Guyana Times 8 January 2018

P New nursery school to be built at Kamwatta 11

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

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Monday, January 8, 2018

Issue No. 3444

PRICE

Closure of sugar estates

Govt risking irreversible damage to communities, economy – Ramkarran Page 10

Venezuelan, 2 Guyanese nabbed with 42 kilos ganja

$80 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE:

P7 Guyana falling into trap of 'Dutch disease' – financial analyst

…slams Govt for failure to create new industries, maintain old ones

Page 8

Parliamentary suspension

“I am made of steel” – Edghill Page 3

First female elected GPA President P13

Gunman beats, attempts to rape 60-year-old P2 businesswoman …during attempted robbery at Rosignol Deadline expires at midday

Tucville fraud accused to repay BBQ P8 money today or be jailed Seawall lime: Members of this family were seen enjoying the cool Atlantic breeze as they relax on the Kitty seawall on Sunday (Carl Croker photo)

2 illegal guns found under bonnet of hire car Page 2

…car was impounded by GRA with large quantity of firecrackers

Popular Essequibo social worker Francis Darchiville dies Page 5

229 cases listed for January Assizes in Demerara

P9

…set to open Tuesday

2 news

monDAY, january 8, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

2 illegal guns found under bonnet of hire car …car was impounded by GRA with large quantity of firecrackers

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man who had his car impounded on December 29 last year by the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has now been detained after a detailed search carried out on the vehicle uncovered two illegal firearms.

According to a Police report, the motor car was impounded at GRA’s bond in Berbice at Springlands, Corentyne after a large quantity of firecrackers and other items were discovered stashed inside by GRA’s Enforcement Officers.

However, acting on information, a thorough

search was conducted on the impounded vehicle over the weekend, in the presence of the driver, when two unlicensed firearms were found under the bonnet of the vehicle.

One of the guns is an unlicensed .32 pistol and the other is a single-barrel shotgun which the Police said was disassembled.

As such, the car owner was questioned about the discovery and has since denied having knowledge of the illegal weapons.

He is presently in Police custody and is said to be assisting with the investigations.

Gunman beats, attempts to rape 60-year-old businesswoman …during attempted robbery at Rosignol

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Rosignol, Berbice businesswoman is now traumatised after a gunman invaded her home on Thursday last and attempted to rape her.

The 60-year-old woman was attacked around 20:00h in her home as she was awaiting the arrival of her daughter.

Guyana Times understands that the woman was in the lower flat of her two-storey house when someone came up from behind and proceeded to choke her.

The individual, apparently a male, reportedly whispered “you know how long I got my eye on you” before taking her into her shop, which is located on the said lower flat, and demanding cash.

The frightened wom-

an took $150,000 from her shop’s cash drawer and handed it over to the gunman.

She was then taken to the upper flat of her home where over half a million dollars’ worth of jewellery was taken.

The suspect then pulled down his pants and underwear and attempted to rape the woman. However, her daughter returned home and called out to her which prompted the man to hastily pull up his pants.

While he was in the process of doing so, a towel which was tied to his face fell and the woman recognised him as a villager.

The gunman, however, made good his escape. The matter was reported and the Police were currently searching for the suspect.

news

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monDAY, january 8, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS

Parliamentary suspension

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

Monday, January 8 – 10:30h-12:00h and Tuesday, January 9 – 11:30h-13:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Monday, January 8 – 09:35h-11:05h and Tuesday, January 9 – 10:30h-12:00h.

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

WEATHER TODAY Sunny intervals are expected throughout the day, with partly cloudy skies in the evening. Temperatures are expected to range between 22 degrees Celsius and 28 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-easterly from 2.23 metres to 3.57 metres.

High Tide: 09:22h and 21:47h reaching maximum heights of 2.34 metres and 2.30 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 15:18h reaching a minimum height of 0.91 metre.

SaturDAY, JANUARY 6, 2018

LOTTERY NUMBERS 03

08 15

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22 25

10 Bonus Ball

FREE TICKET

DAILY MILLIONS 02 11 15 22 24 LUCKY 3 2 1 5 Afternoon Draw DRAW DE LINE

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Evening Draw

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…feels honoured by suspension, thanks Govt for opening new opportunities

By Michael Younge

FERRY SCHEDULE

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“I am made of steel” – Edghill

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DISCLAIMER: WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ERRORS IN PUBLICATION. PLEASE CALL THE HOTLINE FOR CONFIRMATION - TEL: 225-8902

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pposition People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Member of Parliament Juan Edghill says he is “made of steel” and does not feel sanctioned in any way by the Government’s move to have him suspended from the National Assembly following a much-publicised incident which saw the Speaker describing him as “out of order”.

Edghill, speaking with Guyana Times on Sunday, said the PPP/C knew that there was, what he described as, “a diabolical plan” afoot to have him silenced through coercion and bullyism, and he vowed to not be pressured or bullied by any political party or the Speaker of the National Assembly while representing the people of Guyana.

“I don’t feel any way sanctioned so to speak by not being able to attend Parliament. If that is the intent of the Speaker and the Government, they have failed miserably. I feel honoured because my cause is a just cause and that just cause has been known by people locally, regionally and internationally. I have been unable to answer all the calls, emails and other forms of communication of support that have come from lawmakers, church leaders, social activists and ordinary citizens, because what led to my suspension was bringing to public notice the unwillingness of Government to allow for transparency and accountability,” he explained.

Edghill said that while he believed in following established rules and parliamentary principles, standing up for what was just and right would always take precedence in his book. He recalled the ruling of the Speaker that he was “out of order” before disclosing that “he did not mind being out

Bishop Juan Edghill

of order because he was advancing a just cause”.

“I never contested the Speaker’s ruling…I will abide by the so-called punishment but look at it from this perspective, if Rosa Parks had given up her seat, you know what would have happen to blacks and the civil rights movement today?” Edghill contended.

He said he was cognisant that the Government engineered the controversy so that his character may be maligned, but the incident has backfired on the political pundits in the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) camp.

Addressing the issue of the apparent extension of his suspension which should have ended last month, the PPP/C parliamentarian said that the motive was clear. He relayed that the Speaker’s unilateral decision to interpret the motion moved by Government’s Chief Whip Amna Ally spoke volumes.

Speaker Dr Barton Scotland and Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs wrote Edghill last week explaining that he could not attend Wednesday’s sitting of Parliament because there was some confusion as to when his suspension actually took effect. This is despite the fact that Ally’s motion

was quite clear on the date when the suspension would end.

But the letter said that the suspension took effect from the 80th sitting even though Edghill was barred from entering Parliament on the 79th sitting.

Edghill believes that this was deliberately done because he would have to address Parliament when it would meet on Wednesday, as the first order of business on the order paper was a motion which he submitted on the fatal Camp Street Prison fire and fiasco. “This is an attempt to interfere with the motion being debated and silence me from speaking in the Parliament.

However, I have since handed over the motion to our Opposition Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira,” Edghill revealed.

Asked whether he had concerns about the Speaker’s impartiality in the future when it came to him, given

the recent incident, Edghill responded in the negative, but not before explaining his reason for adopting such a stance.

“The Speaker is not my political enemy. I am an elected representative of the people of this country. The Speaker cannot share those same sentiments. I will not be getting into a fight with the Speaker. He is a mere conduit of the wishes of the Government, so whether he can be described as impartial or not is for the citizenry to decide,” the Opposition MP explained.

He said that the incident which was meant for evil has resulted in good for him.

“People are more ready and willing to listen to me now and this includes their (APNU/AFC) supporters… they are the ones having to face the shame…I have been on radio and television and writing…I have continued my activism regardless of this so-called suspension,” Edghill posited.

He said the incident had “opened up new opportunities and new alliances” for him, stating “I would like to thank the APNU and AFC for helping me in that regard….”.

Edghill, a devout religious leader and former Chairman of the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC), warned the Government and Speaker of the National Assembly that the world was watching as he declared that no weapon or plan formed against a just man could bear fruit.

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monDAY, january 8, 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

Privatising closed sugar estates

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n view of the universally acknowledged (save for some members of the Government) acceptance that the contract negotiated with ExxonMobil for our oil was very poorly handled by the Government in the person of the Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, the Private Sector Commission (PSC) opined that for all new contracts in the oil sector, the Government should utilise the services of more expert negotiators.

On the surface, even though it is clear it is playing “catch up,” the Government appears to have learnt that lesson as it prepares to negotiate contracts for the sale of the four estates/factories in the sugar industry which it unilaterally decided to close. Ideally, it should have followed the recommendations of its very expensive Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the industry, which suggested the Government inject funds to improve all GuySuCo’s assets to a point of sale within three years.

During that time, it would have been able to accomplish more efficiently, even the putatively modest downsizing it has embarked on:- selling Skeldon factory and fields of some 16,000 acres; Wales 8000 acres; Enmore factory with over 10,000 acres, and Rose Hall (Canje) factory and an unknown number of acres of land.

The Government has established a Special Purpose Unit (SPU) under the state’s National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), its divestment arm, to take care of the sale. Since all other assets besides those at Uitvlugt, Blairmont and Albion have been transferred from GuySuCo to the SPU, it is assumed that the headquarters and other properties would also be on the block.

After a meeting with GAWU, the field and factory sugar workers union, it was revealed that the SPU evidently has decided to operate the sugar entities under its remit, until they are sold. In the meantime, it hired an international accounting and consultant firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC), to conduct a valuation of all assets under the control of GuySuCo, in addition to providing other advisory and financial services. Following the valuation exercise, PWC will develop an investment prospectus, and through the SPU, distribute to all interested investors.

At this point, there have already been several “expressions of interest” (EoIs) from several investors, domestic and foreign.

It would appear that PWC has already justified its hiring, since, prior to its services being contracted, there was no word about the SPU operating the estates that were announced as being “closed”. If that were actually the case, then the value of the latter would have become seriously depreciated in the one year or so it would have taken for any serious valuation and negotiation to consummate the sales. In case this did not occur to the Government officials who decided on the unilateral closures, they should take a look at the condition of Wales, which has now been closed for a year. Not only the factory -- which has been described as “cannibalized” -- but the fields that were abandoned. They have already reverted to “bush,” with the canals becoming clogged up and impassable with vegetation. Savvy investors will have to factor this into their assessment, and reduce their offers accordingly.

For the SPU officials to attempt to keep its other estates as viable entities, they will have to do much better than GuySuCo has been able to achieve for the last decade. And it will not just be a matter of their own inexperience in the sugar industry. All the factories, for instance, are designed for a certain level of throughput, which cannot fluctuate since the boilers etc are designed to run continuously, and can only be shut down and restarted at tremendous cost, which add to the already high unit production costs.

And there is the matter of selling the sugar that would be produced at these high costs. Will the SPU be finding sugar markets on their own, or will GuySuCo be purchasing the high-priced sugar and further increasing their need for subsidies?

King penguin chicks surround an elephant seal on South Georgia Island. The island, located in the southern Atlantic Ocean, is extremely remote. Each spring, hundreds of thousands of elephant seals come ashore for their mating season (Photograph by Ron Clifford,

National Geographic Your Shot)

How is the decline in “serious crimes” calculated?

Dear Editor, An article (that appeared in another newspaper) under the caption, “Serious crimes down by 11% in 2017”, raises many questions. First, I am not too sure about the definition of “serious crimes” and what it includes. The article seems to suggest that “serious crimes” include murders and “armed robbery involving the use of firearms,” and perhaps robbery with other instruments. These categories of crime declined by 18 percent, 8.8 percent and 9.2 percent respectively. Assuming that “serious crimes” are grouped into these three categories only, then the simple arithmetic suggests that crime fell by 12 percent in 2017 compared to 2016. Of course, this average assumes that all categories of “serious crimes” are weighted equally, which is unsatisfactory. If break-and-enter and larceny -- which decreased by 17.7 percent, are placed into the category of “serious crimes,” then such crimes fell even further in 2017 -by 13.43 percent. Which is it, and how is the decline in “serious crimes” calculated?

Given the deep, structural troubles that plague us as a nation and country, perhaps we can do well with a psychological feel-good pronouncement at the beginning of the New Year. To me, this is what the decline

of “serious crimes” is calculated to deliver.

I do not wish to enter into the validity of these results, which assume that all “serious crimes” in the country during 2017 are known, and have been reported, recorded and processed accurately. Instead, I would like to cast my eye on a different side of “serious crimes.” Rather than gauging the extent of “serious crimes” by their numbers only, it would be more informative to shed some light on the ethnicity (perpetrators and victims) of these crimes and their regional distribution; the amounts of cash, jewellery and other valuables stolen; total damage to property; kinds of injuries and the associated cost. The 11 percent decline is for the country as a whole, but what about the areas of the country that are prone to crime?

Have “serious crimes” in these areas declined by the same magnitude? A far finer analysis of the data is needed, and I suggest the data should be made available for independent analysis. The mere numbers of “serious crimes” miss an important part of the widespread crime that plagues the country and its people.

It seems likely that the fear of insecurity has not diminished, let alone by 11 percent.

From what I have been

able to discern, the average age of criminals seems to be falling. That is: criminals are younger today than a few years ago, and are more violent and insensitive.

Criminals seem to be savvier, and operate in groups varying from 3 to 5. These criminals target and study their victims, and plan a strategy for the execution of the criminal act. Part of the gang executes the crime while another member or two wait for them in a getaway vehicle, which may be stolen. While the report speaks of the “worrisome” rise of carjacking, it does not say whether the stolen vehicles were used to execute criminal acts. Crime is more taxing today, in that it requires more brain power, but it is also more profitable than when Dr. Somdat Mahabir and I wrote about crime in 2002. Back then, the average loot per crime was about $330,000. While the data is much more limited, the average loot is probably around $1,000,000.

That is: each single act of “serious” robbery hauls in about 10 percent more than the country’s per capita income for the whole 2016.

Crime continues to pay.

Another difference is that criminals are more organised, both vertically and horizontally, bolder, and more daring. Whether the risk of being caught and punished by the victims

and/or the law has gone down or up is debatable.

But a relatively low-risk, profitable business will flourish, and these crimes continue to flourish.

Today’s criminals are sophisticated, and rely more on technology than those of a few years ago. They can tap into a potential victim’s phone and listen to his conversation, and track his movement. On the positive side, the Police can also tap into stolen phones to track criminals. I know of a case wherein this was actually done by the Police. Alas, the work was of no avail, for the Police refused to go after the criminals. Why? The excuse was that they did not have the manpower and vehicle, even though the victim offered to use his vehicle to take the Police to where the criminals were hiding out. This is what I call vertical integration of the business of crime.

I am afraid that merely tossing out bald, ethnic-free numbers about how much “serious crimes” have declined will not instill a sense of security into anyone. After all, “serious crimes” continue to be a major driver of Indian migration, and a drag on economic growth and human development.

Yours truly, Ramesh Gampat

monDAY, january 8, 2018

guyanatimesgy.com

News

Popular Essequibo social worker Francis Darchville dies

The death of a comrade

Dear Editor, The community of Linden (Region Ten), the PNCR family and the immediate family, has lost a phenomenal woman in the name of Ms Sandra Adams, MS. Editor, I pen this letter with a heavy heart, for it is always difficult to construct words to truly capture the essence of a woman whose life was committed to the service of the people, her party and country with an unrelenting passion.

It is indeed a very shocking and sad occasion for us in this community. We not only mourn and prepare to bid farewell to our dear friend, colleague, mentor and comrade, but we also celebrate a life well lived, and give credence to the admirable service she gave to our community, our party and country.

As a young politician under the tutelage and leadership of Ms Adams in the region, my local and world view of politics was enhanced with remarkable speed. I got to discover that service to the people is a never-ending task, and at times can be a lonely road. I learnt to accept that irrespective of how much you do or give, there will always be the unsatisfied, the disappointed, the disgruntled; you will encounter people who will never be pleased, and will always be critical and ever-ready to oppose for opposing sake; and there are those who are forever thankful, even for the littlest of things, and that is why you keep doing it.

