mondAY, september 29, 2014 | guYAnAtimesgY.com
People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) and Opposition Leader, Brigadier (retired) David Granger has repeated his call for the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) administration to provide road and riverine transportation for schoolchildren, particularly those in rural and hinterland communities.
This call comes in the wake of demands made to Minister within the Finance Ministry Juan Edghill when he met residents of Coomaka, Elizabeth Maria -Three Friends, Old England and Nothinghamshire.
According to an APNU press release, residents complained about poor transportation service for schoolage children. According to a GINA report, residents “implored the Minister to intervene as they complained that during the rainy season, children are forced to stay at home because no transportation is available. However, in instances where children decide to brave the harsh condition and walk
to central Linden to attend school, their parents worry about their safety. They said: “These children does walk for miles to go to school and they come home late at nights. If we get a minibus to collect all the school children in the mines, it would encourage the children to go to school more.”
Another resident noted that the children in the communities are eager to go to school, but because of bad weather, they are forced to stay at home and in some instances miss end-of-term ex-
aminations.
The residents indicated to the Minister their willingness to ensure that the bus once provided is maintained and used for the purposes intended. Noting Government’s commitment towards improving the education sector and building the human capital, Minister Edghill said he will make representation to Cabinet for a school bus for the communities.
Granger, addressing the PNCR 18th Biennial Delegates Congress in July this year called for free transportation, among other things, for schoolchildren. Granger promised: “We shall start by ensuring that no child is prevented from attending school because of parental poverty. We shall ensure that every primary school child is transported to school by boat or bus. We shall ensure that every primary school child starts the school day with a healthy breakfast at school. We shall reward every family that keeps its children in school. Protecting children is a PNCR priority.”
Accompanied by several Government and regional officials, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds who is performing the duties of President, was accorded a warm welcome when he visited St Cuthbert’s Mission Village on Saturday for their Amerindian Heritage Month celebrations.
He urged them to recognise other ethnic cultures even as they maintain focus on keeping their own alive. The Prime Minister pointed to the growth of the community, the roads and the secondary school even as he emphasised that all Guyanese must work to improve their communities and the country as a whole.
Government built a modern secondary school in the community to ensure that children access education right in their community. It also spent a large sum on building the road to the Region Four community.
He commended the late President, Dr Cheddi Jagan
world of technology through the One Laptop Per Family Programme, he told the residents that a hub will be provided in each village for Internet connection.
Speaking of strides made by Amerindians, Prime
ed the work done.
Pointing to bridges, roads and the Guest House, he noted that the latter was done through the Presidential Grant. The construction of the library was also commended, as well as the land-
for declaring September as Amerindian Month, even as he noted the merging of ways of life around the country. Hinds noted that with
Minister Hinds made special mention of Guyana’s Sharon Austin, who is Coordinator of Indigenous Affairs in the Amazon Cooperation Treaty
ing which is almost complete.
The granting of a
the recognition that citizens must work towards development, the administration has committed to education which can be seen in new schools around the country.
He also pointed to strides made to improve the provision of health services and electricity in the hinterland. The Prime Minister explained that all communities which have not been served will soon be connected.
Pointing to the movement towards bringing all citizens up to date in the
Organisation (ACTO).
Meanwhile, Minister within the Agriculture Ministry Alli Baksh in his address to the residents, focused on the growth of Amerindian communities around the country. He noted the fact that Amerindians are celebrating their heritage with other ethnic groups even as he lamented the past of all the groups, especially Amerindians. The projects in the village were highlighted by the village Toshao Luke Simon, who commend-
reason for and the granting of an extension.
The gathering was a make-up of the predominantly Arawak community and their visitors. The residents displayed their cultural heritage for their visitors, proving that their culture is being kept alive through traditional dances, songs, skits and the booths which were on display, offering food, beverages and ornaments made by Amerindians, the Government Information Agency reported.
BY VAHNU MANIKCHAND
Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU)
President Komal Chand said the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) must work harder to set and achieve a target of 300,000 tonnes of sugar for next year.
But he pinned this on overall good management of the struggling industry.
This year’s target is 219,000 tonnes, which the Corporation said it would meet easily. The first crop was successful, surpassing the 75,000 tonnes target, bringing in about 80,000 tonnes. Sugar production came in at a dismal 186,500 tonnes for 2013, but Guyana has been taking steps to turn around the sugar industry and hopes to meet the 300,000 tonnes-target soon, with a projection that the sector will reach its 400,000-tonne goal by 2020.
Investments
GuySuCo, however, continues to operate at a loss, even with more than 15 years of billions of dollars in investments. Back in 1995, the Corporation was producing sugar at a relatively high cost; today, the situation remains the same. From 19951996, the cost of production was US$0.23 per pound with the figure dropping to US$0.22 by 1997.
When compared with production costs in Guatemala, the United States, NorthEast Brazil and India, the cost of producing sugar in Guyana is most unfavourable.
Speaking last Friday during the signing of a four per cent wage/salaries increase agreement for sugar workers, Chand said despite low prices, the production level is reasonably high.
He said as such, he foresees that next year, the Corporation will take the next step forward and in-
crease the production target to 300,000 tonnes sugar.
“We (GAWU) are supporting and we hope that very soon, depending on the work that was done last year and especially the latter part of this year, that next year we should see ourselves producing at least 300,000 tonnes.”
The GAWU President pointed out that while no one can really be pleased with the current target, it is higher than last year’s. He noted that all the conditions are in place for the target to be attained.
“The workers are now being offered an increase, so one expects everyone should put their shoulders to the wheel to achieve that number, but as I said, that number itself is not one that one can say we are going to be far better than last year, although the production is low because this year the price has gone down considerably,” Chand stated.
He went on to say that the industry is in such a state that should it continue this way, then there is high possibility of it being forced to either close or downsize, which the country cannot afford. Chand explained that there are no other industries which can absorb the large number of people who will be forced out of jobs.
He disclosed that GuySuCo pays in excess of $20 billion to workers every year and this money goes toward sustaining businesses such as small shops, as well as fishermen and market vendors.
The GAWU head referred to the recent strike action at the Skeldon Estate, noting that it had an adverse effect not only on production but also electricity supply. Against this backdrop, Chand highlighted the importance of the industry and its role in providing employ-
GAWU President Komal Chand
ment opportunities.
Generation capacity in the Demerara/Berbice Integrated System (DBIS) was significantly reduced during the strike due to shortfall in expected imported energy from GuySuCo, Skeldon, and the failure of the turbo charger on Guyana Power and Light's (GPL’s) Number Three Wartsila set located at Kingston, Georgetown.
GPL had said that unfortunately, these two incidents arose at a time when the Number One Wartsila generator at the Kingston one plant is undergoing a major overhaul.
The power company had said that it was unable to supply energy to the grid because of the industrial action at Skeldon factory.
Meanwhile, Chand said the production level in the industry is not in keeping with the capacity it has. He explained that most countries have eliminated the ‘cut and load’ process and Guyana is now making effort to move away from that.
However, he opined that it is challenging because of the weather conditions here and the fact that most of the country is below sea level; hence, the drainage is not as effective as it should be.
Chand continued, stating that his union has always offered its support and cooperation to GuySuCo in ensuring that production is achieved at the highest, however, he explained that for this to be achieved, other stakeholders will have to play their part.
“The industry has a huge financial indebtedness. It needs to move, whereby yearly, from its performance it could break even and thereafter to move to a proper position.”
GuySuCo recently surpassed its first crop target of 74,000 tonnes of sugar, ahead of the time scheduled for the end of the first grinding season of 2014.
The current production level is at 138,000 tonnes against a target of 219,000 tonnes, which was raised by 3000 tonnes. This leaves an outstanding 81,000 tonnes to be produced during the remaining time of the second crop.
At a meeting before the Economic Services Committee back in July, Chief Executive Officer, Dr Rajendra Singh had disclosed that the cost of production stood at US$0.34 per pound of sugar.
Recognising the high cost of productivity, Dr Singh assured the Committee that mechanisms are in place in the 2013-2017 Strategic Plan to reduce the cost of production to US$0.26 per pound. Singh had said that the industry has a history of poor profitability. With the exception of 2006 and 2007, GuySuCo has operated at a loss for the past 10 years. After investing approximately $9 billion into the industry in 2005, GuySuCo recorded a profit of $476 million in 2006. In that same year, an additional $12.5 billion was pumped into the industry, leading to a profit of $630 million in 2007.
Editor: Nigel Williams
Tel: 225-5128, 231-0397, 226-9921, 226-2102, 223-7230 or 223-7231. Fax: 225-5134
Mailing address: 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown
Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, sales@guyanatimesgy.com
It appears that “A Partnership for National Unity” (APNU) is undergoing a crisis of identity and, as with all such existential issues, it can be very agonising on the individuals constituting the organisation. If Maggie Thatcher is to be believed, there is no such thing as a “society” – there are only the individuals that constitute the concept. And so it is with a political “coalition” such as APNU.
There is first of all, the coalition itself. The Guyana Action Party (GAP) had been one of the founding members, but with the passing of Everall Franklin, it would appear that party has also passed on. Its Leader Paul Hardy has not been heard from and one doubts that through its representative Sydney Allicock, it commands any significant support in its former hinterland base.
Keith Scott and his National Front Alliance were always more of a paper organisation and very few would assert with a straight face that it has any electoral identity much less support.
The once proud Working People’s Alliance (WPA) is but a shell of its vibrant and principled past where it performed a vanguard role in the struggle against the PNC dictatorship in the 1970s.
Much of this struggle and the machinations of the PNC have been revealed in the ongoing Inquiry into the killing of the man who was at the heart of the WPA’s support, Dr Walter Rodney. Without much ground support, the WPA yet gave some credence to the present PNC’s claim – under its new leader David Granger – to have “turned over a new leaf”.
However, after WPA’s Rupert Roopnaraine, rewarded as “second in command” of APNU in Parliament under Granger, unilaterally offered a rationale as to why the PNC and its armed forces might have been justified in assassinating Rodney, most of the remaining members of the WPA disavowed Roopnaraine’s assertion and began distancing themselves from APNU in general and Granger in particular.
David Hinds and Tacuma Ogunseye have openly expressed their disagreement with the strategy of APNU. Roopnaraine recently revealed that he would not be returning as APNU’s Prime Ministerial candidate.
It is, therefore, quite clear to the electorate at this time that APNU was simply a fig leaf to hide the sins of the PNC which still reverberate in the collective consciousness of the Guyanese populace. But the rigging of the election to choose the leader of the PNC at its last Congress in July has now placed severe strain on the credibility to its own “traditional constituency”.
The sidelining of long-time activist Aubrey Norton and the Linden delegation was not seen as just a personalised competition between two leaders, but the latest battle to define the identity of the PNC.
Ever since its formation in 1959 with Burnham’s PPP, the League of Coloured Peoples’ United Democratic Party and Sydney King (later Eusi Kwayana), the PNC had been dominated by the middle-class UDP types, who lorded it over the masses of ordinary working class members.
Norton and the Lindeners’ challenge was only the last in a long struggle for justice and democracy within the PNC. It had been thought that Robert Corbin’s accession to the PNC’s leadership in 2003 might have altered the power imbalance, but Corbin ignominiously betrayed his class interests.
The elitist Granger’s gambit to demonstrate he has support among the PNC’s base failed miserably last week when he called out members across the country to protest against the Government for not bowing to his threats on Local Government Elections. While the ethnic card will be played by Granger to ensure there is not much movement of the PNC’s support to the AFC or PPP/C, it is quite possible many of them will simply stay at home.
During the Scottish Referendum, Tory PM David Cameron pleaded with voters not to give the “effing Tories”, a kick. Granger may have to so plead for the “effing PNC”.
Dear Editor,
I was happy when I read in the press a statement from the governing PPP/C advocating that star batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul should be given the second highest national award, Order of Roraima (OR). This announcement came a few days after I made the same request. Clive Lloyd was so honoured by the Forbes Burnham Administration more than three decades ago.
However, I feel that the Government should give more recognition to the 40-year-old world famed cricketer. He should be given a diplomatic passport because I understand that he has to queue like any other passenger when boarding flights as well as to clear immigration.
I gathered that former West Indies cricketer Roger
Harper who is now a coach carries a “red passport”. I wonder why he was given such recognition in preference to the man who broke so many world records and is undoubtedly our leading batsman.
Politicians and friends of politicians are issued diplomatic passports and it is high time that our topnotch sports personalities should be so recognised.
I think protocol demands that before a non-official is entitled to a diplomatic passport, he has to be appointed a diplomat.
Why not bestow ambassadorship on him as is done by the Trinidad Government when they appointed their stars Brian Lara and Darren Ganga as Sporting Ambassadors. The Jamaica Government has done the same to former speedster Courtney Walsh and the Barbados
Government did likewise for Garfield Sobers.
The Trinidad and Tobago Government recognise their sport and cultural personalities in a tangible way – naming parks and stadiums after them, even aircraft after beautiful queen Penny Commissiong, and athletes, and presenting large sums of money and land to a javelin gold medallist.
The Government of the twin-island republic even recognised Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar when he played his 200th Test match in Mumbai when it flew out its Sports Ambassador Brian Lara to make a presentation to that great Indian batsman.
It also – via Lara – recognised Chanderpaul on his 150th Test match, but unfortunately no accolade came from his own country.
Surely High Commissioner
Ronald Gajraj could have been asked to make a presentation on behalf of the Government.
The Dominican Government also recognised the contribution of Shiv when it offered him citizenship, and is considering naming a pavilion in his honour. Maybe the Providence Sports Stadium should be named after the man who is undoubtedly the best batsman the country has produced.
The Antigua and Barbuda Government has named its stadium after Viv Richards, and in St Vincent and the Grenadines, a main pavilion is named after Michael Findlay – a man who played only 10 Test Matches as a wicket-keeper. We should do more for our sporting personalities.
Sincerely, Oscar Ramjeet
Dear Editor,
On September 22, I attended a celebration of International Peace Day organised by the United Nations Association of Guyana (UNAG) in the car park of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) office on Brickdam, Georgetown, which was attended by the Prime Minister and Acting President, Samuel Hinds. In the short time I was afforded, I made the point
that it is obvious that the efforts of the United Nations to achieve peace among nations are being stymied largely because of some individual countries acting on their own in countries that are involved in conflict.
I proposed that this should not be so as, even if these intervening countries are well-intentioned, they would always be suspected of pursuing their own agendas, and less
likely to achieve any positive results in any struggle.
I believe that all nations should empower in every sense the United Nations as the only agent to negotiate and even intervene militarily in international disputes, as this would convince those warring states that they are acting in the interests of peace on a holistic basis, and, therefore, they would be more disposed to abide
with their decisions. Incidentally, very conspicuous at this very important celebration was the absence of the dailies, and we all have to wonder what caused them to stay away, and thus miss out on this opportunity to highlight the functions of this crucial agency working assiduously to achieve peace in our world.
Yours sincerely, Roy Paul
Dear Editor,
I write in response to Professor David Hinds’ “Nothing to do with ethnic fairness”, in another media outlet – with reference to calls for the Opposition Alliance For Change (AFC) to maintain “racial rotation” of leadership positions.
This was agreed upon in the launching of the AFC’s debut electoral campaign in 2006 in order to provide ethnic fairness within the party to the two dominant racial groups. My response was not published.
