Guyana Times Daily

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Issue No. 2998

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

PRICE

Pensioner killed after being struck

by Police vehicle

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Page 7

APNU/AFC Councillor P2 slapped with DUI charge

Taxi driver killed during robbery Page 15

“We’re tired of this nonsense” – City Hall P2 workers finally paid after 2-day protest

P9 Local companies should be given priority – former PSC President …touts local content legislation The October session of the Demerara Criminal Assizes opened on Tuesday at the High Court, Georgetown with Justice Roxanne George inspecting the guard of honour and taking the salute

8-year-old raped in Berbice Page 15

Guyana-Venezuela border controversy

Guyana publishes booklet on 117th anniversary of 1899 Arbitral Award Page 3

…as Venezuela issues “vituperative statement”

APNU/AFC accused of usurping power of Local Govt Commission

Page 7

Bartender P8 on bail for ‘drinking out’ employer’s rum Haags Bosch Landfill contract

Bid Protest Committee P9 rejects Cevons appeal

3 women jailed for embezzling P14 $48M Teachers must be given right training to deliver quality education – Minister P11

2 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

“We’re tired of this nonsense” – City Hall workers finally paid after 2-day protest

I

t took several weeks of running around and two days of protesting for municipal workers to finally get paid for their labour.

While relieved, City Hall workers have grown tired of the injustices that continue to be meted out to them and are calling for a change, particularly for the Town Clerk Royston King to be sacked and replaced with a better leader.

Some hours after day two of the vigorous protest action outside City Hall, workers were finally paid their September salaries, which was for their labour deployed during the preceding month.

The aggrieved workers said the delay in receiving their salaries resulted in grave financial troubles, with many falling behind on debts and being unable to comfortably send their children to school.

Guyana Labour Union (GLU) President Irma

Deputy Mayor Sherod Duncan joins municipal workers in protest for the removal of Town Clerk Royston King

Glenn was at wits’ end over the disrespect shown to the working class, as well as the level of arrogance displayed by the Town Clerk.

“We tired of this nonsense; we tired of this. Oh my god, we tired of this.

Something’s got to be done.

When Sooba (former acting Town Clerk) was here, we had our little problem, but this here beat all cockfight. We never had a prob-

lem with Sooba, she used to write to us if the money can’t come, or she used to call and tell us, but he (King) don’t send no letter, he’s too haughty,” the GLU leader vented.

Sack King

City Hall workers heightened calls for the sacking of the Town Clerk, and Deputy Mayor Sherod Duncan, who participated in the exercise,

took up the task of ensuring he was removed.

During an interview with Guyana Times on the sidelines of the picketing activity, Duncan said it was clear that King was lacking key leadership and management abilities and must, therefore, be replaced by someone more capable of managing the affairs of the capital city.

“The flea market that

was put in place a few months ago has failed, the moving of the Stabroek Market vendors, the Robb Street vendors have failed, projects have been stalled, the Merriman Mall… you name it, it has failed and it reflects on the Town Clerk and if he has a problem with leadership and management, then he must go,” he stated.

The Deputy Mayor, who has been very outspoken about the lack of transparency and accountability at City Hall, plans to engage the Mayor Patricia Chase

Green and the subject Minister, Ronald Bulkan, on the removal of the Town Clerk.

“I have all options on the table and I am looking at that… I plan to talk with the Mayor and the Minister to see the way forward, because I don’t think the city can have another six months of the Town Clerk with all the failures that are stacking up against this Town Clerk and if we are to really move Georgetown forward, we can’t do so with King as the chief administrator of this city,” he expressed.

King has come under fire over his arbitrary and autocratic manner in dealing with the affairs of the city.

The matters in question include the removal of vendors, the destruction of stalls and his involvement in the controversial parking meter scandal, among many others.

But King, in response to previous calls for his removal, said everyone was entitled to a personal opinion and he has the City’s best interest at heart.

APNU/AFC Councillor slapped with DUI charge

R

egion Two ( P o m e r o o n Supenaam) Regional Democratic Council member Hardat Narine was on Tuesday taken before Magistrate Sunil Scarce at the Anna Regina Magistrate’s Court charged with driving under the influence (DUI).

The 48-year-old A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Councillor pleaded guilty to the charge which stated that on September 30, 2016, he was found driving under the influence of alcohol.

After pleading guilty, he was fined $7500.

In June, Narine was charged for dangerous driving and failing to com-

APNU/AFC Councillor Hardat Narine

ply with Police direction.

He was granted $10,000 bail for the dangerous driving charge and released on his own recognisance for the other two charges.

NEWS

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Wednesday, October 5 – 05:00h-06:30h and Thursday, October 6 – 05:00h-06:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Wednesday, October 5 – 06:15h-07:45h and Thursday, October 6 – 06:50h-08:20h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

Weather: Light to heavy rainfall with sunny conditions can be expected throughout the day, while clear skies are expected in the evening.

Temperatures are expected to range between 24 degrees and 31 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Easterly to East North-easterly between 0.89 metres and 3.12 metres.

High Tide: 06:38h and 18:49h reaching maximum heights of 2.56 metres and 2.58 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 00:12h and 12:26h reaching minimum heights of 0.55 metre and 0.70 metre respectively.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2016

LOTTERY NUMBERS H

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Tuesday, October 4, 2016 Daily Millions

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DISCLAIMER: WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ERRORS IN PUBLICATION. PLEASE CALL THE HOTLINE FOR CONFIRMATION - TEL: 225-8902

Guyana-Venezuela border controversy

Guyana publishes booklet on 117th anniversary of 1899 Arbitral Award … as Venezuela issues “vituperative statement”

T

he Foreign Affairs Ministry in Guyana on Tuesday condemned a statement by the Venezuelan Government on 117th anniversary of the 1899 Arbitral Award handed down in Paris regarding the border controversy between Guyana and that country.

A statement from the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Guyana said Venezuela marked the occasion with an insulting statement unworthy of a law abiding member of the international community.

“Its statement is a reaffirmation of Venezuela’s disrespect for the rule of law among nations. It is a frenzied display of ill temper from forces with whom history has caught up, revealing the tangled web of falsehoods on which their specious claims to Guyana’s Essequibo were built,” the Ministry’s statement said.

It added that Guyana on the other hand marks the occasion by the issuance of a booklet in English and Spanish – The New Conquistadors/Los Nuevos Conquistadores – which gives an account of the Tribunal’s Award and Venezuela’s sixty-year recognition and respect for it.

The booklet commemorates the award of one of the most prestigious judicial tribunals ever assembled under its most eminent Russian Chairman.

“The Venezuelan statement of October 4, 2016 perpetuates the falsities that have marked its predatory campaign and have continued in relation to Guyana’s maritime space.

Its greed for territory has added a new dimension of Guyana’s maritime resources,” it said.

According to the Ministry, the New Conquistadors offers to the

entire world the true account of these events and illustrates the urgency of the need to bring this egregious Venezuelan misconduct to an end as the international community grapples for the supremacy of law and order worldwide.

“Guyana continues to uphold and respect the Arbitral Award of 1899. It will defend its validity in the world’s highest courts and expose Venezuela’s sordid efforts to besmirch Guyana’s development agenda. The New Conquistadors tells the sto-

Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge

Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro

ry of these unworthy actions and the threats they continue to pose to Guyana, the Caribbean and beyond through their attack on the sanctity of treaties on which human civilisation depends,” it added.

Outgoing United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has pledged to assess the border dispute between Guyana and Venezuela before he leaves office.

During a meeting with Guyana President David Granger on the sidelines of the just concluded UN

General Assembly, Mr Kimoon said his assessment will most likely be given in November.

Granger, who accepted the timetable, has committed to providing the Secretary General with any additional information needed to complete the assessment. “We have been very impressed with the seriousness with which you have approached the problem and your own sincerity… We have been personally convinced that you want to bring closure to this matter,” the President said.

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016

Views Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544, 223-7230, 223-7231, 225-7761 Marketing: 231-8064 Accounts: 225-6707

Mailing address: Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, sales@guyanatimesgy.com

Editorial

Taking care of those who have served our nation

T

he season for the conferment of national honours has again arrived, and this year’s honourees would be invested by His Excellency, President David Granger on Thursday at a special ceremony at the National Cultural Centre.

The custom of nationally recognising those citizens who have contributed to the betterment of society in important and unique ways is of an ancient and universal vintage. In modern practice, this is even more true as it is done all over the world as it shows that the State values the efforts and contributions of its citizens in various aspects of national development.

For some years, however, within recent times, no national honours were conferred and many felt a sense of loss. President David Granger, from his background as a boy at Queen’s College and his career in the Armed Forces, understood how important national honours were and has put new life into the custom.

Citizens have been honoured for contributions in a variety of fields. There were those who worked in the fields of education and culture, in humanitarian activities, in industry and commerce and other facets of the economic life of the country. There were also those who contributed in the fields of sport, labour relations, in health care, in the defence of the country and in the maintenance of law and order.

Citizens feel a sense of gratitude to those who have served so well and respect such persons. Many of the persons honoured happen to be men and women of wealth or independent means and influence. But many are also of modest means and do not have much influence in the society. In this latter category would fall the career Public Servants who had spent their lifetime in service to the public and who, when they retire, are not known to the younger generation, who have taken over.

To make the national honours more respected we would suggest some tangible recognition should also be given.

For example, the authorities should consider giving those honourees who are 70 years and above, some priority at the public hospitals and public health institutions. They should not be allowed to wait in line for service or be charged for any medicines, equipment or service. Such equipment like walking canes, walkers and even wheelchairs should readily be given by the authorities. They should also be given immediate help or hospital admission in case of emergencies. In cases where adequate or prompt help cannot be accorded to such honourees by public health institutions, the State should bear the cost of treatment at private hospitals.

Further, sometimes, some of these old honourees have to go to Government offices such as the Guyana Revenue Authority or the Court Registries since some of them do not have relatives who could help out. In many cases, these persons are asked to wait like everyone else and are made to go through the same hassle. As a start, it would be good if these persons could get some immediate help in Government offices so that they are not subject to the distress of long waits and hassle.

Additionally, the courts should take cognisance of old honourees who may have certain business before such courts. It would be very helpful if some amount of effort is made on the part of the courts to have such matters expedited since the health of such persons is declining.

Certainly, the mechanism of how all of this could be done could be worked out once the principle is accepted. After all, such persons have given a lifetime of service to the nation and if there is anything the State could do to make life easier for them, it would be a commendable move.

It should be noted that we have not suggested special pensions or special expenditures which will take time to effectuate, but have suggested things which could immediately be done to make the lives of the old honourees more comfortable. Such tangible recognition would happily be supported by the overwhelming majority of citizens at home and abroad.

A child without education is like a bird without wings – Tibetan proverb. On a cool Tuesday afternoon, these youngsters, the future of this nation, were pictured spreading their wings after school (Marceano Narine photo)

Mike Persaud insults Guyanese who value independence Dear Editor, Permit me to thank Mike Persaud for his attention, as he seems to have gone to great lengths to formulate a rather curious response to a letter I previously penned; to questions I didn’t even ask.

Persaud states: “Had one of the leaders in Guyana not been a self-proclaimed communist, there would have been no US intervention here.” It is distasteful for anyone, much less a Guyanese, to justify international political bullyism exerted by the West on developing countries, especially those which were already raped by colonial empires, as was Guyana.

The Guyanese people who fought for the independence of this country, supported by a smashing majority the Peoples Progressive Party/Civic, even after Burnham decamped, widening the gaps of ethnic fissures as he went. It means therefore, that the people

chose Jagan and whatever political ideology he brought with him over Burnham’s, resulting in the party securing the most votes in 1964.

Additionally, Jagan’s policies in office, and the thriving economy which resulted thereof, proved him to be all but a communist. Now since Mike Persaud is a fan of “what ifs” and “should haves”, he should imagine what Guyana would have been like had Jagan not suffered the spite of the US. “Dictatorial oppression and ethnic cleavages were the legacies of the intervention. We should not carp over these things, and continue to be embittered by what the United States did. We should just accept it as realpolitik and move forward,” writes Persaud. These are not legacies, but rather a curse which has served no other purpose than to weaken our national sovereignty and impermeability to foreign interference, typical of US foreign policy in

Latin America, the Middle East and Africa. This laissez-faire attitude adopted in particular by those who attempt to negate the PNC’s responsibilities in our political turmoil, is counterproductive to the formation of a national identity.

The remainder of Persaud’s letter is an insult to Guyanese who value our independence and should not even be tolerated in a national daily. The man proposes that “Guyana consider and debate the idea of becoming an overseas state of the United States” so that “every able-bodied adult would have one-and-a-half jobs and the ethnic cleavage problem would disappear as it did in Singapore.”

Thankfully, we the Guyanese people are a free nation because we fought for equal and civil rights; for our right to self-determination and liberation from men who considered themselves superior to us.

The social dilemma of the

people living in the French Antilles and the economic disparities which benefit the Békés - descendants of colonists - is a perfect example of why we fought for our independence back then.

Lastly, the US is far from being a socially just and tolerant society. Black Americans are still fighting discrimination in America, Native Americans still live in depravation on State imposed reserves, Latinos are still stigmatised and State sponsored Islamophobia has diabolised Arab immigrants.

It is hardly likely that a country which in 240 years, has been unable to resolve its own issues, would resolve ours.

Aldous Huxley said, “Men do not learn much from the lessons of history, and that is the most important lesson of history.” I fear that this is quite applicable to the case of Mr Persaud.

Sincerely, Anna Correia

An occasion to observe your own inner worth Dear Editor, Hindus worldwide are in the process of celebrating and observing Now Raatri.

