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Granger reshuffles Cabinet guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 3084

Wednesday, January 4, 2017

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Page 3

...Norton for Social Cohesion Ministry, ...Lawrence new Public Health Minister, ...Ally leads Social Protection Ministry

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Cabinet P10 gives green light to over $1B in contracts P8 Prison warden remanded for wife’s murder

Man who set Businessman’s ex-girlfriend on daughter appeals fire remanded judge’s decision Page 2

P16

Multimillion-dollar estate dispute

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P11 Clogged drains, poor drainage lead to flooding in Region 2

Hydromet predicts P2 rainfall, high tide for next 4 days

Georgetown under water again

CENTRE PAGES

Water, water everywhere... this man on Carmichael Street seems to have had no other choice but to walk through the flooded street (Carl Croker photo)

GTT reduces “AG’s claim bizarre, residential Internet order was granted” service rates – Manickchand Red House fiasco

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Bartica Massacre

Defence P10 counsel seeks dismissal

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WEDNESDAY, january 4, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Hydromet predicts rainfall, Man who set ex-girlfriend high tide for next 4 days on fire remanded

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man from Mahdia in Region Eight (PotaroSiparuni) was on Tuesday sent back to prison when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts charged with setting his ex-girlfriend on fire.

Roy English, 42, of Mahdia, was not required to plead to the indictable charge when the Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan read it to him.

A flooded pavement on King Street, Georgetown on Tuesday

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he Agriculture M i n i s t r y ’ s National Weather Watch Centre, Hydrometeorological Service has issued a bulletin warning that weather conditions are likely to worsen across Guyana.

Rainfall is expected to be between 40 millimetres (mm) and 80mm today and Friday, and in excess of 100mm on Thursday. The period of normal high tide is expected from Wednesday through to Friday.

All regions are likely to experience cloudy to overcast skies. The highest

rainfall is expected to occur over Regions Two to Five.

Regions One to Six can expect these conditions coupled with mostly light to moderate continuous rain and showers with downpours which may become heavy at times. Rainfall is expected to be less intense over all other locations.

Coastal areas may experience prolonged water accumulation/flooding in poorly drained, low-lying and riverine areas. The Hydrometeorological Service has been forecasting for the last four days these weather conditions

coupled with the high tides.

The Hydrometeorological Service pointed out that this weather forecast, which will see continuous rainfall in the next four days, is on account of the development of an upper–level trough and a subtropical jet stream.

Jet streams are caused by a combination of a planet’s rotation on its axis and atmospheric heating which results in fast-flowing, narrow air currents found in the atmosphere. A subtropical jet stream is the zone of strong winds situated in the upper equatorward side.

Teen before court charged for B&E, gun possession

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16-year-old boy was brought before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts on Tuesday morning to answer to two charges.

The first charge alleged that on New Year's Day, he broke and entered the home of the Virtual Complainant

(VC), Towana Amon, and stole items amounting to $130,000.

The other charge alleged that on the same day, at the same location, he had in his possession a 1.38 Taurus revolver without being the holder of a firearm licence.

The defendant pleaded guilty to being in possession

of the firearm but denied that he entered the VC’s home.

The teenager was sent back to prison. He is expected to return to court on January 16 for sentencing for the firearm possession charge and will also be called to answer to the second offence.

The charge stated that the defendant, on December 31, 2016 at Mahdia, unlawfully and maliciously inflicted grievous bodily harm on the Virtual Complainant (VC), Emon Raymond.

The prosecution told the court that on the day in question, the VC told the defendant that she did not wish to continue a relationship with him.

Upon hearing this, the

man became enraged, took up some gasoline in a bottle and threw it on Raymond, before setting her on fire.

As a result of the incident, the woman reportedly received second-degree burns about her body.

English was remanded to prison. His next appearance will be at the Mahdia Magistrates' Court on January 17, 2017.

Lindener remanded on narco possession charges − alleges Police brutality

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Linden resident, who appeared at the Linden Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Clive Nurse, was remanded to prison for the offences of narcotics possession and the illegal sale of firecrackers, among several related charges.

Travis Hasle, of Block 22, Wismar, Linden, pleaded not guilty to the charges. The first charge stated that on December 31, 2016, while on Republic Avenue, Mackenzie, Linden, Hasle had two grams of cannabis sativa in his possession. The second charge stated that the 31-year-old was found engaged in the sale of firecrackers, which are prohibited goods, while a third charge contended that he had an offensive weapon in his possession. It is also alleged that he assaulted Officer Justin Johnson and attempted to inflict grievous bodily harm against the same officer during his arrest.

The defendant was very

vocal during his court appearance, as he alleged Police brutality and as a result, ignored questions posed

by Magistrate Nurse with regard to his pleas in relation to the charges against him. This resulted in the Magistrate asking him what he wished to plead several times. Alleging that the Police brutalised, beat and lashed him in his head with a baton and he had a medi-

cal paper to prove it, the defendant complained bitterly. Asked by the Magistrate whether he wished to have bail, the defendant continued with his complaints of Police brutality, as he completely ignored the question. He was then remanded to prison until January 18.

The defendant had to be led outside the court compound as he shouted expletives at Police Officers.

news

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WEDNESDAY, january 4, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Wednesday, January 4 – 09:00h-10:30h and Thursday, January 5 – 10:00h-11:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Wednesday, January 4 – 08:00h-09:30h and Thursday, January 5 – 08:55h-10:25h.

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

WEATHER TODAY Weather: Thundery to heavy rain showers with sunny intervals can be expected throughout the day, while partly cloudy skies can be expected in the evening. Temperatures are expected to range between 23 degrees Celsius and 27 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-easterly to Easterly between 1.78 metres and 4.02 metres.

High Tide: 08:41h and 21:06h reaching a maximum height of 2.45 metres at each scheduled high tide.

Low Tide: 02:10h and 14:35h reaching minimum heights of 0.69 metre and 0.79 metre respectively.

saturday, december 31, 2016

LOTTERY NUMBERS C

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Granger reshuffles Cabinet …Norton for Social Cohesion Ministry …Lawrence new Public Health Minister …Ally leads Social Protection Ministry

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fter declaring late last year that there would be no changes to his Cabinet, President David Granger in a surprise move on Tuesday made some significant changes to his pool

ing stored there.

This came in light of the fact that the Minister had said that there was an urgent need for the facility hence it was single-sourced from Linden Holdings Inc, a

“I don’t know what I’m going to do. I don’t know anything about the Ministry. It’s not only new to me but to everyone…all I know in my life is health care.

That’s my expertise, my forte,” - Dr Norton

of decision makers.

Among the changes within Cabinet is the removal of Public Health Minister, Dr George Norton, who will now be taking over the Social Cohesion Ministry.

Dr Norton continuously found himself in “hot water” over the past months, especially as it relates to the controversial rental of the pharmaceutical bond at Sussex Street, Georgetown, which is billing Government in excess of $14 million per month.

In fact, only last month during the consideration of the 2017 Budget estimates, a visit to the facility by a delegation set up by the Speaker of the National Assembly revealed that no actual drugs or pharmaceuticals were be-

company owned by People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) member Larry Singh.

Meanwhile, Minister Volda Lawrence will now be heading the Public Health Ministry while Minister Amna Ally will be taking over the Social Protection Ministry.

This reshuffling comes less than a month after President Granger told reporters on the Public Interest programme that there would be no changes to Cabinet and he was “con-

Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Daily Millions

06 07 08 18 24 LUCKY 3 2

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Afternoon Draw

Draw De Line 01 05 09 10 15

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New Social Protection Minister Amna Ally

Evening Draw

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

New Social Cohesion Minister Dr George Norton

The Head of State explained on Tuesday that it was his responsibility to continuously assess the ability of his Cabinet; hence, he found it necessary to look at the way the Public Health, Social Protection and Social Cohesion Ministries were performing and made some adjustments accordingly.

“It’s not a reshuffle, I would call it a shift to ensure that Government continues to deliver quality of public service to the people of Guyana… As you know in President David Granger

New Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence

Bonus Ball

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Not reshuffle but adjustments

fident going into 2017 with the same team”, a position he had also taken back in September.

2016, there were some criticisms and I felt the criticisms were detracting from the Cabinet as a whole and as a result, I thought it prudent and healthy to make the changes at the beginning of 2017,” the President pointed out.

According to President Granger, this is a positive move aimed at improving the delivery of public service to Guyanese.

Against the backdrop of criticisms on the quality of national unity and social cohesion in Guyana, the President is of the belief that Dr Norton, given his background as Leader of the Guyanese Organisation of Indigenous People (GOIP), a

partner in the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) coalition, would make critical contributions in bringing about social cohesion, especially with his depth of knowledge on the hinterland.“So when we look at social cohesion, we’re not just looking at African/Indian, we are not just looking at ethnic or religious problem, we are looking at the spatial dimension and I felt that he had an advantage in the knowledge of the hinterland because our Administration has always spoken about closing the gap between coastland and hinterland. I believe he is ideally suited for that,” Granger posited.

Norton’s take

However, when contacted on Tuesday, the former Health Minister related that the announcement was dropped suddenly on him by the Government and as such, he would now be entering a field that was very foreign to him.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do. I don’t know anything about the (Social Cohesion) Ministry. It’s not only new to me but to everyone…all I know in my life is health care. That’s my expertise, my forte,” he asserted.

TURN TO PAGE 7

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guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNesDAY, january 4, 2017

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

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

Editorial

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Flood relief?

n Guyana, the real threat from climate change today comes from flooding. Leading up to the Christmas holidays, celebrated over two weeks ago, several sections of the city and other areas across the country were inundated owing to heavy rains. While the Government acknowledged that Georgetown and other parts of the country were experiencing the flooding due to excessive rainfall, coupled with the spring tide, it assured that it was taking the necessary steps to ensure that there was minimum loss or damage to property. But losses there were, residents lost because of damaged and waterlogged household items. Businesses were also affected through the loss of revenue and damage to property and goods.

The consequences of flooding are awful: physical dangers, damaged property, and written-off possessions are just the start of it. That this should happen at a celebratory time of year – as is the case with these floods – is even worse. Those who have experienced one flood, as in 2005, will often live in fear of another whenever the heavy rains come. Like always, the waters receded, but for many even this took too long. Farmers in certain parts of the country were also severely affected, and many farmlands are still inundated.

The Government and the City Council had attributed the floods to inoperable pumps, among other issues. However, the Public Infrastructure Ministry had subsequently stated that all the pumps were working in the event the rainy weather, which was and is being attributed to storms and a subtropical jet stream, continues.

In December, the Public Infrastructure Minister had explained that the Ministry had convened a meeting with all the key stakeholders, including the Georgetown Mayor and City Council, with the aim of putting measures in place ahead of the rainy season. At that time, the Council had indicated that as a result of a shortage of funds, it was unable to affect necessary repairs to an inoperable pump. As a matter of emergency, the funds were provided. But the City Council had failed yet again.

The Minister had predicted that Guyanese, even in flood-prone areas, would be able to recover in time for Christmas.

And then the New Year came and the City of Georgetown, and other low-lying coastal Regions, was once again flooded with the rainfall that accumulated after continuous showers.

The National Weather Watch Centre Hydrometeorological Service has reported that recent and forecasted weather conditions, coupled with the high tides, may once again cause water accumulation/flooding in poorly drained, low-lying and riverine areas.

Early in 2016, the Government had announced that a Dutch team would be brought in to help map the city’s floodprone areas. Government has secured a US$25 million loan agreement from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) for a project aimed at improving Guyana’s sea and river defence capabilities. Guyana will be providing US$5.9 million to the project, which is anticipated to benefit some 45,000 people and cover 5.4 kilometres of critical areas.

During a presentation on Guyana’s drainage infrastructure in November, the visiting team from Government of the Netherlands’ Dutch Risk Reduction Team (DRR) were told of the causes of flooding in Guyana, which included increase in impervious areas; infilling of drains; reduction of maintenance; use of drains for refuse disposal; establishment of illegal housing on drainage reserves; relative rise in sea levels; and inadequacy of secondary and roadside drainage systems.

Also of significance was the recognition that flooding has increasingly worsened over the years, with the second highest amount of rainfall in decades being recorded in July 2015. Minister Patterson revealed that the team would be mapping the city of Georgetown and would eventually model Georgetown on software. This would then allow authorities to identify the areas of risk, based on the water flow and make targeted interventions.

Afterwards, the team Leader, Rob Steijn had reported key considerations and preliminary recommendations to the Government, including the need for an upgrade of Guyana’s drainage on both a technical and managerial level. He said too that an integrated approach involving all stakeholders was necessary. Whether this means that Guyanese can soon expect relief from seasonal floods is unclear, what is clear is the constant flooding, continued losses and risks to health have led the masses to think that there simply is no relief in sight.

Taking a plunge into a body of water to wash off the problems of the old year seems to be a growing tradition in many countries, including England, Scotland, China, Slovenia, Belgium and the United States of America. Here, revellers take part in New Year's Jump into the Sea in Portoroz, Slovenia (Reuters/Srdjan Zivulovic)

Revocation of Jagan Centre lease further divides Dear Editor, The decision by President David Granger, leader of the PNC-led faction of the coalition Government, to unilaterally and forcefully revoke the signed lease agreement for use of the Red House by the Cheddi Jagan Centre flies in the face of his Coalition’s announcement that it is interested in national multi-racial unity.

This latest PNC-led action against the research centre dedicated to the iconic leader and former President does not foster social cohesion. It will further the racial division in the society as Jagan is hero among Indians who are already being victimised by the racist regime. They see Granger’s action as racist. It is also a violation of the law, not to mention the commitment the Coalition made during the election campaign not to be vindictive to those affiliated with the PPP regime. It also violates the national trust people have had in the PNC/AFC coalition of its promise of responsible governance - not to violate the law and to respect Jaganism (democratic governance and peaceful co-existence). Indian Guyanese in the diaspora are very upset by this PNC highhanded action and the inaction of the AFC to speak out against it. It was the AFC’s 11 per cent from the Indians that put the PNC in control of the regime to unleash terror on the centre. The AFC leaders should stop the PNC in its tracks in its anti-Indian policy.

Red House was the State

home of Premier Jagan during 1961-64. It was felt that since Jagan and Mrs Janet Jagan, also a former President, lived there, it would be fitting to convert it into a library and Research Centre for the Jagans. The lease was granted by the PPP government to host the Jagan papers. It was a legal (lawful) binding agreement; any issues pertaining to the lease have to be handled by the court. Government or Granger cannot act unilaterally to terminate or revoke the lease. Yet Granger’s Government has acted like violent bullies to revoke the lease without any court order. In addition, Granger’s men descended on the property and tore down the signs of the centre that bore Jagan’s name. It is an affront to the great freedom fighter. It is an illegal, criminal act. It is a shame and Moses Nagamootoo and Khemraj Ramjattan, both of who view Jagan as their hero, stood by and let this criminal act happened.

Many commentators say what happened at Red House is vintage Burnhamism - using violence and illegal actions to coerce opponents to submit to the way of the regime. The revocation of the lease on the last working day of the year comes across as vindictive, spiteful, and revengeful against the great revolutionary leader. Dr Jagan was a nationalist and a champion of racial unity.

He promoted social cohesion. He was unquestionably the father of the nation. He was a hero to all regardless of ethnic background. It is

recalled that when Jagan’s funeral cortège made its way from town to the Corentyne, it was stopped in Buxton where Buxtonites came out in full to pay tribute to a man who fought the colonialists to uplift the lives of the downtrodden and poor.

Jagan was the people’s leader. It is shocking, therefore, that the PNC leader and the PNC have taken this decision with the support of the WPA and AFC to dishonour and disrespect Jagan.

It is noted that Dr Jagan and his PPP were not spiteful to the acolytes of the PNC when there was a change in regime in 1992.

Jagan and PPP did not go after the PNC crooks who looted the treasury and also awarded themselves State properties. Jagan did not seek to prosecute or persecute anyone in the PNC for crimes committed against the nation during the 28 years of dictatorship. Stolen State properties were not recovered; Greenidge knows that. No attempt was made to seek compensation for rigged elections and political violence against opponents.