I met Hinds several times during the 1980s in New York during the campaign against the People’s National Congress (PNC) ethnic dictatorship; he made presentations on ethnic issues at several conferences. I and others admired his courage in speaking out against racial discrimination, especially racial victimisation of Indians and non-supporters of the oppressive PNC Government.
He championed racial fairness in his columns in the Daylight calling for the PNC to end its racist policies
against Indians and he wrote some outstanding pieces on the subject of race. Hinds and his mentor, Elder Eusi Kwayana, were among a few Africans who condemned the PNC for its persecution of Indians and other ethnic groups in Guyana during the reign of terror of which Hinds, like several of us, was also a victim.
The two and a few other Africans also condemned the PNC Government-sanctioned kick down robberies against Indians – which Hoyte ended in the late 1980s at the request of Indian businessmen as a precondition for supporting him.
In his writings, Hinds also chastised the PNC Government for its cultural policy and food as a weapon policy that badly affected Indians, especially in denying them access to imports to satisfy their special diets and religious needs.
Hinds was lauded by several Indians, myself included, for his stance on ethnic fairness in several areas. Of late, however, it is felt by many Indians (within Guyana and
the diaspora) that Hinds has moved away from “multiethnic” fairness and is now championing “fairness” for his race; some see him as racially biased.
Advocates and commentators, like myself, for example, feel there must be equality and fairness across the board for all races. What is good for one race should be good for the others. It is for this reason that several of us have called on the AFC to stick to its racial rotational policy and put an African as its Presidential Candidate as it is now an African’s turn to lead the party.
Unlike Hinds, some of us genuinely champion ethnic fairness. I, for example, have consistently stated no race has a right to dominate or govern another race. It was wrong for the PNC to persecute Indians and other ethnic groups during its reign of terror between 1966 and 1992. It can’t be right for Indians to dominate Africans and other groups even if democratically elected. The elected leadership of all the groups should come togeth-
er and work out an arrangement on how the country should be governed with relative equality and fairness in distribution of resources for all.
One group should not be rewarded at the expense of other groups as happened during the PNC’s ethnic dictatorship.
Dr Hinds, in his letter, does not take advocates of ethnic fairness at their word. Somehow, he feels, they have hidden motives. So, it is incumbent upon Hinds, an academic, to explain what he means by his comment that “calls for an African to lead the AFC have nothing to do with fairness”.
He cannot leave the statement hanging. Why shouldn’t the racial rotation formula be honoured to give fairness to both groups? Why shouldn’t Africans be treated equally in the AFC for leadership positions? Should the advocates of ethnic fairness stop clamouring for racial equality?
Yours truly, Vishnu
Bisram
Pristine and pure as the enchanting lotus
Knowledge seems so deep and mysterious, Unfailing remedy for anguish and sorrow
Beckoning us how to live than just earn a living, Like a butterfly, beyond our grasp when pursued Knowledge comes of its own sweet accord, To dwell in the heart of Kabir, simple weaver But befriends not the arrogant and proud scholar.
The man of knowledge seeks not to outshine But strives to shine deep in heart and mind, Exalts not himself finding faults in others But is humbled by his very want of knowledge, Seeks not the approval and applause of the world Ever content with a pure and unsullied conscience.
Knowledge there is not in the halls of power Where men gather to outwit each other, Seek not knowledge at the feet of fake gurus Eloquent in speech, but crooked in actions, Look not for it in mere outward sacred garb For many so attired have but ulterior motives, And knowledge quickly flies from such pretence Knowledge not revealed retreating from the world, To torture body and mind with penance severe While on sensual objects their thoughts still dwell.
So often said that knowledge to be garnered In the field of action, the battlefield of life itself, In the crucible of life’s experiences and suffering Where purged and moulded by the Maker Himself, Like crushed, hardened carbon fashioned to diamond We are made worthy to receive the gift of knowledge, Sublime, shining and purifying as the holy Ganga To destroy dense darkness of ignorance and fear.
Submitted by, Cecil Ramkirath
Dear Editor,
US President Barack Obama on September 23 reaffirmed the longstanding American support to sustaining global civil society’s significant role at a gathering sponsored by the Clinton Global Initiative.
President Obama said, “If you want strong, successful countries; you need strong, vibrant civil societies. When citizens are free to organise and work together across borders to make our communities healthier, our environment cleaner, and our world safer, that’s when real change comes.”
Listening to Obama’s speech, I reflected upon my own involvement with civil society organisations, tak-
ing stock of where this particular sector stands in Guyana. While a few organisations are working tirelessly to address many social, health, education, economic and cultural issues, there is no overwhelming sense of broad participation in these groups.
Most citizens seem to have placed their fortunes and desires complacently in the hands of a few elected politicians. Political discourse emanating from Government authority figures and the National Assembly dominates the daily narrative, while civil society groups struggle to get coverage of their work and policy positions.
While Obama speaks of citizens being “free to organise and work”, our civil soci-
ety is paralysed by a suffocating fear. This fear discourages those from joining civil society groups.
This fear silences most civil society groups from voicing policy positions supporting their stated goals. This fear makes the private sector and donors – including those from abroad – shy away from supporting the cause of civil society groups, particularly those that advocate public policy prescriptions.
This fear is the single most egregious impediment to civil society growth in Guyana. This fear stems from real concerns that those in positions of authority and power will intentionally target and discriminate against individuals actively involved in civil society
work and thus affect their livelihood.
Similarly, from my own experience, I have noticed a form of discrimination against NonGovernmental Organisations (NGOs) whose public policy positions do not align with those of political parties or the Government.
When NGOs such as Blue CAPS speak out on public policy issues, its members and the organisation become likely targets for discrimination. This occurs in various forms, including public rebuke by political parties.
Other forms might be more subtle, such as not being invited to topically relevant meetings, seminars and workshops or not responding to NGO queries or invitations intended for
public and political officials. Members of NGOs are also discriminated against at their places of employment because of their association.
This can take the form of direct verbal warnings to disassociate, lack of job promotion as a result of such affiliation, or an expression of scepticism by managers and superiors who question an employee’s capacity for being objective and professional on the job because of their involvement with certain civil society groups. Some are even dismissed from their jobs because of their association.
Private sector firms also fear the potential for political backlash if they venture to support and fund vocal civil society groups so they back
away from any form of support or endorsement.
Notwithstanding, civil society must stand firm and never cave in to threats and intimidation, for we will never be ‘free’ unless these clouds of fear are lifted.
It is worth listening to the words of President Obama, who reminded that “when these rights [association and expression] are suppressed, it fuels grievances and a sense of injustice that over time can fuel instability or extremism”. I hope those who attempt to suppress our civil society listen to and undertake to directly hold these wise, prudent words.
Fpeople have wondered why reading is important. There seem to be so many other things to do with one's time. Reading is important for a variety of reasons. We will look at some of those fundamental reasons below, but it is important to realise that struggling with vital reading skills in not a sign of low intelligence. For example, John Corcoran, who wrote “The Teacher Who Couldn't Read”, is a very
many adults who cannot read well enough to understand the instructions on a medicine bottle. That is a scary thought – especially for their children. Filling out applications becomes impossible without help. Reading road or warning signs is difficult. Even following a map becomes a chore. Day-to-day activities that many people take for granted become a source of frustration, anger and fear.
Reading is a vital skill in finding a good job
Many well-paying jobs require reading as a part of job performance. There are
Now, if a man like John Corcoran can succeed without reading, why is reading important? A person should really read Corcoran's story to get the feelings of shame, loneliness and fear that he experienced before he learnt to read. He was able to succeed in spite of this major handicap, because he was a man of intelligence, ability and determination. But, make no mistake, it was a handicap that made life harder and less enjoyable.
intelligent man. He graduated from high school and college, became a popular high school teacher and later a successful businessman all without being able to read. Many highly intelligent people have struggled with reading although, when properly taught, most people can learn to read easily and quickly.
*Reading is fundamental to function in today's society. There are
reports and memos which must be read and responded to. Poor reading skills increase the amount of time it takes to absorb and react in the workplace. A person is limited in what they can accomplish without good reading and comprehension skills.
Reading is important because it develops the mind. The mind is a muscle. It needs exercise. Understanding the
written word is one way the mind grows in its ability. Teaching young children to read helps them develop their language skills. It also helps them learn to listen. Everybody wants to talk, but few can really listen. Lack of listening skills can result in major misunder standings which can lead to job loss, marriage breakup, and other disasters – small and great. Reading helps children [and adults] fo cus on what someone else is communicating.
Reading is impor tant, because it is how we discover new things Books, magazines and even the Internet are great learn ing tools, which re quire the ability to read and understand what is read.
A person who knows how to read can edu cate themselves in any area of life they are interest ed in. We live in an age where we overflow with infor mation, but reading is the main way to take advan tage of it.
Reading devel ops the imagination TV and computer games have their place, but they are more like amusement. Amusement comes from two words "a" [non] and "muse"
[think]. Amusement is mostly non-thinking activities. With reading, a person can go anywhere
it! They can be a king, or an adventurer, or a princess, or... The possibilities are endless. Non-readers never
world...or even out of
they think is going to hap pen next. Get them think-
ing about the story. When it is finished, ask if they could think of a better ending or anything that would have improved it. If they really liked the story, encourage them to illustrate it with their own drawings or to make up a different story with the same characters. Get the creative juices flow-
Reading is fundamental in developing a good self image. Non-readers or poor readers often have low opinions of themselves and their abilities. Many times they feel as if the world is against them. They feel isolated [everybody else can read – which isn't true] and behaviour problems can surface. They can perform poorly in other subjects because they cannot read and understand the material and so tend to "give up."
Good reading skills, especially in a phonics reading programme, improve spelling. As students learn to sound out letters and words, spelling comes easier. Also, reading helps to expand the vocabulary. Reading new words puts them in their mind for later use. Seeing how words are used in different contexts can give a better understanding of the word usage and definitions than the cold facts of a dictionary. There is an old saying, "The pen is mightier than the sword." Ideas written down have changed the destiny of men and nations for better or worse. The flow of ideas cannot be stopped. We need to read and research to build on the good ideas and expose the bad ideas before they bring destruction. Only by reading can we be armed in this never-ending, lifeand-death struggle.
The fact of the power of written ideas communicated through reading is a foundational reason why some governments oppose free and honest communication. Illiterate people are easier to control and manipulate.
They cannot do their own research and thinking. They must rely on what they are told and how their emotions are swayed. There is a good possibility that this is one of the main reasons phonics was removed from the schools about 100 years ago.
Finally, reading is important because words –spoken and written – are the building blocks of life. You are, right now, the result of words that you have heard or read AND believed about yourself. What you become in the future will depend on the words you believe about yourself now. People, families, relationships, and even nations are built from words. Think about it. (Excerpt from learntoread.com)
APartnership for National Unity (APNU) has claimed that there is no rift between itself and Alliance For Change (AFC), stating that it remains committed to the passage of the NoConfidence Motion when it comes up in the National Assembly.
This is according to APNU’s Campaign Manager, Winston Felix who made the disclosure during an APNU conference on Friday at the Office of the Opposition Leader on Hadfield Street, Georgetown.
Felix’s statement comes even as political analyst have said that a rift between the two parties is evident, pointing out that while one party, the AFC, is heading in the general direction of a no-confidence vote, the APNU has intensified calls for Local Government polls.
It has also been noted that the difference between
the two parties’ policies may be as a result of some jostling for political space between the two, a view which the APNU has sternly denied.
Rift When asked about the obvious rift between the two parties, the Campaign Manager pointed out that it was not a rift, but merely a difference in policies which cannot be deemed as a fissure.
Felix, who also serves as Shadow Home Affairs Minister for APNU, said “the APNU is a partnership with its own policies, and so too is the AFC”, while contending that the coalition started pursuing Local Government Elections long in advance of the No-Confidence Motion being tabled by the AFC.
He contended too that APNU “didn’t fall in overnight” with the AFC and the motion of no confidence
against the Government.
He said: “When it (the NoConfidence Motion) comes up in Parliament, you will see that we will vote with the AFC… there is no reason for anyone to think that the No-Confidence Motion is going a different route.”
Similarly, APNU Leader David Granger asserted that the party stands in solidar-
ity with the No-Confidence Motion.
Granger again defended the integrity of his parliamentarians, saying that none have been offered bribes to vote against the motion.
This reaffirmation of support for the motion came even as the AFC Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan, said that APNU Members of Parliament are being bribed by the Government. He said that he had information that three APNU parliamentarians were offered GY$30 million to vote against the motion when it comes up in Parliament.
But Granger said the allegation is “an invention, there is no evidence… no member of APNU has been approached with 30 pieces of silver”.
When asked whether he felt the statement by
Ramjattan was a direct attack against his parliamentarians in an effort to taint their integrity, Granger was less than forthcoming in his response. He said: “Ask Mr Ramjattan, what his motives are? I don’t know what his motives are.”
On Tuesday, General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic
(PPP/C), Clement Rohee said there was an obvious rift between the AFC and APNU. He said the two parties seem divided on the pending NoConfidence Motion in the National Assembly. Rohee said it was quite obvious that one party was heading east, while the other was heading west and he was waiting to see where both parties would end up. This, Rohee said, indicates clear division. He said it was interesting to see what was unfolding between the two parties, as instead of speaking to each other, both parties were making “public disclosures” though the media. “So I am wondering how close this alliance is really. These two parties seem to be on a collision course.”
Asked about the PPP/C’s preference regarding the two elections, Rohee said whatever decision the leadership of the Party takes, the Party will be ready.
Two Miles Primary School in Bartica has been adjudged the winner of the Annual Spelling Bee Competition organised by the Bartica Lion’s Club.
This year, the competition was held in collaboration with the Department of Education, Region Seven for Grade Six students in celebration of Education Month.
Despite Two Miles taking top honours in the competition, which saw several schools participating, the second Best Speller was Daniel Edwards while the Best Speller Jameila Pollard hailed from Holy Name Primary School.
Asim Yasin, spokesperson for the Bartica Lion’s Club, stated
that the initiative is one that encourages pupils in the various primary schools to take education seriously.
He said that the Lion’s Club of Bartica has been supporting such activities in the past and has several other projects that will get off the ground shortly.
He added that the organisation will continue to support such events that will have a positive impact on the community. The schools that participated in the competition were St John the Baptist, St Anthony’s, Two Miles, Holy Name, Kartabu, Itaballi and Karrau. Each school was represented by three pupils.
monDAY, september 29, 2014 | guYAnAtimesgY.com
Laparkan Guyana on Friday launched its “Private Mailbox win a TV promotion”.
The promotion will run from October 1 to December 19 and the final drawing will be held on December 22.
Speaking to this publication, Laparkan Guyana Sales and Marketing Manager Yonette Jeffery noted the reason behind the promotion.
“The private mailbox service started in 2006 and thus far we have been getting tremendous results, and so this year we decided that we should give back to our customers,” Jeffery stated.
She added that the private mailbox service offers three flights weekly –Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, so there will be no delays with cargos.
The mailbox service will also be expanded and its operation will soon be seen in Berbice, Linden and Essequibo.
Meanwhile, Postal Mailbox Service Coordinator Devika Singh highlighted what the service is all about and how it is beneficial.