The occasion occurs twice annually, during the periods of spring and autumn.

During this period, special dedication and emphasis is placed on the feminine aspect of God in the form as Durga, Latchmi and Saraswati Devi.

Hindu Dharma advocates God as both mother and father. While there is only God, that God manifest himself in all beings; sentient and insentient. The entire universe is a projection of that God, whom is embraced by all. The creat-

rix energy of the universe is mysterious and illusive; it is the very principle behind every cause. This creative power is called Prakriti, which constitutes all aspect of creation. It is the mother of all mothers and the source of all influences. The great sages and saints of yesteryear explored the mystery of the universe and created mantras and the guides to appease the Universal Mother, wherein the aspirant could transcend all traits of inertia and at the same time experience their own inner worth. Man in general drifts on without any set of purpose in life. It is rare in the modern world to come across

people dedicated to one ideal. Man is lured with luxury, positions and power. He is not attracted to austerity or spirituality. The period of Navraatri was meant to reestablish man with his true self. It is a time when the power behind the universe is adored and venerated with full devotion. This expression of submission strengthens the auspiciousness of the occasion, opening new chapters in the lives of all devotees. Through the power and blessings of Durga Maa, one transcends ignorance; which is the product of inertia and fear, Mata Laxmie benedictions overcomes passion and physical

enslavement and Saraswati Devi Maa provides the intellectual balance, the vehicle which transports man to bliss and eternity. There is always a limit to man’s physical growth but his mental expansion is ceaseless till death. When the mental growth of man expands into infinitude, his individuality merges in the absolute reality Brahman.

Now Raatri creates the glorious opportunity to explore the full manifestation of Divinity, the greatest of all experiences.

Sincerely, Viraat Sabhaa (Guyana)

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016

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You can send your letters with pictures to: Guyana Times, Queens Atlantic Investment Estate, Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Guyana or letters@guyanatimesgy.com

Dangerous situation at Doing Business Reforms Parika/Supenaam route taking shape Dear Editor, In order to reach certain parts of Guyana, one of the main or fastest ways to reach there is by using boat/ speed boats and, while numerous lives are being lost on our roadways, quite a lot have been lost by boat accidents and of recently, I’ve been travelling to Charity quite a lot and in order to reach there, I have to travel by speed boat from Parika to Supenaam, then take a taxi to Charity. October 2, 2016, was my latest visit and just as we left the Parika stelling (about five minutes after), the speedboat that we were travelling in hit a wave, causing the boat to swerve dangerously and tilt extremely close to capsizing on the left side (port side). All of the passengers were thrown to that side of the boat which caused almost everyone to be scared and some voicing their opinion openly.

Just Google “boat accident ‘Guyana’” and see how many accidents are caused by boats and how many lives were lost. A lot of rules were introduced or reintroduced for the speed boats and systems were put in place a while back; but sadly, somewhere along the line, there’s been a lapse and lawlessness prevails. Amongst the changes, monitors were put at the various stellings and I was under the impression that they were to ensure that all safety rules are in place before the boat leaves, but on my observations, that is not the case. The boat we

travelled with on Sunday have Perspex windows and the front one clearly states that only 25 passengers are allowed on the boat but the boat left Parika with 28 passengers, plus the captain and bowman. Although the bowman and captain requested that everyone put on a lifejacket, many of the passengers choose not to and no monitor was present to ensure that everyone had a jacket on before leaving. When the boat reaches Supenaam, you pay either the bowman or captain when you disembark the boat and if you are journeying back to Parika from Supenaam, you have to pay the fare before the boat leaves Supenaam.

Why is that?

I should mention that twice the same boat I was travelling in had to go close to land because they were experiencing mechanical problems and I know that people have to live but why risk other people’s lives? If the water is rough and one of the engines cannot work, it would be extremely hard to control the boat because the working engine would be on one side of the boat and everyone knows that steering a boat with one engine that is not at the middle of the boat is taking a chance.

That is why most of the boats plying the Vreed-enHoop/Georgetown route have to travel at a slow speed. The water is rough sometimes and the boats tends to bounce a lot and

the seats are only fitted with what seems to be either ½ or ¾ inch sponge and that is very uncomfortable for passengers, especially those sitting at the front of the boat.

Because of the constant jarring of the boats, they would get shaky and many boats have leaks and some have water coming in from the shed, which soaks those passengers from head to toe.

Finally Editor, most boat operators would tell you that it costs between $30,000 and $60,000 for them to obtain their captain’s licence.

While it might look simple to just start an engine, shift it in gear and go, it’s very challenging to control a boat in rough water while travelling at high speed.

There’s a lot of nonsense happening at the stellings and these issues need to be addressed – they must be consistent not just wait for something to happen and then appoint a Commission of Inquiry to tell us what we already know and make recommendations.

Many of these problems were there before the change of Government and this present Administration knew about these problems before they come into Government.

The President uses his better judgment and appointed people to manage certain areas and they should ensure that things are in place for people to travel safely.

Sincerely, Sahadeo Bates

Dear Editor, Over the last several months the Ministry of Business has been quietly engaging the World Bank International Finance Corporation (IFC) team for assistance in crafting a Doing Business Reforms agenda which would see the Ministry taking definitive measures to improve Guyana’s ranking in the Doing Business Index.

Guyana is currently ranked 137 out of 189 countries in the case of Doing Business Index.

In April of this year a World Bank IFC team visited Guyana at the invitation of the Ministry of Business and met with stakeholders of both the private and public sectors. Those engagements led to an ICT assessment report, a review of laws and regulations that pertains to doing business in Guyana, as well as recommendations for short term reforms.

Two of the short term recommendations that were implemented involved placing information on the Ministry of Business’ website. That information pertained to: 1) requirements for obtaining building permits and 2) documents required and fee schedules for property transactions and for accessing maps of land plots.

Earlier this year, there was a significant reform where an amendment to

Open letter to Imran Khan Dear Editor, Not so long ago, Imran Khan ripped into the then Attorney General Anil Nandlall and his wife Hessaun Nandlall, for Mrs Nandlall being on the same overseas trip with her husband. He accused the Minister of being corrupt and wasting taxpayer dollars by taking his wife.

It mattered not to him that Mrs Nandlall had gone to great lengths to explain and show that her pres-

ence was costing not a dime to the Guyanese taxpayer, that she was paying her own way. He maintained a sustained, abusive attack.

Well, now the Ministers are travelling the world with their spouses and children and relatives. We know of Nagamootoo who travels frequently with his wife and children, and Nigel Hughes who accompanies his Minister wife Cathy Hughes on overseas trips. Does Imran Khan

feel the same way now? Or have his and his wife’s super salaried jobs changed his mind? Does he still think it is corrupt and a waste of taxpayer dollars for these many family members to be travelling with their Minister relatives?

If he does, why hasn’t he spoken publicly on it, con-

demned and criticised it?

Or perhaps he feels now that he was wrong then when he attacked Mr and Mrs Nandlall. If he feels he was wrong, does he not owe the Nandlalls an apology?

Sincerely, Anthony Grant

the Credit Reporting Act was passed in the National Assembly. It is expected that this will help to make it easier for borrowers with no collateral but a good credit history to access loan financing.

While these reforms may not necessarily change Guyana’s overall ranking in the 2017 report, the Ministry of Business is committed to an agenda that will see meaningful progress in the coming years.

Already, the Ministry has received and accepted offers of assistance from several

organisations including the World Bank, to assist with reforms in eight of the technical areas measured (starting a business; dealing with construction permits; getting electricity; registering property; getting credit; protecting minority investors; paying taxes; trading across borders; enforcing contracts; and resolving insolvency) in the Doing Business Index and will be prioritising those key reforms which will be pursued in the coming years.

Sincerely, Ministry of Business

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016

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Foundation

The science of accomplishing your

By Ralph Ryback, MD

I

t’s a good idea to have goals, no matter how small. Maybe you want to cook more frequently instead of ordering take out. Maybe you want to finally finish writing that novel of yours. Or maybe you just want to be beat a level on a particularly tough video game.

Unfortunately, some goals are harder to keep than others. Anyone who has ever made a New Year’s resolution to go to the gym more often can tell you how tricky it is to keep up the momentum for more than a few days.

Why?

As it turns out, the human brain is wired to favour routine over novelty, even if that routine is unhealthy. For instance, people who were given either stale or fresh popcorn ate the same amount while watching a movie even though participants admitted the stale popcorn didn’t taste as good.

The participants were so used to the routine of eating popcorn in the theatre that the quality of the popcorn no longer mattered.

How can we fight our brain’s natural urge to stick to routine if the usual routine isn’t working anymore? How can we convince ourselves to eat fruit instead of chocolate, organize our apartment instead of watch television or cook dinner instead of calling for pizza?

Here are just three things you can do to hack your brain into letting you accomplish your goals.

Turn the goal into a habit

Say that you brush your teeth every night before bed, but you want to start using mouthwash as well. Chances are when you brush your teeth you go into “autopilot mode” and don’t need to think about all of the specific steps involved in the process, such as getting your toothbrush from the

medicine cabinet or squeezing out toothpaste. On the other hand, you don’t always remember to use mouthwash. Sometimes, you brush your teeth and immediately go to bed, and other times you need to rely on a sticky note on your bathroom mirror. In this example, brushing your teeth is a habit and using your mouthwash is a goal.

A recent study published in the scientific journal Neuron found that habits and goals are stored differently in the brain. Specifically, a brain region known as the orbitofrontal cortex is responsible for converting wishful goals into solid, automatic habits, specifically via the neural messengers known as endocannabinoids.

Endocannabinoids are also responsible for modulating appetite, memory and mood and – as the name implies – the psychoactive effects of cannabis.

The best way to get your endocannabinoids to solidify a habit is to stay consistent. Work towards your goal every day, even if you don’t feel like it. You can set aside a specific time each day, or a specific context. For instance, you can use mouthwash every day at 9 pm exactly (a specific time), or you could use mouthwash immediately after brushing your teeth (a specific context). The more regular your goal behaviour, the more easily your brain can convert it into a long-term habit.

Change your environment

Sometimes a fresh environment is all you need to kick your brain into gear. In one study, scientists discovered that students who transferred to another college were more likely to change their daily habits than students who remained at the same place.

Why? Environmental cues are essential when it comes to habit formation, in part because the brain is excellent at connecting an environment

– how to trick your brain into becoming the person you want to be with a specific situation. As an example, someone who likes to munch on food while watching a movie might be unable to resist purchasing a snack from the concession stand even if they’re not hungry. According to Charles Duhigg, the author of "The Power of Habit," the best time to change a habit is on vacation because your usual environmental cues are missing.

If you find yourself constantly giving up on goals, take a look at your surroundings. Is it difficult to clean the living room because you’re so used to watching television in there?

Do you zone out when you visit your favourite coffee shop instead of polishing off your screenplay?

Try sitting in a different chair or travelling to your local library. Think about taking a vacation. Seeing new sights may make it easier to achieve your goals.

Use dopamine to your advantage

When we get something we want – for instance a promotion, an ice cream cone or a kiss from a loved one – our brain releases dopamine.

Dopamine is often known as the “feel good” neurotransmitter because it does just that – it makes us feel good.

It’s possible to manipulate your dopamine levels by setting up small goals and then accomplishing them. For instance, your brain may receive a spike in dopamine if you promise yourself that you’ll clean out the refrigerator and then you do. This is one of the reasons why some people benefit from to-do lists – the satisfaction of ticking off a small task is linked with a flood of dopamine. Each time your brain gets a whiff of this rewarding neurotransmitter, it will

want you to repeat the associated behaviour. This is why drugs that manipulate the dopamine system are so dangerously addictive and why so many people repeatedly play the lottery.

The next time you want to accomplish a big goal, try to break it down into bite-sized, dopamine friendly pieces. If you want to go to the gym every day, check off each successful visit on a calendar. If you want to write a novel, make a deal with yourself to write for just 15 minutes every day.

Of course, these three suggestions are only some of the ways in which you can work toward your goals. A 2009 study found that another good way to accomplish your goals is to avoid telling other people about them, since letting another person know what you’re up to can give you a premature sense of completeness.

Gamification, or turning chores and goals into games, is another great way to fight the procrastination bug.

When it comes to accomplishing your goals in life, there is always something standing in your way, whether it’s money, your career or your brain’s neurochemistry.

Thankfully, with these tips, it should be possible to fight at least one of these variables. Stay consistent, change your environment, and bask in the dopamine: you just might change your life. The sooner you get started, the sooner you can start reaping the rewards of your goals. Like the writer Stephen King once said: “Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration – the rest of us just get up and go to work.” (psychologytoday.com)

Public Speaking T

here are many things that we experience in school; working in groups, meeting new people from different backgrounds, furthering our knowledge, but for some of us, the downright worst thing that we must endure is public speaking.

The reason I’ve been inspired to write on such a topic is in light of my upcoming oral Ashley Anthony presentation slated for tomorrow, I’ve begun to reflect upon the importance of public speaking.

It is inevitable at some point in our lives that we will have to address a crowd of some sort. Maybe informally, maybe formally, but a crowd nonetheless. It’s a skill that follows you into every field. For example, if you were the head of a scientific research team, you’d have to be able to address your team competently, and may even need to present your research to a scientific committee or audience. Similarly, working in business, it may be necessary to prepare a pitch for an esteemed group.

The art of public speaking is not innate for everyone.

Some of us have to take the time to practice and perfect this skill. And well, school is the perfect place for this.

Often times, however, we aren’t given any concrete tips as to how we should present. In school, when we’re given assignments, we aren’t always judged on the quality of the presentation (how effectively we communicated the information), but most times, the marks depend heavily on the content of the presentation. It’s only in subjects such as English or Communication studies, that the art of public speaking is directly examined.

