Binder1

Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana Issue No. 3046 guyanatimesgy.com

LOOK INSIDE !

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

November 20, 2016

PRICE

Green Pension Bill “shocking, obnoxious” – GHRA

$120 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE: Deteriorating sugar industry

P11 Govt looking for scapegoat to blame

Page 3

–Ramsammy

– calls for it to be withdrawn

Eteringbang drinking spree ends in murder Page 8

Repossession of core home

Single mother wins case against Govt

Constitution Reform Bill

Page 12

Over 250 students graduate from Tain Campus Page 7

PM wants $80M for P10 countrywide consultations NA truck driver bound, robbed by bandits P9

Essequibo P8 man arrested after robbing Venezuelan

On Saturday, the University of Guyana (UG) Tain Campus held its 15th Convocation ceremony, where over 250 students graduated. The graduates successfully read for Degrees in areas including Agricultural Science, Education Administration and Social Work while for Diplomas in Computer Science, Public Management, Accountancy and Marketing

Early budget 14-year-old leaves room for gives birth greater abuse at GPHC – Jagdeo …impregnated by 35-year-old man

Page 9

Page 14

Lack of forest concession knowledge causing P5 conflicts in Guyana – report

Guyana joins in International Men’s Day P6 celebrations

2

SunDAY, november 20, 2016 | guyanatimesgy.com

NEWS

3

SunDAY, november 20, 2016 | guyanatimesgy.com

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Sunday, November 20 – 06:00h-11:00h to facilitate maintenance works and Monday, November 21 – 11:30h-13:00h.

The Berbice River Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Sunday, November 20 – 09:05h-10:35h and Monday, November 21 – 10:25h-11:55h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

Weather: Thundery to heavy rain showers can be expected throughout most of the day, with light rain showers in the late afternoon hours.

Clear to partly cloudy skies will dominate in the evening, with temperatures ranging between 24 degrees and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North-easterly to East North-easterly between 1.34 metres and 3.57 metres.

High Tide: 08:45h and 21:04h reaching maximum heights of 2.28 metre and 2.29 metre respectively.

Low Tide: 02:11h and 14:35h reaching minimum heights of 0.78 metre and 0.29 metre respectively.

saturday, november 19, 2016

LOTTERY NUMBERS M

02 05 06 09 17 18 19 Bonus Ball

FREE TICKET

Daily Millions

02 07

11 15

24

LUCKY 3 6

2

7

2

Afternoon Draw

Draw De Line 01 03 06 08 12

4

3

Evening Draw

15 17

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

Green Pension Bill “shocking, obnoxious” – GHRA ... calls for it to be withdrawn

A

s outrage continues to mount over the proposed Hamilton Green Pension Bill 2016, which was tabled in the National Assembly, the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) said it is “utterly shocked” at the proposal.

The Bill, which will be read for the first time on Monday, provides for Green to be paid a pension “based on the salary paid to the Prime Minister, as though he actually earned the said salary, taking into consideration his record of service as a legislator.”

It also provides for Green to receive all benefits provided for by the Former President (Benefits and Other Facilities) Act 2015. The value of these benefits are an annual pension of G$20,580,000, others benefits to the value of G$3.1 million annually, two vehicles provided and maintained by the State and two first-class annual airfares free transportation provided by the State.

Additionally, the former Prime Minister, who served in the position from 1985 to 1992, also qualifies for an ex-parliamentarian pension together with whatever benefits accrue from his period of Mayor of Georgetown.

In a statement on Saturday, the GHRA said the Prime Minister Hamilton Green Pension Act 2016 on the Order Paper is utterly shocking and called for the non-submission of what it called an “obnoxious” Bill.

In fact, the Rights Association went as far as to list several ground why the proposed Bill should not be submitted to Parliament, including the fact that there is no justification for the provisions of the Bill except for “cronyism”.

It was added too that the Bill is insulting to Guyanese taxpayers of

this generation, who are prominently wage-earners, (rather than businesses or private professionals who mostly don’t pay taxes according to the GRA) to shoulder the burden of excessive pension for people who have so curtailed this generation’s life chances.

The GHRA also outlined that to date, Green, a former Mayor of Georgetown, never apologised for the humiliation, hardship and violence to which the Guyanese people were subjected during his harrowing term of office, adding that had Dr Jagan in 1992 not ‘drawn a veil’ over the past in the interests of social peace, Green would have found himself facing the courts.

Another ground proffered by the Rights Association is that the idea that former Presidents and senior politicians deserve to be treated as ‘Princes of the City’ with excessive pensions and benefits, reinforces rather than undermines the repugnant notion that the purpose of politics is to enrich politicians.

The GHRA statement went on to say too that a personalised Bill to reward Green for a lifetime of politics marked by incompetence and divisiveness is provocative in the context of the current Administration’s anti-corruption campaign. It also noted that the Guyanese Parliament is still to distinguish itself for the quality of its contribution to public life; while adding that if the Bill under discussion is entertained; its reputation would be further eroded by the ridicule it would justly attract.

Moreover the GHRA pointed out in the release that since Green’s entire political career reflects the attributes that have kept Guyana ethnically polarized and, for this reason, securely anchored at the

Former Prime Minister Hamilton Green

bottom of all Caribbean indicators of social and economic progress in the modern era.

“As a young and ruthless politician in the early 1960s, his name figured prominently in the violence from which this society has still to recover. During the 1970s and 1980s he was a leading Government figure in the political repression reflected by Guyana heading the list of countries with most refugee applications to Canada and mass exodus of Guyanese of all backgrounds to any other country they could find respite.

Those years saw bizarre hardships imposed on the Guyanese people including being criminalised for possession of onions and garlic, blocks-long queues around gas stations due to gasoline shortages and outbreaks of beri-beri,” the

statement from the commission details.

Moreover, it was pointed out that during the last two decades, Green, as Mayor of Georgetown, had presided over its physical decay. Despite a career marked by incompetence and divisiveness, Hamilton Green, now well over 80 years of age, was appointed as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), the release added.

“Thanks to the legacy of economic and social turmoil for which he and other leaders were responsible it is ironic that Guyanese of the same age group as Hamilton Green are now condemned to live on oldage pensions of G$17,000, while he complains at having to eke out a living on his pension of G$100,000 plus his benefits from being Mayor,” the rights body noted.

This bill has raised many eyebrows, with many denouncing the fact that the former Prime Minister, under the People’s National Congress Demond Hoyte rule, name was included in on the Bill. In fact, current Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo said on Friday that singling out Green for a legislative package that statutes pension and other benefits of a former Prime Minister might not have been the best course of action since the package should have been tailored to suit all former Prime Ministers of Guyana.

4

guyanatimesgy.com

SunDAY, november 20, 2016

Views Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544 223-7230,223-7231,231-0544, 225-7761 Marketing: 231-8064 Accounts: 225-6707 Mailing address: Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, sales@guyanatimesgy.com

Editorial

Govt’s role in business

T

he recent revelations that licenses were issued for the importation of chicken twice yearly raised several issues. The first being the secrecy surrounding issuance of the licenses and secondly as to the process whereby the importers were selected. Guyana’s experience, of course, is redolent with the abuse inherent in these governmental exceptions when huge profits are in the offing. Connected to the latter is whether the 100% tariff on the importation of chickens was waived completely or lowered substantially.

The second would query the reason why in a supposedly “free market” economy, importation licenses were necessary since the WTO has rules that are intended to encourage free trade on the premise that this increases the efficiency of local producers as they are forced to compete with the widest global range of efficient producers. In our case the US is the most efficient poultry producer and in the nineties we were importing huge quantities of chicken parts from that country at very low prices.

In the early 2000s, however, the government made a decision to encourage local producers, and with a good case made to the WTO for treating the industry as “sensitive”, imposed a 100% tariff on imports in addition to enforcing sanitary requirements. The former imposition means that when an importer brings in the US chicken, its domestic cost price is automatically doubled – thus giving the local producer a great deal of leeway to compete. The reduction or waiver of the tariff is only supposed to be granted on extreme local shortages.

The theory behind the WTO’s acceptance of this assistance is that the local producers of an “infant” industry in a country need assistance to establish itself. Assistance can also be given in waivers on taxes (tax holidays) as was the case where GT&T paid no taxes on their profits between 1990 and 2000. The government also received no dividends on its 20% ownership of the corporation. And on top of all of this, GT&T also received a monopoly in the industry – one that it fought tooth and nail to retain. It is an elementary economic truth, of course, that monopolies lead to higher prices for consumers.

The financial industries, of which banks are the dominant players, are also backstopped by the Government to the tune of billions. Banks are given the licence to make money by accepting deposits and then lending those deposits at a higher rate than they pay the depositors. One would expect that the banks should be allowed to be disciplined by market forces in absorbing the risks in making loans.

But in Guyana, the government, through the Bank of Guyana (BoG) allows the banks to be very conservative in giving them a free pass on risks. The money accumulated in the banks is defined as “excess liquidity” and the government “sterilises” it at the BoG via T-Bills that give billions to the banks in interest. Unlike regular T-Bill operations in other countries, the government cannot use these “sterilised” funds – hence the name.

We could go on in enumerating examples, for instances, in the incentives given to the bauxite industry so as to revive its fortunes. The ongoing tensions about subsidising electricity in Linden originated ever since the PPP/C government, in the effort to find a buyer for the bauxite industry after its fall during the PNC years, took over that responsibility from the company, which had maintained it since the 1960s.

That has cost the treasury at least $45 billion since the mid-1990s.

Citizens, then, have to be aware that in the modern economy, with business as the “engine of growth”, it is a standard practice for the government to facilitate business enterprises in establishing or stabilising themselves. The benefits to the country in the employment created, taxes paid, and skills imparted all redound to the country’s benefit.

We have to be on guard against those that would now say, for instance, that rice is “on its own”.

The Radio’s Needy Children’s Fund (RNCF) hosted a dinner to launch an appeal to the public for support in the form of cash, toys, clothing, among other things for children who are needy. RNCF has a long and impressive history―being founded in 1954 by Ms Olga Lopes Seales, who was moved by the picture of children in need playing in the streets, toyed with the idea of bringing cheer to the children at Christmas time. This was the genesis of the Fund and some 62 years later, this non-governmental organisation is still going strong!

The day Freddie Kissoon went low Dear Editor, My father always told me that there are three types of people in the world; those who are great, those who imitate and those who hate. He also believed strongly that the differences that existed among those who form these three groups were easily recognisable: great people rise above effortlessly, and take others on the journey with them, those who imitate struggle and fight and try anything and everything to become great, and the haters, well they have no interest in being great based on merit, their only concern is to demean, defame and discredit those who do have a legitimate claim to greatness. Today, Editor I will leave it up to you and your readers to categorise the infamous columnist Freddy Kissoon and the many fallacies presented in his outrageously seditious article published in the newspaper on November 18, 2016 titled “ Guyanese messengers of death from Cuba have returned.”

Editor, I believe in the freedom of speech, I believe that it is a basic and fundamental human right but I also believe that with every

right we claim there are responsibilities attached, that are just as fundamental.

Journalists in particular have a huge responsibility to the masses that depend on them for timely, honest, factual and evidence based information that can ultimately guide decisions and influence behavioural patterns. Mr Kissoon failed miserably in this task when he published that article berating both Cuba and Cuban trained doctors, claiming among other vile and repugnant things, that we “have killed many poor people.”

I’ve read many of the ramblings of Mr Kissoon and I dare say there is nothing impressive about his constant criticism of others (any one can be a critic), his feigned bravado (hiding behind a pen is an act of cowardice) and his facade of equanimity (sir the entire nation saw u engage in an unsavoury verbal exchange with a certain embattled female ex minister of government some time ago and no Mr Kissoon make no mistake, no self-respecting public figure and lecturer would engage in such a terribly quotidian act), and you sir think somehow

you have the moral high ground? That you somehow have leverage to try to discredit the hard work and sacrifice made by us all with your grossly inaccurate mass generalisations?

On what grounds? To what end? What have u gained from this vicious and manic attack? How has this improved your already derisory public image?

Editor, we have grown accustomed to the constant attacks - by our Government, by our minister, by random strangers, by patients, and so many others - frankly it feels like its targeted, personal and vehement. It can be intimidating and many times we feel helpless and we retreat into a state of apathy because many of the so called inadequacies that so many talk about are not due to lack of knowledge or appropriate skill set, rather these are largely due to lack of resources ― we have the knowledge but knowledge alone is useless if the tools needed to adequately apply it are missing, we are willing but willingness alone doesn’t cut it, we have to be able to do ― but how can we when the tools needed are not provided ( I cannot in good conscience do a lac-

eration repair if I have no gloves or sutures or iodine, no matter how willing I am or knowledgeable I am).

But as Michelle Obama said, “When they go low, we go high,” and going high and rising above by no means signifies that we will be silent in the face of their onslaughts, it by no means signifies that we will ignore how irate and undervalued they make us feel, instead we will unite and respond with pride, dignity, joy and laughter in the face of their ignorance, we will turn up to work every day and continue to do what we have always done.

