Guyanatime 16 february 2018

Japanese company donates 120 solar …to benefit P10 lanterns hinterland students Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 3483

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Friday, February 16, 2018

PRICE

Sugar estates’ reopening proves closure was “purely political” – Jagdeo

WHAT'S INSIDE: Rama Krishna Primary School woes

Page 3

…says Cabinet must take responsibility for “flip flop” policies

Region 9 Deputy REO accused of rape Page 7

…denies accusation as cover-up plot foiled

$80 vat included

Witnesses dodge Lindo Creek CoI’s 1st public hearing

Chief Education Officer “too busy” to P9 address parents’ concerns

Page 9

Works moving apace on new E Division P12 Headquarters

...hearing postponed due to poor planning, logistics

Transfers, demotions will not stop corruption – President

GRDB fraud case

Page 13

Prosecution given time P7 to produce forensic report …as defence questions motive behind charges

Natural Resources Ministry P14 launches 2018 Mash band

…as Persaud delivers final address at Annual Police Conference Seated in the front row: President David Granger with the leadership of the Guyana Police Force and other senior officers of the Joint Services at the Annual Police Conference on Thursday. The President is flanked by Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge, who is performing the functions of Prime Minister, and Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan

Armed bandits rob manager, US-based Guyanese of $7.4M Page 18

Duo remanded on carjacking charge Page 8

Five Star Backdam killing

Police witness testifies to taking 16 P19 crime scene photos

Georgetown Town Clerk downplays resignation P15 calls ...challenges Sherod Duncan to defend his own track record

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

Friday, February 16 – 05:00h-06:30h and Saturday, February, 17 – 05:00h-06:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Friday, February 16 – 16:45h-18:15h and Saturday, February, 17 – 05:15h-06:45h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

Sugar estates’ reopening proves closure was “purely political” – Jagdeo …says Cabinet must take responsibility for “flip flop” policies

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

WEATHER TODAY Thundery showers can be expected throughout the day and into the evening, with overall temperatures ranging between 22 degrees and 28 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North-easterly to East North-easterly between 1.78 metres and 5.81 metres.

High Tides: 05:00h and 17:13h reaching maximum heights of 2.58 metres and 2.69 metres respectively.

Low Tides: 10:48h and 23:09h reaching minimum heights of 0.61 metre and 0.52 metre respectively.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

By Samuel Sukhnandan

Sugar workers during a recent protest at the Skeldon Sugar Estate

hile the Opposition has welcomed the move taken by Government to have at least two sugar estates reopened soon, Opposition Leader and General Secretary of the People’s progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C), Bharrat Jagdeo, has said that this now proves Government’s move to close sugar estates was purely political.

However, the Opposition Leader said President

Unit (SPU) will also use the reopening of these estates as an example to prove to potential investors that all of the estates are viable.

As part of plans to reopen these estates, some of the already retrenched sugar workers will be reemployed to assist with harvesting canes. It is not clear why the Government took the decision to retrench workers, when they were aware that 300,000 tonnes of sug-

tion is too high, among other things, which led to the massive closures. However, Jagdeo maintained that these were all baseless arguments, which lacked substance and contained no hardcore facts.

“We’ve been bombarded with propaganda from the Government that the debt of GuySuCo (Guyana Sugar Corporation) is over $80 billion. It’s not so. When you adjust the debt to long-term

ar cane was still to be harvested.

Jagdeo said it was an illogical move that has no basis for the reality on what is taking place on the ground.

“We need to understand what the thinking of this Government is. Do they sit down and go through the numbers first before it makes a decision as critical as the one it did, to close an almost 300-year industry. In three years’ time, they have practically shut down half of the industry.”

The former Head of State said he supports the reopening of all four of the estates which the Government closed, causing tremendous hardships for thousands of sugar workers and their families.

He recalled that Government had stated that there is no future for sugar and that the cost of produc-

for pension liabilities etcetera, the debt is less than $15 billion, the short-term debt that is,” he explained.

Conducted under the ‘Sugar Industry Privatisation and Diversification’, the SPU is currently soliciting proposals from companies or per-

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David Granger and his entire Cabinet must take full responsibility for the flipflop policy choice, which also now indicates that the Government’s decision to close sugar estates and downsize the sugar industry was not based on technical facts.

Jagdeo said, “The Government must admit it made a blunder, it treated the sugar industry in a political fashion when they should have done more technical work, we called on them to do the technical work, they never did, they made the wrong decision and once they admit that, then that’s fine.”

It was reported in sections of the media on Thursday that the Skeldon and Enmore sugar factories are expected to be reopened by the end of March to reap over 300,000 tonnes of sugar cane. The Special Purposes

sons either individually or as part of a joint venture or consortium “with an interest in the privatisation and/ or diversification of Skeldon, Rose Hall, Wales and East Demerara ‘Enmore’ factories.” An evaluation of the assets of these estates is also being done.

The downsizing of the sugar industry has been fiercely resisted by the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), the parliamentary Opposition and a number of other agencies.

The operations of the La Bonne Intention Estate were amalgamated with those of the Enmore Estate; those at Wales were amalgated with Uitvlugt and there are plans to privatise Skeldon. But the closure of the estates and the sacking of workers are having an effect on the economy.

Thousands of GuySuCo workers were presented with severance letters and a substantial amount have already received part payment. Approximately $500 million was budgeted for severance payments for these workers in 2018, although $5 billion was needed to pay all workers in full.

Some 4000 sugar workers from Enmore, Rose Hall and Skeldon were dismissed from their jobs.

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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

Radio and Sports

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n 14th January 2013, the United Nations General Assembly formally endorsed the UNESCO proclamation of World Radio Day. During its 67th Session, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming 13th February every year as United Nations Radio Day, which was established in 1946 as World Radio Day. The objectives of the day are to raise among the public and the media greater awareness of the importance of radio; to encourage decision-makers to establish and provide access to information through radio; and to enhance networking and international cooperation among broadcasters.

In 2018, UNESCO is dedicating World Radio Day to the theme of radio and sports. In his message, UN Secretary-General António Guterres outlined that even in an era of dramatic advances in communications, radio retains its power to entertain, educate, inform, and inspire. “It can unite and empower communities, and give voice to the marginalized. This year, with the Winter Olympics now underway, we can also recognise the many ways in which sports broadcasting brings people together around excitement and achievements.”

In light of this year’s theme, he therefore encouraged everyone to celebrate both radio and sports as ways of helping people to achieve their full potential.

Audrey Azoulay, the Director-General of UNESCO, advocated making radio more independent and pluralistic in her message on the occasion of the 7th World Radio Day. She noted that Radio can help combat racist and xenophobic stereotypes that are expressed both on and off the field, as it allows a broad range of traditional sports to be covered far beyond the elite teams. It also provides the opportunity to nurture diversity as a force for dialogue and tolerance.

“The fight for gender equality is central to this effort. According to the report of the Global Media Monitoring Project, supported

by UNESCO, only 4% of sports media content is dedicated to women’s sport. Only 12% of sports news is presented by women.

UNESCO is working to improve the coverage of women’s sports, to combat gender discrimination on the airwaves, and to promote equal opportunities in sports media. The task is immense,” Azoulay stressed. UNESCO also called on all radio stations around the world to showcase the beauty of sports in all of its diversity.

In commemoration of the event, the Guyana Press Association (GPA) emphasized, too, that even today, radio is still hailed as critical to empowerment and education.

The local body reaffirmed its understanding that it is through the coverage of traditional and grassroots sporting games that radio can reconnect people with their cultural heritage, while also promoting the freedom of expression and diversity through cultural expression.

In their statement to commemorate the day, the GPA acknowledged that, in Guyana, there has been a continued decline in sports coverage on radio. The Association therefore expressed the hope of working with all stakeholders in an effort to bring about change, as it recognises that Radio, even in days of social media, still has the ability to empower the masses.

Radio is the mass medium reaching the widest audience in the world. It is also recognised as a powerful communication tool and a low-cost medium. It is specifically suited to reach remote communities and vulnerable people: the illiterate, the disabled, women, youth and the poor; while offering a platform to intervene in the public debate, irrespective of people’s educational level.

Furthermore, radio has a strong and specific role in emergency communication and disaster relief.

Radio broadcast in Guyana is reported to have had its founding in the late 1920s, when experimental shortwave broadcasts received from Daventry, England were initiated, not long after the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) was itself established in 1922.

After broadcasting for a few hours each week, the shortwave service ended suddenly in 1931 due to economic constraints, and it wasn’t until 1935 that radio resumed when the Marylebone Cricket Club visited the colony, and local demand for cricket commentary prompted the establishment of radio stations VP3BG and later VP3MR. The two stations are said to have been the first two radio stations established in the English- speaking Caribbean, and became popular for their cricket commentaries, music, and religious programmes. Today, radio programming in Guyana caters to a diverse ethnic demographic which covers both AM and FM broadcast bands. Radio is still the most dynamic, reactive, and engaging medium there is, adapting to 21st century changes, and offering new ways to interact and participate. By listening to its audiences and responding to their needs, radio provides the diversity of views and voices needed to address the challenges we all face. Everyone should mobilise to make radio an increasingly independent and pluralistic media. We should therefore join forces to celebrate the potential of sports radio.

Pupils of St Teresa Primary, located in Vrymens Erven, New Amsterdam, pose for a photograph on Thursday after they visited Times Media Group, Queens Atlantic Industrial Estate, Industrial Site, Ruimveldt as part of a school tour to Georgetown

Do not underestimate the relevance of radio

Dear Editor, In continuing my letter of February 14 relevant to Word Radio Day, which was celebrated on February 13, 2018, I would like to share a bit more on the impact of Radio.

Radio has evolved in our world today from analog to digital technology. This evolution provides for better frequency tuning and precision.

From my own experience, many radio stations hosted DX-ing clubs for Short Wave radio listeners. These clubs encouraged listeners to provide feedback on broadcast quality and the frequency on which the transmission or rediffusion was received. Some radio stations offered various tokens for feedback accuracy, such as bumper stickers, clothing, and other promotional material.

In my younger years,

that exercise was a particularly exciting one. Receiving mail from renowned radio networks generated greater enthusiasm than my routine pen-pal exchanges. That analogous approach has evolved over the years as a consequence of advancement in digital technology.

Local radio has also seen significant improvements over the years. We no longer have unending breaks in transmission. There was a time in Guyana when power outages created unceremonious disruptions to regular programming on the 3- Channel, 2-Station radio network. Today this country boasts close to 20 radio stations, many of which have live streams. Oh, no! The streams I refer to are not water-filled creeks. Live streaming is digital broadcasting via the Internet. Live streams

reach all across the world.

When I’m on visits overseas, I can still listen to radio in Guyana instantaneously.

Other people can also listen to us, whether they are in the UK, China, South Africa, USA or Australia. So, this is where we need to look at our content.

It is often disturbing to hear non-Guyanese talk, accents, or slangs coming from the lips of Guyanese announcers. There are exceptions. Those exceptions are non-nationals or naturalized Guyanese who may be making audio presentations.

Those persons will obviously still have their native twang, or be making linguistic transformation to (Guyanese) English.

I can tune to the VOB in Barbados and know I’m on to a Barbadian radio station, or I.S.A.A.C in T&T and know

that I’m on to a Trinidadian radio station; but many times when I tune into local stations, I wonder if they have relocated to Portmore in Jamaica or Syracuse in New York.

Local radio practitioners should be proud of their native land and native tongue, and strive to give a representation of local content. Maybe this is something the broadcast authority should look at, not as an imposition, but as encouragement to promote Guyana as Guyana for Guyana. As this country realizes the influx of various nationalities and cultural influences, we can use radio as an effective tool to help preserve our culture, customs and patrimony, and as an organ for protection of our sovereignty.

Sincerely, Orette Cutting

A closer look at Ogle Airport Inc. saga Dear Editor, It is with some interest that I am following the saga involving the Ogle Airport Inc. and the monopoly position that is occupied by one family. What is happening is a failure of the trust, powered by greed.

My understanding of the evolution of OAI revolves around what I described as one of progressive experiments in public/private partnerships. Five operators who, through the use of the Ogle aerodrome, benefited from the generosity of the state, would form themselves into a company; and that company would have the facility to develop for the benefit of these operators and the industry as a whole.

The state provided the land through a lease at peppercorn rent, and the state also on-lent a two million Euro EU facility to the OAI interest free. In addition, the state invested millions of dollars in equipment necessary

for the proper operation of the airport.

How one family has dominated the business activities and grown to have virtually total control of the Ogle Airport is a matter for the partners who were all outmanoeuvred. Government trusted that the spirit of the initial pact would be honoured. I also feel that the original partners operated with a great amount of trust among themselves.

Warning signals went unheeded, the challenges of one of the largest operators and its public spat with OAI is well documented in the media. The concerns of emerging operators who cannot have accommodation is also made public.

In all of this, the state has a responsibility to ensure that OAI stays faithful to the spirit and letter of its agreement with the state.

When the state makes concessions to allow businesses to grow and to pow-

er larger economic growth, it does so because it does not want to burden Guyanese businesses with huge unaffordable initial capital outlays.

To acquire that amount of land and the investment in buildings and instruments would have cost OAI more than fifty million US dollars. These peppercorn leases were never intended to allow the lessee to extort huge supernormal profits by on-leasing at astronomical rents to others. Thus the state has a provision that the lessee must have the state’s approval to sublet to others.

If a citizen get a house lot and wants to sell it before a certain amount of years, the house lot owner/buyer has to pay a penalty to the state.

I know that an element of market value is applied in calculating this penalty.

I want to advance a formula to the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission/ Ministry of Public

Infrastructure where subletting at Ogle is concerned. Let OAI pay an annual processing fee for the sub-letted portions. The annual processing fee would equal Proposed subletting rent per acre less (-) annual lease rental of $6 This way, any exorbitant rental fee would come to the state.

In addition, the state has to be concerned with maintaining a competitive market economy and guard against monopolies. We have to ensure that the smaller firms in any industry are not challenged with predatory practices. While we still have a long way to go to set and police general principles, we must deal condignly with the specific cases that emerge.

Moral suasion, while not a panacea, could be a mechanism to start with.

Thank you.

Sincerely, Name supplied

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

Time will be the deciding factor What more can Guyanese expect? in President Granger’s tenure Dear Editor, I remember vividly the call from certain quarters of the print and electronic media that President Granger needs time and assistance to govern this nation. The call came against the backdrop that he was new to leadership in a governmental capacity, and should be given the patience and tolerance new leadership should be given.

They issued statements such as, "Mr Granger is new, he needs advice and assistance on the difficult task of governing a nation."

