Guyana Times

Witness protection, whistleblower legislation consultation underway P2

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Issue No. 3004

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Fire razes Gafoor’s Houston Complex

Abdool Sattaur Gafoor watches helplessly as fire of unknown origin razes his multibillion-dollar Houston Complex on Monday evening leaving some 80 employees jobless (Marceano Narine photo)

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Guyana in a crisis of confidence – Rohee …says President’s upcoming P2 parliamentary address must tackle calamity

Duncan to challenge tribunal in High Court

Page 3

AK-47 brandishing bandits rob Chinese restaurant

…application P9 for hearing to cease overruled

Page 11

Sugar worker killed by Govt buys out DDL Africanised bees shares in Berbice Bridge Page 17

Middle St land acquisition

Page 7

Housing scheme shooting

Bullet removed from woman’s mouth P11

Page 12

Cabinet to discuss issue today, reversal of decision likely – source

No sign of father, son P12 after fishing boat capsizes offshore T&T

2 news Guyana in a crisis of confidence – Rohee tuesDAY, october 11, 2016 | guyana-times.com

Witness protection, whistleblower legislation consultation underway

…says President’s parliamentary address must tackle calamity

T

he Opposition, People’s Progressive Party (PPP) believes that Guyana is in a crisis of confidence brought about by the change of Government in May 2015 and wants President David granger to use his parliamentary address on Thursday to address the impending socioeconomic calamity.

Speaking at his party’s weekly press conference on Monday, PPP General Secretary, Clement Rohee declared that there is a crisis of confidence in Guyana and urged citizens to oppose the retrogressive developments for the country’s future.

He said that the “crisis of confidence” is manifest in the fact that Guyanese no longer believe that the future of

PPP General Secretary Clement Rohee addressing Monday’s Press Conference

Guyana under the Granger-led A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance For Change (APNU/ AFC) Government will bring the “good life” promised by President Granger on the campaign trail.

“There is a pervasive national sentiment that the Granger administration is clueless, incompetent and in a state of drift,” Rohee declared.

He said that the problems of Guyana lie in the “militaristic- command-style” rule by the APNU/AFC, which has dampened the spirit and morale of the working people, the small entrepreneurs, the established business community, and the farming community.

“Political instability, a lack of understanding the Guyanese business culture…the absence of developmental-inspired ini-

President David Granger during one of his addresses to Parliament

tiatives, the lack of predictability and uncertainty in the future; poor understanding and appreciation of the socioeconomic attributes of vulnerable groups such as the Amerindian communities and the impact of misguided socioeconomic policies on their livelihoods have all contributed to the crisis of confidence,” Rohee stated.

He said that Guyanese were worried about their lives and future, adding that every social strata of the Guyanese population has lost confidence in the future of the sector in which they work and live.

Rohee said that a spirit of malaise has enveloped the nation, with the productive sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing declining and the business community reeling as a result of a decline in the Guyanese spirit of hard work due to the uncertainty that exists in the country.

He added that the marginal electoral victory of the APNU/ AFC in May 2015 does not give it the right to reverse economic, social and cultural gains won by the nation under his party’s leadership: “Guyanese must unite and fight together with the PPP to preserve these gains and to win back; through Parliamentary and extra-Parliamentary struggles, a Government of their choice; through free and fair elections supervised by a reformed Gecom and reformed electoral process.

Rohee also wants President Granger to address these concerns during his address to Parliament on Thursday.

From left: Parliamentary Counsel Ronetta Sargent, Legislative Drafting Consultant Amanda Dhurjon, Chief Draftsman Cecil Dhurjon, Attorney General Basil Williams, High Commissioner of Canada to Guyana and Suriname Pierre Giroux, Deputy Parliamentary Counsel Charles Fung-A-Fat and Registrar of Commerce (ag) Nicole Prince

J

ust a handful of stakeholders contributed to what was expected to be a widespread consultative process on the Witness Protection Bill and the Protected Disclosure (Whistleblower) Bill at the Pegasus Hotel on Monday.

Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Basil Williams, along with legal counsel gave an overview of the two pieces of legislations, as well as the framework in which they will operate.

Williams in his opening remarks explained that the two pieces of legislations will play major roles in stamping out corruption and other wrongdoings in the public service.

“These two Bills are among a suite of Bills that are intended to address a particular mischief that has really more or less crippled this country for a number of years and that is the question of corruption,” he outlined.

He reminded the audience of President David Granger’s address to the public service on the need to promote a professional public sector: “President Brigadier David Granger posited, ‘corruption and bribery have no place in the public service. Instead the public service must be characterised by persons of integrity, impartiality and intelligence. Guyana can no longer condone the giving of bribes for simple services, it must become an un-bribable state.’ ” Moreover with the legislation, he hinted at the possibility of pros-

ecutions as a result of the findings of the forensic audits.

“It is a very important Bill because as you know currently, there are numerous forensic audits that we’ve had and the clamour for prosecution really doesn’t address the fact that you can’t have prosecutions unless you have witnesses and in order to have witnesses you must guarantee their protection and that is what this government is bent on doing,” the Attorney General explained.

Under the Whistleblower legislation, persons can make protected disclosures which show an improper conduct has occurred, is occurring or is likely to occur.

Improper conducts include any criminal offence, failure to carry out a legal obligation, conduct that is likely to result in a miscarriage of justice, conduct that is likely to threaten the health or safety of a person, conduct that is likely to threaten or damage the environment or shows gross mismanagement or impropriety or misconduct in the carrying out of any activity that involves the use of public funds or any financial resources of an employer.

The Bill is unique in that it not only provides for the protection of employees but any non-employee who has fair reason to believe that public service officials, including ministers and Parliamentarians, are guilty of improper conducts.

It is also unique in that all disclosures shall be made to the

Protected Disclosure Commission except matters that prejudice national security, defence or international relations. In those cases, disclosures will be made directly to the relevant minister or the President through established procedures.

Additionally, immunity will not be offered to the person who makes the disclosure if he/she was the perpetrator or an accomplice, but it is likely that the courts will consider this in any prosecution.

The Witness Protection Bill provides for the establishment of a programme to protect witnesses and other persons in both civil and criminal matters.

The programme will be administered by an Administrative Centre, in collaboration with an Investigative Agency and a Protective Agency.

The Centre will have the primary authority of determining the suitability of the person to be afforded protection or assistance and arrange provisions for safe houses.

The criteria for admission will be strict and the Centre shall have regard for a number of factors which include criminal records of prospective participants, the importance of the evidence or statement, and the duration of the protection before admitting witnesses for protection or assistance.

Both pieces of legislations are expected to be taken to Parliament before the end of the year for a debate and its subsequent passage.

NEWS

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Tuesday, October 11 – 13:30h-15:00h and Wednesday, October 12 – 14:00-15:30.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Tuesday, October 11 – 12:15h-13:45h and Wednesday, October 12 – 13:20-14:50.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

Weather: Sunny conditions are expected throughout the day, with light to heavy rain showers in the late morning to early afternoon hours. Clear to partly cloudy skies are expected in the evening.

Temperatures should range between 25 degrees and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: South Easterly to East North-easterly between 1.34 metres and 4.02 metres.

Fire razes Gafoor’s Houston Complex A

bdool Sattaur Gafoor was unable to remain stoic as part of his multibillion-dollar complex went up in flames for a second time within four months. The sting of the fire was written all over his face, as he answered questions on how much was lost, how many employees were out of a job and what could have caused it.

May 18, 2016 fire, which ravaged through several sections of the complex and left over 500 persons jobless.

Gafoor had relocated 25 per cent of his employees to different branches across the country, while 50 per cent remained at the sections of the Houston Complex that was not destroyed in the fire.

High Tide: 12:39h reaching a maximum height of 2.24 metres.

The fire engulfed the bond quickly

Low Tide: 06:01h and 18:36h reaching minimum heights of 0.95 metre and 0.99 metre respectively.

said.

A source close to the investigation disclosed that sabotage might be the cause of the fire. “There was nothing in that bond

sabotage them,” the source said.

After the last fire, Gafoor’s losses were estimated at $12 billion and the cause of the fire was

Fire-fighters battling to contain the fire on Monday evening

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The Gafoor’s Houston Complex was engulfed in flames on Monday night, leaving some 80 employees jobless.

Speaking to the media as fire-fighters battled the raging flames, Gafoor stated that he was talking to his bond manager when another employee interrupted them, informing of a fire in Bond Six, where tiles and white cement were stored.

He related that the fire started about 18:00h, adding that fire-fighters were quick to contain the flames.

According to Gafoor, he did everything to prevent a second occurrence of the

The other 25 per cent of workers were paid 75 per cent of their respective salaries to “tide” them over until they resumed their jobs. He was expected to receive insurance for the damage, but the money has not been paid out to his company.

“All the precautions were in place. We put measures like fire extinguishers, water. There is no electricity in the area as yet, because we are still doing the wiring and there is no combustible, so it is left for me to believe this is something other than nature cause occurred here,” he

Abdool Sattaur Gafoor speaking with a Policewoman as his complex blazes

that was combustible. It was recently renovated after the other fire, so it has to be someone wants to

believed to have been possibly electrical. (Jeanna Pearson)

4

guyana-times.com

tuesday, october 11, 2016

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

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

Editorial

Protecting our girls

O

n this International Day of the Girl Child, Guyana joins with the global community to support girls’ progress everywhere.

The United Nations statistics show that there are 1.1 billion girls today, who all possess unique talents and creativity. But their dreams and potential are often thwarted by discrimination, violence, and lack of equal opportunities.

The theme for this year’s International Day of the Girl Child, on 11 October, “Girls’ Progress = Goals’ Progress: A Global Girl Data Movement”, is a call for action for increased investment in collecting and analysing girl-focused, girl-relevant and sexdisaggregated data.

According to the UN, only by using these data to inform key policy and programme decisions, can we adequately measure and understand the opportunities and challenges girls face, and identify and track progress towards solutions to their most pressing problems.

Guyana can consider itself fortunate in many regards.

When we take into consideration the situation for many in Sudan, for instance, where girls are at risk for genital cutting, which is considered an extreme form of discrimination against women. Or the situation faced by man young children, both girls and boys in Syria. The war in Syria has given rise to one of the worst humanitarian crises of our time, refugee camps have sprouted up and overcrowded faster than ever.

Being a woman or young girl in a refugee camp compounds these concerns, reports documented by several human rights groups have proved it time and again.

Sexual assault, for example, has become a prominent consequence of highly concentrated refugee camps. And according to a report by the UNHCR, efforts to protect refugee women have been largely unsuccessful, with humanitarian workers often being unfamiliar with guidelines meant to safeguard women facing rape, sexual violence and domestic abuse.

The issues facing young girls and women across the globe take many faces and are shaped by many factors including poverty, access to education, religious and cultural beliefs, and war.

Earlier this year, in observance of World Population Day, our First Lady, Sandra Granger, announced that multisectorial approach was needed to address the myriad of problems faced by teenagers in Guyana.

The approach she said, would have to come from all directions including families, communities, NGOs, the government and the private sector. It is comforting to hear that firstly, the country’s First Lady has publicly acknowledged that we have a problem and secondly, she has pledged the government’s support towards tackling the issues.

What was even more important was that Mrs Granger raised the issue of sexual violence against children, which she announced remains underreported and under prosecuted.

She stated that in Guyana, the reported cases of sexual violence against children committed during 2011 to March 2015 amounted to 1145 with the ‘A’, ‘C’ and ‘F’ Divisions of the Guyana Police Force hosting the highest number of cases.

She stated that there are also reports of high incidences of rape, incest and trafficking in persons in rural and hinterland areas.

Though troubling, these statistics reflect the awful truth facing many across the country. There is no hiding our head in the sand when it comes to addressing this issue and those affecting our Nation’s children, in this case our girls.

Through the initiation of Government policies, affirmative law enforcement, increased community involvement and family intervention, addressing the issues affecting girls and women, can be successful.

The United Nation therefore encourages all countries to recognise how girls’ progress is good not only for girls, but also for families, communities and society at large.

Critical to achieving this, the UN stressed, is through investments in programmes for girls on issues that particularly affect them. As the First Lady asserted only a short while ago, “When teen girls are empowered and are given the tools to succeed, they become tools for positive change…”

We want the best for our girls.

These budding motocross athletes take a spin on a toy Escalade EXT with the assistance of a friend (Marceano Narine photo)

Jagdeo fits the profile of a leader Dear Editor, Some may hate him for reasons unknown even unto themselves, some may have false reasons to hate him but deep down within them there is great admiration.

Some of his staunchest critics admit that the man knows his ‘onions’, he can ‘mash’ anyone with his outstanding knowledge and experience on a wide range of topics.

However, his special field is economics, that’s where you cannot ‘hold’ him. He is charming, witty, autocratic and charismatic. He thinks way outside the box. He is a global thinker who is well recognised locally and further afield.

Some love him to the ‘bone’ and to them he reigns supreme. I guess by now you know who I am speaking about. But just in case you don’t, he is our star politician Bharat Jagdeo; former president of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and now the Opposition Leader.

I challenge you to put him into a dark room, fill it with people, shortly after switch the lights on, I assure you that all attention will be on him.

The man is a leader in the true sense of the word, a leader in every respect, a leader that is only born one in a generation and a leader who has moved Guyana to a better level.

I can recall during the fi-

nancial crisis on Wall Street and the harsh economic situation around the world President Jagdeo showed consistent high economic growth for Guyana. At that time, Guyanese were enjoying a better standard of living. People irrespective of race or creed, were more certain of their future and made revolutionary plans for a prosperous life for themselves and their family.

Can we say this of today’s government?

On the contrary, people are leaving Guyana in numbers. Some are still hopeful for a rebound; but many have lost confidence, and hope is fading.

I met a very influential man in our society. I am well

aware of his political affiliation and the side he took at the last General Election. I was shocked at his disclosure of the present policymakers. He concluded by saying, “if we are to save Guyana, Jagdeo is our only hope”. Powerful words but words that will ignite hostile debate from a selected few.

My father who is my hero always told me that “leadership is the key to success”.

In the time of difficulty you need the best leader. A leader who is knowledgeable, optimistic, confident, decisive, persuasive and humorous.

Bharrat Jagdeo certainly fits that profile.

Yours truly, Hana Mohamed

Dr Bulkan harming the forest industry Dear Editor, I am a concerned forestry sector stakeholder and I am really sad at what a GFC board member Dr Bulkan is doing to the forest industry.

I know that she came from a background of logging and her family is still in logging and processing. I want Bulkan to remember that it was the profits from the forest industry that provided monies for her school foundation. That provided food for her and her family. And in those days there were no rules and laws and guidelines like now. There was not so much detailed monitoring and inspections.

I remind Bulkan that everyone but she recognised that forestry is done well in Guyana. A forestry sector

fellow worker wrote about all the audits and investigations done by outside experts. Does she want us to believe that these people are fooling Norway and FAO and UN? That does not seem possible because these experts would lose their status and reputation. If Guyana were doing bad they would say so.

They hold no sympathy for us. They come to do a job and they know that they have to tell the truth or their reputations go down the drain with their career.

These experts operate on the basis of facts. They come and check and this checking is in the field, in the actual logging area. That is the only way in which they can make their reports which

they know have to be based on facts. They don’t sit in a fancy air-conditioned office and do destructive articles based on interviews with environment people and people who don’t prefer to see trees cut; people who say untruthful things because they want to paint a bad picture.

If Guyana was doing so bad how come we have a rate of deforesting that is less than 0.1%.

Bulkan needs to stop being an armchair critic who operates on the basis of interview and reports. Reports that are biased, and come from environment NGOs, two of which operate in Guyana.

Bulkan needs to remember where she came from and let other people get up

in life too. Not kill our markets with her childish nonsense which most likely has the international experts laughing.

The university she works for should investigate her.

No respectable university would have an employee publishing wrong information which results in increased poverty because people lose their markets.

She should shut-up or resign as a board member. As a board member she has to support the sector, not destroy it.

I call on the board to take action, and the university she work for as well.

Sincerely, Saleem Hamid Essequibo Logger

guyana-times.com

tuesday, october 11, 2016

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Sustainable management of Guyana’s greenheart timber Dear Editor, May I be allowed to respond to the news item ‘UK stops buying greenheart from Guyana’ (Guyana Times, October 4, 2016)?

