champion fired an ace down the middle.

Western Tigers FC elects fresh executives Following the recent mass resignation of the executives of the Western Tigers Football Club, those affiliates will convene to elect fresh

office bearers at the club’s West Ruimveldt playfield, Sunday September 22 next.

Kaieteur Sport spoke with one of the players who said

that all systems are in place to have a smooth transition.

Members are asked to be at the venue at least half an hour before the start scheduled for 10:00hrs.

Page 65

Spinners, Junaid rout Zimbabwe ESPNcricinfo - The probability of Zimbabwe holding out for a draw was extinguished early on the final morning, not by the expected threat Saeed Ajmal, but by Junaid Khan and Abdur Rehman. On a wearing pitch with turn and uneven bounce, Zimbabwe’s batsmen were simply ill equipped to combat a situation where only longevity at the crease, and not runs, mattered.

Ajmal returned for a second spell late in the first session and cut through the tail, striking twice in an over to complete the fourth tenwicket haul of his Test career.

Pakistan took the nine wickets they needed during an extended session, and while they were always favourites to close out this contest, they might have expected Zimbabwe to be less feeble.

With the luxury of runs, Misbah-ul-Haq deployed his catchers: three slips and a gully for Junaid, and a slip, a leg gully, a forward short leg and a short midwicket for Ajmal. As Zimbabwe’s batsmen prodded tentatively off front foot and back, the cries from these men grew louder.

Junaid ensured Pakistan’s wait for success was brief. In his first over, he delivered one that angled into the righthander from round the wicket but the ball did not bounce as much as Hamilton Masakadza thought it would from short of a length. He held his wrists around waist height, playing no shot, and the ball crashed into the bat near the gloves and popped up to gully. In his next over, Junaid trapped Vusi Sibanda lbw with one that kept lower.

Zimbabwe were 19 for 3 before the coffee had cooled.

Zimbabwe’s batsmen had a torrid time against Junaid.

He sprinted in from round the wicket, targeting the stumps with the angle, and got several deliveries to beat the bat by straightening or seaming away from the righthanders. He did not take

Saeed Ajmal finished with 11 for 118, his second-best Test performance © AFP another wicket, though.

Malcolm Waller and Sikandar Raza had begun to stitch a partnership together when Misbah replaced Ajmal with Abdur Rehman in the first over after the drinks break.

Waller drove Rehman’s second ball to the straight boundary and then swept the third in the air and was caught at square leg.

Zimbabwe’s middle-order batsmen got starts and they played shots but they could not last. Raza, another relatively set batsman, was caught at short leg, giving Rehman his second wicket and reducing Zimbabwe to 58 for 5. Elton Chigumbura was Zimbabwe’s last significant line of defence, and he found the boundary occasionally through the sparsely populated outfield. His last four came by pushing hard at a flatter ball from Rehman and edging past first slip. Rehman bowled a similar delivery next

ball but slowed his pace, Chigumbura pushed forward again and this time the edge went straight to slip.

Ajmal’s twin strikes came just before the scheduled lunch break, which prompted the umpires to extend the session by 15 minutes. It was only a matter of time. Towards the end of that extension, Rehman darted a flat one into Tinashe Panyangara’s pads.

With Zimbabwe nine down, the umpires kept the players on for a little longer.

Ajmal had the final word, taking his 11th wicket to give Pakistan their first Test win since February 2012, and Dav Whatmore’s maiden victory as their coach.

Scores: Pakistan 249 (Azhar Ali 78, Misbah 53) and 419 for 9 dec (Younis 200*, Akmal 64) beat Zimbabwe 327 (Waller 70, Chigumbura 69, Raza 60, Ajmal 7-95) and 120 (Ajmal 4-23, Rehman 4-36) by 221 runs.

GMR&SC 2ND Race of Champions Meet

Jeffrey starts on pole today Kevin Jeffrey held off a stiff challenge to sit on pole for today’s Guyana Motor Racing & Sports Club (GMR&SC) 2ND ‘Race of Champions’ Meet which will be held at the South Dakota Circuit, starting from 09:00 hrs.

Jeffrey, fresh off a solid showing in the opening leg of the Caribbean Motor racing Championship Series which was held in Jamaica, continued in that same vein when he clocked 34.6 seconds to grab the top spot on the grid just

ahead of Canada-based Paul Vieira, who registered 34.7 seconds, while the minor positions were claimed by Irfaan Kalamadeen and Keith Evelyn according to unconfirmed reports.