They further opined, "He is not accustomed to governance like the Experienced PPP/C, he needs time."

Well we are going well on into three years of the Granger-led Administration, and only one part of that call or agreement is adhered to; that is: the patience and tolerant factor; and that comes from the part of the people of this country. The part that should be demanded of Mr Granger, and which remains unfulfilled, is his attitude to-

wards good governance.

Mr Granger is not in the least interested in good governance, as we know and have grown accustomed to; he is all about good old party politics, which is a crass revelation of bullyism. As soon as the administration came into power -- three months to be exact – members’ salaries and emoluments were raised to a fever pitch 50%, which tells you from the very start that they were in the business of helping themselves to heaven financially. Quite interesting for a man who needs advice an experience in governance, when your personal position, your own personal finances, comes first and very little care, if any, is taken for the people who put them in office. It tells you where we are really headed.

Even more disheartening is the fact that his next move was to dismiss thousands of workers all across this country, supposedly that they were affiliates of the political Opposition, promptly filling those po-

sitions with his own party hacks. Those dismissed workers are all poor, simple Guyanese who, like everyone else, were just going about their jobs, eking out an existence. However, The Granger Administration thought otherwise.

Further to our horrible existence is the fact that this PNC-led Government has closed four sugar estates, leaving nearly 7,000 workers in the abyss of no work and no earning whatsoever. They are utterly devastated! Even his own political partner, the AFC, who was intrinsically important in them gaining office, recent developments have revealed that he is not interested in a revision of the Cummingsburg Accord. This is a startling revelation, to say the least!

What is crystal clear is that Mr Granger is all about going it alone. Partisan party politics is what he is all about. This has "bullyism" written all over it. I do not know if his military training, where the notion of

"do as you are told and ask no questions" is his mantra; from all indications, it seems to be his. This will not work, period! Even the statement where his apologists were contending that he needed advice has proven to be futile, because there is a wealth of advice, experience and information in this country where he could have drawn from before he closed those estates. Even his own CoI into the sugar operations advised him not to close the sugar estates, he completely shunned and single-handedly went ahead and did it anyway.

His is not a situation where he wants advice, because advice is right there at your fingertips. Okay, use it! But that is not his style of governance, he is a "Burnhamite Dictator" who is going to bully his way over this country. Well, let us see how far that would take him.

Respectfully submitted, Neil Adams

Dear Editor, This PNC-led coalition administration is making clear its intention to do whatever suits its fancy as policy. Consider some of its policy positions and outcomes: 1. Vat on basic items, which has increased hardships for pensioners and the majority of worker 2. No jobs for youths, university graduates and school leavers 3. Continued disregard for workers’ unions seeking to address their members’ welfare issues 4. Increasing incidents of crime and robbery, although our Police seem to think otherwise 5. Guyana being taken for a ride by oil companies, which has caused us to potentially lose billions of foreign currency receipts as our natural resources are farmed out to be plundered 6. Sugar workers being thrown out of work and given a run-around to collect their severance, very likely out of political spite, and apparently also to try to run them out of the country 7. More sugar workers likely to be retrenched by 2020, in an already difficult economic

environment 8. Expected lower foreign currency earnings, and higher anticipated exchange rates 9. Slowing economic activities as many small businesses feel the pinch 10. Activities of the people at the M&CC being condoned by the coalition as they continue messing up management at the Council 11. Rice farmers being thrown off of their lands, apparently without an attempt to address their concerns 12. Little effort toward establishing a framework for dialogue with the private sector, to collaborate on employment creation initiatives 13. The coalition not listening to public opinion, and being intent on making life much harder 14. Guyana heading downhill at an increasing rate, as our Government ministers enjoy their 50% increase and lavish lifestyles while telling us about the good life... Have we heard any signs of discontent from them?

What more can Guyanese expect? We can look forward to a new Government.

Yours faithfully, Craig Sylvester

Guyanese support the establishment of sex offenders’ registry Dear Editor, An opinion survey commissioned by The Caribbean Voice (TCV) and conducted during the last week of January revealed that 73% of those surveyed felt that social problems like depression, anxiety, alcoholism and suicide would increase because of the closure of the sugar estates.

The survey also showed that 75% felt the Government is not doing enough to address suicide, while 69% felt the Government is not doing enough to address domestic abuse.

Of the respondents interviewed, 79% support the call for the age of consent to be raised from 16 to 18, while 86% believe that sexual exploitation against young people is on the rise, and that Government needs to take action to deter such occurrences. Notably, 80% support the call for a sex registry for offenders. The survey also found that Guyanese were generally not aware of entities involved in suicide and abuse prevention, but there was more awareness of the work of The Caribbean Voice, most likely because TCV’s work is not centralized in Georgetown and environs, but extends to various regions, and is often a collaborative effort with other NGOs, special interests, and mass-based organizations.

Conducted by experienced

pollster Dr. Vishnu Bisram, the survey interviewed 490 individuals, representing Guyana’s ethnic makeup (41% Indians, 30% Africans, 18% Mixed, 10% Amerindians, 1% others) of the population. The findings, analysed at a significance level of 95%, has a margin of error of 4%. This is the third survey commissioned

by The Caribbean Voice since we launched our anti-violence campaign in 2014. The first survey, done in November 2014 found that 92% of respondents believed suicide is preventable and 96% were willing to help in suicide prevention if given the relevant training. That survey also found that 66% of those interviewed were will-

ing to intervene in domestic abuse if provided with the requisite training, although 19% were not willing to get involved, pointing out that the ‘peacemaker’ usually ends up being the enemy, an age old perspective that still seems to hold currency both in Guyana and the diaspora. And this is why TCV has been continually calling for a return of the Gatekeeper’s Program and piggybacking mental health on other government training programs.

A subsequent survey done

in March 2016 found that 92% felt that government was not doing enough to address mental health, while 78% believed that people with mental illnesses could live normal lives. And this is why TCV has been engaged in continual lobbying on a basket of measures, including counsellors in schools, mental health care integrated into the physical health care system, and relevant training for all Police officers. In any case, the most recent survey clearly indicates that not only is

it time for a registry of sex offenders, but provides evidentiary support for reported plans to that effect by the Child Care and Prevention Agency and another Government agency. As well, the survey makes it clear that those who resist the call for raising the age of consent from 16 to 18 are in the small minority, and thus the Government should not allow the outmoded views of a vociferous few to override the desire of the vast majority of Guyanese. In fact, we urge the Government to

commission its own survey, perhaps through the University of Guyana. Last year, neighbouring Trinidad & Tobago, with ethnic and cultural similarities to Guyana, raised the age of consent to 18. Haiti and the Dominican Republic also have the age of consent at 18, while there are ongoing calls for a similar measure in Jamaica, Barbados and a number of other Caribbean nations.

Sincerely, The Caribbean Voice

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Foundation

3 sweet ways How to use the ‘Batman to catch your children Effect’ to being good teach children perseverance

…this simple strategy teaches them not to give up

By Amy Morin

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t's tough to teach children perseverance and mental strength in the modern world. Technology allows for instant gratification and our digital devices offer an easy escape when things get tough.

Children have shorter attention spans and less patience than ever when things aren't going their way. The good news is, perseverance is a skill that can be learnt, even in the age of electronics.

Although there are many mental strength exercises that will teach your children to stay the course, the “Batman Effect” is a fun and simple way to show children they're stronger than they think.

Why perseverance matters Why would you want to be able to keep going when something is painful, boring, or frustrating? Well, studies show people with perseverance do better in almost all areas of their lives.

A 2003 study published in Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies found that the ability to push through discomfort is linked to higher intelligence, more academic achievement, and better work performance.

Without perseverance, children may grow up to become adults who quit whenever they encounter a challenge.

That may mean quitting a job when they don't get the first promotion they seek or ending relationships every time they encounter communication difficulties.

How the “Batman Effect” works Telling your child to pretend to be Batman, Dora the Explorer, Bob the Builder, or another hardworking character could increase her ability to persevere, according to a 2016 study published in Child Development.

Researchers tested this theory on four and six-year-old children. They assigned all of the children a boring task on a computer.

The children were told to work as long and as hard as they could – and they were warned the task would be boring. But, they were also told they could take a break whenever they wanted to play a fun game on a tablet.

The children were divided into three groups: Group one – Researchers instructed them to periodically ask themselves, "Am I working hard?"

Group two – Researchers instructed them to refer to themselves in the third person. They periodically asked themselves, "Is ______ working hard?" (they filled in the blank with their o w n names).

Group three Researchers instructed them to pretend they were a hard working character like Batman or Dora the Explorer. They were given a prop, like a cape, to remind themselves to act like their character. Then, they were told to periodically ask themselves if their character was working hard, such as, "Is Batman working hard?"

The children who referred to themselves in the first-person took the most breaks and struggled to get through the task. The children who referred to themselves in the third person did a little better—most likely because they were able to separate themselves from their emotions by referring

to themselves in the third person.

The third group performed the best.

Researchers suspect taking on the characteristics of a hard-working character gave them confidence that they could keep going.

How to use the “Batman Effect” in your home Whether you're trying to motivate your child to clean her room or you're attempting to get her to finish her homework, the “Batman Effect” might give her the edge she needs.

Identify one of your child's favourite characters – make sure it's someone who is hard working, like Rapunzel.

Then say, "Pretend to be Rapunzel and do your work the same way Rapunzel would do it."

Check in on her periodically by asking, "How's it going in there, Rapunzel?" You'll likely find she's able to perform better than usual. Each time your child successfully perseveres, she'll build the mental strength she needs to do hard things.

And the more confident she becomes, the more challenges she'll tackle. (psychologytod a y . com)

– positive acknowledgement reinforces positive behaviours and boosts family joy

By Erin Leyba, LCSW, PhD

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ultiple studies have shown that warmth and affection in parent-child relationships are related to higher self-esteem, better parent-child communication, academic competence, positive coping skills, and fewer psychological and behaviour problems.

One way to build warmth with kids is by acknowledging the positive things they do each day. Positive reinforcement also helps create intrinsic motivation for a child's good behaviour so he or she seeks good feelings (instead of just avoiding consequences for negative behaviour).

Positive reinforcement works best when you: let go of a hyper focus on negatives, and sometimes even choose to ignore negative behaviour (rather than consistently giving them negative attention), are very specific with your acknowledgment (eg "I see you shared your cheese stick with your brother" instead of "you're a good kid"), and acknowledge as immediate as possible (eg right after the behaviour, or the same day as the behaviour).

A negativity bias is defined as the notion that, even when of equal intensity, things of a more negative nature have a greater effect on one's mind and processes than do neutral or positive things. This factor makes it especially hard for parents to focus on what's going right when things are also going wrong.

However, research suggests that simply setting the goal of aiming for a ratio of 5 positive comments to every one negative can improve the family dynamic. Clear intentions and simple everyday routines can make it much easier to "catch kids being good."

Post-it Notes

Write your child's specific positive behaviour on a simple post-it note and sneak it on their pillow, in their lunchbox, on the fridge, or on the bathroom mirror.

Dinner or Bedtime Review

Use dinnertime or bedtime to maintain a treasured ritual of pointing out two or three positive things each child has done that day.

"Plus to Jane for being so quiet when she got out of bed this morning. She let everyone sleep a little later."

"Plus to John for helping Dad shovel the driveway. That was a lot of hard work and now we can get our car out!"

"Plus to Amy for sharing her new birthday toys with her brother."

In the moment

"Thanks for helping me set the table for dinner tonight.

We got our food a lot faster that way."

"You were playing football really fair with your friend today. Like when he said, 'I wasn't ready!' I noticed you gave him a re-do."

"You got yourself all ready for school so fast today. You even got your socks and shoes on before 7:00!"

An added bonus to focusing on the positives? It helps parents feel happier too. (psychologytoday.com)

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friDAY, february 16, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Region 9 Deputy REO GRDB fraud case Prosecution given time to accused of rape …denies accusation as cover-up plot foiled

By Ramona Luthi

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herwin Wellington, Deputy Regional Executive Officer (DREO) of Region 9 (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), has been accused of raping a female senior official attached to that Regional Democratic Council (RDC).

The alleged incident reportedly occurred during last week, while the accused and the alleged victim were on a business trip to the Region 9 community of Karasabai on behalf of the RDC. Guyana Times was on Thursday able to confirm with Region 9 Chairman

Former Region 9 REO Carl Parker

Bryan Allicock that a report has been made at the Lethem Police Station regarding the matter, and an investigation has been launched.

“Yes, the Police (are) working on it,” he told this publication via telephone interview.

The Chairman explained that the report was made by the victim after she, Wellington and members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) returned from the village, where they had travelled for an outreach programme on behalf of the Regional Administration.

“It was an outreach by the organisation, along with

Regional Chairman Bryan Allicock

the Police and so,” he said.

However, when this publication made contact with Wellington, he blatantly denied knowledge of the incident. He also told the Guyana Times that he was never approached and informed that a report of this nature had been made against him.

During the interview, the Deputy REO did unconsciously admit that an incident may have occurred.

After recognizing his slipup, he reverted to his earlier act of deniability.

“We don’t know about that. No, I am not aware of that. If someone makes an allegation, it has to be reported to the station. There’s a procedure. I’m not aware of a report being made, and (I’m not aware of) the incident. If anything, the Police would have called me; they have not called me,” he posited.

Wellington further noted that he has never met with the Regional Executive Officer (REO) in regard to this issue.

The Regional Chairman has however refuted these claims made by the Deputy REO, highlighting that he was informed that

Wellington was spoken to by his immediate senior before a report was made to him [Chairman].

“We’re having ministerial visits, and we didn’t sit as yet to discuss, but the REO did that before he came to me to report,” the Chairman said.

Further inquiries revealed that the accused and victim are both still on the job. Probed as to a reason for this, Allicock posited that according to protocol, a matter of this nature is usually forwarded to the Permanent Secretary, who will then make a decision as to whether the accused should be sent on leave pending the outcome of the investigations.

Nevertheless, the Chairman expressed concern, as he highlighted that this is the second such incident to allegedly have occurred within the Region, and this type of allegation is contributing significantly to the “tarnishing of the image of the Administration.”

Moreover, he assured that the accusation will be brought up at the Council’s next meeting.

Back in 2016, then Regional Executive Officer of Region 9, Carl Parker, was accused of raping a female who was an elected official serving on the RDC Council.

Parker publicly denied the claim. However, shortly after, it was reported in the media that some 1200 residents in the region had petitioned President David Granger for Parker’s removal, as he was accused of discriminatory practices and “unprofessional conduct.”

