Guyana times 24 january 2018

UG to commemorate Cheddi P15 Jagan’s 100th birth anniversary Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Issue No. 3460

PRICE

Plot afoot to undermine PPP strongholds – Jagdeo

$80 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Miner killed after pit P10 collapses at Konawaruk

See stories on pages 3, 11 and 14

…says Govt has funds to meet severance demands ...as 900 more sugar workers to be dismissed ...GAWU should have taken non-negotiable stance – MP Page 2

Children narrowly escape fiery death

Couple stabbed during robbery

Page 7

High drama: NBS shuts down during 6-hour standoff with Police Page 9

…as Marshals move to execute High Court order …Managers, security guards arrested …bank settles $59M payment

Couple jailed for forging P8 permanent resident card UG students call for better facilities P12 GTU urges teachers to ‘exercise more patience’ P14

Farmer dies after crashing into utility P10 pole 3 Brazilians nabbed after robbing Lethem jewellery P13 store

GCAA exploring avenues to P13 increase revenue

2 News

wednesDAY, january 24, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Couple stabbed during robbery A

Sisters Village, West Bank Demerara (WBD) couple are patients at the Georgetown Public Hospital after they were robbed and stabbed by four masked bandits on Monday.

The couple, Goeberdhan and Sangeeta Mahabir, both of Nowran Dam, Sisters Village, were injured about 21:30h, while Goeberdhan

was in the process of closing his variety store – which is located in front of his two-storey home.

Guyana Times was told that the elderly man had just closed his gate and was about to enter the shop – which leads into his house – when the bandits jumped the fence and pounced on him.

Two of the bandits, who

were armed with knives – entered the house and attacked Sangeeta while the remaining two, who were also armed, remained with the businessman.

The two men assaulted the elderly man, while their accomplices proceeded to ransack the variety store, where an undisclosed amount of cash was found.

Just before leaving the

The house where the couple resides

scene, the bandits stabbed the couple several times about their bodies, before fleeing west.

“He [Goeberdhan] got a stab to his belly, one to his head and he get a cut on his forehead and she, on the right arm, she got about five or six stabs there and on her back leg and on her back,” a relative explained.

The couple’s nephew, who resides a short distance away, told this publication that he heard screams coming from his uncle’s home and upon checking, he observed him on the ground in

front of his shop, bleeding profusely.

“He told us that he was just about closing up and after closing the gate, he just walk back [towards the house] and four of them [bandits] jump the fence and two of them attack him and two of them run inside and attack his wife,” he said.

Another relative explained that a resident rushed the couple to the West Demerara Regional Hospital.

They were subsequently transferred to the Intensive

Care Unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital.

At the scene on Tuesday, this newspaper observed spots of blood inside the shop and in front of the yard.

In addition, it was reported that a hat, suspected to be that of one of the suspects, was found at the scene.

Guyana Times was told that this is the third time within a one-year period the couple were robbed.

An investigation has been launched; however, no one has yet been arrested.

news

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wednesDAY, january 24, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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

Wednesday, January 24 – 10:00h-11:30h and Thursday, January 25 – 10:30h-12:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Wednesday, January 24 – 08:40h-10:10h and Thursday, January 25 – 09:50h-11:20h.

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

WEATHER TODAY

Light cloudy skies and light rain showers are expected throughout the day and into the evening.

Temperatures are expected to range between 24 degrees Celsius and 28 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North-easterly to East North-easterly between 4.02 metres and 4.91 metres.

High Tide: 09:30h and 22:03h reaching maximum heights of 2.41 metres and 2.36 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 03:00h and 15:31h reaching minimum heights of 0.80 metre and 0.82 metre respectively.

Plot afoot to undermine PPP strongholds – Jagdeo …tells sugar workers “don’t lose heart, struggle for better” …says Govt has funds to meet severance demands

By Michael Younge

O

pposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo on Tuesday urged scores of sugar workers and their families not to lose hope, but to continue to struggle alongside the People’s Progressive Party to secure the freedoms and gains which they have worked and toiled for over the past two and a half decades.

Jagdeo, addressing a crowd at Enterprise Community Centre on the East Coast of Demerara, disclosed that the Government had begun unveiling parts of a systematic plan to undermine the support base of the Opposition with the aim of changing the demographics of the country.

He said that if the Government’s plan succeeded and people lost hope in

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo addressing sugar workers and their families at Enterprise Community Centre

so hard for the Government to utilise one per cent of its budget to keep the industry going as it looked for solutions to deal with the problems facing the industry.

“But they wanted to shut down sugar,” Jagdeo remarked

Cutting wastage

Jagdeo,

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2018 The crowd at Enterprise Community Centre

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those communities that were devastated and adversely affected by the decision to reduce the sugar industry and eventually close it, then Guyana’s future would be jeopardised.

“I warned on the campaign trail that this would have happened and it’s happening now…They want us to lose hope and to give up on the industry…they want people to migrate…so that they will (be able to) change the demographics of this country,” Jagdeo explained to the audience.

The Opposition Leader laid the blame for the woes being faced by 4763 workers squarely at the feet of President David Granger.

Jagdeo contended that the decision to fire thousands of workers without a clear plan was “not necessary” as he insisted that it was motivated by political ideology.

“I can’t find any other reason outside of the fact that they want people to migrate and change the voting pattern,” he also contended as he questioned why it was

who

was

Guyana’s longest-serving President, chided Granger for peddling lies and distortions about the amount of assistance and subsidy that were granted to the industry under the previous Administration and by his own Government.

“Granger inflated the subsidy by 32 billion and I pointed out that since they took office, the subsidy has increased three-fold…they put in about 10.5 billion over the past three years, yet in those years sugar workers did not receive a salary increase…they cancelled

the (Annual Production Incentive) API and that’s why I called for an audit of the money that went into the industry…,” he explained.

The Opposition Leader was adamant that the Government could find the money to pay the workers now by simply cutting the wastage of taxpayers’ monies on providing Government Ministers and functionaries with the ‘good and luxurious life’.

He dismissed the excuses made by Government as “nonsense”.

“Nagamootoo’s budget grew from 3.3 million for discretionary use…105 million in this year’s budget… that alone leaving out the 400 million we spend on his ministry that does absolutely nothing…personally per month we spend over 10 million on him alone in all of the cost…,” Jagdeo maintained as he told Enterprise residents that “they (Government) can tomorrow find the money…the money is there ….”

Turn to page 7

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wednesDAY, january 24, 2018

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

People more important than profits

S

ince 2011, the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) had been lecturing the then governing People’s Progressive Party/Civic about what needs to be done to keep the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) from virtually collapsing in an age when the European Union price cuts and a regional decline in commercial activities as it came to the commodity were reshaping the future and face of the sugar industry.

These two parties insisted that GuySuCo was failing to achieve the required results as meeting both its financial and production targets, because it was being micromanaged by the PPP/C. They contended then that the PPP/C was pumping billions of dollars into the industry to keep it alive, because its support base was largely sugar workers and their families.

Regardless of the pressure brought on it by APNU and the AFC in and outside Parliament, the PPP/C forged ahead with its plans to restructure the industry through a process of mechanisation and cost reduction. Successive PPP/C Governments focused on addressing the deficiencies in GuySuCo’s management while exploring the viability of production added electricity, bagasse and ethanol from sugar. It would appear that with a little more effort and time, the PPP/C could have saved the sugar industry without sending thousands of workers home and placing their livelihoods in jeopardy. The Party’s posture demonstrated that it not only understood the devastating and sensitive realities governing such a move, but it wanted to be sure that every other option was explored and tested before moving towards a process of systematic downsizing, closure, or privatisation.

According to Presidents Cheddi Jagan, Donald Ramotar and Bharrat Jagdeo, sugar had a future, but turning the industry around and making it profitable required perseverance and patience. They saw nothing wrong with using taxpayers’ funds to keep the industry afloat as the experts worked and toiled to restore sugar to its former glory while redefining its future in a highly competitive era and dynamic trading regiment in place abroad.

When the Government changed in 2015 and the coalition entered office, citizens expected continuity of the PPP/C’s policies with regard to sugar. And those at the helm of the AFC and APNU encouraged them to think so by their rhetoric on the campaign trail.

These parties went into every nook and cranny and communities in the sugar belt. They told workers that they would never close the industry or estates. They are quoted as saying that sugar was too big to fail. Sugar workers caught up in the moment believed the coalition leaders and President David Granger when he said that “we are not going to throw sugar out the window”, and “we are going to save jobs”.

The coalition was concerned about the mismanagement of the industry, which was no direct fault of the workers. That is what they were elected to do, but now it appears as if there is a policy shift since entering office.

The coalition’s policies at a glance point to a desire to preside over the decline of the industry and the decimation of economic well-being of its people. The fact that the Government has still not publicly made a detailed and formal plan available for consultation on the way forward for the industry is distressing to say the least, because thousands of people were forced into unemployment and their families’ livelihoods devastated because of the coalition’s failure to invest some more monies to keep GuySuCo alive in the short term as it worked out just how it could implement a practical plan to keep workers employed while undertaking newer reforms to restore buoyance and profitability of the industry.

Closing several estates was not a bold move as the Working People’s Alliance dubbed it in its belated statement. It was the beginning of a process of economic genocide committed on a group of people because of their political affiliation with a view of crippling the support base of one’s political competitor. The decision had less to do with the economic realities governing the industry and more to do with a desire by the APNU/AFC to undermine the workers’ unions which were seen as pro-PPP while reducing their influence and activism.

The truth is, Government did not have to downsize the industry in haste. It did not have to rush to Parliament for funds to pay the workers that it disrespected their entitlements, emoluments and severance. All the plans for turning the industry around should have been laid in Parliament and made public for debate and input following the work done by the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) on sugar.

The Government ought to rethink its entire strategy towards handling the welfare of the thousands of workers given that it has now taken bread off their tables. People are more important than profits. Notably, the monies the Government argued that were spent to bail out the industry were the people’s monies and they were well spent on the sugar industry when one looks at the Administration’s unfortunate expenditure of billions of dollars on catastrophic projects and the enrichment of its own Ministers and financiers.

A goose attacks an Orthodox believer as he leaves the icy waters of a pond during the celebration of the Orthodox Epiphany holiday in Kyiv, Ukraine (www.voanews.com)

Setting the record straight

Dear Editor, We refer to Eon Andrews’ letter titled “GTUC executive never had any discussion on closure of sugar estates” which appeared on January 20, 2018, in sections of the media. We of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU) should not fail to use the opportunity to express our sincere appreciation for the Guyana Trades

Union Congress’ timely statement on the severance pay fiasco and its expressions of solidarity. We also welcome, if our interpretation is correct, the seeming possibility that the GTUC and the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana engage with a view to discuss the travails and trials that confront thousands of Guyanese in the sugar belt in an effort to

arrive at a consensual position. Our Union is supportive of such an engagement and looks forward to its realisation.

The GAWU also notes that Andrews in his letter, among other things, charged that “[t]he former Government stopped the Critchlow Labour College subvention but ensured that GAWU got a subvention for their Labour College…”. We wish to advise

Andrews that contrary to his assertion, our Union did not receive any sums from the former Government for the operation of its Labour College.

We hope that this will serve to clear up any misconception and serve to set the record straight.

Yours faithfully, Seepaul Narine General Secretary, GAWU

How much is enough?

Dear Editor, A study was done by the US corps of engineers concerning the drinkable water available in Guyana. This study covers the water’s location, quality and quantity. It should be well noted that most of this water can be found in Berbice near the coast. Such an area should be considered off limits for oil exploration as it will help prevent any risk of contamination of this crucial resource.

This also begs the question; how much oil is enough for the given risks associated with it? We have a neighbour who has the largest reserves and, yet they are impoverished. We have an exploration that already is supposed to be successful and yet we don’t know if profit is to be made, because of lack of clarity on decommissioning costs. Then there is the climate and environment which is currently becoming unstable due to increased oil and natu-

ral gas usage. So how much is enough to make the money they need, and note it is need, not want (assuming they also need independence from oil importation), while also maintaining the climate. This delicate balance is also reflected in the price of oil as conversion to renewables reduces demand and thus further impacting profitability.