And Mr Kissoon will be floating around in his same bubble of mediocrity, writing his same articles desperately trying to inflate an ego that that has obviously been stretched to its limit.

I encourage all my Cuban trained colleagues on this day that Freddy Kissoon went low, let us all go high! High above his lies and half-truths, high above his prejudice, high high high above his ego!

Sincerely, Dr Adoniyah Benjamin, MD (Proud Cuban-trained!)

GDF, GPF: change your strategy!

Dear Editor, The Guyana Defence and Police Forces need to change their tactics and stratagem since current actions by both entities contribute to crime in our society.

You take an individual, train him/her in combat which includes operating various types of deadly weapons and teach them to survive on the barest of necessities; (the GDF training is deadlier)

then in most cases based on the slightest infraction you dismiss them from service most times unmonitored.

Most of these individuals have no other skill but what you’ve trained them in and their options upon dismissal are as follows: A) become a gun for hire for a drug lord or a powerful politician; B) take a security post with a guard service where

they can have legal access to weapons; or, C) join a gang or start one and commit crime to survive.

And this is known. Even in cases where uniformed junior officers are caught committing a crime, the first thing that’s done is to dismiss the person and have them face the courts where usually it’s a bailable offence or just a short stint in prison, then released into society

without any monitoring or assistance to be positive towards society.

Even the recruiting system is terrible with little or no vetting, both psychological and background.

To the GDF and GPF: change your strategy!

You are equally responsible for crime.

Sincerely, Stan Gouveia

NEWS

5

sunDAY, november 20, 2016 | guyanatimesGY.com

Lack of forest concession knowledge Govt to meet with Board causing conflicts in Guyana – report to discuss findings Probe into GNBA Directors

F

ollowing a probe conducted by retired Major General Joe Singh into allegations of misconduct against two Directors of the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA), Government will be meeting with the Board to discuss the findings of the inquiry before any decision is taken on the issue.

This is according to Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, who told reporters at an Alliance For Change new con-

Chairman of the GNBA Board, Leonard Craig

GNBA Director Anthony Vieira ference on Friday that he “intend to meet with the Board and deal with the recommendations that were made and we will take it from there.”

According to the Prime Minister, he is hoping to have Cabinet weigh in on the matter as well, since the report, which was submitted to the Council of Ministers, highlighted certain deficiencies within the GNBA. “I think the report has brought out some very significant shortcomings in this important authority that has very critical functions to perform but has been caught up in the quagmire of interpersonal disputes and allegations and confrontation that does not help the people of this country,” he opined.

T

While the documentation was handed over to him more than a week ago, Nagamootoo explained he could not have pronounced on the contents earlier since he would have gotten the report immediately prior to an overseas trip.

However, the Prime

Minister said that upon his return, he learnt that a copy of the report had been leaked to the media and there had been selective extracts, purportedly from the report, commenting on the issues which the inquiry was based on.

He continued that as a result of the nature of the report that was used in sections of the media, he thought it incumbent upon himself to circulate the document to all the media houses so that they have the report in their hands and can treat it with fairness and balance, in a way the evidence suggests the recommendations should be treated.

“One cannot deal with the recommendations without seeing the evidence, the evidence is in the report handed to me by Major General retired Singh,” he remarked.

Nagamootoo further outlined that he had also started initially with giving copies to Directors Anthony Vieira and Vic Insanally, whom

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo the allegations were made against. He added too that he has also commenced a process of having the report sent to Chairman of the GNBA Board, Leonard Craig.

The Chairman is said to be in China on a scholarship to pursue his doctorate; however, Prime Minister Nagamootoo disclosed that he has not received a formal resignation from Craig.

Nagamootoo posited that he is exercising all efforts to ensure that the GNBA Chairman have the opportunity of looking at the recommendations.

There have been reports over the past months of internal disputes among Craig and some of the GNBA Directors, particular Vieira and Insanally. In fact, back in September, the two had threatened legal action against Craig for publicly making a statement on the allegations of corruption levied against them by Essequibian broadcaster, Kenwin Charles.

Charles had alleged that Vieira and Insanally attempted to ostensibly force him out of business, an allegation that the GNBA Chairman had said would be fully investigated.

Against this backdrop, Major General Singh was appointed to probe the issue.

he Forest Peoples Programme (FPP) has stated that major underlying cases of forest conflicts in Guyana is hinged on concessions being allocated on the customary untitled Amerindian lands without their knowledge and encroachment on Amerindian titled village lands by logging concessions, logging operations and illegal extraction of lumber.

According to a report released by the FPP pinpointing problems — seeking solutions — highlighted a resident of Little Kaniballi who said that logging concessions covered a large part of the village’s customary untitled land and that the Amerindians in that village found out that the new concession would affect the south-eastern portions of their land only after it was advertised in a newspaper by the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC).

“We don’t like it that Government gives out these lands to outsiders without us knowing about it…our people fear that when these areas are occupied the concession holders may restrict access to the forest,” the resident said.

The report stated that the villagers complained that industrial logging has “eaten out” their land and their resources.

It added that there are issues of encroachment on titled village lands and when the process of verifying the Amerindian land extensions may be dealt with, who is in charge of the process and when it will be finished is unknown.

The report also pinpointed that there is restricted access by Amerindian villages to their forest and resources which disrupt traditional livelihood activities. It stated that a number of villages say that concession holders block their access to materials such as nibbi, kufa and lumber; and that some holders bar the people’s access to their fishing

and hunting areas.

“The people lament that their freedom has been taken away and that they are no longer allowed to use their own customary forests, which belong to them under customary law,” the report suggests, noting that the cause of these infringements is because there is a lack of recognition of indigenous land rights in the law and restrictive definition of Amerindian lands, along with a lack of transparency and FPIC. It stated that the fundamental lack of transparency in the concession allocation process also contributes to the violation of indigenous people’s internationally protected rights to land and resources.

Therefore it recommended that the VPA process should include international law in its definition of forest legality in line with that of the FAO,

which reads: “Forest illegality occurs when forest products are harvested, transported, processed, bought or sold or when forests are cleared or otherwise degraded in violation of subnational, national or international laws.”

It added that the laws and policies governing land tenure in Guyana must explicitly recognise and protect the inherent and pre-existing rights of indigenous peoples to their customary lands and resources, particularly those living on untitled customary lands.

Forest Peoples Programme was founded in 1990 in response to the forest crisis, specifically to support indigenous forest peoples’ struggles to defend their lands and livelihoods. It registered as a nongovernmental human rights Dutch Stichting in 1997, and then later, in 2000, as a UK charity.

6

SunDAY, november 20, 2016

Page

guyanatimesgy.com

Foundation

Guyana joins in International Men’s Day celebrations

Anu Dev

W

hen taking a patient's history, we're supposed to ask them about any medical conditions they might have. We usually ask about hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, asthma, cancers and epilepsy. Usually, the one that patients are unsure of is epilepsy. There doesn't seem to be as much public awareness about epilepsy as something like, say, diabetes. And perhaps that's why November has been designated 'Epilepsy Awareness Month' So what is epilepsy?

Well my textbook defines it as "a disorder of the brain characterised by an enduring predisposition to generate seizures and by the neurobiologic, cognitive, psychologic, and social consequences of this condition." If you're thinking that that sounds like a mouthful, that makes two of us. People tend to refer to seizures as "fits". And persons with epilepsy are predisposed

Just because I freak out doesn’t mean you have to – Epilepsy Awareness

to having these "fits".

And epilepsy doesn't just mean having seizures; there are other consequences of epilepsy. The psychologic and social consequences - epilepsy is associated with an increased likelihood of depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Perhaps because epilepsy isn't talked about as much as it should be,

misinformation about seizures and dealing with them have been allowed to be passed on as "fact". Some persons actually think that epilepsy is a "mental disease"

and individuals afflicted with the condition are "mental". In clinic, we saw a patient whose mom said that she usually tries to put a spoon in her daughter's mouth during a seizure because she heard that that was the right thing to do. It's not. It's actually a big no-no. Putting anything into someone's mouth while they're having a seizure is more likely to cause them i n j u r y.

Yo u also shouldn't try to restrain their movements or hold them down.

So what should you do if someone has a seizure? You should remove any objects that might injure them from the surrounding area. Time the seizure and stay with them until

they've recovered. For seizures that involve the person shaking or jerking uncontrollably, you should place something soft under their head to act as a cushion to prevent injury. You should turn them gently onto one side (the recovery position) - this will help them breathe.

There are different types of seizures and each type presents differently. When most people think of a seizure, they think of a generalised tonic-clinic seizure, the type where the person becomes stiff and then starts jerking un cont rolla b ly.

Some seizures, called "absence seizures", involve the person 'blanking out' for a few seconds.

With appropriate medical attention and awareness about the condition, epilepsy can be a manageable condition. But we need to start having more conversations about epilepsy and not just in November.

A section of the men gathered at Tipperary Hall, Buxton

A

s the world celebrated International Men’s Day, Guyana observed the occasion under the theme “Stop male suicide – Let the men speak”.

The Gender Affairs Bureau within the Social Protection Ministry in collaboration with the Ambassadors for Buxton Development Association on Saturday hosted a grand men’s forum in the community of Buxton, on the East Coast of Demerara.

The men’s forum was held at the Tipperary Hall, Buxton, where Citizenship Minister Winston Felix delivered the feature address encouraging men that attended the forum to “rise up and be strong”.

The forum was attended by a large number of young men in the community while the older men laud the bodies involved in the initiative for selecting their community.

Felix told the audience of men that they were created to have a partner whom they can share their internal battles with but noted at the same time that that is not the case in today’s society.

“In some cases the home is the source of the depression and so it is going to be extremely difficult, not impossible but challenging for us to really come to a position where we can remove people from their homes and probably have them in homes for counselling. I believe in counselling where they can understand or they can receive empathy and a sympathetic hearing which helps them to feel better about themselves and the situation,” said Felix.

He continued that many men need nurturing and households that understand them.

Meanwhile, Deputy Permanent Secretary Adrian Ramratten of the Social Protection Ministry delivered brief remarks to the men, urging them to be role models in their communities. He further stated what the international day means to the men in society. “International Men’s Day allows the people of the world to set aside some time for men’s and boy’s health, improving gender relations, promoting gender equality and highlighting positive role models,” said Ramratten.

Ramratten continued that the internationally recognised day for men promotes an occasion for celebration of men’s achievement. He further added that according to international statistics on suicide, in most countries men have fallen under the higher bracket while local statistics in Guyana shows men are likely to kill themselves three times more than women.

In addition, Pastor Diego Alphonso briefly disclosed that in today’s society, a lot of misconceptions and labels are placed on certain communities in which the collaborative efforts into the initiative main objective is to make a statement in the community.

“We wish to make a statement in the community in which the boys and men are prepared to take up their responsibilities as men and be to know that they are making a difference,” said Alphonso.

news

7

sunDAY, november 20, 2016 | guyanatimesgy.com

Over 250 students graduate Opposition writes Govt on appointment of new from Tain Campus

O

ver 250 students graduated on Saturday at from the University of Guyana’s (UG) Tain Campus, Berbice, during its 15th Convocation ceremony.

The students successfully read for degrees in a number of areas, including Agricultural Science, Education Administration, Social work and Diplomas in Computer Science, Public Management, Accountancy and Marketing.

In delivering the feature address, Professor of Physiology and Research Degree Tutor of the University of Central Lancashire, Professor Jaipaul Singh noted that education is a powerful tool to change lives for the better, it is the best gift parents can give their children.

He stated that the University of Guyana is 25 years behind time in terms of ‘the higher education revolution. “I do hope that our new Vice Chancellor will bring us back rapidly into the 21st Century.”

Professor Jaipaul Singh pointed out that the University of Guyana has come a very long way since 1963 and still has a far way to go yet. “I would very much like UG to commence fully with postgraduate research training courses leading to the awards of MSc by Research, MPhil, PhD, MD, as well as DSc and DLit – two honorary degrees.”

“I believe that UG now has some postgraduate research training in place. It is particularly noteworthy that a university is not really a university unless it is involved in research, national and international collaborations, innovation and development and working with companies and outreach.

This is a note for staff at this campus as well as those from Turkeyen. If a univer-

Valedictorian Lorrie Lee Farley

sity is not involved with research then it is merely a glorified further education college/institution.”

According to the Professor, all universities in the world were established

all be proud of being educated at a university which has contributed to the leadership of Guyana.

Meanwhile, in her valedictorian speech, Lorrie Lee Farley who passed with distinction to obtain a Bachelor of Education Administration urged the granduates to use the moment to give thanks as they celebrate their achievements. The moment she said could also be used to confront the challenges which they will encounter as they move forward. “It is with heartfelt gratitude that we look back over the years and see the marvellous ways in which God [has brought us] to this significant milestone. Graduates, our success must first be at-

A sections of the graduates at the Tain Campus

with strong research in mind. “UG needs fully qualified staff and all UG staff should be encouraged to register for higher degrees if they do not have these,” the Professor said, while noting that the University can support this via staff development.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo speaking to the 250 students said they should now feel that they have a duty to serve their country.