I have learned politics and people are not always what it may appear, and may lead to hurts and disappointments; but despite this, you have to stay true to who you are, and hold on to the principled position of giving service to the people.

“Figgy, is years I deh in this thing, boy,” she would

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say, accompanied by her usually big, bright smile.

We, as Lindeners, should both mourn and celebrate her life. Celebrate the fact that we were blessed with so rare a gift of a fellow human being, a Lindener, an activist, leader, patriot, a friend and a comrade, whose presence was always felt and could not be ignored, whose contributions were transformative and developmental. An individual whose approach to certain situations at times was unorthodox, unconventional, and even confrontational; but her intentions were always for the betterment, the improvement, the development of her people and community.

With her enveloping personality, this stylish dresser commanded the audience’s attention wherever she was present. Linden, Region Ten, PNCR and Guyana will miss you, our dear comrade.

Socrates, the Greek philosopher of Athens, posited, “To fear death, my friends, is only to think ourselves wise, without being wise: for it is to think that we know what we do not know.

For anything that men can tell, death may be the greatest good that can happen to them: but they fear it as if they knew quite well that it was the greatest of evils. And what is this but that shameful ignorance of thinking that we know what we do not know?”

In the words of the British poet and playwright William Shakespeare, “All that live must die, passing through nature to eternity”. Rest in peace comrade, and may you rise in eternal glory.

Sincerely, Jermaine Figueira Member of Parliament (Region Ten)

P

Francis Darchiville

opular Essequibo businessman and social worker, Francis Darchiville, passed away early Sunday morning at the Suddie Public Hospital.

Darchiville, a resident of Affiance Village, died at the age of 75. According to his wife Jennifer Darchiville, his death was sudden and was

from cardiac complications.

When contacted, a grieving Mrs Darchiville said her loving husband had shown no signs of illness, and had been in high spirit just prior to his death.

Darchiville was a wellknown social worker and ‘father-figure’ to many persons on the Essequibo Coast,

Region Two. He was also known for his kindness to persons from all walks of life with whom he met and interacted. To many, Darchiville is remembered as a true patriot of Guyana.

His body is currently at the Suddie Funeral Palour.

Funeral arrangements are currently being finalized.

The leadership vacuum Dear Editor, This contribution is submitted because of my examination of the Enmore district, which includes Foulis, and which I feel is a microcosm of the wider Guyana. I expect rebuttals and criticisms; and that should be so, because Leadership in Guyana -- starting at the community level -- should be of concern to every Guyanese, here and in the diaspora; and should come under scrutiny for its paucity or its potential.

For the purpose of this letter, my brief definition of a Leader is someone who represents the welfare of persons selflessly, and who can motivate a following towards a better collective position on whatever issue or field of endeavour.

Whether in sports, culture, religion, community development, politics -- even business -- I have a difficulty identifying five active Leaders in Enmore in any one of the above endeavours, from a population of about eighteen thousand. Even if I do, three of the five will be mature individuals -- above 35.

The geographic spread mentioned above is peopled mainly by Indians. In fact, about 90%. Academics, professionals, millionaires, technicians, contractors, entrepreneurs? YES, Enmore has all of those. But Leaders, not many!

Why? It seems as if the education system (particularly at the level of CXC/CSEC), which has robotised our children, has also robbed them of the vital interaction provided by sports and other extra-curricula activities. It seems as if teachers, who literally promote the necessity for extra lessons, fail to support the need to produce rounded persons. Certainly, aiming for 20 subjects at CXC hardly leaves room for much sleep, let alone sports or other forms of physical involvement.

I am aware that many parents cater to every whim and fancy of their children, to the extent of even bringing them up in the proverbial bubble, while living in a state of denial that many of those children are even using hard drugs. I am aware of parents and youths who frown upon any developmental/leadership programme/ seminar made available by (any) Government or other agency. I am aware of church/ mandir/masjid heads who are unable or reluctant to engage families to attend the House of God. I am aware of many teachers and politicos who just disregard their protégés once the immediate goal has been achieved.

In one way or another, there seem to be a silent contrivance to under-develop our young people. We abandon them, and they abandon

themselves, at the most crucial time of their lives.

There definitely is a disconnection between the individual and the community, as if the individual does not have a stake in the community; as if the individual is alien to his community. The net effect is that our youths are disoriented, and lost when they come face to face with the reality of life outside of the parent-created bubble -- when they come face-to-face with adversity.

The wider society is as much a school as the home or the formal school.

The community of Enmore cries for effective parenting, since the first leader of the child is the parent. The community of Enmore bleeds for the involvement of young people in self-development and community development.

The community of Enmore

screams out for effective leadership, even as individualism is sucking out the life-blood of the community.

Why can't our individual aspirations blend with the acceptance that there is the burning necessity for our community to simultaneously blood leaders?

Sadly, the challenge to do so seems too much for the people of Enmore; the fortitude is lacking. And the LEADERSHIP VACUUM will deepen and widen. In the words of Martin Carter: All are involved; all will be consumed!

And poor parenting will be found guilty!

Do other communities suffer from the same dilemma??

Yours, Taajnauth Jadunauth

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monDAY, january 8, 2018

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hether you're a diehard recycler who shops with canvas bags and keeps a compost bin in the corner of your backyard, or a busy parent looking for some quick tips on sorting glass from plastic, it's easy to get your family on the path to greener living.

But the best earth-friendly practices require the cooperation of everyone in the household. So, how do parents get children to reduce, reuse, and recycle and embrace the other basics of environmental responsibility?

As with most good habits, the best way to teach them is to be a good role model yourself. By showing that you care about and respect the environment, your children will do the same.

It's a family affair Here are some suggestions you can try as a family: Teach respect for the outdoors. This can start in your own backyard. Help children plant a garden or tree. Set up bird feeders, a birdbath, and birdhouses. Children can clean out and refill the bath daily, and clean up seed debris around feeders and restock them.

On a larger scale, you can plan family vacations that focus on the great outdoors. Maybe a summer trip to the Kaieteur Park appeals to your adventurous clan. Shorter trips might include a day at the National Park. Even a couple days at the beach can offer plenty of opportunities for you to point out and discuss the plants and animals you see and why it's important to protect their habitats.

Recycle. Recycling is easy, and in some communities, mandatory. Check with your local recycling office and be sure you know all the rules. Some communities allow co-mingling — all recyclables can be placed in one container — while others require sorting into sep-

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arate containers. You may need bins for each type of recyclable: one for plastic, one for glass, one for paper, and one for cans. Children can sort (and rinse, if necessary) items, place them in the correct bins, and take the containers out to the curb for collection. After the bins have been emptied, ask your children to rinse them out (if they're dirty) and bring them back into the house or garage.

Drink your own water. Bottled water is expensive. And unless they're recycled, the plastic bottles — most commonly made from polyethylene terepthalate (PET), which is derived from crude oil — can end up in landfills.

So have your children tote water from the tap (you can add a filter to improve its taste) in reusable bottles.

Clean green. Many natural products can replace commercial – and possibly hazardous – cleaning preparations.

Just a few examples: to deodorise carpets, sprinkle them with baking soda, wait 15 minutes and then vacuum; use vinegar and baking soda for everything from oven cleaning and drain clearing to stain removal and metal polishing.

Lots of websites offer green cleaning tips, and many stores carry pre-made nontoxic cleaners for those who don't want to make their own.

Lend a hand. Many communities sponsor green activities, like pitching in to help clean up a local park or playground. Maybe the area around your child's school could use sprucing up.

Getting children to live sustainably In their own day-to-day activities, encourage children to find ways to limit waste, cut down on electricity, avoid unnecessary purchases, and reuse items that they already have. Here's how: Conserve energy. Remind children to turn off lights when they're not in use, power down computers, turn off

the TV when nobody's watching, and resist lingering in front of the refrigerator with the door open.

Hoof it. If children can safely ride a bike or walk to school or to visit friends rather than catch a ride from parents, encourage it! Or if safety is a concern, consider organising a "walking school bus" – this activity allows children to walk or bike to and from school under the supervision of an adult.

Let there be (more) light. Older children can help replace regular light bulbs with energy-efficient ones.

Compact fluorescent light bulbs provide about the same light output as incandescent bulbs, but last much longer and use a fraction of the energy.

Reuse and recharge. Buy rechargeable batteries for your children' electronics and toys and teach them how to care for and recharge them. This reduces garbage and keeps toxic metals, like mercury, out of landfills.

Pass it on. Ask children to gather toys, books, clothes, and other goods that they no longer use or want for donation to local charities. Have them ride along for the drop-off so they can see how groups such as Goodwill and the Salvation Army use donations to help others.

These tips are just some ways to get your family to become more earth-friendly. Once you get everyone on board with conservation, challenge your children to come up with new and interesting ways of going green.

Can your grade-schoolers cut back on the amount of paper they print from the Internet? How about your teens: Can they agree to take shorter showers?

Engaging your children in this way will get them to start thinking about how their individual efforts affect the world they live in, and how little changes can – and will – make a difference. (childrenhealth.org)

guyanatimesgy.com

Nurturing intrinsic motivation in students

...enabling students to experience accomplishments and improvement builds their feeling of competence – a powerful intrinsic motivator

By Maurice J Elias

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six-year-old boy and girl sit together working on a writing assign-

ment.

As children come to feel effective in accomplishing something, they are more likely to try to replicate that feeling by trying to accomplish more challenging tasks. Feeling competent can be addictive.

Those accomplishments are more meaningful when they are authentic, and feeling competent is itself a meaningful reward – better than a collection of stickers or small trinkets or much too scarcely distributed recognitions like “student of the month”, which can lead the majority of students to become resigned to failure despite effort.

As adults, we know there is no question that extrinsic outcomes such as bonuses or promotions have instrumental value. But if they are the only definition individuals use to define their competence, those individuals are subject to a great deal of disappointment. These forms of recognition are few and far between, and relying on them, as we know from research, likely lead to declines in performance.

This is parallel to students being graded on a curve, where their own effort and competence cannot be counted on to get to a desired recognition (an A), and to being designated as student of the month in a school year in which only 10 children to receive that recognition. In both cases, the bar is set too high for encouragement and instead is more likely to breed unhealthy competition, cheating, jealousy, and, most often, giving up.

Recognising improvement as a form of competence Competence is not an absolute term. When we improve, we’re becoming more competent. That’s what needs to be recognised in order to encourage more improvement. One can only attain a lofty status by moving up through various levels. It’s the forward movement that we must nurture.

Students intrinsically value understanding how to do more things, helping others, and feeling a sense of accomplishment at mastering new knowledge. Extrinsic reward systems often erode the latter. Think of the impact when students bring work they’re proud of to their teachers only to get a disappointing grade, or little recognition for that C+ on a test. We must nurture children’s sense of accomplishment in authentic ways, and provide clear feedback about how they can further improve their performance. We have to be mindful not to douse a small flame just because it’s not a bonfire.

The key to preserving (not creating) intrinsic motivation is to nurture students to move to the next level. This also means that in the course of the school day, children must have a chance to do things that enable them to experience accomplishment and competence instead of feeling inadequate. Many believe that children have been constructed with a lot of resilience, so that a good day does not have to mean 90 per cent performance, or even 50 per cent. It’s not clear what the percentage is, and it may vary across children, but what is clear is that having some positive accomplishment every day will keep children motivated. (Excerpt from edutopia.org)

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monDAY, january 8, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Oil sector

Guyana falling into trap of 'Dutch disease' – financial analyst …slams Govt for failure to create new industries, maintain old ones

By Jarryl Bryan

G

uyana’s economy is at a crossroads. After most of the productive sectors showed contraction, it faces the economic pitfalls of the ‘Dutch disease’ and according to one financial analyst, must figure out ways to create new industries while sustaining the old ones before it is too late.

According to economic advisor to the parliamentary Opposition, Dr Peter Ramsaroop, Guyana may be getting billions of dollars in revenue in the coming years from the oil sector. However, he noted the importance of focusing on what is happening in the economy currently such as the closing down of sugar estates and retrenchment of thousands of sugar workers.

“This government has put in zero transformation projects in the country that can be ready when you have more money to execute, such as the agriculture belt. We are shutting down sugar, but with no alternatives for socio-economic, for new industries to be created.

In other parts of the world, for instance St Kitts – prior

nology. So as the sugar workers became retrenched, they were being trained in other, higher-paying industries.

And they were able to (transfer) themselves to better paying jobs.”

“The (government) said they're going to train them in catering and sewing. But what is catering and sewing going to do for Guyana that will improve the lives of people? Without transformational projects, no matter how much money we get, we will not be able to improve our lives in the next five years.

So every year we stagnate the economy, we are falling behind.”

Dr Ramsaroop noted that if systems were not put in place, Guyana would not solve the economic, as well as energy issues it currently faced. He pointed to the Government's track record of being unable to spend budgetary allocations in a given year and questioned how it would handle the oil revenues.

“We can't even spend 50 per cent of a billion dollars and implement new strategies, how do we expect to spend that (oil revenue) if we

A map of the Stabroek oil block

Lessons

The Stena Carron drillship

to shutting down sugar, St Kitts invested in a lot of tech-

cannot even spend our current budget and put plans in

place in order for people to benefit”

According to Ramsaroop, Guyana is running the risk of falling prey to the 'Dutch disease' afflicting other oil-producing nations. The ‘Dutch disease’ can cause a reduction in the value of other exported commodities and is often blamed on the sudden development of one sector at the expense of others.

Ramsaroop noted that the country has failed to learn from the example set by neighbouring Venezuela, once an economic powerhouse in the region. The Spanish-speaking country is now in dire economic straits.

“There are so many models around the world. We have Nigeria, other models that show (the pitfalls). Look

New Year’s Day La Penitence showdown case for court today …accused denies threatening to kill wife with knife

P

aul Greaves, a resident of Freeman Street, East La Penitence Georgetown, is slated to appear today before the magistrate presiding in Courts 10 & 11 at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Courts to answer a charge of threatening behaviour against his common-law wife (name withheld).

According to facts of the matter, the 48-year-old Greaves, a welder-mechanic, swooped down on the home he shares with the woman and demanded that she open the door. After she allegedly refused to comply, he reportedly kicked down the door, blazed past the defendant and threw out the television set, mi-

crowave, bed and clothing.

Police alleged that Greaves then armed himself with a knife with which he threatened to kill the virtual complainant.

Greaves vehemently denied the allegation when he appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan last week.

“I had a knife, but I was

peeling potatoes. The TV was not working because she threw water on it,” he claimed.

Greaves has been placed on a bond to keep his behaviour under control for the duration of the court matter, and he has been forbidden from being seen with a knife. The case will continue today.

at Venezuela. Venezuela was one of the richest oil countries and look what is happening today in Venezuela.

People don't have food today. You would think that we, as a nation, would step back and say, we will get money, but we're falling into the same trap as these other countries.”

“The economic policy of Granger and his government is stagnating. And they have not implemented a single project over the last two and a half years that will change Guyana and bring new revenue to the people of Guyana.

They're betting on oil, so they're going to (idle) for five years hoping that oil money comes in by 2020.”

He noted that with thousands of people out of work, the ripple effects on the economy would be significant.

Using examples, the financial analyst pointed out that the taxi drivers and the shopkeepers in Berbice would not be able to make the amount of money they formerly did owing to less spending.

“And after 10 years of oil, oil may not be an important necessity in the world,” he added, a reference to the global push towards clean, renewable energy. The world is moving towards different kinds of energy. By 2030, they may not produce a single car using gasoline.”

The Finance Ministry’s half year report for 2017 had showed contractions in certain sectors when compared

to the corresponding period in 2016. The declining sectors had included sugar, livestock rearing, forestry, mining and quarrying, and even the bauxite industry.