Let me try to explain forest sustainability in kitchen terms. Managing our tropical rainforest is like baking black cake. There are many ingredients for black cake but you do not use the same quantities of each ingredient. Similarly the forests of Guyana have more than one thousand species of trees, but not in equal quantities.

A cook wants to be known for his/her special recipe, he/ she uses the same ingredients at each bake for consistency.

Likewise, to sustain the forest, we want to keep all the species in the same proportions, from one generation to another.

A cook would not use only

one tablespoon of raisins after letting the children steal and eat the rest of the prescribed cups of raisins, because the mixture just would not be black cake. Similarly, the GFC (as cook) should not be allowing the loggers (the children) to take out or damage preferentially most of the middle-sized greenheart trees, so prejudicing the next crop of commercial trees.

The post-logging surveys – or silvicultural assessments of areas of forest which have been logged are the evidence of whether a forest is sustainably managed or not.

That is the measure of sustainable logging. In 2002, the villagers at Rupertee in Region 9, learned about and participated in silvicultural assessment of paurine timber trees (botanical name Centrolobium paraense) on

Rupertee Mountain under the guidance of Colin Jacobus of Iwokrama . They understood Colin’s demonstration of agesize classes and his assessment that continual logging of paurine would make that species extinct in their area and they made rules to control future logging.

When I last visited Rupertee in 2013, a few people told me that they were still protecting their remaining paurine trees.

By May and December 2015, the Forest Products Association, GMSA and GFC were aware of the reasons for the prohibition of greenheart imports into the UK. In July and September 2015, the GMSA at least was aware of the need to compile reliable forest inventory data.

The GMSA may not have been aware that a demonstration

Destroying our national patrimony

Dear Editor, It was with a feeling of euphoria that I received the news that the iconic Stabroek Market Clock in Georgetown will soon be rehabilitated thanks to the United States Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation.

Then I received the dreadful news that the intention was not really to rehabilitate the clock but rather to change the system from a mechanically operated one to an electronic one, inclusive of a solar-powered system.

To add insult to the injury this will cause to the citizenry, the Mayor Patricia Chase-Green boasted that the change in systems is to coincide with the “greening” of the country and that the rehabilitation is expected to bring back a piece of history.

Could someone tell this lady that the clock is not the face and dials we see but rather the mechanism that powers it, therefore changing that mechanism does not bring back a piece of history nor rehabilitate it and that the clock was already a green device as it did not consume any power and was environmentally friendly.

How could those cultural barbarians at City Hall allow for such a travesty to be committed on one of our most treasured heritage landmarks of our country? Could one imagine ‘Big Ben’ the clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London,

one of the most prominent symbols of the United Kingdom as the Stabroek Market Clock is to Guyana, being changed from the double three-legged gravity escapement mechanism which weighs 5 tons, to an electronic one? Or the clocks in the Philadelphia City Hall, Philadelphia, United States? Or the clocks at the Saviour Tower which is located in the famous Red Square in Moscow, Russia, close to Saint Basil’s Cathedral and part of the Kremlin walls, changed from their original mechanics to electronic ones?

That would be sacrilege, it would never be allowed, and it would be considered criminal. So why should Guyana allow such irreverence? Why have we not seen any action by the National Trust of Guyana, the Guyana Heritage Society or the Guyana Historical and Research Society coming out and stopping this madness? Even if it has to be a judicial order restraining the Council from beginning or carrying out such vulgar action.

I call on President of Guyana David Granger who is an Academic and Historian to intervene and stop this foolishness.

Centuries of public time stand watch over the cities of Europe, Asia, and much of the Western Hemisphere.

Public time is alive and well, both as architectural embellishment and as a bond with the challenges faced in the nation’s past.

The great 1881 iron clock tower of Stabroek Market, at the heart of the capital’s commercial life, shows the efficiency and superior timekeeping engineering of the past. Such clocks were made individually, using the traditional hand skills of the blacksmith and the iron founder to fashion both the tile massive iron frame and the small, delicate parts of the mechanism.

The Stabroek Market Clock was rehabilitated in the past by engineers from the Smithsonian Institute and can be repaired again if the effort is put in. But of course the Council wants a quick an easy fix to seem to be doing something for the residents of Georgetown.

If we allow this to happen, then the next thing we will see is City Hall being rehabilitated using stucco, stone masonry veneer, wood-plastic composites and decorative high-pressure laminates.

We cannot allow those at City Hall to permanently destroy our national patrimony.

Sincerely, Riley Matthews

of sustainable forest management requires pre-logging inventory, estimation of tree growth and mortality rates, and post-logging inventory of the trees which should form the next crop.

The GFC has had a manual of how to conduct post-logging survey – or silvicultural assessment – since 1999.

This kind of survey was routine in Sarawak in Malaysia from the mid-1960s. The GFC has had computer models for growth, yield and mortality of the main timber species since 2000.

Likewise, there is no shortage of information about the UK Government’s timber procurement policy since 2002, the accepted definitions of legality and sustainability, the acceptable evidence for legality and sustainability, the framework for assessment. If

the GFC – * implemented the national forest policy approved by the National Assembly in 1997, * made obligatory the codes of practice on timber harvesting (third edition, 2013-4) by activating section 35 in the Forests Act 2009, * including the provisions for sustaining viable populations of individual timber species, then the assessments for Guyana would not be negative. Remember that the assessments are for each source forest (individual logging concession), not a one-time tree count spread over much of central Guyana.

For some 15 years, the UK Government funded a Central Point of Expertise on Timber (CPET), to draft policy papers and prepare guidance notes. At the end of March

2016, CPET was closed, partly to save money and partly because nearly all regular suppliers to UK Government procurement contracts knew and complied with the rules.

Why is Guyana the odd country which does not know and does not comply but somehow wants to be allowed to sell piratically-logged greenheart, unlike all other suppliers?

Rupertee Village in 2002 made a decision on their own to sustainably manage the paurine tree. If the GFC is managing greenheart sustainably in central Guyana, then among the things it has to do is publish the post logging surveys that show the age-size classes of sufficient undamaged mother trees to form the next crops.

Yours truly, Janette Bulkan

CoI should be convened for City Hall Dear Editor, Why is it that the Georgetown City Council has opted to contract out all of its services, even though it claims to be cash-strapped whilst at the same time maintaining a huge employee database of approximately one thousand workers? Could it be that some at City Hall are getting kickbacks from these contractors while at the same time finding employment for their friends and family within the Council?

In years past, the Council had a special roads division that was responsible for building and maintaining all of the roads in the city except for the primary highways. Today they do no such thing so then where does that budgeted sum go?

In the past, the Council replaced all defective street lamps, ensuring that the city remains safe and well-lit, today they don’t even check, let alone replace the defective bulbs, so where does the amounts budgeted for street lighting go?

They have a City Constabulary but they engage the services of a private guard service costing tens of millions a month. Why? They have a General Works Division to repair bridges, their buildings, yet bridges

are collapsing around the city and their municipal buildings are all in ruinous state, and yet they have the nerve to declare publicly that they will be tearing down private dilapidated buildings.

Can the President not see how incompetent, corrupt

and disgraceful the administration of the Georgetown Municipality is, and have a Commission of Inquiry formed to investigate why our capital is in such a mess?

Sincerely, Debra Gibson

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tuesday october 11, 2016

Page

Foundation

Should we let them eat dirt?

guyana-times.com

When Your Child Is

Skinny

– what recent research says about the role of bacteria in children’s health

By Vanessa LoBue, PhD

T

he “5-second rule” is that unwritten law that makes it socially acceptable to eat food off the floor if it’s only been sitting there for five seconds or less. The idea behind the rule is presumably that we have five seconds before the dropped food gets infiltrated with bacteria and becomes potentially harmful to eat.

I used the rule a lot growing up, but I use it even more now that I have a two-year-old son who is constantly dropping food on the floor—food that he will eat if I don’t scoop it up first.

To my dismay, researchers from Rutgers University recently showed that the five-second rule doesn’t do much to protect you from ingesting bacteria.

The researchers tested the validity of five-second rule by dropping different types of food onto different types of surfaces to see how long bacterial transfer would take. Not surprisingly, they found that the longer food stays on the floor, the more bacteria gets transferred to it. But (and this is a big BUT), some bacteria gets transferred to the food as soon it hits the ground, even if the food only stays there for less than a second, suggesting that the five-second rule doesn’t actually buy much in terms of avoiding contamination.

At first, this finding might make you think twice about

eating food that’s fallen on the floor. But the underlying assumption behind the fivesecond rule is that the bacteria ingested from the floor are somehow harmful to your health. It turns out that most of the time, they aren’t.

Recently, a group of researchers from the University of British Columbia published a book called Let Them Eat Dirt.

The title of the book is pretty clear about its main point: It’s healthy for children to play in the dirt, and it may even be healthy for them to eat it.

In the lab, these researchers studied the amount of bacteria babies had in their bodies, and the relationship between ingesting these bacteria and getting sick. Surprisingly, they didn’t find that contact with bacteria necessarily caused children to get sick; instead, they found that three-monthold babies who had more unique types of bacteria in their bodies were less likely to develop allergies like asthma several years later. To explain these results, the researchers argue that maintaining contact with different kinds of bacteria can help children to build healthy immune systems.

This view might sound weird, but it’s been echoed in recent concerns about the effects of substances like antibacterial soap on children’s health. In fact, the FDA recently banned several of the antibacterial chemicals used

in soap, suggesting that antibacterial soaps might do more harm than good. It does turn out that the vast majority of the bacteria we encounter on a day-to-day basis are perfectly safe, and according to the authors of Let Them Eat Dirt, may even be good for us.

So should we let our children eat dirt? There are some rules of thumb we can take from this research to help us keep our children healthy, while at the same time, not going overboard with cleanliness so that we inhibit children’s enthusiasm for playing outside or prevent them from getting exposure to benign bacteria that can help build healthy immune systems.

First, yes, let them get dirty.

Playing outside is something children do less now than they did in the previous generation, and encouraging them to play in the backyard is probably good for their health and general well-being. But, not all environments are created equal. Although most bacteria are completely safe, there are some forms of bacteria that are likely to get us sick, like the bacteria found in faeces or urine, or the bacteria that cause illnesses like Salmonella.

Unfortunately, epidemiological studies suggest that these bacteria are most commonly found in areas like daycare centres and playground equipment. In fact, there was a Salmonella outbreak in

Australia in 2007-2009 that researchers say likely resulted from ingesting playground sand.

Bacteria that cause Salmonella can also be found on kitchen floors, as a result of splatter from opening containers of raw food. Surprisingly, according to the study on the 5-second rule, rugs and carpets don’t transmit as much bacteria as surfaces like stainless steel or wood. In fact, kitchen floors might be particularly risky breeding grounds for bacteria.

While I’m sure we all do a great job of keeping our kitchen counters clean, some of the food-related bacteria that we wipe off inevitably land on the floor. And it’s the food-related bacteria that come from raw meat that could have the most negative effects on health.

So there’s nothing wrong with letting our children get a little dirty. They can even eat a little bit of dirt or food that’s fallen on the floor once in awhile, as long as it’s not off the kitchen floor, and as long as it’s not from public places like playgrounds that attract a lot of children. In the end, all children are going to get sick from time to time, but hopefully getting a little bit dirty now and then can help them fight off future illnesses; and maybe they can even have some healthy oldfashioned outdoor fun along the way. (psychologytoday.com)

At a time when one in three kids weighs too much, an inability to pack on pounds might seem like a minor issue. But some slender children have health concerns of their own

By Jeannette Moninger

B

ack when her daughter Emily was 2, Laura Bennardo couldn’t help feeling selfconscious when the two of them hit their local pool in Cleveland. But it wasn’t her own body that had her pining for a cover-up. “Emily looked so gaunt in a swimsuit. You could count every rib,” says Bennardo, who worried that onlookers would think she didn’t feed her daughter. “I offered her plenty of foods. Emily just wasn’t interested. Even at four and five years old, she’d take one bite and be finished.” At 3 feet, 8 inches, the first-grader is now taller than most of her peers at school. Yet at 36 pounds, she weighs little more than a toddler.

Emily’s diminutive size places her in the first percentile on the body- mass-index chart that paediatricians use to determine healthy weight. Approximately 99 per cent of girls her age outweigh her, which means that by medical standards she is officially underweight (as are all kids who fall below the fifth percentile).

However, experts say it’s best not to fixate solely on numbers.

“Steady, continual growth is what really matters,” says Neville Golden, M.D., a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ (AAP) committee on nutrition.

H e adds that the true causes for concern are drops in weight and height percentile or a failure to gain weight during a period of height growth.

Now seven, Emily has been in the same height and weight percentile since she was one – but otherwise, she’s growing and developing just fine. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for all skinny children.

Weighty matters

Babies grow a lot during their first 12 months, gaining as much as 15 pounds.

Between ages 1 and 5, children put on about 5 pounds per year. After that, weight gain slows, with most kids steadily picking up a couple of pounds each year until puberty.

A kid’s appetite can taper off during weight-gain plateaus. “The appetite centre in the brain controls how much a child chooses to eat,” says Nancy Krebs, MD, a paediatric- nutrition specialist at Children’s Hospital Colorado, in Aurora.

And young kids are pretty good at regulating how much food they need—unless other factors interfere.

Some drugs, like those prescribed for ADHD, can squelch appetite. When children with ADHD take extended-release medications in the morning, their appetite-suppressing effects are in full swing at lunchtime. To help your child avoid this, talk to his doctor about switching to an immediate-release medicine or scheduling medication vacations when school isn’t in session. Other h e a l t h problems, such as a faulty thyroid, reflux, and eating disorders, can impede w e i g h t gain too.

T h e n there’s the culprit parents know all too well: finicky eating.

(Excerpt from Parents.com)

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tuesday, october 11, 2016 | guyana-times.com

Govt buys out DDL shares in Berbice Bridge G

overnment has succeeded in its bid to buy out the 10 per cent shares held by the Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) in the Berbice River Bridge Company (BBCI) in its attempt to gain majority control of the company in order to dictate the fee structure.

Guyana Times understands that this multimillion-dollar transaction was completed last week.

Though Government through the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited, and the National Insurance Scheme, already holds majority shares in the company, it could not convince the board of directors to reduce the fees for crossing the bridge and had eventually opted to offer subsidies to facilitate the reduction which took effect at the beginning of 2016.

However, Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson indicated that Government is pursuing other means of lowering the tolls apart from State subsidies.

Last year, Government announced that the beverage giant had offered to sell its shares in the BBCI for some $45 million.

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo disclosed that government was moving to engage other shareholders on buying out their shares so it can gain full control of the operations of the company. The other shareholders are Secure International Limited, NEW GPC INC,

Queens Atlantic Investment Inc, and Hand-in-Hand Mutual Fire Insurance Co. Efforts to contact both Minister Patterson and his Deputy Annette Ferguson, to determine whether this plan was still on the cards, proved futile.

Minister Ferguson indicated that she was in a meeting, but did not indicate when would be convenient to call again.

The BBCI and government had reached an impasse concerning the reduction of the tolls, which was a campaign promise the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change

meant to be a more affordable alternative to the Bridge, but with the reduction of the bridge tolls, the two facilities began competing with each other.

DDL owned 10 per cent of the shares in BBCI

(APNU/AFC) coalition was eager to fulfil.

The subsidy offered by government to facilitate the reduction was insufficient to offset debts but after months of intense negotiations and the introduction of river taxis, the reduced fees finally took effect.

The river taxis were

Minibus operators began complaining of loss of business since commuters opted to use the river taxis rather than cross the river via the bridge.

The Public Infrastructure Ministry developed a revised schedule for the operations of the river taxis to facilitate the minibus operations.

Region 10 commences breakfast feeding programme – 60 students already benefitting

S

ixty students from within Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice) are presently benefiting from the breakfast feeding programme under the Education Ministry.

The students of Kwakwani, Berbice River are the first in the Region to benefit from the schools' feeding programme, which is the brainchild of President David Granger under his 5 Bs initiative.

Councillor Mavis Lewis made the announcement at the statutory meeting of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) last Thursday.

"I am pleased to announce that at the Kwakwani Primary we have started the breakfast programme with 60 children," she said as fellow

Councillors responded with applause.