It is noted that Burnham’s family occupied land and other property that belonged to the State. Jagan and his successors Bharrat Jagdeo and Donald Ramotar never sought to reclaim the land or properties. President Jagdeo gave four acres of land to Burnham’s wife Viola for a centre. The property was sold by the family that kept the proceeds. The PPP’s generosity and kindness should be used as a model by the Coalition not to be unkind

to Jagan and his family who sponsors the Centre.

What is Prime Minister Nagamootoo and Public Security Minister Ramjattan’s view on the revocation of the lease?

Why are they silent when only months ago they said Jagan’s Centre will not be touched? They should publicly dissociate themselves from this spiteful PNC act.

And what about the WPA and David Hinds’ position?

Do they support the PNC’s violent action?

President Granger’s action comes across as an attempt to destroy Jagan’s great reputation and legacy as a non-partisan ruler.

Clearly, the PNC leadership does not want any public property to be named after Jagan. The act is bound to hurt the sentiments of the Indian population and drive them away from the Coalition. Jagan did not see himself as an Indian leader but he is so viewed by the Indian population and the nation at large. The Coalition should seek to win over Indians, not alienate them which this action has done.

Granger’s decision to revoke the lawful lease arrangement of a public building named after Jagan flies in the face of the motto of one people, one nation, and one destiny and of social cohesion. The coalition Government should reconsider its revocation of the lease.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNesDAY, january 4, 2017

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

Basil Williams has again misadvised Granger

Dear Editor, Since May 2015, upon the coming to Office of the Granger administration, they have done a very good job making ordinary people not associated with the PNC feel as if they are not Guyanese. What the Granger Government has not done is invest in the core needs of the nation to bring greater hope and social cohesion in the society. Rather, their clear agenda seems to be one of national strife and disunity.

The latest case of this agenda of war, not peace is the Red House brouhaha.

Red House belongs to the State. As the temporary custodian of the Government, the Granger cabal says they want back the RED HOUSE. That is fine, they can cancel the lease, and no rational mind will dispute that.

However, there is a right way or a wrong way to do things.

There is a civil way or a lowclass way to do things.

People with class and high moral values would have written the Hydar Ally and the rest of the PPP and tell them the lease is now cancelled and please vacate the building after 30 days, but

if you so need, we shall give you a further 30 days, but in 60 days’ time please vacate the building. Now I am sure Hydar Ally would have asked Anil Nandalal to run to court to seek a stay of the execution of that instruction from the Granger administration, but he would have failed because no judge in their right mind would want to reject such a high-class approach seeking the vacation of the property and even if a judge grants a stay of execution of the decision, it can be appealed and so forth and so forth but final judgment would have still be issued sometime in the future, but the PPP would have been seen as the bullies who are paying $1,000 a month for a $200,000 per month property. But Basil Williams again misadvised the President and has put the PNC in hot pepper sauce politically. So the PNC thugs turn up, padlock the people inside and pull down and trample on the sign with the name Cheddi Jagan all being quietly filmed and then a second gang of thugs, headed by Volda Lawrence, turned up to enforce this gross act of intimidation and naked bullyism.

Tacuma must grow up and learn to debate Dear Editor, I refer to a letter from Mr Nigel Westmass, whom I do not know. However, I do have a lot of respect for his academic writings. Mr Westmass must not assume what he does not know. I just want to make it absolutely clear, I Sasenarine Singh do know Tacuma Ogunseye. I was in the room at the JFK Library in Georgetown in the early 1990’s, in front of political leaders and US Embassy officials at the time, when Tacuma made the call to import Afro-Guyanese from the Caribbean islands into Guyana as a means to suppress the electoral advantage of the East Indians. Does such a person come across as someone who believes in multi-racial unity? Tacuma is no saint as Mr Westmass, his WPA colleague is attempting to paint him, he is actually a very racist and violent person and he more than anyone else knows what he preached on Buxton Line Top to the domestic terrorist of Guyana who was driving fear throughout the land at that time.

Secondly, Tacuma is no Eusi Kwayana, and such a thought is nothing but wishful thinking. But isn’t it hypocritical to ask me to take the high road in the debate with Tacuma, when the person who really needed to take the high road was Tacuma. Isn’t it Tacuma with his baseless comments, who used low-life and untruthful propaganda generated by Kwame Mckoy to attack me, because I exposed his financial skuldug-

gery at SARU? How can a PNC/WPA/APNU man use PPP propaganda to advance his argument? Can we not see the contradictions and confusion in Tacuma’s mind?

But this just exposed the desperation of Tacuma. Is Tacuma prepared to do anything to protect his $8 million salary? In his quest for easy gold coins, none of what Tacuma said so far was the truth, so how can he be an honest person?

It is unfortunate that Mr Westmass had to sully his character to come to the defence of this racist individual. Tacuma cannot want to go to crab march and expect the skeletons in his closets not to be exposed. I know much more stuff on Tacuma that I have chosen at this time to hold fire on. Out of respect for Mr Westmass, I will take the high road and make this my last letter on this issue, for now.

Not everyone will tolerate the infantile rant and raving of Tacuma, he must grow up and learn to debate on issues and ideas. He must also know that many people have his sordid history well documented, so he should be careful what he says in future and focus on his work.

Hopefully he recovers a donkey cart for the Government soon. So far his professional incompetence continues to bungle the work of SARU at a great loss to the taxpayers. But that one is on the Granger administration.

Sincerely, Sasenarine Singh

Guess what the Guyanese people are remembering and guess whom they are rewarding politically? They are remembering the PNC thugs pulling down the Cheddi Jagan sign and trampling on it and they are remembering the PNC thugs and they are remembering the untruth that Basil Williams said in court and guess who they are rewarding come 2020?

The PPP will never let the people forget this open act of bullyism from the PNC and to their benefit, they shall milk this video to ensure that every person of a voting age that is favourable to the PPP are in that polling station voting for the PPP. I am convinced that come 2020, the PPP will pull 205,000 votes in 2020. Granger and the PNC will struggle to pull even 190,000 votes naturally and will have to re-establish the old PNC rigging machine to facilitate a win.

It is the time for the PPP to bring this situation to the Americans and it is important that Bharrat Jagdeo goes to Washington.

Sincerely, Jai (Harry) Lall

Power drunk

Dear Editor, It seems that the New Year will not bring any relief to the poor and the lower working class who continue to be the casualties of the mismanagement of the economy under the current Government. This is weighing heavily on those who are struggling to put food on the table or a roof over their heads. The promises made to the youths have gone for naught. But this is alien information to the ruling cabal who are isolated from the pains and perils of the masses. The more the administration borrows, the more they are likely to squander the taxpayers’ money on more Ponzi scheme projects like the D’Urban Park Project, the drug bond scandal and the expensive audit reports which seems to be a waste of money and time. This is the story of the administration which has abandoned the youths who came out in droves to vote for them. But it is important for youths to understand that their fight against the PPP is fleeting and temporary. Temporary because today the country is saddled with a bunch of incompetent, corrupt, arrogant and abrasive public officials who are confused and inexperience,

and are driving the country into an abyss. However, the young people should never be ashamed of their action for standing for truth and justice in the 2015 election. Had the PPP not lost power, its leaders also would not have stepped out of their ivory tower and humbled themselves and listen to the people. Today, we have a Government that is plundering the country, raping the treasury and are screwing the poor by paying themselves a fifty per cent salary increase and granting two ministers millions of dollars to pursue graduate and post-graduate degrees.

It is now clear that both the PPP and the APNU/ AFC Government are bad for Guyana. It is time for the rational middle class to start mobilizing again. We are calling on the youths and the rational middle class to start raising their voices against wrongdoings by the bankrupt political forces. After 18 months in Office, there is hardly any change as promised by the Coalition. In fact, what the people got is exchange, and not change. The economy is failing, unemployment is high, crime is rampant and the social services are crumbling, and yet the non-descriptive characters at

the helm of the Government seem to believe that all is well with the people.

Those in authority have interest in the youth and no energy or interest in chartering a course to transform Guyana. What is the purpose of the Ministries of Social Cohesion, Immigration or Business, or the department of GO-Invest? It seems that the Agriculture Ministry is operating as if it has a ghost for a Minister? The Public Health Ministry has two medical doctors and yet people continue to die from simple illnesses, infant mortality rate remains high and the public hospitals are plagued by simple problems.

There are failures in every Government department, yet the Head of State seems to believe that this is the best Cabinet. If this is not delusional, then what is? These “Knick knack paddy-whacks” are so obsessed with power that they have become power drunk. At the minimum, the people had expected a competent, transparent, accountable, honest and trustworthy government; instead they have the opposite.

Sincerely, Asquith Rose and Harish Singh

Drainage of coastal Guyana Dear Editor, The recent flooding of Georgetown and much of the coastal areas is indicative of how very little the Government has done to plan, develop and execute strategies necessary in a coordinated way to prevent the yearly recurring flooding of coastal Guyana which is causing serious economic losses to the country.

There have been several reports advising the Government what should be done to prevent flooding of the coastland due to heavy rainfall. Recently the Dutch Risk Reduction (DRR) Team provided a report with recommendations to tackle the drainage of Georgetown and its environs. There is also a report by a Committee headed by Major General Joe Singh which submitted recommendations for the drainage of Georgetown, its suburbs and other coastal areas.

According to the former Deputy Mayor of Georgetown, Sherod Duncan, the Reports have been archived awaiting consideration by the M&CC, as its members are too busy with the holidays, as well as getting the City’s parking meters installed for the start of the new year.

The Agriculture Minister Noel Holder is responsible under statute for drainage and irrigation (D&I) through the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) in the Declared D&I areas.

Unfortunately he appears to be oblivious to the plight of the people living in those areas as they suffer from regular flooding without much being done to address the

causes of the problems and it seems they cannot take the NDIA to task for their losses as is done elsewhere.

Brigadier David Granger, President of Guyana, stated in his New Year message to the Guyanese people that, “the Green State (Guyana) this year will become an engine of economic diversification and enhance competitiveness”. He failed, however, to state what his Coalition has done since taking Office nearly two years ago to grow the economy and create jobs for the many waiting in the corridors. He spoke of the development of renewable sources of electricity generation from hydro, solar and wind, but nothing on D&I or proposals to improve the existing countrywide diesel power generation of electricity to prevent the regular black-outs which are hurting economic development. In any case he should be aware that electricity from renewable sources will take about 5-10 years for financing and development to feed the national grid.

President Granger cannot have the Agriculture Ministry through its Division NDIA, Public Infrastructure Ministry and the M&CC all dabbling in drainage problems of coastal areas in one way or another, with no one responsible for anything but lots of blame to throw around.

The President has to set-up a Ministry totally responsible for drainage and irrigation matters in Guyana as the current hodgepodge system now in place is just not working. National and regional plans have to be prepared,

strategies developed and executed on a priority basis to achieve set objectives to prevent coastal areas from recurring flooding of homesteads and farmlands, and not to lay blame on El Nino for failed policies. There should be no broken pumps lying around, inoperable sluice doors,

blocked outfall channels, nor employees sleeping on the job since the D&I system has to be in readiness at all times to deal with the eventualities relating thereto.

Yours truly, Charles Sohan

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Foundation

Science says parents of successful children have these things in common

By Drake Baer and Rachel Gillett

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ny good parent wants their children to stay out of trouble, do well in school, and go on to do awesome things as adults. And while there isn't a set recipe for raising successful children, psychology research has pointed to a handful of factors that predict success.

Unsurprisingly, much of it comes down to the parents.

Here's what parents of successful children have in common:

things we can do to prepare them for a healthy future," said Kristin Schubert, program director at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which funded the research, in a release.

"From an early age, these skills can determine whether a child goes to college or prison, and whether they end up employed or addicted."

were expected to go to college.

This falls in line with another psych finding: ***the Pygmalion effect***, which states "that what one person expects of another can come to serve as a self-fulfilling prophecy."

In the case of children, they live up to their parents' expectations.

They have high expectations

The moms work

Using data from a national survey of 6600 children

According to re-

They teach their children social skills

Researchers from Pennsylvania State University and Duke University tracked more than 700 children from across the US between kindergarten and age 25 and found a significant correlation between their social skills as kindergartners and their success as adults two decades later.

The 20-year study showed that socially competent children who could cooperate with their peers without prompting, be helpful to others, understand their feelings, and resolve problems on their own, were far more likely to earn a college degree and have a full-time job by age 25 than those with limited social skills.

Those with limited social skills also had a higher chance of getting arrested, binge drinking, and applying for public housing.

"This study shows that helping children develop social and emotional skills is one of the most important

minut e s on housework.

"Role modelling is a way of signalling what's appropriate in terms of how you behave, what you do, the activities you engage in, and what you believe," the study's lead author, Harvard Business School professor Kathleen L McGinn, told Business Insider.

"There are very few things, that we know of, that have such a clear effect on gender inequality as being raised by a working mother," she told Working Knowledge.

They have a higher socioeconomic status

born in 2001, University of California at Los Angeles professor Neal Halfon and his colleagues discovered that the expectations parents hold for their children have a huge effect on attainment.

"Parents who saw college in their child's future seemed to manage their child toward that goal irrespective of their income and other assets," he said in a statement.

The finding came out in standardised tests: 57 per cent of the children who did the worst were expected to attend college by their parents, while 96 per cent of the children who did the best

search out of Harvard Business School, there are significant benefits for children growing up with mothers who work outside the home.

The study found daughters of working mothers went to school longer, were more likely to have a job in a supervisory role, and earned more money – 23 per cent more compared to their peers who were raised by stay-athome mothers.

The sons of working mothers also tended to pitch in more on household chores and childcare, the study found — they spent sevenand-a-half more hours a week on childcare and 25 more

Tragically, one-fifth of American children grow up in poverty, a situation that severely limits their potential.

It's getting more extreme.

According to Stanford University researcher Sean Reardon, the achievement gap between high- and low-income families "is roughly 30 per cent to 40 per cent larger among children born in 2001 than among those born 25 years earlier."

As "Drive" author Dan Pink has noted, the higher the income for the parents, the higher the SAT scores for the children.

"Absent comprehensive and expensive interventions, socioeconomic status is what drives much of educational attainment and performance," he wrote. . (Businessinsider. com)

To be continued

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(again)

lthough it feels like the Christmas vacation just started, here we are almost to its end. So are you ready (those of you who have to return) to go back to school?

Going back to school usually takes a lot of mental preparation for me. I don’t know about everyone else, but during the vacation Ashley Anthony (especially Christmas), I tend to go into a “vacation” mode. This means that I’m just not in the frame of mind to do work. So I tend to put off any holiday assignments for the last week of the vacation.

However, that becomes a problem when you begin to realise the volume of work that you’ve been assigned to do, ultimately inducing a “last-minute” panic.

Putting that aside, it’s good to welcome the new school term with optimism. Set some achievable goals, and work towards them. If you’re like me, in Sixth Form, CAPE is right around the corner, so start planning how you’re going to pass those exams.

Maybe you want to get more involved in school events, or you have a highly anticipated club activity coming up. Either way, these are all reasons you should look forward to the new term. It is a chance to improve you. So why not make a plan to help accomplish this?

Remember though, that this plan will not always go exactly as you expect. You have to be lenient sometimes, and understand that there are often unavoidable obstacles that will set you back. You shouldn’t pressure yourself to do everything perfectly.

If it doesn’t work right this term, then there’s always another one. Use those difficult times constructively, and let them help you develop. If you fall out with a close friend, use that experience to teach you how you should interact with persons in the future. If a teacher gives you a “hard” time, then use that to build resilience. Things aren’t going to get easier in college or the work place, so it’s better to learn now.

And if something unethical occurs, learn from now how to appropriately report such incidents. It could help you in an even more dangerous situation in the future.

So it’s time to get prepared. Paper those books, buy some new stationery, and resolve to do well this term. We can do this! Even if we complain, about it deep down we know that high school will be one of the fondest times of our lives.