A source speaking with Kaieteur Sport said that Andrew King’s Mazda RX7 suffered mechanical problems and the team was working feverishly to rectify the problem ahead of today’s races, while Mark Vieira failed to participate in the time

trials. No word was given on the other categories.

Meanwhile, 22 races are carded for the day in all the different categories and competitors are expected to take the Lap of Honour at 08:30 hrs, while competition starts from 09:00 hrs. It promises to be a day of thrills and skills and fans are being urged to make it to Guyana’s premier circuit racing facility to see some of the best exponents of the sport battle each other for supremacy.

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Preparations advance for Bush Lot United Turf Club one day meet Over 50 horses already entered in the $7M event With preparations gathering momentum for the annual Bush Lot United Turf Club (BLUTC) one day horserace meet in collaboration with the Inshan Bacchus Trucking Service and Jumbo Jet Jnr, over 50 horses have already taken entry for the meet which is slated for Sunday September 29 at the club’s entity, Sea View Park, Bush Lot, West Coast, Berbice.

With the BLUTC having

the reputation of organising top class meets and with reputable organisations such as Jumbo Jet and the Inshan Bacchus Business conglomerate, teaming up for the event, a grand day of racing is anticipated.

Seven races are listed on the day’s programme with over $7 M in cash and prizes up for grabs.

A number of the country’s top horses have already given an indication of taking

Reggae Boyz, Panama end goalless

part in the day’s action.

Among them are Elle’s Vision, Swing Easy, Donut Prince, Fresh Again, Country Armagh, Settle in Seattle, Grande De Roja, Zelick, Africanist, Joyful victory Who is on the Case, Force Entry, Ameera’s Joy, Unsettled, Cat Messiah, Charismatics Boy, Celebrating Love, City Tune, Fresh Again, Prospectors Pride, California Strike, Silent Night, (Continued on page 64)

Triple header to commence GFA playoffs The Georgetown Football Association in its quest to select the five teams to participate in the Guyana Football Federation Premier League, will today commence a playoff among six clubs for the remaining three slots after it was disclosed that Alpha United and the Guyana Defence Force have already been

Sunday September 08, 2013

nominated as two of the teams that will represent the Association in the League.

The playoffs which will feature Sunburst Camptown, Pele, Santos, BK Western Tigers, Riddim Squad and Fruta Conquerors kicks off with a triple header at the Tucville ground, starting at 16:00 hrs.

Jamaica Observer Jamaica’s Marlon King (#6) splits Panama’s defenders, captain Ramon Torres (#5), and Roberto Chen (partly hidden) during their CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying play-off game at the Rommel Fernandez Stadium in Panama City, Panama, Friday night.

Looking at left is Panama’s

Marcos Sanchez. The game ended 0-0.

Costa Rica now lead the hexagonal with 14 points after their 3-1 victory over the USA, who are now second on 13 points. Honduras, who silenced the famed Azteca with a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over hosts Mexico, soared to 10 points, followed

by Mexico on eight, Panama

on seven, and Jamaica still at the bottom on three points.

Three rounds of game remain, with the top three teams earning automatic berths to the FIFA World Cup Finals in Brazil next summer, and the fourth-placed team entering a home-and-away play-off series against the winner of the Oceania region for another shot at Brazil.

Olympics 2020: Tokyo wins race to host Games

Ministry sacks another contractor...

From page 69 the track is in Guyana and awaits the expertise of Germany-based, BSW Regupol.

“We wrote to Regupol to query when they will be here and they have indicated that they want to lay the track in dry season, so we are working with the Hydromet Office to ascertain when that is going to be,” he noted, adding that they have forwarded the information from the local Hydromet Office to BSW Regupol so that they will be properly guided.

The foundation of the northern VIP stand was visible yesterday as well as the asphalt base for the laying of the track. The perimeter fence is also completed as well as the entrance and exit queues

for the facility; Bermuda grass for the football field at centre is also sprouting.

Project Manager of Design and Construction Service Limited, which is the consultancy company overlooking the project, Patrick Pitt, rated the amount of works done at the facility at 70 percent; Pitt said that they are continuing to move apace in the second phase.