Nagamootoo, who is himself a University of Guyana graduate, said they should

tributed to God for his great gift of faith,” the teacher told the graduation class of 2016.

“We are not just teachers, we are managers of the world’s greatest resources; children. I have been a teacher for 24 years; I am not leaving it for anything else. Regardless of the lack of adequate salaries, support and encouragement from stakeholders, we owe it to our nation’s children to have them succeed beyond the test and examination,” Farley said. (Andrew Carmichael)

GECOM Chairman

P

arliamentary Opposition Chief Whip Gail Teixeira has dispatched a letter to the Government seeking advice on how it intends to address the imminent vacancy of the chairmanship of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

Outgoing Chairperson Dr Steve Surujbally has formally indicated to the Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo that he will be resigning from the position with effect November 30.

Reports indicate that Dr Surujbally had already informed President David Granger of his intention to retire, which he has held since 2001.

Teixeira, in the correspondence sent to State Minister Joseph Harmon, outlined that in light of the fast approaching deadline, the Opposition Leader would like to know the approach the Head of State intends to take in filling the vacancy as provided for in Article 161 of the Constitution of Guyana: “Specifically, the Leader of the Opposition,

GECOM Chaairman, Dr Steve Surujbally

Hon Bharrat Jagdeo, MP, wishes to be informed whether the President will formally write to him inviting him to submit his six nominees as required

by Article 161 or whether the President will initiate a preliminary formal meeting with him to discuss the appointment of a new Chairman of the GECOM in accordance with the letter and spirit of Article 161 of the Constitution of Guyana.”

Jagdeo, at his recent

news conference, said he had expected that by now, the Head of State would have initiated the process since Dr Surujbally had signalled months ago his intention to depart GECOM. “I’ve not received any indication from the President when he intends to trigger that provision. Now this is very worrying for us, given the sloth in this government, its incompetence and the sensitivity surrounding GECOM. We’re suspicious that there may be a lengthy delay in that entire process,” he stated.

Nevertheless, Jagdeo said he has already begun looking at some individuals it will submit to replace Dr Surujbally.

Following the General and Regional Elections 2015, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic mounted a series of protests calling for the removal of Dr Surujbally from the helm of Gecom in wake of their strong belief that he supervised a rigged electoral process.

8

news

SunDAY, november 20, 2016 | guyanatimesGY.com

Eteringbang drinking spree ends in murder

A

Venezuelan was in the wee hours of Saturday stabbed to death by his Guyanese drinking buddy during an argument at Eteringbang Landing, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

The dead man has been identified as Henry Mendonca.

Based on information, the dead man and his Guyanese friend who both reside in Venezuela, crossed the border and were consuming alcohol at

a popular drinking spot at Eteringbang Landing when a misunderstanding led to a deathly argument.

It was during the argument that the drunken Guyanese broke a bottle and stabbed Mendonca twice to his abdomen. The injured man was taken to the San Martin Hospital in Venezuela where he was pronounced dead.

The suspect was arrested and is expected to be charged shortly.

Stripping...

N

Essequibo man arrested after robbing Venezuelan

H

ours after robbing a Venezuelan at a hotel in Charity, Essequibo Coast, a 32-yearold man of Rubber Dam, Charity, was arrest on Saturday.

Reports are that Alexander Gregorio called “Alex”, of Portia Ortiz, Venezuela, was standing in

the lobby of the hotel when the suspect approached and relieved him of his wallet containing US$5200, his passport, a galaxy cellular phone and made good his escape. The robbery occurred at about 03:00h.

The Police were contacted and based on their quick response; they were able

to apprehend the suspect.

They recovered US$2600 and the phone.

He taken into custody and is expected to be charged shortly.

A Police source told Guyana Times that after taking into consideration the amount of money that was found in the possession

of the perpetrator, it is believed he had an accomplice.

From information gathered, the Venezuelan might have been followed to his hotel.

The Police are questioning the suspect on the whereabouts of his accomplice.

...and Nagamootoo

agamootoo always betrayed a predilection for crassness and crudity. And expressed same in a manner which proved conclusively you could take the boy out of the fishmonger business but you can’t take the stench out of him. Forget his foulmoutedness to grown ups...Who’d ever forget his boast to Parliament that he yelled at his poor grandson, “Shut yuh so-an’-so mout’!!” You can take the wanker out of the gutter but you can’t take the gutter out of the wanker!!

Now...denying Opposition Leader Jagdeo’s observation that he, Nagamootoo, has allowed the Constitutional position of “Prime Minister” to be stripped by Prezzie of all its enumerated and customary powers, he exposed his dirty fishmonger slip once again for the world to see. Said he to Jagdeo’s assertions: “And he knows (that no power was taken from the PM), so he is trying to do his own stripping. He loves, of course, to strip me, and I suppose he has a reason for that.”

Nagamootoo - who obviously thinks the “double entendre” on “stripping” is a cutting repartee still doesn’t get it. He’s supposed to be Prime Minister of this country and he has to conduct himself with a certain amount of decorum. Jagdeo himself had to upbraid one of his MPs from using a far less crass expression about President Granger: will the latter now do the same to Nagamootoo? Don’t hold your breath...by now Prezzie knows - as President Obama put in - you can put lipstick on a pig, but it still remains a pig.

If he believes Jagdeo was wrong, why doesn’t Nagamootoo disprove the claims? Let’s start with the Cummingsburg Accord which was announced on Valentine’s Day as the agreement to define the extended powers Nagamootoo would exercise as Prime Minister. If he delivered the 11% from Berbice - which he did. Does Nagamootoo chair Cabinet meetings?

What exactly does he do at Cabinet meetings excepting sitting on the left hand of Granger and simper?

More to the point, the chairing of Cabinet Meetings wasn’t supposed or intended to boost Nagamootoo’s ego, but to facilitate his responsibility for “governance” of the country. Could Nagamootoo tell his 11% which initiative on “governance” over the last year-anda-half, he spearheaded? And which ministries of government he coordinated? Then there’s the official role to “represent” the President in Parliament. Hasn’t President Granger pre-empted this role with his frequent visits to Parliament and his working through his Chief Whip and bottle washer, Amna Ally?

But then President Granger might just point out Nagamootoo’s bungling of Government in his first foray so that even a Chronicle reporter had to dub it, a “debacle”!!

...the green from business

In the States, where business is supposed to be at the pinnacle of its glory(?) they say the only colour business respects is “green”. Meaning, of course, business is all about money...everything else is secondary. This notion’s about to be tested in Guyana, where an African Business Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) has just been launched by ACDA. Not “African-Guyanese” Chamber of Commerce but “African”.

It seems this group’s been around for a while as the “African Business Roundtable”. But even though your Eyewitness knew about an African Business Roundtable which was founded in Africa during the nineties...he didn’t hear about a branch here. But this might explain the lack of a hyphen in the name of the new Chamber of Commerce.

So who’s gonna belong to this new Chamber? Do they really believe in the ethnically polarised climate of Guyana, this initiative won’t be seen as sending out some subtexts as to who should be doing business with whom?

...the gravy train

Snicker all you want about Trump, but his five-year ban on government employees becoming lobbyists in the field they supervised makes a heck of a lotta sense.

The present revolving door between government and business always strained your Eyewitness’ credulity!

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

news

9

SunDAY, november 20, 2016 | guyanatimesgy.com

Early budget leaves room NA truck driver bound, robbed by bandits for greater abuse – Jagdeo T he presentation of an early budget is not as glorious as the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) claims; it in fact leaves room for greater abuse of Government spending.

In continuing to mount opposition against the presentation of an early budget, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo argued that the early budget puts the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) parliamentarians at a major disadvantage when debating the financial expenditures of the government in the National Assembly.

“There is nothing unique about this early budget. It just puts us in a difficult position because we are not going to have actual figures; puts us at a severe disadvantage to scrutinise the budget the way it should be,” he told a recent news conference.

Budget 2017 will be laid in the National Assembly by Finance Minister Winston Jordan on November 28.

Therefore, the administration would have to prepare estimates of what will be spent in the days after the presentation of the budget until the end of the fiscal year, December 31.

“So they will have actual expenditures up to just before they go to print and an estimate of what is to be spent between 20 November, or whenever they decide, to December 31. This now leaves room for greater abuse and I

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

think this is one of the reasons why they are bringing an early budget,” Jagdeo explained.

The Opposition Leader asserted that there will be a month of “basically the Government being able to do what it wants because it would have come to Parliament with a figure but that figure would have had projections.”

He outlined that: “I could be arguing about a shortfall in revenue and then in December you have a surge in revenue or I could be praising the Government for meeting all of the fiscal criteria, meeting the target on fiscal deficit, then in December you have a huge expenditure or a revenue position that falls short of what was projected for December and you have a bigger deficit. So I will never be able to debate that in

the Parliament.”

Former Junior Finance Minister Juan Edghill had expressed his belief that government’s early budget presentation was a means of evading public scrutiny: “We are very concerned if this is another three-card trick that is being played out in the public where we are going to be duped. Is this another form of corruption to hide underperformance and create opportunities for greater levels of corruption….?”

Edghill maintained that there was no haste for an early budget presentation, noting that historically, the country’s budget was presented in the first quarter

Former Junior Finance Minister Juan Edghill

of the fiscal year. He noted too that there were already mechanisms in place for the interim spending of the Government, which is 1/12 of the previous budget, until the new budget is presented and passed.

A

J and A Variety Store and the house that was robbed

rmed bandits on Friday evening attacked and robbed a truck driver at his Glasgow New Housing Scheme, New Amsterdam, home.

Jason Hussein, 24, was home alone when the robbery occurred. Reports are the man was having dinner when the intruder entered through an open window with a cutlass.

According to Hussein, after seeing the man he threw his plate at the thief and dashed for the front door in a bid to escape and raise an alarm.

He said when he opened

the door he was confronted by two other men - one armed with a firearm and the other with a cutlass. All three men wore masks and gloves, this newspaper was told.

During the confrontation at the door a shot was fired in Hussein’s direction which pierced his refrigerator. This newspaper was told that the armed men bound the truck driver then ransacked.

The J and A Variety Store operated by Hussein’s mother-in-law, Angeline Sattar and located in the same yard was also ran-

sacked. The bandits escaped with two gold rings, three cellular phones and an undisclosed sum of cash.

Neighbours told this newspaper that they heard a single gunshot but initially though it was firecracker.

Meanwhile after the bandits left, Hussein was able to free himself and raise an alarm. Police arrived a few minutes later and combed the area but came up empty-handed.

No arrests have been made but investigations are continuing. (Andrew Carmichael)

10 news

SunDAY, november 20, 2016 | guyanatimesgy.com

Constitution Reform Bill

PM wants $80M for countrywide consultations

H

aving failed to commence work within its first 100 days in office as promised, the coalition A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government has drafted a Constitution Consultative Reform Commission Bill and Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo is seeking some $80 million to establish a secretariat for the commission.

At a press conference hosted by the AFC on Friday, Nagamootoo told reporters that he had requested the money from Finance Minister Winston Jordan in next year’s budget, which is slated to be presented on November 28.

However, he noted that he is not sure whether the entire sum was approved.

“I haven’t seen the reworked figures but we were asking for a substantial sum, not below $80 million. I don’t know what was finally approved… That is mainly for the consultation process, to take it to the different parts of the country… and also to es-

tablish a secretariat,” he disclosed.

He noted that the bill drafted for the Constitution Reform Commission has been tabled and he is hoping to have it passed before year end, or first thing next year, so that the secretariat can be set up to host countrywide consultations on what aspects of the Constitution ought to be changed or reformed.

In August last year, Government had established a Constitutional Reform Steering Committee (CRSC), headed by Attorney Nigel Hughes, who had compiled and submitted a report to Prime Minister Nagamootoo back in April this year. That report is yet to be made public.

However, the Prime Minister noted that he will soon make the final report available so that the public could be guided as to the “comprehensive and far-reaching” scope of reforms that have been proposed. He added too that based on what is presented during the nationwide consultations, it will be deter-

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo mined whether Government will go the “full mile”, taking into consideration the elections slated for 2020.

“The hearings may in fact produce recommendations that would take into consideration that you need to close the Constitution reform process within a time frame because as I see it, this would be a very marathon process not completed before two years is over,” he stated.

Nevertheless, Nagamootoo posited that while the process will be difficult, the party is still committed to having Constitution reforms.

Moreover, Nagamootoo posited that he is looking to consult with the parliamentary Opposition on the content of the bill, as he would like to have full support for its passage. He noted that the bill is not controversial as he himself has reworked it based on the previous Constitution Reform Bill, a process which he was involved in since 1996.