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WEDNESDAY, january 4, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

GTT reduces residential Internet rates

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n its effort to help bridge the digital divide, the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) has announced significant reductions in the cost of its residential Internet service rates for its Gold and Silver customers, effective from January 1, 2017.

Gold has been reduced by 36 per cent to $9599, while the Silver is down 16 per cent to $8399.

According to a statement from GTT, these reductions are evident of the company’s commitment to continue offering its Internet service to customers, with significantly more value on its plans, even as the company focuses on pushing faster and more reliable broadband services into homes and businesses.

GTT's head office

These higher tiers enable users to stream, surf and download faster at speeds up to 10 megabytes per second. The Bronze service, ideal for casual

surfing such as the use of email services, is up now to $5999.

GTT is guaranteeing customers that these prices will remain unchanged

when the new Value Added Tax (VAT) regime comes into effect.

“We are committed to bringing more affordable Internet to our custom-

Granger reshuffles...

FROM PAGE 3

The Minister further explained that the only explanation provided to him about his demotion was that the Government was trying to protect him from the “Opposition and the media”; however, he posited those attacks only made him stronger.

“They said the kind of attack I was getting was not permitting me to perform…

I was even more prepared.

I’m not a failure. I was doing a great job and worked beyond the call of duty across the country!” said the seemingly distraught Norton.

On the other hand, the Head of State pointed out that Minister Lawrence would be taking some managerial skills to the Public Health Ministry. “Largely, it’s a problem in terms of materials and human resources and the delivery of services to the various regions

of Guyana and I believe she will be ideally suited to that Ministry,” he noted.

Controversial situations

Like her predecessor at the Public Health Ministry, Minister Lawrence had found herself in several controversial situations last year. She came under fire after throwing her support behind an alleged child molester who had contested and was elected in his constituency during the March 2016 Local Government Elections. This issue sparked much public outrage, particularly among rights groups and activists who staged several protests outside the Ministry calling for Lawrence to be removed from office.

However, she found herself back into the limelight more recently when she counter-protested a

vigil held by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) against Government’s move to revoke the lease on the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre Inc (CJRCI) on Friday last.

With regard to Ally’s transfer, President Granger outlined that Minister Ally has a good knowledge of the needs of the ordinary people in the urban and rural areas. “So I believe, in terms of social protection, she will be able to bring skills in terms of her ability to interact with people, her knowledge in terms of the problems affecting poor people and I’m very confident she will supplement the work that had been done before,” he stated.

PPP/C unimpressed

Meanwhile, in its reaction to the new changes to the Administration’s pool of Cabinet members, the PPP/

Civic posited that this move was nothing but a diversion from the Red House saga as well as the end-of-year crippling anti-people budget, both of which have projected the regime in an unfavourable light to its own supporters and the public at large.

The Opposition added that it was unimpressed by the changes, while calling on Guyanese to remain vigilant against the political antics of the Granger Administration. (Vahnu Manikchand)

ers and excited tocontinue to bridge Guyana’s digital divide. This is just the first in a number of exciting changes that GTT will be offering its customers in 2017, with significant speed and service quality upgrades on the horizon,” the company stated.

The telephone giant launched the Internet plans back in April 2016, offering 10 megabytes per second (MBPS) Internet speeds, five times faster than what was previously offered and with no extra cost to its customers.

Then Chief Executive Officer Radha Krishna Sharma had explained that the Internet service would be sold in bronze, silver and gold packages within the range of 1MBPS to 10MBPS. Bronze package subscribers paid the usual

$4999 monthly.

Silver package customers paid $9980 but with improved speeds of up to 5MBPS, while Gold package subscribers had up to 10MBPS, at $14,979 per month.

While the cost is reduced on residential Internet services, only recently Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Justin Nedd told media operatives that with the introduction of VAT on broadband Internet service and data plans sold to mobile and corporate customers, the company would incur an additional expense in the vicinity of US$6 million (G$1.2 billion).

Nedd pointed out that GTT already forked over more than half of its earnings to taxes and pointed to a 45 per cent Corporate Tax.

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WEDNESDAY, january 4, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

IN THE COURTS

Prison warden remanded for wife’s murder

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prison warden attached to the Mazaruni Prison was on Tuesday remanded to prison when he appeared at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court on a charge of murder.

Thirty-year-old Sheldon Prince of Lot 40 Stanleytown, New Amsterdam, Berbice, was not required to plead to the indictable charge. It is alleged that on Wednesday, December 28, at the New Amsterdam Psychiatric Hospital, he murdered Lonnette Nicholson-Prince.

The accused stood detached in the dock as Magistrate Merissa Mettelholzer read the charge to him.

It was reported that the accused and the now deceased woman were married for five years up to the time of her death.

Attorney-at-Law Marceline Bacchus, representing the accused, told the court that up to the time of his arrest, his client was em-

Sheldon Prince

ployed as a prison warden attached to the Mazaruni Prison. Bacchus added that the couple had a four-yearold daughter.

Police Prosecutor, Inspector Godfrey Playter told the court that the Police were ready to begin the trial.

However, the Magistrate

Dead: Lonnette Nicholson-Prince

informed that the Preliminary Inquiry could not begin until the trial Magistrate returned from leave in February; as such, she set the next hearing for February 15, at which time Magistrate Alex Moore would set a date for commencement of the trial. The Police were ordered to give

the defence a copy of all their facts relating to that day.

Twenty-three-yearold Nicholson-Prince, of Lot 11 Levi Dam, Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam, was stabbed 15 times at her place of work last Wednesday by her husband, who later turned himself in to the Police in the presence of an attorney. The accused reportedly went into the cosmetology department where he attacked the hairdresser.

The couple were allegedly having marital problems, and Nicholson-Prince had reportedly moved out and was living with her parents, a short distance away.

This publication had reported that the accused was a frequent visitor to his wife’s workplace, but on the day in question, he went there armed with a knife and committed the act in the presence of one of her colleagues before escaping.

Prince now finds himself at the opposite end of the law.

Gas bottle thief jailed

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41-year-old Wismar, Linden man was on Tuesday jailed for 12 months by Magistrate Clive Nurse for the offence of breaking and entering and larceny.

John Broomes, of Lot 130 Wisroc Housing Scheme, appeared at the Linden Magistrate’s Court where the sentence was handed down. He had initially pleaded not guilty to the

charge which stated that between October 1 and 2, 2015, he broke and entered the home of Devon Green situated at Phase 1B Wisroc and stole a gas bottle valued $10,000. When the case was called again on Tuesday, Magistrate Nurse indicated that the court was satisfied with the evidence and a prima facie case was made out against the defendant.

Broomes then chose to stand

in the docks where he gave an unsworn statement, noting that since 2014 he was not involved in any such wrongdoings.

However, prior to handing down the sentence, Magistrate Nurse noted that fingerprints found at the scene matched those of the defendant. The prosecution further indicated that the stolen item had not been recovered. Further,

Broomes was charged with robbery and breaking and entering offences in 2015 and 2016, to all of which he had pleaded not guilty.

The charges alleged that on October 18, 2015, while being armed with a gun, he robbed Nevlyn Benjamin of his Samsung cellular phone valued $40,000 and a gold ring valued $70,000.

The incident took place at Plantation Fair's Rust, Mackenzie, Linden.

Additionally, another break and enter and larceny charge against the defendant was dismissed by Magistrate Nurse whereby it was alleged that he broke into the home of Shonda McGregor at Phase 1B Wisroc and stole a gas stove valued $35,000, a gas bottle valued $15,000, a microwave valued $12,000, a blender valued $7500, a tea cup set valued $25,000, tea cups valued $2000, a tape player valued $10,000, a breaker electrical panel valued $11,000, electronic wire valued $35,000, a stand fan valued $5000 and groceries worth $2000.

Broomes was previously granted bail in the total sum of $150,000 for the offences when he had appeared before Magistrate Nurse, but was unable to post the sum.

As a result, he spent six months behind bars. This time was deducted from the initial 18 months sentence he was expected to receive for the offence of which he was found guilty.

Different strokes… …for workers? n one level, it’s like a throwback to the schoolyard bravado we all know so well - the nursery schoolyard, that is. Here it was, a top honcho of the largest union in the country was calling the Labour Minister names… or rather EXCHANGING names with the fella. Last week, the Minister called trade union leaders “impotent” and this week the trade union leader from GAWU returned the favour by dubbing him a “Toothless watchdog”!!

Where are we heading in this New Year that’s barely a week old? What’s going on? We get a clue when we examine the barbs to find out what’s behind the name calling. When Minister Scott called the leaders of the two largest labour blocks why he’d given more funding to some obscure “cooperative” union, he was making an important point. How potent had these union blocks been over the last decade in protecting and furthering workers’ rights?

Wasn’t that what unions were supposed to be doing? Isn’t that the criteria for judging their “potency” in performing their work? You can’t judge trade unions by their prolixity in whipping off political letters to the press! But what about the retort of the trade unionist? He was speaking in the context of protecting workers’ rights but was claiming this matter the Minister was “toothless” in that respect. But this’s where your Eyewitness has a problem. Is the Labour Minister ipso facto a guardian of workers interests?

Point is, if that’s so, what’s the function of trade unions, who collect the “dues” straight from the workers’ pay packet – even before the said workers get to see that packet!?? The Minister is a functionary of the Government that is supposed to be looking after the interest of the entire sector within which, labour is a component. And we’re talking about the business sector, no? So isn’t the Minister supposed to have a holistic approach and just apply the laws that’ve worked out to balance the interests of labour and business?

And this is the crux of the matter of us ever having any hope of ever generating enough income to live in dignity, isn’t it? Labour representatives continue to use the mindset that refuses to accept what we saw in the last halfcentury and is still going on in China: labour has to accept a certain amount of belt tightening when the country they live in is in the “take-off” stage. And this is what a Labour Minister has to represent.

Of course, your Eyewitness would like to have all workers tooling around in Mercedes Benzes. But maybe we have to first ride bicycles, don’t we?

O

…in shuffling Your Eyewitness, being a born Guyanese, is an avid card player (he’d gone to funerals since short pants!). So, he knows a thing or two about “shuffling”. But he also knows about “shuffling” in moving your feet around a little when you’re fidgety. “Quit shuffling around!” Mrs Brown used to yell at the Eyewitness and his cohorts in Nursery School, when she was about to dole out licks for them calling each other names that descended into blows!

So when he heard the details about Prezzie “shuffling” his Cabinet, it was obvious that he, Prezzie, was merely insisting his charges not mill around. This was no “shuffling” of the pack like in the card games of your Eyewitness “wakes”.

Just moving around THREE Ministers in a Cabinet of TWENTY-EIGHT is a “shuffle”? But at least your Eyewitness is happy with one of that “moving around” gambit – Amna Ally being posted to “Social Protection”.

Even if she displays a tenth of the feistiness we saw in her stint at “Social Cohesion”… Guyanese society will be well protected!! …at working Not surprising, barista Ruel Johnson jumped into Red House outrage. Evidently Prezzie took the position he’d advised all along – throw the CJRC out on their ears!

He’s trying to save his behind for still not producing a cultural policy draft!

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

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WEDNESDAY, january 4, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Red House fiasco

“AG’s claim bizarre, order was granted” – Manickchand

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eople’s Progressive Party (PPP) Member and Attorney Priya Manickchand has rubbished claims made by Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Basil Williams that the Conservatory Order requested by the Management Committee of the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre Incorporated (CJRCI) was refused.

Last Friday, the local media was informed that Attorneys Anil Nandlall and Manickchand had secured a Conservatory Order on behalf of Hydar Ally, Chairman of the CJRCI Management Committee.

The Order, granted by Chief Justice Yonette CummingsEdwards, seeks to restrain the Attorney General, his servants and/or agents and every officer of Government or the State, from interfering with or removing or destroying any property, materials, artefacts of the CJRCI stored at Red House.

However, the following day, the Ministry of the

Presidency issued a statement calling for the retraction of reports that the Order was granted. In the State’s release, Attorney General Williams claimed that the Conservatory Order was refused after it was pointed out during Friday’s hearing that the declarations requested by Ally had no basis. He noted too that he had informed the Chief Justice that the lease was already cancelled and Government has taken possession of the Red House.

However, on Tuesday, Manickchand told <<<Guyana Times>>> that the claim by the Attorney General, who along with the Guyana Lands and Survey Commission (GL&SC) was named respondents in the legal action, is “bizarre”.

She noted, “It was a bizarre claim by the Attorney General that (the order) was not granted when there is a perfected order entered to that effect… It is also a rather bizarre claim

Priya Manickchand

from the Attorney General.

That really needs clarification, when he said that Government has possession of the property.”

F u r t h e r m o r e , Manickchand pointed this newspaper to the Court Order, copies of which were also posted on the Party’s Facebook page, outlining that “… upon hearing Attorney-at-law for the Application/Plaintiff and the Respondent/Defendants

Cabinet gives green light to over $1B in contracts

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abinet on December 30 gave its no objection to a number of contracts amounting to over a billion dollars These contracts have been given the goahead even as the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) has been recently established.

Government on Tuesday said that some $235,414,217 has been allocated for a new office for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); $37,928,737 for the construction of a community centre ground and pavilion at Baracara, Canje River, Region Six, and $110,943,800 for the upgrade of the electriContract details

cal system, supply and installation of generator and CCTV cameras at the Camp Street Prison among others.

Back in August 2016, Government appointed a five-member Commission, with the objective of having them take the brunt of the work off the shoulders of Government Ministers.

Among the PPC’s key functions, according to the Procurement Act, are to “Monitor and review the functioning of all procurement systems to ensure that they are in accordance with law and such policy guidelines as may be determined by the National Assembly; promote awareAgency awarded to

ness of the rules, procedures and special requirements of the procurement process among suppliers, constructors and public bodies; safeguard the national interest in public procurement matters, having due regard to any international obligations; monitor the performance of procurement bodes with respect to adherence to regulations and efficiency in procuring goods and services and execution of works; approve of procedures for public procurement, disseminate rules and procedures for public procurement; and recommend modifications thereto to the public procurement entities.

Amount ($)

The construction of a new multi-floor office building for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

BK International Incorporated

G$ 235,414,217.00

Construction of a community centre ground and pavilion at Barakara, Canjie River, Region Six

Builder’s Hardware and General Supplies

G$ 37,928,737.00

Construction of roads in New Amsterdam, Region Six

B J Civil Works

G$ 45,230,609.00

Upgrade the electrical system, supply and install generator and CCTV cameras at the Camp Street Prison

Gharbaran Construction Limited

G$ 110,943,800.00

Construction of a perimeter fence at the derelict vehicles site at KuruKururu, Linden/ Soesdyke Highway

KhemrajNauth Contracting Incorporated Services

G$ 52,073,370.00

Procurement of equipment for the special projects unit for the Ministry of Public Infrastructure in two lots:

Blacktop Construction Limited

US$ 98,410.00

Nev Pro Realization Limited

US$ 345,000.00

Lot 1- One Howo 4x4 all-wheel drive truck with 22 metre mounted boom Lot 2 - One mettle Toledo weigh-in motion system

it is by consent ordered that the first named Respondent/ Defendant give an undertaking that all items property and artefacts of the Application/Plaintiff stored at the demised property that is Area ‘A’, now called Red House, comprising Lots 65, 66 and 67 High Street, Kingston… will not be interfered with or removed until further ordered.”

In the court document, the Chief Justice also granted leave to the respondents to file an Affidavit in Answer within 21 days from Friday’s ruling date, and further ordered that the applicant file an Affidavit in Reply within 14 days thereafter.

On Thursday last, President David Granger ordered that the lease for Red House, which houses CJRCI be revoked and give the occupants up to December 31, 2016, to vacate the property. He also instructed Minister of State Joseph Harmon to see that the building be assigned to house the National Trust of Guyana, its staff, stores and equipment effective January 1, 2017.

However, quick action by the PPP-backed

Management Committee saw legal actions taken to reverse the President’s decision.