Some of the goodies on offer for the promotion
“The service is being used all across Guyana, but unfortunately we only have one office and that is the main office, so we are currently in the process of expanding the service so that every Guyanese can use our
service and also get the opportunity to win brand new televisions,” Singh told Guyana Times
Once a postal mailbox service is done during this time, then persons who used the service will qualify auto-
matically. Persons who are interested in joining the postal mailbox service can visit the Laparkan website www.GTPAK.COM and register for free or call telephone number 225-0837.
Commander of B Division (Berbice), Assistant Commissioner Brian Joseph said the Police have put a dent in criminal activities on the Upper and Central Corentyne areas.
This follows the successful arrest of two men who were able to avoid capture for almost one month.
Anil ‘Black Shirt’ Kumar Seetaram, 42, of Number 62 Village Squatting Area, Corentyne, and teenager Satesh Jainauth, called ‘Fat Boy’,18, of Number 55 Village Squatting Area, Corentyne have been captured and charged.
The men are accused in connection with the robbery of a Corentyne businessman of an undisclosed sum in cash and other valuables. The incident occurred at approximately 21:00h on August 26.
The robbery had sent
Ustad Lowe was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for possession of narcotics and cultivating marijuana when he appeared before Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court last Thursday. Lowe pleaded guilty to the charge, which stat-
shockwaves throughout the entire Berbice after four men, three of whom were masked, pounced on the family of five (including the man, his wife and three daughters), who were securing their premises as they were about to retire for the night.
The men after forcing themselves into the home, beat and bound the hus-
ed that on September 24 at Moco Moco Settlement, Central Rupununi, he had in his possession 10 grams of marijuana.
He also pleaded guilty to cultivating the illegal substance.
Police Prosecutor Stephen Telford told the court that on the day in
band and then proceeded to sexually molest the females (his wife, 33, and her three daughters ages 18, 15 and 14).
The bandits proceeded to beat and terrorise their victims before stealing an undisclosed sum of cash, jewellery and cellular phones. The male occupant after managing to free himself called the Police who responded quickly.
The Police had ventured into the backlands where they encountered some men who opened fire on then. The cops returned fire, but the men managed to escape.
Acting Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud had visited the family’s home and had offered the Force’s commitment to ensuring that the perpetrators are caught. While the Police are still looking for two others as the investigation continues, the two in
question, Police conducted a search in the defendant’s home and found a transparent plastic bag on his bed frame.
A further search of the bag unearthed the illegal substance. Subsequently, he took the Police to his farm about 15 metres east of his house and pointed out about
custody were placed before the courts on Tuesday last on two counts of robbery under arms. Bail was refused on both charges.
Meanwhile, Kumar was taken to court the day before and was jailed for 42 months on two counts of larceny.
Assistant Commissioner Joseph said other charges are pending.
25 marijuana plants, ranging from 3-10 feet in height.
For the possession of narcotics charge, he was sentenced to three years together with a $10,000 fine, while he was also sentenced to three years jail for cultivating plants with a $5000 fine. The sentences will run concurrently.
As the Trotman paedophile accusations slither inevitably to their denouement of shame, humiliation and resignation, we cast our eyes to the fissures opening up in the Opposition ranks over political strategy.
Even though they've all been bonding in their "Black Consciousness" meetings under the auspices of their front group – Cuffy250 – David Granger (PNC/APNU); David Hinds (WPA), Nigel Hughes (AFC), and Tacuma Ogunseye (WPA/ACDA) have taken their disagreement into the press.
The Brown Brothers Nagamootoo and Ramjattan evidently recused themselves. Anyhow...Ogunseye expressed his vehement disagreement with Hughes' articulation of the AFC's position that the "noconfidence" motion is the way to go for the Opposition. Seems that even though Hughes dubbed this the "strongest possible constitutional protest", Ogunseye and Hinds aren't convinced. The ACDA activist insists the actions have to be more "hard-balled".
Why?? Well, the No-Confidence Motion leads to elections - but the AFC cannot guarantee the PPP/C'd be deposed! The only action that'll accomplish this would be for the Opposition to come out into the streets. "A practical demonstration of ‘people’s power’ in the streets would have brought the rulers to their senses a long time ago..."
Now you dear readers are asking, "How the heck can Ogunseye guarantee this??" After all, Granger brought his people out into the streets across the country last week and it didn't result in regime change, did it? So what did Granger do wrong, in the eyes of Ogunseye –and Hinds?
Well, we have to get back to what Ogunseye means by "hard-balled"'protests. Before the 2011 elections, when he was preaching the ACDA line that elections wouldn't deliver regime change then, at Golden Grove he declared there must be "a massive rebellion of African people throughout the length and breadth of this country”.
Later at BV, he read "the riot act" to the PPP/C Government and threatened if they were still in office after the elections,the rebellion should remove them, without fear of the security forces. "Once the African people rise up in their great numbers, I dare the army to take the side of the PPP/C and against Africans. Our sons and daughters would not do that.”
And this is the kind of "hard balled" protests that're being demanded. It worked in the 1960s with the help of the CIA, and in 1998-9, by unleashing what the Stabber Called "Terror in the City" when hundreds of PPP/C supporters were beaten in the streets of Georgetown.
A hint to Beneba mek Quasie tek notice??
Among the defences thrown up by Raphael Trotman against the accusations of a young man that the attorney raped him when he was just 12 years old, was this seemingly unequivocal denial: “I have never in my life committed any act of a sexual nature that is illegal." It's been the experience of this Eyewitness that when lawyers start parsing their sentences with such finesse –look out!! They're hiding something.
Let's look closer at the denial. – "I have never in my life committed any act of a sexual nature that is illegal." When the new Sexual Offences Act came into effect in 2010 - and was challenged up to earlier this year, several new sexual crimes were created:
• Rape of a child under 16 yrs
• Sexual activity with a child under 16 yrs
• Causing a child under 16 yrs to watch sexual acts including an image of sexual activity
• Meeting a child under 16 yrs following sexual grooming.
Any lawyer like Trotman would know he can't be charged for what was not "illegal" at the time the act was committed. Before 2010. Ow man!!
After two of its columnists viciously attacked each other personally, Muckraker's house-slave editor declared: "This is the end of the ad hominen attacks by anyone contributing to the pages of this newspaper."
Gasp!!! No more attacks against the GRA boss??
The Government of Guyana and the People’s Republic of China on Saturday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the China/Guyana House of Medical Science, which would allow for training of local doctors by members of the Chinese medical team.
Health Minister, Dr Bheri Ramsaran who signed on the Government’s behalf, said the MoU is a continuation of a bilateral agreement between Guyana and China, which sets the foundation for more a powerful interaction between the two countries.
Speaking after the signing of the agreement, China’s Health Minister Li Bin said the two countries enjoy a long-standing relationship and the Chinese Government is working on collaborating with Guyana to aid in other areas of development, such as infrastructure.
Minister Bin said since 1993, some 147 Chinese medical practitioners have come to Guyana and since then have been rotating their visits.
It was further stated that since 2001, China established a medical team at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and over 5000 patients have been looked after. Ophthalmologists have looked after hundreds of patients through advanced systems for eye surgeries.
“I believe that under the efforts of the two Governments, the partnership will bring about new achievements,” Minister Bin said. Minister Ramsaran said Guyana and China have enjoyed strong diplomatic and people-to-people relations.
He stated that this is the first visit of the Chinese Health Minister to Guyana follows numerous visits to Guyana by Chinese delegations.
“The Government of Guyana is very thankful for the help of the Chinese Government,” Minister Ramsaran said. Guyana recently received the 11th batch of Chinese Medical Brigade.
“So far they have only worked at GPHC and the Linden Hospital but the Government is anticipating an expansion to the Lethem and Mabaruma hospitals with the signing of the MoU.”
He added that over the years, the Chinese Government has assisted with the training of local doctors and further, graduates from the Chinese medical schools are starting to enter into local post-graduate programmes.
“The Government will explore the possibility of inviting the Chinese to come and teach at the University of Guyana medical classes, which will allow for a more cost effective manner of pro-
duction of more local doctors,” Dr Ramsaran said.
He added that the Government and the people of Guyana will be very grateful for China’s help.
“Guyana is on its way to achieving the millennium health goal, but there are still some challenges,” Minister Ramsaran said.
He added that the temporary expansion of the Chinese medical team will be most welcome as Guyana prepares to reach the goal of Universal Health Coverage. Further, the Minister said Chinese herbal medicine is a growing interest locally and appealed to the Chinese delegation for an expansion of the Chinese herbal medicines in Guyana in the future.
Under the MoU of the China/Guyana House of Science, the Government of Guyana hopes to consolidate what they have advanced while working with China and also to expand surgeries provided and training of doctors. The MoU is valid for a period of five years and can be renewed for similar period if both countries so desire.
Berbice has produced quite a few good writers, foremost among them are Sir Wilson Harris and the Edgar Mittelholzer. They both hail from New Amsterdam.
Mittelholzer is regarded as the father of the West Indian novel, producing such works as “Corentyne Thunder”, “The Harrowing of Hubertus”, “The Life and Death of Sylvia”, “My Bones and My Flute”, and many others. His best work, to me, is “Morning at the Office”. Mittelholzer died in 1965. He is a son of Berbice.
Sir Wilson is often regarded as one of the greatest novelists living, second only to that great novelist and travel writer, Nobel Laureate Vidya Naipaul. Harris has been fabulously prolific, but numbers of books do not necessarily mean quality.
Harris has both the body of work and critical acclaim regarding quality. His “Palace of the Peacock” alone may have changed the way the novel is conveyed, and it may have pushed the language to new creative frontiers.
In spite of these two giants and a host of others (like Martin Carter, A J Seymour, John Agard, and so on), Berbice and Guyana seem to have pushed litera-
ture to almost irrelevance. In fact, there is one single literary journal in Guyana that is worth the read –The Arts Journal, edited by Ameena Gafoor.
It is an excellent journal and ought to be governmentally supported and read by every literate Guyanese, especially our secondary schoolchildren in the upper classes. Certainly, each student in English Language classes at UG should be armed with a copy, not just for the content but for the language used by various contributors, including that fine scholar Michael Gilkes (Guyanese too!).
From the time I returned to Guyana in 2008 and took over UGBC, I have been on the lookout for any kind of literary talent or for anyone who shows some kind of interest in literature.
I may have found three in five years, one of them an ex-law enforcement officer. The other was a young student at UGBC. I read her stuff (as I have read so many other things to help lecturers publish in Chemistry, Agriculture, Education, Sociology, and other areas).
Usually, if you find one good line in 100 lines of what passes for poetry, you are fortunate. With this young UGBC student, I found a good line in 80 lines.
So there was hope there. I often wonder why we have retarded ourselves in such dramatic fashion when it comes to writing, reading and enjoying literature. Our taste is as cheap as the “music” that befouls the air of Guyana, spilling out from rum shops, homes, places of worship, cars, minibuses, and so on.
Poor taste is a habit in Berbice and Guyana, sad to say. Even in schools, there is no real attention to literature. Attention is paid to the sciences (and quite rightly so!). But this should not mean that we should disregard literature as we now do.
Indeed, many scientific discoveries are predicted in literary works, and some of the greatest scientists (like Albert Einstein) are famous for their fondness of literature.
In literature, we write ourselves into being. The self sings its own great truth. With poetry and creative prose, one cannot lie. Maybe that is another reason why we do not dare write! We want to cover ourselves with lies.
The World Bank Group and Governments of Canada, Norway, and the United States announced last week that they will jumpstart the creation of an innovative Global Financing Facility (GFF) to mobilise support for developing countries’ plans to accelerate progress on the health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and bring an end to preventable maternal and child deaths by 2030.
The GFF, in support of Every Woman Every Child, is being developed in close collaboration with a broad range of stakeholders, including partner countries; the H4+ agencies (UNICEF, UNFPA, WHO, UNAIDS, UN Women and the World Bank Group); civil society organisations; bilateral and multilateral development partners; foundations; private sector and others working in the areas of reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health. The GFF will support coun-
tries in their efforts to mobilise additional domestic and international resources required to scale up and sustain essential health services for women, children and adolescents.
The initial donor commitments to the World
Bank Group for the GFF include grants in the amounts of US$600 million from Norway and US$200 million from Canada. The GFF resources will be provided to countries in conjunction with low-interest loans and grants from the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank Group’s fund for the poorest countries. Based on strong country demand for health results-based financing programmes, these bilateral contributions could leverage up to an estimated US $3.2 billion from IDA, for a total of up to US$4 billion in financing to support MDG acceleration and improve reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health.
The US Agency for International Development (USAID), on behalf of the United States, is committed to working with partners to establish the GFF, bringing its full arsenal of innovative financing mechanisms and public-private partnerships to the collaboration. Aligning USAID's support through these complementary mechanisms could bring up to US$400 million in leveraged resources to these efforts.
Important mechanism
“The creation of the Global Financing Facility will enable us to transform the business of global health and development with scaled-up, smart, and sustainable financing, so that all women and children have access to lifesaving care,” said World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim.
“This signals our collective resolve as development partners to help countries push further and faster to bring an end to preventable maternal and child deaths and extreme poverty.”
The support to create the GFF was announced by global leaders at the high-level event for Every Woman Every Child during the 69th UN General Assembly. The GFF will be designed to support the goals of the Every Woman Every Child global movement and the Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health, launched by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon during the UN Millennium Development Goals Summit in September 2010, and supported by the G-8 Muskoka Initiative on Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health, launched under the leadership of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
UN Secretary General
Tings never dull in de land of many waters. Tings does some times be more hot and spicy than some of dem gyals around de town. Tings does move from one ting to de next. That is why old people does seh when is not one ting is another ting.
And nowadays it got people who always deh in one ting or another ting. Plenty high people involve in low tings. Some of dem done reach de height of bein low.
Well, when yuh talk bout low, it ain’t got no one ‘more lower’ than Rum Jhaat. Any ting ‘more lower’ than Rum Jhaat is a hole in de gound. And talkin bout hole, that is right up Rum Jhaat alley – all de way up.
It was only de other day that Rum Jhaat had wanna haul de whole of de Pee-Pee-Pee/See a**. And he even shout at a reporter when he couldn’t get de Pee-Pee-Pee/See a**. Before that he had wanna haul a minister a**. And he even shout at de minister secretary when he coouldn’t get de minister a**.
Wid all this a** talk, it musbe that Rum Jhaat obsess wid a**, or he is an a**. Or both. Some body seh he does behave like an a** anyway.
Now de Prezzi had done confirm not too long ago that de Nagga Man is a donkey man. And in de dictionary donkey = a**. So is no wonder one a** follow de other a** when de Pee-Pee-Pee/See was kickin some a**.
Since then both of dem coverin one another a**. In fact now, dem get so big in this a** business that dem tryin to cover Rafeel a**. And any a** can figure that out from de way dem behavin like a**. Dem even mek Rafeel turn up to cover he own a**. But he end up mekkin he self an a**.
Ting-a-ling-a-ling…friend tell friend…mattie tell mattie! Well, if it turn out to be true that Rafeel was dealin wid a** a long time back, that gon be a big-a** problem. But right now, all three of dem lookin like a**!
Ban Ki-moon said, “Under the Every Woman Every Child partnership model, the health community is leading the way in finding innovative solutions and expanding new partnerships.
