Guyana Times October 7, 2018

LOOK INSIDE !

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

Issue No. 3709

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Sunday, October 7, 2018

PRICE

Canada, Guyana to sign oil MoU this month Page 9

Valuation of GuySuCo assets

Jagdeo calls for release of PwC valuation report Page 3

Pirates attack 8 Guyanese fishermen in Waini River Page 13

“National Honour System is part of our culture” – President Page 12

$120 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE:

ECD road expansion

P15

Consultant investigated in Pakistan for alleged corruption

P7 Wine, improvised weapons found in countrywide prison raids

LGE 2018

P5 AFC responsible for 2015 coalition win – Cathy Hughes

Canada drug bust

Wanted P18 Guyanese businesswoman nabbed in Suriname

Thousands without potable water on WCD Page 11

CH&PA halts construction of gas station on Govt reserve

P10

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BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Sunday, October 7 – a night retraction at 03:00h and a day retraction from 14:30h-16:00h and Monday, October 8 – a night retraction at 04:00h and a day retraction from 14:30h-16:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Sunday, October 7 – 15:15h-16:45h and Monday, October 8 –15:55h-17:25h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

Valuation of GuySuCo’s assets

Jagdeo calls for release of PwC valuation report – says public must judge fairness of investments for themselves Skeldon and East Demerara estates by next year.

Some of the topics discussed at the meeting last week included questions about the Government’s energy policy, and whether or not there will be markets for products such as ethanol.

Permits for intended workers, the condition of the estates, and whether they are worth buying were also raised. It was indicated that the East Demerara Estate was operational during the last crop, while

WEATHER TODAY

Early morning sunny skies are expected to give way to sunny intervals which will last throughout most of the day, with sunny skies returning in the afternoon. Clear skies are expected in the evening, with temperatures ranging between 21 degrees Celsius and 32 degrees Celsius.

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

High Tide: 03:00h and 15:24h reaching maximum heights of 2.64 metres and 2.70 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 08:56h and 21:19h reaching minimum heights of 0.54 metre and 0.50 metre respectively.

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Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

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he parliamentary Opposition has called on the Government to publicise the Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC) valuation report into the Guyana Sugar Corporation’s (GuySuCo) assets.

The valuation was supposed to have preceded the sale of the various estates and accompanying assets.

That process has already started; however, neither the Government nor the accounting firm has released the document. At his recent press conference, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo zeroed in on this state of affairs.

“We were told that before any decision was made, that Price Waterhouse Coopers will do a valuation of assets. Where is the valuation of the assets and why don’t they release it to the Guyanese public, so we will see what they have valued the assets of GuySuCo at and whether we come close to realising that value.”

“Or if they have undervalued the assets of GuySuCo and then would claim that they got more than the valuation. We’d like to see a copy of the report. But it seems as though its done secretly and we don’t know what assurances are given by PwC and [Special Purpose Unit] SPU, whether those are assurances Cabinet has agreed to,” the Opposition Leader said.

Some 14 companies hailing from as far as Canada, and as near as Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana, have so far expressed interest in purchasing the three remaining sugar estates that are up for sale.

A meeting with these investors and officials from the Special Purpose Unit was held on September 25.

According to the Unit, they would have met with the

to be opened in 2019. Bids for the privatisation process are expected to be submitted by October 31.

In May 2017, Government announced plans to close the Enmore and Rose Hall Sugar Estates, sell the Skeldon Sugar Factory, reduce the annual production of sugar, and take on the responsibility of managing the drainage and irrigation services offered by GuySuCo. In November of that year, GuySuCo announced plans to retrench 2500

The East Demerara Sugar Estate was already valuated by PwC

executives to discuss taxes and permits, and NICIL is expecting that they would be able to sell the Rose Hall,

Skeldon is in preparation mode to open in November.

The Rose Hall estate, on the other hand, is expected

workers by the end of that year. That number increased substantially and ended up being over 7000.

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

Editorial

Reversing October 5th democratic gains

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he arguments over the basic rules of conducting the Local Government Elections (LGE), which have even escalated to court filings, augment the concerns first triggered by President David Granger’s unilateral appointment of the GECOM Chairman on the state of the democratic advance the “free and fair” elections of October 5, 1992 were supposed to have inaugurated twenty-six years ago. The advance was to have eventually ensured the “democracy” famously defined by Abraham Lincoln: “rule by the people for the people and of the people”.

From this definition, democracy can be seen as having two fundamental aspects – procedural and substantive.

Elections are one fundamental facet of procedural democracy, and outline the “procedure” used for “the people” to choose their representatives, who would “rule” (“govern” in our modern terminology) on their behalf.

“Substantive democracy”, on the other hand, is what democracy is really all about, and it demands that “the people” be involved in the decisions that affect them as closely as possible: that is, to ensure “rule for and of the people”.

Even if there were procedural democracy in a country, but not substantive democracy, the form of rule would become “totalitarian democracy”, since the people are merely rubber stamping the unilateral actions of the rulers.

In Guyana, however, we have not even gone off the blocks in the race for procedural democracy if the elections are compromised. We stand, therefore, in danger of replicating the essential totalitarian regime of the PNC between 1968 and 1992, when the elections were flagrantly manipulated and rigged to ensure the PNC massive “majorities” to run roughshod over the people.

Even if the results of the 2015 elections were not manipulated as claimed by the PPP, the substantive aspects of the PNC-led Government’s rule since then have been so traduced that, in concatenation with the abovementioned electoral gymnastics, the future of democracy is not only threatened, but totalitarian rule is in the air. Even if Guyana did not have a polity characterised by ethnic fissures which result in a two-party system that is ethnically exclusive, the PNC’s rule would still have excluded “the people”: they denied even their own supporters from being involved in decision-making.

The most blatant example is the PNC’s refusal to meet with their four coalition partners in the “A Partnership for National Unity” (APNU) on a regular basis, so that their input on decisions can be proffered. The President recently revealed that the Junior Ministries allocated to these parties are not involved in Cabinet meetings. His refusal to implement the terms of the Cummingsburg Accord, which APNU negotiated with the Alliance for Change (AFC) – especially the promise to increase the powers of the AFC-selected Prime Minister at the expense of the PNC-selected President – effectively vitiated the supporters of that party from being anything but spectators of the decision-making process.

But the impact of the lack of substantive democracy is exacerbated in our ethnically polarised country when the PNC-led Government refuses to hark to the principle of ‘audiatur et altera pars” – meaning: “listen to the other side”. The procedures and systems that were put in place by tradition and constitutional enactment to ensure Opposition’s input have been systematically stymied.

In the National Assembly, the PNC-appointed Speaker routinely gags the PPP MPs by denying them the opportunity to effectively respond to governmental proposals. The Constitutional stipulations to ensure the Opposition is consulted on major decisions, such as the appointment of the GECOM Chair, have been arrogated by the president as being his “prerogative”.

When the opposition Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) – with its support base ensuring it has only one seat less than the PNC-led coalition – are shut out from decisions such as the firing of 5700 sugar workers, a grave danger is posed to not only democracy, but, indeed, to the very fabric of a peaceful society. History has demonstrated that such scenarios have inevitably led to extreme actions as the excluded demand to be heard.

The international community should take notice.

A student of Annai Primary School, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), showcases her robot at the First Lady’s Self-reliance and Success in Business and the STEM Robotics workshops, hosted in the region. Also in photo are Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Lilian Chatterjee; and UNDP Resident Representative to Guyana, Mikiko Tanaka

Ignoring social and economic impacts of estate closure

Dear Editor, When I read this headline, “Sometimes my children wake up hungry and all I can do is cry”, I could not believe what this Government has done to the lives of the hardworking sugar workers of this country. How can our President and his plethora of hardly-working ministers digest their 50 per cent salary increases? How can they still regurgitate the worthless ‘good life’ mantra, which now represents an insult to anyone with an iota of intelligence or reasoning?

In 2015, both the President and the Prime Minister had pledged that the ‘sugar industry is too big to fail’, and that no sugar estate will be closed.

The Government-sponsored CoI, which was completed in October 2015, had endorsed this stance. The PPP had warned that this is sheer hypocrisy, and that the Coalition Government would use the scalpel destructively to extract their pound of flesh from the sugar workers.

However, just two months after the CoI was completed and made public, the guillotine fell on the Wales Sugar Estate; and the following year, Rose Hall, Enmore and Skeldon estates were added to the casualty list. The sugar workers have become expendables, they were ‘raid-

ers of the Treasury’, according to Moses Nagamootoo, their erstwhile ‘champion’, who is now enjoying the ‘fat cat’ status , a term he had coined to describe the previous Government but now aptly fits his.

In their haste to castigate the sugar workers, who are deemed to be PPP members and supporters, the Coalition made a great tactical blunder that not only destroyed the economies of the various communities and the country as a whole, but irreparably damaged their reputation, which will not only serve to decimate their support in this LG Election, but in the 2020 General Election as well. Humpty Dumpty had fallen!

The tales of sorrow and woe of the dismissed sugar workers, Eon Collymore and his wife Melissa Sinclair, are reverberating throughout the communities of Wales, Rose Hall, Enmore and Skeldon. Parents and children are forced to live in dire poverty, struggling daily to have meals on the table, and school is becoming a distant memory for some.

Even those sugar workers who are employed in the operational estates are having a rough time, since they have not received any wage increase since 2015, and many benefits have been snatched from them.

Why are the cries of

the dismissed sugar workers not heeded by this Government? Is it because they feel that these people did not vote for them?

But alas! Not only are the dismissed sugar workers suffering, but all those who were dependent on them: the taxi drivers, the vendors, the businessmen, the carpenters and other tradesmen. The ripple effect is terrifying. How is it that the social and economic impacts of the closure of these estates were ignored?

The European Union, in its National Adaptation Strategy, had specifically stated that the Government must support the livelihoods of workers who are going to be negatively affected by the sugar reforms.

This ‘good life’ Government ignored this stipulation.

The National Adaptation Strategy has implied that workers must be paid their severance to buffer any hardships which are bound to accrue after losing their jobs. Let us, for a moment, pause and put ourselves in the position of the worker who has lost his job, does not have a saving, owes money to creditors or the bank, has a family to take care of, and has not received his severance pay. A few workers have committed suicide because of this, while others have been reduced to begging. Moreover, those who owe the bank are being

pressured to find the loan installments. The underperforming loans are now on the increase, as the economy is shrinking uncontrollably. All this is happening while the Government is illegally withholding the severance of many of the dismissed sugar workers. This is most heartless!

Then amidst protest by sugar workers, many of whom are yet to receive their full severance pay, the President has the temerity to tell the Skeldon residents, “You are the commercial capital of Berbice.” This is preposterous! Skeldon, New Amsterdam and Rose Hall are dying municipalities under this Government.

They have been relegated to ‘ghost town’ status. I do submit that the President should have used the past tense!

The President seems to be an expert in empty rhetoric, tired clichés and boring platitudes! His speech writers need to be fired!

I am calling on this Government to visit these dying communities and to fully comprehend the adverse social and economic impact resulting from their unconscionable and obscene haste to shut down the four estates.

Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf RDC Councillor, Region Six

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LGE 2018

AFC responsible for 2015 Coalition win – Cathy Hughes

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n a fiery address at the official launching of the Alliance for Change’s (AFC’s) Local Government Elections campaign, Deputy Campaign Manager, Public Telecommunications Minister Cathy Hughes, declared her party solely responsible for the 2015 victory of the now Coalition Government.

“We, the AFC, we alone, made 2015 possible. Anybody else that want to say that they could have done it by itself -and you know who I talking about -- ask them how, in all them elections before, they couldn’t do it. Even if by some terrible fluke we ended up with half the seats we got before then, somebody who was forming a Government still got to come and talk to we; so remember that when everybody pulling you down,” Hughes charged.

She made the statement at the AFC’s Railway

Public Telecommunications Minister Cathy Hughes addressing the candidates

Embankment, Kitty Center for Change at the first Candidates Expo on Saturday.

The minister said that, some 13 years ago, the AFC met and committed to be the agents of change, and they have excelled at doing just that.

She told the Local

Government Election (LGE) candidates they need to understand that they will know when they are working hard, because there will be a lot of external forces attempting to pull them down.

“In terms of the stability of the Coalition, we may have been too accommodating; who

knows? We get blamed for that, but guess what: we learn fast, and we are ready for this next important phase,” she noted.

Hughes reminded the candidates that change is a process, and that now is the time to instill the long-lost hope in the communities. She urged the new members to start working at the grassroots level and make their way up the ladder towards political success.

“Local content is not about legislation, but how you prepare yourself, your children and families to grasp the opportunities that are ahead.

You got to look for the opportunities and grasp them. Only you are responsible for yourself, and failure to grasp these opportunities,” Hughes added.

Meanwhile, AFC Campaign Manager, Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson, said the time is now

when the AFC shows the country that it is alive and well, and not dead and buried as some people have been saying.

He said he has been receiving numerous complaints of dirty campaigning, and he urged the candidates to be respectful to their opponents. Additionally, he said that if they are leaving messages on social media, then they ought not to attach their names, since “plausible deniability is what we live by.

“If war break, defend yourself at all times. I don’t believe in turning the next cheek. People complaining that the AFC ministers are going into regions and saying that the community projects that Government done we are claiming (them) as our contribution. Any road I build, you tell them is David Patterson from AFC build it, and we have to walk the walk. We are too modest to take our credit,” Patterson said.

“They had a chance. We went to it and said to them that here are our rules of engagement and here is what we would like as a coalition to participate in Local Government. So therefore you tell them that every single IT hub – yes, the money come from the Government, but the brains, the style, the execution, the charisma is Minister Cathy Hughes…You don’t be ashamed to claim what is yours,” Patterson said, while throwing shade at its Coalition partner APNU. Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo also delivered remarks, urging the candidates to fight the good fight.

The party will host similar events in other regions on upcoming dates. The event also saw the launch of the party’s campaign jingle, ‘Fit & Proppa’, and the LGE Edition of The Key – the party’s newspapers.

Survey: Nation disenchanted with handling of varied issues Dear Editor, The findings of an opinion survey conducted by this writer for the North American Caribbean Teachers Association (NACTA) last July showed people are disenchanted with the incumbent coalition APNU/AFC Government’s handling of several issues.

The Government scores poorly on a range of issues, while the Opposition has the confidence of a majority.

The survey finds that three

quarters of the nation feel they are worse off today than they were three years ago. A majority of the nation is not satisfied with the Government’s handling of the economy, corruption, crime, contract negotiations with Exxon, the Cyber Bill, and the termination of sugar workers. People do not express much hope in their future wellbeing, with an overwhelming majority saying the country is moving in the wrong direction.

They are critical of the Government for its termination of well-known independent-minded Guyana Chronicle columnists Lincoln Lewis and David Hinds. The nation is also disappointed with how the Government has marked the late President Cheddi Jagan’s 100th birth anniversary. They say Government has not done enough to honour the late Dr Jagan, with many saying the Government has disrespected the memory of the founding fa-

ther of the nation.

Respondents also express grave concern about the fairness of the next elections in Guyana. A large majority say they don’t think the elections will be free and fair. However, if an election were called now and it is free and fair, people feel PPP would win a majority.

Guyanese say the US has to be the guarantor of free and fair elections in Guyana, and a lopsided majority want closer relations with America.

ROs performance was calamitous, exceptionally poor

Dear Editor, Many of the Guyana Elections Commission’s (GECOM’s) Returning Officers (ROs) seriously bungled the Local Government Elections’ (LGE’s) Nomination Day activities. After this under-par and woefully unacceptable performance, there is a heavy, laboured apprehension by the general public as to what might be the outcome of the general GECOM staff performance at the upcoming Disciplined Services voting; also specifically in supervising the full voting on November 12th, 2018.

In general, the ROs’ performance was calamitous and exceptionally poor. The circumstances therefore demand answers to many emerging and pertinent questions. It is necessary for the nation to be informed why so many of GECOM’s permanent staff members were employed specifically to work as ROs. As the credibility of the organisation continues to diminish under the watch of imposed Chairman Justice (R’td) James Patterson, no clarifications have been offered by the organisation for the recent embarrassing fiasco.

There are convincing public perceptions that there was no proper training conducted for these ROs! If this observation is incorrect, then the following questions must be answered: Who were the trainers? Who did the evaluation? Who sets

the test? Who marks the papers? What were the criteria for selection? And who selected the ROs? It is necessary to point out that the Commission is directly responsible for the recruitment and appointment of all staff.

Apparently the approval for a particular approach is partially or wholly being dictated by a few select Commissioners and sanctioned by the Chairman.

It is imperative that all of the Commissioners pursue this responsibility objectively, impartially, and ensure maximum transparency and accountability.

The disenchantment of the PPP/C and other stakeholders in the performance of some ROs on Nomination Day makes it clearer now that when the GECOM Chairman made reference to the recruitment of middle-management staff for the secretariat, the opportunity was opened up and seized by specific individuals to clandestinely employ manipulating cronies.

Several statements which emerged from the Chairman and the Chief Executive Officer of GECOM were published in the media regarding the readiness of GECOM to hold Local Government Elections on November 12, 2018. In one instance, the Chairman, James Patterson, is quoted as saying: “It (preparation) is reaching its time post. We have no difficulties at all as regards to what we

have to do…We are ready for it (LGE)…just waiting for a declaration as to the date from the relevant minister”.

Contrary to the Chairman’s position, however, we are witnessing some amazing advertisements in the various newspapers for temporary field staff to work with GECOM at the Elections. These advertisements for Election Day Staff were published in the print media on several occasions, highlighting the significant quantum of work to be done.

Invited respondents to the advertisements were informed that the first closing date was August 02, 2018. This was followed by a repeat of the same advertisement with the new closing date stated as August 11, 2018; the same advertisement was re-published on a third occasion with the closing date stated as August 23, 2018. Same was also repeated on a fourth occasion with the closing date provided as September 30, 2018.

The facts presented give broad testimony to the falsity emanating from GECOM. It is quite evident that the Chairman and the Secretariat’s CEO have been making statements that are not revealing of the whole truth, but seek to merely justify their photo opportunities.

Further, the additional advertisement for spanking new vehicles, billboards and some other categories of staff imply

the need for much required training. Contextually, this informs of much to be achieved before GECOM can realistically signal the level of appropriate readiness that they have insincerely conveyed.

While there has been a resounding silence on the recent embarrassing ROs’ debacle by authorised officials of GECOM, it is from inside the ‘belly of the beast that ‘staffers are asking about multi-year agreements along with liabilities from all previous years. Staffers are asking about the land, water, air transportation, along with fuel and lubricants which have been significantly manipulated in the past.

There are emerging queries about rental of boats, vehicles, buildings, and generators, even as the food and beverages ‘galore’ for certain caterers are now evolving. It seems that GECOM Secretariat is poised to have another feast that we must all be on the lookout for.

As citizens ready themselves for the upcoming elections, caution must be exercised towards the rejection of any clandestine plans by GECOM. We advocate for the necessary, and demand cleansing of the organisation, and wait with a spoon of salt for future statements, if any, coming from the organisation.

Sincerely, Neil Kumar

The latest Guyana survey was conducted in June/July to find out opinions on a number of current issues relating to people’s quality of life. NACTA interviewed 1340 adult respondents (550 Indians, 400 Africans, 242 Mixed, 135 Amerindians, and 13 Whites and others belonging to other ethnic categories) to yield a demographically representative sample of the adult population. People were polled randomly. The results of the poll were analysed at a 95 percent significance level, and an approximate statistical sampling error of plus or minus four percentage points was found.

This means that in theory, in 19 cases out of 20, the results based on such a sample will differ by about 4 percentage points from what should have been obtained by seeking to in-

terview the whole adult population.