In the meantime, workers from the Ministry of the Presidency on Friday hammered down the hallmark sign of the Red House. A major commotion erupted outside of the High Street premises as the workmen stripped the building of its identity and barred the gates to the premises even though Government had given the occupants up to Saturday (December 31, 2016) to vacate the property.

PPP members had rushed to the scene to defend the legacy of former President, Dr Cheddi Jagan.

The workmen attempted to transport the wooden sign bearing the words “Cheddi Jagan Research Centre” but fierce opposition from the PPP members and stewards of the Red House prevented them from doing so.

The men eventually drove off in a canter; the PPP members worked together with others on the scene to re-hoist the sign onto the building. Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo who was on site during the standoff

with the Government officers, noted that the attacks against Dr Jagan and his legacy is the height of indecency and callousness of the Government.

“This is heinous, reprehensible act on the part of this Government. They have so many things to deal with in this country than to come and do what they did here today (Friday) to forcibly eject the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre from this building,” Jagdeo said.

Later that evening, the PPP’s peaceful candle vigil to voice concerns over Government’s move to evict the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre from Red House was marred by a protest by group of People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) supporters, led by the Social Protection Minister Volda Lawrence.

This ‘Red House saga’ has sparked immense public outrage, with countless of Guyanese condemning the Government for its unjustifiable attack on the legacy of Dr Jagan – who significantly contributed to the struggle for a free, independent and democratic Guyana.

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guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, january 4, 2017

News

Bartica Massacre trial

Defence counsel seeks dismissal A s the trial into the horrific 2008 Bartica Massacre continues in the High Court, the first hearing in 2017 was greeted to brief albeit intense exchanges as the defence counsel representing Dennis “Anaconda” Williams, Shapheir Hussain requested that the long-awaited matter be dismissed.

Before the first witness took the stand to testify during the morning session on Tuesday, Hussain responded to Justice Roxane George’s admonition to the court regarding adherence to time.

Justice George, who was recently appointed a senior counsel, just before 10:00h on Tuesday greeted those present in the courtroom, but cautioned that for the new year, the court will proceed on time regardless of the absence of counsel or prisoners. Some minutes later, Hussain, who had stated he has been practising since the 1980s, rose up and quipped that “in many instances”, the prosecution could not produce witnesses on time and, therefore, submitted that the case be dismissed.

The court later heard that Detective Sergeant Rodwell Sarrabo, who was on duty at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in November 2008,

S

Mark Williams, Dennis “Anaconda” Williams and Roger Simon are standing trial for the February 2008 Bartica Massacre

could not produce any document to show that the accused Mark Williams was ever charged before May 2009. It was disclosed that the court could not locate the case jacket of Williams’ arrest. Mark Williams’ Attorney, Roger Yearwood then suggested that there “was no credible evidence” to charge Williams in 2008.

However, the Police witness retorted there was, in fact, an identification parade during which the accused was identified. Sarrabo further testified that he did produce an oral state-

ment dated June 18, 2008, regarding the matter of Williams’ arrest.

When Detective Sergeant Sarrabo had testified in mid-December 2016, he had explained that he witnessed another accused, Dennis “Anaconda” Williams signing the caution statement which detailed an account of events surrounding the crimes which were allegedly carried out by the infamous Rondell “Fineman” Rawlins.

Mark Williams, Dennis “Anaconda” Williams and

Roger Simon are the three accused standing trial for the February 17, 2008 attack in which 12 persons lost their lives. Two others, Celbert Reece and Michael Caesar, both pleaded guilty to manslaughter and were sentenced to 420 and 1080 years in prison respectively.

The State Prosecutors are Diana Kaulesar and Stacey Goodings, while Attorney Peter Hugh is representing the other co-accused Roger Simon. The matter continues before Justice George this morning. (Shemuel Fanfair)

High Court trial for teen accused of murder

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teenager was sentenced to stand trial before the High Court

Cashless society

after he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts on Tuesday.

Marlon Garrett, 17, of Campbellville, Georgetown, was initially charged with the capital offence of murder on September 15, 2016.

That indictable charge alleged that on September 11, 2016, at Bourda Market, Georgetown, he murdered a

man.

Garrett answered to Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan, who told him that the evidence against him was sufficient, and as such, he is to stand trial at the next sitting of the High Court.

atiricus was ecstatic. For the second week in a row, he and his buddies were enjoying a “long weekend” like the Americans. They arranged their holidays to make sure this happened but this time with both Christmas and New Year falling on Sundays that took care of that. He and the fellas were doing their “Year-in-Review” at the Back Street Bar. “Suh wha’ yuh t’ink guh happen to de Jubilee Stadium?” Bungi wanted to know. “Me na see nuttin a guh-laang deh.”

“You mean the BILLION DOLLAR Jubilee Stadium?” grinned Suresh. “The businessmen who the Government owe $238 million can put in a claim for it!”

“If the Park cost $1.37 billion, I don’t think it’s fair to give it to the businessmen for $238 million,” ventured Satiricus.

“Sato me fren’, at de speed dem wood-ants a wuk pan de young wood dem contractah pass pan de guvment,” said Bungi, “Me na t’ink de Stadium gon stand up fuh des Independence spo’t!”

“Talking about ‘sport’,” interjected Georgie, who was visiting from New York and was “standing” the beers, “how come everybody sporting so much when alyuh tellin’ me t’ings hard?”

“Georgie, you fellas in New York follow world news, right?” asked Hari, who had been concentrating in downing as many beers as he could, since it was free.

“Sure!” exclaimed Georgie, pleased that his cosmopolitan exposure was recognised.

“Well, you hear about “demonetisation” in India?” continued Hari, as the other fellas took up the slack in free beer consumption.

“Sure!” said Georgie repeated effusively. “The government want to remove cash from circulation.”

“Well, Georgie,” said Hari. “Poor people sporting here because our government has a demonetisation policy also.”

“Really?” said Georgie in a puzzled tone as he signalled for another round of beers. “I don’t get it.”

“It works like this, Georgie,” explained Hari in a patient tone. “If we keep money in the bank, the government taxes it. And if we keep money in the house, the bandits steal it.”

“Suh abee just spend wha’ money abee gat!” said Bungi who couldn’t hold back any longer.

“Demonetisation!” grinned Hari, as he lifted his bottle.

“Let’s drink to the success of Sato’s Government!”

Port Kaituma man jailed for narco possession

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Port Kaituma resident was on Tuesday made to answer to the Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan for possession of narcotics.

Henry Conway pleaded not guilty to the charges when it was read to him at the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts.

The charges stated that on December 31, 2016 at Water Front, Port Kaituma, he had in his pos-

session 20 grams of cannabis and on the same day, he was also found in possession of 3.820kg of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking.

The prosecution objected to bail and Conway, who is reportedly a vendor, was sent back to prison until February 7, 2017, when he would appear at the Matthews Ridge Magistrate’s Court.

NEWS

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WEDNESDAY, january 4, 2017| guyanatimesgy.com

Clogged drains, poor drainage lead to flooding in Region 2 S

everal businesses in the commercial centre at Anna Regina, Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam) were forced to close their doors as a result of flooding.

When Guyana Times visited Anna Regina early Tuesday morning, several businessmen were seen bailing water from their business places. Clothes and electronic equipment ven-

of water accumulated from heavy rainfall. He said he immediately started to sop water and move his transformer to higher grounds.

Businessmen next to him were also seen doing the same.

Meanwhile, a drive around the town of Anna Regina revealed that several houses in the scheme were inundated with water. At Lima, residents remained

rently flooded.

At Queenstown village, some houses are under water. Residents were seen in the floodwaters and according to them, several of their drainage trenches are clogged with overgrown bushes. Like the Lima residents, Queenstown residents are counting thousands of dollars in losses.

In the extreme south of the Essequibo Coast in ar-

A house under water at the Anna Regina Housing Scheme

their respective areas to be rehabilitated.

Region Two has been ex-

A Queenstown family was forced to stay indoors as a result of floodwaters

dors at Anna Regina were also forced to close and secure their items as a result of excessive water.

According to one of the electronic vendors, when he opened his shop he noticed a considerable amount

under water and were counting their losses daily.

According to several residents, the pump and sluice, although in operation, are not draining the lands fast enough. Many poultry pens and kitchen gardens are cur-

eas such as Golden Fleece, Suddie, Good Hope and Vilvoorden, there was a high accumulation of water in the drainage trenches. Rice farmers are very worried and many of them are calling for the access dams in

periencing high intensity rainfall, but poor drainage compounded with clogged

drainage trenches has led to flooding.

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GEORGETOWN FL

wednesDAY, january 4, 2017 |

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FLOODS ...AGAIN!

4, 2017 | guyanatimesGY.com

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guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, january 4, 2017

Regional

Search for fugitives after Union gets support for deadly jail riot in Amazonas Trinidad energy sector strike

P

olice in northern Brazil are searching for dozens of inmates who escaped from an overcrowded prison complex during a riot that left 56 dead, officials say.

The area in Manaus, in Amazonas state, has been isolated. Officials say 40 out of 87 fugitives have been recaptured. Meanwhile, families have gathered outside the local morgue to identify the victims. Some were decapitated.

The violence began on Sunday and ended 17 hours later. It was the deadliest prison riot in Brazil in years.

Officials said the riot at the Anisio Jobim Penitentiary Centre, the biggest in Amazonas, was sparked by fighting between rival gangs over the control of prisons and drug routes.

"This was another chapter in the silent and ruthless war of drug trafficking," state public security secretary Sergio Fontes told journalists. The clashes, he added, appeared to be between

T

The area surrounding the prison complex in Manaus has been isolated by Police

members of Family of the North (FDN), a powerful local gang, and rivals from the First Capital Command (PCC), Brazil's largest gang, whose base is in Sao Paulo, in the South-East.

FDN is believed to be attacking PCC inmates at the behest of the Rio de Janeirobased Red Command (CV) drug gang, the country's second largest.

When the riot began, six headless bodies were thrown

over the perimeter fence of the prison. It ended on Monday, when the inmates surrendered their weapons and freed the last of 12 guards they had taken hostage.

Pictures showed bloodied and burned bodies stacked in a concrete prison yard and piled in carts. A postriot search by Police found several firearms and tunnels. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Haiti court rules electoral process unaffected by voting irregularities

T

he Office of the National Electoral Litigation (BCEN) in Haiti on Monday ruled that while there had been irregularities in the tabulation of votes cast in the November 20 presidential elections last year, they did not “affect the electoral process”.

One month after voters had cast ballots in the legislative and presidential elections, the BCEN had handed a lifeline to three political parties that had been challenging the victory of businessman Jovenelle Moise,

when it ordered a review of the preliminary results.

Attorneys for the political parties – Famni Lavalas, Piti dessalin and LAPEH – had argued against the tally giving more than 55 per cent of the votes to Moise, who was chosen by former president Michel Martelly to represent his party, Tet Kale (PHTK).

The Attorneys representing defeated candidates – Jude Celestin, Moise Jean-Charles and Maryse Narcisse – cited errors in the vote count and officials’ fail-

ure to comply with the requirement that voters sign their ballots or mark them with fingerprints at polling stations.

The Electoral Court in its ruling on December 20 ordered that 12 per cent of randomly drawn presidential minutes be verified and that the verification exercise be carried out in the presence of the parties concerned and the national and international electoral observation organisations. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

Ranulph Fiennes to attempt ascent of South America's highest peak

Ranulph Fiennes, 72, aims to become the first person to climb each continent’s tallest mountain and cross both polar ice caps

T

he explorer, Sir Ranulph Fiennes is set to take on blizzards, minus 30 degrees Celsius temperatures and his own fear of heights as he ascends one of the world’s most perilous peaks.

At 72 and with ailing health, the seasoned adventurer is pursuing a unique record, aiming to become the

first person to climb each continent’s highest mountain and cross both polar ice caps.

This week he will attempt to climb Aconcagua, South America’s highest mountain, at 22,838 feet (6961 metres).

The low oxygen levels at the peak will be particularly challenging as he suffers from a respiratory condition.

Fiennes’ hunger for physi-

cal challenges has not relented since he had two heart attacks and underwent double bypass surgery in 2003.

He is now more than halfway to completing the Global Reach Challenge in aid of Marie Curie, having already crossed both polar ice caps and climbed Mount Everest in Asia, Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, Mount Elbrus in Europe and Mount Vinson in Antarctica.

To complete the feat he still needs to summit Aconcagua, Mount Carstensz in Australasia, and Denali, the highest peak in North America.

Fiennes said: “If life consisted of climbing one mountain and then waiting a bit before doing another, it would be quite simple, but with the seasons and weather dictating things, that’s not how it is.” (Excerpt from The Guardian)

he World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) on Tuesday expressed support for the Oilfield Workers Trade Union (OWTU) that has threatened to call a strike at the state-owned oil company, PETROTRIN from today if last minute talks over salary increases for workers fail.

OWTU President General Ancel Roget said prior to talks with PETROTRIN officials on Tuesday that the Union was seeking a 10 per cent wage

hike after the company had proposed a zero salary increase for the period 20142017.

Negotiations for the previous period, 20112014 is currently before the Industrial Court. The WFTU is urging nationals to disregard the calls by employers for the workers to abandon the plan of a strike and instead stand in solidarity with the affected workers.

The Federation of Independent Trade Unions and Non-Governmental

Organisations (FITUN) has also expressed solidarity with the PETROTRIN workers, condemning what it termed “misinformation and inconsistent statements” coming from Government about the offer made by PETROTRIN to the OWTU. Meanwhile, the Employers Consultative Association of Trinidad and Tobago (ECA) is calling on citizens to resist the OWTU planned shutdown of PETROTRIN from Wednesday. (Excerpt from Jamaica

Observer)

Prominent regional attorney retained

by Antigua PM in defamation case

A

ntigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne has retained prominent regional Attorney Anthony Astaphan SC to pursue a claim for defamation against the Opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) and its public relations officer Damani Tabor.

The alleged defamation was published in a press release issued by Tabor on UPP letterhead, which Browne asserts falsely and maliciously stated in its headline: “Gaston Browne implicated in bribery scandal” and attached a document written in Portuguese from a court in Brazil, along with a crude English translation that in actual fact contained no such implication.

The press release in question was republished in its entirety by local media, including the Antigua Chronicle. According to Browne, Tabor and the UPP’s press release is “nothing short of libel based on their own political ambitions, and I am compelled to deal with it in

Anthony Astaphan, SC, (left) and Prime Minister Gaston Browne

that context in the interest of the facts, truth and preserving the standing of Antigua and Barbuda internationally”.

Further, the alleged defamation appears to have been compounded by the Antigua Observer in reporting that “the allegation against the prime minister surfaced in sworn testimony given in Brazil

by Luiz Augusto Franca”.

However, according to the documents so far made public, there was no such allegation “against the

Prime Minister” contained therein.

The Observer article continued: “In another instance, US court documents recently alleged that a government official of Antigua accepted 3 million euros from a representative of Odebrecht to secure a deal not to cooperate with Brazilian investigations. Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Casroy James admitted to accepting the money...”

(Excerpt from Caribbean News Now)

Protest in Bermuda over refusal by authorities to renew pastor’s work permit

O

n a day when the new school term opens and regular business resumes after the New Year holiday, Bermuda is likely to be without several essential services, including transportation.

Bus operators advised last evening that their vehicles would be off the road from 08:00h as they attend a meeting called by the Bermuda Industrial Union (BIU) for its members.

And according to the Royal Gazette newspaper, the move was also likely to disrupt ferry services and gar-

bage collection.

Transport Minister Michael Eahy has hit at the operators, labeling their action “irresponsible.”

The BIU is peeved at the Government’s refusal to renew the work permit of the African Methodist Episcopal Church Reverend Nicholas Tweed. Ahead of the talks, BIU President Chris Furbert described the decision “as a dark day in Bermuda’s history”, insisting that while Tweed was being “seen as a threat” even though he had family ties in Bermuda.

