Guyana Times Daily

The Race to LGE 2016 P17 Former Georgetown Councillor decries neglect of countryside

– outlines plans for Buxton/ Foulis community's progress

Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Issue No. 2792

Thursday, March 10, 2016

PRICE

Deadly prison riot

Camp Street Prison a “war zone” – CoI Chairman ... Inquiry seems like a “window dressing” exercise – TIGI

$80 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Pages 3&7

LGE 2016

Govt says no to PPP's demand for national P9 holiday – schools to be closed on March 17 for Easter

– “conflict of interest” with former Prison Director on Commission

Businessman shot while attempting to prevent robbery Page 11

70-yr-old woman hangs self

Health Ministry fire

Alleged P11 arsonist for court today

Page 13

SOCU’s P11 protocols still under Cabinet consideration P15 Linden Highway schools hit with water woes

New Anglican Bishop consecrated Page 14

– several Bishops from across the world graced ceremonial event New Anglican Bishop Charles Alexander Davidson meets First Lady Sandra Granger and President David Granger following his consecration on Wednesday in highly ceremonial event at the St George’s Cathedral (Marceano Narine photo)

Gun amnesty

Govt buckles, firearms to be returned to Amerindian farmers Page 7

CLICO Bahamas moves to pay out policyholders Page 9

– no considerations as yet for Guyana

Guyana accredits new Australian P15 High Commissioner

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thursDAY, march 10, 2016 | guyanatimesGY.com

news

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thursDAY, march 10, 2016 | guyanatimesGY.com

BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, March 10 – 05:00h-06:30h and Friday, March 11 – 05:00h-06:30h.

The Berbice River Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, March 10 – 05:00h-06:30h and Friday, March 11 – 05:40h-07:10h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 11:00h and 16:00h daily.

WEATHER TODAY Sunshine with cloudy intervals can be expected throughout the day, while partly cloudy conditions can be expected in the evening. Temperatures are expected to range between 25 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North North-easterly to North-easterly between 3.57 metres and 4.47 metres per second.

High Tide: 05:28h and 17:50h reaching maximum heights of 2.94 metres and 2.95 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 11:23h and 23:43h reaching minimum heights of 0.25 metre and 0.31 metre respectively.

Deadly prison riot

Camp Street Prison a “war zone” – CoI Chairman – Inquiry to commence today with testimony of prisoners

J

ustice James Patterson, who will be chairing the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the recent unrests at the Georgetown Prison, has described the facility as a “warzone”.

Inmates on remand at the facility started to protest after prison officials seized several contraband items during a raid at the Capital A section on Wednesday, March 2. In retaliation, the prisoners started several fires on Wednesday night, and another the following morning. The last fire on Thursday claimed the lives of 17 prisoners, while others were injured.

Then on Friday, the angry inmates began to lash out again, kicking out the entire wooden wall of one of the buildings located South in the compound. This behaviour prompted Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan and Minister of State Joseph Harmon to meet with 18 prisoners who voiced their concerns about the living conditions in the Camp Street penitentiary.

In preparation for the presidential probe, the threemember Commission visited the Camp Street Prison on Tuesday during which it witnessed the aftermath of last week’s disturbances. The other two members of the Commission are former Director of Prisons Dale Erskine and human rights activist Merle Mendonca.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday morning, Chairman of the Commission, Justice James Patterson disclosed that while he did not know the state of the Camp Street penitentiary before the incident, what he saw during his visit at the facility, he likened to that of a warzone.

“It wasn’t nice. What at least I saw seemed like a warzone that they’re now getting back together. I saw two contending factions – one may be described by some as the wretched of the earth and the other as the oppressors. It is sad,” the Chairman commented.

According to Justice Patterson, the Commissioners met prisons officers who seemed to have gone days without any sleep.

Moreover, the Commission disclosed that the current ratio at the facility of officers to the general prison population is 10 custodial ranks to about 1000 prisoners.

The Guyana Prison Service has long been dealing with the issue of overcrowding, particularly at the Georgetown Prison. The Camp Street facility was built to accommodate 775 inmates but houses more than 900 inmates. Officials have confirmed that there are currently approximately 945 inmates there.

Over the years, prisoners have complained bitterly about the condition of the jailhouse but no serious steps were taken to address those complaints.

Several recommendations were made, some originating from inquiries, but were never acted upon.

Nevertheless, this probe into last week’s events will be looking into the issue and, more so, make recommendations to address the situation.

However, the Chairman noted that it is up to Government whether they will implement any of those recommendations.

Meanwhile, the work of the Commission is set to commence today, with the panel scheduled to take testimonies from five prisoners who were present during the unrest. At the time of the press briefing, arrangements were still being finalised as it relates to the prisoners testifying.

However, Justice Patterson noted all the hearings will be open to the public expect for cases where the witness request anonymity.

“There is no question of locking out the public… let me emphasised if anybody wants to give a testimony in-camera (closed-door), let me get the proof and if the Commission so determine, so be it. But we are not going to use (this process) to let

Chairman of the CoI Justice James Patterson

people make spurious allegations against anybody and hide under the cover of anonymity,” he declared.

The hearings will commence from 10:00h and will run until 14:00h, at the Ministry of the Presidency’s Department of Public Service building on Waterloo Street.

While they were given a month’s time to complete the probe, the Chairman noted that achieving this may not be possible at this time.

Additionally, the Chairman addressed concerns of persons about con-

flict of interest given the involvement of Commissioner Erskine, a former Prison Director in the probe. “The fact that he once was there, you can’t really shut out people from saying anything about anybody. I was there when he took the oath to be partial and I expect him to do that… The assumption that somebody because of some association, tenuous, will not be fair in his judgment is an oblique attack on the gentleman’s character… you have to come up with something more substantial,” Justice Patterson pointed out.

During the meeting on Tuesday, the Commission agreed on an initial approach to their task as well as to the structure of the report. The areas of inquiry includes what happened and how did it happen, what happened that ought not to have happened, and what did not happen which ought to have happened.

In the meanwhile, arrangements will be put in place for the affected inmates, officers and families to undergo grief counselling during the inquiry.

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

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thursday, march 10, 2016

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Editorial

Growth, not platitudes for women

L

ast year was the 20th anniversary of the "Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action". This year, "International Day for Women" looked forward to achieving full equality for women within 15 years under the theme, "Planet 50-50 by 2030”. Back in 1995, under the auspices of the United Nations, the "most comprehensive analytical and normative report" on women had been crafted. It is only fair we consider what progress was actually made, since history has shown us that all too often in confronting challenges to the status quo, those in positions of power all too frequently form commissions, issue reports and calls for action and that is where the matter ends.

There were 12 areas identified for specific actions: Women and Poverty; Education and Training of Women; Women and Health; Violence against Women; Women and Armed Conflict; Women and the Economy; Women in Power and Decision-making; Institutional Mechanism for the Advancement of Women; Human Rights of Women; Women and the Media; Women and the Environment and The Girl-child. We would all agree that this is a very exhaustive list.

Last year, after receiving reports of action taken from 166 countries, including Guyana, during the previous two decades, the UN concluded: "Twenty years on from the commitments made in Beijing, no country has achieved gender equality. The analysis of these reports shows that progress has been unacceptably slow, with stagnation and even regression in some cases. Progress has been particularly slow for women and girls who experience multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination."

The finding that "violence against women and girls persists in all countries and in many forms" would certainly resonate in Guyana. Here, violence against women and girls has not only "persisted", but, going by both anecdotal and investigative evidence, has actually increased. While there has been heightened publicity on the issue creating enhanced awareness of the challenges, it is clear that violence against females emanates from deeply-ingrained structural factors rooted in our historically patriarchal society.

Change will only come when the last vestiges of viewing females as the "property" of males are extirpated from our society. The elimination of violence against women, then, is not only a matter of passing laws – it demands changing economic and other structures that "keep women in their place". The UN evaluation report agrees: "There is a need to change discriminatory social norms, stereotypes and practices that are holding back progress. This requires an investment in long-term interventions and campaigns to change attitudes and behaviours, including on male responsibility for unpaid care work and for challenging discrimination and violence."

Changing societal views on the value of "care work" in and out of the home, which is usually performed by women, may be helped by men taking more responsibility for it, but ultimately will depend on women achieving equality in the work place. "Care work" should come down to being a matter of "opportunity costs" – when the female or male may or may not decide to forego the lesser salary to perform it. Women then must be empowered by the State, which should insist on not only equal access to training and education but equal pay for equal work.

This goal in turn will depend on the overall economy growing and being structured to accommodate this necessary influx of women. The UN programme for action advises: "Macroeconomic policy should be reoriented to increase State investments in infrastructure, social services and social protection measures to ensure that women and girls can live a life with dignity. Macroeconomic policies should also support the generation of decent work for women and men and ensure women can enjoy their full range of rights at work."

Much of what is needed to create a society where women are equal to men depends on the growth of the economy. In Guyana, a decade of continuous growth under the PPP has ground to a halt: this must be reversed instead of issuing platitudes.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo on Wednesday conducted an outreach in Region One where he met with residents who voiced their concerns about issues affecting them

Dr Ramharack has much to contribute to Guyana Dear Editor, Reference is made to Sultan Mohammed’s retort to Dr Ramharack’s commentary (Guyana Times, March 4) on “Jagan’s legacy has led to a politically dysfunctional society”. I do agree with Brother Sultan Mohammed that Dr Ramharack needs to come to Guyana to muddy his feet in the politics to help guide change.

Dr Ramharack is a scholar par excellence. He is well-grounded in Guyanese politics and the Guyanese community in the greater New York area, playing a very critical role in the protest movement for the restoration of democracy in Guyana. Dr Ramharack was always an objective political analyst as I found in my relationship, and as our friend Vassan Ramracha would attest, when we were undergraduate students at City College and graduate students at NYU. I have known Dr Ramharack since September 1977 when we were freshmen at CCNY and founded student clubs (and later political organisations) along with Vassan Ramracha and several other students to advocate for free and fair

elections in Guyana. Prior to that, he was a participant in the student protest movement on the Corentyne in February and March 1977 when my teachers at Corentyne High School were politically victimised by the PNC dictatorship even though they were not involved in any political movement; Walter Rodney, Eusi Kwayana, Omowale, Rupert Roopnaraine, Fr Malcolm Rodrigues, Nigel Westmaas, etc, supported that protest movement in the name of justice.

Dr Ramharack’s struggle for free and fair elections continued after undergraduate studies when we both enrolled as graduate students in political science at New York University. And we both wrote countless essays on Guyana’s politics since 1977 as well as met Dr Jagan on several occasions, interviewing him for articles in community newspapers and for our research as part of our (MA) theses and (PhD) dissertations. Jagan spent long hours with us at the global conference of People of Indian Origin held at the Sheraton in July 1989 discussing Guyana’s politics. I also spent hours in-

terviewing him in July 1988 at the Fourth Academic Conference of Indians in the Diaspora that I helped organise at Columbia University.

As a Marxist, Jagan naively felt he could solve Guyana’s ethnic conflict with appeasement and economic development. Obviously, he failed as has everyone else who tried to find a solution to ethnic conflict around the globe. Even the great Karl Marx and all the other Communists including Lenin, Stalin, Bukharain, Luxembourg, Trotsky, etc. have failed in their theses on resolving ethnic conflict.

Jagan attacked the Western powers as imperialists and destroyed Indian leaders (BS Rai, JB Singh, Latchman Singh, etc) who took a different position from him resulting in loss of support and the Government in 1964. Had Jagan approached the racial conflict head on (rather than hoping it would disappear over time as most Marxists felt), Guyana would have been a different society today.

After the restoration of democracy in 1992, the PPP alienated and isolated prominent Indian leaders including Paul Nehru Tennassee

(DLM leader). And over the last decade, others were also marginalised including Yesu Persaud, Ralph Ramkarran, Moses Nagamootoo, Ravi Dev, Rhyaan Shah, Malcolm Harripaul, etc). This chiselled away at support for the Party resulting in it losing support. The Party should learn from those blunders and reach out to others.

Contrary to what the leadership of the PPP feels, the Party cannot win an election in the current atmosphere of fear and allegations of rigging. Therefore, PPP has to approach politics from a pragmatic perspective – relieve itself of the dead wood and work with other political and civic organisations to expand its base to guard against rigging. More importantly, it must be willing to transform its leadership towards youths, reconcile with those who it alienated, and reach out to new players including other parties. Dr Ramharack can provide guidance in this direction as Sultan pleads.

Dr Ramharack has much to contribute on the ground in addition to political thought.

Dear Editor, Cognisant of an article captioned “Family of Coverden crash victim plead with Police to speed up probe”, which was published in a section of the local media on Wednesday, March 9, 2016, the Guyana Police Force wishes to clar-

ify that investigations into the fatal accident that occurred on January 30, 2016, at Coverden, East Bank Demerara (EBD), and which resulted in the death of Ann Mohamed have been completed and the Police are in the process of seeking legal advice on the mat-

ter from the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The concern about a driver who was allegedly involved in the accident being seen driving on the roads is noted; however, any suspension of his driver’s licence is dependent on the

receipt of legal advice, following which an Order to that effect can be prepared and served.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

Police waiting on legal advice Sincerely, Ivelaw Whittaker Police Public Relations and Press Officer

guyanatimesgy.com

thursDAY, march 10, 2016

Candidates should intensify LGE campaign

Dear Editor, The Ministry of Communities wishes to express thanks and congratulations to all members of the Disciplined Services who voted in Tuesday’s historic local government polls. The same sentiments are extended to the hard-working staff of GECOM who conducted the exercise competently.

The Ministry is, however, disappointed about multiple reports of a low turnout.

The Ministry of Communities sincerely believes in the truth of Article 12 of the Constitution which states, “Local Government by freely-elected representatives of the people is an integral part of the democratic organisation of the State”.

In other words, in the ab-

sence of functional local government, there can be no real democracy. And citizens will agree that democratic renewal at the grassroots is much needed in Guyana.

The Ministry repeats, too, that if you do not vote, other people who vote will choose your community representatives, and you will have no voice in the decision-making process.

The importance of having a voice in decisions that directly affect you cannot be overstated. The councillors elected by the people who vote will make decisions on what bridges and roads to repair or build; they will decide where playgrounds are to be constructed; they will be responsible for garbage collection, cleaning of drains

and parapets, provision of healthcare services, pest control, noise nuisance control, and all other aspects of community life. Can anyone, therefore, afford not to vote?

Guyanese have not had the opportunity to cast a ballot since 1994 in LGE. These current elections will go down in history as the pivotal moment when Guyanese took power into their own hands; the moment when citizens took control of their own destinies.

The remainder of Guyanese will have an opportunity to be part of history on March 18, by going to your designated polling place and casting a ballot.

You cannot afford to miss this unprecedented opportunity. The Ministry of

Communities encourages you, again, to make use of your vote.

Your vote is your voice.

Additionally, the Ministry encourages candidates to redouble and intensify their campaign efforts in the time remaining. If you do not know where your particular polling place is located, you can obtain that information by calling GECOM on 225-0277 to 9 or 226-6557, or by visiting the website at www.gecom.org. If you visit the website and enter your ID Card number, you will be informed of the location of your polling place.

Yours faithfully, Mark DaCosta For the Ministry of Communities

Who, Dr Ramharack, has the moral advantages?

Dear Editor, In his column of March 19, 2016, Dr. Baytoram Ramharack writes about what he sees as the “moral advantages” in Africans standing up to Burnham’s excesses. But he surely cannot dismiss the stand that ROAR and GIHA took against the PPP/C Government’s excesses for which both groups were condemned by the PPP/C, and the PNC and African leadership as racists.