According to the findings of the opinion survey, crime remains the dominant issue, with people expressing widespread fear of being robbed; 86 per cent say they are dissatisfied with Government’s policy for combating crime.

Many also express concerns about the handling of the economy (64 per cent), corruption (67 per cent), governance (63 per cent), Exxon contract (74 per cent), terminated sugar workers (68 per cent), and Cyber Bill (71 per cent). Some 88 per cent feel the country is moving in the wrong direction.

Some 92 per cent feel Guyana should cement closer links with the United States.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

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Berbice Expo showcases local businesses

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he 14th Berbice Expo and Trade Fair was declared opened at the Albion Sports Complex on Friday evening. The four-day event, which is being promoted by the Central Corentyne Chamber of Commerce, ends on Monday and has more than 100 exhibits.

‘Advancing Economic Progress through Professional Standards and Entrepreneurship’ is the theme for this year’s Expo which has as its objective, the enhancement of economic growth for Berbice.

Business Minister Dominic Gaskin, in declaring the Expo open, said over the next 15 years, Guyana’s economic transformation will be guided by the Green State Development Strategy, which will be the blueprint for inclusive economic and social growth.

A key objective of the Green State Development Strategy is to reorient and diversify Guyana’s economy, reducing reliance on traditional sectors and opening up new sustainable income and investment opportunities.

He added that as Guyana develops, and new economic activities emerge, businesses must adapt to a new economic reality.

“Local businesses must build capacity to be competitive in an environment that will see increased competition from both local and foreign companies. This requires emphasis on improvement of business processes, adoption of industry best practices, transparency and accountability, and socially and environmentally responsible behaviour, among others.”

A large crowd at the Albion Sports Complex during the opening of Berbice Expo 2018

Gaskin said the petroleum sector will drive rapid growth while the Green State Development Strategy will channel this growth across all sectors of Guyana’s

economy. Businesses must therefore position itself to maximise opportunities that will arise, not only from direct participation in the petroleum sector, but from

spinoff demand in many other sectors that will follow.

Meanwhile, President of the Central Corentyne Chamber of Commerce, Poonai Bhigroog, also speaking at the opening, noted that more respect needs to be given to the region’s farmers.

Noting that Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) is an agriculture-based region, Poonai said there is need to raise standards in how agriculture is practiced so that

farmers can make maximum use of technology to improve and increase productivity.

The Chamber President added that with the closure of several sugar estates, the ripple effects are far and wide. He said the fishing industry continues to be a high risk one as a result of many acts of piracy committed over the years; retail business, market vendors and other sectors are seeing a decline in sales causing several businesses to either close their doors or reduce staffing.

“As Guyana becomes an emerging oil and gas producer, several measures will have to be put in place to safeguard and develop new business strategies to preserve our local businesses.

Opportunities will abound, but to capitalise on these opportunities, businesses will have to focus on capacity building and improve on developing our work force to reach higher standards.

Entrepreneurs will have to start to invest with confidence in our country's growing economy, more jobs will be created, and disposable income will increase,” the Chamber President said.

First Lady encourages Rupununi residents to empower themselves – as 1-week robotics and selfreliance workshops conclude The 10 delegates of the Miss India Guyana 2018 pageant and the new franchise holders paid a courtesy call on Sita Nagamootoo, wife of Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo.

The delegates shared their individual platforms with Mrs Nagamootoo and highlighted areas in which they wish to place emphasis during the lead-up to the pageant. Mrs Nagamootoo gave pointers to the delegates for the upcoming pageant.

She advised them to fully understand their roots and the origin of their forefathers in maintaining the Indian tradition. She pledged her support to the delegates and the franchise holders for the upcoming pageant which is slated for October 27.

In photo, Mrs Nagamootoo, poses for a picture with the delegates and franchise holders Hashim Ali and Melicia Partab-Ali

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irst Lady Sandra Granger encouraged the 100 graduates from the Self-reliance and Success in Business, and the STEM Robotics workshops, which were held from October 1-4 in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) to take full advantage of their newly acquired skills and certificates.

The First Lady delivered this charge in her address at the simple graduation ceremony, which was held at the Bina Hill Institute for Research, Training and Development located in Annai. This workshop was held in collaboration with the Social Protection Ministry, Iwokrama International Centre for Rain Forest Conservation and Development, STEM Guyana, Interweave Solutions and oil company ExxonMobil Guyana.

In her address, the First Lady reiterated the need for residents of the Rupununi to embrace science and technology. “We are continuing to develop STEM in Guyana... this implies that we have good Internet capacity and I heard that EGov [the National Data Management Authority] was checking out the area during the week, so we hope that your Internet will improve to do all the things that modern school children can do, including learning

STEM subjects,” Granger said.

At the close of the programme, representatives of ExxonMobil and the Iwokrama Centre presented four robotic kits to the students who participated in the STEM workshop from the Annai primary and secondary schools and the Bina Hill Institute. These graduates also received certificates and are expected to start STEM Robotics clubs soon.

Meanwhile, the First Lady encouraged the graduates from the self-reliance workshop to capitalise on business opportunities.

“The certificate you get in this workshop is recognised by micro lending facilities like the Small Business Bureau... if you ask them, they will come in and show you how to package and how to market and so on... This is development and there are so many products that you can get out of this region, that you can access money," she said.

Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Lilian Chatterjee; United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative to Guyana, Mikiko Tanaka; Chief Executive Officer of the Iwokrama Centre, Dane Gobin and Senior Director of Public Affairs – ExxonMobil Guyana, Deedra Moe, also attended the event.

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Wine, improvised weapons found in countrywide prison raids

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s part of continuous efforts to rid the prison system of contraband items, the Joint Services on Saturday carried out a countrywide search at the various penitentiaries.

The raids were conducted at the Georgetown, Lusignan, Mazaruni, New Amsterdam, and Timehri prisons.

The six-and-a-half-hour long exercise, which commenced at 06:00h, resulted in the discovery of over 275 contraband items ranging from weapons and cellphones to homemade wine and pepper sauce.

A full list of the contraband found included 28 cellular phones; in excess of 30 cellphone chargers and batteries; six USB cables; four SIM cards; a memory card; and four earplugs, along with a quantity of cigarettes and cannabis; 84 cigarette lighters; ashtrays and 20 smoking utensils.

In addition, over 65 improvised weapons, five pairs of scissors, a staple machine and a quantity of razor blades, nails, wire, sand paper and small boulders were found. The ranks also unearthed 24 metal spoons, a tattoo machine, two mirrors and playing cards, as well as bottles of homemade wine and pepper sauce.

Except for the Lusignan Prison, there were no other incidents during the exercise. At the East Coast Demerara penitentiary, inmates in the Holding Bays hurled stones and other objects at the Police and prison ranks; however there were no injuries reported.

Contraband smuggling has long been a perennial problem within the local prison system and this is compounded by the fact that both prison and Police Officers are facilitating the illegal trade, which is said to

Some of the items which were found during the raids

be “big business�.

While the authorities have been struggling to curb the illegal practice, there has been a breakthrough in the apparent network among rogue officers. In fac, only last week, two prison ranks were fingered in contraband smuggling at two separate facilities.

One of the officers was caught on camera with a parcel containing 1032 grams marijuana and 39 packs of cigarettes, which was thrown over the fence at the New Amsterdam Prison and hid in the facili-

ty’s kitchen. He later admitted to committing the act.

The other rank was taken into custody after an inmate at the Timehri Prison was found with a container of 584 grams of marijuana in the compound. The prisoner said he was given the narcotic by the officer, who has since denied the allegation.

Meanwhile last month, four prison officers were arrested after they smuggled a bottle of rum and a pack of cigarettes into the Lusignan Prison the weekend prior. turn to page 11

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SUnDAY, october 7, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

8 news

SUnDAY, october 7, 2018 | guyanatimesGY.com

Bartica woman found with cocaine, ganja P

olice in F Division (Interior locations) have arrested a female resident of Bartica, Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) following the discovery of a quantity of marijuana and cocaine.

The illegal substances were unearthed at about 17:00h on Friday during a search at the First Avenue, Bartica residence.

According to reports, acting on information received, a party of Police Officers went to the home of the 52-year-old woman and conducted a search, during which they found 25.1 grams of cocaine and 16.1 grams of cannabis.

The suspect was taken into custody and is being processed for court on Monday.

Firing a shot…

F

The narcotics found in the suspect’s home

Linden man fined $35,000 for unlawful wounding

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wenty-year-old Cleveland London of Lot 14 Block 22, Wismar, Linden; and of Lot 207 Silvertown,

Wismar, was last week fined $35,000 by Magistrate Clive Nurse for assault.

London admitted that

on September 15, 2018, he unlawfully wounded Ray Fraser while at a wash bay at Burnham Drive, Wismar, Linden.

As such he was fined.

Failure to pay the fine will result in him spending two weeks in prison.

…at the teaching profession

riday was “International Teachers Day”. Since 1994, the UN has saluted them by, first of all, declaring that “Day”, and secondly to offer an annual theme to remind the world, but especially governments, as to the importance of the profession. This year, the theme is: “The right to education means the right to a qualified teacher.” Last year it was “Teaching in Freedom, Empowering Teachers”, which had followed “Valuing Teachers, Improving their Status”.

You get the idea? Teachers are crucial in our modern world. Used to be that knowledge was passed down to our young by elders in the tribe or clan. But with the everincreasing body of disciplines and knowledge that keep the world developing, the need for specially trained individuals to perform that role is unquestioned. The family, of course, remains a very important institution for socialising and imparting knowledge to children. But with ever increasing instances of mothers and fathers now in the workforce, teachers are forced to pick up that slack.

But in Guyana today, you’d never suspect the importance of teachers from the way this Government has handled their demand for wages that would allow them to live with a modicum of decency. “Valuing Teachers, Improving their Status” is their call!! Before independence, teachers had status and respect in this country, and the level of our educational institutions and their graduates was the equal of any other country.

All of that fell apart from the time the PNC first got into power in 1964. Ironically, Burnham was sincerely committed to education, but that commitment was trumped by his insistence on absolute power. When the Teachers Union agitated for greater benefits and wages, Burnham manipulated the formation of a competing union – the “Association of Masters and Mistresses” -- which undercut the GTU. Burnham evidently thought his “free education from nursery to university” should be delivered by teachers for free! With the collapse of the economy, that became the reality, but with both teachers and Teachers Union hitting rock bottom.

With the removal of the PNC in 1992, teachers’ salaries and working conditions improved slowly, constrained by the need to remove the debt burden with which Burnham had saddled the country.

Fast forward to the present, the now PNC leader, Granger, has followed his mentor. He’s refused to follow the recommendation of his own task force on teachers’ salaries!!

He’s also refused to follow the law on voluntary arbitration -the arbitral chairman must be accepted by both sides.

The Chief Education Officer, Marcel Hutson, exemplified the duplicity of the PNC Administration when he oleaginously declared on Friday: “World Teachers Day represents a significant token of the awareness, understanding and appreciation displayed for the vital contribution our teachers made.”

Appreciation? Pleeeease!!

…to protect his Chair

Referring to the challenges during the run up to the LGE, James Patterson, Chairman of GECOM, uttered several outbursts that really question his suitability for the position into which he was parachuted by President David Granger. He claimed, “There seems to be quislings and fifth columnists in the (GECOM) camp,” - internal and external - to derail the LGE. Now that’s the opinion of a person who definitely doesn’t believe in the democratic right of citizens to challenge what they consider to be violations in the electoral rules. How can a man who claimed to be a Chief Justice of Grenada call persons who challenged dead persons nominating Councillors “quislings and fifth columnists”??

He also moaned, “Our politicians have retreated into ethno-political camps”! Really? Where was he since 1961?

Or was he firing a shot across the bow of Chancellor (ag) Cummings – who’ll decide on his tenure this week?

…at fair elections

GECOM CEO Keith Lowenfield insisted: “GECOM is sticking to the letter of the law at every step.” Sure. Excepting when his phone’s turned off for eight hours so he can’t take calls from Election Officers who’re refusing to take off nominators from AFC fake lists!

He was with “his lawyers”!! About those radio sets??

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

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SUnDAY, october 7, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Canada, Guyana to sign oil MoU this month

By Samuel Sukhnandan

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n an effort to boost local capacity in the oil and gas sector, the Governments of Guyana and Canada’s Newfoundland will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) this month.

Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Lillian Chatterjee in an exclusive interview with Guyana Times said the Natural Resources Minister from the Canadian Province of Newfoundland will be visiting Guyana on October 15 to ink the agreement.

“What we’re hoping to be able to do in our relationship with Guyana is to share our expertise to help you build up your own ca-

Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana Lillian Chatterjee

pacity; both in Government and in the Private Sector so that you can realise the economic benefits in your own country,” she told this publication.

The Canadian envoy said

the MoU will last for three years and will allow Guyana the opportunity of learning how Newfoundland managed to utilise that sector to improve its economy.

Canada has the third

GECOM audit

Let investigations take its natural course – Chairman …no word on implementing recommendations

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uyana Elections C o m m i s s i o n (GECOM) Chairman James Patterson is maintaining that investigations into procurement malpractice at the entity he heads will be allowed to run its natural course.

There had been concerns about the political will at GECOM to face the Auditor General’s damning findings.

At a press conference on Friday, Patterson indicated that they would sit back and let the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) do her job.

“As far as I know, he (Auditor General Deodat Sharma) made his way to the DPP. Further, I know not. It stays where it is, whatever is dealt with. If we have to comment… let it take its natural course. He took it to the DPP and it should be her call how to deal with it.”

This still leaves the question of what GECOM may be doing to address loopholes in the system that allowed the infractions to occur in the first place. But despite being asked what changes have been made in procurement at GECOM, Patterson could not say. Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield was also reticent on the subject.

“What I know about the audit report is that the Commissioners, based on all that the Auditor General would have said, the Commissioners here deliberated, and they made some recommendations. And I haven’t heard anything from then to now, other than let’s go to the Police,” Lowenfield said.

When Auditor General Deodat Sharma conducted his audit in 2016, it had uncovered a number of discrepancies. The discrepancies were regarding the purchase of 50 VHF communication radios by GECOM for close to $100 million.

GECOM CEO Keith Lowenfield

Concerns were raised over the extraordinarily high cost of the equipment.

The investigation’s scope included contracts, inventories and spending for the May 2015 General and Regional Elections.

Besides the radios, some of the things that the State’s auditors were looking into were the purchase of a quantity of toners, pliers and batteries. Based on reports, the radio sets were purchased for use during the 2015 General and Regional Elections, particularly in the outlying regions of Guyana; however, they were never put into use after it was discovered many of them were not working.

Later, information surfaced that while the electoral body would have collected quotations from a number of suppliers, it handed the contract for the supply of the equipment to Mobile Authority, a company owned by a Water Street, Georgetown businessman.

But media reports later surfaced that some of the equipment purchased was obsolete and was not covered by warranty. As a matter of fact, sections of the Guyanese media reported that the Australia-based manufacturer, Barrett Communications, through

its European office, distanced itself from the purchase.

The company had made it clear that it had ceased to produce the equipment more than five years ago.

Barrett said it had also tendered through the Advanced Office Systems for the supply of new radio equipment for the 2015 elections; however, GECOM subsequently cancelled the order.

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) had previously called for the release of the findings, in addition to questioning the deafening silence of GECOM’s then Chairman, Dr Steve Surujbally and the Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, on the matter. Both were in power at the Commission when the purchases were made.

The Auditor General also found that prior to the 2015 elections, the entity engaged in contract splitting in order to avoid Cabinet scrutiny. There are reports that one recommendation included GECOM implementing internal control systems to oversee payment vouchers.

largest oil reserves, is the fifth largest oil producer and fourth largest oil exporter in the world.

“They want to share their Public Sector expertise with the new Department of Energy, to help them prepare in terms of regulation, governance, and public accountability in the oil and gas sector,” Chatterjee said of Newfoundland’s decision to partner with Guyana through an MoU. The Canadian High Commissioner explained that the experience in Newfoundland is unique and will fit into Guyana’s new discovery. Chatterjee said there are many things that Guyana could learn from that province.

According to her, Newfoundland discovered oil offshore Canada 30 years ago, just like the case of Guyana.

“It was the poorest province in Canada. Its entire resource was based on fishing and then there was a moratorium on fish. And that meant high unemployment, people lost work, people left in droves.”

Chatterjee recalled that when Newfoundland discovered offshore oil, the first thing they did was to build capacity to deal with the oil boom. Assistance was sought from within Canada, the United States, Scotland and Norway.

“And now if you go to Newfoundland you won’t recognise that it is the same province 30 years back because it’s got the oil industry, and other revenues streams coming in,” she explained.

In addition to that, Newfoundland was able to build its infrastructure, not only around the oil sector, but to aid support services.

The province which once depended on the contribution of other provinces to fund their work programme now gives back.

“So, some money from the richer provinces go to the poorer provinces, Newfoundland was a receiver. But now they are very proud to say that they are a giver. They are very proud of that,” she added.

The Canadian envoy said the exploitation of Guyana’s energy reserves will generate increases in revenue that will provide funding for capital works, while the energy sector itself will create a broad spectrum of jobs.

With several Canadian companies already involved in oil and natural gas exploration activities in Guyana, the visit by the Natural Resources Minister of Newfoundland provides yet another indication of Canada’s interest in playing a pivotal role in the economic exploitation of the local energy sector.

Only recently, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) signed a MoU on Energy Sector Cooperation, which saw T&T Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley visiting Guyana for the first time with a delegation of Cabinet Ministers.

President David Granger and Dr Rowley assured that there is was no ‘takeover or sell-out’ of any sector by either side, but rather a sharing of information and ideas in the sector. This was a ma-

jor concern for many local Private Sector companies.

Dr Rowley speaking to the Guyanese press following the signing at State House, said the document contains bilateral arrangements for the cooperation on energy issues such as possible financing and providing entrepreneurial skills as a “good neighbour.”

The Trinidadian Prime Minister expressed disappointed over concerns raised

by Guyana’s Private Sector that the MoU allows for a takeover by T&T businesses.

“We are working towards ensuring that we, as a people not just the people of Trinidad and Tobago but the people of Caricom – Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago – do better for all ourselves and to come up against that is disappointing and to the extent that there is any potential takeover which I don’t think is happening or is going to happen,” Rowley said.

President Granger also debunked claims that the signing of the MoU lends to a sell-out of Guyana’s patrimony or natural resources. The Guyanese Head of State said Guyana stands to benefit from Trinidad and Tobago’s decades of experience in the oil and gas sector in areas of production, marketing, dealing with oil spills and international corporations.

Guyana is now home to the world’s biggest new deepwater oil discovery. US oil giant ExxonMobil has been keen to push development of the oil reserves.

Production could begin in 2020 with production of some 500,000 barrels of oil a day.

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SUnDAY, october 7, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

CH&PA halts construction of gas station on Govt reserve

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he Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) issued a cease work notice to the Guyana Tractor and Equipment Company to terminate an unauthorised construction project that is taking place on Government reserve at Plot HN Industrial Reserve, Plantation Ruimveldt, Georgetown.

The order was issued to proprietor of the equipment company, Shamnarine Narine, to cease all activities (development/construction work) with immediate effect under the Town and Country Planning Act, Chapter 20:01 of the laws of Guyana.

According to the CH&PA, Narine on April 30, 2018, submitted an application to the CH&PA for full approval of planning permission to erect a two-storeyed building (25’ – 0 x 55’ -0) for commercial use as a convenience store on the ground floor and offices on the first floor and to install four fuel pumps and three underground tanks for Kerosene, Gasoline and Diesoline for use as a petrol station.