The Government’s de-

cision has also come under fire from the members of Tweed’s church who issued a statement saying the decision was an “injustice” and an “attack on the faith community”. They were also scheduled to hold a meeting on Tuesday afternoon.

However, there were no signs that the Government would change its position on the work permit, which Home Affairs Minister Patricia Gordon-Pamplin explained was denied because the pastor’s application was incomplete. (Excerpt from Caribbean360)

WEDNESDAY, january 4, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

15

Around the World

14 detained over Istanbul China launches freight train to UK nightclub massacre F

ourteen suspects are now in custody over a massacre that targeted a popular nightclub in Istanbul on New Year's Eve, killing 39 people and wounding scores of others.

Turkey's State-run news agency Anadolu said that an ongoing series of tips or sightings from citizens led to half a dozen more detentions on Tuesday as the main suspect, who allegedly carried out the attack, remains at large.

The suspects continue to be questioned at Istanbul's main police headquarters, media said, adding that security experts say the killer was an experienced assassin. Turkish police have released a photo of him.

The release of the image

Newspaper reports said the attacker was thought to be from a Central Asian nation [Dogan News Agency/AFP]

on Monday came as Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said that the country's state of emergency â&#x20AC;&#x201C; which was already in place at the time of the attack â&#x20AC;&#x201C; would be extended for as long as needed.

The Parliament voted on the issue on Tuesday to extend it for another three months, following a sixmonth mandate.

Kurtulmus also said authorities were close to identifying the gunman after ob-

taining his fingerprints and a description of his appearance.

The attack was claimed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS).

"Information about the fingerprints and basic appearance of the terrorist have been found. In the process after this, work to identify him swiftly will be carried out," Kurtulmus told a news conference.

He said it was clear that Turkey's military incursion into Syria, launched in August, had annoyed armed groups and those behind them, but said the offensive would continue until all threats to Turkey were removed. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

New Republican Congress reverses ethics move after outcry R

epublicans have ditched a plan to gut the independent body that investigates political misconduct after a backlash.

The lawmakers' surprise vote to strip the Office of Congressional Ethics of its independence prompted public uproar and a dressing down from Donald Trump.

"Focus on tax reform, healthcare and so many other things of far greater importance!" the Presidentelect said.

The secretive move,

which overshadowed the first day of the 115th Congress, was reversed in an emergency meeting.

The ethics committee was set up in 2008 following a slew of scandals that resulted in several House lawmakers being jailed.

Trump made cleaning up corruption in Washington a key theme of his campaign, and he ended his tweet with "#DTS", an acronym for "drain the swamp".

Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan had argued unsuccessfully against the rule change, which was

adopted on Monday night in a closed-door meeting, but he defended the proposal on Tuesday.

"I want to make clear that this House will hold its members to the highest ethical standards and the Office will continue to operate independently to provide public accountability to Congress," he said.

As the news spread, internet searches for "who is my representative" rocketed, according to Google Trends.

House Republicans called an emergency meet-

Gambia's Electoral Commission chief 'goes into hiding'

Alieu Momar Njai presided over Yahya Jammeh's shock election defeat

T

he Gambia's I n d e p e n d e n t E l e c t o r a l Commission (IEC) chief has gone into hiding, his family has told the BBC. There are unconfirmed reports that Alieu Momar Njai, who announced Yahya Jammeh's defeat in the polls last month, has fled the country.

President Jammeh initially accepted defeat, but then changed his mind and is now refusing to step down.

Security forces took over the headquarters of the electoral commission shortly afterwards.

Njai's son did not confirm whether his father had left the country, but said

that he hoped and prayed that he was "in safe hands", writing in a Facebook post.

President Jammeh, who has ruled The Gambia for 22 years, is due to be replaced by property developer Adama Barrow, who won elections on December 1 with more than 45 per cent of the vote.

Three private radio stations have been taken off air in the country since Sunday, in the first sign of a media crackdown since the president's election defeat.

Diplomatic efforts to convince Jammeh to accept defeat have so far proved unsuccessful.

The West African regional bloc Ecowas, which has been leading these efforts, has threatened sanctions against Jammeh if he does not step down. (BBC News)

ing and abruptly voted to undo the change.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham took a shot at his party colleagues' decision to neuter the ethics watchdog, telling Fox News radio it was "the dumbest fricking thing I've ever heard".

The independent ethics investigators had been a source of discomfort for members of Congress on both sides of the aisle, and there was significant interest in limiting their ability to conduct inquiries. (Excerpt

from BBC News)

The first freight train from China arrived in Hamburg in August 2013 after a 15-day journey

C

hina has launched a direct rail freight service to London, as part of its drive to develop trade and investment ties with Europe.

China Railway already runs services between China and other European cities, including Madrid and Hamburg.

The train will take about two weeks to cover the 12,000 mile journey and is carrying a cargo of clothes, bags and other household items.

It has the advantage of being cheaper than air freight and faster than sea.

The first China-Europe Block Train for Madrid left Yiwu Railway Freight Station in November 2014.

The proliferation of routes linking China and Europe is part of a strategy launched in 2013 aimed at boosting infrastructure links with Europe along

the former Silk Road trading routes.

London will become the 15th European city to join what the Chinese Government calls the New Silk Route.

The service will pass through Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Poland, Germany, Belgium and France before arriving at Barking Rail Freight Terminal in East London, which is directly connected to the High Speed 1 rail line to the European mainland.

Because of the different railway gauges involved, a single train cannot travel the whole route and the containers need to be reloaded at various points.

The Chinese Government is keen to boost its economy in the face of slowing export and economic growth.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

India: Outrage after Minister blames 'Western dress' for groping

A

n Indian Minister who said groping at New Year celebrations in Bangalore was caused by women dressing "like Westerners" has caused outrage.

Reports have emerged on local and social media of women being molested during festivities on Saturday night.

A Bangalore newspaper published photos of women crying and complaining that they had been groped by crowds of men.

Police say they have received no complaints but are scanning security footage for evidence of molestation.

As local media published images of distraught women seeking Police help, Karnataka State Home Minister G Parameshwara blamed young people for "copying the Westerners, not only in their mindset,

A weeping woman seeks help from a policewoman in Bangalore

but even in their dressing".

"These kind of things do happen," he said.

The Minister's comments have caused anger. National Commission for Women chief Lalitha Kumaramangalam said he should apologise to the women of the country and resign.

The Federal

Government's Junior Home Minister, Kiren Rijiju, described the Minister's remarks as "irresponsible".

"We can't allow the shameful act of #MassMolestation go unpunished," he said on Twitter, adding that women's safety was a "must in a civilised society". (Excerpt from BBC News)

16 news

WEDNESDAY, january 4, 2017| guyanatimesgy.com

Multimillion-dollar estate dispute

Businessman’s daughter appeals judge’s decision

F

ollowing a High Court decision to probate a Will allegedly made by horse racing enthusiast Yusuf Mongroo bequeathing his multimillion-dollar estate to a cashier employed at his enterprise and his housekeeper, the late businessman’s daughter had moved to the Court of Appeal in a desperate attempt to recover her father’s properties.

The owner of popular horse racing service, Horseshoe Racing Services, died on August 15, 2010, while a patient at the St Joseph Mercy Hospital. At the time, both of his daughters were in the United States and he was being cared for by his housekeeper, Indranie Mulchand.

Upon receiving the news of his death, his youngest daughter Sherene Mongroo flew to Guyana and became concerned when she saw the state her father’s body was in. This led to her asking for an autopsy which was conducted by Government Pathologist, Dr Nehaul

Sherene Mongroo

Singh at the Georgetown Public Hospital. That autopsy revealed that Mongroo was suffering from cerebral edema (fluids in and swelling of the brain).

This revelation caused the woman to do some investigations regarding her father’s life before his death.

It was during this time that she stumbled upon a Will which stated that 55 per cent of her father’s multimillion-dollar estate was bequeathed to a cashier of Guyana racing services,

Sasedai Persaud, while the remaining 45 per cent was reportedly left in the name of his housekeeper Mulchand, who later claimed to be his reputed wife.

The man’s residence in New Garden Street was also left to the housekeeper. This discovery promoted Sherene Mongroo to take legal action and so Persaud was ordered to present monthly statements of the company’s finances to the man’s daughter; however, this only happened for a few months and then not at all.

After a few months, Mongroo filed a lawsuit challenging the Will since it was made 72 hours before his death and at the time, he could not have been compos mentis (of sound mind) or with testamentary capacity to have a Will and testament made.

The Will carried two signatories as “witnesses” – one of whom was Dr Rohan Jabour of St Joseph Mercy Hospital – who testified during the proceedings that al-

though he signed the document as a “witness”, he was not actually present when the businessman reportedly signed the Will.

Moreover, during the proceedings, Trinidadian Forensic Document Examiner, Glenn Tarmassar, was called in to examine the Will and testified that it was a laser copy.

The T&T handwriting expert had to go to the defence Attorney’s office (Cameron and Shepherd) to examine the document since the defendants did not want to release the document.

After several years of proceedings, trial Judge, Justice Roxanne GeorgeWiltshire on December 16, 2016, handed down a ruling in favour of the two defendants that the Will presented to the court be probated in solemn form.

The Judge also ordered that Sherene Mongroo pay the two defendants court costs amounted to a total of $175,000.

CONTINUE ON PAGE 17

Public Health Ministry upping game in HIV fight − special focus on adolescents, PMTCT

T

he Public Health Ministry is upping its fight against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), particularly among youth and women, Junior Public Health Minister, Dr Karen Cummings has said.

She reported that some 23 adolescents living with HIV benefited from a sexual and reproductive health workshop which targeted timely orientation in sexuality education. A collaborative effort with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has influenced the decision to have such workshops integrated in the programmed.

According to Dr Cummings, sexual and reproductive health sessions continue to be held in both primary and secondary schools across the country, including the Kuru Kuru and Santa Mission primary schools and St Mary’s Secondary School.

She said health information was also provided to adolescents at various outreaches and other activities throughout the year, including GuyExpo. Youth empowerment also formed part of the work done by the Adolescent Health Unit in 2016. Ninety-six juvenile detainees benefited when the Unit collaborat-

Junior Public Health Minister, Dr Karen Cummings

ed with the Caricom Youth Network in October for a youth empowerment project at the New Opportunity Corps (NOC) Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam).

Meanwhile, the junior Health Minister said the “Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT)”of HIV has now become a programme to eliminate Mother to Child Transmission altogether.

She said all mothers enrolling in Antenatal Clinics (ANC) are offered the HIV test as part of their care.

Rapid testing of ANC mothers is also done on the labour and postnatal wards for those mothers who did not have HIV testing done.

In 2016, the first draft

of the Country Report for the Elimination of Mother to Child Transmission was submitted.

According to Dr Cummings, much emphasis was placed on training healthcare workers in 2016. PMTCT training was conducted for 22 persons in Region Five(MahaicaBerbice), case tracking training for 28 persons, as well as dry blood spot testing for 18 persons.

Site visits were done to the Georgetown Public Hospital, New Amsterdam, Lethem, Matthew’s Ridge, Moruca and Port Kaituma Hospitals, as well as the Charity, Suddie, Skeldon, and West Demerara Regional Hospitals.

The Minister said the major challenges faced in the execution of this subprogramme in 2016 included the lack of integration of PMTCT into MCH at both central and regional levels and inadequate PMTCT services, especially in the hinterland regions due to inadequate human resources.

Meanwhile, the Safe Motherhood Strategy, the Minister said, aims at reducing the deaths and illnesses of women, children and families through a comprehensive approach

commencing before pregnancy.

Curbing the maternal and neonatal mortality rate is high on the Ministry’s agenda and efforts continue to be made in this regard. Approval of an InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) loan for the improvement of maternal and neonatal health was granted in 2016 and will see the MCH department intensifying its efforts in this area in 2017.

In 2015, there were 17 recorded maternal deaths, while 2016 saw 12. This reduction, she said, can be attributed to the fact that there are more trained doctors in the public health system in the field of obstetrics. This has resulted in earlier diagnosis of complications.

To date, some 75 per cent of all Cuban-trained medical practitioners have been trained in ALARMS (Emergency Obstetrics Training).

Forty more healthcare workers were trained in ALARMS in 2016.

The reduction in the number of maternal deaths can also be attributed to increased education and women being seen earlier in their pregnancy.

Ramsammy’s Ruminations Guyana continues to shame itself at the UN by voting against LGBT envoy

N

ot one, but three times in November and December, Guyana voted against LGBT Human Rights.

On November 21, the UN General Assembly had to confirm the appointment of a Special Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI). The expert was agreed on in June and was appointed in September 2016. Guyana joined a number of African and Caribbean countries Dr Leslie Ramsammy in November to oppose confirmation of the Special Rapporteur. If this shame was not enough, Guyana sided with a group of African countries that tried to suspend the appointment of the special rapporteur twice on December 19 and 23. Guyana's vote on the LGBT Special Rapporteur is a repudiation of the commitment President Granger made in January 2016 that Guyana would take immediate steps to guarantee LGBT Rights.

The appointment of the Special Rapporteur on GAY Rights is a significant step forward in guaranteeing that GAY Rights are Human Rights and LGBT people are equal to any other citizen everywhere in the world. The Special Rapporteur is intended "to assess the implementation of international human rights law and current regulations regarding ways to overcome violence and discrimination against people based on their sexual orientation or gender identity while best practices and gaps (of those international norms and laws) are identified."

At the confirmation vote on November 21, 84 countries voted for the appointment of the Special Rapporteur, 77 against and 17 abstained. Guyana joined 7 other Caricom countries Antigua and Barbuda, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Suriname - in opposing the Special Rapporteur for Gay Right. Barbados, Haiti and Trinidad and Tobago abstained. On December 19, 77 countries again voted in a second attempt to block the appointment of the Special Rapporteur, including Belize, Guyana, Jamaica, St Lucia and St Vincent. On December 23, Guyana was the only Caricom country that joined the African countries in a third attempt to suspend the appointment of the Special Rapporteur on Gay Rights. While the majority of countries see the appointment as advancing the Human Rights of LGBT, the countries voting against the Special Rapporteur saw the move as appointing a "Gay Gestapo".

Guyana's vote on Gay Rights at the UN is consistently despicable over the years. I was Guyana's representative in Uruguay in 2012 when we approved the Montevideo Consensus which promoted Gay Human Rights. Yet Guyana abstained when the UN adopted the Montevideo Consensus which, among other things, committed to remove all punitive laws against LGBT. I was ashamed then, as I am ashamed now.

Incidentally, all efforts, even meek ones to remove punitive laws against LGBT, like the buggery laws, have been abandoned in Guyana.

Our despicable UN record is reflected by our stubbornness to repeal those laws that stigmatise, discriminate and criminalise LGBT in Guyana. We are one of five countries that can sentence a person in the LGBT community to death, for same-sex relations in the privacy of their homes and one among 73 countries around the world that can sentence persons to jail for more than 10 years for just being a part of the LGBT community.

Like other Caricom countries, Guyana has retained through saving-clause legislations the old, out dated and archaic laws that our British colonial masters imposed on our societies. In the meantime, the colonial masters have repealed their laws and accuse us of being hedonistic and uncivilised for retaining the laws they imposed on us. The UK repealed these laws since 1969. I am not a lawyer, but I will argue that because these laws remain parts of our compendium of laws through saving-clause legislation, the repealing in the mother land should also apply to us.

In the ninth and 10th Parliament Guyana placed the issue of decriminalisation of LGBT on the table. The 11th Parliament must not delay any further - we must act now. To say that the Government and political parties are constrained because the majority of the population are opposed to repealing these laws is a cop out. Our constitution guarantees every citizen equal rights. Government must not shirk its mandate to ensure all citizens, without exception, enjoy the full protection of the law. Our constitutions uphold our rights to religious freedoms, but also affirm fundamental rights and the dignity of the individual human being, declaring that all persons are equal before the law and entitled to non-discrimination; to freedom from interference with their privacy; and to freedom from unlawful attacks on their honour and reputation. Guyana is on the wrong side of history when it comes to our national and international posture on LGBT Human Rights.