For the first time ever, we have the historic opportunity to end all preventable maternal, newborn and child deaths within a generation.
This new funding boost and innovative financing approach will help us get closer to that goal, with United Nations agencies and multiple partners playing a major role.”
The GFF will build on the experience, capacity and strong track record of the Health Results Innovative Trust Fund at the World Bank Group to support developing countries’ national plans for scaling-up access to quality reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health services.
Prime Minister Erna Solberg of Norway said, “Norway is committed to support the Global
Financing Facility. With its diversification of resources, results focus and targeting of girls and women, this is tailor-made for the new development agenda”. A unique aspect of the GFF is to support developing countries in their transition to long-term sustainable domestic financing as they grow from low- to middle-income economies.
The facility is expected to mobilise additional domestic and international funds from a variety of sources, including other bilateral and multilateral donors, domestic budgets, the private sector and innovative financing mechanisms.
A special focus area of the GFF will be to support countries to expand Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) efforts toward universal registration of every pregnancy, every birth and every death by 2030. CRVS systems provide a critical accountability tool for reducing mortality and ensuring universal access to health care, education and other essential services.
The art of deflection is not new, but it is being used deliberately in Guyana to derail and to delay justice and to intimidate people. There are several examples of how people are deviously using deflection to taint justice and how the rich, the powerful and those with means are actively transforming possible crimes into innocence and making victims criminals.
Take the example where the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) alleges that Glenn Lall, Publisher of the Kaieteur News and a very rich Guyanese citizen, may have conspired with relatives to procure expensive vehicles, using the remigrant duty-free concessions intended to assist people who are returning to live in Guyana. If this story is true, it is a crime.
A Guyanese couple who migrated some time ago to the USA applied for remigrant status, claiming they have returned home to live and asking for duty-free concessions. Among the concessions was the bringing into Guyana of two vehicles for personal use. The vehicles brought in were expensive luxury SUVs.
Is there any evidence in the history of the remigrant couple that they could have afforded to purchase and use such expensive cars in the USA? But they claimed the right to bring in the vehicles for their personal use in Guyana.
While one could question how the couple could have afforded such vehicles and while it might be enough reason for the US Government to question the couple on how they raised the resources based on their tax returns in the USA, nothing in our laws say the couple could not request bringing in expensive cars.
What is wrong with the story is that the vehicles were brought in as duty-free and known to be used almost exclusively by Lall and his wife, Bhena. The story provided by the Lalls and the remigrant couple is that the Lalls borrowed the cars.
But alert citizens are asking how come both cars were borrowed by both Lalls at the same time for so long? Who is taking whom for a fool? This is a classic story of “you might fool some of us some of the time, but
you can’t fool all of us all the time”.
Instead of defending themselves from serious criminal charges, their strategy is to change the story from a possible crime which sought to defraud the country of millions of dollars in revenue to possible conspiracy involving a former President of Guyana to discredit Glenn Lall.
They have illegally obtained private emails between the Attorney General and the Commissioner General and have sinisterly deflected the story to these emails. But the email trail does not change the story
Guyana on Sunday joined the rest of the world in observing World Rabies Day, reaffirming its commitment to end the disease in animals, particularly domesticated animals. In a statement, the Agriculture Ministry said Guyana will continue efforts, in keeping with this year's global theme: "Together Against Rabies" to consolidate its status as a country free from rabies in humans and pets.
In Guyana, rabies occurs in cattle primarily. These cases come about as a result of the animal being bitten by vampire bats. In cases where there is a suspected outbreak of rabies in cattle, the Guyana Livestock Development Authority's (GLDA) veterinarians will take control measures
which include vaccination, vampire bat reduction, public education and disease surveillance.
The Ministry said GLDA is a semi-autonomous agency at the Agriculture Ministry, created in 2010, in which resides the Animal Health and Animal Production Departments. These departments work with the farming community and with the Veterinary Public Health Department of the Health Ministry to ensure that rabies does not become a widespread problem affecting dogs, cats and humans.
There have been no reported cases of rabies in humans and pets in Guyana. In an effort to maintain this; the Government has recently constructed an animal quarantine facility at Timehri. This facility will
be utilised to keep animals that may not have met the legal requirements for entry into the country and which may have originated from rabies-infected countries.
“On this World Rabies Day, the Ministry of Agriculture and GLDA wish to take this opportunity to remind our farmers, particularly in affected regions to vaccinate their cattle against rabies. We wish to remind persons desirous of bringing animal pets into the country on guidance on the correct procedure to be adopted, which is, animals coming into Guyana must be vaccinated against rabies. This will help to reduce the possibility of bringing in a rabies-infected animal. Let's do our part to make the world rabies free,” the release concluded.
of the fraudulent use of the remigrant duty-free programme.
Lall and his partners must be able to give account and defend themselves against charges that have a sound basis in fact. Let the court of justice deal with the matter.
Scandal Guyana is also rocked by the efforts of senior lawyers and politicians to deflect the scandal of alleged sexual abuse of a child by the Speaker of the National Assembly. The person making the allegations of sexual abuse is a young man of 22 years of age.
He has made a report to the Police, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and has provided his story to media houses in Guyana. Any allegation of sexual abuse and in particular, an allegation of child molestation is a serious matter.
Yet senior legal luminaries and politicians have come together in a massive effort to deflect the story. Instead of a defence
and an investigation into the alleged sexual abuse of a child, the Alliance For Change (AFC) and their lawyers have shifted attention to a possible conspiracy of Government officials in bringing the case forward.
There is documented evidence that the young man was abused as a child by more than two persons.
Child service authorities have confirmed that the young man was counselled several years ago. The young man can prove that he has
an acquaintance with his alleged abuser.
Whether the young man did see or not Jaya Manickchand or the Attorney General does not change the fact that he is alleging he was sexually abused by the Speaker. Guyana with its “no-tolerance” for sexual abuse of children cannot give a pass to anyone.
Powerful lawyers and artful politicians are using the classic “avoid the issue and deflect” technique to discredit victims and to avoid a defence for their clients. The talk has shifted from possible fraud to Lall being targeted and from an allegation of sexual abuse of a child to conspiracy by Government officials.
The narrative is successfully shifting from the substance of the matter to another one that may be tangentially related, but, for the most part, has no relevance.
Readers are invited to send their comments by email or Facebook to times. notebook@gmail.com.
In light of the suspension of TravelSpan operations out of Guyana and the JFK International Airport, Wesley Tucker, Senior Marketing Officer of Fly Jamaica recently disclosed that his company was not contacted by their counterparts for assistance.
He said since the announcement of their suspension, Fly Jamaica knew that the options of passengers travelling to and from the United States are limited and they might be contacted at some point in time to transport the stranded passengers.
On this note, he highlighted that while the airline has not contacted them directly, passengers have started to do so. He is optimistic that after TravelSpan would have reimbursed their passengers, their alternative would either be Fly Jamaica or Caribbean Airlines (CAL); hence, they are gearing themselves for an influx of passengers.
He hinted that they are presently looking to serve the Barbados, St Maarten and a few other markets of interest. This, he added would obviously mean that they will have to increase their flight complement.
As such, they have already acquired a Boeing 767
Of recent, Fly Jamaica has also had several cancellations and delays, resulting in heavy criticisms. This, he noted has not dampened the spirit of the team that always has their customers at heart. Despite the negativity, Tucker said the airline will be expanding its routes in the coming months.
aircraft as part of their expansion plans. The 767 aircraft, he noted caters for 250 passengers when compared to the existing 757 which has a capacity for 199. He, however, confirmed that there will not be any increase in international flights.
On the other hand, CAL operated at a whopping US$70 million loss last year. Presently, CAL benefits from a US$40 million fuel subsidy which ends in 2015. They too have had several delays but due to their fleet of aircraft, the issues were
quickly dealt with.
Over the past years, high fuel costs have crippled the aviation sector, forcing several airlines to pull out of the market. REDjet and EZJet were two airlines that offered low cost fares, but their operations fell through after a year in the skies.
Recently, Dynamic Airlines cancelled operations just after a few flights, saying approval from the JFK to land as the main reason. In the case with Travel Span which has re-entered the Guyanese market, its
suspension comes after a fallout with Vision Airline from whom they least their aircrafts.
The company is however, hopeing to returning to business once it secures another company from which to rent an aircraft.
TravelSpan has noted its dissatisfaction with the services of Vision Airlines. It was reported that while TravelSpan staff, including flight attendants, and management have worked diligently to offer a muchneeded solution for an al-
ternative airline within the market, its rented planes have been plagued by mechanical issues, which resulted in unsatisfactory service on the flights.
The decision to let go of Vision Airline was due to the lack of consistent service, proven by the significant amount of cancelled and delayed flights that caused major inconvenience to TravelSpan’s clients and the continued losses to the airline. TravelSpan suspends operations on September 27 last.
Local fashion designer Sonia Noel reportedly impressed fans at a recent fashion show in Belize which was part of activities to mark that country’s 33rd Independence Anniversary.
The fashion show was organised by the National Institute of Culture and History.
Noel was invited to the premiere event as a Guest Designer, and according to many media officials, she did not disappoint.
During CARIFESTA, Diane Haylock, the President of the institute was formally introduced to Noel and was very impressed with her work and contribution to Caribbean fashion and the creative industry in general. It is against this background that he invited her to the show last week.
Friday last, the House of Culture played host to the fashion showcase in a beautiful garden setting. Veteran designer Dana Brown as well as Julie McCord, Maureen Navarette and Babriella Barrera, all from Belize, displayed their pieces to a very receptive audience.
But it was Noel, who once again stole the show. Closing the
showcase, displaying pieces from her First Resort collection, Noel proved why she is regarded as one of the region’s best. She recalled that the response from the other designers and the public was nothing short of amazing. And it was not just ‘lip service’, many patrons purchased and ordered pieces as the show was over.
On one of the many TV and Radio programmes she was invited to; host of the popular morning show “Open Your Eyes”, William Neal, commented “OMG! The creativity and originality in your work... we have never seen anything like it”.
On the other part of the visit, the Sonia Noel Foundation for the Creative Arts collaborated with the National Institute of Culture and History of Belize to host a Fashion Talk Shop as part of the official programme where Noel functioned as facilitator.
There were interactive sessions with young designers on design and development with specific references to culture, storytelling, traditional techniques and sociohistorical linkage that influence their individual style concept.
The participants were very receptive and overjoyed to be part of
the informative fashion talk shop. Noel responded that “there is lots of talent here in Belize and I feel overwhelmed to share my knowledge and to be able to contribute to the wider fashion industry in the region”.
Noel also challenged Belizeans to support local fashion and make it a duty to add a local designer piece to their wardrobe.
The Sonia Noel Foundation for the Creative Arts is dedicated to facilitating and creating opportunities for young people to display and realise their creative potential, while contributing to the awareness and eradication of social issues. The last venture was a fundraiser for the Guyana Sickle Cell Association dubbed “Style Mission”.
On her trip to Belize, Noel said: “It was an honour to be invited by the Cultural Department for such an important occasion. I feel so much love from officials, local designers, and the public, and I have a distinct feeling that this will be the first of many trips, God’s willing.”
During her tour to the island, her magazine “Makin Styles” was also introduced and it has already created some spark among the locals.
Internationally acclaimed Indian singer Indira Naik is set to make her first performances in the Caribbean during October.
The great classical singer, together with her troupe, is expected to visit Guyana during October 27-30 as part of a tour which takes her to Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, Barbados and St Vincent.
Naik’s visit is being organised by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), New Delhi, India, and the Indian High Commission in Guyana (IHC) is coordinating the Guyana leg of the tour with the Anna Catherina Islamic Complex (ACIC) and the Guyana United Sadr Islamic Anjuman (GUSIA).
Two shows are slated for October 28 at a venue to be announced in the city and another on the lawns of the
famed ACIC, West Coast Demerara on October 29.
Indian High Commissioner to Guyana Venkatachalam Mahalingam is spearheading the organising of the visit himself, together with the Director of the Indian Cultural Centre, AK Chaterjee. The local Muslim community is being represented by a committee led by ACIC’s President General Hakeem Khan.
hunger is not just
Global peace and sustainable development cannot be achieved without ending hunger, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Director General José Graziano da Silva on Thursday told participants at a high-level United Nations (UN) meeting in New York.
"Food security might not always be our first concern, but it should be," said the FAO chief, highlighting the link between hunger and conflicts.
He was speaking at "Delivering Zero Hunger –Demonstrating Impact", a UN General Assembly side event, co-hosted by the Governments of the Netherlands, Ireland and Mexico; FAO; the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the UN World Food Programme (WFP).
"While world hunger figures have declined, there are still 805 million people who are chronically undernourished," Graziano da Silva said, citing figures from the recently released UN State of Food Insecurity in the World (SOFI 2014) report.
He noted that globally, the proportion of chronically undernourished people has fallen by around 40 per cent since 1990 and that 63 developing countries have already reached the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) hunger target of reducing by half the proportion of hungry people by the end of 2015.
"With less than 500 days left to achieve the MDGs, there is a sense of urgency and, therefore, requires a stepping up of efforts," the FAO Director General said, referring to the hunger target's looming deadline.
He also urged countries to take the "extra step" and take up the UN Secretary General's Zero Hunger Challenge which seeks to eradicate hunger,
food insecurity and malnutrition worldwide. This "should not remain a dream. It is a vision that is within our reach," the FAO chief said. Winning the war against hunger requires "political will" as a "starting point", and must be followed up with coordinated actions at a global, regional and national level, which promote food security through social protection programmes and other measures, Graziano da Silva said.
He cited "Brazil´s victory over hunger" by bringing undernourishment rates from over 10 per cent to below five per cent between 2002 and 2007 and how success in that country has had a positive impact which helps to explain the progress made in Latin America and the Caribbean as a whole.
The Region was the first to adopt a zero hunger target back in 2005 and to date is the only one to have reached the MDG hunger target. The FAO Director General praised efforts in other countries such as Timor Leste, which has embraced the UN Secretary General's Zero Hunger Challenge by launching initiatives on food security and nutrition at a national level.
In a genre dominated by soul-stirring greats like Mehdi Hassan, Ghulam Ali, late Jagjit Singh and Pankaj Udhas, she is a true female counterpart – one whose ‘dard’ and ‘ehsaas’ are comparable to the greats.
Naik's the singer whose voice is an instrument of beauty and power, of earthy sweetness and stark sensuality, evoking images of modern grace and old world mysticism.
Classically trained in the Patiala Gayaki, Niak’s music is a tribute to age old traditions set against the backdrop of our times.
She comes from a family of artistes with a Bharat Natyam exponent mother and a sitar-playing father. Growing up in such a rich environment certainly helped her to discover her talent, although her ability to apply it to an unexpected genre was very much her
own doing.
Having toured widely across the globe, Naik has built a reputation for herself, enthralling audiences with live renditions the world over including in the US, the UK, Portugal and Brunei as well as across the length and breadth of India with performances at Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai, Chittorgarh, Rajkot, and Jodphur.
Each year, Naik tours
the UK and the US extensively, taking her music to foreign shores.
Across the last three decades, she has been educating herself on the intricacies of Indian music, learning from Guru
The talented singer will be accompanied by Ustad Rashid Khan on violin, Amar Sangam Das on guitar, Janaab Samar Khan on tabla and Suprit Gaikwad on keyboard.