Most people experience nervousness when speaking in front of a crowd. I counteract this, by trying to focus on one or two people at a time, and pretending as though we’re in a direct dialogue. When giving a speech, we should be aware of our intonation, gestures and our facial expressions. These three components, if working together can spin a vivid and understandable picture. However, if in contrast with each other, they may confuse the listener, detract or even distort the message of the words. While gestures may serve to complement your words and enhance your presentation, unnecessary or inappropriate gestures may do just the opposite. You should ask yourself what you’re trying to communicate ultimately, and what would be the best way to do this.

As a presenter, you should also know your audience.

What words are appropriate to use? If trying to explain littering to children, maybe you’d use a funny anecdote, but if presenting to an academic crowd, maybe you’d want to keep your examples firmly logic based. Knowing your audience goes even further than just understanding their intellectual and social backgrounds. You should be able to discern when the audience is losing interest and be able to make on the spot changes to keep them interested and focusing.

There is no one way to make a good speech. And while it may be possible to go one’s entire life avoiding making them, it might be easier to just learn a few techniques instead. Figure out what style you’re most at ease with, and just practice. It gets easier with time.

NEWS

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

APNU/AFC accused of usurping Pensioner killed after being power of Local Govt Commission struck by Police vehicle

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Some of the PPP supporters calling for the immediate establishment of the Local Government Commission

P

eople’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Members of Parliament and a small group of supporters picketed the Ministry of the Presidency over the delay in the establishment of the Local Government Commission

by Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan, whom they believe is attempting to usurp its power to gain control of all the local authority areas.

During the picketing exercise, PPP Executive Secretary Zulfikar Mustapha expressed concerns over the delay in the establishment of the Local Government Commission, noting that it seemed that Government has ulterior motives for this setback.

“We feel he isn’t appointing the Commission, because Government wants to

control these local authority bodies,” Mustapha told media operatives.

The Local Government Commission will have oversight over the various local authority areas in the country.

It would be responsible for appointing officials in the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) and local authority areas, as well as the approval of budgets for the NDCs. Mustapha said the Communities Minister has set many deadlines for the establishment of this critical body, but has never met any.

He found this surprising since members of both the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) when in Opposition were pressing for the urgent setting up of the Local

Government Commission.

The PPP Executive Member also dismissed claims that the delay was as a result of his Party’s role in submitting the names of its nominees on the Commission.

He explained that the PPP, upon receiving the letter from the Ministry, wasted no time in submitting the names of its nominees.

Former Acting Town Clerk Carol Sooba and former Local Government Ministers Norman Whittaker and Clinton Collymore were nominated as the PPP representatives on the Local Government Commission.

Meanwhile, the other PPP parliamentarians who participated in the protest exercise are Nigel Dharamlall and Dharamkumar Seeraj.

pensioner is now dead after she was struck at Crane, West Coast Demerara (WCD) by an Assistant Superintendent of Police, driving motor vehicle PRR 4446 on Tuesday.

Dead is Anmarie Deonarine, 65, of Lot 144 New Road, Crane.

Guyana Times understands that the accident occurred around 10:00h a short distance from the woman’s home.

According to reports, the woman was walking along the roadway when she was hit by a Police Officer attached to the Leonora Police Station, WCD. The woman’s niece, Sharda explained to this publication that around 11:30h, she was passing Deonarine’s home when she noticed that her front door was left open.

She related that she received a call a few minutes later that informed that her aunt was in an accident.

She explained that she immediately left for the West Demerara Regional Hospital where she saw her relative lying on a stretcher in the Emergency Unit.

The niece added that at that time, she was not aware that the woman had already

Dead: Anmarie Deonarine

passed away, but was so informed later by a nurse.

“I was outside because when I saw her, she didn’t look as if she was dead. And a nurse came up to me and said that I was really brave and I asked why? She said that ‘you don’t know’ and I said no, after which she sent me back inside to speak to the doctor who told me that she had passed away,” the distraught woman explained.

She further explained to this publication that numerous Police Officers went to the hospital.

“Every minute, if you see how much of them Police Officers keep coming to the hospital and they were all

checking her and asking a lot of questions. I then realise that they had something to do with her accident and I asked and was told that she was struck by an Officer.”

Deonarine was injured to her face, losing one of her eyes and sustaining a broken hand and leg.

Meanwhile, the Officer involved in the accident claimed that the woman was in the middle of the road at the time of the accident; however, an eyewitness disputed the Policeman’s version of events.

When contacted, D Division (West Demerara) Commander Leslie James confirmed the accident, and noted that a Police Officer was indeed involved in the accident.

In a statement issued on Tuesday evening, Police said that a breathalyser test was conducted on the Officer by the Traffic Chief himself and no trace of blood alcohol was recorded. The widowed mother of three children was described as a very loving and cheerful person who would go out of her way to assist anyone in need.

Police have since launched an investigation into the matter.

8 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

IN THE COURTS

Policemen slapped with corrupt transaction charge

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wo Lance Corporals attached to Alberttown Police Station were each granted $60,000 bail on a joint charge of corrupt transaction when they appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the

Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Selvyn Elkhana, 38, of West Bank Demerara (WBD) and Dwayne Marshall, 37, of Linden, Region 10, both pleaded not guilty to the charge.

It was alleged that on

August 19, 2016 at Church Street, Alberttown, they corruptly obtained from Deonarine Dowlataram $60,000 as a reward for failing to pursue an assault charge against the said person.

Elkhana, who was represented by Attorney

Chandrawatie Persaud who informed the court her client has been serving the Guyana Police Force for the past 22 years with an exemplary record. She added that he was a single parent.

The case will continue on October 26.

Bartender on bail for ‘drinking out’ employer’s rum

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bartender of West Coast Demerara (WCD) was granted bail after she allegedly drank close to $200,000 in beverages belonging to her former employer.

Alicea Brown pleaded not guilty to the charge of simple larceny when she appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

It is alleged that between August 29 and October 1,

Alicea Brown

2016 at Takatu Landing, Mazaruni River, she stole

a quantity of alcoholic beverages valued $189,300 and groceries valued $54,800, a total value of $244,100, property of Lucette Timmerman.

Police Prosecutor Neville Jeffers told the court that the Virtual Complainant left her shop in the care of the defendant, who was the bartender at the time, but upon her return she realised the items mentioned in the charge were missing. It was later revealed that the woman “drank out” the beverag-

es in the absence of her employer.

The Magistrate questioned the Prosecutor about the alleged “drinking out” of the beverages and he clarified that the defendant, aided by friends, accomplished the deed. Brown was released on $50,000 bail.

The matter was transferred to the Bartica Magistrate’s Court where the defendant would make her next court appearance on October 21, 2016.

Several Lindeners fined for DUI

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everal Lindeners who appeared before Magistrate Clive Nurse at the Linden Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday were fined for driving under the influence (DUI).

The men, who were all found guilty of the offence of driving while their breath alcohol level was above the legal limit, were each fined $7500, with an alternative sentence of one week in prison.

The court heard that

on Tuesday, September 27, 72-year-old Newton Lincoln, of Lot 894 South Amelia’s Ward, Mackenzie, Linden, drove motor car PPP 8277 along the Amelia’s Ward Public Road while his breath alcohol level was 38 micrograms, three micrograms above the legal limit.

The fine was also handed down to 34-year-old Shermon Anthony, of 25 One Mile, Wismar, Linden. The court heard that he drove motor car PVV 5227 along

Casaurina Drive, Mackenzie on Saturday, October 1, while his breath alcohol level was 46 micrograms.

Clevon Forde, 29, was similarly fined when he was found guilty of the offence. On Saturday, October 1, he was intercepted by Police ranks while driving motor car PVV 7174 along Casaurina Drive, Linden and his breath alcohol level was discovered to be 159 micrograms.

Next, 29-year-old Leroy Fraser of Christiansburg was

also fined for a DUI. The court heard that on Thursday, September 29, he drove motor car PJJ 7667 along Co-op Crescent, Mackenzie, with a breath alcohol level of 42 micrograms.

Finally, 25-year-old Yonic Cornette, of Lot 118 Berbice Road, Linden, was found guilty and fined for driving motor car PSS 8251 along Casaurina Drive on Saturday, October 1, while his breath alcohol level was 60 micrograms.

Lindener fined $50,000 for simple larceny

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Linden man who was found guilty of a simple larceny offence was fined $50,000 by Magistrate Clive Nurse when he made an appearance at the Linden Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.

The defendant, 18-yearold Miguel Andrews had initially pleaded not guilty to the charge which stated that between December 30 and

31, 2015, he stole a Samsung Galaxy cellular phone valued $40,000 and an amplifier valued $85,000. The incident occurred at Lot 139 Lower Kara Kara, Mackenzie, Linden. The items, valued a total of $125,000, are the property of Nial Loimer.

Andrews was previously granted bail in the sum of $40,000 by the presiding Magistrate. However,

when the case was called on September 14, Magistrate Nurse indicated that the prosecution had established sufficient evidence to support its case against the defendant. He also noted several inconsistencies regarding the evidence the defendant presented to the court.

Asked by Magistrate Nurse to present a reason the court should be lenient

with him, the defendant denied committing the act, while noting that he has a wife, children and his mother to support.

A probation report on the defendant was ordered by Magistrate Nurse, which will be presented on Wednesday.

Andrews was ordered to pay the $50,000 fine, or face six months in prison.

Eyew tness Bad mouthing...

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...greenheart

here’s not a wharf in Britain where you won’t find some of our greenheart piles. And this goes back for centuries. When it comes to withstanding the vicissitudes of the sea and its salt water - not to mention is barnacles - nothing compares to greenheart. Forget about all the different stressed concrete piles or exotic metal alloys - they’re no contest! While wharves may be an exoteric niche, we could’ve held our heads up high and boasted we had the gold standard in this area at least.

But no more. The EU just announced that our greenhearts aren’t harvested in compliance with their laws and regulations. And since they’ve evidently appointed themselves protector of Mother Nature, they’ve placed a ban on our greenheart exports. Now what’s going on here? Where in the heck did the EU get their figures on our “harvesting”? Couldn’t have been from that most European of countries, Norway, could it?

Norway, after all, had insisted on independent monitoring and measuring of our harvesting of our forests be done before we collect on the US$250M they promised - to make sure we stayed on the straight and narrow - as THEY defined it. And we haven’t been cited for non-compliance, have we? You bet we haven’t! Some folks believe they’ve seen this ploy before. A nation wants to protect its market or wants to put a squeeze on another country and they impose “standards” they know you either can’t comply with, or, as would be in our case, you’re complying but by the time you prove it, you’re sunk!

But there’s another possibility - one that has its origin in the relentless propaganda war waged by some haters of the PPP government against companies to which that administration gave grants. Take Janet Bulkan for instance. Over the last decade, there hasn’t been a single initiative of the PPP in the forestry sector that she hasn’t ripped into. And with her contacts in the foreign NGO’s that live off “protecting” our forests, it’s not too difficult to see some third level bureaucrat compiling her skewed reports and making a case that our harvesting of logs aren’t “legal”. You think the fella who signed off on the ban actually read all the background material his underling cited? Forget it!!

But there are two huge ironies here. If the last theory’s on the ball, then Bulkan’s ploy has actually backfired. It’s made the government she helped install end up with mud on its face. They will now have to disavow all the “facts” she’s been concocting and hocking all over the web.

Secondly, the company hardest hit is Barama. And it was the PNC that brought THEM in!!!

...lean and clean

It was rather Freudian that Vice Chancellor of UG, Ivelaw Griffith, launched the first edition of HIS Newsletter with this sentence, “The Spanish Philosopher Jorge Santayana once offered the prescient proposition that ‘to know what people really think pay regard to what they do, rather than what they say’.” Well, since Griffith was parachuted into UG from some college in the American South, not many folks know much about him - save for some old heads who remembered he was once a rising star in the YSM of yore.

So what has Griffith DONE, so that we may KNOW him?

Well he’s just produced that slick and glossy magazine “Renaissance” dedicated to him, the “Vice Chancellor”.

“Renaissance” of what? His career which had plunged after he was let go from that US Southern college? Moving on the front page there’s an article entitled, (what else?)

“A Vice Chancellor with a difference”.

Now the man’s just announced FOUR “assistant Vice Chancellors”!! AND a “Chief of Staff”!

Presidential ambitions revealed??

...the height challenged

As one of the many who’ve been the butt of many crude comments because of his vertical elevation, your Eyewitness finally has a hero he can look up to: the new Chief of Staff of the Disciplined Forces.

A hat tip to the Brigadier!!

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

NEWS

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

Local companies should be given Bid Protest Committee priority – former PSC President Haags Bosch Landfill contract

rejects Cevons appeal

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he Bid Protest Committee (BPC) has ruled in favour of Puran Brothers Disposal in the Cevons Waste Management challenge of the $221 million one-year contract for the supervision of the Haags Bosch Landfill site.

According to the Communities Ministry, the full decision by the BPC has not been released since the Ministry awaits the outcome of a court ruling which is pending in relation to the signing of the contract with Puran Brothers Disposal Inc. Cevons Waste Management had moved to the High Court to have the decision of the Ministry quashed, since they claim it is unfair. The company had moved to the court even though it awaits an order on payment of fees from the BPC, which it also approached to review the contract award.

The company has contended that the Ministry awarded the contract although it was aware their disapproval, which is a complete infringement of the Procurement Act. The company is asking the court to direct Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan and Permanent Secretary Emil McGarrell to show cause why an Order or Rule Nisi of Certiorari should not be issued to quash the decision to award the contract

Haags Bosch Landfill site

to Puran Brothers Disposal Inc on the grounds that it was unfair.

