Guyanatime 17 march 2018

DDL, SPU seals deal on molasses for 2018 rum production P10 Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Saturday, March 17, 2018

Issue No. 3505

guyanatimesgy.com

PRICE

GPL woes

Jagdeo slams Govt over regular “blackouts” Page 3

$80 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE: Torching of vehicle in Buxton

GWI will not be intimidated – Van WestCharles P2 …will continue disconnections

City Hall woes

AFC being P9 sidelined by APNU “cabal” – Jagdeo ...slams party leaders for failure to publicly back their own Councillors

…prolonged power outage forces press conference outdoors

Guyana gets mere 1% royalty in Tullow, ECO (Atlantic) contact

...50% profit oil

Page 12

President greeted with protesters in Berbice

Page 12

…to convene regional, community administration forum Kick down the door banditry

Gunmen beat, rob Corentyne family

Page 10

…escape with over $1M in cash, jewellery

Robb Street vendors blast City Hall for space allocation

Charlestown man found with grenade remanded P14

Mahaicony man remanded for son-in- P8 law’s murder

Region 2 RDC expresses no confidence P13 in REO

Page 9

Unpaid Region 1 security guards seek P14 help …forced to borrow money to maintain families

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news

saturDAY, march 17, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Torching of vehicle in Buxton

GWI will not be intimidated – Van West-Charles …will continue disconnections

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ead of the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), Dr Richard Van West-Charles has said the entity’s workers will not be intimidated by the violent behaviour of citizens following the burning of a minibus which was taking its disconnection

the employees of the water company realised that it was gasoline. The man then ignited the vehicle. The six employees, who were present at the scene, were forced to run for their lives.

They subsequently called the Police.

On Friday, West-Charles

The contracted bus that was set ablaze by a Buxton resident on Wednesday

crew in Buxton, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

On Wednesday in the vicinity of Company Road, Friendship, ECD, the GWI crew were conducting disconnections when a resident of Buxton approached the GWI vehicle with a bottle in hand containing a liquid. Upon dispersal of the substance around and inside the contracted vehicle,

told the media that such behaviour cannot be tolerated. “This matter cannot be tolerated by anyone. This level of lawlessness will not and must not intimidate the work of GWI,” he said.

He stated that upon examination of the torched bus, which was contracted to transport GWI staff members to conduct various disconnections, it was com-

pletely damaged.

“The vehicle has been severely damaged to the point where it has to be written-off,” he said.

West-Charles also noted that they are now seeking to have Police support in communities which are considered “high-risk areas”. He added that the majority of the cases of violent attacks from citizens on GWI employees arise from communities on the ECD. Additionally, he said that in the past, outreaches were conducted with residents in Buxton so as to spread awareness as well as to discuss the improvement of the company’s standards. He noted that this is done because these situations can only be avoided if there is great partnership between GWI and the communities.

“This is in essence in seeking to provide a better quality of service to customers across the country and I think it is important at this juncture that all of our citizens must stand up against this type of lawlessness in our country,” he said.

For 2018, West-Charles explained that four instances had already arisen

The GWI crew who were conducting disconnections in Buxton

where there were attacks on the staff adding, “We do know that this is not a representative of the people of Buxton, and in the main, is not necessarily a representative of the people of the communities but we’ve been having a number of repeat-

ed attacks and therefore it is my belief that it is time for citizens to raise their voices and their actions to ensure that law is respected and maintained, to support for the betterment of all citizens throughout the length and breadth of Guyana.”

With the implementation of new strategies and the will to continue the disconnections without intimidation, GWI is hoping Guyanese will comply when they are subjected to disconnections by its staff.

Music teacher jailed for raping 8-year-old

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58-year-old Essequibo Coast, Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam) music teacher was jailed for 35 years after he was found guilty of raping an eight-year-old girl.

Rudolph Madray was jailed by Justice Sandra Kurtzious at the Suddie High Court earlier this week.

According to the prosecution, Madray was a teacher at a school at Spring Garden village, Essequibo Coast.

The prosecution’s case contended that the incident took placed on February 18, 2016.

During the trial it was revealed that neighbours saw the child entering the man’s home which is next to the

school and became suspicious. As such, they alerted the Police.

A medical examination was conducted on the child and found that she was sexually active. Madray was arrested by Police and charged for rape of a child under 16 years. The child was not a student of the school.

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saturDAY, march 17, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

BRIDGE OPENINGS

GPL woes

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

Saturday, March 17 – 05:00h-06:30h and Sunday, March 18 – 05:00h-06:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Saturday, March 17 – 16:40h-18:10h and Sunday, March 18 – 05:00h-06:30h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

Weather: Sunny intervals with lightly cloudy skies can be expected throughout the day, with partly cloudy to clear skies expected in the evening. Overall temperatures are expected to range between 20 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-easterly to North-easterly between 1.78 metres and 6.70 metres.

High Tide: 04:36h and 16:53h reaching maximum heights of 2.67 metres and 2.75 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 10:28h and 22:46h reaching minimum heights of 0.51 metres and 0.47 metre respectively.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2018

LOTTERY NUMBERS N

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08 Bonus Ball

FREE TICKET

friday, MARCH 16, 2018

DAILY MILLIONS 03 07 11 23

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LUCKY 3 7 8 3

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Afternoon Draw DRAW DE LINE

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Evening Draw

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

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Jagdeo slams Govt over regular “blackouts” …prolonged power outage forces press conference outdoors

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prolonged period of ‘blackout’ yesterday forced Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo to host his weekly press conference outdoors of his Church Street, Georgetown office.

Blasting the Government for the frequent episodes of power outage across Guyana, Jagdeo noted that many Guyanese are forced to endure the constant power outages daily, despite the Government saving more money from fuel than ever before.

According to the Opposition Leader, there is a manifest lack of short- and long-term solutions to address the Guyana Power and Light’s (GPL) inefficiency.

“So many Guyanese face this on a daily basis -- the large number of blackouts, sometimes for extended periods -- and (they are failing) to address this. (There is) no relief from the Government in the short-term, and no (effective) plan for addressing this in the medium to long term. So it can only get worse,” Jagdeo predicted.

He noted that the Government has been profiting from billions, since it has not adjusted the electricity rates downwards, considering the low oil price.

“And you know what bothers me the most?

Because this Government did not adjust the electricity prices downwards, (it) has been raking in large sums of money compared to the past.

And so many times I have argued they have raked in in excess of $20 billion, and I saw the Chairman of the (GPL) Board, (Robert) Badal, dispute the figures.

But they never said how much money they’ve collected since fuel prices fell, without adjusting the rates.”

According to Jagdeo, the coalition Government killed the Amaila Falls Hydro Power (AFHP) project while promising wind power.

Expressing fears of a rapid deterioration in power supply, which will harm both individuals and businesses, Jagdeo questioned both the transparency and the effectiveness of the strategies the Government has so far pur-

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo was forced to hold his weekly press briefing in the outdoors due to power outage

sued.

“We heard that they were negotiating a power purchase agreement. We didn’t hear much after we exposed that it would have been a corrupt act with another AFC financier. Then we heard about a gas-powered power plant. We’re not hearing much more about that,” Jagdeo related.

“The latest iteration of this confusion and excuse is the President saying we will become a solar state, whatever that means, because solar cannot be base- load electricity. And then we’ve seen big ads from (Power Producers and Distributors Incorporated) about how much money they’re saving.

That’s all we’re getting. In 2018, we’re faced with this sort of situation and (there is) no (effective) plan to address it.”

The ‘revamp’

In a bid to revamp its operations, GPL recently appointed Albert Gordon, a Jamaican, as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

The appointment of this former Vice President of the Jamaican Water Commission took effect on February 1.

Gordon has replaced the former GPL acting CEO, Renford Homer. His appointment came at a time when GPL is touting the use of renewable energy, such as wind, to power its national grid.

However, Jagdeo has continuously maintained that even with a change of management, power outages remain a reality for thousands across Guyana. He

noted that without effective action, the energy situation would only get worse.

“It’s going to get worse because they’re not taking steps to address it. There is no new power. Amaila should have been in the system from 2017, (providing) 100 megawatts. There is no new installed capacity in the horizon now,” he had said in the past.

“They’re still running with what the PPP had (while) in office, and we had planned to bring in an additional 160 megawatts of power. So those units, some of them are already old and they need to be replaced or put in reserve. But if there’s no plan, it’s going to get worse,” Jagdeo predicted.

The GPL has recently attributed the service in-

terruptions experienced in the Demerara-Berbice Interconnected System (DBIS) to a short circuit within a 13.8 kV breaker at Sophia.

According to GPL, service restoration efforts began immediately and all the areas were subsequently re-powered, with the exception of Kitty, Subryanville, Alberttown, Newtown, Queenstown and Bel Air. These areas were repowered following the completion of remedial work to resolve a localized fault on Vlissengen Road.

Additionally, customers from No. 54 Village to Skeldon in East Berbice who experienced similar outages as a result of burst conductors on the L23 transmission line, were re-powered, said GPL.

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saturDAY, march 17, 2018

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

Tackling drug trafficking

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he authorities in Guyana are facing some real challenges in relation to tackling the issue of drug trafficking and the related problems that come with such activity. While there have been some successes at preventing traffickers from being successful in carrying out these illegal acts, it is clear that there is still much work to be done to put a real dent on drug trafficking.

In some cases, persons carrying illegal drugs slip through our ports here undetected. It is only when they arrive at their destination that they are discovered with the illegal drugs.

The same goes for cargo containers, boxes, parcels and so on; in quite a few cases, they pass through the relevant security systems here undetected, due to what some perceive to be collusion of a numbers of officers from the relevant agencies involved.

International and regional institutions have, for quite some time now, been trying to come up with a strategy that would seek to reverse this growing threat, but traffickers are becoming smarter and are using other methods to “beat the system,” thereby creating more difficulties for law enforcement agencies.

Counter-drug efforts have pushed traffickers to use new routes through the Caribbean as they seek to ship illegal drugs from South America into the United States, Europe and other destinations. They are also using containers with the aim of concealing the illegal items. It is no secret that, in the past, large amounts of drugs have transited in and out of Guyana on cargo and other ships. Cocaine is often concealed in legitimate commodities, and smuggled via commercial maritime vessels, air transport, human couriers, “go-fast” boats, or various postal methods.

The Caribbean is the midway point between illicit drug producers in the South and consumers in the North. Despite the interception of cocaine and other illegal items by local law enforcement officials, the United States and other international agencies believe that large volumes still pass through Guyana’s borders undetected.

A key report on the global fight against drug trafficking and money laundering, which was released by the United States Department of State last year, had noted that Guyana has a long road ahead in combating the drug scourge. The report, titled “International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR),” had said that Guyana is a transit country for cocaine destined for the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, and West Africa.

Cocaine originating in Colombia is smuggled to Venezuela, and onward to Guyana by sea or air. The report had said that smugglers also transit land borders with Brazil, Venezuela, and Suriname.

Traffickers are attracted by the country’s poorly monitored ports, remote airstrips, intricate river networks, porous land borders, and weak security sector capacity.

On the positive side, in 2012, with US funding through the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Container Control Programme (CCP) established “a multi-agency CCP Port Control Unit at the John Fernandes Wharf. The aim of setting up the unit was to strengthen the country’s capacity to assist in combating the threats posed by drug and gun traffickers using shipping containers to ply their trade.

This was an excellent initiative which has seen some successes so far in preventing illegal items from passing through our borders.

Also, Guyana has enacted crucial legislation that could enable a more-effective response to the threat of drug trafficking. For example, the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act of 2009, Interception of Communications Act of 2008, Criminal Law Procedure Act (revised in 1998), and Narcotic Drug and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act of 1988 were designed to enhance the investigative capabilities of law enforcement authorities and prosecutors in obtaining convictions of drug traffickers.

Certainly, drug trafficking and related criminal activities represent one of the most potent threats to democracy and stability in Guyana and the region. It undermines the rule of law and democratic governance, hence strenuous efforts must be made by all stakeholders involved to win the battle against traffickers. It should be noted, too, that drug trafficking is not only associated with violence and organized crime, evidence shows that it is linked to terrorist activities, and it is also connected to money laundering, arms and human trafficking, and corruption.

Saudi men perform a stunt known as “sidewall skiing” (driving on two wheels) as a youth takes a selfie in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, March 11 (REUTERS/Mohamed Al Hwaity)

Disappointed with re-election of Mayor

Dear Editor, Over the last three years, as a resident of Georgetown and a business owner, I have always wondered why the City budget is always a top-secret document just like the infamous parking meter contract.

There are never proper discussions with residents and relevant interest groups, but merely a sham consultation and instead of properly publicising the estimates of income and expenditure, as they are required to do by law, there is only a vague, pie in the sky, long-winded budget speech by the Finance Chairman

each year.

This year, just like the two previous years, the draft 2018 budget was surreptitiously rushed through, and passed in the Extraordinary Statutory Meeting of the Council on Wednesday March 7, 2018, and now I am beginning to understand why.

It is clear that the City Council does not want the citizens to realise through the details contained in budget, the level of contempt they have for them as this budget contains no creative solutions for improving the quality of life of the residents but rather focuses on

the re-elected Mayor, some of the Councillors and the administration thoroughly enjoying themselves by spending lavishly on itself, partying, travelling, and having a good time.

How could they explain allocating $20 million for city anniversary celebrations, $5 million for a Christmas party, tons of money for overseas travel, billions on salaries and wages, new vehicles, etc.

Comparatively, very small amounts have been set aside for the rehabilitation of City Hall, for the maintenance of roads, for street lighting, etc.

In such circumstances that prevail at City Hall, it

is disappointing but not surprising that the Mayor was re-elected for a third term.

Are we to understand by that that she is the best of the lot of city fathers and mothers? Are we to understand that her dismal record for the last two terms does not matter, only what instructions were given by the party’s hierarchy? So what can we look out for in the next nine months? Lots more travel and another scam like the parking meters?

Sincerely, Magagula Jackson

GuySuCo’s Board inept Dear Editor, In reading Tony Morgan’s letter titled “GuySuCo new Board, fresh ideas and decades of experience”, which was published in Guyana Times’ March 16, 2018 edition, I could only conclude that before he penned this letter, the gentleman did not read the article in the March 15 edition of Guyana Times captioned “Nothing wrong with ‘inexperienced’ GuySuCo Board – Junior Finance Minister”, and in another section of the media, “Cabinet member annoyed at NICIL ad on new GuySuCo board – says final decision still to be taken”, respectively.

Had Morgan read the article in Guyana Times, he

would have recognised that it was no other than the Junior Minister of Finance who acknowledged that nothing is wrong with inexperienced people being appointed on GuySuCo board; so his conclusion from reviewing the information as shown in the full-page ad -- “that one can gather that this new board is filled with years of experience in the sugar industry” -- is plainly wrong.

Had he read the article in the other section of the media, he would have known that Cabinet is yet to approve the appointment of the new board; as such, his insert that “Cabinet did well in the selection of this new Board” is again erroneous.

Morgan, in his letter, further extolled that the board is “well balanced in age”. What does age have to do with the performance of this board, when the key success factors depend on the quality of contribution by each member, and such contribution is highly dependent on the knowledge and experience of the sugar industry? He further stated that the new board has three former directors, and these “veteran, in retrospection, should be able to show the new blood where things have gone bad and where the Board was able to have success in the past”.