17

news

WEDNESday, january 4, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Bandit invades Mixed views on East Canje home fuel increase ... steals valuables, assaults woman

A

n East Canje woman was on Monday night assaulted after a lone bandit broke into her home and carried away electrical and electronic devices, along with cash and jewellery.

The woman, Drupatie Karran, of 21 Second Street, Betsy Ground, East Canje, Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) said shortly before midnight, she was awoken by someone touching her.

When she opened her eyes, she saw the man holding a knife over her three-year-

The traumatised woman, Drupatie Karran

The bandit invaded this East Canje, Berbice home

old son.

She said

when

she

screamed, the unmasked man ran out of the house

with nothing but the knife in his hands. The traumatised woman then discovered that the house was ransacked and a number of articles were missing.

Karran’s husband was at work during the ordeal.

The back door of the two storey house was forced open. The woman believes that there was more than one intruder.

Karran later discovered that two laptop computers, one cellular phone, $4000 in cash and about $150,000 worth of jewellery were missing. She estimates the total loss at $500,000.

“I didn’t think it was he alone and he broke into our house and he tumble up the whole place and carry way what he want…,” Karran stated.

She explained that this was the third time that her home was broken into; she is calling for more Police patrols in the area.

When a Police Officer arrived on the scene, he searched the area and discovered two men in the vicinity of the home; however, the men fled when they saw him. Investigations are continuing.

Guyoil Service Station at Regent and Wellington Streets, Georgetown

T

wo days after the Guyana Oil Company (Guyoil) announced an “upward movement” in fuel prices nationwide, motorists on Tuesday shared mixed views on the increases, and many still bemoaned the addition of Value Added Tax (VAT) on electricity bills.

Some operators are of the view that the increases are not significant enough to warrant increases in bus fares while others opined that the compounded increases of taxes will “pressure” the poorer class of Guyanese.

“It will affect we a great

Region 10 Medex fails to take up post

T

he contract for a retired Medex at a Berbice River location has been renewed several times due to the failure of a medical officer from Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) to take up the post in the riverine area.

The issue was brought to light by Councillor Charles Sampson during a recent meeting of the Region 10 Regional Democratic Council (RDC).

Sampson pointed out that matter was one of grave concern for the administration and one which has resulted in numerous complaints which were raised during a recent visit to the location by Regional

Councillors.

While he explained that he has nothing against retirees, Sampson said the impression he received is that the retired Medex is incapable of carrying out certain functions.

"I get the impression that this person is not competent… I want to suggest that we seek alternatives," he told members of the Council.

In addressing the issue, Regional Chairman Renis Morian noted that the retired Medex’s contract will not be renewed again. As such, the medical officer will be required to take up the post. He added that while there are a lot of qualified persons in

Linden who are seeking employment, the situation has prevented others from being afforded the opportunity to fill the position.

"Why that person is there is because the officer didn't take up her position. Our position here is that this person's contract would not be renewed after they have retired. The officer will take up their position and that's the end of it. We're not going back on that again," he noted.

The Regional Chairman pointed out that in certain instances, a retiree's contract would be renewed because they possess a special skill; however, in this instance that was not the case.

Businessman’s daughter appeals...

FROM PAGE 16

However, the businessman’s daughter refuses to accept the court’s decision.

According to Mongroo, she nor her Attorney were informed about the ruling three weeks ago. She explained that having residence overseas, she would usually fly to Guyana for the hearings during the trial and had intended to do the same for the ruling,

which occurred some two years after the parties had completed their respective submissions.

She noted that the court indicated to her lawyer that the ruling would be anything soon and that Mongroo be informed but no dates were given.

The woman related that she arrived in Guyana on December 15, 2016 and

checked with her lawyer and still no dates were given. However, the decision was handed down the following day in her and her Attorney’s absence.

Mongroo has since moved to challenge the High Court’s decision and has filed an appeal. The appeal named Sasedai Persaud and Indranie Mulchand as respondents.

Route 32 minibus Mahesh Budram

driver

lot because the whole issue about raising the gas, we as bus drivers [will have] to probably raise our bus fares also because it will carry great effect on us with parts, etc,” Route 41 minibus driver Keith Daniels expressed.

He noted that the VAT included on the specified categories of electricity bills will only make it harder for the poorer class of Guyanese.

“The VAT is kind of hard for poor people; we can’t really make it right now.

It only look like we going somewhere but we aint going nowhere,” the driver added.

Route 32 bus operator, Mahesh Budram, who has been driving for the past 30 years, explained that as he makes a few trips a day, and he does not intend to raise his fares.

“We can’t kill de people because they salary what dem ah get can’t really do for maintain themselves,”

he reasoned. Budram however noted that with the incoming parking meters in the city, business people stand to be impacted since drivers may opt against parking. He also criticised the increase in certain tolls at the Demerara Harbour Bridge.

Meantime, a passenger in Budram’s vehicle, Joe Beharry, said all of the recent increases have amounted to “too much pressure” being placed on consumers. “[It’s] too much pressure on the consumers because the salary what they getting cannot offset these additional expenses and the Government promised us a good life [but] I don’t know if this is part of the good life,” the businessman noted.

He stressed that while fluctuation in gas prices is something that can’t be controlled, the compounded increases in taxes, is adding “pressure” to the local populace.

“The gas price would now and then go up and come down back – you can’t really control that but with all the other tax you got to pay, too much pressure,” Beharry pointed out.

The businessman also indicated that Government can foster economic growth by way of offering tax breaks, incentives and concessions to encourage persons to expand their business operations.

Route 41 minibus operator Keith Daniels

Route 42 operator, Gary Young, noted that the fuel increase would not affect him, since the bus fares will remain the same at the $190 rate, which is man-

Businessman Joe Beharry

ageable. Fellow Route 42 operator, Luellen Austin explained that gas prices remain high in Guyana, even though world prices remain low.

“It wouldn’t affect me in anyway because at the end of the day if we keep noise about it, it doesn’t matter because gas prices forever low and we still paying at a high rate in Guyana,” he explained. On New Year’s Day, Guyoil announced nationwide increases in fuel prices for its products, citing rising prices on the world market. The new price structures which took effect on January 2, 2017, saw the gasoline price jumping by $12 to $190 per litre while kerosene and gasoil prices increased by $5 per litre.

Business Minister Dominic Gaskin on Monday described the increase as “fairly small”, noting that prices not too long ago were reduced when fuel on the world market declined.

However, Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee in the National Assembly and Opposition Member of Parliament, Irfaan Ali had explained that as there was only a US$2 increase in world prices for oil, Government could have adjusted the tax rate to cushion the effect of the increase.

He had also stressed that Government cannot only attribute the movement in the prices on the international market.

When fuel prices were reduced back in October 2016, Guyoil said it was in keeping with its policy of “passing on favourable prices to the Guyanese populace” whenever possible.

18

guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNesDAY, january 4, 2017

ARCHIE

Explaining what you are trying to do will help you (March 21- avoid criticism and interferApril 19) ence. Emotions will be difficult to control if you don’t keep busy. Don’t engage in joint ventures.

ARIES

Stick to the facts and take TAURUS a practical approach to every(April 20- thing today. Move forward May 20) with your plans, regardless of what someone else decides to do.

dilbert

You may feel anxious GEMINI about your position, direc(May 21June 20) tion or next move. Relax and take your time. Impulsive decisions will add to your confusion and stress.

Work from home or make changes to your domestic en(June 21- vironment that will add to July 22) your comfort and convenience.

Make subtle changes that will help you reach your personal and physical goals.

CANCER

Peanuts

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Don’t feel pressured to VIRGO spend money on something (Aug. 23Sept. 22) you don’t want or bow to someone pressuring you to get involved in a joint venture.

Follow your gut feeling and avoid a costly mistake.

Emotions will be difficult LIBRA to control.

Size up whatever (Sept. 23situation you face, and think Oct. 23) your way through it one step at a time. Don’t give in; look for solutions and proceed.

Calvin and Hobbes

WORD GAME

Live and learn. Use past experience as your guide to a better future. Change is necessary, but how you go about it will be what makes the difference.

SUDOKU

You can accomplish whatSCORPIO ever you pursue. Learn as you (Oct. 24go, and watch and listen to Nov. 22) those who are doing what you want to do. Your charm will win favors and help you gain popularity.

Don’t limit what you can SAGITTARIUS do because of your domestic (Nov. 23situation.

Lower your overDec. 21) head or make alterations that will free up the time you need to pursue your dreams.

YESTERDAY'S

solution for Last Published Puzzle

Taking a new approach to CAPRICORN the way you deal with part(Dec. 22ners or people who can influJan. 19) ence your future will help you establish better working relationships. Romance is encouraged.

He who hesitates is lost.

AQUARIUS Pick up the pace and finish (Jan. 20what you start. An opportuFeb. 19) nity to bring in extra cash is apparent, and money in the form of a settlement or prize could be heading your way.

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

Copyright 2015, Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

An emotional situation PISCES (Feb. 20- will surface, leaving you in March 20) an awkward position. Do your best to take care of business quickly, before matters escalate. Romance will improve your life.

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 4, 2017

Warner, Renshaw put South Africa in...

Pakistan to the sword D

avid Warner enshrined himself among the greats of the game’s past before Matt Renshaw secured his Australian future. On a day of contrasting openers and innings at the SCG, Warner blasted his way to the first century before lunch in Tests in Australia, then 20-year-old Renshaw dug in to become Australia’s seventh-youngest centurion.

If Warner’s innings was the favourite of a festive New Year’s crowd, Renshaw will have delighted Australia’s selectors, coaches and players with a display of the sort of calm assurance so vital to Test

match success.

Renshaw styled much of his game on England’s Alastair Cook: working the ball repeatedly off his hip then driving and cutting occasionally he played very much the spit of an innings the older man made against Australia on this ground six years ago.

Having played a major role in Australia’s win in Melbourne by scoring a rapid century, Warner doubled down with another intimidatory batting effort against Pakistani bowling that mixed the presentable with the ordinary on a blameless SCG pitch. Warner joined Victor Trumper, Charles Macartney, Sir Donald Bradman and Majid Khan as the only other men to score a century in the very first session of a Test. Majid was the most recent batsman to get there, making his century against New Zealand in Karachi in 1976-77.

While Warner was unable to go on for long after the interval, Renshaw wedged himself into the wicket, and was composed through the departures of Usman Khawaja and the captain Steven Smith before Pete Handscomb, another bright young thing, settled in. With the debutant Hilton Cartwright and an out of touch Matthew Wade below them, this pair played with some care to reach stumps.

After Smith won the toss and announced two changes to the Melbourne team, Steve O’Keefe and Cartwright, Warner rocketed away with a volley of boundaries in the first two overs of the match, the second of which was bowled by one of Pakistan’s inclusions, Imran Khan.

From there it seemed only a matter of Warner keeping his wicket intact and getting enough strike, two tasks he performed without much trouble as barely a ball beat the bat.

There were runs either side of the pitch for Warner; a lack of straight-driven boundaries reflecting both the pugilism of his method and also the shortish lengths favoured

by Pakistan’s bowlers. Pull shots and punches through the covers were most prevalent, all played with a level

David Warner brings up his century off 78 balls

of hustling intent that suggested Warner always knew the hundred before lunch was on.

In the end Warner was able to go from 95 to 100 with a two and a three from the bowling of Wahab Riaz, the first a pull shot and the second a punch behind square on the off side that should only have been worth two but became the pivotal third via a misfield. Warner’s celebration was typically ebullient; he had already made history in a match just two hours old.

It was to be Wahab who sent Warner back to the dressing room, via an SCG standing ovation, when he coaxed an indeterminate edge when trying to run the ball down through the gully

region. Khawaja’s edge arrived a few overs later from a more aggressive attempt to score, and it was Renshaw who got the balance right.

Smith, having been so dominant in Melbourne, surprised in edging an attempted cut at Yasir Shah and falling to an excellent catch by Sarfraz Ahmed, the prelude to a nervy period in the 90s for Renshaw after tea. On 91 his visor wore the brunt of a Mohammad Amir bouncer, and a check-up from the team doctor Peter Brukner was required before Renshaw continued. In the end a hurried single was enough to take him to the milestone, triggering an outpouring of joy that reminded all present of the difficult spells he has already negotiated whether against Vernon Philander in Adelaide, Amir at the Gabba or a fiery Wahab here. Handscomb was meanwhile reprieved when Sarfraz failed to go with a Yasir legbreak that could have resulted in a stumping.

More runs flowed from Renshaw’s b a t , his

stroke range expanding in direct correlation to the amount of time he spent in the middle. There is plenty of power in his tall frame, but the aversion he shows in the formative stages of his innings will serve him well in what now seem likely to be many years of Test batting to come. (ESPNcricinfo)

SCOREBOARD Stumps - Day 1 Australia 1st innings MT Renshaw not out 167 DA Warner c †Sarfraz Ahmed b Wahab Riaz 113 UT Khawaja c †Sarfraz Ahmed b Wahab Riaz 13 SPD Smith* c †Sarfraz Ahmed b Yasir Shah 24 PSP Handscomb not out 40 Extras (b-2, lb-1, w-1, nb-4) 8 Total (3 wickets; 88 overs) 365 To bat; HWR Cartwright, MS Wade†, MA Starc, SNJ O’Keefe, JR Hazlewood, NM Lyon Fall of wickets 1-151 (Warner, 32.3 ov), 2-203 (Khawaja, 48.1 ov), 3-244 (Smith, 59.5 ov) Bowling; Mohammad Amir 161-58-0, Imran Khan 17-3-81-0 (nb-2), Wahab Riaz 19-4-63-2 (nb-1, w-1), Yasir Shah 30-2132-1, Azhar Ali 4-0-16-0, Asad Shafiq 2-0-12-0

Not all Sri Lanka’s dismissals were down to state of mind.

Angelo Mathews pushed at a decent back-of-a-length ball from Rabada to be caught at second slip. Dhananjaya de Silva sought to come down the pitch to Maharaj, got his feet in a muddle as he flicked to leg, and was lbw, despite a review. But Chandimal’s wanton drive at a wide one from Rabada was inexplicable, especially for a vice-captain.

Philander was aching to get into the act. Three successive deliveries to Rangana Herath were followed by resounding lbw appeals. The third was given. Herath, who seemed resolutely intent on keeping his legs out of the way as the ball jagged back, understandably reviewed, but the decision was narrowly upheld.

Three balls later, Suranga Lakmal was caught at first slip - a knock-on from third - and the job was completed when Lahiru Kumara and Nuwan Pradeep, the latter batting despite a thigh strain that prevented him from bowling, were rounded up in successive balls.

The morning had belonged largely to Quinton de Kock, who completed a third Test century as South Africa were dismissed at the end of a slightly extended session for 392. De Kock, who made 101, was one of six wickets for Kumara whose unflinching efforts in only his third Test pronounced himself a combative bowler of genuine promise.

De Kock does not spend too much time on reconnaissance: life is for living, and the sooner the better. Resuming on 68, he set the tone by confidently driving Lakmal’s introductory ball of the day to the extra-cover boundary. He secured an entertaining hundred around 40 minutes later, benefiting from a final slice of good fortune as an inside-edge against Kumara skimmed past leg stump.

He fell later in the over, jabbing a catch to the wicketkeeper as Kumara seamed a fullish ball away from around the wicket. Chandimal took the catch, back behind the stumps after handing his duties to Mendis on the first day because of illness. Mendis had kept well, so encouraging a rapid recovery. There were seven keeper’s catches in all plenty to share around.

Abbott, perhaps unsurprisingly in the circumstances, fell in the second over of the day without adding to his overnight score of 16, the nightwatchman beaten by turn and bounce from the left-arm spinner Herath. In the absence of Pradeep, Herath conducted a holding operation with the gentle motions of a man philosophically getting up from a sofa to pick up the TV remote.

Kumara, as strong as a

bullock, produced a delivery of excellent off-stump line to dismiss Philander and lunch was delayed with South Africa nine down. Kumara did not deserve that. He roused him-

19

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20

self for a final time to have Rabada caught off an inside edge, finishing with 6 for 122.