Regional Education Officer Marcia Paddy Andrews explained that breakfast is served to the 60 children travelling from Lamp Island and Kwakwani Waterfront, along the Berbice River

to the Kwakwani Primary School.

She announced that the Department of Education also intends to supply breakfast to students travelling from Coomacka to Linden to attend school, owing to their early travelling arrangements.

From September 1, the river taxi service began operating from 06:00h until 09:00h and again from 14:30h until 18:00h.

Previously, the service op-

erated between 06:00h and 18:00h.

But with the timechange, the taxi operators are complaining that the new operating hours would

severely affect their trade since the schedule would limit the number of passengers who utilise their services after disembarking the boats.

8 news

tuesdAY, OCTOBER 11, 2016 | guyana-times.com

IN THE COURTS

Man jailed for stabbing 11-year-old A

man, who is said to be of unsound mind, will be taken off the streets for the next nine months after he was jailed for stabbing an 11-year-old boy.

Carl Anderson pleaded guilty as the charge was being read to him by Magistrate Dylan Bess.

It was alleged that on September 15, 2016 at the Avenue of the Republic, he stabbed the Virtual Complainant (VC), thereby causing actual bodily harm.

Police Prosecutor Sanj Singh read the facts, which stated that on the day in question, the VC was walking along Robb Street when the defendant approached him from behind and stabbed him three times to his back.

The Prosecutor revealed that the accused was in the habit of stabbing people and many were happy with his arrest.

Magistrate Bess, before sentencing the defendant, warned him against such actions.

AC thief jailed for 9 months A man will spend the next nine months of his life behind bars for stealing three air-conditioning (AC) units.

Gangadeen Mahase appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Magistrate Leron Daly.

The charge against him

stated that between January 11, 2016 and January 26, 2016, he fraudulently converted three AC units valued at $582,921, property of Rajeshwar Singh, to his own use and benefit.

He pleaded guilty to the charge when it was read to him.

Inspector Kevin London presented the prosecution’s facts, which revealed that the defendant was entrusted by Singh with the three Panasonic AC units, in order that he may sell same and return the proceeds.

However, Mahase fraudulently converted the arti-

Father jailed for stealing

A

father of five was remanded to prison on Monday when he made his appearance at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Magistrate Judy Latchman.

Keon Crandon was charged for stealing household appliances and articles valued at $740,000.

It is alleged that on

October 5, 2016 at Sheriff and Enachu Streets, Section K Campbellville, Crandon broke and entered the dwelling home of Diana Panday and stole several items including three gas bottles, a four-burner gas stove, a Dell desktop computer , a 42-inch television set, three flower vases and articles of clothing.

He pleaded not guilty to

the charge read to him.

Police Prosecutor Sean Gonsalves told the court that the defendant, when confronted, confessed to the offence and revealed that previously he was brought before the court for committing a similar offence.

Crandon is scheduled to make his next court appearance on November 2, 2016.

cles in question to his own use and for his benefit.

The matter was reported, and he was arrested and charged with the offence.

After listening to the facts of the matter, Magistrate Daly sent him to jail.

Meadow Brook man remanded on possession charge

A

Meadow Brook resident was on Monday morning sent back to prison after he appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts charged with possession of firearm and ammunition.

Cleveland Lovell, of 1515 Jamoon Drive, Meadow Brook, Greater Georgetown, pleaded not guilty to the charge when Magistrate Annette Singh read it to him.

It is alleged that on September 13, 2016 at the aforementioned address, he was found to be in possession of a firearm and matching rounds of ammunition, without being the holder of a firearm and ammunition licence.

According to the details of the matter presented by the Prosecutor, the Police on the day in question were acting on information when they conducted a search on the defendant’s premises.

They found the gun and cartridges under his mattress and a further search revealed several .38 cartridges concealed in his fridge.

Lovell was told of the offence, arrested and charged. He was remanded and was scheduled to make his next court appearance on October 14, 2016.

Eyew tness

Oily...

W

...dealings

ell… whad’ya know! Exxon has been slapped with a US$74 billion fine by Chad. That’s right… seventy four BILLION big ones!! Just the sound of that sum is enough to make a grown (Third World) man giddy! For what? Underpaying on their royalties, that’s what!! Imagine that! And here your Eyewitness hoped the days of old man Rockefeller and the robber barons were over!!

Now Chad’s a newbie to the world of oil and oil production, which we’re about to enter. They were inducted around the beginning of the millennium. Also like here, Exxon also went into production with partners - there with a Malaysian company rather than its Chinese junior here. But as always, Exxon was always calling the shots - especially like negotiating royalties and such like.

Now while this may sound like your Eyewitness is engaging in an orgy of schadenfreude at the expense of Exxon - after all US$74 billion isn’t chicken feed even for the largest company in the world! - It’s more than that.

And closer home. The more on-the-ball readers would remember that our Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman - having been helicoptered several times over to the Exxon drilling rigs with hard hat and all - declared he’d be “renegotiating” the contract that was cut between the oil giant and the previous administration.

And this is where alarm bells went off so furiously in your Eyewitness’ ears his head spun. He wasn’t just - or EVEN - thinking about some palms getting greased under the table. That’s expected with the vaunted US antibribery laws. He was scared stiff about that Exxon legal team out of Texas making mincemeat of Trotman and his hapless band. At that time your Eyewitness hadn’t even been aware of the claim Chad had filed in court.

He just knew that Exxon didn’t get to be Exxon by playing “pattacake pattacake bakers’ man”. These guys play hardball as they were taught by their founding Rockefeller.

But Trotman brushed off your Eyewitness - who the heck’s HE? But receiving the same warning from Opposition Leader Jagdeo, Trotman rudely expostulated that the man who’d been President of this country for TWELVE years and Finance Minister before that was talking “trash”!!

Well… all of Guyana is now waiting with bated breath to hear about the terms of the contract with Exxon that Trotman negotiated. And folks who’d just been burnt with bottom house… oops… “warehouse” contracts, chicken contracts, parking meter contracts, etc, aren’t going to be brushed off by “confidentiality” clause stonewalling.

Exxon has just said its defence to Chad’s mega award will be “sanctity of contracts”.

Guyanese just want to know what Trotman “sanctified”!!

...expropriation

And just when your Eyewitness thought the red ride had been rolled back after being put on the backfoot in Brazil, Argentina and Venezuela, up comes the PNC to announce they’ll expropriate the land of a private citizen!

Now this attack goes right to the heart of what democracy and free enterprise is all about, no? “Life, liberty and property” as JS Mill announced. You might’ve heard about “Life, Liberty and Happiness” but that’s the American variant - just codifying their equation of happiness with property. Anyhow, there might be more to the mortar that the pestle of expropriation - since the property in question belongs to no one else other than the PNC’s ex-Deputy Speaker under HD Hoyte - and present Ambassador to Canada of the government.

Imagine the AG didn’t even have the decency to let the good lady know her property was in jeopardy. It seems he didn’t even let the Minister of Public Infrastructure know, even though the notice in the Official Gazette was under his name.

When asked, the latter blurted, “Wasn’t me! Ask the man with the moustache!”

...greenheart ban

Your Eyewitness thought Janette Bulkan was just being disloyal to Guyana when she applauded Britain’s banning of our greenheart exports.

But learning she’s on the Board of the GFC she should be jailed for betraying her fiduciary duties.

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

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9

tuesday, october 11, 2016 | guyana-times.com

PPP dossier

Duncan to challenge Rohee lashes back at Govt …“scandals not contrived, they tribunal in High Court are facts known to everyone” A

decision by Minister of State Joseph Harmon, to request that the Opposition document the 25 ‘scandals’ it claimed the 16-month A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government has been involved in, has drawn scathing criticism from People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary Clement Rohee, who said the minister seems to be living in denial.

After the Office of the Leader of the Opposition on Wednesday released an eightpage dossier chronicling the ‘scandals’, Harmon told reporters on Thursday that if the Opposition documented its claims, the Government stood ready to deal with them both inside and out of the National Assembly.

“Any accusations that they have let them bring it; if there are some matters which should be brought to the floor of the National Assembly, we will deal with them. If there are other matters to be dealt with otherwise, we will deal with them,” Harmon told reporters.

However, speaking at his party’s weekly press conference on Monday, Rohee said that Harmon seems to be out of touch with the realities of both his Government and the views of citizens.

“These are not contrived scandals. This is not a question of scandal-mongering, these are facts that have published over and over again in different sections of the media and everybody knows about this. Transparency International knows about them, Human Rights Association knows about them, the Private Sector Commission knows about them… [So] if Mr Harmon is in the denial mode I can’t help him. If he is denying what we said in that document, then he is clearly out of touch with not only his government but the realities of the country.

So sorry for him, I can’t help him,” Rohee said.

When asked about similar allegations levelled against the PPP while in office, he stated that those were well ventilated and published in the media and the political opposition had a field day

PPP’s General Clement Rohee

Secretary

against his party at the time.

“Now the shoe is on the other foot they really don’t know how to deal with it… it is their turn to face the music, that is the nature of governments,” Rohee declared.

Further, Rohee rejected Harmon’s proposal that the Opposition itemise its claims before they could be properly discussed either inside the National Assembly or other channels available outside the Chambers.

“We are speaking to the people of Guyana and there are two ways in which we speak to the people of Guyana: through parliamentary and extra-parliamentary means. The Opposition Leader Office has chosen to speak to the people directly in respect to this matter,” Rohee said, adding that some of the issues are likely to come up during the 2017 Budget debate slated for December.

Last Wednesday, the Office of the Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo, released the eight-page dossier, chronicling what were said to be 25 scandals of the David Granger Administration, declaring that the coalition has more scandals on its rap sheet than the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) amassed in its 23 years in office.

“The APNU/AFC Government has been exposed with more scandals and corruptions in 16 months than successive PPP/C Administrations were accused of in 23 years,” Jagdeo’s office said, adding that between June 2015 and August 2016, 14 months of the coalition Government, some 16 “scandals” were uncovered.

It said that August 2016 “took the cake” with the exposure of the highly-controversial Sussex Street drug bond deal, the BK International and Government’s $1 billion “out-of-court” settlement, and the issuance of two fuel licences to Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Water Inc, Dr Richard Van WestCharles.

Among the other “scandals” highlighted by Jagdeo’s office are the questions which still linger over the inauguration of President David Granger, the alleged removal of eight containers of steel

by BK International from the Public Health Ministry compound, the dismissal of close to 2000 Amerindian Community Service Officers (CSO), the appointment of 33 foreign honorary advisers, as well as a number of presidential and ministerial advisers.

The Opposition also listed the selection of a disqualified company to complete the Specialty Hospital, leading to an abandonment of the project, the 50 to 100 per cent pay increase ministers received, the secrecy surrounding the D’Urban Park development project, pardoning of over 100 felons, and a number of out-ofcourt settlements with companies and individuals thought to be financiers of the coalition’s 2015 election campaign.

While in Opposition and before they coalesced, both the APNU and the AFC in 2012, had accused the PPP/C Administration of high-level corruption in a number of national projects, including Marriott Hotel, the Specialty Hospital, the Amaila Falls Hydro Project, and the expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, triggering a live television debate on these issues. But while the AFC participated in all the sessions, the APNU only participated in the first debate on the AFHP, claiming that the format of the discussion was flawed.

And while Minister Harmon on Thursday hinted at his Government’s readiness to debate the scandals, but wanted the Opposition to initiate the debate, unlike what transpired in 2012 when the then government had organised live television debate.

…application for hearing to cease overruled

Former AG Anil Nandlall

C

hairman of the Public Service Commission (PSC) Carvil Duncan will be moving to the High Court to challenge the authority of a tribunal which will determine whether he should be removed from the post as the hearing continues at the Ministry of the Presidency behind closed doors.

On Monday, Duncan and his lawyer, Anil Nandlall, were seen exiting the tribunal at the Training Centre of the Ministry, although it was still in session. Nandlall said his client has excused himself from the hearing since his application for the hearing to cease was overruled. He disclosed that he stated to the Commission that his client will not be participating any longer in the hearing.

“The tribunal has overruled the objections and they are proceeding with their mandate and so we

Minister Harmon

of

State,

Joseph

have indicated to them that we will no longer participate and we asked to be excused.

Duncan is challenging the tribunal,” Nandlall divulged to reporters.

He indicated that Duncan will move to the High Court later in the week on three grounds—the same grounds which were ruled against in the tribunal.

He asserted that the grounds are: there are criminal proceedings pending in the Magistrates’ Courts; Duncan never received a letter from Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo calling on him to show cause why the tribunal should not be established; and that his client has been called before the tribunal whose Chairman is a sitting High Court Judge—of whom Duncan exercises supervisory jurisdiction.

According to Article 144 of the Constitution, Nandlall

Carvil Duncan

explained that Duncan is entitled to a presumption of innocence, thus to establish a tribunal to investigate his removal from office on the mere institution of a charge before the determination of any guilt, is an infraction of that constitutional protection “which guarantees him innocent until proven guilty”.

He evaluated that the tribunal is “premature and an infraction and violation of that constitutional protection.”

According to the legal luminary, Duncan, as a member of the Public Service Commission, exercises supervisory jurisdiction over judges and since the tribunal Chairman is a High Court Judge, “it is improper for a member of the Judicial Service Commission to be judged essentially by a judge over whom Mr Duncan exercises a jurisdiction.” continue on page 13

10

guyana-times.com

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2016

News

Region 10 education system shortfalls highlighted – as consultations get underway

Beyond the Classroom: International Travel and Engagement

W

ith numerous issues surrounding the proper delivery of education in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), a consultation headed by Education Commission Chairman Ed Caesar has shed new light on the strengths and weaknesses of the education system within the Region.

Caesar and his team met with the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) and Department of Education at the RDC last Thursday where several recommendations were made.

In response to complaints levelled against the Department of Education, Regional Education Officer Marcia Paddy Andrews stated that it should not be a blame game and suggested that both the Department of Education and RDC should work together.

She further explained that her Department is lacking in staffing, that it only has two appointed officers in addition to two Cadets, who were loaned to her office. As such, she made recommendations for additional staff.

“So we’ve been hopping along with borrowed staff.

Sometimes our supervision is not up to par with what we plan. You have to understand that in order to execute plans you have to have the relevant staff”, she noted, while emphasising the need for Health and Family Life (HFL) and other coordinators within the Department.”

“If Councillors can un-

I A consultation in progress

derstand what is required of the Department of Education, they will be less critical, especially in our situation where we are understaffed. It’s not an easy task and we need the support of everyone”, Paddy Andrews added.

The REO highlighted several other issues, including the fact that teachers in Linden refuse to go to remote areas to teach, and use medical conditions as excuses. She said there are instances where teachers are assigned to riverine areas, more so the Berbice River areas but are not occupying their posts.

In addition, Paddy Andrews said there are some schools which do not have a full complement of staff, like in Christianburg, while there are those that are overstaffed. She has therefore called for a “reshuffling” of staff with Education Ministry Addressing the officials, Regional Chairman

Renis Morian said there is a “disconnect” between the Region and the Ministry of Education and pointed to what he described as the slothfulness of receiving responses from that Ministry, while relating that there is no point person to speak to.

Citing an example, he noted that the Regional Education Officer is soon to be transferred but the RDC has not been informed as to who will be the replacement by the Ministry.

He explained that, “The Education Ministry or the system, functions like a Ministry that is not connected to anybody...The kind of connection that we share, the kind of linkages that we have with other Ministries, we don’t get that kind of linkage with the Ministry of Education. You can’t find this person, they’re never there, and they’re always out, always in a meeting.

You can’t get anybody.”

Morian also recommended that there should be an

established minimum standard in the Region with regards to school sanitation. Stressing the importance of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), he also made a request for training programmes for teachers in that sector in addition to training in the oil sector, since this is a new horizon for Guyana.

The Regional Chairman also spoke about the shortage of qualified teachers in indigenous communities, while noting that the quality of education in rural communities is not up to par.

Those communities lack specialised teachers: “We got the impression that when all the technical and skilful people are trained and they come back from overseas, Region 10 does get what’s left. Chemistry, Physics, Sciences - how many schools doing it in Region 10? How many schools got that ability or capacity to deliver that? When the teachers graduate from University of Guyana they aren’t sent to Region 10”.

