Guyana Times Daily

Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana Issue No. 3151

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THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Monday, March 13, 2017

PRICE

SOCU arrests

Harmon corroborated contentions of political witch-hunting – former Attorney General Page 3

Taxi driver shot during crossfire between bandits, Police CorporalPage 8

2 critical after Vergenoegen 3-vehicle smash-up

$80 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Teen shot P3 at South minibus park

Govt reviewing tax regime for P15 2018

Page 14

Developmental projects earmarked for Region 2 P17

Region 3 RDC condemns SOCU’s P11 actions Vendors, Constables attached to Corriverton P10 Market square off

The festival of Holi commenced on Sunday with its observance by a wide cross section of people in and around the city and countrywide. In photos are scenes from the multiple celebrations

SARU Executive Union to seek under fire for Page 7 court action ‘threats’ against over severance Jagdeo, PPP figures Page 9 denial – Party considering options for redress

Wales fallout

City Hall audits to commence this week P10

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BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Monday, March 13 – 05:00h-06:30h and Tuesday, March 14 –05:00h-06:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Monday, March 13 – 16:45h-18:15h and Tuesday, March 14 – 05:45h-07:15h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Early morning sunshine is expected to give way to light rain showers, while clear to partly cloudy skies can be expected in the evening.

Temperatures are expected to range between 24 degrees and 28 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-easterly to North-easterly between 3.57 metres and 5.36 metres.

High Tide: 05:01h and 17:19h reaching maximum heights of 2.72 metres and 2.75 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 10:54h and 23:11h reaching minimum heights of 0.48 metre and 0.50 metre respectively.

SATURDAY, MARCH 11, 2017

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SOCU arrests

Harmon corroborated contentions of political witch-hunting – former Attorney General

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ormer Attorney General Anil Nandlall has observed that the latest utterance from Minister of State, Joseph Harmon lends support to the contentions that the series of arrests and detentions by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) is politically driven.

Harmon, during a post-Cabinet press briefing, proclaimed that former Presidents should relinquish their constitutional right of immunity upon returning to active politics.

His comments come on the heels of past President and present Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo being cleared from answering to any SOCU officials after he invoked his immunity under Article 182 of the Constitution of Guyana.

Harmon indicated that it was unreasonable to claim that immunity while being actively involved in day-today politics.

In summary, Article 182 states that a President shall not be personally answerable to any court for any act done in the performance in the functions of his office; no criminal nor civil proceedings can be instituted against him, in his personal capacity in respect of any acts done in the performance of his office, either during the term of office or thereafter; and while he holds office or performs the functions of Office of the President, no criminal nor civil proceedings shall be instituted or continued against him in respect of anything done or omitted to be done by him in his private capacity.

Jagdeo held the office of President and performed the functions of that office during the period August 11, 1999 –December 3, 2011.

Pradoville 2, a housing project currently under SOCU’s investigation, was developed and lots allocated

made during his tenure as President is glaringly unconstitutional.

Unlawful arrest

Former President and current Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo

thereof to the several allottees during the period that Jagdeo was President.

Government has repeated that the project was tainted with illegalities, because the land was sold for

Former Attorney General Anil Nandlall

below market value.

A Police investigation was subsequently launched on the basis of the report of a forensic audit, which was conducted into the matter, but the Opposition members strongly believe it was not a case about criminality but a political witch-hunting exercise.

Consequently, that SOCU officials arrested Jagdeo to answer questions about decisions he

Teen shot at South minibus park

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teenager is now hospitalised after he was shot twice during a heated argument while disembarking a Route 41 minibus at Croal Street, Georgetown.

Eighteen-year-old Leon Blake, a vendor of North East La Penitence, Georgetown, was shot once to his left hand and once to his left thigh.

Based on reports received, the teenager and the other young man involved were both passengers in the minibus when the argument ensued.

According to reports, the argument

went on for quite some time; however, as the bus arrived at its destination, the two young men were disembark-

ing when the suspect whipped out a handgun and discharged two rounds at Blake.

After Blake fell to the ground, the gunman, whose identity was given to the Police, fled the scene. The injured teenager was escorted to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was admitted. His condition is listed as stable.

The suspect is still on the run, but the Police are making every effort to arrest him.

Nandlall has since contended that this arrest was unlawful since Jagdeo’s decisions as a President are protected by the Constitution and he is, therefore, not answerable to a court.

Nandlall, in a statement over the weekend, said the State Minister’s assertions validate the opinion that SOCU’s probe into Pradoville 2 is purely political.

“By advancing that argument, Harmon has unwittingly corroborated the Opposition’s contentions that the recent arrests and detention were politically driven, were an expression of political witch-hunting and were intended to intimidate the political Opposition. We now have, from the mouth of one of the highest ranking officials of this Government, who happens to be an Attorney-atLaw, confirming that if a former President continues to participate in active politics, the Government will deny him his constitutional immunities,” he stated.

Nandlall also opined that such comments send wrong and dangerous signals.

“They can result in high constitutional protections, rights and freedoms to be whittled down by the opinion and interpretation of a legally untrained Policeman. I am sure that Harmon, would not allow the constitutional legal immunities which he enjoys for things said and done in the Parliament, to be determined by a Police Constable.

Imagine what will happen if Harmon is arrested in the Parliament compound for something he said in an address to the National Assembly,” Nandlall rationalised.

Moreover, he asserted that Article 182 does not lend itself to the interpretation that a former president can or would lose the immunities which he enjoyed as President if he returned to active politics as was being misconstrued by Harmon.

“Being in active politics, holding political views and engaging in political agitations are all guaranteed to every citizen as a fundamental right and freedom by the very Constitution. It lacks rationality that a person will or can lose a protection which the Constitution affords by the exercise

President David Granger

of a right which the very Constitution confers. Is it not absurd to contend that Jagdeo’s presidential immunities would have remained intact if he had pursued a career in cricket after he demitted office, but that he stands to lose it, if he re-

State Minister Joseph Harmon

turns to active politics?”

Nandlall argued.

Apology

Additionally, he noted that the matter was further compounded by President David Granger’s apology for the way Jagdeo was treated by the SOCU ranks.

President Granger, during a recording of “The Public Interest”, declared that the former Guyanese Leader should not have been treated the way he was.

“We are speaking about an ex-President.

We’re speaking about somebody who (had) enjoyed the confidence of the (Guyanese) people for 12 years, and I believe that his involvement in the matter under investigation did not warrant his going to the office. A decision could have been taken at the level of the Guyana Police Force…So, in my view, some other way could have been used to determine whether his presence at the headquarters was necessary,” Granger stated.

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Recognising ethnicity

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resident David Granger announced at the HSS’s Leonora Mela to commemorate Indian Indentureship Abolition Day (March 12) that forthwith, the day would be a recognised “Public day” in Guyana. The President also announced that May 3 will be declared as “Portuguese Arrival Day” just as January 12 was earlier recognised as “Chinese Arrival Day”. These moves signal an apparent reversal of the policy of the founder-leader of the PNC, Forbes Burnham, who decried the use of ethnic labels and had the names of the Indian (to Everest) and Chinese (to Cosmos) sports clubs changed. This is a positive step since it demonstrates an acceptance that citizens should have the right to define themselves within an overarching Guyanese nation.

In Guyana, the various ethnic groups – Portuguese, Indians and Chinese (and free Africans) – with the exception of the Amerindians were brought by the Whites from all parts of the world to replace the enslaved Africans after the abolition of slavery in 1834. Separated chronologically to a great extent, they were segregated into separate economic and geographical niches with profound and lasting consequences for their future relationships. While the separation may have prevented widespread clashes, it further reinforced the initial cleavages of race/ethnicity, language, religion and culture to demarcate social boundaries, which were distinct and have proven long lasting.

Guyanese politics, like all politics, is rooted in the structure of the society and the rules of the political game. The nature of the “faction” influences the political culture; political competition and any political conflict.

Unfortunately, the nature of the salient cleavage has remained a contested topic in Guyana and the “conflict about the conflict” is a threshold issue that must be crossed before a stable democracy is established in Guyana. If the competitors for political power do not share a common framework for conceptualising their struggle, they would simply be talking past each other in any attempt at reconciliation. Political mobilisation is always done along some actual or potential fault-line, which has created political factions in the society.

In Guyana, the cultural differences and origins (ethnicity), co-joined with “race”, evolved as the most pertinent marker for political mobilisation. In his seminal work, Friedrich Barth argued that the defining feature of an ethnic group is not the particular elements of culture or kinship that differentiate it from other groups, but the mere fact that boundaries are perceived and persist. The membership criteria and the membership itself tends to change over time as people come and go and invent or develop new traditions and ways of life, but the group itself nevertheless endures as a way of structuring social life.

The dominant politicians of the modern era, especially Dr Cheddi Jagan and Mr Forbes Burnham, however, insisted that class was more “fundamental” and worked to ensure “class consciousness”. In this way, they avoided dealing with the central reality of political action – ethnicity. While most countries are multicultural, and the cultural differences may be the most common axis of differentiation and even political cleavage between the groups, the societies do not all inevitably become as divided as Guyana and a number of other countries have become.

In fact, these have earned themselves a special name in political science: deeply divided societies. The major variables in determining the difference in the intensity of the politics and whether the conflict may become undemocratic in multiethnic societies have been the rules of political competition, the relative sizes of the groups, the resources at their disposal and the strategies of their leaders.

In a world of scarce resources and all pervasive governments, politicians do not find it difficult to persuade fellow group members that their social, economic and identity interests are better served if their group controls the state – that is if they unite their political interests. The affirmation of themselves as a people and the economic interest served mutually reinforce each other.

The challenge for Guyana is not to make the struggle a win-win one.

These smiling young ladies were awaiting guests as they arrived at the Indian Cultural Centre to celebrate Holi, the festival of colours

Guyanese Phagwah in New York

Dear Editor, The presence of large numbers of Indo-Guyanese and other Indo-Caribbean Hindus in selected locations in America and the organising skills of community leaders have made it possible for Phagwah to be celebrated with the same traditions as brought to the West by their ancestors from Mother India to the Caribbean (Guyana, etc) and from there to America. The spirit of Holi has truly traversed a great distance. Phagwah or Holi is the most popular Hindu festival observed in New York City attracting the largest crowd of revellers with Guyanese in the thick of things – as organisers and celebrants. This weekend, NY Hindus celebrated Holi with a mela on Saturday evening at various mandirs, including Arya Samaj, Tulsi, Trimurthi, Lakshmi, etc.

Parades in Queens, the Bronx and Jersey City were scheduled for Sunday.

Hindus in Florida will also celebrate the festival in the Orlando area. It is because large numbers of Hindus are settled in these areas that Phagwah and other popular Indo-Caribbean festivals are celebrated there.

The organisers of Holi celebrations across the USA need to be applauded for their hard work in making the Phagwah festivities possible. They put a lot of time and effort and their personal money to ensure the success of the planned events. They have helped to institutionalise traditional Indo-Caribbean customs and traditions in this new land. It is through their vision that IndoCaribbeans are able to celebrate this and other festivals just like they did or do back in Guyana.

For Phagwah, unlike in the Caribbean, it is not possible to go house to house to celebrate Phagwah. It is not a public holiday.

Instead, people come together in one central location (as in Florida or Richmond Hill or Bronx, or Jersey City) to observe the festival. Hence the focus on a parade and a mela in a public park. The parade has always been observed on the Sunday (Phagwah falls on Sunday this year) after its official observance and is usually a time of extreme excitement and revelry (singing, dancing, etc.).