On May 11, 2018, the Convenience Store and offices were recommended for approval on condition that the developer amended plans in accordance with recommendations from the Public

Cricket woes S

The area where the CH&PA issued a cease work order after construction works began without permission

Infrastructure Ministry indicating no access from Mandela Avenue.

The CH&PA later disapproved the application after they detected that the site is not suitable for such development. Even though the approval was not given, the contractor continued construction works on the site.

The disapproval of the application came after residents of the Shirley Field-Ridley Square, South Ruimveldt, in a petition to the agency rejected the construction of the gas station and the convenience store and offices and also since it cannot be accessed from Mandela Avenue, which is the main

thoroughfare.

The notice was signed for and received by an excavator operator, who is employed by Narine and working on the site.

Additionally, the proposed means of access (Plumbaggo Street and the roadway) are minor streets that cannot serve as means of ingress and egress since they are not suitable and inappropriate, the CH&PA said on Saturday.

Further, according to the agency, it is concerned with the destruction that was caused to the road and road shoulders by heavy-duty equipment used by Narine to drive piles into the ground.

atiricus was so disconsolate he didn’t know what to do with himself. So he headed to the Back Street Bar. How could they do this to him? He’d been up all night in front of his computer screen trying to keep up, even though he knew he’d be bleary-eyed the next day. But what was a West Indian cricket fan to do?? It was West Indies versus India!

“Fellas, I knew after the first day it wasn’t going to be easy,” Satiricus said dolefully as he took his beer.

“But I was hoping and praying our boys would at least salvage a draw.”

“Draw?” asked Bungi derisively. “Ole fr’en’, afta Jason Holder sprain ‘e ankle an’ Roach come ba’k home fu ‘e gran’mumma funeral, who wou’da bowl out dem Indian?”

“Bungi has a good point, you know,” said Hari.

“When you allow a team to score 649 for 9 declared, that will intimidate any batting side.”

“Na gi’e me da!” exclaimed Cappo angrily. “Me bin up all nite too. Ev’ry waan a abee batsman jus’ fling dem bat like dem a cut cane!”

“An’ dem bowl de ball like dem a shy paddy!” complained Bungi.

“The question I have is: don’t the coaches and captain tell the fellas what to do out there?” asked Satiricus as he continued to sip his beer mournfully.

“Test cricket is a test of character,” said Hari.

“That’s why it’s called ‘test cricket’. Our boys don’t have the character for the long game.”

“Da mek me na bin ‘gree w’en dem drap Chandrapal,” said Bungi, as he nursed his beer.

“But he’s too old now!” protested Satiricus “Well,” replied Cappo, “’e wou’da show dem new bais how fuh keep dem head dong.”

“But the question I have,” said Hari, “is what happened to Gayle and the other big hitters? They’re still young and playing good cricket.” “’E na mek ‘eself available fuh play,” reported Bungi. “’E wan’ fuh play in de Afghanistan T-20 league.”

“Now, this might be the reason why we’ll never make in again in test cricket,” said Satiricus.

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SUnDAY, october 7, 2018 | guyanatimesGY.com

Thousands without potable water on WCD

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A family transporting the buckets of water on a bicycle

housands of persons on the West Coast of Demerara (WCD) have been deprived of potable water for the past three weeks, which has caused major disturbances in the execution of chores and other daily routines.

Presently, four major villages – Meten-Meer-Zorg, Zeelugt, De Kinderen and Tuschen – are facing the unbearable inconvenience that has left villagers with no other option than to source water from nearby trenches.

One of the affected persons, who hail from Railway View, Meten-Meer-Zorg, related to Guyana Times that water would normally be supplied from a well that is situated in close proximity. However, a restoration exercise was ongoing that was expected to last for four days. It has since been three weeks and the water supply was not restored.

She further noted that the only relief the community received was the allocation of half of a barrel of water to an entire household.

This did not suffice for even a few hours.

“I am not getting any at all. What they used to do was come around with a half barrel water and give from a tractor to support you with it. Now we aren’t getting in almost three weeks.

Everybody is without water.”

“I have four tanks and imagine all is empty. What about those that don’t have?

Is a lot that don’t have.

Presently, I’m running mad cause I got to wash the children school cloths for tomorrow morning. I don’t know what to do. Every day I would keep calling them,” a resident said.

This is not the first time such activities have occurred, since constant repairs are being done on the well.

“They tell us that the repair would be for four or five days and now is three weeks.

We ain’t getting rainfall so it affecting us really. They were repairing the well and it’s a constant thing to repair the well every three and four months. They saying every time you call that it coming on the same day and we living in hope,” a resident related to this newspaper.

In Zeelugt, a different scenario enveloped the village as persons in distress walked about the streets with their buckets to obtain water from nearby trenches.

Bicycles were seen transporting the water to their homes and would thereby be used for washing and cleaning.

Councillor of Constituency Number Four, Poorandai Sukhu, vented her frustration at the way the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) has handled the matter, as she explained to Guyana Times that no interventions were made to fix this long-term issue.

The Councillor recalled, “Now since last week, we getting no water. The entire

Wine, improvised... from page 7

These officers were subsequently charged and interdicted from duty.

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.

Addressing a thanksgiving ceremony to commemorate the 35th Prisons Service Week on Sunday, Samuels disclosed that so far for the year, some 28 prison officers have been dismissed. He explained that 11 of those ranks were dismissed for facilitating or

directly smuggling contrabands 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.

At that event, both Samuels and Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan decried rouge elements within the prison service, who contribute to contraband smuggling within the system and called for ranks to speak out against wrongdoings by their colleagues.

village is without water. The residents have to go by the trench to dip water to do their chores. They have a pump station in Vergenoegen and since we’ve been having this problem. We write GWI and they replied that they will fix the problem but the problem is getting worse.”

Initially, the area was

supplied with potable water on a 24h basis. Consequently in 2016, a decision was taken to modify this process.

For the past days, GWI has reportedly shut down the pump station with no explanation being issued to those affected.

“We used to get water all day, 24 hours. Since this Government took over, we getting water from 05:00h to 12:00h noon. It stops and then you getting back water at 17:00h to 19:00h.

Although they have a specific time, sometimes they don’t put on the pump,” said Suhku.

In relation to the quality of water being distributed, it was safe to say that it cannot be used for drinking purposes and in some cases, even domestic uses.

“The water is not clear.

It’s reddish, sometimes it’s muddy and sometimes you can’t use it because it causing itching on the children and the adults as well.

Other villages like Tuschen North Old Scheme is having

A resident searching for water in his community

the same issue. For Zeelugt alone is like about 600 persons affected,” she mentioned.

After many letters and no action being taken to end the scourge of unreliable water distribution, the locals

are insisting the utility company address the issue as soon as possible.

While they are compelled to pay their bills, the quality and frequency of an important daily necessity does not meet their expectations.

12 news

SUnDAY, october 7, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Investiture 2018

“National Honour System is part of our culture” – President Granger

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resident David Granger on Saturday bestowed the insignias of Guyana’s National Awards to 97 persons in recognition of their sterling contribution to the development of Guyana. This year, 49 women from various fields were among those conferred with national awards, making it the first time so many women were honoured.

The Investiture Ceremony was held at the National Cultural Centre and in delivering his remarks, the President sought to remind of the importance of national awards. He noted that the National Honour System on which national awards are conferred is not a ceremonial or cosmetic ritual, but rather an essential cultural convention in any civilised society. He added that it is used to express appreciation to those who serves the

nation selflessly.

“The National Honour System is part of our culture.

National awards should never again be disregarded, disparaged or debased through capricious conferment.

Today’s investiture ceremony is a public manifestation of appreciation for those rendered exemplary service to the nation. National awards are conferred to express the esteem in which the recipients are held by a grateful nation; to recognise their exemplary service and success and to encourage others, especially younger persons, to emulate their achievements,” the President said.

Granger further explained that the National Honour System seeks to recognise and reward citizens along with servicemen and women who displayed values of selfless service and social responsibility. He re-

DDL Chairman Komal Samaroo shares a handshake with President David Granger after receiving the Cacique Crown of Honour Award

minded that Guyana was built by the collective contribution of ordinary citizens in their various organisations and that the nation has an obligation to pay homage to those distinguished sons and daughters who provided outstanding service to their communities.

“Our nation honours

them out of respect for the values which they exemplify and the contributions which they have made and continues to make. Our nation relies on voluntary work of men and women who prepared to render selfless service without though of reward. The National Honour System is ordained by the Constitution of Guyana. It is a supreme symbol of statehood reserved for those who have distinguished themselves in service to the nation,” he added.

Meanwhile, acting Chancellor of the Judiciary Justice Yonette Cummings said that the Investiture Ceremony is held to recognise and honour the immense contribution of the ordinary citizens. She added that the national award is a badge of honour and distinction which carries with it the price of a nation’s appreciation for exceptional and dedicated service.

The recipients of this year’s Cacique’s Crown of Honour are Komal Samaroo, Justice Oslen Ainsworth Fitzgerald Small and Professor Alvin Oliver Thompson. The Golden Arrow of Achievement recipients are Karen Abrams, Arnon Adriel Cornelius Adams, Holly Patricia Alexander, Valeska Austin, Robert Jiteshvar Badal, Claude Holmon Blackmore, Jerome

Bulkan, John Goodridge Carpenter, Donna Ann Chapman, Eton McDonald Chester, Michael Orlando Correia, Pravinchandra Dave, Rovin Deodat, Denise Dawn DeSouza, Maurice Rudranauth Gajadhar, Sarah Julia Gordon, Everett Nathaniel Harewood, Noel Gordon Holder, Alim Azad Hosein, Mohamed Shabir Hussain, Salmaa Naseebah Khan, Monica Elizabeth La Bennett, Geraldine Maison Halls, Yvette Anita Martin, Michelle Ming, Hakeem

Desiree Adele Edghill, Trenetta Hollis Elliot, Cleveland Leon Forde, Deon Cherryl Gould, Elaine Eugenie Grannum, Laurie Rufus Greenidge, Dhanrajie Haimraj, Paul Harris, Brenda Hastings, Casey Hastings, Wendy Ann Cleopatra Hermonstine, Yvette Herod, Ishwardai, Leontina Maria Jose, Darul Hakim Khan, Vernon Eustace Lambert, Barbara Angela Lawrence, Julie Lewis, Erol Kemal Makzume, Syeada Manbodh, Paula Erlena McAdam,

Presidential Photographer Sandra Prince receives her Medal of Service

Mohamed, Haji Shaheed Mohamed, Mohamod Zabeer Mujay, Aleema Nasir, Brian John O’Toole, Kent Brentnol Phillips, Berneita Louretta Primo, Canon Thurston Riehl, Viola Rowe, Lennox Oliver Shuffler, David Jaikarran Singh, Angold Thompson, Aiesha Unickie Williams, Mathilda Saigo-Williams, Bertram Wilkinson, Norris Witter.

Medal of Service awards were awarded to Loretta Brotherson-Alexander, Morgan Allicock, Baidwantie Balgobin, Denise Yvonne Belgrave, Clonel Wendella Samuels-Boston, Basil Selwyn Bradshaw, Hazel Halley-Burnett, Yvonette Rhonda Chichester, Renata Chuck-A-Sang, Henry Clenkian, Kawalpattie Dayaram, Carlotta DeJesus,

Stanley Ignatius McGarrell, Pearl Gladys McLean, Shirley Melville, Barbara PilgrimRoberts, Gail Primo, Sandra Helouise Prince, Paulette Elene Ragoobeer, Nadia Ramdin, Sharifah Razack, Amanda Richards, Gaitree Singh-Henry, Ignatius Wilson and Nicholas Andre Young.

Military Service Medal recipients are Lieutenant Colonel Lester Sherwin Anderson, Lieutenant Colonel Godfrey Bess, and Lieutenant Colonel Julius Randolph Skeete.

Disciplined Services Medal recipients are Police Commissioner Leslie Albert James, Deputy Commissioner Paul Andrew Williams and Divisional Fire Officer (Retired) Paul Egerton Carmichael.

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SUnDAY, october 7, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Pirates attack 8 Guyanese fishermen in Waini River

F

Myth in AfricanIndian relations

L

ast week, the Kaieteur News essayed an editorial, “Local Government Elections and racial voting”, wherein it sought to discuss the “racial voting” that characterised Guyanese politics. The Editorial claimed, “The animosity between Indoand Afro-Guyanese is historical; it can be traced back to the freed blacks becoming suspicious of the arrival of indentured East Indian servants from India, whom they feared would have compromised their bargaining rights with the planter class in British Guiana.”

Now, there is no question that the planters introduced indentured labour because they wanted cheap labour. But in Guyana (and Trinidad), it was primarily because the planters feared the freed Africans would move off the plantations due of the availability of land to provide a means of self-employment. In islands such as Antigua and Bermuda, where there was no alternative, the planters Ravi Dev didn’t even introduce the “apprenticeship” transition period, but gave the slaves immediate ‘freedom”.

Since the later nineteenth century, many African leaders in Guyana opposed Indian immigration for several good reasons, not the least being that taxes into the Government coffers (of which a considerable sum came from African pockets) were used to partially fund the cost of bringing the Indians to Guyana. However, the charge that Indians undercut African wages on the sugar plantations directly after the abolition of slavery is not borne out by the facts. The charge was built on a myth that remained unchallenged for so long that it has become “history”.

In 1990, I noted in my paper, “Aetiology of an ethnic riot”: “It was not Indian labour that broke the back of African attempts to wrest higher wages from the planters. Rather, if labour were to be “blamed”, it was more the Portuguese and, ironically, fellow Africans from both the W.I. and Africa who played key roles. The ex-slaves called the strike of 1847 at a point of financial crisis for the planters who, encouraged by the indentureship of 15,848 Portuguese, 12,898 Africans from the W.I. and 6,957 Africans from Africa, compared with only 8,692 Indians, held off the demands for higher wages. People of African descent outnumbered all other immigrants during this critical period of “undercutting” wage demands by the Guianese ex-slaves.

After 1848, the unskilled ex-slaves, by and large, decided to make their living off the plantations. Even though Indian indentiture was suspended between 1848 and1851, there was no movement back to the plantation by the Africans, nor was there any increase in the wage scale. The latter was precipitated by the removal of preferential tariffs into Britain for WI sugar in 1846, and caused freed Africans from Barbados and the smaller islands to migrate to British Guiana, where the wages were higher.

While the Portuguese did first arrive in 1835, during the “apprenticeship” period of the freed slaves, their immigration continued until 1881-82, with the bulk arriving by 1858.

There is no question that the Portuguese died in considerable numbers, as did the Indians. In 1849, a planter gave evidence to a committee of the House of Commons: “A good many of the Portuguese died, and a good many of the Coolies have died; they wandered about the Colony. I should think a vast number have died, but I have no means of stating the exact number.” In the key years of 1846-47, when the efforts of the African to raise wages ultimately failed, we should note that 9736 Portuguese arrived, as opposed to 7480 Indians. In terms of work-output, the Portuguese were even more industrious than the Indians.

In 1847, on an East Coast plantation, Portuguese earned an average of $28 compared to the $21 of Indians.

The point I have been making is that we are going against the analyses of history made by eminent West Indian historians such as Drs. Eric Williams and Walter Rodney (among others) when we lay blame to the immigrants – whether Portuguese, Indian, Chinese, West Indians or Africans, who were all indentured. It was the working of the labour and political systems imposed on us by the British, whether political, economic or cultural, to extract our labour at the cheapest price that kept us all in thrall. Today we are still busy blaming each other for our mess, and not questioning whether those bequeathed systems are not contributing to our problems.

And we should get busy, as a first step, in modifying those systems to assist in leading to greater equity and justice for all of us.

ishermen plying their trade close to the Guyana/Venezuela border were pounced upon by a group of armed Spanish-speaking men, in an area referred to as Crabdog, Waini River, Region One (Barima-Waini).

The gunmen demanded that the crew hand over their boat and valuables, forcing the men to plunge into the murky waters of the Waini River to save themselves from certain death.

Information reaching Guyana Times indicated that the incident occurred at about 15:00h on Thursday. The boat was captained by 40-year old Julian Marks, of Dartmouth Village, Essequibo Coast, and had seven crewmen.

Police investigations revealed that as the men were about to cast their nets, they were attacked by Spanish-speaking men, who arrived in a wooden balahoo powered by a 75hp outboard engine.

The crew, who were said to be armed with shotguns, rifles and pistols, ordered the captain and his crew to get off the vessel.

The pirates then took possession of their wooden boat measuring 45x8x4 /2 feet, which was powered by a 40hp Yamaha engine. As the men struggled to keep afloat in the river, the pirates, untied a smaller boat which was attached to their vessel and pushed it towards them before escaping. The crew members sailed helplessly in the small boat until they were rescued by another vessel. They were taken to the Police station where they told detectives that along with foodstuff, the pirates were able to cart off a number of valuables, as they headed in the direction of Venezuela.

Investigations into the attack are ongoing.

Back in April of this year, 16 fisher-

men were missing and feared dead after pirates raided their boats off the coast of Suriname and forced them to jump overboard.

The fishermen were part of a group of 20 in four boats, which were attacked off the Atlantic Coast of Suriname.

It was reported that four men managed to swim to shore and three of them remain hospitalised. They told Police and the Coast Guard that the assailants, suspected of coming from neighbouring Guyana because of their accents, beat them with machetes and forced them to jump into the sea. They said some of the victims had batteries tied to their legs to weigh them down. Five of the men survived, while four bodies were later recovered. Eleven others are still missing.

Several persons have since been charged in connection with the incident.

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SUnDAY, october 7, 2018| guyanatimesgy.com

Teen among 2 nabbed Transforming Lives through Risk Reduction with illegal gun, ammo Disaster – International Day for

A

teenager and a 24-year-old man are now in Police custody after they were found, in separate busts, with illegal firearms along with matching ammunition.

In the first instance, ranks of a mobile patrol observed and intercepted a motorcycle without registration plates at about 20:00h on Friday at Cummings Lodge Public Road, Greater Georgetown.

A search was subsequently carried out on a bag the suspect had in his possession during which an unlicensed semi-automatic Intratec DC9

pistol was found.

The 24-year-old suspect of Murphy Street, Sisters Village, West Bank Demerara (WBD), was taken into custody, while the weapon, which had no ammunition or magazine, and the motorcycle ridden by the suspect, were lodged. Investigations are going.

Meanwhile, a 17-yearold resident of the Soesdyke/ Linden Highway was also arrested by ranks in A Division (Georgetown-East Bank Demerara) on Friday evening.

According to reports, the ranks went to Emerald

Disaster Risk Reduction 2018

I

"

The revolver and ammunition found on the teenager

Tower Road on the Soesdyke/ Linden Highway and detained the teenager after he was found in possession of

three live rounds of.32 ammunition and a .32 revolver.

The youth are in custody assisting with investigations.

saw asphalt rolling, and the road folded... I saw houses – Disasters are rolling, and the ground gateways to poverty breaking open…A lot of people and distress for fall inside. It's thanks to God I many vulnerable am alive now, with my children people living in ... I thought it was doomsday".

These are the statements low and middlereported by CNN from a public income countries servant in the aftermath of particularly.

Indonesia’s earthquake, which – Investing in disaster struck on September 28, killing risk reduction is at least 1407 people.

Starting in 1989, and on a precondition October 13 every year, the United for developing Nations observe International sustainably in a Day for Disaster Risk Reduction changing climate.

(IDDR), recognising the need for nations and societies to be more risk-aware and geared towards disaster risk reduction.

Professor Jonathan Stewart, speaking on liquefaction of soil as the main cause of destruction in some parts of Indonesia following the earthquake, said this: “As with most problems, the first step in mitigation is recognising that a problem exists.