Recommendations

Councillor Gordon Callender in his recommendation said packages for teachers assigned to riverine areas should be made more attractive, since some are single parents and may not be able to afford to support themselves and children who remain in Linden.

Caesar added that there was a time when most were anxious to work in riverine areas because of the benefits which came with it; these benefits should be reinstituted.

Alluding to the age of enrolment, Councillor Sandra Adams pointed out that there are smart children who are 3 years 2 months, who are unable to attend school owing to their age and time of birth. She outlined that there are not enough facilities in Guyana to meet their educational needs. She suggested a similar set-up as that in the United States, where young children are allowed to enter preschool in preparation for their educational journey.

submitted the above paper to be presented at a Liberal Arts conference at Jackson State University. I believe that this paper will be useful to the University of Guyana, particularly to the students and teachers.

My attendees, it is a pleasure to be here to speak to you on a theme that I feel not only passionate about but also a theme that is very close to my heart. The mere fact that I am here at Jackson State University presenting a paper to you speaks to my confidence and vision about student and teacher international engagement beyond the classroom. I am a Guyanese who migrated from a small South American country on the Atlantic Coast (Guyana) about thirty years ago with no particular focus.

What is also interesting is Dr Lomarsh Roopnarine that I have not abandoned my native country but do return regularly using this continuous experience to establish contact and communication with other places in the world. I strongly believe that if I had not moved out of my country and not return on a regular basis I would not have been the right person to speak to you on the theme of my presentation: Beyond the Classroom: International Travel and Engagement.

My presentation is limited to fifteen minutes and so I will speak to you on three themes: (1) my personal experience with regard to international engagement and how this event has shaped my life. I do hope interested students in the audience may find my experience useful in pursuing their own international engagement; (2) why international engagement is important beyond the classroom not to challenge the traditional format of instruction but to explore other avenues so that the approach to education can be more pleasant and productive for both teachers and students, and so when asked, how was college, the reply should be: we had bags of fun; and (3) the benefits of international engagement in terms of promoting personal growth and development.

My attendees, I was born and raised in an insular plantation system in Guyana. I was situated on the other side of the plantation system. This is not an abstract metaphor but a specific place where I was in a specific condition in a specific social class. I was in a place where there were no colleges, no universities, no television but I also believed at a very early age that a better life could only be achieved if I was open to new ideas, different people and explore different places from my own. I cannot pinpoint exactly where these thoughts and aspirations came from but I think two events might have contributed to them.

The first is that poverty and parochialism within my own family and community promulgated and perpetuated mainly by partisan politics instilled this feeling in me that somehow external contact would be necessary to deal with the labyrinth and lacuna of my daily struggles. In some ways, desperation and deprivation drove me to aspire to higher things in life even though there was never a clear vision and opportunity on how to achieve them. What mattered most to me then and now is the thought of progression, however small, rather than the thought of resignation.

I understand the violence of poverty and I am convinced that there is no other event in the world that has more damning, degrading and demeaning effect on humanity than the infernality of poverty, than the ruction of poverty. Yet, poverty has been the whisper of the world. Poverty is the main obstacle to human development but I also believe that thoughts supported by actions—either from the individual or from the community—can be a vehicle out of poverty. I stand before you in that tradition, the strangulation of hopes. But I am here, your university Professor. You can get to here too.

The second event that led to wider thoughts in life was the obscurity of my village community. While it may have caused the outsider to ask what young people do when they appear to do nothing, I was willing to read whatever was available to me, I paid attention to events going on in my community, and I observed that those who were going and coming in the community were the ones who were doing well. I began to realise that there was a natural connection between a better life and international exposure.

Since then, my life has not been a singular root and route but a transitional and transnational one which has ostensibly prepared me to cope with a changing and challenging world, including the environment here at Jackson State University.

I have learned that one cannot truly invent traveling experiences. That would be ostentatious. Traveling experiences have to be experienced. For me, my international travel has become the narrative of my life. I cannot live without it. To be continued.

(Send comments to lomarsh.roopnarine@jsums.edu)

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2016

guyana-times.com

News

AK-47 brandishing bandits rob Chinese restaurant A

Chinese restaurant at Portuguese Quarters, Port Mourant in the Corentyne, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) was on Sunday evening robbed by bandits carrying an AK-47 assault rifle.

However, Divisional Commander Kevin Adonis told this publication that it was not a robbery, while a senior officer attached to the Criminal Investigation Department said that the matter was not reported.

Sangeeta Lall, who works at the Lai Li Chinese Restaurant, said the men took her cellular phone and money from the restaurant before leaving. One eyewitness related that two men entered the restaurant carrying a gun. Other reports indicate that it was an AK47 and one shot was fired.

According to reports, shortly after 20:00h on Sunday, the attack was carried out by two unmasked men who were seen in the vicinity of the restaurant hours before the attack. At the time the proprietor, two staff, and a customer were in the restaurant.

According to reports when the two men entered the restaurant, a man who was waiting on one of the

Lai Li Chinese Restaurant at Portuguese Quarters, Port Mourant

restaurant staffers immediately reported to patrons at a bar nearby that there was a robbery. More than a dozen men rushed over to the restaurant where the two men were confronted.

This led to a standoff which lasted a few seconds, then one of the bandits reportedly raised his firearm, which caused the mob to back off, allowing the bandits to exit. The bandits had been attempting to gain access to the back of the building where the proprietor and staff had fled in their bid to escape when the mob of men arrived.

After the bandits cautiously walked out of the restaurant, facing on the group of public-spirited cit-

izens, they crossed the road and then discharged one shot into the air before running through a street opposite the restaurant.

No one followed them.

Three off-duty Police Officers and several ex-military men were among the first on the scene, and they confirmed that the men were carrying an AK-47.

Meanwhile, there are reports that the bandits were seen in the community several times within the past two weeks. It is believed that their target was a nearby supermarket.

Both men are known to the community. On two occasions during the past week, one businessman asked them to leave the

Cane harvester slapped with rape charge

A

cane harvester was made to stand before the Whim Magistrate’s Court to face the charge of rape of a 12-year-old girl.

The 42-year-old Corentyne resident made his appearance before Magistrate Charlyn Artiga and was not required to plead to the indictable charge which stated that on October 3 at Corentyne, he

11

raped the girl under the age of 16.

According to the prosecution, the man committed the act with the minor at his home.

After a number of persons became aware of the alleged incident, the matter was reported and the man was subsequently arrested and charged.

The accused was subsequently placed on $5000 sta-

tion bail and was instructed to make his court appearance on October 7, which he failed to do.

As such, an arrest warrant was issued. Police Officers arrested the man who was hiding out at his mother’s house in Rose Hall Town.

The man was remanded to prison. His next scheduled court appearance is slated for November 17, 2016.

Sangeeta Lall, as employee of the Lai Li Chinese Restaurant who was relieved of her cellular phone and money

area after they had spent more than half an hour in front of a nearby shop. They also visited Lai Li Chinese Restaurant on three occasions and bought food.

People in the community claim the bandits are from Albion.

Housing scheme shooting

Bullet removed from woman’s mouth T hree days after being shot in the mouth by her reputed husband, Shevon Harry, 26, of John Fernandes Housing Scheme, Georgetown, is said to be in stable but serious condition after doctors at the Georgetown Public Hospital were successful in removing the lodged bullet.

A hospital source confirmed that the bullet was removed, but she could not say what was the extent of the damage it has caused.

Up to late Monday, Harry was unable to speak and it was unclear whether or not she would remain mute.

Attempts to see the woman proved futile since a restricted visitor’s list is in effect.

The suspect remains on the run, as Police continue their hunt. The couple reportedly shared a rocky relationship due to jealousy and mistrust. Both parties were reportedly jealous of the other and neither of them could have kept friends as they wished.

The rocky relationship turned tragic on Friday when the suspect discharged a round into the woman’s mouth after she accused him of impregnating another woman. This

Injured, Shevon Harry

led to an argument during which the man reportedly got angry and shot the security guard attached to the Alliance Security Service.

After being shot, the mother of two reportedly ran out of the house the couple shared and collapsed on the dam, while the suspect escaped. She was picked up by a neighbour and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where she was admitted. The Police are continuing their investigation into the incident.

12 NEWS

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

Middle St land acquisition

Cabinet to discuss issue today, reversal of decision likely – source

Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Basil Williams

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ess than 48 hours after Guyana’s High Commissioner to Canada, Clarissa Riehl threatened to drag Attorney General Basil Williams before the courts over an attempt to take control of a plot of land owned by her, using the Acquisition of Lands for Public Purposes Act, Cabinet is expected to discuss the issue today with a view to reversing the decision, a source close to the Government has confirmed.

The source said that after the matter was brought to the attention of President

David Granger, he instructed that the issue be discussed extensively at today’s Cabinet meeting.

The source said apart from Riehl’s threat of legal action, there are a number of other factors that led to the issue being discussed, including the fact that AG Williams reportedly misled Cabinet on the entire issue.

When pressed on how exactly the AG misled Cabinet, the source declined to elaborate.

Riehl, a senior figure in the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), the largest party in the coalition Government, was expected to file an injunction to block the process during the course of this week, but it was now unclear if she would stay that decision in the face of these recent developments. When contacted on Monday, her husband, Thurston Riehl declined to offer any comment on the issue.

The other plot of land that was expected to be compulsorily acquired sits right next to Riehl’s property and is owned by Beharry Group of Companies, but officials of that company remain tightlipped.

Efforts to get a comment from Williams on Monday

Government buildings.

Williams, during a recent media briefing, suggested that when the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) took office in May 2015, the process to acquire the lands was already initiated “The staff I inherited recommended those lots…

So the issue of the compulsory acquisition was something inherited from the PPP… So, perhaps the problem Mr [Anil] Nandlall (for-

Guyana’s High Commissioner to Canada, Clarissa Riehl

evening were unsuccessful.

When this publication first called the AG, he answered but said he was in a meeting. Calls hours later to his mobile phone went unanswered.

The Official Gazette of September 24, which published the order made

by Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson on September 22, 2016, identified the property as the east quarter of Lot 92 Middle and Carmichael Streets.

The property was expected to be used for the proposed construction of

mer Attorney General) has is that he didn’t get to do the transaction.”

However, Nandlall denied Williams’ claims, saying that the AG was peddling mistruths.

“I wish to make it unequivocally clear, that as Attorney General, I had no intention whatsoever of compulsorily acquiring the said two lots of land and that no step whatsoever was ever taken by the PPP/Civic Government to compulsori-

ly acquire the said two lots of land; that all I did in relation thereto was to make contact with the owners of the two plots of land and enquired from them, whether the lands were for sale,” Nandlall said in a letter to the press.

Both owners, he related, answered in the negative and that was the end of the transaction: “I never even took a proposal to Cabinet in relation to this matter.”

No sign of father, son after fishing boat capsizes offshore T&T

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ays after their boat capsized a few miles offshore Trinidad and Tobago, captain Samuel Dabideen and his son, Arjohn Persaud are still missing.

The wife of the missing captain when contacted, told Guyana Times that a relative of the missing men travelled to the Twin Island Republic to assist in the search for the duo.

The family, however, is hopeful that the men were rescued and are alive but only to be located.

Dabideen, 43, and his 23-year-old son of De Willem, West Coast Demerara, departed the shores at Ruby, East Bank Essequibo, on September 27 and went missing on September 29.

Omadatt Basdeo, 32, and Mahesh Singh, 35, were also on the fishing trip. Reports reaching Guyana Times revealed that during the trip, Singh stayed on the larger boat, while Dabideen, Persaud and Basdeo boarded a smaller boat with the hooks and seine.

Singh was however told to keep an eye on them since the boat was shaky and the water was rough but he seemingly did not follow orders. As the trio went with the smaller ves-

Missing: Samuel Dabideen

Missing: Arjohn Persaud

sel, the water got rougher and a wave crashed into their boat, causing it to capsize. Young Persaud reportedly held onto a bag filled with bottles since he could not swim, as well as the others.

However, they managed to grab a flag and waved to get the attention of Singh, but after 30 minutes the sun set and they ultimately lost sight of the large vessel.

Nevertheless, it was reported that the three men managed to strip the engine off the small boat and quickly turned it over to get in but could not manoeuvre it due to the heavy waves.

Basdeo claimed that he suggested that they swim to shore but Dabideen thought it was risky and more so,

the shore was far away.

A determined Basdeo decided that he will go alone and that was the last time he saw the father/son duo alive. After swimming for several hours, he reached shore and it was then he realised he was in Trinidad.

Singh returned to Guyana with the bigger vessel.

The matter was reported to the Trinidadian authorities who immediately launched a search party but to no avail.

Basdeo returned home and it was only two days ago that he alerted the relatives of Persaud and Dabideen of the incident.

Dabideen has been in the fishing business for the past 16 years.

NEWS

13

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

Be inspired by the extraordinary lives of ordinary people — First Lady

F

irst Lady Sandra Granger on Sunday told the congregation at the Annual Women’s Day Service at the Franklin Talbot Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Church in North Ruimveldt Gardens, Georgetown, that women must be “inspired and strengthened by the extraordinary lives of ordinary people like us”.

Speaking on the role of women in society, the First

Lady pointed out that as mothers, wives, sisters and daughters, women shoulder a huge responsibility and must lean on a greater power. She said that women bear the task of being the tower of strength to their families, and they must be reminded that every trial they’re faced with should be a reminder of God’s will for them. “…

God gives us strength, support and guidance during our struggles so that we can

become stronger and better persons; he empowers us for greater works.”

First Lady Granger remarked on some of the challenges women are faced with at home and how easy it is for them to compare their lives with that of another woman who seems better off: “You really do not know what goes on in those homes. Domestic violence does not only happen among the poor… illness and trag-

Duo completes 3-week trek from Georgetown to Lethem

Congregation of the Methodist Episcopal Church in North Ruimveldt on Sunday

edy affect us all.”

Additionally, the First Lady urged the women to preserve their faith as biblical women did. She noted that those women, who were dismissed as insignificant but remained steadfast in their faith: “Today as

you celebrate your Annual Women’s Day, I urge you to be like that grain of mustard seed. Let your roots grow down into the rich soils, nourished by your faith, and build your lives around Him and He will empower and guide you to do greater

things.”

The Annual Women’s Day Service, an all-day event, was led by Rev Yvonne Bullen in the morning, while the afternoon session was led by Sis Caldetta Gibson and Rev Andrew Morris-Grant.

Duncan to challenge...

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Ric Couchman and Jerry Benjamin with Managing Director of the Rupununi Eco Hotels, Daniel Gajie

verseas-based Guyanese Ric Couchman and his local counterpart Jerry Benjamin have successfully completed a three-week trek from Georgetown to Lethem, Region Nine.

The duo departed Georgetown on September 16, 2016 and arrived in Lethem on October 9.

During the journey, they made several stops along the way, including at the Iwokrama Rainforest; Wowetta Village, North Rupununi and Yupukari.

Ric Couchman and Jerry Benjamin with Co-owner of Adventure Guianas Hotel & Courtyard, Navin Roopnarin at Yupukari, Region Nine

Minister of State Joseph Harmon said the tribunal was set up to inquire, investigate and recommend whether Duncan ought to be removed from office for inability to perform the functions of the office, after he refused to gracefully vacate the office.

When Nandlall was questioned as to if his client was in fact offered an incentive by the President and the Minister of State to resign, he simply said he believed his client. “Well it is their word against Mr Duncan’s words and I believe my client, I could tell you that,” he said.

Harmon has since rejected claims that the Government offered money in exchange for his resignation as Chairperson of the PSC in light of his court charges.

“The Office of the Minister of State categori-

cally denies the assertion made by Mr Carvil Duncan that he was offered monies by the Minister of State or the President.”

The statement indicated that meetings were indeed held where Duncan was “gracefully” asked to vacate the positions he currently holds on several constitutional service commissions, given his current trial for allegedly stealing $984,900 and conspired to steal $27,757,500 from the Guyana Power and Light (GPL).

Harmon’s Office said Duncan indicated that he would discuss the matter with his family and return with a decision, however he never did, which prompted President David Granger to establish a tribunal to determine his fate.

Harmon’s statement was prompted after a letter was released last Saturday

FROM PAGE 9

by Duncan, with damning allegations of bribery and innuendos made by the President.

Duncan was charged and placed before the courts over the alleged theft of monies from the Guyana Power and Light.