Cevons is also seeking an order directed to Bulkan and McGarrell to show cause why an Order or Rule Nisi of Certiorari should not be issued to quash the decision to execute the contract, as well as an order to suspend or terminate the contract and an order for setting aside the valuation made by the valuation committee and for a re-evaluation of the Cevons and Puran Brothers bids.

It is also seeking an order to prevent any continued payment to Puran Brothers.

However, according to the Ministry, the BPC on Friday issued a ruling in the appeal by Morse Archer and Ivor Allen of Cevon’s Waste Management Inc against the decision to award a contract to Puran Brothers Disposal Inc for the management of the Haags Bosch landfill.

It stated that a ninepage decision was handed down by Chairperson of the Bid Protest Committee, Attorney Joann Bond on September 30, 2016.

“A written ruling was issued to all the parties involved and the committee expressed gratitude to Cevons Waste Management Inc for following through with the process. The procuring entity has since been advised to continue with the procurement process,” it added. Cevons is contending that the Evaluation Committee improperly assessed the bids and used an evaluation that was inconsistent with the criteria set out in the tender documents.

According to the Ministry, Cevon’s based his claim for a review on four main arguments: technical competence, low price, operation methodology and past performance all of which were addressed in the ruling.

…touts local content legislation

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ocal contractors and companies should be given priority when contracts are being awarded, instead of being stymied by foreign investors, former Private Sector Commission (PSC) President Ramesh Dookhoo says.

Dookhoo stated that the PSC was concerned that contracts were being awarded to foreign companies, while local investors were being sidelined and so the Commission was lobbying for more local content to be placed in contracts of foreign contractors.

He indicated that this particular issue has been raised with several Ministers on numerous occasions, but nothing substantial has been done to address it. He explained that the problem started some time ago.

Similarly, there are two cases of local companies being marginalised by the Government pres-

ently – the Demerara Distillers Limited, which lost its Topco Juice contract,

Former PSC President Ramesh Dookhoo

and Guyanese stones suppliers being bypassed as stones for the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) Expansion Project are being sourced from a Surinamese company.

DDL’s Topco Juice, which is locally manufactured, was distributed to students under the Government’s school feeding programme, but the contract was taken away and awarded to a Surinamese company

that distributes Kool Kids juice. The CJIA Expansion

Project contractor, China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) will commence importing stones from Suriname for the US$150 million taxpayer-funded project. Government officials had said the Administration had no part in sourcing the stones, subsequently adding that CHEC used imported stones because local prices were higher. However, critics are arguing that the local stones are of a better quality. “I believe that we do support our local Private Sector and we would want to say that wherever possible, contracts be awarded to them or at least be treated fairly,” Dookhoo said. “The way other countries deal with it is to put in local content legislation.” “You can’t build a hotel in Barbados and buy the furniture from Timbuktu.

The tender goes out to the local Private Sector in Barbados first. They have to say I cannot supply it.

Guyana will not be doing anything wrong or in contravention to any foreign trade agreement to put measures in place.” Dookhoo noted that the Private Sector has met with experts on local content who are in Guyana because of the nascent oil industry. He divulged that the experts are equipping the Private Sector with the technical support for local content succession. (Jeanna Pearson)

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NEWS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

Youth Development Initiative rolled out at Lusignan Primary School

Coming home

First Lady Sandra Granger (seated second left) along with the teachers and students at the opening of the Youth Development Initiative at the Lusignan Primary School

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irst Lady Sandra Granger said that she was optimistic about the impact the Lusignan Youth Development Initiative will have on its beneficiaries, at a simple opening ceremony held at the Lusignan Primary School on Monday.

Mrs Granger said that the Initiative was birthed from an idea she had about

involving parents in the delivery of education to their children. The first project under this initiative was introduced last year in Buxton at the Buxton/Friendship Primary School.

“I have to say, based on the results in Buxton, I have high hopes for Lusignan as well, because we had kids who had started Grade Four in the Buxton/Friendship

area who did not know [how] to read and by the end of the year… there was great improvement,” related the First Lady.

Over the past couple of weeks, Mrs Granger met with teachers and parents of students of Lusignan Primary about the Initiative and although there were minor setbacks, she believes that they had shown a keen

interest in the programme and, therefore, took a decision to go ahead with it.

“We felt that since the teachers were so engaged in it [the meetings], we would go ahead with it… What this project aims to do, basically, is to look at the students in the school and help them to achieve their full potential,” the First Lady said.

Acting Headmistress of the Lusignan Primary School, Loretta DosSantos said that the Initiative aimed to make the school and community better. “You parents play an integral role in this, the education process… Do not feel what we’re doing here is a waste of time. In time to come, you will see the benefits,” DosSantos said.

In an invited comment, she expressed confidence about the impact that the Initiative will have on the students’ development.

“I believe that the children who are benefiting from this programme would be better off academically in the areas of mainly literacy and numeracy… I told the teachers we have to work assiduously to ensure that each child is being given what this programme intends for them to have.”

The Initiative is expected to last throughout this school year. Initially, 50 students were targeted for the programme, but that number was increased to 80 following feedback from the school. Sessions are expected to be held from Monday to Wednesday, and will focus on Reading and Mathematics.

S

atiricus was shaking his head and muttering under his breath as he nursed his beer. His friend, Cappo, had allowed this to go on over the course of two slow beers and was getting impatient.

"Wha' mek yuh na jus' talk wha' deh pan yuh min' Sato?" he finally asked, as the Back Street Bar slowly filled up with more than the usual suspects. The sugar estate wasn't "grinding" and most of Cappo's cane cutting gang had to now cut their time. The Back Street Bar always provided a welcome refuge.

With cutters!

"Didn't you read that letter about all those overseas Guyanese who helped this government get elected and now have been left in the cold?"

Satiricus said pointedly. "Doesn't it bother you?"

"Budday, wha' badda me ah de Guvment guh shut dong all dem suga estate," replied Cappo, "an' no baddy na do nutting."

"But YOU didn't vote for the government, Cappo," pointed out Satiricus. "You were always bad mouthing Nagga Man and Rum Jhaat."

"Suh beca'se me na vote fuh dem," asked Cappo, "dem mus' punish me?"

"Listen Cappo, don't change the subject," said Satiricus accusingly. "You think those people who worked so hard for the government overseas, should just be dumped?"

"Me naa change de subjik, Sato," replied Cappo with some heat. "Dem outside people done gat jaab.

Ah abee in Guyana na gat jaab!" They signalled for two beers to cool down.

"But shouldn't they get something?" Satiricus persisted. "Where is the morality?"

"Da wan prappa big word, Sato," said Cappo slowly. "Suh dem wuk fuh t'row out de PPCEE jus' fuh get big jaab and big money ya-suh?"

"Why you think they only want "big job"?" demanded Satiricus. "They just want to help us."

"Help abee??!! Yuh na see da chap fram Florida who help dem," countered Cappo. "Dem had fuh gyaam big warehouse contrack w'en 'e na even gat wan battam house!"

Satiricus picked up his beer with a contemplative look.

"Huh much warehouse yuh t'ink de Guvment gat fuh gi'e 'way?" asked Cappo as he also picked up his bottle. "Or chicken contrack?"

Satiricus didn't say anything and they downed their beer in one long gurgle.

NEWS

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

World Teachers’ Day

Teachers must be given right training to deliver quality education – Minister E ducation Minister, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine said teachers must be given the right training in content, methodology and outlook in order to deliver quality education to children.

If the education system fails, nothing else is likely to succeed and, therefore, if teachers fail, then the system would inevitably crumble also, the Minister noted.

“It is, therefore, imperative that teachers succeed, since they are the very foundation of the education system,” he said, noting that it was important to identify the right calibre of persons to be teachers.

“They must be given the right training in content, methodology and outlook. To that must be added the correct environment and the requisite terms and conditions of service,” he expounded, highlighting that those imperatives together comprise the complete approach to ensuring that the teachers deliver quality education.

“It is to the provision of the aforementioned that the Government commit, within its means, in its quest to provide quality education and its effort to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to which it

Education Minister, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine

has committed,” he said.

In 1994, UNESCO proclaimed October 5 to be World Teachers’ Day, celebrating the great step made for teachers on October 5, 1966, when a special intergovernmental conference convened by UNESCO in Paris adopted the UNESCO/ ILO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers, in cooperation with the ILO. This recommendation sets forth the rights and responsibilities of teachers, as well as international standards for their initial preparation and further education, recruitment, employment, teaching and learning conditions. Since its adoption, the recommen-

Acting Chief Education Officer Marcel Hutson

dation has been considered an important set of guidelines to promote teachers’ status in the interest of quality education.

Roopnaraine stated that the 2016 Teachers’ Day is the first World Teachers’ Day to be celebrated within the new Global Education 2030 Agenda adopted by the world community one year ago.

He stated that this year’s theme, “Valuing Teachers, Improving their Status”, embodies the fundamental principles of the 50-yearold Recommendation, while shining a light on the need to support teachers as reflected in the agenda’s SDGs.

A specific education goal, SDG4, pledges to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”; therefore, Roopnaraine stated teachers were not only pivotal to the right to education, they were key to achieving the targets set out in SDG4.

He added that this approach recognised that each child mattered and that the involvement of all of the stakeholders was also an imperative for the delivery of quality education.

“Also in the pipeline are

the curriculum review process and the report of the Commission of Inquiry into the education system, both of which will inform the revision of the education sector’s strategic plan,” he said.

The Minister stated that the Government has recommitted itself to the maintenance of a professional teaching service that can assure the nation of quality education, the production of rounded and patriotic citizens and ultimately, the development of society.

Acting Chief Education

Officer Marcel Hutson, in his remarks, stated that teachers spend a significant amount of time with their students and fill gaps left by temporarily or permanently absent parents, often times performing critical roles as counsellors and confidants.

“In many cases, you functioned as conveyors of non-academic (life) skills such as trust, respect, accountability and conflict resolution, all of which contribute to the creation of well-rounded students who will positively impact all spheres of society,” he said.

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

Young students share their 'heartbreaking' worries in notes Teachers asked students to complete the sentence: "I wish my teacher knew..."

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n elementary school teacher who received 'heartbreaking' notes after she asked her students to share their worries, has inspired other teachers to use her trick and better understand their own pupils.

Kyle Schwartz, teaches a third grade class at Doull Elementary in Denver, Colorado. The majority of her students come from underprivileged homes, as 92 per cent are entitled to free or reduced school lunches, she told ABC News.

“As a new teacher, I struggled to understand the reality of my students' lives and how to best support them. I just felt like there was something I didn't know about my students,” she told the broadcaster.

To tackle this problem, she asked her students to complete the sentence: “I wish my teacher knew…”

While some children used the notes to jokingly complain about homework or to request more playtime, Ms Schwartz said some of the answers were “heartbreaking”, as children revealed the tough struggles they are facing.

One student told Ms Schwartz that he does not have any pencils at home, while another said that they hadn’t seen their father for six years, after he was deported.

14

guyana-times.com

wednesday, october 5, 2016

News

3 women jailed for Jagdeo’s office highly suspicious embezzling $48M of delayed swearing in Public Procurement Commission

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he Office of the Leader of the Opposition on Tuesday said that the Government’s seemingly deliberate manoeuvres at delaying the swearing in of the five-member Public Procurement Commission (PPC) is “highly suspicious”.

The National Assembly on August 8, 2016, in a historic two-thirds majority vote, approved the appointment and establishment of the Commission which will comprise of Emily Dodson, Carol Corbin, Ivor English, Sukrishnalall Pasha and Dr Nanda Gopaul.

But, almost two months later, Jagdeo’s Office said the Commissioners are still to be sworn in and Government continues to make all sorts of excuses as to why the Commission has not been in place.

It singled out a recent statement by Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo that the delay is due to the Government fixing the salary and office for the PPC, while President David Granger on October 1, 2016, was quoted as saying that while a date and time for swearing in had been announced, concerns about the drafting of the Term of Reference (ToR) is being delayed.

The Opposition Leader’s Office pointed to Article 212 of the Guyana Constitution which makes the independence of the Commission clear regarding the election of the Chairman and deputy by the members; the establishment of the Secretariat and hiring of the CEO and staff by the Commission; the approval of the National Assembly of the terms and conditions of the CEO and two senior staff. The emoluments and allowances paid to Commissioners being determined by the Public Accounts Committee after consultation with the Commission.

“The parliamentary Opposition reiterates that the setting of the Terms

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

of Reference [ToR] is not the remit of Government but of the Commission and Commissioners itself where only the National Assembly and the Public Accounts Committee have specified roles,” Jagdeo’s Office stated.

It said therefore that it will “vehemently oppose” the involvement of the Government or any of its agencies in setting up the TOR of the Commission, the hiring and setting of salaries of staff for the Secretariat in the absence of the properly constituted and sworn in PPC, which will be a violation of the Constitution.

“There is no acceptable reason for further delay in the swearing of the Commissioners,” Jagdeo’s office said, adding that “When the recess is over the PAC chaired by the PPP will be ready to carry out its responsibilities as outlined in the Constitution.”

Jagdeo’s office reminded that while in Opposition, the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) used its majority to remove Cabinet’s “No objection” role in the award of contracts and subsequently holding the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing for Terrorism (Amendment) Bill 2013 “ransom” in the ninth Parliament until, PPC was appointed and established, therefore, “this delay is not just inex-

President David Granger

plicable it is immoral belying their rhetoric over the last 13 years and election promises.”

The Opposition said that it expects the PPC when sworn it will make investigating the several corruption scandals level against the Government a priority.