Another way of looking at this in layman’s terms is that they are destroying everything the money is spent on to build it back, if you consider the trends of hurricanes and earthquakes.

Thus, the money quickly disappears. Florida is a great example of this sad process. There is something to be said about not having hurricanes and earthquakes, while still enjoying beautiful tropical weather and healthy food that is not contaminated. This has always been Guyana’s beauty and envy to the world. Let’s

think about how invaluable that is. It is unmatched worldwide!

A recent article on the devastating effects of oil contamination in Peru and how it has caused the deaths of children should give us all pause and encourage us to think carefully upon the negative impact we could have on ourselves and our neighbours in this Caribbean and South American community.

So, not much money to be made, and there is proof that it can be easily taken away, coupled with the risk of destroying our homeland and that of others. Please tell me again why are we so happy to go down this road? The EU members have already expressed interest in helping us not make these mistakes, but at the end of the day, we must make the decision to take the high road and think long-term about the impact of our decisions.

Walking away from the old in pursuit of the new as

seen in the abandonment of the sugar industry is not the strategy of good governance.

Let’s take a closer look at what is happening.

The sugar we make is sold primarily in bulk, while on the shelves in North America they have Enmore-like crystals known as “Sugar in the Raw” selling at US$2 a pound. No strong efforts to commercialise our product has been undertaken.

Mauritius is selling aggressively under the Demerara Sugar name and seeing increased profit as stated in their sugar industry’s annual report. Their product can be found in a number of luxury consumables on supermarket shelves. Yet nothing is done to take advantage of opportunities such as the visit of the head of Walmart, who has a strong global presence with many successful retail outlets that we could capitalise upon for the sale of our sugar.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

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wednesDAY, january 24, 2018

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

City of big unrealistic ideas and plans Dear Editor, Georgetown our capital city was once famously known as the ‘Garden City, because of its sparkling ponds and canals, tree lined avenues and roadways, flowering plants, hedges, lawns, public gardens and cleanliness.

Today I think it would be more appropriate for its signature name to be ‘The City of Big Unrealistic Ideas and Plans that never materialize’ thanks to the dreamers that manage City Hall.

Whenever they mess up at the Council or something goes wrong in a major way, you always hear them come out and say they have a plan to fix it, which of course never happens. But the question is why did they not implement these ‘smart’ ideas before to prevent the

problem from occurring in the first place rather than running around outing fires after the calamity occurs?

Only after a citizen is slayed by an uncontrolled, irresponsible and untrained city constable that we hear of magnificent plans to have the national police train these ruthless city constables. All the years that vendors and citizens complain about the maladroitness of the city constables, nothing is done. Indeed they are always praised as being the oldest security force and their wide ranging police powers are touted. Even when they sexually assault minors, it takes months and much external pressure for it to be addressed.

One of the latest most ridiculous grand schemes we have learnt coming out of City Hall recently, is a plan

How much is...

It is not that hard to come up with a nice package and a good marketing plan. It just doesn’t make sense. Better decisions need to be made to foster sustainable long-term growth of our economy.

Now the hope is to privatise. If private owners can make this business profitable then the issue is not only cost reduction, but the ability to capitalise on opportunities to sell the product for a profit. Being in the Government to serve the people should not be about plundering the nation’s assets and resources to make money for yourself and your friends. However, I may be wrong, but it is hard to believe that these obvious opportunities are not being

From page 4

capitalised upon by such intelligent people over so many years. (You decide which timeframe is relevant.

It is hard for me to mark the difference when it comes to this industry). Instead we have these precious assets being neglected so as to reduce their value and make it a great deal for a buyer.

What happened to representing the people’s best interest? At some point in time we must as a nation have the courage to ensure that there is the right balance in how we grow our economy while maintaining the beauty in beautiful Guyana.

Best regards, Jamil Changlee

to convert public recreational space located in the upscale Bel Air Park area to accommodate grand luxury real estate for City Hall’s ‘Big Shots’. How preposterous. This is the same City Council that does not have money to complete renovations to the Kitty Market, that allowed the wharf area

aback of Stabroek Market area to collapse, that glibly operate in the ruinous City Hall building and claim not to have money to fix it, that owes the NIS, GRA and GPL suddenly has found the financial resources to build luxury homes for their seniors.

Then there the scintil-

lating idea of metered parking in the city which is raising its ugly head again.

What will it take for these very sapient municipal administrators to understand that citizens are not necessarily objecting to paid parking, but are protesting the way it was done. There was no consultation about

the idea in the first place, there was no tender or bidding procedure undertaken but worst of all this Council was duped into believing that the previous Council had approved the contract.

Sincerely, Mark Roopan

Natural Resources Ministry welcomes all feedback

Dear Editor, The Natural Resources Ministry welcomes all feedback from the public on any of the subject areas under its remit. We would like to especially thank Melinda Jankie (What is being gained from ExxonMobil’s investment? and Akola Thompson (We need other industries when extractive ones fail us) for their recent letters in the press expressing a number of concerns with regards to Guyana’s preparation for oil and gas production in 2020.

The concerns raised in

both letters are valid and we will further examine them with a view to making needed improvements going forward. We ask that both letter writers as well as all stakeholders look out for our planned round of outreaches and stakeholder engagements in 2018 during which we will have more chances to interact and receive valuable feedback from Guyanese.

There have been criticisms, not all justifiable, but acknowledged, of aspects of Government’s oil and gas preparations – from the leg-

islation proposed for the Petroleum Commission of Guyana and our Draft Local Content Policy to the PSA with ExxonMobil and the signature bonus. These issues are engaging the attention of not only this Ministry but the entire Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana (Cabinet). Again,

we welcome your feedback and comments as together we work to bring Guyana from ‘zero to 100’ in the shortest possible time to manage this resource with which we are blessed.

Yours faithfully, Johann Earle PRO

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Foundation

Millennials – the worst?

– new research shows that exercise reduces symptoms of depression

By Erlanger A Turner, PhD

D

epression is a serious mental health condition that has been connected with suicidal behaviours among adults and youth. Symptoms of depression may include: sadness, feeling hopeless, loss of interest in hobbies, decreased energy, and thoughts of death or suicide (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, HHS; 2015). In a study published in the December 2017 issue of EvidenceBased Practice in Child and Adolescent Mental Health, the authors report that exercise may help reduce depression symptoms among adolescents. This study sought to explore how exercise could potentially be an alternative treatment to medication and therapy.

No matter how severe the problems associated with depression, it can be treated. Most individuals can benefit from a number of treatment options such as antidepressant medications, psychotherapy (or talk therapy), or a combination of both (HHS, 2015).

O n e of the challenges of seeking treatment for adolescents is that services often have to be initiated by their par-

guyanatimesgy.com

ents or caregiver. Adolescence is a period often characterised by isolation and mood irritability; therefore, many parents may attribute mood changes to typical behaviours.

When adolescents exhibit extreme mood changes or express being “depressed”, it is important to take these concerns seriously and at a minimum seek mental health consultation or evaluation.

Medications and therapy have both been found to have moderate reductions in depressive symptoms, but relapse is high following treatment (Radovic, Melvin, & Gordon, 2017). Studies have provided some promising evidence to support the use of exercise as a treatment option.

For example, Radovic and her co-authors note that exercise as part of inpatient treatment or group interventions with treat-

ment staff support have found reductions in depression symptoms at the end of treatment with an exercise component.

The new study published by researchers in Australia conducted a four-week exercise intervention tailored to the needs of 10 adolescents who were diagnosed with major depression. In general, the study found some support for the use of exercise. The downside to the exercise intervention was that it required self-motivation. According to the authors, (Radovic et al., 2017) “adolescents with depression may need increased support to maintain motivation for exercise engagement over time”.

Adolescents that participated in the study reported that the following strategies may be helpful to improve the use of exercise interventions: having scheduled sessions [with a provider] to increase motivation, doing exercise in pairs, and increasing the use of exercises such as boxing.

Although some benefits of exercise were noted in the study, some limitations should be highlighted.

Specifically, the study only included a small number of adolescents as participants and depression scores were lower but still above

the clinical level of symptoms.

Additional tips for promoting emotional health

As noted in the study, there is some benefit to exercise.

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), many therapists and mental health professionals recommend exercise as part of treatment. Below are some suggestions from the APA to help reduce depression and incorporate exercise: Before starting to use exercise, it is important to meet with your doctor or medical provider to review your health. Once you have been given the “okay” to exercise, start with small goals.

Avoid sudden high-intensity exercise. Begin exercise programmes gradually and set reasonable goals.

Research shows that different types of exercise may be helpful. This may include walking, running, or swimming. For some people, yoga and weight lifting help them feel emotionally and physically strengthened.

Exercise may be an opportunity to increase contact with other people, especially if depression has resulted in decreased connection with others. Many people find that they can stick to their exercise plan if they work out with a friend who has similar goals.

Pay attention even to minor changes in your mood to evaluate what form of exercise or exercise intensity is most helpful to you. (Excerpt from psychologytoday.com)

H

ere’s the thing about generations, everybody wants to believe that his or her own generation was the greatest.

Growing up, I am sure we all heard about how lazy we are, or how we take for granted the advantages that they never had.

But what strikes me as peculiar is this incessant need to analyse the wants and actions of the newest generation, as though technology has not affected the actions of older people.

Millennials have been labelled lazy, entitled, technology obsessed, socially disconnected, narcissistic, fiscally irresponsible and even apathetic about politics. Yet what baffles me is this – what makes a generation a generation? Most people Ashley Anthony agree that generations comprise groups of people who are sharing a vastly similar experience, and there are certain characteristics that define said generation. But is it fair to say that everything down to what millennials value has been affected simply by the nature of the time period into which they were born? And don’t things that affect newer generations also affect older ones similarly? In fact, this might be why the only formally designated generation is the Baby Boomers. According to the US census bureau, the only generation they have defined is the Baby Boomers, for the period of 1946 to 1964. This time period is incredibly distinct, as it reflects a post-war era. There was a rise in the standard of living and the re-emergence of the nuclear family. These characteristics are observable, and when societal changes began to disrupt these characteristics the generation was declared over. Yet, as Tom DiPrete, sociology professor at Columbia University says, “History isn’t always so punctuated.”

Maybe this is why the term Millennial has very little true meaning. There isn’t any real definition. In October 2004, researchers Neil Howe and William Strauss defined the group as “those born in 1982 and approximately the 20 years thereafter”.

In 2012, they affixed the end point as 2004. Yet, unlike the distinct Baby Boomer generation, the things that define the characteristics of the generation affected individuals in a much more diverse way.

Nearly everyone was affected by war the same way; there was loss of life, typically the men went away for years at time, and the standard of living was generally lower, whereas not everyone is affected by the onset of technology in the same way. In fact, according to the Pew Research Center, the most people distracted by technology, say when eating a meal are actually people aged 50 to 64, and the majority of compulsive social media checkers come from the age group 25 to 54. Personally, it seems ridiculous to me that people would correlate an increase in technology with an increase in laziness and then only apply it to one specific age group of people. Technology has enhanced all of our lives, but does this mean it has changed our values? It’s strange to me that people see a whole group of young adults as apathetic and detached just because technology was introduced to them. Surely, you must know that we still enjoy face-to-face company? I mean we can’t really be expected to go to the grocery store alone to buy our avocados! (Kidding.) In reality, don’t we all go through different phases? I would assume that a detached teen staring at a screen instead of listening to their parents is the equivalent of a teen in the 80s locking themselves in their room and blasting rock music rebelliously. I truly cannot wrap my mind around how people feel like so much is dictated by merely the year in which you were born. Of course, we will see the world differently, we will face different problems and have different advantages, but does this mean that we will have different values? I don’t think so. I think the values we have are more personal; to do with how we were raised, and cannot be defined simply by circumstance.