There is a tendency to equate the two situations when the PNC was a brutal and illegal regime and the PPP/C, for all its alleged corruptions, always a legally elected government. The struggle to remove an illegal government as led by Dr. Walter Rodney is not the same as fighting to correct the excesses of a democratically elected one.

Rodney attracted many Indian Guyanese to his struggle and never identified as a racial leader. ROAR and GIHA on the other hand identified fully as Indian groups.

Here’s the crux of the matter: Would Dr Ramharack agree that had a Rodneylike Indian leader emerged to speak against the PPP/C’s corruptions that he would never have received African Guyanese support?

Remember that ROAR and GIHA were very vocal about the PPP/C Government’s inability or unwillingness to deal with the African Guyanese terrorism centered in Buxton at the turn of the century which was directed at Indian Guyanese.

African Guyanese took their fight against the PPP/C Government to the perceived supporters of the party Indians, which was very unlike the strategy that Rodney used. He engaged Burnham and the party leadership directly and never threatened their supporters.

The Buxton terrorists were supported, however, by the African Guyanese leadership as being “marginalized”

by the PPP/C Government, and justified their rape, assault, kidnapping and murder of Indian villagers.

Even today, the same African Guyanese leaders like to speak vociferously about the PPP/C’s “state violence” against the terrorists without ever acknowledging the brutal political violence they wreaked on Indian Guyanese.

I ask the above question in the further context of the current situation where WPA stalwarts like Dr. David Hinds, Dr. Clive Thomas, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine, Mr. Tacuma Ogunseye, and Mrs. Cathy Hughes (who protested against Burnham during her high school years) are all comfortably ensconced in the bosom of the PNC/APNU/

AFC Government.

Rodney was a moral leader who rose above the ethnic enclave but is it that his followers are all so lacking or is it that race trumps everything for African Guyanese who, it appears, are always unified against their common enemy, Indians?

Mr. Ogunseye recently wrote a letter in the press in which he admitted leaving out vital evidence about Burnham’s repressive measures against him when he gave evidence at the Rodney CoI and that he committed this unprincipled act in order to spite the PPP/C Government in the run-up to last May’s elections. It appeared that this public admittance was meant to make him heroic in the eyes of his fellow

Africans.

There are no “moral advantages” here, Dr. Ramharack; only immorality and a betrayal of everything that Rodney stood for.

One can almost ask whether Rodney was a failed leader since his followers have turned out to be so racist and unprincipled.

If African Guyanese can be so unified and stand even with the assassins of their fallen leader then Indian Guyanese must stand unified against such immorality and unjustness. It is a matter of rightness.

Who then, Dr Ramharack, has the moral advantages?

Yours truly, Shanie Jagessar

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PPP condemns brutal murder of Honduras indigenous leader Dear Editor, The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) condemns the brutal murder of Honduras indigenous leader Berta Caceres.

The internationally-acclaimed environmental activist and defender of the Honduras indigenous people was murdered in her home by several armed men who invaded her home in the south-western part of the Central American country.

Caceres is among the many environmentalist activists murdered in

Honduras between 2002 and 2014. It is estimated that more than 111 environmentalists have been murdered so far in Honduras.

The PPP will follow with deep interest the Police investigations into the murder of Caceres and expects that all those who committed this dastardly act will be brought to justice sooner rather than later.

Sincerely, People’s Progressive Party Freedom House

March 18 should be a holiday Dear Editor, As a citizen of Guyana, I am hoping that this present Government will publicly declare that March 18 will be a holiday as to facilitate the voting process. The reason for calling on the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government to declare March 18 a holiday is because Guyanese should be given an opportunity to exercise their franchise freely without having to worry about the hustle of work, school, etc, on that day. Hence, I am quite aware that several schools will be occupied on that day.

Sincerely, Zaman Ahsidally

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thursday, march 10, 2016

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Foundation

1 simple exercise to improve self-esteem

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elf-esteem issues often lie at the root of social problems experienced by children and adults. Here is an exercise from Dr Jennice Vilhauer to help build self-esteem. Dr Vilhauer has been treating patients using cognitive therapies for almost 15 years, and she says in her Psychology Today blog describing the exercise that it is one of the most successful exercises she has ever seen work to help patients re-engage their sense of well-being.

She said the difficult part was not doing the activity, it was making yourself believe that the activity would have enough benefit that you would put forth the actual effort to do it, and experience the results.

How to do it Keep a pad of paper next to your bed and every night before you go to sleep, write down three things you liked about yourself that day.

In the morning, read the list before you get out of bed.

Keep adding three new things to your list every day to keep the list growing.

Do this every day for 30 days.

These don’t have to be big things, like I am a kind person; they can be simple, such

guyanatimesgy.com

as I like that I held the door for my co-worker, or I like that I didn’t lose my temper in traffic today, or I like that I am making the effort to try this exercise even if I’m not sure it will work...

Trained clinical psychologist and author Dr Alice Boyce says self-esteem has two main aspects: 1) people’s overall sense of “selfworth” and 2) their sense of their competency in specific domains.

For example, you might have healthy self-esteem in the domain of Work (eg You think you’re good at your job), but low self-esteem in the area of relationships (eg You’re not sure if you’re as well-liked as other people. Or, you have doubts about whether you’re a good partner or friend).

The main link between low selfesteem and depression is about thoughts/thinking styles that are common to both.

According to Dr Vilhauer, research shows that people with depression have what is referred to as an attentional bias for negative self-relevant materials.

They also have impaired attentional control, which means that once a negative schema is activated, they tend to ruminate on it and have difficulty disengaging and shifting their attention to something else; consequently, there is sustained negative affect.

(1)

Essentially, people with depression generally spend a good deal of time thinking about what they don’t like about themselves – and they have a hard time stopping.

The more time you spend thinking about something, the more active it becomes in your mental space –and the easier it becomes to access. Also, the more you think of something, the more it primes your brain to keep looking for similar things in your environment, creating a selective filter that not only causes you to sift your environment for things that match up with what you are thinking about, it actually causes you to distort ambiguous information in a way that matches up with your dominant thoughts.

Someone with depression who goes to a party might get 10 compliments, but if one person mentions the shirt he is wearing is “interesting”, that person may likely go home and fixate on the ambiguous comment and turn it into a stream of thinking like this: I wonder what was wrong with my shirt, I probably looked silly in it, I bet they all thought I looked like an idiot. What’s wrong with me? Why can’t I ever get anything right? This is so humiliating. The 10 compliments have long been forgotten.

So how will this exercise help you?

Research also shows that it requires more attentional effort to disengage from a negative thought process than a neutral one.(2) This simple-to-do but nonetheless effortful exercise essentially helps you build the strength to disengage from any negative thought stream; redirects your attention to positive aspects of yourself; and retrains your selective attention bias.

Emotional regulation: is there an app for that?

– here’s how we download emotional regulation from our parents

By Tom Bunn

T

hink of the mind as a computer. Think of emotional regulation as computer software.

Where can we get an app that will let us regulate our arousal and our emotional response? According to researcher Allan Schore, we download that app from our primary caregiver.

Emotional regulation, he says, is “relationship dependent” Perhaps you’ve seen this. Someone speaks to a child in a way that recognises him or her as a real person.

The child’s parent is surprised to see how cooperatively the child responds.

Unfortunately, many parents speak to their children in a way that keeps them from learning to regulate arousal and emotion.

You may think that’s a stretch, but it isn’t. The ability to regulate ourselves emotionally is developed early in life. How well this ability develops depends upon the child’s relationship with those who are important to the child. The development of good self-regulation requires high quality conscious and unconscious communication between the child and its caregivers.

Stephen Porges has discovered that when we humans are together, we – completely without knowing it – send and receive signals that have a significant effect on our emotions.

Even when stress hormones are revving us up, calming takes place when another person is empathic, attuned, and non-judgmental. Unconsciously received signals slow our heart rate and activate the parasympathetic

nervous system.

Try it. Think of moment when you were with a person who – at least at that moment – was attuned and completely non-judgmental. Such a moment may not be easy to find. In most social situations, we are competitive with each other. We constantly make judgments about each other. Though we usually moderate it to be socially acceptable, we try to establish that we smarter or superior to the others present. Even giving advice, though it may be benevolent, is usually done from a one-up position.

So, don’t look for a group moment. Look for a private moment when you were with just one other person, and you felt your guard being let down. You were both physically safe and emotionally safe. The other person’s attuned, empathic, and non-judgmental presence causes our guard to be let down. That is the “vagal brake” in action. The unconsciously received signals that you are safe in every way stimulate the vagus nerve. This nerve goes to the heart. Even though stress hormones may be trying to speed your heart rate up, the vagus nerve slows your heart down.

It is like being in a car with an automatic transmission. If you hold your left foot solidly on the brake, even if you pump the accelerator with your right foot to send more gas into the engine, the car goes nowhere. The brake prevents it. Similarly, when stressed, another person’s attuned and nonjudgmental presence calms you.

In order for a child to learn to regulate emotion when stressed, the child needs to be calmed by the presence of a caregiver who is empathic, and non-judgmental. Just as any learning requires repetition, when an attuned, empathic, and non-judgmental caregiver is repeatedly present in the stressful situation, the caregiver becomes linked in the child’s memory to the situation. In time, when the child is alone in the stressful situation, the caregiver will be psychologically present even when not physically present.

Many children are not spoken to in a way that shows the parent recognises their personhood. When personhood is not part of one’s experience, being alive is emotionally painful. Depression is inescapable.

Think about what it is like to go through childhood, never being related to as a person, and with no realistic options for escape. When personhood is not experienced in the parent-child relationship, there is no basis for the child to develop healthy emotional regulation. You look forward to emancipation when you, as an adult, can live as you like.

But then, as an adult, there still is no escape. The parentchild relationship is a formative relationship; it has a lifelong consequences. (Excerpt from psychologytoday.com)

news

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thursDay, march 10, 2016 | guyanatimesGY.com

Prison Inquiry seems like a “window dressing” exercise – TIGI – “conflict of interest” with former Prison Director on Commission

BY DEVINA SAMAROO

T

ransparency Institute of Guyana Inc (TIGI) President, Reverend Compton Meerabux said the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) established to probe the circumstances within the prison system appears to be nothing more than a window dressing exercise.

He also contended that there poses a clear “conflict of interest” with the former Director of Prisons Dale

TIGI President, Reverend Compton Meerabux

Erskine sitting as one of the three Commissioners.

During an interview with Guyana Times on Wednesday, Meerabux explained that there needs to be an ongoing comprehensive approach towards reforming the entire prison system but pointed out that the Government’s CoI seems to be “short-termed” and “superficial.”

“It just appears to be a window dressing exercise and not a genuine commis-

way out of the Camp Street Prison.

Moreover, families of the prisoners who perished dur-

mates are involved in agricultural and livestock farming, Meerabux highlighted that prisoners are meaning-

From left: former Prison Chief Dale Erskine; Justice (rtd) James Patterson; and Human Rights activist Merle Mendonca at a news conference on Wednesday

Gun amnesty

Govt buckles, firearms to be returned to Amerindian farmers

F

armers in Amerindian communities will soon be able to reclaim the firearms they handed over to Government during the gun amnesty programme last year.

Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman, who hosted the post Cabinet briefing on Wednesday, said Government is seeking to keep the promise it made to the indigenous farmers.

In 2015 following the launch of Government’s gun amnesty programme, several Amerindian farmers had expressed outrage, saying that they were duped by the Public Security Ministry into believing that when they handed in their firearms, they would have been issued with licences.

The Ministry had at the time undertaken an operation, seeking to retrieve all illegal firearms. The aim was to help reduce the soaring number of criminal activities at the time.

Speaking to journalists, Minister Trotman said Government was moving to reissue those firearms since Amerindians use them for their sustenance.

“When the amnesty was declared, it was seen that Toshoas, farmers and other villagers voluntarily came forward with their shotguns with the belief that they were only respecting the law and at the same time, having an expectation that the law would realise that they had a legitimate need to protect life and properly and that Government would accept that consideration would be given to them”.

He said Government then gave a promise that they would look into that matter and “they are keeping that promise by regularising the system”.

According to Minister Trotman, the weapons will not be destroyed, but where necessary, will be restored through the village system. He went on to further explain that while there will not be waiver on the granting of licences, there will however be a waiver on application fees.

The gun amnesty programme was meant to get rid of illegal weapons with the hope of reducing criminal activities, particularly the increasing numbers of gun-related crimes across the country.

Of the 186 weapons surrendered at the end of the programme, none of them were found to have been used during serious crimes.

Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud had explained

sion,” he stated.

He further enlightened that by having the former Director of Prisons as one of

Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman

that ballistic tests were conducted on a majority of the weapons which proved that none were linked to serious crimes. He had previously expressed belief that criminals with illegal firearms would not turn them in.

The Police Chief also admitted that a majority of the weapons collected were shotguns used mostly by persons hunting, more specifically by Amerindians.

Last month, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo while visiting Region Nine (Upper Takatu-Upper Essequibo) gave assurance that once persons undertook the legal process, they could have their firearms returned.

Residents had claimed that the lack of proper education on the issue was the main reason for the mix-up.

This had caused a number of residents, who use the guns to sustain their livelihood, to be left empty-handed and helpless.

Nagamootoo said that even if the firearm licensing fee was increased, as was proposed in Parliament, Government would look at the way the fees are charged, saying ”you can apply for a waiver of the increase for the firearm,” he said.

“While it is said that all of us are equal, we must understand that there are some people who deserve more attention than others,” he explained.

During the time the cries were being sounded by the Amerindians, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan said that no names should have been recorded during this programme, therefore it would be impossible to return the weapons to the respective owners without a licence.

On October 22, 2015 Ramjattan had said that there are no special arrangements in place for those hinterland residents who believed that by handing in their illegal weapons under the gun amnesty programme, which were used for hunting purposes, they would receive firearm licences in return. He was responding to indigenous residents, particularly of Regions Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and Nine (Upper Takatu- Upper Essequibo) who were expecting to receive gun licences when they handed in their illegal firearms during the amnesty period.

In responding to the calls by the indigenous community, Ramjattan had said that anyone who wishes to obtain a firearm licence can do so by applying and going through the process at his Ministry. “You do not go bypassing regular procedures, you have to go through the procedure. This is not like the previous Administration – no! If you had an illegal firearm in the hinterland and you were caught with it, you would have been jailed.

So not because you had it in the hinterland necessarily means that you are going to bypass the procedure,” he has said.

the Commissioners, it creates a widespread perception that the findings coming out of the CoI will not be credible.

“If you’ve been the Director of Prisons over a period of time then there is a conflict of interest there because he would also be covering up what was going on, you know,” he pointed out.

On that note, Meerabux said the Commissioners should comprise of persons who are knowledgeable of how the prison system works but has nothing to gain or lose by the findings of the CoI. “I would say that you would need somebody who knows that prison, a neutral person, like in the welfare and social work who knows that prison,” he stated.

Additionally, Attorneys Christopher Ram and Ronald Burch-Smith both contended that it is inappropriate to have the former Prison Director on the Commission since his stewardship of the prisons should itself be investigated.

Erskine presided over the prisons when there was the historic 2002 jailbreak, where five dangerous criminals shot and stabbed their

ing the recent rioting at the Camp Street penitentiary also expressed skepticism with the former Director of Prisons being on the

Christopher Ram

Commission.