“The fence, asphalt base, overall works so far on the track is about 70% completed.

One of the complaints from contractors was the rain,” Pitt said, adding that Regopul is expected within the country within a month to lay the track, which will be usable thereafter.

Phase I of the project was

given a stipulated deadline of six months to be ready for the laying of the track. Courtney Been had won the award for Phase I after submitting a $124, 960, 227M bid last year.

Phase II, which comprise putting down the actual synthetic track was given to German company, BSW Regupol.

BSW Regupol had signed a $93,000,000M contract for Phase II of the Facility.

Regupol laid the track that was used at the World Championships in Berlin 2009. The company also laid the track at Mona Campus, University of West Indies and Jamaican National Stadium. The estimated cost to complete the entire facility in Guyana is US$5M.

BBC Sport - Tokyo has been chosen to host the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games ahead of Istanbul and Madrid.

The Japanese capital won a final round of voting by International Olympic Committee (IOC) members in Buenos Aires to beat Istanbul by 60-36 votes. Madrid had earlier been eliminated in a first-round ballot.

The announcement was met with jubilant scenes in Japan, as Tokyo prepares to host the event for the first time since 1964. When IOC president Jacques Rogge who will retire after 12 years in the role on Tuesday - announced the w i n n i n g city, the Tokyo delegation jumped to their feet in celebration and waved the

Japan flag.

A number of them were overcome with emotion and wept, after two years of intense lobbying.

“I would like to thank everyone in the Olympic movement and we will host a wonderful Olympic Games,” a delighted Prime Minster Shinzo Abe said.

Bid leader Tsunekazu Takeda added: “It is a great honour that Tokyo has been chosen. The first thing I will do when I return is to thank all of Japan.”

London mayor Boris Johnson sent “huge congratulations to Tokyo for winning the honour of hosting the greatest sporting spectacular on the planet”.

“I am sure that, like London, your great city will

put on an extraordinary event. This is a magical moment of celebration to savour before the years of hard work ahead.”

The decision means Tokyo will become the first Asian city to host the Games twice.

They had previously been awarded the event in 1940, but the Games were cancelled because of World War II. The success of the bid followed a personal address from the Japanese prime minister during the presentation stage, in which he allayed fears over the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant 150 miles (240km) from the city by saying: “It has never done, and will never do any damage to Tokyo.”

Mexico fire coach after World Cup loss to Honduras MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico coach Jose Manuel “Chepo” de la Torre was fired yesterday, a day after a painful loss to Honduras which dented their hopes of qualifying for next year’s World Cup. Justino Compean, president of the Mexican Football Federation, fired de la Torre and replaced him with Luis Fernando Tena, according to a statement on the federation’s website. Mexico suffered only their second ever World Cup qualifying

defeat in the Azteca Stadium with a 2-1 loss to Honduras on Friday. Mexico sit in fourth place in CONCACAF region standings, outside the automatic qualification slots.

De la Torre has been under fire since Mexico lost two of its three games in the Confederations Cup in June for an early exit.

Mexico then failed to defend the CONCACAF Gold Cup in the United States in July. Mexico had won the last two Cup tournaments but were upset by Panama.

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Sebastian Vettel heads Webber for Italian GP pole, with Hamilton 12th BBC Sport - Sebastian Vettel headed team-mate Mark Webber as Red Bull secured a one-two in qualifying at the Italian Grand Prix.

Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg took a surprise third as Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso could only manage fifth behind team-mate Felipe Massa.

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton finished back in 12th, just ahead of Lotus’s Kimi Raikkonen.

It was the first time in 67 races that Hamilton has not made it into the final part of qualifying.

Hamilton - who has been on pole for the last four races - ran wide out of the fast final Parabolica corner and bounced over the gravel on his first run in the second part of qualifying, but he blamed himself for the failure.

“I drove like an idiot,” Hamilton said. “It’s the worst I’ve driven for a long, long time. I’m just sorry for the team.”

Asked if Force India’s Adrian Sutil had impeded him at Parabolica on his final lap,

Hamilton said: “Yeah, but I should have done it on the previous lap. I just didn’t drive well.”

BBC F1 co-commentator David Coulthard said: “It’s great he is so open but I feel for Lewis when he is so hard on himself. He is a great driver and he has had a great start to his Mercedes career.”