He was placed on $1 million bail in February after he had appeared in the Magistrates’ Courts charged with larceny, and after pleading not guilty to the charges.

The Prosecutor alleged that on March 31, 2015 at Georgetown, he stole $984,900, property of GPL. It was heard that he conspired with GPL’s former Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Aeshwar Deonarine to steal $984,900, and that he conspired with Deonarine to commit a felony, namely, to steal $27,757,500, property of the utility company.

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guyana-times.com

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2016

Regional

“Massive response” needed in Haiti Colombia’s President Santos to donate Nobel money to conflict victims after Hurricane Matthew – UN

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U

In the most affected areas, people are in need of food, water and clothes

nited Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said that a “massive response” is needed to help Haiti recover from the devastation caused by Hurricane Matthew.

Some towns and villages had been wiped off the map and tensions were already mounting as people awaited help, Ban said.

The UN has also made an emergency appeal for nearly US$120 million in aid.

The Category Four Storm is believed to have killed as many as 900 people in the Caribbean country.

Matthew, the strongest hurricane to hit the Region in a decade, destroyed tens of thousands of homes in

Haiti, leaving more than 60,000 people staying in temporary shelters.

“Hundreds have died; at least 1.4 million people need assistance at this time.

Some towns and villages have been almost wiped off the map; crops and food reserves have been destroyed; at least 300 schools have been damaged,” Ban said.

Officials said some people had started to put up blockades to try and stop aid convoys they saw driving through their areas without stopping.

An aid worker told the Associated Press news agency that a convoy carrying food, water and medications was attacked by gunmen in a remote valley where there

had been a mudslide.

The UN humanitarian agency issued an appeal to help provide “life-saving assistance and protection” for 750,000 people in southwestern Haiti over the next three months.

Officials were still struggling to reach the hardesthit areas, the agency said, with communities in need of food, clean water and clothing.

Haiti’s Ambassador to the UN said the country would face a “severe famine” as its south-western region, the most affected by Matthew, is “considered the bread basket of Haiti”.

“The needs are urgent,” Pierre-Andre Dunbar added.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

T&T on brink of economic danger, but these are not hopeless times – PM

E

ven as he declared that Trinidad and Tobago is on the brink of the danger zone economically, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley on Sunday sought to assure the nation that “these are not hopeless times.”

He then proceeded to list out a series of construction projects, mainly in west Trinidad, due to come on stream shortly which are aimed at kick starting the economy. They include construction of a state-of-the-art Police Station in Carenage,

part of a revamping of the Marine Interdiction Branch to combat the narco trade, as well as a first class hospital in Sangre Grande.

Rowley said the proposed initiatives would help pull T&T out of its grim economic state, resulting in much needed job opportunities. He said it was the construction industry which had been proven worldwide to stimulate economic growth In his address at the PNM’s 45th constituency conference at St Anthony’s College in west Trinidad

Sunday, Rowley recalled when Police Officers walked out of the Carenage Police Station some years ago. He said since that time, the officers had been occupying rented premises at School Street.

“I can tell you that Cabinet is about to receive a document where a site has been settled upon by the Police and the Ministry of Planning and Development and very soon work will begin on a new police station in Carenage,” he said. (Excerpt

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without a wellness service for staff.

"Companies should have a proper, well executed wellness plan and within that, provisions should be made for emotional support for staff, whether it is a counsellor on call or a counsellor on staff as part of the wellness support team and programme," Narcisse argued.

She added that there are places in the world that provide staff for mental health where they plan workshops

President Juan Santos (left) and the FARC leader known as Timochenko shook hands in a historic ceremony in Cartagena in September

hope of a just peace, and to all the parties who have contributed to the peace process,” Kaci Kullman Five added.

Santos said he dedicated the award to “all the victims of the conflict”.

The award did not include the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) leader Timoleon Rodriguez, better known as Timochenko.

and social activities for staff because they understand that “we are not just machines and that it is important to talk to us about mental health and not just provide support for our physical health”.

World Mental Health Day is acknowledged on October 10 and this year the US Embassy is staging a series of speaking engagements on the issue in partnership with JaMHAN.

(Jamaica Observer)

The peace deal was rejected by 50.2 per cent of voters who went to the polls on October 2.

Despite the rejection by voters, Santos vowed to continue with talks with the rebels.

Government negotiators have already returned to the Cuban capital Havana for further discussions with FARC leaders. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Caricom Chairman leading delegation to Haiti and Bahamas

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ominican Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit is leading a delegation to Haiti and The Bahamas, the two Caribbean Community (Caricom) countries severely affected by the passage of Hurricane Matthew last week.

Skerrit, who is Chairman of the 15-member regional

integration grouping, is being accompanied by Caricom Secretary General Irwin La Rocque, the Executive Director of the Barbadosbased Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) as well as the Dominica Government’s adviser on disaster management, Cecil Shillingford.

Last week, Skerrit had called for support for the two Caribbean countries and urged the Private Sector there to lead the initiative.

Hurricane Matthew has been blamed for the deaths of nearly 900 people in Haiti where it also caused widespread destruction, leaving thousands homeless. (CMC)

Lula charged over Odebrecht Angola work in Brazil graft probe

from Trinidad Guardian)

Companies should support the mental health of their staff – JaMHAN irector of the Jamaica Mental Health Advocacy Network (JaMHAN) Carol Narcisse said that it is important for companies to provide mental health support to their staff and human resource.

Narcisse was speaking on Monday at the Jamaica Observer’s weekly Monday Exchange where she said that no 21st century company that is serious about human resources should exist

olombian President Juan Manuel Santos has said he will donate the money from the Nobel Peace prize to help the victims of the 52-year conflict in his country.

He was awarded the prize for reaching a peace agreement with the FARC rebel group last month.

The deal was rejected a few days later by Colombian voters in a referendum.

About 260,000 people have been killed and more than six million internally displaced in Colombia.

“Last night, I met with my family and we have decided to donate those eight million Swedish krona (US$925,000) to the victims,” said Santos.

The head of the Nobel committee said on Friday the award recognised the President’s “resolute efforts” to end the conflict.

“The award should also be seen as a tribute to the Colombian people who, despite great hardships and abuses, have not given up

C

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (file photo)

orruption charges against former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva piled up on Monday as prosecutors accused him and Marcelo Odebrecht, exCEO of engineering group Odebrecht SA, in an alleged bribery scheme related to contracts in Angola.

Lula already faced several other charges related to a sweeping kickback probe at State-run oil company Petrobras, and Odebrecht is serving a 19-year sentence

after his conviction on other corruption allegations in the investigation.

The new charges come amid expectations that Odebrecht – Latin America’s largest construction conglomerate – is on the cusp of signing a leniency deal with prosecutors that would see its former CEO and dozens of other executives turn State’s witness.

Prosecutors have said the Odebrecht group, with its global reach and powerful connections inside

Brazil, was at the heart of the long-running corruption scheme. Testimony from its executives could significantly expand the Petrobras probe, lead to new investigations and implicate more politicians.

Brazil’s top prosecutor Rodrigo Janot is investigating 66 politicians – many sitting lawmakers – for alleged participation in the Petrobras scheme, a number that could grow significantly with possible testimony from Odebrecht executives.

To date, nearly 200 executives and former politicians have been charged in the Petrobras probe and 83 have already been found guilty. Prosecutors are seeking 38 billion reais (US$12 billion) in damages from companies and individuals involved.

Federal prosecutors in Brasilia said the latest charges are related to alleged crimes carried out from “at least” 2008 – when Lula was still President – until 2015. (Excerpt from Reuters)

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2016

guyana-times.com

15

Around the World

Republican leader Syria conflict: France wants Russia on war crimes charges will not defend F Donald Trump P

aul Ryan, the US House of Representatives Speaker, has told Republican legislators he will no longer "defend" or campaign with presidential candidate Donald Trump, focusing instead on maintaining his party's majority in Congress.

The country's top elected Republican official made the comments during a conference call with the politicians on Monday, a source familiar with the call told Reuters news agency.

The call was arranged to work out how to handle the fallout from a video that surfaced on Friday showing Trump making indecent comments about women in 2005, including his ability to grab them by the crotch with impunity because, as a celebrity, "you can do anything".

But Ryan, who has had an uneasy relationship with Trump from the start and has criticised him on numer-

rench President Francois Hollande has suggested Russia could face war crimes charges over its bombardment of Syria's second city Aleppo.

Hollande told French TV this could take place in the International Criminal Court (ICC).

He also said he might refuse to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is due to visit France next week.

Last week, Russia vetoed a Franco-Spanish UN Security Council resolution calling for an end to the

US House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan

ous occasions, stopped short of rescinding his endorsement, according to a person who listened to the conference call.

Ryan "said he will not defend Trump or campaign with him for the next 30 days", the source on the call said.

Several people on the call also said Ryan explicitly told House members: "You all need to do what's best for you in your district."

"It really is unprecedented," said Al Jazeera's Patty

Culhane, reporting from Washington DC. "The Republican Party used to tell members what to do, but this time Ryan flat out said 'Do what is best for you'. This has not happened in modern American politics."

But AshLee Strong, a Ryan spokesperson, said after the call that there was "no update in his position at this time" in terms of endorsing Trump. (Excerpt from Al

Jazeera)

Ethiopia blames "foreign enemies" for stoking unrest

bombing.

Moscow has repeatedly denied attacking civilians, and said it targets terrorist groups in Syria.

Neither Russia nor Syria is a member of the International Criminal Court.

"These are people who today are the victims of war crimes. Those that commit these acts will have to face up to their responsibility, including in the ICC," Hollande told TMC. "If I do receive him [Mr Putin], I will tell him that it is unacceptable. It could also

seriously affect Russia's image," the French president added.

Hollande's call for Russia to be prosecuted came as Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said France was working to find a way for the ICC prosecutor to launch an investigation into attacks on rebel-held eastern Aleppo.

Last week US Secretary of State John Kerry also called for war crimes charges, saying Russian and Syrian Government attacks on hospitals were "beyond the accidental" and part of a deliberate strategy.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

India: Parents investigated after Jain girl dies from 68-day fast

I

ndian Police are investigating the parents of a 13-year-old girl who died last week after undertaking a religious fast for 68 days.

Police in southern Hyderabad city told BBC Hindi they want to know if Aradhana Samdariya was forced to fast.

Her parents have insisted she voluntarily fasted as prescribed in Jainism, one of the world's most ancient religions.

The case has sparked a debate about the practice of religious fasting in India.

Reports said Aradhana lived for 68 days on boiled water. Two days after she called off her fast last week, she was dead.

Experts believe it is possible for the human body to survive without food for up to two months.

Aradhana Samdariya's death has sparked strong reactions on social media

A police spokesperson said a case had been registered against the parents after a child rights organisation filed a complaint.

"The parents – Laxmi Chand and Manshi Samdariya – have been booked under culpable ho-

micide [causing death by negligence] and Juvenile Justice Act [cruelty against minors]," the spokesperson said.

The parents, wealthy jewellers based in Hyderabad, have denied that they forced their daughter to fast.

"She asked permission for upvaas [fast that involves renouncing food]. We asked her to stop after 51 days but she would not give up. Her fast was voluntary. No one forced her," Samdariya said.

But social activists have rejected the family's claim.

"The entire nation should be ashamed that such a practice still exists. Her father's guru advised the family that if she fasted for 68 days, his business would be profitable," activist Achyut Rao told BBC Hindi. (Excerpt from

BBC News)

Samsung pauses Note 7 production – media reports

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The Ethiopian Government has announced the start of a six-month state of emergency [Reuters]

thiopia has accused "foreign enemies" of arming, training, and financing groups it blames for a wave of unrest in regions around the capital, Addis Ababa, a day after a six-month state of emergency was imposed.

At a news conference on Monday, Government spokesman Getachew Reda named Eritrea, which has a long-running border dispute with Ethiopia, and Egypt, which is embroiled in a row with Addis Ababa over sharing Nile water, as sources of backing for "armed gangs".

"There are countries which are directly involved in arming, financing and training these elements,"

said Reda.

Reda said, however, it could be elements who do not have formal Government support acting rather than "State actors".

Egypt last week denied providing any support for Ethiopian protesters.

Ethiopia's Government is facing the biggest challenge of its 25 years in power, with anti-government protests spreading, foreignowned companies targeted, and a harsh security crackdown that has killed hundreds so far while failing to quell the unrest.

"The kind of threats we are facing, the kind of attacks that are now targeting civilians, targeting civilian infrastructures, targeting

investment cannot be handled through ordinary law enforcement procedures," Reda said.

Protesters from the majority Oromo and Amhara ethnic groups say they are marginalised by the minority Tigrayan-led government, which they accuse of monopolising power and controlling the economy.

"The internet in Ethiopia has been blocked for at least the past week and the few people on the ground that we spoke to said the state of emergency is nothing more than to suppress the protests," Al Jazeera's Fahmida Miller reported from Mombasa, in neighbouring Kenya. (Excerpt

from Al Jazeera)

martphone giant Samsung has reportedly stopped production of its Note 7 phone amid claims that replacement devices are still at risk of catching fire.

News agencies reported Samsung had temporarily halted production after talks with safety regulators.

Samsung told the BBC it was "adjusting the production schedule to ensure quality and safety matters".

The company has been forced to issue new models of the smartphone following complaints of faulty batteries.

It issued a recall of the Galaxy Note 7 in September and later assured customers that the fixed devices were safe.

But there have now been several reports of replacement phones starting to emit smoke.

In a further blow, two

US mobile networks have stopped replacing or selling the phone.

The AT&T and T-Mobile networks said they would no longer replace the devices in the US, while the latter said it would halt all sales of the phone.

"While Samsung investigates multiple reports of issues, T-Mobile is temporarily suspending all sales of the new Note 7 and exchanges for replacement Note 7 devices," T-Mobile said on its website.

Meanwhile, AT&T said: "We're no longer exchanging new Note 7s at this time, pending further investigation of these reported incidents." It advised customers to exchange them for other devices.

Samsung said in a statement last month that the issue of overheating was caused by a "rare" manufacturing error that resulted in the battery's "anodeto-cathode [negative and positive electrodes]" coming into contact. (Excerpt from BBC News)

16 NEWS 4 remain in custody over CoI launched to investigate fatal mining accident abduction of US citizen I A

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

businessman, his wife and two relatives remain in Police custody for kidnapping a US citizen on October 4 in the Lower Pomeroon area.

Norien Lopez, 31, a Cuba-born US citizen who is based in Florida, arrived in Guyana on September 29 on a tour. While information remains sketchy about the abduction, Police are now questioning Lopez with respect to the incident.

A source close to the investigation revealed that the story told by the US citizen has several ‘loopholes’, apart from that being told by the abductors.

It was reported that Lopez left Guyana via Charity for Venezuela, claiming that he want-

ed to visit his girlfriend who lives in Colombia.

However, he was detained

by Venezuelan authorities who requested US$2500 for his release.

The businessman, who operates a boat to the neighbouring country, reportedly paid the money to have Lopez released. Lopez was then held captive by the boat owner until he repaid him the money. The US citizen was reportedly taken to the man’s home where they confiscated his travel documents.

A call was made to one of the man’s relatives in the US, who in turn contacted the US Embassy here in Guyana. The local authorities were contacted and an investigation was immediately launched.

On Saturday, the Police went to the home of the businessman where he was arrested and subsequently took the Police to another house in the area where Lopez was kept.

Further investigations led to the arrest of two boat captains – one who transported the man to Venezuela and the other transported him from Venezuela following his release. Both boats are owned by the businessman.

Lopez was subsequently released, but his travel documents remain with the Police who are now gathering information about his recent visits. It was reported that Lopez travelled to several countries that have direct links to the drug underworld.

n light of the most recent mining pit incident which claimed the life of 33-year-old Keon Wilson of Anns Grove, East Coast Demerara, the Natural Resources Ministry has established a Commission of Inquiry to investigate the matter.

The CoI will determine whether negligence was involved and will seek to make recommendations to prevent a reoccurrence.

“It is with grave concern that despite enhanced efforts to monitor mining activities and to educate

Dead miner, Keon Wilson

PANCAP Director advocates for sex workers’ stigma-free environment

T

he Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV/AIDS (PANCAP) will be one of the major stakeholders in the Caribbean Sex Work Coalition Sex Worker Implementation Tool (SWIT) meeting to be held next Monday.

