Guyanatime 1 june 2018

Region 3 students P14 sensitised on harmful effects of substance abuse

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

Issue No. 3581

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Friday, June 1, 2018

Govt refuses to use fiscal space to lower fuel prices ...more concerned with increasing revenues – Jagdeo Page 3

Man feared dead after falling off Bartica Stelling

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Bar Council lauds ruling enforcing Judicial P7 Review Act

2000 murder suspect for court today P10

Page 2

First Lady warns Guyanese of scholarship scams P11

Route 44 minibus operators protest increase in fuel prices

Former GDF rank “fit” to stand trial for girlfriend’s P8 murder

Page 2

Eccles home invaded, occupants Fire destroys home of Page prominent Essequibo terrorised, robbed 16 Page rice farmer

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Bus operators call for suspension of heavy-duty vehicles during P9 rainy season

2 news

friDAY, june 1, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Route 44 minibus operators protest increase in fuel prices

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inibus operators who ply their trade at various routes between Georgetown and Mahaica, on the East Coast of Demerara, continue their protest as they demand that Government immediately address the issue of rising fuel prices.

As a result of the increase in fuel prices, a group of irate minibus operators on Thursday morning blocked the Vryheid’s

Several buses lined off at the Lusignan Tarmac, East Coast Demerara

Lust access junction along the East Coast railway embankment. There, several tires were burnt and an old cars set on fire to garner the attention needed with the hope of addressing the situation.

The minibus operators posited that they were adversely affected by the sudden hike in the price for gasoline and diesel at gas stations across the country.

They said too that they are already struggling to run profitable enterprises when one looks at the various expenses they face on a daily basis. “We need the gas to drop or the fare must raise; we got family to maintain,

bills got to pay,” Harichand Ramlall expressed.

Others said that over 100 minibuses are supporting the strike action while others are finding it difficult to physically support the action because of their dire financial situation.

Another operator broke down the expenses associated with plying his trade as he called those in authority to respect the hard working men and ordinary Guyanese.

“It takes $7000 per day to run a bus. Insurance is $240,000 a year. You got to pay $200 a day to load at the park to pay the City Council and every 4000 kilometers

you got to service. Back liner got to change, brake pads is another expense. When you done load your gas, there ain’t got nothing much left for you,” an operator indicated.

With the operators having no formal minibus association, Leroy Murphy took the charge and showed revised structures that they are proposing for members of the public to pay with increases of $20 and $40 depending on the area.

Questioned by this publication, several of the operators claimed that they would be willing to lower the fares once the gas prices return to the original fares.

“Once the gas goes back to the normal price, we are willing to drop back the fare to the normal price... we’re committing to that,” Wesley Jacobs who has been a minibus operator for over six years indicated.

Gas stations price for fuel have increased rapidly from $215 per litre last week to prices ranging from $230 to $250 per litre this week.

The Guyana Oil Company

Local fuel prices according to the Government media agency, DPI

was selling for $230 per litre while $247 is selling for Shell per litre for gasoline.

That situation continues today as the Government remains indifferent and mum on the matter. Nevertheless, the Department of Public Information (DPI) on Thursday issued claims of price structures which appeared to be cheaper than what reports suggested.

This comes after the

Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) urged Government to act swiftly on the matter.

On Wednesday, the trade union said this sudden hike in fuel prices will burden consumers. In a strongly worded statement to the media, the union said Government must stop “turning a blind eye to what is taking place” and proactively act in the interest of people.

The union noted that the reduction of the taxes on fuel will bring some reprieve to the “overburdened” class of working people. Having highlighted newly implemented taxes, increase in extant taxes and higher food costs, FITUG contended that no person would be spared as the increased costs of fuel will be passed on to the consumer in one way or another.

However, Business Minister Dominic Gaskin had disclosed that the matter was still to be addressed

by Cabinet. DPI has meanwhile noted that world prices have shot up in recent weeks, mainly due to the withdrawal of the Trumpled United States from the Iran nuclear deal.

Man feared dead after falling off Bartica Stelling

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embers of the Joint Services were up to late Thursday evening searching for the body of a male who is feared dead after he fell off the Bartica Stelling on Wednesday evening.

The missing man has been identified as Mikey Allen. He along with 14 others reportedly arrived on a jet boat at the Stelling from Apaika Landing, Mazaruni, Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) around 18:45h on Wednesday and was sitting on the stelling but as he attempted to get up, he fell overboard.

All attempts made to rescue him proved futile since the tide was too high and the current of the water was strong at the time. The man’s address and other details were not available up to press time.

3 Govt refuses to use fiscal space to lower fuel prices news

friDAY, june 1, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Friday, June 1 – 05:00h-06:30h and Saturday, June 2 – 05:30h-07:00h.

...more concerned with increasing revenues – Jagdeo

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Friday, June 1 – 05:45h-07:15h and Saturday, June 2 – 06:10h-07:40h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Light cloudy skies can be expected throughout the day, while drizzles and partly thundery showers can be expected in the evening. Temperatures are expected to range between 22 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-easterly between 2.23 metres and 6.70 metres.

High Tide: 05:48h and 18:15h reaching maximum heights of 2.62 metres and 2.47 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 11:49h reaching a minimum height of 0.60 metre.

wednesDAY, MAY 30, 2018

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FREE TICKET THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2018

DAILY MILLIONS 09 12 17 22

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

D

espite the Government’s reluctance to speak on or engage parties in helping to address the issue of high fuel prices, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo claimed that there is fiscal space to make the adjustment with the tax regime to allow a reduction of gas prices for local consumers.

Jagdeo told a news conference on Thursday that under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government, there was a system used in cases like these, where the taxes can be adjusted based on the movement up or down on the gas price, so that the benefits would be passed onto the people.

Given the mounting criticisms and the need for serious attention to be paid to the issue, the PPP/C General Secretary said, “The Government through public pressure must adjust the rate at the pump.

They have a lot of room.

They have the fiscal space as well as the tax play to make that adjustment.”

The former Guyanese Head of State recalled that when the prices for crude oil stood at about US$75 per barrel, lower that the US$120 high before the rapid tumble a few years ago to about US$28.

“We had argued that with the rapid tumble, the benefits should have been passed on to the Guyanese public, who would have seen lower prices at the pump and in their electricity bill. They never did that. And what happened was that they raked in billions in revenue; they collected over $25 billion at GPL alone.”

He told the media that now the crude prices have gone up back to about US$75 a barrel and not US$120 as yet, there is definitely room to make significant adjustments to the price of fuel at the pump.

But Jagdeo said he is convinced that the Government may not be too keen on implementing

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

that, especially based on the fact that they are more concerned about collecting more revenue. “Not to give people a chance because price for fuel has an impact on production as well as cost of living. They don’t see this as a responsibility but one to collect taxes.

They just want to collect more taxes,” he asserted.

Another point raised

by Jagdeo was the fact that under the PPP/C Government, the Guyana Oil Company (Guyoil) was used as a regulatory agency whereby the price at the State-owned entity set a precedence for other companies to follow. “Now they are keeping the price high at Guyoil, so the private companies are raking in large sums of money because they don’t have to make adjustments,” he claimed.

In recognising the protest actions being taken by minibus operators in relation to the increased fuel costs, Jagdeo said Government’s response to this issue just highlights how incompetent they are at resolving very simple issue, especially those that have a direct impact on people lives and the economy.

“What we are seeing with the manifestation of protests is because of the incompetence of

Government and their desire to rake in as much as they can… and then waste it, not to see how they will temper cost of living,” he said, explaining that minibus operators are also faced with a ban on used tyres.

He said “If they (minibus operators) don’t adjust their prices, then the transport cost may go up because since 2015 they minibus operators been saying to me that they have to buy new tyres and their costs have gone up and now have to pay taxes

on other stuff. So they are faced with another situation,” he added.

While persons have shared their displeasure with the increased prices, many public transport drivers have expressed that it will affect them if it continues to escalate.

Several minibus drivers have said the increase in fuel will ultimately lead to the increase in transportation costs.

There have been widespread protests some small and other large, at various parts of the country, particularly for minibus operators plying the East Coast or East Bank Demerara routes.

In September 2017, world market prices for fuel increased due to the hurricane, which resulted in Guyoil adjusting the prices in gasoline, diesel and kerosene to a higher cost. Again, in February of this year, Guyoil adjusted its prices upwards.

The average price of gasoline around the world is US$1.15 per liter.

A check at the pumps on Thursday revealed that Guyoil is selling fuel at $230 per liter while privately operated Shell was selling at $239 per liter and Rubis was selling at $235 per liter.

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guyanatimesgy.com

friDAY, june 1, 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

Teenage pregnancy

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he world has changed, and the social dynamics have degraded alarmingly, with the juvenile population paying a heavy price. Fallout of the low threshold of the moral levels of current day society includes the high statistics on incidents of teenage pregnancy.

Often, when a school-age girl falls prey to the raging libido of adolescence and becomes pregnant as a result, both expectant mother and child are shunned by peers, school authorities, society in general, and sometimes even their own families; and this consequently spells poverty and the direst future for mother and child. However, awareness of the plight of these misled young girls is gaining momentum, and constructs are being put in place to facilitate their empowerment, to enable a good life and a future of promise for mother and child, with education being the key component.

In November of 2010, the then PPP/C Administration initiated a programme whereby pregnant teenage girls were re-integrated into the school system. The Government’s project was supported by the United States Embassy, which donated a quantity of baby and hygiene kits to 20 teenage mothers who had been allowed and facilitated by the Ministry of Education to continue their academic studies. The assistance -- which included diapers, blankets, bonnets, socks, soaps and towels -- was in support of the Ministry of Education’s programme to afford school-age victims of teenage pregnancy an opportunity to continue their secondary education.

The students were placed at the schools they last attended. However, if they indicated discomfort, they were placed at another school of their choice.

Those above 16 who did not desire to continue academic studies were enrolled at the Adult Education Association, the Carnegie School of Home Economics, or the Sophia Training Centre.

Young expectant mothers came to the attention of the Schools’ Welfare Department following the officers of that department undertaking outreach visits to health clinics, schools and communities.

Girls were interviewed to assess their education levels as well as to ascertain what plans they had for their future as parents.

Parents of the young mothers were also interviewed in an effort to make the initiative a holistic rehabilitative effort, with educational sessions done with the teenage expectant mothers with the focus on empowering them to have a future that provided financial security for both mother and child.

These sessions covered several areas, including life skills, building self-esteem, literacy and numeracy, parenting and child care, skills training, stress and anger management, and basic Information Technology.

The objective of the programme was to identify the needs of the targeted individuals; collect, collate and disseminate information on their experiences; empower them to perform their roles as parents; and provide services to enhance and support their wellbeing.

These efforts were aimed at helping the young mothers to adjust to their new roles as parents.

Head teachers should encourage development of a sense of appreciation for teenage parents, as some are victims of broken homes and various other unfortunate circumstances.

The findings of research done locally on the subject reveal that teen mothers have an interest in continuing their education, but need various forms of intervention and support to succeed in this area. These include an education environment that respects and understands their situation.

It would be wise to introduce counselling sessions into the school system, to prevent such occurrences as teenage pregnancy, because the cost in dislocated lives of families and the young mothers themselves is too high.

A member of the public interacting with a staff member of the NEW GPC Inc on Thursday at the Health Expo that is being held at the National Exhibition Site, Sophia (Carl Croker photo)

Foreign experts support viewpoints expressed by patriots

Dear Editor, I wonder if Guyana would wake up and smell the coffee now that two prominent international experts on political risks have joined me and other patriots in warning that Guyana’s oil bonanza could cause corruption in high places to skyrocket and uproot democracy, independence, and all the principles and values we hold dear.

This week, news broke that Thiago de Aragao, Director of the Latin American Political Risk Analysis, is urging the Government of Guyana to strengthen systems governing the electoral process, taxation and regulation, because if they are not up to standard, Guyana’s democracy can end up being “choked by oil and gas money”.

Referring to petroleum investors’ intentions, Aragao warned: “The business plan is to burn it all”; and to do so, investors will seek to exert influence in every place they can. This echoed my warning early this year that we must guard against this very same thing.

In my letter to the media, published in February 2018, I wrote: “ExxonMobil…put their interests first. It is simply good business sense for them to use all their bargaining power to ensure that the interests of their shareholders and directors come first, and their opportunities for expansion and investment are protected”.

Aragao also warned: “There must be a clear set of rules for taxation in the oil and gas industry, as well as environmental regulation.

Otherwise, you are setting

yourself up for abuse, and for oil money to rule and lead the way”. I recall that I also warned about ‘hungry-belly’ officials being sucked into corruption by investors.

In a letter published in March 2018, I referred to the proposed Sovereign Wealth Fund to manage Guyana’s oil monies, and warned that it “will definitely fatten the eyes of every corrupt politician and official. Even those who are not yet corrupt will be exposed to enormous temptation…many would be unable to resist”.

I read in a separate news report that another expert, Executive Director of Agency for Security, Energy and the Environment (ASEA) of Mexico, Carlos De Regules, called for a strong, independent regulatory body to monitor the activities of investors, and guarantee environmental protection of Guyana.

He noted that such an environmental body cannot do its job effectively unless it is independent and free from any instance of political interference, and he also commented: “They should also be financially independent, so they can plan for the long term, and have the resources to do so”.

This calls to mind a warning in my letter in March about the Sovereign Wealth Fund: “We have to put powerful transparency and accountability mechanisms in place to protect the Sovereign Wealth Fund (to manage oil revenue) from being subject to wrongdoing and poor investments”.

Like De Regules, I recognise that political interference would stifle national

development. That is why I wrote to the media in March, urging citizens to join me in calling on Government to depoliticize all negotiations involving Guyana’s oil monies, and put negotiation in the hands of an independent, bipartisan body approved by the citizens.

I do not point out these similarities to push myself forward for praise and glory, because I seek praise from God, not Man. Instead, I want to show that Guyanese can sit down right here at home and make rational assessments of national development issues that are on par with the views of international experts.

Let me make it clear also that when I call for checks and balances to be put in place to restrain investors, it does not mean I am against foreign investment. As a committed patriot, I am all for investment and progress, but I realise that Guyana is outgunned by big companies in key areas, so we have to be cautious.

The fact is that developing countries like Guyana simply do not have the background or experience in international financial dealings to negotiate on a level platform with big multinational corporations.

In a nutshell: Guyana’s oil revenue must be put under the supervision and scrutiny of a multi-stakeholder board comprising of independent professionals drawn from civic society. It can include accomplished professionals, religious bodies, the Private Sector Commission, the Chamber of Commerce; and officials from CARICOM or else-

where, provided they are competent and free from political interference.