BBC F1 technical analyst Gary Anderson added: “Sergio Perez qualified outside the top 10 [also in 12th] for Sauber last year and came through to second.

There is no reason for him to be so down on himself. Today is over. It’s about tomorrow now.”

Vettel’s pole was his fourth this season and his first since Canada in June. It came after a dominant performance throughout the weekend.

Hulkenberg put Sauber into the top 10 for the first time this season with a sensational performance and at the perfect time, as he is one of the drivers in the frame for a Ferrari drive next season.

Sauber team principal

Sebastian Vettel (Getty Images)

Monisha Kaltenborn said: “We couldn’t believe it ourselves. We were hoping to be a bit further up than P10 but this was a surprise, it was a fantastic lap and he did a great job.”

Hulkenberg said: “I dunno [where it came from] either.

It was a nice surprise. We didn’t expect that after a difficult Friday. The team worked really hard and the car just got better and better, and

Changes made ahead of Windies-A tour WICB Media ST. JOHN’S, Antigua – The West Indies Cricket Board announced on Friday that Ashley Nurse will replace fellow off-spinner Shane Shillingford in the West Indies A-Team for the three “Tests” on their tour of India, starting later this month.

Revised “Test” squad Kirk Edwards (captain) Kieran Powell (vicecaptain) Kraigg Brathwaite Jonathan Carter Sheldon Cottrell Miguel Cummins Narsingh Deonarine Assad Fudadin Jahmar Hamilton Delorn Johnson Leon Johnson Nikita Miller Ashley Nurse

Veerasammy Permaul Chadwick Walton The WICB also announced the Team Management Unit for the trip which includes Head Coach Junior Bennett, Assistant Coach Stuart Williams, the former West Indies opener, and Lockhart Sebastien, the former Windward Islands batsman. All three were part of the TMU for the A-Team home series against Sri LankaA in June.

Team management unit Junior Bennett (Head Coach) Stuart Williams (Assistant Coach) Lockhart Sebastien (Manager) David Bernard Sr (Fitness & Conditioning Coordinator)

Beverley Nelson (Physiotherapist) Dexter Augustus (Video Analyst) At the same time, the WICB has been advised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India of a number of changes to the dates and venues for the series.

The three One-day matches, as w e l l a s t h e single Twenty20 will all be contested at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru and will all be played a day earlier than previously scheduled.

The three “Tests” will now be contested at Gangotri Glades in Mysore, the JNNCE Ground in Shimoga and the KSCA Ground in Hubli, with the first two starting a day earlier.

it was the right decision to just go for one timed lap.”

Ferrari had attempted to get Alonso on to the front row by running Massa ahead of the Spaniard on all his qualifying laps in order to try to provide a ‘tow’ - a boost of straight-line speed because of reduced drag.

But starting his final lap Alonso, who had been second to Vettel in the second part of qualifying, complained over the radio that “Felipe is too far ahead”.

He then appears to have criticised Ferrari over the team radio. Italian newspaper Gazzetta Dello Sport report

that he said: “You’re really idiots. Mamma mia, guys.”

However, the paper also notes the similarity between the words for “genius” and “idiot” in Italian, and notes that some people heard him say “geniuses”, presumably ironically.

Despite that, two thirds of the way around his final lap Alonso was only fractionally slower than Vettel’s benchmark time from the German’s first run, but then seemed to lose out in the last sector and Massa was able to sneak ahead of him.

Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg took sixth ahead of Toro Rosso’s Daniel Ricciardo, with the McLarens of Sergio Perez and Jenson Button eighth and ninth and the second Toro Rosso of Jean-Eric Vergne 10th.

Sutil was later given a three-place penalty for impeding Hamilton, dropping him to 17th and moving teammate Paul Di Resta up to 15th.

Horseracing entrepreneur, Senior Counsel Marcel Crawford knocks GHRA

By Samuel Whyte

Like most activities in Guyana, the sport of Horseracing, although seemingly on the rise has its fair share of problems and after much bantering, speculations, back and forth and many promises, horseracing in Guyana still has a long way to go. The relevant authorities have some way to go to bring the sport in line with how it should be administered as in other countries.