We have engineering procedure for this. Had they been applied, there is a good chance the hazard would have been recognised."

Stories like these urge us to consider where the impacts are felt greatest when disasters strike – people. Significant economic losses from disasters destroy livelihoods, forcing millions into poverty every year, especially those in low- and middle-income countries. This year, IDDR highlights the human cost of disasters, and advocates that “reducing economic losses from disasters has the power to transform lives.” 2018 celebrations continue under the Sendai Framework of 2015, with its seven targets to measure progress on reducing disaster losses.

Guyana’s experiences with El Nino droughts and la Nina flood conditions have resulted in significant economic losses and negative impacts to development. The losses suffered in the agriculture sector and the number of lives affected due to the floods of 2005 are difficult to forget. In 2015, the UNISDR ranked Guyana 13 out of 162 countries for flood risk, and reported that 0.69 percent and 0.42 percent of the population and GDP respectively are exposed to the effects of flooding.

Our vulnerability, notably for food security, poverty reduction, and agriculture development, could be further enhanced by the impacts of climate change, particularly due to Guyana’s low-lying Coast.

The EPA has taken on a risk-based approach to environmental management. This will allow us to become more resilient and proactive in our efforts to protect human health and the environment.

Knowledge transfer in risk management and school safety As we observe International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, Guyana, coincidentally, is about to benefit from a timely intervention in this regard. Through bilateral cooperation with the Presidential Agency for International Cooperation of Colombia, APC-Colombia, Guyana will be direct beneficiaries of a knowledge transfer mission focused on risk management and school safety. Workshops will be held during October 08-12, 2018 in Georgetown. The exercise has three main objectives: 1. Knowledge transfer in School Risk Management from Colombia to Guyana; 2. Implementation of the tool for the formulation of a School Risk Management Plan; and 3. Technical advice and training in the management of the tool and in the formulation and implementation of School Risk Management Plans.

This mission is a collaboration among APC-Colombia, the Ministry of Education, and the Environmental Protection Agency, in partnership with the Civil Defence Commission and the Guyana Red Cross Society. The Official opening ceremony will be held at Herdmanston Lodge on Monday, October 08, 2018 at 08:30h.

It’s time to get serious and proactive about disaster risk reduction; being unprepared can cause avoidable injuries and deaths.

You can share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, C/O ECEA Programme, Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia, GEORGETOWN, or email us at: eit.epaguyana@ gmail.com or follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

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SUnDAY, october 7, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

ECD road expansion

GuySuCo’s $30 billion syndicated bond financing is devoid of financial prudence

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ontinuing from the discussion and analysis of last week, there is no precise theory in finance that stipulates an optimum level of debt a firm should use as part of its financing structure; but, as a ‘rule of thumb’, a firm should not take on more than 70 per cent in debt financing within its financing structure, because the higher the leverage ratio [debt financing relative to equity], the greater the risk of default; which, in turn, can ultimately lead to bankruptcy.

Why? Because having more debt to service means the firm needs to divert a higher level of its cash flow – generated from revenue -- to service principal and interest payments on its debt obligations, which can then lead to liquidity constraints for the company. Therefore, the firm’s inability to service its debt obligations would mean that its creditors can then force the firm to go into liquidation to recover their investments, and this is what could lead to bankruptcy.

However, nothing is wrong if companies increase their leverage ratios beyond 70 per cent, because it largely depends on the return on capital employed, the risks factors and the strategic goals, and the drivers of the firm’s corporate strategy; that is, how sound and viable these other elements may be.

That said, in presenting a prudent analysis of these ratios, the computations were adjusted to include the $30 billion syndicated bond, which then gave rise to an adjusted long-term debt-to-equity ratio of 3.65:1. This means that, with the $30 billion bond, the entity now has 365 per cent debt financing within its capital structure relative to equity.

A comparison of debt financing options: $30 billion syndicated bond vs a $30 billion syndicated loan for the same maturity period of 5 years and interest rate at 4.75 per cent per annum:

*NB: the underwriting cost for the loan, particularly the legal fees, are a rough estimate As such, the $30 billion syndicated bond is devoid of financial prudence, and will ultimately exacerbate disastrous consequences for that entity. Now, when a company is virtually bankrupt, there are essentially two options to undertake: (1) File for bankruptcy, or (2) undertake a series of restructuring and strategic changes to ensure the entity’s survivability. This may involve several actions, such as downsizing, cutting cost, changing the Executive Management and the Board of Directors; and the financially logical action to take is to restructure the company’s stock of debt as well.

In the case of GuySuCo, the only form of restructuring that was done was to close down some of the estates and effectively send home thousands of employees. The authorities unfortunately did not see it fit to restructure the entity’s [old] stock of debt. Instead, they have doubled the level of debt by adding more to it (increasing the level of debt by almost 100 per cent). Such a decision is extremely -- and egregiously -- ill-conceived, imprudent, and nonsensical.

Recommendations/Conclusion In circumstances within which it is necessary to save a bankrupt company, it becomes necessary to restructure its stock of debt (which it cannot service in the first place) by renegotiating the terms and conditions of the debts, and/or often times seeking to negotiate for debt forgiveness. History would show that even when the Guyanese economy was virtually bankrupt, to further help the recovery programme apart from implementing the IMF’s economic reform programme, Guyana was the beneficiary of a number of debt forgiveness from its external creditors.

In the case of GuySuCo, the Government can consider writing off some of the debt of the entity, such as the amount owing to GRA; renegotiate some of the terms and conditions of the old stock of debt; and include converting a portion of the debt into equity.

By doing so, this will effectively expand the equity component of the entity’s capital structure, which would allow for better financial leverage to recover from its financial difficulties.

Lastly, as can be deduced in the above table, one would recognize that it would have been better to have obtained a syndicated loan instead of a syndicate bond; because, in the long run, the bond would cost more in interest payments than a loan.

Because normally interest is applied on a reducing balance method, compared to a bond, wherein interest is paid based on the face value of the bond for the maturity period annually, and then the face value is redeemable on the maturity date. To this end, the $30 billion bond would cost GuySuCo $7.2 billion in interest and other costs, while a $30 billion loan for the same period and same interest would cost $3.8 billion in interest payments, inclusive of underwriting costs.

Henceforth, as a recommendation, a $20 billion syndicated loan with an 18 months’ moratorium, and restructuring of a large portion of the old stock of debt, including converting some of it into equity, would have been better.

(For comments, questions and responses on articles featured in this column, readers can reach the author at jbinsights@outlook.com).

Consultant investigated in Pakistan for alleged corruption

…after complaints from USAID over misappropriated funds

S

heladia Associates Incorporated, one of the consultants hired by the Public Infrastructure Ministry to supervise the East Coast Demerara (ECD) road expansion project, was previously under investigation in another jurisdiction for alleged corruption.

Checks on the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) website shows the company and a partner were investigated by NAB of Pakistan after complaints were filed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) over misappropriation of funds on a project the agency funded.

Sheladia’s partner, the Academy for Educational Development (AED), was suspended by USAID as one of its contractors working on a project in Pakistan.

The East Coast road expansion project currently underway

The donor agency had announced that its decision stemmed from “evidence of serious corporate misconduct, mismanagement and a lack of internal control.”

Following the initial investigation, a corruption reference charge was filed against a top Sheladia

Associates Incorporated official.

As one of the cases it had investigated, NAB also announced in January of last year that another inquiry would be opened against officials of Sheladia Associates “regarding corruption and corrupt prac-

tises in the construction of Barang Road,” a project the Bureau noted was funded

by USAID. While providing an update on the road expansion project a few days ago, the Public Infrastructure Ministry in a release had noted that the US$2.3 million contract for supervision services of the project was awarded to Sheladia, in association with E&A consultants.

The fee was previously US$1.9 million but last year, then Public Infrastructure Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Geoffrey Vaughn had revealed to the media that because of delays in the project, the US-based Sheladia had increased its fees to the current amount. turn to page 16

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SUnDAY, october 7, 2018 | guyanatimesGY.com

Cubana air tragedy victims remembered

T

he 11 Guyanese who were among 73 passengers and crew members killed after two bombs exploded on a Cubana Airline flight off the coast of Barbados back in 1976 were remembered on Saturday during a commemorative ceremony to mark the 42nd anniversary of the Cubana Air Tragedy.

The ceremony was held at the Cubana Air Tragedy Monument Site in the University of Guyana’s Turkeyen Campus.

In remarks, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo recounted the rage and anger which spewed when the tragedy occurred, noting that the attack sought to punish

small states for pursuing an independent path towards development.

“Guyana has paid a heavy price in the loss of precious lives for dictating its own policies and goals, together with other small Caribbean States, towards a sister Caribbean nation. The Cubana terrorist bombing brought us shared grief, and it also strengthened our resolve not to severe our close bond with our brothers and sisters,” Nagamootoo said.

Cuban Ambassador Narciso Reinaldo Amador Socorro, in paying tribute to the 73 victims, called out the intellectual authors behind the heinous attack for giving refuge to the perpetrators.

Cubana air tragedy monument sited at the University of Guyana Turkeyen Campus

“Cuba rejects all terrorist acts, methods and practices in all their forms and manifestations, by whoever against whoever, wherever they’re committed and what-

ever their motivation [is], including those in which there are governments directly or indirectly involved,” asserted the Cuban diplomat.

He continued, “As it happens, in this dreadful crime in which the perpetrator was supported and protected by some states, Cuba not only condemns the people who committed this sabotage, but those who guarantee to them permission to carry out the crime, and those who are still providing protection and impunity to them as well.”

Ambassador Socorro further urged that there be unity to overcome aggressions

and adversities. He added that the best way to pay tribute to the victims is to continue to work hard for the strengthening of relationships between our people.

On October 6, 1976, the Cubana Airline flight 455 left Guyana en route to Cuba with stops along the way in Trinidad, Barbados and Jamaica respectively.

However, shortly after leaving the Barbados airport, there was an explosion in the aircraft’s rear, and upon realising that they could not make it back to the airport for an emergency landing, the pilot, Captain Wilfredo Perez, steered the plane towards the Atlantic Ocean, avoiding the tourist-packed Paradise Beach. Another bomb went off in the aircraft before it crashed, killing all 73 passengers and crew members on board.

The Guyanese killed included: Seshnarine Kumar, 18; Ann Nelson, 18; Eric Norton, 18; Rawle Thomas, 18; and Jacqueline Williams, 19, all students on their way to study medicine and engineering in Cuba. Others who perished were relatives

Violet and Rita Thomas, nineyear-old Sabrina Harrypaul, Margaret Bradshaw, Raymond Persaud, and economist Gordon Sobha.

Among the other victims were five Koreans and 57 Cubans, including 24 members of the 1975 Cuban national fencing team, who were returning home after winning gold medals at the Central American and Caribbean Championship games.

Investigations had revealed that CIA-linked anti-Castro Cuban exiles conspired with members of the Venezuela Secret Police to bomb the Cuban aircraft in protest of Castro’s dictatorial policies in Cuba.

Four men who had joined the plane in Trinidad and disembarked the aircraft in Barbados were subsequently arrested and tried in Venezuela in connection with the bombing and murder of 73 persons.

Two of them were sentenced to 20 years in prison, another was acquitted and subsequently moved to the United States, while the other escaped from Venezuela and fled to the United States.

Consultant investigated...

In 2016, Government and the People’s Republic of China inked a US$45.5 million concessional loan for the completion of widening and other improvement of the road between Better Hope and Belfield on the East Coast of Demerara.

Finance Minister Winston Jordan and former Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China, Zhang Limin, had inked the agreement. Guyana has contributed $2.7 billion towards the project.

The current component of the project entails a total length of 16.998 kilometres of roads and 33.996 kilometres of drains to be built. It also includes the construction of seven bridges and the extension of 12 culverts. A median along with streetlights will be placed in the centre of the four lanes.

As of August, it was explained that the bridges were approximately 35 per cent complete, with works having commenced on four of them;

from page 15

and of the 12 culverts, works are being carried out on the fourth culvert, which brings this aspect of the works to about 25 per cent completed.

The concrete drains were about 90 per cent completed, while the revetment and retaining walls – a total of 190 metres primarily at the Triumph Sluice – were about 60 per cent completed. With regards to the road work, 95 per cent of the extension was completed.

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SUnDAY, october 7, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

City Hall delays commercial construction – businessman tells CoI

T

he Mayor and City Council (M&CC) had been in the spotlight for the past few days, as it relates to its failure to grant business applications for

construction and pending documents which were never approved.

The issue has affected the operations of many businessmen who took the op-

Region 10 Chairman threatens removal of RDC Works Department employees …says too many complaints piling up

Regional Chairman Renis Morian among Councillors during last week’s statutory meeting

W

ith an increased number of complaints being lodged against staff attached to the Works Department within the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), Regional Chairman Renis Morian has threatened to have them removed. While complaints against the department – which is responsible for the overseeing of the region’s infrastructural projects – is nothing new, it came in for more harsh criticism during the hosting of the Council’s statutory meeting last week when staff were accused of corruptive practices and under-productivity.

This, according to officials, continues to affect the flow of the system of works in the region. In threatening to remove all of the staff in the department, the Regional Chairman said the Council has been trying to sort out the same issues since 2015, but has seen no change.

He said if there is no change by December 31, 2018, the Council will move a motion for the removal of all of the staff within the department. According to Morian, the Council will cite “corruption, friendism” and “nepotism” as grounds for their removal, as he alleged that “kleptocracy” continues.

Morian said there are no set systems or structures for dates when projects are checked and staff seem to be acting outside of the interest of getting the work of the Council done. “People going and check their friend work and ain’t checking other people’s work because is not their friend... I’m aware of it because I’m on the ground...

We’re moving to a place where I’m going to write the Minister, write the President and say we can’t work with the present staff… they don’t even send the contracts to the Works Committee... that is a prerequisite of this RDC here, before the people (contractors) get paid, works got to sign off. When I go to works (department), people liming, coming in very, very,

late. There’s no structure in the Works Department...This RDC here is going to move to a place where we’re going to ask for the whole Works Department to move,” the Chairman told the meeting.

Regional Executive Officer (REO) Orrin Gordon also pointed out that he continues to have issues with Bill of Quantities submitted for projects and would have raised these concerns with engineers on the ground. “So that would have obviously slowed down the process... On Monday we would have had a meeting and at the meeting made it clear that we need to move some people out of the line and try and train some other people in line. Because we are not getting the productivity from those individuals,” he said. Additionally, Gordon said there are issues with status reports, which he noted contain a lot of gaps with missing information.

“We have to do better than this. There was an instance where a particular line item was overspent, and I said, ‘I can’t remember us doing that amount of work’. And they went back and said there was an error. When we check through the thing, we saw that one project was stated three times,” Gordon continued. However, he also admitted that presently, there are insufficient technical staff to carry out checks to projects with Councillors noting that the issues with the system continues to affect the timely payment of contractors.

Back in June, the Council made a unanimous decision to restructure its Works Department. Over the years, the department has come in for high condemnation from Morian and Councillors alike, with some of its members even being accused of fraud. Gordon had also pointed out that the department is a very troubling area and had made calls for the administration to have it reorganised. Several Councillors have also over the years registered their frustration in dealing with issues related to the department.

Vendors plying their trade in close proximity to the bond

portunity to testify at the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) so that their matters can be resolved.

Malcolm Panday served as a witness on Friday, where it was heard that he was facing a similar problem. It surrounded the intention of constructing a modern eight-storey building on a Water Street property, which currently houses a structure that is popularly known as the ‘zinc bond’.

After being granted approval by the Central

Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) 13 years ago, Panday told the Commission that he could not commence construction because the City Hall has refused to give permission to cordon off the perimeter of land.

“The office has for years repeatedly refused to give me the usual and necessary permission to cordon off the areas along the perimeter of the land approved for building,” he said in a statement, which was submitted as evi-

dence.

Despite being engaged several times, he noted that no action had been taken by the City Hall since the vendors outside the bond were authorised by the Council to ply their trades in close proximity to the property. As such, finalised documents would mean that the M&CC would have to relocate the payment merchants.

“Permission is not forthcoming because the M&CC has vendors occupying the perimeter of the four sides of the land approved for the construction; North pavement (Regent Street), West pavement (Water Street), South pavement (South Street) and the East pavement (West Alley). These vendors are blocking the four sides of my ‘Zinc Bond’ and denying me ingress and egress.”

Since 2007, Panday expressed that he would’ve offered to facilitate the movement of the vendors.

However, no actions were taken. The businessman not-

ed that he is unable to start the works since persons can be hurt and their stalls can cave in when the foundation is dug.

“The vendors on my land were able to make a good living and within that 13 years, not having to pay rent, nor rates and taxes, they built good foundations, acquiring assets like house and land, vehicles…”

Another affair of concern was the struggles that many enterprises are faced with in relation to parking. It was underscored that offloading of goods has been difficult since vehicles are occupying the spaces in front of these stores.

Just a few days ago, the Chief Executive Officer of Camex Restaurants, Terence Campbell, had blasted City Hall for failing to approve numerous applications for respective properties.

Campbell hinted that he was told that a bribe could fix the situation to which he responded that such acts would not be engaged.

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SUnDAY, october 7, 2018 | guyanatimesGY.com

Under 400 of 7000 UG students Wanted Guyanese businesswoman voted in UGSS elections Canada drug bust

nabbed in Suriname

T

he Guyanese businesswoman, who is wanted by the Customs AntiNarcotics Unit (CANU), as the alleged mastermind behind a drug bust in Canada last month, was nabbed by Surinamese law enforcement.

The woman, who has been identified as Rosemary Singh of Lot 123 Ramsingh Street, Annandale; and also Lot 153 South Annandale, East Coast Demerara (ECD), was found after she fled Guyana via boat to Suriname.

A source close to the investigation told Guyana Times that the woman was found hiding in the neighbouring country on Saturday morning.

However, it was noted that both CANU and their Canadian counterparts are working together as they continue to investigate the drug bust.

Singh, proprietress of

Nabbed: Rosemary Singh

Rose Bar located in Section C Enterprise, ECD, is wanted for questioning by (CANU) in relation to a cocaine bust in Canada on a bauxite ship that departed Guyana.

On September 15, 2018, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) carried out a major drug enforcement exercise during which they seized 81 kilograms of cocaine at

the Port of Valleyfield.

The drug was found concealed in the hold of a vessel – Jacqueline C – carrying bauxite from Linden, where the ship departed.

“After an initial search of the vessel, signs led us to concentrate on the front of the boat. And after a vigorous search, the cocaine was found concealed in bags in the hold of the vessel,” CBSA Deputy Director, Alain Surprenant, was quoted saying in subsequent reports.

Nevertheless, four people were arrested; two of whom – 48-year-old Nazir Ahmad Hussain and 36-year-old Roldan De Gorio TITO – were charged with conspiracy to import drugs for the purpose of trafficking.

According to a statement on the RCMP’s website, investigations revealed that the seized drug was heading for the Toronto and Vancouver markets.

A

lthough the University of Guyana (UG) has more than 7000 students, it was announced at a recent installation ceremony, that under 400 students participated in the election process to select a new President for the University’s Students’ Society.

This is according to a Registrar, Dr Nigel Gravesande, who shared remarks during the brief ceremony convened at the University’s Turkeyen Campus.

“Student governance here at the University of Guyana generally goes unnoticed by the average UG student but your efforts are felt everywhere on our two campuses and four centres… having less than 400 students participating in a democratic process that involves in excess of 7000 students needs us to urge and work assiduously to do better next time,” he said.

Gravesande told Guyana Times that the number of students who participated in the election process happens to be about the same each year, although he hopes the number of voters can be increased.