“With 25 scandals and corruption listed over the last 16 months, the parliamentary Opposition expects that one of the first things the Commission would have to investigate is the drug bond scandal and other questionable contracts which are in violation of the Procurement Act and regulations implemented by all levels of Government and State agencies.” The Public Procurement Commission is expected to reduce or prevent corruption in procurement by monitoring procurement and the procedure to ensure that the procurement of goods, services and the execution of works are conducted in a fair, equitable, transparent and cost effective manner.

Its functions include monitoring and reviewing all procurement systems; procedures of ministerial, regional and national procurement entities and project execution units; monitor performance with respect to adherence of regulations and efficiency in procuring goods and services and execution or works; investigate complaints; investigate irregularities; initiate investigations etc.

The covicted women escorted by Police Officers

T

hree women were on Tuesday jailed for four years each after they were found guilty of fraudulently converting in excess of $48 million from Telecom Solutions (Guyana) Inc. Initially, the women – Melissa Naughton, 39, of Robert Street, Better Hope, East Coast Demerara; Candacie Marshall, 26, of North Ruimveldt, Georgetown; and Oladara Christian, 28, of Shell Road, Kitty, Georgetown; had all pleaded not guilty to the charge.

In a packed court room before City Magistrate Leron Daly, the sentence was handed down to the three tearful women while the Magistrate noted that the women of mature ages were fully aware of their actions and continued.

The charge stated that

between June 25, 2008 and November 23, 2009, they conspired together with other persons to embezzle in excess of $48 million in credit from Telecom Solutions Inc. The Magistrate stated that the court and society condemns the exploitation of employees towards employers.

Defence Attorney Glen Hanoman who represented Naughton and Christian requested that the court grant his clients non-custodial sentences based on President David Granger’s remark that “there is no place for women in prison.”

The trio was found guilty by Magistrate Daly on August 31, 2016, after it was found that the prosecution had proven its case against the women beyond reasonable doubt.

The women’s lawyers at the previous court hearing

Mother fined for abandoning child

2 arrested for pensioner’s murder

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wo persons are now in Police custody in connection with the murder of a Cornelia Ida, West Coast Demerara (WCD) pensioner, who was brutally stabbed to death.

The body of Bibi Keniez, 65, was found in her home

on Monday just after midday.

According to Police’s D Division (West Demerara) Commander, Leslie James, the two men were arrested and are being interrogated

by Police.

Based on information

reaching Guyana Times, Keniez was found with stab wounds to her abdomen.

From all indications, the killing of the woman was as a result of a robbery gone bad as her small wooden house was ransacked.

The Police are continuing their investigations.

Only recently, acting Police Commissioner David Ramnarine disclosed that during the period of January 1 to September 23, serious crimes had declined by 19 per cent compared to the same period last year.

This, he noted, was as a result of an 11 per cent decrease in murder – 99 cases so far this year compared to 111 last year over the same period.

– Adrian Thompson, Ronald Burch-Smith and Everton Singh Lammy – had requested probation reports on the women after they were found guilty of the offence.

In 2011, the women were employees of the company where Naughton and Christian served in the capacities of cashiers, which they were responsible for selling large amounts of Digicel credit via a computerised system.

It was reported that Marshall was the person who, from time to time, solicited the customers.

According to reports, the two cashiers had invalidated several transactions which were written off, after which they would revalidate those transactions and sell them to persons and receive the proceeds for themselves.

Jewel Coates

A

mother who on Tuesday appeared before Magistrate Faith McGusty charged with endangering her infant was ordered to pay a fine of $100,000 or face an alternative sentence of three months in prison.

Jewel Coates, 35, of West Ruimveldt, Georgetown, ap-

peared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts and was not required to plead to the charge.

It is alleged that on September 30, 2016, she wilfully contributed to her three-week-old child being in need of protective intervention.

During the hearing,

Coates told the Magistrate that she did not want the infant anymore and as such, decided to get rid of her.

She explained that her decision stemmed from frustration over problems with the child’s father.

However, the prosecution contended that on the day in question, Coates was followed by family members after she left with the child.

According to a member of the family, Coates put the baby on the roadway and walked away, but subsequently returned after a dog approached the child.

She picked up the child and took her to another location where she once again put the child on the corner of the road and ran away.

The child was picked up and the matter was reported to the East Ruimveldt Police Outpost. Coates was later arrested and charged for the offence.

wednesday, october 5, 2016

guyana-times.com

15

News

Taxi driver killed 8-year-old raped in Berbice during robbery

A

Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo man was on Tuesday evening killed during a robbery at Tuschen Housing Scheme.

Dead is Roland Jodie called Vishaul, a taxi driver. Reports are that the 24-year-old man was hired by two men to take them aback the Tuschen Housing Scheme. However, Jodie was later discovered with two gunshot wounds and was rushed to the

West Demerara Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

While details are sketchy, this newspaper was told that Police are investigating the incident with robbery as the motive.

When contacted Divisional Commander Leslie James confirmed the shooting, adding that Police are investigating the incident.

See more details in our Thursday edition.

Dead: Roland Jodie

Hurricane Matthew: Category 4 storm pounds Haiti

A

n East Bank Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) joiner is now in custody after he was caught in a compromising position with an eight-year-old child.

Reports are that the 49-year-old man lured the girl and her brother to his home where he committed the act. According to a Police source, the child lives with her 27-year-old mother, who is a domestic worker and has two other chil-

dren.

It was reported that on Friday, while the victim and her brother were on their way home from school, the joiner called the child and asked her to make a purchase at a nearby shop for him. She reportedly complied and then went into the house while her brother waited outside.

After a while, the child’s brother went into the house in search of her and saw the self-employed joiner lying

on his sister.

He ran out of the house and raised an alarm. The matter was reported to the Police and the joiner was arrested.

The victim reportedly told Police that on several occasions she and her brother would visit the suspect’s home and he would give them food and sometimes money.

Following the report to the Police, the victim was taken to the New Amsterdam Hospital where she was examined by a doctor who gave a certificate on his findings.

According to a source close to the investigation, the girl’s hymen was ruptured. Police have since prepared a file on the matter as they seek to prosecute the accused.

The file will be sent today to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DDP) for advice.

WikiLeaks founder promises new leaks on US election

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Residents in areas already flooded in Port-au-Prince were moving their possessions

T

he most powerful Caribbean hurricane in nearly a decade has hit Haiti, bringing 145mph (230km/h) winds, heavy rain and dangerous storm surges.

Hurricane Matthew, a Category Four storm, swept over the West of Haiti and is now heading towards eastern Cuba.

The US National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said Haiti was “getting everything a major hurricane

can throw at them”. The Deputy Mayor of the southern coastal town of Les Cayes described the scene there as “catastrophic”.

Marie Claudette Regis Delerme said the city of 70,000 people was flooded and many houses had lost roofs. She herself had to flee a meeting when a gust ripped off the building’s roof.

One man too ill to leave his home was killed when waves struck in the town of

Port Salut. Haiti’s Interim President Jocelerme Privert said earlier that some people at sea or who had not “respected alerts” had died, but he gave no more details.

Haiti is one of the world’s poorest countries and many of its 11 million residents live in areas prone to flooding and in flimsy housing. Matthew was expected to bring up to 40 inches (102cm) of rain to some parts as it moves North at about 15km/h.(Excerpt from BBC News)

Colombian Govt, rebels in crisis talks after ‘No’ to peace deal

C

o l o m b i a ’ s Government and Marxist guerrillas went back to the drawing board in Havana on Tuesday after a peace deal they painstakingly negotiated over four years was rejected in a shock referendum result.

In a vote that confounded opinion polls and was a disaster for President Juan Manuel Santos, Colombians narrowly rebuffed the pact on Sunday as too lenient on the rebels.

Lead negotiators Humberto de la Calle and Sergio Jaramillo were back

at a Havana convention centre on Tuesday meeting counterparts from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) to see what the rebels are willing to do, the Government said.

The Cuban capital was the venue for talks between the two sides since 2012 that reached an accord to end Colombia’s 52-year war that has killed around a quarter of a million people.

All sides, including “No” voters, who carried the day on Sunday by less than half a percentage point, say they want an end to war, and the two parties have kept their

ceasefire.

But there is vehement Opposition – led by hardline former President Alvaro Uribe – to major planks of the previous deal, including guaranteed congressional seats for the FARC and immunity from traditional jail sentences for leaders.

A renegotiation seems to depend on whether the FARC would accept tougher conditions, maybe combined with a softening of Uribe’s demands. After years of refusing to meet negotiators, Uribe has now said he is willing to seek a joint solution. (Excerpt from Reuters)

ikiLeaks founder Julian Assange says the group will publish about one million documents related to the US presidential election and three governments in coming weeks, but denied the release was aimed at damaging Hillary Clinton.

Assange, speaking via a video link on Tuesday, said the documents would be made public before the end of the year, starting with an initial batch in the coming week.

Assange, 45, who re-

mains at the Ecuadoran embassy in London where he sought refuge in 2012 to avoid possible extradition to Sweden, said the election material was “significant” and would come out before the November 8 vote.

He criticised Clinton, the Democratic presidential candidate, for demonising WikiLeaks’ work after a spate of releases related to the Democratic National Committee. He said the material would focus on war, weapons, oil, mass surveillance, the technology giant Google and the US election,

but declined to give any details.

For weeks Donald Trump supporters had been waiting for WikiLeaks to publish documents they hoped would destroy Clinton’s chances in November.

Assange also signalled changes in the way WikiLeaks is organised and funded, saying the group would soon open itself to membership. He said it was looking to expand its media ties beyond the 100 outlets it already works with. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

EU Parliament gives green light to critical Paris climate deal

T

he European Parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly backed the ratification of the Paris climate deal, in a vote attended by UN chief Ban Ki-moon that paves the way for the landmark pact to come into force globally.

The vote of 610 for, 38 against and 31 abstentions puts the European Union on track to hand over its ratification to the United Nations on Friday, which would then take the international community above the threshold needed for implementation.

“You now have an opportunity to make history by helping lead the way to a better future,” the UN Secretary General told more than 700 EU lawmakers gathered in Strasbourg, France just before the vote.

European Climate Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete said the milestone heralded a harder phase of

The European Parliament backed the Paris climate change deal on October 4, 2016

turning promises into cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.

“Our collective task is to turn our commitments into action on the ground,” he said in a statement.

Ratification by the EU, which accounts for about 12 percent of global emissions, is expected to be deposited with the United Nations

by Friday. China and the United States, the top emitters, ratified the pact this month.

The accord aims to slash greenhouse gas emissions by shifting away from fossil fuels to limit global warming to “well below” two degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) compared to pre-industrial times. (Excerpt from France24)

16 News

wednesDay, october 5, 2016 | guyana-times.com

Thieves strike in Subryanville Ramsammy’s Ruminations – 2 in custody Clueless in agriculture T – now APNU-AFC wants to import chicken hieves stormed a Subryanville, Georgetown home early Tuesday morning, leaving the family traumatised.

This newspaper was told that about 03:30h on Tuesday, four men exited a yellow Toyota Raum and broke in to the Lot 62 Fourth Avenue and Church Road home of 43-year-old cattle farmer Ryad Bacchus and his family.

Bacchus explained that the family was asleep at time the bandits broke through a section of their home, and then made off with a number of valuable household items.

According to Bacchus, he

Brazen thieves broke into a Subryanville home on Tuesday

awoke about 04:00h for his usual morning prayers and it was then his wife noticed items missing from the home.

“At about 4 o’clock we woke up and my wife discovered the television missing; she went downstairs and saw the board from the bottom of the house [ripped] out,”

Bacchus noted.

He also told this publication that he then made repeated calls to the 911 number, but all proved futile. As such, he proceeded to the Kitty Police Station. “I jumped in the car and went to Kitty Police Station and wake up de Police them,” he related.

Meanwhile, late Tuesday afternoon, Guyana Times was informed that the Police have captured two men with a water pump and vacuum belonging to Bacchus.

This newspaper was told that the men are being held at the West Ruimveldt Police Station.

On Thursday, a Herstelling, East Bank Demerara man was briefly hospitalised after he was beaten by several armed men posing as Police Officers. The bandits made off with jewellery and an undisclosed amount of cash. This follows over 20 robberies in the Vreed-en-Hoop, West Coast Demerara area over the last week. Police investigations are continuing.

W

hen I was Agriculture Minister, Guyana was self-sufficient in chicken production. We had achieved this level of production for several years before I became Agriculture Minister. In fact, by 2012, we were not only self-sufficient in chicken production, we were preparing to overcome trade barriers to allow us to export Dr Leslie Ramsammy within Caribbean Community (Caricom), to take a portion of the US$250 million Caricom market for chicken. It is, therefore, shocking to read that A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/ AFC) has issued import licences for chicken and that one of those licences has been issued to one of the People's National Congress leaders, Dr Richard Van West-Charles, the son-in-law of Forbes Burnham.

This is Agriculture Month and the biggest news surrounding agriculture is that the APNU/AFC wants to import chicken into Guyana. This is simply ludicrous. They have not explained to the citizens why there is a need to import chicken. Is it that Guyana can no longer produce chicken to meet local demands? Or is this another excuse to kill another agriculture power house in Guyana? Did APNU/AFC consult with the Poultry Producers Association or are they ignoring the poultry producers?

The announcement or rather the issuance that have been exposed demonstrates how clueless APNU/AFC is on agriculture.

Sugar is in dire crisis; rice is on a downward trajectory; fish export is reduced; food import is on the rise. Now a solidly self-sufficient industry is being threatened with imported competition. At a time when agriculture output is dropping, it would have been sensible to ensure that poultry farmers are not discouraged. But issuing importing licences for chicken is a death blow to an industry that has made phenomenal progress.