On the other hand, the Prime Minister mentioned that he is also seeking assistance from international donors on taking the Constitutional reform process along. He detailed that the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has offered technical support and has since submit a proposal for a needs assessment team from the UN to determine what would be required to undertake constitutional re-

forms.

He added too that that at an appropriate time, Government would approach its international donors and some individual member countries for assistance to carry through the Constitution reform process. To this end, he remarked that a commitment has already been given by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for a substantial sum if Government pursues a reform in the Constitution for the protection of children to consolidate the constitutional protection.

Constitutional reform was a hot topic during the 2015 General and Regional Elections campaign, with the APNU/AFC coalition promising to undertake the task.

As part of the reform process, Government had touted major changes to the governance structure, including separate elections to elect a President and National Assembly members; the capping of presidential powers; and changes to the composition of service commissions, among others.

The Constitutional Reform Steering Committee that was established will be responsible for effecting the changes to the Constitution when Government finalises its decision on the reforms.

The Committee – which comprises of former Director of Transparency International and Attorney Gino Persaud, Professor Harold Lutchman, former Magistrate Geeta Chandan-Edmond, and was chaired by Attorney and AFC member Nigel Hughes – was established by the subcommittee on Parliamentary Affairs reportedly without consultation from the parliamentary Opposition.

In fact, General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party Clement Rohee had explained shortly after the Commission was established that his party was not invited to field any representative to the committee. He noted that the party views the persons appointed as “APNU/ AFC hacks” and “residents of Office of the President”.

Dead Meat

S

atiricus was smiling. He and his new drinking buddies Bungi and Hari were "priming the pump" at the Back Street Bar. The following day they would be attending the wedding of their friend Suresh's daughter, Savo. Satiricus was expounding on his belief in "homeopathy" - that which causes an illness can also cure the illness.

"In this case," he explained to his two friends, "fighting future alcohol ‘stale-buse’ with present alcohol drinkingl!"

"Like fighting fire with fire!" agreed Hari.

"Fyaah?!" exclaimed Bungi, "Le' abee haul watah! Da guh out fyaah!" They'd been imbibing for several hours, and were at that stage when they were ready to solve the world's problems.

"Eh! eh! Sato, I read your KFC party will be having its National Conference after the New Year," said Hari with a grin. "You going?"

"Of course I'm going," said Satiricus firmly. "I need some answers!"

"Like what?" asked Hari.

"Well, Rum Jhaat said we would be 'dead meat' if we joined up with the Pee an' See," replied Satiricus.

"What's his position now?"

"Me t'ink de KFC a prappa stink nowadays," interjected Bungi. "Dem mussee bin dead meat fuh wan laang time!"

"Just like fishes, parties start to stink from the head," observed Hari snarkily, as looked across at Satiricus. "You think Rum Jhaat will step down as leader since his one year term is over?"

"Hari, wha' schupidness yuh talk?" interjected Bungi.

"Ah people like Sato gat fuh vote fuh t'row out dat waste Rum Jhaat!"

"Maybe we don't have to do that, you know," said Satiricus hopefully. "We have rotating leadership, you know. Rum Jhaat has to rotate."

"Wid who?" Asked Bungi. "Trat Man?" "Naaah!" butted in Hari. "Remember Trot Man said he was too sick to be in politics?

"Suh how come 'e tek big Ministah wuk?" Bungi wanted to know.

"That was a miracle," answered Satiricus. "But I don't think there will be a second miracle, since it looks like he went back home to Pee an' See." "Suh wha' guh happen?"'asked Bungi.

"They will keep Rum Jhaat as the head of the KFC," predicted Hari flatly.

"Why?" Satiricus demanded indignantly.

"Pee an' See need an Indian for that KFC leadership," replied Hari with a smirk. "And Nagga Man says he's not an Indian!"

news

11

SunDAY, november 20, 2016 | guyanatimesGY.com

Defective Kato School

Bittersweet sugar industry

Govt looking for scapegoat Govt mulls taking contractor to court to blame – Ramsammy

F

ormer Agriculture Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy believes that the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) and APNU/AFC Government have to quickly find a scapegoat to blame for the dismal sugar production in 2016.

He stated that they are in preparation mode to break the bad news of the poor production and to justify their plans to close sugar or to close some parts and privatise other parts.

Ramsammy noted that while Wales and LBI Estates are already due for closure this year and other closures are expected in 2017, Skeldon is to be privatised in another sweetheart deal that is “similar to the public health warehouse deal”.

“APNU/AFC is now in full misinformation, distraction and blame mode. Professor Thomas, after praising Skeldon Sugar Factory at the end of 2015 and taking credit for an outstanding 2015 at Skeldon and the industry as a whole, announced last week that the Skeldon Factory is falling apart,” he said, highlighting that Government’s spokesperson Raphael Trotman is now blaming former President and present Opposition Leader Bharat Jagdeo and former President

Former Agriculture Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy

Ramotar for Skeldon's and GuySuCo's woes.

However, he stated that both Jagdeo and Ramotar, far from blaming Booker Tate, tried to remedy the problems and overcome the challenges. “They recognised sugar was facing major challenges like climate change, need for mechanisation, expansion, modernisation and diversification. They knew specifically Skeldon suffered from a design flaw, both in the construction of the new factory and in the land conversion for mechanisation and expansion,” he said, adding that they recognised the experts had not made proper adjustments for drainage and irrigation for expanded cultivation.

“This was trying to find solutions, not finding scapegoats,” he said further.

Ramsammy stated that when Booker Tate, which was the contractor responsible for factory design and completing land conversion, failed to take necessary corrective action, GuySuCo sued Booker Tate. “That was not idle blaming, it was holding Booker Tate accountable. They were paid, they needed to deliver.

Skeldon was not the wrong decision; Booker Tate made mistakes in the designs, some of which were reckless,” he declared. He stated that Trotman, Professor Thomas, and others must explain why GuySuCo has not continued the legal action against Booker Tate. He questioned if it had anything to do with the fact that Booker Tate's representative on the board was Errol Hanoman, who is now at GuySuCo. “That GuySuCo, under instruction of APNU/AFC, is not pursuing accountability

by Booker Tate is irresponsible and since Hanoman is now the CEO, it raises serious conflict of interest concerns,” he said, adding that Skeldon was the right investment decision to ensure sugar stays as a mainstay of Guyana's economy into another century.

G

Kato Secondary School

overnment is considering taking the contracting company to court over the shoddy works done on the multimillion-dollar Kato Secondary School in Region Eight (PotaroSiparuni).

Three years ago, the previous administration paid close to $1 billion to Kares Engineering Incorporated for the construction of the school which would have accommodated some 400 children from the community.

However, earlier this year, the Public Infrastructure Ministry estimated that 60 per cent of the school has defects.

Auditing company Rodrigues Architects Limited found severe structural defects in the complex, such as crumbling walls, bad timbers, exposed electrical outlets, cracking stairways, and exposed steel.

The auditors said the classrooms were incorrectly placed away from the windward side and would ultimately lead to hot, uncomfortable classrooms.

Additionally, it was highlighted that the dining room and kitchen could not accom-

modate the school’s projected number of students. Safety concerns were also noted since the school lacked fencing. This was especially worrying since the school would be housing at least 250 students in its dormitories.

The company estimated that remedial works would cost a whopping $140 million.

Government spokesperson Raphael Trotman told a post-cabinet press briefing that government is considering a range of options in dealing with the matter, including the possibility of taking the contracting company to court.

“Do we surcharge them by way of taking them to court and getting damages and having someone else do it?” he presumed.

Trotman disclosed that Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson and Attorney General Basil Williams are currently engaged in discussions regarding the best way forward.

Other options being explored are whether government should stand the expense to fix the school or whether the company that

presided over the bad workmanship should be mandated to repair its inferior work.

“Ultimately the wellbeing and welfare of children, and their right to an education must be paramount, so I believe that the Minister of Public Infrastructure is going to be finding ways to do some repairs to the building so that it can be safely, efficiently occupied by the students,” Trotman surmised.

He added that the Attorney General is in charge of determining which party will stand the expense of repairs to the school.

Minister Patterson, according to media reports, had indicated that although the contracting company is willing to remedy the faults, government is not keen on having them conduct the repairs since they are under investigation.

He had asserted that the company was given many opportunities to correct its poor work, but did not.

Meanwhile, the 400 students are currently receiving schooling in another institution which is already very overcrowded.

12 news

SunDAY, november 20, 2016 | guyanatimesgy.com

Repossession of core home

Single-mother wins case against Govt C hief Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards has ruled in favour of a single-mother who challenged the State’s repossession of her home at Lot 902 Plantation Westminster, Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara.

Gaytrie Singh, a mother of four, had moved to the High Court by way of a motion, asking for, among other things, a conservatory order prohibiting servants and/or agents of the Central Housing & Planning Authority (CHPA) or any other officer of the State from interfering with her possession and occupation of her property.

She was also seeking over $10 million in damages for what she wants the court to declare are breaches of her constitutional right not to have her property seized without compensation.

Singh’s attorney Anil

Nandlall told Guyana Times that the Judge ordered the State to pay $200,000.

Additionally, the ruling said the repossession of the

woman’s property is a violation of her fundamental right and freedom as is guaranteed to her by Article 142 of the Constitution of Guyana.

The ruling said the repossession has breached any term or condition contained in any Agreement of Sale in respect of the said

land or any transport or certificate of title in relation to the said land, more particularly, a condition which mandates the title holder or the

transportee to be in occupation of the said land, is unlawful, contrary to and in breach of Article 142 of the Constitution of Guyana, in breach of natural justice, arbitrary, oppressive, unreasonable, capricious, null, void and of no effect.

The court also granted a

Conservatory Order prohibiting servants and/or agents of the CHPA, the Housing Ministry or any other officer of the state from entering upon, remaining, occupying or in any manner whatsoever interfering with the woman’s quiet and peaceful possession, occupation and enjoyment at her property.

Meanwhile, in defending its move, the CHPA said it had seen evidence of persons sub-letting and, in one instance, attempting to sell one of the houses.

The Central Housing and Planning Authority had threatened and attempted to confiscate dozens of core homes which were allocated under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic Government to single-parents.

Several lawsuits have been filed already, challenging the State’s decision to repossess homes.

Anna's

“The troubles”, Granger’s new brand of Kool Aid Anna Correia

D

uring the Ecotones 3-G Conference hosted two weeks ago in Montpellier, brief mention was made of Jonestown and why it is not commemorated the same way the sinking of the Son Chapman is. In response, it was suggested that the reason everything was done to forget the Jonestown tragedy is because it occurred in full knowledge of the PNC dictatorship which ended in Anna Correia 1992. The culmination of a madman’s delusion into mass suicide, was essentially due to four years of neglect from the Guyanese government to intervene.

In reality, while the PNC latched itself onto the Wismar tragedy, not quite unlike a parasite, year after year and for its own political mileage, it cautiously distanced itself from the Jonestown mass suicide which claimed the life of over 900 people. The majority of the victims were Guyanese of African descent, the ethnic group constituting the core of the PNC support base and electorate.

Sadly, the PPP/C also, during its successive mandates following the dictatorship, failed to accord Jonestown its rightful importance in our history and as a result, the jungle eventually reclaimed the land on which Jim Jones’ cabins had trapped hundreds of Guyanese.

Jonestown is located in the vicinity of Four Miles, not far from Port Kaituma (Region 1). In 2014, during a land titling field investigation, Jonestown’s boundaries were carefully examined so that there would be no overlapping with the Four Miles proposed title (now titled). When we visited the site, debris was still visible, including a faded overhead signboard dangling over what was once the entrance. Most of the team abstained from entering the premises; it was believed that the lieu was haunted. There was a quasi-palpable sense of unease which I have to admit, was contagious. No one spoke much of Jonestown after we left, except to map GPS coordinates and delineate boundaries. Looking back it seems strange, especially since the team generally enjoyed uncanny story telling after dinner and a hard day out in the fields.

Jonestown seems to provoke the same sensation of discomfort, or alternatively ignorance, associated with broaching taboos. There is such a disconnection between Guyanese and Jonestown that it could fool anyone who didn’t know better, into thinking that the tragedy is a fragment of our history which happened hundreds of years ago. But Guyanese, while we do have an important role to play in keeping the memory of our ancestors alive, are not the sole culprits in forgetting this obscure part of our history.

Unfortunately, we have been cursed with Governments bent on negating their responsibilities in the tumultuous postindependence history of Guyana, unwilling to bring closure to the events which have scarred the country; unwilling to teach the nation to learn from history. When the PNC reinvented itself by forming the APNU coalition, it formally abandoned its responsibility in the downfall of Guyana during the dictatorship.

By 2015, when the APNU coalesced with the recently founded AFC, it introduced itself as a “fresh approach” and a clean slate. Pre-1992 no longer existed in its books, although one of Burnham’s soldiers was now running for President.