That petition, dated April 11, 2016, detailed some 13 accusations against the former REO – most of which were of sexual harassment.

produce forensic report

...as defence questions motive behind charges

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he trial of former members of the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) who are accused of fraudulent omission continued before city Magistrate Leron Daly on Thursday, when Magistrate Daly gave the Prosecution until March 12 to produce the forensic reports substantiating these allegations.

These reports have formed the basis on which the charges were laid via the work of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU).

In May last year, People’s Progressive Party Members of Parliament Dharamkumar Seeraj and Nigel Dharamlall; former Deputy General Manager of GRDB, Ricky Ramraj; former General Manager of the GRDB, Jagnarine Singh; former GRDB Board member Badrie Persaud; and former Deputy Permanent Secretary (Finance) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Prema Roopnarine, were all released on bail by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on a string of charges.

According to attorney for the accused persons, Anil Nandlall, the delay in producing the said reports is hindering the defence’s abil-

Attorney-at-Law Anil Nandlall

ity to properly cross-examine witnesses. He made this comment prior to the Magistrate adjourning the matter to March 12.

“Six consecutive times they have refused to produce this report. Instead, on the last occasion, and in our absence, they produced the author of the report. We never asked for the author of the report to be produced, we can’t, say, sensibly cross-examine the author of the report without reading the report, so we need the report,” the attorney said on Thursday.

He called on the Prosecution to fully disclose materials that the defence requires, as long as those

materials are in their possession.

Nandlall later questioned the motivation behind the charges. “Why is the prosecution not presenting this report? Was it the report was altered or fabricated to lay the basis for the institution of fabricated charges? These are fundamental questions we have to ask. We have suspected from the beginning that these charges are witch-hunting exercises, and they were all concocted and fabricated for political persecution,” he stressed.

The six former GRDB members were charged one day after they had been summoned by SOCU for questioning in relation to the operations of the GRDB between the years 2011 and 2015. The first charge alleged that, in 2011, the defendants omitted to enter some $52 million in the GRDB ledger; while the second charge stated that the then board members had omitted to enter a sum of $77.3 million into the said ledger. Other charges state that between the years 2014 and 2015, the sums of $130 million, $9.7 million and $145 million were respectively omitted from the GRDB register.

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friDAY, February 16, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Duo remanded on carjacking charge

Shawn Archibald

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imothy Waldron and Shawn Archibald on Thursday appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan to answer to two counts of carjacking among other charges.

It is alleged that on November 4, 2017 while armed with a gun at Irving Street, Georgetown, the duo robbed Ryhann Shah of a Toyota Allion valued $4 million, a cellular phone valued $10,000 and $15,000 in cash.

It is also alleged that on November 28, 2017, while armed with a hand gun and in the company of each other at Pere Street, Kitty, the duo robbed Nadir Williams of a

cellphone valued $120,000, a handbag valued $3000, a wallet valued $10,000 and $10,000 before making off with a white Toyota Allion valued $2.9 million.

Police Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield objected to bail being granted based on the seriousness of the offence.

The two men were remanded to prison and were scheduled to return to court on March 5, 2018 for trial.

Earlier this week, Police ranks in A Division (Georgetown-East Bank Demerara) conducted a 10hour operation which concluded at 03:00h at Kuru Kururu, Linden-Soesdyke Highway, which resulted in six persons being arrested.

Two motor cars – along with a canter truck which is registered to a Barr Street, Kitty resident, loaded with the shell of a silver Toyota Spacio and a quantity of vehicle parts suspected to have been stolen or unlawfully obtained – were also seized and lodged.

The suspects are reportedly employed by an ex-policeman, who is in custody along with others assisting with the inves-

Timothy Waldron

tigation.

On Friday last, a former policeman, a husband and wife and four women, were taken into custody following the discovery of several suspected stolen vehicles and parts at North Vryheid’s Lust, East Coast Demerara and Monument Hill, Kuru Kururu, LindenSoesdyke Highway.

It is believed that the vehicles might have been hijacked and stripped of their parts, which are eventually sold.

Police ranks from the Major Crimes Investigation Unit swooped down on the North Vryheid’s Lust premises occupied by the 29-year-old taxi driver and his 25-year-old wife and found several car mirrors with engraved licence plate numbers, doors, lights, wipers and other vehicle parts for Toyota Allion, Spacio and Premio motor cars.

As a result, the couple were taken into custody after the husband provided the Police with conflicting stories as to why the suspected stolen vehicle parts were stockpiled at his residence.

Meanwhile, on the aforementioned day, the ex-Policeman and four women were detained after Police ranks in A Division went to a property at Monument Hill, Kuru Kururu, and conducted a search, during which the vehicle parts and vehicles suspected to be stolen or unlawfully obtained were found.

Children’s Mashramani Dance Competition continues

Students of the Tapakuma Lake Primary School receiving their trophy

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tudents and teachers hailing from all 10 of the country’s administrative regions ventured to the National Cultural Centre on Thursday to participate in the annual Children’s Mashramani Dance Competition.

The two-day event is being supported by ANSA McAL, which injected $1 million into the competition. The cheque was handed over at the com-

mencement of the competition on Thursday.

The much-anticipated competition saw the best performers from each of the 11 education districts vying for top honours. Hundreds of primary and secondary school students filled the theatre to show support for their respective schools or regions.

Guyana Times caught up with the Administrator of the Education Ministry’s Allied Arts Department, Lorraine Barker-King after the first half of the event. She expressed that the necessary measures were taken so that the competition would run more smoothly and students would be able to go home earlier than previous years. Barker-King noted that they saw great performances from the younger students and were anticipating even better presentations from the students in the 11-13 and 14-17 categories.

Among the winners Thursday were Westfield Prep (Georgetown); Uitvlugt Primary School (Region Three); and Tapakuma Lake Primary School (Region Two).

The excitement will continue today (Friday) with the Calypso and Dramatic Poetry leg of the competition from 10:00h at the National Cultural Centre.

Then the series of competitions will culminate on Saturday, February 17 with the grand float parade and costume competition. The parade will kick off at 10:00h sharp.

The mini revellers will assemble at Parade Ground and then move east into Middle Street, north into Camp Street, east into Lamaha Street, north into Albert Street, then on to Thomas Lands to conclude at the National Park.

Democracy...

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... betrayed ne of the main reasons for the PNC win is that it had changed its name to APNU through the transparent subterfuge of “coalescing” with the WPA and other paper organisations. Guyanese folk wisdom about old dogs being unable to stop “sucking eggs” is appreciated by the citizenry. NO. It convinced that “swing vote” demographic it would practice “inclusive democracy” in Guyana.

Those swing voters might be as large as the two ethnic voting blocs... but they can “swing” the elections to one or the other because the two of them practically balance each other. But where is the “inclusionary democracy” now?? Trampled into the mud ... that’s where. The PNC is not even PRETENDING to include the AFC, much less the five “paper tigers” or – God forbid !! – the PPP as promised in the Coalition Manifesto!

In a word – the mask is off. The Constitution did not just articulate the concept of “inclusive democracy” in terms of aspirational terms in Article 13 – it gave it Judicial Officers, the Chancellor and the Chief Justice, after “consultation” between the President and the Opposition Leader, the last one to give his APPROVAL. This, in effect, gives the Leader of the Opposition a veto over these appointments to the top of the Judiciary – the final bulwark against a dictatorship in Guyana. When there is no agreement – the last decade, the appointees are deemed to be “acting” to signal the lack of unanimity.

While most observers have a lack of unanimity on this crucial institution of our democracy, the “acting” tag at least serves to remind the populace of the Opposition’s concern over their bona fides. It was hoped the “acting” incumbents would find it in their judgements to eschew any trace of bias. But now Granger, leader of the PNC and President, wants to change all that.

Lacking the Opposition Leader’s approval of the exGDF Squaddie to the Chancellorship, he had said, “the Courts cannot be paralysed by the behaviour of a person.”

Never mind that, by his words, the PNC would‘ve paralysed the courts for 12 years!! Granger now says he’ll seek “legal advice” on the appointments – never mind the Constitution!!

So once again, the President is signalling that his “perception” on the Constitution will rule.

After all, the Judiciary also has “perceptions” on the law!!

... and Cummingsburg Your Eyewitness got to hand it to the PNC leader, though: he’s certainly consistent with his high-handedness and unilateralism. In addition to pronouncing on judicial appointments, he weighed in on the Cummingsburg Agreement. No need to revisit that document, he declared. Silence, he ruled, means acquiescence – and he has not heard any request from the AFC for a “renegotiation”!!

So what about the AFC Leader, Raphael “Nassau” Trotman and Chairman Khemraj Ramjattan saying they’ll be discussing the Accord at their National Executive Council (NEC) meeting tomorrow? Well, Granger’s signalling his position on the matter and knows that their mouths will be muzzled by the hand that feeds them. Gold “Nassau” has told him, “not to worry”!!

But it shows you the kind of people we’re dealing with. Here it is, the fella who asked for the term of the contract to be relooked at after three years – as stated in the contract! – because he was literally “shafted” is laid up in the hospital. And they do not even have the grace to cut him some slack!!

Real cold!! ... and starvation Even colder though, is GuySuCo’s decision to raise the price of sugar the day after the wife of a fired sugar worker said all her children had was “a meal and sugar water a day”!

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

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friDAY, february 16, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Witnesses dodge Lindo Creek Rama Krishna Primary School woes CoI’s first public hearing Chief Education Officer “too busy” ...hearing postponed due to poor to address parents’ concerns planning, logistics

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he first round of public hearings for the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the Lindo Creek massacre was postponed due to logistical issues and the unavailability of witnesses on Thursday.

One hour after the scheduled time for the start of the first public hearing, the lone Commissioner, retired Justice Donald Trotman, announced that the hearing would be cancelled for the day.

Trotman appeared before the media to inform journalists of the postponement, and said it was beyond the control of the Commission and its staff.

“We were expecting relatives of the deceased whose deaths are being inquired into at Lindo Creek, but some of them have been unable to come. Some may arrive late, and the uncertainty of their presence is one of the factors that would make the hearing impossible,” Trotman said.

He did not share the opinion that the unavailability of witnesses is because of their reluctance to testify, but he informed the media that other “prerequisite arrangements” for the functioning of the Commission have not been put in place, and until such time, no public inquires would be done.

These “prerequisite arrangements” were described as internal matters. When questioned to define these arrangements, Trotman said, “We would not wish to have them announced at this stage.”

Trotman hinted that the hearing may be fixed for next Monday.

The Lindo Creek CoI is the first of what the coalition Government has said would

Commissioner, Lindo Creek CoI, retired Justice Donald Trotman

be a series of inquiries into the hundreds of killings which occurred during a crime wave that began in 2002.

The CoI, established two weeks ago, will inquire into the circumstances surrounding the killings of eight miners, and to report its findings and recommendations to President David Granger.

Sometime between June 12, 2008 and June 24, 2008, miners Cecil Arokium, Dax Arokium, Compton Speirs, Horace Drakes, Clifton Wong, Lancelot Lee, Bonny Harry and Nigel Torres were shot and killed, and their bodies burnt at the Upper Berbice River mining camp which was being operated by Leonard Arokium.

The Lindo Creek massacre, which has been dubbed a “kangaroo commission”, is being headed by Justice Trotman, 80, who is the lone commissioner selected for the job.

President Granger has described Lindo Creek as a “massacre of the innocent”, saying that his Government believed the way the investigation was handled indicated

that there was a high level of collusion. He had also rejected suggestions to extend the CoI’s focus to several years before 2008, when other major criminal activities had plagued the country.

The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has expressed scepticism about participating in this CoI and supporting the work of the Commission, as the Party believes that given the manner in which the CoI was dragged and constituted, and the commentary from senior Government officials, it is designed to achieve a political outcome and continue the Government’s programme of witch-hunting Opposition personalities.

That party has also highlighted that the Commission was set up along partisan lines.

The PPP has said that, given the nature of the Commission’s establishment and the decision to start an inquiry with the incidents at Lindo Creek, as opposed to a more comprehensive review of the crime wave, the Party would find it difficult to participate in any of the events.

The PPP/C has even said that the inquiry should have started from the period 1998, when the real wave of ethno-political violence commenced. The PPP/C thinks this would assist in addressing the root cause of the violence.

The CoI hearings were set to take place at the Ministry of the Presidency’s Department of Public Service on Waterloo Street, Georgetown.

According to reports, another set of public hearings is set from February 19 to 22. The hearings will commence from 09:00h and end at 16:00h.

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he Parent-Teachers Association (PTA) continues to face an uphill task regarding their calls and cries for the Rama Krishna Headmistress to be removed or sanctioned by the relevant authorities regarding her unprofessional behaviour, which is affecting the primary learning institution.

When contacted by Guyana Times on Tuesday, Chief Education Officer Marcel Huston declined to comment on the matter even though parents, for months, have been protesting outside the school and the Education Ministry with the aim of attracting the attention of the relevant authorities to their plight.

“I am busy and cannot talk about that now,” the senior education official said in a rude tone.

Rama Krishna Primary School Principal Melaine Cornette

Additionally, efforts to reach the Regional Educational Officer for a comment also proved futile. Officials within his office related that the educational officer had been engaged in a meeting the entire Tuesday morning,

but nevertheless promised to return a call. Up to press time, this was not done.

However, this newspaper managed to contact the Head Teacher of Rama Krishna Primary School, Melaine Cornette via telephone. She refused to speak on the issue and said: “I don’t know about it and I don’t care about it and I’m not interested in it” before hanging up the telephone.

The headmistress has been accused of mismanagement and poor leadership; hence the call for her resignation. She is said to have been verbally abusive and confrontational in her dealings with students, teachers, and parents at the school for years now.

Cornette is a People’s National Congress (PNC) activist and member of the party.

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friDAY, February 16, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Opposition would support motion to renegotiate oil contract – Jagdeo

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he Opposition is willing to support any motion made by the coalition Government in the National Assembly to have the oil contract renegotiated with ExxonMobil, once it is done from a bipartisan position and will benefit the Guyanese people, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has declared.

Jagdeo, who has repeatedly criticised Government for renegotiating a bad oil deal, told a media conference on Thursday that his party, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), would support changes to the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) with ExxonMobil which will benefit Guyana.

“If the Government comes with a motion of that nature, once the motion is in defence of Guyanese…

ExxonMobil has to do what’s best for its shareholders and anything that I see that will bring greater benefits to my country, my people then we will support it; that’s a generic position,” he said.

The PPP/C General Secretary said his party was ready to share its views at any moment, “because this is a national patrimony, that is why we called for a nonpartisan, non-political approach, take all of the politicians out of the Petroleum Commission … it should be purely technically managed and that would be good for long-term relations between

The Stena Carron drillship, which drilled the Ranger 1 well, the site of Exxon’s second biggest single oil reservoir find

the country and ExxonMobil too”.