“I wanted to see much greater involvement in the

New UGSS President, Devta Ramroop

democratic process, its important and I hope that as the years go, progress that we would have a larger turn out to select the representatives that will lead the governance structure of the students,” the Registrar added.

He said he believes it is because the students try to stay focused that they choose not to participate in such events, although it does not take away their focus.

Nevertheless, the University had its new President of the student body sworn in. Elected to serve was Devta Ramroop of the Faculty Natural of Sciences.

Along with her, several other representatives were elected to serve in various capacities.

Ramroop will be responsible for making representations on behalf of her fellow students at decision-making meetings and at other forums.

She was also elected to serve in the capacity of a faculty representative in Natural Sciences.

She was warned by the past President of the UGSS that she will no longer have time for herself as it will go towards the development of the University, even as he congratulated her.

While giving her remarks, the newly elected UGSS President expressed how happy she was to be appointed to the position, as a female.

According to her, “In recent years women throughout the world have been tirelessly working towards breaking the glass ceiling. At nearly every decision-making firm in our country, men have been the dominant voices, I mean nothing is wrong with that but today I stand on the strong shoulders of two females Presidents before me… the 16-year drought is finally over.”

Ramroop said she hopes her sincere service will embolden others to rise to take up the challenge as well.

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1st Test, West Indies tour of India at Rajkot…

West Indies succumb to heaviest SCOREBOARD defeat against India T

he great West Indies procession ended with their heaviest Test defeat against India -- by an innings and 272 runs. It took India under 100 overs to bowl them out twice in their third straight three-day defeat in India. Fourteen of the 20 wickets fell in two sessions and a bit on the third day. The pace at which the batsmen kept going back to the pavilion prompted India to enforce the follow-on.

In the follow-on innings, Kuldeep Yadav benefited,

managed to evade fielders.

The day began similarly, with West Indies resuming at 94 for 6. Despite streaky devil-may-care batting from Roston Chase and Keemo Paul, India took the four wickets well before lunch, making the follow-on decision easy after having bowled West Indies out in 48 overs.

It was clear West Indies didn’t turn their defence.

Chase and Paul chanced their arm early, and that was the template for the rest

R. Ashwin then produced a spell of lovely offspin bowling, teasing and tormenting the lower order with flight and drift. He had Chase dropped in one over, but in the next he created a gap between his bat and pad with a lovely drift, and the ball spun back to go through that gap and hit the stumps.

Debutant Sherman Lewis then was flummoxed by a carrom ball. Shannon Gabriel, too, fell prey to the carrom ball. This time the ball missed the stumps, but

Kuldeep Yadav became the seventh player to register 5-wicket hauls in all three formats of international cricket

becoming only the seventh player to register five-fors in all three formats of international cricket.

Only Kieran Powell managed to resist, scoring an attacking 83 off 93, but even this innings was built more on luck than a method in the initial stages. To his credit, Powell hardly made a mistake once he was past the early high-risk shots that

of the day. A mix of welltimed and edged boundaries against the bowling of Mohammed Shami and Kuldeep Yadav ensued. The partnership reached fifty, both the batsmen approached that landmark, but then Umesh Yadav finally bowled the first bouncer of the morning, drawing a top edge for midwicket to catch.

Paul fell on 47.

an overbalanced Gabriel gave Rishabh Pant a stumping after he had 16 byes and two dropped catches against his name.

Ten minutes later, Ashwin was at them again, this time with the new ball.

He didn’t need the carrom ball now to threaten each edge of the bat, as the new ball sometimes tended to go straight.

Kraigg Brathwaite and Kieran Powell batted with aggression that emanated probably from their lack of trust in their defence. In the end, it was a sharp, spitting offbreak that brought Prithvi Shaw his first Test catch at short leg from the bat of Brathwaite.

Possibly with the Australia tour in mind, India gave Kuldeep a long go in the second innings, and the wristspinner responded.

Shai Hope played back to a fullish ball and was trapped lbw. Shimron Hetmyer was a shot a minute, and sooner or later one was going to spoon off the outside edge.

Sunil Ambris jumped out of the crease without picking a wrong’un, and Pant had a second stumping. Chase was done in by the drift on a full wide half-volley, but still he will be disappointed he didn’t adjust and drive it straight to cover.

Powell had a little bit of luck early on when he cleared the infield off the inside half of the bat early on. Post that he connected cleanly and sweetly with every ball pitched too full.

He hit four sixes and eight fours in his innings, but with the century approaching, he closed the face on a Kuldeep delivery, offering Shaw his second silly-point catch of the day. At least that innings had helped West Indies get close to avoiding their heaviest defeat in all Test cricket, by an innings and 283 runs against England in 2007.

India 1st Innings PP Shaw c & b Bishoo 134 KL Rahul lbw b Gabriel 0 CA Pujara c †Dowrich b Lewis 86 V Kohli (c) c Bishoo b Lewis 139 AM Rahane c †Dowrich b Chase 41 RR Pant † c Paul b Bishoo 92 RA Jadeja not out 100 R Ashwin c †Dowrich b Bishoo 7 Kuldeep Yadav lbw b Bishoo 12 UT Yadav c Lewis b Brathwaite 22 Mohammed Shami not out 2 Extras: (b 9, lb 1, nb 4) 14 TOTAL: (149.5 Overs, RR: 4.33) 649/9d Fall of wickets: 1-3 (KL Rahul, 0.6 ov), 2-209 (CA Pujara, 42.6 ov), 3-232 (PP Shaw, 50.2 ov), 4-337 (AM Rahane, 83.3 ov), 5-470 (RR Pant, 108.1 ov), 6-534 (V Kohli, 123.4 ov), 7-545 (R Ashwin, 128.1 ov), 8-571 (Kuldeep Yadav, 136.5 ov), 9-626 (UT Yadav, 143.6 ov) BOWLING: ST Gabriel 211-84-1, KMA Paul 15-1-610, SH Lewis 20-0-93-2, D Bishoo 54-3-217-4, RL Chase 26-1-137-1, KC Brathwaite 13.5-1-47-1, West Indies 1st Innings KC Brathwaite (c) b Mohammed Shami 2 KOA Powell lbw b Mohammed Shami 1 SD Hope b Ashwin 10 SO Hetmyer run out (Jadeja) 10 SW Ambris c Rahane b Jadeja 12 RL Chase b Ashwin 53 SO Dowrich † b Kuldeep Yadav 10 KMA Paul c Pujara b Yadav 47 D Bishoo not out 17 SH Lewis b Ashwin 0 ST Gabriel st †Pant b Ashwin 1 Extras (b 16, lb 2) 18 TOTAL all out (48 Overs, RR: 3.77) 181

The procession continued with trigger-happy batting, Paul finding long-off, Bishoo gloving a sweep down the leg side, and Lewis and Gabriel

Fall of wickets: 1-2 (KC Brathwaite, 2.2 ov), 2-7 (KOA Powell, 4.1 ov), 3-21 (SD Hope, 9.2 ov), 4-32 (SO Hetmyer, 11.5 ov), 5-49 (SW Ambris, 16.1 ov), 6-74 (SO Dowrich, 25.2 ov), 7-147 (KMA Paul, 38.4 ov), 8-159 (RL Chase, 43.2 ov), 9-159 (SH Lewis, 43.5 ov), 10181 (ST Gabriel, 47.6 ov) BOWLING: Mohammed Shami 9-2-22-2, UT Yadav 11-3-20-1, R Ashwin 11-2-37-4, RA Jadeja 7-1-22-1, Kuldeep Yadav 10-1-62-1 West Indies 2nd Innings (following on) KC Brathwaite (c) c Shaw b Ashwin 10 KOA Powell c Shaw b Kuldeep Yadav 83 SD Hope lbw b Kuldeep Yadav 17 SO Hetmyer c Rahul b Kuldeep Yadav 11 SW Ambris st †Pant b Kuldeep Yadav 0 RL Chase c Ashwin b Kuldeep Yadav 20 SO Dowrich † not out 16 KMA Paul c Yadav b Jadeja 15 D Bishoo c †Pant b Ashwin 9 SH Lewis lbw b Jadeja 4 ST Gabriel c Kuldeep Yadav b Jadeja 4 Extras (b 5, lb 1, nb 1) 7 TOTAL: all out (f/o) (50.5 Overs, RR: 3.85) 196 Fall of wickets: 1-32 (KC Brathwaite, 7.6 ov), 2-79 (SD Hope, 18.6 ov), 3-97 (SO Hetmyer, 22.1 ov), 4-97 (SW Ambris, 22.4 ov), 5-138 (RL Chase, 29.3 ov), 6-151 (KOA Powell, 35.4 ov), 7-172 (KMA Paul, 40.4 ov), 8-185 (D Bishoo, 43.6 ov), 9-192 (SH Lewis, 48.6 ov), 10-196 (ST Gabriel, 50.5 ov) BOWLING: Shami 3-0-11-0, R Ashwin 18-2-71-2, UT Yadav 3-0-16-0,Kuldeep Yadav 14-2-575, RA Jadeja 12.5-1-35-3

attempting big shots. Only six of the 20 wickets had fallen with batsmen playing a defensive shot. (ESPNCricinfo)

Russia in legal bid to lift IAAF doping ban T

he Russia Athletics Federation (RUSAF) has launched a legal challenge to overturn the ban on its athletes imposed by athletics governing body, the IAAF. It has filed an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Last week, WADA ended its three-year suspension of Russia’s anti-doping agency, but the IAAF’s ban remains.

“We are guided solely by the interests of fairness, justice and equal treatment of clean athletes,” RUSAF said in a letter to the IAAF. The Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) had, since 2015, been suspended over

alleged state-backed doping, after it was accused of covering up drug abuse -- including while the country hosted the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics -- in a WADA-commissioned report.

Earlier this month, WADA’s Compliance Review Committee recommended that RUSADA be reinstatement after it received assurances from the Russian sports ministry that the country had “sufficiently acknowledged” failures.

Russia remains suspended from International Paralympic Committee (IPC) events and also from athletics, although some athletes have been allowed to compete

The Russian anti-doping agency (RUSADA) headquarters in Moscow

as neutrals in international competition, after proving

their anti-doping credentials.

Both the IPC and the IAAF,

athletics’ governing body, have already established their own task forces to investigate Russia’s compliance.

The IAAF taskforce will present a report to a council meeting in December.

In the letter to the IAAF, first reported by the Times, RUSAF said: “Given that the outstanding criteria for RUSAF’s reinstatement, according to the latest IAAF council meeting in July, were essentially identical to those that WADA’s executive committee has now considered met, and that time is of the essence, we respectfully request the IAAF decide to reinstate RUSAF as soon as possible.

“We are at your disposal to discuss the next steps at your earliest convenience. In the meantime, however, we have no choice but to file an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the IAAF council’s decision in July by which the IAAF Council decided to extend RUSAF’s membership suspension.”

Speaking last week, IAAF president, Lord Coe, said: “The IAAF has its own set of criteria for the reinstatement of the Russia Athletics Federation. We will continue to rely on the task force and our clear roadmap for their reinstatement until we are satisfied that the conditions have been met.” (BBC)

20

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SUnDAY, october 7, 2018

18th championships of World Council of Dominoes Federation Inc commence – Guyana aims to come out on top

T

he 18th championships of the World Council of Dominoes Federation Inc commenced with an opening ceremony on October 5, 2018 at 17:00 hrs at the Carifesta Sports Complex in Georgetown.

This competition will see six teams from around the Caribbean competing for supremacy. Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, St. Lucia and the United States of America will join host Guyana in the tournament, which will be contested in the three-hand mixed pairs, female and male pairs, as well as the four-hand mixed pairs, female and male pairs.

Guyana are the current male three-hand defending champions.

The tournament opened with a march-past in which the various countries participated, the nations’ representatives taking to the field to present themselves. The contestants were overlooked by Minister of Social Cohesion; Culture, Youth and Sports,

Team Guyana at the opening of The World Council of Dominoes Federation Inc 18th championships

Dr. George Norton, After the on-field proceedings, various other activities and festivities occurred indoors. That aspect of the opening ceremony was hosted by Guyana’s very own Desiree Edghill, who welcomed the teams to Guyana.

In a statement, Edghill urged the competitors to take time

Antiguan star athlete Rai Benjamin switches allegiance to USA R

ai Benjamin, one of the fastest men in history in the 400m hurdles, is officially a USA athlete.

The 21-year-old athlete is a three-time NCAA Division champion, and this past season became the third fastest man in history when he won the 2018 NCAA title in 47.02s. Only world-record holder Kevin Young (46.78) and Abderrahman Samba (46.98) are faster.

Benjamin, the son of former Windies fast bowler Winston Benjamin, was born in the United States. However, he represented Antigua and Barbuda at the 2013 World Youth Championships and the 2015 World Relays.

His request to compete for the United States was delayed when the IAAF announced in February 2017 a freeze on athletes switching allegiances.

The transfer process was eventually completed on Thursday, when he received a letter from United States Track and Field indicating that his transfer was now complete.

The letter, in part over the signature of USATF Sarah Austin, Manager of Legal Affairs, read: "Good morning M. Benjamin, Early this morning, the USATF was advised that the IAAF Nationality Review Panel has approved you to compete on behalf of the United States with immediate effect..."

Benjamin turned pro at the end of the NCAA season signing with Nike. (SPORTSMAX) Rai Benjamin has now been cleared to represent the USA

to visit Guyana, which she described as one of the most beautiful countries in South America. She said she hoped the visitors would enjoy their sojourn in Guyana.

As the programme continued, Minister Norton took to the podium and spoke to the large delegations about the importance of dominoes

and its ability to bring about unity.

Norton said, “In Guyana, domino is an important tool that is used to promote unity and inclusion of our people. Thus it helps me, in my work as the Minister responsible for Social Cohesion, Culture Youth and Sport, to help to break down the barri-

er or break the ice against racial divide. Yes a good game of dominoes can work like magic”.

The game of dominoes was played to open the tournament, with Minister Norton, Secretary General of the World Council Dominoes Federation Inc, Gregory Blenman and Guyana

Domino Association (GDA) President Faye Joseph seated at the table playing a good game of dominoes in which dominoes enthusiasts loved and cheered them on.

The Squad representing Guyana is made up of Godfrey Samuels (C), Kevin Boston, Rawle Peters, Gilbert Mendonca, Theon Ambrose, Errol Seymour, Troy Baksh, Kemecy Brandis, Eon James, Shawn McKenzie, Kurt Caesar, Terrace Pollard, Quincy Adams, Bruce Goodman and Wendell Campbell (manager).

The females are comprised of Claire Benjamin (C), Yonette Christmas, Barbara Marshall, Andreia Marks, Sheron Jerome, Faye Joseph, Alexis McAulay, Alverene Jaundoo, June Watts, Shellon Nichelson, Karen Narville, Marcie Solomon and Nicola October.

The tournament commenced on Saturday October 6, 2018 and continues tomorrow at 9:00 am. (Timothy Jaikarran)

UFC 229: McGregor & Nurmagomedov face off at weigh-in

A

Conor McGregor is restrained as he fires a kick at his opponent

thletes Conor M c G r e g o r and Khabib Nurmagomedov had to be restrained by security guards when the pair weighed in for their UFC lightweight title fight in Las Vegas.

They were facing off for the final time, before meeting in the octagon in the early hours of Sunday. It will be Irishman McGregor’s first UFC fight in two years.

“UFC fans, it’s good to be back! The king is home!” the 30-year-old told the large crowd at the T-Mobile Arena, where the two contestants both made the 155lb limit.

The weigh-in took place in front of a typically boisterous crowd at the venue, with the vast majority supporting McGregor over his Russian opponent.

McGregor’s entourage on the stage even included the

rapper Drake, draped in an Irish flag.

But Nurmagomedov, who has been booed all week at the pre-fight events by McGregor’s vociferous supporters, still thanked “Irish fans around the world”.

“Because of you guys this fight is happening,” he said, adding: “Tomorrow night I’m going to smash your boy.”

U n b e a t e n Nurmagomedov is making the first defence of the light-

weight title at UFC 229 for what has been marketed by UFC chiefs as the biggest fight in the sport’s history.

Nurmagomedov succeeded McGregor as champion after the Irishman - the only fighter to simultaneously hold two UFC titles -- was stripped of his featherweight and lightweight crowns when taking time away from the sport to take on Floyd Mayweather in a boxing match.

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Guyana suffered a 35run loss in their first game versus the Trinidad Red Force, while their opponents are still on a high following their win over Canada in the first match.

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Shepherd would need to quickly rebound with the bat, should they gain early momentum.

The Windies side showed they were capable of setting big totals, as they racked up over 300 runs against the Canadians. The ‘B’ team will call on their ‘A’ players to come to the front, as they did before with skipper Marlon Samuels easing to a century against ordinary

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bowling by his standards, while Yannic Cariah grafted a half-century to get his campaign on the road.

Windies U-19 star Kimani Melius hit 46 as he warmed up, while Guyanese Tevin Imlach also looked good with the bat and behind the stumps. Talented former U-19 batsman Keagan Simmons is another player who would want to get his show up and running.

In the bowling department, Guyana would feel a bit assured, especially with the form of Shepherd and his fellow quick Clinton Pestano, who shared 6 wickets in the last game, and could play bigger roles, given their performance at the

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Pressure, if any, will be on the Jaguars, as they look to rebound from their loss against the Red Force, while the Windies would want to stretch their win-streak as they go deeper into the tournament.

Ershaad Ali continues to excel

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Ershaad Ali raises his bat after making a half-century

E

xcelling at the top of his level and proving himself to be the X-factor in any batting lineup, Ershaad Ali continues to dominate at the highest level in cricket, representing the University of Guyana; and his training has now been a testament to his success.

Ali was selected in the Cricket Guyana Inc franchise, but was unable to play as work commitment and injury had hindered him from so doing. However, Ali continues to play cricket for the University of Guyana, and has proven himself to be Mr Consistent, as his

scores have reflected.

But not only can Ali bat, he is a rightarm leg spinner who has dented innings of opposition teams as of recent. Speaking with Guyana Times Sport in an exclusive interview, Ali said his cricket this season has been very excellent compared to past seasons. The lefthanded middle order batsman has made impressive scores for the season, such as the 96 against Demerara Cricket Club which has the likes of one of Guyana’s most destructive all-rounders in Christopher Barnwell.

And Ali has also made 59 against Transport.

For the second division tournament, he made an impressive 49 in the semifinal of the NBS 40-over tournament against DCC, but the University team crumbled under the pressure of Guyana’s best under-19 players.

Even under pressure, Ali continues to show why he is still one of the better lefthanded batsmen on the scene. He has said that in order to be successful at the top, one must train hard, have the right mindset to score big, and have the confidence to go out on the field and execute one’s goal.

In terms of his bowling, Ali said he has taken wickets throughout the tournament, but he reflected on taking his best bowling figures of 5-34 against Muslim Youth Organisation (MYO).

For Ali, whether it is batting or bowling,

Ali poses beside Omesh Danram

a player must always have confidence and back himself to win. He has showered copious praise on his coach Kenroy Joseph, disclosing that Joseph has always told him to keep training himself to bat long and build big innings. (Timothy Jaikarran)

22

guyanatimesgy.com

SUnDAY, october 7, 2018

2018 CWI Regional Super50…

Pooran, Narine script easy win for Red Force Sunil Narine

By Clifton Ross

N

icholas Pooran smashed his second successive fifty to help the Trinidad & Tobago Red Force ease to a 35-run win over a spirited Guyana Jaguars in Friday’s day/night clash at the Queen’s Park Oval.

The flashy left-hander followed up his whirlwind 89 versus the reigning champs,

Windward Volcanoes, in the first game by crunching 6 fours and a couple of trademark sixes in his 75 from 81 balls, to revive the Red Force after they were at 67-3 in the 15th over.