A board such as this would more effectively serve as a watchdog against corruption by those in power.

This board must be professionally managed according to transparent policies, and the roles and responsibilities of the board must be clearly defined and made public. There must be clear rules governing the acquisition and use of oil revenues, and the board must apply these scrupulously and fairly.

There must also be clear and harsh penalties for wrongdoing, and a suitable time frame for prosecution. I advocate life imprisonment or death for pilfering our oil money, although I know the bleeding hearts among us would disagree.

Finally, I have written before, and I write again, that such a board, or any group of persons who are the people’s caretakers of Guyana’s oil revenue, must be fully accountable to Parliament, auditors and the media; and the details of this accountability must be clearly defined and made public.

Guyana has a lot of foreign-minded people, so maybe more persons would heed these warnings because they come from foreign experts who have basically used elegant, technical terms to make exactly the same points that I and other local observers have been making for a long time now.

Sincerely, Roshan Khan Sr

guyanatimesgy.com

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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

Poor governance at Guyoil

Dear Mr. Editor, It’s alarming to see the negative attention Guyoil has been attracting during the past months. This company, one of the most profitable state-owned organizations, can’t seem to get its act together.

Quick recap: April 12th, 2018; Kaieteur News reported that “GuyOil lets go of its Marketing and Sales Manager”. This termination was somewhat surprising, since Mr. Eric Whaul was not issued any warning letter/s, nor was he spoken to in relation to his performance.

In fact he was often praised by the past Board for his performance, and was sent on several overseas outings to represent the company.

A point to note is that the new Board of Directors still consists of four (4) of the seven (7) members from the previous Board, including two (2) Directors who have been on GuyOil’s Board for over twenty-five (25) and fifteen (15) years respectively.

Moving forward to May 28th, 2018, Kaieteur News reported, “Guyoil’s Finance Manager resigns amid mult-millions wire transfer probe.”

It’s anyone’s guess that the Board of Directors played a part in Mrs. Uma JosephDaniels tendering her resignation. It’s not my place to pronounce on Mrs. Daniels’s innocence or guilt, but this is not the first instance when GuyOil was targeted by cyber hackers.

There was an unreported incident prior to this, when GuyOil paid monies into a hacker’s account. However, the company had managed to recover some of the monies, but the Finance Manager at the time was never reprimanded by previous management, or the Board. In fact, he was asked to stay on for an additional year after his retirement.

In addition to the departure of the Marketing and Sales Manager and the Finance Manager, GuyOil has seen the resignation of at least five (5) senior managers within the last year (August,

2017 – present), and has had about three (3) acting CEOs during the past two (2) years.

Further, the company has also seen one of its former directors ascending to the position of Corporate Services Manager, a position created only after a directive had been issued by the Board for a restructuring to be done.

It is important to state that this director was still a functioning member of the Board when she was interviewed by her colleagues from the said Board and was offered this position. Where is the transparency in that?

Additionally, the conditions set out in the job description for the post of Corporate Services Manager require that the incumbent must have “a post-graduate Degree in Management or Administration plus…….,” which this past director does not have. One needs to ask the question: Are positions being created for Board Directors at GuyOil, and were Eric Whaul and Uma Daniels sent home so as to make space for another director, or......?

I would also like to bring to the attention of the readers that GuyOil has only recently undergone a multi-million-dollar restructuring exercise, which saw S.V. Jones and Associates being offered a contract to restructure the entire company.

This restructuring came to an end after quite some time, and new job descriptions were created and approved by the Board. However, GuyOil continues to deviate from specific academic requirements outlined in these job descriptions.

Presently, there are at least five (5) officers who are acting in senior managerial positions, and none has either the relevant academic requirements or experience as outlined in these job descriptions.

Sad to say, but these officers don’t even have a two-(2)year diploma, which is alarming, since there are hundreds of students graduating from the nation’s primer tertiary institution (University of Guyana) who can’t find suitable jobs, or are made to do odd jobs which are in no way

connected to their academic backgrounds.

How, then, is Guyana going to develop its skilled human resources if the leaders continue to put square pegs in round holes?

Mr. Editor, I would like to state that the issues facing GuyOil extend far beyond what I’ve stated, and were birthed under the previous board, where certain directors were bent on meddling in the daily operations of the company. One director in particular would go around gossiping about managers with junior staff. She would also make it very clear that she is a politician, and she has connections with the “big ones”.

Mr. Editor, I am still dumfounded as to how this particular individual was selected to sit on a state board, and how she continues to be a member of that board when -- in my opinion and I’m sure in the opinion of others, including, but not limited to, her other colleagues -- she is not “fit and proper” to be a director. How then can GuyOil progress with this lack of strategic thinking from the board and the appointment of individuals such as this director?

It’s my firm belief that some rogue elements who have been on GuyOil’s Board for decades, along with this director, who knows “big ones,” are the real problem that’s facing the company. With that said, I would advise the Honourable Minister of Finance to quickly replace these detractors, who sit on GuyOil’s Board waiting to collect their next I-Pad. Yes I-Pads; GuyOil, has twice purchased I-Pads for directors over the past two (2) years.

Now, how many I-Pads does a director need to do his/her job?

I learnt recently that a new Chief Executive Officer has been hired, and from all indications, she is a highly qualified and smart individual. I do hope that the rogue elements on the Board don’t try to stifle her and pollute her with their outdated strategies and ways of thinking.

Regards, Ronley Kendall

Consider Iwokrama for THAG’s cover design someday

Dear Editor, I have, from the inception, followed The Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) via their informative magazine. This is over a decade now, and I have to keep giving them the thumbs up for the brilliant work in producing the best magazine as a marketing tool for Guyana's Tourism Sector.

As for their cover designs: over the years, they have never lost their sense of direction, and are second to none, unlike some others.

Having absolutely no affiliation with Iwokrama, I was never fortunate to make a visit there, but have only been viewing pictures and reading about it. I always felt that it would someday make the cover design of the THAG magazine. Perhaps some consideration could be given to this possibility, and hopefully one day it would become a reality.

I believe Iwokrama is a little way behind in becoming a household name as one of Guyana's major tourist destinations.

I do look forward for the continued relation-

ship I have with that office in supplying me on an annual basis with a small quota of magazines, which are shared with overseas counterparts and a couple of locals.

Yours faithfully T Pemberton

Let’s stop blowing our own trumpet. Let us call an election and win by a landslide Dear Editor, Please allow me to join in publicly congratulating the APNU/AFC coalition as it celebrates three years in service to the people of this country. The fact that this Government, in spite of its razor thin majority, was able to achieve (and deliver) so much in such a short time is due to the vision and political acumen of the charismatic leader of the coalition, His Excellency President David Granger.

His "Buses, Boots, Bicycles, Breakfast and Boats" (5Bs) Initiative has not only taken alliteration to a whole new level, but is unique, visionary, and certainty deserving of a Nobel prize.

There are the cynics among us who are asking, "Since when life revolves around the second letter in the alphabet only"? To those people of little faith, I say let's take it one letter at a time. Come 2019, it will be "clothes, colognes, cars, champagne and caviar".

President Granger is undoubtedly the greatest president our country has ever produced (may ever had), and I am bewildered as to why not a single university in this world has seen it fit (and proper) to bestow upon him an honorary degree as yet.

I am reminded that our former president was conferred with no less than three honorary degrees by universities from around the world. This man was named a "Champion of the Earth", featured on Hard Talk on the BBC television, and had a significant appointment at the World Bank. I tell myself that those universities, the folks at the BBC and the World Bank etc, were not only misguided, but myopic as well; and their reputations (by their association and deeds) leave much to be desired. Shame on them all…

I also wish to applaud this Government for being a caring Government. Construction of the edifice at D'Urban Park tops the list in this regard, as shelter is now being provided for the destitute and for citizens of unsound mind. I am at pains to explain to the critics of this caring Government that the primary motive behind the decision to close the sugar estates was not to put sugar workers out of jobs, but rather to ensure that the wives of sugar workers get adequate sleep. It is called breaking eggs to get omelettes. No longer do these overworked women have to get out of bed at 4 O’ clock to prepare breakfast and lunch for their husbands.

Increase in rest will see these rural folks living longer and healthier lives.

On behalf of these grateful folks, I say, ‘Thank you’.

Mr Editor, I also wish to recognise and applaud the sound economic policies implemented by this brilliant Government. The massive increase in the salaries of ministers has seen increased spending in the local economy, which has resulted in sustained economic growth.

The seawall roundabout will see a spike in tourist arrivals, as, no doubt, millions will flock to see and experience our ultra-modern capital city. The overhead walkways on the East Bank highway will also bring in much needed revenue, as pedestrians continue to transgress. The deal with ExxonMobil was great, for I see things differently from the critics. I am consoled by the fact that 2% of a loaf is much better than no loaf at all. Unless my math is poor, I know that if you negotiate for 2% from 50 foreign investors, you will get 100% for the nation. Am I correct??

I appreciate the fact that efforts have been made to tackle the high levels of unemployment which this Government had inherited from the previous administration. Though more can be done (and no doubt will be done), the fact that dozens of commissions of inquiry were set up (thus creating employment) tells me that this Government is seriously tackling unemployment, which is very commendable.

My graduate kids who were once unemployed are now meaningfully (and profitably) employed, and are taking advantage of the economic boom that presently prevails as a result of the inspired leadership of His Excellency President David Granger.

One is making and selling plantain chips. He is expecting to sell a million packets at a hundred dollars a packet by the end of the year. That should give him a gross of one hundred million dollars.

Another kid is making sugar cakes, which he sells for one hundred dollars, and is expecting to sell one million

sugar cakes by the end of the year also.

He, too, is expecting to gross one hundred million dollars by the end of the year.

The youngest kid is having a great life, (unlike the good life the rest of the nation is enjoying).

Having been sentenced to serve three years in jail for possession of 3 grams of marijuana, this kid operates an international bar in prison.

Ciroc, Hennessey and hard drugs are the goods he sells, and has already made over sixty million dollars in the first five months of the year.

In closing, I would like to make two recommendations to the Government: Over the past three years, the several commissions of inquiry have made the news more than the Prime Minister has, (I am assuming here that Mr Moses Nagamootoo, and not Mr Joseph Harmon, is the prime minister). As such, I wish to humbly suggest that President Granger scrap the Office of the Prime Minister and replace it with a Ministry of Inquiries.

Please don't misconstrue my intentions here, as I am not proposing denying Mr Nagamootoo any benefits he may be enjoying. The creation of a Ministry of Ribbon Cutting, with him being the subject minister, will still afford him that feeling of relevance.

Finally, it’s time we stop blowing our own trumpet.

Our achievements speak for themselves. Let us call a snap election and win by a landslide.

Respectfully yours, Reginald Sookram B

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friDAY, JUNE 1, 2018

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By Paul C Holinger, MD, MPH

A

friend asked me recently: “Why do parents still spank their children even though they know they shouldn’t?”

(Oh, and by the way, let’s remember that spanking is simply a euphemism for hitting.)

In the US, surveys consistently show that the rate of approval of physical punishment has decreased slowly, but steadily over the past several decades.

However, over 65 per cent of adults surveyed still approved of spanking, men more than women (Child Trends Data Bank, November, 2015). Most such studies are selfreports. But in one fascinating piece of research, investigators asked mothers to wear recorders for several hours every day.

The mothers then selfreported the number of times they hit their children.

The recorders showed that the mothers hit their children approximately twice as much as they reported.

Internationally, over 50 countries have banned physical punishment in all settings, including the home, and over 100 countries prohibit physical punishment in schools.

Violation of these laws tends to result in educative more than punitive consequences.

Thus far, the outcome of these policies seems positive, eg, Karen Osterman and her colleagues showed a decrease in child homicide subsequent

Foundation

to the ban (2014).

However, the US has no federal or state laws banning physical punishment in all settings, and, remarkably, 19 states still permit physical punishment in the schools.

No to spanking?

How about the second question: Do parents know they shouldn’t spank, ie, that spanking seems more

associated with damage than benefit?

The data show that damage wins out, but the message does not seem to be getting through. In 2014, Murray Straus and his colleagues summarised hundreds of studies, finding 15 major trends associated with physical punishment, including poorer parent-child relationships; more domestic violence; more crime perpetrated as child and adult; more drug abuse; higher probability of depression; more physically-forced sex; and physical abuse of one’s own children. These data strongly suggest that a variety of poor outcomes are associated with physical punishment.

There is much media publicity about domestic abuse, sexual abuse, bullying, and violence. Why is there not more publicity and awareness that many of these problems are associated with physical punishment? Maybe it takes time…after all, it took centuries for a germ theory of disease to take hold, l o n g after v a n

L e e u w e n h o e k discovered bacteria. And it took decades for the clear health dangers of smoking to change smoking behaviours.

Perhaps psychoanalysis can help us address this conundrum.

Why do some people hit their children?

The motives for physical punishment, conscious and unconscious, are many – control of behaviour and thoughts; to socialise and discipline children; helplessness, fatigue, stress, rage, to do what was done to oneself, and lack of alternatives. Distress, if excessive, leads to anger.

Other negative emotions such as fear and shame can lead to

distress and then anger. Mix in action and impulsivity and it’s easy to see why some parents end up hitting their children.

Bottom line, impulsiveness, action, and violence are not the messages one wants to send to one’s children… especially not as a way to solve problems.

We love our children but, at times, we also hate them. In his paper “Hate in the CounterTransference,” DW Winnicott, the famous paediatrician and psychoanalyst, noted 18 reasons a mother might hate her child. Some of these include: the baby is a danger to her body in pregnancy and at birth, the baby is an interference with her private life, and the baby is disappointed in the mother which makes mom feel bad about herself and then angry at the baby.

What are some better alternatives?

1. Words instead of actions.

Use words to label your child’s feelings and words to explain your own feelings. Increasing the child’s capacity to put words to feelings will result in increased tension-regulation, self-awareness, and thoughtful decision-making.

2. Set a good example. Act and talk as you would want your child to act and talk… your child strives to be like you. As psychoanalyst John Gedo noted in 2005, these identification and internalising processes are among the most important factors in the formation of character structure and psychological health.

3.

Use positive reinforcements. Rewards and praise will enhance the child’s self-esteem when appropriate standards are met. And if one

is disposed to set time-outs, try a parent time-out instead of putting a child in time-out, and put your feelings into words.

In conclusion, physical punishment does not work and only makes things worse.

It leads to more violence,

bullying, and domestic abuse.

Like many things, violence often starts early, and it often starts at home. There are better alternatives. To paraphrase Abraham Lincoln, If hitting a child is not wrong, then nothing is wrong.