What “success in the past” can these three “veterans” show the “new blood,”

when sugar production for the three years that they served on the previous board declined from 231,000 tonnes in 2015 to 137,000 in 2017? When the sugar industry was miniaturized?

And when over 7,000 workers were displaced? Why, when these veterans were on the previous board, could they not have seen “where things have gone bad”, but they could now show the “new blood” where “things have gone bad” when they were there?

It is obvious that Tony Morgan wrote the letter based on sentiments, but not on facts.

Yours faithfully, Selwyn Narinedatt

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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

Speaking against the cancer of corruption Dear Editor, During the last General Election campaign, we have heard about the many varied facets of corruption allegedly perpetrated by the previous Government and there was even a corruption debate on the National Communications Network (NCN) which the A Partnership for National Unity refused to participate. They probably felt that the debate itself is ‘corrupted’ and that they need to sit on the moral high ground or were afraid of questions of corruption under the People’s National Congress era in Government.

It must be recalled that one of the pledges made to the people of Guyana was to wipe out corruption as it relates to procurement. An Alliance For Change leader had said on a Berbice TV channel that ’kickback’ accounts for more

than 20 per cent of the contract cost and at the time it seemed a well-educated guess. His party vowed to eradicate this type of corruption.

Unfortunately, the Public Procurement Commission can now be regarded as impotent against the tsunami of procurement corruption and the Public Infrastructure Ministry and the Government itself seem to have given a free rein to the corruptors.

As a Regional Councillor, it is my duty to speak against the cancer of corruption which is engulfing and spreading in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) at an alarming rate with no solutions in sight. I had written extensively about the allegedly corrupt bulldozer deal but despite assurances from the Regional Executive Officer (REO) that the decrepit piece of machine will be sent packing, it is still to

this day ensconced next to the entrance of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) Office at Vrymens Erven at New Amsterdam. The REO had said the supplier had signed a bond to the value of $15 million and should the supplier fail to replace the bulldozer then that bond will be forfeited. At the last RDC meeting when I raised the matter, the ‘bond’ seemed a distant memory.

Unfortunately, the REO was not present at that meeting.

Another area of corruption is substandard and poorly executed works. Recently, an emergency contract was given for excavation works at the mouth of the #43 Channel. The fishing boats at #43 were stranded due to the fact that the canal and the mouth of the channel is heavily silted making it impassable for a large number of boats to go fishing and for those which have already

This march of folly must be stopped Dear Editor, Whenever I read a missive appearing in the letters columns under the signature of the Georgetown Municipality’s Public Relations Officer, two questions always emerge in my mind.

First, I always wonder whether these letters are indeed authored by her, and truly a reflection of her values, beliefs and perspicacity or whether she is merely disseminating the propaganda her superiors would like her to.

Second, I am concerned as to whether this lady has lost touch with reality and living in a dream world in which everything is always magnificent in our capital city.

She has dispatched a response to recent concerns expressed by the Movement Against Parking Meters (MAPM) organisation, and her response evidently highlights the high level of intolerance to criticism by the administration of the Council.

It is clear that they are very panicky about the prospect of the MAPM looking at the

serious concerns that civil society has on issues outside the scandalous parking meter fiasco, and because of their awareness of the militancy and efficacy of the MAPM. There is no need for the MAPM to spin a negative narrative against the purported attempts by the Council to make Georgetown a better place for all as she claims. The Mayor and Town Clerk are doing an amazing job of doing this all by themselves.

She speaks of the Town Clerk as if he is some imperial overlord or deity. She speaks reverently about the powers, duties, and responsibilities of the Town Clerk as though he is superior to the Councillors, the Council itself and laws of Guyana.

Could she state precisely which and what standing order rules of the Municipal and District Councils Act, chapter 28:01 were breached by receiving and placing the motion by Councillor Sherod Duncan on the Council’s agenda. And could she point to the authority that the Mayor is cloaked with that

allows her as chairperson of the meeting to disallow the motion from being examined and determined by the full Council?

This march of folly must be stopped and stopped now.

Best regards, Sambu Jacobus

gone out to sea to return with their catches. This situation has been festering for over one month now. Those boats which are out have to use the Eversham channel to offload their catches and reload. Several complaints were made by these fishermen and after a long period and much financial losses to the fishermen, the NDIA invited quotations for the excavation of the mouth of the channel.

An experienced contractor who has the capacity to do the job was selectively sidelined even though he was asked to submit a quotation. The fishermen explained to me that they were told that the emergency work was given to a contractor who lacked the capacity to do the job since he does not have the dredging equipment to do it effectively. They claimed it was quite humorous when the contractor showed up with 12 men and two shovels sitting idly, looking at the blockade and contemplating their next move.

Moreover, they pointed out that the excavation of the creek to the channel was done by the same contractor who dug both sides and leave the middle which resulted in rapid resilting.

Since May 2017, this was done two times at the cost

of $8 million each. It was also done once in 2016 for $8 million as well. This canal seems to be a milking cow for the said contractor.

The fishermen said if this contractor cannot excavate a canal properly, they cannot fathom how he is going to excavate the embankment at the mouth of the channel.

This is another area of corruption where certain contractors who refused to give ‘kickbacks’ are rejected. The best bribers are given the contracts, not the best man to do the job.

What is also eating away the quality of work done is the deliberate under-bidding for contracts. Some contractors, through inside information, know exactly how low they should bid.

In doing, so they effectively erode their profit margins and when this is compounded with the inevitable ‘kickback’, the result is substandard work which again will be subjected to bribery to ensure it passes certification.

The Public Infrastructure Ministry is turning a blind eye to this since cronies and

families are allegedly involved.

Political commitment is a necessary condition to eradicate corruption in awarding contracts, certifying works completed and rejecting substandard works. There is a clear misuse of public office and Region Six is losing tens of millions each year due to this form of corruption. We simply cannot get value for money.

In conclusion, contracts must be awarded to only those contractors who can be certified that they have met anti-corruption commitments and this means establishing a system to identify these corrupt contractors and at the same time award contracts to those contractors who have the capacity and are incorruptible.

On the other hand, those found guilty of corruption should be dealt – feeling the full brunt of the law and debarred for life.

Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf RDC Councillor, Region Six

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Foundation that was often aggressive in nature. When interacting with daughters, however, fathers were more likely to engage in

By Romeo Vitelli, PhD

C

hild-rearing practices vary widely across different cultures, and views about gender differences change over time, but there do seem to be some clear consistencies in the way boys and girls are treated, especially during the first few years of life. According to Albert Bandura's social cognitive theory of gender development , parents often have clear gender stereotypes about "appropriate" behaviour for different genders and rely on punishment and rewards to ensure that their children abide by these expectations. Boys are often discouraged from playing with dolls or acting "effeminately" ,while girls are often prevented from doing any physically risky activities.

Some studies suggest that mothers talk more with their daughters and actively prevent them from any activity that might lead to their being injured.

On the other hand, both mothers and fathers appear more prone to engage in "rough and tumble" play with boys rather than girls. There also appear to be gender differences in how parents respond to emotional outbursts. In a 2005 research study, fathers were found to be more receptive to daughters when they showed submissive emotions or prosocial behaviour, while they were more likely to respond to boys when they acted out or showed temper tantrums.

It is often difficult to do this kind of research, considering that most studies looking at how parents interact with their young children have focused on mothers rather than

fathers. Also, parents tend to be reluctant to admit that they treat their sons and daughters differently, especially in an era of greater gender equality. For this reason, depending on selfreport alone tends to provide a distorted view of the way parents actually raise their children and instil gender roles and values.

A new study published in the journal Behavioral Neuroscience provides one of the first indepth analyses of how fathers

i n t e r a c t with their children and what this might mean in terms of brain physiology. A team of researchers led by James K Rilling of Emory University's Centre for Translational Social Neuroscience recruited 69 men (average age: 33) who were parents of children aged one to two years; 34 of the fathers had a daughter and 35 had a son, with no significant demographic differences between the two groups.

The study began with naturalistic photographs being taken of each of the children showing a variety of facial expressions corresponding

to different emotions. The fathers were then given a mobile recording device, the Electronically Activated Recorder (EAR), that intermittently records snippets of conversations and other ambient sounds while the participants wearing them go about their lives. Essentially, the EAR is meant to produce an audio log of the wearer's day.

For the purpose of the research, the fathers were asked

to wear the EAR on a weekend day and a weekday. The EAR devices were set to record in 50-second bursts every nine minutes, from 08:00h Sunday morning to 08:00h Tuesday morning and, when not being worn, were kept charged in the child's bedroom. On average, each participant produced 158 audio files that could be used for the purpose of the study.

Each 50-second audio file was independently rated by two research assistants, whose ratings were correlated to determine adequate validity.

Coders were instructed to record all words spoken by the fathers in the files and a special coding

system was developed to rate each file. Along with recording whether the father was talking to a child, friend, or spouse, each recorded expression was rated on whether it corresponded to one of the following categories: • Father affective expression (laughing, singing, complaining) • Toddler affective expression (laughing/giggling, fussing/ crying) • Father-toddler activities (reading, non-physical play, physical play) • Paternal caregiving behaviours (engaged attending to the child, showing empathy or affection, expressing praise and encouragement) • For fathers with more than one child (the average number of children per family was two), only those expressions directed at the target child were rated.

Along with wearing the EAR on the designated days, the fathers also completed a self-report questionnaire on parenting. In a third laboratory session, the fathers provided blood and saliva samples and underwent structural and functional MRIs of their brains.

During the fMRI sessions, each father was shown a series of photographs of their children with different facial expressions, interspersed with photographs of unknown adults and children.

Results of the auditory file analyses showed significant difference in language and behaviour patterns between fathers depending on whether they were interacting with sons or daughters. As expected, fathers were more likely to engage in rough and tumble play with sons rather than daughters.

This included tickling, poking, and tumbling behaviour

Continued

By Seth J Gillihan, PhD

Let's consider some of the factors that explain why these experiences follow us into adulthood.

Personality

Our personalities are relatively consistent ways we think, act, and feel in response to our environment, and findings from a new study underscore the effects of our family experiences on our personalities and relationships.

The study authors found that the quality of our relationships in our family of origin was a significant predictor of our current relationship satisfaction with our significant other.

They went on to explore how those early relationships affected our current ones, which is where personality came in.

Individuals with worse family of origin experiences tended to score higher on the personality trait of neuroticism, which is the tendency to experience negative emotions.

Higher levels of neuroticism, in turn, led to poorer relationship quality with one's partner.

Thus our earliest relationships can direct the formation of our personalities, which then affect our later experiences. (I should mention that a significant portion of personality differences are explained by genetic differences, so families can affect us through both nature and nurture.)

Over-rehearsed patterns

The more we practice certain ways of responding, the stronger those tendencies become. By the time we're adults, we've probably had thousands of opportunities to practice old habits.

For example, imagine you were often shamed as a child for any little mistake. You may have learned to hide your mistakes at all costs because it was the best way to avoid being mistreated. As an adult, you might continue to protect yourself vigorously against shame, even in situations that no longer call for it. Perhaps you married a kind and loving partner who doesn't operate based on

singing or whistling, and were also more emotionally and socially responsive. (Excerpt from

psychologytoday.com)

shame, and yet the old pattern of behaviour continues as you fear exposing yourself to judgment.

It takes considerable care and attention to change lifelong habits.

Even when we know what we want to change, we can fall back into old ways in a time of crisis.

Lack of awareness

We might also ignore the possible effects of our upbringing on our current behaviour, assuming we're responding purely to the situation in front of us. We might not recognise the filter through which we see the world, or the deeply held beliefs that colour our perceptions. Thus we might not even know that we have some choice in how we respond in certain situations.

When I was just out of college I got into a heated argument with an older friend, who stopped at one point and said with sudden recognition, "You're reacting to me like I'm your dad." I angrily denied that my response had anything to do with my father, and it took me over a decade to consider that he was probably right. Our reactions are always some blend of the present and our life history.

We can also forget what our experience was actually like at the time. For example, being physically punished by an angry parent can feel quite terrifying to a small child. As a person looks back on the punishment with the benefit of hindsight, it might seem obvious that the parent was not going to annihilate them.

As a result, the person might underestimate the impact of the punishment at the time on the child version of themselves, and the lasting mark it made.

Self-identity

Solid relationships early in life can help us develop a stable sense of who we are – what researchers call "self-concept clarity." Our sense of identity develops through our interactions with others, and positive and predictable relationships offer a reliable context in which to develop that identity. (Excerpt from psychologytoday.com)

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saturDAY, march 17, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Despite promises from Granger

Parliamentarians yet to be briefed on border security

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

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espite a promise being made to have the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) brief Members of Parliament (MPs) on the heightened security threat on the border; this is yet to be done, leaving the elected representatives of the people in as much darkness as the nation.

During his weekly press conference on Friday, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo informed the media that President David Granger is yet to deliver on his promise to inform Parliament. The parliamentary Opposition has access to the Oversight Committee on the Security Sector through four of its MPs. “We’ve received nothing from Granger,” Jagdeo related. “He’s gone silent.

He just said that in passing after being pressured as to why he is not treating this as a national issue, addressing the people of

Guyana or the Parliament.”

Jagdeo blasted the Government for failing to avail itself of the opportunity to do so at Thursday’s sitting of the National Assembly; while noting that the next sitting is scheduled for April 26. However, the noted that there is nothing on the order paper pertaining to such a brief.

On February 27, ahead of his visit to Baramita, Region One (BarimaWaini), President Granger had announced that he had instructed the GDF to brief the parliamentary committee on the steps being taken to secure communities located along the 800-kilometre border with Venezuela as a result of the unstable situation in that country.

They were also supposed to be briefed in general on the ongoing border controversy.

The Head of State had also indicated that he expected even as Government continued to work at the central and regional levels to ensure security in the border regions, that civil society will continue to be fully briefed.

Speaking during a brief interview, he had assured Guyanese that Government was concerned about security and was deeply involved in ensuring their safety.

“At the Defence Board meeting that was held last Thursday, I instructed that the Guyana Defence Force should brief the parliamentary committee on security to let them know what preparations are taking

President David Granger during his visit to Region One last month

place.

And I expect that there will be full participation, both by members of the Government side and the Opposition side. If necessary, we will take this to civil society and I have already briefed the Chiefof-Staff of the Guyana Defence Force that civil society must be aware of what is taking place. So, we are operating at different levels; we are operating at a local level in the villages, in the frontline villages themselves,” the Head of State was quoted by the Ministry of the Presidency as saying.

President Granger referenced the Frontline Village Policy that was announced during his visit to Whitewater, also in Region

One, earlier this month, which includes the setting up of military patrol bases and heightened 24-hour security by the GDF and the Guyana Police Force.

The Commander-inChief, who chairs the Defence Board, has taken the lead in conducting outreaches to the frontline communities, to interact with residents and assure them of the Government’s commitment to their safety.

The President explained that the unstable situation in Venezuela has resulted in a surge in illegal migration, which in itself, has the potential to open avenues for illegal activities such as gun-running and narco-trafficking.

In 2015, the Government of Guyana requested then

UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, to take steps toward resolving the controversy. In 2016, as a consequence of a stalemate on the matter, the outgoing Ban Ki-moon agreed with his successor, António Guterres, to continue to use the Good Offices Process until the end of 2017 as a means of arriving at a settlement.