In any case, a millennial in Guyana wouldn’t even share the same formative experiences as a millennial in the United States. Our countries are developing at different rates, and, therefore, we will be exposed to different experiences.

The point is, I feel like addressing groups of people broadly is useless. It erases the individual experiences of the person, and it also dismisses the fact that people can react differently to things.

Some young people do in fact use the Internet and social media to waste a chunk of their time, while others use it primarily to be more productive. Don’t stereotype! Young people can be amazing workers: diligent and efficient. Don’t let preconceived notions get in the way of how you view others, and lastly, don’t be a hypocrite.

If you’re an older person who uses social media, don’t turn your nose up on kids who do. Acknowledge that using technology can be fun and productive, and doesn’t necessarily make one lazy, and I’m sure we’ll all get along a bit better.

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wednesDAY, january 24, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Children narrowly escape fiery death A

family of four of Lot 10 Middle Dam, Unity Village, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara, is now homeless after a fire destroyed their home on Monday evening.

Reports are a five-yearold child was playing with matches which resulted in a chair catching fire. The entire house soon went up in flames.

According to reports, the fire started at about 18:45h and quickly engulfed the two-storey wooden house in which two children – ages five and six –were left alone as their parents ventured to a nearby shop.

Amanda (only name given), the neighbour who rescued the children, related to this publication that she

heard the children screaming at about 19:00h and on inspecting, saw the fire spreading in the house. She related that she then shouted for the parents of the children but got no answer. She related that she then rushed to rescue the children.

“The door was locked from outside so I had to open it from outside to let them out, the two children was home alone in the house.

The parents god knows where they were but this is not one time two time, this is regular. Regularly they leave them unattended home alone,” she added.

Amanda further related that after rescuing the children they summoned the fire service, but the response was a little too late to save

Plot afoot to...

The Opposition Leader also advised residents that the Government could have easily passed a supplementary financial paper for $5 billion and pay workers’ severance. “… but they are turning their own supporters against sugar workers and even our own supporters …. it is a clever strategy, but they want people to beg” as he explained that the Government saw no difficulty with spending millions of

The destroyed house

the house. However, she stated that they were able to save the nearby houses from being seriously damaged.

Meanwhile, the father of the children, 27-year-

From page 3

dollars on the importation of luxurious vehicles and other facilities, but could not see the need to pay ordinary, hardworking sugar workers their benefits.

“This is where the money is going … this is a wanton waste of resources,” he remarked.

“This is about punishing sugar workers, because they hope that we will just give up on this country, but we are not going to give up…the day we give up,

there will be no future for this country and that is why we have to keep struggling to get the kind of country that we want…,” Jagdeo insisted.

The Opposition Leader’s meeting came at a time when scores of workers across the country are complaining about the hardship they are made to face as a result of being unemployed and without an income to sustain their families.

old Ramzan Hussain, on Tuesday told Guyana Times he has been renting the house for the past three years and he along with his wife had just ventured to a nearby shop when the fire

started.

“I got a call at around 7pm telling us the house was on fire. I don’t know exactly what happened, just that the kids was in the house and they was doing their work and one of them was playing with matches.

The kids were home alone at that time. We were at the shop purchasing water,” he said.

He explained that after he received the call he immediately rushed home to check on the children and saw the house engulfed in flames.

“I came and the whole house was on fire, the children were rescued by the back house neighbour.

There was nothing much we could do and same time the Police them come and they

asked for us and questioned us and then we had to leave with them and go to the station,” Hussain added.

When asked whether he regularly leaves his children unattended, the man explained that he and his wife would often venture to the shop while the children remained home doing homework or playing. He further stated that he would never deliberately leave his children in harm’s way.

The family estimates their losses to be in the millions since everything, except the clothing they were wearing, was destroyed.

Hussain related that they are staying with relatives until they can afford to get another house.

Investigations into the incident are ongoing.

8 news

wednesDAY, january 24, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Diamond man slapped with murder charge

A

n unemployed man of Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD), who was identified as being the gunman who robbed and killed a Kaneville, EBD resident was on Tuesday arraigned for his murder before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.

Ryon Carter, of Lot 525 12th Avenue Diamond, appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

The capital charge stat-

Deceased: Ishwar Ramanah

ed that on December 13, 2017 at Kaneville, the 22-year-old man killed Ishwar Ramanah during the course of a robbery.

He was remanded until February 22 when he would reappear in court.

Ramanah, 30, called “Jack”, of 624 Macaw Drive, Kaneville, was shot to his abdomen when two armed bandits invaded his home just after midnight.

Guyana Times understands that the machine op-

erator was attacked and relieved of a gold chain valued at some $40,000 while at home. Before leaving, one of the gunmen shot Ramanah.

The injured man was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he underwent surgery.

He, however, died one month after the incident. The Police were able to recover a spent shell casing of a small calibre weapon at the crime scene.

Duo remanded on $270,000 robbery charge

J

ohn Caesar and Cornelius Perry, called “CJ”, will be spending the next few weeks incarcerated after they were remanded to prison by Chief Magistrate Anne McLennan on Tuesday following allegations that they stole $270,000 at Tabatinga, Lethem, Central Rupununi.

The prosecution contended that the duo, along with an accomplice, Ray Wilson, stole the money from Clifton Lepes on January 21, 2018 and used personal violence in the execution of the robbery.

Twenty-five-year-old Caesar, a chef from Lethem, and Perry, a 19-year-old bridge worker from the South Rupununi Savannah, both pleaded not guilty to the crime.

Police Prosecutor Stephen Telford, however, disclosed that the chef was found with some of the money while there were eyewitnesses to the robbery.

He objected to bail for Perry on the grounds that he lived 60 miles away from Lethem and once released on bail, he would likely flee the

jurisdiction and cross over to neighbouring Brazil given the porous borders in the deep south of Guyana.

“He may not appear in court for the trial,” Prosecutor Telford said at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

In his bid to solidify his case for the defendant to be denied his pre-trial liberty, Telford revealed that Caesar has an attempted murder matter for which he was committed to stand trial in the High Court.

Assistant Superintendent Telford further disclosed that

the defendant was charged, with another relative, for attempted murder during the execution of a robbery.

Meanwhile, an arrest warrant was issued for Ray Wilson, who made a swift escape when Police had gone to arrest him. It was disclosed that he escaped through one door as Police entered through the other door.

Caesar and Perry will make their next court appearance at the Lethem Magistrate’s Court on February 6.

Couple jailed for forging permanent resident card

A

couple, who found themselves in hot water after a Caribbean Airline Customer Service Representative realised that they were using a forged permanent Canadian resident card, were on Tuesday jailed.

Tahemiah Batista, 28; and Josiah Rodriguez, 29; both Cubans were slapped with a

forgery charge and appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.

They admitted that on January 20, 2018, at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) with intent to defraud, they uttered to a Caribbean Airlines Customer Service Representative one forged Canadian resident card

in favour of themselves.

According to the facts presented by Assistant Superintendent of Police Steven Telford, the couple were outgoing passengers on a Canada bound flight when the card given to the Customer Service Representative was examined.

It was found to be fake.

When questioned, Batista told officers that her boyfriend gave her the card which he purchased online for US$2000. She further explained that she was unaware that it was fake.

Rodriguez also explained that he was unaware that the card he purchased online was not authentic. They were both jailed for 9 months and are expected to be deported after serving their prison sentences.

Ammo possession lands La Penitence man in jail

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La Penitence, Georgetown, man who was in possession of three live rounds of ammunition, was on Tuesday remanded after he appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.

Shawn Appru of Second Street, Middle Road, La Penitence denied the charge when he stood before the Chief Magistrate at the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts.

The 42-year-old man denied that on January 22, 2018, at Second Street, La Penitence, he had in his possession three live rounds of .38 ammunition.

Defence Attorney Mark Conway in a bail application told the court his client resides in a four-apartment building.

According to the lawyer, the section of the building where the ammunition was found is abandoned and as such he requested reasonable bail.

However, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Stephen Telford told the Court that Appru led ranks to the ammunition.

Magistrate McLennan denied the defence’s bail application and Appru was remanded to prison. The case will continue on February 7.

Incentives…

S

…or booty? ome people seem to think Clive Thomas put his foot in his mouth when he said we shouldn’t be surprised that Exxon is here to “rob’ us. He was responding to critics of the Government who’d lambasted Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman for “renegotiating” a contract for our oil that is overwhelmingly stacked in favour of the oil company. But Thomas didn’t: he was just exposing the fact he’s just an academic with absolutely NO experience in the real world!!

On one hand, he accepted that with the oil contract, we have what is known in several academic and legal fields as a “Principal-Agent” problem. Basically what that’s, when you hire someone to do something for you – you’re the “principal” and he’s the “agent” – but your interests aren’t necessarily the same. You, the principal, want the thing done as quickly and as cheaply as possible (you call it “efficiency”!) while your agent wants to get paid as much as he can, with doing the least he can. (He calls this “getting a fair shake”!)

So what Thomas is saying with the oil contract we mustn’t be surprised ExxonMobil will try to make as much money as they can. Now he’s really being condescending to Guyanese to imply we don’t know this elementary point. Guyanese know, for instance, fellas (agents) who’re driving buses owned by those Police top brass (principals) will push the bus beyond the max to make sure they not only have enough money to pay off the Police brass, but to fill their own pockets.

We’re not surprised when those bus “agents” drive recklessly but nonchalantly into craters or even into posts – it’s not their bus and all they’re thinking about is to increase their take (profits). But in real life the bus owners know about all these “tricks of the trade” and so take precautions to ensure they’re not left holding the bag by the driver (agents) when the bus becomes unserviceable.

And that’s all the Guyanese people are concerned about – that Trotman, acting on our behalf as owners of the oil, should’ve taken precautions that Exxon doesn’t leave us with holes under the sea and we have nothing in our hands. Which is pretty much what the present contract ensures! You’d think he was the agent and Exxon was his principal!!

Thomas says we shouldn’t be beating up on Trotman and the Government because of the foregoing but we should start looking at ways to prevent Exxon from taking all the profits. But it’s a bit too late for that, isn’t it? The contract’s already signed, sealed and delivered!!

It’ll be like closing the (oil) spigot after the oil’s been pumped out!! …for politicians The “Principal-Agent” problem can also occur in politics. In fact, it ALWAYS occurs in politics. We the people (the principals) elect the government (the agent) to do the things they promised in their manifestos. But how many governments keep their campaign promises? Certainly not this APNU/AFC coalition!!

Coming back to the theory of the Principal/Agent problem, the task of the principal is to provide “incentives” to the agent so he’ll do the job and at the same time, feel he’s getting his fair shake. In politics the ‘incentives” are the trappings of office, big salaries and outriders – etc.

Just ask Nagamootoo! But the problem is, most politicians (agents) invariably act like they’re the principal after the elections!!

On our behalf (presumably) the Minister of State claimed he even RAISED the ‘incentives by 50% so his peers in Government would work for the principal (us). But it’s clear that hasn’t worked. And this points to the dilemma of the problem and its solution.

Which is to throw the agents out – FIRE THEM!! – when they don’t perform. 2020?!! …for revenge When politicians don’t react to incentives by courting voters, there has to be a reason. With the mass firings of sugar workers the reason, it isn’t politics.

It’s revenge!!

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

News

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wednesDAY, january 24, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

High drama: NBS shuts down during 6-hour standoff with Police …as Marshals move to execute High Court order …Managers, security guards arrested …bank settles $59M payment

Security guards being escorted by Police

A scene from outside the banking institution

By Jarryl Bryan

related to media operatives that they were prevented from leaving.

“The guard man locked the door. When we told him we wanted to (urinate), he said to (urinate) right in there,” one of the workers related. “All the customers and so talking to them and they ain’t want move. They ain’t want open the door,” another staff related.