Jagdeo hinted that while the Opposition would support the move, it would not initiate it, since it could then be misconstrued that his party wanted to undermine investment in the country. “I don’t want to say ‘we’ because next thing you are going to hear is that ‘we are killing … [investments]’,” he said.

The Opposition Leader said that the contract in its current form could harm Guyana in the long run based on changes in four clauses which benefit the oil company more than the country. The four clauses concern, he posited, the extension of the agreement, the stability clause surrounding taxes, the changes to the relinquishment

requirement and the regulation of the gas sector.

Jagdeo said if the gains for ExxonMobil from these clauses were measured and compared against what Guyana would receive, the country and its people had sacrificed long-term benefits for short-term gains because of Government’s unpreparedness and incompetence in negotiating a solid new oil contract.

Asked to comment from

the point of view of a former Head of State on whether the oil agreement could in fact be renegotiated, Jagdeo noted that it must be something that both parties agree to, because it could lead to multiple complex issues and a host of continued disagreements.

He told the media, “Anything that any sovereign Government negotiates with a second party, with another party, could be re-

negotiated if the other party agrees to come to the table.

It could be done amicably.

If you pursue it and the other party does not agree with it, then you end up in a dispute.” The Opposition also stated that he would rather support an amicable approach to this issue.

Although Government had managed to get two per cent royalty on gross earnings and 50 per cent of the profits of the oil proceeds when production starts in 2020, this has been heavily criticised. Many political, financial and social commentators claimed that the percentages were too low.

Research conducted by the Oil and Gas Governance Network (OGGN), a group of financial analysts, accountants and economists, reveals that Guyana has sold its oil at US$29 billion below market value.

The group was started in 2017 with the aim of informing the public about oil matters in Guyana and advocating for transparency and accountability in the emerging oil and gas sector.

According to the entity, in the past several years, ExxonMobil’s return on capital has been around 16 per cent. A similar rate of return on the Guyana oil fields would give ExxonMobil US$63 billion based on ExxonMobil’s current estimate of 3.2 billion barrels of oil. Instead the Petroleum Agreement signed by Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman will give ExxonMobil and its partners around US$92 billion!

It was explained that with Guyana’s population of approximately 750,000, this deal with ExxonMobil and partners would cost every Guyanese citizen – man, woman and child – about US$38,666 each.

The OGGN said the Government appeared to have been totally unaware of the market for oil and the opportunities for securing a better deal for Guyana. A rate of return of 6.7 per cent for ExxonMobil and its partners on the Guyana assets would have given Guyana a massive additional US$53 billion, it said.

Japanese company donates 120 solar lanterns

…to benefit hinterland students

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s Guyana moves to bridge the urban and rural divide, students in Regions One, Two, Seven, Eight, and Nine will benefit from solar powered lights.

United Nations Resident Coordinator Mikiko Tanaka presented 120 solar lanterns to Education Minister Nicolette Henry and Public Health Ministry Permanent Secretary Collette Adams at the Finance Ministry’s Boardroom on Thursday.

The donation was presented on behalf of Japanbased tech giant Panasonic, which financed the initiative in commemoration of its 100th anniversary. Minister Henry told the gathering that the donation would

UN Resident Coordinator Mikiko Tanaka presents a solar lantern to Public Health Ministry Permanent Secretary Collette Adams

equip the students, especially those in the hinterland, to spend longer hours studying which can boost educational

advancement.

The UN Resident Coordinator meanwhile explained that Guyana was

the first Central and South American nation to benefit from the initiative, which has already been taken to some African nations. She noted that the UN would monitor the distribution process.

Meanwhile, an earlier event was held, which saw the signing of a project document which aims to strengthen women’s disaster management capacities in Guyana and Dominica, and the Exchange of Notes between Yoshinori Yakabe, Counsellor and Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of Japan and Tanaka, who is also the United Nations Development Fund (UNDP) representative.

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friDAY, February 16, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

briefed on S RAIGHT Coordinators security, safety plans Mashramani 2018

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A progressive nation does not neglect its elders

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he mission of the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) is to “establish and maintain a system of social security through which enough income is secured to take the place of earnings when such are interrupted by sickness or accident.” But this statement by itself is false because a grave social injustice is being committed on the working-class elderly who have become sick and indigent in Guyana. The NIS pensioners in Guyana are placed in a position where they cannot claim for an illness that befalls them after they retire and it has been this way since the inception of the scheme.

While in theory, medical coverage is universal by way of the public hospital system, the working-class NIS pensioners who cannot pay for private medical care, have to surrender themselves to an “F” Grade public medical system. But the worst of it all is that if a pensioner has a newly diagnosed medical condition after they have retired, they are not eligible for any support from the NIS to help with the medical bills.

But what is of grave concern to me is why the trade unions have not acted on this fact over the years? If the public hospital system does not have the drugs, then those pensioners with post-retirement diagnosed illnesses can find themselves depleting their saving to pay for medical supplies.

How patently unfair. The workers in their youth paid their NIS contributions with the clear intention that an adequate social net would be there for them when they retire. But in Guyana, this is not the case.

It is unfortunate the NIS for decades under-served the workers with regards to this issue of post-retirement diagnosed illnesses. By failing to do this, the NIS has been nothing but patently irresponsible and reckless. For many senior citizens, this situation has imported a grave uncertainty into their lives.

How is it possible for President Granger and his Cabinet to secure world-class pensionable care internationally for all sorts of medical conditions after 65 years of age, but the ordinary workers have to settle for one of the local death zones in the public hospital system, that in many cases do not even have aspirins? Where is the principle that all our citizens should have timely access to medical care regardless of social status and area of residence? The reality in Guyana is that if you dare retire in a remote area such as one of the sugar villages in Berbice and you are poor, your chance of being left unattended medically is multiple time worse than if you were living in Georgetown. This act by itself is discriminatory. If you are living in the hinterland, your chances of living are even worse.

Granger said a lot in his 2015 Manifesto about this issue but it is unfortunate that he could not have influenced some policies to deliver on even a percentage of what he promised the people with respect to this anti-working class organisation – the NIS. What is more disturbing is that under his leadership since 2015, he has failed to deliver on the promised “study to replace the NIS with a National Social Security Scheme to include healthcare support and employment insurance”.

Furthermore, under President Granger’s tenure, the NIS has not published its 2015 and 2016 Annual Report along with its latest Actuarial Report. These actions alone expose that the Chairman, the Board and the Management of NIS has migrated to a state of non-transparency. The law subjects the NIS to a five-year actuarial review but yet there is not a word from the Chairman on the 2017 review. Was it done? If not are they planning to do one in 2018? Are they going to continue to operate the NIS like a proverbial cake shop?

Plus the workers, who continue to bankroll the NIS have not seen an action plan on whether the recommendations from the 2012 actuarial review were implemented in full or in part. Where is the accountability from the NIS? While the objective of any social security system is to become financially viable, it serves an even more primary role, to provide a social net to the retirees. The most important social support you can provide to our senior citizens is adequate medical support especially for injuries and illnesses that developed when they are past retirement. It is my conviction that the NIS should be a halfway house between what currently exists and the Cabinet’s fat cat international medical plan. But under Granger, we must not expect anything different other than animal farm mentality when it come to the working class.

Please share your thoughts at sasesin1@yahoo.com.

head of activities for next week Friday’s Republic Day celebrations, a team of senior Police Officers and other key stakeholders met with the Mashramani organisers at the Education Ministry’s Department of Culture, Youth & Sport on Wednesday.

The team included Senior Police Superintendent within A Division (Georgetown-East Bank Demerara), Wendell Blanhum; a former Crime Chief, and Commander of D Division (West Bank Demerara-East Bank Essequibo), Leslie James, among other key ranks.

Guyana Times was told that during the discussions, the Police outlined its plan for safety and security. It was further explained that these plans include the services which will be provided by members of the Joint

Mashramani Coordinator Andrew Tyndall

Services, the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) and other emergency response services.

Subsequent to that meeting, members of the media were updated on the plans for Mashramani at

a press conference where it was noted that 14 bands are so far on board to join the parade and 18 will be on board by the end of week.

However, Mashramani 2018 Coordinator, Andrew Tyndall was questioned on the security postures for the Republic Day celebrations. The concerns that were raised come in light of increased instances of carjackings and armed robberies.

“Before the end of the week, there’s going to be a joint press release from the Police and the Central Mashramani Committee which will indicate to the general public the roads that will be closed for Mash Day and flag raising night on the emergency exits from D’Urban Park,” Tyndall remarked. He also explained that Marshalls from the Ministry will also be present along the parade route.

According to Police statistics released earlier this week, so far for this year, there have been 45 instances of robberies under arms where firearms were used, which was on par with the comparable period in 2017.

The Guyana Police Force however reported that overall, it recorded a 19 per cent decrease in serious crimes at the end of January 2018 when compared to the same period last year.

Nevertheless, robberies with firearms saw a 45 per cent increase while there was a 13 per cent decrease in robberies with no weapon.

Additionally, there was a 50 per cent decrease in robberies with weapons other than a firearm and robbery with aggravation. Police at the same time also revealed they have seized some 19 firearms inclusive of one sub-machine gun and 12 pistols.

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friDAY, February 16, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Works moving apace on new E Division Headquarters C

onstruction work is moving apace on the new 'E' Division (LindenKwakwani) Headquarters’ modern facility, located at Mackenzie, Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara- Berbice).

The building, which is being reconstructed inside the compound of the Mackenzie Police Station, is just about 50 percent complete.

Work had commenced last December, after the former structure was demolished to

facilitate reconstruction of a more modern policing facility, equipped with all modern amenities. This was made possible through a more-than-$80 million loan from the Government of Guyana, through the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB).

According to 'E' Division Commander Fazil Karimbaksh, the project is expected to take up to 5 months to be completed.

The larger, two-storeyed facility which is being constructed will

measure 135 feet by 45 feet.

Commander Karimbaksh has said he is satisfied with the work which has so far been completed. "The work is going according to schedule. I would say it's about 50 percent complete.

They're doing the departments, then they will put the upper flat and the roof... They're moving apace...We hope it is completed on time, according to schedule," he noted.

The Commander had previously stated that the modern

The new E Division Police Headquarters under construction

facility, when completed, would bring about an ease in the state of affairs at the station, as he pointed out that the previous facility was inadequately spaced, and as a result, various depart-

ments were not established due to the lack of space at the Police Station. Karimbaksh, however, noted that this issue is expected to be solved when the new building comes on stream.

"It will greatly assist us, because (in) the previous building we were cramped for space, and a lot of our departments we had to decentralize them to other stations. So, we're very appreciative of this new building that's going to come on stream, and it will house all our departments. So the people of Region 10 in particular will have better service, and we will be operating at our full capacity in terms of our departments. It will be more comfortable, too", Karimbaksh had said.

Presently the Police department is operating out of make shift offices within its compound, in an effort to facilitate the reconstruction process.

NEWS

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friDAY, February 16, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Transfers, demotions will not stop corruption – President ...as Persaud delivers final address at Annual Police Conference

Commander-in-Chief President David Granger being accorded the Presidential Salute upon his arrival at the Officers’ Mess at Eve Leary for the Annual Police Conference

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he practice of transferring and demoting rogue elements will not bring an end to the scourge of corruption within the Guyana Police Force. This is the position of President David Granger, who delivered a stern warning to rouge elements, saying there is no place for lawlessness in the Force.

Delivering the feature address at the opening of the Annual Police Officers’ Conference on Thursday, Granger noted that corruption within the law enforcement agency cannot be cured by ignoring it. He pointed out the case of the former head of the Special Weapons and Tactical (SWAT) Unit, Deputy Superintendent Mootie Dookie, who is being investigated for alcohol smuggling and has since been “temporarily transferred” to the Force’s Strategic Unit.

“Dookie’s law teaches that if corruption is concealed, it will continue. Transferring a corrupt officer from one branch to another, or posting him from one Division to another, or promoting him, or demoting him from one rank to another, cannot guarantee he will change his wicked ways,” the President said.

He went on to say that senior officers turning a blind

eye to corruption put the lives of not only honest Police ranks on the line but that of the public as well.

According to the Head of State, a Force contaminated by corruption cannot ensure the security of citizens.

Instead, he noted that the service provided must be based on values in commitment, competence and incorruptibility.

To this end, President Granger posited that the Security Sector Reform, which his Administration is committed to and working on implementing, will seek to tackle this issue that is plaguing the country’s premier law enforcement agency.

“I am on the side of the Police Force, I’m very confident in the Police Force (and) that is why I went through all the trouble to initiate reforms.

So that the Police Force would have an easier time in combating crime, which is what I was tough on – crime,” he told reporters on the sidelines when asked about the toughness of his speech.

He pointed out that Police reform is not a political gimmick but will further strengthen the Force’s ability and capability to tackle crime.

He further noted that the reforms will also incorporate

the lessons gathered from the planned inquiries into past mass killings during the troubled periods, starting with the Lindo Creek massacre.

“Inquiries which will eventually be commissioned are intended to improve the Force’s administration and operations, they are not intended to demoralise or destabilise the Force… The authorities at that time, instead of trying to cure the cause, were more concerned about concealing the symptoms. The Force cannot change if old attitudes persist,” he asserted.

Security Sector Reform Another area President Granger added that the Security Sector Reform will also seek to strengthen is the strained relations between the Force and the public, something which he emphasised is important to crime fighting.

“It is apparent that the trust between the public and the Police was damaged, more during the ‘troubles’ than any other time… Efforts must be made to rebuild public trust (and) the Security Sector Reform will strength partnerships between the Force and communities. Citizens should not consider themselves to be passive onlookers or bystand-

ers to crime fighting,” he posited.

Also highlighting the importance of public trust was Commissioner of Police Seelall Persaud, who delivered his last address to the Annual Officers’ Conference, which is being held under the theme: “Forging ahead with effective policing through strategic human resources and operational management, partnership and professionalism.”

He stated that despite challenges, the Force was resilient in its crime fighting strategy. He reflected on statistics of recent years which represents an overall comparative reduction in criminal ac-

tivities.

“People measure the utility will be gain from justice against the time that they will have to spend in order to achieve that justice and which one weighs out will determine, whether they will report or not. Public trust is a major issue; if people don’t believe that their matter will be treated with professionally and there would be a justified outcome, then they will not be motivated to report it,” says Persaud.

He went on to talk about other challenges that are on the agenda of the three-day conference, which wraps up on Saturday, such as the re-

view of Police prosecution operations.