(psychologytoday.com)

By Barbara Klein

P

opular thinking and cultural mores about being a twin or parenting twins are very idealistic. Twins on the whole often feel misunderstood when people ask, “How is your twin?” And when twins respond in an indifferent or negative tone, onlookers ask, “Why don’t you get along with your twin? I wish I had a twin.” It is not as if getting along with your twin is an abomination of nature.

The real answer to provocative questions about harmony between twins lies in how twins have been parented.

I have learnt from all the years I spent researching and consulting twins that parenting twins is extremely exhausting because of the emotional and physical demands from infancy onward. I have never spoken to a parent of twins who said to me, “This is easier than I imagined.” Instead they say, “My children change quickly from being calm and comforted to being totally miserable, screaming and hitting each other.” One father who consulted with me labelled his five-year-old twins Hug and Slug. These adorable children ran away from preschool and of course were hard to control when they wanted to not listen to the teacher and get their own way, which is often called “double trouble”. The father’s summary of his sons’ early twin interactions are common in this age range when double trouble can run rampant and authority figures are easily ignored.

The twin interaction, born in the womb and obviously nonverbal, creates closeness and neediness, side by side with frustration and anger at one another at having to face their world separately.

Comfort is found in physical proximity, where a sense of oneness is maintained.

Competition and confusion about which twin is in in need of food or attention is normal. Parents can feel left out by the intensity to their children’s attachment. Intervening between twins is challenging and an immediate issue to deal with through interactions and understanding. Suffice it to say if you are having an easy time developing a unique sense of each child you are not doing a substantially good enough job. Attentiveness requires enlightened interaction. Sharing a bottle or breast with your child is not enough.

Twins need nuanced interactions. There is no one size fits all formula for raising twins.

Separating twins and developing their individual capabilities is the primary psychological goal of parenthood. Dressing twins differently, putting them in separate classes at school, and giving them their own rooms is only a beginning. These mechanical objective strategies can be a structure to let your twins grow into themselves but so much more interpersonal uniqueness needs to be fostered through individual attentiveness. (Excerpt from psychologytoday.com)

7 Bar Council lauds ruling enforcing Judicial Review Act news

fridAY, june 1, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Former Attorney General Anil Nandlall

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he Bar Council of the Bar Association of Guyana welcomes the recent High Court ruling that compels Attorney General Basil Williams to implement the Judicial Review Act. The Council deems it a move which fills a lacuna in the new Civil Procedure Rule 2016.

Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George on Monday ordered the AG to enforce the Judicial Review Act (JRA)

by July 31, 2018 when she ruled on the legal action brought against the State by former Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Anil Nandlall.

According to the Bar Council on Thursday, the implementation of the Act remedies a lacuna in the new Civil Procedure Rules

of 2016, which contain procedures contemplating remedies under the Act. “In the absence of this Act, litigation in this vital area of the law has been stymied and fraught with a number of procedural hurdles, some of which were laid bare in the recent CCJ’s ruling in the case of The Medical Council of Guyana v Jose OcampoTrueba, CCJ Appeal No. 2018/001, where the Honourable Court declared that prerogative remedies were no longer available in Guyana,” a statement from the Council details.

The legal body further outlined that it had previously raised the matter of the implementation of the Act at a meeting with Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams, S.C., during a July 22, 2017 meeting, and then again by way of letter dated November 15, 2017 requesting the urgent implementation of the Judicial Review Act. “The implementation of the Judicial Review Act is of vital importance to good public administration in a democratic society, allowing citizens ample remedies against the State, and levelling the playing field. The Bar Council looks forward to the speedy implementation of the Act,” the statement

the JRA. 3. Whether the Honourable Court can compel the Minister to fulfil his duty.

In December 2017, Chief Justice George had granted an Order Rue Nisi of Mandamus, directing the AG to show cause why the said Order Nisi should not be made absolute.

After reviewing all the affidavits files by both sides, and legal arguments, Chief

Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George

Attorney General Basil Williams

noted.

The National Assembly had passed the Bill, and it was assent to by then President Bharrat Jagdeo in 2010. However, it was never operationalised.

Last year, Attorney Anil Nandlall moved to the court

to have the following issues addressed: 1. Whether the Minister had discretion to bring into force the Judicial Review Act after the promulgation of Civil Procedure Rules. 2. Whether the Minister had a duty to issue the order to bring into force

Justice George on Monday made the Order Rule Nisi absolute, and directed the Legal Affairs Minister to bring the Judicial Review Act into force.

The Court also ordered Williams to pay to the applicant $100,000 in costs.

AG Williams has since indicated that the State would be appealing the High Court decision.

8 news

friDAY, june 1, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Former GDF rank “fit” to stand trial for girlfriend’s murder

O

rwain Sandy, the former Guyana Defence Force captain who shot his girlfriend, Reona Payne to death and then blamed his action on mental illness, was deemed fit to stand trial for the heinous crime.

This was revealed when he reappeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Thursday.

Sandy’s Attorney, James Bond told the court that there were difficulties getting a private psychiatrist to examine his client and as such, they had to resort to local Psychiatrist, Dr Bhrio Harry to perform the evaluation.

Bond further related that he and his client are ready to proceed with the

Orwain Sandy

full disclosures for prosecution. On the other hand, Police Prosecutor Vishnu Hunt told the court that the Police are yet to collect three outstanding state-

ments in the matter but assured that they will be ready for commencement of the Preliminary Inquiry (PI).

However, Magistrate Judy Latchman further remanded Sandy to prison and the matter was adjourned until June 11 for statements.

In May, Sandy shot and killed Payne in broad daylight in First Street Alexander village; he then turned himself into the Police and handed over the service weapon he used to commit the act. Payne was shot multiple times about her body.

Sandy was subsequently charged but he was granted an application to be mentally evaluated after his attor-

ney told the court that the examination is critical to his client’s well-being, since he has been consulting with a psychiatrist for the past two years.

It was reported that Sandy and Payne were in a motorcar proceeding along First Street, Alexander Village when an argument ensued after he reportedly accused her of being unfaithful.

It was reported that he stopped the car, and as the woman exited, he shot her several times with his service revolver.

He left her lifeless body on the roadway and went to the Ruimveldt Police Station, where he surrendered, informing ranks what he had done moments earlier.

This publication was told that the argument ensued after Sandy had confronted Payne about having an affair with one of his colleagues.

East Ruimveldt man slapped with break and enter charge

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uy Edmonson, 22, of lot 97 Pineapple Street, East Ruimveldt, Georgetown, was on Thursday released on $80,000 bail by Magistrate Leron Daly after he appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Edmonson pleaded not guilty to a break and enter and larceny charge after it was read to him.

Facts presented to the court revealed that on May 22, 2018, while in the company of others, he broke and entered the home of Natasha Himchand after which he carted off US$2500, GY$500,000, four American Eagle boxers, one bottle of whiskey, one bottle of perfume and three cellphones.

The court also heard that on the day in question, the defendant was an occupant at the VC’s house. However, he was later seen by a neighbour leaving the yard the following morning with a black plastic bag, suspected to contain the stolen items.

According to Himchand, she subsequently made a report and Edmondson was arrested and charged. Police Prosecutor Sanj Singh had no objections to bail being granted.

The matter was adjourned until June 14.

Rearguard action…

A

…on Amerindian land nother day, another spiteful PNC action against the Guyanese people exposed; this time, against the Indigenous Peoples, when, for all intents and purposes, the Amerindian Land Titling (ALT) programme has been dumped. But who’s surprised, apart from the Amerindian quislings in the Government? And if the truth be told, they can’t really be surprised, since they’ve been getting their instructions since 2015 to keep their mouths shut. It’s like the PNC hit “ALT-Delete” button on the quislings’ computers, so they can’t question anything.

The moment the PNC launched their Commission on Ancestral Lands and included Amerindian lands in the CoIs’ remit, they tipped their hand. The strident protests by some from their ranks -- that Amerindians were getting too much land -- just confirmed their covetous plan to hold off on any more land titling. After all, what was there to “Inquire” into?

Amerindians’ claims to their lands are part and parcel of the Articles of our Independence Agreement with the British. Stephen Campbell had gone up to London and negotiated on behalf of his people for their fair share of land. He could’ve easily claimed all of Guyana, since Britain and other civilised jurisdictions have abandoned the doctrine of “terra nullis” – that is: to claim by international law (which they made up as they went along!) that even though the Amerindians were living here in clear sight, the land was deemed “unoccupied”!!

So Campbell got ‘Annex C’ inserted into the Independence Agreement, which mandated that Amerindians have to be given title to all lands occupied by them since “time immemorial”. Which is not such an onerous test as it sounds – they had to simply show they’d been living on the land or using it for a specified period.

But this clause had always irked the PNC types, who insisted ALL Guyana was theirs – to have and to hold (or destroy) as they saw fit! But after Amerindians kicked up a storm at the CoI – and the international community and Opposition supported them on the issue – the PNC backed OFF. But the PNC didn’t back DOWN. Your Eyewitness has always been reminding you, dear reader, that the PNC always follows the Burnhamite doctrine: that “there are many ways to kill a cat”. Or, in this case, to deny Amerindians land rights.

And this amazing declaration that -- even though the money’s available to complete the ALT – not even a SINGLE new claimant village has been given its title since 2015 shows that foot-dragging is their latest gambit!!

The PNC fired the entire ALT team the moment they got into office. And like Humpty Dumpty, it will NEVER be put together again!! …molasses industrial action?

Well, after centuries of underdevelopment by those dastardly Britishers, Guyana’s finally entered the Industrial Age. Naah…Your Eyewitness isn’t talking about the oil strike; that’s just pumping oil from a hole in the ground.

And in any case, Guyana has absolutely NOTHING to do with the aforesaid pumping!! We’re talking about the crack crime sleuths of SOCU springing into action to find out who’s been leaking figures on the production of MOLASSES at Enmore!!

Now, dear reader, you might protest that since the colony was founded, we’ve been making molasses to produce sugar. And that any idiot can figure out the amount of molasses being produced from the amount of cane shipped to the factory!! But THAT’S not the point, is it? The PNC Government spitefully shut down Enmore factory just to stick it to the sugar workers, who’ve always been fervent supporters of the PPP. “High costs”.

To satisfy their contract for molasses to DDL, they HAD to crank up Enmore; but they don’t want to let out that costs are now DOUBLE what prevailed before!!

Dunderheads!! …on AFC drunk Now, if a connoisseur and habitual imbiber of bush rum like Whim’s own Moses Nagamootoo had to cut loose the loose cannon at Bath as his “special assistant”, why’d the PNC keep him?

His hagiographic PNC letter writing, of course. Jail him!!

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

News

9

friDAY, june 1, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Linden-Lethem trail

Bus operators call for suspension of heavy-duty vehicles during rainy season

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The inclement weather has made sections of the Lethem trail almost impassable for vehicles

he condition of the Linden-Lethem trail has worsened over the past weeks as a result of the consistent rainfall and as such, bus and other small vehicle operators are calling on the relevant authorities to suspend heavy-duty vehicles from traversing the trail until the rainy season is over.

Guyana Times understands that since the MayJune rainy season began, the already deplorable LindenLethem trail is becoming almost impassable, posing risks to commuters. In fact, it was pointed out that almost daily, vehicles are overturning along the trail, with the most recent incident being on Wednesday.

One bus operator, Terry Ramjohn, told Guyana Times that he barely managed to make it up to Lethem on Wednesday. According to him, over the past two weeks, the condition of sections of the trail has worsened.

“It is drivable but there are certain areas especially in the Iwokrama Road, where there is a truck there pulling you up the hill because you cannot drive up as normal so you have to be towed up the hill,” he noted.

Ramjohn further highlighted that there are two damaged bridges between Mabura and the Kurupukari

A truck overturned along the Lethem trail on Wednesday

This passenger bus got stuck while climbing one of the hills along the Lethem trail

Crossing and if the rain continues at this pace, the road will be eventually be closed off.

“I barely passed to come in (Lethem). It’s dangerous for motorists and what they are doing there is putting their lives at stake because if they fall into that creek there, they gonna die. One truck driver was hurt last week and those bridges haven’t been looked at. There is also a ‘wash-away’ in the

Iwokrama Road and eventually in a matter of days, if the rain continues, you wont be able to pass,” the bus operator stated.

To this end, Ramjohn is calling on the relevant authorities to suspend all lorries, including lumber trucks, overloaded trucks carrying goods into Lethem and other heavy-duty vehicles from using the trail until the rainy season is over since they contribute to the

destruction of the roadway, thus making it almost impassable for smaller vehicles to traverse.

“We are suggesting as small operators for the suspension of especially the log trucks or the trucks moving timber the interior, to suspend them until the rainy season stops. Because they are the ones that are destroying the bridges with the weights they are carrying. The bridges were not designed for those weights.

Otherwise the whole road is gonna be locked off when the bridges are destroyed and then nothing would be able to pass,” Ramjohn pointed out.

The bus operator further explained that since the trail has gotten worse, maintenance cost for vehicles have gone up. “All has gone double or triple, for

the buses especially – the smaller vehicles which aren’t designed to go off-road – that usually bring in passengers. The driving time too now has doubled, it now takes about 24 hours to get to Lethem from Georgetown when it usually takes about 11 to 12 hours,” he stated.

Only last week, commuters had complained bitterly about the condition of the roads, calling on Government to intervene and repair the sections that are almost impassable. This stemmed from a truck toppling into a nearby creek on Saturday. The driver, Vicky Indardeo, was attempting to manoeuvre lorry GWW 5832, carrying a load of sawn lumber, when it went overboard while crossing Christmas Bridge. Luckily, Indardeo only sustained injuries in the mishap.

At last week’s post-Cabinet press briefing, Minister of State Joseph Harmon had assured that works to upgrade the Linden-Lethem road are ongoing.

He said, “The road itself, that is, the Linden Highway, is a work in progress. I can say that because some work has already started in Lethem. You would recognise that some of the culvert’s work has already started.”

Back in February 2017, the Public Infrastructure Ministry had said it was gearing to commence construction of the first phase of the Linden-Lethem Road project, which will be funded through the United Kingdom Government under its UK Caribbean Infrastructure Partnership Fund (UKCIF) programme.

In September 2015, former UK Prime Minister David Cameron announced a £300 million investment in vital new infrastructure, such as roads, bridges and ports, to help drive economic growth and development across the Caribbean region.

Guyana was named among nine Caribbean states to benefit from the grant.

The first phase of the project spans from Linden to Mabura, and covers approximately 122.5 kilometres of road and the construction of the bridge across the Essequibo River at Kurupukari.

Meanwhile, the remaining 331.5km of the laterite road will fall under other phases and will be undertaken through funding from other sources. Guyana is collaborating with the Brazil Government to complete this section of the trail and considering taking financial assistance from the Chinese.