As the standoff wore on, NBS’s legal representative, Pauline Chase, was asked by media operatives about the bank’s actions. She explained that there was an application pending at the time to stay the judgement and as such, the litigants should have delayed their action.

However, after hours of standoff, a cheque to the tune of $59.3 million was made out to Maurice Arjoon; the bank’s dismissed former Chief Executive Officer who took them to court. Several of the bank’s Managers were subsequently arrested and whisked away by Police.

I

t was high drama outside the New Building Society (NBS) as attempts to execute a High Court order on the entity’s properties resulted in a standoff between lawyers, bank officials and the Police.

Lawyers for litigant Maurice Arjoon, accompanied by High Court Marshals, descended on New Building Society at noon on Tuesday to levy for a $59 million court awarded judgement. What followed after was a protracted standoff from out of a movie; a Police Officer, a court marshal and civilians were locked in the banking institution.

This situation necessitated the involvement of Deputy Commander of A Division (Georgetown-East Bank Demerara) and Senior Superintendent of Police, Wendell Blanhum, as well as other high-ranking Police ranks. According to Attorney Sanjeev Datadin, who is representing Arjoon, a number of NBS assets were seized leading up to the incident.

“They took away one of the vehicles… one of the vehicles has already been taken away.

And then what happened,

Attorney-at-Law Sanjeev Datadin; NBS’s legal representative, Pauline Chase; Senior Counsel Ralph Ramkarran; and Deputy Commander of A Division and Senior Superintendent of Police, Wendell Blanhum at the scene of the standoff

I think, the bank closed the doors with everyone that was inside and outside,” he related. “They’ve locked in a lawyer, they’ve locked in a (High Court) marshal, and they’ve locked in a Policeman. And the doors have not reopened; they haven’t allowed anyone in or out.”

For more than four hours, the Police were held at bay.

During this time, a number of other attorneys including Sase Gunraj and Senior Counsel Ralph Ramkarran arrived at the scene.

While junior ranks formed a human cordon

around the entrance of the bank, Police Officers managed to gain entry into the building and arrested two internal security officers of the bank for their alleged role in obstructing the order.

During this time, a number of civilians remained in the bank, with the Police now able to take statements.

Locked in

At about 16:45h, a number of NBS staff was allowed to leave the building.

Though they all refused to comment, two workmen who were locked in the building

NBS acting General Manager Anil Beharry being taken into custody

The case

The former CEO took NBS to court for his outstanding pension and other benefits in 2011. Arjoon had originally sued the lending agency for some $550 million in damages.

High Court Judge, Justice Brassington Reynolds subsequently ruled in the dismissed CEO’s favour, awarding him more than $79 million

in outstanding payments and benefits. The court also ruled that he should be paid a monthly pension of $372,498.

The Judge further ordered that the former CEO should receive financial compensation for the damages he had suffered; and moreover, that he was entitled to his pension and severance benefits, in accordance with provisions stipulated in the laws of Guyana.

10 news

wednesDAY, january 24, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Miner killed after pit collapses at Konawaruk

A

miner is now dead, and another is seriously injured after a mining pit collapsed at 35 Miles Konawaruk Backdam, Region Eight (PotaroSiparuni) on Monday.

Dead is 23-year-old Handel Payne, also called “Daggie” of Kaneville Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

Information reaching Guyana Times revealed that Payne and others were working in the mining pit when a piece of the mud wall collapsed behind him and struck him in the mid-section. He reportedly fell unconscious by which time the water began to rise rapidly.

He was submerged and

subsequently drowned.

He was later pulled out and rushed to the Mahdia Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Reports are another miner received severe injuries, and was currently hospitalised at the Mahdia Hospital. His identity has not been revealed.

The pit is reportedly owned by Collin Robertson, 34, of One Mile Extension, Wismar, Linden, who also worked as the jet man.

Back in 2015, 10 persons died in a mining pit in the Konawaruk area after it collapsed. The incident saw 17 miners being buried under a pile of dirt and rubble but seven of them made it out alive

Dead miner: Handel Payne

with varying injuries.

The others remained trapped under the dirt where they eventually perished.

The 10 trapped miners were Leyland Jones, Jason Trotman, Vick Bernard, Frank Bernard, Desmond Martins, Raymond August, Brian Bank, Trevon Phillips, Nanmore Kurt and another man identified only as ‘Michael’.

The deaths were blamed on heavy rains in the area, improper mining design and poor safety practices at the mining camp.

Meanwhile, with respect to the mining death on Monday, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) has launched an investigation.

The body of Payne was transported to the Mahdia Hospital Mortuary to await a post-mortem.

Farmer dies after crashing into utility pole

A

n allegedly intoxicated farmer was on Monday afternoon killed after he reportedly crashed a car which he had not been given permission to drive into a utility pole at Chance Village, Mahaicony,

East Coast Demerara (ECD).

Dead is 54-year-old Carl Richmond, of Lot 54 Strath Campbell Village, Mahaicony. Reports are the owner of the motor car, HC 6694, who resides at Republic Park,

ECD, stopped to rest at Richmond’s home.

However, Richmond, who was highly intoxicated reportedly collected the motor car unbeknownst to the owner and went for a drive.

It was during this drive the

unlicensed driver crashed into the utility pole.

Richmond sustained injuries and was rushed to the Mahaicony Cottage Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Investigations are ongoing.

Sugar sell-out

S

atiricus was back on cloud nine. He’d been given a good bruising when he’d told the fellas his leader Nagga Man had “solved” the sugar crisis. He’d had to concede no jobs had really been created for the 5700 fired sugar workers…but new developments gave him a shot in the arm. Which he unloaded as soon as he’d downed his first beer at the Back Street Bar. “Fellas it’s clear we didn’t have all the facts when you all crucified Nagga Man for not really providing jobs for sugar workers like he said,” started out Satiricus.

“An’ wha’ mek da suh clear?” asked Bungi quizzically, as he poked at the Banga Mary cutters.

“Well, didn’t you see how the trade union leader Komar Land said he was happy with the meeting with Nagga Man?” said Satiricus.

“Suh wha?” asked Cappo laconically, as he took a chug of his beer.

“So if the sugar workers’ union leader is happy,” said Satiricus as he slapped the table for emphasis, “it means there is something for the sugar workers that we don’t know about!!”

“Yeah!” interjected Hari. “Nagga Man’s Government just fired another three hundred workers!”

“An’ Sato,” said Bungi, before Satiricus could say anything, “yuh evah t’ink Komar Land happy fuh de same reason Nagga Man happy?”

“What’s that?” asked Satiricus curiously.

“E tek buy-out!” pronounced Bungi grimly.

“It’s the same half-empty cup you fellas always seeing,” said Satiricus with some heat. “Why isn’t Komar happy because the Government has something coming up for sugar workers?”

“Because Nagga Man called him ‘one of the most outstanding Guyanese labour leaders’!!” smiled Hari knowingly.

“What?” protested Satiricus. “What’s wrong with a compliment?”

“Me fr’en, w’en yuh just fyaah quarter ah de union memba, an’ den yuh praise up de leadah,” said Cappo, shaking his head, “Somet’ing a stink!”

“So you don’t think they have jobs for the sugar workers?” asked Satiricus plaintively.

“Dem gat wan jab fuh Komar Land!” said Bungi cynically.

news

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wednesDAY, january 24, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

900 more sugar workers to be dismissed

…Govt claims workers were told beforehand about decision

G

overnment has come out to defend reports that it now plans to send home 900-plus sugar workers who were retained to work within the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), stating that that figure forms part of the estimated 4763 terminated Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) workers.

According to the Agriculture Ministry, those 900 workers are catered for in the original figure released by Government.

These workers were retained by the Corporation to man certain key facilities and structures and to provide security, through attachments to the NDIA. Agriculture Minister Noel Holder has been quoted in various sections of the media as saying that some 4000-plus workers would be sent home. Holder at no point stated that the retained workers, who were placed to work with the NDIA would form part of the total figure.

The Minister came in for much criticism, since for some, he created an impression that the workers would have been retained on a long-term basis and not

temporarily. To defend this position, the Agriculture Ministry said that the workers were aware that at the end of the extended period, they too would be sent home and paid their severance.

These are workers of the Skeldon, Rose Hall and East Demerara Estates that have been closed.

“The Sugar Corporation had explained to the workers earmarked for retention that their severance package would have been estimated, and at the end of their period of retention, a final calculation made of what is owed to them,” the Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

According to the Ministry, the first list of workers to be paid severance was numbered approximately 3700 which together with the 900 that will be sent home equal 4763 severed workers – and not an additional 900. The Ministry also provided a breakdown of workers dismissed per estate in the issued statement.

On Monday, the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU) was the first to state that the retained sugar workers attached to the NDIA would be sent home. GAWU claims being informed of this deci-

Agriculture Minister Noel Holder

sion by GuySuCo, and that the workers identified for retrenchment would be notified shortly.

The Union said that these workers were mainly retained as the sugar company was seeking to provide certain services to the NDIA. Unfortunately, an arrangement in that respect has fallen through, and the workers are now facing redundancy. This comes mere weeks after hundreds of workers were dismissed and the Government approved provisions to offset partial severance payments to displaced workers.

GAWU on Monday said further expansion of unem-

ployment in the sugar belt was without doubt making a “really bad situation even worse”. Given the absence

of any plans to deal with the fallout from the closure of several estates and the fiasco that has surrounded the workers’ severance payment, this pending retrenchment has been described as “heart-rending”.

Despite Government’s move to close several sugar estates, many civil society bodies and other interest groups have been urging it to rethink the closure of estates and to implement plans that would address the welfare of workers, or at least put measures in place to cushion the effects of the closures.

In November, GuySuCo announced plans to retrench thousands of workers.

GAWU says the downsizing and subsequent closure of sugar estates would lead to the loss of more than 15,000 jobs, and the potential threat of poverty for 50,000 to 100,000 people.

The Special Purpose Unit (SPU), which forms part of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), has been mandated to conduct evaluations, surveys and inventory assessments before any steps are taken to actually sell the estates. The SPU has since solicited the assistance of an international financial company to undertake these assessments as part of the plans to downsize the industry.

12 news UG students call for better facilities S wednesDAY, january 24, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

everal students of the University of Guyana on Thursday called on Government to pay attention to the deplorable conditions in which they have to study and learn.

They also lambasted the University of Guyana Student Society (UGSS) for not doing enough to lobby for more meaningful infrastructural changes and upgrades to be effected at the Turkeyen Campus.

The students contend that since the coalition Government entered office, they have only been promised that the University would be transformed and modernised, with special emphasis being placed on upgrading its edifice and improving the quality of education on offer.

“It’s a very sickening situation. The campus buildings need repairs, the classrooms are filthy and not conducive to learning, and most, overcrowded. This situation has to change,” Kamini Persaud, a student of the Faculty of

Social Sciences, explained.

“We need the administration and Vice Chancellor to place more emphasis on addressing the burning issues that are affecting our stay here. I think that it would take little to nothing out of these big officials to meet with the students to listen to what can be done to make our lives better,” Jermaine Thomas opined.

The students have said that while the University has improved its registra-

tion process, there is still a lot of confusion when new students attempt to go through the process to become fully registered.

“The staff (are) most times rude, petty, and unhelpful. This is another area that I feel like the Vice Chancellor’s attention (should be called to).

And maybe the Education Minister can intervene and provide the professionals here with some sort of training and development that

would see them treating students and prospective students better,” another student who asked not to be named suggested.

The students feel that their elected faculty representatives can do much more to advance these causes, but often become bogged down by their own personal situations and end up frustrated by the non-action by the University on many fronts.

“Security is also another issue that I feel strongly they should address. There are a lot of robberies taking place around the Campus, and when you have to leave here late at nights, it does be very scary,” Padma Persaud explained.

Students have, for years, been complaining about the deplorable conditions that they have to study in, but only when there are serious protests and lobbying by students is ad hoc work started, and then halted as soon as things return to normalcy.