Meanwhile, Meerabux underscored the need for a holistic rehabilitation programme to be rolled out for the prisoners and an advanced training programme for the prison officers.

He said programmes for the prisons should aim at developing skills among them, while creating an opportunity for them to earn an honest income.

Making reference to the Mazaruni Prison where in-

fully occupied and therefore, it would be easier for them to be reintegrated into society upon release.

He noted too that their families should also be involved in these rehabilitation processes.

In relation to stamping out corruption within the prison system, Meerabux explained that prison officers should constantly undergo training activities that would teach them to relate to prisoners by studying their case history and their background, as opposed to just treating them as less than human.

“Do not decriminalise them before you start rehabilitating them,” he stated.

In fact, Meerabux said TIGI is willing to provide assistance in crafting such initiatives.

“We are willing to help.

We met with the President David Granger last year and we said we are willing to help but we are yet to receive an invitation,” he noted.

Meanwhile, Minister of State Joseph Harmon has already assured that public that the CoI will not be “hoodwinked”.

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thursDAY, march 10, 2016 | guyanatimesGY.com

Trio on bail for assault, damage to property

T

hree Lindeners who appeared before Magistrate Clive Nurse on Wednesday charged with assault were granted bail when they appeared at the Linden Magistrate’s Court.

Aidley Nicholas, 25, of Lot 736 One Mile, Wismar, Linden was slapped with the charge of assault causing actual bodily harm. He pleaded not guilty to the charge, which stated that he unlawfully assaulted DeYonne Cornette so

as to cause her actual bodily harm on February 21. The incident is alleged to have occurred at One Mile. He was granted $35,000 bail by Magistrate Nurse. Nicholas will make his next court appearance on March 29.

Meanwhile, Debra McAlmont of Block 22, Wismar, Linden was granted $5000 bail by Magistrate Nurse for assaulting a Police Officer with intent to prevent lawful apprehension.

She pleaded not guilty to the charge which alleged that she unlawfully and maliciously assaulted Police Corporal Leon George, at One Mile, Wismar, who was at the time in the process of having her lawfully apprehended. The accused is scheduled to return to court on April 6.

Also appearing before Magistrate Nurse was 18-year-old Kendall Jennings of Lot 151 Wismar Housing Scheme who was granted

bail in the sum of $50,000 on separate offences. It is alleged that he unlawfully assaulted Gavin Richards on February 27 at Wismar Housing Scheme. He pleaded not guilty and was granted $25,000 bail.

He is also charged with unlawfully and maliciously damaging Richards’s cellphone valued $15,000 for which he was granted an additional $25,000 bail. The matter was adjourned to April 20.

Pensioner charged for fraudulent conversion

A

60-year-old man on Wednesday appeared before Magistrate Alex Moore at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts charged for fraudulent conversion.

Mark Harris pleaded guilty to the offence, which stated that on March 6, at James Street, Albouystown, Georgetown, while being solely entrusted with a $5000 bill

by Odessa Williams, he fraud-

ulently converted same for his own use and benefit.

The prosecution disclosed that the defendant, who is a “junkie”, does odd jobs around his community and was given the money by the Virtual Complainant (VC) who is a scrap dealer. He was instructed to make change and return.

Upon receipt of the money, the defendant never re-

turned.

A report was made and the defendant was subsequently arrested at Punt Trench Dam, Albouystown.

Magistrate Moore ordered that he returned the $5000 to the VC or he will have to serve 20 hours community service in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts compound. The defendant agreed to community service.

Mark Harris

“Blackberry” slapped with larceny, possession charges

A

man known as “Blackberry” was on Wednesday slapped with larceny and possession of narcotics charges when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.

Kendal Lewis, 23, of Lot 12 Nimrod Street, Anns Grove, East Coast Demerara, pleaded not guilty to the charges which alleged that on March 7, at Aranka Backdam, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), he stole seven pennyweights of raw gold valued $77,000; property of Samantha Marsha.

Also, it is alleged that on the same day at the same location, he had in his possession two grams of cannabis.

Kendal Lewis, known as “Blackberry”

Police Prosecutor Deniro Jones had no objections to bail and it was granted in the sum of $30,000.

Lewis will make his next appearance in the Bartica Magistrate’s Court on March 30.

Eyew tness Officers and gentlemen...

W

...in government

hen the coalition between APNU and AFC was being fixed, Ramjattan allowed as to how one of the most attractive features of the fellows across the table was that the leader of the PNC/APNU was “an officer and a gentleman”. While the statement was obviously literally true, there were, of course, the implications that flowed from what those terms connoted.

Most notably being that Granger wouldn’t be throwing comrades under the bus at the first sign of screw-ups as is usual in the cut-throat, dog-eat-dog world of politics. And it now looks like Ramjattan’s assessment was right on the ball – in spades! Because after snagging the massive portfolio of Minister of National Security, Ramjattan has careened between spectacular screw-ups to long periods of quiescence that’ve convinced even the converted, he’s just completely out of his depth. And while it might be an act of mercy to send him out to pasture, he’s still there.

Thing is, his seeming obliviousness to the disarray in one of the most critical ministries in his Administration is beginning to cast shadow on PREZZIE’s own ratings.

Being a nice guy will only go so far – and certainly not farther than people’s security being jeopardised because of lack of direction at the top of the crime-fighting chain.

Apologists for Ramjattan point to his relative inexperience at the job – but this is rather ironic since it was he who boasted about being a Security maven and demanded as “non-negotiable” the job.

Ramjattan has pointed out that he’s been shadowing Security even when he was a junior in the PPP. He’s referred time and again to his calling out Laurie Lewis early in the PPP’s first Administration. So what was that all about? Surely it couldn’t have been he insisted on a bit of nepotism from the PPP on the Police appointments?

If we go by what Ramjattan’s claimed over the years, he ought to’ve presented his plan for reforming the forces that were under his charge to Cabinet at least a month after getting into office.

If a baby could’ve been conceived, gestated and born since the last circumstance, surely Ramjattan can’t be allowed to continue when his sole, original contribution to fighting crime has been the introduction of the 2am curfew on selling alcohol. And even there, he is yet to produce the demanded evidence to show there is causation between crime and closing hours of bars.

This tragedy of 17 remanded prisoners perishing by fire in Camp St Jail is just the tip of an iceberg that’s actually a volcano exploding from the fires Ramjattan insists on ignoring. It is time for him to go.

...and codes of conduct

But Prezzie wouldn’t have been put on a spot with his National Security Minister if his Minister Trotman had completed the Code of Conduct promised within the Administration’s first 100 days in office. Remember?? “A Code of Conduct will be established for Parliamentarians, Ministers and others holding high positions in Government public office to abide by, including mechanisms for demitting office if in violation of the Code of Conduct.”

After all, two of the 10 principles that were guiding the Code were “diligence” and “responsibility” . We won’t even mention others such as “dignity” which Ramjattan once again violated by telling a SN reporter “Haul yuh ass!” when asked a perfectly legitimate question. Under “diligence”, he would’ve had to show what exactly he’s done since May 2015. Under “responsibility”, he would’ve had to resign after the Camp St catastrophe.

So when is the Code going to be issued? Just don’t hold your breath! Too many casualties in the offing!

...in the courts

Now that a retrial’s been ordered for the accused of the Lusignan Massacre, Guyanese are hoping at last we’ll be seeing justice dispensed by the “officers and gentlemen” who guard our judicial probity.

Readers are invited to send their comments by email to eye@guyanatimesgy.com

news

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thursday, march 10, 2016 | guyanatimesGY.com

CLICO Bahamas moves to pay out policyholders – no consideration as yet for Guyana

By Alexis Rodney

E

ven as it moves to clear its debt with policyholders in The Bahamas, the Colonial Life Insurance Company Limited (CLICO) Bahamas is yet to take up Guyana’s case before the courts there, so that policyholders in Guyana could also be paid.

Before the massive financial collapse in 2008, CLICO Guyana had transferred some US$36 million to CLICO Bahamas.

However, while the investments were said to be “liquid on paper”, investigations carried out, revealed that the sum had been tied up in several investments, including real estate which CLICO Bahamas had in Florida through subsidiaries.

When CLICO Bahamas was ordered liquidated on February 24, 2009, the local company was subsequently placed under judicial management.

Guyana was then forced to retain lawyers to help recover its money, some 53 per cent of the assets of CLICO Guyana. That matter was filed in the Bahamas court after the CLICO Bahamas’ liquidator “rejected” Guyana’s claims.

On Monday, more than seven years after CLICO Bahamas went into liquidation, the country’s Prime Minister Perry Christie announced that policyholders there, who are still current, would begin to receive payouts before the end of the month.

The cash payouts, he said, are estimated at some $16 million.

“The liquidator of CLICO has proposed and the Government has agreed to a plan to make all existing policyholders whole. This plan involves the creation of a special purpose vehicle to assume

Bank Governor, Dr Gobin Ganga

the insurance operations of CLICO and to pay out the policyholders who have been unable to receive the full payout of their benefit, subject to the policy not lapsing during the period of liquidation,” the Prime Minister said.

Christie said under the plan, surrendered policies, death benefits, medical claims and staff pensions will be paid in full.

According to him, the policyholders have been waiting to cash in on their policies since 2009.

He acknowledged that many Bahamians have “grown impatient waiting for a resolution”.

There were approximately 13,000 Bahamian policies when CLICO was liquidated.

However, while policyholders there will be made “whole”, Guyanese policyholders remain in uncertainty over their payouts.

The consensus among officials here is that Guyana may not benefit from this payout since this country is not seen as a policyholder, but rather a “related party”. Central Bank Governor, Dr Gobin Ganga told Guyana Times on Wednesday that while there has been no word from CLICO Bahamas in this regard, Guyana re-

mains at Class D, “a position where it is highly impossible for anything to come in its favor at this time.”

He said nothing has been forthcoming and would expect that considerations for Guyana will only be had long after payments have been made to policyholders in The Bahamas.

Ganga had said previously that it was obvious that Guyana’s case has been “put for last”, on the list of cases filed by other Caribbean countries against the group.

Suriname is one such country, claiming US$15.5 million from CLICO Bahamas.

Guyana’s case is being represented by an esteemed lawyer, John Wilson of McKinney Bancroft and Hughes.

CL Financial collapsed in January 2009, following the global financial crisis in 2008. The global recession exposed the company’s inability to meet its commitments to pay maturing investments at CLICO and CLICO Investment Bank (CIB).

Zooming in on the gravity of the situation, it was pointed out that only late last year, Bahamian policyholders held a massive protest, demanding from Government there their US$30 million payout.

The insolvent insurer’s policyholders and pensioners have been left in ‘financial limbo’ since early 2009, unable to access their life savings and long-term investments until they are acquired by another underwriter.

But the transfer/acquisition of CLICO Bahamas policy portfolio will not happen until the Government there delivers on its longpromised US$30 million guarantee to underwrite such a deal, as all potential buyers have said they will not conclude a purchase without it. As a result, the

13,000-plus long-suffering policyholders are unable to move on with their lives.

The CLICO Bahamas situation was becoming a threatening political liability for the Christie Administration, especially given the families and votes bound up with the 13,000 policyholders.

The issue received additional publicity from Dr Andre Rollins, the maverick Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Member of Parliament, while Bishop Simeon Hall, a CLICO Bahamas policyholder and former member of its creditors committee, had been leading the call for the Government to provide the long-awaited guarantee.

At the end of June 2012, CLICO Bahamas’s portfolio contained 13,835 policies with a total surrender value of US$20.074 million and cumulative sum assured of US$1.093 billion.

Its balance sheet showed a solvency deficiency of US$22.162 million at June 30, 2012, with total assets worth US$44.794 million outmatched by liabilities totaling US$66.956 million.

LGE 2016

Govt says no to PPP demand for national holiday – schools to be closed on March 17 for Easter

T

he A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government has declared that March 18 will not be a national holiday.

“There is no indication that this will be declared a national holiday. Traditionally, Local Government Elections are not treated the same as national elections, so we do not see the need for a national holiday… in our assessment there is no need for a national holiday,” Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman told a post-Cabinet news conference on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, the Education Ministry said that schools across the country will be closed on March 17, for the Easter holidays and reopen on April 4. The early closure is due to the hosting of Local Government Elections (LGE). This was decided upon since several schools are to be used as polling stations.

But, the Opposition, People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) in a statement called for March 18 to be declared a public holiday. The PPP/C said that recent elections days have been invariably declared a national holiday in order to facilitate electors across the political spectrum to vote.

“It is to be noted that thousands of electors reside out of their constituencies and therefore a holiday would facilitate easy availability of time and space to exercise their franchise,” the PPP/C argued.

The Opposition said the government’s decision “can prove inimical to the interests of the electorate,” and called on the diplomatic community to take note.

Similar calls were also issued by Team Benschop, Team Legacy and Youths for Local Government, highlighting that this could impact voter turnout.

On Tuesday, at least 7000 Police, soldiers and prison service officers cast their ballots at various polling stations across the country, inclusive of 4693 members of the Guyana Police Force, 357 from the Guyana Prison Service and 1928 from the Guyana Defence Force. There are 523,831 eligible voters, most of whom will cast their ballots on March 18, 2016 in 71 Local Authority Areas, which include 62 Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) and nine municipalities.

Voting is scheduled to begin at 06:00h and conclude at 18:00h.

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guyanatimesgy.com

thursdAY, march 10, 2016

News

Nationwide strike in pipeline for teachers – GTU insulted that prisoners’ demands were met, while teachers’ pleas being sidelined

By Devina Samaroo

T

eachers across the country will be left with no other choice but to resort to a massive nationwide protest in an effort to reinforce their demands for better treatment and to have their concerns addressed with urgency, particularly those against the Teaching Services Commission (TSC).

They are also upset that the prisoners seem to be making headway in getting the Government to attend to their issues whereas those who dedicate their time towards moulding the future generation are being sidelined.

The Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) General Secretary Coretta McDonald, during another of the Union’s picketing exercises outside the TSC office on Brickdam, indicated that teachers would no longer be “putting up” with the continued injustices that have been meted out to them over the years.

“We are standing up for what we believe. We are saying that teachers should be treated as professionals.

Over the years, we’ve had issues with the Teaching Services Commission and the manner in which they operate in appointing teachers,

Leila Ramson

which is not in accordance with what is supposed to be happening. We’ve been given promises over and over and over that things are going to change; however, things have remained the same and it will not go on like this for another year,” she posited.

McDonald said a meeting was currently being arranged between the Union and the TSC; however, if the outcome was unfavourable, teachers would definitely take their actions up a notch.

“We have made our demands and we are hoping that at that meeting, our demands are going to be met.

If not, then we will have to do what we have to do…we should start thinking of having a nationwide protest or a

nationwide shutdown of the system,” she stated.

A date for the meeting is yet to be arranged.

The GTU has been staging small picketing exercises outside the TSC building for the past few months after it found the Commission guilty of breaching laws governing the promotion of teachers.

However, the quiet demonstrations have yielded little to no results, McDonald contended.

She explained that the Union was currently engaging President David Granger; Minister of State, Joseph Harmon and Education Minister, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine – all of whom were giving assurances in abundance.

According to the General Secretary, change is coming in little packages, but the main concern is not being addressed.

“The huge change we want to see happening is the removal of the TSC, the members of the TSC and have a new Commission established,” she asserted.

“We find this to be very disrespectful…It is rather disgusting when you look at the manner in which some persons are being treated as against teachers who are the moulders of this nation,” she decried.