Senior Counsel and horserace magnate, Marcel Crawford, in a candid interview with Kaieteur Sport, expressed his frustration with how things are done at the moment. Coupled with the recent observation made by a group of visiting Trinidad Horse Racing officials, only serves to reemphasize that like in most sports in Guyana, the development of horseracing has a long way to go.

Crawford, a veteran horseracing entrepreneur, stated that it is a good thing to have a functioning authority, but first it must be legalised. He stated that the authority should try to do things the correct way and first become a legal entity.

Crawford feels that there is need for a proper constituted GHRA which

Senior Counsel Marcel Crawford should lay down rules and stick to them stringently.

Guyana he said should also have its own rules and not use other countries rules. He stated that the rules can be in line or patterned after other countries especially in the Caribbean. He said that there are certain pre-requisite that has to be in place before a proper functioning body is established. Rules he opined are made to control certain situations and only Guyana knows Guyana’s situation.

He said that the head of the Authority should not be involved in the sport- they should not own any racehorse, should not be involved in the training of horses nor should they have any stable or horses in their yard or compound. That

person should be independent as far as possible. The GHRA right now is not legal and cannot discipline anybody. The necessary legislations must be in place.

The Jockeys, owners and trainers should all be properly registered and licenced and be in an association, which should be affiliated to the GHRA before they should be allowed to participate in race meets sanctioned by the body. All the track clubs should also be affiliated to the GHRA. Crawford stated that at the moment there are no Turf Clubs in Guyana, because a turf club must be administered by certain rules and regulations, which Guyana doesn’t have. The tracks should always be in order, if that is not so the horses will not give of their best, because the horses are sensible and are like people, he reasoned.

Crawford, also a prominent lawyer and the only Senior Counsel in Berbice, knows the game inside out having been around for a very long time and having been born into horseracing. Presently he is the Legal Advisor to the GHRA. In recent interviews Crawford had opined that he is still very disappointed with what passes as (Continued on page 63)

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Sunday September 08, 2013

A tribute to the trailblazers

Looking back at the West Indies first (B) team tour 1981 to Zimbabwe

Statistician Charwayne Walker takes a look back at the West Indies B team tour back in 1981. That was the first implementation of the system of ‘blooding’ younger players by the region’s cricket administrators, many of whom did well for the senior team later.

Zimbabwe played host to the first West Indies (B) team tour 1981. The Region’s test reserves were led by Guyanese Faoud Bacchus. Today Kaieteur Sports looks back at matches between the host and the historic West Indies (B) team.

50 Overs Match at Mutare October 21- Zimbabwe vs West Indies (B); West Indies (B) won by 118 runs.

West Indies (B) 283 All Out in 50 Overs; Desmond Haynes 122 run out, Timur Mohamed 44, Hartley Alleyne 23. Bowling for Zimbabwe Curran 3 for 56, Jarvis

Malcolm Marshall

Faoud Bacchus

Desmond Haynes

3 for 40, Dudhia 2 for 51.

Zimbabwe in reply 165All out 48 overs: G.M. Scott 44, J.A. Meyers 31, Andy Pycroft 30.

Bowling for West Indies (B): Malcolm Marshall took 3 for 11 from 8 Overs, Timur Mohamed 4 for 13 from 4 overs including a hat-trick (K.M. Curran LBW, M.

Dudhia bowled and M.P Jarvis bowled). Please note this feat

by Timur Mohamed is probably unmatched by a Guyanese in list A matches.

50 overs match October 18 at Bulawayo - Zimbabwe won by 53 runs Zimbabwe 227 for 5 in 50 overs. Duncan Fletcher 54, JG

Herron 44, GC Wallace not out 40 and TW Dunk 33. Bowling for West Indies (B): Wayne Daniel 2 for 39 from 10 overs, Desmond Haynes 1 for 44 and Marlon Tucker 1 for 42.

West Indies (B) in reply 174 All out in 42.2 overs. Faoud Bacchus 48, Desmond

Bridge Company donates trousers to Blairmont Masjid cricket team

Mrs. Bibi F. Alli, Administrative Assistant, BBCI handing the track pants to the Blairmont Sunatul Masjid’s cricket team On September 5, 2013.

The Berbice Bridge Company Inc. (BBCI) donated fifteen trousers recently to the members of the Blairmont Sunatul Masjid Cricket Team on the West Bank of Berbice. This is part of the company’s Youth Movement Activity.

