Guyana Times - Monday, February 25, 2019

25 Cadets graduate from standard P12 officers’ course

Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Issue No. 3846

MONday, February 25, 2019

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NACTA Poll

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Hold democratic elections now

Respiratory problems P11 caused infant to die – GPHC

Page 3

..say over two-thirds of Guyanese voters

PPP/C Presidential Candidate takes outreach to Region 9 Page 9

Rolling pin murder PI continues next month P8

P2 Large quantities of prohibited items discovered in prisons

Cars stolen, houses broken into Page in NA 10

Commuters travelling to and from Georgetown found themselves in a long line of traffic along the East Bank Highway for more than two hours after a machine fell off a trailer as the truck attempted to navigate a turn at Mc Doom on Sunday afternoon. The Police responded promptly to maintain order as angry drivers vented their frustration

Ramjattan can’t have his cake and eat it – Ram on dual citizenship Page 7

2 arrested for killing cows in P8 rice fields WBD plane crash

Pilot declared emergency before plane went down P11

2 news

monday, february 25, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Large quantities of prohibited items discovered in prisons

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s the Guyana Prison Service continues to rid contraband items in the State’s penitentiaries, a joint operation was conducted on Saturday during which several prohibited items were unearthed.

These include cellular phones, phone chargers, cigarette lighters, a quantity of cannabis, cellphone batteries, a quantity of razor blades, metal spoons and forks, nails clips, construction nails, smoking utensils, improvised weapons, playing cards, sandpaper, broken mirrors, copper wires, scissors, tobacco leaves and earpieces.

The searches were conducted by in excess of 200 ranks inclusive of senior officers of the Guyana Police Force, Guyana Defence Force and the Guyana Prison Service.

According to the Police Force, there were no incidents during the exercises.

Contraband smuggling has long been a perennial problem within the prison system and this is compounded by the fact that both Prison and Police Officers are facilitating the illegal trade, which is said to be a “big business�.

While the authorities have been struggling to curb the illegal practice, there has been a breakthrough

on the apparent network among rogue prison officers.

In fact, only in October, four prison officers were arrested after they smuggled a bottle of rum and a pack of cigarettes into the Lusignan Prison the weekend prior.

These officers were subsequently charged and interdicted from duty.

In addition, another two

ranks found themselves in hot water following the discovery of illegal items at two separate prison facilities.

In Berbice, 1032 grams of suspected marijuana and 39 packs of cigarettes were found in the New Amsterdam Prison and a prison officer had admitted to conspiring with inmates

to hide the contraband that was thrown over the fence.

Meanwhile, another prison officer at the Timehri penitentiary was taken into custody after he was implicated by an inmate regarding the presence of 584 grams of marijuana in the compound.

Furthermore, five other prison officers were relieved

of their duties back in July after they were fingered in an incident whereby a parcel containing cannabis had been thrown into the Lusignan Prison Holding Bay area.

Director of Prisons (ag) Gladwin Samuels had disclosed in September that so far for the year, some 28 prison officers had been dis-

missed; 11 for facilitating or directly smuggling contraband into the prisons system.

The Prisons Director added that there are 12 ranks currently interdicted from duty; nine of whom have been charged either departmentally or criminally for trafficking-related activities.

news

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monday, february 25, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Monday, February 25 – 09:30h-11:00h and Tuesday, February 26 – 10:30h-12:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Monday, February 25 – 08:35h-10:05h and Tuesday, February 26 – 09:45h-11:15h.

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

WEATHER TODAY Sunny weather is expected to prevail throughout the day. Clear to partly cloudy skies are expected in the evening, with overall temperatures ranging between 21 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East north-easterly to North north-easterly between 2.23 metres and 4.91 metres.

High Tide: 08:36h and 21:06h reaching maximum heights of 2.48 metres and 2.34 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 14:37h reaching a minimum height of 0.76 metre.

FRIday, FEBRUARY 22, 2019

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NACTA Poll

Hold democratic elections now ...say over two-thirds of Guyanese voters

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n opinion survey conducted by the North American Caribbean Teachers Association (NACTA) over the past week has found that a large majority of voters and almost the entire business community are worried about the political uncertainty prevailing in Guyana following the passage of the No-Confidence Motion last December.

The poll began over a week ago and is being conducted by social scientist, Dr Vishnu Bisram, who has been conducting opinion polls internationally for almost 30 years. The poll has been interviewing potential voters (502 thus far) at random to represent the demographics (41 per cent Indians, 30 per cent Africans, 18 per cent Mixed, 10 per cent Amerindians, 1 per cent other) of the population.

This large majority of voters and the business community are of the view that the Government lost the NoConfidence Motion and that it should resign and hold elections as mandated by the Constitution.

According to the findings, people are disappointed that the Government is not adhering to the laws as specified in the Constitution and worldwide democratic conventions that a Government resigns and holds elections when it loses a NoConfidence Motion.

People, NACTA poll said, believe the No-Confidence Motion was successfully passed. As such, a majority of voters would like to see an early election within the constitutional March 19 deadline to settle the issue of the no-confidence vote and to avoid an impending constitutional crisis. The population also indicated their concerns over Government’s refusal to resign and hold elections which threaten democracy.

Based on the findings of the still ongoing poll (through Friday, February 22), 65 per cent of the population are concerned, as opposed to 28 per cent who are not and 7 per cent offering no opinion about the political situation in which the Government has refused to accept the outcome of the no-confidence vote. Many said it sets the stage for authoritarianism.

Asked if they feel the Government lost the no-confidence vote, 62 per cent said yes, 23 per cent said no and 15 per cent did not offer an opinion or are not sure. In short, the polls show that the majority feels that 33 constitutes a majority out of 65 members of Parliament.

The majority of voters said the Government should resign and immediately set a date to hold snap General and Regional Elections within the stipulated timeframe – within 90 days as stated in the Constitution – in order to settle the political uncer-

Voters in a queue waiting to cast their ballots at the previous elections

tainty that has hit the nation over the last two months.

Asked if the Government should resign, 61 per cent said yes with 30 per cent saying no and 9 per cent not expressing an opinion.

Further, asked if Government should call an election now, 67 per cent said yes, 25 per cent said no and 8 per cent was not sure (or offered no opinion). Many said the Government should not be afraid to call an election and that it is in its advantage to adhere to democratic principles.

The December 21 passage of the Motion activated Article 106 (6) and (7) of the Constitution which states, respectively: “The Cabinet including the President shall resign if the Government is defeated by the vote of a majority of all the elected members of the National Assembly on a vote of confidence.” And “Notwithstanding its defeat, the Government shall

remain in office and shall hold an election within three months, or such longer period as the National Assembly shall by resolution supported by not less than two-thirds of the votes of all the elected members of the National Assembly determine, and shall resign after the President takes the oath of office following the election”.

However, the Government is challenging the validity of the resolution owing to the fact that Persaud holds dual citizenship and further going on to say that a total of 34 votes were needed to have it validly passed. Acting Chief Justice Roxane George has since ruled that while Persaud is a dual citizen, his vote remains valid as a result of the doctrine of necessity as well as the resolution was validly carried having garnered the majority of the votes of the elected Members of the House.

It has been 66 days since the resolution was carried and no move has been made by the Government to have elections held within the constitutionally mandated 90 days.

In fact, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) last week indicated that it will require at least five months to prepare for polls.

This move has been condemned by many with observers accusing GECOM of ignoring its constitutional mandate to buy time for the Government.

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guyanatimesgy.com

monDAY, february 25, 2019

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

Government’s role in business

T

he ongoing three-way contretemps between RUSAL, its workers and trade union, and the Government has once again brought to the fore the vexed question of the PNC-led Government’s position on the now dominant neo-liberal “night-watchman” state. This model did not just shrink the Government’s role in the economy, but rejected it taking any responsibility for alleviating the condition of the poorer elements of society. Unions were demobilized, and workers reverted to dealing directly with employers.

The PNC stuck doggedly to this position when it shut down four of the seven sugar estates and ignored its “social responsibility” to the 7000 workers that were fired and the over 100,000 affected in the rural communities that depended on the monies injected by those workers. This retreat from social responsibility was even more callous, since it was undertaken with an unabashed Marxist, Clive Thomas, at the head of GuySuCo, after he has spent his previous 50 years railing against the “capitalist” reliance on markets for making decisions.

Even in the US, the Government had rediscovered its “social responsibility” and intervened in the market to save General Motors, and indeed several banks, which were all declared as “too big to fail” in 2008; but not the PNC/ APNU Government here with the sugar industry in 2016.

Government insisted that the subsidies were too onerous, and even rejected its own CoI recommendation that the subsidies continue for another three years while the company be brought to a point of sale.

However, from its stance on RUSAL’s firing of 61 bauxite workers, the PNC/APNU Government appears to have rediscovered its “social responsibility” from its socialist days. It dragged the bauxite company to the table, and demanded that the fired workers be rehired forthwith, and presumably they be paid for the days they were on strike, as demanded.

RUSAL is yet to respond to this interjection of the state into its relations with its workers; but, for sure, the multinational corporations (MNCs) that are expected to flock to our shores after first oil will be looking on with great interest at the Government’s stance on its role in the economy.

The neo-liberal, hands-off ethos for the state was articulated a half-century ago by the influential thinker Ayn Rand, and summarised in her novel “Atlas Shrugged”, which still sells 150 thousand copies annually. Basically, Rand derided altruism (“breeds immorality and evil”) and trumpeted selfishness (“the highest virtue”). She lionised the human ego, rejected God as an artifice for the expiation of human failures, extolled the separation of state and the economy, and promoted governmental deregulation.

Basically, the flaw with this model goes to the very core of its central premise – the exaltation of selfishness. Its adherents miscalculated the power of its corollary, greed, which had been kept in check -- however tenuously -- by the old regulatory framework. In practical terms, the model raises what is known in economics and related fields as the issue of “moral hazard”. It identifies the ever-present dilemma posed when people who are “back-stopped” become more inclined to take risks. Where does one then draw the line?

Business and entrepreneurial behaviour is at the bottom, a matter of taking risks; and society is willing to have those who take risks receive the rewards – if, on the whole, the entire society benefits. And this last point was the motive behind governmental regulation. For instance, early on, when the corporation was invented as a “legal body” to encourage investments without threatening personal assets, there were laws enacted to ensure that the facility was not flagrantly abused. Closer home to the present crisis, banks should be heavily regulated to ensure that depositors’ money is secure, because the state had given them a virtual and literal power to create money.

They were forced to be conservative but steady.

The state therefore has a responsibility to both workers and businesses, and it is hoped that this PNC-led Government would not just opportunistically intervene, but pronounce where it would draw the line.

A staff of the Guyana Times/Television Guyana/RGI hands over literature to one of the teachers of Charity Primary School during a visit to the Times Media Group headquarters, Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown. Also in this Adam Baksh photo are the ecstatic pupils and other teachers

Irfaan Ali is doing what he needs to

Dear Editor, Maruranau, Nappi, Aishalton, Karadarnauwa, Katoonarib, Potannau, Rukumuta. Irfaan Ali has been travelling throughout Guyana, these are but a few of the names of villages visited in the Rupununi recently.

Irfaan has visited seven of the ten regions of Guyana so far on his mission to listen to the voices of the people, their concerns, needs and proposed solutions.

Irfaan is well-known to people in the areas where he worked to establish housing schemes. He is meeting a larger constituency now, with concerns small and large, he is campaigning, but most important is a leader who listens to

voices other than those in Georgetown. It may offend the elitist of our capital city, but it is exactly what Guyana needs.

On Republic day, Georgetown got to meet Irfaan Ali as he led the parade of the PPP/C Mashramani float; the interaction was most interesting; the band almost ground to a halt, moving at a snail’s pace as many reached out to press the flesh, take selfies, offer words of encouragement, talk; it took over three hours to move from the seawall to Church street along Vlissingen road.

As the new week dawns, Irfaan Ali will be gone from Georgetown again, ‘missing’ is the word that will be used to describe a candidate who

actually dares to be different.

Irfaan Ali is doing what he needs to; he has a very capable party supporting him, a General Secretary who was President of Guyana for a dozen years is holding the fort in Georgetown, activists are walking in every neighbourhood, in every region, sharing flyers filled with information, engaging with residents, noting concerns and building a database of issues to be addressed. A vast team of volunteers working for a common cause; gathering information required for good governance.

Editor, some may say the Georgetown elite are being hypocritical when they ask “Where is Irfaan Ali?” Based

on the reaction from the crowd on mash day, I would suggest it is a plea for leadership from an elite abandoned by the quintessential elitist elected in 2015.

One who became so far removed from the ordinary Guyanese that he offers the excuse of health as he refuses to shake their hands, occasionally engages with ‘fist bumps’ with his Prime Minister but yet was observed shaking hands with foreign dignitaries at a poetry event. Actions speak louder than words, and the outpouring of warmth for Irfaan is a harbinger of beautiful future for all Guyanese.

Respectfully, Robin Singh

Respect the Constitution and the people of Guyana Dear Editor, The tension in Guyana continues to be heightened as the deadline for the NCM (No-Confidence Motion) that was successfully passed on December 21, 2018, is closely approaching. While the Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo publicly ventilated his argument on the NCM, President David Granger refused to comment on the issue of the NCM. As Guyanese, we should urge Caricom to start playing a more meaningful role in the current political crisis that is developing in Guyana and must not allow the current situation to escalate to what transpired post-election December 15,

1997, with an election unrest.

The then intervention by Caricom successfully facilitated and support mechanisms to lubricate the process of sustained dialogue to foster harmony and confidence between political parties.

External pressure must be enforced immediately on the President in order to derail this constitutional crisis that is already evident in Guyana. President David Granger’s refusal to respect the parliamentary sovereignty or legislative supremacy is an erosion of parliamentary democracy in Guyana. There is no constitutional court or Supreme

Court that can have an explicit right to declare a law unconstitutional.

The Constitution of Guyana did not give President David Granger the power, privilege or authority to violate the supreme laws of Guyana but empowered him by the oath of office to be the President of Guyana.

Therefore, if we examine the oath of office, “I .....

Do hereby solemnly declare that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the people of Guyana, that I will execute the office of President without fear or favour affection or ill will and that in the execution of the functions of that office I will

honour, uphold and preserve the Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana “. It confirmed that the oath is a binding contractual agreement between the President and the people of Guyana, to ensure that the Constitution is being upheld, respected and protected.

The President must also be cautious since Article 9 of the Guyana Constitution, which deals with sovereignty, indicates that, “Sovereignty belongs to the people, who exercise it through their representatives and the democratic organs established by or under the Constitution”. continued on page 5

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

President Trump’s message Shimron Hetmyer’s Dear Editor, Many are gleeful while others are grossly disappointed with President Do-nald Trump’s letter to Pre-sident Granger on the eve of Guyana’s Republic celebrations.

Headlines in the Guyana media include: “Trump’s Republic message cites Guyana’s respect for democratic governance, institutions”, “US hails Guyana’s respect for democratic governance”, and “US President praises Guyana’s respect for dem-

ocratic institutions; cites role in hemispheric peace”.

One must be reminded of the context of this correspondence.