These central celebrations bring together tens of thousands to observe the

colourful festival with people splashing colours on each other. It fosters unity among various groups of people promoting a common feeling of togetherness. As in Guyana or Trinidad, Hindus, Muslims and Christians all partake in the celebrations in a true show of strength of the Indo-Caribbean community in the city. There are also many non-Indians at the celebrations which help to promote harmonious ethnic relations. It also gives non-Indians an opportunity to understand one aspect of Indian culture.

For the last 19 years, Holi has been celebrated in grand style with the annual parade which takes on a carnival-like atmosphere.

The parade was launched in 1990, thanks to the work of Kali, Pandit Ramlall, Pandit Satish, etc) and it has now become institutionalised as part of the celebration of the Phagwah festival attracting politicians and community leaders. Thus, the initiators of the Liberty Avenue parade deserve the highest praises for conceiving the parade, which showcases the community’s numbers and gives political recognition to the community. An aura

of Holi is in the air.

In addition to the parade, there are also Phagwah festivities at various clubs, temples, mandirs, and catering halls. There are glittering cultural variety shows, pageants with modelling of latest Indian designs and other festivities during the weekends preceding and following the official observance of the festival. Temple members have been engaging in chowtal singing over the last several Sundays. Some temples held celebrations to coincide with the holiday on Wednesday evening.

The melas and the parades help to advance a sense of togetherness that enhances pride and admiration for the rich cultural heritage that was handed down by the indentured servants from India.

On Sunday, the celebration culminated with the parade. Delicacies (bara, gulgula, phulourie, bigany, mango or tamarind chutney, potato ball, prasad, channa, ghoja, mahambhoog, kheer or sweet rice, among others) and beverages were served.

Happy Holi!

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

MONDAY, MARCH 13, 2017

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Holi, a source of solidarity and sustenance – Granger …as Indian Cultural Centre ushers in celebrations

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s Guyanese continued the festivities for Phagwah or Holi, the Head of State has acknowl-

ity and sustenance” during and beyond the period of indentured immigration.

“Holi has reinforced the

tureship in Guyana. The President pointed out that Holi has not only strengthened the bond among

President David Granger greets Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Venkatachalam Mahalingam

edged the significance of the festival during the Indian Cultural Centre’s Phagwah observance on Sunday morning.

The High Commission hosts the festivities annually and 2017 was no different, as patrons of various ethnic and religious backgrounds gathered and applied coloured powders and abeer on each other, courtesy of Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Venkatachalam Mahalingam.

President David Granger joined in the festivities and was greeted by patrons decked out in colourful apparel who applied an array of powders about his face, beaming. In his address to the gathering, the Head of State reminded that Holi has been “a source of solidar-

link with the motherland and re-established cultural connections,” the Guyanese Leader noted.

Hindus in Guyana, but the bond has extended to other religious and ethnic groups.

He said that with the

This young lady getting ready to play Phagwah

He reminded that 2017 marked 100 years since the abolition of Indian inden-

arrival of around 240,000 Indian indentured immigrants to this country be-

tween 1838 and 1917, came the Hindu faith which served as a source of strength throughout their period of hardship.

“The plantation system was unkind and inhospitable. Indians suffered greatly as a result of the poor living and working conditions on the plantations… Festivals such as Holi brought happiness into an otherwise dreary life. It assured Hindus that good would defeat evil,” the Head of State noted.

With Holi being a Spring festival, Granger pointed out that the holiday celebrates fertility and reinforces the bond between life itself and the land.

“Holi is an opportunity for the renewal of human relations – an occasion for persons to set aside differences.

It is time to forget and to forgive wrongs; to frolic, so let’s have fun!” he remarked.

H i g h Commissioner Mahalingam, in his address, noted that the Festival of Colours, or Phagwah as it is commonly called, sees no difference as the colours blur the lines of race and class.

He said Holi was a true depiction of unity and diversity.

Persons enjoying the festival during the Indian Cultural Centre’s Phagwah observance on Sunday

“We all know that Guyana’s motto is One People, One Nation, One Destiny and the emphasis on social cohesion; we are glad to see the real meaning of it in the congregation of proud citizens of Guyana here today,” he expressed.

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo; his wife, Seeta; and former Presidents Samuel Hinds and Donald Ramotar were all present at the celebrations. Ramotar extended warm greetings to all Guyanese. He told Guyana Times that “the message of Phagwah is a very universal one and it’s some-

thing that all Guyanese can celebrate and it’s so wonderful to live in a multicultural, multiethnic society”.

The gathering witnessed an array of dance and presentations which reflected the cultural diversity of the celebration. The origins of Phagwah are rooted in the story of Prahlad’s faith which was used as a weapon against his aunt, the evil Holika. On the evening before the celebration, Holika effigies are burnt which signifies the triumph of good over evil. The ash creates a paste which is used for playing Holi.

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Foundation

n elementary school and beyond, the stakes for students are higher than ever before. Third-graders are practising algebra. Standardised testing is more and more important. Even kindergartners often forgo play-time to work on reading and writing. As a result, preschool programmes are increasingly focused on getting kids ready for elementary school.

But does pre-K really help kids perform better over their academic careers? If you read news articles, you will see opinions on this topic vary widely; one article tells us “Evidence Suggests Preschool is a Waste of Time and Money” while another says, “Investing in Preschool Beats the Stock Market, Hands Down.” What’s the real answer?

It turns out, that’s a complicated question. There are reams of evidence about the effectiveness o f preschool programmes and the best curricula for young learners. And new research is published monthly. Here’s what the latest research tells us.

First, preschool programmes can help kids get ready for kindergarten.

Researchers from Vanderbilt University tracked several thousand students from Tennessee who were enrolled in universal preschool programmes through third grade. Children who attended the preschool programme scored better on Maths and literacy tests.

Kindergarten teachers also reported that students who attended preschool were better prepared for kindergarten and had more positive interactions with their peers compared to students who didn’t attend preschool. A broad body of evidence finds these same results for Headstart programs.

Both the Tennessee study and the systematic review find preschool programmes make the biggest difference for children who come from low-income and non-English-speaking families.

But there’s a catch. In the Tennessee

study, students were retested on achievement measures every spring. By the end of kindergarten, those who did not attend preschool caught up to those who did. And by the end of the third grade, kids who did not attend preschool were scoring significantly better than those who did. The same finding was observed for social skills: By the end of third grade, teachers reported students were relating to their peers about the same, whether they attended pre-K or not. And those who did attend pre-K had poorer work skills and more negative feelings about school.

Although in the Tennessee study, pre-K did not make a difference later in elementary school, large pre-K programmes i n other states have yielded more p o s i t i ve

results.

A longitudinal study tracked nearly one million children in North Carolina who attended state-funded preschool programmes from 1995 to 2010. Researchers initially followed students through fifth grade. They found that students who attended preschool scored better on reading and Maths tests throughout elementary school.

What’s the difference? The research seems to point to the quality of the programme. In preschool, high-quality curricula include student-directed learning, open-ended play, physical activity and personal connections with teachers.

Without these attributes, the positive

effects of preschool seem to fade in later school years.

For example, in the Tennessee pre-K programme, students spent 25 per cent of each eight-hour day in transition between activities. The most common learning activity was whole-group instruction, where one teacher lectured to the entire class. And students only spent, on average, 15 minutes a day on the playground or in a gym.

Students who participated in the North Carolina programme had a very different experience. First, the programme began with infant daycare and offered developmentally appropriate care through age five. Throughout, it met the criteria for a high-quality experience with low class sizes, plenty of time for free play and little whole-group instruction.

While the far-reaching North Carolina programme yielded impressive results over students’ lifetimes, the research shows less extensive, high-quality pre-K programmes can yield positive results as well.

One analysis found that preschools focused on free play encourage literacy skills such as recognising letters and numbers, understanding the elements of spoken language, writing skills and remembering lists of sets of objects.

Another meta-analysis published in the Journal of Psychology found that children who attended preschool programmes focused on social and emotional development were less likely to engage in antisocial behaviours such as breaking the rules, physical aggression, cheating and stealing later in life.What does all of this mean? For starters, preschools can have positive effects on the lives of children all the way to adulthood. But what really matters are the details. Preschools yield the best results when they create strong bonds between students and teachers and allow for student-directed learning, free play and lots of physical activity. (psychologytoday.com)

By Megha Pulianda, MS

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hat does a drive to the airport and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich have in common?

It turns out, everything.

I remember the day like it was yesterday, well, mostly the anxiety. Okay, let me begin by revealing my secret up front.

I’ve never loved driving. It always just seemed stressful to get behind the wheel, and I wasn’t all that excited when I learned how to drive. I think my parents expected me to beg to get behind the wheel like most 16-year-olds, but I was ambivalent at most. I failed the written portion of the driving test because I was nervous. I received a pity pass from my driving instructor because I cried the entire exam. My parents were perfectly relaxed in the car when they took me out for practice drives, and I was always shaking with fear that I was going to cause a giant pileup in our quiet, suburban neighbourhood.

So, naturally, they asked me to take my cousin to the airport less than six months after I received my licence.

Between frustrated drivers, confusing signs, and streets leading to nowhere, a drive to the airport was stressful enough as it is, so why were they making me endure it?

They could easily take him.

I remember my sweating palms, my grandma speed, my cursing under my breath as my cousin rolled his eyes at me. I also remember getting to the parking garage, helping my cousin with his bags, giving him a goodbye hug, and sending him off. All in all, I survived. My attitude toward driving had just become a little more positive. I came home beaming with pride that day.

Fast forward to 2017, and I am standing in the doorway looking horrified into the kitchen.

I open my mouth to stop, to scold, to fix, to intervene somehow, but I stop.

Our seven-year-old has dragged a stool to the kitchen counter. There is peanut butter smeared on the cabinets and counter. His small hands are tinted in purple jelly. He reaches into the bread bag with his sticky child hands (there goes my toast for tomorrow).

There is more peanut butter and jelly on his clothes, hair, and the kitchen than on the actual slices of bread. He is humming to himself without a care in the world, and I am wondering how to possibly clean this epic mess.

He hops from his little stool with his sandwich in hand, proudly smiling as he takes it to the kitchen table. He might

have left a giant, sticky mess in his wake, but this boy just learned how to make a pb&j.

It would have been easier for my parents to drive my cousin to the airport. It certainly would have been easier for me to just make him the sandwich. What these lessons teach us, however, is to strive toward independence and autonomy, and to trust our own skills. When we intervene so often for the sake of saving time or saving a mess, we are essentially telling our children to remain completely dependent on us.

Of course we want our children to lean on us and trust us, but in those moments when we over-correct for the sake of convenience, we may as well say, “I don’t have patience for your learning, and you just can’t do it.”

They need to figure it out They need to make mistakes. They need to take forever and make a huge mess in the process. They also deserve the opportunity to feel proud completely on their own. The satisfaction of doing something with help is nice, but we all know that figuring something out on our own leads to a magical feeling.

We beam with pride. We feel capable and unstoppable.

Scaffolding, as the name suggests, refers to the framework we set up to help our children grow. We begin with a lot of support – think back to the first time you taught your child to complete a task and how hands on you needed to be! Over time, however, we slowly remove the structure. We give our child a chance to master the task independently, while still offering support along the way.

In those moments when you just want to kneel down and quickly tie the shoes because you’re running late and you just can’t afford to spend three minutes sitting through the “bunny ear song”, hold yourself back.

When your little one wants to make a peanut butter & jelly sandwich, support their sticky, sloppy endeavour and offer some room to explore.

Avoid punishing your child for attempts and imperfection, and instead view the experience as a step in the right direction.