The damage was done by the Jaguars’ pacers Romario Shepherd, with 3-56, and Clinton Pestano, with 3-45, with ideal support coming from veteran seamer Chris Barnwell, who grabbed 2-19

in a top spell. Jaguars franchise player Ramaal Lewis was the lone spinner to make inroads, as he took 1-39.

Red Force openers Evin Lewis (22) and Lendl Simmons (26) looked ominous, before Trevon Griffith ran out the latter, while his comrade, Barnwell, had the left-hander caught as the Jaguars put the brakes on the Red Force.

Pooran joined his captain Denesh Ramdin, and the duo did the repair work for the home

team with a stand of 63 for the 4th wicket. When Lewis removed Ramdin for 28, Pooran continued to

Smith’s ton flattens Canadians as champs bounce back

V

eteran opener Devon Smith spanked a classy hundred to help defending champions Windward Islands Volcanoes recover from their opening loss to the Red Force and go on to trounce Canada by 73 runs in Friday’s Group ‘A’ match played at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy.

It was the 3rd Super50 career hundred for the left-hander, who signalled his intention of having another seasonal run-spree by bashing 132 off 110 balls, with 11 fours and fours maximums; which took the Volcanoes to 337 for nine off 50 overs -- their second highest total ever in the history of Regional 50-Over cricket.

Electing to bat first, Smith went on to share three successive stands of 50 runs or more partnerships with Tyrone Theophile, Kirk Edwards and Kavem Hodge. Theophile hit four fours and a six in his 31; while Edwards, the exWest Indies batsman, crafted 61 with similar boundary stats to that of the latter; but it was Hodge who would have been kicking himself.

He could have gotten to a century, as he blazed 84 not out from 46 balls, with five fours and as many sixes, batting at number 4.

Mystery spinner Nikhil Dutta grabbed 2-60, including the big wicket of Smith in the 43rd over, and this triggered a batting meltdown that saw seven wickets go down for a mere 57.

Left-arm medium Romesh Eranga was the pick of the lot with 3-59 for Canada, who started their chase strongly, with Navneet Dhaliwal top-scoring with 80, while his fellow opener Rodrigo Thomas hit 55 and the experienced Nitish Kumar 38.

Dhaliwal struck 10 fours and one six, while Thomas supported evenly with his half-century, which came from 64 balls and included six fours and two sixes. It wasn’t enough for the Canadians, as Alick Athanaze, the former Windies Under-19 spinner, grabbed 5-45 from 8.1 overs, as Canada were eventually knocked over for 264 in 48.1 overs.

Smith was named MVP for his batting performance, while the champs would have extracted a bit more confidence following their horrific opening game as the tournament continues. (Clifton Kavem Hodge Ross)

keep the board ticking with runs, and put on a further 43 for the 5th wicket with veteran Kieron Pollard.

Pollard made 20, while seasoned all-rounder Dwayne Bravo hit two sixes in his 23, but the Jaguars pace duo of Pestano and Shepherd ran amok as they shared the last six wickets. The Jaguars folded for 207 all out inside 50 overs, despite some starts from a number of their batsmen.

Apart from the 60-run second wicket partnership be-

SCOREBOARD Trinidad & Tobago Innings (50 overs maximum) LMP Simmons run out (Griffith) 26 E Lewis c Rutherford b Barnwell 22 KA Hope b Barnwell 2 D Ramdin (c) † c Barnwell b Lewis 28 N Pooran c Rutherford b Shepherd 75 KA Pollard c †Bramble b Pestano 20 DJ Bravo b Pestano 23 SP Narine b Pestano 6 RR Emrit c Griffith b Shepherd 3 I Khan c b Shepherd 10 K Pierre not out 4 Extras (lb 11, w 12) 23 TOTAL all out (49.2 Overs, RR: 4.9) 242 Fall of wickets: 1-51 (E Lewis, 9.5 ov), 2-57 (KA Hope, 11.5 ov), 3-67 (LMP Simmons, 14.5 ov), 4-130 (D Ramdin, 29.1 ov), 5-173 (KA Pollard, 36.5 ov), 6-194 (N Pooran, 41.2 ov), 7-203 (SP Narine, 42.3 ov), 8-217 (RR Emrit, 45.1 ov), 9-227 (DJ Bravo, 46.3 ov), 10-242 (I Khan, 49.2 ov) BOWLING: R Shepherd 9.2-0-56-3, RA Reifer 6-0-30-0, C Pestano 10-0-45-3, CD Barnwell

7-0-19-2, V Permaul 10-142-0, RA Lewis 7-0-39-1 Guyana Innings (target: 243 runs from 50 overs) TA Griffith st †Ramdin b Khan 38 C Hemraj c †Ramdin b DJ Bravo 6 LR Johnson c †Ramdin b Pierre 32 RA Reifer c †Ramdin b Pierre 12 CD Barnwell c Pollard b Khan 20 SE Rutherford c Lewis b Narine 11 A Bramble (c) † c DJ Bravo b Narine 18 R Shepherd lbw b Narine 2 V Permaul c Narine b Pollard 14 C Pestano b DJ Bravo 21 RA Lewis not out 4 Extras: (b 5, lb 7, nb 1, w 16) 29 TOTAL: all out (47.2 Overs, RR: 4.37) 207 Fall of wickets: 1-14 (C Hemraj, 5.1 ov), 2-74 (LR Johnson, 16.6 ov), 3-92 (TA Griffith, 21.1 ov), 4-112 (RA Reifer, 28.1 ov), 5-128 (CD Barnwell, 31.3 ov), 6-134 (SE Rutherford, 34.2 ov), 7-149 (R Shepherd, 37.1 ov), 8-165 (A Bramble, 39.1 ov), 9-188 (V Permaul, 44.4 ov), 10-207 (C Pestano, 47.2 ov) BOWLING: RR Emrit 8-0-43-0, DJ Bravo 6.2-0-29-2, SP Narine 10-128-3, K Pierre 10-0-30-2, I Khan 10-1-45-2, KA Pollard 3-0-20-1

tween lefthanders Captain L e o n Johnson a n d Griffith, there was little stability from the Jaguars batting.

Griffith punched four fours as he led Trevon Griffith

the way with 38, while the classy former West Indies Test player Johnson also found the ropes on four occasions during his 32.

Barnwell made 20, but apart from vice-skipper Anthony Bramble’s 18, no other batsman stepped up.

All-rounder Narine continued to show his class in both departments these days, as he was the pick of the Red Force bowlers with a magical 3-28 from his allotted 10 overs. Guyana will have to regroup quickly as they prepare to take on the West Indies ‘B’ team in Sunday’s round.

Ink Plus supports GSCL Inc for Prime Minister’s Cup 2

A

iming to set the stage alight for the Prime Minister’s Cup 2, which they are staging, and which is set to commence on October 19, 2018 at various venues in the city, the Georgetown Softball Cricket League (GSCL) Inc have now added another sponsor to their list in the form of Ink Plus.

Representative of Ink Plus Sales, Raveena Mohan, has presented, as that company’s sponsorship, a substantial amount of money towards the GSCL Inc. Receiving on behalf of the GSCL was Telesha Ousman, at the entity’s location in Laluni Street, Queenstown.

Mohan said, “We are happy to be given the opportunity to come on board, since this tournament only comes once a year. It is nice to see teams coming from overseas to rub shoulders with their Guyanese counterparts, and this will lift the level of the competition”.

Mohan then wished the teams well, and said she is looking forward to an exciting and successful tournament.

In a statement, Ousman said, “Teams will start arriving shortly, and Guyanese teams have already started their preparation”.

The GSCL Inc secretary informed fans to expect some exciting cricket throughout the tournament, as there would also be off-field entertainment and promotional giveaways.

Some of the venues identified

Ink Plus-GSCL Inc Secretary Telesha Ousman (left) accepts the cheque from Ink Plus sales representative Raveena Mohan

for the preliminary matches are: the GNIC Sports Club ground; Muslim Youth Organisation (MYO) ground; Gandhi Youth Organisation (GYO) ground; Demerara Cricket Club (DCC), Malteenoes Sports Club (MSC), Police Sports Club ground at Eve Leary, and Everest Cricket Ground ground.

In the Open segment, the winning team will take home $700,000 while the runner-up will receive $100,000. In the Masters’ category, the champion team will be awarded $600,000 and the runner-up $100,000. The tournament will feature some of the most modern technologies to grace cricket, such as lighted bails in the competition. Added entertainment will

be provided by the Crossover Band and cheerleaders during the finals.

The teams battling for supremacy in the All-stars (Open) segment are Wales Challengers, Enterprise Rebels, Hill Foot Vipers, Farm Allstars, Speedboat, Success, Regal Allstars, Corriverton, Bartica Allstars, SVC, and Booths XI. The Masters category will include Albion Masters, Regal Masters, Mike’s Wellman, Enterprise Masters, Ontario Masters, Narine Masters, Florida Guyana, Tropical Spring Masters, Parika Defenders and Fishermen Masters. The tournament will commence on October 21 at the Everest Cricket Club, Regal Masters and Speedboat (open) are the defending champions.

guyanatimesgy.com

SUnDAY, october 7, 2018

23

Limacol Knockout final 2018

Pouderoyen suffer forceful detention at the hands of Police The tournament’s best goalkeeper shows why he was so awarded, as he blocks yet another one of Pouderoyen’s attempts

By Jemima Holmes

T

he Guyana Police Force Football Club overcame their shortcomings manifested in last year’s staging of the Limacol Knockout Football tournament to finally cop the top prize on Friday evening in a thrilling encounter with Pouderoyen FC. After the official greeting party, wherein both teams interacted with Limacol’s Marketing Manager Elizabeth Ram and Petra’s Co-Director Troy Mendonca, the fast-paced match got underway.

The Police team took to the

special weapons and tactics – spawned a Pouderoyen frustration that showed in their mode of play.

Any thought the West Side team had of equalising was further diminished when Anthio Wallace again swooped down to deliver his third bomb in the 60th minute. Twenty minutes later, the Police lead was further extended by Dexroy Adams with a self-assured rocket fired from just outside the box.

Pouderoyen were granted another chance at making the game competitive when a few minutes of stoppage time were added to the life of the game.

2018’s highest goal scorer Manasseh Primo receiving his accolade from Petra’s Jackie Boodie

playing field clad in white like a bunch of avenging angels, while Pouderoyen forsook their usual green and opted for an ‘all black’ attire as if they were attending a funeral; little did they know it was their own.

On the hunt from the first whistle, Pouderoyen were obviously looking to draw first blood. They were, however, arrested in the 12th minute by the on-duty policemen, whose early goal signalled a coherent game plan being purposefully and resolutely executed with a passion to win.

Thereafter, the officers detained Pouderoyen and restricted them from scoring, or even getting close to the box.

Like a dive bomber with the target perfectly in sight, Anthio Wallace swooped down to score his second goal of the game in the 32nd minute.

After half an hour of unsuccessful play, the Pouderoyen response was swift and decisive when Alex Andrews caught the Police goal-keeper slacking in the 34th minute.

The drought that followed this Pouderoyen breakthrough – induced by the Police use of

Within those minutes, the West Side team managed to capitalise on a foul, netting a penalty to take their score to two.

However, it was not enough to catch-up with the Police, who were already soaring to their championship title with a 4-2 victory being inevitable.

Despite having doubts after the semifinal, Coach Dwayne Bobb was pleased with the performance of his possee of lawmen.

“From semifinals we didn’t have such a good game, and we went back to the drawing board. We went back home and worked, and they played much better tonight,” the coach stated.

After their shaky semifinal on Sunday evening, the coach had stated that one player does not make a team. Acknowledging Anthio Wallace’s game winning hat-trick, the coach took the opportunity to modify his statement.

“One player indeed can make a difference in a team, but it takes the rest of the players to work in tandem so that we could come out victorious,” he acknowledged.

Not only did the law

enforcers confiscate the $600,000 cash first prize on offer, but their striker Anthio Wallace was adjudged the MVP of the tournament. Noting that he was pleased with the accolade, Wallace revealed that he was happy foremost with the Police win.

“First of all, I must give God Almighty thanks. I thought we played a compact game and

(the win) was well deserved.

It was a nice feeling, scoring those goals and Police winning again; it was a great feeling,” he stated.

The third place clash between Riddim Squad and Santos was equally entertaining.

Kicking off at 19:00 hrs before the grand finale, both teams were unwavering in their pursuit of the next best thing,

the third place win.

The thrills began just five minutes into the game, when Sherwin Hope netted an own goal to put Santos up by one.

After playing relentlessly to correct their teammate’s error, James Bowman found the answer in the 44th to equalise the scores.

With the game plunging into extra time, both teams had

another chance to make it their own. A goal from Kevin Gordon in 90+22’ saw Riddim Squad emerging with a 2-1 victory over Santos.

In special awards, Manasseh Primo was awarded for his tally of 6 goals, making him the highest goal scorer of the 2018 season; whilst the Police goalkeeper was hailed as the best of the lot.

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

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2018

guyanatimesgy.com

Limacol Knockout final 2018

Pouderoyen suffer forceful detention at the hands of Police Pg 23

Pg 23

Tournament MVP Anthio Wallace receiving his prize from Limacol’s Marketing Manager Elizabeth Ram

The victorious Guyana Police Force FC celebrate their scintillating victory in the wee hours of Saturday morning

18th championships of World Council of Dominoes Federation Inc commence

Pg 20

2018 CWI Regional Super50…

Pooran, Narine script easy win for Red Force Pg 22

– Guyana aims to come out on top Social Cohesion Minister with responsibility for sport, Dr George Norton, enjoys a game of dominoes with two members of the Guyanese contingent

GUYANA TIMES - www.guyanatimesgy.com, email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, NEWS HOTLINE: 231-8063 EDITORIAL: 223-7230, 223-7231, 231-0544, 225-7761 SPORT: sport@guyanatimesgy.com SALES AND MARKETING: 231-8064 - lezas@guyanatimesgy.com - PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY GUYANA TIMES INC.

October 7, 2018

TIMES BOLLYWOOD: Star Times Hollywood:

Page 14

Anushka Sharma:

You can’t blame star kids for nepotism in Bollywood

FREE DISTRIBUTION

BREAST CANCER

AWARENESS

Saluting the Warriors

2 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

OCTOBER 7, 2018

Feature

T

he Breast C a n c e r Awareness Month, marked in countries across the world every October, helps to increase attention and support for the awareness, early detection and treatment as well as palliative care of this disease.

There are about 1.38 million new cases and 458 000 deaths from breast cancer each year (IARC Globocan, 2008). Breast cancer is by far the most common cancer in women worldwide, both in the developed and developing countries. In low- and middleincome countries the incidence has been rising up steadily in the last years due to increase in life expectancy, increase urbanization and adoption of western lifestyles.

Currently there is not sufficient knowledge on the causes of breast cancer, there-

fore, early detection of the disease remains the cornerstone of breast cancer control. When breast cancer is detected early, and if adequate diagnosis and treatment are available, there is a good chance that breast cancer can be cured. If detected late, however, curative treatment is often no longer an option. In such cases, palliative care to relief the suffering of patients and their families is needed.

The majority of deaths (269 000) occur in low- and middle-income countries,

A section of those who attended the annual Breast Cancer Awareness Walk

where most women with breast cancer are diagnosed in late stages due mainly to lack of awareness on early detection and barriers to health services. A situation that can be reverted if adequate public health programmes are put in place.

The World Health Organisation promotes comprehensive breast cancer control programmes as part of national cancer control plans.

The recommended early detection strategies for low- and middle-income countries are awareness of early signs and symptoms and screening by clinical breast

examination in demonstration areas.

Mammography screening is very costly and is feasible only in countries with good health infrastructure that can afford a long-term programme.

In Guyana, a lot of headway has been made in the fight to raise awareness to breast cancer as well as other cancers.

During the month of October a plethora of activities are held to raise awareness as well as screen for new cases.

However, there are no specific statistics as it relates to breast cancer in Guyana.

Launching of GTT’s Pinktober activity which aims to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer treatment as well as honour breast cancer survivors

FLASHBACK: 2017’s Breast Cancer Awareness Walk

guyanatimesgy.com

OCTOBER 7, 2018

Sunday Times Magazine

3

Feature

“Don’t be ashamed because you did not give yourself cancer”

By Lakhram Bhagirat

P

eople choose not to share their experiences for a number of reasons and one of the major ones is to escape society’s judgment.

The feeling of being judged is too much for some people to deal with and it quite often deprives some people of the help they really need. Not everyone is willing to share that they are suffering from a disease so deadly that it requires a great deal of courage to beat, and even that is not guaranteed.

However, Christine Jardim is of the belief that we should embrace what is going on in our lives and share our experiences in order to help and get the help we need to deal with those issues.

Jardim was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years ago and says that she finds talking about what she is going through has helped her to encourage as well as help those in similar situations.

“Don’t be ashamed of it; you didn’t bring it on yourself. Don’t be afraid to talk to people. Reach out to people to help you. You need to do that.

It is good to share it because in sharing we get help, because there is always somebody going through it and by sharing they would tell you how not to treat your body and stuff like that,” she advised.

The 47-year-old mother of two discovered a lump in her right breast in 2013, and immediately became aware that something may be wrong. She would usually check herself and never found anything so it sparked her curiosity and that led her to the Woodlands Hospital. She was examined and a lump was discovered after which she was referred to the Georgetown Public Hospital for a biopsy.

The sample was sent overseas to be analysed and it came back with a ‘nothing to worry about’ letter.

“They said that I could take out the lump and the doctor took out the lump at Woodlands. Two years after, I felt another lump in the same right side and I decided to go to Trinidad and when I went to Trinidad, they did everything there and took out the lump and there it was, it was stage two cancer.”

She had her procedure done at the West Shore Medical Private Hospital in Port of Spain, Trinidad, and her right breast was removed along with the lymph nodes off the right arm. She then began receiving chemotherapy right at the Hospital.

Jardim completed eight rounds of chemo along with 16 sessions of radiation, and has been cancer-free for almost three years. She remembers travelling back and forth between Trinidad and Guyana so that she could receive her treatment. She remembers being scared and feeling all alone even when her family and friends were right there holding her hands. She remembers how much she needed her family’s and friends’ support to get through session after session of chemotherapy and radiation.

Her extended family has a history of breast cancer, but she never thought that she would have been the next victim.

“I would cry and so, because after I started my chemo, one day I noticed that my hair was falling off and then my eyelashes and the hair went. It is hard to adjust to a change like that, because one day you are okay and the next day everything is haywire. I would get depressed and I would stay like that and cry, because you know when you take chemo, you would get bad feelings and you want to throw up with the medication,” Jardim explained.

She said throughout it all her family has been her rock and her daughter was there every step of the way.

Jardim said that a support network for someone battling cancer was integral, and that was why she would encourage persons to speak about their experiences because of the mere fact that your experiences could help someone who is just as scared as you

were.

Cancer has changed the way Jardim looks at life now.

She is much more conscious of the decisions she makes

as well as what she puts into her body. Exercise is integral so is ensuring that the right amount and type of food is eaten.

Now she basks in helping her family and those less fortunate as well as sharing every little thing she did during her battle.

4

Sunday Times Magazine

Feature

By Lakhram Bhagirat

T

he strength of a thousand soldiers is not even close to the amount of strength and courage it requires to fight a disease so deadly that it is among the top five killers in the world. The strength of a thousand soldiers is not comparable to the strength it requires to watch that disease ravage your family, taking two loved ones. The strength of a thousand sol-

guyanatimesgy.com

OCTOBER 7, 2018

“Cancer runs in the family, but we are fighters”

diers is insignificant when compared to the strength that is required to beat cancer.