“We have found over the years, a number of negative issues associated with those operations. So it is anticipated that there will be intense discussions regarding the development of command systems for commanders in order to achieve the control function of management. Controlling the rates of unprofessional behaviour, reducing response time, reducing investigation and prosecution backlog, will be major objectives,” the Top Cop stated.

The outgoing Commissioner is set to retire in April after 30 plus years of service in the Force.

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friDAY, february 16, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Natural Resources Ministry launches 2018 Mash band

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he Natural Resources Ministry on Thursday launched its Mash band for 2018 under the theme, “Guyana Beckons – From Potential to Prosperity”.

The event was held at the Indigenous Peoples’ Benab, Sophia Exhibition Centre and in attendance was Minister within the Natural Resources Ministry, Simona Broomes, staff of the Ministry and participants.

The designer of the costumes, Nelsion Nurse, explained that Guyanese should try to embrace Mashramani and share our culture with others. The

black and gold costumes depict the “existing economy with the expected boom from the oil and gas industries”.

The band will feature popular artistes, including the talented Vanilla and calypso singers Mighty Believer and Jovinski.

The audience got a taste of what could be expected on February 23.

Present at the launch was Minister Broomes, who was well-prepared and energised for the event, dancing to the Soca music. She stated that the band would depict all of the resources found in Guyana and encouraged all to support it, since it was “the best band”.

Some of the costumes that will be part of the Mash band

“We’re getting better and better every year as we go out there and celebrate. We have made accommodation, but there is limited space because the place to be is [the Ministry of] Natural Resources. The people to be with is the Ministry of Natural Resources, so everybody must be there,” she added.

This year, the Natural Resources Ministry is collaborating with various entities under its remit such as the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC); the Guyana Gold Board, and the Guyana Forestry Commission.

Coomacka school bus inoperable, students stranded

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esidents of Coomacka Mines and other areas in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), more so parents of schoolage children are seeking the intervention of the relevant authorities to have the David ‘G’ school bus which was gifted to the community under the President’s 5Bs initiative up and running.

According to concerned residents of the remote Mines areas, the bus has not been in operation since the beginning of the school term last month, and residents have not been informed about its whereabouts or of anything which might be associated with it.

As a result, they noted that it was difficult to send their children to school, given the fact that many students attended schools miles away at Linden and other areas and the cost for transportation was high.

Region 10 Chairman Renis Morian, during the hosting of the most recent statutory meeting, noted that he was informed about the issue via complaints from residents.

Coomacka school bus

A resident of the community told Guyana Times that parents were frustrated by the situation. “... the parents of some schoolchildren are asking the whereabouts of the David ‘G’ school bus that is supposed to be traversing the Mines area to take children to and from school.

Children are being kept at home due to their parents not being able to provide financially for them to be able to go to school.”

“Education officials in the Region are not shedding any light about the issue

with the bus and why it is not working. Residents need to be informed,” a resident stressed.

Meanwhile, the Regional Chairman has asked Councillors and other officials to get involved to rectify the situation, as he pointed out that the Region’s Department of Education was not previously informed of the issue.

“I got complaints coming from Coomacka ... the Department of Education wasn’t notified that the bus is not working,” he noted.

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friDAY, February 16, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

AFC to move no-confidence motion against Royston King

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lliance For Change (AFC) Councillor Sherod Duncan said he would be tabling a motion of No Confidence against Georgetown’s Town Clerk, Royston King, at the next statutory meeting of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) of the city of Georgetown slated for February 26, 2018.

Duncan told Guyana Times that King was leading the Council in the wrong direction and it was time that they recoup and change course by first getting rid of him and then possibly Mayor Patricia Chase Green.

“I am seeking an advice on whether a no-confidence motion may be good enough given the advent of the Local Government Commission or whether a general document letter that Councillors can sign on to might be the bet-

Town Clerk Royston King

ter way to go,” he said.

“It has always been something that I have discussed with Councillors, more so now that we know more things coming to light which all contribute to forming a basis that the Town Clerk’s tenure is untenable,” the former Deputy Mayor added.

He noted that the M&CC was embarrassed every time Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan had to write Chase Green correcting the actions of King. He further related that putting aside the politics and personalities, a majority of the Councillors shares the view that King was attempting to usurp the power of the M&CC. In a letter, Duncan explained that the Municipal and District Councils Act, Chapter 28:01, sets out the functions of the office of the Town Clerk and those were being overstepped.

“We are a city adrift without rudder, sail, or compass.

From the revulsive document called a parking meter contract to the active plans to build houses for senior members at City Hall, including the Mayor and Town

AFC Councillor Sherod Duncan

Clerk, and all the major issues in between which never meet the level of Council for approval as they should, Her Worship continues to squander the tremendous opportunity given to her to transform our city, while the Town Clerk continues with his rogue actions, un-

checked,” Duncan noted in his letter.

At Monday’s statutory meeting, King and several of the Councillors were involved in a passionate argument over him overstepping his boundaries where it concerned the appeal of the Bel Air Park Playground decision.

The Bel Air Park Playground was slated to be used for a number of town houses which would serve M&CC high-ranking officials such as the Mayor, Town Clerk, City Engineer and Medical Health Officer.

However, the Council was barred from doing so by a ruling by Justice Gino Persaud.

The January 8, 2018 decision has prevented the M&CC and the Town Clerk from leasing or selling the Bel Air Park Playground

to a private land developer. The Mayor has defended the move by Council, stating that the plans were not made in secrecy and that the matter was discussed at the Council level after being raised by the Investment and Development Committee.

King was supposed to bring the notice of appeal to full council, but failed to do that and went ahead with a planned appeal. When asked at Monday’s meeting, he informed Councillors that the matter was “administrative” and he saw no need to bring it to Council.

His defiance of the Councillors is said to be the breaking point; hence, the reason Duncan is going ahead with the motion.

Additionally, the People’s National Congress (PNC) expressed concerns over the conduct of Chase Green.

Georgetown Town AFC in no position to renegotiate Clerk downplays ‘Accord’ with Granger’s PNC resignation calls …history will remember AFC as the destructors that let ...challenges Sherod Duncan to defend his own track record

By Ramona L uthi

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eorgetown Town Clerk Royston King asserted on Thursday that it came as no surprise to him that Councillors would make calls for his removal, as it was the norm that persons who were carrying out their duties “effectively” and “efficiently” would have enemies.

During an exclusive interview with Guyana Times in his office at City Hall, King noted that “you will always have people calling for the removal of public officers, particularly when those officers are effective and when those officers are getting the job done”.

The Town Clerk also sought to chastise Duncan, highlighting that the AFC Councillor should spend less time criticising him (King) and the Mayor and spend more time showing what he has done since becoming a councillor almost two years ago.

“I think instead of the Honourable Councillor Duncan calling constantly for the Town Clerk and the Mayor to be removed, I think, perhaps, it will be a greater service to citizens if Mr Duncan show citizens what he has done since he has become a councillor for over two years,” he said.

This defensive stance comes as a result of recent calls by People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Councillors and former

Deputy Mayor Sherod Duncan for King to be removed from his post within the Mayor and City Council (M&CC).

It was reported that following a Central Executive Committee meeting on February 7, 2018, several members of the PNCR had expressed concerns regarding the “public conduct” of Georgetown Mayor Patricia Chase Green, while making calls for the removal of King.

This position by the Councillors was reportedly fuelled by the recent controversy surrounding the Bel Air Park Playground.

Meanwhile, speaking to this publication on Thursday, King posited that “a city cannot be efficiently and effectively managed on the ipsy dixy or on the whims and fancies, feelings and emotions of individuals – even if those individuals are Councillors.”

He maintained that as the city’s chief administrator, he believes a city must be managed based on a body of laws, rules, principles, by-laws and policies, which was what he was “attempting to do”.

“I’m doing it to the best of my abilities within the framework of the Municipal and District Councils Act, Chapter 28:01…I am satisfied that we have been doing our best, that we have made changes in local communities and even in the lives of residents,” he said.

sugar fail – Ramsaroop

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he imminent death and fading away of the Alliance For Change (AFC) from the landscape of Guyanese politics has come at a price – a price the sugar workers who voted for the likes of Khemraj Ramjattan and Moses Nagamootoo have been made to pay.

As such, the current economic quagmire in which Guyana finds itself can be laid in great part at the feet of the AFC, a party whose “marriage of convenience” with the People’s National Congress (PNC) three years ago was formalised in the now infamous Valentine’s Day Accord inked at the Georgetown Club.

This was the position of Economic Advisor to the Opposition, Peter Ramsaroop in an interview with Guyana Times this past week as he reflected on the AFC and what he termed “a marriage of convenience”, which he said would quickly come to an end.

“It was as if the sugar workers were sacrificed on the altar of the PNC-led [A Partnership For National Unity] APNU, since it was the AFC that secured the votes for the coalition in the May 2015 Elections.”

The Economic Advisor was adamant that the fate of the sugar industry has to be seen in the context of the promises the AFC Leaders made to the workers in the sugar belt – “promises they were expected to hold the PNC to keep”.

According to Ramsaroop, the AFC Leaders having been seduced with the promise of power were willing to “sell the sugar workers’ votes to David Granger and the PNC knowing fully well that party was not supported by or supported in the sugar belt”.

Economic Advisor to the Opposition, Peter Ramsaroop

Ramsaroop in his analysis said that the end result is that the Granger Government now has control – with the help of the sugar workers’ votes handed to it by the AFC – and has instead gone about shutting down the industry, already laying off thousands of workers.

He reminded that worst yet the workers in some cases were only paid a portion off their severance packages.

Reflecting on the pact between the AFC and the PNC-led APNU coalition, Ramsaroop said the AFC’s Leaders were all out with a single motive in mind – getting power for themselves.

According to Ramsaroop, now that the AFC top tier have been positioned in cushy jobs they are all too willing not to rock the boat with the David Granger Administration.

This, he said, is evident in the party’s private, since made public, internal consternations over the appointment of a geriatric chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission, but it was powerless to influence the likes of the ‘de facto President’ and the President by not making more of that

questionable decision.

According to Ramsaroop, at the time the AFC signed “its marriage certificate with the PNC” in the Cummingsburg Accord, there was an agreement to share various government positions.

“What the AFC was promised on paper sounded at the time as though they could be able to hold Granger and his boys to account, but having been appointed to senior positions with fat salaries and accompanying perks, the Ramjattans, Nagamootoos, Trotmans and Pattersons discarded any thought of accountability throwing the principle completely out of the window.”

Inked on Valentine’s Day in 2015 ahead of the regional and general elections, the Cummingsburg Accord promised the AFC the prime ministerial position that boasted a range of new powers and control.

Alas, according to Ramsaroop, “no sooner than the ink had dried on the Cummingsburg Accord that Nagamootoo, a supposed lawyer, was told that none of what he was promised was catered for under the Constitution.”

He told this publication, “I do not want to speak ill about a man who is currently not in the best of health, but his absence from Government will not be detrimental since he only cuts ribbons at openings.”

Ramsaroop used as an example of the PNC’s disregard for the AFC the fact that the President did not see it fit to select a member of the AFC faction of the coalition to act as Prime Minister while Nagamootoo was unwell and unable to perform his functions.

“Sadly, this is the real-

ity with which the AFC it has found itself in and this 2018 is its last year of existence as any kind of a political force in Guyana,” Ramsaroop stated.

He qualified his position by pointing that the upcoming Local Government Elections, elections that the AFC said it would go alone since the popular view was that it has begun to lose its identity.

He concluded by saying that with the AFC most likely to be decimated at the polls, President Granger would then have no use for the party, since it would have lost the important sugar vote that had given it power in 2015.

According to Ramsaroop, “voters will also not be kind to the AFC come the next general election as the party once thought to be a viable third force would have been remembered by the sugar workers that they were cast aside by political opportunists who not only destroyed their lives, but also the economic base of the country for their own personal gain.”

There was a grandiose promise at the end of December on the part of the AFC and its leadership to renegotiate the Cummingsburg Accord to ensure that Granger not only delivered on what was promised in the first place but also expanded its power.

Ramsaroop posited: “The AFC is dreaming if it thinks that the people of Guyana ever really believed that it was in any position to renegotiate with Granger….

This week we celebrated Valentine’s Day, promoting love, but there appeared to be none for AFC as there was no renewed Accord.”

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friDAY, february 16, 2018

guyanatimesgy.com

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hutney lovers on the West Side are in for a treat this Saturday evening as the final of the Chutney Monarch will be held at the Synthetic Track, Leonora, West Coast Demerara.

After a well contested semi-final in Bartica, Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni), it is down to 10 contestants who will have a chance to dethrone reigning Chutney Monarch Vanita Willie.

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NSA McAL’s “STAGE” is set for Thursday, February 21 and Friday, February 22 at the National Park Tarmac, Thomas Lands, Georgetown. On the first night of the event, Trinidad’s Soca Queen, Destra and her band will be the headlining act along with another Trinidadian, Nadia Batson.

Guyana’s own Kwasi “Ace” Edmondson and the Heatwave Band will also be featured on the first night

Initially, 17 chutney singers were shortlisted to perform in the semis but at the end of the night, the judges were tasked with eliminating seven and those were given the nod to head into the final which is expected to be explosive.

The contests will be judged in lyrics; presentation; melody; vocals; and more importantly, crowd appeal. This year, according to feedback, the 10 contestants mov-

of Stag Stage. It is expected that a lot of Destra’s fans will flock that venue on the first night but ANSA McAL is promising a fascinating two nights of fun and excitement.

However, on the second night, it will take the form of J’Ouvert with lots of water and powder. To set fans in the mood for Mash 2017 will be Farmer Nappy, Jumo “Rubber Waist” Primo and the upcoming musical band Ultimate Rejects.

Patrons are encouraged

ing into the finals are the cream of the crop and they will undoubtedly perform to the best of their abilities to take up the crown and monetary prizes.

At the end, only one will be crowned Guyana Chutney Monarch 2018. Those into the finals and will competing against Willie are Steven Ramphal with “Mujhe Sangeet se Pyar Hai”; Sasenarine Hitnarayan with “Guyanese

not to wear any elaborate clothing since it will be a “dirty” affair. On both evenings gates will be opened at 18:00h with showtime set to commence at 20:00h.

Tickets will not be sold but customers can purchase any two ‘Stag Specials’ and win a season ticket. The ‘Stag Special’ may vary at various bars. Patrons are encouraged to get their passes as early as possible and be a part of the biggest fete for the season.