In fact, try to encourage the independence, even if it is met with some resistance. Growth is uncomfortable and change is hard, but it gets easier over time. Search for moments to show your children that you trust them, and that will only help them learn to trust themselves. (psychologytoday.com)

news

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MONDAY, march 13, 2017| guyanatimesgy.com

SARU Executive under fire for ‘threats’ against Jagdeo, PPP figures – Party considering options for redress

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tate Assets Recovery Unit (SARU) Executive Member Eric Phillips has come under fire from the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), with the Party contending that a recent statement he made constituted a “threat” against the lives of former President Bharrat Jagdeo and other top Opposition officials and their families.

In the statement that started it all, Phillips warned Jagdeo to be careful because if anyone in his family or a family member of a SARU or Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) employee was killed, attacked or put at risk, “he (Jagdeo) needs to understand that he, his Cabinet and their families (bar none) will be at the same risk”.

The ominous statement, which Phillips posted publicly on social media on March 10, went on to warn that “the only difference is that the response will be significantly disproportionate and very cruel”.

In its response to the Government official’s statement, the PPP observed that the “irrational publication has placed the lives of every former PPP Cabinet member

Former President Bharrat Jagdeo

SARU Executive Eric Phillips

and every current PPP parliamentarian and their respective families in jeopardy”.

The parliamentary Opposition made it clear it was taking the threat “most seriously”. The Party also revealed that it was considering “a number of courses of action, upon which it will embark to address it”.

These options, the Party added, will be revealed in due course.

Phillips had claimed in the statement that the former President was trying to put his life at risk by “constantly repeating my name on TV in Berbice that I am the intellectual henchman

Association (ACDA) “so I am after Indians”. In fact, Phillips has history with ACDA, serving as an Executive Member. He was also appointed as Chairman of Guyana’s Reparations Committee by former President Donald Ramotar.

SARU is tasked with carrying out investigations into claims of corruption involving Guyana’s State assets.

At its head is Professor Clive Thomas.

Phillips’ utterances come just days after former President Jagdeo and former Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon, were arrested and taken to SOCU’s headquar-

The post featuring the statement, in its entirety, which Phillips made

for SOCU, because they were picked up this week and questioned on misfeasance and conspiracy to steal State assets”.

According to Phillips, the PPP General Secretary has been telling constituents that Phillips is from the African Cultural Development

ters for questioning. Calling the move an attempt to instil fear in the Opposition, Jagdeo had vowed afterwards that the Party would not be intimidated into silence, in the face of poor governance.

Other persons who were detained and questioned were General Manager of the Guyana Gold Board and daughter of former President Donald Ramotar, Lisaveta Ramotar; former Natural Resources Minister Robert Persaud; former President of the Private Sector Commission, Ramesh Dookhoo; former Secretary to NICIL, Marcia Nadir-Sharma; and the son of former Labour Minister Dr Nanda Gopaul, Dr Ghansham Singh.

Even more were detained the next day, including former Prime Minister and President, Samuel Hinds, as well as former Ministers Priya Manickchand, Irfaan Ali, Clement Rohee, and Dr Jennifer Westford, for the most part in connection with their role in the Pradoville 2 land allocation. turn to page 11

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monDAY, march 13, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Taxi driver shot during crossfire between bandits, Police Corporal A This land… taxi driver was admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital on Sunday morning, following a shootout between a Police Corporal and two suspected bandits at the La Penitence Market.

The injured man is Kennette Hoyte, 49, of Perry Street, Tucville, Greater Georgetown.

Based on reports received, the man, who operates his taxi during the Sunday market day, was soliciting passengers when two suspected bandits snatched a gold chain from a Police Corporal who was

also at the market.

Guyana Times understands that after the men grabbed the gold chain, the Police Corporal who was

later identified as Morris Williams whipped out his service revolver and discharged two rounds at the men.

In retaliation, the men dropped the gold chain and returned fire. It was during the exchange of gunfire that Hoyte was shot. The two bandits made good their escape on a pedal cycle.

It is not clear if Hoyte was accidentally shot by the Policeman or the bandits, but, according to reports, the Corporal was placed under close arrest.

The injured man was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was admitted. The Police are continuing their investigations into the matter.

O

…is whose land?

ne rule of the British during their colonial phase was whenever the natives got restless for one reason or another – appoint a Commission of Inquiry! That they were a monarchy allowed them to dub the collection of usually safe old fogeys who’d toe their line, “Royal” Commissions! More impressive, eh? Anyhow, as a British trained army officer who was commissioned just before they departed, President Brigadier David Granger has taken to the British CoI tactic like a duck to water.

Your Eyewitness is willing to wager that never in the history of any administration – anywhere in the world – has so many CoIs been launched in such a short space of time. And they keep on coming – the latest being one to look into “land titling”. Now as far as titling of land, you’d think the law of the land was settled, wouldn’t you? After all, wasn’t this the basis of our democratic order – to protect “life, liberty and property” with land being the foremost “property”?

And though your Eyewitness knows our titling rules are a bit more complex than some, with us inheriting the Roman Dutch laws and everything – we’ve done all right so far, no? Well, Prezzie says it ain’t so – and hence the CoI. But, when you examine these CoIs the Government sets up, you’ll discern a common thread: they want to change the (settled) rules of the game to accomplish an end they already have in mind. The CoI is just the fig leaf – and one that can be just thrown aside to expose the naked and nasty truth – like with the Sugar CoI. In this case to deliver the “Ancestral lands” Prezzie’s constituency has been agitating for over the last few decades.

So, your Eyewitness asks why doesn’t the Government spare us the tedium of the CoI hearings and recommendations and get to the quick of the matter quickly? Prezzie’s homily on what “God has given us bountifully – the land of this great country” is a dead giveaway. As a historian, he would know this is the argument the Europeans made to seize the “new world” from the Indigenous Peoples. It wasn’t just God – but gold, God and glory that did the job – and what is about to unfold is just the modern version of those arguments.

Fact of the matter is the Europeans kept on changing their legal fictions on “sovereignty” from one which respected the right of the local inhabitants to own their countries to whatever justified their ownership We’ll soon see what’s the latest innovation to justify what’s already “been written”!

…and its medical supplies

Ahhhh…what a tangled web we weave and all that! Did our new Minister of Health really award a $605,000,000 contract for pharmaceuticals just because one supplier donated four refrigerators? Jeez! Are we that desperate? Have we fallen that low? This reminds your Eyewitness about the days of banned goods when a gift of condensed milk could get you a favour from the Kabaka himself! The $300,000,000 overpayment on inflated drugs could have bought 600 fridges!!

But this latest pharma scandal cannot be allowed to be swept under the carpet. There are already so many bodies under the carpet, it’ll be impossible to traverse if another one joins them! So, we now have confirmation that after breaking the old prequalification criteria for bidding on contracts for pharma, contracts were given to firms that just couldn’t supply them!! Shouldn’t we be told who are these firms? And to which political party they made “political investments”?

So, will the snubbed local company that didn’t bribe with fridges now be given a chance to compete?

…and the other

Poor Minister Nicolette Henry being blamed for what is a societal failure. Henry isn’t alone in her ignorance of Indian customs.

It’s the culture that still treats Indians as “the other”, 179 years after they arrived.

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

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Wales fallout

Union to seek court action over severance denial F

ollowing months of demonstrations, the matter regarding the non-payment of severance packages to hundreds of sugar workers attached to the Wales Sugar Estate may finally be soon resolved.

On Sunday, Guyana Times was informed that the workers, through their representative union, the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), would soon seek redress through the courts.

This newspaper was told that in the last few days, preparatory steps were undertaken for litigation to be filed in the High Court. It is believed that action will be filed some time this week.

Workers who were interviewed over the weekend informed Guyana Times that while they remain without their payments, they would continue to protest outside the Estate. Reports suggest that there will be follow-up protest actions in the coming week.

It was revealed in February that the Union was considering taking legal action against the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo). It is believed that some 375 workers remain without their severance packages, but the Agriculture Ministry contended that all workers who requested severance were already paid. This disclosure

In addition to the Ministry of the Presidency, sugar workers protested Thursday’s sitting of the National Assembly

was deemed “misleading” by GAWU. Moreover, workers have repeatedly noted that the Ministry’s contention was indeed “misleading”.

The workers’ contention is that they cannot be compelled to travel to the Uitvlugt Estate on the West Coast of Demerara, which is some 22 miles from Wales.

On Thursday, sugar workers and their families protested outside the Ministry of the Presidency and Parliament Building, calling for the President and Agriculture Minister to immediately address their concerns. Workers from the soon-to-be-closed-

as-well Enmore Estate joined the protest against Government’s reported intention to close multiple estates.

Consequences

Relatives of the sugar workers were also present at last week’s protests and they told this publication of the challenges they have been facing since the estate ceased operations last year.

“My husband working at Wales Sugar Estate and since last year, he is not working and I have five children to go to school, where I gone get this money from?

We asking the President to intervene in our matter,”

Salima Bacchus had noted.

“We need we children to get education; the people must get work; right now, my husband is out of job, I out of job, I have a baby to look to milk, to get porridge stuff, everything,” another

mother of four noted.

GAWU President Komal Chand, who was also on the picket line, described Agriculture Minister Noel Holder’s handling of the sector as “heartless”, and noted that the workers were becoming desperate. At a previous protest, the workers had told this newspaper that they were finding it difficult to get consistent employment and as such, were struggling to make ends meet. It was explained that their finances were declining, since they were unable to garner five-day-a-week jobs.

“The family making out real rough; right now, money going down real low,” Festus Roberts had stated.

Michael Chotoo, another protester, had told this publication that he was finding great difficulty sending his children, aged 15, 13 and nine, to school.

At one of their many demonstrations, the workers had reminded that

President David Granger and Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo had committed their support to the sugar industry in the run-up to the 2015 General and Regional Elections. However, when Government had confirmed the end of sugar operations at Wales Estate last year, it was explained that cost was the main factor for the entity’s closure. Government has also since expressed that only three sugar estates will remain operational in Guyana.One year ago, GAWU had filed action in the High Court regarding the non-consultations of unions over the severance and redeployment of workers attached to the Wales Sugar Estate. Some 100 workers then had been promised severance packages on March 22, 2016, but were only paid some months later. The Court had determined that the unions must be consulted before the workers could make their decisions on their future.

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News

City Hall audits to commence this week

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he long-awaited audit of City Hall is underway after Town Clerk Royston King wrote to the Auditor General’s Office on February 28, requesting the audit.

The audit will continue with an examination of City Hall’s financial statements, this week.

Auditor General Deodat Sharma recently confirmed that the request has been taken up. In an interview with this publication, Sharma related that the audit being carried out was twofold; one part would be a stock audit, while the other would be a financial audit.

“Right now, we’re at accounts. It’s two parts. We’re trying to look at the stocks, end of year. And we’re asking to audit the financial statements. So, we will start that (this week),” he had said.

Sharma related that auditors have been able to get city officials to cooperate. He also recalled the work of the Public

Auditor General Deodat Sharma

Accounts Committee (PAC).

He noted, however, that some of the records from a few years back were missing, but reiterated that City Hall officials were cooperating.

“We’re getting (officials) to cooperate. This is an audit that was long outstanding. We started from 2012,

so there will be some gaps.

So, we have to find out what happened to the records. We’ll be looking at all of that. But they only gave us from 2012 to 2016.”

There have been persistent calls for City Hall to be fully audited. Back in 2015, the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) had received two grants under the Communities Ministry’s Capital Programme for the “Georgetown Restoration Programme”, in addition to the “Emergency Solid Waste Management of Haags Bosch Sanitary Landfill”.

Each multimillion-dollar grant was based on Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) between the Communities Ministry’s Permanent Secretary and the capital city’s Town Clerk.

According to the Auditor General’s Report, there were several “discrepancies” in the way the allotted monies to the City Council was spent during

City Hall

the year. According to reports, after examining 212 payment vouchers, a number of discrepancies were found, including hundreds of instances where there was no evidence of the payment vouchers being certified by the accountant or another authorised officer.