A bright spot for Sri Lanka on a bleak day. (ESPNcricinfo)

Quinton de Kock punches the air after reaching his hundred

SCOREBOARD

Stumps - Day 2 South Africa 1st innings (overnight 297/6) SC Cook c Mendis b Lakmal 0 D Elgar c Mendis b Lakmal 129 29 HM Amla b Kumara JP Duminy c Mendis b Kumara 0 F du Plessis* c Mathews b Herath 38 T Bavuma c Tharanga b Kumara 10 Q de Kock† c †Chandimal b Kumara 101 KJ Abbott c †Chandimal b Herath 16 VDPhilanderc†ChandimalbKumara20 KA Maharaj not out 32 K Rabada c †Chandimal b Kumara 8 Extras (lb-3, w-5, nb-1) 9 Total (all out; 116 overs) 392 Fall of wickets 1-0 (Cook, 0.4 ov), 2-66 (Amla, 22.1 ov), 3-66 (Duminy, 22.6 ov), 4-142 (du Plessis, 51.2 ov), 5-169 (Bavuma, 60.5 ov), 6-272 (Elgar, 84.4 ov), 7-303 (Abbott, 91.2 ov), 8-336 (de Kock, 100.4 ov), 9-376 (Philander, 111.1 ov), 10-392 (Rabada, 115.6 ov) Bowling; RAS Lakmal 27-493-2, N Pradeep 15.4-3-46-0, AD Mathews 17-3-41-0 (w-1), CBRLS Kumara 25-1-122-6 (nb1, w-4), HMRKB Herath 23.2-457-2, DM de Silva 8-0-30-0

Sri Lanka 1st innings FDM Karunaratne c Bavuma b Rabada 24 11 JK Silva b Rabada BKG Mendis c Duminy b Maharaj 11 DM de Silva lbw b Maharaj 16 AD Mathews* c du Plessis b

Rabada 2 LD Chandimal† c †de Kock b Rabada 4 WU Tharanga not out 26 HMRKB Herath lbw b Philander 1 RAS Lakmal c Amla b Philander 0 CBRLS Kumara b Philander 4 N Pradeep c du Plessis b Philander 0 Extras (lb-5, w-5, nb-1) 11 Total (all out; 43 overs) 110 Fall of wickets 1-31 (Silva, 15.3 ov), 2-56 (Mendis, 23.3 ov), 3-56 (Karunaratne, 24.3 ov), 4-60 (Mathews, 28.2 ov), 5-78 (de Silva, 31.6 ov), 6-78 (Chandimal, 32.4 ov), 7-100 (Herath, 40.1 ov), 8-100 (Lakmal, 40.4 ov), 9-110 (Kumara, 42.5 ov), 10110 (Pradeep, 42.6 ov) Bowling; VD Philander 12-427-4 (nb-1), KJ Abbott 8-3-90, K Rabada 12-2-37-4 (w-1), KA Maharaj 11-1-32-2

South Africa 2nd innings SC Cook not out 15 19 D Elgar not out Extras (w-1) 1 Total (0 wickets; 11 overs) 35 To batHM Amla, JP Duminy, F du Plessis*, T Bavuma, Q de Kock†, VD Philander, KA Maharaj, KJ Abbott, K Rabada Bowling; RAS Lakmal 5-1-160, N Pradeep 2-0-5-0, CBRLS Kumara 4-0-14-0 (w-1)

20

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 4, 2017

New Zealand crush Bangladesh in series opener K

ane Williamson timed his unbeaten 73 beautifully to help New Zealand to a six-wicket win over Bangladesh in the first T20 in Napier. Along with Colin de Grandhomme, he rode out an early wobble as Bangladesh took three wickets in seven overs while defending 141.

Williamson struck five fours and two sixes in his 55-ball knock, surviving two

chances on the boundary that were down to errors in judgment by Soumya Sarkar and Imrul Kayes who stood too far inside the rope at deep midwicket and long-off respectively.

Until 10.1 overs, Bangladesh were threatening New Zealand with a heist. Shakib Al Hasan had taken a stunning catch running from deep square leg to midwicket in the third over

Kane Williamson and Colin de Grandhomme partnership

during their

to get rid of Neil Broom.

Mustafizur Rahman removed Colin Munro for a duck in the next over and Shakib had Corey Anderson caught at long-off. When Sarkar and Mashrafe Mortaza combined to run the debutant Tom Bruce out at the start of the 11th over, the visitors might have felt on top.

But de Grandhomme slammed a big six over midwicket in the same Mashrafe over before Williamson struck Shakib for a four the result of Sarkar standing too far inside - and six. He reached his sixth fifty in T20Is before de Grandhomme thumped two more sixes, the last one over cover to seal the game with 12 balls to spare. The pair added 81 runs for the fifth wicket with de Grandhomme unbeaten on 41 off 22 balls.

Earlier Mashrafe believed he was giving his batsmen the best use of the flat McLean Park pitch but apart from Mahmudullah, who reached his third T20 fifty, the rest responded poorly.

Kayes edged Matt Henry in the second over and things didn’t get much better after that as Bangladesh lost three wickets in five balls towards the end of the Powerplay.

Arsenal at ease A after dramatic Bournemouth showdown

rsenal completed a dramatic comeback at Bournemouth as they rescued a point in injury time having fallen 3-0 behind.

The home side overwhelmed the Gunners early on and took the lead when Charlie Daniels cut inside Hector Bellerin and stroked a shot past on-rushing keeper Petr Cech.

Callum Wilson scored a penalty to extend Bournemouth’s lead and Ryan Fraser sent a shot through Cech’s legs for the

again, finishing with 3 for 32.

Left-arm quick Wheeler also made an impressive debut with his two wickets while de T a m i m Iqbal was the first to go, giving debutants Ben Wheeler and Tom Bruce their first wicket and catch respectively. Then Lockie Ferguson became only the second bowler ever to take wickets off his first two balls in T20Is. Sabbir Rahman popped a full toss to mid-on rather tamely but Sarkar was undone by a sharp outswinger that took the edge to gully. The hat-trick ball was a yorker but Mahmudullah jammed down bat just in time.

After the worst ODI series of his career with scores of 0 1 and 3, Mahmudullah bounced back with 52 off 47 balls that included three fours and three sixes over midwicket, long-on and long-off. He added 37 and 32 for the fifth and sixth wicket partnerships with Shakib Al Hasan and Mosaddek Hossain, who struck two sixes in his 17-ball 20. New Zealand had to wait until the final over to get rid of Mahmudullah. Ferguson was the successful bowler

Shakib Al Hasan pulled off a blinder to get rid of Neil Broom

Grandhomme, Santner and Henry picked up one each.

(ESPNcricinfo)

SCOREBOARD Bangladesh innings (20 overs maximum) Tamim Iqbal c Bruce b Wheeler11 Imrul Kayesc †Ronchi b Henry 0 Sabbir Rahman c Henry b Ferguson 16 Shakib Al Hasan c Santner b de Grandhomme 14 Soumya Sarkar c Anderson b Ferguson 0 Mahmudullah b Ferguson 52 Mosaddek Hossain c Anderson b Santner 20 Mashrafe Mortaza* c de 1 Grandhomme b Wheeler not out 7 Nurul Hasan† Rubel Hossain not out 2 Extras (w-18) 18 Total (8 wickets; 20 overs) 141 Did not bat; Mustafizur Rahman Fall of wickets 1-5 (Imrul Kayes, 1.3 ov), 2-28 (Tamim Iqbal, 4.4 ov), 3-30 (Sabbir Rahman, 5.1 ov), 4-30 (Soumya Sarkar, 5.2 ov), 5-67 (Shakib Al Hasan, 10.4 ov), 6-99 (Mosaddek Hossain, 15.3 ov), 7-114 (Mashrafe Mortaza, 17.1 ov), 8-138 (Mahmudullah, 19.2 ov) Bowling ; BM Wheeler 4-0-222 (w-4), MJ Henry 4-0-44-1 (w-

Olivier Giroud headed the equaliser home and was involved in each of Arsenal’s three goals against Bournemouth

3), LH Ferguson 4-0-32-3 (w-4), C de Grandhomme 4-0-23-1 (w2), MJ Santner 4-0-20-1 (w-1) New Zealand innings (target: 142 runs from 20 overs) NT Broom c Shakib Al Hasan b 6 Rubel Hossain KS Williamson* not out 73 C Munro c †Nurul Hasan b Mustafizur Rahman 0 CJ Anderson c Tamim Iqbal b Shakib Al Hasan 13 TC Bruce run out (Mashrafe Mortaza/Soumya Sarkar) 7 C de Grandhomme not out 41 Extras(lb-1, w-1, nb-1) 3 Total(4 wickets; 18 overs)143 Did not bat; L Ronchi†, MJ Santner, BM Wheeler, MJ Henry, LH Ferguson Fall of wickets 1-22 (Broom, 2.3 ov), 2-28 (Munro, 3.2 ov), 3-46 (Anderson, 6.3 ov), 4-62 (Bruce, 10.1 ov) Bowling; Shakib Al Hasan 4-030-1, Mashrafe Mortaza 3-022-0, Rubel Hossain 4-0-43-1 (nb-1), Mustafizur Rahman 4-021-1 (w-1), Mosaddek Hossain 2-0-9-0, Soumya Sarkar 1-0-17-0

Cherries’ third early in the second half.

A diving Alexis Sanchez header and a stunning Lucas Perez left-footed volley gave Arsenal hope before Bournemouth went down to 10 men after Simon Francis was sent off for a challenge on Aaron Ramsey.

The Gunners capitalised on the one-man advantage when Olivier Giroud headed a 92nd-minute equaliser to move them eight points behind Premier League leaders Chelsea, who play Tottenham on Wednesday.

South Africa in charge as Sri Lanka shot out for 110 T

he Cape Town monster was more in Sri Lanka’s own mind than the startling nature of the Newlands pitch, but the monster reared its head nevertheless on the second day of the second Test and engulfed them in a trice.

South Africa had been candid about their wish for a pitch offering pace and seam, and it was delivered to order effectively enough, but Sri Lanka’s disintegration to 110 all out represented a huge overstatement of the difficulties they faced.

Sri Lanka were spared the follow-on - South Africa instead stretched their lead of 282 to 317 by the close so escaping their fate on their last appearance in Cape Town five years ago.

On that occasion Sri Lanka’s batsmen did have an alibi in that they were responding to South Africa’s 580 for 4. On

this occasion, as nine wickets went down for 54 in 19.3 overs, their batting often lacked nous and sometimes verged on impulsiveness.

The chief instigator of Sri Lanka’s rickety resistance was Kagiso Rabada with three for 10 in 25 balls at the start of the final session. Vernon Philander then swept aside the tail with 4 for 5 in 12 balls as South Africa found things all too easy.

For Sri Lanka, it brought back memories of their batting inadequacies on their tour of England last May when they returned 91, 119 and 101 in successive Test innings in a chilly northern spring. It is easy to talk of irresponsibility, and that charge could be levelled against Dinesh Chandimal in particular, but Sri Lanka were never likely to replace giants like Sangakkara,

Kagiso Rabada broke Sri Lanka’s opening stand then picked up three more

Jayawardene and Dilshan without pain, especially as there is barely an indoor net in the country.

From South Africa’s perspective, at least it deflected attention away from Kyle Abbott after ESPNcricinfo

revealed that he is agonising over whether to abandon his international career and take up a deal in England with Hampshire as a Kolpak player. CSA was expected to meet Abbott’s agent on Wednesday before making a statement.

Abbott, who went into his 11th Test with 39 wickets at 21.30, was given the new ball and a strong breeze at his back, but after tea he had a watching brief, remained wicketless and had much time to muse in the outfield about the meaning of life. For an international of his calibre to be seriously considering a county future at 29, whatever the outcome, is deeply disturbing not just for South Africa but for the future of Test cricket where there are already not enough strong teams to go round.

Sri Lanka’s openers survived diligently against the

new ball - there was not much swing to be had in a buffeting wind - but such staunch beginnings did not last for long. Kaushal Silva was bowled by Rabada off an inside edge and then Kusal Mendis, who had met the introduction of the left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj by slog-sweeping him for six, envisaged a repeat in his next over and top-edged a simple catch into the off side.

As a thrilling accompaniment, Temba Bavuma almost pulled off a repeat of his wonderful run-out in Perth, Dimuth Karunaratne’s dive at the non-striker’s end just beating his pick-up and underarm flick from cover. Having been reminded of Bavuma’s brilliance, Karunaratne cut the third ball after tea, from Rabada, low to the fielder’s left and paid a predictable price.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 19

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21

SPORTS

Cricket history could be included at CXC T

he history of cricket as a subject could be added to the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Examinations Physical Education curriculum if the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has its way.

WICB Marketing and Communications Manager Carole Beckford says that the body wants to have the subject added, saying the intention is to have the younger generation understand how important the sport is to Caribbean unity.

“Physical Education is already on the CXC [Caribbean Examinations Council] Curriculum.

Because of the strong history of cricket as a subject, we thought it would have been an important partnership with CXC to ensure that the history of West Indies Cricket is being carried on - that people understand how important it is, whether it’s social, business or political.

If a young student passes through the region and does Physical Education. They’ll understand not just the physical part of it, but the historical and the social context as well,”

she said.

Beckford was a member of the panel that

looked at the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) syllabus for Physical Education.

“Physical Education is being looked at broadly.

For example, at the SBA (School Based

Assessment) level, you could jolly well do a cricket project as part of your assessment. It’s just to get it as a subject matter for P.E,” she says.

She adds that CXC already has a responsibility to fostering Caribbean unity.

“Caribbean unity [can already be seen] through CXC, CARICOM, Caribbean exports, and all those organisations that seek to unify the region.

“CXC’s is from an academic development perspective and cricket is a topical subject. The history is important. It’s not just about pride; it’s about carrying on the legacy of what cricket has done and what it continues to do for the Caribbean.”

Beckford and the WICB have been meeting with CXC in order to make curriculum addition a reality and she says talks between both organisations are still on-going.

Toure rules out January transfer

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anchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has said he will not negotiate deals with potential suitors in January as he focuses on his club’s title challenge.

Toure, 33, is in the final six months of his contract at the Etihad and is free to speak with other clubs.

But Toure said: “My focus is on City. The future is there because for now the league is not finished.”

The Ivorian was recalled into the first team

in November after a threemonth exile following comments by his agent.

City manager Pep Guardiola had said Toure would not be picked until his agent, Dimitri Seluk, apologised for saying his client had been “humiliated” by being left out of City’s Champions League squad.

Toure said sorry on Seluk’s behalf at the start of November and has been a key member of the team since scoring twice in a 2-1

win over Crystal Palace on 19 November.

City are seven points behind leaders Chelsea, but two-time Premier League winner Toure believes the club can win a third title.

“Me and the guys are always focused. That’s the main point. I’m a footballer, I belong to the field.

After that is difficult,” he said.

“Chelsea are in a good way but we are going to fight until the end, make it difficult.” (BBC Sport)

22

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 4, 2017

West Indies may play Sir Andy believes Cornwall is ready T20s in Pakistan F

W

est Indies are considering to tour Pakistan for two T20Is in March this year, subject to security clearance and agreement from the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA), after receiving a proposal and security plan from the PCB. “There is an offer [from the PCB] to play two T20 matches in Pakistan, subject to Players’ Association agreement and security clearance,” Roland Holder, WICB manager of cricket operations, told ESPNcricinfo.

“The WICB has received a security plan from the PCB, which we have forwarded to our internal security manager, WIPA and an independent international security firm whom we have also engaged to provide a security report.

WIPA and WICB are carrying out its own due diligence prior to making a determination as to the security situation since the safety of the players and staff is paramount. Once those reports are received a final decision will be made after WICB conducts a recce of the venues.”

Over the recent ICC meetings, the PCB has managed to convince the WICB to consider visiting Pakistan. Lahore is likely to host West Indies for two T20s on March 18 and 19. The two teams will then move to Lauderhill in Florida for two more T20s.