That process expired in 2017-year end. It was ruled that the matter will engage the attention of the International Court of Justice, where a panel of distinguished Judges will hear Guyana’s case in The Hague, Netherlands based court. Government is currently making preparations for this.

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saturDAY, march 17, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Convicted killer mom sentencing postponed …court requests probation report

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ustice Navindra Singh postponed the sentencing of Hofosawa Awena Rutherford, who was found guilty of killing her children by feeding them rat poison, until April 9, after she requested that a probation report be sent to the court before she is sentenced.

On Thursday, a jury unanimously found Rutherford guilty of killing her children; one-year-old Jabari Cadogan and four-year-old Odascia Cadogan almost four years ago. Following the verdict, the woman collapsed in the courtroom forcing Justice Singh to adjourn the sentencing until 13:00h on Friday.

However, when she appeared in court on Friday, Rutherford pleaded with the court for mercy and to take the time served into consideration when imposing her sentence. Her attorney, Adrian Thompson, told the court that his client has been seeing a psychiatrist and all of that should be taken into consideration.

Justice Singh then noted that it is Rutherford’s right to have a probation report and ordered same to be prepared and sent to the court.

He adjourned the sentencing until April 9 at 13:00h.

Initially, Rutherford said

Hofosawa Awena Rutherford was found guilty of poisoning her children, which resulted in their deaths

she had bought cold tablets for the children who has coldlike symptoms, from a man at the Plaisance bus park who sells rat poison. It was established that the children died from pesticide poisoning via a highly toxic chemical called aluminum phosphide, known as “carbon tablets”, which is used to kill rats.

During the trial, several witnesses had testified that the children never had coldlike symptoms on the day of their demise. Police witnesses had stated that when interviewed moments after the children’s deaths, Rutherford had repeatedly complained of stress and problems.

Rutherford had said she had drunk two tablets herself, after administering similar tablets to her children, Odasica and Jabari; and had been hospitalised for seven days after the poisoning incident.

In an unsworn statement from the prisoner’s dock on Wednesday, the convicted woman, in a bout of tears and excessive shaking, had claimed that she loved her children; that she was still traumatised from losing them; that she had never bought rat poison to poison her children, and that the Police had treated her unfairly.

At court on Thursday, several persons questioned whether she had really loved her children, since she had given them rat poison to ingest.

State Prosecutor Tiffini Lyken had opined that Rutherford had strayed from her recollection of events when she said she had bought the tablets from a pharmacy in her statement on Wednesday.

During Wednesday’s hearing, the father of the two deceased children, Jabari Cadogan Sr, had testified via Skype from Brooklyn, New York, USA that he supported his children even after he had separated from Rutherford, and that he used to communicate with them daily. The senior Cadogan told the court he was never told the children were suffering from a cold.

Rutherford and the children were staying with her sister, Monica Sealey, and her husband Curt, who both testified before the jury that they had not noticed any cold symptoms on the fateful day of the children’s demise.

In this trial, Prosecutors Shawnette Austin and Abigail Gibbs appeared for the State.

Mahaicony man remanded for son-in-law’s murder D ays after reportedly confessing to detectives that he dealt his son-in-law a fatal blow to the head, Kumar Samaroo was remanded to prison after his arraignment on Thursday at the Mahaica Magistrate’s Court.

He will make his next

court appearance on April 4.

Twenty-three-year-old Muneshwar Bisnauth of Airy Hall, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara (ECD) was found dead at his in-law’s Lot 20 Dundee, Mahaicony, ECD residence on Sunday. It was reported that the father of one was reportedly imbibing

with his 16-year-old wife and her parents when an argument ensued. Shortly after, the fisherman’s lifeless body was discovered lying in the yard, with a gaping wound to the head.

Initially, Bisnauth’s wife and mother-in-law told the Police that he fell and hit his

Dead: Muneshwar Bisnauth

head in the yard. However, their story did not add up and as such, the three were taken into custody for further questioning.

The following day, Samaroo confessed to murder during interrogation by detectives. The suspect allegedly told Police that he dealt one blow to the man’s head with a piece of wood during an argument.

A post-mortem examination conducted on Wednesday morning confirming that Bisnauth died as a result of brain hemorrhage and blunt trauma to the head. According to State Pathologist, Dr Nehaul Singh, the injuries were consistent with a lash to the head.

Meanwhile, the suspect had also confessed to instructing his relatives to “wash down” the blood before they called the dead man’s relatives to inform them about his death.

Symbols of anarchy…

T

…on the streets he minibus operators have been ordered to remove the psychedelic “wraps” they’ve used to cover their buses in clear violation of the colour-schemes that were laid down decades ago. Each region’s buses were allocated a specific combination of colours along with a 2-digit numbering system that were to facilitate their identification. For instance, buses from one region needed Police permission to ply another region’s routes, but with this explosion of colours -- like Phagwah all year round -it’s impossible to figure what’s what!

So, dear reader, you may ask what’s the fuss, since the law’s so clear and it’s being flagrantly (not to mention “colourfully”!) broken. Well, this is symptomatic of what is wrong with everything in Guyana. Rules are made here evidently just for the sake of making rules, since they’re immediately broken with impunity by folks from the very top; and, not surprisingly, the rest of society follows suit.

Take the farce at City Hall over the censoring of the Town Clerk on his amazing imitation of a tin-pot dictator.

The same folks constituting the City Council – including the present Mayor --censored the previous town clerk with such abandon you’d think she was XXX-rated!! Yet, for the incumbent, they’ve suddenly had an epiphany that it can’t be done!! What does the man-in-the-street (or the bus driver to “South”) think?

But why stop at the mayor playing fast and loose with the law? Let’s go right to the source – the top of the political heap – the President of the entire Republic!!

The Constitution of the land – the HIGHEST LAW!! -- was explicitly changed to compel him to select the GECOM Chair from lists provided by the Opposition Leader. And what did he do? From the very beginning, he signalled he’ll do whatever he damn well pleases, based on his “perception” of who’s “fit and proper”! And then, after leading the Opposition down the garden path, he went and did exactly what he wanted in the first place!! To hell with the highest law of the land!!

So the bus drivers and every other Guyanese are just following in the footsteps of the President: going by their PERCEPTION of the law!! How loud you can play your music on the road or in your yard? Whatever your perception is, dude!! And ditto with how you drive on the road, or pay your taxes, or whatever.

Now, don’t get your Eyewitness wrong; he’s not EXCUSING the lawlessness that’s evident in every facet of national life, he’s merely EXPLAINING its genesis, so if we really want to get back to the straight and narrow, we know where we have to start -- Vote folks into office who’ll follow the law!! …in “thiefin” utilities The news that someone in Buxton set a GWI bus ablaze when a crew was disconnecting folks not paying for water as required by the law, doesn’t surprise your Eyewitness.

It’s just another example of the “follow the leader” in crime syndrome explained above. And while “thiefin” of water and electricity is done in all communities, some figures released by GPL some time ago clearly demonstrated the highest percentage takes place in “PNC communities”.

Now while this “calling a spade a spade and not an ‘agricultural implement’” may offend some, we have to return to the source of the behavior, so that we may rectify the same. Point of the matter is: from the moment it first started -- the mass electrification in the country outside of Georgetown in 1968 – the PNC also decided to rig elections. Their supporters probably decided if their big ones could thief an election to live high off the hog, why can’t they steal some electricity and water to eke out a living?!!

Solution? No more rigging, and vote them out!! …and “labour figures” After spending two hundred million ($200,000,000) in just two surveys in six months, the Govt announced unemployment is 12%!! They said out of 550,831 employable persons, 277,068 are employed.

Ummm…isn’t that like 50% unemployed? We know there are pensioners and senior students, but 38%?

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

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saturDAY, march 17, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

City Hall woes

AFC being sidelined by APNU “cabal” – Jagdeo …slams party leaders for failure to publicly back their own Councillors

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

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choing statements emanating from Georgetown’s outgoing Deputy Mayor Lionel Jaikarran, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has expressed the view that the influence of the Alliance for Change (AFC) at the level of the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown (M&CC) has been subverted in favour of a ruling cabal of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU).

Despite the protests and agitation against her leadership, Georgetown Mayor Patricia Chase-Green was recently re-elected as mayor. The Deputy Mayor position, held by

an AFC representative since 2016, was allocated to another APNU representative.

Commenting on the City Hall woes, Jagdeo noted that the AFC was effectively booted out from the deputy mayor position.

“In spite of all that we’ve heard about how atrocious (Town Clerk Royston) King is and the current Mayor, and almost all right- minded citizens thinking they are not good for the city, The PNC part of the coalition persisted in reinstating them. The AFC part of the coalition and the PPP councillors fought against this, but the AFC councillors were fighting a losing battle,” Jagdeo offered.

“Why? Because the AFC national leaders have already sold out all the ordinary AFC members. They don’t care too much that the AFC got booted out of the Deputy Mayor position. So why did this happen and you didn’t hear a single word of protest from any AFC leader? Not (Public Security Minister Khemraj) Ramjattan, not (Prime Minister Moses) Nagamootoo, wherever he is now.”

Slamming the senior AFC leaders for their public silence in the face of the party

from (Natural Resources Minister Raphael) Trotman; nothing from (Public Telecommunications Minister) Cathy Hughes. Because they are enjoying themselves! This is a cabal defending itself with the support of Central Government,” Jagdeo declared.

Muzzled

Outgoing Deputy Mayor Lionel Jaikarran

being sidelined at City Hall, Jagdeo posited that the AFC bigwigs are enamoured with their ministerial perks and are unwilling to endanger the Cummingsburg Accord by clashing with APNU, for fear of losing the perks. According to Jagdeo, the AFC is now fully in the arms of the APNU. He pointed to the saga at the Guyana Chronicle, where political activist Dr David Hinds, a Working People’s Alliance heavyweight, has had his column pulled. Dr Hinds is well known for calling the Government out on its missteps.

“Nothing (has been heard)

The election of a deputy mayor saw Councillor Sherod Duncan being denied an opportunity to nominate incumbent Lionel Jaikarran to the post. It is understood that after the new Deputy Mayor, Akeem Peter, was nominated, Duncan’s attempts to nominate his colleague to continue in the role was thwarted by APNU councillors.

Following her own re-election, Chase-Green opened the floor for nominations for the position of deputy mayor and both the AFC’s Duncan and Chase-Green’s People’s National Congress (PNC) colleague Councillor Oscar Clarke rose to nominate their candidates.

However, Clarke was allowed to nominate his choice, which was Councillor Akeem Peter, and Duncan had to take his seat. Immediately after,

AFC Councillor Sherod Duncan was muzzled while trying to nominate his colleague

Nominated and elected under controversial circumstances, Deputy Mayor-elect Akeem Peter

Councillor Ivelaw Henry rose to second Peter’s nomination, after which both Duncan and Councillor Tricia Richards both stood up, resulting in the mayor asking one of them to be seated. When they both remained standing, she was asked to recognise one councillor and she chose to listen to her other PNC colleague, Richards, who then successfully moved a motion for nominations to be closed, resulting in Duncan being denied the opportunity to speak.

It was that scenario that prompted Jaikaran to say afterwards that the AFC has lost its voice at City Hall, signalling

some amount of bad blood between the coalition partners.

This is a troubling prospect when the council’s history leading up to elections is considered.

Both Duncan and Jaikarran are known for their anti-corruption advocacy at City Hall, something that has brought them into conflict with ChaseGreen and the APNU councillors. Most recently, their attempts to introduce a no-confidence motion against Town Clerk Royston King over a litany of offences was thwarted

by Chase-Green and company.

(Jarryl Bryan)

Robb Street vendors blast City Hall for space allocation

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One of the demarcated spots

endors plying their trade along Robb Street, Bourda are blasting Town Clerk Royston King and the management of City Hall over the marking and allocation of spots for them to vend. The vendors are claiming that the spot measuring approximately four feet by 10 feet is too small for them to vend since most of them are wholesalers.

President of the Guyana Market Vendors Union, Eon Andrews, on Friday met with the vendors who expressed their concerns. He blasted the administration for poor management since the vendors are claiming that they were never consulted before the spots were marked.

“The problem more or less is consultation or dialogue.

Many times when you want to make changes and implement thing, people ought to be consulted before and event when you are consulted, you can’t trust the people you talk with because they say one thing and they do something else,” he said.

“Their concern is that

they are here and there have been some problems where the people in the green have been complaining of the competition they’re having during the day,” Andrews added.

The vendors along Robb Street are mostly wholesalers who were given permission to vend from 17:00h to 07:00h.

Andrews explained that his members have been conforming to that time limit, but they too are being affected because of the small spaces allocated to them.

One vendor, Vickey (only name given), said he vends during the allotted time and it is ridiculous that the administration would take such a step to confine them (vendors) to such a small space. He added that the space could not hold all of the produce they would usually bring to vend, resulting in them having to put their goods on the pavement and sometimes it falls into the drains at the side of the road.

“The line they saying that is a pallet space they draw it as and they car-

ry we back more in the corner. Now when you go more in the corner a vehicle come and stop in front of you stand and park up and sometimes it deh for over half hour and the people them gone to buy all over. When you go to the Constable, them ah tell you that them can’t do nothing,” the man explained.

He said the lines were marked there over a week ago when vendors from inside the market held a protest over the actions of the Robb Street vendors.

The vendors inside the market are claiming that they would purchase their goods from the wholesalers on Robb Street to vend inside but the wholesalers would be retailing throughout the day at a lower price, hence resulting in them being deprived of customers during the day.

However, Vickey related that the vendors on Robb Street during the day are not

Vendors speaking to President of the Guyana Market Vendors Union, Eon Andrews

bulk wholesalers, since most of them would come during the day to ply their trade.

“These people that are coming here to sell on their vehicles during the day and when we went to the meeting, Royston King said no

new vendors and when you talk about the new vendors then the Revenue Collectors say that the Council need money so the people them have to sell. Now we as the evening sellers getting all the blame because of them,”

he said.

The vendors are calling on City Hall to have a clear policy on the vending situation. They are also calling for the administration to have the spot allocations reviewed since they are unable to ply their trade comfortably despite being there legally.

“Royston [King] is dictating the market. He is telling us to have one table per family. He is telling you how much business to be. They marked the lines here and they didn’t even care about anything. They are putting you inside the filth to sell,” vendor Jamal Baksh said.

The man said he has been vending along Robb Street for over 10 years but this is the first time they are being confined with no explanation.

They all said they would be seeking another meeting with the administration in the coming week.

10 NEWS

saturDAY, march 17, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Kick down the door banditry

Gunmen beat, rob Corentyne family

…escape with over $1M in cash, jewellery

A section of the ransacked house at Port Mourant

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rmed bandits -- one brandishing a gun, two sporting cutlasses, and another armed with a wicked piece of wood -- forced their way into the Corentyne home of Anthony and Shanta Dudnauth at Lot 309 Area ‘R,’ Ankerville Port Mourant at about 20:00h on Thursday; and after terrorizing the family, duct-taped its members

law and the couple’s nineyear-old son were watching television when the men entered the home.

They took Anthony Dudhnath captive and instructed him to lie on his back and put his hands in the air.

Whereupon, he was lashed several times on his legs with the piece of wood.

Her mother-in-law was then dragged into a room, where she was told to remain as they ransacked the house.

“They cut off my top and pull off my bra; I was completely naked. They say they gon rape me if I don’t give them the money,” the woman detailed.

After making repeated demands for money, the bandits were told that there might be some in the pockets of Anthony’s pants, which were hanging on a rack.