According to Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company, Mr. Omadatt Samaroo, the BBCI received a letter dated June 03, 2013 from the Masjid requesting a donation and the company responded.

“After verifying the information submitted and further communications between BBCI and the Blairmont Sunatul Masjid, the Company then decided to come on board and as agreed donated fifteen (15) trousers”,

he said.

The Company, he added, was privileged to have the opportunity to make a donation towards the Blairmont Sunatul Masjid.

“The company decided to come on board mainly due to the fact that the Masjid has started a Youth Movement programme dedicated to have youths off the streets and inculcate religion in their everyday activities.

The Cricket Team, which is a part of the Youth Movement, will create a pastime for youths thereby keeping them away from drugs, crime and other illicit activities.”

Samaroo stated, too, that the Berbice Bridge Company Inc. (BBCI) not only plays the

role of collecting tolls and facilitating vehicles crossing the Berbice River Bridge and vessels transiting through the Retractor opening and under the High Span but also, discharges its corporate responsibilities and more importantly, played an integral part in the development of education, sports, supported national events and made donations to charitable and non– charitable organizations in close proximity of the Bridge or in Region 5 and 6. The Company had also sponsored events in other counties and as far as the hinterland.

“In the past the Company has sponsored many events that benefited the

communities both on the eastern and western sides of the Berbice River Bridge.

Now, for the year 2013 the Company has so far received 63 Public Relation requests and managed to approve 56 of these requests comprising of sponsorships of Mashramani 2013 Events, sponsorship of horse racing events, donations of trophies to various Non – profit and Educational Institutions, facilitated tours of various schools and waivered toll charges for tour buses, sponsored cricket tournaments, made donations towards Region’s 5 Cricket tournament and religious organizations together with others too numerous to mention.” (Leon Suseran)

Haynes 45 and Mark Neita 29.

Bowling for Zimbabwe: D.H. Streak took 4 for 45 from 8.3 overs, V.R. Hogg 3 for 43 from 10 overs.

50 overs match October 25 at Salisbury - West Indies (B) won by 125 runs.

West Indies (B) 231 for 7 off 50 overs Augustine Logie 73, Mark Neita 46, Hartley Alleyne 27, Desmond Haynes 23, Jeffrey Dujon 20. Bowling for Zimbabwe: Kevin Curran 2 for 44. Zimbabwe in reply 105All out in 33.1 overs. Bowling for West Indies (B): Winston David 2 for 16 from 6 overs, Malcolm Marshall 2 for 23 from 10 overs, Marlon Tucker 2 for 16 from 4 overs.

40 overs match at Harare Sports Club October 7 Zimbabwe Country Districts vs West Indies (B). West Indies (B) won by seven wickets.

Zimbabwe Country Districts 132 for 6 off 40 overs. G.A. Paterson 31, R. D. Brown 23, R.M. Ervine 23; Bowling for West Indies (B); Hartley Alleyne 2 for 19 from 8 overs, Everton Mattis 2 for 24 8 overs.

West Indies (B) in reply - 134 for 3 off 36.5 overs; Everton Mattis 55 not out, Faoud Bacchus 31, Augustine Logie 29 not out.

50 overs match October 11 at Salisbury Sports Club - West Indies (B) won by 3 wickets.

Zimbabwe 183 for 6 off 50 overs Andy Pycroft 63, G.A. Patterson 39, GC Wallace 22. Bowling for West Indies (B) Wayne Daniel took 2 for 26 from 10 overs, Everton Mattis 2 for 46 from 10 overs. West Indies (B) in reply 189 for 7 46.5 overs Fauod Bacchus 51, Everton Mattis 32, Augustine Logie 31, Ignatius Caddette 31 Not out.

Three day match October 23, 24, 25 at Salisbury Sports Club match drawn. Zimbabwe 194All out in 62.4 overs. Andy Pycroft 94 run out, Kevin Curran 24, Dave Houghton 23. Bowling for West Indies (B) Malcolm Marshall 4 for 39 off 16.4 overs, Winston David 3 for 27 off 11 overs. West Indies (B) first innings 214All out - Timur Mohamed 59, Desmond Haynes 35, Wayne Daniel 24, Faoud Bacchus 23 not out.

Bowling for Zimbabwe V.R. Hogg 3 for 68, Kevin Curran 2 for 21 Duncan Fletcher 2 for 26, R.H. Kaschula 2 for 53.