And PANCAP Director Dereck Springer is advocating for a stigma-free environment for sex workers.

The SWIT offers practical guidance on effective HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections

PANCAP Director Dereck Springer

(STI) programming for sex workers, while providing evidence for the necessity of decriminalisation of sex work, the involvement of sex workers in developing policy, and the empowerment and self-determination of sex work communities as a fundamental part of the fight against HIV. The World Health Organisation (WHO) created the body based on its 2012 recommendations on HIV and sex work.

CONTINUES ON PAGE 17

miners on safe mining practices, this latest death has occurred,” the Ministry stated in a release to the media.

In the release, the Ministry bemoaned the persistence of unsafe mining practices at some mining camps, which result in the untimely death of workers and adversely affects the lives of their families by extension.

It also reminded miners to conduct their activities

responsibly and adopt the highest standards of safety, in keeping with the laws of Guyana.

“The Ministry continues through the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission and the Mining School to offer guidance, training and other support to miners to improve safety practices in the field, and will hasten plans for the deployment of wardens, who will have law enforcement powers to better

police the sector,” the statement read.

Wilson, a father of two, was killed on Saturday last while working at Rock Creek, Puruni, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) after the mining pit collapsed. Based on information received, Wilson and a colleague were in the pit when the walls cracked and, within minutes, came crashing down.

The other man, Sean Dey managed to escape with minor injuries.

Wilson was reportedly pulled from under the rubble and taken to the Bartica Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. His family members are, however, calling for a full investigation into the matter.

Abena Wilson told members of the media that the family received the devastating news on Saturday about 18:30h. At first, she noted, they were getting conflicting reports about what occurred, but they were told by her brother’s boss that he was crushed after a mining pit collapsed.

She added that one of her nephews also worked at the same mining pit, but he left about five days ago after he protested the conditions under which they were forced to work.

Wilson was described as a loving and jovial father, brother and son. He leaves to mourn his mother, two daughters and siblings. Arrangements are being made to have his body transported to Georgetown where a post-mortem will be conducted.

NEWS

Sugar worker killed

by Africanised bees C

17

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

Climatic events should spur renewable energy efforts – Caricom SG

A

Corentyne sugar worker was on Monday afternoon killed after being attacked by a swarm of Africanised Bees.

Dead is Taijram Jainarine also called ‘Plastic’, 57, of Number 69 Village, Corentyne.

According to reports, Jainarine was pronounced dead at the Skeldon Hospital.

The Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) employee was constructing a dam when he was attacked.

Jainarine and a partner were more than one mile in the Backdam.

Details of what transpired are still sketchy; however, this publication understands that when Jainarine came under attack his partner hid beneath a clump of bushes and later heard Jainarine groaning.

When help finally arrived, the man was discovered dead some meters from the tractor.

Meanwhile, in a statement following the incident, GuySuCo confirmed that at approximately 12:25h on Monday, two tractor operators were harrowing a section of the cross-dam in the Skeldon Estate cultivation when a swarm of bees attacked them.

Jainarine was later found in an unconscious state but was rushed to the Skeldon Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The other employee the statement said, was admitted for observation but later released.

Jainarine has been working with the Corporation for 25 years.

GuySuCo extended its deepest condolences to the family.

Police are investigating and the Sugar Corporation has pledged to provide further details as more information becomes available.

Meanwhile in March, one sugar estate worker was killed and another hospitalised after a swarm of Africanised bees attacked them aback Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice.

The dead man was identified as Ramesh Lalaram called ‘Satesh’, 56, of Church Street, Bath Settlement. He was employed by GuySuCo for 23 years.

1st phase of Guyana Foundation’s Sunrise Centre completed

– will provide counselling, meaningful employment

Managing Director Anthony Autar

T

he Guyana Foundation has announced that the pilot phase of the Sunrise Centre on the Essequibo Coast has been completed and will provide counselling, support services and employment to its users.

Founder Supriya SinghBodden said the Centre was part of the Foundation’s ongoing efforts to provide urgently-needed training, counselling and support services to individuals and families across Guyana. She is hopeful that similar centres will be opened across the country.

Also in attendance were members of the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman Islands and various other donors who provided funding for a significant portion of the Centre’s expenses.

Managing Director Anthony Autar related that during the pilot phase, several services and programmes were offered free of charge to residents of the Essequibo Coast, which included profes-

sional counselling and mental health support services, accessible six days a week in a confidential, comfortable environment; holistic wellness activities such as yoga and skills training courses in the areas of fabric design, electrical installation, catering and floral arrangement.

He said too that most of the facilitators and the mental health counsellors were from the Essequibo Coast, in keeping with the Foundation’s desire for the Centre to be grassroots-based. Autar indicated that during the pilot phase, one-on-one counselling and follow-up support services were provided to many individuals, while group sessions of varying sizes were also held with others.

Additionally, informational sessions on mental health topics were conducted with students enrolled in all the skills-training courses at the Centre.

“As part of the Foundation’s monitoring and

evaluation programme, the mental well-being of all participants of the skills-training courses was assessed twice using a scale developed by a university in the United Kingdom,” he said.

Autar reported that improvements in mental wellbeing were recorded in over 85 per cent of the participants who were assessed.

Singh-Bodden announced that a fashion house in the Cayman Islands has placed an order for all of the fabric designed by the Centre’s students, creating gainful employment for these individuals.

As a result, the Guyana Foundation will now set up a small fabric printing workshop at its premises to assist the fabric designers to get started until they can go out on their own, she revealed.

The Centre is soon to officially open its doors, with new courses commencing in November.

Singh-Bodden is advocating for more organisations and individuals, both in and out of Guyana, to come on board to assist with this aspect of the Foundation’s work.

She said, “In order for Guyana to build a healthy investment climate, the wellness of it people is absolutely the most important priority.

We cannot be registering and reporting deaths by suicide in our newspapers, then telling the world we are open for business. We need to fix this problem and give it the priority it deserves.”

aricom Secretary General Irwin LaRocque on Monday said the recent climatic events that have affected Haiti, The Bahamas, St Lucia, Barbados, Dominica, Cuba and the Dominican Republic emphasised the need to intensify efforts to maximise the Region’s renewable energy potential.

Addressing the opening of the European UnionCaribbean Sustainable Energy Conference in Bridgetown, Barbados, the Secretary General said the “erratic and prolonged intensity” of Hurricane Matthew demonstrated the reality of climate change. It also highlighted the Region’s vulnerability to the social, economic and environmental consequences. The discussion on renewable energy was, therefore, important, he said, adding, “Renewable energy is a critical component of the effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, a key factor in the battle to limit global warming, one of the more harmful effects of climate change. Renewable energy also contributes to our climate adaptation efforts.”

With the involvement of the Private Sector representatives from Europe and the Caribbean in a Business Dialogue during the Conference, Secretary General LaRocque said its success should pivot on solutions to resource the Region’s renewable energy potential. In that regard, he noted the strengthening of the EU-Caribbean partnership through a Joint Declaration on “reinforced cooperation in sustainable energy”, supported by the European Investment Bank.

Technical and financial contributions, particularly from the Government of Austria and other key partners, have been forthcoming

Caricom Secretary General Irwin LaRocque

for this initiative which will, among other things, coordinate donor activities and act as the regional implementation hub for sustainable energy issues and activities in Caricom, including project implementation, investment and business promotion.

LaRocque noted that the EU was providing 135 million euros for the Caribbean Investment Facility, which encourages Private Sector involvement in renewable energy projects. He added that the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has been a key source of funds.

A recent initiative is a partnership with the Caricom Secretariat, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the United States Department of Energy and the CDB, through a Memorandum of Understanding that creates a framework for cooperation in the sector. Those partners are expected to work together to identify financing and investment opportunities for pilot and commercial-scale projects.

On the other hand, the Caricom SG bemoaned the limited ability regional Governments possess to mobilise domestic resourc-

es for sustainable energy investments. High debt, and the classification of some Member States as middle income countries that denies them access to concessional development financing “condemn many countries to a vicious cycle”.

“Global experience has shown that an availability of public capital is critical to the stimulation of private investments within the sustainable energy sector. We are of the view that global development assistance and climate financing systems should acknowledge and target the specificities and vulnerabilities of SIDS, given their limited domestic fiscal space.”

“The Green Climate Fund should provide reliable access to development financing and concessionary loans to support investments for climate adaptation and mitigation, including sustainable energy actions. Further, “Debt for Climate Swaps”, which focuses on clean energy investments, have the potential to be transformative and deserve consideration.

Taken together, these actions have the potential to provide significant amounts of the public capital needed,” Secretary General LaRocque said.

PANCAP Director advocates...

FROM PAGE 16

Springer is calling for more attention to be placed on the issue of stigma and discrimination within the sex work environment.

“It is imperative that PANCAP attends and supports this workshop, since eliminating discrimination against sex workers is a key component of PANCAP’s Justice for All (JFA) initiative,” he said, adding, “the JFA advocates for the reduction of stigma and discrimination and the upholding of human rights with particular regard to the right to access HIV prevention, treatment and care.”

Co-Chair and Coordinator of the Caribbean Sex Work Coalition (CSWC), Miriam Edwards said the idea for the SWIT workshop was generated after leaders of the Coalition participated in the Global Fund SWIT workshop in October 2015 in Ecuador, as well as additional SWIT training activi-

ties earlier in 2015 organised by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

She stated that following discussions at the last regional meeting, an agreement was made by a consortium network of sex workers from Global Network of Sex Work Projects (NSWP) that increased awareness of SWIT was crucial to the development of sex workers in the Caribbean. She added that the CSWC received the support of NSWP through the Robert Carr Civil Society Networks Fund (RCNF) to convene a five-day SWIT training in Guyana. “It is vital that sex workers and sex worker-led groups fully understand the importance of SWIT to creating a safe environment for sex work that is free of stigma and discrimination,” she stressed.

Meanwhile, Springer stated that ending AIDS required an environment that was

free of stigma and discrimination. He highlighted that the key populations, such as sex workers, are more likely to receive education on HIV/ AIDS, as well as prevention tools when there was no fear of being stigmatised. “I fully endorse the objective of the SWIT workshop. Sex workers must be cognisant of their role in creating a stigma-free environment, as well as what actions are pivotal to eliminating the spread of HIV/ AIDS in the sex work industry,” he added. The SWIT workshop, which will host participants from Guyana, Jamaica, Antigua, Suriname, Trinidad and The Bahamas, aims to provide effective training on the use and implementation of the SWIT, with the objective of building the knowledge capacity of sex workers in reducing stigma and discrimination.

18

guyana-times.com

TUESDAY OCTOBER 11, 2016

ARCHIE

Observe the actions of others, but reserve judgment and (March 21- criticism. You’ll get a betApril 19) ter reaction and more opportunities if you make positive suggestions or offer to do the work yourself.

ARIES

Keep an open mind, and re-

DILBERT

TAURUS frain from letting stubbornness (April 20- stand between you and your May 20) success. A kind gesture will get

you much further than trying to control others.

A service or skill you can GEMINI offer in a unique format will (May 21raise interest. Get in touch June 20) with groups that you feel are a perfect vocational fit for you.

Taking a short trip or CANCER participating in an activity (June 21- or event will increase your July 22) knowledge as well as lead to a new opportunity. Romance is featured, but an emotional misunderstanding is likely to interfere.

Set high standards for LEO yourself and others. If you do (July 23- your best, you will reach your Aug. 22) goal. Partnerships will require open and honest communication to ensure that they reach their optimum potential.

PEANUTS

Listen, evaluate and deVIRGO cide what you are going to (Aug. 23- do next based on facts. Your Sept. 22) actions will speak volumes about the type of person you are and what you are capable of doing.

CALVIN AND HOBBES

Take some time to get rid LIBRA of possessions you no longer (Sept. 23need and emotional baggage Oct. 23) that is holding you back. This will help you release stress and allow you to move forward.

WORD GAME

SUDOKU

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

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

Copyright 2015, Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

Put your personal obligaSCORPIO tions first. Make a focused (Oct. 24effort to improve your relaNov. 22) tionship with loved ones. A physical change will boost your confidence. Sport a trendy new look.

Express your thoughts SAGITTARIUS and ideas, but not your feel(Nov. 23- ings. Someone could use your Dec. 21) words against you out of jealous motives. Don’t wait for positive change to happen, when you can be the instigator.

Move forward with trepiCAPRICORN dation. You’ll be given false (Dec. 22- information or saddled with Jan. 19) an unpredictable party. Let your intuition be your guide.

Problems will arise if you travel or have to deal with institutions.

Be up-front and honest AQUARIUS if you want to avoid a prob(Jan. 20lem with a teacher, employFeb. 19) er or peer. A misunderstanding will occur if you send the wrong message.

PISCES Don’t take someone else’s (Feb. 20- words as gospel. Before makMarch 20) ing a move, find out what is really going on. Someone may try to take advantage of your kindness and generosity.

TUESdAY, OCTOBER 11, 2016

19

India press ahead after Ashwin’s 6-for

Neesham led a recovery of sorts, adding 53 with BJ Watling for the sixth wicket and 52 with Mitchell Santner for the seventh, but Jadeja ended both those partnerships before they could assume worrying proportions. Turn and bounce caused Watling to glove to slip, while turn out of the rough found Santner’s inside edge as he looked to drive out of the rough.

Neesham, playing his first innings of the series, swept the spinners impressively to get to 71 before the shot cost him his wicket against Ashwin. The ball pitched shorter than he expected, on an off-stump line, and hit him on the back leg. Umpire Kumar Dharmasena raised his finger in response to Ashwin’s appeal, but replays suggested the ball may have turned past off stump. It only took India four overs to get the last two wickets, Ashwin dropping a return catch but deflecting the ball onto the stumps to Ravichandran Ashwin is elated after dismissing Ross Taylor run Jeetan Patel out at the non-striker’s end - the second for a duck time he had effected such a dismissal in the innings - and ndia declined to enforce the follow-on after R Ashwin’s T r e n t Boult holing out while looking to clear the on20th five-wicket haul in Test cricket helped bowl New side boundary.

Zealand out for 299 on the third day of the Indore Test.

On the least helpAshwin’s 6 for 81 secured a 258-run lead, and left India ful pitch of the seenough time to bat again and give their bowlers a wellries, Ashwin’s earned rest. wickets came With six overs left to bat out at the end of the day, India largely through stretched their lead to 276 without losing a wicket. But his deception in they didn’t survive entirely unscathed. In the third over, the air, which Gautam Gambhir retired hurt after aggravating a shoulconstantly der injury he had sustained while fielding. Diving to comdisrupted plete a tight second run, he landed awkwardly and walked the batsmen’s off clutching his shoulder. M Vijay, meanwhile, earned reading himself a caution as well as an official warning for runof line and length. For the third time in three innings, he dismissed Kane Williamson, New (Neesham, 86.2 ov), 9-294 India 1st innings 557/5 dec (Patel, 88.2 ov), 10-299 (Boult, New Zealand 1st innings Zealand’s best batsman.

MJ Guptill run out (Ashwin) 72 90.2 ov) Ross Taylor was next TWM Latham c & b Ashwin 53 Bowling: Mohammed Shami to go, undone yet again by 13-1-40-0 (w-1), UT Yadav 15-1KS Williamson* b Ashwin 8 55- his technique of playing 0, R Ashwin 27.2-5LRPL Taylor c Rahane b Ashwin0 81-6, RA Jadeja 28-5-80-2, across the line while deL Ronchi c Rahane b Ashwin 0 M Vijay 7-0-27-0 fending. Then came a bit of JDS Neesham lbw b Ashwin 71 bad luck for Guptill, who, India 2nd innings BJ Watling† c Rahane b playing his first innings of Jadeja 23 M Vijay not out 11 any significance in the seMJ Santner c Kohli b Jadeja 22 G Gambhir retired hurt 6 ries, was caught out of his JS Patel run out (Ashwin) 18 CA Pujara not out 1 crease at the non-striker’s MJ Henry not out 15 Extras 0 end when Ashwin deflectTA Boult c Pujara b Ashwin 0 Total (0 wickets; 6 overs) 18 ed a straight drive from Extras (b-6, lb-5, w-1, pen-5) 17 To bat: V Kohli*, AM Rahane, RG Luke Ronchi onto the Total (all out; 90.2 overs) 299 Sharma, R Ashwin, WP Saha†, stumps. Having played Fall of wickets 1-118 (Latham, RA Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, an unwitting hand in his 34.2 ov), 2-134 (Williamson, UT Yadav dismissal, Ronchi followed 42.6 ov), 3-140 (Taylor, 44.5 Fall of wickets 0-11* (Gambhir, Guptill into the dressing ov), 4-148 (Guptill, 46.6 ov), retired not out, 2.5 ov) 5-148 (Ronchi, 48.1 ov), 6-201 Bowling: TA Boult 3-0-9-0, JS room in Ashwin’s next (Watling, 62.6 ov), 7-253 Patel 2-0-8-0, MJ Santner 1-0over, when drift caused (Santner, 78.6 ov), 8-276 1-0 him to play down the wrong Martin Guptill hits over line of an offbreak. Another long-off in compiling 72 catch for Ajinkya Rahane at ning on the danger area of the pitch. A similar offence in slip, except he had to dive to his right to grab this one. the first innings had cost Ravindra Jadeja half his match New Zealand’s slump began 15 minutes before lunch, when fee while also conceding five penalty runs to New Zealand.