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Larki”; Sherldon Adrian Lyken will perform “Me Na Vex Yuh Go”; Kumdeo Singh is ready to hit the stage with “Nazima”; Parsasram Singh will do his part with “Meet de Nanny”; Arijit Singh with “Wedding Story”; Bunty Singh will perform “Banwari, Poonwasie and de lokni”; Haresh Singh will hit the stage with “Chutney Raja”; Roger Hinds will try to take over with “Meh larki always fretting”

ith just a few days to Mash 2018, the blue network and Pulse Entertainment have teamed up once again to journey deep down into the Amazon as they welcome “Jungle J’Ouvert Kingdom”.

This amazon experience will be held on Saturday, February 17, inside Guyana premiere night spot, Palm Court, Main Street, Georgetown. The night will be see colours of animals of the amazon under lights.

It will be a night where patrons will use their ani-

and Hamesh Rhyna with “Chamkeying”.

Reigning Chutney Monarch Vanita Willie will perform “Phool Basiya and She Husband”. In addition to the chutney competition, there will be a dance competition among the best dance troupes in Guyana.

Admission to the event is free and showtime is 20:00h.

mal instincts and behave as if they are in the amazon.

Some may hunt for food and some may hunt their enemies.

This is the penultimate event before what is expected to be the biggest Mashramani ever.

The telephone giant, GTT has joined forces with Pulse Entertainment in giving revellers the best experience on the road, come Mash day.

Hundreds of costumes titled “Amazon Gems” are being designed and assembled

for the big day.

Be entertained by the Kings of the Jungle – the deejays formerly from Parliament, Nic Peña and Jerome, aka “Romie Rome” and for the first time in Guyana, the Hype Master DJ Chinee out of Trinidad and Tobago.

Apart from those mentioned earlier, DJ Ryan, DJ Energy and Deejay Shizle will add some excitement to the night’s activities.

Advance ticket cost $2000 in advance and more at the gate.

guyanatimesgy.com

friDAY, february 16, 2018

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Stage set for showdown on Saturday evening

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fter a long time, D’Urban Park will come alive once again on Saturday evening, as 10 energetic soca performers take to the stage for what can be described as a “battle of the best” as the final of the Carib Soca Monarch is held.

The show was originally held at the National Park but will for the first time be hosted at D’Urban

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Park. The reason for the move was not made public. Nevertheless, those who intend to attend the finals are in for a treat since it will be a clash of the powerhouses.

After a saucy semi-final in Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), 10 artistes have been selected to vie for the title of Carib Soca Monarch 2018. These are Brandon Harding with “Alive”;

ll roads will lead to the National Park this evening for the highly anticipated Calypso finals which will see 10 calypsonians competing for cash prizes and trophies. The event was originally held at Demerara Park but has now shifted to the National Park due to the fact that the crown has grown over the years.

This year, there will be lots of space for gyrating fans of the art form who are expected to flood the venue.

The semi-final of the competition was held in Lethem, Region Nine and after the semis, only 10 artistes have advanced to the final which is expected to be showdown of vocals. This year, as usual, the artistes have upped their games and will definitely put on a show.

Those contenting for the title of Calypso

Colwin “Lil Colwin” Blair with “Leave me alone”; Jonathan “Lil Red” King with “Water, Paint and Powder”; Melissa “Vanilla” Roberts with “We Run Things”; Shellon “Fluffy” Gallay with “Bam Bam”; Roshauna Fraser with “Show Me”; Samantha Grant with “Ah Playing Mas”; Alisha “Sasha Melody” Hamid with “Love off”; Diana Chapman with “Get Ready”; and Roger “Young

Monarch 2018 are Abigail James Nelson with her tune “No Ole Calypso”; Roger Hinds with “Ah Grading Dem Bandits”; T’Shanna Cort with “Secrets”; Manoel Ferriera will perform “Deh Frighten Green”; while Kenroy Fraser will do his part with “Doctor of Doom”. Clifton Adolphus will perform “Blaming Thing”; Onika Joseph will do her rendition titled “Woman is Boss”; Dawn Edwards will perform “I Have a Dream” and topping of the 10 are Jovinski Thorne with “Calypso” and Garfield Campbell with “Guyana Me Love”.

Gates to the National Park will open at 20:00h and the competition gets underway soon after.

Admission is absolutely free. The event is once again promoted by the Government of Guyana and beverage King, Banks DIH Limited.

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Bill Rogers” Hinds with “De Money Power Dance”.

It is without a doubt that the artistes will bring their ‘A Game’ at the finals since organisers are contending that the music presented and performances seen thus far have raised the bar for upcoming soca competitions.

This year, the winner will not only walk away with $1.5 million in

o put you in the right mood for the “Festival of Colours” which involves water and powder, the place to be the night before the holiday is the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall tamac for “Dang in Powder”.

The event, which is hosted by Freedom Family alongside Corona Bar and Hairoun Beer, is expected to be epic with lots of water and powder to fete all night and into the morning of the national holiday.

On site will be some of the most versatile deejays and selectors, including Gully Ras and Selector Diamond. The controversial Magnum will also be in the house. It

cash prizes but will have a chance to represent Guyana in Trinidad and Tobago. Meanwhile, in addition to the 10 artistes performing live with the aim of getting the judges’ nod, there will be the Heatwave Band spicing things up.

All the artistes will be accompanied by the Heatwave Band during competition night. Admission to the event is $1000.

will be a night of fun and excitement with the best music from all genres.

One can expect soca, dancehall, and even a touch of chutney and reggae.

Promoters promise a night of energy and vibes. Tickets in advance are $2000 each while those who wish to purchase tickets in groups of three can pay only $4500.

For those who wish to experience the VIP vibes can pay $5000. Tickets are available at Grill Kings, August Beverage and Wacky Aracade.

This is one carnival-like party you cannot miss.

18 News

friDAY, February 16, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Armed bandits rob manager, US-based Guyanese of $7.4M

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olice on Thursday said they were investigating an alleged robbery under arms, which occurred about 12:00h at Middle Street, Vryheid’s Lust, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

Deomattie Seeram, a 31-year-old manager, was relieved of $7,450,000, property of Deodat Ramdeo, a USbased Guyanese, by two males, one of whom was armed with a hand gun.

The incident occurred after the

victim, along with Ramdeo, encashed a cheque to the value of the amount stolen at a city bank and on arrival at their home. Ramdeo had exited their vehicle, PSS 8528, which was being driven by Seeram, to open the

gate when the suspects rode up on a black CG motorcycle (registration number unknown).

One of the suspects went to Ramdeo and ordered him to lie down and he complied. The suspect then

went to Seeram, pointed the firearm at her and took away the bag containing cash and other documents.

The suspects made good their escape. No shots were fired, and no one was injured. No arrests were made.

Police Service Commission to be reconstituted by late March – President

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fter promising at a press conference mid-December 2017 to have the Police Service Commission reconstituted before the end of 2017, President David Granger is now saying that the body might be in place by next month.

The Head of State told reporters on the sidelines of the Annual Police Officers’ Conference on Thursday that he is currently awaiting the appointment of a Chairman of the Public Service Commission before re-establishing the Police Service Commission.

“I had an engagement with the Leader of the Opposition and we’ve settled the Teaching Service Commission and the Integrity Commission, and we will move on to the Public Service Commission. Once

that is done, I hope as quickly as possible – maybe during February or March – that (Police Service) Commission will be in place,” he indicated.

The life of the last Police Service Commission came to an end in September 2017, and the Head of State had told reporters at the December press conference that he was reviewing the names and would make a decision before the year ended, but he never did.

Last week, Government’s spokesperson, State Minister Joseph Harmon, told reporters at the post-Cabinet press briefing that both the Police and Public Service Commissions are before the Parliamentary Committee on Appointments.

“Once that is completed, it is then sent to the National Assembly, which

approves of it, and then it comes to the President for appointment,” he explained.

However, there have since been calls for the reconstitution of the Police Service Commission to be fast-tracked, especially since there were no promotions of senior officers last year.

Before the life of the Commission had expired back in July 2017, President Granger had ordered that it put the promotion of senior ranks on hold. However, he subsequently justified his decision and, despite a court order stating that the Government had acted unconstitutionally, maintained he had had good cause for stopping the promotions.

“Deserving persons were being superseded. One letter writer claimed that there had been no internal procedure for nominating officers.

President David Granger

It is the convention that the commissioners would convene a committee of the most senior officers to nominate persons. This had not been done. In addition to that, there were other allegations — which I felt were justified — that the actual selection process was compromised.

“So, taken as a whole, I felt that the integrity of the process was compromised, and that it would not be in the public’s interest to proceed with those nominations,” he explained at the December press conference -- his first in over two years, and second since taking office in 2015.

In November, a High Court, ruling on the halting of promotion of personnel so listed, Chief Justice (acting) Roxanne George established that the President did breach the Constitution when he issued a directive to halt promotions.

This move has been reported to have had a demoralising and demotivating effect on Police officers. In fact, Deputy Police Commissioner David Ramnarine, while acting Top Cop, had pointed out last month that the situ-

ation had also caused some uneasiness among the junior ranks.

“It was important, it was absolutely necessary that these junior ranks be promoted, because there was an air that with the Service Commission and senior ranks not being promoted, some (junior ranks) were beginning to become a little bit stressed that they, too, will not get promoted,” he stated.

The Police Force promoted a total of 204 junior ranks at the end of December.

However, Ramnarine emphasized on the importance of the Commission, further disclosing that the number of senior ranks within the Force is dwindling, with 13 of them having retired in 2017 and another four of them set to go off on retirement this year.

Police hunting Reducing judicial backlog suspected mastermind More Judges, Full Court sittings needed in carjacking ring – former AG

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etectives probing the carjacking ring have hit a major breakthrough in their investigations and are now on the hunt for a resident of Lodge Housing Scheme, Georgetown, who is said to be the suspected mastermind behind the criminal network.

As of Thursday evening, the suspect was still being sought. A Division (Georgetown-East Bank Demerara) Commander Marlon Chapman updated media operatives on the probe earlier in the day.

“There’s a person of interest that we are looking at; he might very well be the mastermind behind this entire thing, but we need to have him for questioning,” Chapman said, adding that he could not confirm if the suspect was in the country.

Last night, investigators swooped down on the man’s Lodge Housing Scheme home and conducted a search during which they found a black Mazda Axela motor car with licence number PTT 2794.

They also unearthed 12 certificates of registration for various vehicles, including some that were seized from the home of an ex-policeman, who was currently in custody.

The ranks have since taken into custody a 52-year-old woman, who was at the residence. Her name was found on the registration certificates of two of the seized ve-

hicles.

Commander Chapman was in high praise for the work done by his ranks.

However, he noted that it was the cooperation of the public that has led to the success of the probe thus far.

“I have to say at this stage that the cooperation has been excellent from members of the public, particularly in that Kuru Kururu-Yarrowkabra area and so the information is forthcoming and we are acting upon it … I cannot help but commending members of the public for giving us the information and their assistance, and not forgetting the ranks in my division. Kudos to my entire team,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan had disclosed that ex-Police Officers implicated in the probe were advising players in the carjacking ring.

“They were advising these carjackers how to do it, where to park, how to switch around (parts) and a whole lot of things … and that is why it took us so long to catch this set of carjackers because they were smarter,” Ramjattan stated.

The Minister too lauded citizens for assisting the Police in the crackdown on the carjacking network.

There are currently a total of 15 persons in custody, assisting with the investigations as they continue.

T

here is still much more that can be undertaken by way of initiatives to further reduce the backlog of cases that have crippled the Judiciary’s ability to dispense justice in an efficient, effective and timely manner.

This is the position of Guyana’s former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, who on Thursday lauded the progress made over the last the ten years under the Canadabased Justice Education Society (JES) which has been providing enhanced training to judges, magistrates and policemen.

He explained that the 2016 allocation of $25 million to be spent on establishment of night court at the Georgetown Magistrates Courts was also a step in the right direction.

His comments come on the heels of a statement made by acting Chief Justice Roxane George, SC, who highlighted the extent to which the backlog still persists, revealing that at the High Court level, between 4,500 and 5000 cases are on record. While she did highlight that cases encompass divorces, civil trial matters [and] full court matters, Justice George observed that 14 judges, included herself, are presiding over these matters.

Nandlall, in an interview with Guyana Times, contended that the former PPP administration should be credited for the reduction, because of the initia-

Acting Chief Justice Roxane George, SC

tives which were implemented under successive PPP Legal Affairs Ministers and Attorneys General, which are still being undertaken by the current Government.

“What we are witnessing now is the result of our initiatives which were embarked upon. Thousands of cases had to be cleared up before you could have seen the results,” he stressed.

He, however, told this publication that more initiatives still have to be implemented to ensure that the reduction continues, chief of which is being to appoint additional judges to the bench.

“We increased the complement of judges (and) special courts were established to deal with special matters.

Perhaps the current ratio of judge to case clearly shows that we need more judges,” he stressed.

The former minister,

however, cautioned that while the payment package for judges is “reasonable”, the State has to be cognizant when taking on persons to fill the posts, given the nature of the profession.

He called for more full court sittings in Berbice and Essequibo, saying that there is need to have more physical space to accommodate the additional judges.

“We need to expand the courts in Essequibo and Berbice. What you have in Berbice is two judges sitting, one for Civil and the other (for) criminal. At any given time, one can easily double that without any hardship on the system,” Nandall stated.

As with the Sexual Offences Court in Demerara, the former Legal Affairs Minister called for automated system in the courts, which would relieve Judges and Magistrates from the arduous task of writing all of what is said in court.

“The voice recording equipment needs to be implemented and used. People were trained to use system and were trained to produce verbatim records within 24 hours. They need to use that system,” he urged.

The Acting Chief Justice had explained to the Department of Public Information (DPI) that the High Court now operates under the Civil Procedures Rules which were introduced on February 6, 2017, as op-

posed to the “old High Court Rules” “There are a number of them that we call live matters in the sense that they are matters that will go to trial unless the parties agree to settle, but we also have a number of matters that will not be going to trial. Under the old High Court Rules, a judge must adjudicate to formally complete them,” DPI quoted her as saying.

The acting CJ noted further that 1,500 matters are before the Court that require trials or a full hearing.

The remaining, from estimation, will have to be passed through the Court for them to be formally closed. It was explained that under the Civil Procedures Rules, there are Fixed Date and statement of claim matters. For 2017, a total of 2,063 Fixed date applications was filed, and 1,452 were completed. Four hundred and forty (440) statements of Claim matters were filed, of which 54 were completed. For 2018, a total of 214 Fixed Date Applications were filed, with 95 completed. And 37 Statement of Claim matters were filed and 4 were completed. Judges are rotated to the other two counties each session for at least three months, DPI reported.

When contacted on Thursday evening, Guyana Bar Association President Kamal Ramkarran was not available for comment.