Last year, People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Councillor Bishram Kuppen had written to the press. In

the letter, he had expressed dissatisfaction that the motions for an audit of the municipality’s affairs were denied.

Georgetown Mayor Patricia Chase Green had denied all suggestions that she was stymieing attempts to conduct an audit into City Hall. In fact, she claimed she had been the one calling for

an audit.

“Since 2012, I’ve said it that we are open to an audit whenever and by whoever. I want it to be clearly said that I have no objections to any audit. Since 2011 I have been calling for an audit for the City Council. When the PPP was in Government, they did not take heed and now in 2016, you’re hearing all the cries for an audit. I still don’t have any objections,” Chase Green had declared.

In his letter, the PPP Councillor had cited the accusations of corruption and mismanagement levelled against the Council. He had also mentioned the millions of dollars in revenue the city had collected, with important services still unprovided and financial difficulties being cited.

Kuppen had also referred to the $8 million donation from the Chinese Government, intended to assist the clean-up campaign in Georgetown.

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Region 3 RDC condemns SOCU’s actions

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he Regional Democratic Council (RDC) has strongly condemned the actions taken by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) to arrest the Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo and officials of his former Administration.

In a statement made to Guyana Times, the Region’s Chairman, Julius Faerber said that the actions taken were no less than displeasing and should be condemned.

Faerber noted that the Council would like to show its full support of the Opposition members.

“We at the Council were

Region 3 Chairman Julius Faerber

very displeased to see what occurred and we would like to join with those who are strongly against what happened.”

Over the past few days, SOCU has arrested and detained several former prominent Government officials, including Jagdeo, the former President and now Opposition Leader; former Prime Minister and President Samuel Hinds; former Cabinet Secretary, Dr Roger Luncheon; former Ministers Priya Manickchand, Irfaan Ali, Clement Rohee, and Dr Jennifer Westford, among others in connection to their

SARU Executive under fire...

At first, SOCU had requested several officials, including current parliamentarians to visit its headquarters for questioning, but former Attorney General and lead lawyer for most of the Opposition members, Anil Nandlall, had responded by informing the authority that the interrogation can take place at the Office of the Opposition Leader on Church Street.

When asked about the arrests during his televised programme, President David Granger had explained that

while he regretted the way the former President had been treated, he would not be interfering with the work of SOCU. Moreover, Granger pointed out that the Guyana Police Force has the right to invite people of any rank to go to SOCU headquarters during an investigation, and he added that it was not possible for SOCU to visit every single former Minister, but added that an exception could have been made in the case of Jagdeo.

After SOCU’s actions,

from page 7

Police Commissioner (ag) David Ramnarine had disclaimed all foreknowledge of the arrest. It had only been late last month that Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan had stated that top former PPP Ministers would be charged.

According to reports, Ramjattan had said that SOCU had completed its investigations into the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL). He had added that special prosecutors were perusing the findings.

role in the Pradoville 2 scheme.

The reason given for the arrest of these persons is the purchase they made of property at the Sparendaam seawall area commonly known as “Pradoville 2”.

The current Administration contends that the transaction is a criminal act because of the belief that the land was sold below market value.

On the day of the ar-

rests, investigators from SOCU, accompanied by ranks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF), went to the Office of the Opposition Leader on Church Street in Queenstown, and escorted Jagdeo to SOCU headquarters on Camp Road.

Minutes earlier, they had escorted Dr Luncheon, from the Opposition Leader’s office, where he had been meeting with Jagdeo.

He was accompanied to

SOCU headquarters by the former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, who argued that subsidised housing has always been a part of the legacy of the People’s Progressive Party and countless Guyanese have benefited from lands sold below market value.

However, the members after refusing questioning were shortly released. The matter is ongoing.

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News

2 critical following Vergenoegen CORE project launched in Region 10 3-vehicle smash-up

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wo motorists remain in serious condition following a three-vehicle collision in the vicinity of Baroon Bar, Vergenoegen, East Bank Essequibo (EBE) on Saturday evening.

The identities of the two men were unavailable, but they are referred to as “Fishman Son” of Parika, EBE and “Elle or Jesus” attached to the Big Kiss Taxi Service.

Based on reports received, “Fishman Son”, who was driving a Carina AT 192, was about to make a turn into a street when the allegedly speeding Toyota Spacio, which was heading to Parika, slammed into his car. After the collision, one of the cars then crashed into a parked Toyota Premio owned by a young man of Salem, Parika.

There were reportedly no passengers in the Premio. However, as a result of the impact, the drivers of the mangled AT 192 and Toyota Spacio sustained severe injuries. In fact, Guyana Times understands that one of the drivers sustained spinal injuries.

Both men were tak-

One of the damaged vehicle after the accident

en to the Leonora Cottage Hospital where they were treated before being transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital for further medical attention.

Speaking with this publication, West Demerara Road Safety Association Chairman Peter Salick confirmed that the accident occurred about 22:00h on Saturday, but he visited the scene on Sunday morning.

He noted that the Toyota Spacio and the AT 192 received the most damage.

The latter, he posited, is beyond repair.

Salick stated that the accident has definitely led to a collaborative effort between his organisation and the traffic department of the Guyana Police Force in D Division (West Demerara),

to end the road carnage in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara).

The Chairman highlighted that for the whole of January there were no fatalities, but from February 1 to present, six road deaths were recorded. This figure, he added, is very high taking into consideration it is only the third month of the year. On this note, he stated that the two entities would be launching a campaign to target errant drivers not only those who drive under the influence of alcohol but all who commit a traffic offence.

He is optimistic the campaign will reduce the lawlessness that occurs on the roadway. An investigation is underway in respect to the three-vehicle smash-up.

Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson, Regional Chairman Renis Morian, Member of Parliament Audwin Rutherford and members of the Region 10 CORE group and other officials pose alongside some of the donated gear

T

he Community Organised for the Restoration of the Environment (CORE) programme was launched in Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) on Saturday, in the presence of Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson and regional officials.

CORE is a new initiative under the Public Infrastructure Ministry, which seeks to beautify and enhance the environment within communities across the country. The Linden arm of the initiative was launched in the boardroom of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC), also in the presence of Regional Chairman Renis Morian; Member of Parliament Audwin Rutherford and Councillor and Representative of the Prime Minister, Vladimir Glasgow. Members of the CORE community group who will work under the programme were also present and received work gear, including rakes, brush cutters, safety gear and overalls.

Alluding to the relevance of the CORE initiative, Minister Patterson said that upon completion of road

works in communities it was noted, in many instances, there were other areas such as verges and bridges which also required enhancement work; hence, the establishment of CORE. He said people from the communities were chosen to work under the programme since they were the ones who demonstrate pride in the areas in which they live.

The Minister said he wanted to ensure that when road works were completed, areas remained up to standard with regard to drainage and other aspects. He said apart from Georgetown, Linden should also appear to be another garden city under the initiative.

The programme, the Minister said, has already been funded for the entire year and once successful in its objectives, it could be extended. Patterson said it may continue based on its ability to succeed, while he emphasised his hope of having four working groups in Linden. Presently, the community has two groups which will work under the CORE initiative.

“The responsibility in ensuring the success of this programme lies with you persons here...So, the future is in your hands...I really would like

us to make this programme work,” Minister Patterson said.

He made a personal request for particular assistance to be given to elderly people and churches in the community, who may be in need of services provided by the items donated, noting that they should be cherished and respected.

The Minister stated also that he was absolutely pleased and delighted to see women involved in the initiative, having celebrated International Women’s Day a few days ago.

He said he would also be looking forward to feedback on the programme as he pointed out that it was yet to be launched in some other Regions in the country.

Morian expressed gratitude to the Minister and his team, emphasising that the items which were handed over would be placed in an inventory on Tuesday and he would have the Regional Executive Officer (REO) secure a location for them to be stored.

The Regional Chairman said, however, that the team leader of the CORE group would be fully in charge of the items while the RDC would be the custodian.

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News

Govt reviewing SASOD launches women’s arm to empower LBT females tax regime T for 2018 P

resident David Granger disclosed that his Administration is currently reviewing the current tax regime for more possible changes in time for the 2018 National Budget.

He made this disclosure in passing during an interview on his televised programme “The Public Interest”.

The Head of State was at the time responding to the vociferous outcries over the wide range of new taxes included in the 2017 National Budget.

The taxes include 14 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) on water and electricity charges above certain thresholds as well as a whole range of items, which never previously attracted the tax.

This is also compounded by a number of increases in other fees which many have contended will only reduce the spending power of the population, thus negatively impacting the economy.

But President Granger has an alternative view regarding his Government’s new tax system, contending that he needed to impose taxes to generate money to manage the country.

Taxpayers have also questioned the rationale behind charging VAT on services which are poor and inefficient such as utility services provided by the Guyana Power and Light, Guyana Water Incorporated and GTT to

Finance Minister Winston Jordan

some extent.

Pay for services

However, Granger argued that if people wanted better services, they had to pay for them.

“Nobody likes paying taxes, but no country can survive without taxes. So it is a question of making a choice, some services are poor because it is not supported by a sufficiently broad financial base…

If you are to get better services, people have to pay for those services,” he stated.

The President opined that it was not necessarily a “chicken and egg” situation, but the bottom line was if persons have a better country, the tax base needed to be broadened.

“You drive on roads; somebody has to maintain those roads; your children go to school, somebody has to pay to train those teachers...and these services are paid for by the Government…We need

to broaden the taxes so it doesn’t fall too heavily on one group of taxpayers,” he explained.

He noted too that Government depended largely on these taxes, indicating that the more received, better the quality of services provided.

“Government, by and large, gets its money though taxations; it works out by paying that tax you get better schools; you get better protection, eg the Police Force or Defence Force; you get better utilities; people are to use ferries and all of these services have to be paid for. That’s how Governments work: we impose taxes to provide services,” he emphasised.

The A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) had campaigned rigorously on the 2015 campaign trail about significantly reducing VAT. However, Finance Minister Winston Jordan admitted that the promise was unrealistic, with two per cent decrease only coming in 2017.

During a recent press conference, the Finance Minister explained that in hindsight, it was found that it could not have been done within the first 100 days.

He said immediately after the APNU/AFC assumed office, it was suggested that this could not have happened.

he Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) has launched its women’s arm, which is intended to empower lesbians, bisexuals and transgender (LBT) women and women’s allies, as well as advance their rights.

Called SWAG (SASOD Women’s Arm Guyana), this organisation is committed to promoting gender equality and women’s rights; advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights; facilitating women’s leadership and political participation; as well as community mobilisation, economic empowerment, and socio-cultural initiatives that create space and propel the voices of LBT women and women’s allies.

SWAG is a safe space for LBT women and women’s allies, and will serve as a catalyst for greater involvement of women in the pursuit of social justice and human rights by and for LBT women and women’s allies in Guyana.

This organisation will seek to further promote and continue the advocacy work done by SASOD, with a greater focus on women and gender issues.

Membership of SWAG is open to all LBT women and women’s allies. Persons interested in obtaining member-

ship will be required to complete an application form, and attend an induction meeting to discuss their role in SWAG. SASOD’s Advocacy Officer Schemel Patrick explained to the Guyana Times that transgender women are being denied their right to live a life free from violence and discrimination.

“Domestic violence is a serious scourge in Guyana, and teenage pregnancy rates are among the highest in the (Caribbean) region. Genderbased violence and discrimination are prevalent in many spheres. These and many other inequalities hinder women’s development in society. A mechanism that understands these disparities and educates and empowers women to acknowledge and speak out for their rights and against these inequalities is essential,” she said.