Government is also considering funding from the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB).

10 news

friDAY, june 1, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Fire destroys home of prominent 2000 murder suspect for court today Essequibo rice farmer

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everal persons on the Essequibo Coast are now displaced after their home went up in flames on Thursday morning. The house, located at Lot 2 Windsor Castle, Essequibo Coast, is owned by 73-year-old Harry Nanan Parmanan.

Based on information received, the fire started at about 09:00h, two hours after the owner left with his son to seek medical treatment at the Suddie

The aftermath of the fire

Regional Hospital.

Information received stated that the man’s teenaged grandson returned home and as he entered his bedroom, he observed it was on fire. He immediately raised an alarm for his mother and siblings to run to safety. They were reportedly in the lower flat of the building.

Neighbours formed a bucket brigade and attempted to put out the blaze but due to the in-

D

A fire tender at the scene of the fire on Thursday

tense heat, their efforts proved futile. They however managed to remove a combine, other agricultural machinery and fertilisers that were stored in a shed in front of the burning building.

After sometime, the fire tenders arrived at the scene but by this time, the entire upper flat of the building was destroyed. Nadira Parmanand explained that the fire started in the bedroom where the main pow-

er circuit is located; and as such, believed that the fire was electrical in nature.

Meanwhile, Regional Chairman Davanand Ramdatt, Mayor of the Anna Regina Town Rabindranauth Mohan and Boodram of the Rice Producers Association subsequently visited the grieving family and offered their support.

The cause of the fire is being investigated by fire officials.

eonarine Bhikhari, who was arrested 18 years after he allegedly murdered Daniel Singh of Enmore, East Coast Demerara (ECD), is expected to be arraigned today at the Vigilance Magistrate’s Court.

Bhikhari was arrested on Sunday last at Logwood, Enmore, ECD, by ranks of C Division (East Coast Demerara) for the heinous crime he allegedly committed in 2000. The Police ranks were reportedly acting on information received by people in the community about his whereabouts.

Forty-nine-year-old Daniel Singh, a single father, was living at Hope West, Enmore, ECD with his four children when the incident took place on May 21, 2000.

Guyana Times understands that Singh and Bhikhari usually had confrontations, since the suspect and Singh’s daughter, Nalini, had reportedly liked each other but Singh did not approve of this. At the time, the suspect was in his 30s while the young woman was in her late teens. It is, however, unclear what might have triggered Bhikhari’s actions on the day in question.

It was reported that Singh was on his front step when he was allegedly attacked by the cutlass wielding suspect, who also killed three of the family’s dogs, injured another, as well as Nalini during the brutal attack.

One of Singh’s then young sons had recalled being awakened by his sister’s screams, and upon looking through the window, he saw the attacker firing chops at his father. At the time, the daughter was shouting at the suspect, asking him what he was doing to her father.

The man reportedly then turned his attention to her, also inflicting chops to both of her hands. She managed to escape, seeking refuge in a neighbour’s yard.

Meanwhile, two of Singh’s young sons were standing in shock watching helplessly as their unconscious father lay bleeding on the ground.

Upon noticing that the attacker was charging towards them, the two young boys ran into the bedroom and locked the door.

After realising that he

Murder suspect Deonarine Bhikhari

was unable to get the door open, the man reportedly left the yard by scaling the back fence and making good his escape, going into hiding for over a decade.

Singh’s badly injured body was picked up by neighbours who were awakened by screams and rushed to the hospital where he was admitted and subsequently died a few days later without regaining consciousness.

One of Singh’s now adult sons, Deochand, told Guyana Times that he had been trailing the suspect for several months and had even put out a reward for information that can lead to his apprehension.

Deochand, a Councillor at the Hope Neighbourhood Democratic Council, claimed that his father’s killer was never apprehended since he had connections with key members of the then Government, who allegedly had facilitated his escape to neighbouring Venezuela.

However, he related that the man returned to Guyana a few years ago because of the crisis in that neighbouring country.

According to Deochand, after he had seen Bhikhari at a funeral a few months ago, he began to collect information and found out that he was staying at his sister’s house at Logwood.

Deochand then contacted his attorney, and they accompanied Police ranks from the Enmore station to make the arrest.

Earlier in the week, it was reported that the Police were experiencing difficulties locating the necessary records that were taken at the time when the incident occurred.

S RAIGHT Sentencing reforms and how the PNC sold out the youth!

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ur criminal justice system can be considered working only when all Guyanese are treated equally under the law. That is why I support a Bill (No. 17 of 2015) piloted by Member of Parliament Michael Carrington, marking the culmination of persistent efforts from many in the wider society to decriminalise the possession of small amounts of “ganja”.

I am totally against decriminalising the possession of any amount of cocaine or any other chemically enhanced drugs, but “ganja” is a ‘natural’ plant, and is being used by many around the world as a herbal painkiller. There is enough scientific evidence to prove that tobacco does more damage to the human body than “ganja”, yet tobacco is legal.

When President David Granger launched his political manifesto in May 2015, he said, “Our young people demand jobs, not jails…” He sold the idea hard then that he was for the young people; but three years after, we are finding all his speeches were acts of demagoguery and deception, and today one in five of the people behind bars are there because of a “ganja” cigarette.

What we are witnessing today is a total abandonment of that promised commitment to the youths, and instead, under this Granger regime, jail seems to be the order of the day for many, especially for young black boys.

In November 2017, a 25-year-old construction worker, Mr. Joseph, was just one of the many who were jailed for three years for being in possession of a “ganja” cigarette. He was followed in the same month by Mr. Bovell from Sophia, who was using the leaves to make tea for his sick nephew; again, three years. And over the years, they were many Guyanese who were condemned to a life in jail because of being in possession of a few leaves of a natural plant. Today, there are some 444 prisoners in jail because of a “ganja” cigarette.

But the most painful of all these stories was when Vibert “Durdy” Butts was sentenced to three years in jail for smoking “ganja” cigarette. Mr. Butts, a senior citizen, was a national football star who scored Guyana’s first World Cup goal en route to a 2-0 victory against Suriname at GCC, Bourda. In our record book, Mr. Butts is a national treasure, but today he languishes in jail, wasting his life away after being sentenced under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act (see the picture of that winning goal below).

From the above, the law regarding the use of “ganja” is outdated and out of touch with reality. Why would a government want to waste, over three years, G$2.7 million to house, clothe and feed a prisoner for being in possession of a “ganja” cigarette, when that “ganja” cigarette costs only approximately G$500?

Can’t they see how disproportionately the cost benefit analysis is?

Today Mr. Butts is exposed to the worst of the society in a confined space, which can result in him being sexually and mentally abused.

Why can’t Guyana make possession of marijuana into a business, where persons in possession of the product are fined?

Isn’t this what the Grenadian system did in the case of Derrick Patterson, the brother of the Minister of Public Infrastructure?

Mr. Patterson pleaded guilty to being in possession of controlled narcotics, and his product was confiscated, he was deported, and he was fined US$27,750, which served as real income to that country’s economy. The Grenadians get it!

In Guyana, on the other hand, what we are observing is zero commitment from the political rulers to deal with this matter.

Credit has to go to former President Bharrat Jagdeo, who has advised the nation that the PPP “will support the decriminalisation of the act of being in possession of small amounts of ganja “for personal recreational use”. The AFC also has finally woken up after two years of ignoring the work of Mr. Carrington.

So why has the leadership of the AFC, the so-called Gang of 6, buried the work of Mr. Carrington for more than 2 years in bureaucratic bushwhack? That question brings us to the statement from the de-facto CEO of Guyana, Mr. Joseph Harmon.

Mr. Harmon clarified that for his Government, “decriminalizing the use of this substance is not on its immediate radar”.

This position from Mr. Harmon and his PNC colleagues in the coalition is unfortunate. This Bill (No.17 of 2015) that was put forward in the name of Mr. Carrington was designed to soften penalties for possession of marijuana for personal use. It is clear that the PNC has reneged on its promise to the youths, and has sold themshare out. They not be forgiven on this one; that I know.

Please yourwill thoughts at sasesin1@yahoo.com.

11 First Lady warns Guyanese of scholarship scams I news

friDAY, june 1, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

n light of increased reports that Guyanese have been receiving telephone calls and text messages with requests for payment in exchange for scholarships, First Lady Sandra Granger wishes to reiterate that her Office does not offer scholarships and would not request cash from private citizens.

Addressing the issue during an interview on Thursday, the First Lady urged citizens to remain vigilant for anyone using her office or her name to approach people with the proposition of down payments for scholarships.

“Several statements were issued by my Office and Ministry of the Presidency, on social media and in the local media advising people that my Office has absolutely no access to scholarships.

All scholarships offered by the Government are offered through the Department of Public Service… If you are

First Lady Sandra Granger

informed that you are to get a scholarship, check it out, call and find out…,” the First Lady said.

She further lamented the fact that individuals were taking advantage of citizens’ vulnerabilities.

“These crooks are taking advantage of the naivety and the sensitivities of the people they are approaching… It is really a scam of the worst order, because people are taking advantage

of other people’s vulnerabilities… These people are going from one extreme to the

next to make easy money out of vulnerable people.”

In April, a fraudster, Muhammad Ali, was arrested and placed before the court for impersonating the First Lady and tricking citizens into transferring money to him.

The trickster managed to obtain 12 pennyweights of gold, worth $139,000 and $30,000 in GTT and Digicel phone cards, while pretending that he was in the position to grant scholarships to a young woman. Ali has since been prosecuted and jailed.

12 news 1 arrested as patients, staff clash at Skeldon Hospital O friDAY, june 1, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

ne person was arrested on Thursday after Police were called in following a dispute at the Skeldon Hospital over the slow pace at which medications were being issued by staff at the medical facility.

According to reports received, patients became agitated when the already slow process was further delayed by medical personnel showing favouritism to their friends in the line.

Patients allege that the process to get registered and have their prescriptions filled was taking several hours. As such, they were venting their frustration and disgust at the system when the Police were called in, resulting in one man being arrested and taken to the Springlands Police Station.

A patient related that he had arrived at the hospital at 6:00h, and by noon (12:00h) he was not

Sursattie Mangra

registered. He left without getting his prescription filled.

Sursattie Mangra of Number 64 Village Corentyne said she arrived at the hospital at about 9:00h accompanying her sister,

but upon her arrival, she noticed that the line was unusually long.

“It didn’t take us like fifteen minutes to see the doctor, and when we came back out the line was very long. What we noticed is that people from the side were getting their papers registered and not those in the line, and the line (kept) getting longer; so I called on the lady inside and asked her what is happening, so she said that they have clinic patients and out-patient”, Mangra related.

Adding to the already frustrating episode, Mangra said, the patients were also being verbally abused by staff members.

“You cannot come to a public hospital and be treated like dogs.

That is what all of the patents keep saying all the time -- that (staff members) have to know how to speak to people. Most of the patients went away without

their prescription, because it is not registered,” the woman related.

After patients started to voice their concerns and express their frustration, the window that they were being attended through was locked, and as such, many persons went away without having their prescriptions filled.

Meanwhile, over at the Springlands Police Station, Mangra was questioned and then released after the Director of Health Services, Jevaughn Stephens, was contacted.

Stephens told this publication that the regular staff members were not on duty on Thursday, and based on a briefing, he the staff that worked might not have been aware of the procedure.

However, he said he would be meeting with his staff to discuss the issue.

A patient venting his disgust at the situation on Thursday morning

Kitty roundabout finally opens to commuters – final works being done

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espite the fact that the $78.9 million project is partially incomplete, it was opened to vehicular traffic on May 26, as was promised by the engineers.

Commuters are allowed to use the newly erected structure, coming from Carifesta Avenue, Georgetown and the Seawall Road, as well as Vlissengen Road. However, it remains blocked to vehicular traffic traversing from the East Coast of Demerara.

The site when visited by Guyana Times on Thursday was blocked with barricades to prevent commuters from using the facility at certain points. Several road signs were installed to help

The operational Kitty roundabout

road users.

It was later explained by an engineer attached to the Public Infrastructure

Ministry that the roads were blocked to facilitate the final works on the project, which include markings

Kamal Ramkarran re-elected President of Bar Association

Kamal Ramkarran – President

Robin Stoby, SC

Teni Housty – Vice President

Pauline Chase – Secretary

Keoma Griffith – Assistant Secretary

Devindra Kissoon – Treasurer

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amal Ramkarran was unanimously re-elected unopposed as President of the Bar Association when the body held its Annual General Meeting on Thursday at the Victoria Law Courts, Georgetown.

Robin Stoby, S.C. and Teni Housty were also unanimously re-elected unopposed to their posi-tions of Vice-President.

Similarly, Pauline Chase was re-elected as Secretary and Devindra Kis-soon as Treasurer. Keoma Griffith was

elected as the new Assistant Secretary of the Association, while Jamela Ali, Timothy Jonas, Sanjeev Datadin, Arudranauth Gossai, Sonia Parag and Alanna Lall were elected to the remaining six seats on the Council.

to guide persons while using the largest round-about in the country.

Just days ago, several

roads were blocked to accommodate the construction of the major project. The roads included Carifesta Avenue heading East; Kitty Public Road heading West to Carifesta Avenue, and JB Singh Road heading North to Rupert Craig Highway.

The blocked roadway had caused some confusion and anger for motorists who questioned the works of the project, deeming it as unnecessary. Nevertheless as the project winds down to its completion, it has been a major time saver for many.

Earlier this year, the contract for the project was awarded to S Jagmohan Hardware Supplies and Construction Services.

The decision to construct

a roundabout at this busy junction was made after a sinkhole had formed nearby.

The roundabout is expected to reduce waiting and stoppage time for motorists heading to the East Coast of Demerara and those using Carifesta Avenue, Vlissengen Road, and the Kitty Public Road.

When fully operational, the flow of traffic in the area is expected to significantly improve since vehicles heading to the East Coast of Demerara and those using Carifesta Avenue, Vlissengen Road, and the Kitty Public Road will no longer have to stop and wait on the traffic lights.

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Mae’s Schools cultural wear fiasco

Mother feels disrespected by issued statement – says son will remain in school until end of term

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he mother of a nineyear-old pupil of Mae’s Schools, who was reportedly told he was dressed inappropriately on the eve of Guyana’s 52nd Independence Anniversary, feels disrespected by the school’s response on the issue which painted the picture that her son is a liar.

At the protest line on Thursday, she related “I am very dissatisfied with the response from the school. It makes me out to be a liar and I am very disappointed because exactly what happened to my son is what I said and for them to come out and say that; I am very disappointed… it really took a toll on me because I didn’t expect, I mean yes I know that they probably would not want to face the truth but like somehow I thought about my son in all of this and I’m thinking how could

The child’s mother speaking out for the rights of Indigenous people

child requested to write his end of term examinations, despite the grave act of humiliation and disrespect the school demonstrated not only against him, but to all people of his ethnicity.