When President Granger assumed office, he continued this pursuit to reformulate history. His latest invention is a term he dubbed “the troubles” (early 2000s) on October 13, 2016, when he delivered a speech to the House that lambasted the PPP for being responsible for the current state of affairs in the country. Interestingly, “the troubles” is a term formatted to suit a particular political agenda, and confines Guyana’s post-colonial history to the period spanning the beginning of the Jagdeo era to now. To the unfamiliar ear, it is almost as though anything beyond Jagdeo and the PPP, never existed; as if the Burnhamite dictatorship never existed. Jonestown never existed.

In light of the selective amnesia of our Governments and the minimal efforts at self-instructing ourselves where we can, we should not be surprised if “drink the Kool Aid” has become a banal expression used by young Guyanese and social commentators, to incarnate all that they’ve retained from Jonestown.

The memory of our historical legacies, our cultures and our heritage, can only be immortalised by our will. And until we realise that we are the vessels of history, we will continue to repeat the same mistakes and succumb to the Government Kool Aid. (Send comments to sundayarrow@gmail.com)

news

13

SunDAY, november 20, 2016 | guyanatimesgy.com

Crime and no punishment

T

he foremost job of every Government is ensuring security, both internal security for its citizens and border security from external threat. Given that President David Granger is a career soldier, everyone expects that he has expertise in this area and should, by now, have introduced policies which would have halted the rising crime rate.

Instead, from the very first, Granger signalled that he would be soft on crime with the pardoning of criminals which ignored all the regulations governing such releases. National Security Ryhaan Shah Minister Kemraj Ramjattan has followed up with policies and statements that blame the victims by establishing curfews to change our behaviour and now advising that we should use more plastic for financial transactions.

Granger has further stated that the current crop of criminals grew up under the lawlessness that occurred during the PPP/C administration. The major lawlessness during that time was the Buxton-centred violence that raged for years. The “freedom fighters” armed with AK-47s claimed they were “marginalised” and the PNC were among those that justified their rampage against a democratically elected government and their perceived supporters, Indian Guyanese.

According to a report on the transfer of wealth compiled

by Dr Ramesh Gampat and Dr Somdat Mahabir for the GIHA Crime Report, $391.4 million were robbed from mainly Indian Guyanese by the Buxton criminals between February 2002 and February 2003. This figure included property damage and ransoms collected for the release of IndianGuyanese hostages who were kidnapped and held in Buxton until their family paid up.

Some of those criminals and their accomplices were young boys – now grown men, as Granger agrees – and having had a taste of easy money from criminal enterprise are probably not inclined to work especially since there is always the chance of a presidential pardon.

But even before the PPP/C took office in 1992, there had been the near-30 years of the PNC dictatorship when kickdown-the-door banditry and open thuggery from the House of Israel and other arms of the state were the “law” of the land.

The PPP/C did not spawn the lawlessness. They never, however, managed to curb it mainly because they never had control of the armed forces. That control was and remains in the hands of the PNC’s “kith and kin”.

Instead of cracking down on crime, Granger is going after licensed gun holders, a move that would further embolden the criminals. Following the shooting death of a burglar in Diamond by a homeowner, the president spoke about reassessing the issuance of gun licences to private citizens, and a young police officer said to me, sucking his teeth, “The criminals have more rights than we.”

It is obvious that morale in the Police Force is very low.

They see no reason to stick their necks out when Government is comfortable with blaming the victims and when Granger might well pardon the criminals anyway.

The president believes that the rise in crime is a conspiracy to make the police look bad and that guns are being rented out to criminals. Perhaps, he has evidence that informs such statements but, even if true, don’t the police still have to respond and apprehend the criminals?

In all the reasons being forwarded for the crime wave, Government avoids stating the obvious: that the shrinking economy results in rising unemployment which leads to more crime.

As with the economic downturn, the Granger Government appears hapless in its efforts to stop the runaway crime which targets the homes and businesses of mainly Indian Guyanese and Chinese nationals. Like white supremacists are emboldened by Trump’s victory in the US, is it that criminals here are as emboldened by Granger’s softness on crime?

Crime, including political/racial crimes, has been flourishing in Guyana for 50 years and counting. The Buxtoncentred violence during the PPP/C administration was undoubtedly used as cover for other nefarious activities and when that government led a pushback that resulted in the shooting deaths of many of the alleged criminals, the PNC and the “human rights” group were very quick to make a case for extra-judicial killings.

As now, the PNC and GHRA were never concerned about the victims of the crimes. Crime has been used as a political weapon in Guyana and, because of this, there has been much crime and little or no punishment. It is ingrained in the national psyche as the way to get whatever you want.

If there is a conspiracy afoot to make his government look bad, Granger only has to look at the past record of criminal behaviour to find the wellspring for that idea.

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

CoI into illegal aircraft

Submission of final report extended

T

he final report of the Commission of Inquiry into the discovery of the foreign aircraft at Yupukari, Region Nine (Upper TakutuUpper Essequibo), which was due on November 16 will now be handed over to President David Granger on November 25.

The Head of State granted the approval of the extension following a request by head of the commission Brigadier retired Edward Collins.

Collins was commissioned to investigate, examine, advise and report on the circumstances under which the foreign aircraft, discovered on September 13, 2016, entered the country.

Concurrent to the CoI, a Joint Services team, headed by Superintendent Hugh Denheart of the Guyana

The foreign aircraft that was found at Yupukari, Region Nine

Police Force, is conducting investigations and will pursue and probe the areas beyond the scope of the Terms of Reference of the Commission.

The aircraft bearing registration number N767Z, was first brought to the attention of officials on Tuesday, September 13, by a resident of the area.

The following day, a joint Army, CANU, and Police team was dispatched to the

location to conduct investigations. One week later, the government announced that a CoI would be set up to probe the discovery of the aircraft in Guyana’s territory.

Meanwhile, investigators had discovered during interviews with nearby residents that the aircraft had been sighted circling the area on numerous occasions in the past.

Additionally, a num-

ber of residents shared information they deemed as “suspicious activity”, including the presence of motorcycles or ATVs frequenting the area at midnight.

It was later revealed that the plane originated from Colombia and may have been in Guyana a month prior to its discovery.

Colombia is known as a major producer of cocaine, with Guyana being a transshipment point to the US and Europe.

It was further reported that a leak was discovered in the fuel tank thus investigators believed that this may have caused the aircraft to land in Guyana.

The aircraft was repaired and flown to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri, and is currently secured at the GDF Air Corps Hangar, Air Station London.

14 news

SunDAY, november 20, 2016 | guyanatimesgy.com

14-year-old gives birth at GPHC Younge’s Take …impregnated by 35-year-old man A coalition A in crisis 14-year-old girl, who was impregnated by a 35-year-old man, gave birth at the Georgetown Public Hospital on Tuesday, a source close to the hospital said.

According to reports, the teen was being raised by a guardian after her father died and her mother became ill.

However, an official from the Child Care and Protection Agency stated that the agency had not received any information on the matter from the hospital.

“We aren’t aware of this matter but the hospital has to send us a report. They usually do for any such cases occur,” the official said, adding that they would do so before the girl is discharged.

Junior Public Health Minister Dr Karen Cummings on Friday, when asked about what the ministry can do to help pregnant underage girls and why does the system continue to fail them, stated that the matter is a matter of the Education Social Protection and Public Security Ministries. She noted, however, that the Public Health Ministry is doing its best to help pregnant teens by implementing support groups in health centres across the country that offers counselling and family planning measures.

According to the United States Department Report on Human Rights for 2015, there is a high incidence of unreported cases of rape and sexual assault in Guyana. The Report had stated that a large number of cases of rape and other forms of sexual assaults go unreported to authorities, most likely due to fear of stigma, lack of confidence in authorities, retribution, or further violence.

The Report noted that while the law criminalises rape, including spousal rape; successful prosecution of cases are infrequent.

Jenel Sweatman, of School Health Unit within the Education Ministry said that once a child is under age the matter would be handed over to the Ministry of Social Protection and the Child Care and Protection Agency.

However, she stated that not all is lost when a child becomes pregnant. She stated that the Education Ministry has started the process of reintegration of the pregnant teens into schools outside of their communities, which will prevent stigma.

She stated that 16 girls are already being reintegrated to the health system, and as part of the initiative with the Public Health Ministry, “we give them a care package to help them prepare their baby bays.”

The United Nations Children’s Fund Situation Analysis of Children and Women in Guyana 2016, said teenage pregnancy is still a problem since about 15 per cent of girls between ages 15 and 19 had begun child bearing, with different rates depending on the area the girls live, theri poverty status, and ethnicity.

It asserted that in many cases first intercourse is forced, which highlights the underlying issue of gender-based sexual violence and the need for prevention and response strategies.

As a matter of fact, 2008/2009 Biological Behavioural Surveillance Survey had revealed that almost 24 per cent of secondary school girls who had started their sexual life were forced by someone to have sex.

L

ast week, the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change Government announced that it was moving to the National Assembly with a new bill to ensure that former People’s National Congress Prime Minister Hamilton Green specifically benefit from a new pension for his service in that capacity to the people of this country from 1985 to 1992.

The government over the past few days, has deliberately stayed away from publicly explaining the rationale behind the bill and the considerations which went into the mix when the sudden decision was arrived at. Under the new Act, which will be passed as a result of the coalition’s majority in the legislature, Green, now 81, Michael Younge will pocket close to $20 million annually and will also now be entitled to maids, guards and other facilities that only former President’s get.

Green, when interviewed by the media, appeared to be rejoicing at the move by the PNC-led coalition describing it as “fair, timely, just and in order”. He said that the new pension would guarantee him a life of dignity in line with the office he held as he was living since 1994 on the strength of his wife and children.

Mind you, Green also reportedly continue to pocket his parliamentary pension of $1million annually; his pension as a former Mayor and Councillor which is over $720,000 annually; remuneration and perks that comes with his recent accession to the Chairmanship of the Central Housing and Planning Authority Board and other perks which have not yet been disclosed from his stint in the public service.

While I believe strongly that Green did nothing significant to advance national unity and this country’s overall economic development while he served in high office but much to create chaos, rigged democratic machinery and political chaos, to him and his coalition Government I say without fear: There exists no doubt in the minds of decent and hardworking citizens of this country that this coalition will feel the wrath of the electorate much sooner than later. It appears from this most recent act and others in the not so distant past that the government clearly has its priorities mixed up and is practicing the shameful politics of self-aggrandisement, and enrichment of their political allies, cohorts and loyalists.

Also, public servants should see this as a massive insult to their service to the development of this country. While the government is arguing that it can ill-afford larger increases for them, it is finding the resources to ensure that its political henchmen are looked after for life. It is misappropriating public funds to finance questionable bond contractors and disastrous architectural projects such as those at D’Urban Park and the Ministry of the Presidency.

It has found enough money in coffers which they said were empty to finance a 50 per cent increase in minister’s salaries and benefits.

It has found enough money to squander on non-essential activities and works under the guise of commemorating Guyana’s 50th Independence anniversary.

It has found money to pay scores of political advisors and exmilitary officers to serve both in government and at the helm of government and the President’s Commissions of Inquiry.

Sugar workers, Government retirees and all other servicemen who laboured in order to pave the way for younger generations of this country are also deserving of better salaries and pensions in order to guarantee them a life of dignity.

They deserve better service in general from this new government that promised so much and so far has only delivered little. Where is the lean and clean government that the coalition promised to the people of this country that would see more financial resources being used to empower the poor and create more opportunities for the middle-class?

Where is the Government’s compassion in the run-up to this festive season as it grapples with crisis in almost every part of the economy with business and private sector investment at an all-time low? Where is the government’s checks and balances for good governance and transparency to avoid these continuous scandals and political missteps?

In the words of their own supporter Tacuma Ogunseye: “There seems to be no political discussions which inform these decisions. The frequency with which these missteps are made indicates the existence of a ‘crisis’ in the coalition’s governance culture.”

It would appear that the Government is again encouraging a new wave of socialism which breeds dependency and ultimately leads to further un-development in a free market world because it has been spending public funds in all of the wrong areas since it took office. I therefore wish to take it a bit further and quote the words of Britain’s first female Prime Minister: “socialists are happy when other people’s monies have run out” and in this case it’s the public’s money.

Again in her words: “If you just set out to be liked, you will be prepared to compromise on anything at anytime, and would achieve nothing.” This coalition is in crisis and I said it from day one.

15

SunDAY, november 20, 2016 | guyanatimesgy.com

16

SunDAY, november 20, 2016 | guyanatimesGY.com

17

SunDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2016 | guyanatimesGY.com

18

SunDAY, november 20, 2016 | guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2016

19

India in charge, England holding on Jonny Bairstow became the world's leading Test run scorer in 2016 in England’s 1st Innings

E

ngland were pushed further towards defeat on day three o f the second Te s t against India in Visakhapatnam.

Ravichandran Ashwin took 5-67 as the tourists were bowled out for 255 to give up a first-innings deficit of 200.