Bagotville wife stabbing

Husband ID’d as killer by prosecution’s star witness …as trial continues in High Court

A

s the Miguel Barker murder trial continued at the High Court on Tuesday, a dramatic turn of events saw Shanieza Clarke being called as a surprise witness by the prosecution after she mysteriously disappeared from the Inner Bagotville, West Bank Demerara area following Donessa Barker’s death on April 30, 2015.

Miguel Barker called “Allan” was in hiding after his wife was brutally stabbed at Bagotville. He was caught days after and was charged for the crime. He denied that he was responsible for his spouse’s demise and has been maintaining his innocence since his arrest.

However, Clarke contended otherwise in her testimony via Skype from Suriname before the jury and Justice Navindra Singh on Tuesday where she chronicled events of “Allan” being seen with a knife on the night prior to his wife’s killing. Led by Prosecutor Tiffini Lyken, Clarke stated that she met Donessa Barker, also known as “Vanessa” on Easter Monday in 2015. The prosecution’s star witness told the 12-member jury that Miguel came to live at her father’s house at Inner Bagotville where she had also resided.

Clarke highlighted that he had come to live there about one month prior to April 30, 2015, the day of his wife’s murder.

As her testimony continued, the witness recalled that on April 29, 2015, she, Donessa and a friend, “Kelly” went to a “wake house” and returned home after 23:00h.

According to her recollection, as they were having a conversation, she heard rustling in the bushes and her electricity suddenly went out. She looked outside however to see her neighbours still had electricity. Sometime after, she said she looked through the window and saw Miguel Barker about 10 feet away, standing in the yard smoking a cigarette.

Clarke claimed that she and Donessa went into the yard and there was Miguel standing with a knife in his hand, saying: “All man deserve a fair chance.” At this point other persons were present, and the witness told the court that she told these individuals to convince him to drop the knife.

“Allan drop the knife and continued to walk out. After Allan walk out, I picked up the knife and held it behind me,” the witness recounted.

Chronicling the events that transpired the following day, Clarke said she reported the matter from the previous night to the La Grange Police Station.

Accused: Miguel “Allan” Barker is on trial for his wife’s brutal and fatal stabbing

“I gave the officer the knife and make a report about the incident that happened on the 29th,” the star witness highlighted.

She further noted that on April 30 around 15:30, she was sleeping when Javonna Frank, her step-sister came to her home and woke her up and they had a conversation.

As Clarke’s testimony continued, she related that she, Javonna, and Donessa were talking about music when Donessa went to get her phone. She told the court that she later heard, “Oh gosh, Shanieza come now!” At that point, Clarke said that she armed herself with a cutlass which was under her bed and went towards the room the Barkers shared.

“I walked towards the room and I saw Allan Barker stooping at the window and he turned to the side and looked at me and I saw Vanessa Barker with blood on her face,” the witness noted from her recollection of events.

Clarke told the jury that after Allan looked at her, she pushed the door and he jumped through the window.

“After he jumped through the window, Vanessa run out of the room and fell on the front landing. She was panting for breath and blood was shooting out from her neck and hand. After I saw it, I shake she and say ‘stay with me, I going and get help’,” Clarke observed, adding that neighbours helped her and the Police came afterwards.

Under cross-examination

by Defence Counsel Maxwell McKay, the witness maintained that her story was true and that she indeed saw Barker through the tall Bamboo bushes and that she was able to do so from the light that shone from the neighbours.

Before the woman’s death, the couple had been married for more than a year. Prosecutors Abigail Gibbs and Narissa Leander are assisting with the State’s case.

news

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wednesDAY, january 24, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

GCAA exploring avenues to 3 Brazilians nabbed after increase revenue robbing Lethem jewellery store H

Dwayne’s Phone and Jewelry Shop

T

hree suspected Brazilian bandits on Tuesday afternoon stormed a cellphone and jewellery store in the Lethem Commercial Zone, Region Nine (Upper TakutuUpper Essequibo).

It was reported that around 15:00h, the bandits entered Dwayne’s Phone and Jewelry Shop and held the female owner at gunpoint, while she was alone in the store. The men then relieved the woman of cash, cellphones and jewellery, and attempted to make good their escape using her car.

However, Police ranks were in the vicinity and

promptly responded after an alarm was raised. The men were subsequently apprehended.

Divisional Commander Ravindradat Budhram told Guyana Times that Police were still gathering information to determine what really transpired, but did confirm that three Brazilians were in custody assisting with investigations.

Police investigations are ongoing.

The scene immediately after the robbery

ead of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Lieutenant Colonel (retd) Egbert Field said the Authority is currently exploring avenues to increase its revenue which has been ‘stabilised’ in the last two years.

In a recent interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI), the Director General explained that the GCAA is financed and managed through fees collected from aircraft that pass through its airspace.

“It was reported to me that, over the past year or two the revenue stream has stabilised if not taking a slight dip. This is mainly due to the quantity of aircraft passing over. Before where you would have 10 aircraft passing, now have eight… because the airlines are using larger aircraft to fly through, to

get passengers from one point to another,” Field explained.

Against this backdrop, the Authority will consider revising its fee structure or look at future measures to boost its revenue, while at the same time fulfilling its mandate.

Field related that this year the GCAA is forging ahead with its capacity building programme and working to increase its level of compliance. This, he noted, will significantly cost the agency; hence, it is critical for the agency to earn more revenue.

“It is vital that we maintain our training programme and that we move towards full compliance with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). But it’s a balancing act; you don’t want to cut too much that you even cut your efficiency. So, we’re looking for ways that will benefit us and

GCAA Director General Egbert Field

Guyanese in the long run,” Field explained.

Other major plans the authority has in its pipeline for 2018 include constructing its new headquarters in Providence, East Bank Demerara; operationalising the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) systems, and achieving a 33 per cent paperless electronic filing and digital collection during inspections.

14 news

wednesDAY, january 24, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

GAWU should have taken non-negotiable stance – MP …“we will not fall for GuySuCo’s trap”

W

hile maintaining that the approach being used

by Government and by extension, the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) to pay workers part of their severance is unlawful, Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) and former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall has declared that his party will not fall for the trap of filing immediate legal action, as workers could be left to suffer.

Making reference to the situation at the now defunct Wales Sugar Estate, when the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) filed legal action against GuySuCo in the High Court in March 2017, Nandlall recalled that it took six months before the matter was called.

In fact, that matter is still before the courts and is expected to come up in early April 2018. In the meantime, 375 workers who refused to take up employment at Uitvlugt, West Coast

Demerara, remain without severance payments.

“The sad reality is I believe if the court is to be approached then GuySuCo would use that as a basis not to pay the workers. They will say let us await the court action. So, the workers are between a rock and a hard place…If they go to court, they walk into GuySuCo’s trap and GuySuCo says we are not going to pay you… that is exactly what they did with Wales workers. We are not going to fall into that trap again.”

For this reason, Nandlall said no one has approached the court. However, he noted that at some point in time when the money is not forthcoming, there will be no other alternative but to resort to legal proceedings.

He maintains that the payment of severance is not discretionary on the part of GuySuCo nor is it gratuitous.

“It is mandatory and it’s an obligation that the law imposes; the Termination of

erance benefits.

He said it was doubtful that the thousands of workers that have been dismissed would be able to find alternative employment. And that only compounds the matter and makes the case worse.

Non-negotiable

Former Attorney General Anil Nandall

Employment and Severance Pay Act clearly compels GuySuCo or any employer for that matter to pay severance to workers who are entitled to severance upon termination of their employment,” he added.

Nandlall contends that GuySuCo should have taken into account whether or not it could pay severance before rendering these workers redundant, and dismiss only workers who it could pay sev-

The Opposition MP also raised concerns over GAWU’s handling of the issue. He said, “I don’t agree with the manner GAWU has approached the matter. Quite frankly, I believe that GAWU should have ensured, demanded and taken a non-negotiable position when it comes to severance that all must be paid, or arrangements must be put in place for all to receive in some kind of staggered manner. This is so that every employee will begin to receive their severance benefits even though not all at the same time, but each would begin to receive some amount of money to sustain them.”

GAWU President Komal Chand

Nandlall questioned, “On what basis was one set of workers selected for severance and another not selected? On what basis, some workers will benefit from severance and some have to wait until six months down the line. That is discriminatory and violates the Constitution.”

While GAWU has registered its disappointment with the Government deferring

the full payment of severance packages, citing breaches of the Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act, the Union came out of a meeting last Friday with President David Granger and agreed to have only some of the workers paid full severance, while the others would have to wait for their full sum a bit longer.

However, hundreds of sugar workers have since expressed their dissatisfaction with the way GAWU had handled the estate closures, severance benefits and other issues relative to the sugar industry, and they have called on GAWU President Komal Chand to resign.

Guyana Times spoke with several workers in the sugar belt, and they said they felt betrayed when GAWU agreed to accept that only some sugar workers who were dismissed would get their full severance at the end of January.

GTU urges teachers to ‘exercise more patience’

…as negotiations with Govt not close to completion

T

eachers are being urged to exercise some level of patience as regards renewed benefits and wage increases, as the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) is still in negotiation with Government over the proposed multi-year agreement which is expected to cover from 2016-2020.

A high-level task force – comprising representatives from the Ministries of Education, Finance, Communities, Public Service and the Presidency and representatives of the GTU – was formed late last year, after the Union had met with President David Granger to discuss the issue.

The GTU had previously planned to take strike action against Government, complaining about the slow pace at which the negotiations were taking place. The decision was discussed after a meeting ended on bad terms with Education Minister Nicollet Henry and a team from the Education Ministry.

Almost two months later, both parties are still at the negotiating table and meet every Thursday. But General Secretary of GTU Coretta McDonald said all parties are satisfied with the way the discussions are going so far, admitting that the delay is being caused by the Union which is fine tuning several issues.

As such, the Union official said while she is aware that some teachers are agitated by the long overdue process, it is being delayed so that everything is properly covered.

“Just give us some more time and exercise that kind of patience, we are working hard on getting the best deal,” she stated.

McDonald told this newspaper that for teachers who have raised concerns over the process taking a while, she

GTU General Secretary Coretta McDonald

said they have been enlightened about the years some of the other sister unions in the Caribbean region would have waited before their negotiations would have ended.

Asked whether discussions regarding the new multi-year agreement have now moved from non-financial benefits to financial matters, the GTU official did not specify but said the document is being looked at in its entirety and there are various stages that would eventually lead to those matters.

“Negotiations are not an easy process. Our negotiations before in 2006…that one took a long time before we were actually able to sign off on it. What followed after was the process of review the agreement, and still we had lots of hitches there. And you would recall that some of the conditions that we were looking for in those agreements we have not been able to get them up to now,” she added.

Questioned further as to whether she thinks if the GTU had gone ahead with its protest action, that this would have led to the process wrapping up much faster, McDonald said, “I don’t know if we had gone through with the protest action, if things would have been different, because we still have to go

through the process and back and forth discussions before we come to a final decision.”

“The Union is quite pleased with what is happening right now in terms of the manner in which our terms and being discussed.

We really don’t want to leave anything out so we are going through them bit by bit.

Whatever happens now will be retroactive and it will be a precedence that will be set for future negotiations. So quite a lot of things that we did not look at in the previous agreement in terms of tightening the screws, we wouldn’t have escaped route out that is what we are doing right now and that is what is prolonging the process,” she told this publication.

The Union has proposed a series of increases. This, they say, is being projected with the aim of improving the financial stability of its teachers, who are the most significant figures within society.

The 40 per cent salary increase for public school teachers is proposed for the year 2016. Overtime, the percentage will be increased for all categories of its represented teachers.

For the year 2017, the Union is hoping to have bargains for a 45 per cent increase, which will then increase to 50 per cent for the remainder of the years indicated in the agreement (2018-2020).

Among its list of proposals that are still in queue for a response are the duty-free concessions that the Union has been making pleas for over the past few years.

The proposal had been reapproved by Minister of State Joseph Harmon, sometime in 2017 but since then there had been no further discussions on when or if this would be implemented.