She related that she

outfit was deemed “inappropriate” by teachers at the school when the activity was held on May 25, 2018.

Protest action was speedily taken by the National Toshaos Council (NTC), Amerindian Peoples’

had no option but to send him, since he was trained to stand up for what he believes in and by not sending him to school, it will look as if he did something wrong by displaying his cultural wear.

Mae’s Schools came under attack by activists following the parent’s claim that her child’s Culture Day

Association (APA) and Red Thread to criticise the actions taken by the administration of the private institution as they implored management to issue an apology.

The concerned organisations and a number of persons took part in a picket exercise on Thursday outside

the school, which was a follow-up of the activity which began on Tuesday, to secure an apology, not only to the child who was disrespected, but to other Amerindians for dishonouring their culture.

Natasha Smith, a supporter of the exercise held on Thursday noted, “I think that Mae’s is very disrespectful to Indigenous people. They refuse to apologise to (the child) and the entire race of Indigenous peoples in Guyana and I think that the statement that was released was concocted over a few days and we do not accept it. It does not contain an apology. We will continue our protest until they realise that they discriminated against us and they apologise for that”.

Smith asserted that the school needs to change their policies as it relates to culture and attire and be more

might be small in numbers, he believes that they ought to be treated with the same amount of respect and dignity.

NTC Chairman Joel Fredericks during the picketing exercise on Tuesday said Indigenous people respect other races and expressed total disgust for the entire episode. In the same vein, he questioned if Government was truly serious about advancing social cohesion.

“The NTC condemns such an act. With something like this happening here, I am not seeing what the Government is saying about social cohesion. Is this social cohesion for a big school like Mae’s to do something like this? From since then to now, no one is coming out and saying let us come out and make a public apology to the family,” Fredericks

respectful.

Meanwhile, Michael McGarrel of the APA believes that the statement issued by the school was a waste of time and argued that the administration should have plainly offered an apology for their actions.

He said though they

expressed.

On the other hand, the school which found itself in some hot water sought to quiet the group by issuing a statement which did no good. The statement, among other things noted that “All children were told that plain T-shirts and tights/

A section of the protesters

you?”

The woman while explaining the situation was almost brought to tears. In response to a question posed

by Guyana Times, Small said she will not be sending her child back to the school in the new academic year.

According to her, the

The little boy dressed in his cultural wear which spurred the confusion

shorts should be worn under clothes that would otherwise expose them” and that “The students of the class of the child who has unfortunately become the subject of this story were to dress as Portuguese”.

The child’s mother however, contended that the children were told to wear an outfit of their choice to depict any of the diverse cultures and even had proof of this.

Meanwhile, Indigenous People’s Affairs Minister Sydney Allicock has expressed surprise at the incident, telling media operatives at the sidelines of a meeting at Parliament on Wednesday that it goes against what the Government is trying to do, and that is to bring social cohesion and national unity among all the many ethnics groups, through various efforts. He noted that an investigation into the matter will be conducted.

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Jagdeo says PPC has failed 80% of prisoners learnt no trade behind bars to inspire confidence

From left: PPC members Carol Corbin, Sukrishnalall Pasha, President David Granger (centre), Ivor Burnette English, Dr Nanda Kishore Gopaul and Emily Dodson at the PPC swearing-in

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ix months after the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) raised concerns with the pace at which the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) is conducting their work and the finding with some of its report, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo now said the Commission has not done anything to inspire confidence.

Jagdeo told a news conference on Thursday that the National Procurement Tender and Administration Board (NPTAB) is currently mired in corruption scandals, including the tampering with evaluation criteria and setting criteria in contravention of the law, among other things.

The Opposition Leader also pointed to examples of major infractions of the procurement laws which he claimed are being ignored. In addition to that, he said that several contracts are being awarded in clear violation of the Procurement Act, which makes it clear that bids must be awarded to the lowest bidder.

Further, he noted that the 2016 Auditor General Report listed 71 breaches of the Procurement Act, as well as 82 breaches of the Fiscal

Management and Accountability Act (FMAA). Jagdeo, also the General Secretary of the PPP/C, said this is a grave matter of concern and should not be taken lightly.

Opposition Chief Whip Gail Teixeira had expressed that she had already expressed ‘no confidence’ in the PPC, since she believed that a thorough probe would not be conducted into the award of a contract to Dutch company LievenseCSO for a feasibility study on the proposed new Demerara River bridge.

Teixeira’s ‘no-confidence’ remarks were made based on the fact that PPC Chairperson Carol Corbin promised to look into the matters raised with the relevant entities and also wrote that this would be done “within the confines of (the Commission’s) work programme and available resources”.

The Opposition MP had expressed concern about the Commission’s response, noting that the law mandated it has to investigate complaints. Teixeira, who wrote requesting the probe of the feasibility contract, even described the Commission’s response as scary – when its responsibilities are considered.

Meanwhile, former Attorney General Anil Nandlall had stressed that the PPC’s functions and mandates are outlined in the Constitution. “So it’s not a capricious or whimsical schedule that they can construct. They have to have a work programme that is within their constitutional mandate. And the matters requested in the letter are matters that ought to find priority within their constitutional mandate.”

According to the Opposition MPs, the Commission has also responded in similar fashion to requests for probes into the D’Urban Park Project and the Sussex Street bond. Opposition MP Juan Edghill had confirmed that the Commission also responded in similar fashion to his request for two probes.

In a letter to PPC Chairperson Corbin, Edghill identified aspects of the D’Urban Park Project the Party is most concerned about. Edghill noted that despite promises to the contrary, no account of donations received between September 2015 and January 2016 was made public.

The PPP/C had therefore queried the procurement process used for works on the project; as well as the scope a private company has to engage contractors and receive funding for a public project. The Party queried the budgeted and actual costs throughout the project, as well as the final cost. In addition, the Party demanded information on what payments were made to individuals and contractors up to June.

In the case of the Sussex Street bond, Edghill also approached the PPC to call for an investigation into the contract inked between the Public Health Ministry and a known financier of the coalition Administration.

Until now, not a single investigation has been launched into any one of those incidents.

Region 3 students sensitised on harmful effects of substance abuse

The facilitators at the five-day workshop

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he Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) Department of Education’s Guidance and Counselling Department, in collaboration with Patentia Secondary School, on Thursday commenced a five-day substance abuse prevention workshop.

The workshop, which is being held at the Patentia Community Centre Ground, is intended to address the growing problem of substance abuse.

According to Region Three Senior Guidance and Counselling Officer Priscilla Gonsalves, the intervention was necessary given

the increase in substance abuse by younger adults and more so, the Education Ministry has recognised that children who are of school age can be affected by this scourge as well.

Gonsalves noted that for the next five weeks, one day will be set aside for this continuous prevention and sensitisation exercise at the Patentia Community Centre Ground.

Further, Gonsalves said during this period, there will be presentations from the Phoenix Recovery Centre, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Public Health

Ministry’s Mental Health Unit.

At the launch, the GPF in its presentation to the attendees explained the consequences associated with substance abuse. The participants were also shown examples of some of the most common substances that are abused.

According to the GPF representative, the workshop provides a platform for children to be educated on the issue, so that informed choices and decisions can be made. The GPF official said that this would allow for more productive Guyanese citizens who would contribute to the development of the nation.

– IDB/CSSP 2017 study as in-remand inmates increase to 37%

Camp Street Prison

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igh Court judges and other officers of justice often encourage incarcerated persons to take steps to reform themselves, but the results of their admonition are not being seen, as high numbers of inmates claim they have not learnt any trade whilst being imprisoned.

This revelation was unearthed from the Citizen Security Strengthening Programme (CSSP) prison survey report that saw collaboration with the InterAmerican Development Bank and University of Guyana.

According to a 2017 IDB/ CSSP study, some 80 percent of the incarcerated inmates claimed they did not learn any trade since their incarceration.

In fact, Mazaruni reflected that 31.1% inmates are learning a trade whilst being inside. At the Georgetown Prison, 84.4% of those said they did not learn, while Lusignan’s numbers showed 74%.

Timehri’s no-trade numbers were at 82.2%, whilst New Amsterdam was slightly lower at 80.5%.

Additionally, judicial officers, when passing sentence, would also encourage prisoners to take advantage of programmes to reduce anger management and to increase literacy.

However, the study suggested that prisoners are not fully educating themselves. When the question was posed, asking if inmates studied or attended classes or school in prison, New Amsterdam Prison had a 34.3% “yes” response.

Seventy-eight percent of prisoners at the Camp Street, Georgetown penitentiary said they attended no such classes.

Remand inmates increase to 37%

Meanwhile, even as incoming President of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), Adrian Saunders, called for reforms to remedy the region’s “broken”

criminal justice system, Guyana’s prison system saw an uptick of prisoners who are on remand.

The IDB/CSSP study revealed that 762 of the country’s 2043 inmates were on remand awaiting the outcome of court matters.

This reflected 37 percent of all inmates are in-remand, which is a 2% increase from the previous 35%.

Speaking at Duke Lodge last month, Justice Saunders had outlined that trials are not being heard within a “reasonable” amount of time, which was not only a constitutional violation, but a “serious human rights abuse”. He suggested that the prosecutorial authorities, prisons, the executive and bar association all need to collaborate to tackle the issue.

As reported, the survey also found that most inmates have either used marijuana or have been incarcerated for drug possession or dealing.

“Six out of ten prisoners reported having consumed marijuana; 7.6 per cent cocaine base paste, cocaine, or crack; and 6.4 per cent pills or ecstasy. Two most frequent crimes for which the inmates were arrested in Guyana are intentional homicide or murder, 34.9 per cent; and drug possession or drug dealing, 21.3 per cent,” it said.

The report had also found that six out of ten inmates were physically punished to some degree by their parents or guardians when they were children.

“One out of five inmates said they were gangs members or belonged to criminal groups in the neighbourhood where they lived as minors. Four out of ten inmates stated they had a family member who had been sent to prison,” the report states.

The CSSP is funded by the Inter-American Development Bank, with US$74,200 being allocated for the survey. (Shemuel Fanfair)

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friDAY, june 1, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Brickdam Secondary cops top 5 new Toshaos elected prize at debating competition to lead communities

Britney Valladares receiving her prize for being the best speaker in this debating competition

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rickdam Secondary School has been declared winner of the recently held inter-schools debating competition organized by the Ministry of Public Health’s Adolescent Health Unit, in collaboration with the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Held under the theme “Don’t raise your voice, improve your argument”, the aim of the competition was to spread knowledge of pro-

grammes within the public health sector.

According to representatives of the Public Health Ministry, the debates were among other competitions held to help raise awareness of the Human Papilloma Virus among other health-related illnesses.

The winning team comprised 12th Grade students Rehaca Adamson, Abiké Barker and Britney Valladares, who debated on the moot “Adolescents have the right to access sexual reproductive health ser-

vices without parental consent”.

Britney Valladares was recognized as the best speaker in these debates.

On behalf of the Brickdam Secondary School, teacher Janice Williams received the winning trophy from Dr. William Adu-Krow, the PAHO/WHO Country Representative to Guyana.

Director of Primary Health Care, Dr. Ertensia Hamilton, explained that the students gathered a wealth of information on these health topics as they prepared for competition. This, she noted, now puts them in the category of persons who are better equipped with knowledge and information on adolescent health.

PAHO/WHO Country Representative Dr. William Adu-Krow said there are similar exercises conducted in different parts of Africa.

He noted that through these exercise the targeted audience would be equipped with health information, and could be able to share it among their peers.

The PAHO/WHO and the Ministry of Public Health has recognized that targeting the youth population in this manner is the most effective way of sensitizing children and their families on health topics.

Valmiki Vidyalaya hosts mini-exhibition

in Region 10

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everal new Toshaos were recently elected to serve their respective communities of Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice) for the next year.

Following the elections, which were held for the various communities, Andre Lindee was elected Toshao of Sandhills; while Wayvon King was elected to head the Wiruni village; Ricky Boye will take up the top post for Kimbia; Ken Campbell will serve Calcuni village and Winsbert Benjamin will lead the Hururu Village.

Vice Chairman of Region 10, Elroy Adolph, who was present at the elections said he was pleased with the level of democracy displayed in the communities. The communities did not have an election for the past three years.

Adolph further urged the newly-elected Toshaos to work collaboratively with the people of the regions to foster development.

In the area of transparency as it relates to funds, Adolph said this has been a sore issue in the past and urged the new Toshaos to be accountable.

“They must be transparent. Some Toshaos believe that they are the boss over the finances. Many areas do not give proper accountability, so I am pleading with them to work

Regional Vice Chairman Elroy Adolph (left) presenting the Toshao of Kimbia, Ricky Boye, with official documentation after the election

together to give proper accountability and to cooperate,” Adolph noted.

Elymewell Barkoye, who is part of the newly-elected Council at Hururu, also noted that one of the first orders of business will be the reporting of funds which might have been misused

in the past, as he pointed out that an investigation is expected to be launched.

Barkoye said it will be a hard task since approximately $20 million of the community’s funds which it garners from forestry and other activities has reportedly been misused.

Zipper further remanded to prison on cocaine possession charges

Students of the Valmiki Vidyalaya High School prepare to serve meals they prepared during the food and nutrition exhibition

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he Valmiki Vidyalaya High School hosted its annual Symposium and Mini-Exhibition on Wednesday last under the theme: Promoting Learning in a Cultural Environment.

Located in Queenstown, Georgetown, this school was in 2010 established

by Hardesh Tiwari as a non-profit institution, with the aim of providing academic excellence while at the same time instilling in students the Hindu culture and religion.

Today, the institution offers a wide variety of subjects, ranging from science and business to Hindi, yoga and cultural classes.

Pandit Yogeshwar Mathoo, cultural coordinator of the institution, explained that the symposium

is a forum for the general public to become aware of what the school offers at the secondary level.

Mathoo explained that in a changing society -- one that is driven by technology -- institutions such as The Valmiki Vidyalaya High is needed to ensure that the youths of the future generation stay focused and culturally oriented. “This is what the institution aims at providing,” he stressed.

At the event, several booths were on display, including a Home Economics booth serving visitors hot “bigani” and “Pakoora,” among other delicacies. Several other booths showcased Mathematics, Business, and Science and Technology.

Kasree Ramphal, prin-

cipal of the institution, explained that the school started out with enrollment of a single student by the name of Javier Narine, who is presently perusing aeronautical engineering studies at the Eugene F. Correia International Airport at Ogle, ECD; and today has an enrollment of approximately one hundred students.