Ben Stokes made 70 and Jonny Bairstow 53 in a sixth-wicket partnership

Farfan & Mendes Junior Tournament… courts

S

homari Wiltshire brought an end to the dominance of Alex Cheeks at the Guyana Squash Association (GSA) in collaboration with its number one corporate sponsor Digicel annual Farfan & Mendes Junior Squash Tournament at the Georgetown Club squash

on Friday.

P l a y continued on day 3 with matches a l l which

in n i n e categories are being contested. In

category A Cheeks lost in four games to Wiltshire.

Wiltshire won the first game 11 – 6, but Alex won the second game in identical fashion 11 – 6. Shomari then won a close third game 11 – 9 and closed out the match with an 11 – 7 win in the fourth game.

In category B, Rebecca Low and Samuel Ince-Carvalhal had a ding dong tussle with Rebecca eventually winning the match by three games to one. Samuel won the first game 11

Results in each of the categories were as follows.

Category I

Noah Rahaman beat Jared Saul 11-6, 11-5 Dhiren Persaud defeated Malia Maikoo 11-7, 11- 7 Aishani Persaud beat Joshua Verwey Saul 11-7, 17 – 15

Category H

Elan Rahaman beat Lucas Persaud 11- 7, 11 – 8 Rayad Boyce beat Rayden Persaud 6 – 11, 11 – 8, 12 - 10

Category G

Beau Fernandes beat Osmond Mack 11 – 8, 8 – 11, 11 – 7 Teija Edwards beat Isabella Ramjohn 11 – 8, 3 – 11, 11 – 8

Category F

Mikhail Persaud beat Liam Carpenter 4 – 11, 11 – 6, 11 – 7 Nicholas Verwey beat Chad De Abreu 12 – 10, 9 – 11, 11 – 5 Louis da Silva defeated Shiloh Asregado 11 – 3, 11 – 3

Category E

Zachary Persaud beat Nathan Rahaman 11 – 7, 11 – 8 Zachary Persaud beat Haley Carpenter 11 – 4, 11 – 5

Category D

Madison Fernandes beat Abosaide Cadogan 11 – 9, 11 – 7, 8 – 11, 5 – 11, 11 – 9 Kirsten Gomes beat Jason

Gomes 11 – 5, 11 – 5, 11 – 5

Category C

Demetrius De Abreu beat Lucas Jonas 11 – 6, 11 – 5, 11 – 3 Michael Alphonso beat Ethan Jonas 11 – 9, 11 – 6, 11 - 7

Category B

Makeda Harding beat Maya Collins 11 – 3, 11 – 6, 11 – 7 Rebecca Low defeated Samuel Ince- Carvalhal 6 – 11, 12 - 10, 11 – 6, 11 – 6

Category A

Shomari Wiltshire defeated Alex Cheeks 11 – 6, 6 – 11, 11 – 9, 11 – 7 Matches then continued on the morning of day 4 and the results are as follows.

Category I

Aishani Persaud beat Jared Saul 11- 8, 4 – 11, 11 – 6 Jared Saul beat Joshua Verwey 11 – 8, 12 – 10 Aishani Persaud beat Malia Maikoo 11 – 5, 12 – 10 Joshua Verwey beat Grant Fernandes 14 – 12, 11 – 5 Dhiren Persaud beat Grant Fernandes 11 – 6, 13 – 11 Dhiren Persaud defeated Jared Saul 11 – 7, 12 – 10 Noah Rahaman beat Malia Maikoo 8 – 11, 13 – 11, 12 – 10

Category H

Rayden Persaud beat Lucas Persaud 15 – 13, 11 – 8 Elan Rahaman defeated Rayad Boyce 11 – 4, 15 – 17, 11 – 3

Category G

Jahcinta Adams beat Beau Fernandes 11 – 6, 12 – 14, 11 – 7

Category F

Mikhail Persaud beat Shiloh Asregado 11 – 4, 11 – 3 Louis Da Silva beat Chad De Abreu 9 – 11, 11 – 5, 11 – 4 Nicholas Verwey defeated Liam Carpenter 11 – 8, 11 – 6

Category E

James Mekdeci defeated Mohyryan Baksh 7 – 11, 11 – 8, 12 – 10 Haley Carpenter defeated Nathan Rahaman 12 – 10, 11 – 6 Paige Fernandes beat Nathan Rahaman 11 – 6, 11 – 2 Mohyryan Baksh beat Haley Carpenter 11 – 4, 11 – 3

Category C

Michael Alphonso defeated Lucas Jonas 13 – 11, 11 – 8, 11 – 7 Ethan Jonas beat Demetrius De Abreu 11 – 4, 11 – 5, 3 – 11, 11 – 8

Category B

Makeda Harding beat Gianni Carpenter 11 – 7, 11 – 8, 7 – 11, 10 – 12, 11 - 5

of 110 before England lost their last four wickets for 30 runs.

India were reduced to 40-3, but Virat Kohli's unbeaten 56 took his side to 98-3 and a lead of 298. At some point on Sunday, probably soon after lunch, England will begin the task of batting for a day and a half to save the game.

It will require a remarkable effort on a surface that is showing variable bounce and is likely to offer more than

– 6 and at 10 – 8 game ball in the second it seemed as if a major upset was in the making. However Rebecca won the next four points to take the second game 12 – 10 and then closed out the match with wins in both the third and fourth games 11 – 6. Makeda Harding outplayed Maya Collins winning in straight games 11 – 3, 11 – 6, 11 – 7. In category C, Demetrius De Abreu had a comfortable win over Lucas Jonas 11 – 6, 11 – 5, 11 – 3, while Michael Alphonso had to work a little harder against Ethan Jonas but also won in three games, 11 – 9, 11 – 6, 11 – 7.

In category D, Madison Fernandes and Abosaide Cadogan went the full five games with Madison eventually prevailing in the fifth. Madison won the first game 11 – 9 and then won the second game 11 – 7. Abosaide then bounced back to win the third game 11 – 8 and then took the fourth 11 – 5. The fifth game went back and forth and at nine all it was anybody’s game to win but Madison won the next two points and the match by three games to two. In the other match in this category Kirsten Gomes easily outplayed her cousin Jason Gomes winning 11 – 5, 11 – 5, 11 - 5 The finals will commence on 11:00h today.

its current modest turn.

"If England had got 350 and taken more time out of the game, I could see a way out for them," said former England captain Michael Vaughan on Test Match Special.

"But they allowed India to be too far ahead. England will have to bat four and a half sessions to avoid going 1-0 down in the series - on a pitch that won't get any better." (BBC Sport)

SCOREBOARD Stumps - Day 3 India 1st innings 455 England 1st innings (over night 103/5) AN Cook* b Mohammed Shami 2 H Hameed run out (J Yadav/†Saha) 13 JE Root c UT Yadav b Ashwin 53 BM Duckett b Ashwin 5 1 MM Ali lbw b J Yadav BA Stokes lbw b Ashwin 70 JM Bairstow† b UT Yadav 53 AU Rashid not out 32 4 ZS Ansari lbw b Jadeja SCJ Broad lbw b Ashwin 13 JM Anderson lbw b Ashwin 0 9 Extras (b-6, lb-3) Total (all out; 102.5 overs) 255 Fall of wickets 1-4 (Cook, 2.3 ov), 2-51 (Hameed, 20.6 ov), 3-72 (Duckett, 27.3 ov), 4-79 (Root, 31.5 ov), 5-80 (Ali, 34.2 ov), 6-190 (Bairstow, 78.3 ov), 7-225 (Stokes, 90.4 ov), 8-234 (Ansari, 95.1 ov), 9-255 (Broad, 102.4 ov), 10255 (Anderson, 102.5 ov)

Bowling: Mohammed Shami 14-5-28-1, UT Yadav 18-2-56-1, RA Jadeja 29-10-57-1, R Ashwin 29.5-6-67-5, J Yadav 12-3-38-1 India 2nd innings M Vijay c Root b Broad 3 KL Rahul c †Bairstow b Broad 10 CA Pujara b Anderson 1 56 V Kohli* not out AM Rahane not out 22 6 Extras (lb-5, w-1) Total (3 wickets; 34 overs) 98 To bat: R Ashwin, WP Saha†, RA Jadeja, J Yadav, Mohammed Shami, UT Yadav Fall of wickets 1-16 (Vijay, 8.3 ov), 2-17 (Rahul, 10.1 ov), 3-40 (Pujara, 16.5 ov) Bowling: JM Anderson 8-116-1, SCJ Broad 6-5-6-2, AU Rashid 12-1-37-0, BA Stokes 5-0 -25-0 (w-1), MM Ali 3-1-9-0

20

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2016

O

WICB/ PCL Digicel Regional 4-Day Tournament

Raymon Reifer (left) and Gudakesh Motie shared 5 wickets

n a rain hit second day, the Leeward Islands Hurricanes were kept quiet by defending champions Guyana Jaguars at Warner Park on Saturday in the second round match of the Digicel Regional Four Day Tournament.

The day began with the hosts on 4 without loss replying to the Jaguars’ first innings score of 293. The visitors made scoring tough for the Hurricanes who only scored 40 runs in the first session losing two wickets in the process from the 26 overs bowled.

The second and third sessions were extended after 88 minutes were lost due to rain and when the umpires called off play 12 minutes before the schedule close of play the Hurricanes had limped to 157 for 9 from a total of 72.2 overs.

Captain Kieran Powell top scored with a patient 79.

Gudakesh Motie is the pick

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

of the Jaguars bowlers with three wickets while Raymon Reifer has two and Keon Joseph, Christopher Barnwell and Veerasammy Permaul one a piece.

The Hurricanes will resume this morning at 9:30h trailing by 136 runs with Jerimiah Louis on 23 and Gavin Tonge 3.

Scores in the other matches;

Trinidad and Tobago Red Force vs Barbados Pride at Queen’s Park Oval Pride 242 and 20/0 Red Force 168 Pride are ahead by 94 runs with all 2nd innings wickets in hand

SCOREBOARD Stumps on day 2 Guyana Jaguars 1st Innings 293 Leeward Islands Hurricanes (overnight 4/0) K Powell* c & b Motie 79 8 M Hodge c Johnson b Reifer A Saunders LBW b Barnwell 7 13 N Bonner run out (Motie) J Hamilton+ LBW b Permaul 4 R Cornwall c Johnson b Permaul 8 23 J Louis not out H Walsh Jr c Joseph b Motie 0 G Tonge not out 3 Boatswain c Hetmyer b Joseph 6 Extras (b-0, lb-1, w-3, nb-1) 5 Total (For 9 wickets, 76.2 overs) 157 FOW: 1-15, 2-37, 3-44, 4-69, 5-92, 6-109, 7-138, 8-142, 9-156 Bowling: K Joseph 14.2-3-26-1, G Motie 17-5-43-3, V Permaul 24-6-44-1, R Reifer 10-5-22-2, C Barnwell 11-3-21-1 Position: Leeward Islands Hurricanes trail by 136 runs with all 1 wicket in hand

J a m a i c a Scorpions vs Windard Islands Volcanoes at Sabina Park Scorpions 151

Volcanoes 1/0 (1 over) Volcanoes trail by 150 runs with all 1st innings wickets in hand

Champion cyclist hospitalized after crash

By Romario Samaroo

T

op local cyclist, Team Gillette Evolution’s Raul Leal was one of two men involved in a collision which left him hospitalized. Leal collided with another motorcyclist on Wednesday along the West Ruimveldt Front Road as he was heading to a ‘wake house’ in South Ruimveldt close to his home at about 21:15h.

Leal who currently ranks third in the open category cycling, said he is certain that the other motorcyclist did not have lights on the bike and that contributed to the crash as the area is very poorly lit.

“I was heading up the Front Road (west to east) approaching cemetery road junction and just before the intersection is where the accident occurred.” Leal went on to add that “ it was a dark area and I was riding a motorbike with reasonable light and I figured the reason why I got into the accident was because the other individual I got in to the crash with had no light because if he had on lights I would have seen

It is uncertain how long Team Evolution’s Raul Leal will be out of cycling

him and prevent it.”

The Traumatized youngster suffered injuries to his back, face as well as a broken right arm and toes on his right foot.

Additionally, Leal has injuries to his leg, the same spot where steel was implanted a few years ago.

Meanwhile, the other unidentified individual suffered

minor bruises about his body and was treated at the hospital and sent away within hours.

Leal said after the accident he was knocked unconscious and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital by police ranks stationed at the West Ruimveldt Outpost located not too far from the accident scene, only to wake up in the hospital.

Even though the injuries are serious, Leal is not giving up on the sport he loves saying he is determined to make a comeback to the top of the sport once again.

“It’s a bit too early indeed to call it quits but to be honest there will be no quitting because cycling is a hobby I really love a lot and I mean even if this throws me off one, two, three even five years, whenever, I always have the passion for the sport and will always continue with it,” the Evolution rider said.

Back in 2013 Leal suffered a broken right hand and right foot as well bruises and a swollen left eye after he collided with a mini bus at Meadow Brook Gardens whilst training.