(Samuel Sukhnandan)

news

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wednesDAY, january 24, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Ramsammy’s Ruminations UG to commemorate Cheddi Stop playing politics Jagan’s 100th birth anniversary with the lives of T sugar workers

O

n several occasions President David Granger explicitly declared he will not allow sugar to be a “burden on the country”, a message very different from his pre-2015 election promise of no closure for sugar. The Alliance For Change (AFC) just this past week called the closure and the termination of more than 6000 jobs “wise and fearless” leadership. As if closure of four sugar estates and the loss of more than 6000 jobs were not enough, they have denied timely and Dr Leslie Ramsammy full payments of severance to the hurting workers and now two more threats are becoming realities – hundreds more sugar workers from Rose Hall and Skeldon are this week being terminated and word from inside sources tell of the sickening plan to close the Uitvlugt Sugar Estate by the end of 2018. The A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)/ AFC must come clean – tell us definitively that no more workers will be terminated and no more estates are being closed.

Even as the injustice against sugar workers and their families are being ruthlessly implemented, President Granger, Prime Minister (PM) Moses Nagamootoo and others in the APNU/AFC are shamelessly trying to change the narrative, boasting about their “generosity” of “scraping up” $1.5 billion for paying the 4000 recently terminated sugar workers part of their severance. Let it be clear – the partial severance payments to the terminated sugar workers which APNU/AFC promised before the end of January is not a favour to sugar workers and it has nothing to do with the generosity of this APNU/AFC Government. The payment is an obligation under the labour laws of Guyana.

It is a constitutional right of the terminated workers and it is a constitutional mandate of the Government to pay this severance. The payout of about $1.5 billion (a sum approved

by Parliament last week), only 50 per cent of the severance payment, is a total violation of the law.

The APNU/AFC is not only breaching the laws of Guyana, but also a total contravention of the International Labour Organisation’s code. For the cynics who argue that the promised part-payment is at least “better than nothing”, is an insult; not only to sugar workers, but to all workers.

Today it is the sugar workers’ misfortune, but who knows which group of workers will be next. The “at least it is better than nothing” argument cannot change the fact that the law is openly and arrogantly being violated. This is not “generosity”, it meanness.

A few weeks ago, in another narrative-changing effort and an ugly distortion of the truth, the Agriculture Minister chastised the media, the sugar unions and the Opposition party, claiming more than 9000 sugar workers jobs have been preserved. It was not just an arrogant claim; it was clearly a shameless effort to distract people from the ugly truth that almost 6000 workers have lost their jobs. That is why we have this obligation for the Government to find about $5 billion to pay severance. In trying to distract people from the workers who lost their jobs, he pointed to some workers who were being employed to work with the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA). It turns out this was a hoax and the truth is that even those workers are now terminated.

Now I noticed APNU/AFC is engaged in another purposeful distortion, arguing that Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo and the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) are now convinced that APNU/AFC is doing the “wise” thing in downsizing and closing sugar. This weird misrepresentation comes on the heel of the Opposition Leader announcing that the PPP would rather have privatisation than the permanent closure of the sugar estates. This in no way indicates that the PPP supports the closure and downsizing of sugar. It is just that given the present dispensation where APNU/AFC has closed four estates and terminated 6000 jobs, the PPP is pursuing the next practical option to keep sugar alive and to ensure jobs are available for thousands of people.

A privatised-estate is a better option than a permanentlyclosed estate. Bravo to the Leader of the Opposition for embracing the interest of the workers, while APNU/AFC is playing politics.

o celebrate the birth anniversary of Dr Cheddi Jagan, the University of Guyana will be hosting a series of academic activities in honour of the late Guyanese President and co-founder of the institution in March this year.

According to UG Vice Chancellor Lloyd Griffith, the commemoration is intended to be consonant with the role of universities to facilitate discourse on significant personalities, policies, programmes, and events, analysing relevant aspects, some of which might be contentious.

Griffith stressed that the commemoration would not be a partisan pursuit, nor would it facilitate such, adding that he had recently convened the inaugural meeting of the 12-member broad-based planning committee tasked to recommend a comprehensive set of com-

memorative events.

The planning committee is expected to organise a series of exhibitions on the life and works of the late President, hold symposia at both campuses, and install a commemorative plaque at the Cheddi B Jagan Lecture Theatre, Turkeyen Campus.

The opportunity will be taken to raise funds to renovate the Lecture Theatre, and to increase awareness about Dr Jagan among the younger generation.

PPP activities

Meanwhile, in honour of the late President, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) will be hosting several activities throughout 2018 to mark his 100th birth anniversary. Among those activities are an academic conference and special cultural events across the country.

The aim of these activ-

The late Dr Cheddi Jagan

ities is to reflect on the life and achievements of the late President and co-founder of the Party.

According to the PPP General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo, the Party also hoped to spread more awareness

among the youth population about Jagan.

From premier to chief minister and later President, Jagan is one of the noblest icons in Guyanese and Caribbean political history.

Further, activities to mark Jagan’s birth anniversary will not only be limited to Region Four (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice), but would take place in all three counties. Activities are also planned for the Diaspora.

Cheddi Berret Jagan was born on March 22, 1918, at Plantation Port Mourant, British Guiana. He was a politician and union activist, who in 1953 became the first popularly-elected Prime Minister of British Guiana (now Guyana).

He headed the country’s Government again from 1957 to 1964 and from 1992 to 1997.

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wednesDAY, january 24, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

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guyanatimesgy.com

wednesDAY, january 24, 2018

ARCHIE

Discipline will pay off. Set ARIES your goals and don’t veer off (March 21- course. What you accomplish April 19) will speak volumes about the kind of person you are. Be a doer, not a talker.

Don’t let the little setTAURUS backs get you down. Added (April 20- discipline and desire will take May 20) you in a direction that will result in greater satisfaction and an unexpected reward.

dilbert

Put a hold on excessive beGEMINI haviour and start looking into (May 21investments that will help June 20) stabilize your life and financial future. Put your money into something concrete.

Focus on your accomplishments and working alongside (June 21- people you feel can offer you July 22) much. Success will come if you let your creative imagination flow.

CANCER

Peanuts

Emotional distress is likeLEO ly to develop if you can’t agree (July 23- with someone you work or Aug. 22) play with. Be willing to compromise if you want to get something accomplished.

Make a splash. Attend a VIRGO conference or trade show, or (Aug. 23set up a meeting with someSept. 22) one you feel has something to offer. Avoid making emotional decisions that could alter your personal agenda.

Calvin and Hobbes

Making home improveLIBRA (Sept. 23- ments or alterations to your livOct. 23) ing arrangements, or lowering

your overhead are apparent.

Refuse to let your emotions lead to a poor decision. Do what’s right and best for you.

WORD GAME

SUDOKU

Don’t feel you must follow SAGITTARIUS the crowd. Protect against (Nov. 23anyone trying to get you Dec. 21) to invest in anything that doesn’t benefit you directly.

Don’t let anyone take advantage of you.

TODAY’S WORD — NAUTILUS (NAUTILUS: NAWT-ih-lus: A mollusk with a spiral, pearly-lined shell.)

Average mark 25 words Time limit 40 minutes Can you find 38 or more words in NAUTILUS? The list will be published tomorrow.

YESTERDAY’S WORD — AEROSOL aloe also arose earl rale rase

real role rose roseola oleo oral

sale seal sear sloe soar solar

sole solo sora sore lase laser

loose looser lore lose loser

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

The desire for change will SCORPIO overpower you if you let your (Oct. 24imagination take control Nov. 22) and your ideas grow disproportionately to your budget.

Look for cheaper solutions before you get started.

solution for LAST PUBLISHED Puzzle

Getting along with CAPRICORN friends, relatives and peers (Dec. 22will not be easy if you let Jan. 19) your emotions take the reins. Don’t act in haste when a practical strategy is required.

High energy and wilfulAQUARIUS ness will help you overcome (Jan. 20any obstacles you encounFeb. 19) ter. Taking physical action to reach your goal will send a message to anyone trying to stand in your way.

A little Pisces charm and PISCES (Feb. 20- power of persuasion can go a March 20) long way. Aim to get ahead using all your attributes, experience and skills. Take charge and see what happens.

wednesDAY, january 24, 2018

19

CWI/Regional Super50 2018…

Jaguars hunting with fresh blood

– 6 new faces included

F

resh off a fourth consecutive title in the Cricket West Indies (CWI) Regional Four-Day Tournament, the Guyana Jaguars have selected six new players for the Super50 which begins on January 30 in Barbados and Antigua.

After churning out decent performances in the domestic 50-over Jaguars franchise league, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Keemo Paul, Sherfane Rutherford, Ramaal Lewis, Clinton Pestano and Ricardo Adams have earned their maiden calls to the Regional side and will look to make full use of the opportunity.

They will join Leon Johnson, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Anthony Bramble, Shimron Hetmyer, Veerasammy Permaul, Raymon Reifer and Romario Shepherd in the 14-man squad as the Jaguars align themselves in Group B alongside English County side Kent, Unites States, Jamaica Scorpions and the Leeward Islands Hurricanes in Antigua.

While Paul has played at

this level before, it is the first time he will be representing the Jaguars having played 11 matches for the Windies Under 19 teams in the past.

Additionally, Shepherd has only played one match in the 2016 season having missed out last year when Ronsford Beaton and Paul Wintz were Ramaal Lewis

Chandrapaul Hemraj

chosen as the fast bowlers.

However, both seamers are not selected thus paving the way for Shepherd to extend his promising career alongside fellow Berbician Pestano.

It is understood that Windies “A” team fast bowler Keon Joseph is still recovering from injury.

Also missing out this year are, batsmen Rajendra Chandrika, Jonathan Foo and Assad Fudadin, seasoned off-spinner Steven Jacobs and longstanding all-rounder Christopher Barnwell.

The batting will resolve around Johnson, Chanderpaul, Hemraj and the all-rounders in Paul, Reifer and Rutherford while in the spin department, former Windies Under 19 captain off-spinner Ramaal Lewis joins Permaul and Bishoo. Left-arm spinner Adams is expected to add

Rose Hall Town Pepsi Under-19 whip Paradise by 141 runs T

he Rose Hall Town Pepsi Under-19 team defeated the Paradise Cricket Club Under-19 team by 141 runs in a specially arranged cricket match at the Paradise Cricket Ground, West Coast Berbice last Sunday. The Rose Hall Town Pepsi Under-19 team was invited by the home team as part of their efforts to promote cricket in the Village which was known for its football prowess.

After the visitors won the toss and batted, they got to 199 all out off their allotment of 30 overs after the match was reduced due to excess preparation moisture on the pitch.

National youth players Kevin Sinclair and Junior Sinclair torn into the Paradise bowling attack from the start and put on 50 for the first wicket in just four overs before Kevin Sinclair was bowled by Windell Fordyce for 38 (2x6, 4x4). Junior Sinclair batted superbly for a well played 77 from 48 balls (10x4, 3x6) and received support from Under-15 players Jonathan Rampersaud 26 and Mahendra Gopilall 15. There were two wickets a-piece for Fordyce (2-31), Sudesh David (2-27), Quincy Butler (2-27), Ernest Mc Lean (2-24) and Lakeram Ramkissoon

(2-17).

Set a target of 200 runs for an upset victory, Paradise was immediately set back when Ramkissoon (00) and Fordyce (02) were sent back by Kevlon Anderson leaving them at 6 for 2 in the 3rd Over. Only David with 12 reached double figures as Paradise was skittled for 58 off 16 overs. Extras contributed a healthy 22 while off spinner Kevin Sinclair claimed 6 wickets for 08 runs from 4-Overs and received support from Anderson 2 for 14 and Keith Simpson 2 for 13.

At the end of the match, Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club, MS Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster expressed gratitude to the Paradise Cricket Club for the invitation and stated that they would be willing to assist as much as possible once the young cricketers are committed, discipline and prepared to work hard.