NEWS

19

friDAY, February 16, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Linden girl diagnosed with Stabroek Bazaar eye cancer departs for Cuba vendors affected by – family seeking assistance in securing improper drainage more funds to complete treatment T V endors of the Stabroek Market Bazaar have been facing a number of difficulties in recent times, including the problems related to improper drainage facilities, which they have constantly reported within the past few weeks, but to no avail.

When Guyana Times visited the Bazaar on Thursday, a number of vendors related that during the days when there were downpours, water would accumulate for a number of days.

One vendor who operates a vegetable stall stated that the water, which was lodged there from last Sunday’s rainfall, was still stagnant today, creating an unpleasant smell.

To get to their stalls, some of vendors have to traverse through the water multiple times every day. A makeshift plank was placed by the vendors as a temporary solution, but this will not solve their problem when it rains in the future.

Furthermore, consumers refuse to walk in the stag-

The stagnant water through which vendors have to walk daily

nant water. They choose to go elsewhere in the Market where they can conveniently purchase their goods.

“The water don’t have nowhere to go and people don’t want [to] walk through the water even if they want we stuff,” another vendor said.

Many persons related

that they have reported this matter numerous times, but there has been no response.

They are requesting the authorities look into this matter and more importantly, provide better drainage systems, so that the water could recede from the Market.

Vreed-en-Hoop residents affected by improper garbage disposal

R

esidents of Vreeden-Hoop, West Coast Demerara (Region 3) are calling on the relevant authorities to implement a proper garbage disposal facility, as the community has been subjected to improper garbage disposal for a number of years.

They blame this untenable situation on vendors who dispose of their refuse in an unacceptable manner.

During the day, the area becomes crowded with small businesses and vendors, whom the residents believe are the architects of this garbage problem. The situation wherein commuters access speedboat taxis at the ferry stelling to cross the Demerara River is also being blamed for the garbage situation.

Persons residing in the area have expressed concern at the amount of waste being dumped in the area by both visitors and those who use the stelling for their livelihood. They related that at the end of the day, when all have gone to their respective communities, the residents are the ones who remain in the garbage-filled environment and trenches.

It is due to this that they experience flooding during the rainy season, as the drainage system becomes clogged,

hree-year-old Crystal John of Amelia’s Ward, Mackenzie, Linden, who was diagnosed with cancer of the retina, has departed Guyana for Cuba to undergo life-saving surgery.

John departed these shores on Tuesday, but her family is still seeking to raise more funds to offset expenses, since the initial target was not met. According to the toddler’s mother, LaShawn Daniels, the family with the help of the Giving Hope Foundation, public-spirited citizens and organisations had managed to secure only part of the funds and as of Thursday, they were still awaiting financial assistance from the Public Health Ministry.

The family had initially sought to secure US$10,000, which included the cost for treatment, accommodation, transportation, and other costs. A number of organisations, including the Giving Hope Foundation Guyana and the Sar & B Nonprofit Foundation have since been on the quest to assist the family in raising the monies with the help of the public.

Linden Nurse Colwyn Allen had also organised a telethon on his radio programme “Healthy Living

Three-year-old Crystal John

with Nurse Allen” in an effort to assist.

Speaking with Guyana Times, Daniels noted that they still needed half of the funds for the toddler’s complete treatment, since they only managed to secure half. The family, she noted, was expected to send the remainder of the money.

“We have no idea where we’re going to get it from,” Daniels indicated.

Little Crystal was diagnosed with the life-threatening disease when she was just eight months old, resulting in the removal of one of her eyes. It has since spread to her other eye and she is currently unable to see. In an effort to save her life and prevent further spread, her remaining eye

has to be removed.

As such, her parents, Ivan John and LaShawn Daniels, are seeking the assistance of the public and the Public Health Ministry, in an effort to urgently secure funds for her complete treatment in Cuba.

Donations can be made via Citizens Bank Account # 219-002-772 and GBTI Account # 001062730013. A GoFundMe account has also been set up at GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/ crystals-johns-treatment.

Her parents can be contacted on phone numbers 690-0866, 670-4337 or 6877171, or interested persons can contact the Giving Hope Foundation on telephone number 227-6588.

Five Star Backdam killing

Police witness testifies to taking 16 crime scene photos

J

Garbage litters the ferry stelling

making it difficult for water to escape. As such, people find it difficult to get to work and school when it floods.

“I ain’t know what to say about this garbage problem!

(It is) very, very disturbing, because we are the persons living in it. They go away, but we have to see it all the time, not only on the road corner, but in the trench,” said a resident who has requested anonymity.

Another resident of the area has pointed out that vendors are not the only ones littering the environment, those who live in the area are doing likewise.

Instead of paying for garbage disposal, they dispose of all the household waste in the trenches. Plastic materials, Styrofoam containers

and animal carcasses are dumped in the drains and remain lodged, creating an awful smell.

She stated, “They don’t want to pay for the garbage truck to pick up their garbage, most of them; so they throwing it in the trench, and it blocking up. Most days when the rain fall, my yard does be (flooded).”

Vreed-en-Hoop residents are calling on the authorities in charge to take action against persons who dispose of garbage in an unsightly manner, jeopardizing their health and well-being. Persons residing in the area have demanded that the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) address this matter at the earliest.

ustice James BovellDrakes, concluding the voir dire (trial within a trial) in the murder case in which Marlon Marion Freeman is accused of murdering miner Timothy Adams at Turtle Creek, Five Star Backdam, North West District (NWD) on December 22, 2013, called in the 12-member panel of jurors to hear the case as the main trial continued on Thursday.

When his case came up late last month, Freeman had denied that he was responsible for the murder of Timothy Adams, and the jury was subsequently empanelled to hear his case.

At Thursday’s trial, Medex Colleen Edgillo testified that she had pronounced Adams ‘dead before arrival at the Pakera Hospital’ at Matthew’s Ridge, NWD, where she had examined Adams’s body and had found that he was lifeless and had no heartbeat. Edgillo told the court that she had seen a deep puncture wound to the right side of his neck and a laceration to the left side of his head.

Under cross-examination

Deceased miner Timothy Adams

by Defence Counsel Folio Richards, the witness announced that she was unable to determine the time of death, but noted that, based on her experience, the laceration was consistent with blunt trauma.

Police Detective Collis Duke also took the stand, and related to the court that he had, with his Blackberry mobile phone, taken 16 photographs of the crime scene.

However, the defence questioned why Duke had taken 4 years to print the said photos, having printed the exhibits earlier this year. And Duke could not say if it was standard procedure of the

Police Force to so do.

Testifying earlier on in the trial, Duke had related that on the day in question he had travelled to Turtle Creek Road, where he had examined the area and found an all-terrain vehicle (ATV), CG 6335, facing north in a stationary position, and had observed the body of a male lying face down.

He had also said he later learnt that the deceased was named Timothy Adams, and had been a gold miner and dredge owner.

According to the Policeman, Adams had been wearing a jersey, brown three-quarter pants, and a pair of yellow slippers at the time of his demise.

Duke also recalled seeing on Adams a 10.3 cm wound, with what appeared to be blood oozing from it.

The late Timothy Adams had reportedly met his demise while en route to a mining camp.

State Counsels Lisa Cave and Mandell Moore are presenting the Prosecution’s case.

The case continues before Justice James BovellDrakes.

20

friDAY, february 16, 2018

Newborn

Throughout the season, Barnwell has kept his shape while producing the power-hitting strokes

gives Barnwell renewed focus

By Akeem Greene

A

merican humourist Erma Bombeck once said “Children make your life important” and according to national cricketer Christopher Barnwell, his January-born daughter Chelsea Dahlia Barnwell (named after his favourite football team Chelsea) has been an empowering factor to his current success for the Guyana Jaguars.

The 31 year-old has been given a new lease on his professional career and has taken with it with both hands producing a string of sterling performances in the on-going Cricket West Indies Super50 Cup in Antigua.

“Yea I think Chelsea played a major role; she is my new motivator and I

have been working hard in the nets leading up to the tournament,” he relayed to Guyana Times Sport on Thursday.

After being named replacement for Raymon Reifer who departed for Windies ‘A’ team duties against England Lions, in four matches the big-hitting all-rounder from the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) has accumulated 159 runs (third most for the team) at an average of 53.00 and also took four wickets all of which came against United States where he had 4-35 in nine overs.

His career best and manof-the match score of 89 from 93 balls against Leeward Hurricanes on Wednesday evening was inclusive of eight fours and two sixes.

It showed signs the vintage

Barnwell has wiped off the dust and his back to what many have become expectant of him producing.

Heading into the tournament, the flamboyant right-handed batsman was hot on form after scoring a blistering 101 to lead Georgetown into the finals of the local 50-over league and then scoring an aggressive 69 in final to add to his 48 in the lone warm-up match.

“I am a free-scoring player and I came to Antigua with pretty good form, so when I went out to bat I took my time and then I hit a few balls sweetly to the rope which gave me even more confidence,” he revealed.

Top-scoring with a gusty 36 in their three-wicket loss to Kent and sharing a 58run partnership with club mate Sherfane Rutherford,

he replicated a similar feat with Shimron Hetmyer for the five-wicket canter against the Hurricanes.

The duo shared 144run stand for the fifth wicket but Hetmyer who is known more for his flare at was unusually sedate but according to Barnwell their aim to was make the partnership what it was, a matching winning one by stating “I was telling him let's take the partnership as long as possible and just pick the right balls to hit.”

With Hetmyer, Devendra Bishoo departing after eight round for international duties and Keemo Paul reportedly joining the ‘A’ team, the cream of Jaguars’ in-form players will be out for the finals. “I don't think it would be added pressure, the replacement players are pret-

ty good players and could give a good account of themselves; we just have to play smart cricket and don’t make too many mistakes.”

A dip in form in the previous seasons caused the out-of- favour former Windies limited over player to sit on the side lines and watch Jaguars win their fourth successive four-day title. For the player with close to 10 years First-Class

experience, it was a tough pill to swallow.

“It was very tough sitting and watching the First-Class season.

I came as a replacement [for the 50over] so I know I have to perform to keep my place in the team.”

He added, “I just want to help my team to win the tournament and good performance will take care of the rest.”

Rashid puts red-ball cricket on hold A dil Rashid has put his first-class career on hold for at least a year after agreeing a white-ball only contract with Yorkshire for the 2018 season.

Rashid, the legspinner, is a key part of England's one-

day and T20 sides and believes it is those formats of the games he would be best to focus on domestically and internationally. He has played 10 Tests, all overseas, taking 38 wickets at 42.78, but became very expensive in the lat-

ter part of the series against India in late 2016.

"At this moment in time in my career, I just feel that white-ball cricket is where I am best, enjoying it most and where I feel I can develop and offer a lot more," he said. "It's

for this season coming and to see how it goes. It's not me saying I'm finished from red ball, it's just me saying that this summer I'm going to concentrate on white ball and see where that takes me."

While Rashid did not enjoy a vintage 2017 Championship season - he claimed only 10 wickets at a cost of 50 apiece - the decision is still a surprise. He remains relatively young (he celebrates his 30th birthday later this week) and, having not been picked-up by IPL or PSL teams, is not suffering from the conflicting demands on his time that inconvenience some cricketers.

Yorkshire have made it clear the decision was very much Rashid's - "The club remain firmly in favour of Rashid continuing to play red-ball cricket for the county," they said in a statement - but say they "respect his desire" and are "in the process" of "renegotiating a contract which reflects his decision to solely play white ball cricket."

While the England camp are

open-minded about the benefits of players specialising, they had not shut the door on a return to Test cricket for Rashid. With Mason Crane enduring a tough Test debut - he claimed 1 for 193 - and Moeen Ali struggling during a horrid Ashes series, the new county season might have presented Rashid with a golden opportunity to stake his claim for a recall.

And, with 10 first-class centuries to his name, he offered all-round skills that few of his rivals for the spin-bowling position can match. Might it be relevant that it was longtime Yorkshire team-mate Joe Root who made the decision for England to look at alternative options? Certainly there have been previous occasions when Yorkshire have expressed some frustration with Rashid, not least at the end of the 2016 season when he cited the illness of a family member for sitting out the

County Championship decider at Lord's. Middlesex subsequently won that match to pip Yorkshire to the title with Andrew Gale, then the club captain and now the club coach, tweeting with apparent irritation that he would take "11 lads on the field who will give everything to win."

Rashid also issued an apology to Gale in early 2013 after giving an interview in which he criticised his captain's use of him, claimed "I don't feel I've been treated well" and threatened to leave the club. Rashid's move will strengthen the belief that the longer formats of the game could struggle to withstand the proliferation of T20 cricket, in particular. With several of West Indies' better players having apparently accepted a future as white-ball specialists and Jos Buttler the latest England player to suggest a Test-less future, Rashid's move might s o u n d more warning bells for lovers of the more traditional formats.

(ESPN

Cricinfo)

Adil Rashid has played just 10 Test matches, all out of England

sports

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21

Guinness “Greatest of the Streets” Football West Dem Zone

ESPN’s chance to put brakes on Showstoppers

F

or two consecutive years, teams participating in the West Demerara/East Bank Demerara Zone of the Guinness “Greatest of the Streets” Football have found one task impossible to complete; that is stopping Showstoppers from walking away with the title.

Based on their performances this year, they seem even more rampant as is evident after dishing out a 6-0 thumping of West Side Ballers in the semi-finals on Tuesday. Marvin Josiah was ‘Mr Playmaker’ scored a hat-trick and to think the talent in the likes of Stephon Jupiter and Trayon Bobb did not get their names on the score sheet, their final opposition ESPN know they have their work cut out.

ESPN will still be staking their chips high given the pedigree of players they have, notably Pernell Schultz and the Lythcott brothers, Trevon and Kevon. It was Schultz who engineered the surge to the final with goals on either side of the half against Dream Team and the

Showstoppers will start as strong favourites to retain their title

talented attacking player will need to produce all the goods to stop a budding dynasty.

It should a colourful end to the action with the top prize of $400,000 and the championship trophy at stake.

The losing team will take home

$200,000 and a trophy, while both teams are automatic qualifiers for the national playoffs.

Apart from the colossal final, the large crowd anticipated to raid the Pouderoyen Tarmac this evening can also look forward to a thirdplace play-off clash between Dream

Essequibo-less inter-county cricket begins Saturday

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Arsenal edge closer to Europa League final 16

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Defending champions Berbice after winning the championship in 2017

he Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) will be hosting the Female Under-19 T20 Inter-County tournament from Saturday February 17 to Sunday February 18, 2018 according to a Press Release received late on Thursday.