No doubt this is another assault on the agriculture sector and the economy is collateral damage as APNU/AFC pursues narrow political greed.

The poultry producers were producing more than 30 million kilograms of chicken annually by 2012. In 2014, poultry meat consumption in Guyana averaged about 42kg per person per year, compared to less than 8kg in 1990. The average consumption in the Americas in 2014 was 38kg. Globally the average consumption today is about 15kg. The fact is that the poultry producers meet the local demand for poultry meat and has the capacity to increase production for export in a Caricom market, with an average annual consumption of about 45kg per capita, but production capacity of less than 25kg per capita.

What has changed to necessitate import licences being issued?

The industry is not only saving Guyana from foreign currency expenditure but has contributed to significant employment, and lends support to other downstream associated economic activities. Have they not considered that importing chicken will also impact stock feed production? One important consumer for broken rice is in fact the stock feed producers. By importing chicken, the rice industry is also affected. Clearly, the decision to issue import licences for chicken is a travesty because it threatens not only the poultry producers, but the livelihood of thousands of other people. Incidentally, killing the poultry industry will affect the efforts that I started – to develop a soya and corn industry in Guyana.

Agriculture is collateral damage for pursuing selfish paydays for a handful of people. Just like the warehouse scandal, the parking meter fiasco and other corrupt dealings, the importation of chicken is intended to enrich a handful of APNU/ AFC donors and supporters, threatening the livelihood of thousands of people. We have seen a well-defined pattern that APNU/AFC has crafted, a pattern intended to benefit a few at the expense of the vast majority of the Guyanese people. This pattern is evident in the incredulous importation of stone for the Cheddi Jagan International Airport upgrading project. This too is putting a local industry at risk and exposing the livelihood of hundreds of citizens and their families.

What is stunningly painful about this latest APNU/AFC ineptitude is that its head, President David Granger, is on record as saying that Guyana intends to help reduce Caricom's food import bill. Caricom has a food import bill in excess of US$4 billion and importation of chicken accounts for between US$200 and US$250 million annually. Guyana has the capacity to reduce its own food import bill and to meet some of the food demands of Caricom. There should not be any doubt that Guyana can be the food basin of Caricom. But we cannot attain our potential of being Caricom's food basket by threatening our agriculture producers, merely because we have donors and supporters to enrich. The continued focus on satisfying the greed of donors and supporters diminish our potential as Caricom's bread basket. Guyana becomes collateral damage of a greedy, short-sighted charlatan administration.

news

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wednesday, october 5, 2016 | guyana-times.com

Sunken dredge affecting Keeping it real medical supplies to Issano If the WPA died

in 1980, the AFC died in May 2015

M

uch has been written about the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) and its contributions towards removing the Forbes Burnham dictatorship. The WPA lost its lustre and spunk when its de facto leader, Walter Rodney, was assassinated in 1980. Rodney must be getting dizzy from spinning in his grave today because his WPA colleagues, once advocates for a politics Dr Baytoram Ramharack of morality, are now loyal partners in a coalition with the People’s National Congress (PNC); the same party the Rodney Commission of Inquiry said was wholly responsible for the murder of Rodney. Is the Alliance For Change (AFC) heading toward a similar death?

The AFC was established in 2005 when three MPs – Raphael Trotman (PNC), Khemraj Ramjattan ([People’s Progressive Party] (PPP)) and Sheila Holder (WPA) joined forces to form the AFC. The AFC won six seats after gaining eight per cent votes in the 2006 elections. In 2011, the party received 8.1 per cent of the votes, winning six seats in the 2011 election. In the 2015 elections, the party won seven seats with 10.3 per cent of the votes. To contest the 2015 elections, the AFC formed a joint electoral list with the APNU – even though Ramjattan argued that an alliance with the PNC would render the party “dead meat”. The combined list won 33 seats, allowing the APNU/AFC leader David A Granger to oust the PPP to become President with a one seat majority Government. Prior to the elections, AFC signed the Cummingsburg Accord with the APNU, which would guarantee 40 per cent of Cabinet and parliamentary seats to the AFC for bringing in 11 per cent of the votes to the joint coalition. Nagamootoo, lured into the AFC by Ramjattan, promised to bring in 11 per cent of the votes to give the coalition a winning majority in 2015.

What is now clearly evident in Guyanese politics is the fact that the AFC is neither a third force nor an influential force in the governing coalition. It is more like a spent force.

In Opposition, the AFC worked closely with the APNU to pass a No-Confidence Motion forcing the PPP to hold elections within three months. This collaboration took place while the AFC continued to proclaim itself a multiracial third force that would never join the PNC or PPP. Now part of the governing coalition, the AFC has no real power in Government. The Cummingsburg Accord stipulated that the Prime Minister (Moses Nagamootoo) would be drawn from the AFC and would be responsible for domestic affairs and all Ministers should report to the Prime Minister.

This is not the case. Instead, the Office of the Presidency has emasculated some of the powers of the Prime Minister, thus rendering the 60-40 formula as insignificant. With Ramjattan in charge of domestic security affairs, crime has escalated and the Government seems at a loss to adopt a serious crime fighting strategy. The economy continues to stumble. And more recently, Dr Verasammy Ramayya, the AFC’s key election mobiliser in Berbice, who played a key role in steering Indians away from the PPP, has resigned.

The foundation of the coalition partnership, the Cummingsburg agreement was influenced by Raphael Trotman, a vocal supporter of a coalition in 2015. But Trotman has maintained his close links with the PNC and he manipulated the AFC into a position which allowed Granger to win the presidency, the most powerful position in the country.

Trotman (in a secret agreement with Granger before the 2015 elections in Nassau, The Bahamas) convinced Nagamootoo that he would be chairing Cabinet meetings. Needless to say, Nagamootoo’s promised powers all but evaporated, once in office.

Despite what Nagamootoo may think, Trotman is a political Machiavellian who successfully engineered a plan to defeat the PPP. He was once accused by a former AFC founder, Gomattie Singh, the Essequibo-based lawyer, of racism. Ms Singh was promised the position of being an AFC parliamentarian, but the offer was withdrawn by Trotman.

In reality, the AFC has lost its way. It will continue to face its demons as the party is being outmanoeuvred by the PNC elements, who are now firmly in the seat of power. It will continue to act relevant until the 2020 election. But, as Freddie Kissoon reminded us, Guyana has no place for third parties.

The AFC’s fate will imitate that of the United Force of D’Aguiar.

If the WPA died in 1980, following that line of reasoning, the AFC died the day the coalition Government was sworn in.

The APNU/AFC Government is a de facto PNC Government with President Granger, an admirer of Burnham, at the helm.

Send comments to BRamharack60@gmail.com

T

he Public Health Ministry may soon have to airlift medical supplies to Issano if efforts to remove the dredge blocking the Mazaruni River channel fail.

The sunken dredge or “Dragga” in the Mazaruni River is affecting the supply of drugs to health facilities that serve a number of villages along the Mazaruni River. The dredge belongs to Crown Mining Company.

Director of Regional Health Services, Dr Kay Shako is hoping that the channel could be cleared soon in order for supplies to be delivered by the end of this week. However, if efforts to salvage the dredge are unsuccessful, the Ministry’s next option will

The sunken "Dragga"

be to transport drugs by air.

Medex at the Issano Health Centre, Josephine Murphy, told the Government Information

Agency (GINA), that since the sinking of the dredge in June, there has been difficulty in getting medical supplies to the health cen-

tre. “At present, for the first time since the pontoon was in the channel, we ain’t (have not) really getting no drugs coming up and we usually use the jet boat,” Medex Murphy explained.

Murphy explained that prior to the sinking of the dredge, the health centre received drugs in a timely manner. Over the weekend, the Government engaged a salvager to remove the dredge.

A site visit was made last Saturday.Issano is a landing community giving access to mining lands, as well as neighbouring Isenero.

The health centre at Issano serves an estimated population of just over 100 persons.

Persons traversing mining areas would seek medical attention at the health centre.

Linden Hospital nurses’ gratuity still an issue …”We’re only receiving promises” – GPSU

I

t has been years since nurses and other staff attached to the Linden Hospital Complex (LHC) have been suffering in relation to their gratuity, and according to Guyana Public Service Union’s Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) Representative, Maurice Butters, promises are still only being made on the part of the relevant authorities. These, he noted, includes representatives from the Public Health Ministry.

Butters has, for years, contended that when the female employees proceed on three months’ maternity leave, they often times lose all of their gratuity. The GPSU Representative told Guyana Times during an interview on Tuesday that he was even more concerned about the fate of the employees, since the Government may be seeking to increase maternity leave from three to six months.

“What will happen to those employees? When they proceed on their three months’ leave, they sometimes lose all of their gratuity. It’s like they are paying to be pregnant. Everybody deserves a family,” he stated.

Butters said he has raised the issue at various forums and has written numerous letters to the former Health Ministry as well as the current Public Health Ministry, but the issue has still not been resolved. He noted that only a few months ago, the issue was raised with Junior Minister within the Public Health Ministry, Dr Karen Cummings and more recently, Social Protection Minister Volda Lawrence. He added that he has also written to Permanent Secretary within the Public Health Ministry, Trevor Thomas seeking an audience in re-

lation to the issue, but he has so far not received any acknowledgement.

While the GPSU Representative explained that the next option may be to consult with President David Granger on the issue, he scoffed at that option, noting that the issue was a simple one, which should easily be resolved at the ministerial level.

“The employees are continuously asking when the issue would be resolved.

From since 2010 to now, this has been happening. All admit that what is happening is wrong, but none is making any step to make it right.

Why is it so difficult for this matter to be resolved?”

Butters asked.

Additionally, he stated that there had been misinterpretation in the computing of gratuity payments since they were supposed to be calculated on a threemonth basis, but payments

were only received every six months.

“If that employee proceeds on maternity leave and that leave commences within the last months of the six-month period that they are paid for, then they lose an entire year of gratuity. Although the contract clearly states that they should be assessed within a three-month period,” he had indicated.

18

guyana-times.com

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016

ARCHIE

You need to get first-hand information and do the work (March 21- yourself if you want to avoid April 19) interference and setbacks.

Rewards will come your way when the job is complete.

Experience will lead to expertise.

ARIES

Handle financial matters, TAURUS contracts and discussions person(April 20- ally. Joint ventures should not be May 20) trusted unless you have everything documented legally before you begin. Face-to-face talks will help you avoid being duped.

DILBERT

Participating in business GEMINI events will give you a platform (May 21June 20) to present what you have to offer. Be precise and don’t make promises that you cannot fulfil. Follow through on your plans and strive to excel.

Partnerships can be esCANCER tablished and changes can be (June 21- implemented to make your July 22) relationships run smoothly.

An open heart and mind will bring good results. Make love a priority.

PEANUTS

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

You’ll thrive in situations that present you with a competitive challenge. Your drive and determination will push you to the top and help you bring about change. Business trips will prove fruitful.

Say what’s on your mind

VIRGO before a personal situation (Aug. 23- gets blown out of proportion.

Sept. 22) Compromise will be necessary if

CALVIN AND HOBBES

you want to move forward.

Reuniting with old friends LIBRA or colleagues will help you put (Sept. 23your current position in perOct. 23) spective. Don’t feel the need to compete with a braggart.

Insecurity makes people do strange things.

WORD GAME

SUDOKU

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

Home improvement projects SCORPIO will promote a better lifestyle (Oct. 24Nov. 22) and relationship with your loved ones. Doing the physical work required will also bring you satisfaction. Share your thoughts, but do your own thing.

Certain emotions will surSAGITTARIUS face and are best channelled (Nov. 23- into positive activities that Dec. 21) will provide you with fun, laughter and good times.

Don’t let anyone drag you down.

Think twice before you CAPRICORN commit to helping a person (Dec. 22- or a cause. If there is nothing Jan. 19) in it for you, you need to back away. It’s up to you to make wise choices.

You’ll have a better grip AQUARIUS on what’s going on around (Jan. 20you and a better idea how you Feb. 19) can make things turn in your favour. Use your insight and knowledge to get what you want.

RULES OF THE GAME: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” is not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed. To contact Word Game creator Kathleen Saxe, write to Word Game, Kathleen Saxe, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

Copyright 2015, Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

PISCES Listen to others’ com(Feb. 20- plaints, but don’t venture to March 20) disagree or make a fuss. Once you digest what’s being said or done, you will find an alternative solution that works for everyone involved

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016

19

Bakewell Tennis Tournament

J

oshua Kalekyezi upset boys 14 and under number two seed Jordan Beaton in their semifinal match of the Boys 14 and under at the weekend at the President’s College Tennis Court.

As rivalries in the Bakewell Junior Tennis Tournament heat up, Kalekyezi shocked Jordan in their heated clash to emerge as winner. Not only did he defeated his highly ranked opponent, but he did so in two exciting sets.

Instead of six match point to win a set the under 12 and 14 categories were reduced to four match points thus Kalekyezi won the match 5-4, (72), 4-2. The win for Kalekyezi means he will clash with Viraj Sharma, who defeated Vijay Sharma in the other semifinal, in the final.

Viraj trumped Vijay by comfortable margins in both sets, winning 4-1, 4-2 in the two sets.

Other players to advance to the finals are;

Joshua Kalekyezi prepares to return a ball during his semifinal clash against Jordan Beaton

Jeremiah Kalekyezi the younger brother of Joshua. He will meet with Vadeanand Resaul in the boys 12 and under finals.

Sarah Klautky and Kalyca Fraser will play in the girls 14 and under finals.

Heimraj Resaul will tackle Mark McDonald in the boys 18 and under finals. Meanwhile in the Girls 18 and under finals, Nicola Ramdyhan will clash with Kalyca Fraser.