It showed that sugar production was recorded at 49,606 tonnes at the half year and when compared to 56,645 tonnes during the first half of 2016, represented a decline of 12.4 per cent.

The livestock industry also contracted by 10.9 per cent in the first half of 2017, owing to heavy rainfall severely affecting production, especially in the second quarter.

The forestry industry also showed an 18.2 per cent contraction in the first six months of 2017, compared to the same period in 2016.

Declining production within the forestry industry was a result of structural changes in the industry.

The mining and quarrying sector contracted by 4.0 per cent, during the first half of 2017. Gold production fell by 1.7 per cent to 317,096 ounces, in the first half of 2017, compared to the same period in 2016. Also, it showed the bauxite industry declined by 11.5 per cent, as a result of reduced production of higher valued grades.

This was as a result of poor weather combined with mechanical issues at one of the mines. However, production of metal grade bauxite (MAZ) increased by 97,016 tonnes or 21.3 per cent, the report had stated.

8 NEWS

monDAY, january 8, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Canje man busted with 13.8kg marijuana Economic…

L

A

Seventeen taped parcels containing 13.8 kilograms of compressed marijuana were found in the car

23-year-old taxi driver is now in the custody of Police after he was on Saturday afternoon found to be in possession of 13,800 grams of compressed cannabis.

The bust was made at

around 17:00h, as ranks were conducting a routine ‘stop and search’ operation in the vicinity of the Weldaad Police Station on the West Coast of Berbice.

According to reports, the man, from Burnt Bush Dam,

East Canje, East Berbice, was observed making a sudden about-turn upon observing the ranks at the roadblock, and was accordingly pursued and detained.

A search carried out on his motor vehicle revealed sev-

enteen taped parcels containing the illegal substance.

As such, he was taken into Police custody, and is expected to appear in court today to answer a of cannabis possession for the purpose of trafficking.

Deadline expires at midday Venezuelan, 2 Guyanese nabbed Tucville fraud accused with 42 kilos ganja to repay BBQ money

today or be jailed

T

T

The cannabis was found around 17:30h on Saturday

he Guyana Police Force (GPF) has revealed that three persons were likely to be charged today after they were found with 42 kilograms of cannabis at Golden Fleece, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam).

According to reports, the persons were arrested in the Back Street of the village after Police acted on information they received which resulted in a raid.

The cannabis was found around 17:30h on Saturday.

A Venezuelan national is among the persons arrested.

hirty-three-yearold Shane Bishop, of Tucville, Georgetown, has until 12:00h today to repay US$380 ($75,000) to overseas-based Guyanese Ramasoy Jeffers, who entrusted him with the sum to host a barbeque since July last year.

Bishop appeared before Chief Magistrate Anne McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court last week and was arraigned on fraudulent conversion charges.

The court heard that between May 1, 2017 and July 4, 2017, Jeffers solely entrusted Bishop with the money to host the barbeque and return the proceeds, but Bishop converted same to his own use.

The Tucville resident pleaded guilty with explanation.

Shane Bishop

According to the facts presented by the Prosecutor, the defendant was given the money to hold the event on July 31, 2017, but claimed that he had run into some “family problems” and could not do so.

Jeffers reported the matter to the Brickdam Police Station, and Bishop was arrested and charged. In his defence, Bishop told the court on Wednesday last that he messaged the overseas-based Guyanese on Facebook to tell him that he would reimburse him.

“I asked him to give me some time; in two months’ time, I will repay the money,” the defendant told the Chief Magistrate.

“I didn’t get all of the money; my wife sending the money from overseas,” Bishop further relayed to the court.

The Chief Magistrate, however, ordered that he repay Jeffers the $75,000 t by 12:00h today or spend eight weeks in jail.

Guyana Times understands that the accused was also implicated in fraudulently converting a generator, American Eagle t-shirts, Levi boxers, Ashley watches, Charles Raymond watches and other articles valued $1,404,480. Bishop said that he was credited them to someone from the interior. On this matter, he was released on $30,000 bail and the case will continue on January 10.

…genocide?

incoln Lewis earned his trade union spurs in the bauxite industry, and no one can accuse him of not representing bauxite workers above and beyond the call of duty. As General Secretary of the TUC, he accused the PPP of committing “economic genocide” against the bauxite workers after 1992, even though the industry had been brought to its knees by the PNC after they nationalised it in 1970. Just before the PNC demitted office in 1992, it had split the Linden operations from the Berbice ones in preparation for an IMF-mandated privatisation programme.

The African-Guyanese bauxite workers were the mirror image of the mostly Indian-Guyanese sugar workers in their political support -- respectively PNC and PPP -- and went to the extent of even naming their town after Burnham (“Linden”). In 1992, as the PNC started firing workers at Linden, Lewis successfully negotiated a “retrenchment” package for them.

But after the PPP took over the privatisation programme, Lewis specifically identified the bauxite workers as “Africans,” and introduced a racial slant to his accusations of “genocide”. This became even more incendiary after ethnic violence broke out between 1998 and 2008. There’s no question the bauxite workers were hard hit by the firings of private entities that were brought in; but the PPP did administer a multi-billiondollar Linden Economic Advancement Programme (LEAP), funded by the EU, that was designed to make the fired bauxite workers independent.

LEAP worked with CIDA, GO-Invest etc to foster new economic opportunities and create a revolving credit fund -- LEAF. By 2009 when the LEAP programme ran out, the PPP government funded and launched its own Demerara Enterprises (DEN) to continue LEAP’s activities. Yet, Lewis kept up his “economic genocide” accusations.

The shoe, of course, is now on the other foot with sugar. The PNC-led government didn’t even follow its CoI’s recommendation to wait 3 years to privatise the troubled industry, and then have the new owners do the firings. They unilaterally sacked 5700 mostly IndianGuyanese workers, but WITHOUT ANY PROVISION OF ALTERNATIVE EMPLOYMENT! Two fired workers have already committed suicide, and social despair has overwhelmed Wales - closed a year ago. But your Eyewitness has a question for Lincoln Lewis, the alpha trade unionist. While, to his credit, he’s pointed out and criticised the PNC-led government for their callousness towards sugar workers -- and even pointed out the POLITICAL implications -- he’s studiously avoided labelling the firings as ECONOMIC GENOCIDE. But yet, from his OWN statements about the PPP and bauxite workers, a far stronger case can be made for so describing the tragedy in the sugar belt.

Isn’t “genocide” for the (Indian-Guyanese) goose the same as “genocide” for (African-Guyanese) gander?

…giveaway rationale?

Guyanese are slowly, but surely, waking up to the enormity of the sell-out of their oil patrimony by Raphael Trotman. Today, an economist who can’t be accused of being “PPP” -- in fact, he played a key role in bringing about the APNU-AFC wedding -- calculated that Guyana should’ve received a bonus of US$238 million, rather than the paltry US$18 million. This is almost a QUARTER OF A BILLION IN US GREENBACKS that was lost to Guyana’s development!!

More to the point: a fraction of this could’ve been used to stabilise the sugar industry, while a more humane exit plan was designed and implemented to save the tragedy unfolding in the lives of sugar workers.

After all, that’s what a bonus in the oil and gas industry is all about; it’s an accepted method to get revenues up front. Which could’ve been available even before the closure of Wales.

But the PNC wouldn’t have passed up on a bigger bonus just to destroy the PPP’s base, would they?

…conundrum

Chris Ram, a most qualified analyst, lawyer and accountant, commenting on the oil contract signed (you can’t call taking dictation “negotiation”!) by Trotman, said new announcements of oil discoveries should make us “weep, not rejoice”.

We’re just reminded how Trotman pimped away our wealth!

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

News

9

monDAY, january 8, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

229 cases listed for Economy not diversified enough January Assizes to sustain loss – Nandlall in Demerara Closure of sugar industry

…economic, social meltdown will affect every citizen

By Samuel Sukhnandan

W

ith the loss of the sugar industry in Guyana, there will be serious socio-economic consequences that will impact citizens in every class and pull every sector down in its cascading downward avalanche.

This is the expressed view of former Minister Anil Nandlall who said that any assessment that viewed the sugar industry through the lens of dollars and cents or profit and loss would be deeply flawed.

“Sugar in Guyana is not merely an economic undertaking or venture. It is an institution. It does not merely provide employment, earn foreign exchange, or contribute to GDP [Gross Domestic Product],” he argued.

Nandlall noted that this industry also sustained communities comprising tens of thousands of people and represented a way of life.

“The Guyanese economy is neither large nor diversified enough to sustain the loss of sugar,” he added.

Referring to President David Granger’s speech at an event in Kenya, where he informed that his Government was committed to people and not profits, he said the President’s statement was unsound.

“The President fails to see the contradiction in closing down an industry, which directly and indirectly will affect every citizen of his country on the basis that it is not yielding the desired profits.”

Nandlall reminded that an impact assessment was necessary, something that his party, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) had pushed for, but

Opposition PPP/C Member of Parliament Anil Nandlall

Government was bent on going ahead with its own plans.

“We are firmly committed to the view that the cost of closure far outweighs the cost of keeping the industry operational,” the former Minister maintains.

He referred to the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) on the industry which did not recommend closure, arguing that Government was yet to offer an intelligent reason for the closure of the industry.

“The consequence is that they have exposed themselves to the widespread view that the decision to close the industry is driven by political and ethnic considerations,” Nandlall opined.

But an important point made by the former Minister was the fact that although thousands of families were immediately placed on the breadline without any hope, whatsoever, there would not be any alternative employment in the foreseeable future nor severance benefits.

“If paid at all, it will not be paid in the near future.

These families have loan

payments to make to the commercial banks for their homes. They have debts to pay for furnishings and vehicles acquired by hire purchase. Food has to be placed on the table and in lunch kits for children to attend schools.”

Suicides

Although Government, through the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), has made arrangements to provide counselling to those who were fired, especially in light of two former workers committing suicide, Nandlall said the indirect consequences would be equally devastating.

“The impact of the closure of Wales Estate can currently be assessed. The lower West Bank of Demerara communities are currently gripped in a socio-economic paralysis,” he said, explaining that over 75 per cent of the economy of Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), revolves around the sugar industry.

“The remaining 25 per cent would find it impossible to survive in isolation. The Private Sector recognises this reality…The suicides

have already commenced.

It will only intensify. Crime will continue to skyrocket.

Other social dilemmas will soon emerge and multiply,” Nandlall predicted.

Meanwhile, in highlighting that the Skeldon co-generation plant supplies electricity to the national grid for 65,000 families and all of the revenue goes to the Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL), the Opposition Member of Parliament highlighted that these monies were not going to the industry and would ‘die’ soon.

“This is nothing short of a human rights tragedy – nay economic genocide. I do not think Guyana’s economy is sufficiently, either versatile or robust enough to sustain the social and economic onslaught that the closure of the sugar industry will soon unleash,” he asserted.

Nandlall also expressed confidence that the Government would not survive it either. “Our society is simply too small and our economy too integrated to be insulated from the consequences. Like the financial crisis that hit the world in 2008, the economic and social meltdown will affect every citizen.”

As for the PPP, the former Minister noted that his party would stand resolutely not only with the sugar workers but with all other workers who would reel from this disaster.

“We will use the 100th birth anniversary of Dr Cheddi Jagan as the platform for the struggle and to inspire us to work relentlessly in order to ensure not only the survival of these workers and their families but also the eventual reversal of this evil, inconsiderate, and unwarranted decision.”

…set to open Tuesday

T

he Demerara Criminal Assizes for January 2018 is schedule to be opened on Tuesday, January 9, and there are 229 cases listed to be heard over the next three months.

Justices Navindra Singh, James Bovell-Drakes and Madam Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall would be presiding over the cases.

The goal delivery for the October 2017 Criminal Assizes was done by Justice James Bovell-Drakes on Tuesday January 2, bringing to an end the last session of 2017. During the October Criminal Assizes, Justice James Bovell-Drakes, Justice Brassington Reynolds and Madam Justice Simone Morris- Ramlall sat.

The session commenced on October 3, 2017 with a total of 218 cases listed. Of these cases, 26 matters were disposed of, with 20 of them received attention in the High Court of Demerara and six others were nolle prosequi (not prosecuted) by the Director of Public

Prosecutions (DPP).

Of these 20 cases that were presented, two were for the offence of sexual activity with a child family member; three were for the offence of rape of a child under 16 years of age; 13 were for the offence of murder; and there was one each for the offence of inflicting grievous bodily harm and for attempting to commit murder.

There were five guilty verdicts by jury; one formal verdict of not guilty; eight guilty pleas; five not guilty verdicts by jury, and one hung jury.

Of the 20 cases presented in the High Court, eight of these were prosecuted by State Counsels Nerrisa Leander, Seeta Bishundial and Abigail Gibbs before Madam Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall. Of these eight cases, two were for the offence of sexual activity with a child family member; four were for the offence of murder, and two were for the offence of rape of a child under 16 years. turn to page 10

10 news

monDAY, january 8, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Closure of sugar estates

Govt risking irreversible damage to communities, economy – Ramkarran G

uyana is on the cusp of becoming an oil producing nation, but there are immediate socio-economic issues that must be addressed. And chief among them is the potential fallout from the sacking of thousands of sugar workers as Government moves ahead with its divestment pro-

Former Speaker of the House, Ralph Ramkarran, SC

gramme.

This is according to political commentator and former Speaker of the National Assembly, Ralph Ramkarran.

In his recent writings, Ramkarran has urged that the Government not lose focus of its immediate priorities … ensuring that the vacuum created from massive unemployment is not filled by poverty

and crime.

“The dismissal of thousands of sugar workers will intensify poverty and crime across Guyana, particularly in the areas affected by the closures. Communities will deteriorate, drug taking and alcohol abuse will intensify, and the economy will suffer from reduced spending. All of this will impact negatively on economic growth for 2018,” he stated.

“By the time divestment concludes and some job opportunities emerge, the damage to the communities and their inhabitants would already have occurred. There is no immediate potential investment in Guyana’s economy on a scale large enough to absorb the dismissed sugar workers, or even a portion of them, that will make a difference to their dire situation,” he posited.

He has acknowledged oil’s potential for economic transformation in Guyana, but is urging persons to temper their hopes for the future with the realities of today. Ramkarran noted that any impact the new oil industry would have may be a decade in the making, thus he fears that by this time an entire generation of sugar workers and their families would have traded in a decade of productive labour with a decade of deprivation and poverty.

“It appears that Guyana stands to receive US$300 mil-

A gathering of sugar workers from Wales

lion a year for the first five years after production commences, and a little over that sum for the twenty years thereafter. The size of Guyana’s economy is US$1.2 billion. This means that Guyana’s economy will increase by one-fifth (its size) as a result of oil revenue.

“This will be a significant boost, but by no means a spectacular transformation. This figure is probably based on production of 100,000 barrels a day. It may well be that Exxon would produce far more than that amount for various economic reasons. While all of this is in the future, Guyana has pressing economic and political problems that require immediate solutions,” Ramkarran cautioned.

Sugar workers

As early as December 2016, Wales Sugar Estate ended op-

erations, and many workers have since to be paid severance, after refusing to take up employment at Uitvlugt Estate, some 22 miles from the West Bank Demerara estate. 2017 was in fact marked by protests from the workers.

Those workers have been affected, and thousands more family members and those from surrounding villages have also been affected by the impact of the closure. One year after, the retrenchment of nearly 4000 workers attached to Rose Hall, East Demerara and Skeldon Estates was revealed, and those employees have expressed fear of facing a fate similar to what their former colleagues at Wales faced,

who are still awaiting their outstanding packages.

Many civil society bodies and other interest groups have been urging the coalition Government to rethink the closure of estates, and to implement plans that will tackle the welfare of workers. In its end-of-year statement, the Private Sector Commission (PSC) highlighted that, come 2018, there would in fact be 5000 sugar workers left unemployed if Wales is factored into the current numbers. The body is of the view that this action will have “serious repercussions” for this year.