The General Secretary argued that teachers for years have been making demands for better working conditions; however, their pleas have been falling on deaf ears – whereas prisoners are making more progress in having their concerns satisfactorily addressed.

“Just the other day, we

have to do because just the same way the prisoners have concerns and their concerns were listened to, we’re expecting that the President will ask his Ministers to come and listen to us,” she expressed.

it was just called up and pushed to another date …

Justice delayed is justice denied,” she stated in urging a quick resolution.

The next hearing is set for June 6.

Injunction

The TSC has since refuted the claims made by the Union.

The Commission’s Chairman, Leila Ramson, has maintained that all the promotions are stringently guided by a set of criteria and principles and, as such, are above board.

In July, acting Chief Justice Ian Chang granted an Order preventing the TSC from issuing and publishing promotions.

The GTU is contending that procedures undertaken to grant promotions are blatantly biased and it

Above board

Sidelined

Meanwhile, McDonald said it was rather insulting to teachers that prisoners appeared to “have more rights than teachers”.

GTU members picketing outside the TSC building on Brickdam

saw prisoners burning buildings and mattresses which eventually led to the death of some of them. We are not going to burn mattresses or burn books or burn school buildings or break off wood from school buildings, but we are going to do what we

only serves to demoralise teachers.

Commenting on the progress of the legal action, McDonald said the process was taking too long.

“We were disappointed that at the last hearing,

Against that backdrop, Ramson expressed concern about the negative impact and repercussions these delays in the promotions were having on students and teachers, and the overall delivery of quality education.

thursDAY, march 10, 2016

guyanatimesgy.com

News

SOCU’s protocols still under Cabinet consideration

W

eeks after declaring that some rules have been crafted to govern the operation of the controversial Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), Government is still to make the six-page document public.

This is according Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman, who reported on Wednesday that Cabinet was able to review the document, but is yet to make a final decision.

Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan had made a public promise during the course of the recent budget debate, to make the six-page document public.

“The protocols have been already drafted… It’s about six pages of protocols as to how they are going to do their operations,” he said, adding that it is geared at ensuring SOCU mem-

bers “come in line” with the Guyana Police Force (GPF) Standing Operating procedures.

Ramjattan said that the former Administration – the People’s Progressive Party – had never put protocols in place to govern the entity’s operations, particularly in relation to financial crimes.

SOCU was established in 2013 as a law enforcement agency to investigate exclusively, allegations relating to money laundering and terrorism.

However, the Unit’s mandate has since been expanded in recent months.

SOCU has been under heavy scrutiny from the political Opposition and rights groups after a botched operation on December 30, 2015, involving a highspeed chase down Carifesta Avenue, Georgetown,

left three persons dead – Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Sergeant Robert Pyle, his wife Stacy Pyle and the driver of a canter truck Linden Eastman.

Sergeant Pyle and a team from SOCU were supposed to have been conducting surveillance on a home of former Head of the National Industrial and Commercial Investment Limited (NICIL) Winston Brassington at Cowan Street, Kingston, Georgetown, but became engaged in a high-speed chase down with a vehicle occupied by Opposition Parliamentarian Charles Ramson Jr, his wife Alana Seebarran and her brother.

During the high-speed chase that ensued, Pyle slammed into a truck that was travelling in the opposite direction, resulting in the deaths of Pyle, his wife and the truck driver.

Health Ministry fire

Alleged arsonist for court today

K

eith Ferrier, who was nabbed on Monday as one of the suspects who set the Health Ministry on fire seven years ago, is expected to be charged and arraigned today.

The suspected arsonist was apprehended at a business establishment on

The raging fire at the Health Ministry in 2009

Arson suspect Keith Ferrier

North Road, Bourda after Police ranks recognised him.

Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum told Guyana Times that the file was

with the Director of Public Prosecutions and once it was returned, the suspect will pass through the court system. This is expected to be done today.

After the fire, the Guyana Police Force had issued a wanted bulletin for Ferrier and George Lashley, 60, of Lot 187 Freeman

Businessman shot while attempting to prevent robbery

T

he owner of G A Mining Company is now nursing two gunshot wounds to his legs after he was shot while attempting to prevent a robbery in the vicinity of his High Street, Werk-en-Rust, Georgetown, business on Wednesday.

The identity of the man has not being released to the media but Guyana Times understands that he is in stable condition at a private medical institution.

An eyewitness told this newspaper that at about 13:30h, he was in the compa-

11

ny of his brother and the now injured businessman when he heard screams emanating from the direction of Silvies Auto Parts. The eyewitness said that they noticed an armed man attempting to relieve another man of the bag he was carrying.

Upon seeing this, the businessman went into his store, collected his licensed firearm and returned. “When he come back, he point he gun to the bandit and ordered him to leave the man he was holding onto but within a couple of seconds,

another man ran out of the Auto Store and discharged several rounds in our direction… we ran but subsequently realised that the businessman was shot,” the eyewitness added.

The two men then relieved the customer of his bag and made good their escape on foot. Out of fear, the customer panicked and reportedly left in a waiting car.

Guyana Times understands that the bag contained an undisclosed sum of cash.

However, the eyewitness who asked for anonymity

stated that soon after, two Police ranks with M-60 rifles arrived at the scene.

“As the Police were approaching the scene, two bandits and them crossed path… when they come, they claimed that they heard sounds of squibs and they came to investigate… It was then the officers realise that it was a robbery but instead of calling for backup, they went into the Silvies Auto Parts, saw the spent shells and left the scene”.

The injured man, he noted, was picked up and

rushed to a private hospital where he was admitted. He claimed that the man was shot to both legs.

However, Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum confirmed that the incident occurred but stated that based on reports furnished to him, the businessman was shot to his left leg and not both as was reported by the eyewitness. He noted that an investigation has been launched into the shooting incident but also noted that the robbery was not reported to the Police.

Street, East La Penitence, Georgetown among others for setting the fire.

However, Clayton Westford, 19, an office assistant of 7 West La Penitence, and 21-year-old Tedena Bagot, a pork-knocker of 32 Second Street, Alexander Village, were subsequently charged for the fire.

On July 17, 2009, about 03:00h, perpetrators hurled improvised bombs made with channa and fuel into the upper flat of the main building of the Health Ministry. As a result of the fire, more than 200 persons were dislocated and the entire building destroyed.

Police removed channa bombs from inside the compound and also discovered that louver windows on another building in the compound were damaged. Pieces of glass and channa were found inside and outside the building. After an investigation, it was concluded that the fire was an act of arson.

12 news

thurSday, march 10, 2016 | guyanatimesGY.com

Prison officers to partake President sets up ministerial task force as El Niño in US mock riot

Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman

F

ollowing the largest and deadliest prison riot to have ever occurred in Guyana, Government on Wednesday said that it has accepted an invitation from the United States Government for officials here to participate in a mock prison riot exercise.

Cabinet has agreed for members of the Guyana Prison Service to be part of the 18th mock prison riot to be held at West Virginia State Prison in the US between May 1 and 4 later this year.

This is in response to an invitation by the US Government, Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman said on Wednesday.

“The mock prison riot facilitates tactical training and demonstrations resulting in practitioner feedback that shapes the law enforcement industry on a global scale,” Trotman told the media at a post-Cabinet media briefing.

According to Trotman, the training being offered is expected to increase the capacity of the Prison Service to respond to prison unrest or other emergencies.

Five prison officers are expected to be part of this activity: Cadet Officer Kadefa Hayle, Chief Prison Officer Peter Barker, Chief Prison Officer Shawn Charles, Chief Prison Officer Kirk Joseph

and Principal Officer 2 Lionel Kate.

Last Thursday, 17 prisoners died in a fire, said to have been set by those very inmates at the Camp Street Prison.

Thirteen persons, including officers, were also injured.

According to reports, the bodies of 16 prisoners were found in the ‘Capital A’ section of the Prison Thursday morning.

This section, located on the eastern side of the compound on John Street, holds prisoners on remand for, or convicted of serious crimes.

Prison officials, acting on reports, had carried out a search last Wednesday within the ‘Capital A’ building during which several contraband items were seized. These included 19 cellular phones and

night.

No one was injured during Wednesday night’s incident, but Thursday morning, the inmates continued the unrest within the confines of the penitentiary and some were injured.

During the second bout of ‘lash out’, the prisoners started another fire around 11:15h.

Persons in the area related that there was a loud explosion in the penitentiary before smoke was seen coming from the same building that was on fire the night before.

While firefighters were able to put out the flames, several inmates died and others were badly injured and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital.

As the crowd began to

Camp Street Prison

a quantity of narcotics.

It was in retaliation for this that the prisoners set a series of fires later that night by putting their mattresses in front of the grille of their cells and setting them ablaze.

Firefighters spent hours there, putting out at least three separate blazes. After the firemen had managed to put out the first fire, the angry inmates started another blaze at the same spot. This fire too was successfully doused after about 15 minutes, much to the dissatisfaction of the prisoners, who again started another fire. The last inferno took fire fighters approximately half an hour to contain close to mid-

grow in the vicinity of the Georgetown Prison, heavily armed Police Officers were deployed as added security.

While some persons went to the hospital after hearing inmates were transferred there, dozens stuck around for at least three hours, waiting for any information about their imprisoned relatives.

Subsequent to the unrest, the prisoners, after a successful meeting with Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan, had their complaints heard.

A Commission of Inquiry has been established to investigate the circumstances leading to the unrest.

conditions persist

– Region 9 hardest hit

A

s the El Niño weather phenomenon continues to wreak havoc across the country, President David Granger on Wednesday established a ministerial task force to examine and scale up plans

Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock; Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Raphael Trotman; Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder; Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan along with

to tackle future cycles of the prolonged dry spells, the Ministry of the Presidency said in a statement The task force, according to the statement, will be set up under the leadership of the Agriculture Ministry and is “responsible for the creation of an action plan that focuses on immediate relief for affected communities, as well as on medium and long-term plans, including the drilling of additional wells and increased water harvesting when the rainy season returns”.

This body, which will be chaired by National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) Chairman John Piggott, will include representatives from the Minister of State, Joseph Harmon; Minister of

Director General of the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), Chabilall Ramsarup.

Additionally, all of the key State agencies, with responsibility for various aspects of tackling the El Niño impact will participate in the work of the task force, including the NDIA; Guyana Water Inc (GWI); the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) and the Regional Democratic Councils (RDC).

The Public Health Ministry will provide a representative to focus on potential risks for water-borne illnesses and other healthrelated issues, the statement added.

The work of the task force will be resourced, fol-

lowing the completion of an approved action plan.

The statement noted that the task force which was set up in October last year to monitor the phenomenon will continue to operate and is now complemented by the ministerial task force.

During the meeting, the President was briefed on the situation and the work that the various Ministries and the CDC have been doing to tackle the now 10-month dry spell. It was noted that the Government would continue to concentrate its efforts on bringing immediate relief to communities affected by the impact of El Niño.

Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) is the worst affected area.

However, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam); Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara); Region Five (MahaicaBerbice) and Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) are also affected to varying degrees, particularly in rice farming and other agricultural areas.

The El Niño phenomenon, which began around mid-2015, already cost farmers significant losses, with thousands of acres of rice being destroyed on the Essequibo Coast and in the Essequibo Islands, Berbice and West Demerara, while cash crop farmers in many parts of the country, including Linden, have complained of massive loss of crops. The El Niño conditions are expected to continue to the end of June.

Region 2 Chairman feels sidelined by Govt

By Indrawattie Natram

R

egion Two (PomeroonSupenaam) Chairman Devanand Ramdatt has expressed his disappointment that his office has been often overlooked

by Government officials who fail to extend the courtesy of informing him when they are visiting the Region.

Ramdatt, who is the Chairman of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC), informed Councillors at Region Two Chairman Devanand Ramdatt the statutory meeting on Tuesday that he was very Region for two days last week disappointed over the man- and he was not informed or ner in which Ministers of briefed on the visit.

The Chairman further Government were operating.

Addressing the RDC, stated that since he took ofRamdatt said that he was fice he has been communicatvery “dissatisfied” that ing frequently with Minister Ministers were visiting the Patterson about the erosion Region of which he was of the Charity River Dam. Clerk of the RDC, Sunil Chairman, but his office was never informed of these vis- Singh, who was sitting in for Regional Executive Officer its.

He made reference (REO) Rupert Hopkinson, to Public Infrastructure who was absent, said that Minister David Patterson the REO’s office was inand a team that visited the formed about the Minister’s

visit. Singh said that he was told that the team would visit the RDC and meet with the Chairman, but that never materialised.

After listening to Singh, Ramdatt said that communication was important and the said system needed to be improved in an effort to aid in the developmental process.

Ramdatt further explained that “national unity” was important and as such, Ministers of Government needed to practise “cohesion”. This was the second time that the Regional Chairman has raised the issue with the RDC. Ramdatt said too that he was not invited also for the commissioning of the school boats that were gifted to the parents of the Pomeroon by the President of Guyana, David Granger. Ramdatt is of the view that his office is part of the Region and its inclusion is needed in moving forward.

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thursDAY, march 10, 2016 | guyanatimesGY.com

70-year-old woman hangs self

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70-year-old woman was found hanging in her East Bank Berbice (EBB) home on Wednesday morning.

Dead is Nowattie Doodnauth of Edinburgh Village, EBB. Reports are that the discovery was made by the woman’s son-in-law when he went to check on her.

This newspaper was told that the woman was found hanging over her bed which is located under a step in the two-storey house. It is believed that the mother of six wrapped part of her bed sheet around her neck before tying the other end to the step.

According to the dead

woman’s relatives, she was found in a standing position with her feet firmly on the bed.

Reports are the woman had attempted to take her own life twice in the past.

A relative, Barbara Seecharran said that on one of those occasions, Doodnauth tried to drown herself but failed.

“Well, she know to swim so every time she go under the water, she coming back up,” Seecharan said.

Reports are that Doodnauth suffered a nervous breakdown after her husband passed away. She has been receiving treatment for severe depression over the past two years.

GWI seeks new initiative to improve water quality

Representative from Aqua Smart, Harold Stiefel giving training to GWI’s team

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uyana Water Incorporated (GWI) customers will soon see improved water quality through a new initiative by the company.

As part GWI’s overall water quality improvement programme, it has commenced the assessment of Seaquest, a food-based agent which is believed to have the ability to enhance water quality.

It was reported by the nation’s water supplier that after research, they had found that Seaquest which is a product of Aqua Smart Incorporated has the capacity to eliminate the effects of iron present in water.

The programme, which is being carried out by GWI’s Scientific Services and Technical Service Departments, has started its evaluation in four communities to assess the effectiveness of the product.

The indicated communities are listed as Goed Fortuin, on the West Bank of Demerara; Agricola, Greater Georgetown; Clonbrook on the East Coast Demerara; and Ithaca, in Berbice.

According to the company, these communities were selected on the basis that their water supply has a very high iron content, thus making it the ideal location for the tests to be carried out.

The residents of these communities have already begun to receive visits from the GWI’s project team,

where they were updated on the project at hand and specifically to spread information on the product to be used.

Donna Canterbury, GWI’s Scientific Services Manager, reported that the product Seaquest which has the ability to chemically disable the iron present in water from oxidising.

Based on information received from the company, Seaquest is 100 per cent safe for the consumption of both animals and humans.

The utility noted that the product has also been approved by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Drinking Water Inspectorate, and is certified by the National Sanitation Foundation International.