The following is a full list of the most recent results;

U12 Semifinals Jeremiah Kalekyezi defeated Adesh Khayyam 4-1, 4-1, Vadeanand Resaul defeated Nigel Lowe 4-1, 2-4 (10-5).

Boys U-14 Round Robin Jeremiah Kalekyezi defeated Akil Browne 4/0 4/0. Boys U-14 Quarterfinals Jordan Beaton defeated Jeremiah Kalekyezi 4-0, 4-1, Viraj Sharma defeated Ridhwan Kasim 4-0, 4-2. Boys U14 Semifinals Viraj Sharma defeated Vijay Sharma 4-1, 4-2, Joshua Kalekyezi defeated Jeremiah Kalekyezi on left Jordan Beaton 5-4, (7-2), 4-2. and Vadeanand Resaul are the under-12 finalists Girls U-14 Round Robin of the Bakewell Junior Nathalie Ramdyhan def Akilah Tennis Tournament Jones w/o, Kalyca Fraser def

Ming ends F1600 season with yet another podium finish I n what can already be deemed a tremendous debutant season for Calvin Ming in the Formula 1600 series, Ming added the icing to the cake on Sunday at the Virginia International Raceway when he finished second in the 21st and final race of the series.

Ming, who narrowly missed the podium with two fourth place finishes on the earlier rounds on Friday and Saturday required a photo finish to determine the winner, as himself and championship winner, Neil Verhagen, were too close to call at the che-

Ming in action during one of his races

quered flag.

However Neil, who drives for team K-Hill had the benefit of drafting off Calvin heading to the final corner.

When Guyana Times Sport spoke to Ming’s correspondents in Virgina by virtue of them receiving support from Mings Products and Services, BM Soat, National Sports Commission, Buy Me Auto Sales and Coffee Bean Eatery, the driver had stated that it was a great experience.

Ming said, “It was a good experience to finish on the podium again and a good way to end the season,” adding, “I Think the season overall for my first year in USA was really good; I learned a lot and I’m just looking forward to 2017.”

The driver, who finished a close fourth overall in the Championship behind K-Hill drivers Verhagen, Peter Portante and team mate Phillippe Denes was full of praise for his team.

“It was a good season with them, Team Pelfrey; they have helped me out so much with the coaching, the me-

chanics, I can’t give them enough thanks.”

“The line-up of drivers this year, where everyone was so talented. We had a good set of drivers with us; everyone brought something different to the table so it was a good learning experience.”

While he may not have won the Championship, Ming derives that many positives came out of the championship.

“Originally, when we started the F1600, we did it so we can learn as much as we can going forward into the higher championships from next year, what I take away from next year is a lot of car control,” Ming said, adding, “What people know or may not know is that the F1600 don’t have any down force with no wings so I’ll take away all like the car experience I’ve learnt here.”

Ming is now expected to undergo testing with INDYCAR for a new formula car next year.

Nathalie Ramdyhan 4-0, 4-1. Girls U14 Semifinals Sarah Klautky defeated Nathalie Ramdyhan 4-0, 4-2, Kalyca Fraser defeated Ciara Pooran 4-0, 4-3.

Boys U-18 Quarterfinals Mark McDonald defeated Viraj Sharma 6/4 7/5, Joshua Kalekyezi def Vijay Sharma 6-2, 6-1. Boys U18 Semifinals Heimraj Resaul defeated Joshua Kalekyezi 6-4, 6-3, Mark McDonald defeated Shimron Lewis 6-0, 6-1 Girls U-18 Round Robin Shivani Persaud defeated Kureece King 6-0, 6-0, Margaret Subryan def Alana Chung w/o (walk over), Shivani Persaud defeated Alana Chung 6-0, 6-0 Girls U-18 Semifinals Nicola Ramdyhan defeated Margaret Subryan 6-0, 6-0, Kalyca Fraser defeated Shivani Persaud 7-5, 6-0.

The tournament continues today with Boys U-14 and U-18 Finals at the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) Recreational Facility.

– Zeelandia, G Square Cavaliers register close victories

O

n the Island of Wakenaam, the Badri Prasad Memorial T20 tournament continued on Sunday, with Bernard Lewis and Leoryan Ramlakhan striking half centuries to send Maria’s Pleasure past Good Success while Zeelandia defeated Maria’s Pleasure and G Square Cavaliers beat Noitgedacht.

In the opening game, Maria’s Pleasure were lead well by Lewis (83) and Ramlakhan (65) as they posted 189-8 when they batted first against Good Success at the Wakenaam Community Centre Ground.

Shazaam Mohamed bagged 2-5. In reply, Good Success were limited to 144-6 from their allotted overs as they fell 45 runs short of their target. Vickram Ramnarine scored an unbeaten 48 while Nazeer Mohamed was left stranded on 30 not out.

However, the Maria’s Pleasure XI were outplayed by an energetic Zeelandia team in the second contest

at the same venue.

Maria’s Pleasure once again took first strike and were rattled out for a mere 113 as Leonard Lewis was the only meaning full contribution with a top score of 30.

Navishaul Pooran was the prime demolisher, grabbing 3-5 while Saga Jadookul chipped in with 3-16.

Zeelandia raced to the target of 114-7 as Pooran returned with the bat and stroked an impressive 55.

Ramlakhan looked to stop the scoring rate but the runs were too small a total to defend but still managed 3-20.

At Belle Plaine, G Square Cavaliers overcame Noitgedacht by three wickets. Dayawant Shiwnandan and Kamal Khan captured three wickets a piece as Noitgedacht were skittled out for 94 inside 15 overs.

Shiwnandan bagged 3-11 while Khan claimed 3-19.

Cavaliers blasted to their target comfortably losing seven wickets with 25 balls to spare. Bumeshwar Ramkissoon made 18.

Jaggernauth Manbodh

Nazeer Mohamed

The final preliminary round game will be played on Sunday with Noitgedacht looking to redeem themselves when they come up against Sans Souci while the semi finals will be contested on October 16 with Good Success challenging Sans Souci and Cavaliers facing off with Maria’s Pleasure.

20

GUYANA-TIMES.COM

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016

Pakistan aim for 2nd whitewash against feeble West Indies

There are only questions surrounding West Indies' next performance. Could they come up with the answer?

A

second successive whitewash is imminent as West Indies prepare to tackle Pakistan today in the third and final One Day International in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). West Indies is yet to beat Pakistan in a total of five matches since landing in the UAE more than two weeks ago and it seems an almost impossible task for the number eight ranked visitors against a number nine ranked host.

The Caribbean side has already been whitewashed in the three match T20 series and are currently down 2-0 in the three match ODI series. And their performance in either of the two ODIs have not been substantial enough to give any optimism of a possible victory in the third match.

The bowlers have struggled and so the batsmen. They are yet to dismiss or

restrict the host while the batsmen have struggled against spin and when it is not that, it is simply irrational decisions on their part.

In previous essays there were questions pertaining to who hold the key for a possible victory, the absence of senior players, among many other questionable issues that may contribute to the team’s poor form. Since these questions seem far from being answered it is a situation of what is next for West Indies.

According to interim West Indies coach Roddy Estwick, “You still have to win, there are still ranking points to be had. You don’t want to go into the Test series losing 3-0. There are players who will play in the Test series that are playing in the ODI series so it is important that they get use to the pitch, the condition

and the Pakistani bowlers as well, so there are lots to be achieve from this game.”

Indeed the West Indies players need to win to gain momentum ahead of the Test series but besides that their pride is still at stake and they need to protect that.

But it is a matter of measures to get the job done, to get a first win against Pakistan. A feat Estwick believe that could only be done if they play better than Pakistan all-round.

As it is, it looks as a sure whitewash for the lads from the Caribbean and only Pakistan could get it wrong from here. Otherwise the West Indies must be spectacular today to avoid a second whitewash on this tour.

Marlon Samuels needs support in the batting department while bowlers need

to come good. Johnson Charles is having a horrid tour so far and with ‘snail like’ scorer Kraigg Braithwaite at the top of the innings, the West Indies middle have been pressured and exposed pretty early in the ODI and the trend continue to the lower order.

Young pacer Alzarri Joseph impressed on his ODI debut but he also need to restrict the flow of runs while he aims to be aggressive. Sulieman Benn consistency is also an issue as is evident judging from his performance in the first two matches.

However, when a team is struggling it is hard to find form as an individual, thus the individual performance of most of the players remain poor.

Pakistan will enter today’s game feeling confident and will aim to make things easier for an automatic world cup qualification. Babar Azam has shined at

the right time so have their bowlers. Their skipper Azhar Ali needs to join the party to make it a complete collective effort.

The odds is in Pakistan favour could the West Indies spoil it? Only the result at the end of today’s match could answer that question.

West Indies Squad; Jason Holder (captain), Johnson Charles, Carlos BraithwaIte, Kraigg Braithwaite, Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Jonathan Carter, Ashley Nurse, Shannon Gabriel, Alzarri Joseph, Dinesh Ramdin, Suliemann Benn, Evin Lewis, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard.

Pakistan: Azhar Ali (capt.), Sharjeel Khan, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Imad Wasim, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali, Rahat Ali, Asad Shafiq, Mohammad Rizwad, Sohail Khan, Yasir Shah,, Sharjeel Khan.

Daly-Ramdyhan pleased at the level of competition in the Bakewell Tournament

G

uyana’s Premier junior tennis tournament, the Bakewell Tennis Tournament is winding down to an exciting finish and so far tournament coordinator Shelly Daly Ramdyhan is pleased at the level of competition shown in the tournament.

According to Daly-Ramdyhan the tournament continues to grow each year and this year in its third edition, it has been tough with several upsets already recorded. One of those being the number two seeded boys 14 and under, Jordan Beaton surprised loss to Joshua Kalekyezi in the semifinals of the boys 14 and under.

Kalekyezi victory over Beaton was a shocker but according to Daly-Ramdyhan the winner is a hard worker, who is discipline and watch a lot of tennis clips to improve his game and due to his efforts to be on top, the results was manifested. That she said taking nothing away from Beaton, who she believes has been soaring at his

Some of the male competitors of the third Bakewell Junior Tournament along with executives of the GTA on the President’s College Court

age group tournaments and has the potential to soar higher.

In relation to the standard of play, Daly-Ramdyhan, who is also a national coach, said she has seen great potential from the un-

der 12 and she is very impressed with them because they possess what the Guyana Lawn Tennis Association are looking for a long time.

However, she is disappointed

at the numbers of entries for the tournament but is hopeful that there are more registration for future tournaments. Sheltez Tennis Club is the best represented entity at the tournament.

The event is moving ahead quite rapidly and already several events have reach the final stage, namely the boys under 14, the girls under 14 and the girls and boys under 18 singles. Prior to the tournament most of the players would have been busy competing in Regional tournaments thus gaining the right exposure to make the Bakewell tournament more competitive.

Subsequent to the completion of this tournament a national junior team will be announced to participate in the Tennis Inter Guiana Games (IGG) which will be held in French Guiana from October 26 to November 1.

Daly-Ramdyham have years of experience on the tennis court, as a player then as a coach and she is elated that Bakewell is still on board with the GTA contributing towards the development of youths. The tournament continues tomorrow at the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) Recreational Facility.

YELLOW

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Chattergoon

21

SPORTS

quits hardball cricket

By Ravi Madholall in Toronto

R

ight-handed top-order batsman Hemnarine Chattergoon has called it a day on his hardball cricketing career but will continue to play professionally in the softball game.

He made this announcement on Monday after playing his final hardball match on Sunday representing defending champion Hawaiian Arctic Cricket Club in the 2016 Elite Scarborough Cricket Association (SCA) 50-over semi-final against Victoria Park at Ashtonbee ground.

Chattergoon, the elder brother of former Guyana and West Indies opening batsman Sewnarine Chattergoon, stated that his main reason to hang up his gloves was due mainly to family commitment and to focus thoroughly on the softball matches.

He is currently an active member of Dant Cricket Club, a team that has been dominant over the past ten years in both the Canadian Softball Cricket Association and Ontario Softball Cricket League Open tournaments.

Chattergoon also topped the runs aggregate with 382 runs from 14 matches.

According to Chattergoon, whose two younger brothers, Ramnarine and Harrienarine also featured in the Guyana colours at the youth level, mentioned it was fantastic to play the game from a tender age of 10 to Sunday when Arctic

was eliminated.

He began his cricketing career at Albion Sports Complex, a vibrant Cricket Club that has great reputation to produce some fine cricketers at both regional and international levels.

The Berbice club also hosted one-day internationals and Chattergoon singled out coach Fabian Naiken and then manager Veemen Walters for their supporting roles at the developmental stage.

“I think I am happy to say goodbye to the hardball game now; I really enjoyed it but I still will be playing cricket but the softball version, I must say thanks to all those who supported me throughout my career in a variety ways,” the 39-yearold Chattergoon related.

Having represented Guyana at the Under-19 level and then went on to play for the West Indies youth team, Chattergoon declared that scoring a century for the West Indies young side against Pakistan in Barbados was one of his happiest cricketing moments.

“I enjoyed the game a lot of times but scoring a hundred for the under-19 West Indies team especially when we were asked to follow-on and then got the opportunity to bat and scored a hundred is still memorable,” Chattergoon said.

Since migrating to Canada approximately 19 years ago, Chattergoon continued to ply his trade here representing Transzac

Cricket C l u b before m o v e d a c r o s s to Cavaliers Cricket Club.

In 2005, Chattergoon started off with Vikings Cricket Club all in the Toronto and District Cricket Association limited-over competitions.