Zimbabwe second innings 255 for 5 declared off 81 overs: Andy Pycroft 59, Dave Houghton 45, G.A Patterson not out 43, GC Wallace not out 35.

Bowling for West Indies (B) Wayne Daniel 4 for 38, Winston Davis 1 for 24. West Indies (B)

chasing a victory target of 236 finished 116 for 2 from 25 overs; Timur Mohamed 54, Desmond Haynes 40.

50 overs match at Gwelo October 14 - West Indies (B) won by 97 Runs. West Indies (B) 270 for 4 in 50 overs, Desmond Haynes 89, Everton Mattis 78, Timur Mohamed 59 Not out; bowling for Zimbabwe M.P Jarvis 2 for 62.

Zimbabwe in Reply 173 for 7 in 50 overs. GC Wallace 48, JG Heron 35, SA Kuhn 35 not out. Bowling for West Indies (B): Desmond Haynes 3 for 30 from 10 overs.

Four day match October 9th -12 Harare Sports Club: West Indies (B) won by 7 Wickets.

Zimbabwe First Innings 163 all out; Andy Pycroft 61.

West Indies (B) first Innings 302 all out; Everton Mattis 106. Zimbabwe Second Innings 201 all out; Dave Houghton 87. Bowling for West Indies (B) Marlon Tucker 5 for 50. West Indies (B) chasing a Victory target of 63, lost three wickets.

Four day match 16th to 19th at Harare Sports Clubmatch drawn. West Indies (B) First Innings 215 All out Augustine Logie 29. Bowling for Zimbabwe; Hogg took 4 for 33. Zimbabwe first innings 279 all out R.D. Brown 102.

Bowling for West Indies (B) Harold Joseph took 4 for 69.

West Indies (B) Second Innings 318 - Malcolm Marshall 109; Kaschula took 4 for116 for Zimbabwe.

The Historic West Indies (B) team to Zimbabwe 1981: Faoud Bacchus - Captain Guyana Timur Mohamed - Guyana Desmond Haynes Barbados Hartley Alleyne - Barbados Malcolm Marshall Barbados Wayne Daniel Barbados Augustine Logie - Trinidad Harold Joseph - Trinidad Everton Mattis - Jamaica Jeffrey Dujon - Jamaica Marlon Tucker - Jamaica Mart Neita - Jamaica Winston Davis Windwards Ignatius Caddette Windwards Please note Barbadian Ezra Moseley was named in the original squad but withdrew because of injury.

He was replaced by Wayne Daniel. Several members of that team went on to represent the West Indies with distinction.

Sunday September 08, 2013

Kaieteur News

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B Division Police adopt community playground in Angoy’s Avenue Community Commander Hicken leads from in front in police outreach and sports programme Commander Clifton Hicken(centre) chats with residents of Angoy’s Avenue recently.

Commander of ‘B’ Division Senior Superintendent Clifton Hicken is leading from in front as the Police of the division take a different approach in their community

outreach programme. This unprecedented move is especially geared to tackle crime head on and improve the lot of the residents of especially depressed communities.

The police are moving into the depressed communities to tackle crime and other social ills by engaging the residents and finding activities for them in an effort of making the areas

safer and create interaction and trust between them and the residents.

The Commander led a team into Angoy’s Avenue on the outskirts of New Amsterdam, which is considered depressed.

The commander recently met with members of the community and noted that among the plans is a joint project between the police and the community to develop the community playfield to aid outdoor activities for the youths in the area.

The ground is in a deplorable state and the police will work in tandem with members of the community to fix it. The venue, the commander said, will become one of the main recreational centers in the town. Hicken promised residents that the police will play an active role in all the development activities in the

area. He said that the police will provide whatever resources it has at its disposal in trying to enhance the lot of the community.

Among some of the plans the police have outlined is a village expo which will allow residents to showcase some of their skills.

Numerous sports programmes are also scheduled and the revitalizing of the Angoy’s Avenue Scouts Group.

Hicken stated that the police are bent on doing whatever is possible to reverse the stigma of the area being a crime prone one.

“The people in the community have been suffering a lot due to past happenings and the stigma attached. So we have taken the initiative to form a partnership to work together to improve the lot of the residents of this area,” the Commander said.