W e s t Indies allr o u n d er Andre Russell had bec o m e t h e first

high-profile overseas player in the inaugural Pakistan Super League (PSL) to express a willingness to play in Pakistan. Former West Indies captain Darren Sammy had also said he would travel to Pakistan subject to security clearance.

The PCB has also been initiating steps to host the 2017 PSL final in Lahore on March 9. This again is subject to security clearance and the PSL management is likely to take a final decision by February 25, three days before the start of the playoffs.

According to PSL chairman Najam Sethi, the Punjab government has given the board a go ahead, but, according to Urdu Jang, a local daily, some players are reluctant to tour Pakistan. The PCB bought four bulletproof buses, following Zimbabwe’s visit, in July 2016, to improve security. The board hopes the additional security measures would help convince players.

FICA, the international players’ association, however, said that the advice it has received concerning security in Pakistan is that travel to the country is still a risk for international players. FICA’s comments came a day after the PCB said it would host the 2017 PSL final in Lahore, after conducting the league stage and the semi-finals in the UAE. Tony Irish, FICA executive chairman, was still uncertain

about the possibility of the PSL final going ahead in Pakistan.

“We are in the process of obtaining updated security advice on playing the PSL final in Lahore,” Irish had said. “We don’t expect much change in the advice previously obtained, but will await the updated situation and then communicate to players. As previously pointed out players play in the PSL as individuals and therefore each make their own decisions on whether to play in Lahore or not. The security risks as communicated by FICA are a factor in their decision making.”

Last year, Zimbabwe became the first Full Member nation to tour Pakistan since 2009, when an attack on the Sri Lankan team bus resulted in the suspension of international cricket from Pakistan. The ICC, however, refused to send its match officials for the series in May 2015.

Pakistan then appointed their own match officials, and hoped the Zimbabwe series would serve as a stepping stone to revive international cricket in the country. That ambition, however, suffered a setback when a suicide attack took place near the Gaddafi Stadium during the second ODI. Zimbabwe, though, played the third and final ODI two days later and completed the tour.

(ESPNcricinfo)

West Indies were swept in three matches in September 2016 in the United Arab Emirates

ormer West Indies fast bowler, Sir Andy Roberts, believes that fellow Antiguan and current player, Rahkeem “Jimbo” Cornwall has earned a callup to the regional squad.

Sir Andy, during an interview on the Good Morning Jojo Sports Show, said the player’s form over the past 12 months certainly indicates that he is ready for a higher level of cricket.

“Jimbo has been ready to move higher for more than a year now, but for me to say he is ready for Test cricket.

I don’t think we really know when anybody is ready because you have a number of players, especially here in the Leewards who perform very well at regional level but fail to impress when they go a little bit higher,” he said.

Called up to the West Indies A team for a tour of Sri Lanka, back in September, Cornwall ended as the leading wicket taker for the three unofficial

Sir Andy Roberts

Tests, claiming a total of 23 wickets for 456 runs at an economy rate of 3.08.

The all-rounder is currently with the Leeward Islands Hurricanes preparing for the regional 50 overs tournament.

Sir Andy, who made his Test debut in 1974, also urged young Antiguan pacer, Alzarri Joseph, to work on his weaknesses as he plays through a perceived bowling slump. (Antigua Observer)

Rahkeem Cornwall

Smith to call time on Pride 50-over career

D

ashing former West Indies batsman Dwayne Smith will retire from domestic one-day cricket for Barbados Pride, ahead of this month’s Regional Super50.

The 33-year-old said he was no longer a part of the selectors plans and though he was hurt by not being able to finish his career at home in this year’s 50-overs tournament, he had little choice but to call it quits.

Barbados and Antigua are the hosts for the 2017 Super50 which runs from January 24 to February 18.

“I basically have to make one big decision now for sure and that’s I’m going to send in my resignation from 50-overs cricket for Barbados Pride, banking on the back of not being given the opportunity to finish my career at home,” Smith told Line and Length Network. “I really wanted to, I’ve asked the selectors, I’ve spoken to them but obviously they had their different plans and I guess I didn’t fit in.

“It was touching, it hurt me a lot because I really wanted – even if it was one game I played in the 50-overs competition Dwayne Smith coming up – I would have been happy.”

Smith has garnered 3500 runs from 183 List A games at an average of 23 but had a disappointing outing in last year’s Super50 when he managed just 116 runs from eight innings at an average of 14.

Pride reached the final before losing out to eventual champions Trinidad Red Force in the final. The right-handed Smith, a fixture on the international Twenty20 circuit, said he had been encouraged to end his Pride career at home and was hurt he could not bow out in this way. “A lot of the youngsters had asked me to finish in Barbados because I had told them I was not going to continue but they really, really wanted [me to finish at home],” said Smith, who quit first class cricket two years ago. “I re-

ally wanted to finish at home seeing that I knew the tournament was going to play at home but life goes on, I can’t really dwell on that.”

He continued: It’s very touching for me because it hurt me a lot but I think I’ve had a lot of good times with Barbados cricket. I can say I’m one of those who are very patriotic. I love Barbados and I would do anything for Barbados cricket and I will hope that the youngsters go on and continue the good work because we’ve been doing some good work.

“For the last two years or so, the team they have put together have been gelling well together and I love to see that camaraderie.” Smith’s international career has been over for some time. He has not played a OneDay International or T20 International for West Indies in two years, and said he had accepted this reality even though nothing formal had been communicated. He made 1560 runs in 105 ODIs and 582 runs in 33 T20s. “I know for sure I’m not going to play for West Indies anymore, I know that for sure – judging from the selections that have gone on before. But I’m not too bothered about that because I have a life to live,” he stressed.

“It’s just for Dwayne Smith now to move on. I’ve had a very good career with Barbados cricket, probably could have been better.

“I had some very fun moments playing with the likes of Corey Collymore, Sherwin Campbell, Philo Wallace … Pedro Collins, Fidel Edwards, Sulieman Benn and then coming along with the youngsters like (Kevin) Stoute, Jason Holder, Shamarh Brooks, Shane Dowrich, Kraigg Brathwaite.”

He added: “My thing was to play for Barbados, finish a good year and let the youngsters take over. But it’s been good for me so I’ll just hope the youngsters continue to do the good work that Barbados has been doing over the years.” (CMC)

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 4, 2017

Paul tipped for another stint with West Indies U-19

23

Hassan wins Enmore Cricket Club top award

E

A group photo with all the award recipients at the Enmore Community Centre Cricket Club

Bhaskar Yadram and Joshua Persaud are confident of West Indies U-19 selection for the Regional Super 50

K

eemo Paul will be playing for the West Indies Under-19 when the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Regional Super 50 tournament commences on January 24 in Antigua.

The 18 year old, who was the vice-captain of the victorious West Indies U-19 team at the 2016 International Cricket Council (ICC) Youth World in Bangladesh, will make up the Regional youth side as one of the players, who will not feature in the 2018 Youth World Cup. Paul, who was recently awarded best under-19 bowler by the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) at its annual award ceremony, for his outstanding bowling effort for Guyana at the 2016 Regional U-19 tournament in St. Vincent, ended the tournament as the best allrounder with 192 runs and 15 wickets. According to a source close to the WICB selection panel, the all-rounder was selected because the WICB wants to continue to nurture his talent with hope of him ascending to the highest level like they did with other outstanding youth players over the years. Additionally, he is still under 19 and though he will not be a part of the next Youth World Cup side, his vast experience will be valuable to the team.

Paul played in the last

Regional Super 50 tournament with the West Indies U19s where he had returns of 15 runs from three matches while be bowled without capturing a scalp.

In December the WICB hosted a camp in Grenada to prepare a team for the Regional tournament, Paul was not included in the camp making his selection a surprise. However, two Guyanese in the likes of batting all-rounder Bhaskar Yadram and wicket keeper batsman Joshua Persaud, featured in that camp.

Nevertheless it remains unknown if they have made the final cut for the Regional Super50. This year’s Super 50 which will also include English County side, Kent Spitfires will be separated into two groups with matches being played Antigua and Barbados.

Group A: Kent Spitfires, Leeward Islands Hurricanes, Trinidad & Tobago Red Force, West Indies U19s, Windward Islands Volcanoes.

Group B: Barbados Pride, Guyana Jaguars, CCC Marooners, Jamaica Scorpions, ICC Americas.

Trinidad and Tobago Red Force are the double defending champions after winning back to back titles at home in 2015 and 2016 when the tournamnet was sponsored

by Nagico Insurance company.

By Romario Samaroo

beginning from the Primary level will start taking shape as the NSC initiates its coaching programme across all 15 districts of the country in close to 10 Olympic sport disciplines.

But this did not come as an abrupt decision, rather, the Director of Sport explained that “essentially what we did in 2016 were some assessments on the roles and functions our coaches and organizers have been carrying out throughout the years and we recognized that even though they would have reached a certain amount of our populace, it wasn’t sufficient and it doesn’t necessarily provide a road map to produce athletes so in 2017 the role of the coaches and organizers will be through the district structure.

You would notice that the Guyana Teacher’s Union

nmore Community Centre Cricket Club (ECCCC) honoured its top cricketers and contributors to the game of cricket on Monday afternoon for their outstanding achievements in 2016 when the club hosted its annual awards ceremony.

Among those awarded were Imran Hassan, Gavin Moriah and Rudolph Singh.

The event was held in the auditorium of the club, the ceremony sought to highlight and recognise the achievements of the cricketers over the past 12 months, while serving as a platform to express gratitude to the large band of supporters of the club.

The best all-rounder of the year, which is seen as the major award, went to Hassan, who chalked up 413 runs and captured 12 wickets, while East Coast Demerara franchise player, left-arm seamer Moriah, finished with the most wickets28 from 13 matches- including a best of 6-18 against Paradise SC in the SPR 40over competition.

Promising young talent Singh emerged with most runs- 434- and was also adjudged Most Improved Player of 2016, after showing considerable improvement from the previous season.

The best batting performance prize went to another East Coast Demerara franchise player- wicketkeeper/batsman Vishwanauth Ramlakhan- who scored 114 against Calcutta Sports Club and 87 versus Fairfield dur-

ing the period under consideration. Both knocks came in the SPR 40-over competition, which the ECCCC won.

The best bowling performance of the year went to off-spinner Chandraban Seemangal for his 7-35 in a must-win game against Enterprise B in the SPR 40-over competition, while the most consistent player was off-spinner Satesh Jainarine, who captured wickets in 75 percent of the matches he played, and was voted the club’s Most Valuable Player in the two finals in 2016.

Nandram Ganesh was unanimously voted by his teammates as the most disciplined player, while Jainarine was named most promising player and club captain Bheemraj Ramkelwan most committed player.

Special awards were also given to caretaker/groundsman Deolall Rajkumar, Treasurer Tahal Ganesh for his outstanding and selfless contribution to the club, and the club’s number one fan Narain ‘Uncle Nar’ Singh, who attended most of the games during the past year.

Meanwhile, delivering feature remarks at the function, President of the club, Taajnauth Jadunauth, told the gathering that the club will collaborate with schools in the Enmore area to recruit new members.

He however, noted that while the year was generally successful, there were some challenges, some of which were internal.

“It would be further accurate to declare that the Enmore Cricket Club has been providing the people of Enmore with an avenue for recreation. Yet some people, who should know better, would not, even grudgingly, give us some recognition for that. But we will continue to do what we have to do,” Jadunauth pointed out.

He added, “My disappointment is twofold. One: we are not getting younger boys to come to the Centre, regardless of which sporting interest they may have.

Whether the reason is school lessons, television or their cellphones, I am seeing a frightening situation. And I hold many parents responsible for that. Two: Some of our current players think that they are too big to be actively involved in activities to raise funds for the Club, but the same persons expect that the Club should carry their match expenses. And these are senior players.”

Jadunauth also addressed the club’s young membership directly, noting that only positive outcomes can be had from their continued involvement with the ECCCC. “Over the past year I have been pleased to see our younger members stepping up to the plate and I encourage you to see this Club as the Club which brought you to where you are today. The time will come when you will have to take greater responsibility and leadership roles in the Club’s affairs. You should not shy away from

those roles because they will serve to make you better persons and good leaders,” he posited.

Club captain Bheemraj Ramkelawan, stressed that the club’s mandate to rid the streets of Enmore of youths who continue to engage in unwholesome activities, has been met by several stumbling blocks.

“The environment that we operate under has become one of hostility. This is one of the reason why parents are reluctant to send their kids to the Centre and our club has being at the receiving end of this hostility.

I dare say that this is as a result of lack of leadership from the other Clubs who operate here. A small group of persons are allowed to intimidate our younger members and for that matter new ones also,” Ramkelawan explained.

The Club captain further stated that in 2016, the club played 18 games, winning 15, a six percent increase from its winning record the previous year. The ECCCC also hosted a few fund-raising activities during the year, but was unable to stage the Inter-block softball competition, which will now be held in the first quarter of this year.

Meanwhile, the club will have its Annual General Meeting and elections of office bearers later this month, while there will be a renewed drive to increase the membership, even if it means recruiting players from outside the village.

es and organizers are reaching 8,500 primary school students and 5,500 secondary school students.”

Jones went on to explain how this programme will fan out, bearing in mind the fact that it is a lot of work and a lot of schools to cover, but no better time than to begin that in this month.

“As early as next week there are programmes in these districts, they will huddle schools, so for example they be working with three schools per hour and this will continue throughout the entire day. So the programmes will be running for the entire week for the entire region, touching every primary and secondary school,” Jones stated.

Additionally, “Every sport organizer and coach interacting in these districts, they will have to provide data for each

and every single student they interact with and they will do their own assessment sheet to tell us these individuals have the potential for basketball, cricket, football or whatever sport it is, so at the end of every school term we will be producing a record sheet which will be speaking to districts that we have the potential, we have 75 students for the potential in cricket, we have 50 with potential for football, their names, date of births, addresses, all that will be fed into the data base so we have all the information.”

This will also help to assess the awarding of funding to travel overseas by various associations, based on their merits then they will be awarded.

Unfortunately the programme will not be targeting all the sporting disciplines but rather a hand full which

the Director of Sport feels is what can be handled at the present time and which is realistically feasible.

“We recognize that there are 41 sports disciplines and we cannot carry all these disciplines and of course we have to target those that are Olympic sports so we would have narrowed down to a figure, which is not completed yet, but just under 10 sports disciplines that we would be carrying and these are the same disciplines the organizers and coaches will be teaching to the primary and secondary school students” the Director of Sport articulated.

This is what the NSC boss termed as “creating a feeder programme” explaining that “it starts from the very small schools so by the time they reach in secondary they can be channeled in to the various Associations.”

Nationwide coaching to begin next week

D

irector of Sport, Christopher Jones along with the National Sports Commission (NSC) will be kicking things off for the New Year with the introduction of a nationwide coaching programme.

In an exclusive interview with Guyana Times Sport, the director noted that this was all a part of the annual aims he had set out upon assuming office back in 2015.

Firstly, Jones highlighted the achievements of the previous years, stating that he has fulfilled his personal promise to successfully host the InterGuiana Games as well as roll in the first ever national athlete database which is being constructed by local technology company, Intellectstorm.

Now in 2017 the process of gathering records of athletes

Director of Sport Christopher Jones

has a district structure that speaks to all 10 administrative Regions, a similar structure the NSC will be using.

We have now assigned our coaches and organizers to the 15 districts.

So when I speak to you about coaching in Region Six which has two districts, five and 15, is that my coach-

Sports is no longer our game, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s our business

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 4, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

Pg 23

Hassan wins Enmore Cricket Club top award ECCCC President Taajnauth Jadunauth (left) and Club Captain Bheemraj Ramkelawan (extreme right) share a moment with the top three cricketers: Imran Hassan (second left); Gavin Moriah (centre) and Rudolph Singh

Paul tipped for another stint with West Indies U-19

Pg 23

Keemo Paul had a memorable Under-19 World Cup last year

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