Rosaline Clarke is a strong woman, a fighter, and a survivor. She lives to tell the tale of how she kicked cancer’s proverbial backside and is now an inspiration to many out there.

She advocates for early checkups and ensuring that you do not wait too long before you visit the doctor’s office for your examination.

The 59-year-old mother of three comes from a family with a history of cancer. In order to understand how strong the family is we would have to go back a bit in time and get to know younger Rosaline. She grew up in a big family that valued and respected everyone regardless of background.

She called Princes Street, Georgetown home along with her five brothers and four sisters. Their father was employed with the then Works Ministry while their mother took care of the family. Clarke did not grow up in the most ideal of circumstances, but their family was always contented with whatever little they had.

As a child, Clarke and her siblings would rummage through an incinerator after the Food Inspectors would have dumped expired goods seized from the shop owners.

They were especially happy when they found corned beef and it would make a delicious meal. Potatoes were also a staple, and checking at the incinerator was a way of life for many families at that time.

She attended St Stephen’s School and remembers coming home for lunch and then having to walk all the way to Kingston, Georgetown to deliver lunch for her father and then back to school.

“Sometimes, when you

go home, it don’t have anything to eat and you would get a handful of biscuits and some water and a spoon of sugar and you would add lil’ essence and be contented. We were contented with whatever we had and never envied anybody,” she tells me.

So now that we know Clarke was a fighter since her small days, let us see how she would have continued fighting all the way into adulthood.

She got married at 19 years of age and had three children, but would go on to divorce her husband after a decade of marriage. She then remarried Brentnol Langford and their union lasted for 28 years until he died in May 2018.

Clarke vividly remembers the events that led to her diagnosis. She explained that she was visiting her sister in New York when she began experiencing a sharp pain in her breast.

“It was in 2016 and you know Guyanese, how they does be when they go to the US, they does carry everything for everybody and I thought it was because of how heavy my suitcase was, but the pain did not go away. I spoke to my sister and she encouraged me [to get checked out],” she said.

Clarke explained that she had lost a brother and a sister to cancer and she has three other siblings who were cancer survivors. The sister who she was visiting was also a breast cancer survivor.

“She was the one who en-

couraged me to be checked out and told me to be strong and I watched at her: how she was going through her chemo and radiation and it was not easy to watch her and it was not an easy thing to see the other two pass away.”

Her sister insisted that she got checked out when she returned to Guyana and when she landed in September 2016, one of the first things Clarke did was to visit the Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association (GRPA) and have an examination done.

The GRPA’s doctor examined her and referred her to a private institution for some additional tests which confirmed that she had a potentially cancerous tumour in her breast.

She immediately checked herself into another institution to have the tumour removed; a lab analysis confirmed that the tumour was cancerous and the doctors there wanted to perform surgery immediately. However, Clarke wanted a second opinion, so she went to the Georgetown Public Hospital’s Oncology Department, where they ran a series of tests and laid out her options.

“They sat my husband and I down and asked him if he wanted one breast less or to lose his wife and I immediately told them to take off the breast since it was in its early stages. I did my mastectomy on November 21, 2016.”

Since the cancer was dis-

Rosaline Clarke

covered early, Clarke was given the option of using a pill called Letrozole instead of having to endure chemotherapy and radiation.

Letrozole is an oral, anti-estrogen drug that is used for treating postmenopausal women with breast cancer.

She has to use the pill for five years and is currently in her second year and says she feels optimistic.

“Being a Christian helped give me strength and I work at the Open Bible Day Care and being among the small children gives you a lot of inspiration and when you go in the morning and you hug them and kiss them, you forget all about your condition, because they are so loving and you have no time to worry.

It gives me the strength not to think about cancer,” she said.

Clarke keeps herself active and ensures that she lives every day to its fullest.

She thanked her family for their unconditional support and love, because it is they who gave, and still give, her the courage to fight with the strength of more than a thousand soldiers.

guyanatimesgy.com

OCTOBER 7, 2018

Sunday Times Magazine 5

Feature

By Lakhram Bhagirat

C

ancer is one of the most feared illnesses throughout the world and the fact that there is no cure in sight compounds that fear even more. For Janalyn Fraser, she was paralysed with fear when she was diagnosed with breast cancer almost two years ago.

“When they first told me that I had cancer, I felt my world collapsing and I didn’t know what was happening after, but I placed everything in God’s hands and I have been guided and is still being guided,” she said.

Fraser said following her diagnosis, her life immediately changed and she began thinking about all the ramifications. She remembers feeling as though someone had plunged a dagger through her body repeatedly, knocking all the air out of her lungs.

“I was so speechless and it was a good thing that I had a friend there to comfort me and make sure that I got home safely and I started to plan my life and look at the treatment options,” Fraser said.

The 56-year-old mother of four grew up in New Amsterdam, Berbice in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne). She remembers her childhood as one she thoroughly enjoyed. It was filled with fun, and she enjoyed having Sunday lunch with her family and her days as a tomboy running around the village.

As she grew up, responsibilities

took over and she remembers working in a garment factory in New Amsterdam and then moving to Georgetown when she got married.

While in Georgetown, she worked with another garment factory and then at National Hardware for some 18 years. The last four years of her working life was spent at the Footsteps Mega Mall.

Going back to Fraser’s diagnosis, she said that it was actually a girlfriend who inspired her to go get checked out. She remembers vividly it was during the month of October in 2016 when she finally decided to go and have herself checked out. She went to the Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association (GRPA) and was initially told that there was nothing to worry about.

“I went to GRPA and they checked me; I ‘ginched’ a little and he (the examiner) asked me what happened and I said I feel a slight pain when I ‘ginched’ and he said it is okay. I came home because he didn’t feel any lump and two days after I said, ‘let me check to see what the guy was feeling’ and when I checked, I felt the lump and I called them back. When I explained to him and I went and he rechecked me, and he said that he is sorry and he sent me to do an ultrasound at Woodlands Hospital and I was diagnosed then and there.”

She was told that she had a malignant tumour in her left breast.

When it was discovered, the cancerous tumour was already in the second stage. Fraser immediately started chemotherapy at the Georgetown Public Hospital’s Oncology Department. She would eventually undergo eight sessions of chemo and explained that it was a difficult period.

Her hair fell out and she felt weak during her sessions. Her mo-

bility was limited after she would have completed her chemotherapy sessions.

“Only the day of the chemo I felt weak and so and after that I was okay. My tongue was black, my nails were black and face was black... [but] I never vomit or sick during the period. I lost all my hair,” Fraser explained.

She had a mastectomy on

December 12, 2017, and her entire left breast was removed along with the lymph node. Recovering from her surgery was a journey that brought her closer to family and God. She is now adjusting to life without her left breast.

“I did a CT Scan about three weeks ago and it showed that I have a simple cyst on my kidney and the other organs are clear and I have to go for radiation. I am waiting for funding to do the radiation. I have to accumulate some money to do the radiation which I am hoping to get that done for next month.”

She said that because of her unemployment, funding for her treatment is now an issue. The radiation session is $460,000, but the Government usually contributes $200,000 and the patient is required to pay the remainder.

“I have to wait, because I don’t have the funds. I do not work and I have one of my sons here and he has been assisting with the house and my treatment. I started asking a few friends for some help and I am waiting on their word now,” she said.

Now she spends her time worrying about the money for her radiation therapy as she is battling the deadly illness.

“I have trust in God and he will show me a way to getting better. I am a believer and I will overcome all of this when the time is right.”

6 Sunday Times Magazine

OCTOBER 7, 2018

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OCTOBER 7, 2018

Sunday Times Magazine 7

Tourism

The first sight of the yellow orange stage of sunrise, daybreak at Parika Stelling

G

uyana is defined by its dense rainforest as well as its diversity. The name Guyana translates to “Land of Many Waters� but Guyanese often take the beauty of our rivers, lakes and creeks for granted. Water has a strange way of calming the mind and with so much water around us we should learn to appreciate the beauty of it as well as the power.

So let us explore some of the waterways along the coast line since the majestic creeks and waterfalls in the interior/remote locations are more promoted because of their tourism capabilities.

(Photos by Subhash Haimraj)

Saxacali Beach, Essequibo River

Transportation from Canal #2 to Canal #1, West Bank Demerara

A section of the beach at Leguan Island in the Essequibo River

Capoey Lake, Essequibo

The dock at Parka overlooking the mighty Essequibo

8

Sunday Times Magazine

OCTOBER 7, 2018

A section of the attendees

Delicacies on sale

T

he Sanatan Vaidic Dharma Pandits’ Sabha Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) last Sunday embarked on its second “boat cruise satsangh” which saw hundreds of individuals taking part in the numerous spiritual and cultural festivities.

The event, which materialised in collaboration with the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS), the Hare Krishna Movement, the Nirvana Humanitarian Society and generous sponsors featured discourses from prominent speakers and cultural performances with many from as far as Berbice, Bartica and other sections of Guyana’s coast.

Chants and singing were accompanied by henna designing, face painting and a vegetarian food bar which covered a wide variety of dishes, beverages, sweet meats and fruits.

Whilst venturing through the Essequibo River through the islands of Leguan and Wakenaam, many were engrossed in religious hymns and addresses after which the vessel was docked at the Supenaam Ferry Stelling, where the

inhabitants of nearby communities stepped out on the harbor to welcome the ferry.

Those who were interested in the sceneries along the banks of the river proceeded to the upper deck where the Hare Krishna Movement chanted for most of the journey.

After one hour into the windy midday atmosphere, the vessel resumed its route back to Parika for a threehour journey, cruising through the calm Essequibo waters. Cultural performances of dances, skits and musical renditions were performed by local artistes along with appearances by television personality, Joel Ghansham and other accompanying entertainers. The Dymanic Tassa Troupe also took the stage to perform to the crowd’s amusement.

With the sunset yet to descend, the ferry arrived at its destined port where many good reviews could be heard as persons exited and of course, with expectations that the initiative will continue in the coming years. The organisation posited that this idea was taken up to create diversity in the way the scriptures are being delivered to capture the

attention of all and as well as to preserve Hinduism. All proceeds will also be used to fund other activities at the Sabha.

The entity is also seeking to create a centre where studies can be pursued and is seeking assistance from the business community.

They are currently in search of land as the first step towards this realization.

Chanting

Part of the cultural programme

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guyanatimesgy.com

OCTOBER 7 , 2018

Sunday Times Magazine 9

Literary Corner

Dear lover, these buzzing fluorescence have you looking a little pale, just a little washed out And all this antiseptic is far from complimenting that perfume This linoleum will make your most stylish pair of pumps look cheap.

Preserving our literary heritage

Sweetheart, you look, tired I’ll never understand how it is that you don’t see it How terribly beautiful you are I mean, look in the mirror I’m in all the dark spots The hallowed slopes in your eyes in beneath them Your color it’s just so delicious.

Just listen, the sound of my voice to these sweet nothings I would love your everything Every multi colored malignancy Raw, and Heaving.

Breathe with me, bleed out with me and we will waste away together Hush now, I’ll hold you through these tremors It’s just the way that we dance baby!

Listen, to the music, this mutations, so orchestral It’s spreading so symphonic.

Split cells 2 by 2 by 4 by 4 Watch our love swell.

Lover, why do you want me dead?

I will show you heaven baby.

Give you the stars and the sun those are sunspots on your lungs.

You can’t just tie a ribbon around me and cough me up.

Really now?

Did you think I’d go that easy?

That I’d ever think to up and leave you.

Rest darling Lay down.

You know how I love to lazy river through your shattered glass veins Your heart is just as big as they all said it was, but not as strong.

All of that veined pride, pumping.

I know that poker-face all too well.

You will love me!

I gave you my sun, love me.

Deadly I’ll make you an angel, love me I’ll make you feel radiance.

You will meet me there In 9 months or 6 months or 3 They try to time-stamp our love, Expiration date us, but take your time.

I’ll wait for you, quiet and patient Until you wake on night with a stitch in your side or wasp in your brain And you will know, I’ve come back for you.

I will always come back for you Darling we will look so beautiful, laid out with all the wilting lilies They will weep for everything that you were And everything that you can never be without me Lover, it is my understanding that you want me dead Fine, die with me!

By Kevin Kantor

by

Petamber Persaud

A

fter exploring a part of Guyana’s heartland via Stan Brock (‘Jungle Cowboy’) and Gerald Durrell (‘Three Singles to Adventure’) a few other books and their authors vied for a mention in my column. I was unable to get my hands on ‘Ninetytwo Day’ by Evelyn Waugh (an account of his travels in Guyana and Brazil) and I had already written about ‘Zoo Quest to Guiana’

by David Attenborough (his three months spent in Guyana filming and collecting animals), so I focused on Charles Waterton of Walton Hall, Guyana and of Walton Hall, England, who wrote ‘Wanderings in South America’.

I focused on Waterton mainly of two quotations; one on the man and the other about his book. Theodore Roosevelt, naturalist and conservationist, said that ‘Wanderings in South America’ is ‘the beginning of literature wherein field naturalists who were also men of letters, have described for us the magic and interest, the terror and the beauty of the far-off wilds, where nature gives peace to bold souls and inspires terror in the mind’. Gerald Durrell writing the foreword to Julia Blackburn’s book ‘Charles Waterton, 1782-1865, Traveller and Conservationist’, said Waterton ‘was a man who did no harm to the world he lived in but enhanced it by his presence and his care of it. Would that we could all have similar epitaph’.

After surviving numerous life-threatening encounters during his wanderings in British Guiana and other

parts of the world, Charles Waterton died in his own backyard, stumbling on the flora (a briar-root) he nurtured to serve as sanctuary for the fauna he revived and sustained in his park, the world’s first wildfowl and nature reserve, at Walton Hall, Yorkshire, England.

Waterton was interned on his birth anniversary, June 3, some 83 years after he was born; his coffin on its floating briar was towed on the lake surrounding Walton Hall accompanied by boats draped in black cloth. He left detailed instruction for an elaborate funeral. Yet he disapproved of mourning and wearing of black. He died at twentyseven minutes past two on the morning of May twentyseventh, 1865.

His life was replete with curious incidents; some commentators went as far as labelling Waterton ‘a curiosity’ having done a few things different to the norm like sporting a crew-cut instead of a full head of hair and healing himself by bloodletting. But he was catholic in nature and Catholic by religion, praying daily in the wee hours of the morning, sleeping on bare floor with a block of wood for pillow.

He was well-read, saturating his mind with classical literature like Horace, Virgil, Ovid, but his bible was Cervantes’ Don Quixote which he read almost every day of his life, sometimes, reading by the light of a multitude of fireflies in the jungle of British Guiana. His life and work fitted aptly to a line from Don Quixote: ‘He is mad in patches, full of lucid intervals’.

He invented the bird

Notice to Readers

nesting box and created the world’s first wildfowl and nature reserve accommodating 17, 000 visitor in a year.

He was credited with taking the anaesthetic agent curare to Europe and taking “taxidermy from a sorry handicraft to an art” – his creations were ‘perfect and extraordinary lifelike’, taking back to England after his third trip to Guiana ‘two hundred and thirty birds, two land tortoises, five armadillos, two large serpents, a sloth and antbear, and a cayman’. He was an early opponent to pollution, successfully fighting for the removal of the soap factories around his estate that emitted poisonous chemicals which damaged the trees and waterways.

Charles Waterton was the Squire of Walton Hall, Yorkshire, and manager to Walton Hall, Essequibo, British Guiana. He first came to British Guiana in 1804 to manage his uncle’s estates, Friendship and La Jealousy, on the West Coast of Demerara, at a time when yellow fever was wrecking havoc with the population, coffins were a constant flow out of the city of Georgetown.

Between 1812 and 1824, he made four forays into the jungle of Guiana; the best days of his life ‘where a man would lose his senses, and forget the world’ and enjoy the silence and solitude of the forest.

There are many reasons for his expedition into the jungles of Guiana. One, he was a changed man, a more humane man, after dealing with the slaves on the plantations. So much so that he said one had to have

had a heart of stone to defend slavery. He taught the most important science of the day, taxidermy, to John Edmonstone, a freed African who went to England and in turn imparted the art to Charles Darwin. And the other reason for exploring the virgin forest of Guiana was bound up in the fact that an acquaintance, Sir Joseph Banks, encouraged Waterton to bring back samples of curare in order to experiment with the substance as a curative agent for certain aliments.

Waterton was born at Walton Hall, West Yorkshire, England, on June 3, 1782. At an early age he was attracted to nature, this interest was encouraged at Stonyhurst College.

His first foreign trip, to Malaga, like many subsequent voyages was not smooth sailing; he escaped the black plague slightly wounded.

His ailment triggered his sojourn to warmer climes in British Guiana.

His adventures were captured in an immensely popular book, ‘Wanderings in South America’, published 1826. It was translated into French, Dutch and Spanish and endorsed by Dickens, Darwin and Roosevelt. It would be useful to know that ‘Wanderings in South America’ was not meant to be a text-book but as Waterton declared that he only ‘penned down a few words’ to encourage naturalists to explore.

After his wanderings, he settled at Walton Hall, England, and married Anne Edmonstone at whose christening he was present on the Mibiri Creek, Demerara River, British Guiana. The union produced one son, Edmund, who was opposite in nature to his father and at whose feet lay the blame for lost of a great deal of information on Charles Waterton.

WHAT’S HAPPENING: New Arrivals: Monsoon on the Fingers of God (poetry) by Sasenarine Persaud; Red Hibiscus (novel) by Scott Ting-A-Kee; Aftermath of Empire: The Novels of Roy A. K. Heath (literary criticism) by Ameena Gafoor.

Responses to this author telephone (592) 226-0065 or email: oraltradition2002@ yahoo.com

If you have a poem and/or short story you would like to publish on our Literary Corner page, please email to timessundaymag@gmail.com. Kindly include your correct name and a contact number in your email. If you have any questions, please call 223-7230 or 223-7231.

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Sunday Times Magazine 11

Home & Cooking

W

hether you rent, recently moved into your first home, or just have a limited budget, highend furnishings, and home accessories can be out of reach for many, especially if you are just starting out. But that doesn't mean your first place has to look like a dorm room.

There are several tips and tricks you can use to give your starter home or apartment more grown-u polish. Luckily, it is more about know-how than cash when it comes to adding some sophistication to your space!

Ingredients •

•

• • • • • • • • • • •

2 ½ lbs top sirloin steak cut into pieces 1 lb baby potatoes cut in half 8 oz mushrooms 2 tsp olive oil 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce 1 onion sliced 5 cloves garlic, smashed ½ tsp onion powder ½ tsp garlic powder 1 tbsp steak seasoning 1 tsp salt* ½ tsp black pepper 2 tsp chopped dill

Decorate and Fill Spaces with Plants It's amazingly simple, but true. Just adding a living plant or two to will make any room feel more finished and home-y. Put a lowmaintenance plant such as a succulent, cactus or philodendron on a side table or nightstand and you'll give the impression you have your act together.

Instructions 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl place all ingredients except the dill and toss to combine.

Place on a 13x9 baking pan and cover tightly with aluminum foil.

Place in preheat ovenand cook for 1 ½ hours covered and then ½ hour uncovered.

Remove from the oven and stir in dill. Serve warm. * You may need to adjust the amount of salt. Some steak seasonings are very salty while others are salt free.

Use a Tray on Your Coffee Table

Ingredients • • • • • • • • • • • • •

1 ½ lb beef, cut into small cubes 1 tsp salt ½ tsp black pepper ½ tsp oil 1 white onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, crushed 2 tsp tomato paste 2 carrots cut into pieces 4 cups beef broth 4 cups water ½ tsp oregano 1 bay leaf ½ cup barley

Trays not only keep your clutter under control, they give a polished look to surfaces such as a coffee table. Fill a decorative tray with a short stack of hardback books, a box for your remote controls, a set of coasters and a pretty object or two for a grown-up, lived-in look.