Last year, the PSC had even proposed for Government to enter into pub-

lic-private partnerships to invest in and manage selected estates. Government has remained steadfast that estates at Rose Hall, and Enmore will cease operations, while Skeldon would be privatised.

Meanwhile, only three would be kept in operation – at Albion in East Berbice, Blairmont in West Berbice, and Uitvlugt on the West Coast of Demerara.

In light of this and the potential impact on the operations of Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL), that company has since submitted an expression of interest (EoI) to Government for the potential purchase of one of the sugar estates.

229 cases listed for January... from page 9

In one of the two cases for the offence of sexual activity with a child family member, the accused, who was indicted on two counts, was sentenced to life imprisonment after the jury returned a unanimous verdict of guilty. In the other matter, the accused was indicted on three counts of the offence, and was found guilty on all three counts by the jury. He was sentenced to a total of 65 years’ imprisonment, and will have to serve 50 years before being eligible for parole.

In two of the four murder trials, the accused were acquitted after the respective juries returned unanimous verdicts of not guilty of murder nor of the lesser offence of manslaughter.

In the other two matters, both accused pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter, and were respectively sentenced to 45 years’ imprisonment and 40 years’ imprisonment. However, one of these two prisoners will serve 22 years’ imprisonment after the trial judge deducted a total of 18 years for the guilty plea and for time spent in custody before trial.

In the one matter for the offence of rape of a child under 16 years and sexual activity with a child family member, the accused, indicted on two counts, was acquitted by the jury which returned with majority verdicts of 11 to 1 not guilty of rape of a child under 16 years and 10 to 2 not guilty of sexual activity with a child family member.

In one other matter for two counts of rape of a child under 16 years, the accused was sentenced to life impris-

onment on each count, with a possibility of parole after serving 35 years’ imprisonment.

Another seven of these 20 cases were completed

by Justice Bovell-Drakes.

The prosecutors were State Counsels Orinthia Schmidt and Mandell Moore. Of these cases, one was for the offence of rape of a child under 16 years, and the other six were for the offence of murder.

The complainant in the lone matter for the offence of rape of a child under 16 years testified that she did not wish to proceed with the matter, and as such, the trial judge directed the jury to return a formal verdict of not guilty in favour of the accused.

In three of the other six murder cases, the accused all pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter, and were respectively sentenced to 23 years’ imprisonment, 20 years’ imprisonment, and 12 years’ imprisonment.

In another one of these cases, the accused, who was indicted for murder with an alternative count of inflicting grievous bodily harm, was by jury found guilty of the lesser offence of manslaughter. He further pleaded guilty to the alternative count, and was sentenced to 21 years’ imprisonment.

In another one of these cases, the accused was acquitted after the jury returned a not-guilty verdict.

While the accused in one other murder case was unanimously found guilty by the jury. He will be sentenced on January 15, 2018 when a probation report ordered by the trial judge will be pre-

sented.

Justice Reynolds has completed five matters that were prosecuted by State Counsels Shawnette Austin, Lisa Cave and Tiffiny Lyken.

Of these five matters, four were for the offence of murder, and the other was for the offence of attempt to commit murder and for discharging a loaded firearm with intent.

In three of these four murder cases, the accused all pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter.

In one of these three cases, the accused was indicted on two counts of murder and was sentenced to 30 years’ imprisonment on each count. His sentences are to run concurrently. The other two accused were respectively sentenced to 30 years’ imprisonment and 12 years’ imprisonment.

Another lone accused was acquitted by the jury with a unanimous verdict of not guilty. The jury in the lone matter for the offence of attempt to commit murder and discharging a loaded firearm with intent failed to reach a verdict and returned hung.

The accused was remanded to prison and ordered to await a new trial.

Furthermore, the six matters nolle prosequi by the DPP were for sexual offences. Two for the offence of sexual activity with a child family member, three for the offence of rape of a child under 16 years, and one for the offence of rape. In all of these matters, the complainants, by way of written statements, indicated that they did not wish to proceed with their cases.

11 Signed oil agreement makes Govt look ‘silly’ – Gaskin news

monDAY, january 8, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

By Samuel Sukhnandan

A

s part of the new agreement signed with U.S. oil giant ExxonMobil, the Natural Resources Minister will have to file the company’s tax returns with the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), something outspoken political analyst and economist Ramon Gaskin has described as “foolish!”

According to Gaskin, this agreement which the Government signed on to makes the Government look silly in the eyes of many, and only puts the Minister (Raphael Trotman) in a bad situation, where he has now become the oil company’s “water boy”, who has to provide a receipt of payment to the company at the end.

“The tax return to the GRA must be filed by the Minister because he is the ‘water boy’ and ‘messenger boy.’ And he has to show a receipt from the Commissioner General that the taxes have been paid in

Political commentator and economist, Ramon Gaskin

full…he takes to Exxon and says, ‘boss, here is the receipt; I paid it’,” the political analyst said.

The new contract states that ExxonMobil and its partners shall provide the Minister with its income tax returns, to be submitted by the Minister to the Commissioner General of the GRA, so the Minister can pay income tax on be-

half of ExxonMobil and its partners, as provided for under Article 15.4.

Another contention raised by Gaskin is that Government has not named the individuals who negotiated both the 1999 and 2016 oil contracts on behalf of the Government. While they have said that a team from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission was responsible, no one has been named.

But, more importantly, Gaskin, a trained lawyer, told Guyana Times on Sunday that both ExxonMobil and the Government are in breach of the laws governing this sector. He noted that the Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Act sets out the provisions for companies operating in this sector.

He has said that while it is noted that a prospecting licence for exploration in Guyana allows the oil company to get more than 60 blocks, in the case of

New nursery school to be built at Kamwatta – as part of RDC’s 2018 infrastructural projects

T

he Regional Democratic Council of Region One (Barima-Waini) has budgeted for several infrastructural projects that will get underway this year.

Among them is the construction of a new nursery school to be built at a cost of $10.3 million at Kamwatta, Moruca.

Vice Chairperson of Region One RDC, Sarah Brown, has said the new school will cater for 42 nursery students.

According to her, extensions will also be done to the Santa Rosa Nursery School at a cost of $13.3million. The school has an enrollment of 142 pupils, but was built with the capacity to accommodate 100 students.

Additionally, the Sacred Heart Primary School in the Aruka River will also be extended in 2018. The school was built to accommodate 60 pupils but is currently accommodating 118 pupils.

Brown has said these extensions are necessary, as the RDC recognised that the school population has been increasing gradually.

Brown, who as chair of the RDC Public Infrastructure Standing Committee also holds oversight for new infrastructural projects and upgrades, told Guyana Times that a decision was taken to ensure that audit queries are reduced, especially when it comes to the execution of the capital projects.

She said that as the person responsible for signing off the final payments and for veri-

Region One Vice Chairperson Sarah Browne

fication, she has made it her duty to work with the RDC team to push for the completion of most capital projects in 2017, which was a success.

Shifting her attention back to the infrastructural projects, the RDC ViceChair noted that $18 million have also been set aside for extension to be undertaken to the Warapuka Primary School. While the school was built to accommodate 90 pupils, it now has 149 students.

Asakasa and Port Kaituma Primary schools will also be extended.

While a large sum has been allocated for the RDC’s projects for 2018 in the education sector, Brown noted that the largest capital programmes are in the health sector. As such, an X-ray room and laboratory is set to be construct-

ed at the Pakaira District Hospital at Matthew’s Ridge.

This will cater for medical services, especially in cases of trauma. It will facilitate patients in nearby villages also, such as Baramita and other areas. “That would reduce the patient transfer for simple X-ray and lab services, and that project would cater for over 1,500 residents in the Matarkai sub-region,” she said.

Upgrade to the staff quarters at Mabaruma Hospital is also part of the RDC’s plan for 2018, while a doctor’s quarters is expected to be constructed at Waramuri, Moruca. “That is housing a resident doctor, and the hospital caters for additional satellite villages,” the RDC Vice-Chair added.

Meanwhile, the RDC official told this newspaper that incinerators to the tune of $6M each will be built at Arakaka and Waramuri.

“We will be installing an oxygen distribution network for Picari District Hospital.

That would cater for asthmatic crisis, infant and maternal emergencies, etcetera.”

At present, there is a 100 pound oxygen cylinder at the Hospital, and that has to be moved several times to different beds. Brown said, “When that (oxygen distribution network) is installed, that (moving of the cylinder) will be reduced.”

A morgue will, in 2018, be constructed in Baramita to cater for the high murder and suicide rates.

Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman

ExxonMobil, that company has more than 600 blocks.

“This is ten times the amount allowed by the laws of Guyana. ExxonMobil has 60,000 square kilometres of territory -- 12 times the size of Trinidad and 40 times the size of Barbados,” Gaskin claimed.

And he pointed out that while this same law stipulates that each company is allowed only 10 years maximum to explore for oil before they have to leave, Exxon has been here for close to 17 years now.

Gaskin maintained that Exxon’s “prospecting licence was up since 2009, and according to the Petroleum Act, they should have left already. Both the old 1999 and new agreement signed with ExxonMobil violates the laws of Guyana in many areas, and that should be noted.” He contends.

Having read the entire agreement, Gaskin says he is now of the opinion that Guyana received a bad deal,

one even worse than some African countries, including Angola, had received.

“When you read the agreement…Who is going to pay compensation for damage to the environment in cases of a spill?” he questioned.

“There is nothing in the oil contract about insurance, expect that ExxonMobil is self-insured. “So if they destroy the (fishes, marine life) out there, you will have to go to him and make your claim (the same guy who just did it). However, in the African agreements, the oil company is required to hire an independent international company to do the assessment, and not to self-insure.

“While it should be a legal requirement to provide a performance bond and guarantees, we allow them to provide themselves (Exxon), rather than from an independent financial institution or bank,” Gaskin pointed out.

Another issue raised by Gaskin is the provision for site visits. “The Minister has to give a seven-day notice, and also pay for his own expense and transportation. We should have people out there on the rig every day, seeing what’s taking place to guarantee that what we are getting is fair.”

The Commonwealth Secretariat has been advising the Ministry of Natural Resources since 2013 on the legislative and institutional reforms required to regulate Guyana’s emerging oil and gas industry.

On Thursday, ExxonMobil announced it made a fifth new oil discovery after drilling the Turbot-1 well offshore Guyana. Turbot is ExxonMobil’s latest discovery to date in the country, adding to previous finds at Liza, Payara, Snoek and Liza Deep, a release from the company has said.

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10 receive global humanitarian award …named after Minister Allicock Fredricks, George Simon, Robert Frederick Allicock, Lorraine Pierre, Laura George and Ovid Williams also received awards, along with three other awardees based in the United States – Dr Charles Kinuthia, Margaret Ellis and Erik Kudlis.

According to the

Sydney Allicock Global Humanitarian Award” in honour of Minister Allicock’s commitment to empowering the Indigenous people of Guyana, and his role in ensuring that standards of education and community tourism in hinterland communities are strengthened.

During brief remarks at

Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock during brief remarks at the IChange Nations Sydney Allicock Global Humanitarian Award ceremony at the Umana Yana

Ministers Sydney Allicock, Dawn Hastings-Williams and Simona Broomes; Ambassador Clyde Rivers, Founder and President of IChange Nations, along with other awardees during the IChange Nations Sydney Allicock Global Humanitarian Award ceremony at the Umana Yana

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inister of Social Cohesion, Dr George Norton; Minister of Public Affairs, Dawn Hastings-Williams; and Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes were among 10 Guyanese awarded by the organisation IChange Nations, for their instrumental roles influencing change in their communities and the country.

Tony Games, Patsy

Ovid Williams receiving his award from Ambassador Clyde Rivers, Founder and President of IChange Nations

Department of Information the award is the “IChange

Public (DPI), entitled Nations

the award ceremony hosted at the Umana Yana, Minister Allicock noted the significance of such an

CPCE upgraded …with better access to potable water, facilities

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he Education Ministry says that it has upgraded the conditions under which students learn and live at the nation’s premier teachers’ college, the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE).

The improvements include the acquisition of a Fumes Cupboard, the increased supply of water to the dormitories, the provision of meals to non-resident students and the implementation of the Pastoral Care Initiative.

“The Fumes Cupboard was acquired through funding that was given to the institution by President David Granger back in 2016. This is the first time in the stint of the current Principal of the CPCE that the institution was able to procure a Fumes Cupboard,” a statement from the Ministry said.

The purpose of the Cupboard is to capture all the chemical fumes that are toxic within the science laboratories. This will ensure the safety of the students while they are using the laboratory facilities. The CPCE has three laboratories, and steps are being taken to acquire two more Fumes Cupboards to properly outfit the remaining laboratories.

The Ministry also noted that the CPCE, having listened to the concerns of its students, has improved the volume of water that serves the dormitories.

Improvements at CPCE include the acquisition of a Fumes Cupboard

“The need for additional water being supplied to the dormitories was raised at a fact-finding session held with President David Granger and Minister of Education, Nicolette Henry,” the Ministry said.

Previously, only 2000 gallons of water was available to the dormitories which house roughly 250 students. The Ministry explained that the institution could now supply 8000 gallons of water to the dormitories. During the fact-finding session, students also raised issues related to other dormitory facilities. The dormitories have been repainted with 80 per cent of the work completed. Work was also done inside the dormitories in the form of servicing and replacing windows so as to improve living con-

ditions among other necessary repairs.

“Moreover, the CPCE’s Student Development Centre has implemented the Pastoral Care Initiative.

This programme was introduced in December 2015.

The students are afforded a one-on-one interaction with lecturers and volunteers to discuss whatever issues each student may want to ventilate, whether it be academic or personal so that they can receive help,” the statement read. This Initiative is being executed with the understanding that the institution, including administrative and academic staff, cannot appear nor operate in a mechanical manner by not acknowledging that hundreds of students may need additional support.

event which honours those who would have worked hard to effect change within their communities and the country. “...We have a lot of persons right here in Guyana who have been making some significant contributions and are not recognised; we need to move away from that mindset. People need to be recognised for their hard work,” he said.

He pointed out that it was particularly significant for Indigenous peoples, as their contributions were now being acknowledged.

The selection process was not a simple one, according to the Minister, since there were many persons who were deserving of the award. He urged those awarded to keep their shoulders to the wheel and to continue to engender the development of the nation.

Ambassador Clyde Rivers, Founder and President of IChange Nations, noted that the organisation was honoured to have the award in Minister Allicock’s name. He remarked that the organisation was especially im-

pressed with the role the Minister has been playing in the development of the Indigenous community.

Ambassador Rivers also presented a special award to one of Guyana’s Youth Ambassadors, Dr Astell Collins for his outstanding role in the area of leadership.

IChange Nations is an internationally recognised organisation which identifies individuals for outstanding humanitarian work in their respective countries and areas of service.

Queenstown man admits stealing car mirror

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hirty-three-year-old Ricardo De France, of Laluni Street, Queenstown, Georgetown, was late last week sentenced to eight weeks community service for stealing one motor vehicle’s rearview mirror and cap, belonging to Winston Cosbert at Savage Street, Georgetown.

The court heard that on December 28, 2017, the Virtual Complainant (VC) parked his car on Savage Street and went to his office at the Guyana Post Office building.

The prosecution disclosed that after 10:00h, Cosbert checked on his car and discovered the items missing. Checks were made with the defendant who worked on mirrors and the items were recovered. When De

Ricardo De France began his community service on Wednesday

France appeared before Chief Magistrate Anne McLennan, he admitted to his wrongdoing, telling the court that he was sorry for committing such acts. “There’s no good reason to justify stealing anything – mirror or candy. I do apologise and I’m asking the court to be lenient,” De France said last week.

After hearing his remarks, Magistrate McLennan ordered that he complete his eight-week community service stint at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court or spend eight weeks in prison.