The men departed with a laptop, several cellular phones, an undisclosed sum of cash that was in Anthony’s pants pocket, and more than $1 million in jewelry.

Before the men left, they duct-taped the hands and legs of family members, and made good their escape. It is believed that they went towards

“They say they gon rape me if I don’t give them the money” – victim and carted off more than $1 million in cash and jewelry in escaping.

Shanta Dudnauth told this publication that she and her husband, her mother-in-

The four family members the bandits assaulted during the robbery

the heavy overgrowth next to the beach.

Dudnauth said the entire ordeal lasted for about 15 minutes. She said the bandits gained access to the premises by cutting the eastern section of the wire fence, and may have also used that opening to escape.

The Police are investigating this incident.

The house the bandits invaded

DDL, SPU seals deal on molasses for 2018 rum production

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fter weeks of uncertainty over where to source molasses to continue rum production following the downsizing of the sugar industry, Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) on Friday finalised a deal with the Special Purpose Unit (SPU) to use the canes in the fields to sustain its operations for the rest of 2018.

This announcement was made by DDL Chairman, Komal Samaroo, during the commissioning of a new rum aging warehouse at its operations at Plantation Diamond, East Bank Demerara on Friday. Head of the SPU, Colvin Heath-London, was present at the event.

The SPU was set up under the National Industrial and Commercial Investment Limited (NICIL) to manage the divestment of GuySuCo’s assets following its downsizing last year.

According to the Chairman, his company has been working along with SPU, GuySuCo and the Government of Guyana to come up with short-term responses and long-term sustainable solutions to address challenges imposed by the downsizing of the sugar industry.

“This afternoon we have come to a meeting of the mind on an agreement for the rest of 2018 to harvest the standing canes in the fields and to convert it into inputs for the rum production, so that we can continue producing throughout the year,” he revealed.

Samaroo went on to say that, in the meantime, the company is awaiting the completion of ongoing valuation being done on GuySuCo’s assets to start negotiations and have serious discussions on a

SPU Head, Colvin Heath-London, and DDL Chairman Komal Samaroo in conversation with others at the event on Friday

more sustainable solution going forward.

The DDL Chairman further noted that while rum has historically been looked at as a by-product, there is now a revolution of the beverage category, and the company is now looking to make rum the primary product of the sugar industry.

Since the thousands of workers have been fired in a downsizing of the sugar industry last year, DDL, producer of world renowned and award winning El Dorado rums, have, in recent months, complained bitterly over this move.

Together, the three remaining estates – Uitvlugt, Blairmont and Albion – are projected to produce a total of 52,000 tons of molasses this year. However, DDL’s molasses requirement for 2018 is 70,000 tons.

The company has since been exploring options, and was even contemplating importing molasses to sustain rum production to meet its increasing local and international demands.

Nevertheless, as a longterm solution to this challenge,

the company has submitted an expression of interest (EoI) to NICIL and to Government for the potential purchase of the now closed Enmore Estate.

This would allow the company to have a guaranteed steady supply of molasses.

However, if the company’s proposal -- to take over the East Demerara estate -- does not prove to be feasible, or if the facility is given to someone else, then DDL may have to source molasses from foreign suppliers to ensure adequate and reliable supply in the future.

Earlier this month, it was revealed that DDL would be partnering with the SPU and Government to restart the Enmore Estate, and almost 200 workers have been rehired to start operations this month to produce molasses for the rum industry.

It was reported, too, that over 190 cane harvesters have been employed to harvest some 4,300 hectares of sugar cane at Rose Hall, so that it can be used by Albion to also produce molasses for DDL.

NEWS

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saturDAY, march 17, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Seawall shooting

Victim’s wife calls for inquiry into incident …Crime Chief distances himself from Police background information

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he Guyana Police Force is now coming in for harsh criticism following the shooting of three suspected bandits at the Kingston seawalls on Thursday, since the information they initially provided on one of the men, Kwame Assanah, is reportedly false.

That information has since caused Crime Chief Paul Williams to distance himself from the Police statement in relaton to Assanah‘s background.

The Police have said that on Robb Street on Thursday at about 10:30hrs, ranks of an anti-crime patrol unit, operating in an unmarked vehicle as they acted on intelligence information, began following a motorcar that two “suspicious looking characters” were reportedly travelling in.

As the ranks continued to observe, the suspected criminals drove to the Kingston Seawall, where an individual who had left a city bank, had parked his motorcar.

At that time, the law enforcement officials who were on the stakeout noticed the two individuals -later identified as Assanah and Dextroy Cordis -- exiting their motorcar and approaching the customer’s vehicle; so the Police moved in.

One of the men was reportedly armed with a gun, and he began to open fire on the Police, resulting in a shootout that caused the

Kwame Assanah’s brother, Lawrence, and his widow Claire, along with his sister

death of both of the men.

Additionally, the Police said, two other men came up riding on a CG motorcycle, and they also opened fire on the Police, resulting in the death of Errol Adams while the other man escaped.

In a subsequent statement, the Police said that Assanah and Adams each had a criminal history, while Cordis had recently been granted bail in relation to simple larceny.

However, the Crime Chief has since indicated that he never furnished the Police Public Relations Department with that information, and he has since distanced himself from the information, even as he has since promised to determine where the information of Assanah’s criminal background came from.

“I spoke with them (Assanah’s family) and I told them -- and I’m saying it again: In our Public

Relations Department release, when I fortified the PR Department with the information, I gave information as it relates to what is known about Errol Adams and what is known about Dextroy Cordis, but at the time when I gave that information, there wasn’t any information that I knew about previous records of involvement of Assanah with the Police. I have never mentioned that, so I don’t know how that type of information would have gone in the midst of that. It was no way in terms of my contribution towards the press release,” Williams explained.

Inquiry

Assanah’s widow, Claire Assanah, has called on the Police to get their records straight and to present the facts of the matter. She has called for an inquiry into the incident.

“Please check his record.

Please check it out. Really do your investigation properly. We need a complete inquiry into how and why he died,” the grieving woman said.

She added that the family was never formally informed of the incident, and explained that at about 16:00h, she attempted to make contact with her husband, who had to pick up their son.

“How I was contacted was that I kept calling his phone on numerous occasions, because he had to collect his son, and on the fifth call somebody answered, and they said is the Police and the ruckus behind is Kwame wife, he’s dead, Kwame is dead, and they told me to come down to the CID Department,” she related.

Claire said that her husband was recently hired

by Courts Guyana Inc as a debt collector, and he had recently acquired a Police Clearance with no red flags.

The man’s brother,

Slain: Kwame Assanah

Crime Chief Paul Williams

Lawrence Assanah, has said the family visited the Crime Chief on Friday.

“We had a one-on-one (discussion) with the Crime Chief, and he said that he did not get those information to his department. He said when he get the information about these three persons, he sent them to get the facts, and they get facts on two, and all they get (on him) is his name is Kwame and he is from Buxton.

When he get that, he made a call to three well known per-

sons in Buxton and tell them to give him information on Kwame, and he said after 10 minutes he get no information (from his sources), and that is when he went and talk to the Public Relations Department. He said that he did not give such information that Kwame was arrested,” the grieving man said.

Up to press time, the Police were yet to issue a statement on the misinformation. They said that their investigation is ongoing.

12 news

saturDAY, march 17, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

President greeted with protesters in Berbice …to convene regional and community administration forum

Protesters at Fyrish Village on Friday during the President’s visit

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resident David Granger was on Friday greeted by protesters when he visited Fyrish Village, on the Corentyne Coast, in Berbice.

Upset People’s Progressive Party (PPP) supporters held placards and chanted as the presidential entourage turned out of the Berbice Bridge Road and onto Palmyra Road enroot to Fyrish – a village the President has now visited several times

his way to Fyrish to meet with officials from the 16 Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

The PPP had vowed to protest every Government Minister that goes to Region Six after President David Granger unilaterally appointed 84-year-old retired High Court Judge, Justice James Patterson, as the new Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission; an appointment which the

Some protesters holding placards

since taking office less than three years ago.

As the entourage approached and turned, some of the chants that were heard were directly meant for the President; ‘We need jobs,’ ‘Fyrish alone in not Berbice,’ ‘Granger can’t be trusted,’ ‘Respect sugar workers,’ among others.

The President was on

Opposition did not support and has since called on the President to reverse.

Regional Coordinator Zamal Hussain addressing the media from the picket line said the party had taken note, the fact that the President was taking his fourth visit to Fyrish.

“We are concerned because the President is here

again and he is not attending to the sugar workers issue and he is visiting Fyrish very often and not other parts of the region. We as a party know that he is visiting one particular community and the rest of Region Six is in total shambles. We are asking that the President look at the residents of Region Six and not a particular community.”

The protest was also over the GECOM issue and the subsidy to sugar workers.

Hussain noted that in a February meeting, the RDC passed a motion for Government to provide, and finance, transportation for the children of severed sugar workers in the Rose Hall Canje/East Bank Berbice area and in the areas from Crabwood Creek to Number 56 Village on the Corentyne.

Regional Executive Officer (REO) of Region Six, Kim WilliamsStephen had shown reluctance to pen a letter to the Government. Hussain said the REO has not indicated to regional officials that the letter had been written and as such the party is concerned.

Meanwhile, President David Granger, announced that he will convene a region-wide conference engaging officials from the 16 Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs), the Regional Democratic Council (RDC), overseers and other regional officials of the Region (Region Six) with a view to addressing the problems that are being faced at the local level, so that the citizens at the community level can enjoy a higher quality of service from their respective local

President David Granger announced that he will be convening a region-wide conference engaging officials from the 16 NDCs before the end of June

Government organs.

“I am committed to local government because I believe that the whole system of administration in this country rests on the NDCs; rests at the local level… this is the level at which true democracy prevails,” the Head of State said.

Speaking at a meeting with NDC representatives at the Fyrish Skills Training Centre, the President explained that a new budget cycle begins on July 1, and, therefore, these discussions will serve to identify prior-

ity areas for which provisions can be made in 2019 budget. “We have to make sure that the NDC’S are not treated like some sort of sideshow or like they don’t matter; they matter. They are part of the Government system which, as I said, is in three-tiered; central, regional and local and if you are part of the system and your foundation collapses, your structure will fall,” President Granger said.

The Head of State spoke of the need to improve the quality of representation at

the level of the NDCs, noting that there are many areas that are neglected and as such, residents in those areas are disinclined to cooperate and to pay rates and taxes. “I believe in regions, I believe in regionalism. We have to continue to do mobilisation on a regional basis regardless of NDC regardless of constituency, regardless of the political party, regardless of ethnicity. We have to mobilise this region so that there is the fullest participation,” he said.

Guyana gets mere 1% royalty in Tullow, ECO (Atlantic) contact ...50% profit oil

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overnment through the Natural Resources Ministry on Friday released its contract with Tullow Guyana BV and Eco (Atlantic) Oil and Gas, Inc revealing a one per cent royalty with 50 per cent profit oil agreement.

The terms of the contract are the same as those for Esso (Exploration and Production) Guyana Ltd and partners Hess and CNOOC Nexen and CGX.

dends, transfer of profits or deemed remittance of profits from contractor, affiliated companies or non-resident sub-contractors in Guyana, including branches to a foreign office or to affiliated companies whether within or outside of Guyana.”

Additionally, the Production Sharing Agreement stipulates that all recoverable contract costs be recovered from the value of a volume of crude oil pro-

tion and production company, which has interests in 90 exploration and production licences across 16 countries that are in West Africa, East Africa and ‘New Ventures’, which includes Guyana and French Guiana. Meanwhile, Eco (Atlantic) Oil and Gas, Inc was incorporated in January 2011 as Eco Oil and Gas Limited as a small independent international oil and gas exploration company based in Toronto,

“The Government’s share of Profit Oil specified in Article 11 Includes royalty payable by the contractor at the rate of one per cent of crude oil produces and sold,” the agreement stated.

In addition, the Government has agreed to stand the cost of all the company’s income taxes while exempting the contractors from the Property Tax Act, Value Added Tax and Corporation Taxes.

“There shall be no tax, duty-fee, withholding, charge or other impost applicable on interest payments, dividends, deemed divi-

duced and sold from the contract area in any month to an equivalent amount of 75 per cent of the total production.

“The contractor shall have the right to use in any petroleum operations as much of the production as may reasonably be required by it therefore and the quantities so used or lost shall be excluded from any calculations of cost oil and or cost gas and profit and or profit gas entitlement,” the agreement stated.

Tullow Oil, parent company of Tullow Guyana BV is an oil and gas explora-

Canada.

The agreement, which was signed on January 14, 2016, sees Eco (Atlantic) Oil and Gas, Inc having a 40 per cent interest in the Orinduik Block while Tullow Oil has 60 per cent.

The Government said 3D seismic operations in the area were completed in early September 2017 and processing and subsequent interpretation follows with the possibility of drilling in 2019. It added that both companies are very optimistic about the prospects for recoverable petroleum in the Orinduk Block.

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saturDAY, march 17, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

DDL commissions $340M rum aging warehouse

Acting PM Minister Carl Greenidge and DDL Chairman Komal Samaroo commissioning the new rum aging warehouse on Friday

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ocal rum producing giant Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) on Friday commissioned a spanking new warehouse facility that would be used to age its award-winning rum.

The 41,625-square-foot warehouse was constructed at a cost of $340 million in the Bottling Plant Compound at Plantation Great Diamond, East Bank Demerara.

This facility – Warehouse ‘M’ – was critical, given the projected in-

crease in production of its premium brands over the coming decade.

According to the company’s Senior Process Improvement Manager, Shaun Caleb, as part of DDL’s aggressive growth plan and the rapid increase in aged stocks, an expansion programme was embarked on back in 2004, and saw the construction of warehouses at Diamond and Uitvlugt, West Coast Demerara. From then on, the company has been increasing its storage capac-

ity.

The new Rum Aging Warehouse has a capacity to hold 30,000 barrels, which represents a one-third increase of its current capacity from four existing warehouses. Those four facilities carry an annual turnover of 90,000 barrels held in storage or that are processed.

Caleb noted that the construction of Warehouse ‘M’ was strategic in supporting the company’s goal of 15% annual growth for the next decade. He added that a broader expansion plan aims to create capacity for 100,000 new barrels by the end of the decade.

“Our interest was not only in adding warehouse space and capacity, but also in optimising the warehouse design to minimise the operations and the footprint of our operations,” he stated in his review of the construction process.

DDL Chairman, Komal Samaroo, posited that the new Rum Aging facility is the first manifestation of a major expansion project that the company has embarked upon.

Noting that it was a significant investment, the Chairman pointed out that when filled with rum, the value of the facility will be pegged at some US$10 million. He added that three more such facilities are expected to be constructed.

“It’s a really very big risk, but it’s a risk that we’re taking because we believe in what we do. We believe in our product, and I’m pleased to say that we were the pioneer of aged rum on the international market,” Samaroo stated.

While declaring his optimism in the role that DDL would play in the rum industry on a global scale, Samaroo added, “Creating a global brand is an expensive proposition; it is not done overnight. It requires huge investments over many years, it is a longterm strategy, and DDL is fully committed to building its El Dorado Rum brand around the world.”

The acting Prime Minister, Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge, who commissioned the new facility on Friday, com-

The new rum aging facility – Warehouse ‘M’ – at DDL’s Plantation Diamond location

mended the company for blazing a trail in its rum production operations.