Ramphal has extended an invitation to young persons who wish to pursue a balanced secondary education to enroll at the Valmiki Vidyalaya High School. She also explained that the institution has in its employ a number of skilled teachers in almost every subject area, and these are ready to go the extra mile to ensure the aims and objectives of the school are achieved.

Andre “Zipper” Gomes

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usinessman Andre “Zipper” Gomes was on Thursday further remanded by Georgetown Magistrate Leron Daly on a charge of trafficking cocaine, in a matter which has its genesis in the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) last year issuing a wanted bulletin for the former murder accused in relation to nine kilograms of cocaine being found in a gas cylinder at an apartment which he had rented for his 51-year-old girlfriend, Naomi Persaud.

A search had allegedly been carried out last year at the residence of the 57-yearold defendant at Lot 32 Craig Street, Campbellville Georgetown, during which 992 grams of cocaine, an undisclosed sum of cash, and a quantity of jewellery were seized.

Defence Attorney Mark Waldron on Thursday informed Magistrate Daly that the defence is ready to go ahead with the case, once the submissions are received.

Waldron said the cocaine was not found on the premises of his client, but in an alleyway next to the house.

However, CANU Prosecutor Konyo Thompson informed the court that eyewitness accounts indicated otherwise.

She also noted that the court was given no special reason for the defendant to be placed on bail.

As such, the businessman was further remanded to prison, and the matter was adjourned to June 18.

Zipper’s girlfriend, Persaud, had, on August 6, 2017, been taken into custody with her 17-year-old grandson on an accusation of being in possession of nine kilograms of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.

Arraigned for the offence, the Lot 25 Delph Street, Campbellville, Georgetown resident had pleaded guilty to the charges, and was jailed for four years and fined $21 million. As a result of her guilty plea, the charge was dismissed against her teenage grandson.

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friDAY, june 1, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Hundreds benefit from medical Eccles home invaded, occupants terrorised, robbed outreach at Sisters Village

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our persons are now left traumatised after gunmen invaded their Eccles, East Bank Demerara (EBD) home in the wee hours of Wednesday.

A 56-year-old businessman and a 48-year-old Assistant Manager reportedly reside at the house with their spouses.

Based on reports received, the businessman secured his premises about 22:00h on Tuesday and retired to bed, but about 02:15h on Wednesday, he woke up to use the washroom and as he stepped out of his bedroom, he was confronted by five men, three of whom were armed with

The team of doctors and personnel who facilitated the outreach

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he Hindu Parishad Seva Group of the Guyana Pandits Council on Sunday last completed yet another successful medical outreach at the Saraswati Upkaric Mandir in Sisters Village, West Bank Demerara (WBD).

The outreach targeted residents of Sisters Village and neighbouring villages, attracting over 210 persons from different religious and ethnic backgrounds.

Among those treated were infants, senior citizens, and those affected by the recent closure of the Wales Sugar Estate.

Patients were seen by Drs Anila Ramphal, Varun Budhram, Carl Niamatali, Ramdeo Jainarine and Kissoon, along with a team of Optometrists, and benefited from a host of services, including blood sugar, hypertension and eye tests.

Additionally, prescription drugs were administered as required, anti-suicide handouts were

handguns.

Two of the men held the man and his wife at gunpoint while the others went to the other room, where they woke up the Assistant Manager and her husband. They were subsequently taken into the businessman’s room where they were gagged and their hands and feet bound.

The armed men then demanded money and other valuables. As one man kept guard, the others ransacked the house. The men escaped with $500,000 in cash, one iPhone 7, one Samsung Galaxy J3, and a bunch of house keys belonging to the business-

man while a quantity of jewellery, cash and a mobile phone were taken from the Assistant Manager’s room.

After the men left, the businessman managed to untie himself and then the others. A report was made at the Providence Police Station and initial investigations revealed that the men gained access into the house through a window in the lower flat of the building.

The Police have since dusted the area for fingerprints. They confirmed that while there were surveillance cameras around the premises, the armed men escaped with the DVR player.

A resident being examined by a doctor at Sisters Village on Sunday

circulated and 100 food hampers were distributed to needy persons, single parents, and senior citizens.

Spearheaded by the Head of the Guyana Pandits Council, Pandit Rudranauth Sharma, the medical outreach is a monthly initiative conducted by the Council.

In the past four years, the organisation has con-

ducted numerous outreaches across the country to the benefit of more than 4000 persons, while breaking racial, social, and cultural barriers.

Organisations/communities that would like to benefit from this initiative are encouraged by the Council to contact Devica Uditram on 616-1432.

First Lady Sandra Granger on Thursday facilitated an educational tour at State House for a group of toddlers of the Little Angels Play School from Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice). The group of 15 children was accompanied by their teachers and parents/guardians.

The First Lady welcomed the excited bunch, taking them to various sections of the building and giving them historical facts. The children were also treated to snacks and given tokens before their departure from State House

Sedentary lifestyle is taking over Indian Govt Guyana – FAO representative introduces KIP …new food-based dietary guidelines launched for older generation

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he revised Food Based Dietary Guidelines were on Thursday launched at the National Exhibition site, Sophia, Greater Georgetown, with the aim of sensitising the public on how to lead healthier lifestyles.

At the event, it was noted that Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) has contributed for over 80 per cent of deaths in the Region, followed by the increase in sedentary lifestyles.

In light of this occurrence, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) partnered with the Public Health Ministry to spread awareness on the issue.

Reuben Robertson at the launch stated “There are math incidences of non-communicable diseases; the cancers of all types, hypertension, diabetes, kidney failures and strokes affecting people of all ages including children”.

“The data has shown some disturbing facts. It has shown that the excellent strides that we made for over two decades in health

FAO Representative, Reuben Robertson addressing the gathering on the alarming disease rates of the Region

and food and nutrition security in the Region are now being reversed,” he added.

Robertson related that the introduction of these guidelines would be an ideal asset in providing a standard policy that all can follow, so as to be on the path of a healthy lifestyle. The results of following the guidelines will achieve food and nutrition security, which will shrink the number of NDC cases and sedentary lifestyles.

“FAO sees food and nutrition security as being multidimensional [and] issues which are intricately linked to good health and therefore require multidimensional, multi-sectorial and multidisciplinary approaches.”

He noted that these alarming statistics are as a result of poor consumer choices and the lack of fresh foods in the daily diets of many Guyanese.

Additionally, the Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Karen Campbell related that the surveys that were conducted for the guidelines revealed that there is an increase in the number of obese and malnourished persons. This is due to the lifestyle changes which require a different input into our bodies.

“We have to change our eating habits to meet our new lifestyles. If you had to simply remember how to change the way you eat, I would say turn the traditional dinner plate upside down.”

Furthermore, Public Health Minister Volda

Lawrence explained that the most workable way of tackling this issue would be to ensure that consumers purchase locally grown and manufactured products that are available on the local markets.

“We have to ensure that we use what God has given to us and the good thing about it is that when these particular fruits and vegetables are in place, you can get them at very cheap prices.”

Meanwhile, the guidelines will seek to promote healthy living by advising everyone to reduce their carbs, sugar, alcohol and salt intake while increasing the use of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Visits have been planned by the Ministry, whereby representatives will be dispatched to all the regions of Guyana to educate individuals on the newly revised guidelines which will assist in the lowering of the disease rate.

The 2002 guidelines were revised at the end of 2017 and it was changed from seven guidelines to nine.

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he Indian High Commission in Georgetown has announced that the Government of India through its Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is organising a special “Know India Programme” (KIP) for the elder generation to visit India and reconnect with their roots.

KIP is a flagship initiative of the Indian Government which familiarises youths of Indian origin with their Indian roots and contemporary India, through a 25-day orientation programme organised by the MEA. The KIP, in the past, was only available to youths between 18 and 30 years.

However, for the first time-ever, India is hosting a KIP for the older generation.

The Programme is available to seven Latin American countries, including Guyana, for Persons of Indian origin in the 45-65 age group, who have never been to India previously and fall in the low-income group.

Persons of Indian origin within this age group, who may be interested in attending the KIP are being advised that the first KIP will be held in India with partner states Delhi, Varanasi, Allahabad, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Behar, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala from January 20, 2019 to February 10, 2019.

This will coincides with the Annual Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Convention for which applicants would also have to register for.

The second KIP will be organised from January 31, 2019 to February 16, 2019.

A formal announcement of the KIP for Elders will be made soon. The Indian High Commission will provide registration details to the general public as they become available by the MEA. In the meantime, the Indian High Mission is urging those interested in applying for the programme to make necessary arrangements for their participation.

friday, june 1, 2018

guyanatimesgy.com

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ineteen-year-old Ambika Ramraj was on Friday evening last crowned Miss World Guyana 2018 after outshining nine other contestants at the Guyana Pegasus Hotel before a well behaved crowd.

The beauty ambassador will now represent Guyana at the international pageant billed for China later in the year.

She was crowned late into the evening by the 2017 queen Vena Mookram who was obviously delighted to do the honours.

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his Saturday, come and enjoy cuisines and music from around the world as the Indian Commemoration Trust (ICT) once again hosts “SWADISH” – an international food and drink festival.

The event is a collaboration with the various embassies and high commissions in Guyana; with authentic foods and beverages from their respective countries on sale.

Among the countries to participate in the event are: India, China, Suriname, Venezuela, Guyana, USA and more.

In addition to food, there will also be music and dances from the various participating nations.

The festival will be held at the Indian Monument Gardens and will commence at 17:00h.

A chit system is in place where a ticket is purchased for $1500 and the ticket holder receives $500 in chits. Food purchases are made with chits that can be purchased at the gate.

Proceeds for the event will go towards the maintenance of the Indian Monument Gardens.

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H o w e v e r, coming in as first runner-up was Tracy Smith and the second r u n n e r- u p spot was copped by

Joylyn Conway. Ramraj now has an uphill task in representing Guyana but all eyes are now on her as she attempts to match Guyana’s placement at the international pageant in 2015, when Lisa Punch was named in the top 10.

Ramraj, nevertheless will promote metal health issues using sport and physical activities. After her win, she posted “I think I feel elated, I don’t know if that’s the right word to describe how I’m feeling right now, but I know I’m happy in this moment, and I’m so grateful that everything I put in paid off.”

Before being selected to enter the pageant, the delegates were required to make a presentation as to why they believe they should be chosen as the queen.

During her victory speech, the newly crowned queen reflected upon the conflicted feelings she had about entering the pageant.

She, however, said after signing up for the pageant, she embarked on “a journey of self-discovery” and found her purpose.

Franchise holder of the pageant, Natasha Martindale told Guyana Times Entertainment that she is confident Ramraj will do well at the international pageant. She noted that the committee will do everything in its powers to present a delegate that will take the stage by storm.

Martindale related that the newly crowned queen has a great personality that will undoubtedly capture the attention of the rest of the world.

t will be a night of anointing this evening at D’Urban Park for one of the largest gospel concerts, titled “Independence Gospel Explosion and Fair”. The show is expected to feature some of the best in the gospel business including Anil Azeez, Cherlyn Maloney, Mariam Williams, Shawn English, Princess Vanessa and Kester Deane among others.

The show is organised by the Kester Deane Promotion in collaboration with Dunamis Inc and the Government of Guyana. The concert will also feature several Government Ministries, NGOs, religious bodies and members of the business community, as they use the art form to tackle social ills that are plaguing the society.

There will be lots of skits, dances and lots of live performances.

Booths and fun for the children start at 13:00h, while the cultural presentation starts at 17:00h. Entrance to the event is absolutely free.

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wo of the Caribbean’s best storytellers – Paul Keens Douglas from Trinidad and his brother, Richardo Keens Douglas from Grenada – will be performing at the Marriott Hotel for a special Father’s Day event to give Guyanese families good wholesome entertainment, courtesy of GEMS Theatre Productions.

Two shows will be help on Father’s Day which is observed on June 17 at 17:00h and 20:00h.

Guyanese Leza Singh will be the MC for the evening. GEMS Theatre Productions has been host for Paul Keens Douglas and his “Talk Tent” team from 2003 to 2009 and in 2005, they staged “Laugh Tent” with Richardo Keens Douglas.

Paul and Richardo Keens Douglas will be teaming up for the first time in Guyana, in “Two of a Kind”, with Farida Chapman and Avion Crooks from his “Talk Tent” fame which has been staged annually for the past 40 years in Trinidad.

Paul Keens-Douglas was born in Trinidad and grew up in Grenada. He has been writing and performing since 1974. He found his niche in storytelling when Louise Bennett gave workshops around the Caribbean and encouraged

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everyone to not only write poems in standard English but to write in their dialect.

Paul took up the challenge and has delighted audiences over the years with his poems and short stories – “Tanti at de Oval”, “Tanti and de Renovations”, “Tim Tim”, “Lal Shop”, and “Choir Practice” just to name a few. He uses current and local events as the basis of his stories so one can identify with the characters.

He is well learned as he holds diplomas in Commercial Broadcasting and Radio and Television Production, an Honours Degree in Sociology, and has done two years post-graduate work at the University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica. Paul KeensDouglas was active in drama from an early age and has a wide and varied background in theatre and the creative arts.

Through his colourful characters: “Tantie Merle”, “Vibert”, “Tim Tim”, “Slim” and “Tall Boy” among others, Paul has used his personal experiences and keen eye to chronicle life in the West Indies.

When he transferred his degree to Trinidad, Paul found a job at Rediffusion, finding time in studio to

write short stories, among them the popular “Tantie at D Oval”.

When Rediffusion closed down, Paul moved to Radio Trinidad where he found a platform for his stories. Forced to continue writing when appeals to the public to send in theirs didn’t pan out, he eventually collected so much work that he decided to publish them in a book called When Moon Shine and stage a show called “Tim Tim” (patois for Once Upon A Time) at the Little Carib Theatre to read the stories.

“I formed a group called ‘Creola’.

We had writers, a choir and actors.

We did the first show and I taped it and I decided to make an LP just as a project and eventually it came back and that had “Tantie at D Oval” and that really started my career. It got a lot of airplay,” he recalled.

Richardo Keens-Douglas

Richardo was born in 1953 and has since returned to live on the island of Grenada, has worked as a performer in various capacities – as an actor, a radio personality, and as a storyteller.

His popularity with both children and adult audiences has made him a welcome performer, not only in

orn on January 14, 1966, in New Amsterdam, Berbice, Lyndon “Jumbie” Jones was the fifth child of his parents’ six children.

Lyndon grew up in New Amsterdam, attending both primary and secondary schools there. Because of his penchant for cracking jokes and a gift for comedy, he was always the centre of the conversation and the life of the party. His teachers recognised the inherent talent in his class clown antics and encouraged him to perform at school concerts and other small productions where he discovered a love of theatre.