And while there are three teams in the tournament, there is no Essequibo team as stated in the media release.

The statement stated that the tournament bowls off on Saturday at the Everest Cricket Club ground at Camp road and Carifesta avenue with two matches. The opener will pit the GCB President’s XI and Demerara at 09:00h followed by defending champions, Berbice opening their defence against the President’s XI from 13:30h.

The round robin tournament will finish on Sunday afternoon with the final clash between hosts Demerara and champions Berbice from 13:30h.

Teams: President XI; Varshanie

Ramlal, Latisha Ramsammy, Melissa Torres, Sarai Mangalee, Varshanie Jagdeo, Bernice James, Raveena Kumar, Ashmini Munesar, Tavita Deonarine, Naiomi Paddy, Keba Henry, Kamini Ramsammy, Vinita Ballkishun, (Manager) Kenalyn Baker, (Coach) Clive Grimmond.

Berbice; Sheneta Grimmond, Rushana Lynch, Aliyah Baksh, Shabeka Gajnabi, Aliyah Samaroo, Shaiana Barth, Omadevi Matadin, Lafona Gilgeous, Amesha Samaroo, Ameena Adram, Niveena Ramnauth, Priya Singh, Roseanna Sheopaul, (Manager) Stembiso Williams, (Coach) Natasha Gangoo.

Demerara; Jinnell Persaud, Shazana Majeed, Roshine Budhu, Yogeeta Ballkishun, Jessica Orford, Mandy Mangru, Ashley Ramkisson, Casey Charles, Chrita Mohabir, Ashtie Motilall, Sarah Amin, Cherry Ann Fraser, Keshamea Frank, (Manager) Heema Singh, (Coach) Latchman Yadram.

Nacho Monreal’s opener meant he has been directly involved in five goals in his past six games for Arsenal in all competitions

A

rsene Wenger praised his Arsenal side for the way they overcame unfamiliar surroundings as they easily beat Swedish side Ostersunds FK to more or less guarantee their place in the last 16 of the Europa League.

The game was played in -4C temperatures on a 4G plastic pitch at the Jamtkraft Arena, but the visitors made light of alien conditions to win comfortably.

Left-back Nacho Monreal scored the Gunners' first from close range when Ostersund goalkeeper Aly Keita fumbled Alex Iwobi's strike.

Then the home side's centre-back Sotirios Papagiannopoulos diverted Henrikh Mkhitaryan's cross into his own net after the

Armenian seized on a loose pass.

Ostersund improved after the break but any prospect of a revival was ended

by Mesut Ozil, who made a well-timed run into the area and squeezed his shot past Keita for the third, before the hosts had a late penalty saved. The Swedish club's English manager Graham Potter, who has led them to three promotions since 2010, could at least reflect on a bright performance from striker Saman Ghoddos.

The Iran international forced Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina into a couple of saves and led the line with pace and determination. Arsenal host the second leg of the last-32 tie at Emirates Stadium next Thursday (20:05 GMT). (BBC Sport)

22

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

friDAY, february 16, 2018

JJTRC/Triple Crown

Rain

delays runoff

– 1000 free kites promised for 2nd leg

Bounty Farm Handicap Squash Tournament…

Fernandes shows form on opening night

T

D

Lots of horses have been entered and are eager for race days

ue to the inclement weather in Berbice, the start of the first-ever Triple Crown has been pushed back.

The first leg which was initially scheduled for this Sunday at the Rising Sun Turf Club will now be held on March 4 at the same venue.

The delay is necessary after the recent rain across the country’s coast has left the track short of preparation.

The second leg will now take place on Easter Sunday, April 1 at the Port Mourant Turf Club while the third and final stage will see the action returning to Rising Sun on April 29.

For the setback, the organizers – the Jumbo Jet Thoroughbred Racing Committee will distribute 1000 kites at no cost to the first 1000 turfites to enter the Port Mourant Turf Club ground on Easter Sunday for the second leg.

Meanwhile, the grand drawing of the mega raffle is also pushed back to the final leg on April 29 where the winners of the Nissan Tida motorcar and other top prizes will be known.

To be crowned the Triple Crown Champion, a horse must win at all three events. Overall, the Jumbo Jet Thoroughbred Racing Committee is injecting over $20M in cash and prizes across the three events.

There are seven events carded for the day with the feature ‘C’ Class and Lower covering a distance of 1200m for a top prize of $1,000,000.

The other races are ‘F’ Class and Lower and the ‘E’ Class Non-Earners (last Start); three-year old Guyana Bred; ‘H1’ and Lower; ‘J&K’ and Lower; and the ‘L’ and Lower all running for 1200m except the ‘K’ Class NonEarners (last start) who are set to cover a distance of 1100m.

he Bounty Farm Ltd Handicap Squash Tournament began on Wednesday evening at the Georgetown Club courts with Taylor Fernandes showing great form in the handful of matches played in the in the Open Category and two in Category A. Fernandes (-4) battled with Jonathan DeGroot (8) winning the first game in style only conceding 3 points. Jonathan fought back in the second game interrupting Fernandes by taking the game 15-13. Fernandes triumphed in the third despite a shaky moment after reaching 0 from a 4-point deficit, then showed her superior skill and held her nerve to win the third game and match 15-11, 13-15, 15-14.

In the other open games, Javid Rahaman made light work of Tian Edwards while Brian Young closed the 3 point handicap gap on Andrea King to take both games.

Taylor Fernandes

Category A match ups for the night saw Shiloh Asregardo dominate to win in straight games against Ashanti Persaud and Abosaide Cadagon not dropping a point as she easily took care of Kayden Pynaendy.

Matches will continue nightly at the club with the finals slated for Sunday.

Magnum Mash Cup semi-finals shifted

T

he semifinals of the inaugural Magnum Mash Cup Futsal Tournament that were originally set for tonight in the National Gymnasium will now be played on Saturday February 17 at the same venue.

The shift in date is due to clashes with the resumption of the Guyana Football Federation’s

(GFF) elite league and finals of the Guinness

Greatest of the Streets Football Tournament on Friday February 16.

The organizers of the Magnum Mash Cup tournament are however, committed to having the final played on Sunday February 18 in the National Gymnasium.

friDAY, february 16, 2018

guyanatimesgy.com

23

CWI/Regional Super50 Cup

Vintage Barnwell puts Jaguars back on top …key clash with Scorpions today Hetmyer are the batsmen in form and will look to avenge their previous flop and put a winning total on the board and allow the bowlers to have a good run against the Scorpions.

Andre Russell is fresh off a match-winning century and will no doubt carry the Scorpions batting with Chadwick Walton, Mc Carthy and Brandon King who are all in good nick.

There is no Nikita Miller this time around but the

Christopher Barnwell has carried the Jaguars' fight in his four matches to date

F

luid half centuries from Christopher Barnwell and Shimron Hetmyer led the Guyana Jaguars to a comfortable five wicket win over Leeward Islands Hurricanes in the CWI Super50 at Coolidge Cricket Ground on Wednesday.

Batting first after being sent in, the Leeward Islands Hurricanes led by Devon Thomas’ unbeaten century posted what could have been a competitive 216 for 8, but as it turned out the fourday champions had very little problems overhauling the target after posting 217 for 5. The Hurricanes were missing key players who are on Windies “A” team duties including centurion from the last clash with the two teams, Rahkeem Cornwall and found themselves in early trouble after losing captain Kofi James in the fourth over.

James was caught by Bramble off the bowling of Romario Shepherd who then returned to have Keacy Carty (15) dismissed in identical fashion, which left the hosts struggling at 2 for 24.

Things looked even bleaker when Akeem Charles, who strode to the crease next, was sent back to the pavilion without troubling the score. Steady batting from

Thomas, however, kept the innings steady despite wickets falling regularly around him.

Akeal Hosein remained with him at the crease at the end of the innings after adding a quick 23 from 20. Shepherd and Devendra Bishoo claimed three wickets each for Guyana.

In response, opener Chanderpaul Hemraj (30) got the Jaguars off to a solid start, but became the first victim of Terance Ward, who ended with figures of 4 for 37.

Warde then also accounted for veteran Shivnarine Chanderpaul who added 14 from 48 balls before being caught by Akeem Charles.

Leon Johnson was next to go caught at short fine-leg after scooping a ball on middle stump. The Jaguars were then struggling at 65 for 3 after 16 overs.

A 144 run wicket stand between Barnwell who cracked 89 from 93 deliveries and Hetmyer who tallied 60 from 95 balls took the game well out of the reach of the Leewards. With eight required for victory, Warde had Barnwell caught at deep mid-wicket before Shefane Rutherford joined Hetmyer to see out the easy win.

With the win, the Jaguars have moved to 22 points ahead of Jamaica

Scorpions attack is potent enough to do the job like they did when they restricted Kent to 239 in their most previous game.

The Jaguars are looking for their first 50-over title since 2005 but will first have to make it to the semifinals which are on February 21 and 22.

In today’s encounter, the first ball is at 14:00h at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in another day/night treat for the Antiguans.

SCOREBOARD Andre Russell could be the ‘X-Factor’ in today’s big clash

Scorpions who are in second place in Group B on 19 points followed by Kent Spitfires on 17.

This means that there is a three-way race for the two play-off spots which makes today’s matches very crucial.

Kent with two preliminary matches in the bag will take on bottom of the table USA today and should take full points from the encounter and will then fancy themselves for a play-off spot when they finish this segment of the tournament against the Hurricanes on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Jaguars go in to their final preliminary round match today against the Scorpions looking for nothing but a win to

secure their spot in the next phase of the tournament.

When these two teams last met, the Scorpions won by 46 runs under the Duckworth/Lewis Method in a rain affected match. In that game, Andre McCarthy played a beautiful innings of 105 that saw the Scorpions scoring 264 for 9 then restricting their opponents for 168 chasing a revised target of 215 from 34 overs with only Shimron Hetmyer passing 18 runs while Nikita Miller picked up four wickets.

After today, the Scorpions will have wrap up this phase with a clash against USA on Sunday as they look for maximum points.

For the Jaguars, Barnwell, Hemraj and

Leeward Islands Hurricanes Innings (50 Overs maximum) KU Carty c †Bramble b Shepherd 15 KHM James* c Chanderpaul b Shepherd 2 AA Charles c †Bramble b Paul 2 DC Thomas not out 103 T Warde run out 18 JPR Scantlebury-Searles c Johnson b Bishoo 9 JA Clarke† c †Bramble b Bishoo 9 SKE Burton b Bishoo 6 JJ Athanaze c Hemraj b Shepherd 15 AJ Hosein not out 23 Extras (b-1, lb-3, nb-1, w-9) 14 Total (For 8 wickets; 50 Overs) 216 Did not bat: S Berridge Fall of wickets: 1-7 (KHM James, 3.2 ov), 2-24 (KU Carty, 7.5 ov), 3-24 (AA Charles, 8.4 ov), 4-77 (T Warde, 21.2 ov), 5-91 (JPR Scantlebury-Searles, 25.2 ov), 6-117 (JA Clarke, 31.1 ov), 7-131 (SKE Burton, 35.6 ov), 8-175 (JJ Athanaze, 43.4 ov) Bowling Paul 8-0-37-1 (w4), Shepherd 10-1-40-3 (w-

10-0-4-0 2), Permaul (w-1), Barnwell 4-0-24-0 (w1), Bishoo 10-0-35-3 (nb-1, w-1), Rutherford 2-0-14-0, Hemraj 6-0-22-0 Guyana Jaguars Innings (target: 217 runs from 50 overs) C Hemraj c Burton b Warde 30 S Chanderpaul c Charles b War de 14 SO Hetmyer not out 60 LR Johnson* c Burton b War de 14 CD Barnwell c James b Warde 89 A Bramble† c Carty b Berridge 3 SE Rutherford not out 2 Extras (nb-1, w-4) 5 Total (For 5 wickets; 47.1 Overs) 217 Did not bat: KMA Paul, R Shepherd, V Permaul, D Bishoo Fall of wickets: 1-41 (C Hemraj, 11.3 ov), 2-49 (S Chanderpaul, 13.3 ov), 3-65 (LR Johnson, 15.6 ov), 4-209 (CD Barnwell, 45.2 ov), 5-215 (A Bramble, 46.5 ov) Bowling Berridge 9-2-39-1 (w-2), Athanaze 10-2-33-0, Burton 5-0-36-0, Warde 9.10-37-4 (w-1), Hosein 10-0-460 (nb-1, w-1), James 4-0-26-0

Milo Schools Football Tournament 2018

Buxton making strong moves

B

uxton Youth Developers won their second match on the trot when they defeated Charlestown Secondary 5-0 when the sixth annual Milo Schools Football Tournament continued on Wednesday at the Ministry of Education ground, Carifesta Avenue.

Shemar Kingston scored in the seventh and 39th and received support from Shamesh London in the 15th and 46th while Teshawn Gordon scored in the 58th to further sink the woes of the opposition in the one-sided contest.

More so, former champions Lodge Secondary surged to a 3-1 victory over Queenstown Secondary. The goals were equally shared for Lodge with Shemroy Mayers (26th), Ricky Stewart (45th) and Adrian Berkshire (70th) being the marksman while Carl Chisholm scored in the 66th for the opposition.

St. Roses lost to a 2-1 margin to Uitvlugt Secondary; Victor Chin had put the Church Street unit ahead in the 40th but Anthony Benn equalized two minutes later followed by Mickel Mckend in the 70th.

The under-18 tourna-

The tournament has already seen 100 goals being scored from 14 matches at the Ministry of Education Ground, Carifesta Avenue

ment which is held in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health under theme “there is no excuse for vio-

lence” continues this weekend with more round robin matches as teams are hoping to secure the first place

prize of $500,000 which goes towards a school project.

On Saturday, round two continues with Sir Leon’s

Lesson battling Cummings Lodge from noon followed

by Linden’s Christainburg Secondary meeting Dolphin Secondary from 13:30h and the final match of the day being Masters Academy and Queen’s College from 15:00h.

At the same starting times on Sunday, Ann’s Grove do battle with Vergenogen Secondary followed by Pure Masters and School of the Nations.

The final match will be a tough one for the Bishops’ High who tackle rampant 2017 runners-up Morgan’s Learning Centre.

friDAY, february 16, 2018

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

guyanatimesgy.com

CWI/Regional Super50 Cup Pg 23

Christopher Barnwell has carried the Jaguars' fight in his four matches to date

Vintage Barnwell puts Jaguars back on top …key clash with Scorpions today

JJTRC/Triple Crown

Pg 22

Rain delays runoff

– 1000 free kits promised for 2nd leg

Horse owners and turfites will have to wait a little longer for the excitement on the track

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