The Pepsi Under-19 Team handed a collection of items including a complete set of cricket stumps, trophy, cricket medals, Say Not to Drugs Posters, Youth Information Booklets while each member of the Paradise Team received educational materials.

depth to both the spin and batting departments where he is more than useful.

The Jaguars who last won a Regional 50-Over title in 2005 will begin their campaign on January 31 against Kent at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in a day game beginning at 09:00h.

Group A will be contested in Barbados and includes the hosts, Barbados Pride, Trinidad and Tobago Red Force, Hampshire,

Combined Campuses and Colleges Marooners and the Windward Islands Volcanoes.

Jaguars full squad reads; Shimron Hetmyer, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Leon Johnson, Raymon Reifer, Anthony Bramble, Sherfane Rutherford, Keemo Paul, Romario Shepherd, Veerasammy Permaul, Devendra Bishoo, Clinton Pestano, Ricardo Adams and Ramaal Lewis.

Ricardo Adams

20

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

wednesDAY, january 24, 2018

Permaul, Smith and Bramble

top PLC charts Veerasammy Permaul tops the bowling charts for the second time in his career

L

eft-

handers Devon Smith of Windward Islands Volcanoes and Veerasammy Permaul of Guyana Jaguars were the top individual performers in the 2017-18 Cricket West indies Professional Cricket League (PCL) Digicel 4-Day Championship which ended on Sunday.

Smith gathered 1,095 runs at an average of 84.23 to cover himself in person-

al glory. He became the fourth batsman to score more than 1,000 runs in a single WINDIES firstclass season and establish a new record for the most runs in a single WINDIES first-class season.

It was a remarkable achievement for the veteran left-handed opener, considering he reached the mark i n just 10 matches.

He earns the Viv Richards Award and a US$1,500 cheque.

Permaul collected exactly 50 wickets at 18.90 apiece.

It is the second time that the left-arm spinner has finished with the most wickets in a season. He earns the Courtney Walsh Award and a US$1,500 prize.

J a g u a r s ’ Anthony Bramble effected 45 dismissals, comprising 42 catches and three stumpings, and was the leading wicket-

Anthony Bramble’s efficiency behind the stumps saw him effecting 45 dismissals

keeper this season and takes the Deryck Murray Award and a US$1,500 cheque, the same amount that has been secured by Jonathan Carter along with the Clive Lloyd Award for holding 17 catches in the field.

Two other individual awards, chosen by the

CWI/Regional Super50

Jaguars warm-up match set for Friday

The Guyana Jaguars will have to switch gears quickly in their quest for the regional double this year

A

fter a record-breaking Regional 4-Day championship, four-time crowned Champs Guyana Jaguars will play a solitary practice match ahead of Cricket West Indies (CWI) 2018 Regional Super 50 tournament which bowls off from January 30.

Guyana, for the fourth consecutive year stomped their authority and imposed themselves as the best Regional 4-day team in modern times, following their unbeaten run which ended with a resounding win over the Trinidad & Tobago Red Force on Sunday at Providence.

However, the team which has dominated the longest version of cricket in the region has been enduring mixed results in the 50 over format.

The team has not been able to channel the same potency in

the limited overs version but is seemingly on path as they prepare with the two warm-up games.

The Jaguars will engage a rest team on Friday at Providence as part of their preparatory shift from red ball cricket to the more fast paced 50 over cricket using the white ball.

The Jaguars find themselves decently placed in Group B with the likes of Jamaica Scorpions, Leeward Islands Hurricanes, United States and Kent, being the likely threats to the Guyanese title chase.

Meanwhile, Guyana will open their campaign in the Regional Super 50 versus the English lads from Kent when the two collide on January 31 at the Sir Viv Richards Cricket Ground, Antigua.

Guyana Jaguars Super50

average of 43.07 and collected 19 wickets at 24.52 apiece.

Shermon Lewis of Windward Islands Volcanoes has won the Andy Roberts Award and a US$1,000 cheque for being the most promising fast bowler. He collected 30 wickets at 21.70 apiece in his first full season of the #D4Day. Champions Guyana Jaguars also pocketed US $36,000, comprising US $15,000 for winning the Championship and US $21,000 for winning seven matches.

For winning each match, the teams gained US $3,000.

As a result, Barbados Pride and Jamaica Scorpions earned US $9,000, a n d Leeward Islands

squad: Shimron Hetmyer, Shiv Chanderpaul, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Leon Johnson, Raymon Reifer, Anthony Bramble, Sherfane Rutherford, Keemo Paul, Romario S h e p h e r d , Veerasammy P e r m a u l , Devendra Bishoo, Clinton Pestano, Ricardo Adams and Ramaal Lewis

selection panel of Cricket West Indies, have been announced.

John Campbell of Jamaica Scorpions has earned the Malcolm Marshall Award and a US$1,500 payday for being the top all-rounder, having accumulated 603 runs at an

Hurricanes, Windward Islands Volcanoes and Trinidad & Tobago Red Force pocketed US $6,000.

Following is the list of the most prolific batsmen and most successful bowlers in the 2017-18 Digicel 4-Day Championship after the 10 rounds of matches.

Devon Smith set a new record by scoring 1095 runs in a single season

Batting tabulated under: M-matches, I-innings, NO-not outs, R-runs, HS-highest scores, AVGaverage, 100-hundreds, 50-half-centuries Bowling tabulated under: M-matches, O-overs, R-runs, W-wickets, BBbest bowling, AVG-average, 10w-10 wickets or more in a match, 5w-five wickets or more in an innings.

Batsmen

M

I

NO

R

HS

AVG

100

50

1. Devon Smith (Volcanoes) 2. Denesh Ramdin (Red Force) 3. Shayne Moseley (Pride) 4. Shamarh Brooks (Pride) 5. Chanderpaul Hemraj (Jaguars) 6. Devon Thomas (Hurricanes) 7. Anthony Bramble (Jaguars) 8. John Campbell (Scorpions) 9. Vishaul Singh (Jaguars) 10. Kavem Hodge (Volcanoes)

10 10 10 8 10 10 10 8 8 7

18 18 19 14 18 17 15 15 14 11

5 5 2 1 1 0 2 1 3 1

1,095 799 643 632 623 616 613 603 539 535

185* 132* 117 166 90 172 196* 156 119 128

84.23 61.46 37.82 48.61 36.64 36.23 47.15 43.07 49.00 53.50

6 3 2 1 0 2 1 1 2 1

1 4 4 3 5 2 4 4 2 2

Bowlers

M

O

R

W

BB

AVG

5w

10w

1. Veerasammy Permaul (Jaguars) 2. Imran Khan (Red Force) 3. Keemo Paul (Jaguars) 4. Jeremiah Louis (Hurricanes) 5. Shane Shillingford (Volcanoes) 6. Nikita Miller (Scorpions) 7. Jomel Warrican (Pride) 8. Shermon Lewis (Volcanoes) 9. Damion Jacobs (Scorpions) 10. Derval Green (Scorpions)

10 10 10 10 9 5 10 10 7 10

414.1 424.1 263.2 296.2 392.1 243.5 308 216.5 278.2 243

945 1,226 785 938 951 504 812 651 685 697

50 48 42 40 38 36 36 30 28 27

6-29 6-59 5-59 6-69 7-94 8-54 6-70 5-64 7-74 4-45

18.90 25.54 18.69 23.45 25.02 14.00 22.55 21.70 24.46 25.81

4 3 1 1 3 4 2 1 2 0

1 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0

UCCA/Roy Baijnauth T20

No 72 All Stars, No 68 secure quarter-final spots Q uarter-final spots in the Upper Corentyne Cricket Association (UCCA)/ Roy Baijnauth T20 competition were secured by #72 All-Stars and #68 who secured wins this past week.

At the # 72 All Star Ground, it was a close encounter as the hosts defeated the # 70 Spartans by 4 runs in a match which was interrupted by rain.

Batting first, the Spartans

scored 119-8 in their 20 overs with batsmen Rayon Yacoob top scoring with 36 while support came from Akash Persaud (24) and Chris Bollers (15).

Bowling for # 72 All Star was led by Demetri Cameron who grabbed 2-12, while Wayne Garnett 2-26, Amardeo Hemchand 2-19 and Parmeshwar Chatterpaul 2-24 were the other wicket-takers.

Replying to the score

set by the Spartans, the # 72 All Stars were propelled by knocks from Cameron 25, skipper Mahendra Bhoj 23 and Khameshwar Chatterpaul 21*. Omesh Khemraj 2-12, Khameshwar Ramjit 2-20 and Chris Bollers 1-19 bowled well for the # 70 Spartans, who won by 4 runs.

At # 68 Grounds, the home team beat Yakasari Caribs by 30 runs. Batting first, # 68 scored 138 for 5 in

their 20 overs with Totaram Persaud smashing 69 while Joshua Francis and Daneshwar Ghanie chipped in with 28 and 26 respectively.

The Yakasari Caribs barely mustered 53 in 12 overs as Totaram Persaud 3-3, Ravindra Ramnauth 1-23 and Avinash Seecharran 1-16 did the damage with the ball.

The competition continues this week.

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sports

Ramdhani returns unopposed as GBA President

T

he Guyana Badminton Association (GBA) held its biennial General Meeting on Monday (January 22, 2018) at the National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue. The GBA also had their elections as Gokarn Ramdhani returned unopposed as President of the outfit, Ramdhani’s second in command will be Dr Nicholas Waldron. The lone new face of the Committee is Dr. Shivannie Persaud.

The following are the Management Committee Executives for the years 2018-2020.

PresidentGokarn Ramdhani Vice PresidentDr. Nicholas Waldron SecretaryEmelia Ramdhani

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Compton Caesar

By Michelangelo Jacobus

W

ith little over two months remaining before the Commonwealth Games kick off at Gold Coast, Australia in April; the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) seems to have a conundrum on their hands concerning the selection of their five-member team to represent the Golden Arrowhead at the games.

Speaking to an official from the AAG on Tuesday, Guyana Times Sport was informed that the early 2018 season ‘developmental meets’ are being used as measuring sticks of sorts to identify athletes who would be in contention for a spot on the Commonwealth team.

However, it was also revealed that the selection would be made strictly on athletes who are present at these local meets; this stance if it is a reality is a definite brew for controversy as top experienced athletes such as Winston George, Brenessa Thompson and Troy Doris are all overseas competing on the circuits.

As recent as a month ago, in December, AAG boss Aubrey Hutson in an exclusive interview with Guyana Times Sport had pointed out that while AAG had its most successful year in 2017, he is faced with either picking experience or going with the

Asst.

SecretaryAyanna Wickham-Watson TreasurerDarrell Carpenay Asst. Treasurer- Marlon Chung Committe members- Dr. Shivannie Persaud Erneso Choo-a-Fat Ryan Chang Meanwhile the GBA’s first activity for the Year is the GUMDAC Doubles & Mix Doubles Tournament which will be held on February 2-3, at the National Gymnasium.

Following that tournament, the Male and Female Pam American Team Continental tournament is set for February 15-18 in the twin island republic of

21

From left: Marlong Chung, Dr Shivannie, Gokarn Ramdhani, Ayanna WickhamWatson, Erneso Choo-A Fat and Darrell Carpenay

Trinidad and Tobago. Just a week later on February 26

and28 the NSC Mashramani Invitational Tournament

will see local badminton players do battle.

Youth or experience?

AAG’s Commonwealth Games conundrum potential of youth with the make-up of the team either being led by the likes of veteran athlete Winston George or young and upcoming track stars Daniel Williams and Compton Caesar.

Winston George has been arguably Guyana’s best male athlete over the years but at age 30 is entering the twilight years of his career; Williams on the other hand has his entire future ahead of him. While the AAG has come under fire in the past for ‘focusing too much’ on the youth athletes; Daniel has already shown a glimpse of the talent and potential that is brimming just below the surface, a World U-18 400m silver medal is no easy feat

Daniel Williams

and is often taken for granted, at his age performing on the biggest stage in his age category, the trajectory for Williams can only go up and the future appears truly limitless.