Ashwin found a way past Latham’s defiance. Latham had Ashwin took his first four wickets either side of lunch, come into this Test match having scored 74 in his last indismantling New Zealand’s top order after nings, in Kolkata. There, and in this innings, his sucMartin Guptill and Tom Latham added 118 for cess was partly down to the method he had worked the first wicket. The wicket of Latham began out to reduce the likelihood of lbw a collapse during which New against the spinners, Zealand lost five wickets by taking a shorter for 30 runs. front-foot stride, and J a m e s playing with his bat in front of his pad.

In the fourth over of the morning, Guptill drove loosely at Mohammed Shami and nicked to gully, where R a h a n e dropped a chance that went quickly but more Ravichandran Ashwin celebrates another Kiwi wicket with his team-mates or less

I

SCOREBOARD

Guyanese fast bowler Erva Giddings made her debut for the West Indies last Saturday

G

iddings found to have breached ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel.

West Indies’ Erva Giddings has received an official warning for breaching the ICC Code of Conduct during her side’s five-run defeat against England in the first One-Day International in Jamaica on Saturday.

Giddings was found to have breached Article 2.1.5 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “showing dissent at an umpire’s decision during an international match”.

In accordance with Article 7.3 of the revised Code, which came into effect on 22 September, in addition to the sanction imposed for her breach of Article 2.1.5, one demerit point has been added to Giddings’s record.

Pursuant to Article 7.6 of the Code, if Giddings reaches four or more demerit points within a 24-month period her demerit points will be converted into, at least, two suspension points which will equate to a ban from her next match or matches. Two suspension points equate to a ban from one Test or two ODIs or two T20Is, whatever comes first for the player.

The incident happened in the 45th over of the West Indies’ innings when Giddings, after being given LBW, showed her bat to the umpire to indicate that she had hit the ball first.

After the match, Giddings admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by remote match referee David Jukes. As such, there was no need for a formal hearing.

The charge was levelled by on-field umpires Gregory Brathwaite and Nigel Duguid and third official Jacqueline Williams.

Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points. (ICC Media Release)

straight to him. Then, three overs deeper into his spell, Shami watched in frustration as Latham flicked in the air only for the ball to fall short of Jadeja, diving to his left from short midwicket. Both he and Umesh Yadav had bowled with one, and frequently two catchers in front of the wicket on the leg side, as Virat Kohli went with pace from both ends for the first ten overs of the morning. New Zealand scored 23 runs in that period. Spin came on from both ends after that, and the run-flow quickened, with both batsmen showing a desire not to let the spinners get on top. Early in his spell, Guptill punished two minor infringements of length from Jadeja, off successive balls: first he jumped back to a marginally short ball and smacked him to the midwicket boundary; then he saw one tossed up into his driving arc and lofted it effortlessly over the longoff boundary. Both spinners dropped short with uncharacteristic frequency. Guptill slapped Jadeja to the cover boundary to bring up his fifty, and in the next over Latham whipped Ashwin through midwicket before driving him to the straight boundary when he over-compensated with his length. (ESPNcricinfo)

20

GUYANA-TIMES.COM

TUESday, october 11, 2016

BCCI to hold emergency SGM on October 15 T

he BCCI has called for a Special General Meeting (SGM) on October 15 in Delhi to discuss the interim order passed by the Supreme Court last week. The order had given the board and state associations to respond by October 17 whether they would “unconditionally” comply with the Lodha Committee’s recommendations.

This week’s SGM is the second such emergent meeting called by the BCCI in the last two weeks. At the last SGM, on October 1, the BCCI had decided to conditionally adopt some of the recommendations which further infuriated the court.

Consequently, the three-judge bench of the Supreme Court alerted the BCCI “not to precipitate” matters during the hearing last Friday. The court also asked the board to stop issuing funds to errant state associations which did not implement the recommendations.

Despite the pressing directive and the urgency sought from the court, both BCCI as well as most states associations continued to remain stoic and unaffected. Incidentally, the board’s notice on the SGM only reached the state associations on Monday. Also, president Anurag Thakur and

secretary Ajay Shirke are currently in Cape Town attending ICC meetings from October 10 to 14.

Officials at both BCCI and state associations ESPNcricinfo spoke to pointed out that certain discrepancies between the July 18 court order passed by the court and the Lodha Committee report that was released on January 4. The board is likely to point out the same during the next hearing on October 17 when the court reconvenes after the Dussehra holidays.

One legal loop-

hole, Shirke pointed out, was whereas earlier in the Lodha report state associations were given one year, the July 18 court order prescribed a maximum of six months to implement the recommendations.

Shirke said it only created confusion. “The legal difficulties are that the committee

has given the state associations one year,” Shirke told the Sunday Express. “Now suddenly, they have made it deadline-bound. Has the one-year deadline been withdrawn by the SC? We don’t know. It hasn’t been informed. Now, today’s order of the Supreme Court says, as we didn’t submit the affidavit, they had to stop the money. In light of all this, there’s confusion.”

In the Lodha report, referring to grounds for sanction and derecognition of a member, the committee had said: “No Member shall be entitled to any grant from the BCCI if its Constitution fails to provide for, or comply with the following within One Year after the Effective Date.”

The “following” was essentially the new governance structure suggested by the committee for which the states would first need to amend their constitution.

However, a basic reading of the court order makes it clear the court had designated the Lodha Committee to oversee and direct the implementation of the recommendations at both BCCI and state level within a “reasonable” period ranging between four and six months from the July 18 order.

So far, only two official Full Members, Vidarbha

BCCI Secretary Ajay Shirke (second from left, front row) has said there is “confusion” over the one-year deadline given by the Lodha report in January and the July 18 court order which prescribes a maximum of six months to implement the recommendations

Cricket Association and Tripura Cricket Association, have adopted the recommendations unanimously.

Rajasthan Cricket Association, which is not recognised by BCCI since it elected Lalit Modi (banned

by BCCI) as its president, was the first to adopt the recommendations. However, most of bigger state associations remain defiant.

A former BCCI office bearer, who is currently head of a state association, was irritated when asked if he was bothered by the last week’s court directive which asked the BCCI to stop issuing funds to the states. “There is no difficulty we - states - face,” he said.

“Lodha Committee has given a particular recommendation about the states. In

the Supreme Court judgement, para 61, the court has said it accepts the rights of a citizens under Article 19 (1) (c) to form an association and the court will not interfere.” The official pointed out that the court had said the BCCI could not be granted the same immunity under Article 19(1) (c) since it is a private body performing a public function. “The court has now asked BCCI to stop giving funds to state associations that do not comply with the recommendations set by the Lodha Committee. But if I don’t (comply) nobody can touch me. The board will not pay me money, but that money can only be board’s money.

If the money belongs to the states, the court cannot stop us.”

The official said that

if his state association were to host an international match, he has the right to get the money that the BCCI earns from the broadcasting rights. “We are holding the match. BCCI is only negotiating on our behalf.”

A senior lawyer, who is well conversant with the BCCI constitution, said the state association president had misread and misinterpreted the clause. The lawyer pointed out he had heard the same reasoning being given by more than one state association. “Everyone has a right to freedom of association under Article 19 (1) (c), but once you have associated the court has said nothing stops it from regulating you (the state association) after you carry out a public function,” the lawyer said. (ESPNcricinfo)

National Schools’ Basketball Festival

Mackenzie High, Kwakwani Secondary hold nerve in thrillers

W

Kwakwani Girls strike a pose with Director of Sport, Christopher Jones (right) and Digicel’s Senior Sponsorship and Events Executive Louanna Abrams

Kwakwani Boys are ecstatic after completing the three-peat. Also in photo are, from left, Youth Basketball Guyana Co-Director Chris Bowman, Louanna Abrams, Head Coach of Kwakwani Ann Gordon, Co-Director of Youth Basketball Guyana Rayad Boyce and Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation President Nigel Hinds

hen the final buzzer rang at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH), Homestretch Avenue on Sunday night it was Kwakwani Secondary winning the females U-19 Championship and McKenzie High winning the U-14 and U-16 titles in the National Schools Basketball Festival (NSBF).

On the final night of action which was dedicated solely to finals, McKenzie edged Kwakwani by two points to win the U-14 championship 37-35. Kwakwani were cruising with a 15 point lead heading into the second half with the score 7-22. They were however, confronted by Stephon Duncan who scored 14 points and Shemar Savory and Kobe Tappin with nine for Mc Kenzie.

Mc Kenzie High also walked out of the Sports Hall with the U-16 title destroying Marian Academy 3617. Yannick Tappin scored

the

eight points in that match up earning him the Most Valuable Player, Best Scorer and Best Assists awards.

In the U-19 final, Kwakwani piped, a spirited Government Technical Institute (GTI) by a 2-point score line after a remarkable second half from the Upper Demerara team. The combination of Nathan Saul (13 points) and Sebastian Luke (15 points) looked to seal the win for GTI but Domair Gladstone (16 points) Stanton Rose (11 points) and Troy David (10 points) combined to pull off

stunner.

Rose carted off with the most Assists, Best Defense and MVP awards.

At the end of the presentation, MVP Rose, noted that it was determination and passion that brought the team to the title. Rose noted that he was confident of his chances of living up to his dream of playing for the national side and overall becoming the greatest player to ever represent Guyana in basketball.

In the girls U-16 showdown, Kwakwani Secondary produced an emphatic win over Marian Academy 14-11 at the end of the match. Jada Mohan’s nine points for Marian Academy was not enough to stop the Kwakwani girls as Kennesha Leacock registered six points, sealing the game.

21

YELLOW

sports

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Golden Blue Echo is the sprint king

By Andrew Carmichael

G

olden Blue Echo out sprinted Plum Plum, Honey Flow, Light Up Canada, Fire in Line, Release the Beast and Red Rocket to win the feature event at the Nand Persaud Karibee Sprint Classic held at the recently constructed track at number 36 village, Corentyne.

The race was 880 yards or four furlongs and had a top prize of $350,000.

Plum Plum was the favorite and led the race for 879 yards as Golden Blue Echo pushed his nose past the finish poll first. Release the Beast was third. Judges could not tell which animal finished fourth as fading light and thick dust worked against them.

Golden Blue Echo of the Karibee Racing Stables ridden by Jockey Richmond made a desperate last gallop to make it a family affair with Mahindra Persaud presenting the karibee Trophy to his wife Sharda at the end of the classic race.

The event which was sponsored by the Nand Persaud conglomerate saw seven sprint races; the longest being 880 yards and the shortest 400 yards. The

Jockey Colin Ross receiving the Champion Jockey trophy from Mahindra Persaud

Mahindra Persaud presenting the winning trophy to his wife, Sharda with Jockey Richmond on Golden Blue Echo after winning the feature race on Sunday

L class and lower for winners over a distance of 440 yards and a top prize of $100,000 was won by She is

in Control ahead of Mystery Man, Blondy and Shinning Copper. The L class and lower for non-winners over the

same distance saw Dirt Man winning. The second place went to Ebola with Unruly third and Another Time fourth. The winning purse was the same as the L class and lower for winners.

Flo Joe took the second L class and lower for winners. The second place went to Shinning Copper with She is so Special and Little Girl.

The 660 yards for animals classified H2 and lower was taken by Fire in Line.

The race had a top prize of $250,000 and saw Appealing Harvest finishing a close second with Sweet return and Midnight Blues bringing up the rear.

Only two animals took the starters instructions in the 2-year-old Guyana bread 440 yards dash. Awesome cash was the $200,000 from Truly Honest. Ten horses were in for the J1 event over a distance of 660 yards and had a top prize of $120,000.

It was won by Golden kiss of the L. Singh Racing Stables with Jockey Alay taking charge, followed by Party Time, Daddy’s Dollar which was ridden 15-year-old Jockey Julias Harripersaud and Blundy.

The champion Jockey was Colin Ross with two wins and one-third.

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By Akeem Greene

A

round the world, Motor Racing has attracted humongous crowds especially when favourites such as Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg or the Italian riding sensation Valentino Rossi are be producing their daredevil style of driving or riding on the track.

More close to home, the Caribbean Motor Racing Championships (CMRC) are held each year across four The sight of fast cars and bikes have usually attracted large crowds at South Dakota and countries, Jamaica, Trinidad this year the GMR&SC is hoping they can increase even more and Tobago, Barbados and Guyana, where thousands support, my personal belief is that if there are no fans, there of persons are involved with the sport, weather it is by viewis no sport; we are looking at our facilities, we know our faciling or participating; it is with that view that President of the ities are aging and we have started many improvements, so Guyana Motor Racing & Sports Club (GMR&SC) Raj Boodhoo come November you will see improvements at the track, we firmly believes that Motor Racing can fuel Sports Tourism in are working to bring the track up to level 3 standard”, Boodhoo Guyana. said. There has been a notion that the sport is only for “elites” In a recent interview with Guyana Times Sport, Boodhoo society, but Boodhoo explained that they have been changes posited that, I always think sports tourism has a lot to offer to made to make the sport cheaper with hope of attracting more Guyana, I know for the past three years in our November race competitors and fans. He said, “A lot has been done by the ecomeet, the overseas guess can’t get hotels”. He further revealed nomic impact of the country and we were able to change our that, “even when we had the drag race meet [in May] we had rules to make racing cheaper so we can attract more people to put in for extra ferrying to shuttle the drivers, when there into the sport; every competitor has their own fan base, so if were Drags in Suriname, people got left behind for days bewe have 200 competitors, the fan base will widen”. Guyana are cause the system was not there to move people and that has a defending champions but this year, they are lagging way behuge impact on sport tourism”. hind pole position due to a small continent of drivers travelling Each leg of the CMRC entails competitors travelling to to the various legs and top drivers facing serious mechanical participate in the aforementioned countries. However it was problems. Though defending the title seems a herculean task highlighted that not only do competitors travel, but so do their at this point, since leaders Trinidad and Tobago have their families, mechanic team, journalists and other officials. hands practically on the trophy, the President is still optimisQuizzed on the support of the government thus far, he retic of Guyana making a case for themselves in the final leg on sponded saying, “the government should support sports tourhome turf come November 13. ism and they have been very responsive, they listen to us and “Guyana has not being doing too well, we are certain, we have promised to assists and we have working through the will mop up every single point possible, we need to realise that National Sports Commission to increase impact of the sport”. most of the cars did not tour Barbados [third leg] because they The South Dakota track which is located at Timehri held its have started preparations for the November race meeting, so first race meeting in May 1956 and has grown to be the hub of we fancy our chances”. the sport in Guyana but the facility is in dire need of upgrades In the coming weeks, the GMR&SC is expected to roll out and the GMR&SC President revealed that plans are afoot to various plans to increase the attendance at what is the biggest make improvements. race event on their calendar of events. (akeemg@guyanatimesgy.com) “In the Caribbean, we have been having the biggest crowd

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GUYANA-TIMES.COM

tuesday, october 11, 2016

Scotiabank Men’s Caribbean Cup…

Jaguars in must-win territory against Reggae Boyz ― “We are very desperate because we want to remain in the competition” – Shabazz

By Akeem Greene

I

t is a clear cut case of do or die for the National football team as they face Jamaica’s formidable Reggae Boyz today at the Leonora Stadium, West Coast Demerara in round three of the Scotiabank Men’s Caribbean Cup. After losing 2-3 to arch nemesis Suriname on Saturday, head coach of the team Jamaal Shabaaz has described the match, at a press conference on Monday, as a desperate situation since only the top team from the group will progress.