The source is from the (State Department) United States of America, to the Republic of Guyana – shortly after the ABC countries met with GECOM, including Deputy Chief of Mission at the United States Embassy, Terry Steers Gonzalez.

This is diplomatic dissemination. Such diplomatic banter often avoids directness which can be an

effective appealing style.

Diplomatic language is a way to avoid sounding aggressive and it can allow one to say something negative while still maintaining a positive tone.

President Trump’s letter to President Granger was a subtle and diplomatic way to let the latter know that the USA was not pleased with the antics of the Guyana Government to mess around with the democratic (electoral) system in the country. The correspondence was clearly a

veiled admonition to the President, who is expected to honour “the principles and integrity of democratic governance and institutions” of Guyana.

This very polite expression is a gigantic prick in the side of President David A Granger that the US and the world are watching and would not rake back and watch Guyana become another Venezuela.

Yours truly, Dr Devanand Bhagwan

I am the son of many races...

Dear Editor, I am the son of many races ... I am he who was raised by a village on the East Bank of Essequibo.

The Indian women who helped raise me, whom I admired and respected, who nourished and fed me, who loved me, are by extension, my mothers.

The first nine years of my life, I grew up in a village called Vergenoegen.

My two best friends were Jamiel Osman and Lindon Phillips, and we were inseparable.

We played and joked a lot, sat in the same classroom, visited each other’s homes and shared what we had. Lots of mischief ... yeah, I said it. Lots of fun together. Lots of love.

Our parents were kind and loving. I remember Jamiel Osman’s soft-spoken mother, her kindness and love, admonishing both Jamiel and me when we messed up. Lindon Phillips’ mother was the same. Her smile comforted you. She liked to feed you. The village raised us, spoiled, but scolded us when we were bad.

Race did not matter.

You messed up, you got it, from anyone ... snatched at the wrist and even delivered home. Anyone could have done that and they did. Neighbour Khan, back bent from hard, honest labour, weeding, fetching rice at the rice mill, etc always with a smile or a story for me.

The first nine years, those critical years of a

child’s development, I lived in Markenday Street – which was named after a respectable, no-nonsense and very strict Indian store owner.

But let me tell you about the women other than my blood relatives who helped raise me. To our left were neighbour Shirah, Zaimoon, Sun sun and Chull the barber.

To our right, neighbour Lucille, her son Clement who drove a Vauxhall Viva, took my mother anywhere between Vergenoegen and Vreed-en-hoop. He also mentored me, allowed his nephew and me to play in his car, and took us for drives to buy sweets and stuff.

Then across the street, in front of us, my favourite, she who cuddled, nuzzled, rocked me to sleep in her hammock, and fed me, neighbour Nelly. Ma, as her children and daughters-inlaw called her.

By now you realised they were all East Indians, Indo-Guyanese as they are called these days, but to me, Guyanese.

Neighbour Nelly: I spent most of my time with her, as she milked her cows, tended to the sheep, with her in her hammock, in the kitchen, at night when she visited my mother to gaff, sometimes whispering because she didn’t want to wake me, according to my mother. But it didn’t always work, because I knew her scent, the sweet musical drawl in the cadence of her voice.

My mother said, somehow I sensed her presence and would find my way into her lap and allowed her to rock me to sleep. Though I believe the cool Atlantic sea breeze did me in.

No one in her family could eat unless I ate. I had my own bowl. No one, not any of my siblings could raise their voice, much less beat me when she was around. She adored and loved me, and I adored and loved her.

She helped raise me.

So you see, deep in me, are the memories of her.

But not only her, all the Indian people who only showed me love. How can I now, not trust my early childhood extended family?

How can I hate a group of people whom I played with, shared classrooms, knowledge, and food? It‘s like rejecting a very important part of me. And there’s no circumstance greater than what’s etched in every fibre, every cell, and every nucleus in me.

I am a son of all I have friends of different races, people whom I communicate with, inquire of their health and wellness, listen to their concerns about their place, my place, our place in this brewing political storm. I listen.

Last night, I spoke with Sasenarine Singh. We spoke as alumni, brothers and friends. Yes, he’s a Bishops’ boy. We joked, laughed, shared ideas, listened to each other. Why? We respect each other. I have vid-

eos with Sase on my show, 2015, sharing knowledge, economics, finance, and political ideas.

Sase is passionate, effervescent in his politics, can be construed as divisive, but he’s a son of our soil and such energy should be harnessed and channelled for the betterment of all. I told him so. We laughed.

He can’t help himself.

Bishops’ took him in young, educated and groomed him. It’s a Bishops’ thing, a Guyanese thing. Don’t read too much into it.

Reach out brethren Guyana belongs to all of us. It’s in our best interest to reject racism, reject politics of old and reject any ideology that separates us.

Guyana has suffered, and will suffer, divided. We the people are responsible and must find a new way; develop a new vocabulary that allows us to communicate with compassion, love and respect.

We owe it to our children, and their children, to be better.

Better has to come, but we have to be and do better for we are the better we are awaiting.

I cannot be what I’m not. I cannot hate anyone. I cannot, in good conscience, be divisive. I am Marjorie Collins’ son, neighbour Lucille, neighbour Shirah, neighbour Zaimoon, neighbour Khan, and neighbour Nelly’s son.

I am the son of Guyana.

Yours respectfully, Selwyn Collins

Respect the Constitution and...

What this Article is telling us, is that the people as a whole are supreme in relation to any actions taken by any elected officials.

President David Granger must remember that he serves as a representative of the people and not a supreme leader of the people since the President has taken an oath of office to respect the Constitution.

As such, he is subject to the laws and is duty-bound to obey them.

We must remember that the President and GECOM are creatures of the Constitution, the Constitution is not a creature of the President nor GECOM. This definitely means that the office-holders must not operate above this supreme instrument, but strictly within the confines of the Constitution.

The media, which is considered a vital institution to democracy and participates in the process of

sharing information, ideas etc should continue to stand in protection of the supreme laws of our coun-

from page 4

try.

Regards, Zamal Hussain

soaring star

Dear Editor, Hetmyer’s century in the second One Day International (ODI) against England was his fourth in just 22 ODIs. At his age, (22), no other Caribbean batsman had even scored more than one.

Sir Garfield Sobers, widely respected as the greatest cricketer who ever lived, said the youngster reminded him of himself. Sir Don Bradman had said the same of Sachin Tendulkar, who lived up to the comparison. Hetmyer must know that there can be no greater praise for a cricketer, and with it, no greater challenge. He must rise even higher.

Indeed, I saw the similarities long before Sobers uttered these words which will be the biggest test for the young Guyanese who hails from Cumberland, Berbice. I thought it was a video of Sobers batting when I first saw Hetmyer batting on TV. The suppressed back lift he adopted to avoid being bowled by yorkers after being advised by Sir Everton Weekes, the flourishing back-foot cover drive, the stride into the stroke, and the full follow through, reminiscent of playing the long golf drives, was trademark Sobers, no doubt.

Yes, the ferocious pull and beautifully balanced cover drives that generated so much class and power, piercing the field, had to be Sir Gary.

The awesome power also evoked memories of Clive Lloyd. But no, it was the young Shimron

Hetmyer, a blend of these great West Indian batsmen. This young man effuses class whenever he is at the wicket, making you want to stop and watch him bat.

A batsman who combines the supreme batting skills of a Gary Sobers and a Clive Lloyd will be a champion batsman by a long mile. Wisden 1969 marvelled at the “lightning footwork” of Sobers as he got into position for his stroke. Commenting upon Sobers’ six sixes in an over against his team in 1968, Glamorgan’s captain, Tony Lewis said: “It was not sheer slogging through strength, but scientific hitting with every movement working in harmony”. Such is Shimron Hetmyer’s talent, and the promise he can fulfil.

It will be quite a challenge to live up to that expectation. Shimron, you don’t have to square-drive a yorker from Dennis Lillee bowling at almost 100 mph as Sir Gary did, or hit six sixes an over. Just play each ball on its merit. Remember, you have displayed enough class and talent to assure all that as long as you maintain your professionalism to the game and develop it day by day as Sobers said of another of your illustrious countrymen, Rohan Kanhai, you will be a superstar. The sponsors will line up to bid for you and the crowds will jam the turnstiles to see you bat.

Sincerely, Albert Baldeo

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Foundation

H

ave you ever set a goal for yourself, like getting fit, making honour roll, or being picked for a team? Like lots of people, maybe you started out doing great, but then lost some of that drive and had trouble getting motivated again.

You’re not alone!

Everyone struggles with staying motivated and reaching their goals. Just look at how many people go on diets, lose weight, and

then gain it back again!

The reality is that refocusing, changing, or making a new start on something, no matter how small, is a big deal. But it’s not impossible. With the right approach, you can definitely do it.

S

o how do you stay motivated and on track with your goal? It all comes down to good planning, realistic expectations, and a stickto-it attitude. Here’s what you need to do: First, know your goal. Start by writing down your major goal. Your major goal is the ultimate thing you’d like to see happen. For example, “I want to make honour roll”, or “I want to get fit enough to make the cross-country team”, or even, “I want to play in the Olympics” are all major goals because they’re the final thing the goal setter wants to see happen (obviously, some goals take longer and require more work than others). It’s OK to dream big. That’s how people accomplish stuff. You just have to remember that the bigger the goal, the more work it takes to get there.

Make it specific. It’s easier to plan for and master a specific goal than a vague one. Let’s say your goal is to get fit. That’s pretty vague. Make it specific by defining what you want to achieve (such as muscle tone and definition or endurance), why you want to get fit, and by when. This helps you make a plan to reach your goal.

Make it realistic. People often abandon their goals because their expectations are unreasonable. Maybe they expect to get ripped abs in weeks rather than months, or to quit smoking easily after years of lighting up.

Let’s say you want to run a marathon. If you try to run the entire distance of 26.2 miles tomorrow without any training, you’re unlikely to succeed. It takes the average person four months of training to run that far! But the bigger risk is that you’ll get so bummed out that you’ll give up your marathon dreams – and running – altogether.

Part of staying motivated is being realistic about what you can achieve within the timeframe you’ve planned. Competing on the Olympic ski team is a workable goal if you are 15 and already a star skier. But if you’re 18 and only just taking

your first lesson, time isn’t exactly on your side.

Write it down. Put your specific goal in writing. Then write it down again. And again.

Research shows that writing down a goal is part of the mental process of committing to it. Write your goal down every day to keep you focused and remind you how much you want it.

Break it down. Making any change takes selfdiscipline. You need to pay constant attention so you don’t get side-tracked. One way to make this easier is to break a big goal into small steps. For example, let’s say you want to run a marathon. If it’s February and the marathon is in August, that’s a realistic timeframe to prepare. Start by planning to run two miles and work up gradually to the distance you need.

Then set specific daily tasks, like eating five servings of fruit and veggies and running a certain amount a day. Put these on a calendar or planner so you can check them off. Ask a coach to help you set doable mini-goals for additional mile amounts and for tasks to improve your performance, such as exercises to build strength and stamina so you’ll stay motivated to run farther.

Reaching frequent, smaller goals is something to celebrate. It gives you the confidence, courage, and motivation to keep running – or doing whatever it is you’re aiming to do. So reward yourself!

C

heck in with your goal.

Now that you’ve broken your goal down into a series of mini-goals and daily tasks, check in every day.

It helps to write down your small goals in the same way you wrote down your big goal. That way you can track what you need to do, check off tasks as you complete them, and enjoy knowing that you’re moving toward your big goal.

As you accomplish a task, check it off on your list. Tell yourself, “Hey, I’ve run 10 miles, I’m nearly halfway to my goal!” Reward yourself with something you promised yourself when you set your goal. Feel successful – you are! Now think ahead to accomplishing the rest of your goal: “What do I have to do to reach 26 miles? How am I going to make the time to train?”

Writing down specific

steps has another advantage: If you’re feeling weak on willpower you can look at your list to help you refocus!

Recommit to your goal if you slip up. If you slip up, don’t give up. Forgive yourself and make a plan for getting back on track.

Pat yourself on the back for everything you did right. Don’t beat yourself up, no matter how far off track you get. Most people slip up when trying to make a change – it’s a natural part of the process.

Writing down daily tasks and mini-goals helps here too.

By keeping track of things, you’ll quickly recognise when you’ve slipped up, making it easier to refocus and recommit to your goal. So instead of feeling discouraged, you can know exactly where you got off track and why.

What if you keep slipping up? Ask yourself if you’re really committed to your goal. If you are, recommit — and put it in writing. The process of writing everything down may also help you discover when you’re not really committed to a goal.

For example, perhaps you’re more in love with the fantasy of being a star athlete than the reality, and there’s something else that you’d rather be or do.

View slip-ups as lessons and reminders of why you’re trying to make a change.

When you mess up, it’s not a fault – it’s an opportunity to learn something new about yourself. Say your goal is to fight less with your brother or sister. You may learn that it’s better to say, “I can’t talk about this right now” and take time to calm down when you feel your temper growing out of control.

Keep a stick-to-it attitude.

Visualise yourself achieving your goal: a toned you in your prom dress or a successful you scoring the winning soccer goal. Self-visualisation helps you keep what you’re trying to accomplish in mind. It helps you believe it’s possible. You can also call up your mental

picture when willpower and motivation are low.

Positive self-talk also boosts your attitude and motivation. Tell yourself, “I deserve to make the honour roll because I’ve really been working hard” or “I feel great when I swim – I’m doing well on my exercise plan!”

Share with a friend.

Another boost is having supportive people around you. Find a running buddy, a quit smoking buddy, or someone else with a similar goal so you can support each other. Having a goal buddy can make all the difference in times when you don’t feel motivated – like getting up for that early-morning run.

If you’re not getting support from someone when you really need it, you may need to take a break from that friendship and surround yourself with people who want to help you succeed.

For instance, if you’ve been going to your friend’s house to study together every Thursday after school, but now your pal is turning on the TV, texting friends, or gabbing on the phone and ignoring your pleas to get down to work, it’s time to find another study buddy.

You can’t stay focused on your goal if your friend doesn’t share that goal – or, even worse, is trying to hold you back. Seek out others who are on the same path you are and work with them instead.

Don’t give up!

Ending an unhealthy behaviour or creating a new, exciting one is all about taking responsibility for our lives.

Finding the motivation to do it isn’t necessarily easy, but it is always possible. You can stay motivated by writing down your goals, sticking to your schedule, and reminding yourself of what led you to set your goal in the first place.

Change is exciting — we’d all be very bored without it. Good luck in reaching your goals!

(Excerpt from kidshealth.org)

7 Ramjattan can’t have his cake and eat it – Ram on dual citizenship P news

monday, february 25, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

olitical commentator and Attorney-at-Law Christopher Ram says the Guyana Government cannot ‘have its cake and eat it’ when it comes to the issue of dual citizens among Members of Parliament (MPs).

Ram was at the time speaking during a teleconference on Globespan 24x7 live show in New York with Chairman of the Alliance For Change (AFC) and Third Vice President Khemraj Ramjattan. The show was moderated by financial analyst Sase Singh.