Besides the harmlessness of the product for consumption, Seaquest was also selected based on its aptitude to reduce discoloration by reducing the effects of iron.

The manufacturing company of the product, Aqua Smart Incorporated which is United States-based has previously assisted GWI in several presentations.

If the tests are successful, the water company will see substantial improvements in the quality of water distributed.

Countries such as the United States, Belize and The Bahamas have also been using this product it improve its water quality, subsequent to successful testing.

14 NEWS New Anglican Bishop consecrated

thursday, march 10, 2016 | guyanatimesGY.com

– several Bishops from across the world grace ceremonial event

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ollowing the death of Guyana’s Anglican Bishop in 2015, a new Bishop was ordained and consecrated on Wednesday, in a highly ceremonial event at the St George’s Cathedral in Georgetown.

Bishop Charles Alexander Davidson was officially adapted to be a part of the Diocese of Guyana and the Province of the West Indies.

The ordination and consecration of the Bishop was held in the presence of several Bishops from across the world, who flew into Guyana specially to join in unison to welcome Davidson and assist in facilitating the event.

Also in attendance to honour the appointment was President David Granger along with the First Lady Sandra Granger.

The halls of the Cathedral were filled to capacity with hundreds of local and overseas officials and guests, as well as the general public which gathered to show their support of the Bishop’s appointment.

Heading the entire proceeding with the help of the visiting Bishops, Archbishop of the West Indies, Dr John W D Holder before bestowing the title, charged Davidson to maintain his strong faith and be a continued disciple for God. He reminded Davidson that the role of a Bishop surrounds being a leader to serve and care for the people of God, working with them in overseeing the Church, while fostering its mission to spread information about Jesus Christ.

Holder further added that Davidson should work towards maintaining uni-

ty in the church to which he is given charge. He noted the importance of caring, teaching and speaking the word of God in order to garner souls for the Kingdom of God. “It will be your duty to do this by being a faithful pastor and wholesome example for the entire flock of Christ in all things,” Holder encouraged.

During the declaration

by Davidson, he pledged to conform to the doctrine, discipline and worship of the church in the Province of the West Indies.

Examined by all the Bishops in attendance, Davidson further vowed to be completely devoted to promoting the work of the church and of God, ensuring that he fulfil the call and be an obedient disciple.

To these pledges, Holder went on to ask for the congregation’s input on whether they endorse the decision to have Davidson appointed, which received positive feedback.

Following this, Davidson was officially appointed new Bishop of Guyana by the body of Bishops and Archbishop.

As part of the religious ritual, the Bishop was then anointed and bestowed with the special items that signify his admittance to the body of Bishops.

This included the handing over of the Pectoral Cross and Bishop’s Ring which signifies salvation.

The presentation of the Mitre, a reminder of the Pentecostal Fire and the Sign of the Helmet of Salvation was then made.

“May your thinking and work for the church of God be inspired by the Holy

Newly consecrated Anglican Bishop Charles Alexander Davidson joined by several Bishops from across the world on Wednesday at the St George’s Cathedral

Spirit,” Holder urged as he placed the Mitre on the head of the newly appointed Bishop.

Lastly, the Pastoral Staff which is a sign of appointment to the pastoral office and a dedication to remaining faithful was given to Davidson.

Greeting the congregation after the appointment, Bishop Davidson was dignified and evidently elated as he moved through the swarm of adoring parishioners.

Bishop Charles Alexander Davidson is now the seventh person appointed to take up the Bishop position. The appointment of these persons started as early as 1842, where William Piercy Austin was selected to be a Bishop of the Diocese of Guyana.

The previous Bishop was the renowned Cornell Jerome Moss who served from 2009 up to his death in May of 2015.

Turkish Govt donates 13 computers to Enterprise Primary School – 2 ambulances given to Public Health Ministry

Education Ministry Permanent Secretary Delma Nedd and TIKA Director of South America, Mehmet Ozkan (centre)

By Shemuel Fanfair

S

tudents at the Enterprise Primary School are slated to garner skills in technology with a donation of several computer stations by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA). On Wednesday, officials from TIKA handed over 13 computers and accessories, a server, one projector, 13 UPS back-up battery systems and one printer.

Gladys Dickson-Damon, the school’s Headmistress thanked TIKA and Education Ministry officials for the equipment.

“On behalf of my staff, parents, I would just like to say thank you so much for this donation to our school because I think this is a good initiative,” posited Dickson-Damon. She stated that she always wanted to see the establishment of a computer laboratory and noted that she was pleased to see this initiative before she retired later this year.

Education Ministry Permanent Secretary Delma Nedd observed that the contribution by the Turkish Government was “timely”, and noted that the Government of Guyana was working to ensure that at least 50 per cent of primary schools had computers.

Some of the donated computers

“The Government (of Guyana) for the past four to five years has a strategic plan – 2014-2018, which has a mandate to equip 100 per cent of secondary schools with computers and 50 per cent of primary schools. We would have fulfilled the 100 per cent of our secondary schools, but we are working feverishly to achieve the 50 per cent in primary schools over the next two years,” stated the Permanent Secretary.

Head of the Ministry’s Management Information System Unit, Yoganand Indarsingh, in giving brief remarks at the handing over ceremony, said that the Ministry intended to “equip our nation’s students with [Information and Communication Technology] ICT skills and technology” to foster their development.

TIKA Director of South America, Mehmet Ozkan praised the initiative and noted that Turkey intended to engage in further collaborations with Guyana.

“We are glad to be here…we intend to have future integration; hopefully, this project will last long and we want to continue to cooperate with the Ministry of Education and also with Health,” stated Ozkan.

Also on Wednesday, TIKA donated two fully equipped ambulances to the Public Health Ministry at a cost of $25 million.

One of the ambulances will be stationed at Skeldon. It was said that the vehicles would be used to “enhance service delivery and transport time for patients”.

TIKA focuses on development collaborations and is currently in 140 countries.

news

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Thursday, march 10, 2016 | guyanatimesGY.com

Guyana accredits new Australian High Commissioner

Australian High Commissioner John Pilbeam presenting his Letters of Credence to President David Granger in the presence of Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge and Foreign Affairs Ministry Director General Audrey Waddell

P

resident David Granger on Wednesday accredited a new non-resident High Commissioner of the Commonwealth of Australia to Guyana.

High Commissioner John Pilbeam handed over his Letters of Credence to President Granger in the presence of Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge and Foreign Affairs Ministry Director General Audrey Waddell at the Ministry of

pioning democracy, human rights issues and the plight of small States. The President noted that Guyana was looking forward to having concerns of Small States addressed since Australia was known to use its experience and standing within the Commonwealth to call attention to the concerns of these States.

“Guyana looks forward to continuing to work with Australia to finding solution to the problems of small

“As exploration for oil and gas develops in Guyana’s waters, I’m sure you will see world-class engineers and consultancy firms making an appearance.” the Presidency.

After accepting the documents, the Head of State said that the Commonwealth, of which Australia was a founding member, has been an important voice in the global community, cham-

States and particularly, to the security concerns of small States,” Granger stated. He also extended gratitude to Australia for the support and development assistance received over the years, through scholarships,

direct aid programmes and through Caricom initiatives.

The Head of State added that with the appointment of a new Australian High Commissioner, Guyana envisaged increased collaboration between the two countries at the multilateral level.

“We look forward also to your appointment becoming a catalyst to strengthen bilateral relations and we welcome the interest expressed

by Australian companies to invest in Guyana…We assure you of our cooperation as you execute your duties,” President Granger said.

Meanwhile, High Commissioner Pilbeam pointed out that with the establishment of economic partnerships, several Australian companies would be taking advantage of this to invest in Guyana. He referred to Australian firm Troy Resources which has been operating in the mining sector for some time

Linden Highway schools hit with water woes

A

number of issues regarding the effective delivery of water to schools along the Soesdyke, Linden Highway, East Bank Demerara were highlighted at the most recent statutory meeting of the Region 10 Regional Democratic Council (RDC). The issue came to the forefront when Councillor Gordon Callender noted the urgency in transporting water, especially to the school at Moblissa.

Regional Chairman Renis Morian said while the school is not a part of Region 10, the RDC nevertheless will lend assistance. He noted that he also received similar reports of water woes at the school at Bamia.

“I called the Chairman of Region Four and I spoke to the PTA (Parent Teachers Association) body in Region Four and linked them up with the Chairman and they haven’t called back,” Morian said in response to the issue.

Also, Regional Executive Officer (REO) Gavin Clarke said he is aware of the general situation regarding the issue at Bamia, which would have been initially rectified, as the Education Department would have re-

sponded in providing water.

However, he noted that the present dry spell has been responsible for the most recent complaints.

Councillor Antonio Hackett revealed that visits to schools in Linden have revealed that a lot of the roof gutters are blocked by vegetation and moss, which may be responsible for water not flowing to water tanks, citing Regma Primary as an example.

Councillor Sandra Adams said the issue at Bamia also stems from some blockage at the schools roof level, where even though there would have been heavy rainfall for a few days recently, no water got to the school’s tank. She said there is a blockage with the roof’s drains. As such, Adams concluded that there is a double issue which presently exists.

She called on teachers to pay attention in monitoring the situation on the ground.

“The teachers need to monitor what happens because there was water left running and the water ran out of the tank. So the emptiness of the tank came by two situations, rain fell and no water couldn’t get in, and

what they had was left running and ran out the tank.”

Meanwhile, Regional Education Officer Marcia Paddy Andrews reiterated the situation mentioned by Adams where water was left running at the school, while adding that there are other notable issues responsible for the ineffective delivery of water to the schools. It was noted that trucks venturing into the area often times become stuck owing to the sand.

“We did send water in the dry season but we have a problem where the trucks taking water cannot go close because of the sand. Persons with trucks are now unwilling to go to the school,” she said.

In response, Morian said there is need for disaster preparedness while the possibility of having a tractor to go into the area with a water tank for the region must be explored. Meanwhile, he agreed to the suggestion by Councillor Vladimir Glasgow to pursue the construction of a proper access road leading to the school as well as other schools in the jurisdiction.

now.

“As exploration for oil and gas develops in Guyana’s waters, I’m sure you will see world-class engineers and consultancy firms making an appearance,” the High Commissioner stated.

The Australian diplomat also underscored that over the years Guyana has benefited significantly from its relations with Australia in the areas of capacity building, scholarships and jointaid programmes.

However, he remarked that the backdrop of relations between the two countries was premised on the area of sports, particularly cricket. Pilbeam mentioned the pending visit of the Australian cricket team in June, noting that he would be working with the Government of Guyana to make arrangements for this event which would see a large number of Australians flying in.

“Sports, particularly cricket, is the backdrop of our relationship. There aren’t many Australians who haven’t heard of Rohan Kanhai, Clive Lloyd, Lance Gibbs, Alvin Kallicharran, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramesh Sarwan,” he remarked.

High Commissioner Pilbeam, who is based in Trinidad and Tobago, is the 15th Australian diplomat to be accredited in Guyana since diplomatic ties were established in 1974.

Multiplex Mall owner murder

3rd suspect likely for court today

Murder accused, Fazeel Bacchus

Murder accused, Lennox Roberts

he third suspect who was wanted for the murder of Regent Multiplex Mall owner Ganesh Ramlall is likely to make his court appearance today at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. This was according to Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum on Wednesday.

Guyana Times understands that the file is with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), but investigators are confident that the official will recommend that charges be instituted against the suspect.

The suspect, also known as “Banana”, was arrested late last week and remained in custody after the Police made a successful application to the High Court to further detain him despite the expiration of the 72-hour detention period.

Lennox Roberts called “Soldier Man”, 32, of 2279 Tuschen Housing Scheme, East Bank Essequibo, and Fazeel Bacchus called “Javed”, 21, of Lot 7 Anna Catherina, West Coast Demerara, were already charged for the murder of the businessman. They both had confessed to planning the robbery of the businessman two months prior to the act.

Bacchus and Roberts

had reportedly told Police that they never planned to kill Ramlall, also known as “Boyo”, but intended to rob him and if they did not get enough money, kidnap him and demand a ransom.

They reportedly hired persons to carry out the act.

However, during the robbery on July 5, 2015 at his La Jalousie, West Coast Demerara home, the businessman put up a fight in an attempt to alert his wife, daughter and niece who were upstairs at the time, and as such, he was shot several times about the body.

The businessman had been out with his friends at a barbecue in a neighbouring village and upon his return home about 00:30h, he went to collect a plate as well as use the outside washroom. While doing so, he was attacked by the gunmen who first discharged a round, hitting the washroom door.

Guyana Times understands that the businessman might have attempted to run into the bottom flat of the house from which he had emerged and was riddled with bullets.

He collapsed a few metres from his back door where he was left to die.

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thursday, march 10, 2016

guyanatimesgy.com

Devina DePutron: Unique. Artist. Entrepreneur. Mother

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ringing “a bit of class to your space – wherever that space may be”, that’s the goal of DePutron, owned by Devina DePutron, professional artist and proud mother of one.

The newly-christened art selling business was started some four years ago as a means of providing extra money to purchase art supplies for the now 32-year-old artist to complete her Fine Arts Degree at the University of Guyana.

She said her business’s mission stems from her belief that “we need to surround ourselves with art that is not mass produced...art that can be a conversation starter, art that has more value to you because you KNOW the creator of the piece – have a relationship with them... in addition, art that reminds us of our culture, who we are and where we came from...”

The Tuschen Housing Scheme, East Bank Essequibo resident, who was born and raised in Bartica and is fresh off participating in

China’s Alibaba says agrees US$3B five-year loan

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was steep demand.

“The loan, which is subject to upsize through oversubscriptions in syndication, has a five-year bullet maturity and is priced at 110 basis points over LIBOR,” the company said in the filing, referring to the benchmark interest rate used by many global banks when making loans.

Alibaba added that the loan would be used for “general corporate purposes”, without expanding on what this meant.

The Wall Street Journal cited sources last month saying Alibaba was in talks with several banks to borrow up to US$4 billion to fund expansion plans, including acquisitions. (Reuters)

By Karen Sorensen

I

ncrease customer awareness by developing brand recognition. Creating a brand for your company takes time and careful planning.

Your company could be the next icon for your particular product or service. When you have a cut, you reach for the Band Aid® even if the bandage may be made by a different company. Cool fruity gelatin desserts are referred to as Jello®. Look around you and notice the many brands around you. What makes them so popular?

Identify Target Market What type of customers are you trying to attract? The success of your company’s branding efforts will rely on the

Market statistics Cambio Rates

Gold Prices – Guyana Gold Board

Bank of Guyana Cur

Buying

Selling

Fixed as at March 9, 2016 Calculated at 94% purity

U.S.

$1258.25

$155.55

Gross

$242,962

$205.98

$208.44

Net

$225,954

$ 225.70

$228.50

GBP

$292.81

$296.50

CAN

$153.77

USD EURO

from being an artist to becoming an entrepreneur, she replied: “An artist automatically becomes a business person. You have to sell your work!”

Further reflecting on the process of creating and selling a product, she noted that entrepreneurs should always ensure they provide a quality service or product, because if they do not, it will affect their brand.

“To succeed you have to come out of your comfort zone and take risks. I have learnt that taking risks come with the territory on the path to success,” she added, saying that her biggest inspiration was her daughter. “I want her to be proud to say – that’s my mommie!!!

Armed with that image of her daughter; the words of her mother (you are meant for more); and a new marketing plan to address what she calls her number one problem, this young artist is ready to transform her business to the next level.