The Commander, who is also a part of the committee put in place to oversee the enhancement of the ground, stated - the Community Police in the area will be more visible and available.

He further informed, “Those who live in here will remain in here and will have to be walking the road. Police on motorbikes will visit the area on a regular basis and the patrol will make more checks in this area.”

Several residents who were at the meeting, which was held in front of the community ground, expressed satisfaction with the plans. The commander called on residents to cooperate with the police and not to be afraid, because the police are their friends and together they can work to make the place a success story.

(Samuel Whyte)

Ministry sacks another contractor from Synthetic Track project

By Edison Jefford Following last year’s

sacking of a construction company that was

The foundation of the northern VIP stand currently under construction with the asphalt base of the Synthetic Track and Field Facility in the background at Leonora. responsibly for the erection of the perimeter fence at the Synthetic Track and Field Facility, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports was forced to sack another firm for failing to complete works within stipulated deadlines.

Deputy Permanent Secretary within Ministry, Steve Ninvalle, told the media yesterday that they were forced to terminate the contract of Pioneer Construction Company for slothful works, while they are examining the contracts of other companies. Ninvalle made the revelations during

a site visit to the facility at Leonora.

“We are very concerned about services of some contractors; we had to terminate the contract of Pioneer, who was responsible for constructing some inner roads and drains, and we are currently reviewing the contracts of some others,” Ninvalle indicated. The ministry was forced to reissue two contracts last year after an initial contractor failed to get the work on the perimeter fence done. The non-performance of contractors had obviously set the works behind schedule,

but the Deputy PS has assured that works are ongoing.

“We found that a lot of these contractors have been delinquent and that is unfair to the people of Guyana. We really would have liked the works to be a bit more speedy, but it may not be at the pace the Ministry expected, but it is going on,” he said.

According to Ninvalle, the laying of the actual Synthetic Track, which was expected to be laid in the first half of the year, has been delayed owed to inclement weather. He said that (Continued on page 66)

t r o Sp GMR&SC 2ND Race of Champions Meet

Jeffrey starts on pole today

Victoria Azarenka calls Serena Williams ‘the greatest’

Pole sitter Kevin Jeffrey seen leading a race at a previous Meet, at the South Dakota Circuit.

Victoria Azarenka and Serena Williams will battle in today’s final. (Getty Images)

GCC, Everest register wins as Lord bags 5-20, fifties for Pestano-Belle, Ali-Mohamed

GCC left-arm spinner Devon Lord about to collect his fifth wicket at Bourda yesterday.

BBC Sport - Victoria Azarenka believes she will be facing the best player in history when she takes on Serena Williams in today’s US Open final.

The Belarusian served for the title against Williams 12 months ago, but the American fought back to win for the fourth time at Flushing Meadows.

Williams, 31, has looked imperious in reaching this year’s final for the loss of just 16 games in six matches. “ S h e ’s a n a m a z i n g player. She’s the greatest of all time,” said Azarenka.

The 24-year-old, who has beaten the world number one twice this year, added: “You’ve got to fight. You’ve got to run, you’ve got to grind, and you’ve got to bite with your teeth for whatever opportunity you have.”

Azarenka won their last contest in Cincinnati on the eve of the US Open but Williams, who has won 12 of their 15 matches overall, believes the second seed raises her game when they play. “Both matches [won by Azarenka in 2013] she played really well,” said Williams.

“I let myself down at opportunities and I didn’t take them. If I’m able to get another chance I have to take

them, because she is always pumped and she does really well.

“When she plays me she plays her best, by far. I have seen her play other players, but when I play her I’m playing a totally different player. Obviously she brings her best game.”

Both women have won one Grand Slam apiece this year, and although French Open champion Williams is firmly established as the world number one, whoever wins on Sunday might feel they have had the better year.

A victory would also take Williams to within one major singles title of the 18 won by Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert.

“It’s still so close but it’s still so far,” said Williams. “I have to win against a great player and I have to play great tennis.” For Azarenka, it is an opportunity to win a Grand Slam title away from the Australian Open, where she has been the champion for the past two years. “ I t ’s a n a m a z i n g opportunity, something that every tennis player dreams of, to be in the final of the US Open and play against the best player in the world,” she said. “It’s something I’m so excited about. I can’t wait to go out and play.”

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