Since the December 21, 2018 passage of the No-Confidence Motion, which saw former AFC MP Charrandas Persaud voting in favour of the Oppositionsponsored motion that went on to topple the Coalition Government, the ruling administration has sought to question the validity of Persaud’s vote, given the fact that he is also a citizen of Canada.

In fact, this matter was taken to the court, and acting Chief Justice Roxane George ruled in January that it was unconstitutional to be a dual citizen and serve in the National Assembly.

However, it was revealed since last year that there were other parliamentarians from both the

Christopher Ram in discussion with AFC Chairman and Third Vice President Khemraj Ramjattan, and moderator, financial analyst Sase Singh during Globespan 24x7 live show in New York

Government and Opposition sides who are dual citizens.

These include: Minister of State Joseph Harmon, Business Minister Dominic Gaskin, Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge; and Minister Rupert Roopnaraine as well as Opposition Chief Whip Gail Teixeira and MPs Adrian Anamayah and Odinga Lumumba.

During Saturday’s live Town Hall discussion, Ram said, “Ramjattan cannot have his cake or roti and eat it. You cannot say Charrandas’s vote is illicit but Greenidge’s vote is legitimate.”

He was at the time responding to Ramjattan’s attempt to downplay the dual

citizen status of Government parliamentarians in the National Assembly.

“He is trying to protect Dominic Gaskin because he was born abroad… [Gaskin] has renewed his passport (thus pledging his allegiance to another country)… The matter was decided (in the High Court), and that is the position throughout the world,” Ram stated.

This issue came up for discussion when the moderator, Financial Analyst Sase Singh, asked about the international, political and security implications for Guyana if, after March, Venezuela does not recognize Guyana’s Government, particularly Minister Greenidge – who has been Guyana’s point

person in the ongoing border controversy and had even filed the case at the World Court last year. Greenidge, while being a Guyanese, is also a British citizen.

Ram posited that there could be implications for Guyana regarding the ongoing border controversy with the neighbouring Spanishspeaking nation should the country go into a constitutional crisis after the March deadline.

“The Venezuelans may very well use that (against us). What are we going to say? The De facto APNU/ AFC ruling in Guyana…

It’s ludicrous… It’s people like Ramjattan and (Prime Minister Moses) Nagamootoo who are the en-

ablers of this lawlessness.

(President David) Granger was quite prepared at one stage to accept the consequences. Even Nagamootoo was prepared to accept the consequences as well, but suddenly Nigel Hughes and his 34 majority has changed this,” the political commentator contended.

But Ramjattan insisted that the Doctrine of Necessity and the De facto Doctrine allows the Coalition administration to remain in office until a new President is appointed. “…everyone in the world recognises the coalition government as the Government of Guyana… even after March… This concept of saying the President is not le-

gitimate and is a squatter I think is very disrespectful… That president is duly elected and has not resigned, and even if you want to use Article 106 (6) to argue that he is resigned, the fact is that there is a provision to 10 (6), called 106 (7), that says notwithstanding that, he shall remain the President until next elections,” Ramjattan argued.

Nevertheless, Ram believes that since the High Court’s ruling, both sides in the House should have immediately withdrawn their dual citizen members. In fact, last week Ram lodged a formal complaint with Police Commissioner Leslie James regarding possible violations of the law when it comes to parliamentarians holding dual citizenship, and he called for an investigation of the MPs. As such, during Saturday’s panel discussion, the political commentator said that within the coming days, he intends to follow-up with the Top Cop on the matter. According to Ram, if the Police Commissioner fails to act accordingly, then he would initiate legal action to “force him to do his work”.

Moreover, Ram added that he would also file private criminal charges against these MPs for violating the laws.

8 news

Monday, february 25, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Rolling pin murder PI continues next month

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everal months after 72-year-old Jerry Rambeer met his demise reportedly via a beating with a rolling pin, the Preliminary Inquiry (PI) into his unnatural death is still before the courts.

Guyana Times understands that the case is set to continue at the Wales Magistrate’s Court on March 7, 2019.

The accused youth, Joseph Rameshwar, of Belle Vue, West Bank Demerara (WBD), is on trial for allegedly murdering the elderly man with a rolling pin between July 1 and 3, 2018.

Testimony was sched-

uled to continue earlier this month, but the matter saw an adjournment.

Police claimed that the teen confessed to the elderly man’s savage beating at Back Street, Good Intent, WBD. Originally, Rameshwar’s father was implicated, but Police had only instituted charges against the son based on the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

Rambeer, of Sisters Village, WBD, was found lying in an unconscious state on July 1, 2018, and took his last breath on July 3 when he was receiving medical attention at the Georgetown

Jerry Rambeer shortly before he succumbed

Public Hospital. It was two days after the beating that Rameshwar was arrested and reportedly confessed to hitting Rambeer to the head with the rolling pin during an argument.

Reports were that on July 1, 2018, the pensioner attended a wedding at La Retraite, WBD, with several of his friends. Sometime later that night, the man was reportedly found lying in a pool of blood in an area known as “Gaza Street”.

The now deceased father of three reportedly suffered severe internal injuries, a punctured intestine, and broken ribs.

2 arrested for killing cows found in rice fields

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ore than one dozen head of cattle have been shot and killed in the backlands between Number 54 and 58 Villages, Corentyne, Berbice in the wake of rice farmers complaining that animals have been destroying their crops.

Cattle farmer Ludmila Judistit told Guyana Times that, in the recent past, threats had been received from persons who have access to firearms that the animals would be shot.

“We does see dem boys down at the back with gun.

They does go there to shoot rabbit,” she said. She added that, only recently, several

head of cattle which were not in the cultivation area died after being fed bran mixed with cement.

Rice farmers have also recently reported that hundreds of acres of rice were being destroyed by cattle on the Corentyne. Both rice and cash crop farmers have been affected by the activities of cattle and other animals.

They contend that the cattle enter the fields at night.

Meanwhile, there are reports that after the recent incidents had been reported, Police at the Number 51 Station have said that the animals had been poisoned.

However, the carcasses have

been examined by a vet, who has confirmed that the animals had been shot.

When the issue was raised in January, the Prime Minister’s Regional Representative Gobin Harbhajan had intervened.

Harbhajan had been able to bring together the Rice Producers Association (RPA) and the 52-74 Water Users Association (WUA) to arrive at a solution. It has been decided that the WUA will issue to the animal owners notices which will serve as a final warning.

According to him, the notices were drafted by the Legal Advisor of the National

Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), Umadat Chandan.

“Through this notice, the rice farmers would be able to get an appraisal on the damages. That was one of the recommendations (made) by the rice farmers -- that notices be served (on) the cattle farmers,” Harbhajan had said.

However, the rice farmers have reportedly taken things into their own hands.

“That is the wrong way to go,” Harbhajan has said, while adding that rice farmers should contact the Water Users Association and get a copy of the notice to serve on cattle owners whose animals they believe are responsible for the damage done to their crops. The notices will serve as a first warning, before the matter is taken to court.

Meanwhile, cattle owners have informed investigators of persons whom they have seen in the backdam with firearms. Two persons have since been arrested, and several houses on the Corentyne are currently being searched.

2 intercepted at Weldaad road block with ganja

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wo passengers of a minibus were on Saturday nabbed with a quantity of ganja in their possession during a Police road block at Weldaad Police Station, West Coast Berbice.

Based on reports received, the Police acted on information received and intercepted the minibus.

The two passengers were searched, and three taped parcels of processed cannabis with a total weight of 1986 grams were found.

The two passengers were arrested and are being processed for court.

Several persons using public transportation had in the past been arrested at this very road block after large quantities of ganja had been unearthed in their possession.

Unity…

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…not even for a day

t the flag raising ceremony to usher in Republic Day, President Granger said, “Everyone wins when the nation is united.” Of course, this is true…but what does it have to do with the price of psidium??!!

This is the kind of banal homilies that Granger’s been spewing since he took over the Presidency almost four years ago, even as his actions have led to the most intense polarisation of our land of “six peoples” in decades!!

Take the theme for Mashramani that was to follow his flag raising: “Celebrate Mash 49 with Victory in Mind”. How does this relate to “unity” when PNC green banners matched every Guyana flag on the Mash route -- reminding all and sundry that the “victory” was for the PNC at the upcoming elections?? So yes, for the day of the pageantry and jump-up, there were Guyanese of all stripes and colours out on the streets. But is this the “unity” that will make the “nation win”??

Certainly not!! People may have “mixed and mingled” on the streets of Georgetown, but did this bring them together in a unity that would make them see Guyana as a “common venture”?? How could there be “unity” when Granger gave his Ministers a 50 per cent salary bump and the Government workers a measly 10 per cent at best?? How could there be “unity” when he fired 7000 sugar workers with no plans for their alternative employment?? How could there be unity when he continually breached the Constitution with impunity?? Is the symbolism of raising the national flag more important than upholding the constitution?

There will be real unity in Guyana only when all Guyanese see themselves being treated equally by the government of their land -- regardless of which party wins the election. In their campaign Manifesto of 2015, the PNC/APNU and AFC coalition promised to involve the PPP in governance to bring “unity” into the land.

Heck…the PNC didn’t even bring in the AFC into the Government!! They were just used as window dressing, and the spoils of office all went to one section of the country. How can that bring “unity”??

The problem with the PNC and “unity” is that they were born out of disunity, when Burnham split off from the original PPP and took his constituency with him. That original PPP represented the only time when Guyanese saw real unity -- since each of the six peoples had seen themselves represented in the exercise of power. But that unity was smashed into shards because of the overweening ambition of one man.

Guyana will experience unity again only when the PNC quit acting as if Guyana is its transported property!

…on corruption

SARU, which begat SARA, was formed by the PNC/APNU Government to join SOCU in fighting the “rampant” corruption during the PPP regime, which they claimed had “siphoned off billions and billions” from the treasury. The two organisations would return these billions to the Government – and this money would be used to fund any number of virtuous activities!!

Well, we’re approaching four years of their mission, but there hasn’t been a single asset recovered (SARA) nor a single “organised crime” operation busted (SOCU)!!

Instead, in an ironic dénouement, both organisations have become mired in accusations of corruption!! With SOCU, the two seconded British “corruption experts” have left in a swirling miasma of corrupt practices, and the head of the unit is being investigated for unaccounted spending!!

And now we hear that after spending more than $200 million annually for four years, not only has SARA not recovered a single asset, but hasn’t paid its consultants for work done.

Will SURU be now launched to clean up DURU?

…in awards

Calvin Benn -- the former Dep CEO at GECOM, who fell on his sword to allow the incumbent to be ushered in by Patterson’s casting vote -- and Vincent Alexander, the veteran PNC Commissioner, have both received national awards.

All for the (PNC) cause!!

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

9 PPP/C Presidential Candidate takes outreach to Region 9 news

monday, february 25, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

The PPP/C Presidential Candidate addressing residents in Aishalton during a recent visit PPP/C Presidential Candidate Irfaan Ali was given a traditional welcome by residents in Karaudanawa last week while on an outreach in Rupununi

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s Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Progressive Party Civic, Irfaan Ali continues his outreach across the country. When he interacted with residents of Region Nine (Upper TakutuUpper Essequibo), a number of concerns about their current quality of life were raised.

Ali visited 12 communities in the region, namely the town of Lethem, Annai, Tabatinga, Karasabai, Rukumuta, Tiger Pond, Potannau, Katoonarib, Sand Creek, Karaudanawa, Aishalton and Nappi.

He held various community meetings at these locations, and had one-on-one discussions with the residents, who were facing issues in all sectors of life, including health, security and education. During these interactions, he listened to the concerns of residents, who were frustrated with how their lives have changed for the worse under the Coalition Government.

They complained about promises made by the APNU+AFC Government that remained unfulfilled nearly four years after the Coalition took office. While each village had its own peculiar issues, there were certain challenges which resonated throughout the Rupununi.

A common sore point across the region is the failure of the coalition to fulfill its campaign promises regarding the Amerindian Land Titling Project. Under the previous administration, the initiative was booming, but after four years of APNU/AFC rule, not a single title has been issued.

The residents also decried the conditions of the hinterland infrastructure, which gravely affect their quality of life, particularly the roads. In fact, large scale farmers in the region complained about difficulties to get their produce out to sell because of the condition of roads and damages vehicles suffer. Those in the far-flung

villages also lamented the lack of markets in the communities, which forces them to travel long distances to get sales.

Community infrastructure was also highlighted. In Sand Creek, it was mentioned that a lot of louvre panes at the dormitory building were broken, and this was brought to the attention of Indigenous People’s Affairs Minister Sydney Allicock, but it has been two years now and nothing has been done.

In addition, drug shortages and unemployment are some of the other issues affecting the residents.

According to the residents, they are disgusted with the drug shortage issues plaguing the region.

They disclosed that some health centres have not gotten any pharmaceutical supplies since last September.

They added that when the drugs do come, which takes four to six months to arrive, they are close to expiring or have already expired.

With regard to unemployment, the residents lamented that there are no job opportunities in the region, especially for youths.

They say that after finishing school, young people usually move to neighbouring Brazil Georgetown, which often diminishes the indigenous communities and does not

foster development.

Ali, a former minister under the PPP/C government, assured the residents that their concerns would be addressed once the party returns to office. Ali was elected as the PPP/C presidential candidate last month, and he has since been making his

rounds across the country to meet with the people on the ground.

Already he has visited and met with residents of East Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne); Essequibo, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam); and Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice).

10 news 2 regions still to receive debunching monies – GTU A monday, february 25, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

s conflict continues to surround the $350 million allocated to debunching monies for teachers by the Education Ministry, the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) has observed another red flag, which in this case is affecting hundreds of teachers in two administrative regions.

This is according to the General Secretary of the Union, Coretta McDonald.

She explained that teachers in Regions One (BarimaWaini) and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) have complained that they have not yet received any payments, although debunching monies were promised to be paid in December 2018 and January 2019.

A similar issue unfolded over in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara Region) where payments had begun but were later stalled. McDonald said that an explanation into these occurrences is yet be made by the Ministry.

She said, “In Region Three, we had payments started but I’m not sure what the hiccup was, whether they did not have enough funds or what…but I know payments had started and it stopped…it’s an issue that we are following with the central Ministry as well as

GTU General Secretary Coretta McDonald

the Regional Department because the regions are all decentralised so every region will have their budget to cater for payments to salary and increases”.

In this regard, the General Secretary posited that meetings were held with the officials in Regions Nine and One where the Union was told that “they were putting the systems in place to start the process”.

She said that she is hopeful that the issue is sorted out by the end of the week so that payments can begin as early as next week Monday.

Just under a week ago, the President of the GTU, Mark Lyte, indicated to this

newspaper that some teachers were only paid part of their debunching monies in December.

The President informed that teachers received a payment in December 2018, which was the eight per cent on the old 2017 salary.

Another interim payment, he said, was made for 2016 and 2017 at one time which was ten and eight per cent and then an eight and a six per cent.

Lyte explained, “Ten and eight (per cent) for 2016 and eight and six (per cent) for 2017, so now with the new arrangement that we had, in terms of the increase, we agreed that 2016 would get a 12 per cent and a 10 per cent so it means that those persons who had already received an interim would get two per cent more. As a result of that two per cent, it means that 2016 two per cent would trigger an increase of two per cent for 2017 and also another two per cent for 2018, so that amount was to be paid in January”.