Lyndon Jones entered the entertainment industry at an early age but in a different genre altogether from comedy. Along with a childhood friend, Lyndon began a two-year career as a gymnast, putting on shows across the country.

However, even then, his natural flair for comedy was incorporated into their routines where he kept the audience highly entertained by a running spiel of comedy. The duo was able to garner gigs overseas but eventually broke up the union when his partner migrated.

After entering the job market as a corrections officer and settling down into married life, Lyndon would still continue to crack jokes at various locations when he was given the opportunity as a master of ceremonies.

Because of the overwhelming response from patrons and producers, he was encouraged to enter theatre as an actor on a fulltime basis and was given comical roles in many major productions, both stage and television, in which he excelled. His involvement in the popular “Agree to Disagree” sitcom earned him the nickname “Jumbie” to which he answers to still.

His opportunity for a real shot at actual stand-up comedy

Canada, where he made his home until 2003, but in other parts of the world as well. His hosting role on the Canadawide broadcast of “Cloud 9” was a first for a performer of colour in that country.

He has also served as host of CBCTV’s Sunday Arts Entertainment, a variety programme that earned KeensDouglas a Gemini Award nomination.

In addition to being an author and performer, he also conducts a seminar titled “Creative Thinking through Storytelling and Self-Esteem” at workshops in Canada, the United States, and the Caribbean, and is an often-requested inspirational speaker.

His books for children echo the beliefs he expresses through his storytelling performances: selfacceptance and learning to feel pride in being who you are.

By relating tales of life in the Caribbean and Canada, he teaches children about the importance of cultural heritage, encourages creative thinking, and broadens young imaginations.

Much of his energy and positivism, Keens-Douglas credits to his parents.

“They taught me to believe in myself and be who I want to be,” he explained.

came when the Upscale Restaurant in Georgetown pioneered comedy night in Guyana. From the very first experience, he did exceedingly well and never looked back. Among the first set of comedians in Guyana, he became immensely popular and continued doing comedy at a professional level around Guyana while still being a part of theatre productions.

Today he is one of the foremost

names in comedy in Guyana and is recognised and loved nationwide. Lyndon “Jumbie” Jones is now the host of “Love & Laughter” – a weekly television show; the producer of “Nothing to Laugh About” – an annual theatrical production, featuring an amalgamation of satirical and slapstick skits. He is also the producer and founder of UNCENSORED, Guyana’s biggest stand-up comedy show which is credited with discovering most of the new talent in the country.

He is still involved in theatre and stand-up comedy in varying productions and locations and manages to balance all this while being a proud father of four.

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“It is because of the strength I got as a child that I can express myself in so many ways.”

Work included in anthologies, including Take Five, Blizzard Press, and Fiery Spirits, HarperCollins (New York, NY). Author of plays “Once upon an Island” and “Tell a Tale”, produced on CBC-Radio (Canada). Author’s performance of “The Nutmeg Princess” was recorded on audio cassette.

Several of Keens-Douglas’s books for children have been translated into French, Spanish, Chinese, and Japanese.

Amongst his most well-known books are The Nutmeg Princess, La Diablesse and the Baby, and Mama God, Papa God. Farida Chapman is a veteran of “Talk Tent” and was outstanding in her recent performance at the post Carnival event in March 2018, as she placed a humorous twist to the sensitive topic of menopause.

Avion Crooks is a new comer to “Talk Tent” and performs the role of the character who we all hear about but never see “Tante Merle”.

Leza Singh is no stranger to the Guyanese audience and is well known as a stand-up comedienne and actress.

eofrey Phillips, who is popularly known as “The Mighty Rebel”, passed away on Thursday morning after a prolonged illness. The calypsonian retired in 2011 as the most controversial singer, with several hits under his belt, such as “Desi yo wrong”, “Ask de President” and “Is we put you deh”.

The 72-year-old singer however remained one of the most popular calypsonians in the arena and one who was loved by many. Although most of his songs were banned from being aired on the local airwaves, he said he never disrespected any of his leaders, claiming that he was just making music.

At his retirement speech back in 2011, he encouraged upcoming calypsonians to be assiduous in their endeavours, while advising them that envy will take them nowhere.

“The Mighty Rebel” was born on November 7, 1945, and was employed at the Guyana Sugar Corporation where he formed a band called the HERMITS. He subsequently entered the Calypso arena in 1979 and competed on both regional and international platforms as a cultural ambassador.

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Alastair Cook warns England careers on the line amid Test slump

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lastair Cook has warned members of the England dressing room will “be looking for other employment” if they are unable to reverse their recent run of form.

Cook, who will break Allan Border’s record for the most consecutive Tests when he takes the field in Leeds on Friday, accepts that England are “not playing well” at present and knows they have lost their last three Tests at Headingley.

But he has urged his colleagues to “stick together” and “not carry the negatives from the first Test with us to Headingley”.

“We need to play better,” Cook said in his Sky Sports column. “Test futures are on the line.

“It’s never great when you lose, even more so playing the way we did at Lord’s. It’s a frustrating time for us at the moment as a side; we’re not playing well.

“If you want to play cricket for England, you’ve got to deliver, otherwise we’ll be looking for other employment. That’s the nature of the beast and, fundamentally, we’re not producing out in the middle.

“But we have to stick together as a group.

The last thing you can do is play the blame game, and the trick is now to not carry the negatives from the first Test with us to Headingley.

“Again, that’s another thing easier said than done. But clearly we are not going to lose every game of cricket ever, it is going to turn around at some stage, and it’s down to us to do that.”

While disappointed for Mark Stoneman, who was dropped after the Lord’s Test, Cook expressed confidence in his replacement, Keaton Jennings. “It’s tough on Mark Stoneman,” Cook said. “It’s horrible. Playing for England is these guys’ dreams, so it’s not nice seeing people dropped. I spoke to him on Monday; he was obviously disappointed, a s you’d expect, but he has to now g o away, score r u n s a n d l o o k a t areas i n which he can improve his game.

“It gives Keaton a great

opportunity, and we just need people to grab these opportunities with both hands and to start pushing this side forward, like Jos Buttler and Dom Bess – on debut – did at Lord’s.

“He is a very level-headed guy and seems very suited to Test level, in terms of his mental approach.

He got a hundred on debut, which shows he can play, but then against a good South African side last summer, things just didn’t quite go his way.” (ESPNCricinfo)

Alastair Cook

No more gold for Commonwealth gold Bolt as CAS rejects Carter’s doping appeal medallist fails doping test T T he Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Thursday rejected an appeal by sprinter Nesta Carter, whose positive test for a stimulant saw Jamaican teammate U s a i n

Bolt lose an Olympic gold medal.

Carter, a member of Jamaica’s triumphant 4x100m relay team in Beijing alongside Bolt, Michael Frater and Asafa Powell, had claimed negligence after testing positive for methylhexanamine, a stimulant, when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) de-

cided to retroactively test samples from the 2008 Games in Beijing.

In 2017, Carter sought to have the IOC’s decision overturned, launching an appeal with CAS which, if successful, would have seen Bolt, recently retired from the sport, retroactively awarded a 10th Olympic gold medal. But the Lausanne-based sports court flatly rejected Carter’s appeal.

“The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has dismissed the appeal filed by the Jamaican sprinter Nesta Carter against the decision issued on 25 January 2017 by the International Olympic Committee Disciplinary Panel (IOC DP) in which he was found to have committed an antidoping rule violation during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games (the Beijing Games).

“Accordingly, the IOC DP decision to disqualify Nesta Carter and the Jamaican Men’s 4x100m relay team from the race held at the Beijing Games in which they achieved the gold medal is confirmed.”

As such, Bolt’s Olympic gold count will remain at nine.

wo-time Commonwealth Games (CWG) champion weightlifter Sanjita Chanu has tested positive for a banned anabolic steroid, and she has been provisionally suspended, the international federation said on Thursday.

International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) said on its website that Chanu, who had won a gold in the women’s 53kg category in the recent Gold Coast CWG, has tested positive for testosterone.

“IWF reports that the sample of Sanjita Chanu Khumukcham (IND) has returned an Adverse Analytical Finding for Testosterone (S1.1 Anabolic Agents).

As a consequence, the Athlete is provisionally suspended in view of a potential anti-doping rule violation,” IWF stated.

“In any case where it is determined that the Athlete did not commit an antidoping rule violation, the relevant decision will also be published,” the IWF added.

The IWF did not give details, such as the dates, of the dope test sample collection, saying “it will not make any further comments on the case until it is closed”.

Chanu had taken part in the 53kg class in the World Championship in Anaheim, US in November last year, finishing 13th with a total lift of 177kg.

She lifted a total of 192kg to win the gold in the 53kg category in the Gold Coast CWG. She had also won gold in the 48kg category in the 2014 CWG in Glasgow. (Times of India)

India’s Sanjita Chanu waves during the medal ceremony at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia

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friDAY, june 1, 2018

Iguodala out for game one of NBA Finals

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n d r e Iguodala will not be on the court when the Golden State Warriors host the Cleveland Cavaliers for game one of the NBA Finals on Thursday.

The Golden State forward is

still recovering from a bone bruise and contusion on his left leg. The team said he underwent an evaluation on Tuesday, which indicated he is healing. However, Iguodala is still in pain and will be sidelined as a precaution.

"The pain that accompanies the bone bruise persists, as does the inflammation surrounding the nerve of his left knee," the statement read in part. "He is currently listed out of game one of the NBA Finals and will be re-evaluated again prior to game two."

Iguodala has missed the last four games with the injury, but the Warriors managed to defeat the Houston Rockets in seven games without him. However, Iguodala has been key in defending LeBron James over the last three NBA Finals, so his game-one absence could be a huge blow.

With game two on Sunday, Iguodala will have a couple extra days to continue his recovery before the series moves to Cleveland for game three. (Sportsmax)

9 trophies and 40 games unbeaten - Zidane's Real Madrid reign in Opta numbers N

ine trophies and 40 games unbeaten - Zidane's Real Madrid reign in Opta numbers. Zinedine Zidane's shock Real Madrid departure means the coach will go out on a high, having led Los Blancos to three consecutive Champions League titles.

Zidane's announcement on Thursday means the

Zinedine Zidane

Frenchman won the Champions League in each of his three seasons in charge, the first coach to achieve such an honour.

That trio of titles are part of a remarkable record in major finals, with Zidane's Madrid coming out on top in all of the showpieces they played in under his leadership.

Zidane also led Madrid to a record-breaking unbeaten run - and we have picked out some of the key Opta numbers behind his two-anda-halfyear

spell in charge.

9 - Zidane's Madrid won nine major trophies, including three Champions League titles, one LaLiga crown and two Club World Cups.

40 - Between April 2016 and January 2017, Madrid were unbeaten - a run of 40 matches without defeat that set a new club record.

70 - Across all competitions, Zidane won 70 per cent of his

matches in charge of Madrid - 104 out of the 149 games he led Los Blancos.

77.8 - However, his win percentage rate has been in decline since he replaced Rafael Benitez in the dugout, as his first season saw Madrid win 77.8 per cent of their games, compared to 62.9 per cent in 2017-18.

100 - Zidane leaves Madrid with a 100 per cent record in three competitions - the Club World Cup, the Super Cup and the Supercopa de Espana. In the Copa del Rey, which Zidane never won as a player, that win rate dropped to just 50 per cent.

393 - In his 149 matches in charge of Los Blancos, Zidane's Madrid scored a total of 393 goals, which is an average of 2.6 per game.

9 - Madrid lost nine matches in Zidane's last season at the Santiago Bernabeu, two fewer than in the 2015-16 and 2016-17 campaigns combined.

3 - Zidane is the first manager in history to win the Champions League - or the European Cup - three years in a row. No coach has won more than his three titles in the competition.

Sam Curran called up as cover for Ben Stokes after hamstring scare

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Sam Curran

am Curran has been drafted into England's Test squad after Ben Stokes sustained a hamstring strain. Stokes was only fit enough to bat in the nets on Thursday morning, with a scan due later in the day*.

Curran, the 19-yearold Surrey left-arm swing bowler, travelled to Leeds on Wednesday night in order to train with the squad on Thursday. His brother, Tom, represented England in the final two Tests of the Ashes.

Stokes sustained the strain during fielding practice on Wednesday. He is expected to take a late fitness test on Friday, before the start of the second Test against Pakistan, and it remains possible he could play as a specialist batsman.

"Until we know how serious it is, it's hard to make decisions and because of that we can't name a team today,'' England Captain Joe Root told Sky Sports News. “Of course if Ben's fit we want him in the side, he's one of our best players; he brings a lot to the table and offers so much to this team.''

If Curran were to play, he would be the seventh youngest man – at 19 years and 363 days – to debut for England in Test cricket. He would also be the third man aged 20 or under to represent England in their last five Tests.

Mason Crane made his Test debut in Sydney while Dom Bess made his at Lord's. Both are 20. Curran was previously called into England's T20 squad during the tri-series involving Australia and New Zealand earlier this year, but did not play.

Despite his youth, Curran h a s long

been tipped for the future.

He made his Championship debut aged just 17 – and took a five-for; the youngest man to do so in Championship history – and claimed a 10-wicket haul in his last Championship match, against Yorkshire a couple of weeks ago.

In that match, he dismissed the England captain, Joe Root, with a lovely inswinger in the first innings and the Indian b a t s m a n Cheteshwar Pujara in both innings.

While not especially quick, his action – and ability to swing the ball – has drawn comparisons with Wasim Akram and he also has some pedigree with the bat. He is the son of former Zimbabwe allrounder, the late Kevin Curran.

As well as being preferred to the likes of Craig Overton and Jake Ball, who represented England over the winter, Curran also appears to have leap-frogged his older brother. While Tom Curran's commitment was impressive in Australia, his lack of pace was an issue on the flat wickets encountered in Melbourne and Sydney.

Having just returned from the IPL, Tom has also not played a First-Class game this season though whether that influenced the selectors is currently unclear.

Stokes’ injury might also mean good news for Chris Woakes. He was 12th man at Lord's, but could come back into the side in place of either Stokes or, perhaps, Dom Bess if Stokes is cleared to play as a batsman only. Root and Dawid Malan could be asked to provide the spin bowling. Keaton Jennings also bowls serviceable medium-pace. (ESPNCricinfo)

(Sportsmax)

Ben Stokes

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21

Chandimal, Perera shine on opening day

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ri Lanka Captain Dinesh Chandimal warmed up for next week’s start of the Test series against West Indies with a ton on day one of

as the visitors racked up a decent first day score of 3186. Kusal Perera supported his skipper with a gritty 65 runs scored from 93 balls, with 10 fours and a six,

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the 3-day match against Cricket West Indies (CWI) President’s XI. Chandimal stroked 108

while former skipper Angelo Mathews (41) missed out on a half-century.