By Svetlana MarShall
The subvention provided by the Government of Guyana to the Guyana Relief Council (GRC) ought to be increased. This is according to GRC Chairperson Yvonne Hinds, the wife of Prime Minister Samuel Hinds.
Hinds was speaking at GRC’s Annual Luncheon and Auction held at the Pegasus Hotel on Sunday to mark its 20th Anniversary.
According to Hinds, the Medal of Service received in 2011 for being an “Organisation of National Character” should be followed by a much-needed and commensurate increase in the conventional subvention provided by Government.
It was explained that the subvention has not increased over the past 15 years. But this should not be limited to the Government of Guyana alone, the Chairperson said, noting that corporate Guyana should show its human face and assist the GRC in meeting and changing the lives of the less fortunate and those who have suffered as a result of disasters.
“We want you to adopt our cause and help us to make that bigger difference over the next five, ten, fifteen and twenty years,” she posited.
She added, “After 20 years, I am of the impression that you are still of the mistaken impression that charity work, the gift of giving, and the will to care only reside with senior citizens and women.” This myth, Hinds said, must be put to rest, stating that new members and volunteers, particularly men and young adults, should step up to the challenge.
Quoting Dr Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech, the GRC Chairperson said: “Not everybody can be famous, but everybody can be great: because greatness is determined by Service.”
She explained that those who have dedicated their service to the GRC are garlanded with the mantle of greatness because of the decision they have taken. It was further explained that they continue to render unconditional support to those who have become bereft of their worldly possessions, stripped of their self-esteem and dignity – their lives shattered by unfortunate events.
Reflecting on the thousands of lives that have been
transformed due to the kindhearted support of the GRC, Hinds said the Council has truly lived up to its promise “Caring and Sharing”.
“Today, we look back at 20 years of bringing relief to our various communities, far and wide across our beautiful country. Nowhere has been too far or too difficult for the GRC – we always find a way to get much-needed and appropriate assistance to families in distress anywhere in the 10 regions of Guyana,” she added.
In addition to the less fortunate, the GRC has been of assistance to victims of fire, flood and even drought. In an effort to reach its target areas in far-flung communities, GRC members are often flown in by the Guyana
Defence Force or private aircraft. In other cases, they are transported by car, bus, truck, small boat and the ferry.
Oasis of Guyana
According to Hinds, during the great floods of 2005 and 2006, GRC became the Oasis of Guyana, housing over 100 flood victims daily over a period of three months. Among those were all of the residents from the Uncle Eddie’s home, the oldest being 92, and families with children, including a one-month-old baby.
“We have achieved so much in the past 20 years not only because of our strict attention to accountability and transparency, but because of the exemplary na-
ture of our staff, our members, volunteers and many individuals and a few corporate sponsors who have encouraged and empowered us along the way,” she told the large audience which turned out in support of the Non-Governmental Organisation.
In addition to Hinds, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds; Human Services and Social Security Minister Jenifer Webster; former Foreign Trade Minister, Dr Henry Jeffrey; and members of the diplomat corps were present.
In observance of its 20th Anniversary, the GRC awarded 11 persons for their outstanding support. These include: the Prime Minister; the GRC Chairperson; Dr
Jeffery; Sybrill Fraser (the first secretary of the GRC who is now in her 90s; and former Vice Chairman Earl Bousquet.
In addition to the mouthwatering lunch, which was provided compliments of Pegasus, those in attendance had the opportunity to bid for two fascinating prizes during the Dutch Auction. The first was a tall blue Chinese vase donated by the New Thriving Restaurant and the other was an Amazon Kindle. The vase was auctioned off for $43,000 while the Amazon Kindle went for $84,000. The revenues garnered during Sunday’s exercise would be used to assist the less fortunate and victims of disasters.
Citing several cases of unsolved murders and unconfirmed identities, the Caribbean American Domestic Violence Awareness (CADVA) group on Sunday announced that in partnership with global activist group One Billion Rising, it will be looking at strengthening the Missing Persons Act.
This is according to CADVA Founder Sukree Boodram who made the announcement during a press conference in the Savannah Suite of the Pegasus International Hotel, in Kingston, Georgetown. Boodram remarked that for too long, Guyanese parents and families have buried persons without any sort of confirmation of their identity and too many bodies have been found and have remained unidentified.
She contended that prop-
er systems need to be put in place to ensure that families get some sort of closure when their loved ones go missing and are not positively identified.
The CADVA Founder also pointed out that although Guyana’s Government has been able to establish a Forensic Laboratory, the facility does not have the required capabilities to conduct DNA testing. It was against that backdrop that Eureka Medical Laboratory will be partnering with CADVA, Boodram said, in hopes of making DNA testing available locally.
Boodram pointed to the recent disappearance of Nygozi Goodman, a St Stanislaus High School teacher, noting that no confirmation has been given on the identity of the discovered body.
“Her family doesn’t even know if it’s her body that was found, or what became of the DNA testing… what we need to do is find a way and liaison and put systems in place,” said Boodram.
“You have families who are burying their daughters, their wives, their children and don’t even know who they are burying,” the social activist declared.
Domestic violence
It was also explained that the two groups will be facilitating a “grassroots” consultation process, with Dr Faith Harding and Dr Dawn Stewart.
The consultation is geared at hearing from the everyday woman on suggestions to tackle the scourge of domestic violence that has been affecting not only Guyana’s society but the world over from time imme-
morial.
Eve Ensler, author of the Vagina Monologues and founder of One Billion Rising, said that the general aim of the events was to bring the revolution to Guyana.
One Billion Rising is a global campaign to end violence against women, rise for justice, and promote gender equality. It was started in 2012 as part of the V-Day movement. The “billion” refers to the UN statistic that
one in three women will be raped or beaten in their lifetime, or about one billion. In 2012, the One Billion Rising campaign culminated in the biggest mass global action to end violence against women ever, with tens of thousands of events held in more than 190 countries.
Ensler said that this year, the rising is not just about domestic violence, but it is also against several injustices meted out to women as a result of what she called the archaic system of “patriarchy.”
“Patriarchy is rampant throughout the world so it is not a surprise that it is here in Guyana,” said Ensler. It was also noted that as part of the activities planned, there will be plays based on the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Babita Sarjoo and Neesa Gopaul.
BY ANASTACIA CLEMENTSON
Residents of Karrau Village, an Amerindian Reservation in Region Seven were quite excited to have hosted the Amerindian Heritage Day celebrations recently and also being the recipient of the $5 million grant from the President for a community project of their choice.
They tell of how far they have come in development and their hopes for the future of Karrau. With thoughts still on their development yet their strong
roots and pride in their traditions, the Karrau residents reminisced on how much the village has grown.
Elouise Clotilla Baldeo, known as “Aunty Clotilla”, has been in Karrau since 1960, when the first Toshao Eugene Cornelius (her brother) was installed.
She remembered that the village did not have any clear roads and was filled with “big, big bush (es)” where the schools were, the health centre, the Guest House, the Village Office, even at the Karrau Community Ground where the Amerindian Heritage Day was held.
It was the people who cleared all the bushes on all those land, “we, the old people do self help”, Baldeo remarked. It took quite a while but they came ev-
eryday whenever they had time. She stated that the young folks in the area “these days” would not have done that as they are rarely available to help now.
Her brother, Eugene Cornelius, also put up the health centre once the land was cleared so the Karrau people had access to health care. She said that it was not much compared to now as it was a shack, but it was still very useful. Her brother was also “planning to put up a Police Outpost” this year, but sadly, he died on July 25 before this could happen.
Stoning She was keen on having the outpost, noting that the young people are not what they use to be. Now they drink and behave badly, sometimes even pelting stones at homes in the villager. There have been instances too, she said, when the Police from neighbouring Bartica have had to come in cases of fights and thefts, but she stated that it was never anything too major.
In addition to the health centre, the school was also constructed by Cornelius, however, at that time “parents (who were fortunate enough) use to pay private teacher” for their children to receive an education. It was until sometime later she stated that Cornelius was able to put in for the school.
She laid the construction
of Karrau’s Village Office at the present Toshao’s feet, James Cornelius, mentioning that he is her nephew; the Toshao position usually being a “family thing”. However, it is not used much she stated, as the Toshao usually meets his Councilmen under the school or “the pavilion” at the Community Ground of the village.
She complains that he does not share any information with the villagers either “once he goes to a Council meeting” or a Toshao Council Meeting. Rarely checking with them concerning certain things he may implement or decide with the Councilmen, such as a toll for the road (which ranges from $2000-$25,000) and the implementation of solar panels for each home; which, while excellent, there is no plan for regular maintenance as quite a few are not working.
Baldeo informed Guyana Times that she was once Elouise Larrimer as her first husband was Harry Larrimer. He was instrumental in the development of Karrau as he made the main road that makes it possible now for persons and mining companies to have more access to the hinterland from Karrau.
She continued that now the roads are in a deplorable condition as it has not been repaired for quite some time. Some parts were “covered up” for the Amerindian
celebrations at the Karrau Community Ground.
But Baldeo was particularly upset about the part in front of her home as she is on the main road where the huge mining trucks and the ATVs pass, digging deeper into an already deep pot hole.
Other residents of Karrau have complained about this as well. Pam Carravio, a mother, contended that the roads need tending as it poses a problem for school children. She said that some children, due to the road’s deplorable condition, have fallen into the “water ponds”. This is how deep and wide the roads are.
When Baldeo was asked what she thinks the $5 million should go towards that the Karrau community will be granted once application has been made, she stated that it should go for the upliftment of the children in the area. They need activities to keep them busy and constructively occupied.
Her view was well supported by Julia Dookie, a former Toshao, who said that investment in the youths is a worthy investment in the community.
Youth activities
She stated that more youth-oriented activities need to be implemented to get them interested in sports and other extracurricular activities.
Another resident, Reola Abrams, stated that she believes the roads are more “important” than anything else. She told Guyana Times that there have been accidents due to the condition of the roads. Two years ago, someone died due to the bad roads.
“Big Roy” or Fitzroy Augustus Benjamin has been in the area for about 83 years. He is the village’s patron and has a hotel and mechanic shop. He, like Benjamin also remembers the bushes and the many
people who used to live in the village, hailing as far as Mahaica.
He reflected on the comments of the officials at the Amerindian Heritage celebrations, stating that though Amerindians hold more to their culture; it is quietly “washing out”.
Kenneth Benjamin had quite a lot to say about the community as well. He is not originally from Karrau; however, he has been going there since 1976 and decided to settle in the village this year. He works for Big Roy or “the King”, as a mechanic
orities as well, he posited. There was once a training centre but the community could not maintain it. Some students drop out of the school, particularly girls due to financial reasons or the fact that they get into trouble going to Bartica. He thinks that more activities for the young people will be to the benefit of their “personal and the community’s development”. It could be training in plumbing, mechanic engineering etc, he said.
Benjamin informed Guyana Times that resi-
and electrical engineer.
He said that Karrau is a very nice area, it is traditional for the residents to practice “farming and lumber”, which are “traditional” ways of bringing in an income. Mining is relatively new to the area, only being introduced about three to four years ago. He believes that the Toshao’s toll implementation is a good idea as it generates revenue for the community, but believes that it should be put back into the roads. He remarked that the roads are truly bad and should be a “priority”.
The community also needs to take water and youth development as pri-
dents used water from the creek until the mining activities made the water become polluted.
The Toshao had then given black tanks to each villager for rain water. However, in the dry season, there is a well that “Big Roy” had dug for his personal use. The well is 130 feet deep.
Benjamin stated that the Toshao had planned such a project for the community, but it is presently on hold. The pollution of the creek has of course never happened again following a visit by a Regional Democratic Council representative.
Amid heightened awareness on suicide prevention here, a father of two took his life after his wife left the home following a dispute over infidelity.
Dead is Arnold “Davo” Sarjoo, 43, of Marias Lodge, West Bank Demerara. He died while receiving medical attention at the Georgetown Public Hospital on Sunday morning. According to information, the farmer might have consumed a lethal cocktail of substances on Saturday morning after his wife left the home. He reportedly pleaded with the woman to return home, but she refused, so he went into the
storage area, mixed at least three types of weedicides and consumed a large portion.
His younger son who
was at home raised an alarm, and he was rushed to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre before being transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital; there he succumbed on Sunday morning.
Guyana Times understands that this was not the first time Sarjoo attempted suicide.
A source told this publication that the man would normally accuse his wife of being unfaithful which would lead to frequent arguments in the house. On Friday evening, the man and his wife reportedly had another argument over the issue during which he repeatedly slapped her.
The woman left the marital home and went to her mother’s residence on the East Coast of Demerara on Saturday morning. Despite pleas by the man for her to return home, she reportedly refused.
The source explained that Sarjoo reportedly went to his son and said “y’all tek the house, meh nah want live no more”, as he put the bottle containing the poison to his head.
Sarjoo was described as a very emotional person who does not get in anyone’s way. He leaves to mourn his wife, two sons, parents, and eight siblings.
Recently, Health Minister, Dr Bheri
Ramsaran disclosed that his Ministry is tackling suicide by boosting its mental health capacity to deal effectively with patients and victims. According to the Minister, he is looking to bring in professionals to conduct training sessions so that there is a diffusion of the best mental health practices offered to the public. He posited that earlier this year, approximately 250 persons underwent training on mental health issues. The training was conducted by overseas-based Guyanese Deo Jairam, who is a mental health nurse.
He noted that these per-
sons were trained to identify suicidal tendencies and to also take part in anti-suicide drives to educate the community on the scourge. The training was done both in Georgetown and New Amsterdam, and the participants included personnel from the Guyana Police Force, the Guyana Prison Service, the Human Services and Social Security Ministry.
In addition, he noted that the Ministry is looking at boosting capacity at the level of the community health centres to reduce the workload of the national psychiatrists so that they can channel their focus into other important areas.
monDAY, september 29, 2014 | guYAnAtimesgY.com
– but yet to comment on Trotman’s alleged sodomy of minor
The Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) has urged the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to take control of a recent case where a young woman was allegedly raped at Mahdia.
But the entity is yet to comment on the allegations surrounding the sexual molestation of a 12-yearold boy Johnny Welshman by Speaker of the National Assembly Raphael Trotman, a former Alliance For Change (AFC) Executive Member and former Presidential Candidate.
Crime Chief Leslie James, speaking with Guyana Times on Saturday, confirmed that the buggery allegations made by Welshman against Trotman are being investigated by a team of officers. He said that the Police have already contacted Trotman to obtain a statement with the aim of completing the preliminary round of investigations.
James however could not say how long the investigation would take before any decision is made whether or not to charge Trotman. His comments come at a time when there is growing public outrage and unease following Welshman’s decision to go public about the sexual molestation he allegedly endured while he was a boy reportedly at the hands of Trotman.
The GHRA said that Police action on Mahdia rape case must also extend to an investigation by the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) into the alleged unprofessional behaviour of the ranks in Mahdia.
“The GHRA will be providing the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the OPR with statements supporting the allegations made in respect of this case and will continue to monitor developments,” the body said in a statement.
In its statement titled, “Justice hard to find for sur-
Discussions between the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) and the Guyana Agriculture and General Workers Union (GAWU) on the recent strike have commenced as per an agreement reached last week when the two sides decided to call off the industrial action.