Although that payout was expected, teachers were surprised when they checked their accounts to find that those amounts were not added.

It was only on October 24, 2018, that the GTU signed an agreement with

board eight per cent increase for all teachers.

Wages increase proposal

GTU President Mark Lyte

the Education Ministry to accept a 12 per cent increase in salaries for 2016 and an eight per cent increase for 2018.

According to the agreement seen by Guyana Times for the year 2016, teachers who earn below $100,000 per month will benefit from a 12 per cent increase while teachers who earn $100,000 and over monthly will gain an eight per cent increase.

For the year 2017, teachers who earn below $100,000 per month will get an eight per cent increase and those who earn above this amount will receive a six per cent increase. Meanwhile, for 2018, there will be an across-the-

In relation to the salary increase proposal submitted by the GTU some two weeks ago to the Education Ministry, McDonald noted that the Department is yet to make contact with the Union to set up a date for initial discussions.

According to her, “I guess we will have to follow up with them because they have not yet responded to us to say whether we are gonna have a meeting… so we will have to be the ones to police it to find out how early we are going to have that meeting”.

Earlier in February, the Union submitted a proposal for a 25 per cent increase in salary for public school teachers.

The proposal also requests that grants be given to schools instead of having materials supplied as complaints have been flagged in the past of sub-standard materials and cleaning supplies, among others.

No confidence vote and GTU

The General Secretary of the GTU said that the Union does not see how the motion of No-Confidence can affect their plea for a wage increase.

She explained, “We have a 2019 budget and proposals for salaries was already made in the 2019 budget which they submitted since last year so we don’t see the whole issue with the confidence/no-confidence motion as one that will affect the flow of the operations of the Ministry because the Ministers are just political heads but the rest of the Ministry they are all public servants so we don’t see anything with this motion as being or having anything to do with stalling our negotiations process”.

She added that the Permanent Secretaries of each Ministry is usually equipped with the power to start negotiations, however, the Union still has some concerns.

We’re concerned about it too because it doesn’t, with regards to salaries, it shouldn’t have implications for salaries and the negotiations process but if we have a country that is not stable that can definitely affect what is happening”.

Nonetheless, the Union representative said she is hoping for stability so that no unwarranted actions such as protests and vandalism takes place.

Similar views were shared by the GTU President during a recent interview.

Cars stolen, houses broken into in NA – $200,000 found on teenage bandit

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t least seven motorcars were stolen while a few others were broken into and a few houses burglarised over the past few days in New Amsterdam, Berbice.

On Friday, Divisional Commander Assistant Commissioner Paul Langevine, DSM, told Guyana Times that he was unaware of several cars being stolen.

More alarming, is the fact that teenagers are being used to carry out these criminal acts. One of the perpetrators has been identified as a student who attends a special needs school in New Amsterdam.

There have been concerns over the police’s apparent slothfulness in responding to the reports and more so, there are no systems in place to prevent an occurrence.

One of the car owners reportedly caught a teenager in his car red-handed and gave him a good flogging but the police are now threatening to charge him with assault.

Another car owner reported that he woke up and found his car broken into.

Upon checking, $12,000 was removed and the ignition wires had been cut which is evidence that the perpetrator was trying to steal the car.

One businessman, Jacob Hikel, recalled that he was injured when a teenager attacked him with an ice pick during a home invasion. His car was also stolen.

Hikel told Guyana Times that he heard footsteps in the

The grill work to the window of Hikel’s house was cut with a nipper

The motor car belonging to Jacob Hikel that crashed into the utility pole

house and thought it was a relative but in the wee hours of Friday morning, he heard his car engine start and as he looked through his bedroom window, he saw his car being driven out of the yard.

According to Hikel, he dashed out of the bedroom and went to the first floor where he was greeted by an open door. When he got outside, he was attacked by a teenager with an ice pick.

The young man then jumped the fence and escaped.

Meanwhile, the grill work to one of the windows was cut at his Lot 63-64 Vrymens Ervin home. It appears as though someone jumped into the verandah and cut the grill to gain entry to the building.

The lock on the front door was also wrenched off. The perpetrators reportedly re-

moved a computer and a music box along with alcoholic beverages and grocery from the refrigerator.

Meanwhile, as the car drove away, Hikel gave chase on foot for about 200 meters but eventually gave up.

“I see the car turn around and start coming towards me very fast and I had to jump into the corner to save myself,” he told Guyana Times.

Surveillance footage captured the car, PPP 7796, crashing into a utility pole.

The pole broke and fell onto the vehicle but the occupants managed to escape unhurt with a number of items including a vacuum cleaner and a headphone as well as documents.

Meanwhile, several other persons have reported that their homes were burglarised

The window with the missing louvre panes

- one such house is owned

by Denise Brutus of Lot 72 Errol’s Ville.

According to Brutus, she woke up and found the back door open and her 55-inch flat screen television missing. An electronic tablet and three flash drives were also

taken by the perpetrators.

She explained that several louvre panes were removed from a window to gain access into the building. The woman noted that on the following night, more louvre panes were removed from another window but the bandits

could not gain entry due to the bars.

However, the bandits went to the upper flat where Merissa Brutus lives. She said she looked through her bedroom door and saw the front door rocking and got up and armed herself but the perpetrators aborted their attack.

In addition, on Monday last, Denise was having a conversation with a friend and based on the features of a 13-year-old boy, suspicions were raised. He was cornered and upon questioning, he admitted that he helped the others to take out the louvre panes but did not go in the house.

He was handed over to the police where $200,000 was allegedly found in his possession. He reportedly told investigators that he broke into the New Amsterdam Central Islamic Mosque at Main and King Streets, where he stole the money.

Imam of the Mosque, Mosses Haniff, told this publication that the place of worship was broken into and the contribution box was broken into and the contents are missing.

“I can’t say how much money was in it at the time because it was donations,” he explained.

Haniff said the matter was reported to the police and was surprised when this publication informed him that someone had confessed to taking the money to the police.

“The police have not gotten on to me and that was since Monday, they should have by now,” he said.

news

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monday, february 25, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

WBD plane crash

Pilot declared emergency before plane went down

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Lincoln Gomez after he was discharged from the hospital

ays after a Cessna 182 aircraft with registration number N8704T crashed at Canal Number Two Polder, West Bank Demerara, the pilot, Lincoln Gomez, who is recuperating from his injuries stated that he declared an emergency as the aircraft descended to 2000 feet.

As the plane continued to descend, he noted that it was a full moon and the clouds covered the sky thus making visibility difficult.

In a post on social media, the pilot recalled the horrific accident that occurred on the evening of February 18.

He explained that on the day in question, plans were already made for him to fly to Paramakatoi from Ogle to take building materials for Monkey Mountain.

He noted that as he was on his way to the Ogle Airport from Georgetown in a taxi, a member of the church received a telephone call from one of his colleagues instructing him to fly to Arau instead. At that time, he was told that he had to pick up a patient who was involved in an accident.

“I made up my mind to fuel the aeroplane and fly to Arau instead of Paramakatoi. A few minutes later, we received the sad news that our fellow missionary from the US who was involved in the accident, died. I just could not believe the news. It was so shocking,” he added.

He, however, decided to continue his journey to Paramakatoi after fuelling and loading the plane.

“I landed there (Paramakaroi) after noon and spent some time there.

Eighteen minutes after taking off from there I received news from the control tower that I should fly to Kaikan, pick up a policeman, and continue to Arau to pick up the corpse and fly it to Georgetown. So I diverted my flight and soared to 8500 to Mean Sea Level (MSL) to fly to Kaikan”.

On his way to Kaikan, he again received instructions to make another diversion to pick up someone to take to Kaikan.

After following orders, he flew to Arau and about a minute after he landed, the corpse arrived at the airstrip.

“I was told that Police would arrive "just now". I waited for more than an hour, I guess, for the policemen to arrive. Finally, they arrived and one of them was to fly with me as an escort to accompany the corpse” Gomez stated.

At that time, the pilot recalled, he told them it was late and that he would fly to Paruima and spend the night there but as he entered that aircraft, the corpse had already created a stench so he decided to fly to Georgetown. He thought that more delays would result in the corpse decaying.

“I had already measured the fuel in the plane and had enough to fly to town according to the fuel burn measuring instrument and calculations.”

They took off for Ogle but after some time, he requested from the control tower if he could fly Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) and after getting the confirmation, he agreed, not knowing the implications.

In clarifying the Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), a source explained that after visibility becomes impossible, the pilot can request to switch to IFR where the plane is now navigated by instruments.

Nevertheless, Gomez stated “at some point, I was asked to descend to 2000 from 7000ft MSL. So I descended. I looked at the fuel indicator from time to time as usual and it was getting lower but I trusted that I had enough knowing how much the indicator usually indicates fuel burn”.

He noted that they had already crossed the Essequibo River when the engine began to idle. He recalled that the place was dark and he attempted to troubleshoot an engine failure.

He attempted to troubleshoot an engine failure but nothing worked hence, he immediately declared an emergency. During this time, he recalled the policeman who was later identified as Mark Grimmond panicked.

“I did not want to be distracted by him. As I was busy reporting our position… the aeroplane touched the trees and I lost consciousness”.

When he regained consciousness, he was outside of the plane. He was pulled from the wreckage by the policeman who also made sure that other items from the aircraft were taken out along with the corpse from Arau.

“All I could have done was to maintain glide speed until touchdown,” the pilot added while noting that Grimmond was able to make

An injured Gomez upon arrival in the city after the accident

calls using his mobile phone and handle the flares.

After some time, he related, an aeroplane and a helicopter flew over the location. “They were able to spot

us with the help of flares and other means.

About four hours after we went down, the soldiers rescued us by land and we were able to walk slowly

through the jungle for about an hour to the helicopter.

Afterwards, we were flown to Army base and then driven to the hospital”, he recalled.

Respiratory problems caused infant to die – GPHC

Before and after Quavon Forde was burnt

L

ittle Quavon Forde, who died a few months after his birth, was said to have suffered from respiratory issues according to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). This was revealed in a statement released by the entity weeks after it was reported that the child received burns from a headlamp in one of the incubators.

He was born in December

2018, but his birth was premature since he arrived one month earlier than expected.

The hospital claimed that the post-mortem examination of the burns, which were termed superficial, were not life-threatening.

It explained that this was sourced from the physician that looked at the child after the lamp exploded. The bundle of joy had been transferred to the Burn Care Unit.

This comes as a far cry from what relatives of the deceased child indicated when they accused the GPHC of negligence at the hands of practitioners.

His grandmother, Sharon Harding, in an interview with this publication on Wednesday, explained that the baby was incubated until he was fully developed and his parents were allowed to visit every day. turn to page 12

12 news

monday, february 25, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

25 Cadets graduate from standard officers’ course

Sabotage or mechanical failure?

GuySuCo still to pronounce on flying knives incident after close to 7 months

T

Uitvlugt Estate

The cadet officers pose with senior ranks after the graduation

The graduating officers entertained the gathering with a thrilling display on horses

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hirty-five ranks graduated from an Equitation Training Programme which was coordinated by the Deputy of the Guyana Police Force Mounted Branch, Assistant Superintendent (ASP) Rockwell Delph.

The training, which was ongoing for a period of six weeks, comprised of twenty-six ranks from the GDF, one from Jamaica, three from Belize, two from Antigua, one from the Guyana Police Force and two from Guyana Prison Service.

The graduation cer-

emony was held at the Police Sports Club Ground, Barrack Street, Eve-Leary.

Officer-in-Charge of the Force’s Communications Branch and who is also currently performing the functions of Second-inCommand “Operations”, Assistant Commissioner Edgar Thomas in delivering the feature address told the officers that equitation is a critical element of their career and that they must continue to maintain discipline and professionalism in the execution of their duties.

Also present were Deputy Force Training Officer,

Senior Superintendent Fizal Karimbaksh, Colonel Julius Skeete of the GDF as well as other senior and junior officers of the Joint Services.

A s s i s t a n t Superintendent Rockwell Delph who delivered the course’s report mentioned that while it was a lot of hard work, the cadets had lots of fun throughout the programme.

The graduating officers entertained the gathering with a thrilling display of musical chairs, battle of the Mounties, late for work and buns race; all of which was

done with the horses they trained with.

Commanding Officer of the Colonel Ulric Pilgrim Officer Cadet School (CUPOCS), Major Harold Fraser presented a plaque to ASP Delph as an appreciation for facilitating the training.

Delivering the vote of thanks was Cadet Officer Mohammed Khan of GDF who expressed gratitude to the Guyana Police Force and his seniors for allowing them to complete the specialised training which will certainly play a vital part in their military career.

his March will mark seven months since some $18 million worth of sugarcane produce at the Uitvlugt Estate, West Coast Demerara (WCD), was left to spoil after the turbine malfunctioned and sent 70 knives flying.

Though some of the produce was saved, the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) is yet to make public its preliminary findings on the probe that was launched last year.

Moreover, it has not confirmed if any actions were or will be taken as a consequence of the mishap.

In late January, GuySuCo’s Corporate Communications Manager Audreyanna Thomas told another section of the press that the investigation was at the “disciplinary hearing stage”.

However, that was more than one month ago and to date, no official word has been disclosed on the multimillion-dollar incident.

Nevertheless, Thomas had indicated that the extended time was being facilitated so that the parties involved could have a fair hearing.

It was in August 2018

that the knives, which are made out of carbon steel and weigh 20lbs each, went flying and caused workers to dart for their safety.

GuySuCo revealed later in that month that it had launched its investigation by senior management to probe the spoilage and also to understand how the mishap occurred.

Guyana Times has been following the story since it broke and it was unearthed that management was considering “negligence”.

Although official word was never given to solidify this revelation, GuySuCo never denied that this was the case.

In October of last year, this newspaper was reliably informed that two managers were sent on leave in the wake of the probe.

Again, the sugar corporation did not respond to this disclosure.

It was reported in the media that workers had started up the number two turbine at about 09:30h and a section called the “governor” was reportedly not maintained properly in the out of crop period. turn to page 14

Respiratory problems caused...

On a subsequent visit some days later, his mother, Odessa Forde, went to check on her baby and made the shocking discovery that he was severely burnt about his body.

According to the grandmother, the child’s mother immediately called on nurses on duty, who shrugged off the matter, insisting that they were unaware of the circumstances.

Relatives later learnt that a headlamp would have caused the injuries after doctors briefed them on what transpired.

“I told her to ask the nurses around and she kept asking but all the nurses would tell us is that they wasn’t there or they don’t know about that,” the aggrieved grandmother relayed.

Asserting that “specialists” would be present to treat the burns, the child was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit where he was later discharged on January 21, 2019, while his wounds were yet to be

healed, she had said.

“I’m assuming that they noticed themselves that the child couldn’t make it and they subsequently discharged this baby and handed it over to her.”

A few days later, she said they noticed that the baby was in agony and was constantly crying. He was readmitted to the hospital where doctors failed in their attempts to save him on February 8.