At stumps, the flashy

ets apiece from Rakeem Cornwall (2-80) and Jomel Warrican (2-67) shielded the attention from the

CWI celebrate 90+ years as Test-playing nation – and 92 years as ICC member

seamers Miguel Cummins (1-47) and Guyana Jaguars Raymon Reifer (1-58), who toiled during their spells.

Chandimal added a significant 130 for the second wicket with Perera, which took Sri Lanka to lunch at 971. The skipper then teamed up with his ex-captain in

Mathews, as the pair shared a solid third wicket stand of 114. The Sri Lankan skipper struck six fours and three sixes from 216 balls, batting just a little under 4-1/2 hours to reach his century a little after tea, before leftarm seamer Reifer snagged his wicket.

Kirani James to return from hiatus at Racers Grand Prix, June 9 – reports

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CWI celebrates two huge milestones in 2018

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ricket West Indies (CWI) are looking to continue their contributions to the sport after recently celebrating a few milestones.

This year, Windies cricket will be celebrating 92 years of being an International Cricket Council (ICC) member; but, more importantly, they will also be celebrating 90 years as a Test-playing nation.

The CWI on Thursday sent out a release recognizing this milestone, and added that it was the Board’s aim to further improve on the works they have begun. “Here in the West Indies, we maintain hope that we are on the right path, even much closer to challenge for the World Cup title in England in 2019. “We start this 92nd year with a full summer schedule in the Caribbean, leading to the end of the year in India. All categories of our players and officials, including our umpires, will be fully occupied.

This November, we will be the first host of the only stand-alone ICC Women’s World Twenty20 Championship. We continue to build capacity on and off the field”, the official release read.

It continued, “We are now an industry with 177 players and officials employed all year round, along with the hard-working team at the Secretariat. We (are) in part-

nership with the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, the Coolidge Cricket Ground – home of West Indies.

“So far, we have hosted the fast-bowling camp; Women’s Camp, and the A Team. The venue has also been able to host two backto-back years of Super50, and we will improve on that facility in time for warm-up matches for the ICC WWT20 in November”.

Digicel and CWI recently severed ties after more than a decade of partnership, and the CWI, in addressing the issue in the release, said, “After 13 years, we close a chapter with Digicel. We thank them for their tremendous support during this stage of our journey, and we wish them well in future endeavours. We make way for new and emerging business partners”.

The release, in closing, read, “To our players, our greatest assets, we will continue to support your efforts, throwing the weight of the most efficient and effective staff available. We therefore wish you all the best as you aim to make your way up the ranking on your various teams.

“We look ahead…92 and more, to continue to propel the game of cricket in the region, not only for economic and social development, but to use it as the catalyst to bring our beautiful island states even closer.”

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Kirani James

irani James, who has not run competitively in more than a year, is set to make his return on June 9 at the Racers Grand Prix in Jamaica.

The 2012 Olympic champion has been added to the list of international athletes down to compete at the Racers Grand Prix set for the National Stadium in Kingston on June 9.

James, 25, has not competed since April 2017, but then announced that he was withdrawing from competition for the remainder of the season. It was later reported that the 2011 world champi-

on was suffering from a respiratory infection.

It has now been more than a year since the talented Grenadian has competed, but according to the Jamaica Observer, James will be competing when the meet gets underway in less than two weeks.

According to the Jamaican daily, James will go up against 2017 NCAA champion Fred Kerley, his compatriot Michael Cherry and Jamaicans Demish Gaye and Javon Francis.

James’ compatriot Bralon Taplin is also down to contest the 400 metres. (Sportsmax)

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friDAY, june 1, 2018

Lewis, bowlers help Windies topple World XI

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ome power-hitting by Evin Lewis, coupled with some world-class bowling, saw the West Indies best the World XI by a whopping 72 runs in Thursday’s Hurricane Relief T20 match at Lord’s in London.

Windies rocketed to 199 for 4 after being inserted by the ICC World XI, and Lewis smoked a 26-ball 58 at the top of the order, setting the scene for a cameo of 43 from Marlon Samuels.

Wicket-keeper Dinesh Ramdin and another power-hitter, Andre Russell, added an unbeaten 47 for the fifth wicket in just over three overs, to set the World XI a stiff task. Afghanistan’s star spinner

Rashid Khan delighted again with 2-48, but the star was England’s speedster Tymal Mills, who conceded only 13 runs off his 13 overs.

Chasing a stiff target, it was never a match for the World XI, who had a nightmare start, losing the dangerous combination of Luke Ronchi and Tamim Iqbal with less than three runs on the board.

The World XI were eventually reduced to 127 all out in 16.4 overs, after the Windies’ bowlers Samuel Badree, Andre Russell, Kesrick Williams, Guyanese Keemo Paul and Carlos Brathwaite ran through the batting order with either two or one wicket apiece. Hard-hitting Sri Lanka all-rounder Thisara Perera

counterpunched with a brisk fifty, but in vain.

The all-rounder, batting down the order, blazed 61runs from 37 balls, scorching seven fours and three sixes as he helped stage a brief fight-back before being caught and bowled by Williams. Paul bagged the prized wicket of World XI skipper Shahid Afridi, who was out for 11.

In the end, it was a tall order for the World side, who eventually succumbed thanks to some collective skill and class, courtesy of the Windies bowlers, who did well to defend their big total.

The proceeds of this charity match will go towards the resto-

ration of five cricket stadiums across the Caribbean that were damaged during Hurricanes Irma and Maria last year: Ronald Webster Park in Anguilla, Sir Viv Richards Stadium in Antigua, Windsor Park in Dominica, AO Shirley Recreation Ground in British Virgin Islands, and Carib Lumber Ball Park in St. Martin.

Evin Lewis

$4M in prizes for 2018 KMPA Classic K

ing Medas-Pansy Adonis (KMPA) Classic are set to host their 2018 Under-8 to Masters Track and Field competition, from September 20th to 23rd, with over $4million in prizes up for grabs.

The four-day event, set for the Lusignan Community Centre Ground, is set to be official-

ly launched next week, and will see athletes competing in number respective races, some of which include the 110m and 400m hurdles events, which have been included this year.

Other categories, such as the Long/High Jump, shot put, Javelin and discus, will also be contested, while track fans will further enjoy the mouth-watering rac-

es like the 4x100m, 4x400m and 4x800m, 1500m finals, 100m finals and 800m finals, 200m and 400m heats, along with the 80m and 110m hurdles finals.

Day three will see finals of the sprint races: 400m, 100m, 200m and 400m hurdles, being run, while the signature day will have the big money, 5k road race at Bachelor’s Adventure.

In the senior male and female, male and female 1720 years, and the Teachers’ Male and Female, along with the Government officials’ male and female categories, there will be cash prizes awarded from 1st to 10th places.

The Senior Male 5k will carry a winning purse of $50,000; 2nd $40,000, and 3rd $30,000; while the

Senior Females will see the winner running away with $40,000; 2nd $30,000; and 3rd $15,000.

In addition to cash prizes, 1st to 10th place finishers will receive a trophy, while some lucky student-athletes will receive sponsorships from the King Medas/ Pansy Adonis Memorial.

There are two laptops and five desktop computers also

to be won. Sponsors include Shelmacphotos USA; ANSA McAL; University of Guyana; Prodigal; Sybil’s Bakery, Queens; Banks DIH; Daddy’s Enterprise; Star Party Rentals; Payless Variety Store; the NSC; Ministry of Education; Wake Up Guyana Show; Prince Shipping; Island Express, and the Adonis Family.

Torginol Paints Golf Invitational tees off June 2nd

Torginol Paints Production Manager Fenton Persaud handing over the sponsorship cheque to LGC Vice President Peton George in the presence of Company Secretary Mohamed S. Ally (3rd from left), LGC President Aleem Hussain, Torginol Marketing and Sales Manager Rudy Jairam, LGC PRO Guy Griffith, and other representatives of Torginol Paints

T

he Lusignan Greens will come alive this Saturday when Torginol Paints host their annual Open Invitational Golf tournament, which is set to tee off at 12:30h.

This means that the Lusignan Golf Club (LGC)

– “Anaconda”, as it is proposed to be branded -- and Torginol Paints continue their dynamic 15-year partnership with yet another invitational, which is expected to be flocked by the best pros in Guyana.

Non-members are wel-

come to participate in this tournament, but are required to pay a nominal tournament fee which covers the green fee, lunch, and a caddie for the18-hole tournament. Those interested are kindly asked to contact the Lusignan Golf Club at

220-5660 or 668-7419 to receive information on how to register to play in this tournament.

Despite the current inclement weather, golfers can take advantage of the freshly manicured greens and fairways to compete for top

honours. Prizes would be awarded to the top 4 Best Net scores, the Best Gross score, the Longest Drive, and the Nearest to a designated Pin. Previous Paints tournament winners include Colin Ming – 2009; Fazil Haniff – 2011; Clifford Reis – 2012; Mark Lashley – 2013; and Shanella Webster - 2014.

Torginol Paints Company Secretary Mohamed S. Ally had, on February 7, handed over the sponsorship cheque for this tournament to the LGC, when Production Manager Fenton Persaud commented, “We have been associated with the Lusignan Golf Club for over 15 years, and have been a proud sponsor of tournaments”.

Torginol Paints, “Pioneers of the Paint Industry” in Guyana, (website: torginolpaints.com), was incorporated in 1960 by the late Founder/Chairman Mr. Swarn Kumar Puri. It is

a member of the Continental Group of Companies, with headquarters and factory located at 9-12 Industrial Estate, Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Guyana, (Tel:592- 226-4041/43), and with two outlets in Regent Street, Georgetown as well as Distribution Centres in Columbia Essequibo Coast and Port Mourant, Corentyne. There are several dealers scattered across Guyana: in Berbice, East Bank Demerara, East Coast Demerara, Essequibo/ Bartica, Georgetown, Lethem, Linden, and West Coast Demerara.

All staff and clients of the company, as well as members of the public, are invited to witness this grand tournament that kicks off the second half of our season. There is no charge for entry, and persons desiring to learn the game may have FREE introductory lessons this weekend.

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Pepsi on board guyanatimesgy.com

friDAY, june 1, 2018

Petra/ExxonMobil Under-14 league U

nder their Pepsi brand, beverage giants Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) have thrown their support behind the Petra/ ExxonMobil Under-14 Schools’ Football League that is slated to commence on Saturday, June 2.

This announcement was made on Thursday at a small ceremony wherein Pepsi confirmed their sponsorship of the tournament.

Pepsi Brand Manager Larry Wills noted that the company is excited to be part of any initiative that would contribute to the development of Guyanese youths.

“Giving back to the youths is very important to us,” he declared. “We know that the development of football in Guyana is really

From left: Pepsi brand manager Larry Wills, Co-Director of Petra Troy Mendonca and another representative at the launch of the tournament

based on the development of youths in Guyana. We’re

GLTA under new management

T

he reins of control of the Guyana Lawn Tennis Association (GLTA) have changed hands after the tenure of past President Jamal Goodluck came to an end. In the race for the presidency of the GLTA, Samuel Barakat overcame William Skeete to become head of this very active body. “Happy to be elected, and thanks to everyone for their support; and I look forward to working with everyone to take tennis to higher heights, not only on the local scene, but to be more competitive regionally,” Barakat said after winning the elections.

Having served on the GLTA Board for a number of years, wherein he played a key role in hosting the Inter Guiana Games lawn tennis championships held in Guyana last year, the new President also shared that he is keen on improving the work of the GLTA and introducing new initiatives to the sport.

W i t h support of the Guyana O l y m p i c Association (GOA), the International

Tennis Federation (ITF), and the Central American and Caribbean Tennis Confederation (COTECC), there is expected to be expansion of the player pool; frequent tournaments; coaching clinics, and development of existing clubs.

The newly elected executive committee comprises: Cristy Campbell as Vice President; Robin Singh as Second Vice President; Molly Hassan as Secretary; Ramesh Seebaran as Treasurer; Tina Ram as Assistant Treasurer; William Skeete as Assistant Secretary/Treasurer; Grace McCalman as Life member; and Jason Andrews, Dellon Fraser, Nigel Niles, and Illeana Boodhoo as Committee members.

happy. We know that the youths are looking forward

to this; they’ll be able to exhibit some of their talents,”

Wills stated.

Co-Director

of

Petra,

Troy Mendonca, expressed gratitude to not only Pepsi, but also to ExxonMobil, for enabling the gap between the Pee-Wee and Under-18 leagues to be bridged.

Action in this new league will kick off on Saturday morning with a march past and opening ceremony. Whilst the Boys’ league will begin on Saturday, the females will have to wait a little longer to be part of the action. The eight female teams will undergo a training camp for two weeks prior to the beginning of their competition. Their training will be supervised by technical staff of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF).

The male and female tournaments will run for seven and four weeks respectively.

Trim gets shot at

FIFA World Cup

H

ard work and dedication continue to pay off for 13-yearold Jalade Trim, who is gradually seeing all of her life’s dreams come true.

This rising football star, who hails from the mining town of Linden, will be travelling to Russia to witness the 2018 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup. Many athletes of all ages would give an arm and a leg to attend this dream event, which attracts the world’s best athletes and A-list celebrities from around the world, and the young Guyanese and her mothe,r Finola Trim, will be in ‘the thick of things’ as Jalade participates in a string of coaching sessions and football education courses.

The exhilarating experience was made possible by a kind contribution from Nazar Mohamed, owner of Mohamed’s Enterprise.

“As a company, we have al-

ways been supportive of our sportsmen and women through the years. In this case, we have a young female player who has been afforded a huge opportunity to be at the greatest event in the world, and we thought it best to ensure that her greatest fan, her mother, gets the opportunity to accompany her on such a trip,” Nazar Mohamed said as he handed over the sponsorship cheque to the teen and her mother.

Jalade told Guyana Times Sport that she fell in love with the game of football at the tender age of 5. She began playing with the Kwakwani Strikers, and they assisted in improving her skills over the years. The 13-year-old caught the attention of football fans in 2017 when she participated in the CONCACAF Under-17 league.

Although she did not score in that match,

her skills were undeniable.

She had a great season, and was named the Junior Female Footballer of the Year by the Guyana Football Federation.

Jalade Trim

friDAY, june 1, 2018

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

guyanatimesgy.com

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Pepsi on board Petra/ ExxonMobil Under-14 league

Pepsi brand manager Larry Wills handing over the sponsorship cheque to a Petra official

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Lewis, bowlers

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