During this time Chattergoon represented Canada international team debuting in 2007 versus United Arab Emirates and his last game came against Zimbabwe in 2010.

“I was delighted to play for Canada at the highest level; I think competing against international sides was a great privilege and I want to encourage aspiring cricketers to train hard and stay focused and committed at all time,” Chattergoon expressed.

In 2010 Chattergoon decided to switch to the SCA competition and has shown phenomenal consistency over the years with the bat including a double-century in 2015 for Arctic.

He led the team to three of their six consecutive titles ranging from 2009 to 2015.

He took over the captaincy in 2013 and lifted the trophy for the past three occasions.

Arctic has formed over two decades ago and

Hemnarine Chattergoon will continue on the softball circuit for a little longer

Chattergoon expressed gratitude to one the founding members and current president Archie Mohan along with several dedicated executives for their support.

He made special mention of his spouse Lena for her continued presence and support during his latter part of his hardball career.

He further stated that his mom (deceased) and dad were also very instrumental in his upbringing.

“Disappointed but not surprised” – Garner

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was well prepared to engage Pakistan considering the conditions and the adjustments that were necessary to bring meaningful benefits to this team. Whilst change is difficult to manage, none of the players were neglected by the coaching and support staff in the execution of their duties.

In preparation for this tour, as is customary, the squad assembled in Barbados on September 10 and 11 for physical screening and fitness assessments.

Additionally, there was a 7-Day buildup to the first Twenty20 match which included a warm-up.

The team’s preparation consisted of acclimatization, recovery sessions, strength and conditioning, nets and skill sets, management planning meeting which were supported by video footage of the opposition, bullet point reminders and input from our experienced coaching staff and in-

Joel Garner

clusive of the T20 and ODI Captains and the players.

The statement further stated, “Mr Bravo, with prior permission, by the former Head Coach, turned up on the day before the first Twenty20 match. His suggestion of disorganisation in the team’s plans and preparation is therefore false and misleading.”

22

GUYANA-TIMES.COM

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016

IGG games launched

By Romario Samaroo

T

he event that began all the way back in 1967 with athletes from Guyana and Suriname going at each other for a simple trophy has escalated into the Inter-Guiana Games some 49 years later. The 2016 edition which will be known as the Goodwill games was officially launched at the National Sports Commission (NSC), Homestretch Avenue on Tuesday at a simple ceremony.

Guyana and Suriname will battle for supremacy across seven sporting disciplines including Football, Volleyball, Badminton, Table Tennis, Basketball, Track and Field and for the first time, Futsal while French Guiana will not be participating in the games, thus the renaming.

Present at the launching was representatives from each of the disciplines as well as Director of Sport, Christopher Jones and Digicel’s Senior Sponsorship and events Executive, Louanna Abrams.

Chairman of the NSC, Ivan Persaud pointed to the fact that apart from the School’s Championships, there is no oth-

er real tournament where students get to flourish other than the Goodwill Games.

According to the representatives, all the teams have been selected based on merit and criteria of being 19 years old or under and registered in an educational institution.

The representatives of each discipline have all indicated that the teams are already selected as per protocol of the games and it is expected that the Guyana contingent will be well represented.

In the discipline of swimming, Leon Seaton, Manager of the Guyana Amateur Swimming Association, said the 12-member team will be spearheaded

by Olympian, Hannibal Gaskin.

Danielle George and Jadyn George who recently won Silver and Gold respectively at the Regional Goodwill games are also expected to give good accounts of themselves.

President of the Guyana Badminton Association, Gowkaran Ramdhani highlighted that the team was selected through a ranking system which is reviewed monthly, making it easy for the best players to be selected while most of the Volleyball team

Golden Jaguars assist in raising breast cancer awareness

M

embers of the national Football team, the Golden Jaguars team joined forces with the Guyana Cancer Foundation in their annual tree wrapping exercise, becoming the first sporting team to come on board with the programme, which has been doing this event for 11 years.

As breast cancer awareness month commenced internationally on Saturday, the team members as well as other public spirited citizens and members of the foundation took to the Camp Street Avenue, Georgetown where every tree was wrapped in a vibrant pink cloth designed with the Breast Cancer

have come through the schools Volleyball tournament.

Similarly, the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) held trials at the Leonora Facility where the best timings were used to select the team.

Preparation of the teams has already begun with the Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) pushing their players and making sacrifices to train in the evenings.

Swimming has also begun preparations with morning and evening sessions at the National Aquatic Centre.

It was revealed that thus far, Digicel, Banks D.I.H through their Powerade and Rainforest Waters brands, Impressions and the Government of Guyana via the Ministry of Education, Department of Culture Youth and Sport are all on board to sponsor the event.

The games will officially open on Friday October 21 with the opening ceremony at 18:00h at the Leonora Track and Field Facility followed by Track and Field events.

Earlier in the day, the Male and Female Basketball will bounce off from 13:00h at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) while the Male and Female Volleyball competitions will be heal at the National

Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue from 13:00h.

Saturday October 22 at the National Gymnasium, Badminton from 09:00H, Male and Female Volleyball from 15:00h while at CASH Futsal will kick off at 13:00h followed by Male and Female Basketball while at Leonora there will be track a n d field

Leon Seaton

events from 16:00h.

Sunday October 23, Swimming will be held at the National Aquatic Centre from 09:00h, Volleyball continues at the National Gymnasium from 13:00h and CASH will host Futsal from

09:00h, Table Tennis from 10:00h with Futsal continuing at 13:00H and Basketball into the night from 15:00h.

The closing ceremony will be kept immediately after Basketball at 20:00h.

another Jaguars player also gave his views on the awareness of the problems males face, pointing out that “I think as males, they are our counterparts and we owe it to them as equals to come out and show s u p port i n

Golden Jaguars stars (from left) Warren Creavalle, Brandon Beresford and Anani Mohamed played their part in the Guyana Cancer Foundation’s nnual tree wrapping exercise

insignia in an effort to raise awareness to the fight against the disease.

While this is the 11th year of the event, this is the first year that the Foundation is acting independently as a registered organization, previously operating as a committee under Avon.

Golden Jaguars player, Brandon Beresford

shared his sentiments these issues about this initiative. that are vi“It is always good to tal to raise awareness about things like this, the more people see this, the more they could donate, help out or even help raise them awareness themselves, so a n d it is always good to show show that our support.” Beresford we care about related. them.”

Warren Creavalle, President

and Founder of the Foundation Bibi Hassan explained that this is the first time she has had a sport team join in and it is a pleasure to have them on board.

“This is awesome; I have never had a football team come on board to do the tree wrapping.” Hassan added, “I normally have Qualfon, but this year I didn’t see them turn out but I am really really overwhelmed with the support I got from the football team,” laugh quietly, “this is an all celebrity evening.”

Hassan indicated that there will be a church service at the Brickdam Cathedral on Oct 9, international day of wear pink for support on Oct 21 and the breast cancer walk from Parade Ground on October 22.

Guyana will take on Suriname this Saturday in Paramaribo in the first of two matches in Round 3 of the Scotiabank CFU Men’s Caribbean Cup 2016. The Jaguars next assignment will be at home at Leonora Stadium when they take on Regional powerhouse, the Reggae Boyz out of Jamaica on October 11 as they aim to qualify for the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

GUYANA-TIMES.COM

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016

First Vice President of GFSCA, Ricky Deonarain giving a detailed overview of Guyana Softball Cup 6

F

rom November 4 through 6, 43 exciting matches will be played in Guyana’s leading softball tournament, Guyana Softball Cup, at venues throughout the City and at the Ogle Community Centre ground. This was revealed by the executives of the Guyana Floodlights Softball Cricket Association (GFSCA) at the launch of Guyana Softball Cup six at the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) Lance Gibbs Street Queenstown, Georgetown.

A total of 24 teams will vie for honours in the Open and Master categories in the tournament which is in its six phase. Those teams, 10 of which are foreign teams, from New York, Florida and Canada while the others will come from various parts of Guyana.

Of the 43 games, 36 are preliminaries, four will be semifinals, plus the male open and masters finals along with a female 10/10 exhibition game.

Prizes for the champion teams are; in the open category Winning trophy and $800,000, runner-up trophy and $200,000 while the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the final will receive a trophy. The over-

― 10 North American teams confirmed

all Player of the series will receive a cricket bat gold pendant (14 carat) with diamond encrusted compliments of Steve Jewellery.

Meanwhile, prizes for the champion team in the male masters category are; Winning trophy and $600,000. Runner up is trophy and $150,000. MVP of the final will take home a trophy while player of the series will earn a cricket bat pendant (14 carat) with diamond encrusted compliments of Steve Jewellery.

There will also be plaques for special performances including centuries and five wicket hauls compliments of the Trophy Stall. Proceedings on the final day will get underway at 11:00 hours at the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) ground when the two finals and an exhibition match is set to play.

Speaking at the Launch of the tournament on Tuesday at the DCC Pavilion, Secretary of the Guyana Floodlight Softball Cricket Association (GFSCA) Lalta Gainda urged the base of softball cricket (the players, supporters), “to support who support us.” A facet he said those involve need to be ful-

fill to ensure that those sponsors benefit from their contribution.

Meanwhile, Admin Manager of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Garvey C. Harry congratulated the association for being able to host yet another tournament. He said that he like the initiative by the GFSCA to have teams from outside of Georgetown participate in the tournament because it remains to some that Georgetown is Guyana because of the advantages in regards to the resources it possesses.

Spectators are also set to benefit on the finals.

They are asked to keep their half tickets and listen for their number to be called during the games.

There will be many giveaways to fans from Rubis Guyana, Mikes Pharmacy and other sponsors of the event.

Also at the finals on November 6, four ticket holders stand a chance to win trip for themselves and a partner to Baganara Resort (one night), Kaieteur/ Orinduik Falls, Arrowpoint Resort (one night) and Aruwai Resort White H20 (one night). This is compliments of Survival

Garvey C Harry

Travel Agency.

Tickets for the finals cost $1,000 each and are available at Trophy Stall at Bourda and City Mall, Mike’s Pharmacy, Ramchand Auto Spares, 4R, Motor Trend in Enmore, Rohan Auto Spares in Mahaica, Ariel Enterprise, Nauth’s Motor Spares and Nand Persaud & Co. Ltd in Berbice.

Sponsors for the Guyana Softball Cup 6 are; Stag Beer, Rubis Guyana, Trophy Stall, Survival Group of Business, Steve Jewellery, Clear Waters, Busta Soft Drink, Rohan Auto Spares, A&R Jewanram Printery , W. J. Enterprise and Mikes Pharmacy.

Grounds earmarked for the tournament are; Malteenoes Sports Club ground, GCC ground Bourda, Police Ground Eve Leary, DCC ground, MYO, GYO, GNIC ground, GDF ground and Ogle ground.

Cotton Field Wild Oats won the inaugural tournament in 2011 while last year Regal Masters won the Masters title after defeating Floodlights Masters in a one-sided final and Regal All-Stars took home the open title.

F

23

ine half centuries by Alex Algoo, Steve Deonarine, Joel Sietaram, Krystof Bahadur, Zameer Inshan, Javid Karim and a six wicket haul from Nigel Deodat highlighted the latest matches of the New York Business Group sponsored two innings under 19 cricket competition for teams in Berbice. The competition organized by the Berbica Cricket Board (BCB) with Albion Cricket Club influenced sponsorship, resumed recently.

At Blairmont, their 'A' team won the toss and batted first scoring 251 runs for 6 wickets declared. Berbice under 19 batsman Zameer Inshan Joel Sietaram top scored with 65. He got support from the prolific national under 17 batsman Javid Karim with 54, Guyana under 15 all-rounder Seon Glasgow 46 and Marvan Prashad 41. Shahid Baksh took 4 for 55 for the 'B' team who replied with 117 all out. Jaden Trotz topscored with 31 and Baksh 25. National under 15 left arm spinner Nigel Deodat spun web around the batsmen taking 6 for 20 and Glasgow 3 for 19. Forced to follow on, they feared worst in the second innings, collapsing to 76 all out. Keyon Gangoo took 4 for 15 and Deodat 4 for 17 to lead their team to an innings and 58 runs victory, thus topping the zone and qualify for the quarter finals.

Nigel Deodat Over at the Cumberland ground in East Canje, Tucber Park and Young Warriors Cricket Club played to a draw without a first innings result. Tucber Park won the toss and batted first and scored 223 for 9 off 47.1 overs.

National under 17 batsman Steve Deonarine top scored with a classy 64 with 8 fours. He got support from national under 19 all-rounder Joel Sietaram 59 with 4x4 and 3x6, national under 15 player Leon Swamy 28 and Trevon Caesar 25. Bowling for Young Warriors, Jamal Frank took 4 for 28 and left arm spinner Trevon Stanislaus 4 for 69. In reply, the home team batted solidly to finish on 170 for 3 with Berbice under 19 opener Alex Algoo stroking 67 consisting of 9x4 and 1x6 and Kristoff Bahadur 60 with 5x4 and 3x6 when time ran out. The match will be replayed this Saturday at the same venue. The rules states that if no first innings is decided by the first day, then the match will continue into the second day until first innings points is won.

Achievers, winner of their zone is slated to host Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports club in a quarter final clash this weekend.

wednesday, october 5, 2016

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

Ready, Set, Go! IGG games launched

Pg 22 Director of Sport, Christopher Jones making a presentation at the launch of the Goodwill Games 2016 at the National Sports Commission

43 exciting matches set for Guyana Softball Cup 6 – 10 North American teams confirmed

Garvey C Harry (front row, extreme left) along with executives of the GFSCA and sponsors of Guyana Softball Cup 6 at the launching at the Demerara Cricket Club Pavilion on Tuesday

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