Patrick said the SASOD women’s arm is intended to be an advocacy movement that equips women with the resources and knowledge necessary for their advancement.

The arm does not aim to reinvent the wheel, but would seek to collaborate with existing organisations and initiatives to reach women, particularly grassroots women.

SWAG’s launch on Friday

coincided with International Women’s Day which was celebrated on March 8.

The women’s empowerment series was birthed as a collaboration between SASOD and the Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association (GRPA).

Some presenters during the launching ceremony included: Chelauna Providence, Programme Manager, GRPA; Akola Thompson, SASOD Member & Co-Founder of the Student Society Against Human Rights Violations; and Collette King, SASOD Member and Construction Worker. The women’s empowerment sessions are intended to create a safe space for women to ventilate pertinent women and gender issues and share their own lived experiences or observations.

The sessions also serve to give women the information needed to make informed decisions about their own sexual and reproductive health and their own rights.

SASOD has expressed gratitude to the corporate entities that contributed to the successfully execution of “Women, Wine & Words.” Those include: Massy Distributions, Leading EdgeGuyana, and Bettencourt’s Food Inc.

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The Women of Wales

Standing resilient amid economic & social challenges

By Shemuel Fanfair

O

n Wednesday last, much of the world joined in celebration of International Women’s Day which highlighted the many achievements and outstanding goals to attain true gender parity. However, with the closure of operations of one of the country’s oldest sugar estates, women in several lower West Bank Demerara communities have seen their lives significantly altered over the last year.

It has been over two months since the official end to sugar processing at Wales, and this to a large

for the past four years makes the arduous task of traveling from Stewartville a few times a week in hopes that her customers will continue supporting her. Weeks who joined her mother, who is also a vendor, noted that over the past year since the closure was announced, much of her produce takes considerable bouts of time to get shifted. She doesn’t know for how long she can continue to travel such long distances but the mother of two finds it necessary to maintain herself and support her husband.

She added that the reduction in finances has affected her ability to attend

Marilyn Weekes says her greens take a long time to get sold

degree has started to show its impact on the lives of sugar workers and their families with the female population standing to be greatly affected. However in the midst of the recent celebration, many women told Guyana Times that in spite of their prevailing challenges, they are not prepared to sit idly by and be consumed.

Rather, they will take charge to support their fam-

church as often as she intends. Weeks pointed out that her mother assists her financially to support her daughter and the child even lives at her grandparent.

A school seller, who is a single, working woman, offered her perspective on the impact of the Estate’s closure. Samantha Lall has plied her trade at the Wales primary for the past 20 years, taking over from

“We might get fight down, but we still got to try; we can’t give up so easy” – Gail Garnett, Patentia housewife ilies as many of their spouses have encountered difficulty in finding consistent employment.

Many noted the expense of paying bills, reduced earnings to go shopping and financial setbacks from sending their children to school. Greens vendor Marilyn Weekes who has sold at a small market at her native village Patentia

her mother who became advanced in age. When this newspaper sought to interview her, she was busy attending to many school children who were buying her snacks but the woman noted that indeed, it would be quite difficult when the school shuts it doors for the holiday season.

“I deh long in this business so I’m not finding it

so hard unless school close, then me out of crop,” Lall stressed. She noted that estate workers had supported her buying her polourie, plantain chip and cassava chips; among many other snacks she normally sells.

“You can see dullness, everything at a standstill,” were the words she uttered with the estate in her eyesight. She however pointed out that the women of the area have to utilise their skills to earn for themselves.

“They got to get themselves more involved.

Instead of them being home doing nothing, they should try and get themselves organisied…they can’t sit down their whole lives because life take a different turn; who got them lil skills, show it out…sewing, knitting, Lall indicated.

The hardworking woman explained that she tends to some cows to support her upkeep on her off days. In a lighthearted reference, the seller remarked that she may even have to seek out a partner with the forthcoming challenges.

Gail Garnett explained that her husband is still waiting to be paid off

(GuySuCo) as a cane cutter for the past 28 years but he is still waiting to paid his severance package. He was one of the many who refused to go Uitvulgt, noting that he could leave his wife and family members for so many hours unattended.

Mrs. Garnett noted the impact of the lack of finances.

“Since December when this Estate close, it affecting us [because] we husband can’t go to work; they threatening to take them off de pay list. It especially affects us who have children to

Samantha Lall selling at the Wales Primary

“This time, I probably will gotta get a husband and marry,” the vendor noted amid much laughter.

Gail Garnett, a housewife from Patentia highlighted the challenges her family has faced. She explained that her son narrowly escaped the many severance payment related issues that arose from the closure of Wales. This is because the young man left to work as a prison guard around 2 years ago.

She however added that her husband, Donald Garnett who served the Guyana Sugar Corporation

go to school; it really hard,” she noted, but stressed that the women of the community have no choice but to adjust to the situation that faces them.

“Most of the women will start looking for jobs, doing things to help because we [cannot] sit down and wait and nothing an doing. We might get fight down but we still got to try, we can’t give up so easy. I think if the estate didn’t close, it wouldn’t be so hard but it close now and you got to see things in a different way, a different aspect as now we got to start adjusting to the sys-

tem what going on,” she highlighted.

The mother while expressing that the local economy is “slow, but steady”, had a optimistic outlook for the future: “One thing for sure is that it gan tough pun we in here but we’re holding up, we’re keeping faith because I believe that with God, all things are possible.”

Jenny Yessuf, a seller outside Patentia Secondary commenced operation less than 2 weeks ago. She said that the majority of the challenges are not affecting her directly as she lives outside the community. As she stands to face indirect consequences of the closure, the mother of three highlighted many of the prevailing issues that she has recognised.

“When you got to the market, it was so packed [but] I went to the market Friday and you could walk in the stand and pick up anything because the workers aren’t there, the people don’t have money,” she noted, pointing out that he is depending on the secondary school to get sales.

“As parents we try to give our best to children, no matter how hard it is,” she added.

Based on her assessment of the challenges that females in the area would face, the seller reasoned that women have no other choice than to seek employment to support them, rather than just depending on their spouse.

“They got to out and look for a job, you have nothing else to do. If the husband not bringing enough money, you got to get up to do something,” she posited.

Housewife Roshini Budhram noted the many challenges her family has faced due to the closure of the estate. She highlighted that it was only this March that her husband of 8 years was able to gain a job after some months of being out of employment at Wales Estate.

She noted that her husband had received an offer to transfer to Albion Estate but due to their children’s education, current house loan and having to

pay house rent in Albion, they decided to remain at Patentia.

She said her family encountered much difficulty when her husband, Gowtam was out of work.

“It was tough because since we start paying the mortgage, we don’t get no big sort of savings because we got bills, the 2 kids to look after.”

Roshini Budhram and her daughter

She also noted that over the past year she sold broilers at home to offset their expenses. However with the official closure of the estate, many persons in the community cut back in their purchasing which affected her business.

The mother of two – a toddler, and Ravindra, 7 – noted that women have a future in the world.

“Women got future, women these days don’t sit down because when I had my son alone I used to work,” she said, adding that she opted not to continue working after giving birth to her second child.

It was in early 2016 that the decision to close the entity was confirmed. As a result, hundreds of workers their families, and the local economies of several lower WBD communities, including Patentia, Vriesland, Wales, Good Intent, Sisters’ and Bellvue have faced the brunt of the impact.

news

Vendors, Constables attached to Corriverton Market square off

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The confrontation between the vendors and constables at Corriverton Market

ome vendors who operate outside of the Corriverton Market in Region 6 (East BerbiceCorentyne) were locked out of the area, on Saturday morning; as a result a confrontation ensued between the constables and the vendors outside the eastern gate of the market.

According to the aggrieved vendors, they were denied access to the area known as ‘Jumbie track’ where they would sell on Saturdays. Some of them had arrived as early as 4:00h and were greeted with a barrier forbidding access to the area. The ‘No Vending’ marking on the road was a clear indication that the barrier was for them.

Residents in the area described the scene as disturbing as the vendors and constables squared off in the street, blocking traffic and disturbing the peace.

Vishwadaugh Mohabir who has been vending outside of the Corriverton Market for more than fifteen years, explained that the vendors were not issued with notices, prior to the move.

He said, “Before the elections for Mayor, the Mayor come and tell that we gon can’t sell here that they gon build a place behind the market but lea we sell hea till they build it. So he leff we selling hea.” He explained that when they arrived on Saturday morning a bar was placed across the road and a sign, ‘No Vending’ was written on the road.

Most of the affected were vegetable vendors who had

perishables and were therefore forced to set up in another area. Many of their customers are retailers who operate from inside the market. Deodat Persaud has been operation outside the market on Saturdays for the past two decades “Since this market was rebuilding they put us outside and say when it finish they put us back inside and when the market finish nobody come and tell we anything so we leff right here,” he explained The Guyana Times understands that the move was not as a result of a decision taken by the Council but rather by one councilor who had an interest in what happens inside the market.

Some vendors who operate inside say the illegal move has affected their business.

The municipality does not collect revenue from those who vend outside the market.

Meanwhile, motorists have expressed concern that the displaced vendors have now taken up positions along the road shoulders.

Mohammed Fazil Ali, says he is now forced to compete with the vendors for a small section of the parapet.

“The situation that ends up here now is that vendors selling both sided and people buying too. So when people stand up both sided of the street buying, what happen with the traffic?”

The vegetable vendors also noted that other vendors are vending on the street and who also do not pay revenue for vending

WBD man takes own life after marital issues

A

West Bank Demerara (WBD) family has been plunged into a state of mourning after one of their members committed suicide.

The victim, identified as Ronald Bess, of Patentia Housing Scheme, WBD, was said to have taken his own life some time on Saturday.

Guyana Times understands that the man was reportedly having problems with his spouse over a long period of

time.Reports are that the woman moved out of their home and Bess had made repeated requests for her to return. This publication was told that the man recently attempted to rekindle the relationship, but after the woman reportedly refused, he took his own life.

Attempts to contact Divisional Commander Leslie James for additional details, on Sunday afternoon were unsuccessful.

there and were not blocked from selling.

This publication was informed that the Town Council was not informed of any decision to have the vendors removed. Efforts to contact the Town Clerk on Saturday proved futile.

17

monDAY, march 13, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Developmental projects earmarked for Region 2

S

everal developmental projects are earmarked to be completed under the Capital and Current Works Programmes in Region Two (Pomeroon- Supenaam).

This is according to head of the Region’s Regional Democratic Council (RDC), Regional Chairman Devanand Ramdatt, who further explained that works would be done on several bridges, streets, Government buildings, and schools, and these would include drainage works.

Ramdatt urged the residents to help in the monitoring process and to ensure that taxpayers’ monies were spent appropriately. He also assured that the RDC would be monitoring the implementation of the Region’s 2017 Budget in an effort to ensure proper accountability and transparency. He said copies of Bills of Quantity could be uplifted from the Regional Administration.

He explained that the RDC received $3,599,549,000 over-

Region Two Chairman Devanand Ramdatt

all, with the Capital allocation $438,970,000 and Current Works’ $3,160,579,000.

Among the specific allocations were Regional Administration and Finance $200,331,000; Agriculture –$373,184,000; Public Works – $186,604,000; Education – $ 1,894,880,000 and Health – $ 944,550,000.

Apart from the RDC budgetary allocations, Ministries, agencies and the local authorities (NDCs) will be conduct-

ing development works.

The Regional Chairman added that the RDC would pursue several priority projects with Ministries and agencies, including the rehabilitation of the Good Hope Relief Structure; upgrading of the Charity River dam; improvement works at the Good Hope waterfront; equipping the Rice Cereal factory; upgrading of the roads to Onderneeming Sandpit, Perseverance Estate, Mainstay and Lima Sands; development of playgrounds and installation of lights along the main public road, etc.