Part of the action in the Grand Coastal Open Golf Tournament

P

armanand ‘Max’ Persaud has done it again, this time the phenomenal local golfer won the Grand Coastal Golf Open Tournament.

However, it was no easy task as competition at the Lusignan Golf Course was once again challenging among the many golfers that participated in the event on Saturday.

But it was Max who won on count back after him and second

place Aleem Hussain finished on net 65 at the end of the day.

Overall the champion had a good day with a gross of 78 to go with his net score of 65. While Hussain’s gross was 82 to add to his net 65.

The win for Max closed another successful weekend for him as he emerged as the MACORP Golf champion the previous weekend.

In third and fourth position

respectively were Richard Latiff (81 gross 66 net) and Joann Deo (88 gross and 67 net).

Best Gross went to Jaipaul Suknanan (78), who edged Max on count back while Hussain on the back of a good day won nearest to the pin after teeing five feet away from the hole.

Today there will be more golf action at the Lusignan Golf Club from 10:00h.

YELLOW PAGES sunDAY, november 20, 2016 | www.guyanatimesgy.com Business Opportunity

lAND FOR Lease

Complete package, key cutting machine plus 1000 blank keys:.Price: $450,000. Vers Realty: To Rent Office Space & Store Front, 17 Brickdam & Smyth Street, Stabroek, Georgetown Guyana.

Land for Lease. 1.5 Acres WBD. Close to Plantation Walk, Vreed-EnHoop. Call: 658-0115

Tel: 223-1217 Or 600-5759

SERVICES: polygraph testing, cheating spouse, background checks, criminal investigations, private investigations, security survey – risk analysis, due diligence, bodyguard service, security consultancy, any other worldwide services. Contact Central Advisory Service – email: internationallpi1@yahoo.com. Tel : 592-630-4041

CAR RENTALS Need a car to rent? Then call 6111018 for the best cars at great prices.

Progressive Auto Rental: Cars from $4000 and up. Tel: 219-3900, 643-5122

prIVATE INVESTIGATION

property for sale dentistry

Dentures provided in 72 hours from as low as $4500. Contact Dr B Stuart, 209B Charlotte St, Lacytown. Tel: 225-5034

Driving School Shalom Enterprise Driving School 2 Croal Street, Stabroek. You can obtain an International Drivers Permit Covering 131 Countries. Tel: 2273869, 644-7052, 659-3381

EDUCATION REGISTER - learn to play drums, guitar, keyboard and train your voice NOW OR in the Summer. Call 2251151/ 657-8404 Learn to Play Music at Foundation7 : Call NOW: 225-1151/6578404

FOR SALE Powerline Battery Water/wholesale.

1 litre and 0.5 litre sizes. Tel: 680-3863 Clean Garden Earth. Also excavating, grading and leveling done. Call 6279977 Road to Belwasa and A Dip at the Sangam, Indentureship Novels at Austin’s Book Store and Lachmansingh Drug Store. Tel: 226-5053.

flowers Available: Fresh long-stemmed roses, fresh dried and silk floral arrangements, gift items, bridal boutiques and wreaths. Nesha’s Flowerland. 78 Church Street (opposite St George’s Cathedral). Tel: 227-3553/225-3315

immigration

Eccles: $27M Neg. Enterprise Sec C: $20M Neg. Mon Repos: $30M Neg. South Ruimveldt Park: $20M Neg. Broad Street: $80M Neg. Charlotte Street between Camp & Alexander: $55M Neg. Providence (land): $6.5M Neg. Parfaite Harmonie (land): $4.5M Neg. Contact: 691-1521 GOOD HOPE AND OGLE. CONTACT: 6735546, 222-3066, 682-7257, 679-0987

Wanted One Gasoline Mechanic to work on the ECD. Contact: 623-0318 WANTED 1 COSMETOLOGIST. APPLY IN PERSON, SHARON’S BUILDING – CHARLOTTE AND KING STREETS. SALES GIRLS WITH EXPERIENCE PLEASE BRING WRITTEN APPLICATION AND CV TO TRISTAR ELECTRICAL, BRASSONIC Bldg.

(MAIN ENTRANCE 42 WATER ST. G/ Town. 231-7101

TO let

I

3 bedroom upper flat to rent with toilet, bath and water tank located at Success Public Road, East Coast Demerara. Contact: 614-7231

spirituality Dutch spiritual healing in removing evil spirit, bad luck, evil sickness, spells, reuniting lovers and prosperity to business. Call: 612-6417, 687-5653 Surinamese spiritualist. Resolving all problems. Money, love, blockage etc. Call 223-6834/600-7719.

Suriname’s Astrology, Palmist and Hindustani Spiritual Healer, solve all purpose problems, 100% confidential guaranteed. Phone: 602-8997

223-7230-1 (Ext: 35) NOW!

HEPHZIBAH MINISTRIES 24 hrs Prayer Line 322-5081, 322-5738, 322-5788, 3374510, 337-4259, 337-3070, 337-5103. For healing, deliverance, financial difficulties, marriage issues call now. Jesus Cares.

FAST GROWING FOOD DISTRIBUTION COMPANY SEEKING A

KEY CUTTing

CALL FOR INTERVIEW 231-8344 , 223-1027 OR 223-1034

Healthworld Clinic – Providing professional psychological therapy for all mental and behavioral health problems. Call (592)-690-1824 MondaysSaturdays 9am-3pm. Email; healthworldhc@gmail.com

…BHS, NA Secondary off to winning start

3-Bedroom apartment at 482 Herstelling, EBD. Contact: 265-3307 or Whatsapp: 1-917-502-4302

VACANCY

health

West Demerara Secondary clinches WBD title

Repairs and Spares, Air Conditioning, Car AC, Washers, Stoves. Call Nick: 683-1312, 627-3206

IMMIGRATION SERVICES PROFESSIONALLY PREPARED BY IMMIGRATION CONSULTANT. PASSPORT AND VISA APPLICATIONS (PERMANENT/VISITOR) FOR USA, CANADA, UK, CHINA, INDIA, ETC. SABITA’S IMMIGRATION SERVICES. TEL: 225-6496/662-6045

Da Silva’s Optical. For Your Eyes Only, Look Better See Better. Phillip A Da Silva OD, Shannon L Da Silva OD, Natalie Da Silva OD. 248 South Road, Bourda. Phone: 227-3529, Linden: 444-6376, Corriverton: 339-3536, Meten-Meer-Zorg: 275-0322, Grand Cayman Islands: (345) 943-1515 for the perfect trendy touch.

GCB/National Secondary Schools Cricket League 2016...

House plans & estimates, weeding of grass & spraying done within 48hrs.

Call: 216-0671; 622-0267; 692-8464

Ifa Temple – Are you having serious problems and urgently need spiritual help? Call 621-0552 now. Email: anewlife@live.com

optician

WANTED 1 male/female age 20-40 able to understand Dutch, English. Must be living around East Bank/East Coast.

Knowledge of sewing is a plus. Call: 699-8686, 600-7222. 62 Sheriff St, Campbellville

21

services

Immigration & Visa Services We handle all Canadian, USA and UK immigration and visa matters. Self sponsorships, holiday/visitor’s visas, work permits, students visas, family, class, immigration forms, embassy enquiries, appeals for refused cases, US green card lottery, business class waivers, pardons, etc. Get your visa approved. High success rate. Balwant Persaud & Associates.

Certified Immigration Consultants, 68 Sixth Street, Alberttown, Georgetown (Between Cummings & Lights Sts) Tel: 225-1540, 622-8308, 655-3105. Email: balwantpersaud@ yahoo.ca

Professional Key Shop, 125 Carmichael Street, Georgetown. Phone: 225-3923, mobile: 621-3249. We cut any type of key, service and repair all types of locks.

Get your extra key today.

TRUCKS 4 TONS FREEZER; 3 TONS OPEN TRAY; 2 TONS 4WD; NISSAN ATLAS 2 TONS OPEN TRAY TRUCK. PRE-ORDER YOUR UNITS EARLY AND GET THE BEST PRICES. FULL AFTER SALES SERVICES AND FINANCING AVAILABLE. DEO MARAJ AUTO SALES, 2 CHIMNEY ROAD, CHATEAU MARGOT, ECD. 624-0762, 220-5177.

A NAME AND SERVICE YOU CAN TRUST

sports

SPIRITUAL HEALING: REMOVE BLOCKAGE , VOODOO, HEXCURSE, BLACK MAGIC, SPELL, BUSINESS, UPLIFTMENT, PREGNANCY, LOVE & MARRIAGE PROBLEMS, CLEARANCE ETC. Contact: 612-1975, 683-5228

taxi services GR Taxi, 24 hours. Phone: 225-7878, 219-5000 or 227-2100

Classified Ads

n an exhilarating low scoring encounter, West Demerara clinched victory over West Bank Demerara defending champions, Patentia, to become the new champions of that zone as action in the 2016 edition of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) National Secondary School Cricket League (NSSCL) continued.

Played at Belle Vue ground, West Demerara batted first and were bundled out for 78 in 17.4 overs. Ryan Seecharran 18 was the principle scorer. Hemraj Persuad had impressive figures of 6/18 while Wazim Rohaman claimed 2/13 bowling for Patentia.

Patentia in reply, fell for just 51 in 12.5 overs to fall short of their target. Peter Williams was the only batsman to reach double figures for the defending champions

who would have fancied their chances of chasing a low total.

Daneshwar Kowlessar was the pick of the bowlers claiming 5/17 to spur his team to victory.

Aaron Seepersaud also had 3/14 bowling for West Demerara.

In the New Amsterdam/ Canje zone, Berbice High School thumped Tutorial Academy by 10 wickets at BHS ground.

Tutorial Academy batted first and were dismissed for 94 in 17 overs. Joshua Singh top scored with 38. Alex Algoo took 4/12 and Bryan Mahadeo claimed 3/17 bowling for Berbice High.

Berbice High then raced to 96 without loss off just seven overs with Algoo returning with the bat to smash a pugnacious 72 with four fours and five maximums while Mahadeo contributed 17 which included four fours.

At Rose Hall Canje ground,

New Amsterdam Secondary registered a comfortable eight wicket victory over Vryman’s Erven. Vryman’s Erven were restricted to 67 all out in 24.3 overs. Reuben Latcha took 4/13, Jayden Narine took 3/20 and Nicholas Haywood took 2/24 bowling for New Amsterdam Secondary.

New Amsterdam Secondary then replied with 68/2 in 12.4 overs to complete an easy victory. Jason Ramnarine made 23 not out and Anthony Sukra made 13 not out.

The NSSCL will continues on Tuesday November 22, 2016 with the final of the New Amsterdam/Canje zone between New Amsterdam Secondary and the winner of Saturday’s semi-final between Berbice High School and Berbice Educational Institute at Berbice High ground.

$5+VAT per word

Call: 223-7230 Ext 35

T

BOOK KEEPER / INVENTORY CLERK, EXPERIENCE AND POLICE CLEARANCE NEEDED

VEHICLES FOR SALE FOR SALE 1 FLAT TRAY NISSAN PICK UP. VERY GOOD CONDITION. CALL: 662-3997 OR 610-4897 1 TOYOTA IPSUM (7-SEATER) IN EXCELLENT WORKING CONDITION WITH MUSIC (5800 W): CONTACT 653-1003 JUST ARRIVED: TOP QUALITY RECONDITIONED VEHICLES; TOYOTA NOAH; TOYOTA VOXY; TOYOTA IST (NEW SHAPE); SUZUKI SWIFT; DAIHATSU MOVE (660CC); MERCEDES BENZ C200 KOMPRESSOR; COROLLA AE100 WAGON; TOYOTA HIACE MINIBUS RZ; PITBULL-STYLE FREEZER VAN; LAND CRUISER (FULLY LOADED); MAZDA PROCEED 4WD EXTRA-CAB PICK-UP; TOYOTA HILUX 4WD EXTRA CAB PICKUPS - 3RZ, 5L, 3L SOLID DEFFERNTIAL; MITSUBISHI CANTER

West Demerara Secondary are West Bank Demerara champions

223-7230-1 (Ext: 35)

oday the Lusignan Golf Club (LGC) will be hosting the inaugural Beginners’ Golf Tournament at its course aback of Lusignan, East Coast Demerara.

It is the first time such a tournament will be hosted and the initiative is the brainchild of MACORP Golf champion, Parmanand ‘Max’ Persaud, and was accelerated by golfer Patanjalee ‘Pur’ Persaud.

Seven business agencies will send four employees each to compete for top finishes, Best Net, a Best Gross, Longest Drive, and a Nearest to The Pin prize. Most of the competitors would never have played golf before, so learning and competing at the same time is bound to be a great deal of fun and excitement.

Tee-off time is 10:00h and the competitors will play 6 or 9 holes, rather than the 18 normally played in tournaments.

Nonetheless, competition is anticipated to be keen between the representatives of the different agencies.

It is the Golf Club’s expectation and desire that the experience will prompt many of the competitors and even their administrators to become involved in the game of golf by becoming members subsequently.