“He was groaning and the burns on the foot wasn’t healed. They discharged this baby wrapped in gauze so we took him back where he was admitted to the ICU. However, later, they said they couldn’t save him,” Harding explained.

Devastated family members are calling for transparency in the investigation and for the family to be informed of the outcome.

Adding to that, Harding said such matters require urgent attention to ensure that there is never a recurrence.

The grandmother said

from page 11

also that she contacted the Chief Executive Officer of the hospital, George Lewis, but he refuted claims that the baby died as a result of the burns sustained about his body, but rather from the fact that he was born prematurely. One medical doctor asked to comment on the issue told this newspaper on Saturday that respiratory failure as a cause of death may not validly explain how someone met their demise.

“Respiratory failure simply means that you stopped breathing. You can bleed out if your foot is cut off but you will eventually die when your lungs shut off so would that also be respiratory failure?” the doctor observed.

A series of protests have been held outside of the Public Health Ministry after three children, all cancer patients, died under questionable circumstances at the Georgetown hospital last month.

An investigation has since been launched into that incident.

13

monday, february 25, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

14 news Households to Guyana to be marketed as popular tourist spot in German-speaking countries be surveyed in …as GTA hosts inaugural FAM trip for 2019 coming weeks W monday, february 25, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

T

he Bureau of Statistics will be conducting a Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) in the coming weeks across the country to check on health-related issues.

This was according to an advertisement published in the Sunday newspapers.

The sixth round of MICS, according to the Bureau, was launched by the Government on August 23 last year and is an international household survey designed to obtain information on families to guide national development policies as well as programmes to improve Government’s response to the needs of the population, and monitor Guyana’s progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Bureau when contacted on Sunday by Guyana Times was reluctant to share additional information on the survey.

It is, however, understood that some 8700 households will be visited during the period. Officials at the agency could not say specifically when the programme would roll out although its staffers are expected to conduct the survey.

This newspaper understands that officials will be testing the salt used by households for iodine, as well as the water for impurities.

Children under the age of five years within the visited households will also be weighed and measured during the survey.

Vaccination cards are also expected to be examined.

The Bureau said that persons’ consent and support for the initiative would be vital, so it urged

Guyanese to participate.

On another note, the Bureau noted that the Household Budget/Survey of Living Conditions continues and is now entering its second phase.

“The Household Budget Survey and Survey of Living Conditions (HBS/SLC) commenced on the 1st November 2018 and will run for 12 months in order to capture the seasonal variation of the production of goods and services,” the agency said.

According to the Bureau, the first quarter data collection was successfully completed as selected households cooperated by answering questionnaires.

It added that it looked forward to the support of locals as it moved towards the second quarter of the survey which commenced on February 1, 2019.

The objectives of this survey are focused on updating the Bureau’s data on the “basket of goods” which is used for computing the Consumer Price Index, facilitating the rebasing of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from the 2006 base year and to estimate poverty, poverty lines and other indicators or deprivation and to determine the characteristics, extent, geographic concentration, severity, and causes of poverty, including disaggregation by age, sex, and other criteria.

It also seeks to assess the current conditions affecting the welfare of residents based on quantitative household and individual level data, among others.

Persons conducting these surveys will be uniformed with badges to identify them.

GuySuCo still to...

The turbine has 70 knives on the sharp which spins to shred the canes, and on the day of the mishap, when workers had started the machines, it overspun and the knives flew out several feet away, which had forced several workers to dart for safety and take cover.

Estate Manager, Yudhisthira Mana, had not publicly disclosed the full cost to repair the shredder machine, which was reportedly in the millions.

from page 12

Guyana Times reported last year that the number two turbine was completely damaged, and it had to be replaced with a turbine from the defunct La Bonne Intention Estate (LBI). The original sharp from the Uitvlugt Estate has also been completely damaged in last year’s mishap.

The Uitvlugt Estate is the lone Demerara estate, with Wales and East Demerara having been shuttered in 2016 and 2017 respectively.

ith the aim of marketing Guyana as a divergent tourist destination, the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) hosted its first Familiarisation Trip (FAM Trip) for 2019, which saw members of the German media and officials exploring various parts of the country.

This was revealed at a recent press conference at the tourism’s agency office in Sophia, Greater Georgetown.

The GTA together with its contracted marketing representation firm, FastForward Marketing, are industriously working to raise awareness and to further establish Guyana’s presence as a tourist destination mainly in the travel markets of German-speaking countries.

To achieve this, the GTA intends to increase the demand for travel and strengthen the direct connections between international airlines, tour operators, and travellers moving between Guyana and Germany, while also catering for other Germanspeaking countries like Switzerland and Austria.

GTA Director Brian Mullis said since Guyana was not well-known in most travel markets, the agency planned to change that through media worldwide.

The team of German media personnel and tour operators: Ulf Von Rauchhaupt, Frank Heuer, Sabine Luwig, Stefanie Kendlinger, Christian Deutschländer, Thomas Vogler, Waldyke Prince, and Thomas Noga

“So it’s always wonderful, particularly in a destination that’s not well-known in certain markets like the German market … we have to raise awareness, and the best way we can raise that awareness is bringing out media who are connected with the market of travellers we are trying to reach,” he asserted.

The FAM Trip is specifically geared towards educating the foreign media on Guyana as a tourist destination. The German tourist market has been selected since it has one of the high-

est rankings of well-travelled tourists who are seeking out authentic nature, culture and adventure experiences that Guyana offers in abundance.

Fast-Forward Marketing representative Thomas Vogler said the marketing agency was working with the GTA in seeking the best way to promote Guyana’s incomparable beauty.

“We wanted to make sure that the money the GTA, and the tourism ministry, is spending in Germany is well-spent and that we can really find the best solu-

tion for Guyana for the promotion of Guyana in the German market …. One of our goals is to work with our partners on getting those visitors to spend longer exploring Guyana and another is to increase awareness of those who have never visited and entice them to come to Guyana,” Thomas stated.

The group GTA just hosted consisted of five media personnel and two tour operators – all German nationals. Among the sites visited were the Kaieteur Falls and other eco-tourist destinations.

Regional Chairman invites investors to Region 10 “

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e are open for business in terms of persons who are interested in investing in our agricultural sector in Region 10.”

These were the sentiments of Regional Chairman Renis Morian, who issued a passionate plea for persons at home or abroad to invest within the Region.

He said that the opportunities were significant and noted the importance of persons grabbing the opportunities immediately. He noted that while Region 10 has traditionally been, and continues to be, viewed as a mining community, there were opportunities within the agricultural sector to aid in food production and reduce the cost for food.

“This is critically important as it would help in reducing our food bill, thus bettering the community,” the Regional Chairman said.

“We at the Region are inviting persons who may be reading about this to come forward as we are prepared and ready to have people investing in this initiative,” Morian said.

He disclosed that the land that has been made available is 4500 acres stressing that there is ade-

Regional Chairman Renis Morian

quate land for all those who have an interest.

He noted that there were a number of persons who live overseas that have expressed interest in investing in Guyana and for this reason, he said he has been pushing Region 10, noting that given the vast available land, he was inviting them to invest.

“I want everyone to know that Region 10 is open to invest in agriculture; therefore, all can apply as we have adequate land for persons to develop the region,” the Regional Chairman said.

He revealed that the Lands and Surveys Commission has already surveyed the land, stressing that everything has been put

in place so that the Region can begin distribution.

“We have 4500 acres available so what I am advising persons to [do is] apply and while the application is being made to Lands and Surveys department, the approval is granted from the Regional Chairman’s office in Region 10,” Morian stated.

He, however, expressed grave concerns over the questionable processing of applications. The Regional Chairman said that a number of applications are coming to his office for his approval and signature, but these applications only have the amount of land and location.

This, he explained, is

cause for concern, stressing that one person can have several pieces, because there is no way of identifying who the lands would have been given to.

“These applications do not have no name just the location and amount, and I have refused to sign those because what I have discovered often times coming from Lands and Surveys is that there is duplicity, as there are times when one person’s name appeared thrice and we have had to send it back to them,” he added.

He noted that the current system allowed for mismanagement and corruption, declaring that under his stewardship, these acts would not be entertained.

“I am not putting my signature to those applications like that without the critical details as I don’t want trouble and nobody will case me to get into any trouble,” the evidently frustrated Regional Chairman said.

The Regional Chairman in reiterating his invitation urged all who may be interested to contact his office or the Lands and Surveys department, noting that irrespective of the crop or size of land desired, they would be considered.

15

news

monday, february 25, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

VOX POPULI

What the people say

I SAY...

What are some mechanisms that Government could implement to identify deaf drivers?

Kunal Persaud “Mark all of the vehicles with stickers or even let them put the vehicles in a unique colour.”

Vishnu Pooniah “I think they should have special number plates in order for them to be easily identified.”

Navindra Lackraj “What they can do is give them special a licence which identifies them as being a deaf driver.”

Latchman Dindayal “More confusion on the road, as much as we can identify them, how much drivers would respect that because they don’t even respect the police much less.”

Mark Gill “I think that the Government can implement a colour code which will go along with a sign, similar to a sticker that will be specially placed on those cars that would have a driver with a hearing abnormality.

These signs should also be issued by a special agency so as to make sure that it is not misused by other persons.”

Andre George “They can create special training for both deaf drivers and police officers to learn sign language so that communication between them could be more fluent. Provide books with signs for the deaf drivers or if financially possible, they can build a special road or lane for them.”

Dabriah Frank “I think they can make it compulsory for their vehicles to have a particular bumper sticker or a mark.”

Caesar McAlmont “They can have a particular sign placed on their vehicles so that other drivers and pedestrians can identify them.”

Sheik Asweem “I believe bumper stickers or a sticker pasted on the back of the car windshield similar to those that say ‘How is my driving?’”

GTA conducts tourism training in Region 5

Some participants at the workshop

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ith the aim of providing support to the Village Council and the Tourism Committee, the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) ,in a partnership with the Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Ministry and Rainforest Tours, conducted a tourism product assessment at Moraikobai Village

in Region Five (MahaicaBerbice) last week.

The purpose of the assessment is to support an action-oriented roadmap for tourism development in Moraikobai; a successful tour guide and culinary arts training was also executed within the community.

With project support

Some of the participants in discussion with GTA officials

from the Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Ministry, the construction of an eco- lodge has already commenced within the community. I t is expected to make new tourism products accessible from different parts of Guyana. Key products to be developed are designed for nature enthusiasts, birders, sports fishers,

and other travellers who are looking for authentic cultural experiences.

GTA Director Brian Mullis stated that the agency prioritised tourism development mainly in Indigenous communities throughout Guyana.

“Inspired by the worldclass examples in Surama,

Rewa, and Yupakari villages, the Ministry of Business, through the GTA and in collaboration with the [Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs] MoIPA, has made it a priority to scale up community-owned and -led tourism development in Indigenous communities nationwide.”

The GTA during the visit shared its expertise and guided the community in addressing challenges, assessing visitor readiness, identifying and prioritising opportunities, and setting the course to build a more prosperous community-owned and -led tourism model in the village.

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guyanatimesgy.com

monday, february 25, 2019

Regional

Venezuela crisis: President Maduro’s “days numbered” – Pompeo

U

S Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s “days are numbered” after deadly clashes over humanitarian aid.

“Picking exact days is difficult. I’m confident that the Venezuelan people will ensure that Maduro’s days are numbered,” Pompeo told CNN. Two people died in Saturday’s clashes between civilians and troops loyal to Maduro, who blocked aid deliveries.

Self-declared interim President Juan Guaidó said Maduro must resign.

Guaidó, who has been recognised as interim leader by more than 50 countries, has called on oth-

er nations to consider “all measures” to oust Maduro after Opposition-led efforts to bring in aid descended into clashes.

He also said he would attend a meeting of mostly Latin American countries in Colombia today, despite being under a travel ban imposed by Maduro. US Vice President Mike Pence will represent Washington at the talks in Bogota.

A senior White House official said on Sunday that Pence was planning to announce “concrete steps” and “actions” in addressing the crisis at the talks today, Reuters news agency reported.

Meanwhile, Colombia and Brazil said they would intensify pressure on

Saturday saw deadly confrontations at border crossings as volunteers attempted to collect aid

Maduro to relinquish power. US President Donald Trump has not ruled out an armed response to the Venezuela crisis.

Separately on Sunday, a boat carrying US aid from Puerto Rico to Venezuela was forced to dock on the

small Dutch island of Curaçao after it was intercepted by the Venezuelan navy off the northern coast, AFP news agency reports.

The vessel was reportedly loaded with nine cargo containers filled with food and medicine. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Coordinated fight against dengue continues in Jamaica

J

amaica’s Health Minister, Dr Christopher Tufton says the coordinated fight against the dengue virus in St James is continuing, with over 10,000 visits conducted in communities across the parish by vector control workers.

He stated that vector control coordinators have been vigorously assisting in the elimination of mosquito breeding sites in the parish, having identified and destroyed approximately 1500 breeding sites.

“We are looking at probably a 15 per cent index, meaning places where we identify positive breeding taking place.

Now the standard is supposed to be about five per cent and so we still need to appeal to citizens, because most of these breeding sites are found in and around the home,” Tufton said.

He was speaking at the launch of the Health Ministry’s Compassionate Care Programme at the Montego Bay Comprehensive Health Centre (Type 5) in St James last week.

Over 60 vector control workers have been deployed in the parish and over 300 members of the health community trained to handle the treatment of the virus.

The Health Minister informed that vector control coordinators have conducted fogging in over 100 schools and visited 77 communities in the parish.

Dr Tufton reiterated that the proper management of solid waste was a key component to tackling the mosquito-borne disease and urged residents to take responsibility for creating a clean environment. (Excerpt from

Jamaica Observer)

Cuba sees high turnout at polls for Thousands march in Mexico City constitutional referendum over activist’s murder

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ubans flocked to the polls on Sunday in a vote expected to approve a new constitution that institutes modest economic and social changes while maintaining the one-party socialist system.

By 11:00h, 57 per cent of the 8.6 million electorate had turned out, according to the national electoral commission, a higher percentage so early in the day than the general election in 2018. Results will be announced today.

Debate over the Constitution has dominated politics in the country for months, even as it struggles with economic stagnation and as the deepening crisis in Venezuela brings its ally into the crosshairs of the US President Donald Trump’s Administration.

White House national security adviser John Bolton ripped the referendum on Twitter as “another ploy of the Cuban regime to cover up its repression and tyranny”.

Cuban Pres-ident Miguel Diaz-Canel said the referendum was taking place as recent events

T

housands of protesters have marched in Mexico City following the murder of an environmental activist.

Samir Flores Soberanes, who was also a Journalist, was shot twice in the head in his home in Amilcingo, south of Mexico City, on Wednesday.The protesters held signs saying “Samir didn’t die, the government killed him”; “Samir lives”; and “Justice for Samir”.

As the march made its way through Mexico City, thousands gathered in Amilcingo to lay Flores to rest.The reasons for the kill-

Cuba’s President Miguel Diaz-Canel prepares to vote during the referendum to approve the constitutional reform in Havana, Cuba, February 24, 2019

in Venezuela highlighted the symptoms of an “imperialist threat” toward the Region.