The Standing Committees on Works and, by extension, Finance will also closely monitor the implementation of all Government-funded projects in the Region, Ramdatt added.

He said too that in preparation for the next budget in 2018, stakeholder meetings and field outreaches would be held and public notices provided.

18

guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, march 13, 2017

ARCHIE

Changes to the way you look, dress or express your (March 21- feelings will encourage April 19) some opposition, but the results will turn in your favor.

Romance is highlighted.

ARIES

Be creative in the way you TAURUS deal with problems or handle (April 20- other people’s affairs. Take May 20) ownership of what needs to be done and forge ahead with or without the help of others.

dilbert

You’ll have plenty of opGEMINI tions, but trying to do every(May 21thing will be your downfall.

June 20) Make choices that will have a direct and positive effect on your personal circumstances.

Romance is encouraged.

Focus on being creative and finding new and better (June 21- ways to use your skills. Refuse July 22) to let anyone play with your emotions and hamper your productivity.

CANCER

Peanuts

Showing love, kindness and LEO appreciation while simultaneous(July 23- ly upping your game will boost Aug. 22) your confidence and reputation.

A lifestyle change will encourage a better relationship with someone special. Romance is favored.

Make alterations that will VIRGO improve your living situation.

(Aug. 23Sept. 22) Your budget will suffer if you get into a dispute with someone you feel responsible for.

Keep the peace.

Calvin and Hobbes

Do not waffle or be inconLIBRA sistent.

Things will go more (Sept. 23smoothly if you can maintain Oct. 23) equality and balance when dealing with others. Change can be good, but it must be reasonable.

WORD GAME

SUDOKU

Don’t lose sight of your SAGITTARIUS goals or let emotional inter(Nov. 23- ference stop you from seeing Dec. 21) your full potential or recognizing an opportunity. Make alterations to your appearance or surroundings.

TODAY’S WORD — ENTREAT (ENTREAT: en-TREET: To ask for earnestly; petition for.)

Average mark 20 words Time limit 35 minutes Can you find 30 or more words in ENTREAT? The list will be published tomorrow.

SATURDAY’S WORD — TENURED teed teen tend tender tern tree trend true tune

tuner tureen turn endue endure enter enure erne etude

need neuter nude under reed rend rent rude rued

rune runt deer deet dent denture deter duet dune

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

Tidy up loose ends before SCORPIO you decide what to do next.

(Oct. 24Embrace change and different Nov. 22) methods or techniques. Don’t let anger or jealousy take charge. Let success be your revenge.

solution for Last Published Puzzle

Money will be the root of CAPRICORN an emotional clash. Avoid (Dec. 22- joint ventures and don’t let Jan. 19) anyone take care of your personal, financial or legal affairs. Stick to basics and refrain from making impulse purchases.

If you set your sights high, AQUARIUS you won’t be disappointed. An (Jan. 20opportunity will develop due Feb. 19) to something you have accomplished in the past. Mix old and new ideas to find success.

PISCES Take control and set your (Feb. 20- goals. Do whatever it takes to March 20) get rid of the uncertainty that has been holding you back.

Ask questions and make decisions. Strive for precision and perfection.

monDAY, march 13, 2017

19

CWI Digicel Regional 4-Day tournament

Jaguars 103 runs away from victory T

he Guyana Jaguars are 103 runs away from victory against the Jamaica Scorpions heading into the final day, today, at Sabina Park.

The Jaguars’ performance has been spearheaded by Raymond Reifer’s five-wicket haul and a brisk knock from opener Shimron Hetmyer, who scored 42 runs as the visitors closed the third day on 79-2.

Jaguars began to dominate when the left-arm medium-fast bowler Reifer literally took matters into his own hands after Scorpions had slipped to 130-4 in 46 overs. He claimed five of the next six wickets that fell, to close with performance figures of 5-60 in Scorpions’ second innings. The Scorpions eventually capitulated at 188 all out, to set a target of 182 for the visitors.

Reifer received support from Veerasammy Permaul, who cap-

Shimron Hetmyer

tured 3-40; while Keon Joseph, who claimed career best of 7-53 in Scorpions’ first innings, and debutant Romario Shepherd grabbed a wicket apiece. Only Jermaine Blackwood on 37, Brandon King on 22 and Devon Thomas on 21

manage to get past 20.

In pursuit of the small fourth-innings target, Jaguars raced to 11 in 2.3 overs, before Tagenarine Chanderpaul retired hurt, making way for skipper Leon Johnson, who scored brisk runs to reach 10 before he was removed by Derval Green with the score at 30-2.

In came Vishaul Singh, who joined Shimron Hetmyer at the crease, and the two carried the score to 79 before the latter was removed by Nikita Miller just before the close. Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who was yet to score, and Singh on 13 will lead the Jaguars’ charge on the morning of day four.

Earlier, resuming day three on 61-1 with Test batsman Jermaine Blackwood and Chadwick Walton on 25 and nine respectively, Scorpions moved to 76 before they lost their first wicket of the

Raymond Reifer

day, Blackwood, for 37.

After Blackwood’s dismissal, Scorpions slipped to 130-4 in 46 overs, scoring at just over two runs per over as the Jaguars’ bowlers made it difficult for them to score.

At Kensington Oval, visitors Leeward Island Hurricanes are staring at an innings’ defeat to Barbados, after reeling at 163-9 in the first innings. They closed the day on 16-4, trailing by 144 to make the Pride bat again. Pride had made 313 in their first innings.

Chasing a target of 375 for victory at Grenada National Stadium, hosts Windward Island Volcanoes are 68-1, and still 308 runs adrift of victory. Devon Smith is still there on 41 not out, and with him is Gabriel on 23.

Volcanoes first innings folded at 104.

Nabi, Shahzad seal Afghanistan’s 3-0 whitewash

B

owlers and records were all over the place in Greater Noida as Afghanistan trumped Ireland by 28 runs to seal a 3-0 whitewash in a 438-run slugfest, taking their unbeaten streak to a record 11 games in T20Is. Two of Afghanistan’s most destructive batsmen, Mohammad Shahzad and Mohammad Nabi, thrashed scintillating fifties to set up Afghanistan’s 233 for 8, their highest T20 total. Ireland scrapped and fought their way back but in the end, found themselves short of firepower

By the time he was dismissed in the 13th over, Ireland’s bowlers found their rhythm, reducing Afghanistan from 97 for 1 to 121 for 5.

Legspinner Jacob Mulder earned two wickets in three balls. A cameo, at best, would take Afghanistan close to 200.

The 14th over went for seven runs, and that worst-case total lowered.

In the next over, Nabi stepped out and skewed a mow that just cleared long-on. If the boundary was a metre longer, Nabi was undone by flight.

But, the small dimensions

Afghanistan recorded their second 3-0 whitewash in T20Is

and the target.

Shahzad set the ball rolling, getting to his fifty one ball after the Powerplay, off just 27 balls.

The bowlers’ lines were far too wide, but the strength of his bottom hand didn’t leave them much choice. Shahzad struck six fours and five sixes, but his first boundary - a cut through backward point - may have been the sweetest for it took him past Virat Kohli as the format’s fourth-highest runscorer.

meant Nabi had the security of productive mis-hits. He hardly mis-timed a ball thereafter though. Bowlers repeatedly missing their yorkers played into his strengths, and his confidence, power and timing did the rest. When he was done clobbering them, with 89 off 30, he had the highest score by a No. 6 or lower in T20Is. Afghanistan plundered 104 with at least two boundaries in each of the last six overs.

Barry McCarthy conceded

69 runs in his four overs, the most expensive figures in T20Is. Even though Kevin O’Brien returned 4 for 45 to control some of the damage, it seemed like Ireland’s house had blown away.

It hadn’t yet.

Paul Stirling and then Stuart Thompson broke the game

open with the joint-highest Powerplay score in T20Is, as Ireland scored 91 to equal Netherlands’ total against them during the World T20 in 2014. Apart from abetting Ireland by overstepping, Shapoor Zadran’s lines were wayward and his variations were predictable. Stirling was

SCOREBOARD Afghanistan innings (20 overs maximum) Mohammad Shahzad† c Dockrell b Mulder 72 Najeeb Tarakai c Dockrell b O’Brien 3 23 Usman Ghani b O’Brien Asghar Stanikzai* c SR Thompson b McBrine 12 Najibullah Zadran c †Wilson b 1 Mulder Samiullah Shenwari c Dockrell b O’Brien 13 Mohammad Nabi run out 89 (McCarthy) Karim Janat c Mulder O’Brien 6 not out 1 Rashid Khan Extras (lb-5, w-7, nb-1) 13 Total (8 wickets; 20 overs) 233 (11.65 runs per over) Did not bat: Shapoor Zadran, Amir Hamza Fall of wickets 1-23 (Najeeb Tarakai, 2.4 ov), 2-97 (Usman Ghani, 10.2 ov), 3-119 (Asghar Stanikzai, 11.4 ov), 4-121 (Mohammad Shahzad, 12.3 ov), 5-121 (Najibullah Zadran, 12.5 ov), 6-195 (Samiullah Shenwari, 18.1 ov), 7-206 (Karim Janat, 18.5 ov), 8-233 (Mohammad Nabi, 19.6 ov) Bowling: BJ McCarthy 4-0-690 (w-1), GH Dockrell 4-0-350 (w-2), KJ O’Brien 4-0-454 (nb-1, w-1), SR Thompson 3-0-36-0 (w-2), J Mulder 4-032-2, AR McBrine 1-0-11-1

Ireland innings (target: 234 runs from 20 overs) PR Stirling c Mohammad Nabi b Shapoor Zadran 49 SR Thompson b Amir Hamza 43 WTS Porterfield* c Mohammad Nabi b Amir Hamza 16 KJ O’Brien c Mohammad Nabi Karim Janat 3 GC Wilson†c Samiullah Shenwari b Rashid Khan 59 AR McBrine lbw b Karim Janat13 L Tucker b Rashid Khan 16 GJ Thompson b Rashid Khan 0 GH Dockrell c Usman 2 Ghani b Mohammad Nabi BJ McCarthy run 0 out (Najibullah Zadran) J Mulder not out 0 4 Extras (lb-1, w-1, nb-2) Total (all out; 19.2 overs) 205 Fall of wickets 1-65 (Stirling, 4.2 ov), 2-95 (SR Thompson, 6.2 ov), 3-100 (O’Brien, 7.5 ov), 4-123 (Porterfield, 10.3 ov), 5-159 (McBrine, 13.4 ov), 6-201 (Wilson, 18.2 ov), 7-203 (Tucker, 18.4 ov), 8-204 (GJ Thompson, 18.6 ov), 9-205 (McCarthy, 19.1 ov), 10-205 (Dockrell, 19.2 ov) Bowling: Shapoor Zadran 4-060-1 (nb-2, w-1), Amir Hamza 4-0-39-2, Mohammad Nabi 3.2-0-43-1, Karim Janat 4-034-2, Rashid Khan 4-0-28-3

dropped twice off consecutive deliveries, and had scurried to 49 off 19 before flicking Zadran to deep square leg.

Thompson struck two fours and five sixes in his 43, but was bowled off left-arm spinner Amir Hamza in his bid to keep Ireland’s momentum going.

A few tidy subsequent overs meant Ireland were always behind the required rate, with

the opposition’s best bowler still unused.

Gary Wilson kept Ireland interested with a quickfire fifty; so much so that at the end of 18 overs, Ireland were four runs ahead of where Afghanistan were. However, Rashid Khan, bowling the 19th over, took three wickets to end Ireland’s spirited fight. (Cricinfo)

Kim Collins to...