Contact 665-8772 or 692-5687

What to consider when developing a brand

Business News

hina’s Alibaba Group Holding Ltd on Thursday said it has signed a deal for a US$3 billion five-year loan, which will help the e-commerce giant as it snaps up stakes in companies within China and overseas.

Alibaba, led by founder Jack Ma, has been expanding in areas beyond its core e-commerce base, such as online video, as volume growth in its online shopping business slows.

The firm said in a filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that it had signed the syndicated loan deal with a group of eight lead arrangers. It added that the amount could increase if there

the Women in Business Expo held last Saturday at the Pegasus, added that for her art is “a release.

When I am creating, I am in that zone... is therapeutic –- the result is something beautiful. That is a great feeling!”

And what drives the creativity of this colourful painter “...no place in particular. Maybe a colour here or a form there...I store it away and then retrieve it when needed. More often than not, I start painting, for example, with some vague idea and I let the work guide me, take me where it wants to go. I know it sounds cliché but it is true – it is what one of my lecturers at UG (Mr Philbert Gadjahar) calls “happy accidents”.”

Juggling two-year-old Zoe, growing a business and painting her abstracts is no easy proposition, but she manages thanks to her “AWESOME mother (Lynette Embleton) and sister (Stephonie Embleton)” who helps with taking care of Zoe while she works.

Asked what made her jump

Indicators as on March 9, 2016 Indicators

US$ per barrel

Crude Oil

$36.50

Price

USD

Rough Rice

$10.440/cwt

London Sugar

$422.10/ton

Live Spot Gold

Change %

+1.87 Change %

-2.43 -0.95 USD Per Once

Bid/Ask

$1252.50

Low/High

$1242.10

$1261.10

-1.40

-0.03%

Change

Business Concept – Marketing Plan

$1253.50

Product specific, market specific, or company-wide plan that describes activities involved in achieving specific marketing objectives within a set timeframe. A market plan begins with the identification (through market research) of specific customer needs and how the firm intends to fulfil them while generating an acceptable level of return. It generally includes analysis of the current market situation (opportunities and trends) and detailed action programmes, budgets, sales forecasts, strategies, and projected (proforma) financial statements.

(Business Dictionary)

customers you are pursuing.

Trendy graphics and hip hop music may attract the younger consumer, but this type of advertising might turn off the mature customers. Cater to the interests of your potential clientele.

Legalities Research your ideas so you do not infringe on another company’s brand. Developing your brand is a long-term investment.

Register your trademark legally to protect your company’s name from imposters and possible customer confusion.

Logo and Colour Scheme Choose simple colour choices and an easy to read font for your company logo.

Choosing a graphic that

says something about your business helps in creating your unique brand name. A good example of an effective logo is the swirled red, white and blue Pepsi® circle. The simple logo dominates the cans and bottles it is printed on and the only reading required is to determine if it is regular, flavoured, diet or caffeine free.

Celebrity endorsements Visual stimulation will help prospective customers remember you. Grab their attention with ads and commercials using a recognised person or character. Hanes® sales increased when Michael Jordan became a spokesperson for their national campaign and television commercials.

Small businesses starting out probably cannot hire a famous

celebrity like Michael Jordan, but there are other ways to attract customers and create an identity for your business.

Create your own character.

Animated celebrities like M&M® candies have been brought to life on television and online ads. If you are directly involved with your customers in a retail environment, you could be the face of your company.

If you are uncomfortable using actual photos, consider turning your picture into a cartoon.

Catchy tag line or jingle Your tag line should be short, easy to remember and send a message to your customer.

Turn your tag line into a musical jingle and your company will become the brand consumers will remember. (Business Dictionary)

Investors' guide Oil rally lifts Wall Street, extending tight correlation

U

S stocks rose in low volume on Wednesday, led once more by the direction of the price of oil and energy sector shares.

Crude oil and US equity prices have been linked for much of 2016 to a degree that has surprised many investors.

Wednesday’s market action extended that trend, with WTI crude rising nearly five per cent and the S&P 500 energy sector up 1.5 per cent.

Chevron jumped 4.6 per cent to US$92.82 and gave the biggest boost to the energy sector.

“It’s not about oil being a barometer of the global economy,” said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at Wunderlich Securities in New York. “A lot of it has to do with psychology.”

US crude and the S&P 500 have been directionally correlated on all but six trading days this year, according to

Wunderlich data.

“Stability in that asset class (oil) for a period of time will allow for the correlation to break down,” said Hogan.

Since February 11, the S&P 500 has gained 8.8 per cent, but it is still down 2.7 per cent for the year.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 36.26 points, or 0.21 per cent, to 17,000.36, the S&P 500 .SPX gained 10 points, or 0.51 per cent, to 1,989.26 and the Nasdaq Composite added 25.55 points, or 0.55 per cent, to 4674.38.

In a week with a thin economic data calendar, markets will turn to the European Central Bank, which is expected to further ease monetary policy on Thursday.

Biotechnology stocks came under pressure a day after the US Government proposed a test programme that would lower incentives to use higher-

priced drugs when alternative treatments are available.

The Nasdaq Biotechnology sector fell 1.2 per cent with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals down 5.1 per cent to US$374.75 as the largest decliner on the Nasdaq 100.

Chipotle Mexican Grill lost 3.4 per cent to US$506.63.

Already reeling from several food-borne illnesses, the company temporarily shut a Massachusetts restaurant after four employees fell sick.

Advancing issues outnumbered declining ones on the NYSE on a 2.3-to-1 ratio while on the Nasdaq a 1.50-to1 ratio favoured advancers.

The S&P 500 posted 27 new 52-week highs and 1 new lows; the Nasdaq recorded 48 new highs and 41 new lows.

About 7.5 billion shares changed hands in US exchanges, compared with the average 8.67 billion in the previous 20 sessions. (Reuters)

17

news

thursday, march 10, 2016 | guyanatimesGY.com

The Race to LGE 2016

Former Georgetown Councillor decries neglect of countryside

Region 2 Science Fair opens with a bang – 50th Anniversary Jubilee, essay and art competitions launched

– outlines plans for Buxton/ Foulis community progress

By Devina Samaroo

F

or 11 years, Rudolph McPherson served as a Councillor on the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) where he dedicated his time and energy towards bettering the capital city, while his community of Buxton/ Foulis was being neglected by Central Government.

And then, at long last came the announcement of Local Government Elections (LGE), giving McPherson the ideal opportunity to vie for a seat on the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) where he can finally represent the interests of his people and push for community advancement.

With years of experience as a Georgetown Councillor, this independent candidate believes he has what it takes to move his constituency forward.

“I know what needs to be done in our community. I can do the job. I will ensure there are proper development projects,” he expressed with much confidence.

McPherson said since he was a child, he observed that heavy focus was never placed on empowering communities located in the countryside.

“Central Government never looked to develop any country area. All your taxes paid goes to Central Government to develop the city area. And we have to change that idea,” he posited.

The candidate expressed that it was utterly unfair that there were hardly any opportunities for self-advancement within the community.

“Imagine, our young people have to wake up very early to travel all the way to Georgetown for jobs. Why can’t we have same opportunities available right here in the community?” he explained, noting that this was the vision he would be working towards.

Moreover, the inadequate drainage and irrigation system in the community is one of the major areas of concern.

According to the candidate, the current method being employed is practically useless.

“What you have are people from outside the community coming in and just clearing out the drains, and they’re not doing a good job at it, and then they leave the heaps of grass right at the corner of the drain and it just falls back in the drains and it defeats the purpose,” he noted.

To rectify this problem, McPherson said you have to review the criteria for hiring individuals to clean the community and put systems in place to ensure the job is properly executed. He noted too that it would be better to employ persons from within the community.

“You see, there are jobless people in the community and if you employ them to clean their own community, they would do it better than an outsider,” he explained. He also noted that more emphasis needed to be placed on educational development for the youths.

“It is my intention to have a building for evening classes offered by the community,

Teachers in the CPCE booth at the opening of Region Two Regional Science Fair 2016

was opened, presentations by various schools were made. Today, schools will display their projects, which will be judged and given prizes. The chief judge for the Science Fair is Petal Jettoo, Chief Science Fair Coordinator.

Some of the participating schools in the nursery category were Aurora, Jacklow, Huis t’Diren, Richmond, Charity, Lima, Zorg, Maria Lodge and St Monica Nursery Schools.

At the primary level, Siriki, Ulele, Suddie, Hampton Court, Abrams Creek, Riverstown, Aurora, 8th May, Taymouth Manor, St Monica, Huis t’Diren, Good

By Indrawattie Natram

Rudolph McPherson

because we find that the young people in the village don’t really have anything to do,” he stated.

Additionally, he plans to develop a play park and community centre with the aim of providing more options for recreational and extracurricular activities for schoolchildren and family-oriented events.

McPherson also lamented the unavailability of a market place within the constituency and in this regard, he pledged to work towards this achievement if he is elected.

In underscoring the importance of having a market nearby, McPherson highlighted that such a facility would, above all, promote self-sufficiency.

“There are nearby communities that engage in large-scale farming like Enmore, Foulis, Paradise…who can just come to the market close by instead of travelling greater distances,” he stated, noting that it would ultimately be less expensive for the farmers.

He also noted that it would be convenient for the villagers to go to a market “right around the corner” as opposed to travelling to Mon Repos or Georgetown.

McPherson also lamented the lack of a healthcare centre in the community, noting that it was a great problem for the elderly folks.

Lastly, the candidate recognised that there were many incomplete houses and empty land scattered across the constituency which have practically become the perfect hideout spots for criminals.

“So you see, we need to get these areas developed,” he posited.

In this regard, he wants to engage the Communities Ministry/Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) along with the owners to develop policies whereby the landowners/homeowners can get financial assistance to have their homes completed.

On this note, McPherson expressed his disapproval of the repossession policy.

“Most often, these people don’t build their house because they don’t have the money. So, we should find ways to help them get the money if they really want to start building, rather than taking away their lands,” he stated.

This former Georgetown Council member will be represented by his symbol, the Map of Guyana, with a hammer forming part of the outline – symbolising the need to reconstruct the country into a better society.

R

egion Two (PomeroonSupenaam) Regional Science Fair and Exhibition, organised by the Department of Education, was opened on Wednesday in high style under the theme, “Enhancing traditional technologies to sustain modern societies through STEM”.

The two-day fair was declared opened by Regional Education Officer Baramadai Seepersaud and saw over nine nursery, 17 primary and seven secondary schools participating.

According to the Regional Education Officer, the science fair is hosted in collaboration with the launching of the 50th Anniversary Jubilee and the essay and art competitions.

During her address to a mammoth audience in the auditorium of the Anna Regina Multilateral Secondary School, Seepersaud said the competition would enable students and teachers to conduct extensive research on Guyana’s Independence.

Pieces from the winners of this competition will be on display at the Region’s independence celebrations.

Speaking specifically about the Regional Science Fair 2016, the Regional Education Officer said that it was a biannual event that afforded children the opportunity to exchange ideas about science as well as to enhance and inspire others to do well next time.

She said that it was her wish for persons to realise how important Science and Technology were to the fast-developing world and if not fully utilised, most opportunities presented by these subjects would be missed. Explaining further, Seepersaud added that Science was “a way of life and can change confusion to understanding in the modern age of technology”.

She told the gathering that the two-day activity would highlight the Region as well as children’s creative and innovative work, hence showcasing how Science and Technology could be utilised to change the environment in which they live and operate.

Commenting on past Science Fairs, Seepersaud said that Region Two have

Pupils of Taymouth Manor performing a cultural piece during the opening of the Science Fair in Region 2

managed to craft excellent projects that were able to secure top spots, nationally, regionally and internationally. On that note, she congratulated the Abram Zuil Secondary School for putting the Region on top of the Sagicor Visionary Challenge in 2014-2015.

Creativity and innovation

Seepersaud implored schools to continue to be creative and to improve their ways of using Science and

Technology to enhance lives.

“Science can change our future, to improve your surroundings, let Science inspire you, rise up to the challenge,” the Regional Education Officer urged students.

She highlighted that all schools were winners but only the best projects would be selected to represent the Region at the National Science Fair, which would be held in Linden.

After the Science Fair

Hope, Fisher, Jacklow, Capoey and Sparta Schools participated.

Participating in the secondary category were Anna Regina, Abram Zuil, Aurora, 8th May, Cotton Field and Charity Secondary Schools.

The formal programme featured poems and dances.

Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) also had a booth on early childhood and the “home to school transition”.

18

guyanatimesgy.com

thursday, march 10, 2016

ARCHIE

Don’t get anxious when you can get moving and be (March 21- productive. Once you get April 19) started, everything will fall into place. Consistency and creativity will bring excellent results. Romance is on the rise.

Be innovative, but don’t TAURUS go over your budget or ignore (April 20- rules. The help you offer othMay 20) ers must be carefully monitored so that you are not taken advantage of. Make plans to do something you enjoy.

ARIES

dilbert

Your common sense must GEMINI (May 21- be maintained, regardless June 20) of what others do. Be honest about what you want and set guidelines to avoid being taken for granted. Put your energy into domestic improvements.

CANCER

Peanuts

(June 21July 22)

Keep the peace, offer assistance and take care of your responsibilities. Once you complete what’s expected of you, make sure you enjoy downtime with someone you love hanging out with.

You can make gains if you LEO prepare diligently and pres(July 23ent your case with finesse. A Aug. 22) change of scenery will encourage an encounter with someone offering a host of valuable information. Keep an open mind.

Express your feelings VIRGO openly and ask questions (Aug. 23that will help you understand Sept. 22) what others want to see unfold. Your practical attitude will attract someone who can be beneficial to you.

Calvin and Hobbes

Check out an investment LIBRA (Sept. 23- that can help your financial Oct. 23) situation. Cutting overhead expenses will give you greater long-term freedom to enjoy life to its fullest.

SUDOKU TODAY’S WORD – NIGHTSHIRT

Don’t run from situations SAGITTARIUS that make you uncomfort(Nov. 23- able. Matters will escalate if Dec. 21) you don’t address a problem.

Clear the air so that you can enjoy the benefits of eliminating stress.

(NIGHTSHIRT: NITE-shirt: A long, loose shirt worn in bed.)

Average mark 30 words Time limit 45 minutes Can you find 47 or more words in NIGHTSHIRT? The list will be published Monday.

YESTERDAY’S WORD – CUMMERBUND crude undue bend number crumb mend berm demur cube menu bred drub cued mumu brume drum cumber ecru bummed dumb curb rend bund dumber curd rube burden dunce cure rude burn dune umber rued nude durum under rune numb

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You’ll be considered a trendsetter amongst your peers.

solution for Last Published Puzzle

Keep your thoughts to CAPRICORN yourself until you are sure (Dec. 22- you have an audience that Jan. 19) will understand what you are trying to say and do. Arguing with stubborn people will be a waste of time.

A past experience will AQUARIUS (Jan. 20- help you make a decision and Feb. 19) move forward. Your disciplined attitude will encourage you to be your best. Love will promote a closer bond with someone special.

A chance to use your talPISCES (Feb. 20- ents strategically will also March 20) result in an upswing in your earning ability. Reawaken an old friendship with someone you haven’t talked to in quite a while.

thurSDAY, march 10, 2016

19

Sharapova starts to count cost Upbeat Sammy of failed drug test, likely ban motivated by West S Indies U-19 success

T

Darren Sammy

here is no shortage of catchy oneliners in Darren Sammy’s press conference. Or animation for that matter. Four of his team-mates Jason Holder, Denesh Ramdin, Samuel Badree and Carlos Braithwaite - who turn up after Sammy are relatively coy to begin with but eventually warm up to become more conversational; Ramdin even helpfully identifies Holder as one of the team’s funnier characters.