“Today we are going to win ... It will also be an important victory for Venezuela,” he said after waiting in line in Havana to cast his ballot.

“I think the Americans in their arrogance have been wrong. People are waking up when they see these nefarious practices

and realise what is behind this show,” he said.

Cuban evangelicals were expected to vote against the proposed constitution because they fear it opens the way for gay marriage while the Roman Catholic Church has also voiced criticism.

A campaign to reject the Constitution because it entrenches Communism was launched on social media by dissidents and exiles.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

ing are not yet clear, but a prosecutor has indicated it was linked to organised crime.

Flores was a longstanding opponent of the Proyecto Integral Morelos (PIM), a development project that includes two new thermoelectric plants and a 150-kilometre (93-mile) natural gas pipeline in the state.

His death came just days before Saturday and Sunday’s public referendum on the plants.

The Peoples in Defence of Land and Water Front, of which Flores was a member, said he attended a pub-

lic meeting about the project days before his death and challenged Government representatives.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador expressed regret about the killing, but said the referendum would go ahead. “I’m very sorry about the murder,” he said. “The consultation we have to continue because it is a process that was already agreed to.”

Activists fear that the pipeline will contaminate the local water supply, which would predominantly affect the Indigenous communities in the area.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

T&T: 2 cops quizzed on gang links

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wo Police Officers, including the son of a senior officer, presently on pre-retirement leave, were interviewed by their colleagues in relation to alleged gang activity, the Trinidad Newsday reported Saturday.

Police from the Northern Division, where the two officers are assigned, said they were called in for an interview by the Organised Crime and Intelligence Unit (OCIU).

Both officers, sources

said, were questioned after a report was made alleging their involvement in gang activity. The officers were summoned and went with

their counterparts.

Police said they could not say if the men are still in custody or have been released. (Trinidad Newsday)

US Coast Guard helps eradicate more than 200,000 marijuana plants in Bahamas Antigua: Cabinet considers proposal to

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he United States Coast Guard says it collaborated with the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Bahamian authorities in eradicating more than 200,000 illegal marijuana plants in the Bahamas.

On Friday, the US Coast Guard said that “a Coast Guard forward deployed MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Operation

Bahamas, Turks & Caicos recognised what appeared to be a strong smell of marijuana while flying over Andros Island on a joint narcotic interdiction patrol” earlier this month.

“The Coast Guard helicopter transported United States DEA agents and Royal Bahamas Police Force Officers from the Drug Enforcement Unit to the area to identify and

eradicate over 200,000 marijuana plants,” the statement said.

The US Coast Guard said Operation Bahamas, Turks and Caicos is an international operation between the US, The Bahamas, and Turks and Caicos Governments to “identify, disrupt and dismantle illicit smugglers transiting through The Bahamas”.(Jamaica Observer)

assist tourists with physical disabilities

V

isitors suffering from physical disabilities may soon have a special service that would allow them to equally enjoy all that Antigua and Barbuda has to offer.

President of the Antigua and Barbuda Association of Persons with Disabilities, Bernard Warner, was invit-

ed to Cabinet on Wednesday to discuss his proposal for a special service dedicated to the elderly and physically disabled.

Speaking to Observer, Warner said he told Cabinet that disabled tourists often remain on board the cruise ships or at the hotels instead of enjoying the beauty

of Antigua and Barbuda He said his project would create beach-accessible wheelchairs and roller mats to allow physically challenged people who visit the beaches to enter the water more easily.

He also proposed to Government the idea of wheelchair safaris. (Excerpt from

Antigua Observer)

guyanatimesgy.com

monday, february 25, 2019

Around the World

Bangladesh plane “hijacker” shot dead after emergency landing

B

angladeshi commandos stormed a passenger jet in the country’s southeast on Sunday and shot dead an armed man who attempted to hijack the Dubai-bound flight.

The suspect, identified by the name “Mahadi” and described by officials as a 25-year-old Bangladeshi man, was shot as Special Forces rushed the aircraft after it landed safely in Chittagong.

The 148 passengers and crew on board the Bangladesh Biman flight BG147 were rescued unharmed.But the suspected hijacker was wounded and died shortly after being arrested, army spokesman Major General Motiur Rahman told reporters.

“He is a Bangladeshi. We found a pistol from him and nothing else,” Rahman said.

Secretary of the Civil Aviation Ministry and Tourism, Muhibul Haque

17

Security personnel stand guard near the hijacked Dubai-bound Bangladesh Biman plane on Sunday

told Al Jazeera a female cabin crew member alerted the pilot after she found the passenger’s behaviour suspicious.

“The pilot then made an emergency landing at Chattagram airport,” he said.

All the passengers on board were evacuated after the airport was sealed off.

Air Vice-Marshall Mofid,

who goes by one name, said he then kept the accused busy talking on the phone, while the Special Forces’ units prepared a raid.

The country’s civil aviation chief, Nayeem Hasan, said the suspect had claimed to have a bomb onboard the flight.

Another army spokesman, Abdullah Ibne Zaid,

said the suspected hijacker claimed to have a gun and a bomb strapped to his chest.

“The army’s Special Forces conducted the operation and the armed man has been neutralised. The situation at [Chittagong’s] Shah Amanat International Airport is very much under control of the Bangladesh army,” he said. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

“Dozens killed” in Nigeria poll violence, counting under way

T

he violence during Nigeria’s delayed presidential and legislative polls has claimed at least 27 lives and injured several others, an NGO closely following the election said.

On Sunday, the Election Network group said the outbreak of violence was “worrying” and the authorities had been warned about the risk as another civil society group said the death toll could be as high as 35.

“Prior to the polls, we tracked 251 election-related deaths and circulated it to the relevant stakeholders, so the warning signals are there but nothing was done about it,” Election Network lead strategist Adewunmi Emoruwa said.

Violence affected areas in the country’s restive northeast prior to polling on Saturday.

There were explosions on the polling day in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State,

which has come under repeated attacks by the Boko Haram.

Residents of Geidam in neighbouring Yobe State were forced to flee their homes into the bush before polls opened.

Some ballot collection centres in southern Nigeria were attacked overnight as results trickled in.

Buba Galadima, spokesman for the main Opposition People’s Democratic Party’s presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, was taken away by unidentified men on Sunday afternoon and his whereabouts are unknown, according to Michael Olayanju, Galadima’s personal assistant.

Late delivery of voting materials affected polling as Nigerians turned out en masse to vote in what is expected to be the closest presidential election in the country’s political history. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

India toxic alcohol: At least 130 tea Pope declares war on sexual abuse workers dead from bootleg drink but victims feel betrayed

P

A

t least 130 people have died and more than 200 are being treated in hospital after drinking toxic bootleg alcohol in north-eastern India, officials said.

Some 35 people were reported dead in the state of Assam on Sunday, days after about 100 people died in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Ten people have been arrested over the bootleg drink, a police official said.

There were many women among the victims, who all worked on tea plantations.

An inquiry has been ordered into the tragedy. The death toll is believed to be the highest since a 2011 case in West Bengal, where more than 170 people died after ingesting bootleg alcohol.

The first victims died on Thursday, according to the administrator of the Golaghat district in Assam, Dhiren

A tea plantation worker who consumed the bootleg alcohol receives a drip

Hazarika.

Golaghat district Superintendent of Police Pushkar Singh told the BBC Hindi service that Police had found the home where the toxic liquor was made and had recovered one and a half litres (2.5pts) of it.

Deaths from illegally produced alcohol, which is much cheaper than branded spirits, are common in parts of rural India. Bootleggers often add

methanol - a highly toxic form of alcohol sometimes used as an anti-freeze - to their mixture to increase its strength.

If ingested in even small quantities, methanol can cause blindness, liver damage and death.

State police said two excise department officials were suspended for failing to take adequate precautions over the sale of the alcohol. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Brexit: MPs to have final vote by March 12, says May

M

Ps will be able to have a final vote on the Brexit deal by March 12, Prime Minister Theresa May has said.

Speaking as she travelled to an EU-Arab League summit in Egypt, May ruled out holding a socalled “meaningful vote” on her deal this week.

But she said “positive” talks with the EU were “still ongoing” and leaving on March 29 was “within our grasp”.

On the plane to Sharm el-Sheikh for a summit between EU and Arab league leaders, May said her team would be returning to the Belgian capital on Tuesday for further talks.

“As a result of that, we won’t bring a meaningful vote to Parliament this week, but we will ensure that that happens by 12 March,” she added.

May has already met European Council President Donald Tusk for talks after landing in Egypt and will meet other EU leaders on the fringes of the summit later.

She said negotiations were continuing over the backstop - the controversial policy that aims to prevent a hard border returning to the island of Ireland - after Parliament voted for her to seek “alternative arrangements” to what is set out in her deal.

ope Francis ended his conference on the sexual abuse of children by clergy on Sunday by calling for an “all-out battle” against a crime that should be “erased from the face of the earth”.

But victims and their advocates expressed deep disappointment, saying Francis had merely repeated old promises and offered few new concrete proposals.

In his closing address to the almost 200 Church leaders he had summoned to Rome, Francis said national guidelines on preventing and punishing abuse would be strengthened and the Church’s definition of minors in cases of possession by clergy of pornography would be raised from the current age of 14.

Shortly after the conference, the Vatican said it would enact a law to protect minors and vulnerable adults within the Vatican City - the tiny enclave surrounded by Rome which is one of the few countries without one.

Francis vowed the Roman

May told reporters the Government was “talking to the EU about various ways in which we can find a resolution to the issue that Parliament raised”. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Catholic Church would “spare no effort” to bring abusers to justice and would not cover up or underestimate abuse.

But he dedicated much of the first part of a speech lasting more than half an hour to statistics from the United Nations and other organisations showing that most sexual abuse of children takes place in families.

Anne Barrett-Doyle of the US-based clergy abuse track-

ing group bishopaccountability.org, called it a “stunning letdown”.

Italian abuse survivor Alessandro Battaglia cried in St Peter’s Square along with other victims.

“I did not hear a ‘sorry’ ...

I didn’t hear anything, anything concrete, nothing that was fair,” he said. “It is they who destroyed us. This isn’t enough, we are not satisfied.”

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Trump raises hopes of trade deal on final day of US-China talks

U May: Brexit deal “within grasp” for March 29

Alessandro Battaglia, a survivor of sexual abuse reacts as founding member of the ECA (Ending Clergy Abuse) Denise Buchanan looks on, in front of Saint Peter’s Square on the final day of the Vatican’s four-day meeting on the global sexual abuse crisis, at the Vatican

S President Donald Trump on Sunday raised hopes that the United States and China would settle their trade dispute ahead of a March 1 deadline as negotiators met to wrap up the latest round of talks.

Talks were extended through the weekend in a bid to iron out differences on changes to China’s treatment of State-owned enterprises, subsidies, forced technology transfers and cyber theft.

The two sides have had no agreement on an enforcement mechanism.

Washington wanted a strong mechanism to ensure that Chinese reform commitments were followed through to completion, while Beijing insisted upon what it called a “fair and objective” process.

Trump said on Friday there was a “good chance” a deal would emerge, and that he might extend the March 1 deadline and move forward with a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Extending the deadline would mean putting on hold a scheduled increase in tariffs to 25 per cent from 10 per cent on US$200 billion worth of Chinese imports into the

United States.

Reuters reported exclusively on Wednesday that both sides were drafting memorandums of understanding (MOUs) on cyber theft, intellectual property rights, services, agriculture and non-tariff barriers to trade, including subsidies.

Trump said the biggest decisions could be reached when he meets with Xi, probably in Florida next month, and that their talks may extend beyond trade to encompass Chinese telecommunications companies Huawei Technologies and ZTE Corp.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

18

guyanatimesgy.com

monday, february 25, 2019

ARCHIE

ARIES (March 21April 19)

dilbert

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

Pick up the pace and finish what you start. How you go about helping others will determine your success. If someone tries to use you or take advantage of your hospitality, back away.

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

Know how much you want to contribute before you offer to help. Promising too much and falling short will put a dent in your reputation. Be precise and honor your pledge.

CANCER

Step up to the podium and let others know what you are capable of doing and what you are willing to contribute. The people you encounter will enrich your life.

(June 21July 22)

Peanuts

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Calvin and Hobbes

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

WORD GAME

Knowledge is power.

Learn all you can before you get into a debate or try to prove a point. Consider the outcome before you pick a side. Don’t share personal information.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

SUDOKU

Emotions will surface if you don’t like what’s going on at home or work. Look at the big picture and avoid negativity. Do what’s best and right.

Participation will help you use pent-up energy constructively. Get out of the house, go to the gym or take part in whatever provides you a challenging and rewarding outlet.

Learn as you go and bring about positive change that will encourage you to improve your life. Be willing to walk away from negativity, demanding people and bad relationships.

Create your own destiny.

Consider what you want to do and start the ball rolling.

Be innovative and seek out those who share your opinions and desires.

Be careful whom you SAGITTARIUS trust with personal infor(Nov. 23- mation, secrets or your posDec. 21) sessions. Lending and borrowing isn’t a good idea.

Someone will twist your words or misinform you.

Last published word

solution for LAST PUBLISHED puzzle

Try to find new ways CAPRICORN to use your skills in ways (Dec. 22- that will improve your cash Jan. 19) flow. Physical labor will encourage you to get in tip-top shape. Romance is on the rise.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

Listen, but don’t share your opinion. The information you pick up will help you decipher who is worth spending time with and who isn’t. A change will be financially beneficial.

Think about what you want to do and travel down the path that draws you.

What you accomplish will make a difference to you and your loved ones.

monday, february 25, 2019

19

Manchester City win Carabao Cup on penalties after Chelsea’s Kepa chaos

W

hen the final kick was delivered, who would have wanted to be in the boots of Kepa Arrizabalaga? Raheem Sterling was setting off on his victory run, the trophy was back in Manchester City’s possession and Pep Guardiola had another piece of silverware for his collection. Yet that told only part of the story bearing in mind the incredible scenes involving Mauricio Sarri, his headstrong goalkeeper and the public show of disobedience that could conceivably accelerate the process of Chelsea looking for another manager.

It was a remarkable finale and an unorthodox one, too, bearing in mind Sarri’s failed attempts to substitute Kepa just before the game headed into the penalty shootout. Kepa had gone down twice with cramp in extra time and Sarri wanted to bring on Willy Caballero, a goalkeeper who had saved three penalties for City when they won this competition in 2016 with a shootout victory against Liverpool.

Kepa clearly had other ideas, signalling that he was fit,

making it absolutely clear he had no intention of going off, then holding his ground and leaving Sarri close to the point of spontaneous combustion on the touchline. Caballero, the penalty specialist, was stripped from his tracksuit, ready to come on, but Kepa did not care. It was a staring contest – and Kepa’s refusal to blink meant he was always going to be the hero or villain in the shootout.

To his credit, the goalkeeper did manage to keep out Leroy Sané’s penalty. Not that it mattered, ultimately, when he also let one from Sergio Agüero go beneath his body, preceded by some failed Grobbelaaresque silliness to put off the scorer, and could not keep out the ones from Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva either.