“If we to survive in the competitive world, we have to be able to compete in the world market, and I commend DDL for looking down the road and moving up the value chain,” the minister said.

The construction of this new rum aging warehouse also forms part of the strategic re-alignment of the DDL production facilities east of DDL on the East Bank Demerara public road. By constructing a concrete road with suitable foundation and 20-foot width, the traf-

fic connects the Diamond Bottling Plant, Diamond Warehouses ‘K’ and ‘M’, Distillery operations and TOPCO Juice Plant, with a single thoroughfare for access that is better aligned with the public road, and is upgraded secondary roadway for emergency exit.

Demerara Distillers Limited has been forging ahead with an aggressive growth plan to increase its market share and presence as a leading supplier, particularly of its flagship El Dorado brand, in the local, Caribbean and international segments of the rum business.

Region 2 RDC expresses no confidence in REO

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he Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) has expressed no confidence in the work of Regional Executive Officer, Rupert Hopkinson, following a series of irregularities uncovered in relation to the management of the region’s budgetary allocation.

In a statement, Regional Chairman Devanand Ramdatt said the RDC is dissatisfied with its REO’s actions and repeated efforts were made to have Hopkinson to act in compliance with the financial regulations. He added that several times the RDC would have made requests for details regarding management of the budget and procurement process but those were denied.

“Hopkinson as the accounting officer fails to follow recommendations and decisions taken by the RDC

REO Rupert Hopkinson

at its statutory meetings.

Due to such negligence and incompetence, the REO who also serves as Clerk of the RDC has created numerous pending matters that residents, more precisely students are affected,” he said.

“Despite a number of audit queries over the years, this accounting officer con-

tinues to breach procurement, financial guidelines and regulations,” Ramdatt added.

At a recent statutory meeting of the RDC, a number of issues came to the fore and both the Government and Opposition Councillors expressed their disappointment with the decisions of the REO. The matters discussed involved the abuse of millions of dollars from the RDC’s Economic Project Amounts; poor implementation of projects that have already started in 2018; delays in signing vouchers; insanitary and unsafe conditions of many schools; and persons contracted to clean school compounds and road shoulders have been waiting to be paid since 2017 and 2016 respectively.

Hopkinson was recently dragged before the PAC for mismanagement of the

region’s funds. He told the PAC that the projects were considered to be emergencies, hence the reason for his management.

He instead highlighted a number of projects that are considered emergencies in the region that the REO should have focused on.

“Fixing the Capoey

Primary School Septic Tank; address the poor conditions at the Charity Secondary School; install a generator at Public Hospital Suddie that was affected whenever there was a blackout; cleaning of the Hackney-Friendship canals, preparation of access dams and maintenance of drainage and irrigation

structures in cultivation areas; and fix rapidly deteriorating community roads,” were some of the emergency works highlighted.

The Regional Chairman has since reiterated that the Council has no confidence in the REO.

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saturDAY, march 17, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Unpaid Region 1 security guards seek help …forced to borrow money to maintain families

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ecurity Guards attached to the offices of the Region One Regional Democratic Council (Barima-Waini) are calling for their payment, which they have not received since January.

The unpaid workers were previously employed with another security firm, whose contract was not renewed when the coalition Government took office.

According to one security officer, his family ‘s wellbeing is dependent on the money he earns as a security guard, since with “the nature of the job and the shift system, persons employed cannot find the time to cultivate their farms, and as such depend solely on their salaries to maintain their families.”

He added that enquires regarding payments directed to Assistant Regional Executive Officer (AREO) Renitta Williams are being

met with the same response each time: “Payment is on its way”.

Forced to borrow money to sustain themselves and their families, the workers are calling for urgent intervention and assistance in resolving their current plight.

Just on Wednesday last, security guards of Region Five picketed the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) calling for termination of the contract with the firm they are currently working with.

This firm, according to reports, has failed to pay its workers since December last.

The guards, who were at a breaking point, withdrew their services from several key agencies in the region to support a call for the regional administration to terminate the contract with the company to provide security to schools, hospitals and other Government agencies.

Katty Fraser, a mother

of two, said her daughter is currently hospitalised, but she has no money to supply her needs.

Another guard, Vernetta LaRose, a mother of eight, who resides at Number 22 Bel Air, West Coast Berbice, said the guards were told they must open an account at a specific commercial bank, into which their salaries would be paid.

The picketing action of the guards were reportedly met with hostility from the Region 5 Executive Officer, Ovid Morrison, who ordered them out of a section of the RDC compound.

Region 5 Chairman, Vickchand Ramphal, in a meeting with the guards, voiced his hope that the Government would intervene on the guards’ behalf, as his engagements with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the firm had proved futile.

Charlestown man found with grenade remanded

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hirty-six-year-old Devon Adams, a computer technician who plies his trade in the Charlestown/Albouystown wards of the city, was on Friday remanded to prison after appearing before Georgetown Magistrate Leron Daly to answer to a narcotics trafficking charge.

He denied that, on March 11, 2018, he had in his possession 2.510 kilograms of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking.

A second charge read to him stated that the Police also found a grenade in his possession.

Attorney-at-law Keoma Griffith, representing Adams in a bail applica-

Devon Adams being escorted to the holding cell at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts

tion, said that Adams has two young children and his spouse recently died.

Griffith told the court that the cannabis was not found on his client, but in a yard at Sophia occupied by several other residents, where as a contractor he was carrying

out construction works.

The Police Prosecutor, however, objected to bail; giving as his reason that the Police have enough evidence to proceed with trial.

Bail was refused, and the case has been set to continue on April 5.

Lindo Creek CoI

Victim’s wife breaks down while recounting receiving news

Clifton Wong’s widow, Collette on the stand

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he wife of Lindo Creek Massacre victim Clifton ‘Berry’ Wong said she heard the news about miners being killed, but brushed it aside and went about her domestic chores, only to have her entire world collapse later that night.

Collette Wong took to the stand before the Commission of Inquiry into the June 2008 Lindo Creek Massacre and tearfully recounted when she received the news of her husband Clifton Wong’s death.

The woman related that prior to heading into Lindo Creek, her husband had been home to celebrate Mother’s Day and her birthday, and while heading into Lindo Creek, he had promised to send some money to celebrate their daughter’s birthday on June 13.

The woman said the last communication she had had with her husband was when he stopped at Kwakwani before heading into Lindo Creek, and he had told her, ‘I love you’, and had asked her to take care of their five children.

Collette explained that when she did not hear from her husband for their daughter’s birthday, she made contact with his boss, Leonard Arokium, and asked that he contact the camp, which he promised to do.

Amidst tears, Collette Wong said her nephew-inlaw was the one who had informed her of her husband’s death on June 21, at sometime around 12:30hrs.

“I bravely said, ‘Hit me

with it,’ he said, ‘You already heard’, and I said there was a newsflash. At that moment I did not panic,” she said. To confirm the news, she then called Arokium, and her worst fears became true.

“Upon hearing that, I went upstairs. The children were already in their bed, and I woke them up and said, ‘He is no more! He is no more!’ ” the still grieving woman related before breaking down

SNA sample, and that the family was never contacted about the burial of her husband’s remains.

Also taking the stand was the late Clifton’s daughter, Shaniza Romain, whose birthday he was supposed to send money for. The woman related that when her father did not call her for her birthday, she sensed something was wrong.

She said that her father was a family man and would never miss their birthdays, and she still remembers the last present he had given her before he was murdered.

Romain recounted that, in 2007, her father had presented her with a pair of gold jingles (bangles) for her birthday, but after his death, the family had to sell those to supplement their finances.

Sometime between June 12, 2008 and June 24, 2008, miners Cecil Arokium, Dax

Clifton Wong’s daughter, Shaniza Romain on the stand

on the stand.

She said her screams were so loud that they woke up the entire neighbourhood, and persons came over to enquire what was going on.

She said that apart from media operatives, the family was visited by Social Welfare Officers, but she noted that they did not receive any form of counselling or therapy to deal with their loss.

Collette Wong said she was also fearful of the heavy Police presence in her street during the wake held for her husband. She further related that her brother-in-law, Courtney Wong, was asked to provide the Police with an

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 being operated by Leonard Arokium.

The Lindo Creek CoI is the first of what the coalition Government has said would be a series of inquiries into the hundreds of killings which occurred during a crime wave that began in 2002. The CoI was established to inquire into the circumstances surrounding the killings of eight miners, and to report its findings and recommendations to President David Granger.

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HERO team lends assistance to GPHC

saturDAY, march 17, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Man jumps to death in front of moving car

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technician on Friday morning allegedly threw himself in front of a moving car in what is believed to be an act of suicide.

Dead is Dwayne Schultz, 48, of Lot 26 Edgerton Village, West Coast Berbice, commonly referred to as Number 4 Village. The incident occurred at Number Five Village.

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) said in a statement on Friday morning that the incident involved a motorcar bearing registration number PNN 3769 driven by a 39-year-old man. The GPF stated that the motorcar was proceeding South along the western carriageway when the pedestrian, who was standing in the corner of the said western side of the road, allegedly jumped into the vehicle’s path and was struck.

He was picked up in an unresponsive state and rushed to the Fort Wellington Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The body is currently at the said hospital mortuary awaiting a post-mortem

Dead: Dwayne Schultz

examination next Monday.

The driver is in custody and assisting with the investigation, the release said. A breathalyzer test was also administered and no alcohol was detected in the driver’s breath.

Meanwhile, the now dead man’s brother, Marlon Welcome, said the car could have been travelling at a fast rate at the time of the accident.

“He was over the road and

my uncle-in-law took the vehicle and then come back and tell me that Dwayne don’t want to come in the vehicle.

The same time I hear ‘Blam’, and when I watch, I see he pitching in the corner… He had one passenger in the car.

It did look like he did speeding because he nock him like here and stop right there; they had no tire marks or nothing,” he explained.

Schultz is said to be an alcoholic. However, the dead man’s aunt, Carla Bacchus, noted that recently he had been acting strangely. In fact, on Friday morning he was seen throwing his clothes in a trench before subsequently leaving.

Another aunt, Marva Allen, explained that efforts were being made to have Schultz stop the consumption of alcohol as that may have led to his poor state of health.

She told that publication that on Thursday, Schultz related that if he could not get high wine, he was going to kill himself.

Shultz leaves to mourn one son and four siblings.

First Lady receives report on teenage pregnancy

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irst Lady Sandra Granger received a courtesy call from United Nations Children Fund’s (UNICEF) Representative in Guyana, Sylvie Fouet, to discuss the work that the organisation is doing in Guyana and to identify potential areas of collaboration. The meeting was held at her State House office.

Fouet on Friday presented the First Lady with a report of a situation analysis on teenage pregnancy conducted in Guyana. The study was intended to generate more data and action

to ensure that the underlying causes of teenage pregnancy are addressed.

“We were discussing how we can address some of the issues. One of them is, of course, out of school [youth], how we can look at reintegrating the teen mothers into the school system for a formal education. Also, looking at information and knowing about relationships and the consequences and working on the health facilities to get them more teen friendly… 20 per cent of our adolescents are pregnant before the age of 18, which means one woman out of five. So

it’s very important [that] we look at making sure they can become mothers but at a later stage and embrace their youth,” Fouet said.

The First Lady, who is the patron of Women Across Differences (WAD), has worked with that organisation to execute workshops and training programmes including remedial education, cosmetology, childcare and care for the elderly programmes, giving many teenage mothers the opportunity to achieve their goals and be able to meaningfully contribute to their families and communities.

Kissoon’s Furniture Store donates to Pike Street fire victims

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wo families of the Pike Street, Kitty fire -which occurred in the wee hours of March 7 and destroyed three houses, leaving some 30 persons homeless -were on Friday thankful to receive a donation of mattresses and pillows from Kissoon’s Furniture Store at Industrial Site, Ruimveldt.

The donation was handed over to the Dominic and Layne families by the company’s Sales Manager, Christina Dhanesar.

With assistance from its staff, the donation was made as the company sought to give back to the community by helping families in need.

Expressing deep gratitude for the items, the families called for additional help as they seek to overcome the setback occasioned by the tragedy.

Guyana Times had carried a report on this fire, which started in the Lot 185 Pike Street apartment of Oswald Layne and subse-

Kissoon’s Sales Manager Christina Dhanesar handing over the donations of mattresses and pillows

quently destroyed two other buildings, located at Lot 185 and 191 Pike Street.

The report stated that Layne had awoken to use the washroom at sometime around 03:15h, and discovered his apartment filled with smoke. He raised an alarm as the fire began to engulf the entire wooden structure before spreading east and west to destroy the other buildings.

Fire tenders from Central, Campbellville, Alberttown and Ruimveldt Fire Stations all responded, and were able to put out the blaze by sometime around 05:00h.

Junior Natural Resources Minister Simona Broomes was one of the first people on the scene, and she took the victims to her home, where they were offered breakfast, a bath, and a change of clothing.

Minister Volda Lawrence visiting one of the children who received surgery earlier this week

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ithin the past week, the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) has received assistance from a team of medical professionals who are members of the Health and Education Relief Organisation (HERO), with the aim of helping persons acquire surgeries at an earlier date, or to complete those that were pending.

To express gratitude to the HERO team, an event was hosted at the GPHC, at which Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence; Director of HERO, John Mitchell; Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GPHC, Brigadier George Lewis; Director of Medical and Professional Services, Dr. Sheik Amir; members of the HERO programme and staff of the hospital were present

to give the Guyanese public an insight into the progress that the surgeons were able to make, and to extend gratitude to the members of the HERO team.

Director of Health and Education Relief Organisation (HERO), John Mitchell, in his remarks, stated, “Our mission is to provide health care in the form of outreach, a medical component. On this trip, our team totalled about 46 individuals, many of them who spent their time in Linden and other parts of Georgetown doing medical outreaches in a variety of areas.”

Dr Watson, attached to the GHPC, gave a brief insight into the orthopedics and plastic surgery departments over the past few days. He noted that, in just

a few days, there were 31 cases that was dealt with by the team, with the last two scheduled for later that day.

“They were difficult cases that we ourselves could not have done, so we generally welcomed the expertise in terms of getting them done,” he stated.

During the past week, several persons were enlisted for surgeries, none of which was cancelled.

Additionally, 50 percent of the cases were children.

A parent of one of the children who underwent surgery earlier this week, Malecia Andrews, said she had been awaiting her son’s surgery for the past two years, so she was elated that this process was finally completed.

“At the end we’re here, it’s done and (its) successful,” Andrews said.

Meanwhile, Minister Lawrence addressed the medical team and expressed her thanks on behalf of Guyana, noting that they have helped to develop the skills of the Guyanese medical team in a very short span of time, leaving the team “with more experience and knowledge to be able to carry on their work on a day-today basis”.

The team, which comprises a number of surgeons from around the world, has been visiting Guyana for approximately twelve years, and will be returning for another programme slated for August 4 to 11 of this year.

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guyanatimesgy.com

saturDAY, march 17, 2018

Regional

Jamaican dancehall artiste Court decision paves the way for Barbudans sues pop star Miley Cyrus

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amaican dancehall artiste Michael “Flourgon” May has filed a US$300 million lawsuit against American pop singer Miley Cyrus, alleging that her 2013 hit “We Can’t Stop” lifted from his 1988 track, “We Run Things”.