The strike had stemmed from a fight between the General Manager at the Skeldon Estate and a field worker. The Manager later dismissed the worker, provoking strike action.
vivors of sexual assaults”, the GHRA said information emerging about the brutal gang rape of a young Amerindian hotel worker in Mahdia two weekends ago underlines how unresponsive the medical and legal systems remain to survivors of sexual assault.
The body said although the victim was carried unconscious into the hospital by a co-worker, with extensive bites and bruising about her body, she was examined only for physical assault because no rape kit was available.
No anti-HIV prophylactic was administered, nor was the victim provided with the sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) preventative medicine normally prescribed in cases of sexual assault.
According to the GHRA, as part of the reforms ushered in by the Sexual Offences Act (2010), rape kits were introduced into medical examinations of persons alleging sexual violence. The sealed kit is supposed to be made available by the hospital when the Police bring the victim and it is to be opened in the presence of the Police officer.
Each kit contains a stepby-step guideline for procedures the examining medical officer should take. Separate bags are provided for the victim's underwear, and other clothing, and a series of other packets for smears, samples and other forensic evidence.
All are sealed, placed back in the kit and a document signed by the Police officer and the attending physician. The kit is then sent for forensic examination as part of the process of building a charge against suspects.
The GHRA said while the absence of a rape kit should not preclude medical personnel performing a thorough examination of the victim, it understands that the kit’s absence was used as the reason for not examining the victim for sexual assault in Mahdia, which is astonishing.
Further, the GHRA said investigations revealed that most interior hospitals do not have rape kits. It notes that the Georgetown Public Hospital appears to be the only location where the use of rape kits is integrated into the response to complaints of sexual violence.
Similarly, the GHRA observed that A Division (Georgetown) appears to have the only effective Sexual Offences Unit, which is located at the Brickdam Police Station. This Unit works principally with child protection agencies and rape kits are used in medical examinations.
In addition to poor medical care in Mahdia towards the victim, the GHRA said, the behaviour of the Police rank was “callous and unprofessional”. The body said the rank’s alleged refusal to include in the statement allegations of sodomy flatly violates the rule for taking statements.
Such lack of confidence in the GPF was aggravated in this case by the obvious familiarity between the hotel personnel who were seen in the station precincts and the Police ranks responsible for the case.
The state of unpreparedness by both the health and Police authorities raises serious questions, the GHRA stated.
Amid swirling allegations of child molestation being levelled against Speaker of the National Assembly, Raphael Trotman, the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) has said that mobilising sufficient political commitment to carry through with reforms to strengthen sexual offences legislation has consistently failed.
The GHRA said that the Sexual Offences Act (2010) has the potential for real progress to secure justice for survivors of sexual violence. “In too many cases, from their first contact with the system to the end, survivors of sexual offences continue to experience callous indifference whether from the Police, the prosecution services and the Judiciary,” the GHRA said.
The body also called on public health authorities to take responsibility for the role they are mandated to play in recognising serious health consequences that sexual violence generate for survivors.
No exceptions
Only last week, Guyana observed Child Protection Week under the theme, “Partnering with Communities, To Prevent Child Abuse.”
Leader of the Opposition and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU),
Following five days of industrial actions, the two parties finally came to a mutual agreement on Wednesday afternoon as they agreed on a six-item Terms of Resumption (ToR) under
David Granger told this newspaper in an interview to mark the occasion that all child molesters should be condemned. The Opposition Leader noted that the APNU has held one position on child abuse over the years and that has not changed.
Granger said that the party “condemns” all forms of abuse against children, including paedophilia, incest, child abuse and child neglect, while noting that the same applies to the abuse of women.
He noted, however, that there was need for greater enforcement of laws on the part of the Human Services and Social Security Ministry and the Guyana Police Force, to curb and possibly end child abuse in our society. Guyana Times sought comments from Alliance For Change (AFC) Member of Parliament Trevor Williams as well as several Government officials, but was unsuccessful.
All-consuming
Earlier, Head of the Child Care and Protection Agency, Ann Greene contended that paedophilia and child sexual molestation have no barriers. “It has no respect for creed, status, race; it cuts across all divides. You can’t put it down to say that only these people will do child abuse,” Greene said.
She also indicated that while there has been an increase in reports of child sexual abuse, “child abuse is still very much hidden; the reports are just the tip of the iceberg”. It was noted that child sexual abuse is the second most frequent form of child abuse reported.
Executive Director of the Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association (GRPA), Pastor Patricia Sherratan-Bisnauth said that paedophilia, a longstanding crisis in society, has been crushing communities, destroying homes and people.
She said while it is “running rampant” in our soci-
ety, there is little that can be done unless reports are made and investigations are adequately carried out. On this note, she remarked that because of pre-existing situations and the small number of reports being gathered, “we are barely scratching the surface”.
the Chairmanship of Chief Labour Officer Charles Ogle.
This resulted in the industrial action being called off and the dismissal of the Mill Dock Operator Stephen Daniels reversed and reduced to unpaid suspension.
Guyana Times was informed that during the first discussion chaired by Ogle on Friday at GuySuCo’s office in La Bonne Intention (LBI), East Coast Demerara, Industrial Relations Director Jairam Narine and GAWU President Komal Chand made preliminary presentations on the issue.
The discussions were adjourned until Wednesday
after Ogle requested time to review the submission made.
On Sunday last, both factory and field workers from the Skeldon Estate took strike action after the dismissal of Daniels, who reportedly verbally and physically abused a senior Estate Manager on Friday evening.
However, workers at the factory claimed that the Manager was intoxicated and had provoked the Mill Dock Operator who retaliated by hitting him. Daniels was subsequently issued a dismissal letter the following day, causing the strike action to commence.
She explained: “People, and children in this case, keep silent because of their vulnerability, and it’s worse for children, because, in some cases, they depend on their assaulters for support.”
Earlier this year, Attorney General Anil Nandlall had reported that there were no convictions for sexual offences since 2011 – a situation which he described as “alarming” and blamed the archaic jury system, as well as reluctant witnesses for the problem. For the years 2012 and 2013, some 22 sexual offences cases were taken before the court. For the year 2013, during the period of January to July, there were 179 cases of reported rapes.
A number of social groups have lamented the manner in which rape is generally handled by the Police; hence, some time ago, the GHRA in a study titled “Without Conviction: Sexual Violence Cases in The Guyana Justice Process” had revealed an average conviction rate of 1.4 per cent of all rape cases reported to the Police.
The industrial action was called off five days later, after the parties agreed on a six item ToR. Chand on Friday emphasised need for both the management team and workers to co-operate at all levels.
“You need that spirit of co-operation, if you don’t have it there then you are not setting an example for the lower levels to garner that same kind of co-operation,” he said. The GAWU President added that it is compulsory for workers and all management of estates to put their “shoulders to the wheel”.
China’s Health Minister Li Bin on Saturday visited the Guyana Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) to inspect the work that the 11th Chinese Medical Brigade has done so far for Guyanese.
The visit by the Chinese Health Minister was quite an excitement for the patients at the hospital. Bin was escorted by Local Health Minister, Dr Bheri Ramsaran, GPHC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Michael Khan and Assistant Director Noshella Lalikacharran.
Representatives from the Chinese Embassy including Ambassador Limin Zhang were also there.
Minister Bin showed great interest in the patients at the hospital as well as their ailments. She uncovered bandages from a few of the patients of the 11th brigade that had undergone eye surgeries for cataract and laparoscopic surgical operations just a day ago.
The patients were very grateful. They expressed thanks to Minister Bin for her Government’s support to Guyana. Minister Bin also visited the Children’s
Ward in the surgical and medical department where she spoke to a mother about her daughter’s condition.
The Minister had a
In most cases when someone loses their job, their life requires them to find a replacement job immediately. In a case of such, they are completely dependent on their current job, and cannot sustain even a few days without that regular pay cheque coming in.
Narine Dat Sookram
If their boss is aware of this, he/ she will surely take advantage of it, because they know functioning without that job is just not sustainable and some might even make our jobs miserable.
When people live pay cheque to pay cheque, they can’t plan ahead for disasters. For example, whenever something goes wrong, like a car breakdown or a child needing emergency dental work, their only choice is to borrow and then sweat it over the next several months as they pay it off.
If they are relying on each weekly cheque to manage their day-to-day life, they wouldn’t be able to plan ahead for these kinds of unfortunate situations. It makes it hard to plan ahead for bigger things in life, like dreaming of having a family vacation or a new car.
In fact, when someone is living pay cheque to pay cheque, it is a problem of their own creation. But they are not the only ones in that situation, and if we put our nose to the grindstone, we can get out of it and start moving towards financial success. The Internet is a good resource to use to find out about the experiences of others who turned similar situations.
Trimming some of the monthly expenses will be the thing to do. For example, considering the reduction of cellphone bills and start cooking at home more and eating out less. These simple things can surely ease financial pressure on our wallet and allow us to start getting ahead a little and stop feeling like we are falling behind.
Never shop for the sake of entertainment. Sometimes when hanging out with friends, it can be tempting to go shopping for clothes and electronic gadgets. Instead of all of this, it is much better to find something else to do.
When shopping for fun, it can be costly even if we don’t buy anything right away, because when we feel tempted in wanting something that we don’t really need, the potential is there to purchase it at a later time. So the best thing to do is to stay away.
Interest rate is a common thing that many people living pay cheque to pay cheque waste money on. One of the best ways is to start paying bills as soon as they come in, so that there would be no late fees penalty. We all have been in situations where we spend money on things, we don’t really need. For this reason, it is important to put a limit on spending for each month. The bottom line is to live within our means and monitor our spending, so that we can get out of living from pay cheque to pay cheque and move toward financial freedom.
For questions, comment and feedback, email them to mcnairne@rogers.com.
ARIES (March 21April 19)
TAURUS (April 20May 20)
(May 21June 20)
A minor monetary gain will be fleeting. It’s likely you will receive payment of a debt or a small investment return. Spend cautiously; easy come, easy go.
Love is in the stars. Expect to be called upon to assist a family member. Don’t let your desire for riches cause you to fall for a con artist with a “foolproof” deal.
This is not the time for impetuous decisions. You will make better progress if you take matters slowly and methodically. Trust your instincts to lead you in the right direction.
LEO (July 23Aug. 22)
VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)
A hobby or activity will turn out to be an eye-opener. Say yes when a friend or colleague offers to introduce you to someone. Don’t neglect your domestic duties.
A former friend will find a way back into your life. You stand to be hurt if you come on too strong. Let the other person make the first move.
A dilemma at home will be upsetting. Don’t become too emotional. If you keep your discussions calm and reasonable, you will be able to find solutions that satisfy everyone involved.
LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)
Caution is key. Make sure you play by the rules. Being caught off-guard will end up costing you. Stick to the basics in order to lessen your stress.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)
Think fast and prepare to defend your actions. A person you thought was on your side will end up disappointing you. Cover your back and take care of business yourself.
CAPRICORN (June 21July 22)
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)
You will tire quickly if you try to keep up with everyone else. Take care of your responsibilities and let others do the same, and you’ll do just fine.
(Jan. 20Feb. 19) (Dec. 22Jan. 19)
PISCES
(Feb. 20March 20)
Temptation will be your downfall. If you can’t afford something, don’t buy it. Putting yourself in a compromising financial position will only invite trouble. Be vigilant regarding your health.
Follow your chosen path. Trying to outperform or impress others will slow you down and damage your reputation. You can get what you want if you are industrious and focused.
You may be missing a piece of the puzzle regarding your career path. Communication difficulties and misunderstandings will have to be cleared up before you can move forward.
B y B hisham m ohamed
After a thrilling display of immense power around the National Park race track, one of Guyana’s best cyclists, Raynauth Jeffrey, was crowned king of the inaugural Alanzo Greaves Birthday Classic cycle meet on Sunday.
The young cyclist did the job in 1h 03 minutes and 31 seconds ahead of the birthday boy himself, Alanzo Greaves, while Marlon Williams sealed the top three spots in the meet.
Following closely behind was Hamza Eastman in fourth position; Christopher Holder, fifth; Robin Persaud, sixth; and Stephano Husbands, seventh.
Taking the primes in the race were Robin Persaud and Jamal John with eight each; Stephan Osborne carried away six; Alanzo Greaves, four; and Raynauth Jeffrey, two; while Alberto Calida and Hamza Eastman rode away with one each. The birthday boy also powered his way to claim the two super primes.
However, apart from the big boys meet, there were two
Kenya's Dennis Kimetto has broken the marathon world record in Berlin, winning the race in a time of two hours, two minutes and 57 seconds.
The 30-year-old shook off fellow Kenyan Emmanuel Mutai with just under three miles remaining to become the first man to run a marathon in less than two hours and three minutes.
Mutai, who finished second in 2:03:13, also broke the previous record.
"I feel good because I won a very tough race," said Kimetto.
"I felt good from the start and in the last few miles I felt I could do it and break the record."
The previous world record had been set on the same course 12 months ago by Kimetto's compatriot Wilson Kipsang, who ran 2:03:23.
Kimetto, who won marathons in Tokyo and Boston last year, had promised to attack the record in Berlin if conditions allowed.
And in weather perfect for long-distance running,
with temperatures around eight degrees centigrade, Kimetto kept his promise, staying in the lead group throughout and sprinting to victory and a new world's best time.
Mutai, meanwhile, believes a two-hour marathon is possible.
"From what I saw today, times are coming down and down. So if not today, then tomorrow," the 29-year-old
Kenyan said. "Maybe next time we'll get 2:01."
Mutai had run the fastest marathon in history in 2:03:02 in Boston in 2011, but it did not count as a world record because the course is considered too straight and downhill.
Britain's Shelly Woods won the women's wheelchair race as she continues her preparation for November's New York Marathon.
other meets for the children. In the six to nine category, Jeremiah Harrison copped the first prize, Alexander Leung took the second place prize, and Christopher Goring rode away with the third prize.
In the nine to 12 category, Sherwin Sampson crossed the finish first, followed by Jaron Garbaran and Nicholas Dandrade.
Little Jessica Mohabir and veteran rider Monty Paris were also given special prizes for their commitment shown in the sport.
Meanwhile, immediately after the race meet, Jeffrey admitted the he has been out of form for sometime, but after the 30-lap De Sinco Race Meet on Saturday, he feels he has gotten back into his groove. He recalled it was a close race between him Greaves from the first to 28th laps, but he managed to pip him in the last two.
He attributed his two wins in two days to his consistency and determination to do well. His focus now, he added, is to do well in the upcoming Caribbean Championships in Puerto Rico.
He said he was a little disappointed in not making it to Trinidad and Tobago to compete in an international meet, which rides off on Tuesday, saying the reason was beyond his control.
The birthday boy, Alanzo Greaves thanked the riders for the support in the inaugural Birthday Classic meet and promised that the event will be done annually. He said he expects that the event will grow in size and popularity in the years to come. He said he also hopes to include several other races to cater for the juvenile and the veterans.
He stated that he it was good ride until he was over powered by the powerful legs of Jeffrey, who took advantage of the last two laps. Nevertheless, he congratulated the young man on his success and the others who placed.