Instructions 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Season beef with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large pot then add beef and brown.

Add onions, garlic, carrots and tomato paste and cook for 2-3 minutes until the onion softens.

Add beef broth, water, oregano, bay leaf and barley.

Bring to a boil and turn the heat down to simmer.

Cook until the beef is tender, about 1 ½ to 2 hours. Add extra salt as needed and garnish with chopped parsley.

Matching Glasses and Coffee Mugs Mismatched glasses and coffee mugs can have a kitschy-cool effect if they're collected and displayed intentionally. On the other hand, mugs with different logos on them and a hodgepodge of glass and plastic drinking glasses collected over time just looks messy.

Frame Your Art It’s really no longer acceptable to hang unframed prints or posters on the wall with tape. You can, however, use unconventional methods for hanging art, such as on a grid of clipboards for a modern take on a gallery wall, or with wooden pants hangers for a vintageindustrial look.

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Puzzles ACROSS 1

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95 Gun, in a cop show Influence

96 Not built-up Touches base (2 wds.)

97 Vast multitudes Hoity-toity (hyph.)

99 Selene's sister Wannabe prince

100 Tierra del -Crow's-nest cry

101 Roman magistrate Rabbit-sized rodent

102 Term paper Scarab, to Pharoah

103 "That Girl" girl Actress -- Olin

104 Monte -Now, to Caesar

105 Freight amts.

Thrust forward

106 900s, e.g.

Light bulb's place

107 Neutral and first News article

109 -- and aahed Bakers' dozens 110 Sacked Dot 112 Packed On edge

115 Somewhat vulgar Lew of "Johnny Belinda" 116 Defied gravity Copy

120 Engineering toy Basin occupant

121 "The Bathers" painter Young Cratchit 123 Toughened Foot, in zoology 125 District Mountain lakes

126 Fridge stick Indy 500 month

127 Speech openers Prudential rival

128 Jotting down Was melodramatic

129 Viking name Eggs on

130 Applied henna Spending limit

131 Flammable gas Win over

132 Bribe, informally Golden Fleece princess 133 "-- Dinah" Like hushpuppies

Boa or python DOWN None at all

1 Breathe hard Courtroom bargain 2 "Nah!" Gives a big smile

3 Actress -- Anderson Secretive

4 Spandex fiber Bedroom slipper

5 Narrow down Sullivan and Asner

6 Sees eye to eye Friars' rooms

7 Hoodlums, slangily Kind of lettuce

8 Has a late meal Bridge guru

9 Sporty truck Axes 10 Filched

46 31-day mo.

11 Surgical tools

47 Kiosk buy, slangily

12 It merged with BP 49 Withdraw 13 Canvasback

50 Big black dogs, for short 14 Genre

51 Crux

15 Wolfman Jack

52 A thousand G's

16 Top story

54 Disdainful sniff

17 Darted about

55 Known by few

18 Nerve network

56 Craven or Unseld

19 Rara avis

59 Fleetwood - 20 Strong, as venison 60 Small lenses

30 Hyper sort (2 wds.)

61 "You mignt have a --!"

32 Med. staffers

63 Quieted

34 U of U.N. fame

64 Fender nicks

36 Comes unglued

65 Back muscle 37 Barking

67 Explains further

38 Fermented soy cake 68 West Indies native

39 Shoe-lover Marcosmates Recoil 40 Unassuming 70 Written reminder

42 Crops, as a picture 72 Decent grade

43 -- arts

73 Falcon

45 Job security

Boarded up

74 She's a Dahl

75 Reception

76 Where Asia begins

77 Like pottery 78 Navigator's dir.

79 Thick wools

80 Grand total

81 Festive night

82 Bathysphere explorer 83 Airport closer

85 Cappuccino flavor

86 Lama's melody

87 Cause a blister

90 Medieval tales

91 Lairds' households

92 Crocodile Dundee and 94

95 Blacken

96 Hydrogen-atom lack

98 Out of one's mind

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Explorer -- de Leon 101 Make shorter Cochise or Geronimo 103 Passionate Cowboy meets

104 College elective Mulled quaffs

105 Peps up Bleaches

108 Lofty abode Dads and brothers 109 Rigel's constellation Five, in Quito

110 Anagram of afire Man of the cloth 111 Bewildered Burrito kin

112 Clump of dirt Like some kisses 113 Bank on Stockholm carrier 114 Ess molding Bard's prince

115 Mr. Dithers' wife Muralist -- Rivera 116 Relative of a zither Guys and fellows 117 Split Handle with ease 118 Camelot lady Beauty pack

119 Hockey feint Entered data

122 Ultimate degree Reduce to mush 124 Hide -- hair Turn back the clock Kind of sandwich Saudi king See Solution on Pg 14

KATHLEEN SAXE

WORD GAME TODAY'S WORD -- DALLIES (DALLIES: DAL-eez: Wastes time.)

Average mark 31 words Time limit 40 minutes Can you find 39 or more words in DALLIES?

dais dale deal deli dell dial diel dill aide ailed

aisle allied allies aside lade ladies ladle laid lase lead

lied lisle idea ideal idle ides isle said sail sale

sallied seal sell side sidle sill sled slid slide

RULES OF THE GAME: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” are not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

Central Nervous System

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Sunday Times Magazine 13

Tech

G

oogle Translate’s iPhone app now includes several regional options for speech input and output. This means that someone using the app to speak English, for example, isn’t stuck listening to someone in Standard American English.

As spotted by All Things How, these new regional speech inputs and outputs for Google Translate now include US, UK, Australia, and India for English; Bangladesh and India for Bengali; France and Canada for French; and Mexico and Spain for Spanish. Having the app recognize and speak in these regional pronunciations could prove to be incredibly helpful for travel-

S

ers trying to be understood as not all lan-guages are spoken the same in various parts of the world.

Google Translate is a free download from the Apple

App Store. It currently supports 103 languages by typing, and it can translate bilingual conversations on the fly in 37 languages. (The Verge)

elfie deaths are becoming a problem, according to researchers.

A study published in the most recent edition of the Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care calls for the declaration of "No Selfie Zones" in dangerous areas such as mountain tops, tall buildings and water bodies in order to decrease deaths.

India-based researchers found that 259 people worldwide died from accidents that occurred while try-ing to take a cool selfie in 137 incidents from October 2011 to November 2017.

The average age of the deceased was roughly 23 years old, and over 70 percent were males.

Most of the selfie deaths occurred in accidents related to drowning, fires, vehicles and falls, according to the report. Drowning was the most common cause of death, such as when someone got washed away by waves on a beach or when a boat capsized while the person tried to take a selfie. Some peo-ple also died taking

H

MD Global, the company that releases Nokia smartphones, announced its new flagship product on Thursday, the Nokia 7.1, and along with it, two new accessories: True Wireless earbuds and the Nokia Pro Wireless Earphones.

The Nokia True Wireless Earbuds provide up to 3.5 hours of use time, are waterproof, and come with a case that can charge the earbuds up to three times (for a total of 16 hours of play time). The Pro Wire-less earbuds are connected to a neckband, have up to 10 hours of use, and have a built-in vibration to alert people when a call is coming in. Both accessories can be used to take calls without your phone.

Nokia is the latest brand to hop on wireless headphones, following in the steps of other companies like Apple, Google, and Samsung. Even Huawei announced its own true wireless FreeBuds earlier this year — that look a lot like Apple’s AirPods. (The Verge)

L

G’s new V40 ThinQ smartphone has just been announced... again. The company previously confirmed that the V40 — let’s just ignore the ThinQ part starting now — would have three rear cameras and a 6.4-inch display. Today the full list of features is official, and the end result is LG’s best attempt to compete against the Galaxy Note 9 and iPhone XS Max. Big OLED screen?

Check. Powerful specs? Yep. The V40 also retains LG’s signature hi-fi Quad DAC and brings over the “boombox” speaker that debuted with the G7 earlier this year.

But like its top-end rivals, the V40 has a very premium price and will range between $900 and $980 from

US carriers when it’s released on October 18th in black or blue col-or options.

The 6.4-inch, notched OLED panel doesn’t have the same “super bright” mode you can find on the G7, with brightness topping out between 500 and 600 nits. But LG says the phone is noticeably lighter — more than an ounce — than both the Note and XS Max. With the move to three sensors, LG is also introducing two additional software features that take advantage of this system. A new “triple preview” feature will show you a live preview from all three cameras simultaneously, letting you quickly pick the right one for the shot you’re trying to get without having

T

selfies in front of moving trains. Other deaths involved animals, electrocution and guns.

The highest number of reported selfie deaths happened in India, followed by Russia, the US and Paki-stan. Most of the deaths in the US were due to firearms, according to the study.

The massive use of cellphones and the "desire of 'being cool,' posting photos on social media, and get-ting rewards in forms of likes and comments" are causing more selfie deaths, according to the re-searchers. They recommended declaring "No Selfie Zone" because "selfies take a toll on a large num-ber of adolescents" and noted that some countries already post signs warning against selfies in dangerous areas.

The study was based on English-language news reports, the researchers notes, therefore reports in local language would have been missed and more selfie-death cases could have occurred. (CNET)

hough Google hasn't officially announced the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, a torrential flood of leaks -- like, so many leaks that we're starting to wonder if they were intentional -- has provided a remarkably vivid picture of what we can expect.

Russian bloggers spilled a whole lot of beans in a fullfledged multimedia showcase posted earlier this year. And then a prototype Pixel 3 XL found in the backseat of a Lyft filled in even more details. If even half of the rumors are true, Google will be hard-pressed to conjure much surprise at the phone's offi-cial introduction.

But Google may have some revelations in store. The latest version of its Android operating system, known as Android Pie, has compelling new features -- such as multiplayer AR and enhancements to its already-superior voice assistant -- that will likely be integrated in the Pixel 3.

(Apple has showed off its own multiplayer AR at the iPhone XS launch and brought Siri a much-needed makeover with iOS 12.) And the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL may be more different from one another than in previous years -- chiefly due to the iPhone-like notched design that Google is rumored to have given the larger model. (CNET)

to switch between them. And “triple shot” captures all three angles with a single press of the shutter button; it saves a GIF of the transition between them and also saves each individual shot. So I guess if you’re very indecisive about which camera is best at a given moment, this might give you more flexibility for editing later on.

Like the G7, the V40 has the same ThinQ AI camera features for automatically adjusting saturation and other settings — now including shutter speed — based on what’s in the camera’s frame, and it offers built-in Google Lens functionality.

(And yes, there’s still a dedicated Google Assistant hardware button on the phone.) (The Verge)

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Bollywood/Hollywood

T

he lack of a film family background and zero links with Bollywood didn’t stand in the way of Anushka Sharma’s stardom.

And 10 years after her debut, she feels a lot of “contentment and gratitude” for everything that she has got.

“I’m thankful for the films that I’ve been able to do, for the opportunities that I’ve been given and the love that I’ve received,” says the actor, who entered cinema with a bang — in a lead role opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008).

Amid the debate around

A

n ex-girlfriend accused Nicolas Cage of abusing her, but the “Face/Off” star has vehemently denied the allegations.

Documents obtained

by The Blast reveal that a woman named Vickie Park accused Cage, 54, of abusing her at the Slash Film Festival in Vienna on Sept.

20. In her filing, Park alleged that Cage was “severely intoxicated” at the time of the incident.

Park, who claims she has been in an on-again-offagain relationship with the actor since June 2017, filed for a temporary restraining order against not Cage, but his estranged wife, Alice Kim. Park said in her filing that Kim has been stalking

nepotism, which heats up every time a star kid makes his or her Bollywood debut, Anushka, the outsider who hit the big league, has said little or nothing.

Her name, however, usually crops up in such a debate, alongside that of other outsiders-turned-stars such as Deepika Padukone, Sidharth Malhotra, and Rajkummar Rao, as examples of how the family name isn’t everything.

On this, Anushka says, “I’m definitely taking a break from this question, because I think this has been debated way too much. I think if

and harassing her on social media and says she’s scared to leave her home as a result.

A judge denied granting the protective order until a hearing set for later this month, The Blast reported.

However, a rep for Cage and Kim vehemently denied the accusations, telling The Blast in a statement, “Nicolas and Alice Cage categorically deny the absurd allegations listed in the filing of a temporary restraining order against Alice Cage, which was denied by the court.”

Cage and Kim wed in 2004 and are parents to son Kal-El Coppola Cage, 13.

They separated in January 2016 but have yet to divorce.

(Page Six)

there were more important debates around what actually happens in this country, then maybe we could have [become] much better, but that’s not happening.

Everybody is debating nepotism. I have nothing else to add to it.”

However, she does add something. “There are always pros and cons in everything and every situation you are in,” says Anushka. “Yes, there’s a lot of hype around star kids, while we, coming from the outside, are the underdogs. We don’t have, I’d say, that much pressure to

A

my Schumer talks the talk and walks the walk when it comes to denouncing Brett Kavanaugh -- 'cause she got arrested in D.C. with a bunch of other people protesting the imminent vote on his confirmation.

Amy and other protesters were shepherded by D.C. police Thursday inside the Senate office building on Capitol Hill, where an officer asked if she wanted to be arrested. Amy didn't hesitate ... she said yes while holding a "We Believe Anita Hill" sign.

She also had a green shirt on that seemed like it might be a play on Melania Trump's tone-deaf "I Really Don't Care" jacket. Amy

perform well. Yes, the opportunities might be more for them, but at the same time, there are pros and cons to everyone’s lives.”

Anushka has worked with industry kid Varun Dhawan — he’s the son of veteran Hindi filmmaker David Dhawan — in her latest release. She sums up the whole nepotism debate by saying, “When I’m working with a star kid or non-star kid, I’m not thinking that the other person is working any less. Also, I feel you can’t blame actors for [nepotism].

You can, maybe, blame the

people who are responsible for nepotism, but you can’t blame actors or star kids for it. At the end of the day, all that people want is the acknowledgement that yes, there’s a sense [that nepotism exists], but I think beyond that it’s just a useless conversation.”

With films such as Band Baaja Baaraat (2010), PK (2014), NH10 (2015), Sultan (2016), and Pari, Anushka’s filmography boasts a spectrum of roles. Asked how she has evolved over her decadelong career as an artist and also a producer, she shares,

was later seen in a lineup against a wall, where she and others, including Emily Ratajkowski, were being detained. We don't know yet what she's been arrested for ... possibly disturbing the peace or trespassing.

The mass protests in D.C. are in reaction to the FBI concluding its investigation, launched after Dr. Christine Blasey Ford testified last week about her sexual misconduct allegation against Kavanaugh. It appears what the FBI came back with hasn't swayed the vote of key Senators -- which means Kavanaugh is likely to be confirmed to the Supreme Court.

Millions are angry, and you can count Amy as one them. (TMZ)

ennifer Garner wants to start next year as an officially single woman.

The “Peppermint” star filed to move her divorce from Ben Affleck from the courts to a private judge in hopes of expediting the split, TMZ reported.

Garner, 46, reportedly wanted to wait until her estranged Oscar-winning husband was sober before finalizing their divorce. Affleck, 46, recently completed a rehab stint for alcoholism at the luxurious The Canyon at Peace Park in Malibu, Calif., after an intervention from Garner in late August.

Affleck first went to re-

J

“It’s important to grow as a person and an actor. It’s important to reinvent yourself with each film. We’re very lucky that we’re working in this day and age where we get accepted in even films like October and Pari, and also films like Judwaa 2 and Sultan, which are typically commercial. We’re fortunate that we can strike that balance and that’s what we strive to do as actors, because it’s important to reinvent and make yourself interesting with each film. Or you’d become a very boring person.” (Hindustan Times)

hab in 2001 and went again in 2017, which he revealed shortly after he was spotted with a detox nurse. Garner’s filing comes as Affleck was spotted with his 22-year-old Playboy model girlfriend, Shauna Sexton, at his home on Wednesday morning.

Later that day, Affleck was spotted at a business meeting with Warner Bros., possibly to discuss reprising his role as Batman, followed by a recovery meeting.

A rep for Garner did not return a request for comment on the divorce proceedings. A rep for Affleck declined to comment. (Page Six)

Crossword Solution

M

any celebrity kids, such as, Sara Ali Khan and Ananya Panday, are set for their Bollywood debut.

Actor Suniel Shetty’s son, Ahan, is also ready to start his own movie career. In an interview with DNA, filmmaker Sajid Nadiadwala confirmed that he is launching Ahan with the remake of Telugu hit RX 100. The producer launched actor Tiger Shroff with Heropanti in 2014.

“I have acquired the remake rights of RX 100 and it will be Ahan’s launch vehicle. The movie will release in May 2019. We chose the drama because it has gained a

cult status among the youth.

I know of youngsters who have watched the movie 10 times,” Sajid said, adding, “We are in talks with some directors, but have not decided on one yet.”

With similar hair styles and facial features (two words: chiseled jawlines), Ahan Shetty, 22, clearly takes after his father in the looks department.

Interestingly, Sajid launched

Suniel with action-romance drama, Waqt Hamara Hai, in 1993. And now 25 years later, the producer will be launching his son Ahan.

Talking about the coincidence, Nadiadwala said, “It’s an interesting coincidence that I got to launch Suniel and now, his son too.”

Ahan’s sister Athiya Shetty, 25, made her acting debut in 2015 with Hero, produced by actor Salman Khan. She has also acted in Varun Dhawanstarrer Nawabzaade and Mubarakan, which also starred Anil Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor and Ileana D’Cruz.

(Hindustan Times)

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Sunday Times Magazine 15

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Fun Times

Archie

ARIES (March 21April 19)

You’ll be able to convince others to do things your way, but before you do, make sure your plan is solid and that you can deliver what you promise.

Make a commitment, if not TAURUS to someone else, then to your(April 20- self. Living up to the promisMay 20) es you make will lead to positive results and responses.

Romance is encouraged.

Get involved in something GEMINI with someone you can trust.

(MAY 28Taking chances will be risky, June 20) and allowing your emotions to overrule your intelligence will lead to a loss.

Walk away from unstable situations. Allow time for (June 21- others to settle down and for July 22) you to fully consider your options. Look for alternative ways to move forward.

CANCER

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Dilbert

Peanuts

If you want to discuss issues, do so intelligently. A screaming match won’t solve anything, and would leave everyone more upset and less apt to agree on a solution.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Put your heart and soul into family, friends and togetherness. A positive act will win favors and the affection of those you love.

Romance is encouraged.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Respect an elder or someone with more experience, but don’t allow him or her to push you in a direction that isn’t right for you. Do your own thing to gain ground.

Aim to please, but don’t SCORPIO give in to someone bullying (Oct. 24you.

Only offer incentives and Nov. 22) help to those willing to work with you. Try something new and exciting.

An emotional situation SAGITTARIUS will escalate if someone is (Nov. 23not being honest. Share your Dec. 21) thoughts and feelings to avoid repercussions. Aggressive behavior isn’t the way to win favors or get things done.

Calvin and Hobbes

Invest wisely and for the CAPRICORN right reasons. Don’t let the (Dec. 22- changes others make tempt Jan. 19) you to follow suit. You’re best off taking it slow and doing what’s best for you.

Observe an endeavor beAQUARIUS fore you join in. The hype (Jan. 20- someone offers will sound Feb. 19) exciting, but in the end, it will probably not live up to your expectations. It’s best to stick to what you know.

Broaden the scope of a PISCES situation involving an in(Feb. 20- vestment before you decide Mar. 20) whether to join in or steer clear. Protect your assets.