The copyright infringement lawsuit – which also names RCA Records, a Sony label; and Mike WiLL MadeIt, who produced and cowrote Cyrus’ song, as defendants – was filed in the US District Court, Manhattan, New York earlier this week.

At the heart of the matter is that Flourgon says Cyrus’ song borrows from his.

“We Can’t Stop”, which became an international multiplatinum hit and reached No 2 on the

Flourgon (left) says Miley Cyrus’ “We Can’t Stop” borrows from his song “We Run Things”

Billboard Hot 100 chart and topped the United Kingdom pop chart, contains the words: “We run things, things don’t run we.”

There is a line in Flourgon’s song – which was

produced by Hugh “Redman” James and topped charts in Jamaica and United States ethnic market – which goes: “We run things, things no run we.”

The suit also argues that

Cyrus’ song is “largely rooted in Caribbean musical influence” and includes “a theme of defiant audaciousness in the realm of self-discovery and self-governance. The entire theme of ‘We Can’t Stop’ would be hollow in sound and impact, and would fail to achieve…success without the unique thrust of authenticity and the substantially similar theme of/provided by Plaintiff May’s original, protected content.”

Flourgon is seeking a trial by jury, an injunction to halt sales and further performances of the track, as well as legal fees.

‘We Can’t Stop’, which is in Cyrus’ Bangerz album, has sold over five million copies based on streaming and digital sales. (Excerpt from Caribbean360)

Mitchell sworn in as PM of Grenada

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r Keith Claudius Mitchell took the oath of office for a fifth occasion on Friday as Grenada’s Prime Minister following the overwhelming victory of his New National Party (NNP) in the March 13 General Elections.

Mitchell, 71, as he had done following the victory on Tuesday, reiterated a call for the main Opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to join with the rest of the social partners in putting forward the best policies for the future socio-economic development of the tri-island state.

“I am humbled by this your confidence in me and the team you have chosen,

Prime Minister, Dr Keith Mitchell taking the oath of office before Governor General Dame Cecile La Grenade

but that is just the elected team, the real team is all of us,” Mitchell said after being sworn into office

by Governor General Dame Cecile La Grenade at the cer-

emony held at the Grenada Trade Centre, south of here.

He said his first task would be to write an official letter inviting the NDC, which failed to win a seat in

the Parliament for the second consecutive time, officially requesting their participation “in the interest of national building”.

“We don’t have to fight each other every day of the year…this electoral war is over, let peace reign,” Mitchell said, acknowledging that in a democracy, people are entitled to support whichever party or group they want to.

He said while the NNP had won all the seats and there’s a feeling that the “winner takes all, this winner does not take all,” adding that his administration is determined ‘to let the voices be heard in a profound way”. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

to vote in Antigua

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he High Court of Antigua has agreed with the Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission (ABEC) that it was premature for Trevor Walker to challenge the electoral process regarding where constituents of Barbuda should vote next week.

This means, constituents of Barbuda will be voting in Antigua on Election Day, March 21.

Walker filed the application for an injunction to prevent the election from happening in Antigua and argued, through his lawyer Charlesworth Tabor that it was unlawful to move electors from one constituency to vote in another.

His contention was that the voting should take place in Barbuda because his interpretation of the Representation of the People’s Act is that only the polling division can be moved and not people and an entire constituency.

Tabor said Justice Clare Henry ruled that the matter can only proceed by way of an election petition. “The Judge has ruled against us.

She says our application is premature. It has to come after the poll is conducted.

That is not our view. Our application is not premature because we are not challenging the election result because no election has been conducted as yet,” Tabor said.

Tabor added that there will be a petition after the election for the constituency of Barbuda, but only on one condition. ABEC decided that Barbuda’s constituents would vote in Antigua because the island (Barbuda) was badly damaged by a hurricane in September.

Many of the people who were there were evacuated to Antigua due to this.

Simon is urging Barbudans to use the opportunity that would allow them to cast their ballots.

(Excerpt from Antigua Observer)

Trinidad rattled by another earthquake in less than 24 hours

US warns travellers of deadly yellow fever in Brazil

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deadly and growing yellow fever outbreak in Brazil has killed at least four international visitors, and US health officials on Friday warned travellers to get vaccinated or stay away.

Yellow fever is a mosquito-borne disease that often causes no symptoms. Some people may experience fever and nausea, and in about 15 per cent of cases the infection can turn severe and lead to jaundice and multi-

ple organ failure.

Since early 2017, the virus has been spreading in several of Brazil’s eastern states, “including areas where yellow fever was not traditionally considered to be a risk,” said the report by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

Affected areas include the states of Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais and Sao Paulo, including areas close to the city of Sao Paulo. “Be protected or don’t go,” said

Marty Cetron, director of the CDC division of global migration and quarantine.

He warned that the intensity of transmission was “highly unusual” and the risk to travelers is “somewhat unprecedented.” He urged potential travellers to be vigilant, even if they run into difficulties obtaining a vaccine due to low availability.

The vaccine should be given 10 days before travel. A total of 10 internation-

al visitors from Europe and South America who were not vaccinated prior to travelling to Brazil have been infected with yellow fever already this year.

Officials warned of a specific hotspot on Ilha Grande, a forested island off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, where eight international visitors have contracted yellow fever. Four of them died – a Swiss national, a German and two travellers from Chile. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

1 person arrested after plane makes illegal landing in Belize

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olice have detained one person after a suspected drug plane was discovered deep in the farmlands of Blue Creek, Orange Walk, North of Belmopan, earlier this week.

The authorities said that the twin-engine turboprop, corporate travel and utility aircraft crash landed in an area called “Cuatros

Lenguas,” just after midnight on Wednesday and the cargo had been removed and transported across the Rio Hondo River to Mexico.

They said three vehicles were discovered where the plane landed and a man known as an employee of a Mennonite businessman was detained while leaving the remote area and is being

questioned.

They believe that the plane originated in Venezuela and is similar to other suspicious aircrafts found in February.

Assistant Commissioner of Police, Joseph Myvett, said when the police and members of the Belize Defence Force (BDF) reached the aircraft “it was found to have

only two seats, which was the passenger seat and the pilot’s seat.

The Police said that a delivery truck, with the word “Jefe” etched on its engine cover, was also discovered near the aircraft and that four red drums containing a liquid, possibly fuel had been found. (Excerpt from Jamaica

Observer)

L

ess than 24 hours after Trinidad and Tobago was rocked by an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.0, the oil rich twin island republic has been rattled by a 4.2 magnitude tremor.

The Trinidad-based Seismic Research Centre (SRC) of the University of the West Indies (UWI) said that the latest quake occurred at 2:02 pm and was at a depth of 16 kilometres.

“This event appears to be an aftershock following the 10:49 pm earthquake,” the SRC said.

Earlier, the SRC reported that the quake on Thursday night was felt mainly throughout Trinidad and there are no immediate reports of damages or injuries.

In recent months, Trinidad and Tobago has been experiencing a number of earthquakes and a senior official of the SRC has warned the country to be prepared for a major quake.

Seismologist Dr Illias Papadopoulos, speaking at a Rotary Club of Central Port of Spain meeting on Thursday, said that the city could sink below the ground in the event of a major earthquake as he warned that the region should prepare for an earthquake with a magnitude in excess of seven.

He acknowledged that while an earthquake cannot be predicted, the region expects an earthquake as a major quake is due every 27 years and it is long overdue.

Papadoupolos told the Rotarians that there has been “vivid” earthquake activity in the region in recent years with an average of 2200 small earthquakes being recorded each year and that two specific earthquake located north of the Gulf of Paria and within the Gulf of Paria, are posing a major threat.

He said the city of Port of Spain is at a greater risk of devastation because of water saturation. (Excerpt from Nation News)

saturDAY, march 17, 2018

guyanatimesgy.com

Around the World

Jacob Zuma: Former South African President faces corruption trial

S

outh Africa's former President, Jacob Zuma, is to face prosecution for 16 charges of corruption, Chief Prosecutor Shaun Abrahams has confirmed.

Abrahams said he believed there were "reasonable prospects of a successful prosecution". The charges – which Zuma denies – include counts of fraud, racketeering and money laundering.

Zuma, 75, was forced to resign as president last month by his party, the ruling African National Congress (ANC). He was facing his ninth no-confidence vote in parliament before he left office.

The charges relate to a 30 billion rand (US$2.5 billion; £1.7 billion) Government arms deal in the late 1990s, before he became President.

French arms supplier Thales will also face charges, a

Jacob Zuma faces counts of corruption, money laundering, fraud, and racketeering

prosecutor said. Thales declined to comment, reports the AFP news agency.

Zuma is alleged to have sought bribes from Thales to support an extravagant lifestyle. His financial adviser at the time was found guilty of soliciting those bribes in 2005 and Zuma was later sacked as Deputy President.

He now faces one charge

of racketeering, two charges of corruption, one charge of money laundering and 12 of fraud. Shaun Abrahams, head of the National Prosecuting Authority, said a trial court was the appropriate place for the matter to be decided.

He dismissed representations made by Zuma asking that the charges be dropped.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Mass protests as PM's resignation fails to quell Slovakia unrest

T

ens of thousands of protesters took to the streets across Slovakia on Friday to call for snap elections, saying the premier’s resignation was not enough to address what they see as a corrupt Government.

The local Dennik N newspaper said about 50,000 people turned out in the capital Bratislava alone, where protesters carried signs bearing slogans such as “Slovakia is going the wrong way” and “We want elections”.

17

Organisers of the “For a decent Slovakia” protest had announced there would be rallies in 34 cities at home and 25 cities abroad. The EU member has been in political crisis since last month’s killing of an investigative journalist who had been probing alleged ties between top politicians and Italian mafia.

Faced with street protests, threats to quit from a coalition partner and a no-confidence vote tabled by the Opposition, Robert Fico resigned as Prime Minister

on Thursday. But analysts believe he will continue to pull the strings from behind the scenes as the Chairman of the governing Smer-SD party, whose deputy Peter Pellegrini was tapped to become the new Prime Minister.

The country’s three-party Government coalition remains in place. It consists of the left-wing populist SmerSD and two junior partners: the Most-Hid Hungarian minority party and the farright Slovak National Party.

(Excerpt from The Guardian)

Russia to expel UK diplomats as crisis over nerve toxin attack deepens

R

ussia is set to expel British diplomats in retaliation for Prime Minister Theresa May’s decision to kick out 23 Russians as relations with London crashed to a postCold War low over an attack involving a military-grade nerve agent on English soil.

After the first known offensive use of a nerve agent in Europe since World War Two, Britain has pointed the finger at President Vladimir Putin and on Thursday May gave the 23 Russians who she said were spies working under diplomatic cover at the embassy in London a

week to leave.

Moscow has denied any involvement in the attempted murder of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter. It has cast Britain as a post-colonial power unsettled by its impending exit from the European Union, and even suggested London fabricated the attack to whip up anti-Russian hysteria.

The diplomats are due to leave London on March 20, RIA news agency quoted Russia’s ambassador to Britain as saying.

Separately on Friday, police in London launched a

murder investigation into the death this week of a Russian associate of late tycoon Boris Berezovsky, but said nothing at this stage suggested a link to the Skripal case.

Asked by a Reuters reporter in the Kazakh capital Astana if Moscow would expel British diplomats, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov smiled and said: “We will, of course.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated Moscow’s line that there was no “clear evidence” for any Russian involvement in the attack, RIA reported. (Excerpt

from Reuters)

At least 78 killed in day of violence as eastern Ghouta exodus continues

T

he death toll in another day of violence in the besieged Syrian enclave of eastern Ghouta continued to rise on Friday with at least 78 new deaths, a day after thousands fled in desperation and largely emptied an entire town of its inhabitants.

Most of the deaths on Friday, including of at least 13 children, came in the town of Kfar Batna, with monitors and medics saying the numbers would probably rise as more corpses are pulled from rubble.

The civilian death toll in more than three weeks of relentless bombardment of the region bordering Damascus has risen to between 1,300 and 1,500, as forces loyal to the regime of Bashar al-Assad – backed by Russian airstrikes – fight to crush the last opposition stronghold near the capital, seven years into a popular upris-

People walk through a regime-controlled corridor in Hawsh alAshaari, east of the Ghouta town of Hamouria

ing turned civil war.

On Thursday, 12,000 people – mostly women, children and the elderly – sought refuge from the violence by fleeing towards government lines, the first mass exodus of civilians since the start of the offensive. Government forces have divided eastern Ghouta into three distinct zones, all under siege.

The violence has continued despite a UN security

council resolution calling for an immediate 30-day ceasefire and the delivery of humanitarian aid that was passed last month but has not been implemented.

Residents in the enclave have said they want to be able to leave the besieged areas but with international guarantees that they will not be detained or otherwise punished by advancing regime troops. (Excerpt from The Guardian)

Irrfan Khan: Bollywood actor has rare tumour Pakistan-India diplomatic

B

ollywood actor Irrfan Khan has revealed on Twitter that he has been diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumour. The rare illness affects the cells that release hormones into the bloodstream. Khan did not give any further details of his condition.

He had tweeted on 6 March that he was suffering from a "rare disease" but did not say what it was. Khan, 51, has acted in more than 100 films including Bollywood hits Piku, Maqbool, Haasil and Paan

Irrfan Khan is known for his roles in The Namesake and Slumdog Millionaire

Singh Tomar.

His English

language

films include Life Of Pi, Jurassic World, Slumdog Millionaire and The Amazing Spider-Man. He took to Twitter on Friday to talk about his illness.

His wife, Sutapa Sikdar, had said in a Facebook post on 10 March that, "My best friend and my partner is a 'warrior' he is fighting every obstacle with tremendous grace and beauty."

Health experts say neuroendocrine tumours can develop in many different organs in the body and can be cancerous or non-cancerous.

Some tumours can cause abnormally large amounts of hormones to enter the bloodstream and cause symptoms such as heart problems, changes in blood pressure or cramps.

Some neuroendocrine tumours can be treated through surgery or chemotherapy.

Khan is India's bestknown international actor and has also featured in a wide range of well-received roles in Bollywood and independent Hindi films. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Botswana's Ian Khama: Trump encouraging elephant poaching

T

he outgoing President of Botswana has attacked his US counterpart Donald Trump for "encouraging poaching" by overturning a ban on the import of hunting trophies.

Speaking at an anti-poaching summit in Botswana, two weeks before he steps down, President Ian Khama told the BBC it was not just Mr

Trump's attitude towards wildlife he was concerned about, but his "attitude towards the whole planet".

The US Government recently made a U-turn on the import of animal heads from Africa – the "trophies" prized

by American hunters travelling to the continent.

Khama said that his Government had "actual-

ly banned hunting" but that Trump's lifting of the trophy ban was "encouraging poaching in this country".

Khama was speaking at the Giant's Club Summit in Kasane, which is discussing efforts to tackle the poaching epidemic which is killing tens of thousands of elephants every year.

Although the number of

animals being poached for ivory has been dropping over the past few years, more elephants are being killed for their tusks than are being born, leaving them in danger.

"We haven't passed the worst of the poaching crisis," said Mike Chase, Director and founder of Elephants Without Borders. (Excerpt from BBC News)

spat worsens as envoy summoned

P

akistan has summoned its ambassador to India "for consultations", according to its Foreign Ministry, as tensions remain high between the nuclear-armed South Asian neighbours.

The move came on Thursday amidst a flurry of allegations by both sides, accusing each other of harassing diplomats in their respective capitals.