Ederson, City’s goalkeeper, saved from Jorginho with the first kick of the shootout and, ultimately, David Luiz hitting the post with Chelsea’s fourth effort was the decisive miss. César Azpilicueta and Emerson had both beaten Emerson and Eden Hazard did so with the most outrageous chip. Yet the occasion will be remembered for

the refusal of Chelsea’s goalkeeper to leave the pitch, the public show of rage from his manager and the unmistakable feeling that we were witnessing something unprecedented in a Wembley final.

Sarri was so incensed he stormed down the tunnel and, briefly, it was not entirely clear that he would even return. He thought better of that one – but it needed Antonio Rudiger to hold him back from getting to the Spaniard before the game went to penalties.

To describe Sarri as livid would be an understatement. Justifiably, too, because it would be rare at any level to see a manager being disobeyed this way. For it to happen in a final, with his job potentially on line, was a calamity.

The referee, Jon Moss, should have been firmer and told Kepa his number had flashed up on the electronic board and, frankly, that he needed to get off the pitch. Worse for Sarri, not enough Chelsea players backed up their manager. David Luiz tried to talk some sense into Kepa with no success. But where was Azpilicueta, the captain?

Or the other senior players?

Not that City will care about

those kind of details after winning this trophy for the fourth time in six seasons. It was their sixth victory overall and that means there is only Liverpool, with eight, who have been more successful in this competition.

Pep Guardiola continues to insist a quadruple will be impossible, but it will not be for the lack of trying and, judging by the scenes at the end, they will have a lot of fun trying to find out.

For now, it should be enough that they have secured the season’s first silverware with a performance that was below their best – and certainly a long way short of the six-goal rampage in Manchester a fortnight ago when Guardiola’s men inflicted Chelsea’s heaviest defeat since 1991.

The last time they played one another, Chelsea were four goals down after 24 minutes. This time, City managed only one shot on target throughout the first 90 minutes. There was even the strange phenomenon of Kevin De Bruyne misplacing several passes before being substituted.

David Silva was also replaced. Hazard had looked the most threatening player on the pitch and Chelsea

appeared to have learned from their ordeal in Manchester. They were quick to the ball, they chased down their opponents and played with a collective understanding that, before anything else, they had to find a way to disrupt City’s rhythm.

Once they had managed that, Chelsea started to look increasingly dangerous in the second half, whereas their only threatening moment in the opening 45 minutes came when N’Golo Kanté set off after a long ball through the middle and looked as though he might get a clear run behind the City defence. As often happens with this referee, Moss was some way behind play when Oleksandr Zinchenko cut across Kanté and the Chelsea player went down. A free-kick in that position would have meant a red card and that was certainly what the end of the stadium wearing the darker shade of blue wanted. Instead, Moss waved on play and, more by luck than anything else, that was probably fair given that Kanté had actually controlled the ball on his hand as he ran between Aymeric Laporte and Zinchenko. (The Guardian)

Fit-again Ngidi back in SA ODI squad, Amla left out F ast bowler Lungi Ngidi, who has proven his fitness in the Momentum OneDay Cup after recovering from a knee injury sustained last year, has been recalled to South Africa’s squad for the first three ODIs against Sri Lanka.

Anrich Nortje, who had hurt his ankle in the inaugural M z a n s i Super League (MSL) last year, has also recovered to earn his maiden call-up to the

South Africa squad.

Hashim Amla has been left out of the squad, but a CSA release clarified that he wasn’t dropped and that he “remains a senior member of our squad”. Wicketkeeper-batsman Heinrich Klaasen and seamer Dane Paterson, who were part of South Africa’s squad for their most recent ODI series against Pakistan were also left out, as South Africa look to explore more options in the lead-up to the World Cup. Nortje hit speeds close to 150kph in the MSL and impressed the likes of Dale Steyn and Cape Town Blitz coach Ashwell Prince. Despite suffering an injury during the tournament, he was picked up by Kolkata Knight Riders for R

400,000 in the 2019 IPL auction.

Ngidi is currently the second-highest wicket-taker in the Momentum Cup, with six wickets in two matches at an average of 13.66 and economy rate of 4.31.

“It is great to have Lungi back in the squad after a lengthy period on the sidelines caused by the injury he suffered in the white-ball series in Australia last year,” selection convener Linda Zondi said. “His recent form for the Titans in the Momentum One-Day Cup has been most impressive and he is clearly match fit for international cricket again.

“Anrich has also come back well from injury and we want to see what

he can offer the Proteas after his highly impressive form in the Mzansi Super League. Outright pace is not something that you can coach, and he looks another exciting addition to our pace arsenal.”

Seam-bowling allrounder Wiaan Mulder, who was a late addition into the ODI squad for the series against Pakistan, has been retained. Andile Phehlukwayo and Dwaine Pretorius are the other allrounders in the side while wristspinners Imran Tahir and Tabraiz Shamsi make up the spin attack.

The batting wears a familiar look with captain Faf du Plessis, Quinton de Kock and David Miller leading the way. The five-ODIs series begins in Johannesburg on March 3. (ESPNcricinfo)

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monday, february 25, 2019

Liverpool fail to fire in stalemate with injury-hit Manchester United I

f Liverpool wished to signal serious intent of ending their 29-year wait to be champions of England, they failed. This game in hand over Manchester City featured an underpar performance that will hearten Pep Guardiola’s men, though the point does leave the Merseyside club leaders by a point with 11 matches left.

The draw suits Manchester United far better and given how Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s XI were hindered by three injury-enforced substitutions, all before the interval, the result is a particular morale-booster.

The Norwegian may have overhyped United’s second-half display as “magnificent” but they certainly outplayed Liverpool then and though Jürgen Klopp played down his disappointment, he will be concerned that his team failed to fire.

The sight of Klopp appearing nearfurious throughout – “animated” was his description – and choosing to take off his star turn Mohamed Salah with 11 minutes remaining summed up how Liverpool stuttered.

Solskjær made two changes from Monday’s FA Cup win at Chelsea.

Sergio Romero returned to the bench and Nemanja Matic was injured so in came David de Gea and Scott McTominay. Jesse Lingard’s recovery from a hamstring problem was advanced enough for him to sit on the bench but Anthony Martial was absent because of his groin injury. Klopp also changed two from Tuesday’s Champions League draw with Bayern Munich; James Milner and Virgil van Dijk for Trent Alexander-Arnold and Naby Keïta.

In what would end as a dire, injuryblighted 45 minutes, Liverpool rattled United instantly from kick-off. Ashley Young’s back-pass left De Gea short and in desperation the goalkeeper

Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool beats Alexis Sanchez of Manchester United to the ball

handled the ball. The referee gave the indirect free-kick outside the sixyard area to the right. A short routine ended with a Milner pot-shot hitting the wall and United escaped.

Much of Liverpool’s possession was down to United errors. The next meant Joël Matip received the ball and ran through the home side, causing Ander Herrera to shove him over inside the D, and United were relieved to see Salah spoon the freekick over. Herrera’s act might have been the reason he was forced off on 21 minutes – the Spaniard replaced by Andreas Pereira.

Given Matic’s absence this meant United now had a third-choice in

midfield alongside the second-choice McTominay, Paul Pogba being the only automatic selection left on the field in that position.

Further injury problems occurred moments later when Juan Mata had to come off, though Lingard’s entrance meant United were arguably strengthened. All this disrupted any rhythm the contest had – a point Klopp used to explain his team’s performance.

And there was more: just after the half-hour Roberto Firmino became the match’s third substitution because of a sore ankle that brought Daniel Sturridge on. Sturridge’s first contribution was a 30-yard pea-

roller though this was, at least, some form of attacking act; it would prove Liverpool’s sole attempt on target.

As the interval neared United moved up a gear, putting together the contest’s best move. Pereira intercepted in his half and found Romelu Lukaku. He played in Pogba down the left, who ran on before returning the ball to the No 9. Lukaku paused, slid a clever pass to Lingard but when the substitute tried to beat Alisson, the keeper grabbed the ball.

This proved too much for Lingard, though. Having been spied clutching a hamstring earlier he became United’s third casualty. Solskjær stated all three were caused by the same problem and

that he may have to assess why.

Lingard had lasted 18 minutes.

Alexis Sánchez entered and when the Chilean turned inside from the left and hit an errant pass this was the first half in a microcosm.

The hope was for a higher quality second half but the start hardly augured well. Balls bounced off Sánchez – as they tend to do – and when United moved up-field via Luke Shaw and McTominay it petered out.

Young took two free-kicks, from the right and left, and first Pogba, then Sánchez, were offside.

Liverpool, finally, posed a serious question. Jordan Henderson broke along the right and aimed a cross at Sadio Mané but Pereira, not for the first time, blocked. The crowd were vocal and the contest, too, had livened up. When Young pinged a ball on to Marcus Rashford’s toes the No 10 required a slicker touch than that which allowed Alisson to clean up.

United were in the ascendancy and Klopp was in a perma-rage, unhappy at his side’s sluggishness.

Liverpool, perhaps remembering this was their match in hand, did now pin United back. Henderson looked to play in Salah but Shaw stymied this with his head. Young did the same to a Milner ball and Georginio Wijnaldum’s cut inside was followed by a wild effort.

The first tactical substitution came on 72 minutes, Klopp replacing the disappointing Henderson with Xherdan Shaqiri. The German continued to be upset – taking aim at the substitute for lax defending – while having the countenance of a man baffled at what he witnessed. At the close Chris Smalling had a golden chance to convert Lukaku’s cross but there was no grandstand finish. (The Guardian)

Raj calls for age-group World Cups to improve depth in women’s game

M

ithali Raj has called for age-group world tournaments in women’s cricket, which would raise the profile of the sport and help develop cricketers. India’s ODI captain said that an agegroup World Cup would act as a bridge between domestic and international cricket.

“It will be important because every country is looking forward to getting more girls to play the sport,” Raj said on the eve of India’s second ODI against England in Mumbai. “And if you have another World Cup of, say, Under-19 or Under-21, it gives an opportunity for young girls to compete at that level because there’s something to look forward to.

“Someone who’s playing Under-19, they have to straightaway aim for the senior level [World Cup-wise]. That’s a long shot. Very few are able to make it. For the rest who don’t make it, at least they have another shot at playing or representing their country at the World Cup.” Raj also felt that India’s domestic pool was deep enough for the BCCI to start a women’s IPL. A year back, Raj held the view that a women’s T20 league wasn’t feasible. But since then, the ICC has successfully staged a first-ever standalone Women’s T20 World Cup in November.

“Now, since a year or two people have gone beyond [recognising] two-three players [in the Indian squad],” Raj said. “Now they recognise other players in the squad and now is the right time to

their international debuts in South Africa in February 2018, batsman Jemimah Rodrigues and left-arm spinner Radha Yadav played in the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean, and made vital contributions in India’s run

Deol came in on the back of her performances in the Challenger Trophy and in a warm-up match against a full-strength England side before the ODIs. “A lot of young players who come in like Harleen or any

get in IPL because T20 is also a format that ICC is looking to promote women’s cricket. So it’s important if we can have an IPL, promote an IPL kind of league in our country, so the domestic structure will improve immensely.”

The influx of domestic players in India’s limitedovers squad has been steady since the 2017 World Cup. And less than a year since

to the semi-finals.

Among the relatively younger lot, wicketkeeperbatsman Taniya Bhatia and pacer Arundhati Reddy have had reasonable success as first-choice options in the XI. Harleen Deol, India’s newest ODI player who replaced the injured Harmanpreet Kaur, made her debut in the first ODI of the series against England, which India won by 66 runs.

debutant will take some time because our domestic structure doesn’t offer that much experience before coming into [the] international arena,” Raj said. “So, if you have leagues like this, when they make a debut, they are already experienced enough to absorb the pressure at international levels.”

The ODI series against England has 9am starts, with all three games scheduled on

weekdays. England captain Heather Knight had expressed surprise at the timing, which has also seen sparse crowd turnout, with fewer than 200 spectators showing up at the Wankhede Stadium for the first ODI. “We play a lot of day-night games all over the world,” Knight had said. “Personally, I was surprised it’s going to start at 9 o’clock. I felt 10 o’clock would still be fine… Obviously there’s a bit of dew at 9 o’clock.

I don’t know why we’re starting at 9, not 10.”

Raj, however, felt that the poor turnout would have no bearing on the crowd that could potentially watch the forthcoming women’s exhibition games, which the BCCI is planning to hold during IPL 2019, having successfully held a women’s exhibition match in IPL 2018.

“Having [women’s] IPL in the mind… that’s the T20 format. You cannot think about promoting that format along with the homes series [because] that’s a completely different format,” Raj said. “In India, every one-day game starts at 9am, whether men’s or women’s.”

Raj’s views on how the women’s exhibition games should be scheduled differed from those of Jhulan Goswami, her long-time teammate.

Goswami had told ESPNcricinfo last week that she didn’t believe “double-headers are or will be encouraged in our country anytime soon”. Raj, however, mooted the idea of having the matches as double-headers, pointing to the example of India’s recent series in New Zealand, where the women’s matches and men’s matches took place on the same day, at the same venue.

“As far as IPL is concerned, if that can be a double-header, like how we had the T20Is, in New Zealand, that will definitely garner more people to come and watch us play,” Raj said.

“And obviously televising it and marketing it will get a lot of people to follow it.”

Raj also underlined that the women’s exhibition matches, or even a full-fledged women’s IPL whenever it comes about, shouldn’t be the only means to create a supply chain of good domestic players.

“Given we also have India A tour, I’m sure there is one in the near future,” Raj said. “If we have more of that and we can give opportunity to the second string, not just playing at home against visiting teams as part of President’s XI or India A, but also tours abroad, playing against Australia A or New Zealand A, that exposure will help them immensely.” (ESPNcricinfo)

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21

Darren Bravo hails Chris Gayle as a “legend” and “priceless” D

arren Bravo has hailed Chris Gayle as “a legend” and “priceless” in terms of the experience he provides for the West Indies team.

While Bravo, who is scheduled to play his 100th ODI in Grenada today, admits there are times when Gayle’s lack of mobility can be frustrating, he believes he more than compensates with his destructive power and charisma.

“He’s definitely a hero to the young players,” Bravo said. “Not even a hero; he’s a legend.

“The experience of having Chris in the dressing room is priceless. He puts a smile on each and every player’s face.

And, as you can see when we go out there, we really enjoy our cricket.

“If you look at the stats, he’s achieved a lot at international level. He’s a special player. We’re really happy to have him.

“He’s getting on a bit in age but he’s still striking the ball nicely so that is the most important thing.

And in the dressing room he’s always giving information. He’s helping all the youngsters.

“I think over the last few years

he’s changed the game a little bit.

He’s not going so hard as before.

He understands his game pretty well. As long as it all goes well, as long as his ap- proach is concerned, I don’t see any r e a son we can’t consis-

Chris Gayle

tently cross the 300 mark.

“At times [it can be frustrating batting with him].

There are obvious singles that he may not take as he’s probably getting a little slow.

But having him at the other end… he can make up. He can hit two sixes in the next over and make up for the single that was deprived from the other batter.

“I don’t want to get too negative: so far he’s been our highest run-scorer. He’s been tremendous and I want to wish him all the best.”