On Wednesday afternoon, the self-confessed mirror thief commenced his community service.

Parika boat worker granted bail for assaulting reputed wife

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raham James, of Retreat, Parika, East Bank Essequibo (EBE), was charged at the Wales Magistrate’s Court late last week for unlawfully assaulting his common-law wife, causing her actual bodily harm.

The matter allegedly occurred on December 28, 2017 at the home the two shared. However, James entered a not-guilty plea when the charge was read to him by Magistrate Annette

Graham James

Singh on Thursday last.

He told the court that the woman was his “child mother”. James, a boat worker, was released on $20,000 bail and was ordered to stay with his sister in another section of Parika. He was also ordered to stay 50 feet away from the Virtual Complainant for the duration of the matter, which was transferred to the Leonora Magistrate’s Court.

The case will continue on February 14.

news

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First female elected GPA President with the help of her executive, she would be able to achieve a pathway for the communicating of concerns over the coverage of state institutions. Plans will also be made to review and revise the Constitution of the GPA, to take into account the changing realities of media in Guyana.

And a public communication strategy and plan to promote informed opinion on the work and functions of the organisation would also

A

munity resident in Guyana, with particular reference to their interest in media development.

Raghubir was endorsed by outgoing President of the GPA, Neil Marks, who said in a social media post on Sunday that he enjoyed a very successful tenure as President, but would not be seeking re-election.

“I wish to wholeheartedly support Nazima Raghubir's candidacy for the Presidency.

She is fiercely independent,

Nazima Raghubir (centre) and the newly-elected GPA executive

group of journalists and media practitioners from across Guyana met on Sunday at the National Racquet Centre for the much anticipated and long overdue Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Guyana Press Association (GPA), and elections of office bearers were held.

Nazima Raghubir has been elected the first female president of this local press body. The lone contender for the position, Raghubir managed to get enough votes to secure that post.

Zoisa Fraser of Stabroek News was elected Vice President, while Newsroom’s Fareeza Haniff was elected treasurer, and Royden James of HGP Nightly

News was elected Assistant Secretary/Treasurer.

Committee Members elected are: Ariana Gordon, Svetlana Marshall and Rawle Toney of the Guyana Chronicle; and veteran journalist and Demerara Waves Editor, Denis Chabrol.

On Saturday, Raghubir, who works as an anchor and journalist for Prime News, said in an email that she decided to run for the leadership of the GPA after some deliberations.

“I feel that with the collective support of GPA’s membership I can lead an association that represents all media workers over the next two years,” she said.

She has been a member of the media and GPA for more than a decade, and a member

of the executive committee of the Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM) over the last two years.

According to Raghubir, her approach to strengthening the GPA will be based on collective action. “The GPA is as strong as its members, and I would encourage members to support the Association, not only at the upcoming elections, but beyond,” she explained.

She believes that the leadership of GPA must focus on building a strong and financially sustainable organization, with a broadened mandate to execute projects based on the skills of its membership and allies, and must be able to widen the membership base of the organisation while maintain-

ing its integrity as an association of journalists and media workers operating on traditional and new media platforms.

As president of the organization, she also plans to strengthen relations with regional and international organisations interested in media development in Guyana, and in press freedom issues.

“Building capacity in our ability to respond to crises when they arise, and develop protocols to guide the leadership and members…

Developing greater solidarity across the borders of commercial competition through joint projects and activities that promote greater cohesion,” she has committed to delivering.

Raghubir also hopes that,

Flooding at JFK Airport adds to misery after flight delays

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looding due to a water main break forced the suspension of international flight arrivals at New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport on Sunday, adding to the misery of travellers after a winter storm cancelled or delayed hundreds of flights in recent days. Water poured from the ceiling onto a checkin counter and covered large areas of the floor of Terminal 4, a video on CNN showed.

The disruption occurred while the US Northeast continued to endure bone-chilling weather with the New York temperature at 17 degrees Fahrenheit (minus -8 Celsius).

International flights to Terminal 4 were suspended and passengers who had already arrived there were diverted to other terminals, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport.

The airport on Twitter advised travellers to check with their airlines before arriving.

“There are about three inches (7.5 cm) of water inside the west end of Terminal 4, we have main-

Travellers are seen (in this file photo) at John F Kennedy International Airport in the Queens borough of New York, US (Reuters/Eric Thayer/File Photo) tenance crews on the scene mopping and cleaning up,” Scott Ladd, a spokesman for the Port Authority, said in an email.

Port Authority Police and the Fire Department of New York were on the scene and assisting Port Authority operations managers and maintenance personnel, and the cause of the rupture was still being investigated, Ladd said.

The flooding hit just as the airport was crawling back to normal after a win-

ter storm labelled a “bomb cyclone” forced the airport to close on Thursday.

When operations resumed on Friday, the backlog led to hundreds more delays or cancellations, crowding the terminals with stranded passengers.

More than 500 flights into or out of JFK were cancelled and nearly 1400 delayed from Friday morning to Sunday afternoon, according to the flight-tracking website FlightAware.

The extreme cold and

recovery from Thursday’s snow storm created a “cascading series of issues for the airlines and terminal operators,” the Port Authority said.

Equipment froze and baggage handling was delayed, which was compounded by staff shortages and heavier than normal passenger loads, the Port Authority said. The backlog left passengers stuck on planes for long stretches while waiting for other aircraft to get in and out of gates. (Reuters)

Newly-elected GPA President Nazima Raghubir

be developed. In addition to that, the new GPA president said, she would work towards strengthening existing relations with the international diplomatic com-

incredibly efficient, and an absolutely tireless worker. The mandate of the GPA would be well served with her lead,” he stated.

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The Flaws of the Exxon Contract - Part 1

By Charles S Ramson Attorney at Law Oil and Gas Consultant

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resident Granger, as leader of the Government of Guyana, is ultimately responsible for re-negotiating the contract with ExxonMobil - a contract which will see Guyana missing out on earning well in excess of US$10 billion more, or over $2 trillion Guyana dollars more in revenue. This article is the first in a series of articles which would seek to identify how Guyana lost out in the re-negotiated contract with ExxonMobil, and in so doing, argues that this is the consequence of the APNU-AFC government’s determination to “go it alone” by excluding the political Opposition from assisting in the development of the oil and gas sector at this stage of its infancy.

Charles S Ramson The contract with Exxon will trap Guyana for decades to come, even after the APNUAFC loses power a la the situation with GT&T’s 40-year monopoly of Guyana’s international voice and data traffic awarded by the PNC in 1991, which has severely restricted the liberalisation of the telecommunication sector in Guyana for decades, causing Guyana to have some of the highest telecommunication rates in the region.

In fact, Article 32 of the contract with ExxonMobil, which the APNU-AFC government has signed, has already trapped Guyana, since it states that there can be no re-negotiation of the contract unless ExxonMobil agrees. This, it goes without saying more, is flaw number 1, and will see not only the lost revenue amounting to billions of US dollars from the unfavourable fiscal terms of the contract, but the loss of an opportunity for another Government to correct the flaws in the now extant contract.

It is important for readers to understand that ExxonMobil is a company and not a charity, and the governing principle for any company is to maximise shareholder value.

Any deviation from that principle by any officer of a company is a serious dereliction of duty, likely to result in termination. This means that ExxonMobil is obligated to seek to obtain the best deal possible for its shareholders all around the world. It is also the job of any officer of ExxonMobil to seek to persuade the people of a nation they contract with that the deal was a “fair deal”. Exxon has essentially acted exactly the way it should act, and its shareholders should congratulate their negotiating team because they were able to obtain a pretty good deal on their behalf.

On the other hand, it is the job of Government, as agents of the people of a country, to get the best deal possible on their behalf. Comparative facts on bargaining position evince definitively the Government’s profound asymmetry of expertise, information, and financial resources when compared with ExxonMobil. Before Exxon and Mobil merged, it was originally Standard Oil, founded by John D. Rockefeller in 1870 (the source of wealth of one of the wealthiest families in human history - Rockefellers) while this is Guyana’s first experience with commercial quantities of oil. ExxonMobil’s revenue for 2016 was almost US$220 billion, while the entire wealth of Guyana for 2016 was US$3.5 billion, making ExxonMobil’s revenue about 65 times larger than Guyana’s entire GDP. This naturally creates what in law and economics is referred to as an “inequality of bargaining power,” and will almost never result in Guyana getting a “fair deal”, judged from the perspective of the Guyanese people, unless oil and gas is treated as an apolitical issue.

The political Opposition, the PPP/C, through its leader Bharrat Jagdeo, has wisely affirmed the position that the nascent oil and gas sector needs to be treated as apolitical, but the APNU-AFC Government has paid lip service to this notion of “working together,” and the re-negotiation of the contract with Exxon was a perfect perennial example of how the APNU-AFC Government’s words do not match its action. If the APNU-AFC Government was serious about treating oil and gas as an apolitical issue, then it would have engaged the PPP/C, as the political opposition, and involved them in the process of re-negotiating the contract with ExxonMobil.

Flaw 2: Long exploration period and minimal relinquishment requirement The Stabroek Block is one of the largest in the world at 6.6 million acres (26,800 square kilometres), yet the contract requires ExxonMobil to relinquish only 20% after the first renewal period (which adds up to 7 years), with a long exploration period (10 years) and a light work commitment (1 well in year 1 to 4, and one additional well in each of the subsequent three-year extension options).

When one considers the size of the Stabroek block, the propitious geology of the Stabroek block, combined with the less favourable geology coming from some of the drilling logs from the other blocks, the current value of the quantity already found (around US$220 billion) with the likelihood of becoming bigger, the fact that Guyana is the second most prospective oil and gas basin in the world, the possibility of the serious de-emphasised use of oil in the next 30-40 years, Guyana will end up losing billions of US dollars in exploration and production investment, auctioning rounds, signature bonuses, and the high possibility of discovered oil which will never get an opportunity to see the light of day when it becomes uneconomical to produce.

Part 2 will seek to highlight further flaws of the contract with ExxonMobil, which could have been avoided had the Granger government not been so myopic in its approach to re-negotiation. There is an old African saying: if you want to go fast go alone, but if you want to go far go together.

Sunday scenes at the seawall

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t is a well-known fact that the Sunday seawall lime has become ingrained in Guyana’s cultural landscape. Guyana Times photographer Carl Croker captured the following ‘offbeat’ shots on Sunday at the seawall aback the Marriott Hotel in Georgetown. A group of boys were seen playing a game of football on the sand; scores of persons, including families and children, were just relaxing and enjoying the Atlantic breeze, while others were fishing.

15 Bloomberg names St Kitts top Caribbean destination S news

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BBC China editor Carrie Gracie quits in equal pay row

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he BBC's China editor Carrie Gracie has resigned from her post, citing pay inequality with male colleagues.

In an open letter, Gracie – who has been at the BBC for more than 30 years - -accused the Corporation of having a "secretive and illegal pay culture".

She said the BBC was facing a "crisis of trust", after it was revealed twothirds of its stars earning more than £150,000 were male.

The BBC said there was "no systemic discrimination against women".

Gracie said she left her role as editor of the corporation's Beijing bureau last week, but would remain with the BBC. She said she would return to her former post in the TV newsroom "where I expect to be paid equally".

In the open letter, published by Buzzfeed News, Gracie – a China specialist who is fluent in Mandarin - said "the BBC belongs to you, the licence fee payer.

"I believe you have a right to know that it is breaking equality law and resisting pressure for a fair and transparent pay struc-

Carrie Gracie

ture."

In July last year, the BBC was forced to reveal the salaries of all employees earning more than £150,000 a year.

Gracie said she was dismayed to discover the BBC's two male international editors earned "at least 50 per cent more" than its two female counterparts.

US editor Jon Sopel earned £200,000-£249,999, it was revealed, while Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen earned £150,000£199,999.

Gracie was not on the list, meaning her salary was less than £150,000.

A letter calling for equal pay – published in the Telegraph – was later signed by both Gracie and

BBC Europe editor, Katya Adler.

In her open letter, Gracie said: "The Equality Act 2010 states that men and women doing equal work must receive equal pay.

"But last July I learned that in the previous financial year, the two men earned at least 50 per cent more than the two women.

"Despite the BBC's public insistence that my appointment demonstrated its commitment to gender equality, and despite my own insistence that equality was a condition of taking up the post, my managers had yet again judged that women's work was worth much less than men's." (Excerpt from BBC News)

Indian prince opens his palace to LGBT people

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gay Indian prince has opened up his 15-acre palace grounds to vulnerable LGBT people and is said to be constructing more buildings to house visitors.

Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil, who is the son and probable heir of the Maharaja of Rajpipla in Gujarat in western India, will run the centre with his organisation The Lakshya Trust.

The royal, who was ostracised by his family after coming out publically in 2006, started the community based organisation to support gay men and educate people about the prevention of HIV/AIDS. Homosexuality remains a big taboo in Indian society and same-sex relations is punishable by law in the country.

Speaking to the International Business Times, the prince said he was keen to empower people with the social security system they need to ensure they are not left with nothing if their families disown them after coming out.

“If I could undergo these problems, then any other gay person could face a similar situation,” he said.

“In India, we have a family system and we are mentally conditioned to be with our parents. The moment you try to come out, you are told you will be thrown out and society will boycott you. You become a social outcast. A lot of people are financially dependent on their parents.”

“I want to give people social and financial empowerment, so eventually people who want to come out won’t be affected. They will have their own social security system.

Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil

It won’t make a difference if they are disinherited.”

The prince’s coming out was breaking news all over India at the time and resulted in effigies of him being burned in his home state and people calling for him to be denied his title. On top of this, he was disowned and disinherited by his parents.

Since then he has been the subject of BBC series “Undercover Princes” – a 2009 reality TV show which took three royals from their respective cultures and put them in Brighton where they were forced to “live and date”.

Prince Manvendra’s charity provides counselling, clinical services and support groups to thousands of men who have sex with men. Many of the men in question have yielded to cultural burdens to marry women despite their sexuality.

The Prince himself was forced into marriage in 1991, but has since said the relationship was “a total disaster”. It resulted in divorce the

following year.

Prince Manvendra, who had a highly traditional and conservative upbringing, appeared as a guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show back in 2007. He was one of three persons featured on the show titled “Gay Around the World”, saying he does not regret coming out and that he thinks the people living in his state admire him for the leading role he has taken in preventing and educating about HIV/ AIDS. Last summer, India’s Supreme Court issued a historic ruling confirming the right of the country’s LGBT people to express their sexuality without discrimination.

Judges in India ruled sexual orientation is covered under clauses in the Indian Constitution that link to liberty in spite of the Government claiming there was no legal right to privacy. The ruling leads the way for discriminatory practices against LGBT people in the country to be challenged in the courts. (The

Independent)

t Kitts is the only Caribbean destination among the 22 ‘hot spots’ selected by Bloomberg from across the globe in its Where to Go in 2018.

“It is an honour to be named among the 22 destinations that Bloomberg is recommending as ideal for travellers in 2018,” said Minister of Tourism, International Trade, Industry and Commerce Lindsay Grant.

“With the recent debut of the new Park Hyatt St Kitts Christophe Harbour in November and the beginning of peak season, the continued inclusion of the island among lists of top places to go helps us build brand awareness and drive bookings from our target markets.”

The list published by Bloomberg names “22 es-

St Kitts is cited as having “pulled off a beach-escape hat trick” as it feels untouched while being both comfortable and convenient.

pecially compelling destinations” for travel in 2018.

St Kitts is cited as having “pulled off a beach-escape hat trick” as it feels untouched while being both comfortable and convenient.

The natural rainforest combined with the beach en-

vironment is noted as being what travellers hope for in a luxury vacation.