Compton Caesar is one of the most powerful sprinters that Guyana has seen emerge in recent years, he won Guyana’s first CARIFTA 100m Gold medal in brilliant fashion; however he is also a work in progress and the more exposure Caesar faces will only continue to mold him into a world class athlete. Aside from Williams and Caesar, Troy Doris should be right up there in contention for a spot.

The female component of the team however does not face such a difficult choice as jumpers Chantoba Bright and Natricia Hooper along with either of Brenessa Thompson or Kadecia Baird are miles ahead of other athletes on the distaff side.

Whatever the eventual selection of the team, the AAG should be fair and considerate while thoroughly examining the pros and cons of the team make up.

As Hutson said “If I want to go medal hunting I’ll take Winston (George), if we’re

pushing development we’ll take Daniel (Williams) and Compton (Caesar”.

Winston George

22

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

wednesDAY, january 24, 2018

ICC U-19 World Cup…

Yadram stars as Windies rout Ireland

N

Bhaskar Yardam has been starring with the ball but blasted 52 at the top of the order against Ireland

…book Plate semi-final spot

yeem Young's 33-ball 55, aided by significant contributions from Bhaskar Yadram, Emmanuel Stewert and Kirstan Kallicharan, helped West Indies chase 279 as they beat Ireland by four wickets with 10 balls remaining in Lincoln.

Batting first, Ireland's Mark Donegan and captain Harry Tector held the top-order together, making scores of 38 and 69 respectively, but it was Neil Rock at No. 6, who steered Ireland towards a 270-plus score with 91 off 101 balls.

West Indies started their chase with a substantial opening partnership of 75 between Yadram (52 off

48 balls) and Kimani Melius, before Morgan Topping removed the former in the 13th over. West Indies then slipped to 103 for 9 before Stewart and Kallicharan added 62 runs for the fourth wicket, the partnership broken by a run-out.

When Kallicharan fell to Tector for 46 in the 39th over, West Indies still needed 85 to win. But Young made his way to the crease and finished the chase within the next 10 overs, slamming eight fours and a six during to his half-century.

The young Windies will now take on Canada on Friday in the Plate semifinal. (ESPN Cricinfo)

SCOREBOARD

Ireland Under-19s Innings (50 overs maximum) J Grassi c & b Young 11 M Donegan† c †Stewart b Yadr am 38 M Topping c Pemberton b Royal 17 H Tector* c Melius b Nedd 69 S Murphy lbw b Royal 0 N Rock c Yadram b Alimohamed 91 J Little b Royal 24 G Kennedy c Young b Alimohamed 8 A Cawley not out 0 JJ Garth not out 3 Extras (b-1, lb-1, w-15) 17 Total (For 8 wickets; 50 Overs) 278 Did not bat: M Neville Fall of wickets: 1-33 (J Grassi, 7.4 ov), 2-69 (M Donegan, 14.3 ov), 3-76 (M Topping, 17.3 ov), 4-76 (S Murphy, 17.4 ov), 5-192 (H Tector, 40.4 ov), 6-240 (J Little, 46.6 ov), 7-270 (N Rock, 49.2 ov), 8-274 (G Kennedy, 49.4 ov) Bowling Alimohamed 7-0-312, Pemberton 2-0-12-0 (w-3), Young 10-0-57-1 (w-5), Royal 10-

1-59-3 (w-1), Yadram 6-0-32-1 (w-2), Nedd 8-0-511, Athanaze 7-0-34-0 Windies Under-19s Innings (target: 279 runs from 50 overs) K Melius c Cawley b Neville 21 B Yadram c & b Topping 53 EWJ Stewart*† run out (Cawley) 50 A Athanaze run out (Tector) 3 KA Kallicharan c Neville b Tector 46 C Cooper c Tector b Neville 29 N Young not out 55 J Royal not out 11 Extras (lb-5, w-8) 13 Total (For 6 wickets; 48.2 Overs) 281 Did not bat: RJ Alimohamed, A Nedd, K Pemberton Fall of wickets: 1-75 (B Yadram, 12.6 ov), 2-95 (K Melius, 17.6 ov), 3-109 (A Athanaze, 20.3 ov), 4-171 (EWJ Stewart, 33.6 ov), 5-194 (KA Kallicharan, 38.5 ov), 6-245 (C Cooper, 44.4 ov) Bowling Kennedy 5-0-35-0, Cawley 4-0-26-0, Topping 101-40-1 (w-1), Little 9-1-48-0, Neville 6-0-53-2 (w-4), Garth 7-1-37-0, Tector 7.2-0-37-1

Unbeaten Gopaul wins Junior Chess Qualifier

J

oshua Gopaul played unbeaten to emerge champion of the Guyana Chess Federation’s (GCF) seven-round National Junior Chess Qualifier last weekend at the National Aquatic Centre, Liliendaal.

Young Gopaul notched up six wins and a draw to finish the competition as the only undefeated player, finishing with 6.5 points.

His draw came against Jaden Taylor.

Ethan Lee, whose only defeat came at the hands of Gopaul, took second spot with six points, followed by Ghansham Allijohn, Nellisha Johnson and Roshawn Washington all locked on five points each.

The other points standing Akili Theophil, Waveney Johnson and Savir Gookul also ended on four points, but did not make cut after the tie breaker took ef-

fect. Odit Rodrigues and Nickel Charles ended on three and a half, Rachael and Rebecca Ramlall, Runako Williams, John Wong, Joshua Williams all ended three points apiece. Andrew Ally two and half points, while Chelsea Juma, Gareth Da Silva, Zackery Persaud and Alexander Ally ended on two points each.

Taylor, Sasha Shariff and Dwayne Bess, with four points apiece, rounded out the top eight, who will contest the National Junior championship later this year when a new champion will be crowned since current champion, Saeed Ali, is ineligible due to age factor.

Ali though can compete now in the senior category, and the qualifier for that segment will start this Saturday at the National Aquatic Centre, Liliendaal.

Champion Joshua Gopaul (standing at centre) with other competitors and GCF executives including President James Bond (sitting at centre), Irshad Mohamed (standing at left) and Committee Member Anthony Drayton (standing at back right)

wednesDAY, january 24, 2018

guyanatimesgy.com

23

GCB Jaguars 50 Overs League

Barnwell cripples Lower Corentyne

C

hris Barnwell cracked a ton a snapped up two wickets as Georgetown knocked out Lower Corentyne, beating them by 103 runs to secure a place in today’s final against Essequibo at Providence.

Looking to make a strong case for a national recall, Barnwell who didn't feature in the Jaguars four-day team this season, smoked four fours and thumped nine huge sixes in his 101 which was the cornerstone of Georgetown’s 216 all out on the huge outfield at the Guyana National Stadium

– Georgetown battle Essequibo today

on Tuesday.

Openers Robin Bacchus and Andrew Lyght Jr who hit 23 and 21 respectively, were the other significant scorers for Georgetown while the 2017 champions, Lower Corentyne’s bowling was piloted by off-spinning all-rounder Royston Crandon who snatched 4-41.

Left-arm spinner and the 17/18 Regional 4-Day’s leading wicket-taker; Veerasammy P e r m a u l claimed 2-21 while another lefty in

Kassim Khan grabbed 2-38 and pacer Niall Smith 2-51.

Lower Corentyne weren't up to the task with the bat and were kept to a paltry 93 all-out in 26 overs with Jonathan Foo top-scoring with a gritty 32. Veteran pacer Paul Wintz returned figures of 4-20 with two wickets

apiece from Lewis and

Ramaal Barnwell.

The defending champs

Guinness “Greatest of the Streets” Football

West Dem/ East Bank Zone begins Friday

Action in the West Demerara/East Bank Demerara Zone of the Guinness “Greatest of the Streets” will get underway at the Pouderoyen Tarmac, West Coast Demerara on Friday evening

A

fter the completion of the playoffs over the weekend, the final 32 teams for the West Demerara/East Bank Demerara Zone of the Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ competition have been decided.

The teams that will participate in the competition, which is expected to commence this Friday (January 26) at the Pouderoyen Tarmac are: Young Ballers, West Side Ballers, Jetty Ballers, Bing Bang, Mocha, Ballers Empire, Agricola, Kuru Kuru Asylum Youths, Terror Squad, Nismes Ballers, Torture Squad, Up Like 7, Dream Team, Front Line Ballers, ESPN, Police ‘B’, Veterans, Harmony Ballers ‘A’, Zeelugt SP, Facebook Ballers, Cayenne Massive, Agricola Gas Team, Hustlers, Brothers United, Zeelugt Warriors, Admiral United, Pouderoyen Rising Stars, Pouderoyen Showstoppers, Goalgetters, Parfaite Hard Ballers, Harmony Warriors and Police ‘A’.

The winning team will take home $400,000 and the championship trophy, while the runner-up will receive $200,000 and the corresponding accolade. The third and fourth placed finishers will receive $150,000 and $100,000 respectively along with trophies.

The other playing days are January 31,

February 2, 7, 9, 13 and 17. Meanwhile, the teams have been divided into eight groups of four teams.

Group ‘A’ features Young Ballers, West Side Ballers, Jetty Ballers and Bing Bang.

Group ‘B’ will have Mocha, Ballers Empire, Agricola and Kuru Kuru Asylum Youths.

Group ‘C’ consists of Terror Squad Nismes Ballers, Torture Squad and Up Like 7.

Group ‘D’ will have the likes of Dream Team, Frontline Ballers, ESPN and Police ‘B’.

Group ‘E’ will see teams such as Veterans, Harmony Ballers, Zeelugt SP and Facebook Ballers.

Group ‘F’ is made up of Cayenne Massive, Agricola Gas Team, Hustlers and Brothers United.

Group ‘G’ contains Zeelugt Warriors, Admiral United, Pouderoyen Rising Stars and Pouderoyen Showstoppers.

Group ‘H’ has Goalgetters, Parfaite Hard Ballers, Harmony Warriors and Police ‘A’.

The teams will compete initially in a round-robin format in the groups, before the top two finishers in each group progress to the knockout round.

c o m menced their chase in shaky fashion losing openers; Sharaz Ramcharran (21) and Gajanand Singh (00), caught behind by wicket-keeper Dexter Solomon off seamer Paul Wintz.

Right-arm pacer Kellon Carmichael who spent a significant amount of time in England last year honing his skills, landed a double blow by

Christopher Barnwell

bowli n g S e o n Hetmyer for 6.

He then pinned the exWest Indies all-rounder Crandon LBW for a second ball duck to leave the Berbice

franchise hanging on 60-4 after their first 15 overs.

Foo and Devon Clements were tasked with the repair job but Barnwell operating from the Media Center End had other ideas when he had both Foo and Jason Sinclair (00) out caught behind in quick succession.

With the wheels falling off, Jamaican all-rounder Ramaal Lewis joined in on the action, trapping Clements leg before wicket for 16.

Wintz returned to snap up two wickets at the back end of the innings; bagging the scalps of Permaul (03) who gave Solomon his fifth catch of the match and Khan (02). The final wicket to fall was that of Smith who was succumbed LBW to Lewis which left Raun Johnson stranded on 1.

Meanwhile, new champions will be crowned today when at the same venue when Essequibo will be eyeing a double title after winning the 3-Day title come up against a spirited Georgetown side that will be looking to add another domestic title to their collection.

The first ball is at 09:30h.

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

wednesDAY, january 24, 2018

guyanatimesgy.com

GCB Jaguars 50 Overs League

Pg 23

Barnwell cripples Lower Corentyne

– Georgetown battle Essequibo today Georgetown’s medium pacer Kellon Carmichael and wicketkeeper Dexter Solomon celebrate the big wicket of Royston Crandon while Jonathan Foo looks on

Pg 19

CWI/Regional Super50 2018…

Jaguars hunting with

fresh blood

– 6 new faces included Romario Shepherd

Keemo Paul

Sherfane Rutherford

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