“We are very desperate, because we want to remain in the competition, we have to forget the reputation of Jamaica and think like hosts, they come to our door step and we have approach it like such; we have taken away the pressure because we are very focused on wanting to give our best,” Shabazz firmly stated.

In three encounters with the Reggae Boyz, the Jaguars have lost on all three occasions, seeing score lines such as 6-0 (1991), 0-4 (2010) and 1-0 (2012), as such Shabazz is extremely mindful of the threat the opponents bring.

He stated, “We know they are a hurricane and we know we will have to shut

(L-R) Impressions Marketing Executive Iman Cameron, Reggae Boyz Captain Jevaughn Watson, Reggae Boyz Head Coach Theodore Whitmore, Golden Jaguars Head Coach Jamaal Shabaaz and Captain Christopher Nurse at the press conference at Signature Inn on Monday

up doors and windows, we know the nature of the opponents; no matter how much minutes we have we will give our best.”

Quizzed on whether he brings any changes to his team considering their match against Suriname went into extra time, the coach stated that “We have one more session and we may want to tweak a few players to boost the team.”

Though there are clouds of uncertainty surrounding the head coach’s departure from the team, he posited that the game is more than about recording a win.

“For us tomorrow (today) it is not just important for us to stay in the competition

and for us to produce a good performance but to show we are capable of matching top teams because we are about a programme, too many times in the Caribbean we think only for today and not for tomorrow and we when we are pushed into that today jacket, the fashion changes so quickly so tomorrow, we are out of fashion,” the Trinidadian stated.

He added, “We have to approach this game with the aim of a long term goal and try get the best result but it is a proud moment for us that we can go on the field with a Caribbean giant so we will put our best foot forward.”

Similarly, Captain

Christopher Nurse who is nursing a thigh strain but is optimistic of playing today, revealed that the players are excited and will produce the best they can but they need the support of the crowd.

“We are excited, I don’t think we have faced a team of this magnitude since we played against Mexico and Costa Rico, so it is going to be a big test for our team; we don’t have the Jaguars at their full potential but it is important for the public to understand that getting behind the team gives the extra energy, especially home here in Guyana,” Nurse stated.

Meanwhile, captain of

W

A

Berbice Masters collect the winning trophy at the DCC Ground, Queenstown

talented bunch of experienced cricketers journeyed to the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) to take on the Guyana Floodlights Softball Cricket Association (GFSCA) whose team is called Floodlights, in a feature T20 match under lights. At the end of the eventful night it was Berbice Masters who prevailed by 31 runs on a cool Saturday night.

The visitors were off to a disastrous start when John Sumair was clean bowled by Tulsi Sahadeo off the first ball of the match. However, a fine half century from Randolph Latcha who found a good partner in Eon Abel to add 75 for the second wicket brought back some amount of normalcy to the innings. Berbice Masters eventually got up to 171-6 from their 20 overs.

Latch clobbered five fours and two sixes in an even half century before he

was bowled by 10 year old Romeo Deonaraine while Abel was bowled by Reyaz Hussein for 25 after striking three fours and one six.

Imran Hassan struck an unbeaten 33 while captain Huburn Evans made 30.

Bowling for the hosts, Anil Beharry had 1-9 from two overs, Patrick Khan 1-16 also from two overs, Deonarain 1-18 from his full quota of four overs, Sahadeo 1-33 also form four while Hussein claimed the other wicket to fall for 41 runs from three overs.

In reply, Floodlights lost opener Uniss Yusuf early for just three with the score on 11and Berbice Masters were looking at an early night. In come former West Indies batsman Travis Dowlin who joined Patrick Khan and formed a formidable union to put on 67 runs before the second wicket fell. Khan, who was played a good hand was bowled by

Hazrat Hussain for 20 after hitting four fours.

The DCC right handed batsman, Dowlin pulled veteran fast bowler Nigel Wilson for sixes over midwicket and took boundaries off Evans and Hussain at will. However, when he was well set to take his team home in his first match in the Floodlights uniform he gifted his hand away. He was well caught of Zaheer Moakan for 66 which opened the flood gate as the rest of the batting folded meekly ending on 140-8 when the overs expired. Dowlin slammed six fours and four maximums and was later named Man of the Match.

Ramlingum Mangali was the best bowler of the night with 3-16 off four overs bowling for Berbice Masters while Hussain had 2-19 from four overs and Moakan 2-27 also from four overs.

hat has become a Sunday morning special; the customized grass track running parallel to Carifesta Avenue in the National Park was once again used to facilitate the modern

the defending champions, Jevaughn Watson touted that his team is eager to play in what should be a highly competitive match.

A confident Watson said “we are glad to be here to play against Guyana which we know is a good team, we expect it be to be a quality game because they got good players, we expect nothing but them coming out with their best foot forward, we like competitive games; we just have to do work on the field and at the end of the day come away with three points.”

Reggae Boyz newly appointed Coach Theodore Whitmore was more on the cautious side, since the team is in rebuilding phase after failing to qualify for the Russia 2018 World Cup and more so, they have not gotten the best preparation for the match.

Whitmore explained, “It’s a very difficult moment for the Jamaica national team since we missed out on Russia 2018 qualification, we have a game coming up but preparation has not being that conducive but we looking forward to a competitive game tomorrow.”

With qualification for prestigious CONCACF Gold Cup at stake, the Jaguars will be desperate to produce what will have to be their

Lucia in September for the Caribbean Mountain Bike Championships finished the 10 lap race in a time of 27 minutes 55 sec-

Keon Thomas trounced the competition to win the challenge

mountain bike race seeing Keon ‘Gold Tooth’ Thomas riding off with the top spoil.

Thomas, who was the beneficiary of the experience of travelling to St.

onds (27min 55sec), well ahead of the competition.

Thomas kept a hold on the competition throughout the race, winning all five prizes.

Before leaving to the

best showing on the pitch.

Guyana Golden Jaguars squad reads: Goalkeepers – Kai McKenzie Lyle, Andrew Nestor, Defenders – Jake Newton, Samuel Cox, Quincy Adams, Walter ‘Boyd’ Moore, Adrian Butters, Colin Nelson, Anani Mohammed Midfielders – Dwight Peters, Cash London, Trayon Bobb, Christopher Nurse, Brandon Beresford, Warren Creavalle, Daniel Wilson Forwards – Anthony ‘Awo’ Abrams, Vurlon Mills, Marcel Barrington, Pernel Schultz.

Jamaica Reggae Boyz squad reads: Andre Blake, Rosario Harriott, Damian Lowe, Ladale Ritchie, Alvas Powell, Dicoy Williams, Omar Holness, Andrew Vanzie, Ewan Grandison, Darren Mattocks, Cory Burke, Michael Binns, Shaun Francis, Je-Vaughn Watson, Allan Ottey, Dino Williams, Owayne Gordon, Dwayne Ambusley, Kemar Lawrence and Ryan Thompson.

Match time is 20:00h and tickets cost $1,000 for adults and $500 for children.

St. L u c i a , Thomas was second behind Raynauth Jeffrey but this time around put in a better showing, a clear indication in an improvement in his stamina.

Ozia Mcually finished the race second, while road champion, Stephano Husbands arrived in third position and Akeem Wilkson completed the race in fourth.

The riders received cash prizes of $8000,$6000, $4000 and $3000 respectively for first to fourth place finishes.

The race was initially scheduled for last weekend but never materialized, as such the organizers thanked sponsors such as Elliot Davis, Shameer Baskh, Jared Barrington, Cheddie Ransaran and Jude Bentley that made the event possible.

tuesday, october 11, 2016

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guyana-times.com

West Indies Women level series after calypso collapse

n extraordinary England collapse of six wickets for three runs gave West Indies a 38-run win in the second one-day international in Montego Bay. Chasing 149, England were coasting at 107-4 before Nat Sciver holed out off Afy Fletcher.

Deandra Dottin took three wickets in an over, then trapped Amy Jones

Alex Hartley mesmerised West Indies with career best figures of 4-31

lbw to bowl out England for 110.

West Indies earlier scrapped to 148, captain Stafanie Taylor making 56 and Alex Hartley taking 4-31.

The third game of the five-match series is at Sabina Park on Friday at 15:30 BST.

pinning Jones to seal the win.

Defeat will be even harder to take for the tourists after another excellent bowling display on a stiflingly hot morning in Jamaica. It was the spinners who once more did the bulk of the work for England, left-armer Hartley’s straight line ripping through the home

It is the nature of the defeat that will be most disappointing to England, who now travel to Kingston level at 1-1.

Playing on the same slow surface on which they

won the first ODI by five runs, the visitors were sensibly managing a pursuit of a reachable target.

But captain Heather Knight top-edged leg-spinner Fletcher to short fine leg for 26 with the score on 93, then Sciver patted a tame catch to cover to depart for 27.

23

middle order.

Taylor, strong through the off side, stood firm, sharing stands of 47 with Dottin and 34 with StacyAnn King. After King was brilliantly stumped off Brunt, it began a slump in which West Indies lost their last five wickets for 24 runs. Still, they already had enough.

SCOREBOARD

Deandra Dottin made a valuable 21 before taking three wickets in an over to bowl out England

Dottin blew away the tail and, in the blink of an eye, West Indies were celebrating victory.

England looked to have learned the lessons of the first ODI, when they slipped to 62-5 before being rescued by Danielle Wyatt.

Knight and Sciver in particular manoeuvred the ball well, ran hard and looked to have sucked the life out of the home side.

But, two poor shots later, followed by a dubious lbw decision in favour of Fletcher against Wyatt, and the England lower order were exposed.

Dottin, bowling a full length, trapped Katherine Brunt lbw, bowled Laura Marsh, then had Sophie Ecclestone caught behind for a golden duck.

The all-rounder could not complete a hat-trick, but still had the honour of

West Indies Women innings (50 overs maximum) HK Matthews lbw b Marsh 15 SL Quintyne c Sciver b Ecclestone 15 SR Taylor* c Marsh b Brunt 56 DJS Dottin lbw b Hartley 21 SA Campbelle† c Knight b Hartley 1 B Cooper c Brunt b Hartley 0 SACA King st †Jones b Brunt 14 A Mohammed cBeaumont b Hartley 4 ASS Fletcher run out (Brunt) 14 SS Connell b Sciver 3 EM Giddings not out 1 Extras (b-1, lb-2, w-1) 4 Total (all out; 50 overs) 148 Fall of wickets: 1-24 (Matthews, 8.6 ov), 2-35 (Quintyne, 13.4 ov), 3-82 (Dottin, 29.3 ov), 4-86 (Campbelle, 29.4 ov), 5-90 (Cooper, 31.4 ov), 6-124 (King, 40.2 ov), 7-127 (Taylor, 42.3 ov), 8-129 (Mohammed, 43.2 ov), 9-143 (Connell, 48.1 ov), 10-148 (Fletcher, 49.6 ov) Bowling: KH Brunt 9-0-30-2, NR Sciver 8-1-19-1, LA Marsh 10-023-1(w-1), S Ecclestone 5-0-201, A Hartley 10-1-31-4, Knight 8-0-22-0

England Women innings (target: 149 runs from 50 overs) L Winfield lbw b Giddings 2 TT Beaumont b Taylor 19 GA Elwiss b Mohammed 16 HC Knight* c Giddings b Fletcher 26 NR Sciver c Matthews b Fletcher 27 DN Wyatt lbw b Fletcher 7 AE Jones† lbw b Dottin 1 KH Brunt lbw b Dottin 1 LA Marsh b Dottin 0 S Ecclestone c †Campbelle b Dottin 0 A Hartley not out 0 Extras (lb-3, w-7, nb-1) 11 Total (all out; 41.4 overs) 110 Fall of wickets: 1-12 (Winfield, 3.2 ov), 2-33 (Beaumont, 13.2 ov), 3-56 (Elwiss, 23.5 ov), 4-93 (Knight, 34.2 ov), 5-107 (Sciver, 36.5 ov), 6-108 (Wyatt, 38.2 ov), 7-109 (Brunt, 39.1 ov), 8-109 (Marsh, 39.5 ov), 9-109 (Ecclestone, 39.6 ov), 10-110 (Jones, 41.4 ov) Bowling: SS Connell 5-1-19-0 (w1), EM Giddings 4-1-7-1(w-1), SR Taylor 5-1-7-1, ASS Fletcher 102-20-3(w-1), A Mohammed 7-021-1, HK Matthews 4-0-14-0, DJS Dottin 6.4-1-19-4(nb-1, w-2)

Scotiabank Men’s Caribbean Cup…

It’s a very big game – Trayon Bobb

G

olden Jaguars attacking mid-fielder Trayon Bobb has rated the clash against the fearsome Reggae Boyz of Jamaica in round three of the Scotiabank Men’s Caribbean Cup as one which could be very intense and is a “big game” since the team is in a must win situation after losing to Suriname 2-3 on Saturday.

Bobb, speaking to Guyana Times Sport on Monday said “It’s a very big game and will be very intense I think, we have to go out and put our best foot forward but we need to get the support of the fans.”

The twenty-two year old, who would have played in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in 2012 and scored to two goals against El Salvador, explained that the team will be working hard to come out on the winning note.

Talent midfielder stat-

Trayon Bobb

ed, “We have been putting in some really hard work, so come Tuesday we can come out victorious”.

Since the age of 16, he travelled to Trinidad and Tobago where he played with Caledonia AIA but left after two years he went to Finland and played with TP 47 Tonio Football Team and in 2013, he travelled to Lithuania where he played football for five months.

With such experiences, Bobb stated that there

is not much pressure to perform on the big stage, “there is not such much pressure, it just for me to go out there and fight hard so we can come out victorious”.

The left-winger, who plays for Slingerz FC was named the Most Valuable Player in the last the of the season of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Stag Elite League has plans to return to return to foreign shores and the play the sport he loves.

“I’m really looking to go back to Europe, where I can enjoy playing my football and be comfortable and more so be able to provide for my family,” the Bobb disclosed.

Should Guyana win, it will give them a chance of qualifying for the prestigious CONCACAF Gold Cup, where Bobb will get a bigger stage to showcase his talent.

― Ali siblings round off top three

T

he Guyana Chess Federation’s (GCF) 2016 National Junior Qualifiers Tournament concluded at the National Resource Centre, Woolford Avenue, on Sunday with Robert Neto walking away with the title while siblings, Saeed Ali and women candidate master (WCM) Sheriffa Ali finished second and third respectively.

Neto joins an elusive list of top Guyanese players to emerge from the tournament since its inception in 2007 including Ron Motilall, Haifeng Su (twice), Anthony Drayton and Taffin Khan.

Neto finished the tournament well ahead of the competition on 6.5 points from seven games, inclusive of six wins and one draw earning him an undefeated stride to the championship. Neto was a member of the Chess team to travel to Baku, Azerbaijan for the 42nd Chess Olympiad.

Second placed, Saeed Ali finished one point off the top

Champion Robert Neto receives his trophy from National Coach CM Wendell Meusa

spot with 5.5 points while the female Ali finished on five. Joshua Gopaul completed the tournament on five points in fourth position as Ghansham Allijohn and Jaden Taylor completed fifth and sixth with four points each. Tournament organisers are proud to have attracted so many players and acknowledged the efforts by the Guyana Deaf

Association as five players; Arifa Budhu, Shivrani Persaud, Anthony Johnson, Aleem Baseer and Asiyiah Bacchus were part of the tournament. The National Junior Chess Championship will be held in two weeks time where the qualified players will participate in a round-robin system for the Guyana 2016 National Junior Champion.

tuesday, october 11, 2016

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

Pg 23

West Indies Women level series after calypso collapse West Indies Captain Stafanie Taylor came back from injury in the first game to score a match-winning half century

Scotiabank Men’s Caribbean Cup…

Jaguars in must-win territory ...“We are very desperate because we want to remain in the competition” – Shabazz

Pg 22

All to play for tonight at Leonora when the Jaguars hunt the Reggae Boyz

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