The article also states that Delta non-stop flights from Atlanta and New York help make the island “more accessible than many of its Caribbean peers”. (Caribbean360)

Break statistical silence on women’s participation in trade, production and value chains – ECLAC Head

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n the framework of the 11th WTO Ministerial Conference last month in Argentina, the Executive Secretary of the United Nations’ Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) participated in an event addressing the relationship between trade and gender equality.

Alicia Bárcena urged the Region’s countries to break the statistical silence on women’s participation in trade, production and value chains in order to create policies for tearing down the barriers preventing women from taking part in the labour market on equal footing with men. She specifically proposed stronger integration of this issue in the work done by the Statistical Conference of the Americas (SCA), a subsidiary body of ECLAC. Bárcena participated in the Making Trade Work for Gender Equality: From Evidence to Action event, organized by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD); the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD); and the Governments of Finland and Sweden.

Also participating in the event were FrançoisPhilippe Champagne, Canada’s Minister of International Trade; Oscar Stenström, State Secretary to the Minister for EU Affairs and Trade, Mrs Ann Linde; Terhi Hakala, Permanent Representative of Finland to the United Nations in Geneva; Ambassador Aníbal Cabral; Isabelle Durant, UNCTAD Deputy Secretary General; and Simonetta Zarrilli, Chief of that insti-

ECLAC Executive Secretary Alicia Bárcena at Making Trade Work for Gender Equality: From Evidence to Action (Photo courtesy of UNCTAD)

tution’s Trade, Gender and Development Programme.

The discussion was moderated by Ricardo MeléndezOrtiz, Chief Executive of ICTSD. ECLAC’s work on gender equality, Bárcena explained, is focused on the three dimensions of women’s autonomy: physical, economic and in decision-making.

On the matter of economic autonomy, available statistics indicate that, despite the fact that women have more years of schooling than men on average, their rate of employment in the labour market is below that of their male peers, they receive lower wages under similar conditions and work mostly in low-productivity sectors, the senior UN official sustained.

“Women are much better prepared to enter the labour market today, but they face an important social barrier: the care economy forces them to stay at home caring for dependents, children, older persons and disabled persons, without pay or social protection,” the Executive Secretary said, calling on countries to “free

up women’s time with policies of co-responsibility in matters of caregiving”.

“The productive structure of Latin America and the Caribbean – intensive in extractive activities – also conspires against greater participation by women in the workforce,” she underscored.

During the event, Bárcena also welcomed the Joint Declaration on Trade and Women’s Economic Empowerment that was later signed during the WTO Ministerial Conference in Buenos Aires. Among other precedents, the declaration is based on Sustainable Development Goal 5 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which seeks to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.

“All stakeholders involved should put ourselves at the service of this declaration,” Bárcena said. In her opinion, “trade agreements should guarantee, for instance, that women and men are treated equally when it comes to salaries”, among other matters.

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monDAY, january 8, 2018

Regional

Peru’s Fujimori calls for unity Venezuela orders air, sea traffic cut with 3 after controversial pardon Caribbean neighbours F V

ormer President Alberto Fujimori called for Peruvians on Saturday to set aside their “grudges” in order to unite against violence and crime, appealing to his right-wing political base less than two weeks after being freed from prison by a presidential pardon.

In his first comments since being released from a hospital for blood pressure and heart problems on Thursday, Fujimori took to Twitter to reflect on the new chapter in his life following a decade in prison serving a 25-year prison sentence for graft and human rights crimes.

“I‘m constantly invaded by dreams and want to share them,” Fujimori said, describing a nation free of “grudges”

Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori, accompanied by his son Kenji Fujimori (right), leaves the Centenary hospital in Lima, Peru, January 4, 2018

in a jab at his opponents.

“We’ll be in a country in which security is regained and violence eliminated. We can only achieve these goals by setting aside special interests and opportunism.

UNITED WE CAN DO IT!” Fujimori’s remarks were the first sign that he would play a more active role in Peruvian politics, potentially supporting President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski following a

series of political resignations that have shaken his centre-right government.

Kuczynski, 79, a former Wall Street banker, has struggled to govern alongside a Congress ruled by Fujimori’s supporters, and pardoned Fujimori on Christmas Eve, three days after Fujimori asked his loyalists to help Kuczynski survive an impeachment bid in Congress.

The decision ignited protests and a backlash against the political establishment.

Critics of the pardon have slammed it as a blow to the global fight against impunity and efforts to heal the wounds of a conflict between leftist insurgents and Fujimori’s 19902000 government that killed an estimated 69,000 people.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

DomRep Govt rejects claim of mistreating Haitians

This file photo shows Haitian sugar cane workers rallying in front of the Haitian Embassy demanding the Haitian passports needed

T

he Government of Dominican Republic has hit out at accusations that the country has mistreated undocument-

ed Haitians, as reported in a L’Osservatore Romano, a newspaper published in the Vatican.

According to Dominican

Republic’s Ambassador to the Vatican, Víctor Grimaldi, there is no truth to the report published on Friday.

“The Dominican Republic, like any organised State (United States, Chile, Mexico, Peru, Ecuador, Brazil and the Vatican itself) has the right to documentarily regulate the entry and exit of foreign citizens to its territory. We do it in strict compliance to international laws and agreements,” says Grimaldi in a letter to the editor-in-chief of the Vatican newspaper, Gian Maria Vian.

The diplomat said the Dominican Republic offers facilities to the nationals of the neighbouring country,

ensuring that thousands of Haitians receive free medical care during pregnancies and deliveries in Dominican hospitals, as well as the opportunity for studies and work for thousands of Haitians “Everyone’s rights are respected, as well as the thousands and thousands of foreigners from other countries such as Venezuela, Colombia, Cuba, Italy, Spain, the United States and other places in the world,” he said.

The Ambassador, in his letter, stressed that the Dominican people and their Government are generous and welcome migrants of all nationalities, “as long as they respect our laws”. (CMC)

enezuela orders air, sea traffic cut with 3 Caribbean neighbours Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro has ordered a temporary shutdown of air and maritime traffic with three Caribbean neighbours, accusing smugglers thereof seeking to plunder his South American country.

In a televised address on Friday, Maduro said he had halted all flights and ship traffic to the Dutch Caribbean islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao, known as the “ABC islands,” for 72 hours.

He accused the three countries of running black markets by syphoning everything from copper to food before selling the items.

“They take away gold from this country illegally, and make it legal to sell there; they take away coltan, they take away diamonds, they take away all food products,” Maduro said. “I didn't want to take a measure like this one, but I am ready to take even more radical measures.”

The islands, which are short distances from Venezuela's northern coast, have long hosted black markets for Venezuelan contraband, trading everything from illegally-mined minerals to narcotics; however, in recent times, the islands have become better known as the landing site of boats of Venezuelans fleeing the country.

According to reports, many refugees have fled illegally, so the closure is unlikely to stop those departures, but it will prevent Venezuelans wishing to travel by air at a time when many airlines refuse to fly to the country because of safety concerns.

Aruba is the site of a large refinery that Citgo, the American subsidiary of

Venezuela's state oil company, has been touting plans to refurbish.

“I hope that during these 72 hours the leaders of these countries will take the measures we've asked for more than two years” against smugglers, Maduro said. “Mafias are waging war on our electricity, they steal our copper and they sell it legally.”

Maduro has closed borders in the past after alleging that smugglers were robbing the country, especially at times when his government faces problems.

In late 2016, Maduro shut down the border with Colombia, alleging that mobsters there were hoarding currency, the paper said, adding that, the previous year, he had ordered a longer closure and declared a state of emergency along the same border, saying that food, fuel and other goods were being smuggled there.

The measures had little effect on smuggling in the area, residents said but did prevent many thousands of Venezuelans from crossing the border to buy food during shortages.

Presently, Venezuela is also struggling with hyperinflation and the Maduro Administration ordered more than 200 supermarkets to cut prices back to last month's levels. (CMC)

US Senator says no evidence Eyes on crime, economy, Petrotrin as PM Rowley of ‘sonic attacks’ in Cuba addresses the nation R A epublican Senator Jeff Flake says the US has found no evidence that American diplomats in Havana were the victims of attacks with an unknown weapon.

Flake, a Senate Foreign Relations Committee member and a longtime leading advocate of detente with Cuba, met Friday with high-ranking Cuban officials including Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez and officials from the Interior Ministry, which oversees domestic security and works with foreign law enforcement agencies.

The Cubans told Flake the FBI has told them that after four trips to Cuba, its agents have found no evidence that mysterious illnesses suffered by US dip-

lomats were the result of attacks.

Flake told The Associated Press on Saturday morning that classified briefings from US officials have left him with no reason to doubt the Cuban account, although he declined to discuss the contents of those briefings.

Cuban and FBI officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Saturday.

Washington says 24 US Government officials and spouses fell ill in Havana in their homes and some hotels starting in 2016.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said he’s “convinced these were targeted attacks”, but the US doesn’t know who’s behind them.

The US has withdrawn most of its diplomats from

Republican Senator Jeff Flake

Havana, citing a health risk, and forced many Cuban diplomats to leave Washington.

Cuba has decried the reductions as an unjustified blow to US-Cuban relations that were restored under President Barack Obama.

Flake, one of President

Donald Trump’s toughest Republican critics, announced last year that he would not seek re-election as Senator from Arizona.

He has not ruled out running against Trump in 2020.

(Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

lmost a year ago, on January 11, 2017, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley addressed the nation about the poor financial state of energy company Petrotrin. At that time, he said it could not be business as usual with the Stateowned company because it was already a drain on the Treasury.

Petrotrin was once again expected to be in focus when Dr Rowley spoke to the nation in a live broadcast scheduled for Sunday evening , just days after he met with directors of the company and received a report on plans for its restructuring.

The PM is also expected to address the issue of rising crime – the murder toll hit 493 at the end of 2017 and

already, in just six days, the murder rate has reached 17.

The economy and job losses are also expected to be addressed. The industrial relations climate in T&T is also expected to come into focus.

The National Trade Union Centre, during a news conference on Thursday, called on the Government to settle all outstanding issues affecting the labour sector, including outstanding negotiations.At the start of 2017, there was the threat of a strike at Petrotrin as the Oilfields Workers Trade Union (OWTU), led by Ancel Roget, pushed for salary increases for workers, rejecting a three per cent offer for the 2014-2017 period. (Excerpt

from Trinidad Guardian)

monDAY, january 8, 2018

guyanatimesgy.com

17

Around the World

Tanker and ship collision near Steve Bannon says 'treason' Shanghai leaves 32 missing remark not directed at Trump Jr

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hirty-two people are missing after an oil tanker collided with a cargo ship off China's east coast, near Shanghai.

The Sanchi tanker, carrying 136,000 tonnes of Iranian oil worth US$60 million, caught fire after the crash and has been burning for nearly 24 hours.

China's Ministry of Transport said the crew – 30 Iranians and two Bangladeshis –- were missing, with rescue efforts hampered by the fierce blaze.

"Sanchi is floating and burning," the ministry said in a statement.

"There is an oil slick and we are pushing forward with rescue efforts."

The 21-strong crew of the cargo ship were rescued, the Ministry said.

Poor weather and plumes of smoke rising from the tanker are making rescue attempts difficult, Mohammad Rastad, the head of Iran's Ports and

S

The tanker was on its way to South Korea

Maritime Organisation, told Iranian television.

It is the first major accident involving an Iranian oil tanker since international sanctions limiting the country's oil exports were lifted in January 2016.

"This is a big spill," oceanographer Dr Simon Boxall told the BBC. "Potentially the entire load, 136,000 tonnes, could end up in the ocean, and that would put this in the top 10 spills of all time, so it is significant," he said.

"The only positive side is that, at the moment, the winds are keeping the oil offshore. The chances of it reaching the shore are fairly slim. But we are looking at a lot of oil here and the water depth in that area is only about 50 metres to 60 metres, so in the immediate area it will have a dramatic impact."

Eight Chinese ships have been sent to carry out the search-and-rescue operation, China's official Xinhua news agency reported. (Excerpt

from BBC News)

teve Bannon, Donald Trump's former chief strategist, has tried to reverse remarks in which he called the President's son Donald Jr "treasonous".

The accusation appears in Michael Wolff's new book Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House.

He was referring to a meeting in June 2016 between Trump's son and a group of Russians.

But on Sunday Bannon said the barb was directed at former aide Paul Manafort, who was also present.

The Senate, House of Representatives and a special counsel are all investigating alleged Russian interference in the presidential election, allegations denied by both the Kremlin and Donald Trump.

In a statement first reported by news site Axios, Steve Bannon called Donald Jr "both a patriot and a good man". "My comments were aimed at Paul Manafort,

Steve Bannon created a rift with his former boss, the President, with remarks to author Michael Wolff

a seasoned campaign professional with experience and knowledge of how the Russians operate," he said.

"He should have known they are duplicitous, cunning and not our friends. To reiterate, those comments were not aimed at Don Jr." The original remark, published in Wolff's book Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, and not disputed by Bannon, appeared to take aim at all three Trump campaign of-

ficials in the room, including Donald Jr. It read: "The three senior guys in the campaign thought it was a good idea to meet with a foreign government inside Trump Tower in the conference room on the 25th floor – with no lawyers. They didn't have any lawyers. "Even if you thought that this was not treasonous, or unpatriotic, or bad shit, and I happen to think it's all of that, you should have called the FBI immediately." (Excerpt from

BBC News)

Golden Globes: Sex scandal fallout expected to dominate Hollywood awards

F

ilm awards season gets under way with the Golden Globes later – the first major ceremony since Hollywood was hit by its sexual harassment scandals.

Stars of film and television are expected to wear black on the red carpet in a protest against misconduct.

Acceptance speeches – and host Seth Meyers' opening monologue – are

also expected to focus on the issue.

Eight actresses will attend the awards with advocates and activists for gender and racial justice.

As for the awards them-

selves, Guillermo del Toro's otherworldly romance The Shape of Water has the most nominations of any film, with seven.

Its stars include Britain's Sally Hawkins,

who is nominated for best actress in a film drama.

It's also up for best drama film, alongside Call Me

By Your Name, Dunkirk, The Post and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing,

Missouri.

The best comedy or musical film nominees are The Disaster Artist, Get Out, The Greatest Showman, Lady Bird and I, Tonya.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Cornered Merkel upbeat as Egyptian ex-PM seeks to revive grand coalition withdraws from election

Chancellor Angela Merkel is optimistic about cutting a deal

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hancellor Angela Merkel is optimistic her conservatives and the Social Democrats (SPD) can cut a deal, she said on Sunday as the parties began five days of talks about reviving the ‘grand coalition’

that has governed Germany since 2013.

Persuading the centre-left SPD to team up with her is Merkel’s best bet for forming a stable government and extending her 12 years in office after she

failed in November to form an alliance with two smaller parties.

Arriving at SPD headquarters for talks more than three months after a national election, Merkel said the parties had much work to get through but intended to tackle it quickly, adding: “I think it can succeed.”

The SPD, which had said it would go into opposition after its worst election showing since 1933, reconsidered when Germany’s President intervened.

But the centre-left party, among whose membership opposition to a grand coalition re-run remains strong, has been playing hard to get.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

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Former Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq

ormer Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq has withdrawn from the running for the country's presidency, saying he is the wrong person for the job.

Shafiq announced his

candidacy in November in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where he fled after losing the 2012 election to Mohammed Morsi.

Within days he was detained by the UAE, which supports his rival, the in-

cumbent President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

Shafiq was widely seen as the most serious challenger to Sisi.

He was deported by the UAE following his arrest and his family reported being unable to contact him after his arrival in Egypt.

Hours later, he gave an interview on Egyptian television in which he denied speculation he'd been kidnapped and said he was reconsidering his decision to run against Sisi.

His family raised concerns of foul play, and alleged he was being held against his will at a Cairo hotel. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Syria monitor: Over 20 killed in Idlib car bomb blast

A

t least 23 people, including seven civilians, have been killed in a car bomb attack in Syria's north-western city of Idlib, according to a monitoring group.