Companies competing are Auto Fashions, Choke Service Station, CIDI Inc., Courts, Nauth’s Motor Spares, Prem’s Electrical, Regal Stationery and Computer Centre.

The event, which will also be a sort of inter-Company family fun day, will have beverages, snacks, cutters and possibly even bar-be-cue chicken on sale.

Parmanand ‘Max’ Persaud (left) and Patanjalee ‘Pur’ Persaud

22

guyanatimesgy.com

sundAY, NOVEMber 20, 2016

Achilleion Tri-nation Series, Zimbabwe

W

ith West Indies needing four off the last over in Bulawayo, Donald Tiripano cunningly gave away just three runs and denied Jason Holder off the last ball to seal the 34th tie in 3806 ODIs. West Indies were comfortable at 220 for 2 in the 45th over in a chase of 258, but once Shai Hope fell for 101 they lost five wickets for 35 runs. The equation ultimately boiled down to to the last ball: West Indies needed one. It boiled down to one man v the other: Tiripano v Holder. Coach Heath Streak was on his feet. Bulawayo was on its feet. Tiripano flicked out a full slower ball,

– Hope hits maiden ton Craig Ervine sweeps in his top score of 92

wider than a set of stumps outside off; it was tantalisingly close to the tramline.

Holder threw his hands at a drive, but couldn’t reach the ball. Both Holder and

Jonathan Carter, from the non-striker’s end, scampered off for a bye. Wicketkeeper PJ Moor, who had come under the scanner for several missed chances in the Test series, kept his head, took his time, and nailed the stumps at the striker’s end with an accurate under-arm throw. Tiripano set off on a celebratory sprint and left Bulawayo bouncing in utter delight.

Zimbabwe’s three frontline bowlers - Chris Mpofu, Tendai Chisoro and Graeme Cremer - and left-arm spinning allrounder Sean Williams had bowled out. It left Cremer with two options for the final over: Tiripano and Sikandar Raza. Raza

had leaked 25 runs in four overs, and Cremer turned t o Tiripano, who had not bowled since the 10th over.

Shai Hope (left) and Kraigg Brathwaite put Tiripano’s West Indies on course with a 170-run stand first ball - full rope while pouching an overand outside off - was drilled to sweep- head catch. Three overs later cover. Carlos Brathwaite er, Sikandar Raza reprieved then swung wildly at a Hope on 69 by shelling a legcutter and dragged a regulation waist-high catch catch to long-on. The third at short extra cover. Raza’s ball was more dramatic: day turned into a nightmare Holder drove a full delivery when he ran back from the straight back at Tiripano same position and dropped who deflected it onto the the same batsman in the stumps at the non-striker’s 39th over.

Hope, playing his secend with an outstretched ond ODI, pressed on to raise right hand to catch Nurse, a maiden century when he who had backed up a fair way, short for a duck with- shovelled Mpofu to wide out facing a ball. When long-on. In the process, Holder snuck in a leg-bye off Hope became the joint secthe fourth, West Indies were ond-quickest, along with left needing 2 off 2. Carter Roy Fredricks and Travis pulled at a short leg cut- Dowlin, to make a maiden ter, and Chamu Chibhabha hundred for West Indies in nearly pulled off sensational ODIs. Desmond Haynes was catch, diving forward from the quickest, scoring 148 on deep square leg. The single debut against Australia in meant the visitors levelled 1978.

Zimbabwe, however, the scores. Tiripano then came away smiling in the trumped Holder to cap a reend and ensured that the markable comeback. tri-series was no two-horse Having opted to bat, Zimbabwe had lost their race. The host next meet Sri last eight wickets for 67 Lanka on Monday while the runs, and just about man- West Indies will be back in aged to last 50 overs for the action again on Wednesday first time in eight attempts when they also take on Sri in ODIs in 2016. Their field- Lanka.

West Indies remain on ing was worse than their batting implosion. Tiripano top with seven points folgave Hope his first life on 59 lowed by Sri Lanka on five when he trod on the long-off and Zimabwe on two.

SCOREBOARD Zimbabwe innings (50 overs maximum) BB Chari c Holder b CR Brathwaite 15 CJ Chibhabha run out (†Hope/CR Brathwaite) 25 CR Ervine c Powell b Gabriel 92 Sikandar Raza c KC Brathwaite b CR Brathwaite 77 SC Williams lbw b Nurse 2 E Chigumbura c †Hope b Holder 8 PJ Moor† c Powell b Holder 6 AG Cremer* c Gabriel b CR Brathwaite 8 DT Tiripano b Gabriel 14 TS Chisoro not out 0 CB Mpofu b CR Brathwaite 2 Extras: (w-8) 8 Total: (all out; 50 overs) 257 Fall of wickets 1-38 (Chibhabha, 11.1 ov), 2-46 (Chari, 13.1 ov), 3-190 (Sikandar Raza, 38.4 ov), 4-197 (Williams, 39.5 ov), 5-218 (Chigumbura, 43.4 ov), 6-228 (Moor, 45.5 ov), 7-233 (Ervine, 46.2 ov), 8-255 (Tiripano, 48.6 ov), 9-255 (Cremer, 49.3 ov), 10257 (Mpofu, 49.6 ov) Bowling: ST Gabriel 10-0-45-2 (w-4), JO Holder 10-0-47-2 (w1), SJ Benn 8-0-45-0 (w-1), CR Brathwaite 10-0-48-4 (w-1), AR Nurse 10-0-55-1 (w-1), JL Carter

2-0-17-0 West Indies innings (target: 258 runs from 50 overs) J Charles lbw b Tiripano 19 KC Brathwaite c Ervine b Williams 78 E Lewis c Chibhabha b Cremer 18 SD Hope† c †Moor b Mpofu 101 R Powell b Williams 17 CR Brathwaite c Williams b Tiripano 9 4 JO Holder* not out AR Nurse run out (Tiripano) 0 JL Carter run out (†Moor) 1 Extras:(b-1, lb-3, w-5, nb-1) 10 Total: (8 wickets; 50 overs) 257 Did not bat: SJ Benn, ST Gabriel Fall of wickets: 1-33 (Charles, 7.3 ov), 2-58 (Lewis, 11.1 ov), 3-220 (Hope, 44.4 ov), 4-234 (KC Brathwaite, 47.1 ov), 5-242 (Powell, 47.4 ov), 6-255 (CR Brathwaite, 49.2 ov), 7-255 (Nurse, 49.3 ov), 8-257 (Carter, 49.6 ov) Bowling: CB Mpofu 10-0-64-1 (w-2), DT Tiripano 6 - 0 - 2 6 - 2 (w-1), TS Chisoro 10-1-42-0, AG Cremer 10-0-44-1, SC Williams 10-0-52-2 (nb-1), Sikandar Raza 4-0-25-0

guyana-times.com

sundAY, NOVEMber 20, 2016

Courts Pee-Wee Football Championship...

T

oday, the last two standing teams of the 24 that begun the fifth edition of the Petra Organized Courts Pee Wee Football Championship will battle in the final at Banks DIH Thirst Park with defending champions St. Angela’s certainly looking to retain their title against arch rivals St. Agnes.

The boys in green and kaki will look to their leading goal scorer Seon Cato, who has netted 10 goals to date and showed the ability to be a head ache for the defence of opposing teams.

Captain Antonio McArthur (2 goals) along with Antwonie Vincent (4 goals) are also some of the other talented players who can inspire their team to an unprecedented title repeat.

In their six matches, Angela’s have scored 19 goals while not conceding any.

Under the guidance of Coach Oscar Payne, the champions held their practice sessions in the school’s

Seon Cato

compound where Payne stated that there is no pressure on the boys to perform.

On the other hand, St. Agnes coach Troy Wright and his players are all confident they can dethrone their neighbours since they are hungry for success.

Having beaten Stella Maris [2014 winners], Marian Academy [2012 champs] and

West Ruimveldt [2013 finalist] and now we are facing current champion, Wright feels the path only shows that they are destined to win the final.

The Church Street unit which is in their second year of the competition finished eight last year and their only loss this year occurred in the group stages when they loss 1-0 to Redeemer Primary but has managed to score nine goals in the tournament this year.

Some standout performers come in the likes of Nikhail Carter (3 goals), who before this tournament never played Nikhail Carter football and also the impressive duo of Antwan McKoy (1 goal) fourth placed will be presented with a trophy and certificates. and David Xavier (3 goals).

Winners of the tourney The most disciplined team will receive the championship will also be presented with a trophy, medals, one set of team trophy.

On the individual side, the uniforms and certificates, while the runners-up will collect the most valuable player, highest second place trophy, medals, goal scorer and best goalkeeper will each receive a trophy and a six footballs and certificates.

The third placed side will pair of football cleats.

The championship match receive the respective trophy, four balls and certificates while will commence at 15:00h.

23

GFF/NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour Power National Under-17...

G

eorgetown Football Club (GFC) and Fruta Conquerors were among the winning teams on Saturday at the Nicholas McArthur Tucville ground as the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) NAMILOC Thunderbolt Flour Power National Under-17 League continued as part of the Georgetown Football Association (GFA) leg of matches.

Playing in the first game of the day the home side easily defeated Alpha United 4-0 due on the back of braces by Rushan Ritch, Nicholas McArthur, Jermaine Garrett and Roy Gill.

Gill was the first to open the scoring when he netted in the 27th minute but Alpha attempted to equalize but to no avail the precious goal never came. The goals certainly came but it came off the feet of the Conquerors players as they netted three goals in the space of seven minutes.

McArthur was next to convert in the 62nd minute after which Ritch netted in the 67th followed by Garrett, who headed the final nail in the coffin in the 69th minute.

In the other match, Jermaine Padmore’s goal proved to be the difference between Santos FC, as the mid-fielder collected the ball while in a dashing run at the defence to neatly convert in the 29th minute. Both teams went in search of scoring a goal afterwards but neither was able to convert.

Matches are expected to continue next Saturday at the same venue from 09:30h.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2016

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

guyanatimesgy.com

Achilleion Tri-nation Series, Zimbabwe

Shaquel Agard is happy after receiving the winning spoils

Zimbabwe snatch tie from jaws of defeat – Hope hits maiden ton

Courts Pee-Wee Football Championship...

St Angela’s start as strong favourites against St Agnes

I

n a quick dash to the finish line in the 20-lap Circuit race orgainsed by Team Alanis and sponsored by their United States (US) Chapter, the impressive Shaquel Agard followed up his Three-Stage victory with another thrilling win on Saturday.

The Linden Bauxite Flyers’ rider broke away from Team Alanis’ Paul Choweenam and United We Stand Rider, Raphael Leung to cruise into the finish line. In the end, Leung took second while Choweenam settled for third. The officials stopped the clock at one hour 55 minutes and 15 seconds for the three riders.

Speaking with Guyana Times Spor, Agard said the race was difficult early on especially in the first two laps.

“It was nice but the first two laps were rough because I didn’t get to warm up properly but in the third lap I found my groove, breaking away with Alanzo (Greaves).” The young speedster said, further adding that he paced his race heading into the 11th lap saving his energy for the last lap where he sprinted to the finish line easily.

Team Cocos’ stalwart, Hamza Eastman strolled in to take 4th position while Alanzo Greaves (Roraima) was 5th and Team Gillette Evolution’s Orville Hinds completed the top six for the seniors.

After completing the grueling race, the inform Agard said the recent dominance has afforded him a lot of recognition by the cycling federation and potential sponsors both locally and further afield while

lamenting that he has also gained a lot of respect from fellow cyclists.

In the veterans’ category Paul Choweenam was first to cross the finish line followed by Warren “40” McKay (Roraima Bikers Club) while Junior Niles was third.

The first Junior cyclist to cross the finish line was Raphael Leungand he was followed

by Andrew Hicks and Deraj Garbarran in second and third respectively. The Mountain bike category was won by Sean Budhan with Ozia Mc Ullay finishing in second place and Wayne Nurse third.

The BMX 6 to 9 years old category was won by Jared Barrington while Sherwin Sampson won the BMX 9 to 12 years old category with Barrington riding in second.

The BMX 12 to 14 years old category was taken care of

by Sampson again with Taran Garbarran finishing second.

The riders will now turn their attention to the 17th Annual Diamond Mineral Water Road Race which rides off at 07:30h from the Ocean View Hotel, Liliendaal to Abary and back, completing a 55 mile race while young Andrew Hicks is also preparing for the National Schools Cycling Championships which take place on Monday at the National Park.

Monty Davis who represented the Alanis New York Chapter and the Choweenam family were on hand to aid in the distribution of prizes at the conclusion of the race that was held on the outer circuit of the national park in Georgetown.

GUYANA TIMES - www.guyanatimesgy.com, email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, News Hotliine: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544, 223-7230,223-7231,231-0544, 225-7761 Marketing: 231-8064 Accounts: 225-6707 SALES AND MARKETING - sales@guyanatimesgy.com - PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY GUYANA TIMES INC.