Earlier this week, Pakistan said at least three of its diplomats had been harassed in New Delhi, and several of their children had been intimidated and threatened on their way home from their school.

New Delhi accuses Pakistan of having carried out an equivalent campaign of harassment against its own diplomats posted in Islamabad, alleging that Pakistani spy agency personnel entered the embas-

sy's residential compound.

Ambassador Sohail Mahmood will return to Islamabad immediately, after Pakistan's protests lodged with the Indian foreign ministry did not yield any results, Faisal said.

India's government said the ambassador's trip home was routine and did not constitute a permanent recall, in comments to local media.

In a statement released late on Tuesday, the Pakistani foreign office said Pakistani officials and their families were facing "intense harassment, intimidation and outright violence from the Indian state agencies".

India said it would investigate the allegations.

Indian diplomats posted in Islamabad, the Pakistani capital, alleged to Al Jazeera on Wednesday that they had been facing similar harassment for months. (Excerpt from Al

Jazeera)

18

guyanatimesgy.com

saturDAY, March 17, 2018

ARCHIE

Making a financial gain or negotiating a deal is fea(March 21tured. Step up and wheel and April 19) deal. If you leave this task to someone else, you won’t do as well.

ARIES

Share your feelings with TAURUS someone you love and re(April 20- spect. A joint effort will help May 20) you hash out all your problems, and although it won’t be easy, the results will be worthwhile.

dilbert

A legal or financial disGEMINI pute should be handled care(May 21fully.

Anger is never a good June 20) way to deal with controversy if you want to move forward.

Look for an appropriate solution.

Get involved in projects that will help you advance.

(June 21- Revamping your resume or July 22) exploring new ways to use your skills will encourage you to take on a new position or income opportunity.

CANCER

Peanuts

Discuss what you want LEO to see happen and get the (July 23- go-ahead. If you are open to Aug. 22) suggestions, it will help you bring about changes that will encourage saving and ease stress.

Calvin and Hobbes

You may have a good plan, VIRGO but don’t expect things to run (Aug. 23smoothly when it comes to Sept. 22) settlements, joint finances or issues that affect your health.

Have a good excuse at the ready.

You’ll be drawn to someLIBRA (Sept. 23- one who requires assistance.

Oct. 23) What you get in return will be a lesson or experience that will serve you well when you deal with future relationships.

WORD GAME

SUDOKU

TODAY’S WORD — SPLAYED

Someone close to you SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23- will take advantage of your generosity and good nature.

Dec. 21) Offer nothing more than affection. Make positive personal changes. A new look and a healthier lifestyle are encouraged.

(SPLAYED: SPLADE: Spread apart.)

Average mark 25 words Time limit 40 minutes Can you find 34 or more words in SPLAYED? The list will be published tomorrow.

YESTERDAY’S WORD — DISDAINED

dais dandies dead dean died dine disdain

idea ides inside sadden said sand sane

sedan send side sine snide added addend

aide aided anise aside nisei

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

Copyright 2015, Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

Old habits are hard to SCORPIO break.

Look at the mistakes (Oct. 24Nov. 22) you’ve made and the people who have been bad influences or have taken advantage of you, and alter your course.

solution for Puzzle

Getting together with an CAPRICORN (Dec. 22- old friend or attending a reJan. 19) union will do you good and give you something to think about. Be proud of your accomplishments instead of envying others.

Take up a creative hobAQUARIUS by or show a greater inter(Jan. 20est in different cultures, lifeFeb. 19) styles or beliefs. What you learn will encourage you to improve your own life.

Getting angry will not PISCES help solve a problem. Address (Feb. 20matters head-on, and if you March 20) must step down or make a move, you’ll end up further ahead when you do so.

saturDAY, march 17, 2018

19

Champions League quarter-final draw… GFF Elite League III…

GDF hoping to extend lead

Juventus to face Madrid

D

– City to meet Liverpool

R

eal Madrid will face Juventus in a repeat of last season's Champions League final, while Premier League sides Manchester City and Liverpool have been drawn together in the quarter-finals.

Holders Madrid will have to beat Juventus again if they are to claim the trophy for the third year in a row, having triumphed 4-1 against the Italian champions in Cardiff last May. Madrid will be at home for the second leg, with the first match of the tie to be played in Turin on April 3 or 4.

Manchester City will travel to Anfield for the first leg of their quarter-final as Pep Guardiola seeks a third

Champions League title.

The Etihad Stadium will host the second leg of the all-Premier League tie on either April 10 or 11.

Sevilla's reward for knocking out Manchester United in the round of 16 is a tie with German giants Bayern Munich, who have the advantage of playing the second leg at home.

And the other remaining Serie A side in the competition, Roma, have the daunting task of taking on LaLiga leaders Barcelona.

Roma, however, will play at their Stadio Olimpico home for the second leg of that tie. (Sportsmax)

efending Champions, Guyana Defence Force will look to keep their current position as League leaders when they host Buxton United Football Club on Sunday at the Camp Ayanganna Ground.

They contest the feature match at 19:30 hrs while Den Amstel takes on Victoria Kings in the curtain raiser at 17:30 hrs.

Newcomers Den Amstel will hope to continue their good show as they meet a rampant Victoria Kings side would not allow them an overtaking in the points standing.

Meanwhile, GDF cannot afford any slip ups as they move to retain their title while Buxton United comes into the match seeking to improve their position at the middle of the table.

On Friday, the league entered its eighth week at the

Georgetown Football Club Ground, Bourda, where NA United FC and Milerock were scheduled to battle Western Tigers and Fruta Conquerors, respectively.

Admission to all matches is $500 but all children under 12 years of age and women will be admitted free.

ICC World Cup Qualifiers…

Windies fall to 3rd as Zimbabwe thump Ireland Z

imbabwe have put themselves in the driving seat for an ICC Cricket World Cup place having beaten Ireland by 107 runs in the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier Super Sixes match at the Harare Sports Club, where the bowlers came to the party.

Zimbabwe now go to the top of the Super Sixes points table, edging out Scotland on net run-rate, while Ireland (two points) now trail Scotland (five points) and the West Indies (four points) in the race for a top-two spot and a place in the ICC CWC 2019.

Both sides entered the match hoping to build on the momentum gained during impressive group stage outings, as Ireland won the toss and elected to field.

Echoing the pattern of the first innings, in which Sikandar Raza had given Zimbabwe a mid-lower-order boost to help the hosts post 211, it was the bowlers who had the most joy during the early part of the second innings, as Ireland chased 212 to win.

Ireland got off to a poor start when skipper William Porterfield mistimed a pull shot off Tendai Chisoro which went straight to Sikandar

Raza at midwicket. Andrew Balbirnie then departed in the first ball of the seventh over to make it 17/2 – Kyle Jarvis finding the inside edge with a bit of nip off the deck, which was expertly grappled by Brendan Taylor behind the sticks.

Ireland were reeling when veteran batsman Ed Joyce

pavilion. The spin of Williams and Graeme Cremer made it difficult for the Irish to hit their way out of trouble. Stirling’s forward defence looked reluctant, but whilst he remained Ireland had a sniff of a chance.

Earlier, Raza lifted a sagging Zimbabwe innings from No.7 to take it to a position

Zimbabwe players celebrate an Irish wicket during their ICC World Cup qualifying Super Sixes match at the Harare Sports Club

came and went in the space of two deliveries, courtesy of tremendous work from Taylor yet again – this time a tidy stumping off Chisoro, which Joyce believed he had flicked passed the keeper and down the leg-side after the ball stroked the thigh pad. Joyce walked out of the crease and didn't stop until he reached the

of respectability. Asked to bat by Porterfield, Zimbabwe looked in danger of finishing up around the 150 mark at one stage, but courtesy of Raza’s battling 83-ball 69* and his 42run stand with Chisoro for the eighth wicket, the hosts managed to put up 211/9.

Cephas Zhuwao did give Zimbabwe a rapid start, but

after slamming two sixes and a four he sent a McCarthy slower delivery straight to Rankin at long-on to depart for an 18ball 20. Zimbabwe’s 50/3 then became 87/5 as two big wickets – Williams and Taylor – fell.

Williams (9) was just about starting to look settled when he pulled Murtagh (3/36) high to McCarthy at deep mid-wicket, and Taylor, Zimbabwe’s best batsman in the tournament, was beaten on the reverse sweep by McCarthy to be trapped lbw and walked back for a 41-ball 25.

Kyle Jarvis came and went, becoming Murtagh’s third victim, but Raza still had enough left in the tank to speed up, get to his half-century, help Zimbabwe bat out their quota of overs and get past 200, which included two sixes off McCarthy in the final over. He finished with four fours and three sixes to his name – a brilliant effort given the circumstances.

The next batch of ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier matches take place on today and features Papua New Guinea versus Hong Kong and Netherlands against Nepal in the 9th/10th playoff and 7th/8th play-off respectively.

SCOREBOARD Zimbabwe Innings (50 overs maximum) C Zhuwao c Rankin b McCarthy 20 S Mire st †O'Brien b McBrine 11 H Masakadza c †O'Brien b Rank in 18 B Taylor † lbw b McBrine 25 S Williams c McCarthy b Murta gh 9 C Ervine run out (†O'Brien) 20 S Raza not out 69 A Cremer (c) b O'Brien 4 T Chisoro c †O'Brien b Murta gh 21 K Jarvis c Stirling b Murtagh 1 B Muzarabani not out 1 Extras (lb 5, w 7) 12 Total (9 wickets; 50 Overs) 211 Fall of wickets: 1-21 (Zhuwao, 3.4 ov), 2-50 (Mire, 8.5 ov), 3-50 (Masakadza, 9.4 ov), 4-80 (Williams, 16.2 ov), 5-87 (Taylor, 20.2 ov), 6-112 (Ervine, 26.6 ov), 7-139 (Cremer, 33.1 ov), 8-181 (Chisoro, 44.5 ov), 9-184 (Jarvis, 46.1 ov) Bowling: Murtagh 10-2-363, McCarthy 10-0-59-1, Rankin 10-1-35-1, McBrine 10042-2, O'Brien 8-1-22-1, Stirling 2-0-12-0 Ireland Innings (target:

212 runs from 50 overs) W Porterfield (c) c Raza b Chisoro 7 P Stirling run out (Raza) 41 A Balbirnie c †Taylor b Jarvis 2 E Joyce st †Taylor b Chisoro 0 N O'Brien † c Muzarabani b Chisoro 8 K O'Brien c Masakadza b Williams 7 G Wilson lbw b Cremer 15 A McBrine not out 9 B McCarthy c Williams b Crem er 2 B Rankin b Sikandar Raza 1 T Murtagh c Mire b Cremer 4 Extras (lb 1, w 7) 8 Total (all out; 34.2 Overs) 104 Fall of wickets: 1-12 (Porterfield, 3.2 ov), 2-17 (Balbirnie, 6.6 ov), 3-18 (Joyce, 7.4 ov), 4-34 (N O'Brien, 11.3 ov), 5-54 (K O'Brien, 15.2 ov), 6-86 (Stirling, 26.6 ov), 7-89 (Wilson, 28.1 ov), 8-95 ( McCarthy, 30.5 ov), 9-97 (Rankin, 31.6 ov), 10-104 (Murtagh, 34.2 ov) Bowling : Jarvis 5-120-1, Chisoro 7-1-22-3, Muzarabani 4-0-15-0, Williams 6-1-17-1, Cremer 8.21-18-3, Raza 4-0-11-1

20

25

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

saturDAY, march 17, 2018

new Level Three coaches certified by CWI, ECB

– 3 Guyanese in the mix

C

ricket West Indies (CWI) has continued its efforts to strengthen coaching and ultimately improve the quality of regional squads and players in the region.

CWI and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have collaborated on another Level Three certification course resulting in a further 25 coaches in the region attaining the Level Three standard.

Director of Cricket, Jimmy Adams, says “The Level Three course is an important part of the current CWI Coaching pathway which starts from the Foundation course and incorporates Levels One and Two and now includes Level Three. We are keen on ensuring all our franchises have the benefit of coaches prepared at the elite level.”

The course is an eightday tutored course, which focuses on preparing coaches to work with elite players and teams.

Adams declared that “with the Level Three certification, coaches are better equipped to lead their national teams and the training and experience should provide the tools necessary

for more one on one coaching, while allowing them to better prepare elite players.”

Adams also noted that

tion of how partnerships can help CWI pool resources to increase investment in our great game.”

Ambrose, who was delighted at the opportunity to upgrade his technical knowledge, wants to “use this newly-acquired skill as soon as I am able to and I am looking forward to contributing more, soon.”

Jamaica Scorpions’ Assistant Coach, Andrew

Participants and the team of instructors

“producing world class players and winning teams is our number one objective within CWI’s new five-year strategic plan. There is a proven direct correlation between high level coaching standards and good players and ultimately, winning teams,” emphasised Adams. “And by collaborating with the ECB, this is a great demonstra-

This latest batch of participants includes former great West Indian fast bowler, Sir Curtly Ambrose and former Test players, Reon King, Pedro Collins, Stuart Williams, Ryan Hinds among a list of 25 newly certified Level Three coaches from across the region as well as the USA and Canada.

Richardson, was also successful in this module. “It was an opportunity I have always wanted. I am hoping this will benefit the players I work with at all levels to be able to produce the best players for West Indies cricket.”

Richardson currently coaches at the high school, regional and first-class levels.

He is the manager of the

Jamaica Tallawahs.

Canadian National Coach, Zubin Surkari, who was the assistant coach for his team at the recently-concluded Under-19 World Cup, said, “the course was very beneficial, and it will assist me greatly in working with players in a high-performance program and with senior players.”

Tim Dellor led a team of instructors from the ECB, while West Indians Tony Gray, Jeffrey Dujon, Hendy Springer and Gus Logie assisted in the delivery of specialist modules. The course was delivered in Antigua last November, while final assessments were done in Barbados and Grenada in mid-February.

Three Guyanese were part of the course- King, Bharat Mangru and Winston Smith.

The Level Three certified coaches are Vinood Maharaj, Terrance Corke, Brendon Ramjal, Robert Turner, Brian Browne, Zubin Surkari, Stuart Williams, Kulbir Jaswal, Raphael Croney, David Bernard, Keith Charlery, Andrew Richardson, Cleton Burnett, Curtly Ambrose, Calvin Waldron, Ryan Hinds, Clay Smith, Pedro Collins, Reon King, Ricky Clarke, Winston Smith, Dave Marshall, Bharat Mangru, Errol Barrow and Richard Clarke.

Since 2016, CWI, through partnership with the ECB, has now produced a total of 46 coaches with Level Three certification.

Cwi And The University Of West Indies (Uwi)

CWI also confirmed that in partnership with UWI, the course content for a new CWI Level Two coaching course is close to be finalised.

Jimmy Adams stated, “Our partnership with UWI is another top priority of our new strategic plan and will mean that by this summer all Foundation, Level I & II courses can be held in the region run by CWI coaches and approved by UWI.” Adams confirmed that once the Level Two course is established, CWI and UWI plan to develop course content for a Level Three that will mean that all coaching courses in the region can be held and certified within the Caribbean.