Bravo will bec o m e t h e

Darren Bravo

30th West Indies player to reach 100 ODI caps if he plays today. Having had an extended break from the side after a public fall-out with CWI President, Dave Cameron, he now says he is enjoying his cricket - and an environment which allows players to appear in T20 tournaments without compromising their international aspirations - more than ever.

He also had praise for interim coach Richard Pybus, who was seen by some as a controversial appointment.

“I’m happy; the guys are smiling,” he said. “It’s always good to have the best of both worlds. It’s a good feeling. There’s a nice gel of experience and young guys. The fans are enjoying our style of play, which is the most important thing.

“Pybus is doing a fantastic job. So far so good. I wish him all the best.”

West Indies are likely to be unchanged for the third ODI. But with Andre Russell expecting to join the squad on Tuesday and available for selection in the fourth and fifth ODIs, Carlos Brathwaite, in particular, may be under pressure to retain his place. (ESPNcricinfo)

James criticises Lakers’ “sense of urgency”

L

eBron James has acknowledged that he knew his young teammates would have a learning curve when he joined the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency last offseason.

But after a 128-115 loss to the woeful New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday night, James bemoaned his teammates’ “sense of urgency.”

The Lakers have not made the playoffs since after the 2012-13 season. And with three losses in the past four games, their chances this season are fading.

And James, who has played in eight consecutive NBA Finals, showed his frustration after the most recent loss.

“How many know what’s at stake if you’ve never been there?” James pondered after Saturday’s loss to the Pelicans, who were playing without star Anthony Davis. “I’m playing

I mean, we have, what — 23 games left? We’ll see what happens.”

James has appeared in 239 playoff games and wants more.

On Saturday, he seemingly remembered every loss of the season.

devil’s advocate, you know? It’s kind of a fine line when you talk about that, because when you’ve never been there or know what it takes to actually shoot for something like that, sometimes you’re afraid to get uncomfortable.

“So you got to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. So I’m not saying that’s what we are as a whole. It kind of looks that way at times, that sometimes we’re afraid to be uncomfortable and kind of get out of our comfort zone and kind of, you know, have that sense of urgency from the jump, and not be afraid to actually go out and fail to succeed. So

LeBron James

“The last few years, everyone’s so accustomed to the losses that I’m just not accustomed to,” James said.

“I’m not accustomed to it. I will never get comfortable with losing. So losing Game 1 to Houston, it feels the same way as losing Game 59 in New Orleans to me. It’s just how I’m built. That’s who I am.”

Veteran point guard Rajon Rondo, who has 105 career playoff appearances, said the team needs to “play for each other” more often.

“We have no other choice,” Rondo said “It’s either we do or we don’t.

We do, we make the playoffs, and still with that mindset if we do, if we get in the playoffs we can easily get swept in four games.

So we have to start buying into the scouting report and start buying into each other and start to play for each other a lot more.” (Reuters)

Campbell hopes to keep running, but Jamaican distance athlete will need ICD

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Jamaica’s Kemoy Campbell leads a line of runners at the Millrose Games

amaica distance runner Kemoy Campbell seems to have set his sights on a return to the track, just over two weeks after collapsing during a race at the Millrose Games in New York.

The 28-year-old athlete will, however, plans to compete with the help of an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD), a device that will restart his heart should it stop suddenly again. Campbell collapsed during the men’s 3000 metres race in early February and had to be revived with the use of CPR and a defibrillator after trackside medical staff treated him for minutes.

The athlete confirmed, via his Instagram account on Saturday, that subsequent tests had failed to discover a reason for the illness, but seemed to suggest he had every intention to return to the track.

“After multiple vials of blood, ECHOs, EKGs, ultrasounds, MRI, CAT scan, PET scan, and heart biopsy. The weeks of testing resulted in no diagnosis for the cause of my heart stopping.

‘On Monday I will be putting an ICD in my body (left side of my ribs). This device will shock my heart back into rhythm if this is to happen again. I was told that I would have to take a few months off from running. After those months I could start getting back at it slowly with permission from the cardiologist.” (Sportsmax)

22

monday, february 25, 2019

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

Trophy Stall Golf Classic…

Dinanauth wins in fine style – Reis, Persaud secure their flights

L

ast Saturday, the tees were lined up as early as 6:30 am, as almost 50 registered participants took to the Lusignan Golf Course for the annual Trophy Stall Golf Classic.

Kevin Dinanauth, who had not played in a tournament since the Guyana Open of November 2018, said after his victory, “I have been practising once a week, and today I determined to focus on my game and play well.

And because the course is very encouraging to play, I was able to do well.”

Scoring a total of 4 birdies and 6 bogies, he ended the tournament 2 over par, obtaining the Best Gross as well as the Best Net score, and so emerging champion of the tournament.

The tournament was played in 3 flights, with prizes being awarded to the first two Net places in each flight. Prizes were also awarded to the Nearest to The Pin and Longest Drive winners.

Kevin Dinanauth

In the 22 – 28 Handicap flight, winners were: Clifford Reis (72/25) – 1st; Jordi Pinol (74/28) – 2nd. Strong competition was offered from Anasha Ally (74/28)

(who tied with Clifford Reis for 2nd place, but lost on the countback); Maurice Solomon (75/24); Eion Blue (75/28); Albert Rohan (75/25) and Last week’s LGC

Valentine weekend champion Robert Hanoman (78/27).

Commenting on his win, Reis explained that the course was in fine condition, and he enjoyed

the camaraderie and competition.

In the 16 – 21 Handicap flight. Winners were: Patanjilee Persaud (71/16) – 1st; Bholawram Deo (72/18) – 2nd, with very keen competition from Hilbert Shields (73/16); Mahendra Bhagwandin (73/20); Aasrodeen Shaw (76/16) and Brian Glasford (76/17).

In the 0 – 15 flight, winners were: Kevin Dinanauth (68/6) – 1st; Dr Joaan Deo (70/15) – 2nd; followed keenly by Club President Aleem Hussain (71/10); reigning Guyana Open Male Champion Avinash Persaud (73/2); and Patrick Prashad (73/9).

According to the Lusignan Golf Club, Ramesh Sunich, Managing Director of Trophy Stall, the tournament’s sponsor, continues to provide sterling support to golfing in Guyana.

Having begun his involvement some 20 years ago, he has continued with tournament sponsorship annually for the past 10 years.

Mambo Sports Bar sponsors 18-team domino tourney India will stand by nation over Pakistan game boycott A

Mambo Manager Lalita Narine handing over one of the trophies to Mark “Jumbie” Wiltshire in the presence of Detanglie Narine at the Bar’s location

growing number of corporate entities have been offering support for the sport of Dominoes, and Mambo Sports Bar of Barr Street, Kitty has determined that it would not be left out.

The popular sports bar has agreed to sponsor an eighteen-team competition in collaboration with Mark ‘Jumbie’ Wiltshire.

This competition will be staged on March 3 at the sponsor’s location.

Mambo Manager Lalita Narine on Friday handed over the trophies and committed to sponsorship of the tournament during a simple ceremony that was conducted at the sports bar.

Wiltshire was present at the occasion to receive the trophies, and in brief remarks, he promised that the event would attract most of the best teams in the country.

Close to $300,000 in prize money would

be up for grabs with the winning team set to collect $175,000, while second and third place finishers will take home $75,000 and $45,000 respectively.

Wiltshire added that the rules of the Guyana National Domino Association would be in effect, and the format to be used is 4 games, 6 sittings, in 2 one out system.

Narine declared Mambo happy to be associated with the sport, adding that she has witnessed its growth both in terms of popularity and participation, so she is confident the collaboration would reap success and be executed with the discipline that any corporate partner would appreciate.

Double six time is set at 14:00hrs, and entrance fee is $12,000 per team.

Drinks and food will be on sale throughout the day.

I

ndia’s team will stand by the decision of their “government and board” over whether to boycott the World Cup game against Pakistan, says Virat Kohli.

There are doubts the match will take place after a Pakistan-based militant group took responsibility for a suicide attack in Indian-administered Kashmir.

The two countries are scheduled to meet on 16 June at the World Cup in England.

“The Indian team and the whole set-up was shocked and sad with what happened,” said captain Kohli.

“Our stand is simple: we stick by what the nation wants to do and what the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) decides to do.

“That is basically our opinion. Whatever the government and the board decide, we will go by that and we will respect that.”

At least 46 Indian paramilitary police were killed in an attack which has sparked anger and anti-Pakistan protests across India, although Pakistan has denied any involvement.

– Kohli

In the fallout, the BCCI called on the International Cricket Council to “sever ties with countries from which terrorism emanates”.

The statement appears to support speculation India would like the International Cricket Council to ban Pakistan from the competition rather than boycotting the group game at Old Trafford in Manchester, which attracted half a million requests for 25,000 tickets.

India have won six consecutive matches against Pakistan in World Cups.

India legend Sachin Tendulkar wrote on Twitter that while it would be painful to lose potential points by not playing Pakistan this summer, he would support the decision of the BCCI. The situation has also seen the International Olympic Committee suspend applications from India to host future events after two Pakistan athletes were denied visas to compete in the country.

Two shooters were denied entry for a World Cup event in New Delhi. (BBC Sport)

guyanatimesgy.com

monday, february 25, 2019

23

Courtland’s best:

The West Indies Assistant Coach – “Charles” Crandon delighted with son’s achievements Guyana Jaguars Coach.

Esuan’s cricket started from home, when he attended the Courtland Primary School and Lower Corentyne Secondary School.

In 1998, he joined t h e Rose Hall Town Youth a n d Sports Club, where he was

By Brandon Corlette

“I

’m a very proud father, (and) very happy for my son,” were some of the sentiments Esuan Crandon’s father William Crandon shared.

Berbice, the so-called Ancient County, has continued to produce greatness, and Windies Assistant Coach Esuan Crandon is certainly in that category.

Speaking exclusively to Guyana Times Sport, William “Charles” Crandon shared the success journey of the most successful

seen as one of the better fast bowlers of his era coming through the ranks. Around 20, he showed maturity, handling practice sessions at the cricket club and coaching at academy programmes, William revealed.

“Esuan grew up in a very quiet area, where the entire family played cricket. I played cricket in the army. On the weekends I assisted both Esuan and Royston in their basic training,” Charles explained.

The entire Courtland area is certainly proud that a product of their community has played a significant role in Guyana’s cricket, he revealed.

“Everyone in the community has expected Esuan to join the Windies coaching set-up before the appointment of the foreign coaches. He has all the experience and abilities of a coach”, Charles declared.

Esuan is a straightforward Christian guy who is very humble. Charles believes that his son deserves this opportunity to serve the West Indies Cricket Team as Assistant Coach. The 37-year-old Esuan never tells, unless you ask. Charles first knew that his son had undergone a coaching course when he was in England on a stint, playing cricket.

“He did a coaching course as a

fast bowler. His body began to tell on him, and he rightly decided to assist others in the game of cricket,” Charles revealed.

Esuan Asqui Crandon surprised his father when he became a fast bowler. He gained recognition at Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club, and never looked back. In 2000/01, Esuan made his First Class debut playing 38 matches, grabbing 90 wickets with his right arm fast bowling and a best bowling figure of 7-125.

He played his last First Class match against the Windward Islands in Kingstown, and his younger brother Royston was also involved in that match.

The proud father of the Crandon brothers disclosed that he has seen Royston as an aggressive person while Esuan is regarded as the calm and composed individual.

Esuan has always shown how eager he is to learn from other coaches and players, Charles said. He grew up with that same mindset, and it has certainly paid off.

Charles hopes that Esuan remains that humble individual who will play a significant role in West Indies’ resurgence in International cricket. The Crandon family and the entire nation is proud that Esuan has played a part in the recent Test series win against England.

How will England respond to the Cottrell probe?

R

ight then - we have a series on our hands.

Not for the first time on this tour, Windies showed in Barbados that they are not to be underestimated and in doing so have given England something to worry about. Specifically, Sheldon Cottrell. Or perhaps, more positively for the world number one side, they have identified a weakness that needs to be addressed.

Since the start of 2017, England’s batsmen have averaged 25 against left-armers compared to the 40 against rightarm. With fewer lefties around, those you do come across tend to be of a high quality and the shift in angle is going to take some getting used to. Even with fewer days between each match, Eoin Morgan has asked his charges to come up with their own plans against the army man whose career-best of 5 for 46 removed both openers before skewering three more at crucial points during the chase.

It was also a wakeup call that this side could be undone in such fashion by opposition ranked ninth.

England’s fallibility when the pressure is on is no secret and the manner of defeats in the 2013 Champions Trophy final and the 2017 semi-final have them on red alert anyway. But here was a timely reminder that even from a comfortable position of 62 needed from 61 balls with six wickets

What to expect

remaining, against a side they had bested just two days earlier, nothing could be taken for granted. It also

showed the Windies that they are a match for any side.

The presence of Cottrell in the second ODI seemed to lift the rest of the bowling attack and blessed Jason Holder with trusted options as the pressure rose. And while England may entertain changes, Windies could do with lett i n g t h i s

team, specifically even this XI, see out the series to develop a strong core for when players like Shannon Gabriel, Evin Lewis and perhaps even Andre Russell return from suspension, injury and the cold, respectively.

Individually, there is still much to play for in the short term. John Campbell has made brisk starts without really cashing in, while another set of fifties for Shai Hope and Darren Bravo wouldn’t go amiss. Jonny Bairstow averages just 28 in his last 10 ODIs and while Mark Wood is making an impression on the speed gun, he could do with ticking over in the wickets column.

They haven’t played ODIs at this ground since 2014 but the hosts have won all of the last five, although their opponents Bangladesh and Zimbabwe - did not offer the sternest of tests. A rough guess on what has come before suggests a score of 350 here is well on the cards.

More of the same? Perhaps some extra pace bowling if the surface dictates it, though Nurse’s hitting at the death and Bishoo’s 10 overs for just 49 in the last match may see both kept in. Why change a winning team...

Morgan stated it was unnecessary to push Woakes’ knee to the limit with back-to-back games.

After sitting out the last match, expect England to go back to their best limited overs bowler and, if they’re feeling particularly frisky, even giving Joe Denly a run out.

As it stands, expect them to play the XI that won the first ODI. Probable XI: Chris Gayle, John Campbell, Shai Hope, Darren Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Carlos Brathwaite, Ashley Nurse, Devendra Bishoo, Sheldon Cottrell, Oshane Thomas – (Nicholas Pooran, Fabian Allen – squad) England: Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan(c), Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler(w), Moeen Ali, Tom Curran, Adil Rashid, Liam Plunkett, Mark Wood, Alex Hales, Joe Denly, Chris Woakes, David Willey The first ball bowls off in Grenada at 09:30h.(cricbuzz)

monday, february 25, 2019

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

guyanatimesgy.com

Page 23

How will England respond to the Cottrell probe?

Trophy Stall Golf Classic…

Page 22

Dinanauth wins in fine style – Reis, Persaud secure their flights

The top performers pose with visiting Halifax, UK Football Club President Robert Holmes, who, along with some friends, had dropped in to observe proceedings at the invitation of the LGC President

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