Finally, he thanked the people who have made the race meet a success, including his sponsors, friends and family. The national cyclist will be celebrating his 25th birthday on Tuesday.
British number one Heather Watson lost in straight sets to 16th seed Venus Williams in the China Open first round.
Watson had been hoping to find some form after firstround exits at her three previous tournaments.
But after racing into a 3-0 first set lead, the 22-year-old lost 11 straight games in a 6-3 6-1 defeat.
"Heather was playing really well. The first games she didn't miss a serve for six points. I give her a lot of credit," said American Williams.
Watson reached a career high of 39 in the world last year before being struck by glandular fever, but she moved back into the top 50 after reaching the last 16 of the Montreal Open in August.
She has now lost in the opening round of four consecutive events, following defeats by world number 80 Sorana Cirstea at the US Open, qualifier Nicole Gibbs, the world number 101, at last week's Korea Open, and world number 12 Sara Errani of Italy at the Wuhan Open.
The 34-year-old
Williams
Williams, who suffered a surprise first round defeat at the WTA Wuhan Open last week, will face 12th seed Ekaterina Makarova in the second round.
Elsewhere in the first round, second seed Simona Halep beat Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 6-1 6-4 and fourth seed Maria Sharapova beat Kaia Kanepi 6-4 6-1, while Japan's Kurumi Nara overcame 11th seed Errani 3-6 6-3 6-4. Australian Samantha Stosur beat Francesca Schiavone 6-4 6-2 to set up a second-round clash against former world number one Caroline Wozniacki who is eyeing a spot in the year-ending WTA FInals in Singapore. (BBC Sport)
Singh picked up a career-best 3 for 12
Alate batting collapse in the Cape Cobras innings, triggered by career-best spells from Akshar Patel and Anureet Singh, helped Kings XI Punjab overcome an early blitz from Hashim Amla. Their batsmen then comfortably overhauled the middling target to make it four wins in four, ensuring the team finished at the top of the Group B table.
The pitch had been sluggish in the afternoon during the game between Barbados Tridents and Hobart Hurricanes and that had forced the groundsman to water the surface before the start of the match. One cannot be certain if the way Cobras started their innings was a result of that or the brilliance of one man. Amla saw his partner Richard Levi pick up two fours and
a six in the first two overs –all poor deliveries – before spreading his wings.
Amla greeted Kings XI's best bowler, Akshar Patel, with a rasping cut shot in the third over and followed it up with two inside-out boundaries in the next over - one of them going all the way over the ropes. Thirteen runs came off the fourth over but it just happened to be the trailer. In the fifth over, Amla launched into Thisara Perera, picking up five consecutive boundaries and taking the team well past 50 in the process.
But the innings took a different turn once Amla holed out at long off to Karanveer Singh's legspin. The ball started gripping and stopping on the pitch again. Levi continued for a bit, finding the odd big hit and taking the team past
100 in the 13th over, before the wheels came off.
The next seven wickets, after Levi was dismissed, could only last for 33 more balls and only 30 runs were added in that period. Three of those wickets went to the impressive Akshar, who was also economical, giving away just two fours in his spell, and the other three to Anureet. Both also had to thank the agility of their wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha who affected two stumpings off Akshar and took a brilliant diving catch off Anureet.
The target of 136 was going to be hard to defend against the Kings XI batting line-up. They had been prolific during the IPL and they have been similarly ruthless
in the Champions League this year. Their lowest total – 146 – came from 17.4 overs. So Cobras' best bet was to pick early wickets. But that never happened. Apart from Robin Peterson, who picked up the wickets of Virender Sehwag and Manan Vohra, none of the bowlers exerted any control over the batsmen and, with no real weak spot in their batting order, the run rate never dipped during any of the partnerships. Sehwag and Vohra added 41 for the opening wicket, Saha joined Sehwag to add another 33. Once Sehwag was dismissed, Saha added 34 with Glenn Maxwell and paired with David Miller to take Kings XI over the line. (ESPN
Cape Cobras innings (20 overs maximum)
RE Levi c & b Maxwell 42
HM Amla c Miller b Karanveer
Singh 40
OA Ramela c Miller b Perera 12
S van Zyl b Anureet Singh 13
DJ Vilas*† c Perera b Awana 10
SA Engelbrecht b Patel 5
JM Kemp st †Saha b Patel 2
VD Philander st †Saha b Patel 5
RJ Peterson c †Saha b Anureet
Singh 2
RK Kleinveldt c Vohra b Anureet
Singh 0
A Mgijima not out 0
Extras: (lb 2, w 2) 4
Total: (all out; 18.3 overs) 135
Fall of wickets 1-60 (Amla, 6.3 ov), 2-84 (Ramela, 9.4 ov), 3-105 (Levi, 12.6 ov), 4-117 (Vilas, 14.3 ov), 5-122 (Engelbrecht, 15.4 ov), 6-124 (van Zyl, 16.3 ov), 7-131 (Kemp, 17.0 ov), 8-132 (Philander, 17.2 ov), 9-135 (Kleinveldt, 18.2 ov), 10-135 (Peterson, 18.3 ov)
Bowling: Anureet Singh 2.3-
Jorge Lorenzo won his first race of the MotoGP season at a rain-affected Aragon Grand Prix after championship leader Marc Marquez crashed.
Lorenzo and Marquez were fighting for the lead when it began to rain in the closing stages.
Lorenzo changed to dry tyres but Marquez and title rival Dani Pedrosa chose to stay out, only to fall in the wet before remounting to finish.
Aleix Espargaro was second with Britain's Cal Crutchlow in third.
It was Yamaha rider Lorenzo's first victory since the last race of 2013.
0-12-3, P Awana 4-0-36-1, AR Patel 4-0-15-3, NLTC Perera
2-0-30-1, Karanveer Singh 4-023-1, GJ Maxwell 2-0-17-1
Kings XI Punjab innings (target: 136 runs from 20 overs) V Sehwag c Kleinveldt b Peterson 23 M Vohra c Engelbrecht b Peterson 23 WP Saha† not out 42 GJ Maxwell b Engelbrecht 23 DA Miller not out 16
Extras: (lb 5, w 7) 12
Total: (3 wickets; 18.1 overs) 139 Did not bat: GJ Bailey*, NLTC Perera, AR Patel, Karanveer Singh, Anureet Singh, P Awana Fall of wickets: 1-41 (Vohra, 5.2 ov), 2-74 (Sehwag, 9.1 ov), 3-108 (Maxwell, 13.6 ov)
Bowling: RK Kleinveldt 4-024-0, VD Philander 4-0-270, RJ Peterson 4-1-19-2, SA Engelbrecht 4-0-42-1, A Mgijima 1-0-8-0, OA Ramela 1-0-10-0, HM Amla 0.1-0-4-0
Europe completed their mission in the singles to win the 40th Ryder Cup by beating the United States 16½-11½ at Gleneagles.
Captain Paul McGinley's side led 10-6 going into the final day and reached the 14½ needed to win the Cup outright when Welsh rookie Jamie Donaldson beat Keegan Bradley 4&3. Rory McIlroy struck first with a 5&4 win against Rickie Fowler before countryman Graeme McDowell came back from three down to beat Jordan Spieth 2&1.
Martin Kaymer chipped in on 16 to defeat Bubba Watson 4&2 and Justin Rose scrapped back from four down against Hunter Mahan to grab a half on the last and take Europe to within half a point of retaining the trophy.
The 38-year-old Donaldson, playing in the 10th match, sealed the win against Bradley on the 15th green to spark scenes of euphoria in the Perthshire hills.
Europe have now won eight of the last 10 Ryder Cups, while the US have not won an away match since 1993.
McGinley said: "I'm very proud of every one of these players. I couldn't have asked for an ounce more from them. I've
been involved in so many Ryder Cups and seen mistakes we've made.
"I've changed things a bit, bringing in the fifth vice-captain has been a factor in helping to prepare the guys, especially in the afternoon sessions, but we have had 12 players who have been awesome."
"I can't say enough about our captain," said McIlroy. "Paul McGinley has been immense. I'm so glad it's worked out for him."
US captain Tom Watson was seeking redemption for Medinah two years ago when Europe came back from 10-6 down to win 14½-13½ on the final day,
but the visitors were unable to create their own sensation in Scotland.
Henrik Stenson earlier missed a short putt on the last that would have given him a half against Patrick Reed, while Stephen Gallacher lost 3&1 to Phil Mickelson and Thomas Bjorn went down 4&3 to Matt Kuchar.
Europe lost Friday morning's fourballs 2½-1½ but dominated the foursomes to lead 5-3 going into Saturday. McGinley's side dominated Saturday afternoon's foursomes 3½-½ - a 7-1 foursomes tally overall - to move to within four points of retaining the trophy. (BBC Sport)
"It has been a long time without a win and to get it in these conditions is incredible," said Lorenzo. "I was concentrating on not crashing and was ready to finish third.
"It was a crazy race. I wasn't happy when it started to rain as the Hondas were starting to get away from me. I wasn't comfortable at all. Then it started raining more and I decided to go for it."
Spaniard Marquez, who had taken the 20th pole
position of his career on Saturday with a record qualifying time, finished 13th, one place ahead of compatriot Pedrosa, which means he extends his overall lead in the championship standings by a point.
Marquez said the most important thing was finishing ahead of Pedrosa. "It was all or nothing. I saw there were four laps to go and as I would have lost a lot of time I decided to stay out to see if I could finish the race," the championship leader said. "I am not experienced in these conditions, it has never happened to me before."
Seven-time world champion Valentino Rossi, who won his first MotoGP in 15 months with victory at his home track in San Marino two weeks ago, crashed out early in the race before the rain started.
The Italian was carried off the circuit on a stretcher but was later able to stand and did not appear seriously hurt. Others fallers were Italians Andrea Dovizioso and early leader Andrea Iannone. The next race is in Motegi, Japan, on Sunday, 12 October. (BBC
New Zealand won the Rugby Championship for a third successive year as they beat Argentina 34-13 in La Plata.
Tries from Ben Smith, Israel Dagg, Julian Savea and TJ Perenara – plus 14 points from the boot of Beauden Barrett – helped the World Cup holders win the title with a game to spare.
Horacio Agulla scored the home side's only try two minutes from time.
Captain Richie McCaw made his 133rd appearance for the All Blacks, equalling Colin Meads's record.
The 33-year-old flanker said: "They were wonderful conditions to play in and I'm really proud of the way the guys took their opportunities."
South Africa's 28-10 victory over Australia earlier in the day meant New Zealand needed a bonus-point victory to wrap up the title.
And with 12 minutes gone they led 13-0, with Smith crossing after good work by Dagg and Barrett adding the conversion to two early penalties.
Nicolas Sanchez kicked two first-half penalties for the hosts, but they sandwiched another converted All Blacks try, with Dagg going over after linking again with Smith.
Savea shrugged off three opponents to power over just before the hour mark and Perenara secured the bonus-point try after Jerome Kaino's burst.
Argentina's spirit was rewarded with Agulla's late converted try, but the Pumas remain without a win in 20 Tests against the All Blacks.
New Zealand coach Steve Hansen: "I'm very pleased with the way we've played throughout the tournament.
"We've had to win many different ways because of the weather and because of the opposition playing as well as they have."
Argentina coach Daniel Hourcade: "They played a great game. The simple way they do things is awesome.
"They played the breakdown much better and made a difference there. Also, we could not make the most of our clean breaks."
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Another disciplined effort from Hobart Hurricanes' bowlers put the side in the Champions League T20 semi-finals, with a sixwicket win over Barbados Tridents.
Tridents' score of 113 was the lowest by a side batting first in a full game in this Champions League and although they fought back well with the ball, Shoaib Malik's unbeaten 39 kept the reins of the chase firmly with Hurricanes on a sluggish pitch.
Given their recent run of high scores and relative knowledge of the conditions in Mohali, Tridents captain Rayad Emrit had hoped his side would not struggle too much on a new pitch. However, the tinges of green on the track did not make the ball come on to the bat faster.
Ben Hilfenhaus found some early swing to work in his favour and both he and Doug Bollinger mixed up length and full-pitched deliveries with the occasional short ball, and that brought them early wickets.
The slower bowlers then built on that platform, capitalising on the fact that the ball appeared to come a touch slower off the pitch. Xavier Doherty struck with the first ball he bowled, get-
ting rid of James Franklin, and as the scoring rate was stifled, Tridents had just Jonathan Carter in the middle to steer the innings.
The batsman, who had struck a brisk century in his last match, had a quiet start before opening up to cart sixes and fours off Malik, Doherty and Bollinger in
successive overs. Doherty, however, got his wicket as the innings moved into its last phase, draining all momentum.
Had Carter stayed at the crease for a little longer, Tridents would have had a more competitive total to defend but the bowlers fought scrappily despite the low score.
Hurricanes' reply, by any stretch, was not a smooth batting effort but Tridents contributed to their own problems by dropping chances.
Aiden Blizzard had two reprieves off an accurate Ravi Rampaul while Tim Paine had one - had those been taken, the target of 114 would have looked tougher for the Australian side.
In the midst of this, Malik's innings stood out for his composure and skill at manoeuvring the ball. The risky shots were eschewed, but he found the singles and twos easily, eventually closing the match out with successive fours in the 19th over. (Cricinfo)
Barbados Tridents innings (20 overs maximum)
EMDY Munaweera c Blizzard b Hilfenhaus 18 ND McKenzie c †Paine b Bollinger 0 RA Reifer c †Paine b Hilfenhaus 6 JL Carter† c Bollinger b Doherty 42 JEC Franklin b Doherty 12 JO Holder c Laughlin b Doherty 5 AJ Hosein c Shoaib Malik b Bollinger 12
AR Nurse lbw b Doherty 1 KR Mayers not out 5 RR Emrit* run out (Birt/†Paine) 2 R Rampaul run out (Gulbis/ Laughlin) 5
Extras: (lb 1, w 4) 5
Total: (all out; 19.4 overs) 113
Fall of wickets: 1-6 (McKenzie, 1.3 ov), 2-26 (Reifer, 4.4 ov), 3-26 (Munaweera, 4.5 ov), 4-48 (Franklin, 9.1 ov), 5-70 (Holder, 13.1 ov), 6-89 (Hosein, 15.1 ov), 7-99 (Nurse, 16.1 ov), 8-101 (Carter, 16.3 ov), 9-104 (Emrit, 17.3 ov), 10113 (Rampaul, 19.4 ov) Bowling: BW Hilfenhaus 4-1-
14-2, DE Bollinger 4-0-27-2, EP Gulbis 1-0-2-0, Shoaib Malik 3-0-20-0, B Laughlin 3.4-022-0, XJ Doherty 4-0-27-4
Hobart Hurricanes innings (target: 114 runs from 20 overs)
BR Dunk c McKenzie b Mayers 0 TD Paine*† lbw b Hosein 18 AC Blizzard c McKenzie b Munaweera 21 Shoaib Malik not out 39 TR Birt b Hosein 9 JW Wells not out 23 Extras: (w 6, nb 1) 7 Total: (4 wickets; 18.2 overs) 117 Did not bat: EP Gulbis, BW Hilfenhaus, XJ Doherty, B Laughlin, DE Bollinger Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Dunk, 0.4 ov), 2-32 (Blizzard, 6.1 ov), 3-54 (Paine, 9.3 ov),
Hosein 4-0-25-2, RR Emrit 2.20-19-0, JO Holder 2-0-12-0
Wayne Rooney has said he apologised to his team-mates after being sent off against West Ham on Saturday.