Minutes later the decibel levels go up even higher during a riotous, closeddoor photo session. There is Dwayne Bravo attempting the chest roll made popular by West Indies Under-19 allrounder Shamar Springer at the recent World Cup even as Chris Gayle’s thunderous laughs are threatening to bring the walls down. Coach Phil Simmons and media manager Philip Spooner are amused, but offer more restrained smiles.

This isn’t 2012. This isn’t after West Indies won their first world title in 23 years. This is a West Indies fighting for a rational pay structure, a team that hasn’t always had a full complement of its talent at its disposal. You almost expect Sammy to march up to the dais and strike a defiant pose like an angst-ridden trade unionist; there was, after all, a fear that West Indies’ players might boycott the World T20, something which Sammy himself denied later.

What you get to see instead is the quintessential Sammy: cheerful, witty and forthright. There is an unmistakable tinge of helplessness when the contract dispute is brought up but Sammy is aware that for his generation of players this is possibly the last crack at a global title. So squabbles can wait, at least till the end of the World T20.

“We are focusing only on cricket,” Sammy says and turns around to point to the sponsor boards in the background. “This event means a lot to us as a group. I think the next T20 World Cup is in 2020. The most experienced guys will not be part of the next World Cup. Everybody is focused on winning.

It would mean a lot to us and the people at home in the current situation our cricket is in if this team comes here... not only the men’s team but also the women’s team if we can win.

“The message is cricket. Once you step out on the field, you shouldn’t be worrying about contracts and other stuff. You focus on what you could do to help your team and make your country proud. Ideally we would like everything to have a smooth sailing. But that’s not the case for us. We will just do what we can on the field and put all our energy and focus on how we go out and play the cricket.”

Sammy is trying to harness positive energy from wherever he can, and it seems to be coming from the Under-19 side. “It’s been a massive motivation for us to see our youngsters do well in Bangladesh. Any nation, once your country is being represented in a major event… once you win, it elevates your country, the nation, your region, we all know. Cricket is the glue that unifies the Caribbean - whichever Caribbean team does well it’s a massive plus for the Caribbean people.”

For some time now West Indies’ players have found themselves in a situation where they are individually well fed on T20 cricket in different leagues across the world but have found it increasingly hard to play together as a unit. Sammy recognises it is less than ideal but feels the presence of players like Gayle, Bravo and Marlon Samuels makes life easier for him.

“When I see all these qualities in the dressing room, as a captain leading the side my job becomes very easy,” he says. “Ideally we want to be playing international matches but the fact that we have guys who have been playing T20 cricket it is not difficult to adjust.

The group that is there we have been playing for a while. So we know the ins and outs of how we want to play T20. It won’t be difficult to gel.”

The pre-tournament camp in Dubai has served as an effective tool to achieve that end; for players like Badree the prospect of forging stronger off-field bonds is a significant benefit. “I guess it’s just as important to have that camaraderie off the field as it is to have on [it],” Badree said. “We have been doing lots of stuff together, whether it be going to the beach and having a session there or going to the desert safari.

We have done some stuff in Dubai that really brought us closer together as a team off the field as well.

“That’s the sort of thing we like to pride ourselves on - not only playing together on the field but as well as showing that camaraderie off, and that will always augur well for the strength and unity of the team or any team as a matter of fact.”

If the West Indies can go on to accomplish an encore of 2012 then Sammy’s “message is cricket” may well have a lasting resonance. (Cricinfo)

wiss watchmaker TAG Heuer said on Tuesday it was severing ties with Maria Sharapova as the world’s highest-paid female athlete started to count the cost of a failed drug test and likely ban from tennis.

Sports firm Nike and German luxury car maker Porsche also said they were suspending their relationship with the five-times Grand Slam champion as the 28-year-old Russian until a decision is taken on banning her.

The failed drug test at January’s Australian Open, one of four annual Grand Slam events, will be costly for her at a time when sports bodies and sponsors are taking a tough line following a series of corruption and doping scandals.

Sharapova earned $29.7 million last year, Forbes magazine reported, and most of it came from endorsements, appearances and royalties rather than her victories on court.

She was world’s highestpaid female athlete last year for the 11th consecutive year, and Forbes put her off-court career earnings at more than $200 million.

“We’re now entering a zero tolerance era for sponsors,” said Rupert Pratt, co-founder of sports sponsorship agency Generate. “It is now seen as not acceptable to ‘stand by your

suspended from playing tennis from March 12 and could be prevented from competing for Russia at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics this year.

Sharapova’s deal with Tag Heuer had expired at the end of 2015, and the company had been in talks to extend the collaboration, it said on Tuesday.

“In view of the current situation, the Swiss watch brand has suspended negotiations and has decided not to renew the contract,” TAG Heuer, a unit of French luxury goods group LVMH, said in a statement.

RELATED COVERAGE

Maria Sharapova

man’ because of the amount of scrutiny corporates are now under”.

Sharapova, who lit up women’s tennis when she won Wimbledon in 2004 as a 17-year-old and is still ranked among the top players, announced on Monday she had tested positive for meldonium, which is used to treat diabetes and low magnesium.

She said she had been taking the substance for a decade for health reasons and had not read an email informing her that a ban on its use in sport, imposed by the World AntiDoping Agency (WADA), had come into force on Jan. 1.

She will be provisionally

Profile of Russia’s Maria Sharapova Porsche, a division of Volkswagen, said it was suspending Sharapova’s role as its brand ambassador.

“We regret the current news about Maria Sharapova. Until further details emerge and we are able to analyse the situation, we have decided to suspend planned activities,” it said.

It followed Nike (NKE.N), the world’s largest sportswear maker, which said it was “saddened and surprised” by the news when it announced it was putting ties on hold with the player.

Another sponsor, cosmetics maker Avon Products Inc (AVP.N), declined to comment on its endorsements. (Reuters Sport)

WICB set for name change shortly

W

est Indies Cricket Board will be renamed Cricket West Indies

shortly.

President, Dave Cameron made the official announcement at the just concluded Annual General Meeting and the Board of Directors quarterly meeting, held in Kingston this past Friday and Saturday.

While that name change will be happening, Independent Director, Don Wehby will be leading a team of other independents to include Clifford Reis, Ricky Skerritt and three others to be named, to assess the undone recommendations from the Lucky, Patterson and Wilkin Reports. These Reports have over time made suggestions regarding changes to the WICB and its governance and management structures.

The President noted, “the terms of reference of this team, will focus primarily on the recommendations that have not been implemented and for the team to examine if there is an opportunity to bring anything back to the Territorial Boards and the WICB for adoption by

Dave Cameron

the shareholders.”

The President went on to say that “once that process is complete, a change management expert will be brought in to complete the process for a smooth transition.”

News of the financial status of the organisation is also steadying as the President reported to the shareholders that the WICB had a surplus of US$3.4 million as at September 30, 2015. This was gleaned from the financial statements audited by KPMG. The President was confi-

dent in revealing that the projections for the next four years indicate that the Board will be able to cover costs for its domestic competitions and cricket programmes.

Coming up in 2017 – 2018, there will be a variety of home series in all formats and the bid documents have been sent to the Governments of the region through the territorial boards for countries to indicate and commit to hosting.

The feedback is due by end of April “and once the commitments have been received, a comprehensive schedule will be released to the public,” added the President.

For the tri-nation series in June this year, the Board is finalising commitments with Guyana, St. Kitts Nevis and Barbados where the matches have already been assigned. The West Indies will host Australia and South Africa for the entire month of June. Prior to that too the Commercial and Marketing team of the Secretariat will host training and preparation sessions with the event teams from all the assigned countries. (Windies Cricket)

20

guyanatimesGY.com

thurSDAY, march 10, 2016

vows anti-doping Ibrahimovic returns to haunt Brazil legislation ready to go Chelsea as PSG advance

Z

latan Ibrahimovic scored the winner as Paris St Germain beat Chelsea 2-1 to knock them out of the Champions League for the second successive season at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.

PSG’s victory after their 2-1 first-leg win in Paris put Laurent Blanc’s team into the last eight for the fourth successive season 4-2 on aggregate.

A composed display built on superb passing outclassed the English champions and confirmed the runaway Ligue 1 leaders as one of the favourites to win this season’s premier European club competition.

PSG went ahead in the 16th minute when Angel Di Maria found Ibrahimovic, sent off when the sides clashed at the same stage a year ago, wide on the right.

The 34-year-old Swedish striker’s cross eluded the defence for Adrian Rabiot to tap in, giving Thibaut Courtois no chance.

But Chelsea, without injured skipper John Terry at the back, recovered with neat moves of their own and equalised with a superbly

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

constructed goal when Diego Costa checked past Thiago Silva to fire wide of Kevin Trapp after 27 minutes.

The hosts, however, lost their cutting edge when Costa went off injured and Ibrahimovic turned in Di Maria’s cross from close range after 67 minutes, meaning Chelsea needed to score three times to win the tie.

“It was a difficult game for us but we never change our philosophy, we try to

play with the ball and create gaps to score,” PSG’s former Chelsea defender David Luiz told BT Sport.

“It was a collective victory. Everyone knows how hard it is to play here. We kept calm and we scored at key moments.”

Chelsea’s interim manager Guus Hiddink bemoaned the gulf in quality between the sides.

“You saw the difference between the squads when we had to bring young guys

on and they have Edinson Cavani to come in,” the Dutchman said.

“We gave too much respect in the first 10 minutes, they were dominating. They are a good side but once we stepped up we had some chances.”

PSG, who have only lost twice in 44 matches in all competitions this season and are set to win the French League for the fourth successive year, took an early grip on the game with Ibrahimovic linking superbly with Di Maria and Lucas.

They deserved their opening goal, but Chelsea, who have improved after a poor start to the season, began to impose themselves with Willian central to most of their best moves and Costa a constant threat.

Costa went off with a calf injury and the visitors wrapped up the match and the tie through Ibrahimovic’s goal.

Chelsea, languishing 10th in the domestic standings, now have the FA Cup as their only hope of a trophy this season as PSG eye bigger prizes. (Reuters Sport)

India-Pakistan game moved to Kolkata

The India-Pakistan match will now be played at the largest cricket stadium in the country (BCCI

T

photo)

he India-Pakistan World T20 match on March 19 has been moved to Eden Gardens in Kolkata, because of security concerns over the original venue Dharamsala. The ICC chief executive David Richardson made the announcement in Delhi on Wednesday, ending weeks of uncertainty over the fixture, which began with the Himachal Pradesh chief minister saying his government would not be able to provide adequate security for the match.

The PCB, however, has continued to delay the departure of the Pakistan

men’s and women’s teams to India pending assurance from the BCCI or the Indian government. “The PCB has also today conveyed to ICC and BCCI that our government is expecting an assurance to Pakistan against specific threats to the Pakistan team from various political parties and groups during the tour,” the board said in a release. “Pending this assurance and in accordance with the recommendation by the security delegation, the PCB has decided to defer the departure of Pakistan men and women teams to India.”

“The decision to relo-

cate the match has been made for security reasons,” Richardson said in Delhi.

“The concerns initially arose following alleged public comments recently reported by the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, warning of demonstration and attempts to disrupt the peaceful conduct of the match.

Our concerns relate both to uncertainty as to the level of those threats as well as the level of commitment to implement any security plan developed to mitigate such treats.

“The decision was not taken lightly. The ICC and the BCCI understand the

disappointment that is likely to be felt by many over the decision to move the match. But the safety and security of the event is of paramount importance to the ICC and we have taken into consideration the concerns shared with us by our security advisors as well as Pakistan Cricket Board.

“As far as those who have purchased tickets online for the match, they will be offered the choice of a full refund or the opportunity to exchange their tickets for ones for the Kolkata match.

“Finally, I would like to confirm that the ICC has been assured by all relevant state authorities that all adequate security measure are in place and will be implemented to ensure that the event is staged in a safe and secure environment for all stakeholders.”

Though the PCB had always expressed reservations about playing in Dharamsala once the issue began, the BCCI and the ICC remained confident the game would go ahead as planned. However, the problems came to a head this week after a threeman security delegation from Pakistan inspected the venue and was unhappy with the preparations.

Their report to the PCB on Tuesday recommended that Pakistan not play at the venue, and the ICC announced the change in venue the next day. (Cricinfo)

B

razil will not risk being kicked out of their own Olympic Games and is confident of passing key anti-doping legislation before next week’s deadline, the country’s anti-doping authority told Reuters on Wednesday.

With the Olympics starting in Rio in August, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) set a March 18 deadline for Brazil to be in accordance with the organisation’s doping rules.

“There are only five working days to make it happen but it will happen,” said Marco Aurelio Klein, the national secretary of the Brazilian Anti-Doping Authority.

“I am sure we will do it because there is no alternative. It is of fundamental importance for us to host the Olympic Games.”

Brazil was warned last November it must bring its sporting justice system in line with WADA guidelines.

Currently, state and national courts hear anti-doping cases but under WADA rules such cases must be heard by an independent specialised tribunal.

Brazil has new legislation ready but the government will likely pass a decree rather than a law because there is so little time

left for debate, Klein said.

Although authorities have been discussing the changes since before November, Klein said the Christmas recess, followed by the southern hemisphere’s summer holidays and annual carnival celebrations robbed them of at least half of the 120 days they had to work with.

“These four months had a different impact in different countries,” Klein said.

“In Brazil, the 120 days was probably closer to 50 days.”

While the new system must be in place by March 18, international officials refuse to countenance the idea that South America’s first host nation could be banned from its own games if it does not meet the deadline.

“Realistically speaking I wouldn’t think so,” Dick Pound, chair of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) independent commission, told Reuters when asked about that possibility.

“To do away with the host country? In the real world I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

Brazil’s preparations are often last minute. Half the stadiums built for the 2014 World Cup were delivered late and much of the promised infrastructure was never delivered at all. (Reuters Sport)

Messi set to appear in 2018 qualifiers for first time

L

Lionel Messi

ionel Messi will play his first 2018 World Cup qualifiers this month after being named in a 29-man Argentina squad on Tuesday.

Captain Messi missed his country’s first four qualifiers last year for the tournament to be played in Russia because of injury.

Argentina, finalists in Brazil in 2014, made a poor start to the 10-nation, 18-match South American group in Messi’s absence with a 2-0 home loss to Ecuador followed by a 0-0 draw in Paraguay in October.

They picked themselves up with a 1-1 draw at home to Brazil and a 1-0 win in Colombia in November and are now in sixth place with five points, seven adrift of leaders Ecuador.

Messi will lead Argentina away to Copa America holders Chile in Santiago on March 24 and at home to Bolivia in Cordoba five days later.

The top four teams at the end of the campaign in 2017 qualify for the Russia finals the following year, and the fifth-placed side go into an intercontinental playoff.

(Reuters Sport)

21

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NBA roundup…

thurSDAY, MARCH 10, 2016

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LaMarcus Aldridge

aMarcus Aldridge had 29 points and seven rebounds to help the San Antonio Spurs bounce back from a rare loss with a 116-91 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night.

The Spurs (54-10) led by as many as 26 points in a game they played without Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and coach Gregg Popovich.

David West scored 18 points as the Spurs shot 55.3 percent and only turned the ball over nine times.