Collins first competed at the World Champions in Gotenberg in 1995 as a member of his country’s relay squad. However, his recollection of Athens in 1997 were not so memorable. “In ’97 when I came back I had a small injury. I ended up running 21 seconds for the 100m.

It’s the slowest 100m ever run!,” he said.

“I also have the slowest winning time ever run at a World Championships (10.07). And I’m the oldest ever man to medal in the 100m at the World Championships. Now I’m looking for another.”

Should he hold to his decision Collins will join Usain Bolt in retirement this summer.

The world’s fastest man has also indicated that he will hang up his golden spikes following the championships set for August 4-13. (Sportsmax) Kim Collins

from page 21

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GUYANATIMESgy.COM

MONDAY, march 13, 2017

Hassan Mohamed: the father of cycling in Guyana

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arely can it be said that someone who has become involved in a particular sporting discipline has catapulted that particular sport into the arena of glory, but National Cycling Coach Hassan Mohamed is one such individual. Having become involved in the sport of cycling when that activity was in the doldrums, Mohamed has almost single-handedly piloted cycling from its nadir to its zenith, where it shares pride of place with the most attractive sporting disciplines in the country, and Guyanese can hold their heads high and be proud of where the sport is at this point in time.

Mohamed has always kept himself from becoming involved in negative and conflicting exchanges that have, from time to time, descended on the activities of the Guyana Cycling Federation, and remains married to the sport even after some five decades of dedicated service to cycling.

The 71-year-old veteran still manages to find sponsors for his organised cycling meets, which are held almost every weekend, either in the National Park or on the roads of this beautiful country; and he is truly the most respected man in the entire cycling fraternity.

Mohammed’s efforts have not been short of rewards, though he merely enjoys the joy of seeing young cyclists excel. In 1990, he was bestowed the Medal of Service by the then President, Hugh Desmond Hoyte, for his sterling contributions to cycling development and his dedicated service to Guyana.

Mohamed was also able to land a three-month scholarship in Rome, Italy from the Guyana Olympic Association back in 1975, under the Presidency of Sir Lionel Luckhoo. He earned

a Diploma from the International Cycling Union (UCI), IOC Certificate (Perfected and Specialization Cycling) and the Scoula Central Dello Certificate (Physical Education).

On his return from Italy, President Burnham appointed Mohamed National Cycling Coach attached

Hassan Mohammed

to the National Sports Commission (NSC) on August 1, 1975. In 1991 and 1996, he was named runner-up coach of the year by the National Sports Commission. This is quite a record for a man who served under the leadership of 15 Directors of Sport!

Having started out as a young wheelsman back in 1958, Mohammed undoubtedly dedicated his entire life to the sport of cycling. He decided to call it quits on a career in riding in 1972, but has remained loyal to the sport, becoming a coach and organizer. The veteran has, for over forty years, been responsible for numerous young riders going into the National Park during the sum-

More bat than pad

mer vacation each year and learning to ride. Some of them have even emerged as champion riders.

It was Mohammed who introduced circuit racing to this dear land of ours.

Before his innovative thinking, riders were exposed only to stories of the developed world and the facilities available, such as a velodrome. Thinking cleverly, the cycling coach decided that the National Park’s inner circuit would be an appropriate track for the riders to use. And so it became one of the most used facilities for cycling in the country, all thanks to Hassan Mohammed!

Mohammed has not only led the cyclists locally, but has managed them on tours across the Caribbean and North and Central America. Consequently, we see the efforts of this astonishing son of the soil half a century later.

Currently, the state of competition in the country has reached its highest intensity in recent memory. It is now normal for at least six riders to compete for the top spot at any given time, and in almost every race, there is someone new surprising the pack. But these speedsters could not have developed their game without a steady influx of competitions.

We see the development of riders from not only Demerara, but Essequibo and Berbice as well; all doing well, certainly building on the legacy Mohammed has set.

In cycling circles, the name Hassan Mohammed has to be mentioned, and never in a negative way. It is very difficult to imagine where the sport of cycling would have been had it not been for the hard work and dedication of a man who has devoted his entire life to see development of the sport he so loves and desires to have benefit others.

Du Plessis surprised no action taken in Bengaluru DRS-incident F

af du Plessis has admitted to being “surprised” that neither Virat Kohli nor Steven Smith were charged with any breaches of the ICC’s code of conduct in the aftermath of the Bengaluru Test.

After an intense match, Kohli had accused Smith of looking to the dressing room for help when making DRS decisions. Du Plessis thought both their actions were more serious than his own offence of shining the ball with the aid of an artificial substance three months ago, for which he was charged by the ICC. In November, during South Africa’s tour of Australia, television footage showed du Plessis chewing on a mint and then using saliva to shine the ball during the Hobart Test. Since the pictures were only released in the days after the match, and not in the window during which the umpires could lay charges, the ICC brought a case against du Plessis. He was subse-

quently found guilty of a level 2 offence, fined 100% of his match fee and had two demerit points added to his record. Du Plessis appealed the decision but lost and has since maintained that his punishment was harsh, especially because other teams, including Australia, admitted to shining the ball same way.

Asked for his reaction on the Kohli-Smith affair, du Plessis said he would have preferred to see the ICC deal his two opposite numbers a stronger hand. “I was [surprised that no one was charged] purely from the reason of what I went through for something I feel was a lot smaller and a lot less... whatever you want to call it. So yes, surprised with that,” du Plessis said, after South Africa drew with New Zealand in Dunedin. “It [the reaction from the ICC] was different. I am surprised by the way it happened. Maybe it’s just because I speak on from a personal point of view and I felt that I was treated

Faf du Plessis

very harsh but when you see something like that you hope that it would be exactly the same.”

Du Plessis would not be drawn further into what he thought of either Kohli or Smith’s actions though. He had said before this match that he did not expect the ongoing contest against New Zealand to get as tense as clashes against either India or Australia can be, not least because of the differences in the way the series are reported on.

“Us and New Zealand are

very similar in the way we play,” du Plessis said. “We respect each other on and off the field and we play a similar brand of cricket. We don’t see that the way you carry on off the field will have an effect on the outcome. When you play a team like India and Australia that can happen and it’s easy to see how that can blow up.

For me it has been good to be on the other side for a bit and to see how things unfold. It would have been interesting to see how the Australian media would have reacted to me doing that.” (Cricinfo)

Sobers on England’s recent success against the West Indies “C ricket is played for people to be entertained.”

Those were the words coming from the incomparably great West Indies all-rounder Sir Garfield Sobers, who spoke to the media on Friday at the record-breaking Hero Caribbean Premier League players’ draft held at the Lone Star Hotel in Barbados.

Comparing the modern English team with its counterpart teams of yesteryear, the former West Indies captain said there is more batand-ball connection, as compared to what obtained in the past: seeing the pad before the bat.

“It is different to (what

England batsman Joe Root approached his game. Root is presently one of the best batsmen in all three formats of cricket, and Sobers likes the 26-year-old’s approach and is an admirer of his batting.

“Their (England’s) number three, Joe Root, I love him. He is such a wonderful player, and I think he works (situations) out. You can see when he goes in (that) first of all he tries to get himself in; and he’s got all the shots in the world. And when he gets on top, he’s on top.”

The veteran believes West Indies players need to improve in this regard: “Get in, understand the situation, (do) not (take) too many

Sir Garfield Sobers

obtained) years ago – when you played against England and you saw the pad coming more than the bat. And now you could see the ball coming off the bat; and I’ve always advocated that cricket is played for people to play shots, to entertain; and I think that is what they are better (at doing) now, even at the Test Level”, the 80-year-old detailed.

Analyzing the recent ONEINDIG One Day International series in the Caribbean between West Indies and England, the Barbadian said the visitors seemed to be well on top of their game, and they knew how to work things out; that is why they held the advantage in the recent series.

“They seemed to work situations out well, and they are well on top of their game….They certainly have a very good team and (can) work things out; tie up a situation and work (on) it.”

That, he opined, was the reason why the visitors were successful against their hosts.

His analysis was justified in regard to how the

(risks), in particular if the bowlers are bowling well or the wicket is doing anything unusual. Just try and work it out, like Joe Root and lots of other players (do): Kohli, Amla, De Villiers, Smith and others.”

Asked if he would have enjoyed playing T20 cricket, Sobers boldly stated that he enjoyed playing any game, because Test cricket to him was like T20 too.

He added that he was never intimidated by Test cricket. “It was (just) another game. (When) I played county cricket, I (batted) the same way; and when I played any type of cricket, I (tried) to retain the same (attitude I employed in playing) Test cricket. Because, we must remember we don’t start playing Test cricket, we start at a lower grade; and if we can build on that, then it means we got something we can work (on) and maintain.”

Sobers has played in 93 Test matches, and has scored 8032 runs at an average of 57.78, with 26 centuries and 30 fifties.

YELLOW PAGES

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“Jaguars are in ascendancy to retain championship”- Arjune

By Ravi Madholall

A

t the completion of five rounds, Guyana Jaguars sit comfortably in second position in the 2016/2017 West Indies Cricket Board regional Professional Cricket League four-day tournament. They are bested by the Jamaica Scorpions.

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21

Shivnarine Chanderpaul

batsman Krishna Arjune is highly upbeat that Jaguars are capable of churning out more victories and ultimately lifting the coveted trophy for three consecutive years.

According to Arjune, who would have featured in 42 first-class matches, psychological advantage to retain the championship is certainly in favour of the South American lads. He is reckoning that the Jaguars are ‘roaring’ in every department, and is persuaded that they can retain the trophy.

The Jamaica Scorpions have recorded 67.6 points and the Guyana Jaguars 64.6 points.

The competition is being played on a round-robin for-

mat (10 matches), although it has had a break to facilitate the Regional Super50 tournament.

Guyana Jaguars are touted to have the enthusiasm and determination to reap more successes in this regional tournament.

“I [am] definitely confident the Guyana Jaguars team can be dominant and win the championship again,” Arjune declared.

“They are performing well in all departments, and I see the trophy (going to) them again,” the 37-year-old Arjune related.

Arjune stressed the importance of consistency, and said it was exactly what had featured in the first five matches prior to the intermission. He says that once the execution is applied again for the second half, Guyana Jaguars are potent enough to dominate proceedings.

“Yes, what we have seen in the first matches (is that) Guyana Jaguars played committed and persevering cricket to at least end at second position, and that really showed that team (members) gave a good account of themselves. Once we continue to compete well, the championship is certainly assured,” Arjune commented.

So far in this edition, Guyana emerged with two outright wins, two drawn encounters, and a surprise defeat to Leeward Islands Hurricanes at the Warner Park Stadium in St. Kitts and Nevis.

The Guyana Jaguars beat Jamaica Scorpions in the tournament’s opener at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence, and concluded the halfway stage with another convincing victory over Trinidad and Tobago Red Force at the Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad and Tobago.

Krishna Arjune

“They beat two good teams, and despite the shocking loss to Leeward Islands Hurricanes, it doesn’t mean we have to lose hope. But with some senior players still making an impact, we have got the right attitude to win the tournament again,” Arjune mentioned in an exclusive interview with Guyana Times Sports from Toronto, where he is playing professionally in Canada’s annual cricket limited-over tournaments.

Jaguars are in charge of the ongoing match against Jamaica Scorpions. They will be looking to maintain good form heading across to Trinidad and Tobago, and then Barbados, before returning home for the penultimate and final-round matches against Leeward Islands Hurricanes and Windward Islands Volcanoes respectively.

Arjune, whose first-class career spanned the period 2001-2009, said he has witnessed some really fascinating performances, and is expecting same degree repeat in this regard. He mentioned that the Jaguars’ most accomplished batsman, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, continues to flay the bowling, having accumulated 448 runs from his five outings, inclusive of two centuries.