The blast on Sunday evening struck the military headquarters of the "Ajnad al-Ka-

vkaz" armed group in the city, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said.

The monitor, which gathers its information from a network of sources inside Syria, added that it was not clear whether the attack was spe-

cifically targeting the group's base. According to the SOHR, three sisters were among the civilians who were killed in the explosion.

The rebel-held province of Idlib has seen increased violence in recent weeks as forces of Syrian President Bashar

al-Assad intensify their efforts to gain control over the region.

The SOHR estimates that over the past two weeks, the Syrian army has managed to take more than 60 villages in Idlib province. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

18

guyanatimesgy.com

monDAY, january 8, 2018

ARCHIE

Take a moment to re-evalARIES uate whatever is going on in (March 21- your life before you decide to April 19) take action or make changes.

A hasty response will leave you in a vulnerable position.

Live life and learn from ex-

TAURUS perience. Taking short trips, (April 20- holding conversations and May 20) soul-searching will encourage

dilbert

you to make positive changes to the way you think and do things. Romance is highlighted.

Rely on your charm to get GEMINI you through the day without (May 21conflict.

A positive change June 20) in a close relationship will be dependent on your words and gestures.

Refrain from letting your

CANCER emotions take the reins. You’ll (June 21- only make matters worse if July 22) you complain or criticise. Don’t

Peanuts

make changes without getting consent from the people affected by your choices.

Change may be calling out LEO to you, but gauge how much (July 23- it will cost and consider the Aug. 22) possible consequences should you not enforce moderation.

Proceed with caution.

Don’t let the changes goVIRGO ing on around you disrupt (Aug. 23your plans. Your steadiness Sept. 22) will be respected, and the support you are given will help you complete whatever you start.

Calvin and Hobbes

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

WORD GAME

SUDOKU

Don’t let your emotions overrule what needs to be done. Act appropriately in light of what’s transpired, and let the facts guide you to make the best choice.

You’ll have plenty of enSCORPIO ergy, so don’t sit idle. A short (Oct. 24jaunt, a get-together with Nov. 22) friends or relatives or an energetic activity that challenges you physically is favoured.

You can outmanoeuvre SAGITTARIUS anyone if you control your (Nov. 23emotions.

Rely on your speed Dec. 21) and accuracy to help you avoid interference. Someone is likely to divulge information that could damage your reputation.

SATURDAY’S WORD

solution for LAST PUBLISHED Puzzle

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

Copyright 2015, Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

Listen and learn, but CAPRICORN don’t make a move. Stick (Dec. 22close to home and avoid anyJan. 19) one who tends to be inconsistent or difficult to handle.

Look for unusual ways to make improvements.

Make your financial deciAQUARIUS sions based on your dispos(Jan. 20able income. The idea is to Feb. 19) lessen your stress, not add to it. Act and react intelligently, regardless of temptation.

Live within your means.

Look for good investPISCES (Feb. 20- ments. Observe what others March 20) are doing to get ahead and consider the best way to apply successful methods to your circumstances.

monDAY, january 8, 2018

19

Bolt to have football try-out at Dortmund Usain Bolt

A

fter retiring from athletics as one of the sport’s greatest ever, Usain Bolt continues to set his sights on a professional football career.

Sprint star Usain Bolt will undergo a trial with Borussia Dortmund in a bid to earn a professional contract at Manchester United.

The Jamaican, an alltime athletics legend after winning eight Olympic golds, retired after damaging his hamstring in his last ever race at the World Championships in London

last year.

After recovering from that injury, the 31-year-old has reiterated his desire to switch sports, claiming he has held talks with the club’s legendary former manager Alex Ferguson over a possible United deal, while his long mooted Dortmund trial is still on the cards.

“The injury is now fine and I’m back fully fit,” Bolt, the 100 metres world-record holder, told the Express.

“In March we’re going to do trials with Dortmund and that will determine what I

do with that career, which way it goes. If they say I’m good, and that I need a bit of training, I’ll do it.

“It makes me nervous.

I don’t get nervous but this is different, this is football now. It’ll take time to adjust but once I play a few times I’ll get used to it. It was the same when I started track and field.

“I was nervous for a while until I started getting used to the crowd, people and everyone around and it falls into place.

“One of my biggest

dreams is to sign for Manchester United.

If Dortmund say I’m good enough, I’ll crack on and train hard. I’ve spoken to Alex Ferguson and I told him he needs to put in a good word. He told me if I get fit and ready, he will see what he can do.”

Bolt, who won 11 World Championship gold medals in a glittering sprinting career, indicated he has sought advice from Paul Pogba over a potential football career.

“I do think I have a chance,” Bolt added. “I watch a lot of football, I un-

Coutinho part of Barcelona plan for post-Messi years M

ichael Laudrup expects Philippe Coutinho to become part of Barcelona’s long-term plan to replace Lionel Messi.

Former Barcelona star Michael Laudrup believes Philippe Coutinho has been signed as part of the club’s long-term plan to replace star forward Lionel Messi.

Brazil international Coutinho finally sealed his transfer to Barca from Liverpool on Saturday for a reported club-record fee that could rise to as much as €160million.

Messi signed his latest contract in November that will keep him at the club until the end of the 2020-21 season, after which he has been tipped to move back to Argentina, most likely to join boyhood club Newell’s Old Boys.

Laudrup, who spent five years at Camp Nou, expects Coutinho to be under pressure to perform given his price, but feels he could become part of an overhaul of the team so they can cope when Messi calls time on his career in Europe.

“With this price tag on his shoulders, there will be huge expectations,” he told Omnisport. “When you talk about Barcelona, first of

all, you think about Lionel Messi. But he needs great players.

“In recent years, Barcelona have lost some important players: Xavi Hernandez, Neymar and others, like [Carles] Puyol.

So they need to build on this, even if they are top now, because there will be one day when Messi is not there.

“The only way you can do that, knowing you cannot find a new Messi, is to try to get three, four, five very good players to fill the gap that he will leave.”

Coutinho’s move was partly funded by Neymar’s world-record €222m transfer to Paris Saint-Germain last August, which prompted Barca to splash out €105m on Borussia Dortmund’s Ousmane Dembele.

With Dembele now back from a hamstring injury, it has been suggested Coutinho will likely play in a central midfield position with a view to taking over from 33-year-old Andres Iniesta.

But Laudrup, who won four LaLiga titles and the 1992 European Cup among a host of honours for Barca, does not believe the 25-year-old is an ideal fit

for a deeper position.

“I have a doubt that he can replace Iniesta because he is more offensive than

Iniesta,” he said. “On the other hand, Iniesta was offensive when started and down the years he became more of a midfielder. I see him more in the position of Neymar.

“He’s a very good player and he’ll fit into the Barcelona way.”

Coutinho’s deal makes him the third most expensive player in history, behind Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, who will

derstand it, I play it. With training, I could be good.

“Me and Pogba talk a lot.

I watch and ask him a lot of questions. I want to play but it has to be in the top league. I’m not content to be average.

“It’s going to be hard because my career has been so great but if I could win a Champions League or something, it’ll be close to anything I achieved in athletics.

“But I have to be more than average. It has to be in the top league because we have a lot of teams that have offered us deals, just

random clubs. I want to be the best.

“I personally want to play on the wing but I know, listening to everybody and talking to footballers, that I will be put up top.

“I strive to be the best and if I get a chance to play for a team like Manchester United it will be a massive deal. I don’t miss the sprint training. I miss the competition, and getting out on the track in front of the crowd, but not the training.

“I will definitely want to get up and go train and be excited just to play at Old Trafford.” (Sportsmax)

Atlanta Falcons beat Los Angeles Rams in wildcard play-offs

cost PSG €180m when he makes his loan move from Monaco permanent at the end of the season.

It also comes just a week after Liverpool made Virgil van Dijk the m o s t e x pensive defender in the world when they signed him from Southampton for a reported fee of €84m.

Laudrup admits the sums involved in major transfers have reached incredible levels.

“I think, in the last few years, it’s gone crazy,” he said. “I mean, 80 million or 90 million six or seven years ago was huge. Now, we’re talking 150, 160. We see Neymar to Paris and now we see Coutinho.

“The amounts have just gone sky high in the last few years. I think we all ask ourselves: ‘where will it end?’” (Sportsmax) Philippe Coutinho

Atlanta Falcons cornerback Robert Alford, right, breaks up a pass intended for Los Angeles

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he Atlanta Falcons kept their bid for Super Bowl redemption on track with a 26-13 victory over the Los Angeles Rams in the NFL wildcard play-offs.

Matt Bryant kicked four field goals as the Falcons secured a second-round match with the Philadelphia Eagles the top-ranked NFC team.

The Falcons were devastated by the New England Patriots’ comeback victory in last year’s Super Bowl.

In the AFC, the Tennessee Titans won 22-21 at the Kansas City Chiefs.

Tennessee quarterback Marcus Mariota’s exploits included, remarkably, catching a touchdown pass from himself.

He helped the Titans to their first play-off win for 14 years when he scored a touchdown in unlikely circumstances, after an attempted pass deflected back into his hands off an opponent, and he dived into the endzone.

“It’s hard to explain,” Mariota said. “I really got lucky there and was trying to make a play. I kind of was at the right place at the right time.”

The Titans will play either the Patriots, defending Super Bowl champions, or the Pittsburgh Steelers in the next round of the play-offs.

In the other wildcard games on Sunday, the Jacksonville Jaguars host the Buffalo Bills, while the New Orleans Saints entertain the Carolina Panthers. (bbc)

20

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monDAY, january 8, 2018

Australia close in on 4-0 after Marsh hundreds A

ustralia were closing on an innings victory with England fighting a desperate rearguard on 93 for four at stumps on the fourth day of the fifth Ashes test on Sunday, still 210 runs from forcing their hosts to bat again. Brothers Shaun and Mitchell Marsh had earlier both scored centuries on a scorching morning at the Sydney Cricket Ground to put Australia in a position where they could declare on 649-7 in the second session.

England, already 3-0 down in the series with the urn relinquished, had toiled in the field in temperatures in excess of 40 degrees Celsius with little success and their luck did not change when they came out to bat.

A special day for the Marsh family (Getty Images)

SCOREBOARD England 1st innings 346 Australia 1st innings C Bancroft b Broad 0 D Warner c †Bairstow b Anderson 56 U Khawaja st †Bairstow b Crane 171 S Smith (c) c & b Ali 83 SE Marsh run out (Stoneman) 156 M Marsh b Curran 101 T Paine † not out 38 M Starc c Vince b Ali 11 P Cummins not out 24 Extras (b 2, lb 4, nb 2, w 1) 9 TOTAL :7d (193 Overs) 649 Did not bat: JR Hazlewood, NM Lyon Fall of wickets: 1-1 (CT Bancroft, 1.2 ov), 2-86 (DA Warner, 31.4 ov), 3-274 (SPD Smith, 93.1 ov), 4-375 (UT Khawaja, 130.4 ov), 5-544 (MR Marsh, 173.2 ov), 6-596 (SE Marsh, 185.6 ov), 7-613 (MA Starc, 188.4 ov)

Curran took out his off stump.

The brothers both scored their second centuries of the series in a brilliant 169-run partnership that built on the mammoth 171 Usman Khawaja scored on Saturday.

It was a particularly sweet partnership given Shaun was a controversial selection for the series, his eighth recall to the test line-up being met with disbelief in some quarters, and Mitchell was only brought in for the third test in Perth.

Mitchell was the second to reach the milestone about an hour into the morning with two runs past point a n d

Bowling : Anderson 34-1456-1, Broad 30-2-121-1, Ali 48-10-170-2, Curran 25-382-1, MS Crane 48-3-193-1, Root 8-3-21-0 England 2nd Innings A Cook b Lyon 10 M Stoneman lbw b Starc 0 J Vince c Smith b Cummins 18 J Root (c) not out 42 D Malan lbw b Lyon 5 J Bairstow † not out 17 Extras: (lb 1) 1 TOTAL: 4 (46 Overs, RR: 2.02) 93 Yet to bat: MM Ali, TK Curran, SCJ Broad, MS Crane, JM Anderson Fall of wickets: 1-5 (MD Stoneman, 2.6 ov), 2-15 (AN Cook, 5.5 ov), 3-43 (JM Vince, 20.6 ov), 4-68 (DJ Malan, 33.4 ov) Bowling: Starc 9-2-17-1, Hazlewood 9-1-26-0, Lyon 196-31-2, Cummins 7-1-12-1, Smith 2-0-6-0

Openers Alastair Cook and Mark Stoneman went cheaply inside the first six overs of their second innings with James Vince (18) and Dawid Malan (five) following in the final session.

Skipper Joe Root, who made an unbeaten 42 despite playing with an injured finger, and Jonny Bairstow (17 not out) will take England’s fight to save the test into the final day.

The Marsh brothers had earlier joined the Chappell siblings Ian and Greg (1972) and the Waugh twins Mark and Steve (2001) in scoring centuries in the same innings in an Ashes test.

Shaun Marsh made 156 from 291 balls before being run out by a Stoneman direct hit just after lunch, with

Mitchell h a v ing departed for 101 on the delivery after securing his second century when T o m

S h a u n was in such a hurry to congratulate his little brother that he almost ran him out.

“Emotions got the better of me and I wanted to give him a hug,” 34-year-old Shaun told reporters.

“To be out there with Mitch, to both score our test centuries today for Australia, being out there and sharing each other’s emotions when we got to our hundreds, was an extremely happy moment. It’ll certainly be a day that we won’t forget.”

Shaun had started the day on 98 with Australia 479 for four and took just five balls to secure his sixth test century by crunching Moeen Ali through the covers for one of the 18 fours he scored in his 403-minute knock.

While Australia flourished with the bat, England continued to struggle.

Cook did become the sixth batsman to score 12,000 runs in tests but the ovation had barely been completed before Stoneman was dismissed for a duck by pace spearhead Mitchell Starc, the batsman reviewing the lbw decision to no avail.

Former skipper Cook was dismissed for 10 rocking back in his crease to a superb delivery from spinner Nathan Lyon that removed the bail from his off stump. (Reuters)

Nathan Lyon was quickly among the wickets (Getty Images)

Rain washes out day 3 at Newlands in finely-balanced Test

Steyn a doubt for rest of India series

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Ground staff workers are seen as they try to sweep water on the pitch after play was delayed due to rain

ain washed out day three of the first test between South Africa and India on Sunday, preventing any chance of play in the finely balanced opener to the three-game series between the top two ranked sides in world cricket.

South Africa were set to resume their second innings on 65 for two, a lead of 142 on what is a lively wicket offering plenty of assistance to

the seamers.

Hashim Amla (four) and nightwatchman Kagiso Rabada (two) are the not out batsmen who will now wait until Monday to resume their innings, with no rain forecast for the remainder of the game.

South Africa were bowled out for 286 in their first innings, before restricting India to 209 in reply.

The home side have con-

firmed that fast bowler Dale Steyn will miss the remainder of the test, and possibly the series, with a heel injury, leaving them with three seamers with which to bowl India out in the second innings if they are to win the match.

The teams are meeting in a three-test series this month with matches in Pretoria and Johannesburg to come. (Reuters)

S

Dale Steyn has taken a total of 419 wickets in 86 Tests

outh African bowler Dale Steyn could miss the remainder of the Test series against India with a heel injury, and will see a surgeon on Sunday.

Steyn, 34, has taken two wickets so far in the first Test his first match since November 2016 after recovering from a long-standing shoulder injury.

He went off before the tea break on day two after landing awkwardly in footmarks while bowling.

Scans showed tissue damage, but Steyn may yet bat again in the match.

“We have contacted one of the leading foot and ankle surgeons attached to Cricket South Africa’s medical committee to have a look at him tomorrow to give us an opinion going forward,” said Proteas team manager Dr Mohammed Moosajee.