Andrew Wiggins had 23 points and eight rebounds for the Timberwolves. KarlAnthony Towns had 19 points and nine boards, and Zach LaVine scored 15 points.

The Spurs haven’t dealt with much losing this season, and they responded to their 10th defeat of the season with a workmanlike dismantling of the Timberwolves defense. Even with their three mainstays out of the lineup and their peerless coach at home tending to a family issue, they didn’t miss a beat.

RAPTORS 104, NETS 99

DeMar DeRozan had 25 points for Toronto, and Kyle Lowry added 23 points and nine assists.

Brook Lopez had 35 points, one shy of his season high, for the Nets, who lost the season series to the Raptors for the first time since 2009-10.

Kenneth Faried had 24 points and 10 rebounds to help the Nuggets to their eighth straight win over the Knicks at the Pepsi Center.

Nikola Jokic scored eight of his 20 points in the fourth quarter as Denver had six players in double figures.

Carmelo Anthony finished with 30 points against his former team. He is now 0-3 when playing at his old stomping grounds since being traded to New York in February 2011.

New York rookie Kristaps Porzingis was limited to six points in his return after missing a game with a bruised left leg. The Knicks were dealt a blow before the game when forward Lance Thomas hurt his left knee in warmups. (Salt Lake Tribune)

Bolt wants to thrill at June’s Jamaican meet

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The Raptors rallied from a 16-point halftime deficit to get back on track at home after their franchise-record, 12-game home win streak ended Sunday against Houston.

The Raptors got within two courtesy of a 22-9 run over the final 5:55 of the third quarter and finally jumped in front on Patrick Patterson’s 3-pointer to open the fourth.

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ix-times Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt on Wednesday helped announce the inaugural Racers Grand Prix in Kingston set for June 11 and hinted he might produce a special performance on Jamaica soil.

Bolt, the Jamaican world record holder in the 100 and 200 metres, will headline a strong field in the Rio Olympics run-up event that includes world 400m champion Wayde van Niekirk of South Africa and American 100m bronze medallist Tori Bowie.

“The fact that I’ll be competing this year it’s a motivation to work even harder to make sure when I compete here, I will be in top form to run fast times to show the country that I’m ready to go to Rio (Olympics) and do great things,” Bolt told Reuters.

Bolt said it was a well-positioned meet for most athletes because it is just before Olympic trials so they can go out and compete and know what they need to work on.

Glen Mills, chairman of the organising committee of the meet and the coach of Bolt and others at the Racers Track Club, said former world record holder Asafa Powell and 2012 Olympic sprint medallists

Usain Bolt

Yohan Blake and Warren Weir were among other athletes expected to compete.

Mills said he hoped the event would grow into a circuit of eight or 10 meets in the North American Central American and Caribbean Athletics Association (NACAC) and had the support of NACAC president Victor Lopez. Meanwhile, Bolt is again setting his sights on dominating a third successive Olympics.

“Training is going well you know, I’ve really stepped up the tempo,” he said. “I was out for a bit because of an ankle problem, but everything is going smoothly now.

“I’m really focussed and I really want it, so I’m just pushing myself, working hard and hopefully my coachwill give me the go ahead to compete very soon,” Bolt said.

Mills again expects Bolt to dominate at the Games.

“The preparation is going to be going right down to the Olympics because he lost valuable time, but he’s back in training and we are pushing the envelope,” he said.

“Usain is highly motivated and he’s a special athlete so we’re expecting that come the right time he’ll be able to go out there again and do his thing.” (Reuters Sport)

22

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

thursday, march 10, 2016

Chanderpaul credits hard work for his improvement

Regal Sport/Trophy Stall T20…

Persaud’s 50 guides Sans Souci Jaguars to win over Good Success O P

By Akeem G reene

rem Persaud, struck an even half century as his team Sans Souci Jaguars defeated Good Success by eight runs at the Wakenaam Community Centre ground in the Regal Sport/Trophy Stall T20 tournament continued on Sunday in Wakenaam.

Persaud got support from Siddique Mohamed with 35 as Sans Souci Jaguars posted 180-7, batting first.

Wazir Khan claimed 2-15 and Wazir Khan 2-57. Good Success responded with 173-4. Imran Khan hit a composed 70 while Wazir Khan made 34; Nokta Moses and Derwin Daniels snared two wickets each.

At Belle Plaine, Sans Souci beat G Square Cavaliers 20 runs. Sans Souci batted first and made 138-6. Osbourne got 48 and Budram 33. G Square responded with 118 all out in 19.5 overs.

Cavaliers got the better of Zeelandia by 100 runs. Batting first, Cavaliers scored 192-7 while Zeelandia were bowled out for 92 in reply.

Sans Souci overcame Maria’s Pleasure by four wickets at the said venue. Maria’s Pleasure took first strike and managed 197

all out in 20 overs. Kennard Lewis cracked 70 and Marsh Singh 34; Tavin Budram captured 3-26 and Cleon Venture 2-34. Sans Souci replied with 198-6 in 17.4 overs.

Wayne Osbourne smashed 60 and Seon Venture 39. Singh had 2-26.

The Semi finals will be played on Sunday with Sans Souci playing Good Success at the Wakenaam Community Centre ground and G Square Cavaliers facing Sans Souci Jaguars at Belle Plaine.

Roy Fedricks Floodlight T20 cricket…

Republic Bank, Big B’s Restaurant provide sponsorship

pening batsman of the Golden Jaguars, T a g e n a r i n e Chanderpaul during an interview with the Guyana Times Sport on Wednesday before the team’s departure for Antigua and Barbuda, expressed his pleasure in the work he has been putting in behind the scenes.

The young cricketer stated “I have just been practicing more, putting in some hard work and things have been going well, so hopefully they continue to go that way in the remaining two matches”.

Just at the age of 19, young Chanderpaul has demonstrated maturity when batting way above his age, and on some occasions he has even held the top order together.

Though he averages 25.23 from thirteen First-class matches, with just two half centuries, it his application this season that has been most commendable. From four matches, he has made 285 runs at an average of 35.62 with a top score of 81.

The left-handed batsman whose batting still mirrors that of his father

Tagenarine Chanderpaul

Shivnarine, has been a rock at the top of the order owing to his ability to adapt to circumstances, which sees him having an appetite for long innings.

Most worthy of note is his knock of 65 against Barbados where the Jaguars playing for a draw saw Chanderpaul bat for close to five hours while facing 205 balls.

“As an opening batsman my job is to see off the new ball and try bat as long as possible into the innings and the game against Barbados it suit my kind of batting and it worked out for me”, he explained.

The prospect lies that this will be the first time, the father-son pair will bat together in a First Class-

match and he welcomes the idea, since his father would give him helpful advice.

“So far I have never batted with him in a Firstclass game, we have batted in clubs: he is very helpful, he gives good advice out in the middle when I’m struggling”, he revealed.

Quizzed about what goals he may be looking to achieve in the two remaining matches, he bluntly stated, “I’m just hoping I can get a big score in the remaining games”.

The former West Indies Under-19 player believes that the Jaguars are good as they look to retain the title WICB/Professional Cricket League (PCL) fourday title.

“I think our chances are quite good to win the next game and seal the tournament, since we have been playing some good cricket thus far”, the player posited.

Table toppers Jaguars, departed these shores today for Antigua and Barbuda where they play the Leeward Islands Hurricanes at the Vivian Richard’s Cricket Ground in their ninth round match starting on Friday. (akeemg@ guyanatimesgy.com)

Memorex Under-19 2 innings cricket…

Mohamed Samad, Executive member of BCC collects a cheque from a representative of Big B’s

T

Young Warriors Cricket Club through to semi-finals

Shizad Ali, Treasurer of BCC, collects a sponsorship cheque from representatives of Republic Bank

he Roy Fredericks’ Floodlight T20 Tournament has been given a major boost as Republic Bank and Big B’s – Baksh Restaurant jumped on board with the tournament.

The tournament which is slated for March 19 and 20 at the Blairmont Estate ground will be the last programme in the dedication to Roy Frederick’s contributions to cricket development in Berbice.

Guyana, the Caribbean and the intention of the Executives of Blairmont Cricket Club (BCC) was to dedicate the first quarter of the year to the former West Indies stalwart.

The fundraiser will look to address the main concerns of the club, which are the covers for the pitch; another club aim is to promote a Spelling Bee and a Math

Quiz for Grade Six students in Region Five and to prepare them for the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA).

The two events will see ten top teams tussling for supremacy namely Cotton Tree; Die Hard; Young Warriors; Rose Hall Youth and Sports Club; Bath Underdogs; Blairmont Blazers; Skeldon Gladiators; West Berbice Super Kings; Black Bush Rangers; Bush Lot Strikers and Lusignan Emperors.

Blairmont Cricket Club also will partner up with Berbice Volley Association (BVA) during the event by hosting a volleyball outreach programme and a competition to resuscitate the game at the community centre.

The home team, Defenders, during 1995-2007 was one of the top teams in Guyana producing many junior and senior national play-

ers.

Attractions for the weekend will have a Domino Competition, live commentary, Ice Cream and Air horns giveaway, Bouncy Castle, Trampoline and live music entertainment from local artist.

Other sponsors are New Building Society, Green’s Massive, Basil and Son’s variety store, Rosignol Mall, Berbice Bridge Company, Baksh Travel Service, A&A General Store, Roshan Gafoor, Vickram Singh Construction and Party Rental Service, Romel Bridgemohan Gas Station, Feroz Auto Sales.

For more information about sponsorship rights or participation, individuals can contact Shizad Ali (Green’s Massive) 627-5215, Nigel Trotz 643-4289 or Shabeer Baksh 628-6767.

Y

The victorious Young Warriors cricket team

oung Warriors stormed into the semi-finals of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) Memorex Under-19 two innings cricket thanks to Leg-spinner David Eastman, who spun webs around the Achievers batsmen with a ten wicket match haul to lead his side to a 38-run victory recently.

Playing at the Bush Lot Ground, West Coast Berbice, YWCC won the toss and reached 261 all out due to consistent batting from Berbice youth players Sasenarine Sukhu (64), Trevon Stanislaus (47), Jarron France (42) and Alex

Algoo (31).

Bowling for Achievers Akeem Blackman and Joseph Nicholson took three wickets apiece.

Achievers in reply could only muster 161 all out with the top score of 58 coming from the bat of Titus Webster. He got support from Randy Wade (35) and Adrian Ramnarine 23.

Eastman took 8-34 and Aaron Beharry 2-33.

In their second turn at the crease, YWCC batted poorly and was bowled out for 104 with only Sukhu with 27 offering any resistance; Nicholson took six wickets and Blackman four

scalps for the Achievers.

Set a target of 206 for victory, Achievers threatened with a solid opening partnership of 89 between Wade (22) and the classy Ramrach (75).

However, when they went, so was the hope of Achievers who were eventually bundled out for 168 Stanislaus led the way with 5-30 and Beharry 3-25 while Eastman picked up two wickets.

YWCC will now play Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club in their semifinal game at Cumberland on March 12 and 13. Actions begin at 10:00hrs.

guyanatimesGY.com

thurSDAY, march 10, 2016

GFA/Stag Premier League…

Riddim Squad get past Flamingo 3-1 – Santos held by Beacons 2-2

R

Chris Galloway

iddim Squad notched their second win of the Georgetown Football (GFA) Federation Stag Premier League on Tuesday at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC).

The Mocha based side now moved to fourth place on the table due to their dominating performance.

From the blow of the whistle, Riddim Squad pounced on any opportunity that came their way which saw

Sheldon Holder scoring in the sixth minute followed

by Dwayne O’Riley in the 10th.

Flamingo responded when Leon Yaw netted in the 34th to end the first half. However, the second half started with another offensive display by Riddim Sqaud but they could not find the back of the net as the fixture looked to end with the current score line However, Aqwill Liefde (90t4) scored in injury time to end the match 3-1.

Earlier, League leaders, Santos FC drew 2-2 with Beacons due to an injury time goal by Chris Galloway.

Dwayne McLennon hit a double (10trh and 18th) to put Santos up by two early in the first half but Fabian Grainford responded to cut the deficit when he easily scored in the 22nd to end an exciting first half.

As the second half lacked the intensity of the first, it looked by all accounts that Santos would coast to victory when Chris Galloway scored in injury time to give Beacons their first point in the league after five matches.

Ramdhani reaches quarter-finals of U-19 International badminton tourney

N

Narayan Ramdhani

ational junior and senior badminton champion Narayan Ramdhani blasted his way into the quarterfinals of the 11 Peru Under-19 Junior International World Ranking Tournament currently being held in Lima, Peru at the Regatas Club Badminton Courts.

The world ranked player reached the quarterfinals in the boy’s singles by defeating Gabriel Urteaga Hammond: 21- 11, 21-14 Ramdhani who is also sponsored by Suburst

teamed up with national junior player Jonathan Mangra to reach the quarterfinals in the boy’s doubles by defeating Mariano Novoa and Gustavo Alfredo Salazar: 21-17, 21-14 The tournament is Ramdhani’s first international tournament for 2016 after recovering from a knee ligament injury he picked up at the Suriname Open International late November 2015 after executing a jump smash and landed on a slippery court.

This caused his training to be slightly affected but is seemingly coping well.

The tournament continues this evening with the players playing to get into the semifinal and the medal round.

Meanwhile Mangra lost his singles match in the first round in a thrilling three setter to Mariano Novoa: 17-21, 21-12, 18-21.

The GBA also thanked the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA), the National Spots Commission (NSC), Yellow Mining and Bounty Farm for assisting our two players to attend this tournament.

23

Women’s football to be further developed in Guyana

By Akeem Greene

O

ften the cry has been that Guyana’s women’s National Football team, the Lady Jags, has a high composition of foreign based players.

With minimal platforms for local players to showcase talent, the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) is looking to address this problem by investing in the development; this is according to President of the GFF Wayne Forde in an interview with Guyana Times Sport.

“I have before me a proposal for a Women’s League and we have just received from FIFA, a fairly decent funding specifically for Women’s football”, Forde revealed.

He added, “We are currently talking to a specialized technical football individual out of the USA to help us streamline a domestic prorgamme in Guyana”.

If there is going to be a domestic competition for women, facilities will need to be put in place and the President is

Wayne Forde

cognizant of this, highlighting that they are several practical issues that need addressing first.

“Women’s football brings its own challenges in terms of getting it started; many of the facilities that we have in

terms of grounds do not have the basic things likes washrooms”, he said.

The President went on to illustrate the point that “to ask a young lady to go to a ground and spend four hours in the afternoon training and not privately use a washroom or dressing room is not something you do, so there are some practical challenges we have”.

Instead of creating new clubs, the President is advocating that there be an utilisation of existing clubs to form these women teams.

“The recommendation that I have made to the women’s group is that they should not be investing any effort into trying to establish women’s teams in separate areas apart from existing clubs”, Forde explained.

Based on history, only when International engagements arise does the Lady Jags convene for training and creating a local group could help bridge that gap between off season and match time. (akeemg@guyanatimesgy.com)

thurSDAY, march 10, 2016

Sports is no longer our game, it’s our business

Women’s football to be further developed in Guyana Pg 23

A local programme will augur well as greater competition for places could correlate to better performances by the Lady Jags

Ramdhani reaches Chanderpaul quarter-finals of credits hard work U-19 International for his improvement Pg 22

badminton tourney Pg 23

Narayan Ramdhani in action

Tagenarine Chanderpaul has shown immense ability at the top of the innings and his future certainly looks bright. (WICB Photo)

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