The Manchester United captain was dismissed for a rash challenge on Stewart Downing and says he has no plans to appeal the decision of referee Lee Mason.
"It was probably the right decision," he said. "Of course I did [apologise]."
Manchester United held on for a 2-1 win despite playing the last 30 minutes with 10 men.
Rooney's three-match ban means that he will be unavailable for Manchester United until the derby against Manchester City on 2 November.
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce described Rooney's challenge as "crazy and irresponsible", while Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal agreed that the striker deserved to be dismissed.
"I saw the West Ham player making a
counter-attack and I tried to break-up the play, but I just misjudged it," Rooney said. "I am just grateful that the lads were able to hold on."
Ranother gear, while Johnson rose to the challenge, as both athletes left the rest of the competitors behind.
While both athletes matched each other stride for stride, Thomas upped the pace at Camp and Lamaha Streets and never looked back, to finish comfortably ahead of the pack and claim the $100,000 first place prize.
Johnson was second in 33mins 31s, while Tyshon Bentick was third in 33mins 35s. Dennis Horatio came from behind to finish in fourth with a time of 34min 21s, as Giddings fell to fifth in 34mins 33s.
and has now proven to his sponsor, the Key Shop, that its investment in him and his club mate Thomas was a success. Alisha Fortune is becoming the face of master’s run-
men’s masters 56 and over. Shantell Hinds was the winner of the junior female category.
President of the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG)
and
Thomas displayed great poise during the race, despite a valiant effort from Trinidad based Guyanese Kelvin Johnson to win the event in 32mins 56s.
unning Brave Athletics Club distance star Cleveland Thomas took advantage of a missing Cleveland Forde to win the fourth edition of the Courts 10k road race on Sunday morning that ended in front of Courts Furniture Inc Main Street, Georgetown Branch.
With Forde missing due to chikungunya-like symptoms, Nathaniel Giddings as is the norm broke the race with a fever pitch, while Thomas, Winston Missenger and Larry Nicholas followed closely.
Meanwhile, on the distaff side, Euleen Jossiah-Tanner won her fourth straight title at the event, clocking 38mins and 30s, and is arguably becoming Guyana’s top female road runner.
Andrea Foster was second in 41mins 40s, while Alika Morgan continues to fade from the spotlight, falling to third in 42mins 57s.
However, three kilometers later Thomas clocked
BBCI First Division 50-over knock-out cricket…
Matthew Mckenzie won the boy’s junior category,
Asuperb unbeaten hundred by hard hitting batsman Jonathan Foo and supporting allround performance by Veerapen Permaul helped Albion register a massive
222-run win over GUYTRAC Upper Corentyne to book their place in the semi-final of the 2014 Berbice Bridge Company Inc (BBCI) First Division 50-over knockout cricket competition in Berbice.
In their second round game Saturday played at the Albion Community Centre, defending champs Albion won the toss and batted first and were given a start of 31 runs in six overs, helpped by Guyana’s wicket-keeper batsman Anthony Bramble, who fell for 12. West Indies test batsman
Narsingh Deonarine joined Kandasammy Surujnarine and together they proceeded to add 138 for the second wicket in just 12.2 overs before Surujnarine fell for 88 (6 fours, 1 six).
Deonarine fell for 79 (8 fours) at 203 for 3 in 36
overs.
Former Guyana T20 batting star Jonathan Foo then took things into his own hand and added a further 98 with Permaul before the latter’s innings, with six
boundaries in 51, came to an end, with two overs still to be bowled.
Foo ensured that a further 42 runs were scored in the remaining overs to see his team finishing on 3434, himself ending not out on 103 (6 fours, 4 sixes).
When GUYTRAC Upper Corentyne began their uphill task, they lost early wickets to off-spinner Permaul and never recovered enough to make a serious run for the target. They were eventually bowled out for just 121 in 32 overs, with Devindra Budhoo contributing 28 and Latchman Roopchand 27.
Bowling for Albion, Permaul took 3 for 18 from 10 overs, while Berbice left arm spinner Gudakesh Motie grabbed 3 for 34 from 6.5 overs. Guyana Under-19 offspinner Sharaz Ramcharran took 2 for 13 from 5 overs.
Lahore Lions offspinner
Mohammad Hafeez has been reported for a suspect bowling action by the umpires, following the team's Champions League T20 match against Dolphins in Bangalore on Saturday evening. Dolphins offspinner Prenelan Subrayen was also reported.
Under CLT20 guidelines, both players could
request for an official assessment from the BCCI's suspect bowling action committee. For now, while they can continue to play for their teams without assessment, they have been placed on the tournament's 'warning list' as per its rules. If they are reported again, while still on the warning list, the players will be suspended from bowling in the tournament - and
in any cricket organised by the BCCI - until their actions are cleared. Being reported in the CLT20 has no impact on a bowler's participation in international cricket.
The reports were made by umpires Kumar Dharamsena, Vineet Kulkarni and Anil Chaudhary, who had officiated in the Dolphins-Lions match. Both bowlers had opened the bowling for their
sides and gone on to bowl a full quota of four overs. While Hafeez claimed 2 for 18 as Lions successfully defended 164, Subrayen did not pick up wicket while conceding 39 runs.
Earlier Lions' Adnan Rasool, another offspinner, had also been reported. He has continued to turn out for his team. (ESPN Cricinfo)
ning in Guyana, winning yet another road race master’s title in the women’s category. Ian Archibald won the master’s men 40-55, while Llewelyn Gardner won the
Marketing Manager of Courts Pernell Cummings both noted that the event was a success and congratulated the athletes on their performances.
The Guyana Hockey Board (GHB) has named its national boys under-19 squad to begin preparations for the 2016 Junior Pan American Cup in Toronto, Canada.
The programme will be run by a coaching staff which includes experienced coaches Andrew Xavier and Dwayne Alleyne, as well as national senior men's coach Robert Fernandes.
The squad of 32 players is expected to be developed into a formidable force over the next two years, with their first assignment being a tour to Trinidad in December of this year to have their first taste of the artificial surface on which all international hockey matches are played.
During the four-day tour the team will train and compete against club teams from the twin island republic, in addition to playing against the country's under-19 national development squad.
Although the majority of players are newcomers to the national programme, standouts such as Mark
Sargeant, Andrew Stewart and Aroydy Branford have already tasted success at the senior level, having been part of the men's team that won Bronze at the Indoor Pan American Cup in Montevideo, Uruguay earlier this year.
The players listed below are asked to attend a meeting at St Stanislaus College at 18:00h today.
Squad: Mark Sergeant, Medroy Scotland, Kareem McKenzie, Keon McKenzie, Daniel Hooper, Sammar DeFreitas, Rosario Ramsammy, Lorenzo Vanzo, Aroydy Branford, Andrew Stewart, Leon Bacchus, Robert Brumell, Joshua Carew, Omar Hopkinson, Stephon Sprosta, Shaquille Thomas,, Onasis Fraser, Deheron Wilkinson, Richard Thomas, Akeem Wilson, Hilton Chester, Paramanand Dindial, Shemar Boston, Nicholas Nervais, Gordon Trotman, Troy Hodge, Ezekiel Springer, Delmar Ng, Ato Greene, Edmund Chinian, Myron Phllips and Meshach Williams.
It may not have been the biggest horse race meet in Guyana, but the feature event will be on the lips of many horse racing fans for years to come.
On Sunday, California Strike gave everything to emerge winner in the feature A and Lower race at the Alness Turf Club one-day race meet.
In the feature event, the animal being ridden by C Ross sent Score’s Even back
to Sunday School after pulling off a thrilling victory.
Both animals were out of the starting gates in an even break with California Strike setting the early gallop and the rest of the field in close order.
Pre-race favourite Score’s Even then took the lead and set a blistering pace, but California Strike then went clear, her lead building with every powerful stride and then it happened.
Coming into the homestretch, jockey Ross showing his brilliance in the stirrups by giving his horse the full rein to win by about three lengths.
Score’s Even, Church House and Bridal Stone Corner occupied the other top positions.
Eight races were carded for the day. See full results and pictures in Tuesday’s edition of Guyana Times.
Gordon Klaiber
According to an email sent by the President of the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) Nigel Hinds, FIBA has ruled in favour of the local federation in relation to the status of Guyanese born player Gordon Klaiber.
At the 2014 edition of
the Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC), Klaiber was forced to play as a naturalized Guyanese instead of a born Guyanese, which resulted in Guyana playing with one less international player.
This caused a number of reactions at the championship, the main one being Guyana seeking clarification on the matter.
However, on September 24 FIBA responded to Guyana’s clarification letter, according to the email by Hinds which reads as follows:
Dear Sir, Please be informed that the case of the player has been carefully reviewed. Consequently, we herewith confirm that Mr Klaiber is eligible to play for the national team of Guyana without restrictions.
Best regards,
Senior Manager
Meanwhile, also in the letter, was Hinds seeking advice on the legal actions that limited Guyana at the championship with the ruling by the game’s committee.
Guyana Times Sports on Saturday and Sunday tried to make contact with Hinds on the matter, but got voicemail each time a call was made.
Naturalised Guyanese are players who were not born in Guyana, but can play for the country either through their parents being Guyanese or gaining citizenship in the country.
Klaiber was born in Guyana but left before the age of 16 and was not issued with a Guyanese passport, but had his birth certificate.
arcelona forward
BLionel Messi says he "never imagined" scoring over 400 goals in his remarkable career.
The four-time world player of the year, 27, passed the landmark with a brace in the Spanish side's 6-0 home win over Granada on Saturday.
The Argentina captain headed in his 400th goal for club and country and then stroked in his 401st late on.
"It's like Messi was touched by a magic wand," said Barcelona coach Luis Enrique.
"I don't think if we added
together the goals we have scored on the playground it would reach 400," Enrique told journalists in his postmatch news conference.
Messi has scored 359 goals for Barcelona since making his debut in 2004, plus 42 strikes for Argentina, in 506 career appearances.
He is already widely considered as one of the all-time greatest players after being instrumental in helping Barcelona win 21 trophies, including six La Ligas and three Champions Leagues, in the past decade.
He has also won a host of individual honours including four consecutive Ballon d'Ors, the trophy given to the world's best player, between 2009 and 2012.
"I never imagined I could achieve anything like this in my career," said Messi on his official Facebook page.
"I'll continue working hard to reach more targets."
Messi also helped set up three goals against Granada as unbeaten Barca, who finished as runners-up last season, moved top of La Liga after six matches. (BBC Sport)
Smithfield Rockers overcame a late attack by the New Amsterdam Warriors to win the final of the Legend Classic Basketball Tournament on Sunday at the Port Mourant GuySuCo Training School Court.
The Rockers, led by Most Valuable Player (MVP) Jason Fraser with 11 points, won the low scoring game 47-44.
With less than two minutes left on the time clock, Carlos Crandon scored a three-pointer to bring the Warriors one point behind and the first time in the game since losing the lead in the second session of play that they were that close.
The Warriors lived up to their name with just 60 seconds remaining, as Shemroy McKenzie scored to take the Warriors ahead but that was not enough to rock the Rockers, which had led for most of the game.
Trevor Loo scored from far out to put his team two points ahead with ten seconds remaining. A further two-pointer by Jamal Felix in the remaining time sealed the issue.
The Warriors led at the end of the first quarter 9-8, but relinquished the lead in the second due to some good
defensive work by Felix and excellent offensive playing Tyrone Dey and Sherman Braithwaite to finish that session with an eight point lead at 28-20.
The Warriors pulled things back in the next session, but still trailed 36-33.
Javan Vanderstoop helped the Warriors’ cause by scoring six points in that session.
Vanderstoop had a game high of 12 points and got good support from Crandon with 10 points, including three three-pointers, while
Kevin Thom also scored 10, all in a losing effort.
For the winners, in addition to Fraser with 11, Michael Bowen had 10 and Dey 7, points. Six teams took part in the tournament, which was played on a round robin basis in two groups.
The tournament was organized by Vibert Garrett and was sponsored by Poonai’s Pharmacy, MPG Packaging, A Ally and Sons, Nand Persaud Rice Mills and Digicel.
Suzie Bates and Sophie Devine held their nerve in a Super Over, as New Zealand Women successfully collected the six runs they needed to secure the win, and with it, the three-match T20I series against West Indies Women in St Vincent.
Set 112 for victory, West Indies were pegged back by regular blows from the pacers Amy Satterthwaite (4 for 24) and Hayley Jensen (3 for 16) who wrecked the team's top- and middle-order.
The hosts were floundering at 75 for 6 with 37 still needed off the last four overs, but Deandra Dottin counterattacked with a 46ball 54 that included three fours and three sixes.
Dottin's knock took the hosts to within four runs of victory, but she was caught at extra cover with two balls left. West Indies needed three off the final delivery for the win, but Anisa Mohammed could only scoop over extra cover for two, sending the match into a Super Over.
Dottin was once again sent in for West Indies, but she was stumped off Morna Nielsen from the first ball, immediately putting the team on the back foot. Nielsen followed up with
dot balls in the next two deliveries, as Hayley Matthews and Shemaine Campbelle could manage only five runs in the over. With little to defend, Shanel Daley began well
New Zealand Women innings
Bates* c & b Quintyne 4
Priest† c Quintyne b Smartt 29
SFM Devine c Smartt b Daley 30
ML Green b Dottin 8 KT Perkins not out 31
AE Satterthwaite not out 6 Extras: (lb 3) 3
Total: (4 wickets; 20 overs) 111
Fall of wickets: 1-4 (Bates,
ov), 2-47 (Priest, 10.5 ov), 3-59 (Green, 13.1 ov), 4-81 (Devine, 16.6 ov)
: SL Quintyne 2-0-131, SF Daley 4-0-23-1, SC Selman 3-0-21-0, A Mohammed 4-0-15-0, TD Smartt 3-013-1, DJS Dottin 4-0-23-1
with a dot ball, but bowled a no-ball on the second delivery. Bates and Devine pushed the next two balls for singles, before Bates sealed the series by carting over extra cover for four. New Zealand, opting to bat, had made 111 for 4 from their 20 overs. Their innings was built around a 43-run partnership between Rachel
Priest (29) and Devine (30), and an unbeaten 20-ball 31 from Katie Perkins which gave the visitors a late surge. (Cricinfo)
West Indies Women innings (target: 112 runs from 20 overs) Kycia A Knight c Satterthwaite b Tahuhu 1 HK Matthews c Tahuhu b Jensen 14 DJS Dottin c Tahuhu b Satterthwaite 54 B Cooper lbw b Jensen 0 SA Campbelle c Bates b Jensen 13 MR Aguilleira*† st †Priest b Satterthwaite 1 SL Quintyne lbw b Satterthwaite 5 SF Daley st †Priest b Satterthwaite 5 A Mohammed not out 5 SC Selman not out 1
Extras: (b 4, lb 2, w 6)
Nielsen 4-019-0, LMM Tahuhu 4-0-181, HNK Jensen 4-1-16-3, SFM Devine 1-0-7-0, ML Green 1-0 3-0, AE Satterthwaite 4-024-4, SW Bates 2-0-18-0