“He is unlikely to bowl further in this Test match because the recovery period

could be anything from four to six weeks, which means he is likely to miss the remainder of the series against India.”

Steyn needs three wickets to overtake Shaun Pollock and become South Africa’s leading wicket-taker of all-time.

South Africa lead India by 142 runs with eight wickets remaining in Cape Town and three days of play left. Two further Tests will be played in Centurion and Johannesburg later this month. (BBC)

sports

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Messi equals Muller’s goal-scoring record L

Messi (left) played a clever one-two with Alba (centre) before opening the scoring

ionel Messi marked his 400th Barcelona appearance with a goal as the La Liga leaders maintained their nine-point advantage with victory over Levante.

Messi opened the scoring at the Nou Camp, chipping the ball to Jordi Alba and volleying home the return.

His 365th La Liga goal equalled Gerd Muller’s record for goals in a single one of Europe’s top five leagues.

Luis Suarez produced a superb strike before halftime and Paulinho tapped

in a third in second-half stoppage time.

Suarez stepped over Messi’s low ball across the six-yard box, affording Paulinho a simple finish for his seventh league goal of the season.

Suarez, took his own tally to 11 and could have added more but for a fine Oier save in the second period.

Aside from a MarcAndre ter Stergen save to keep out Shaquell Moore in a one-on-one opportunity, Barca eased to victory, extending their run to 26 matches unbeaten in all competitions.

Messi’s goal - his 16th in La Liga this season - means he needs to score just once more to surpass the record Muller set while playing for Bundesliga side Bayern Munich between 1964 and 1979.

The three points cancelled out second-placed Atletico Madrid’s win over Getafe on Saturday to restore a nine-point advantage.

The success also arrived in a good-news week for the club as they finally landed long-term transfer target Philippe Coutinho

from Liverpool, with the Brazilian set to be confirmed as a Barca player imminently.

It is not yet clear how Coutinho will fit into Barca’s line-up, with some predicting he will be a long-term replacement for 33-year-old midfielder Andres Iniesta, who made his 650th club appearance.

Coutinho was not at the game, with reports in Spain suggesting he will complete a medical at Barcelona on Monday with a presentation to follow soon after. (BBC)

Strikers go top after Rashid delivers again R

ashid Khan took another two wickets and blasted as many sixes in a brief knock as Adelaide Strikers moved top of the Big Bash League.

Rashid Khan sparkled again as Adelaide Strikers grasped the opportunity to go top of the Big Bash League with a 25-run victory over Sydney Thunder on Sunday.

The in-form Colin Ingram top scored with 48 from 31 balls at Spotless Stadium, Ahmed where Fawad took 3-31 and Gurinder Sandhu 2-28 in the Strikers’ innings of 158-7.

Rashid blasted an unbeaten 16 in the final over from Mitchell McClenaghan and the Afghanistan spinner took 2-21 from his four overs as the Thunder could only muster 133-9.

Michael Neser (3-29) and Peter Siddle (2-13) also made key contributions with the ball in a fourth win out of five for the Strikers, leaving the Thunder down in fifth spot and eagerly awaiting the return of Australia batsman Usman Khawaja after the final Ashes Test finishes.

Ingram in the zone

Ingram made 66 in the defeat of Hobart Hurricanes last time out and flexed his muscles again, smashing four sixes and two fours in a brutal knock.

Alex Carey looked well

Rashid Khan is congratulated by his team-mates (Getty Images)

set when Ahmed bowled him for 34 off 28, but Ingram got into full flow, striking Sandhu over the ropes at square leg twice with great timing and power.

Sandhu got a measure of revenge by snaring the South African caught behind, but his dismissal came too late in the day.

Rashid goes from strength to strength

Rashid has proved to be a shrewd signing for the Strikers and stepped up again under the lights.

After launching McClenaghan for two sixes in a costly final over, the 19-year-old tweaker bowled the dangerous Jos Buttler with a wrong’un to end an opening stand of 45 in the seventh over.

Rashid also saw the back of Arjun Nair and has now taken two wickets in all five BBL matches. The teenager took a catch for good measure and picked up the manof-the-match award.

Rohrer roars in lost cause

Tight bowling from the

Strikers frustrated the home side, but Ben Rohrer produced some fireworks to get the crowd on the edge of their seats.

He hit Ben Laughlin for 22 from four deliveries in the 18th over to give the Thunder hope, but Neser dismissed him for a 13-ball 29 and that allbut sealed victory for the Strikers.

Siddle, another impressive new recruit, struck twice in the last over as Adelaide eased to another win. (Sportsmax)

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GUYANATIMESgy.COM

monDAY, january 8, 2018

Ming headed to New Zealand for Toyota racing series C

alvin Ming will make his southern hemisphere debut when he starts the first round of the Castrol Toyota Racing Series at Ruapuna Park, Christchurch, New Zealand on January 12-14.

According to Velocitynews, the 21-year-old has done most of his motor racing in the United States and Mexico finished fifth in the American Formula 2000 series scoring four podium finishes and one fastest lap.

Ming won the Nacam FIA Formula 4 Championship held from late in 2016 into this year with 21 races in Texas and Mexico, winning seven times and scoring another 10 podiums, as well as five fastest laps and three pole positions.

The previous season, 2015–'16, he came 11th in the series.

While not at University at Miramar in Florida, Ming did the 2016 Formula 1600 series in the United States finishing fourth overall with three wins, 8 podium plac-

Calvin Ming, who has done most of his motor racing in the United States and Mexico

es, three fastest laps and one pole position.

Having started karting in 2011 in Guyana, Ming won his national 125 KZ title in 2012 and 2013. By 2014 he was racing in the USA and in 2015 he did a mixture of karting and single seater events in his change over to motor racing permanently.

Ming will use the same Tatuus single seater as every other driver in the series. It is powered by a 1.8 litre Toyota engine producing about 145 kWs running on an 85 per cent ethanol bio-fuel.

All cars use the same Michelin tyres, gearbox, suspension and brakes to provide as close as racing as possible, with driving skill being the deciding factor.

The five-round, 15 race, Castrol Toyota Racing Series which concludes with the New Zealand Grand Prix at Manfeild on February 9-11, has three races each weekend on Saturday afternoon and on Sunday morning and afternoon.

United States comes to the Caribbean

T

he United States senior team will be playing in this year’s Regional Super50 tournament in the Caribbean.

The tournament, which begins on January 30 in Barbados and Antigua, has over the last two years been including invites from outside of the region to create more interest.

This year, the US will play alongside the six franchises, the Windward Islands Volcanoes, the Leeward Islands Hurricanes, the Jamaica Scorpions, The Guyana Jaguars, defending champions, the Barbados Pride, and the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force, as well as the Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC).

There will also be two English County sides in Hampshire and Kent.

Last year and the season before, US players had joined others from Canada and Bermuda as part of an ICC Americas team, that was largely ineffective, winning just one game in 14.

According to USA Cricket, the results may improve if the US team plays as a country since the players are more familiar with each other than is the case when they team up with players from Canada and Bermuda.

USA Cricket also believes that playing as a single country would also have the added benefit of helping more of their players to develop.

The US have been drawn in Group B of the Regional

T

Heated duels expected at GBA‘s February 17 card

he first card of 2018 for the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) is in the making and the tentative date is set for February 17 at the National Gymnasium.

According to a GBA President Ninvalle “the 12bout card will not only include local fighters but will also see international pugilists in the “squared circle”, the card is being held in collaboration with former Guyanese amateur boxer, Alford `Boxer’ McDonald.

Thus far it is understood that Jamaica and St Lucia have signaled their intention of sending their respective gladiators to represent their homeland.

In a release to the media, McDonald revealed; “It is my understanding that French Guiana and Grenada are also waiting on the sideline to confirm coming to Guyana. I had promised last year that this would be an annual event. We need more exposure and quality competition for our young boxers and this tournament will prov i d e j u s t that”.

While the organization of the tournament is still in the early stages, the full composition of the card will be known within two weeks as McDonald continues to work closely with GBA boss Steve

Ninvalle.

After the recent Caribbean Developmental Boxing Championships late last year where Guyanese Colin “Superman” Lewis steamrolled St. Lucian light welterweight champion, Nathan Ferrari, the latter is eager for a rematch with the Guyanese, while French Guiana has also signaled their intention to send someone to test the Caribbean bantamweight top dog `Lightning’ Keevin Allicock.

It is expected that there will be at least four international bouts.

Ninvalle revealed that it is expected that boxers from Grenada and Barbados are also expected to grace the shores of Guyana, however he maintained that their participation is yet to be fully confirmed.

In addition opponents are also being sought for Joel “Stone” Williamson; Caribbean middleweight champion “Dynamite” D e s m o n d Amsterdam, and national light heavyweight champion, Dennis “Menace” Thomas.

T h e February 17 card follows on the heels of a collaborative effort between the GBA and Seon Bristol of Briso Promotions that was staged at the National Gymnasium on Boxing Day.

Colin “Superman” Lewis will be looking to knock out St Lucian Nathan Ferrari again on February 17 USA Cricket believes that playing as a single country would also have the added benefit of helping more of their players to develop

Super50, set to bowl of in Antigua.

There they will play against the Scorpions, The

Hurricanes, the and Kent. (Sportsmax)

Jaguars,

ECB shortlists 20 for inter-county preparation

I

n a bid to have a successful performance at the upcoming Guyana Cricket Board inter-county under-15 tournament, Essequibo Cricket Board are taking an early jump at preparations by shortlisting a 20-man squad.

Those shortlisted are Ronaldo Scouten, Ryan Atkinson , Mahendra Basdeo, Davindra Ramdahin, Ramesh Ramnarine, Ricky Persaud, Jarad Allicock, Shaheen Haniff, Kevin George,

Raynard Ramroop, Adaish Ramdial, Steven Corbin, Anthony Deonarine, Dwayne Fredericks, Terrence Softliegh, Irfan Bradshaw, Avick Ramdial, Jonathan Lynch, Gladwyn Twan and Komal Shaw.

The players were drawn from the eight area committees and will be under the guidance of Coach Forbes Daniels and Manager Vickram Ramnarine.

The players will commence encampment at the Essequibo Cricket Board Hostel at Anna

Regina from next Friday to Sunday and will continue the following weekend before the final 14 is being selected.

At the last inter-county tournament, the players from the Cinderealla County only secured one win when the defeated the GCB Select XI by 59 runs. From their inter-county squad captain Sheldon Charles and Devindra Dharamdat went unto to play for Guyana at the regional tournament held in Barbados.

Ryan Atkinson

monDAY, january 8, 2018

guyanatimesgy.com

“I think he can win an Olympic medal”

23

…Ninvalle on Keevin Allicock’s beaming future

T

he Tokyo 2020 Olympics are two years away and the attention will be turning to who from Guyana will be earning a spot to compete at the prestigious Games and possibly win another medal for the country.

Since the Moscow 1980 Games when bantamweight boxer Micheal Paris won bronze, the Golden Arrow Head has not seen a podium finish. However, President of Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) believes the wait is possibly over, since he believes Keevin Allicock can deliver the goods.

“If I do think he can win an Olympic medal yes I do think he can and not him alone but we need to have the resources “, Ninvalle told Guyana Times Sport of his expectations ahead of the Games.

Allicock’s dream run at the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games in the

Jamual John had a very successful 2017

(L-R) Coach Sebert Blake, Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) President KA Juman Yassin and Commonwealth Youth Games silver medallist Keevin Allicock

Bahamas came to an end after he was out-boxed by England’s James David in their flyweight (52Kg) final.

“I think he is one of the better boxers within Latin America and I say this because it is not about his box-

S

t Lucia.

His glowing reputation has seen the GBA explore the possibility of having himself and Collin Lewis engaged in foreign training camps ahead of the 2018 Commonwealth Games which are slated to be held in Australia from April 4-15.

While not written in stone, the city of Sydney in Australia seems a possibility for the duo’s stint but they are still seeking to solidify the option with the help of the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA). (Akeem Greene)

“A bigger, better Brathwaite to 2018 is what I’m join Sydney looking for” – John Sixers

By Michelangelo Jacobus

T

More close to home he has been menacing, dominating all opponents in the Caribbean and in Guyana.

ing skills alone , it is about his temperament, his focus and discipline”, the GBA head contended.

Allicock comes from a long line of boxers from the Albouystown community and has been touted to be on the same glory path as did the late Andrew ‘Sixhead’ Lewis, lifted Guyana high on the pedestal with a world title win over James Page.

Cognisant of this glaring fact, Ninvalle plans on offering much support possible to the 18 year-old plugist.

“In the past two decades, I don’t think I have seen a boxer with the type of skill and acumen, Mr Allicock has and now it left up to him to keep the hunger. We will do our part to make sure we give him all the necessary to take to the him Tokyo”.

Last month he won one of the three gold medals the country secured at the Caribbean Boxing Championship held in

he perfect mixture of youth, ambition, the drive to succeed and a dangerous final sprint on the back end of a race; meet 20-year-old Jamual John who was Guyana’s most successful cyclist in 2017.

The lanky rider who has endurance that belies his stature will soon celebrate his 21st birthday on January 21.

Speaking to Guyana Times Sport John revealed that while 2017 was an excellent year for him locally; (he picked up the Guyana Cycling Federation’s award for the best Senior Cyclist and the accolade for the most wins of the year) in 2018 stated he will be “looking for bigger, better things; I plan

on going to train in Colombia in February and after that I will be looking to compete at the major races around the Caribbean circuits, however I will not forsake Guyana as I will be returning for all the major races.”

John who is a part of cycling club Team Coco’s said that his proposal to undertake training in Colombia is unclear as the club is yet to approve his move, however John said once granted the opportunity he “will grasp it with both hands as it is a once in a lifetime chance to further develop myself. That way I can further bring glory and accolades home for my country and help to put Guyana on the map”.

The Team Coco’s rider is also keen to compete at the Commonwealth Games in Australia slated for April

of this year, also beckoning in the horizon for the ambitious youngster is the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games set for Barranquilla, Colombia in July. He maintained that once selected to represent Guyana at both events he’ll do his best for the Land of Many Waters.

With an eye on the packed year ahead John has already started a rigorous training routine since the turn of the New Year.

He has what it takes to be the very best in his field and no doubt with the right support system and backing from the relevant authorities John will no doubt make Guyana proud and bring home glory as well as help to push other young cyclists in the right direction as he seeks to lead by example.

While Jamual John won several accolades and was the best cyclist by some distance, he is looking towards a bigger and better 2018

W

Carlos Brathwaite

indies T20 captain Carlos Brathwaite is set for a return to the Australia Big Bash League (BBL) after being signed by the Sydney Sixers.

The 29-year-old, who been signed as a replacement for Englishman Sam Billings, is expected to make his debut for the team following its Monday night fixture against Hobart Hurricanes.

It is hoped that Brathwaite, who has a strike rate of 151.13, can help turn around the fortunes of the team that is currently rooted to the bottom of the table after being winless after five games.

The all-rounder must, however, also pick himself up from a disappointing tour

of New Zealand where the West Indies failed to win a game.

The Greg Shipperdcoached Sixers must win the rest of their games to have any hope of making the finals but he is optimistic the West Indian can help turn things around.

“Carlos’ all-round skills will be welcomed, his power hitting and wily medium pace, and dynamic fielding all go to make him a precious resource in this format,” Shipperd said.

Brathwaite and fellow international replacement Joe Denly will be available for their match against the Thunder at the SCG on Saturday, 13 January.

(Sportsmax)

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

monDAY, JANUARY 8, 2018

guyanatimesgy.com

“I think he can win an Olympic medal”

Pg 23

…Ninvalle on Keevin Allicock’s beaming future

Allicock’ straight-right has a battering effect on many opponents, making him one of the most feared boxers in the Region

Ming headed to New Zealand for Toyota racing series Pg 22

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The 21-year-old is vastly improving as a Formula 4 driver