Kim Collins to retire after 2017 World Champs K

im Collins, the 2003 100-metres world champion, is set to retire at the end of this summer’s IAAF World Championships in London, England.

Collins, who turns 41 in April, has enjoyed a successful career that has spanned two decades during which he had won five medals in 10 appearances at World Championships, the last of which came when he won the bronze medal at the 2011 championships in

Daegu, South Korea. There, he became the oldest man to ever win a 100m medal.

Over the years, Collins has ran faster as he got older. His personal best time of 9.93s was set in 2016 at the age of 40. But, after suffering a series of injuries prior to the Olympic Games in Rio last summer, and during this past indoor season, the enigmatic Collins has decided to call time on his career.

“I think London will be my last. My oldest son now is 19. The kids are grow-

ing. But it’s been great for the younger generation as it shows that if you take care of your body, you can have a long-lasting career,” Collins said. “I’m making sure my body is healthy, I’m eating right and getting a lot stronger in the gym which many years ago I didn’t do. My body is getting a lot stronger and more flexible which helps me perform to the best of my ability and not get injured.” continued on page 19

22

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

mondAY, march 13, 2017

Hero Caribbean Premier League…

Emrit elated

Petra Futsal on tonight at Gymnasium to

be back with Warriors

- banking on experience to help side win title

By Akeem Greene

C

onsistency, canny medium pace, ability to produce lusty blows with the bat, and assured self-confidence to lead a team are just some of the attributes that Guyana Amazon Warriors all-rounder Rayad Emrit possesses.

Now one of the eleven players retained

The cricketer, who had a three-year stint with the Barbados Tridents that won the tournament in 2014, plans to use his globe-trotting T20 experience to have an even more impacting outing with t h e

by the Warriors at last Friday’s players draft in Barbados – ahead of the fifth edition of the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL), which runs from August 1 to September 9 – Emrit disclosed in an interview with Guyana Times Sport that “it is always good to be retained and to feel appreciated, I’m happy to be back at Warriors for 2017.”

T h i s Trinidadian, who had captained the Warriors for the latter part of the gala tournament last year, he is most enthused about the squad selected.

In the four–year history of the CPL, Warriors have been able to participate in three finals, but on all occasions, have come up short after registering stellar performances during the round-robin matches. However, Emrit believes the squad’s stock of experience can help secure the coveted title, but His bowling was most impressive last the foremost goal year, when he picked up 16 wickets must be to play con- at an economy rate of 7.7 runs sistently in order to reach the knock-out Warriors. He explained: rounds.

“Hopefully, I can bring (to “I think the squad that the tournament) the expeis selected is a good squad rience and leadership I had again; and hopefully we last year and years that I can firstly qualify for the have played in CPL; and knock-out stages, and then hopefully, it helps”. see about going to the fiThe right-arm bowler, nals”, the 36-year-old has who has taken 50 wickets at said. He added, “The most an economy rate of 7.1 runs important thing is getting a in his 41 matches to date, good squad together; which with 16 being taken in playI think we have. There are ing for the Warriors, still lots of experienced players aspires to get more wick(in the squad).” ets and contribute more ef-

fectively with the bat. “My goals for this is to do well, get runs, get wickets, and hopefully we can win the title,” he disclosed.

Emrit would have played City Kaitak in Sunday’s final of the Hong Kong Twenty20 match.

That side lost the game to the Kowloon Cantoons. And he should turn out for Trinidad and Tobago Red Force in the remaining matches of the regional 4-day competition as he prepares for the “Biggest Party in Sport”.

T

Fans can be assured of exciting action this evening at the National Gymnasium

he National Gymnasium is the venue for this evening’s hosting of the second Petra Futsal Championships, and it is anticipated that the six matches which would be played would generate exciting action, since losing teams would immediately be eliminated from the competition.

Among the top teams scheduled to appear on

FIXTURES 19:30 hrs 20:15 hrs 21:00 hrs 21:45 hrs 22:30 hrs 23:15 hrs

opening night are current Georgetown and national Guinness champions Sparta Boss, Festival City, Leopold Street, Agricola Ballers and Broad Street.

The event features 24 teams, namely: defending champions Bent Street, Sparta Boss, North Ruimveldt, Tiger Bay, Albouystown, Tucville, Festival City, Campbellville, Sophia, Back Circle, Stevedore North East LaPenitence vs Leopold Street H o u s i n g Scheme, West Festival City vs West Back Road Back Road, Tucville vs Kitty Weavers West Front Road, Leopold North Riumveldt vs Agricola Ballers Street, Hustlers, Broad Street Ballerz vs Channel 9 North East La Penitence, Sparta Boss vs Globe Yard

Alexander Village, Channel 9 Warriors, Broad Street Bullies, Agricola Champion Boys, Kitty, Globe Yard, Showstoppers and Camp Street All-Stars.

Top two finishers at the end of the round-robin stage, and the two best third ranked teams from the respective groups, will progress to the quarterfinal phase.

The winner of the tournament is set to pocket $400,000 and the championship trophy; while the second, third and fourth placed finishers will collect $200,000, $100,000 and $50,000 respectively and the corresponding accolade.

The event is slated to conclude on April 15th.

23

John stuns Anthony to guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, MARCH 13, 2017

take CBJ Memorial 75-miler

- Niles honoured for riding in every edition of the CBJ Memorial

By Romario Samaroo

T

he second of three cycle races to be staged in the 20th Cheddi B. Jagan Memorial race rode off on the West Side on Sunday, with Team Coco’s Jamaul John outsprinting Michael Anthony in a close finish to take the top prize in the seniors’ division of the event.

John bettered the 2015 timing in the event to stop the clock at one hour 54 minutes and 30 seconds (01:54:30), shaving 10 seconds off club mate Hamza Eastman’s time in the 2015 edition. This is a pretty impressive feat to be accomplished by the young man, as the 75-mile journey commenced in the early morning sun at Wales, West Bank Demerara and proceeded to Bushy Park, Parika, from where they headed back to finish at the Demerara Harbour Bridge.

In third place was Team Alanis’s Alanzo Ambrose,

ahead of Christopher Griffith, who had won the junior category back in 2015.Curtis Dey took the fifth position, and by virtue of that, was named winner of the juniors’ category.

Mark Harris was the sixth place finisher in the challenging race.

Bauxite Flyers’ Shaquille Agard took one prime prize each.

Speaking with Guyana Times Sport after the event, John indicated that the race was one of the toughest he had participated in to date, but because he was a better sprinter that Anthony, he was able to obtain the victory. John also noted that the wind had contributed significantly to the difficulty of the race.

Christopher Cornelius was the second placed rider The winners take a photo with the organisers and sponsors, as well as members of the People’s Progressive Party

ed the Mountain Bike class, as Ozia McAuley and Julio Melville placed second and third respectively.

In the veterans’ category, Team Coco’s Junior Niles again prevailed, leading the pack comfortably and distancing himself from Ralph Williams (2nd) and Leer Nunes (3rd).

Not only did Niles reJunior Niles was awarded for riding in every edition of the Cheddi B Jagan Memorial Cycling race

John was also the recipient of four prime prizes, while Anthony copped two as Eastman and Linden

in the junior category of this race, completing the journey ahead of Adeale Hodge.

Shane Bourne dominat-

ceive the winning trophy, he was also awarded a special prize for being the most consistent rider, having competed in every edition of the 20-year event.

After receiving the award, an emotional Niles related that it was truly a remarkable feat to have competed in each of the races; and, most notably, win-

ning all of the veterans’ races he was involved in under this title, and also winning a number of senior races.

The race, organized by National Cycling Coach Hassan Mohamed, was sponsored by Nazeer Ahmad of Cell King, who has been doing so for the past eight years.

Karate can be used to break the cycle of crime - Woon-A-Tai

Cycling takes K to Berbice today

A Division Commander Clifton Hicken (centre) and Master Frank Woon-A-Tai (second right) strike a pose with representatives of other stakeholder bodies

Cycling heads to Berbice today

T

he 4th annual Benjamin Sports Store Cycling race will again take to the ancient county of Berbice today, as riders compete in the event organized by the Flying Ace Cycling Club.

The event is being coordinated by coach Randolph Robert, and cyclists are reminded that they must ride in their club colours.

The 50-mile race will see the country’s top riders taking off from Fyrish Village, Corentyne Coast – where the Sports Store is located

– at 10:00h and head to the Number 51 Police Station, from whence they will make the return journey back to the starting line to end the race.

The last time this event was hosted, Marlon “Fishy” Williams won the seniors race.

Benjamin, a native of East Berbice, was a former national cyclist who represented Guyana at both the junior and senior levels. He was also a former school and junior champion who won the national schools

championship on three consecutive occasions. He still rides in his adopted homeland of Canada, where he also operates a sports store.

He is expected to be among the riders.

Prizes will be given for the first 10 finishers, the top three juveniles, the first six veterans, and the first three females to cross the finish line. There will also be special races for mountain bike riders, while the BMX riders will also be showcasing their mettle.

arate, a martial arts system of self-defence, originated in Japan.

It is “an oriental system of unarmed combat using the hands and feet to deliver and block blows. It is widely practised as a sport”.

Chairman of the Guyana Karate College, Frank WoonA-Tai, believes karate can be used as means to curb the cycle of crime and violence in Guyana. “We believe the Guyana Karate College can help the young people at risk to find direction in life and keep them off drugs in the street, and try to break the cycle of crime and violence,” the 9th Dan Shuseki Shishan said while addressing a gathering at a Police ‘A’ Division outreach programme held at the Police Sports Club at Eve Leary, Georgetown.

This activity attracted more than 100 youths, and began with several members of the college showcasing their skills to the attendees, afterwards imparting their knowledge unto the youths. Speaking to this pub-

lication, ‘A’ Division Police Commander Clifton Hicken opined that youth groups continue to grow and meet their objectives; and hopefully, this event provides for greater growth. Commander Hicken said youth groups were formed within 21 communities in 2014, and the youngsters have so far been involved in various self-development activities.

“Community development is based on what the communities need, and we’ve been (engaging in community development) through the community leaders. Recently, we have been cooperating with the private sector through the ministry (and through) a lot of NGOs,” Hicken noted.

He added, “Master WoonA-Tai probably observed what we’re doing for the children and he invited us for a meeting. Coming out of that meeting, we managed to coordinate and join forces with EPIC to ensure the Juvenile Holding Centre at Sophia is now doing karate classes on a weekly basis under the auspices of the

Police and EPIC, and from the Karate College.”

EPIC stands for: Enhance Potential to Inspire Change.

It is a collaborative effort in Guyana that stems from a group’s belief that youth crimes are perpetrated from social dysfunctions. This group is eager to implement change in this regard.

EPIC Executive Director Brian Backer pointed out that the organisation has done tremendous work at the Juvenile Centre in Sophia, and what it has found is that many youths are the victims of a lack of guidance and discipline.

We’ve also found that (youth crime is partly fuelled by some types of social dysfunction, he explained; and as a result of them, we’ve started to go into some of the communities to address the problems that occur, Backer stated.

All three organizations plan to continuously work to effect positive change in youths. Commander Hicken pointed out that the group has had some success in reducing the incidents of crime.

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

MONDAY, MARCH 13, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

Emrit

Hero Caribbean Premier League 2017

elated to be back with Warriors

Pg 22

Pg 22

-banking on experience to help side win title Rayad Emrit’s all-round abilities played an integral role in the Guyana Amazon Warriors reaching the final last year against the Jamaica Tallawahs

Pg 23

Karate can be used to break the cycle of crime - Woon-A-Tai Some of the participants enagaged in the activities at the Police Sports Club

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