Adams also said, “We are very grateful to the continued support we have received from the ECB Coach Education department, but it is long overdue that we have the skills, ability and resources to administer Coach Education in the region independently, so that we can dramatically increase the number of qualified coaches working in our system.” (CWI)

Narine reported for Farah looking forward suspected bowling to clash with Bolt action in PSL

T

rinidad and Tobago’s Sunil Narine who plays for the Lahore Qalanders in the HBL Pakistan Super League T20 Competition has been reported for a suspected illegal bowling action.

The mystery spinner was reported after Wednesday night’s game against the Quetta Gladiators at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

Reports from Pakistan said the player has been placed on a warning list but will continue to play and bowl for the Qalanders.

As the PSL follows the ICC Regulations on Illegal bowling actions if a player is reported while on the warning list, the player shall be suspended from bowling for the remainder of the PSL tournament.

A player suspended from bowling may continue to be selected to play in matches, however, he will not be entitled to bowl.

The Match Officials Report on Narine’s bowling action will be sent to Cricket West Indies and he will have to go through the process that is followed by CWI for suspected illegal bowling actions.

Sunil Narine was suspended from bowling in international cricket in November 2015 after an independent assessment revealed that all variations of his deliveries exceeded the 15-degree limit during a Windies ODI match against Sri Lanka in Pallekele. (Sportsmax)

Mo Farah and Usain Bolt

E

Sunil Narine bowling for the Lahore Qalanders in the Pakistan Super League

ngland long-distance champion Mo Farah and Jamaica sprint king using Bolt will face off in a long-awaited clash of the Titans.

It won’t be what most have waited for, however, as it will take place on a football pitch and not a track. Bolt will line up for the Soccer Aid World XI while Farah will represent the England team when the team play a charity match at Old Trafford on June 10.

A match-up between the

king of the middle distances and king of sprints never quite materialized with both choosing to retire late last year. However, even though it’s not on the track Farah, the well-acknowledged Arsenal fan, looks forward to the face-off with Bolt, one of Manchester United’s most famous supporters.

“When I got the call from Robbie to play for the England side at the Soccer Aid for Unicef match, I immediately said yes,” Farah

told fastrunning.com.

“My instant ‘yes’ was even easier in the knowledge that I would finally be going head-to-head with my friend Usain Bolt.

People have long suggested we should compete against each other, so on Sunday 10th June at Old Trafford, you will see us trade our spikes for boots,” he added.

“Usain has the speed but I have the stamina so we’ll see who comes out on top at the end of 90 mins.” (Sportsmax)

sports

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21

Chase, Sir Leon’s poised to be a scorcher

T

he first major test to Chase Academic Foundation’s quest for a helmet-trick of titles in the sixth annual Milo Schools Football tournament will occur today as they oppose arch nemesis Sir Leon’s Lesson in the quarter-finals at the Ministry of Education, Carifesta Avenue.

Both teams have played unbeaten thus far and have looked the most imposing units. Sir Leon’s reached this stage with a whopping 7-0 victory over Uitvlugt Secondary led by Lennox young who scored a helmet-tick. The champs were test-

ed by Ann’s Grove Secondary but overcame 3-1.

The tale is certainly too close to call but it is hard not to have the formidable Chase start as favourites when action kicks-offs at 16:00h.

Earlier, Buxton Youth Developers will oppose Masters Academy who finished third last year and has a perfect outing to date.

On Sunday, former champions Lodge Secondary clash with Pure Masters then 2017 runners-up Morgan’s Learning Centre oppose Annandale Secondary. The Semi-

finals and final will be played on March 25 and 28 respectively.

Played under the theme “there is no excuse for violence” due to the tournament’s partnership with the Ministry of Public Health, the under-18 boys will be hoping to secure the first place prize of $500,000 which goes towards a school project.

Corona Futsal tournament…

National Race of Champions…

Choke Gas Station Bent Street hammer fuelling Starlet Cup Old Skool Ballers

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GMR&SC Executive Desiree Lee collects sponsorship for the Choke Starlet Cup

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he Guyana Motor Racing & Sports Club (GMR&SC) has secured sponsorship from Choke Gas station for the 2018 edition of the Starlet Cup at the National Race of Champions slated for March 25 at the South Dakota Circuit.

According to a release from the club, Choke, located on the East Coast of Demerara has opted to sponsor the circuit races for the starlet cup for the entire year.

Choke’s representative Christopher Singh contended that he is impressed by what he has seen out of the sport for the last couple of years, hence his decision to come on board.

Meanwhile the club stated, “We are elated to enter into a partnership with Choke Gas Station for the

2018 edition of the Starlet Cup.” “We see it as a major plus for the sport, showing us that there are sponsors out there who are willing to invest in the sport thus allowing it to thrive.”

“We want to thank Choke for joining us a partner for the 2018 season and look forward to them being a key partner moving forward.”

The club announced its First National race of Champions 2018 two weeks ago confirming competition in six groups.

Apart from the starlet cup, there will be action in the Street and Sport Tuner classes, Groups 2, 3 and 4 as well as bikes.

The event’s title sponsors are STAG beer, Mohamed’s Enterprise and Tropical shipping.

– Sparta battle Albouystown tonight Future Stars and Sophia had its action but the latter was no match for the winners

B

ent Street continued their sublime run by crushing Old Skool Ballers 6-2 to progress to the quarter-finals of the Corona Futsal Tournament.

Pernell Schultz with a hat-trick lit up the National Gymnasium on Thursday evening to power the title favourites into the next phase of the riveting tournament.

Schultz scored in the 3rd, 9th and 16th while Daniel Wilson (8th), Andrew Murray Jnr (17th) and Kelsey Benjamin (19th) also etched their names on the score sheet. For the opposing unit, Fabian Crawford (3rd) and Rashawn Ritch (14th) brought brief respite.

The shocker of the night was California Square edging the formidable Back Circle 4-3. In the tight contest, California’s goals came from David George (10th) , Meshack Barrat (4th) , Nedd Arazer (6th) and Wesly

Garraway (19th) while Adrian Aaron (8th) , Donavon Francis (9th) and Jermine Beckles (15th) made the opposing goals.

The other two matches of the night were more one-sided as Alpha Warriors sauntered to a 6-3 win and Future Stars easily disposed of Sophia 6-4.

More action continues this evening with Xtreme Campbeville playing Tiger Bay, Alexander Village and West Front Road while the other two fixtures pits Leopold Street and Showstoppers and Sparta Boss with Albouystown.

The winning purse for teams is the $600,000 and the championship trophy while two Hero motor cycles will be awarded to the Most Valuable Player (MVP) and the other to a lucky spectator at the finals on Easter Saturday (March 31).

22

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

saturDAY, march 17, 2018

Griffith hails GCB

for playing role in development

– impressed with growth of Jaguars

By Clifton Ross

R

ayon Griffith, the Guyana Jaguars /West Indies ‘A’ Team Coach hailed the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) for aiding in his stride from a club to international trainer.

Griffith, who returned from a successful series One-Day series win against the England Lions, served as Manager as well as Assistant Coach. The former Guyana pacer formed the Management Unit along with; Floyd Reifer (Head Coach), Roddy Estwick (Assistant Coach), Khevyn Williams (Physiotherapist), Gregory Seale (Strength & Conditioning Coach) and Dinesh Mahabir (Analyst).

During an exclusive interview with Guyana Times Sport on Friday, the 4-time Four-Day winning coach said that he was thankful for the support he had been receiving from the GCB and Cricket Guyana Inc. (CGI), the entity which the Guyana Jaguars Franchise governed by.

“I’m very thankful to the GCB and CGI for being there since 2012, they gave me an opportunity to do coaching and eventually management for the franchise.

I think that really helped me and helped me to develop and continue to develop and play that part by pushing forward and going on to the highest level”, said Griffith.

Coach of Guyana National Industrial Corporation (GNIC) club, the 39 year-old said that he was pleased with the exposure he has been receiving since his journey as Chairman of the Senior

7

The victorious West Indies “A” team

National Selectors back in 2013.

“That (GCB’s/CGI’s support) played a key part in my transition from being a club coach, then a coach for Guyana and then I went on to the West Indies team”.

He added that with his international exposure increasing he’s eyeing a future role with the Windies senior team; something he said will help him to help his players as well as other players around the Caribbean. “I’m pushing myself to achieve that (Windies senior team coaching role) I always like to be busy and do new things so it is one of the things I want to achieve”, Griffith said.

Speaking about the West Indies ‘A’ team’s success following their win over England Lions a few days ago; Griffith who has had numer-

ous stints with the ‘A’ team in the past, it was good to see the pieces falling into place and players stepping up against the competition.

“I’ve been a part of the West Indies A team before, so I know some of the player’s majority of them played in games before. It was a good experience for me because I get to understand the players more and I enjoy working around them as well as the entire coach/management staff”.

He continued, “Credit however must go to the players, the environment was set up well and their ethics were great they have good values and they were free and enjoyed their cricket when they went into the game. Winning both series was good for them, it’s not something we do often in West Indies

cricket and seeing them win shows that they we really up for it and they enjoyed every bit of it.

Thanks to their top performances in the 2017-18 Professional Cricket League (PCL) season, many Guyana Jaguars players were drafted into the Windies senior or A teams. As such newbies Romario Shepherd, Chandrapaul Hemraj and Keemo Paul who was further drafted into the 50 over team; joined Test all-rounder Raymon Reifer in the Lions series.

The Guyana Jags assistant coach emphasized that he was impressed by not only his Guyanese players but the cricketers from around the region. “It was good to see the guys from Guyana as well as the other countries given an opportunity. Paul, Keon Joseph,

Shepherd, Reifer, Vishaul Singh who played 4-day, it was wonderful to see them making strides and players getting opportunity”.

“I think the Regional One day series helped us too, especially without opening bowlers because for many years we have been opening with spin, so it shows that they have gotten the opportunity and showed progress. I think Paul was impressive throughout the one day tourney, he’s a player if you watch cricket he makes you want to watch and he has gained many fans over the year so it’s good to see him play for Guyana then the A team the West Indies senior team in the same year”, he professed.

The former West Indies B player said that apart from the strides and performances by the players who have been in the Windies A side he was more so impressed by the way they youngsters handled the pressures of international cricket.

“In terms of encouraging them, we normally just tell them it’s cricket and it’s just bat and ball.

It’s about thinking at that level, you must have skill but it all comes down to how smart you are in terms of thinking”.

Concluding his interview, Griffith lauded his A team players for putting their hands up against a strong Lions side. “I would like to highlight Jomel Warrican and Rakeem Cornwall who bowled exceptionally well. I also think the skipper Kieran Powell handled the team well.

Generations Games targeting athlete development

A

s part of their drive to create academically smarter athletes, the 7 Generation Games foundation on Friday officially embarked on making Guyana apart of the initiative.

The simple ceremony was held at Palm Court, Main Street where 7 Generations Games coordinator for Guyana , Co-founder and CEO Maria Burns-Ortiz, Jason Fraser, the foundations Trinidadian representative and Secretary of the Queen’s College Board of Governors; Robert Forrester, gave insight about the project.

Burns-Ortiz, sister of former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighter turned World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) superstar Ronda Rousey, who arrived from Los Angeles; said the foundation was geared towards perfecting the mathematical and grammatical aspects of kids.

She said the educational app

From left: Secretary of the Queen’s College Board of Governors, Robert Forrester; the foundation's Trinidadian representative Jason Fraser; CEO Maria Burns-Ortiz; and 7 Generations Games coordinator for Guyana Gavin Singh

which can be downloaded on any device, has been used to help students who suffer from issues with math. Burns added that the foundation has been making games more kid-friendly in order to help the users improve their skills.

Fraser said that the move to bring the idea to Guyana was due to the foundation’s goal to introduce the games which will help the local students. He said that the results will be overwhelming as hundreds of persons have made tremendous strides by use of the games.

The local coordinator Singh said that the idea was a brilliant one and he intends to push the initiative as it will be beneficial to such a sport/academically-oriented nation.

While the foundation plans to work along with the government of Guyana to further made the games accessible, it is expected that the first phase of the project will get underway soon. (Clifton Ross)

saturDAY, march 17, 2018

guyanatimesgy.com

Cheddi Jagan Centenary Cup T20

Big names to turn out for Guyana All-Stars T

he Guyana AllStars have named a strong squad who will challenge the Trinbago Titans, in the Cheddi Jagan Centenary Cup T20 match set for the Albion Sports Complex Ground under lights on March 31.

The All-Stars will feature players like; Leon Johnson, Chris Barnwell, Jonathan Foo, Anthony Bramble, Raymon Reifer and other notable local/international cricketers.

The Guyana T20 team last did battle in 2017 of October when they participated in the Antigua & Barbuda Cricket Association‘s invitational tourney; where they played well despite not emerging winners.

Last week the Titans released their team with Trinidadians Rayad Emrit and Lendl Simmons, middle wicket-keeper/batsman Nicholas Pooran, seasoned T20 pacer Kevon Cooper, spinner Imran Khan and others set to be apart.

The match which is organized by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP)

Steven Jacobs

is set to honor the late President of Republic of Guyana, Dr. Cheddi Jagan.

Gates at Albion will be open from 16:00hs with the first ball set to bowl off from 18:00hs. Admission to the Ground is $1500. (Clifton Ross) Guyana All-Stars: Leon Johnson, Assad Fudadin,

Sherfane Rutherford, Akshaya Persaud, Chris Barnwell, Raymon Reifer, Gajanand Singh, Anthony Bramble, Jonathan Foo, Romario Shepherd, Veerasammy Permaul, Ricardo Adams, Steven Jacobs, Devendra Bishoo, Gudakesh Motie and Keon Joseph

Allicock, Lewis fall at semi-finals of CAC qualifiers

K

eevin Allicock and Colin Lewis were stopped at the semi-finals of the Central American and Caribbean Games qualifiers (CAC) in Tijuana, Mexico on Thursday evening.

Both fighters were already assured of a spot at the Games which will be held in Colombia from July 19- August 3 after reaching the semi-finals with some powerful performances but were on the hunt to add even more accolades to their name.

For marque fighter Allicock, who is former Commonwealth Youth Silver medallist came against Cuba’s Robeisy Ramírez who is a product of the highly renowned Cuban School of Boxing and a twotime Olympic gold medallist.

Their bantamweight bout ended with the Cuban winning by unanimous decision.

For Lewis, his Junior Welterweight clash with Costa Rican Eduardo

Sanchez went down to the wire but the spilt decision went in favour of Sanchez.

Guyana Boxing Association President Steve Ninvalle commenting on the performances of the duo spoke in high praise.

Ninvalle felt Allicock certainly gave a good account of himself against a fighter who has won an Olympic gold medal. Regarding Lewis, he contended the result could have easily gone in favour of the Guyanese.

Next stop for the fighters will be the

Commonwealth Games from April 4-15 in Australia.

Keevin Allicock

Trinbago Titans Squad: Rayad Emrit, Lendl Simmons, Imran Khan, Steven Katwaroo, Roshon Primus, Deron Davis, John Russ-Jagessar , Amir Jangoo Nicholas Pooran, Kevon Cooper, Tion Webster and Vikash Mohan.

Gajanand Singh

23

saturDAY, march 17, 2018

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

guyanatimesgy.com

Milo Schools Football…

Chase, Sir Leon’s poised to be a scorcher

Pg 21

Chase Academic Foundation and Sir Leon’s Lessons should be clash-filled with non-stop action

Cheddi Jagan Centenary Cup T20 Johnathan Foo

Big names to turn out for Guyana All-Stars

Leon Johnson

Christopher Barnwell

Pg 23

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